Patent Application
20240369198
Lamps and displays using efficient light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LED) light sources, for illumination are becoming increasingly popular in many different markets. LED light sources provide a number of advantages over traditional light sources, such as incandescent and fluorescent lamps. For example, LED light sources may have a lower power consumption and a longer lifetime than traditional light sources. In addition, the LED light sources may have no hazardous materials, and may provide additional specific advantages for different applications. When used for general illumination, LED light sources provide the opportunity to adjust the color (e.g., from white, to blue, to green, etc.) or the color temperature (e.g., from warm white to cool white) of the light emitted from the LED light sources to produce different lighting effects.
A multi-colored LED illumination device may have two or more different colors of LED emission devices (e.g., LED emitters) that are combined within the same package to produce light (e.g., white or near-white light). There are many different types of white light LED light sources on the market, some of which combine red, green, and blue (RGB) LED emitters; red, green, blue, and yellow (RGBY) LED emitters; phosphor-converted white and red (WR) LED emitters; red, green, blue, and white (RGBW) LED emitters, etc. By combining different colors of LED emitters within the same package, and driving the differently-colored emitters with different drive currents, these multi-colored LED illumination devices may generate white or near-white light within a wide gamut of color points or correlated color temperatures (CCTs) ranging from warm white (e.g., approximately 2600K-3700K), to neutral white (e.g., approximately 3700K-5000K) to cool white (e.g., approximately 5000K-8300K). Some multi-colored LED illumination devices also may enable the brightness (e.g., intensity or dimming level) and/or color of the illumination to be changed to a particular set point. These tunable illumination devices may all produce the same color and color rendering index (CRI) when set to a particular dimming level and chromaticity setting (e.g., color set point) on a standardized chromaticity diagram.
As described herein, a light-generation module for a lighting device may comprise an emitter assembly having a dome. In some examples, the dome has a two-part structure that may provide less stress on the structure of the emitter assembly and thus lead to less damage to the structure of the emitter assembly during creation of the dome. As described herein, a dome is not limited to any particular shape. A dome may have any of a variety of different shapes, such as a hemispherical shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, or a non-uniform shape. Each portion of a dome may have the same shape or different shapes. A dome may encapsulate, or form a dome over, one or more components of the light-generation module.
The light-generation module may also comprise a substrate to which the emitter assembly may be mounted. The substrate may comprise a printed circuit board to which drive circuitry for the emitter module is mounted. For example, the substrate may be a metal-core printed circuit board or may be made of an FR4 material. In some examples, the substrate may comprise an intermediate substrate (e.g., a ceramic substrate) that may be mounted to a separate printed circuit board of the light-generation module.
The emitter assembly may comprise one or more emitters mounted to a surface of the substrate, a first dome portion formed on the surface of the substrate and encapsulating the one or more emitters, and a second dome portion located above the first dome portion, such that the first dome portion is located between the second dome portion and the substrate. The first dome portion may be made of a first material that is optically transmissive. The second dome portion may have a shape that is configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction. The second dome portion may be made of a second material that is optically transmissive and may define an interface surface. For example, the first dome portion may define an interface surface that is substantially parallel to and extends above the surface of the substrate. The emitter assembly may comprise an adhesive located between the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion that attaches the first dome portion to the second dome portion. In some examples, the emitter assembly may comprise a barrier located on the surface of the substrate and surrounding the one or more emitters. The barrier and the surface of the substrate may define a recess in which the first dome portion is located. For example, the first dome portion may be formed during a curing process.
In addition, a plurality of methods of manufacturing an emitter assembly for a lighting device are described herein. For example, the method may comprise: (1) encapsulating one or more emitters that are mounted to a surface of a substrate in a first dome portion, wherein the first dome portion is made from a first material that is optically transmissive; (2) applying an adhesive to an interface surface of the first dome portion; (3) placing a second dome portion onto the first dome portion, such that the adhesive is captured between the interface of the first dome portion and an interface surface of the second dome portion, wherein the second dome portion has a shape configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction and is made from a second material that is optically transmissive; and (4) curing the adhesive to form a full dome from the first dome portion and the second dome portion.
In addition, a method of manufacturing an emitter assembly for a lighting device may comprise: (1) forming a barrier on a surface of a substrate around one or more emitters that are mounted to the substrate, such that the barrier and the surface of the substrate define a recess; (2) depositing a first material into the recess defined by the barrier and the surface of the substrate, where the first material is optically transmissive; (3) curing the first material to form a first dome portion in the recess; (4) applying an adhesive to an interface surface of the first dome portion; (5) placing a second dome portion onto the first dome portion, such that the adhesive is captured between the interface surface of the first dome portion and an interface surface of the second dome portion, wherein the second dome portion has a shape configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction and is made from a second material that is optically transmissive; and (6) curing the adhesive to form a full dome from the first dome portion and the second dome portion.
Further, a method of manufacturing an emitter assembly for a lighting device may comprise: (1) forming a barrier on a surface of a substrate around one or more emitters that are mounted to the substrate, such that the barrier and the surface of the substrate define a recess; (2) depositing a first material into the recess defined by the barrier and the surface of the substrate, where the first material is optically transmissive; (3) placing a second dome portion onto the first material in the recess defined by the barrier, wherein the second dome portion has a shape configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction and is made from a second material that is optically transmissive; and (4) curing the first material to form a full dome from the first dome portion and the second dome portion.
In addition, a method of manufacturing an emitter assembly for a lighting device may comprise: (1) forming a barrier on an interface surface of a second dome portion, such that the barrier and the interface surface of the second dome portion define a recess; (2) depositing a first material into the recess defined by the barrier and the interface surface of the second dome portion, where the first material is optically transmissive; (3) placing a substrate on the first material in the recess, such that one or more emitters that are mounted to a surface of the substrate are received in the recess; and (4) curing the first material to form a full dome from a first dome portion and the second dome portion. The second dome portion may have a shape configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction and may be made from a second material that is optically transmissive.
A light-generation module may include a substrate and an emitter assembly mounted to the substrate. The emitter assembly may include one or more emitters mounted to the substrate. The emitter assembly may include a barrier located on a surface of the substrate and surrounding the one or more emitters. The barrier and the surface of the substrate may define a recess. The emitter assembly may include a first portion (e.g., a first dome portion) formed on the surface of the substrate and located within the recess defined by the barrier and the surface of the substrate. The first dome portion may encapsulate the one or more emitters. The first dome portion may be made of a first material that is optically transmissive. The emitter assembly may include a second portion (e.g., a second dome portion) located above the first dome portion, such that the first dome portion is located between the second dome portion and the substrate. The second dome portion may have a shape configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction. The second dome portion may be made of a second material that is optically transmissive and/or may define an interface surface.
The second dome portion may include one or more support members configured to support the second dome portion relative to the first dome portion. The one or more support members may be configured to support the second dome portion above and on top of the first dome portion. The one or more support members may extend from the interface surface of the second dome portion into the recess formed by the barrier and the surface of the substrate. The one or more support members may contact the substrate. The one or more support members may include flange portions that are configured to hold the second dome portion in place relative to the first dome portion. The one or more support members may include outer edges that contact the barrier. The one or more support members may extend from the interface surface of the second dome portion around the outside of the barrier. The one or more support members may extend around the outside of the barrier and contact the substrate.
