Patent Application
20100301378
The invention relates to an illumination device and to a method for producing the illumination device.
Existing LED illumination devices often have the disadvantages that they are not very robust and the methods for producing them are comparatively elaborate.
It is an object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages mentioned above and, in particular, to propose an illumination device which has great robustness and to provide an efficient method for producing it.
This object is achieved according to the features of the independent patent claims. Refinements of the invention may be found in the dependent claims.
In order to achieve the object, a method for producing an illumination device is first provided,
A robust illumination device is produced in this way, the reduction to the desired thickness being carried out in particular at a predetermined temperature. The filler material ensures great strength or robustness of the illumination device and, in particular after the filler material has hardened, separation into illumination sub-devices is possible for example by means of sawing.
In one refinement, the illumination means is a light-emitting diode.
In another refinement, the thickness is adjusted with the aid of at least one roller, in particular with the aid of two rollers.
In a further refinement, the carrier is a flex-board, which is equipped with the illumination means.
In a further configuration, the filler material is introduced between the carrier and the upper exterior layer.
In the scope of production, the filler material may thus be introduced between layers and then the illumination device may be reduced to a predetermined thickness.
According to another configuration, the filler material comprises one of the following materials:
For reinforcement, the filler material may include or consist of glass fibers, carbon fibers or rock powder.
In particular, the filler material may have at least one of the following properties:
In one refinement, the upper exterior layer has openings.
In a further refinement, a protective layer is applied between the filler material and the upper exterior layer.
In a further configuration, a lower exterior layer is applied below the carrier layer.
According to a subsequent refinement, an adhesive layer is applied between the carrier layer and the lower exterior layer.
In another configuration, a plug unit is provided on the carrier layer. In particular, the plug unit may include a plug and a socket, the plug and the socket engaging in one another.
In the scope of one refinement, separation is carried out along a connecting axis between the plug and the socket.
This separation may in particular be carried out by sawing along the connecting axis, the separation being carried out so that the plug unit is not damaged or destroyed.
According to a subsequent configuration, the separation is carried out along the connecting axis, in particular by means of sawing from above and below and/or from at least one side.
In an alternative refinement, the plug socket comprises two sockets and/or a double socket. In particular, the two sockets may be configured integrally.
In a further configuration, pins are fitted into the two sockets. In particular, separation may be carried out along the connecting axis of the two sockets. Such separation may be carried out by sawing along the connecting axis.
It is also possible for a double socket, into which pins have been inserted, to be separated, in particular sawed, along a target separation point.
The aforementioned object is likewise achieved by an illumination device produced by the method described herein.
The aforementioned method is furthermore achieved by an illumination device including
In one refinement, the carrier layer is a flex-board equipped with the illumination means.
In particular, the illumination means may be a light-emitting diode (LED).
The filler material may include one of the following materials:
For reinforcement, the filler material may include or consist of glass fibers, carbon fibers or rock powder.
The filler material may furthermore have at least one of the following properties:
According to another refinement, the upper exterior layer has openings.
In a further refinement, a protective layer is provided between the filler material and the upper exterior layer.
According to a further configuration, a lower exterior layer is provided below the carrier layer, the lower exterior layer consisting in particular of an aluminum alloy.
An adhesive layer may furthermore be provided between the carrier layer and the lower exterior layer.
It is also possible for a plug unit to be provided on the carrier layer.
In the scope of another configuration, the illumination device has a cutting plane along a side face.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be presented and explained below with the aid of the drawings, in which:
The illumination device proposed here has in particular a lower exterior layer 1, an equipped LED module (flex-board 3 with LEDs 4) and filler material 7, and an upper exterior layer 2. The rest of the components shown in
The exterior layers 1 and 2 essentially have a protective function in relation to the illumination device. They are in particular configured so that light can emerge through the exterior layers 1 and/or 2 respectively surface-wide or for example only at points intended for this.
In particular, the exterior layers 1 and 2 may have at least one of the following properties:
It is furthermore possible to configure the exterior layers 1 and/or 2 at least partially as a reflective layer depending on the application in question (for example diffusely or specularly, metallically reflective, or the like).
An LED module includes in particular the carrier with the LEDs, in particular a flex-board equipped with LEDs or a circuit board equipped with LEDs.
The LED module may be configured as a functional illumination module with illumination means, in particular with light-emitting diodes, which have different colors. The illumination module may furthermore have electrical leads, circuits, for example current limiters or drivers, as well as connection contacts, which are arranged on a support. This support may be used as the lower exterior layer 1 of the illumination device.
In particular, the connections or connection contacts may be configured so that the illumination device can be separated easily into subregions. In this case a modular concept of a plurality of illumination devices (which can be plugged together) may preferably be implemented, so that a large linear or two-dimensional illumination device can be produced efficiently.
In particular, one of the following materials may be provided as filler material:
In this case, the filler material preferably has at least one of the following properties:
The approach proposed here is preferably also suitable for producing a two-dimensional illumination device, and in particular a linear illumination device.
The equipped flex-board 3 is provided with filler material 7. The upper exterior layer 2 is applied onto the filler material 7 and compressed to a predetermined thickness. Excess filler material 7 can escape sideways during this (see
In particular, different functional units, that is to say different carriers with different components and different functions, may in this case be assembled in the form of strips (“endless strips”) in a rolling method.
Optionally, an adhesive layer 15 may be provided between the first exterior layer 1 and the flex-board 3 and/or between the filler material 7 and the second exterior layer 2. An adhesive layer may also be provided between the equipped flex-board 3 and the filler material 7.
Another aspect of the solution approach proposed here is that a plug unit is provided on the carrier layer. Such a plug unit is used for example as a plug concept for connection of further components, for example lamps. In particular, the plug concept may be used in order to plug together a plurality of illumination (sub-)devices, in particular two-dimensional ones, after they have been separated, so as to provide two-dimensional lamps in virtually any desired shape and with virtually any desired size.
According to
Preferably, the flex-board 3 is configured and provided with target separation points 10 so that, after separation, the illumination (sub-)device obtained has an equal number of plugs 8 and sockets 9 on opposite ends (or sides), so that the illumination (sub-)devices thereby obtained are suitable to be joined together in blocks.
In an alternative embodiment according to
The approach proposed here allows mass production of illumination devices with virtually arbitrarily large (illumination) surfaces for use, for example, as building walls, interior wall coverings, etc.
Mechanical properties, and in particular robustness of the illumination device can furthermore be increased significantly with the aid of the sandwich structure proposed here.
The exterior layers and the filler layer are also suitable as protection from external effects, for example moisture. This achieves greater reliability of the illumination device.
The proposed plug concepts allow reliable connection, with secure contact, of the illumination device even after it is separated (for example by means of the sawing into subregions).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2007 043 401.6 | Sep 2007 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2008/007587 | 9/12/2008 | WO | 00 | 3/12/2010 |
