Thermoforming a substrate bearing LEDs into a curved bulb enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9528667-B1
Application number	US-201514844796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a lamp comprising forming a first sheet segment ( 48 ) into a first shell portion ( 110 ) after forming a first electrically conductive trace ( 70 ) on the first sheet segment ( 48 ) and after placing a first plurality of LEDs ( 90 ) on the first sheet segment ( 48 ); forming a second sheet segment ( 50 ) into a second shell portion ( 120 ) after forming a second electrically conductive trace ( 80 ) on the second plastic segment ( 50 ) and after placing a second plurality of LEDs ( 90 ) on the second sheet segment ( 50 ); and joining the first shell portion ( 110 ) and the second shell portion ( 120 ) into a bulb enclosure ( 40 ) defining an interior region ( 42 ) therein. The first and second sheet segments ( 48, 50 ) are preferably thermoformed and may be connected by a web ( 60 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a lamp ( 10 ) comprising:
forming a first electrically conductive trace ( 70 ) on a first sheet segment ( 48 ), wherein the first sheet segment is a plastics material;
forming a second electrically conductive trace ( 80 ) on a second sheet segment ( 50 ), wherein the second sheet segment is a plastics material;
placing a first plurality of solid-state light sources ( 90 ) on the first sheet segment ( 48 ) such that each of the solid-state light sources of the first plurality of solid-state light sources ( 90 ) is in electrical communication with the first electrically conductive trace ( 70 ), wherein the first plurality of solid-state light sources ( 90 ) is a first plurality of light-emitting diodes, and wherein the first plurality of light-emitting diodes each comprise at least one light-emitting chip ( 94 );
placing a second plurality of solid-state light sources ( 100 ) on the second sheet segment ( 50 ) such that each of the solid-state light sources of the second plurality of solid-state light sources ( 100 ) is in electrical communication with the second electrically conductive trace ( 80 ), wherein the second plurality of solid-state light sources ( 100 ) is a second plurality of light-emitting diodes, and wherein the second plurality of light-emitting diodes each comprise at least one light-emitting chip ( 94 );
forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into a first shell portion ( 110 ) after forming the first electrically conductive trace ( 70 ) and after placing the first plurality of solid-state light sources ( 90 ) on the first sheet segment ( 48 ), wherein the first electrically conductive trace ( 70 ) and the first plurality of solid-state light sources ( 90 ) are located on a first curved region ( 112 ) of the first shell portion ( 110 );
forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into a second shell portion ( 120 ) after forming the second electrically conductive trace ( 80 ) on the second sheet segment ( 50 ) and after placing the second plurality of solid-state light sources ( 100 ) on the second sheet segment ( 50 ), wherein the second electrically conductive trace ( 80 ) and the second plurality of solid-state light sources ( 100 ) are located on a second curved region ( 122 ) of the second shell portion ( 120 ); and
joining the first shell portion ( 110 ) and the second shell portion ( 120 ), including the first curved region ( 112 ) of the first shell portion ( 110 ) and the second curved region ( 122 ) of the second shell portion ( 120 ), in confronting relation into a bulb enclosure ( 40 ) defining an interior region ( 42 ) therein.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the first curved region ( 112 ) of the first shell portion ( 110 ) is permanently curved simultaneously about two axes (X, Y) when forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ); and
the second curved region ( 122 ) of the second shell portion ( 120 ) is permanently curved simultaneously about two axes (X′, Y′) when forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into the second shell portion ( 120 ).

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:
the two axes (X, Y) used to form the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ) are orthogonal to one another; and
the two axes (X′, Y′) used to form the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into the second shell portion ( 120 ) are orthogonal to one another.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein:
the first curved region ( 112 ) of the first shell portion ( 110 ) comprises a hemi-spherical surface; and
the second curved region ( 122 ) of the second shell portion ( 120 ) comprises a hemi-spherical surface.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
forming the first shell portion ( 110 ) with a first neck ( 114 ), wherein the first electrically conductive trace ( 70 ) is located on the first neck ( 114 ) of the first shell portion ( 110 );
forming the second shell portion ( 120 ) with a second neck ( 124 ), wherein the second electrically conductive trace ( 80 ) is located on the second neck ( 124 ) of the second shell portion ( 120 ); and
joining the first shell portion ( 110 ) and the second shell portion ( 120 ) further includes joining the first neck ( 114 ) of the first shell portion ( 110 ) and the second neck ( 124 ) of the second shell portion ( 120 ) in confronting relation.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
attaching a lamp base ( 20 ) to the first and second necks ( 114 , 124 ) of the first and second shell portions ( 110 , 120 ), respectively, of the bulb enclosure ( 40 ), wherein the lamp base ( 20 ) is configured to be inserted into a conventional socket ( 160 ) of a lamp fixture ( 150 ).

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:
heating the first sheet segment ( 48 ) before forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ); and
heating the second sheet segment ( 50 ) before forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into the second shell portion ( 120 ).

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising at least one of:
cooling the first shell portion ( 110 ) to retain a formed shape of the first shell portion ( 110 ) after forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ); and
cooling the second shell portion ( 120 ) to retain a formed shape of the second shell portion ( 120 ) after forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into a second shell portion ( 120 ).

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:
pre-stretching the first sheet segment ( 48 ) with vacuum before forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ); and
pre-stretching the second sheet segment ( 50 ) with vacuum before forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into the second shell portion ( 120 ).

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:
forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ) on a first male mandrel ( 210 ); and
forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into the second shell portion ( 120 ) on the first male mandrel ( 210 ) or a second male mandrel ( 230 ).

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising at least one of:
forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ) on the first male mandrel ( 210 ) further includes applying vacuum through the first male mandrel ( 210 ) to pull the first sheet segment ( 48 ) onto a first shell forming surface ( 212 ) of the first male mandrel ( 210 ); and
forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into the second shell portion ( 120 ) on the first or second male mandrel ( 210 , 230 ) further includes applying vacuum through the first or second male mandrel ( 210 , 230 ) to pull the second sheet segment ( 120 ) onto the first shell forming surface ( 212 ) of the first male mandrel ( 210 ) or a second shell forming surface ( 232 ) of the second male mandrel ( 230 ), respectively.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising at least one of:
forming the first sheet segment ( 48 ) into the first shell portion ( 110 ) on the first male mandrel ( 210 ) further includes applying positive air pressure towards the first male mandrel ( 210 ) to push the first sheet segment ( 48 ) onto a first shell forming surface ( 212 ) of the first male mandrel ( 210 ); and
forming the second sheet segment ( 50 ) into the second shell portion ( 120 ) on the first or second male mandrel ( 210 , 230 ) further includes applying positive air pressure towards the first or second male mandrel ( 210 , 230 ) to push the second sheet segment ( 50 ) onto the first shell forming surface ( 212 ) of the first male mandrel ( 210 ) or a second shell forming surface (

Assignees

• Pereyra Rodrigo M
• Osram Sylvania Inc

Inventors

• Pereyra Rodrigo M

Classifications

• F21V23/005

  the substrate is supporting also the light source · CPC title

• F21K9/90 Primary

  Methods of manufacture · CPC title

• H05K3/0014

  Shaping of the substrate, e.g. by moulding · CPC title

• H05K2203/1453

  Applying the circuit pattern before another process, e.g. before filling of vias with conductive paste, before making printed resistors · CPC title

• H05K2201/09027

  Non-rectangular flat PCB, e.g. circular · CPC title