The first dome portion may be formed during a curing process. In some examples, prior to the curing process, the first material may include a liquid material, and, after the curing process, the first dome portion may be a cured form of the liquid material deposited in the recess defined by the barrier and the surface of the substrate. The first dome portion may be formed by depositing the first material into the recess defined by the barrier and curing the first material. The second dome portion defines an interface surface configured to bond with the first material of the first dome portion during the curing process.
In some examples, the substrate is a printed circuit board. Drive circuitry for the emitters of the emitter assembly may be mounted to the printed circuit board. In some examples, the printed circuit board comprises a metal core printed circuit board. In some examples, the printed circuit board is made from an FR4 material.
The light-generation module may include a printed circuit board, wherein the substrate comprises an intermediate substrate mounted to the printed circuit board. In some examples, the intermediate substrate comprises a ceramic substrate. The emitter assembly may include an adhesive located between the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion for attaching the first dome portion to the second dome portion.
A light-generation module may include a substrate and an emitter assembly mounted to the substrate. The emitter assembly may include one or more emitters mounted to a surface of the substrate. The emitter assembly may include a first dome portion formed on the surface of the substrate and encapsulating the one or more emitters, the first dome portion made of a first material that is optically transmissive. The first dome portion may define an interface surface that is substantially parallel to and extends above the surface of the substrate. The emitter assembly may include a second dome portion located above the first dome portion, such that the first dome portion is located between the second dome portion and the substrate. The second dome portion may have a shape configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction. The second dome portion may be made of a second material that is optically transmissive and/or may define an interface surface. The emitter assembly may include an adhesive located between the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion that attaches the first dome portion to the second dome portion.
The emitter assembly may include a barrier located on the surface of the substrate and/or may surround the one or more emitters. The barrier and the surface of the substrate may define a recess in which the first dome portion is located.
The first dome portion may be formed during a curing process. In some examples, prior to the curing process, the first material comprises a liquid material, and, after the curing process, the first dome portion comprises a cured form of the liquid material deposited in the recess defined by the barrier and the surface of the substrate. The first dome portion may be formed by depositing the first material into the recess defined by the barrier and curing the first material. The barrier may be formed in a circle, and a perimeter of the interface surface of the second dome portion may be a circle, and a diameter of a centerline of the barrier may be approximately equal to a diameter of the interface surface of the second dome portion. In some examples, the perimeter of the interface surface of the second dome portion is aligned with a centerline of the barrier.
The barrier may be made of a high viscosity, quick setting epoxy material. The first material of the first dome portion and the second material of the second dome portion may be the same material. The first material and the second material may include a translucent thermoset material. The translucent thermoset material may be an optical liquid silicone rubber. The first dome portion may be formed through an injection molding process. The first dome portion may be affixed to the surface of the substrate during the injection molding process. The first dome portion may be made of an optical liquid silicone rubber.
The one or more emitters may be located within the perimeters of the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion. In some examples, the emitter assembly further comprises one or more detectors mounted to the surface of the substrate within the perimeters of the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion, and/or the detectors may be configured to detect an amount of light emitted the one or more emitters and reflected back by at least one of the first dome portion or the second dome portion. The emitter assembly may include one or more wires electrically connecting the one or more emitters to electrical traces on the substrate, and the first dome portion may encapsulate the one or more emitters and the wires.
In some examples, ach of the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion have a circular shape, and a diameter of the interface surface of the first dome portion is approximately equal to a diameter of the interface surface of the second dome portion. A perimeter of the interface surface of the first dome portion may be aligned with a perimeter of the interface surface of the second dome portion. The substrate may include a printed circuit board. In some examples, drive circuitry for the emitters of the emitter assembly are mounted to the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may include a metal core printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may be made from an FR4 material.
In some examples the light-generation module may include a printed circuit board. The substrate may include an intermediate substrate mounted to the printed circuit board. The intermediate substrate may be a ceramic substrate. In some examples, each of the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion are substantially flat. The second dome portion may have a hemispherical shape. The second dome portion may have an outer surface that is textured. The second dome portion may be transparent. The adhesive may include an optical bonding silicone.
An emitter assembly may include a substrate, one or more emitters mounted to a surface of the substrate, and an optical structure. The optical structure may include a first portion (e.g., a first dome portion) and a second portion (e.g., a second dome portion). The first dome portion may be formed on the surface of the substrate and encapsulating the one or more emitters. The first dome portion may be made of a first material that is optically transmissive. The first dome portion may define an interface surface that is substantially parallel to and extends above the surface of the substrate. The second dome portion may be located above the first dome portion, such that the first dome portion is located between the second dome portion and the substrate. The second dome portion may have a shape configured to direct light from the one or more emitters in a particular direction. The second dome portion may be made of a second material that is optically transmissive and defining an interface surface. The optical structure may include an adhesive located between the interface surface of the first dome portion and the interface surface of the second dome portion that attaches the first dome portion to the second dome portion.
The emitter assembly may include a barrier located on the surface of the substrate and surrounding the one or more emitters. The barrier and the surface of the substrate may define a recess in which the first dome portion of the optical structure is located. The first dome portion of the optical structure may be formed during a curing process. In some examples, prior to the curing process, the first material comprises a liquid material, and, after the curing process, the first dome portion of the optical structure comprises a cured form of the liquid material deposited in the recess defined by the barrier and the surface of the substrate. The first dome portion of the optical structure may be formed by depositing the first material into the recess defined by the barrier and curing the first material.
The barrier may be formed in a circle, and a perimeter of the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure may be a circle. The diameter of a centerline of the barrier may be approximately equal to a diameter of the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure. The perimeter of the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure may be aligned with a centerline of the barrier.
The barrier may be made of a high viscosity, quick setting epoxy material.
The first material of the first dome portion of the optical structure and the second material of the second dome portion of the optical structure may be the same material. The first material and the second material may both comprise a translucent thermoset material. The translucent thermoset material may include an optical liquid silicone rubber.
The first dome portion of the optical structure may be formed through an injection molding process. The first dome portion of the optical structure may be affixed to the surface of the substrate during the injection molding process. The first dome portion of the optical structure may be made of an optical liquid silicone rubber.
The one or more emitters may be located within a perimeters of the interface surface of the first dome portion of the optical structure and the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure. The emitter assembly may include one or more detectors mounted to the surface of the substrate within the perimeters of the interface surface of the first dome portion of the optical structure and the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure. The detectors may be configured to detect an amount of light emitted the one or more emitters and reflected back by one or more of the first dome portion or the second dome portion. The emitter assembly may include one or more wires electrically connecting the one or more emitters to electrical traces on the substrate. The first dome portion of the optical structure may encapsulate the one or more emitters and the wires.
In some examples, each of the interface surface of the first dome portion of the optical structure and the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure may have a circular shape, and a diameter of the interface surface of the first dome portion may be approximately equal to a diameter of the interface surface of the second dome portion. A perimeter of the interface surface of the first dome portion of the optical structure may be aligned with a perimeter of the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure. Each of the interface surface of the first dome portion of the optical structure and the interface surface of the second dome portion of the optical structure may be substantially flat.
The second dome portion of the optical structure may have a hemispherical shape. The second dome portion of the optical structure may have an outer surface that is textured. The second dome portion of the optical structure may be transparent. The adhesive may include an optical bonding silicone. The substrate may include at least one of a ceramic substrate or a printed circuit board.
