Lighting apparatus with a carrier layer

• US 9,159,886 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bench Walk Lighting, LLC
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chan, Bit Tie, Ng, Kee Yean
• Primary Examiner(s): Montalvo, Eva Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vieira, Diana C
• Application Number:
  US13/089,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20120267657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/504 Elements with two or more wavelength conversion materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/505 characterised by the shape, e.g. plate or foil
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/507 the elements being in intimate contact with parts other than the semiconductor body or integrated with parts other than the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/508 having a non-uniform spatial arrangement or non-uniform concentration, e.g. patterned wavelength conversion layer, wavelength conversion layer with a concentration gradient of the wavelength conversion material

Abstract

A lighting apparatus having wavelength-converting materials formed in a carrier layer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the lighting apparatus has a light source attached to a substrate that is assembled in a housing. The light source is configured to emit a substantially narrow band light that is transformed into broad-spectrum white light by the wavelength-converting materials positioned on the carrier layer. The wavelength-converting materials and the carrier layer are distanced away from the light source, such that the carrier layer is thermally isolated from the light source.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a side surface defining an opening;

a substrate located within the opening of the housing;

at least one light source attached to the substrate, the at least one light source being configured to emit light having a first peak wavelength, wherein at least a portion of the emitted light can be reflected by the side surface;

a carrier layer located within the opening and positioned directly on the side surface of the housing, wherein the carrier layer has opposing side surfaces and is substantially thermally isolated from the light source; and

first and second wavelength converting materials configured to convert the light emitted from the at least one light source into a substantially white light having a first color point;

wherein the first wavelength-converting materials are arranged on one of the opposing surfaces of the carrier layer such that a substantial portion of light emitted from the light source passes through only the first wavelength-converting materials, wherein the second wavelength-converting materials are arranged on an other one of the opposing surfaces of the carrier layer such that a substantial portion of light emitted from the light source passes through only the second wavelength-converting materials, and wherein at least a portion of the emitted light can be reflected by the side surface toward the first and second wavelength-converting materials.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier layer is removably replaceable using a second carrier layer having a different composition from the first and second wavelength-converting materials to obtain the substantially white light having a second color point.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier layer is made from a glass material.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is a packaged light-emitting device.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is a light-emitting die.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light-emitting die is encapsulated on the substrate using an encapsulant.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second wavelength-converting materials is positioned in a systematic manner.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second wavelength-converting materials are formed on the carrier layer in an encapsulant material.

9. The lighting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wavelength-converting materials are positioned in a systematic manner and the second wavelength-converting materials are positioned between the first wavelength-converting materials.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier layer has a transparent portion.

11. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second wavelength-converting materials are in a medium capable of being printed, wherein the first and second wavelength-converting materials are printed on the carrier layer.

12. A lighting apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a side surface defining an opening;

a substrate located within the opening of the housing;

at least one light source attached to the substrate, the at least one light source being configured to emit light having a first peak wavelength, wherein at least a portion of the emitted light can be reflected by the side surface;

a carrier layer located within the opening and positioned directly on the side surface of the housing, wherein the carrier layer has opposing side surfaces and is substantially thermally isolated from the light source; and

first and second wavelength converting materials configured to convert the light emitted from the at least one light source into a substantially white light having a first color point;

wherein the first and second wavelength-converting materials are arranged on at least one of the opposing surfaces of the carrier layer such that a substantial portion of light emitted from the light source passes through only one of the first and second wavelength-converting materials, and wherein at least a portion of the emitted light can be reflected by the side surface toward the first and second wavelength-converting material,

wherein the carrier layer defines a plurality of curved structures, and

wherein each of the plurality of curved structures comprises substantially only one of the first or second wavelength-converting materials.

13. The lighting apparatus of claim 12, wherein each curved structure is located corresponding to each light source, respectively.

14. The lighting apparatus of claim 12, wherein the carrier layer is formed by molding an encapsulant premixed separately with the first and second wavelength-converting materials in liquid form in mold pockets, followed by curing the encapsulant into a solid form.

15. A lighting system, comprising:

a housing having a side surface defining an opening;

a substrate located within the opening of the housing;

at least one light source connected to the substrate, the at least one light source being configured to emit light having a first peak wavelength;

a carrier layer located within the opening and positioned directly on the side surface of the housing, wherein the carrier layer has opposing side surfaces and is distanced away from the light source to be thermally isolated from the light source; and

first and second wavelength-converting materials formed respectively on opposing surfaces of the carrier layer and configured to convert the light emitted from the at least one light source to a substantially white light having a first color point, wherein the first and second wavelength-converting materials are arranged such that a substantial portion of light emitted from the at least one light source passes through only one of the first and second wavelength-converting materials, wherein at least a portion of the emitted light can be reflected by the side surface toward the first and second wavelength-converting material, and wherein the first and second wavelength-converting materials are substantially thermally isolated from the at least one light source.

16. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the carrier layer is removably replaceable with a second carrier layer having a different composition of first and second wavelength-converting materials to obtain a substantially white light having a second color point.