Light source and illuminating device

• US 9,791,132 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YLX Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Appotronics Corporation Limited
• Inventors: Li, Yi, Zhang, Quan, Yang, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US14/364,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,875 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/60 Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/12 Combinations of only three kinds of elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/10 of different colours
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements

Abstract

A light source comprises a light emitting diode array (101) and a collimator array (102). The light emitting diode array (101) comprises at least two light emitting diode units (101a, 101b) that emit light of different colors; the collimator array (102) is used for collimating light emitted by the light emitting diode units (101a, 101b) and keep the optical extension of the light emitted by the light emitting diode units (101a, 101b) substantially unchanged. The light source further comprises a dodging device (103) used for dodging light emerging from the collimator array (102). An illuminating device comprises the light source. The light emitting diode units (101a, 101b) and the collimator unit (102a) in the light source and the illuminating device minimize the optical extension of the emergent light, thereby maximizing the luminance.

Claims

1. A light source, comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED) array, the LED array including at least two types of LED units emitting different color lights, each LED unit including an LED chip;

wherein a light emitting surface of each LED chip is covered by a low-refractive index transparent medium having a refractive index lower than 1.1;

a collimator array, including at least one collimator unit, wherein each collimator unit corresponds to at least one LED unit, for collimating a light emitted from the at least one LED unit while maintaining an etendue of the light from the at least one LED unit substantially unchanged;

a lens support structure including a lens support frame located around each LED chip, wherein the collimator unit corresponding to each LED unit is mounted on the lens support frame with the low-refractive index transparent medium located between the collimator unit and the light emitting surface of the LED chip; and

a light homogenizing device for smoothing a light from the collimator array.

2. The light source of claim 1, wherein the low-refractive index medium is air.

3. The light source of claim 1, wherein each type of LED units emitting one color light are uniformly distributed in the LED array.

4. The light source of claim 3, wherein a distribution of each type of LED units emitting one color light is approximately symmetrical with respect to a center of the LED array.

6. The light source of claim 1, further comprising a filter plate located on an optical path between the LED units and the collimator units, for filtering the light emitted by the LED units.

7. The light source of claim 1, further comprising a filter plate located on an optical path between the collimator unit and the light homogenizing device, for filtering a light from the collimator unit.

8. The light source of claim 1,

wherein in the LED array, the LED units are arranged in a square pattern;

and

wherein in the collimator array, the collimator units are arranged in a square pattern.

9. The light source of claim 1,

wherein in the LED array, the LED units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern;

and

wherein in the collimator array, the collimator units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

10. The light source of claim 1,

wherein the light homogenizing device is a fly-eye lens pair, including a first fly-eye lens and a second fly-eye lens;

wherein the first fly-eye lens includes periodically arranged first fly-eye lens units;

wherein the second fly-eye lens includes periodically arranged second fly-eye lens units; and

where the first fly-eye lens units and the second fly-eye lens units have a one-to-one correspondence with each other.

11. The light source of claim 10, wherein the first fly-eye lens units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern;

and wherein the second fly-eye lens units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

12. The light source of claim 1,

wherein the homogenizing device is an integral fly-eye lens, including a first surface and a second surface;

wherein the first surface includes periodically arranged third fly-eye lens units;

wherein the second surface includes periodically arranged fourth fly-eye lens units; and

where the third fly-eye lens units and the fourth fly-eye lens units have a one-to-one correspondence with each other.

13. The light source of claim 12, wherein the third fly-eye lens units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern;

and wherein the fourth fly-eye lens units are arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

14. The light source of claim 1, further comprising:

a focusing lens located on an optical path between the collimator array and the light homogenizing device, for focusing the light from the collimator array onto the light homogenizing device; and

wherein the light homogenizing device is a light integrator rod.

15. The light source of claim 1, wherein the light homogenizing device is a diffractive optical element.

16. An illumination device which includes the light source of claim 1.

17. The illumination device of claim 16, further comprising a control device, for respectively and independently controlling on and off and input powers of each type of LED units emitting one color light.

5. A light source, comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED) array, the LED array including at least two types of LED units emitting different color lights, each LED unit including an LED chip;

wherein a light emitting surface of each LED chip is covered by a high-refractive index transparent medium having a refractive index greater than 1.3, the high-refractive index transparent medium having a wavelength conversion material mixed therein, wherein the high-refractive index medium has a thickness less than 50% of a diameter of a bounding circle of the light emitting surface of the LED chip;

a collimator array, including at least one collimator unit, wherein each collimator unit corresponds to at least one LED unit, for collimating a light emitted from the at least one LED unit while maintaining an etendue of the light from the at least one LED unit substantially unchanged; and

a light homogenizing device for smoothing a light from the collimator array.

18. The light source of claim 5, further comprising a filter plate located on an optical path between the LED units and the collimator units, for filtering the light emitted by the LED units.

19. The light source of claim 5, further comprising a filter plate located on an optical path between the collimator unit and the light homogenizing device, for filtering a light from the collimator unit.

20. An illumination device comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED) array, the LED array including at least two types of LED units emitting two different color lights, each LED unit including an LED chip;

wherein a light emitting surface of each LED chip is covered by a low-refractive index transparent medium having a refractive index lower than 1.1;

a collimator array, including at least one collimator unit, wherein each collimator unit corresponds to at least one LED unit, for collimating a light emitted from the at least one LED unit while maintaining an etendue of the light from the at least one LED unit substantially unchanged;

a lens support structure including a lens support frame located around each LED chip, wherein the collimator unit corresponding to each LED unit is mounted on the lens support frame with the low-refractive index transparent medium located between the collimator unit and the light emitting surface of the LED chip;

a light homogenizing device for smoothing a light from the collimator array; and

a control device, for respectively and independently controlling on and off and input powers of each type of LED units emitting one color light.