The emitters and detectors of the emitter assembly 122 may be encapsulated by the dome 126. In some examples, the substrate 124 may be an intermediate substrate, such as a ceramic substrate formed from an aluminum nitride or an aluminum oxide material or some other reflective material. For example, the substrate 124 may function to improve output efficiency of the emitter assembly 122 by reflecting light out of the emitter assembly 122 through the dome 126. In some examples, the substrate 124 may comprise a printed circuit board (PCB) (e.g., without an intermediate substrate), such as a rigid PCB (e.g., made from an FR4 material) and/or a metal core PCB. The dome 126 may comprise an optically-transmissive material, such as silicon or the like, and may be formed through an over-molding process, for example. A surface of the dome 126 may be lightly textured to increase light scattering and promote color mixing, as well as to reflect a small amount of the emitted light back toward the detectors mounted on the substrate 124 (e.g., about 5%). In some examples, the dome 126 may be made of a diffusive material.
The emitter assembly 122 may be surrounded by the housing heat sink 112 of the housing 110 in an emitter cavity 128 (e.g., an optical cavity) of the lighting device 100. The emitter cavity 128 may be defined by the lens 115, the reflector 130, and/or the carrier PCB 150. The emitter assembly 122 may be configured to shine light through the lens 115 (e.g., when the lens 115 is attached to the housing heat sink 112 of the housing 110). For example, light from the emitter assembly 122 (e.g., the emission LEDs within the emitter assembly 122) may be emitted through the lens 115. The lens 115 may also comprise a collector 119 (e.g., a cone-shaped collector) configured to direct the light emitted by the emitter assembly 122 into a beam of light. The lens 115 may comprise an array of lenslets (not shown) formed on both sides of the lens. An example of a lighting device having a lens with lenslets is described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 9,736,895, issued Aug. 15, 2017, entitled COLOR MIXING OPTICS FOR LED ILLUMINATION DEVICE, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The lighting device 100 may comprise a reflector 130 that may be located within the housing heat sink 112 of the housing 110. The reflector 130 may be configured to reflect the light emitted by the emitter assembly 122 (e.g., the emission LEDs within the emitter assembly 122) towards the lens 115. The reflector 130 may shape the light produced by the emission LEDs within the emitter assembly 122 to shine out through the lens 115. The reflector 130 may comprise planar facets 132 (e.g., lunes) that may provide some randomization of the reflections of the light rays emitted by the emitter assembly 122 prior to exiting the lighting device 100 through the lens 115. The reflector 130 may be configured to sit on fins 134 inside of the housing heat sink 112 of the housing 110.
The lighting device 100 may comprise a power converter circuit 140 mounted to a power printed circuit board (PCB) 142. The power converter circuit 140 may be enclosed by the base portion 114 of the housing 110. The power converter circuit 140 may be electrically connected to the screw-in base 116, such that the power converter circuit may be an AC mains line voltage generated by the AC power source. The power converter circuit 140 may comprise a bus connector 144 that may be connected to the light-generation module 120. The power converter circuit 140 may be configured to convert the AC mains line voltage received from the AC power source into a direct-current (DC) bus voltage for powering the light-generation module 120. The power converter circuit 140 may comprise a rectifier circuit (e.g., a full-wave bridge rectifier) for converting the AC mains line voltage to a rectified voltage.
The light-generation module 120 may be mounted in a cavity 135 of the housing heat sink 112. The housing heat sink 112 may comprise a support portion 136 that may be connected to the base portion 114 of the housing 110. The light-generation module 120 may be mounted to the support portion 136 inside of the cavity 135 of the housing heat sink 112.
The light-generation module 120 may comprise a module heat sink 170 and an insulator 180. The module heat sink 170 may be captured (e.g., sandwiched) between the carrier PCB 150 and the control PCB 160. The module heat sink 170 may be made from a thermally-conductive material (e.g., aluminum). The module heat sink 170 may define a planar front surface 177 having a circular periphery. The module heat sink 170 may have an outer sidewall 171 that extends from the periphery of the front surface 177, such that the module heat sink 170 has a cylindrical shape. Alternatively, the module heat sink 170 may have a truncated cone shape. The module heat sink 170 may comprise pins 169 (e.g., cylindrical pins) that extend from the sidewall 171 and may allow the light-generation module 120 to be connected to the housing heat sink 112 of the housing 110. The module heat sink 170 may also define a recess 172 in a rear surface 179 of the module heat sink 170. The module heat sink 170 may be configured to radiate heat generated by the emitter assembly 122. For example, the module heat sink 170 may be configured to radiate heat generated by the emitter assembly 122 radially out through the sidewall 171. In some examples, the emitter assembly 122 (e.g., the substrate 216) may be mounted to the module heat sink 170 (e.g., and/or another structure of the light-generation module 120) and electrically coupled to the carrier PCB 150, the control PCB 160, and/or the power PCB 142.
The insulator 180 may also have a cylindrical shape and may be configured to be received in the recess 172 in the module heat sink 170. The insulator 180 may include a recess 182. The control PCB 160 may be received in the recess 182 in the insulator 180. The insulator 180 may be made of a suitable electrically insulating material, such as plastic. The insulator 180 may be configured to electrically isolate the control PCB 160 (e.g., the drive circuit, the control circuit, and the wireless communication circuit) from the module heat sink 170. The insulator 180 may comprise snaps 183 configured to attach to tabs (not shown) in openings 173 of the module heat sink 170 for connecting the insulator 180 to the module heat sink 170. The insulator 180 may comprise an extension 184 (e.g., a cylindrical extension) comprising a bore 186. The extension 184 of the insulator 180 may be received in a tunnel 174 (e.g., a cylindrical opening) that extends through the module heat sink 170. The carrier PCB 150 may comprise a carrier PCB connector 152, which may be electrically connected to a control PCB connector 162 on the control PCB 160, for example, to electrically couple the carrier PCB 150 and the control PCB 160. One or more (e.g., both) of the connectors 152, 162 may extend through an opening 175 in the module heat sink 170 and an opening 185 in the insulator 180.
The carrier PCB 150 may be connected to the module heat sink 170, such that a rear surface 157 of the carrier PCB 150 may contact the front surface 177 of the module heat sink 170. A thermally-conductive substance 190 (e.g., a plurality of beads of the thermally-conductive substance as shown in
The light-generation module 120 may comprise an antenna 166 electrically connected to at least one of the wireless communication circuits mounted to the control PCB 160. For example, the antenna 166 may comprise a plated wire. The antenna 166 may be electrically isolated from a control circuit on the control PCB 160. The antenna 166 may be configured to extend through the bore 186 of the extension 184 of the insulator 180 when the module heat sink 170 and the insulator 180 are captured between the carrier PCB 150 and the control PCB 160. For example, the extension 184 may electrically isolate the antenna 166 from the carrier PCB 150.
