Deformable Illumination Module

Abstract

Deformable illumination module with a plurality of circuit boards that have at least one optical emitter arranged thereon and that are connected into forming a chain by way of two electrical power supply wires. The electrical power supply wires run without interruption across all circuit boards of the chain creating a parallel connection of the circuit boards.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The figure shows a schematic depiction of a top view of the embodiment.

The figure is, as a matter of principle, not to be understood as true to scale. Also, individual component parts are, as a matter of principle, not depicted as representing their actual size-specific dimensions relative to each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The exemplary embodiment features a plurality of circuit boards 1. Arranged on said circuit boards 1 are two light-emitting diode component parts 2, respectively, as optical emitters which are connected by way of two electrical power supply wires 3, 4 into a chain. The electrical power supply wires 3, 4 are guided across all circuit boards 1 without interruption creating a parallel connection of the circuit boards 1 of the chain.

Aside from the light-emitting diode component parts 2, the circuit boards 1 have arranged on them further electronic component parts 5, respectively, that are electrically connected to the light-emitting diode components 2.

Electrical power supply wires 3, 4 are combined into bundles, respectively, and crimped to reinforce the connection between two respective circuit boards 1. In the alternative, it is also possible to use a ribbon cable that is unpicked in the area of the circuit boards.

In an embodiment in which the light-emitting diode component parts of two circuit boards that are adjacent to each other, respectively, are connected with one another, with the connection being achieved by way of a further connecting wire between the two circuit boards.

The power supply wires 3, 4 between two given circuit boards 1 run in a meanderlike fashion.

In the direction of the extension of the chain, circuit boards 1 have the shape of an elongated octagon, and the power supply wires 3, 4 run together along the edges of the circuit boards, starting at the widened middle part. In particular, they do not have back-side contacts which means that, during the installation of an illumination module, it is not necessary to take special steps to prevent, for example, a short circuit.

The circuit boards have e.g. a flat back side whereby, for example, direct fastening by way of a screw through a hole provided for that purpose or by way of double-sided adhesive tape is possible.

The illumination module can advantageously be manufactured by way of a reel-to-reel process whereby power supply lines that are available in “infinite” form are stripped at certain intervals. At these stripped locations circuit boards 1 are contact connected to the otherwise continuous power supply lines and joined to the latter.

The illumination module can optionally have secondary optics for beam-forming, for example in the form of detachably (e.g. via a plug-and-socket device or a clamping connection) or non-detachably (e.g. using glue) fastened collecting or diverging lenses and/or diffractive optics (not shown in the figures). This allows for adjusting the luminance and/or the homogeneity of the luminance of the illumination module by changing the radiation characteristics of the light-emitting diode components 2.

The description of the invention by way of the embodiment shall naturally not be seen as a limitation of the invention to this embodiment alone. The characteristics of the invention that are disclosed in the present description, in the drawing and in the claims can have essential significance either individually or in any combination for the implementation of the invention.

Claims

1. Deformable illumination module with a plurality of circuit boards that have at least one optical emitter arranged thereon, respectively, and that are connected into a chain by way of two electrical power supply wires wherein the electrical power supply wires are configured to run without interruption across all circuit boards of the chain thereby creating a parallel connection of the circuit boards of the chain.

2. Illumination module as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one further electronic component is arranged on a circuit board, in addition to the at least one optical emitter, and electrically connected to the optical emitter.

3. Illumination module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrical power supply wires are connected to form a bundle between two circuit boards, respectively, in order to reinforce the connection between two circuit boards.

4. Illumination module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the circuit boards are grouped into a plurality of circuit board pairs and wherein the optical emitters, respectively, of a circuit board pair are connected by way of a connecting wire between the two circuit boards.

5. Illumination module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical emitters are light-emitting diode component parts.

6. Illumination module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power supply wires between two respective circuit boards run in a meanderlike fashion.

7. Illumination module as claimed in claim 1 wherein the circuit boards are tapered in the direction of their ends that are pointed toward each other and wherein the power supply wires run together, starting from the widened middle part, along the edges of the circuit boards.

8. Illumination module as claimed in claims 7 wherein the circuit boards are configured in rhomboidal fashion or in the fashion of a flat-pressed hexagon or octagon having their long axes arranged along the main direction of extension of the chain.

9. Illumination module as claimed in claim 1 wherein both the bending radius between two circuit boards as well as the distance between the two circuit boards can be varied.