Light fixture with light guide and radially emitting LEDs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10859757-B2
Application number	US-201916403457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2019
Priority date	May 4, 2018
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A light fixture includes a core having an opening; a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) supported by the core; a plurality of LED segments multiple LEDs mounted on the flexible PCB; and a light guide plate (LGP) having an opening within which the core is fitted, such that the LEDs emit light in all directions of a plane defined by the LGP, such light exiting the LGP to provide illumination.

First claim

What is being claimed is:

1. An apparatus of a light engine comprising:
a core;
a plurality of independently addressable light emitting diode (LED) segments, each LED segment comprising a plurality of LEDs;
a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a body to which the LED segments are attached and a plurality of legs, each leg providing electrical contact for a different LED segment, the body attached to the core; and
a light guide plate (LGP) configured to receive light from the LED segments through a surface of the LGP opposing the LED segments, in which the light from the LED segments is guided towards an exit surface of the LGP, and from which the light from the LED segments is configured to exit to provide illumination, the LED segments configured to emit light in all directions of a plane created by the LGP, the LGP having a substantially triangular cross-section, an angle between the exit surface of the LGP and the surface opposing the LED segments is acute.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a surface of the LGP facing the LED segments has uniformly distributed grooves formed thereon.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of a first surface of the LGP from which the light from the LED segments exits to provide the illumination or a second surface of the LGP opposing the first surface comprises light extraction features.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the LGP has a thickness that is larger than a thickness of the LED segments and is configured to completely overlap the LED segments in a thickness direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the core has an opening and the plurality of legs extends into the opening.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the LGP comprises a single opening having a center that is colinear with a center of the LGP and a center of the core.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the core comprises an opening extending through opposing surfaces of the core, and
the flexible legs extend through the opening.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
another circuit board disposed parallel to the opposing surfaces of the core,
wherein the flexible legs are bent such that a terminal portion of each of the flexible legs is substantially parallel to the opposing surfaces of the core and is connectable to a corresponding contact on the other circuit board.

9. An apparatus of a light engine comprising:
a core;
a plurality of independently addressable light emitting diode (LED) segments, each LED segment comprising a plurality of LEDs;
a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a body to which the LED segments are attached and a plurality of legs, each leg providing electrical contact for a different LED segment, the body attached to the core;
a light guide plate (LGP) configured to receive light from the LED segments, in which the light from the LED segments is guided, and from which the light from the LED segments is configured to exit to provide illumination, the LED segments configured to emit light in all directions of a plane created by the LGP, the LGP including at least two ends; and
edge illumination sources facing one end of the LGP distal from the LED segments, the LGP having an inner portion adjacent to the LED segments and an outer portion adjacent to the edge illumination sources, each of the inner and outer portion having a substantially triangular cross-section having a vertex between the ends of the LGP.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the LGP comprises a single opening having a center that is colinear with a center of the LGP and a center of the core.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the core has an opening and the plurality of legs extends into the opening.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
a surface of the LGP facing the LED segments has uniformly distributed grooves formed thereon.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
at least one of a first surface of the LGP from which the light from the LED segments exits to provide the illumination or a second surface of the LGP opposing the first surface comprises light extraction features.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the light guide has a single offset opening such that a center of the single offset opening is substantially offset from a center of the light guide.

15. An apparatus of a light engine comprising:
a plurality of independently addressable light emitting diode (LED) segments, each LED segment comprising a plurality of LEDs;
a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a body to which the LED segments are attached and a plurality of flexible legs, each flexible leg providing electrical contact with a different LED segment;
a core having an opening that the plurality of flexible legs is bent and extend into, and defining parallel opposing surfaces;
a light guide configured to receive light from the LED segments, in which the light from the LED segments is guided, and from which the light from the LED segments is configured to exit to provide illumination; and
another circuit board disposed parallel to the opposing surfaces of the core, the flexible legs bent such that a terminal portion of each of the flexible legs is substantially parallel to the opposing surfaces of the core and is connectable to a corresponding contact on the other circuit board.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the apparatus further comprises sets of opposing illumination sources at opposite ends of the light guide, and
the light guide has one of:
a rectangular cross section, or
an inner portion adjacent to one of the illumination sources and an outer portion adjacent to the other of the illumination sources, each of the inner and outer portion has a substantially triangular cross-section having a vertex between ends of the LGP, and the substantially triangular cross-sections of the inner and outer portion have different areas.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the LGP has a substantially triangular cross-section, and an angle between an exit surface of the LGP and a surface into which the light from the LED segments is introduced is acute.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising edge illumination sources face an end of the light guide distal from the LED segments, the light guide having an inner portion adjacent to the LED segments and an outer portion adjacent to the edge illumination sources, each of the inner and outer portion having a substantially triangular cross-section having a vertex between ends of the light guide.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the light guide has a single offset opening such that a center of the single offset opening is substantially offset from a center of the light guide.

Assignees

• Lumileds Llc

Inventors

• Diana Frederic Stephane
• Qiu Yifeng
• Wasilko Michael
• Soleimani Nazila
• Den Breejen Jeroen
• Mcreynolds Alan Andrew
• Guth Gregory Donald

Classifications

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B47/198

  Grouping of control procedures or address assignation to light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• G02B6/0021 Primary

  for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses · CPC title

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title