The module heat sink 170 may operate as a counterpoise for the antenna 166. The control PCB 160 may comprise a ground plane to which the antenna 166 may be referenced. The ground plane may be located on a ground plane portion 168 (e.g., a vacant portion) of the control PCB 160, which may be vacant of any electrical components. The module heat sink 170 may be capacitively coupled to the ground plane in the ground plane portion 168 of the control PCB 160. For example, the module heat sink 170 may include an extension 178a that may extend towards the control PCB 160 to provide a coupling surface 178 adjacent to the control PCB. The coupling surface 178 may be configured to be capacitively coupled to the ground plane portion 168 of the control PCB 160 (e.g., when the control PCB 160 is located within the recess 182 of the insulator 180), such that the module heat sink 170 is capacitively coupled to the ground plane of the control PCB 160. The insulator 180 may include a void 188. The coupling surface 178 of the module heat sink 170 may extend through the void 188 in the insulator 180 toward the control PCB 160, such that the coupling surface 178 is located close to the ground plane in the ground plane portion 168 of the control PCB 160 (e.g., as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The housing heat sink 112 may operate as an additional heat sink for the lighting device 100. The sidewall 171 of the module heat sink 170 may be thermally coupled to the inner surface 139 of the support portion 136. The module heat sink 170 may transfer heat to the housing heat sink 112 peripherally. The housing heat sink 112 may be made from a material that is cheaper, but less thermally conductive than the material of the module heat sink 170. The housing heat sink 112 may be larger in volume and may have more surface area than the module heat sink 170. When the lighting device 100 is powered and the emitter assembly 122 is generating light, heat may be conducted from the substrate 126 through the carrier PCB 150 through the module heat sink 170 (e.g., in through the front surface 177 and out through the sidewall 171) and into the housing heat sink 112. Air may enter the cavity 135 of the housing heat sink 112 via the vents 118 for cooling the housing heat sink 112 via convection cooling. Additionally or alternatively, the module heat sink 170 of the light-generation module 120 may also be connected to and/or thermally coupled to the base portion 114 of the housing 110. Stated a different way, the lighting device 100 may comprise a first heat sink (e.g., the module heat sink 170) and a second heat sink (e.g., the housing heat sink 112) that are thermally coupled to each other, where the first heat sink may be smaller in volume than the second heat sink, and the first heat sink may be made from a material that is more thermally conductive than a material of the second heat sink.
The emitter assembly 200 may include multiple “chains” of emitters 210 (e.g., series-coupled emitters). The emitters 210 of each chain may be coupled in series and may conduct the same drive current. Each chain may include emitters 210 that produce illumination at the same peak emission wavelength (e.g., emit light of the same color). The emitters 210 of different chains may emit light of different colors. For example, the emitter assembly 200 may comprise four differently-colored chains of emitters 210 (e.g., red, green, blue, and white or yellow). The array 211 of emitters 210 may include a chain of four red emitters, a chain of four green emitters, a chain of four blue emitters, and a chain of four white or yellow emitters. The individual emitters 210 in each chain may be scattered about the array, and arranged so that no color appears twice in any row, column, or diagonal, to improve color mixing within the emitter assembly 200.
The detectors 212, 214 may be located in pairs close to each edge of the array 211 of emitters 210 and/or and in the middle of the array 211 of emitters 210 as shown in
While
The emitter assembly 200 may also comprise a heat sink pad 222. The heat sink pad 222 may comprise four corner pads 224 (e.g., distal portions) that are connected to a central pad 226 (e.g., a central portion) via respective arms 225 (e.g., when the substrate 216 of the emitter assembly 200 is an intermediate substrate mounted to the separate printed circuit board). The corner pads 224 may be located in the corners of the substrate 216. The heat sink pad 222 may be connected (e.g., soldered to) a corresponding pad on the separate printed circuit board (e.g., the carrier PCB 150), which may be electrically connected to a ground plane of the separate printed circuit board (e.g., which may be coupled to an output circuit common connection of the rectifier circuit of the power converter circuit 140). Since the emitters 210 and the detectors 212, 214 may be electrically isolated from the ground plane of the separate printed circuit board, the heat sink pad 222 may be spaced apart from the electrical pads 220 by keep-out regions 228. The heat sink pad 222 may operate to conduct heat from the emitters 210 and the substrate 216 to the separate printed circuit board and a heat sink (e.g., the module heat sink 170). In addition, the heat sink pad 222 may operate to reduce stress on the solder connections between the electrical pads 220 and the corresponding electrical pads on the separate printed circuit board during installation of the separate printed circuit board (e.g., the carrier PCB 150) to the heat sink. Alternatively, the arms 225 of the heat sink pad 222 may be omitted, such that the corner pads 224 simply comprise square-shaped pads that are not connected to the central pad 226.
The dome 218 of the emitter assembly 210 may be manufactured during, for example, a single manufacturing process (e.g., an injection molding process). For example, the dome 218 may be formed on the substrate 216 around the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and the electrical wires 219 after the emitters 210 and the detectors 212, 214 have been mounted to the substrate 216 and the electrical wires 219 have been electrically connected to the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and the electrical traces on the substrate 216. The substrate 216 with the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and the electrical wires 219 may be positioned within a mold (e.g., an injection mold) that may define the shape (e.g., the hemispherical shape) of the dome 218. A material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as optical liquid silicone rubber) may be injected into a cavity of the mold and then cured to harden the material around and covering of the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and the electrical wires 219 (e.g., as shown in
As described herein, an emitter assembly for a lighting device may comprise an optical element (e.g., a dome) having a two-part body (e.g., a two-part structure) having a first body portion (e.g., a first dome portion) that encapsulates one or more components of the emitter assembly (e.g., the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and/or the electrical wires 219) and a second body portion (e.g., a second dome portion) that is applied to the first body portion. The two-part body of the dome may provide less stress on the structure of the emitter assembly (e.g., on the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, the substrate 216, and/or the electrical wires 219) and thus lead to less damage to the structure of the emitter assembly during creation of the optical element. The dome 218 (e.g., the first dome portion and/or the second dome portion) is not limited to any particular shape. The dome 218 may have any of a variety of different shapes, such as a hemispherical shape, a rectangular shape, a square shape, or a non-uniform shape. Further, in some examples, the first dome portion may have a different shape than the second dome portion. As noted above, the dome 218 may encapsulate, or form a dome over, one or more components of the light-generation module, such as the emitters 210 and the detectors 212, 214.
