Molded LED indicator
First Claim
1. A solid state electroluminescent device comprising a housing of molded synthetic resin material which is substantially opaque and which is diffusely reflective, the housing comprising integrally joined side walls defining a body for the device, said side walls having interior surfaces having peripheral upper and lower edges defining a principal cavity having a top and a bottom, the top constituting a light-emitting opening of predetermined shape, a pair of spaced electrodes of electrically conductive material extending generally vertically through the bottom, the electrodes each having upper portions extending from the bottom into the principal cavity and terminating within the cavity at upper ends, the upper ends of the electrodes presenting an area in at least one of the electrodes below the top opening and positioned within the cavity, said area including an integral specularly reflective LED-containing cavity having a bottom surface facing said top opening, an LED having a body of semiconductor material, the LED body being positioned within the LED-containing cavity, means for interconnecting the LED body in series-connected electrical circuit relationship with the electrodes, the lower portions of the electrodes extending below the bottom opening to permit connection of a source of electrical power to the electrodes for causing the LED to emit light, the housing side walls having inner surfaces which slope toward the LED-containing cavity, the principal cavity being filled with a light transmissive encapsulant of synthetic resin material having a light-scattering characteristic, the encapsulant surrounding said upper portions of the electrodes, the LED-containing cavity, and the LED, whereby said light-emitting opening emits light of substantially uniform intensity thereacross.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An LED device of the discrete type having a rectangular light emitting area suited for being arrayed with similar devices in contiguous relationship without optical cross-talk therebetween. An opaque but diffusely reflective housing of the device is molded of synthetic resin material with rectangular integral side walls defining a rectangular body. Their interior surfaces have peripheral upper and lower edges defining a principal cavity having a rectangular top opening. A pair of spaced electrodes extend through a bottom opening and have upper portions extending up into the cavity and there terminating so as to provide an electrode surface area below the top opening having a specularly reflective LED-containing cavity formed therein. An LED die within the electrode cavity is series-connected with the electrodes. Sloped inner walls of the body provide nonspecular reflection of light emitted from the LED. The principal cavity is filled with a synthetic resin material including dispersed light scattering particles. The construction results in a uniformly illuminated light-emitting area of arrayable rectangular format nearly as large as the top of the device.
134 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A solid state electroluminescent device comprising a housing of molded synthetic resin material which is substantially opaque and which is diffusely reflective, the housing comprising integrally joined side walls defining a body for the device, said side walls having interior surfaces having peripheral upper and lower edges defining a principal cavity having a top and a bottom, the top constituting a light-emitting opening of predetermined shape, a pair of spaced electrodes of electrically conductive material extending generally vertically through the bottom, the electrodes each having upper portions extending from the bottom into the principal cavity and terminating within the cavity at upper ends, the upper ends of the electrodes presenting an area in at least one of the electrodes below the top opening and positioned within the cavity, said area including an integral specularly reflective LED-containing cavity having a bottom surface facing said top opening, an LED having a body of semiconductor material, the LED body being positioned within the LED-containing cavity, means for interconnecting the LED body in series-connected electrical circuit relationship with the electrodes, the lower portions of the electrodes extending below the bottom opening to permit connection of a source of electrical power to the electrodes for causing the LED to emit light, the housing side walls having inner surfaces which slope toward the LED-containing cavity, the principal cavity being filled with a light transmissive encapsulant of synthetic resin material having a light-scattering characteristic, the encapsulant surrounding said upper portions of the electrodes, the LED-containing cavity, and the LED, whereby said light-emitting opening emits light of substantially uniform intensity thereacross.
- 9. A solid state electroluminescent device having a light-emitting top area of rectangular format which is suited for being arrayed with other such devices in contiguous relationship without optical cross-talk therebetween, the device comprising a housing of molded synthetic resin material which is substantially opaque and which is diffusely reflective, the housing having four integrally joined side walls defining a generally rectangular body for the device, each of the side walls having exterior surfaces of generally rectangular shape, the interior surfaces of the side walls having peripheral upper and lower edges defining a principal cavity having a top and a bottom, the top being an opening of rectangular shape, a pair of spaced electrodes of electrically conductive material extending generally vertically through the bottom, the electrodes each having upper portions extending from the bottom into the principal cavity and terminating within the cavity at upper ends, the upper ends of the electrodes providing a surface area in at least one of the electrodes which is generally parallel to and below the top opening and which is positioned within the cavity, the surface area including an integral specularly reflective LED-containing cavity formed by the material of the electrodes, the LED-containing cavity having a bottom surface facing said top opening, an LED having a body of semiconductor material, the LED body being positioned within the LED-containing cavity, means for interconnecting the LED body in series-connected electrical circuit relationship with the electrodes, the lower portions of the electrodes extending below the bottom opening to permit connection to a source of electrical power to the electrodes for causing the LED to emit light, the side walls of the housing having in cross section a thickness which increases from peripheral upper edges of the side walls in a direction toward the bottom of the principal cavity to define sloped inner walls of the principal cavity which slope toward the LED-containing cavity, the principal cavity being filled to the top with a light transmissive encapsulant of synthetic resin material, the encapsulant including light-scattering particles dispersed therein, the encapsulant surrounding said upper portions of the electrodes, the LED-containing cavity, and the LED, whereby the opening of the principal cavity provides a light-emitting area of arrayable rectangular format which emits light of intensity which is substantially uniform across the light-emitting area.
Specification