At 312 of the procedure 300, a first dome portion 410 (e.g., a first body portion) of the dome 218 may be formed around and covering the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and the electrical wires 219 (e.g., through an injection molding process). For example, the substrate 216 may be positioned within a mold (e.g., an injection mold), a first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as optical liquid silicone rubber) may be injected into a cavity of the mold, and then the first material may be cured to harden the first material around and covering of the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and the electrical wires 219 (e.g., as shown in
At 314 of the procedure 300, a bonding material 420 (e.g., such as an adhesive) may be applied to the interface surface 412 of the first dome portion 410 (e.g., as shown in
The second dome portion 430 may define an interface surface 432 that may have a smooth or textured finish. The interface surface 412 of the first dome portion 410 and the interface surface 432 of the second dome portion 430 may have shapes (e.g., contours) that match each other. For example, the interface surface 412 of the first dome portion 410 and the interface surface 432 of the second dome portion 430 may both be substantially flat. In some examples, the interface surface 412 of the first dome portion 410 may have one or more features that are keyed with one or more corresponding features of the interface surface 432 of the second dome portion 430. The interface surface 432 of the second dome portion 430 may have a circular perimeter (e.g., as shown in
At 318 of the procedure 300, the bonding material 430 may be cured to create (e.g., form) the dome 218 (e.g., the full dome) from the first dome portion 410 and the second dome portion 430 (e.g., as shown in
At 512 of the procedure 500, a barrier 640 (e.g., a dam) may be formed on the substrate 216 around the emitters 210 and the detectors 212, 214 (e.g., as shown in
At 514 of the procedure 500, a first material 644 may be deposited (e.g., filled or poured) into the recess 642 formed by the barrier 640 and the substrate 216 and cured to form a first dome portion 610 (e.g., a first body portion) of the dome 218 around and covering and over top of the emitters 210, the detectors 212, 214, and the electrical wires 219 (e.g., as shown in
At 516 of the procedure 500, a bonding material 620 (e.g., such as an adhesive) may be applied to the interface surface 612 of the first dome portion 610 (e.g., as shown in
The second dome portion 630 may have an interface surface 632 that may have a smooth or textured finish. The interface surface 612 of the first dome portion 610 and the interface surface 432 of the second dome portion 630 may have shapes (e.g., contours) that match each other (e.g., mate with each other). For example, the interface surface 612 of the first dome portion 610 and the interface surface 632 of the second dome portion 630 may both be substantially flat. In some examples, the interface surface 612 of the first dome portion 610 may have a concave shape (e.g., may form a meniscus), and the interface surface 432 of the second dome portion 430 have a convex shape that matches the curvature of the interface surface 612 of the first dome portion 610. The interface surface 632 of the second dome portion 630 may have a circular perimeter (e.g., as shown in
At 518 of the procedure 500, the bonding material 630 may be cured to form the dome 218 (e.g., the full dome) from the first dome portion 610 and the second dome portion 630 (e.g., as shown in
At 712 of the procedure 700, a barrier 840 (e.g., a dam) may be formed on the substrate 216 around the emitters 210 and the detectors 212, 214 (e.g., as shown in
At 714 of the procedure 700, a first material 844 may be deposited (e.g., filled or poured) into the recess 842 formed by the barrier 840 and the substrate 216 (e.g., as shown in
At 716 of the procedure 700, a second dome portion 830 (e.g., a second body portion) may be placed onto the barrier 840 and/or the first material 844 within the recess 842 (e.g., as shown in
The second dome portion 830 may define an interface surface 832 that may have a smooth or textured finish. For example, the interface surface 832 of the second dome portion 830 may both be substantially flat. The interface surface 832 of the second dome portion 830 may have a circular perimeter (e.g., as shown in
At 718 of the procedure 700, the first material 844 may be cured to form the dome 218 (e.g., the full dome) from the first dome portion 810 and the second dome portion 830 (e.g., as shown in
For example, the first dome portion 810 and the second dome portion 830 may be made of the same or similar materials, such that light from the emitters 210 may be transmitted through the dome 218 (e.g., as if the dome 218 were fabricated from a single material during a single step manufacturing process). While the first dome portion 810 and the second dome portion 830 may be fabricated as independent parts, the first dome portion 810 and the second dome portion 830 may be made of sufficiently similar material and may be brought into contact at appropriate stages of a curing process, such that cross-linking of molecules across the part boundaries may occur at an intersection 820 (e.g., an interface) between the first dome portion 810 and the second dome portion 830. For example, partial curing of the second dome portion 830 during the injection molding process may allow for stronger cross-linking at the intersection 820 between the first dome portion 810 and the second dome portion 830. At the end of the procedure 700, the first dome portion 810 and the second dome portion 830 may be, for example, fully cured.
The procedure 900 may begin at 910 with the second dome portion 1030 oriented such that an interface surface 1032 (e.g., a boundary surface) of the second dome portion 1030 is positioned up (e.g., located at the top of the second dome portion 1030) as shown in
At 912 of the procedure 900, a barrier 1040 (e.g., a dam) may be formed on the interface surface 1032 of the second dome portion 1030 (e.g., as shown in
At 914 of the procedure 900, a first material 1044 may be deposited (e.g., filled or poured) into the recess 1042 formed by the barrier 1040 and the interface surface 1032 of the second dome portion 1030 (e.g., as shown in
At 916 of the procedure 900, the substrate 216 may be placed onto the barrier 1040 and/or the first material 1044 within the recess 1042 (e.g., as shown in
For example, the first dome portion 1010 and the second dome portion 1030 may be made of the same or similar materials, such that light from the emitters 210 may be transmitted through the dome 218 (e.g., as if the dome 218 were fabricated from a single material during a single step manufacturing process). While the first dome portion 1010 and the second dome portion 1030 may be fabricated as independent parts, the first dome portion 1010 and the second dome portion 1030 may be made of sufficiently similar material and may be brought into contact at appropriate stages of a curing process, such that cross-linking of molecules across the part boundaries may occur at an intersection 1020 (e.g., an interface) between the first dome portion 1010 and the second dome portion 1030. For example, partial curing of the second dome portion 1030 during the injection molding process may allow for stronger cross-linking at the intersection 1020 between the first dome portion 1010 and the second dome portion 1030. At the end of the procedure 900 for the emitter assembly 1000, the first dome portion 1010 and the second dome portion 1030 may be, for example, fully cured.
The dome 218 of the emitter assembly 1100a may also comprise a first dome portion 1110a (e.g., a first body portion) and a second dome portion 1130a (e.g., a second body portion). The first dome portion 1110a may be formed by depositing (e.g., filling or pouring) a first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber) into the recess defined by the barrier 1140a (e.g., at 714 of the procedure 700) and curing the first material (e.g., at 718 of the procedure 700). Prior to the curing process, the first material may comprise a liquid material. After the curing process, the first dome portion 1110a may comprise a cured form of the liquid material (e.g., the first material) that is deposited in the recess defined by the barrier 1140a. For example, the second dome portion 1130a may be made during a manufacturing process (e.g., an injection molding process) that is separate from the process for making the first dome portion 1110a (e.g., the curing process at 718 of the procedure 700). The second dome portion 1130a may be made from a second material, which may be, for example, different from or the same as the first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber). The second dome portion 1130a may have a shape (e.g., contour) that defines an outer surface 1134a and operates to direct light from the emitters 210 in a desired and/or optimal direction (e.g., towards a lens of a lighting fixture in which the emitter assembly 1100a is installed) and to reduce an amount of light that is reflected back into the dome 218. The second dome portion 1130a may also define an interface surface 1132a that may have a smooth or textured finish.
The second dome portion 1130a may comprise the one or more support members 1134a (e.g., feet) configured to support the second dome portion 1130a relative to the first dome portion 1110a (e.g., above and on top of the first dome portion 1110a). In some examples, the one or more support members 1134a may contact the substrate 216 for supporting the second dome portion 1130a relative to the first dome portion 1110a. As shown in
The second dome portion 1130a may be placed onto the barrier 1140a and/or the first material in the recess (e.g., at 716 of the procedure 700) after depositing the first material into the recess and then the first material within the recess may be cured to form the dome 218. For example, the first dome portion 1110a and the second dome portion 1130a may be made of the same or similar materials, such that light from the emitters 210 may be transmitted through the dome 218 (e.g., as if the dome 218 were fabricated from a single material during a single step manufacturing process). While the first dome portion 1110a and the second dome portion 1130a may be fabricated as independent parts, the first dome portion 1110a and the second dome portion 1130a may be made of sufficiently similar material and may be brought into contact at appropriate stages of a curing process, such that cross-linking of molecules across the part boundaries may occur at an intersection 1120a (e.g., an interface) between the first dome portion 1110a and the second dome portion 1130a. While the emitter assembly 1100a is described herein as being assembled using the procedure 700, an emitter assembly similar to the emitter assembly 1100a (e.g., having the second dome portion 1130a) may also be assembled using the procedure 900.
The dome 218 of the emitter assembly 1100b may also comprise a first dome portion 1110b (e.g., a first body portion) and a second dome portion 1130b (e.g., a second body portion). The first dome portion 1110b may be formed by depositing (e.g., filling or pouring) a first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber) into the recess (e.g., at 714 of the procedure 700) and curing the first material (e.g., at 718 of the procedure 700). Prior to the curing process, the first material may comprise a liquid material. After the curing process, the first dome portion 1110b may comprise a cured form of the liquid material (e.g., the first material) that is deposited in the recess defined by the barrier 1140b. For example, the second dome portion 1130b may be made during a manufacturing process (e.g., an injection molding process) that is separate from the process for making the first dome portion 1110b (e.g., the curing process at 718 of the procedure 700). The second dome portion 1130b may be made from a second material, which may be, for example, different from or the same as the first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber). The second dome portion 1130b may have a shape (e.g., contour) that defines an outer surface 1134b and operates to direct light from the emitters 210 in a desired and/or optimal direction (e.g., towards a lens of a lighting fixture in which the emitter assembly 1100b is installed) and to reduce an amount of light that is reflected back into the dome 218. The second dome portion 1130b may also define an interface surface 1132b that may have a smooth or textured finish.
The second dome portion 1130b may comprise one or more support members 1134b (e.g., wall portions) configured to support the second dome portion 1130b relative to the first dome portion 1110b (e.g., above and on top of the first dome portion 1110b). In some examples, the one or more support members 1134b may contact the substrate 216 for supporting the second dome portion 1130b relative to the first dome portion 1110b. As shown in
The second dome portion 1130b may be placed onto the barrier 1140b and/or the first material in the recess (e.g., at 716 of the procedure 700) after depositing the first material into the recess and then the first material within the recess may be cured to form the dome 218. For example, the first dome portion 1110b and the second dome portion 1130b may be made of the same or similar materials, such that light from the emitters 210 may be transmitted through the dome 218 (e.g., as if the dome 218 were fabricated from a single material during a single step manufacturing process). While the first dome portion 1110b and the second dome portion 1130b may be fabricated as independent parts, the first dome portion 1110b and the second dome portion 1130b may be made of sufficiently similar material and may be brought into contact at appropriate stages of a curing process, such that cross-linking of molecules across the part boundaries may occur at an intersection 1120b (e.g., an interface) between the first dome portion 1110b and the second dome portion 1130b. While the emitter assembly 1100b is described herein as being assembled using the procedure 700, an emitter assembly similar to the emitter assembly 1100b (e.g., having the second dome portion 1130b) may also be assembled using the other procedures 300, 500, 900 described herein.
While the emitter assemblies 400, 600, 800, 1000 are shown having respective second dome portions 430, 630, 830, 1030 with a hemispherical shape, the procedures 300, 500, 700, 900 allow for the fabrication of emitter assemblies having domes (e.g., second dome portions) with different shapes (e.g., contours), sizes, and materials.
The emitter assemblies 1200a, 1200b may each comprise a respective first dome portion 1210a, 1210b. The first dome portions 1210a, 1210b may each be formed by depositing (e.g., filling or pouring) a first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber) into the respective recess 1242a 1242b (e.g., at 714 of the procedure 700) and curing the first material (e.g., at 718 of the procedure 700). Prior to the curing process, the first material may comprise a liquid material. After the curing process, the first dome portions 1210a, 1210b may each comprise a cured form of the liquid material (e.g., the first material) that is deposited in the recesses defined by the respective barriers 1140a, 1140b. For example, the second dome portions 1230a, 1230b may be made during a manufacturing process (e.g., an injection molding process) that is separate from the process for making the first dome portions 1210a, 1210b (e.g., the curing process at 718 of the procedure 700). The second dome portions 1230a, 1230b may each be made from a second material, which may be, for example, different from or the same as the first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber). The second dome portions 1230a, 1230b may each have a shape (e.g., contour) that operates to direct light from the emitters 210 in a desired and/or optimal direction (e.g., towards a lens of a lighting fixture in which the respective emitter assembly 1200a, 1200b is installed) and to reduce an amount of light that is reflected back into the dome 218.
The second dome portions 1230a, 1230b may each be placed onto the respective barrier 1240a, 1240b and/or the first material in the recess (e.g., at 716 of the procedure 700) after depositing the first material into the recess, and then the first material within the recess may be cured to form the respective domes 218 (e.g., at 718 of the procedure 700). For example, the first dome portions 1210a, 1210b and the respective second dome portions 1230a 1230b may be made of the same or similar materials, such that light from the emitters 210 may be transmitted through the dome 218 (e.g., as if the dome 218 were fabricated from a single material during a single step manufacturing process). While the first dome portions 1210a, 1210b and the second dome portions 1230a, 1230b may be fabricated as independent parts, the first dome portions 1210a, 1210b and the second dome portions 1230a, 1230b may be made of sufficiently similar material and may be brought into contact at appropriate stages of a curing process, such that cross-linking of molecules across the part boundaries may occur at respective intersections 1220a, 1220b between the first and second dome portions. While the emitter assemblies 1200a, 1200b are described herein as being assembled using the procedure 700, emitter assemblies similar to the emitter assemblies 1200a, 1200b (e.g., having the respective second dome portion 1230a, 1230b) may also be assembled using the other procedures 300, 500, 900 described herein.
The interface surfaces of the first and second dome portions, respectively, of the emitter assemblies 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1100a, 1100b, 1200a, 1200b are shown in
The first dome portion 1310 may be formed by depositing (e.g., filling or pouring) a first material (e.g., a translucent thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber) into the recess formed by the barrier 1340 (e.g., at 714 of the procedure 700) and curing the first material (e.g., at 718 of the procedure 700). Prior to the curing process, the first material may comprise a liquid material. After the curing process, the first dome portion 1310 may comprise a cured form of the liquid material (e.g., the first material) that is deposited in the recess defined by the barrier 1340. The first dome portion 1310 be in the shape of a square characterized by a length LDOME1 (e.g., as shown in
When the interface surface 1312 of the first dome portion 1310 and the interface surface of the second dome portion 1330 are not the same size, are not the same shape, and/or are not aligned, an area of the interface surface of the second dome portion 1330 may fall within the interface surface 1312 of the first dome portion 1310 (e.g., the perimeter of the interface surface 1312 of the first dome portion 1310 may surround the perimeter of the interface surface of the second dome portion 1330) as shown in
The second dome portion 1330 may be placed onto the barrier 1340 and/or the first material in the recess (e.g., at 716 of the procedure 700) after depositing the first material into the recess and then the first material within the recess may be cured to form the dome 218. For example, the first dome portion 1310 and the second dome portion 1330 may be made of the same or similar materials, such that light from the emitters 210 may be transmitted through the dome 218 (e.g., as if the dome 218 were fabricated from a single material during a single step manufacturing process). While the first dome portion 1310 and the second dome portion 1330 may be fabricated as independent parts, the first dome portion 1310 and the second dome portion 1330 may be made of sufficiently similar material and may be brought into contact at appropriate stages of a curing process, such that cross-linking of molecules across the part boundaries may occur at an intersection (not shown) between the first dome portion 1310 and the second dome portion 1330. While the emitter assembly 1300 is described herein as being assembled using the procedure 700, an emitter assembly similar to the emitter assembly 1300 (e.g., having the second dome portion 1330) may also be assembled using the other procedures 300, 500, 900 described herein.
The dome 218 of the emitter assembly 1400 may also comprise a first dome portion 1410 (e.g., a first body portion) and a second dome portion 1430 (e.g., a second body portion). The first dome portion 1410 may be formed by depositing (e.g., filling or pouring) a first material (e.g., a thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber) into the recess defined by the barrier 1440 (e.g., at 714 of the procedure 700) and curing the first material (e.g., at 718 of the procedure 700). Prior to the curing process, the first material may comprise a liquid material. After the curing process, the first dome portion 1410 may comprise a cured form of the liquid material (e.g., the first material) that is deposited in the recess defined by the barrier 1440. For example, the second dome portion 1430 may be made during a manufacturing process (e.g., an injection molding process) that is separate from the process for making the first dome portion 1410 (e.g., the curing process at 718 of the procedure 700). The second dome portion 1430 may be fully cured or partially cured (e.g., 70% cured) during the injection molding process. The second dome portion 1430 may be optically transmissive (e.g., transparent and/or translucent). The second dome portion 1430 may be made from a second material, which may be a clear material or a diffusive material. For example, the second material of the second dome portion 1430 may be the same as the first material of the first dome portion 1410 (e.g., a translucent thermoset material, such as formed from an optical liquid silicone rubber). For example, the second dome portion 1430 may be made during a manufacturing process (e.g., an injection molding process) that is separate from the process for making the first dome portion 1410. The second dome portion 1430 may have a shape (e.g., contour) that defines an outer surface 1431 and operates to direct light from the emitters 210 in a desired and/or optimal direction (e.g., towards a lens of a lighting fixture in which the emitter assembly 1400 is installed) and to reduce an amount of light that is reflected back into the dome 218. For example, the second dome portion 1430 may have a hemispherical shape and the outer surface 1431 that may have a smooth or textured finish. The second dome portion 1430 may also define an interface surface 1432 that may have a smooth or textured finish. The interface surface 1432 of the second dome portion 1430 may have a circular perimeter and may have a diameter DDOME2 that is sized such that the barrier 1440 extends (e.g., slightly extends) past the perimeter of the interface surface 1432.
The second dome portion 1430 may comprise the one or more support members 1434 (e.g., feet) configured to support the second dome portion 1430 relative to the first dome portion 1410 (e.g., above and on top of the first dome portion 1410). In some examples, the one or more support members 1434 may contact the substrate 216 for supporting the second dome portion 1430 relative to the first dome portion 1410. As shown in
The second dome portion 1430 may be placed onto the barrier 1440 and/or the first material in the recess (e.g., at 716 of the procedure 700) after depositing the first material into the recess and then the first material within the recess may be cured to form the dome 218. For example, the first dome portion 1410 and the second dome portion 1430 may be made of the same or similar materials, such that light from the emitters 210 may be transmitted through the dome 218 (e.g., as if the dome 218 were fabricated from a single material during a single step manufacturing process). While the first dome portion 1410 and the second dome portion 1430 may be fabricated as independent parts, the first dome portion 1410 and the second dome portion 1430 may be made of sufficiently similar material and may be brought into contact at appropriate stages of a curing process, such that cross-linking of molecules across the part boundaries may occur at an intersection 1420 (e.g., an interface) between the first dome portion 1410 and the second dome portion 1430. An inner diameter DINNER between inner edges 1435 of the support members 1434 may be sized to avoid interference with the electrical wires 219 connected to the emitters 210 and the detectors 212, 214 (e.g., when the second dome portion 1430 is placed onto the barrier 1440). An outer diameter DOUTER between outer edges 1436 of the support members 1434 may be sized such that the outer edges 1436 of the support members 1434 contact the barrier 1440, which may prevent side-to-side movement of the second dome portion 1430 (e.g., prior to the curing process). In some examples, the interface surface 1432 of the second dome portion 1430 may be convex (e.g., slightly convex), such that the interface surface 1432 extends into the first material of the first dome portion 1410 (e.g., which may help with forming the interface 1420 between the first dome portion 1410 and the second dome portion 1430). While the emitter assembly 1400 is described herein as being assembled using the procedure 700, an emitter assembly similar to the emitter assembly 1400 (e.g., having the second dome portion 1430) may also be assembled using the procedure 900.
The lighting device 1500 may comprise a power-board circuit 1520 (e.g., the power converter circuit 140 and/or the power converter circuit 340). The power-board circuit 1520 may be mounted to a power PCB (e.g., the power PCB 142) of the lighting device 1500. The power-board circuit 1520 may comprise a power converter circuit 1522, which may receive a source voltage, such as an AC mains line voltage VAC, via a hot connection H and a neutral connection N (e.g., via the screw-in base 116). The power converter circuit 1522 may generate a DC bus voltage VBUS (e.g., approximately 15-20V) across a bus capacitor CBUS. The power converter circuit 1522 may comprise, for example, a boost converter, a buck converter, a buck-boost converter, a flyback converter, a single-ended primary-inductance converter (SEPIC), a Ćuk converter, or any other suitable power converter circuit for generating an appropriate bus voltage. The power converter circuit 1522 may provide electrical isolation between the AC power source and the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514, and may operate as a power factor correction (PFC) circuit to adjust the power factor of the lighting device 1500 towards a power factor of one.
The lighting device 1500 may comprise a control-board circuit 1530. The control-board circuit 1530 may be mounted to a control PCB (e.g., the control PCB 160) of the lighting device 1500. The control-board circuit 1530 may comprise an LED drive circuit 1532 for controlling (e.g., individually controlling) the power delivered to and the luminous flux of the light emitted of each of the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 of the emitter assembly 1510. The LED drive circuit 1532 may receive the bus voltage VBUS and may adjust magnitudes of respective LED drive currents ILED1, ILED2, ILED3, ILED4 conducted through the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514. The LED drive circuit 1532 may comprise one or more regulation circuits (e.g., four regulation circuits), such as switching regulators (e.g., buck converters) for controlling the magnitudes of the respective LED drive currents ILED1-ILED4. An example of the LED drive circuit 1532 is described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 9,485,813, issued Nov. 1, 2016, entitled ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR AVOIDING AN OVER-POWER OR OVER-CURRENT CONDITION IN A POWER CONVERTER, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The control-board circuit 1530 may comprise a receiver circuit 1534 that may be electrically coupled to the detectors 1516, 1518 of the emitter assembly 1510 for generating respective optical feedback signals VFB1, VFB2 in response to the photodiode currents IPD1, IPD2. The receiver circuit 1534 may comprise one or more trans-impedance amplifiers (e.g., two trans-impedance amplifiers) for converting the respective photodiode currents IPD1, IPD2 into the optical feedback signals VFB1, VFB2. For example, the optical feedback signals VFB1, VFB2 may have DC magnitudes that indicate the magnitudes of the respective photodiode currents IPD1, IPD2.
The control-board circuit 1530 may comprise an emitter assembly control circuit 1536 for controlling the LED drive circuit 1532 to control the intensities of the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 of the emitter assembly 1510. The emitter assembly control circuit 1536 may comprise, for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other suitable processing device or controller. The emitter assembly control circuit 1536 may generate one or more drive signals VDR1, VDR2, VDR3, VDR4 for controlling the respective regulation circuits in the LED drive circuit 1532. The emitter assembly control circuit 1536 may receive the optical feedback signals VFB1, VFB2 from the receiver circuit 1534 for determining the luminous flux LE of the light emitted by the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514.
The emitter assembly control circuit 1536 may receive a plurality of emitter forward-voltage feedback signals VFE1, VFE2, VFE3, VFE4 from the LED drive circuit 1532 and a plurality of detector forward-voltage feedback signals VED1, VED2 from the receiver circuit 1534. The emitter forward-voltage feedback signals VHE1-VFE4 may be representative of the magnitudes of the forward voltages of the respective emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514, which may indicate temperatures TE1, TE2, TE3, TE4 of the respective emitters. If each emitter 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 comprises multiple LEDs electrically coupled in series, the emitter forward-voltage feedback signals VFE1-VFE4 may be representative of the magnitude of the forward voltage across a single one of the LEDs or the cumulative forward voltage developed across multiple LEDs in the chain (e.g., all of the series-coupled LEDs in the chain). The detector forward-voltage feedback signals VFD1, VFD2 may be representative of the magnitudes of the forward voltages of the respective detectors 1516, 1518, which may indicate temperatures TD1, TD2 of the respective detectors. For example, the detector forward-voltage feedback signals VFD1, VFD2 may be equal to the forward voltages VFD of the respective detectors 1516, 1518.
The lighting device 1500 may comprise a lighting device control circuit 1540 that may be electrically coupled to the emitter assembly control circuit 1536 via a communication bus 1542 (e.g., an I2C communication bus). The lighting device control circuit 1540 may be configured to control the emitter assembly 1510 to control the brightness (e.g., the luminous flux) and/or the color (e.g., the color temperature) of the cumulative light emitted by the lighting device 1500. The lighting device control circuit 1540 may comprise, for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other suitable processing device or controller. The lighting device control circuit 1540 may be configured to adjust (e.g., dim) a present intensity LPRES (e.g., a present brightness) of the cumulative light emitted by the lighting device 1500 towards a target intensity LTRGT (e.g., a target brightness), which may range across a dimming range of the lighting device, e.g., between a low-end intensity LLE (e.g., a minimum intensity, such as approximately 0.1%-1.0%) and a high-end intensity LHE (e.g., a maximum intensity, such as approximately 100%). The lighting device control circuit 1540 may be configured to adjust a present color temperature TPRES of the cumulative light emitted by the lighting device 1500 towards a target color temperature TTRGT, which may range between a cool-white color temperature (e.g., approximately 3100-4500 K) and a warm-white color temperature (e.g., approximately 2000-3000 K).
The lighting device 1500 may comprise a communication circuit 1544 coupled to the lighting device control circuit 1540. The communication circuit 1544 may comprise a wireless communication circuit, such as, for example, a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving RF signals. The wireless communication circuit may be an RF transmitter for transmitting RF signals, an RF receiver for receiving RF signals, or an infrared (IR) transmitter and/or receiver for transmitting and/or receiving IR signals. The communication circuit 1544 may be coupled to the hot connection H and the neutral connection N of the lighting device 1500 for transmitting a control signal via the electrical wiring using, for example, a power-line carrier (PLC) communication technique. The lighting device control circuit 1540 may be configured to determine the target intensity LTRGT for the lighting device 1500 in response to messages (e.g., digital messages) received via the communication circuit 1534.
The lighting device 1500 may comprise a memory 1546 configured to store operational characteristics of the lighting device 1500 (e.g., the target intensity LTRGT, the target color temperature TTRGT, the low-end intensity LLE, the high-end intensity LHE, etc.). The memory may be implemented as an external integrated circuit (IC) or as an internal circuit of the lighting device control circuit 1540. The lighting device 1500 may comprise a power supply 1548 that may receive the bus voltage VBUS and generate a supply voltage VCC for powering the lighting device control circuit 1540 and other low-voltage circuitry of the lighting device.
When the lighting device 1500 is on, the light source control circuit 1540 may be configured to control the emitter assemblies 1510 to emit light substantially all of the time. The lighting device control circuit 1540 may be configured to control the emitter assemblies 1510 to disrupt the normal emission of light to measure one or more operational characteristics of the emitter assemblies during periodic measurement intervals. For example, during the measurement intervals, the emitter assembly control circuit 1536 may be configured to individually turn on each of the different-colored emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 of the emitter assemblies 1510 (e.g., while turning of the other emitters) and measure the luminous flux of the light emitted by that emitter using one of the two detectors 1516, 1518. For example, the emitter assembly control circuit 1536 may turn on the first emitter 1511 of the emitter assembly 1510 (e.g., at the same time as turning off the other emitters 1512, 1513, 1514 and determine the luminous flux LE of the light emitted by the first emitter 1511 in response to the first optical feedback signal VFB1 generated from the first detector 1516. In addition, the emitter assembly control circuit 1536 may be configured to drive the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 and the detectors 1516, 1518 to generate the emitter forward-voltage feedback signals VFE1-VFE4 and the detector forward-voltage feedback signals VFD1, VFD2 during the measurement intervals.
Methods of measuring the operational characteristics of emitter assemblies in a lighting device are described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 9,332,598, issued May 3, 2016, entitled INTERFERENCE-RESISTANT COMPENSATION FOR ILLUMINATION DEVICES HAVING MULTIPLE EMITTER MODULES; U.S. Pat. No. 9,392,660, issued Jul. 12, 2016, entitled LED ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND CALIBRATION METHOD FOR ACCURATELY CHARACTERIZING THE EMISSION LEDS AND PHOTODETECTOR(S) INCLUDED WITHIN THE LED ILLUMINATION DEVICE; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,392,663, issued Jul. 12, 2016, entitled ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ILLUMINATION DEVICE OVER CHANGES IN DRIVE CURRENT AND TEMPERATURE, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Calibration values for the various operational characteristics of the lighting device 1500 may be stored in the memory 1546 as part of a calibration procedure performed during manufacturing of the lighting device 1500. Calibration values may be stored for each of the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 and/or the detectors 1516, 1518 of each of the emitter assemblies 1510. For example, calibration values may be stored for measured values of luminous flux (e.g., in lumens), x-chromaticity, y-chromaticity, emitter forward voltage, photodiode current, and detector forward voltage. For example, the luminous flux, x-chromaticity, and y-chromaticity measurements may be obtained from the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 using an external calibration tool, such as a spectrophotometer. The values for the emitter forward voltages, photodiode currents, and detector forward voltages may be measured internally to the lighting device 1500. The calibration values for each of the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 and/or the detectors 1516, 1518 may be measured at a plurality of different drive currents, and/or at a plurality of different operating temperatures.
After installation, the lighting device control circuit 1540 of the lighting device 1500 may use the calibration values stored in the memory 1546 to maintain a constant light output from the emitter assemblies 1510. The lighting device control circuit 1540 may determine target values for the luminous flux to be emitted from the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 to achieve the target intensity LTRGT and/or the target color temperature TTRGT for the lighting device 1500. The lighting device control circuit 1540 may determine the magnitudes for the respective drive currents ILED1-ILED4. for the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 based on the determined target values for the luminous flux to be emitted from the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514. When the age of the lighting device 1400 is zero, the magnitudes of the respective drive currents ILED1-ILED4 for the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 may be controlled to initial magnitudes ILED-INITIAL.
The light output of the emitter assemblies 1510 may decrease as the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 age. The lighting device control circuit 1540 may be configured to increase the magnitudes of the drive current IDR for the emitters 1511, 1512, 1513, 1514 to adjusted magnitudes ILED-ADJUSTED to achieve the determined target values for the luminous flux of the target intensity LTRGT and/or the target color temperature TTRGT. Methods of adjusting the drive currents of emitters to achieve a constant light output as the emitters age are described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 9,769,899, issued Sep. 19, 2017, entitled ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND AGE COMPENSATION METHOD, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 63/499,400, filed May 1, 2023, and U.S. Patent Application No. 63/559,085, filed Feb. 28, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63499400 | May 2023 | US | |
| 63559085 | Feb 2024 | US |
