U.S. patent application number 14/880071 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-27 for mobile electronic device covering.
The applicant listed for this patent is Alliance Sports Group, L.P.. Invention is credited to Steven Cramer.
Application Number | 20160315650 14/880071 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57046078 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160315650 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cramer; Steven |
October 27, 2016 |
Mobile Electronic Device Covering
Abstract
A protective covering configured for use with a mobile
electronics device, including a front wall and a plurality of side
walls defining a primary cavity. A back wall is disposed within the
primary cavity separating the primary cavity into a protective
covering electronics housing cavity and a mobile electronic device
housing cavity. One or more apertures are disposed within the front
wall. A light source is disposed within the protective covering
electronics housing cavity, wherein at least a portion of the light
source is disposed outside of the protective covering electronics
housing cavity and through at least one of the one or more
apertures in the front wall. A heat sink is disposed within the
protective covering electronics housing cavity and in contact with
the light source.
Inventors: |
Cramer; Steven; (Redmond,
WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Alliance Sports Group, L.P. |
Grand Prairie |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
57046078 |
Appl. No.: |
14/880071 |
Filed: |
October 9, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62151559 |
Apr 23, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21L 4/00 20130101; F21V
29/507 20150115; F21V 29/89 20150115; H01L 2933/0033 20130101; G03B
2215/0517 20130101; H01L 2933/0041 20130101; F21Y 2115/10 20160801;
G03B 2215/0567 20130101; G03B 17/566 20130101; H01L 33/642
20130101; H01L 33/54 20130101; H01L 2933/0075 20130101; F21V 29/70
20150115; H04M 1/185 20130101; H04M 1/22 20130101; H04B 1/3888
20130101; F21Y 2101/00 20130101; H01L 27/153 20130101; F21V 33/0052
20130101; F21Y 2103/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04B 1/3888 20060101
H04B001/3888; F21V 33/00 20060101 F21V033/00; F21V 23/02 20060101
F21V023/02; F21S 4/22 20060101 F21S004/22; F21V 29/503 20060101
F21V029/503; F21V 23/04 20060101 F21V023/04; F21V 29/87 20060101
F21V029/87; H04M 1/02 20060101 H04M001/02; F21V 29/70 20060101
F21V029/70 |
Claims
1. A protective covering configured for use with a mobile
electronics device, comprising: a front wall and a plurality of
side walls defining a primary cavity; a back wall disposed within
the primary cavity separating the primary cavity into a protective
covering electronics housing cavity and a mobile electronic device
housing cavity; one or more apertures disposed within the front
wall; a light source disposed within the protective covering
electronics housing cavity, wherein at least a portion of the light
source is disposed outside of the protective covering electronics
housing cavity and through at least one of the one or more
apertures in the front wall; a power supply disposed within the
protective covering electronics housing cavity and coupled to the
light source; a heat sink disposed within the protective covering
electronics housing cavity and in contact with the light source,
wherein at least a portion of the heat sink is disposed outside of
the protective covering electronics housing cavity and through at
least one of the one or more apertures in the front wall.
2. The protective covering of claim 1, wherein the heat sink
comprises a planar thermally conductive material disposed directly
behind the light source and across a top portion of the protective
covering electronics housing cavity.
3. The protective covering of claim 2, wherein the heat sink
further comprises a frame disposed about a perimeter of the light
source, wherein a top portion of the frame is disposed outside of
the protective covering electronics housing cavity and through at
least one of the one or more apertures in the front wall and a
bottom portion of the frame is disposed in contact with the planar
thermally conductive material.
4. The protective covering of claim 3, wherein the front wall
comprises a first thickness and a second thickness.
5. The protective covering of claim 4, further comprising a
plurality of channels disposed within the front wall corresponding
at least to the area occupied by the planar thermally conductive
material disposed directly behind the light source.
6. The protective covering of claim 4, further comprising a
plurality of indentations disposed within the front wall
corresponding at least to the area occupied by the planar heat
conductive material disposed directly behind the light source.
7. The protective covering of claim 1, further comprising a power
switch disposed within the protective covering electronics housing
cavity, wherein at least a portion of the power switch is disposed
outside of the protective covering electronics housing cavity and
through at least one of the one or more apertures in the front
wall.
8. The protective covering of claim 7, further comprising an
aperture disposed through at least one sidewall of the protective
covering, said sidewall aperture providing access to electronics
that are operatively coupled to a power source.
9. The protective covering of claim 1, further comprising an
aperture that extends through both the front and back walls of the
protective covering.
10. A protective covering configured for use with a mobile
electronic device, comprising: a front wall and a plurality of side
walls defining a primary cavity; a back wall disposed within the
primary cavity separating the primary cavity into a protective
covering electronics housing cavity and a mobile electronic device
housing cavity; one or more apertures disposed within the front
wall; a light source disposed within the protective covering
electronics housing cavity, wherein at least a portion of the light
source is disposed outside of the protective covering electronics
housing cavity and through at least one of the one or more
apertures in the front wall; a power supply disposed within the
protective covering electronics housing cavity and coupled to the
light source; a heat sink disposed within the protective covering
electronics housing cavity and in direct contact with the light
source, wherein the heat sink comprises a planar thermally
conductive material disposed directly behind the light source and
across a top portion of the protective covering electronics housing
cavity; a plurality of indentations disposed about an area of the
front wall corresponding at least to the area occupied by the
planar thermally conductive material disposed directly behind the
light source.
11. The protective covering of claim 10, wherein the indentations
are circular indentations.
12. The protective covering of claim 10, wherein the indentations
are linear indentations forming channels within a top surface of
the front wall.
13. The protective covering of claim 10, further comprising a
thermally insulating coating disposed about a back side of the
planar heat conductive material.
14. The protective covering of claim 13, wherein the planar
thermally conductive material comprises a metallic plate configured
to cover approximately one-third of the top of the protective
covering electronics housing cavity.
15. The protective covering of claim 10, further comprising a
plurality of apertures disposed within the indentations, the
apertures extending from a top portion of the planar thermally
conductive material to an area outside the protective covering
electronics housing cavity.
16. The protective covering of claim 15, further comprising a
thermally conductive polymer disposed within the apertures that are
disposed within the indentations.
17. A mobile electronic device disposed within a protective
covering containing a power supply and light source separate from
the mobile electronic device, comprising: a mobile electronic
device having a power source and a display; a protective covering
having: a front wall and a plurality of side walls defining a
primary cavity, a back wall disposed within the primary cavity
separating the primary cavity into a protective covering
electronics housing cavity and a mobile electronic device housing
cavity; one or more apertures disposed within the front wall; a
light source disposed within the protective covering electronics
housing cavity, wherein at least a portion of the light source is
disposed within at least one of the one or more apertures in the
front wall; a power supply disposed within the protective covering
electronics housing cavity and coupled to the light source; and a
heat sink disposed within the protective covering electronics
housing cavity and in direct contact with the light source, wherein
the heat sink comprises a planar thermally conductive component
disposed directly behind the light source and across a top portion
of the protective covering electronics housing cavity, and wherein
a portion of the heat sink is disposed outside one of the one or
more apertures in the front wall.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the heat sink further
comprises a frame disposed about a perimeter of the light source, a
portion of the frame being disposed outside the protective covering
electronics housing cavity.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the light source comprises a
flexible chip-on-board light-emitting-diode.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the light source is disposed
about opposing sidewalls and about the front wall in a continuous
LED strip.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present technology relates to cases or covers for
electronic devices. More specifically, the technology relates to
lighting devices for cases or covers used in connection with a
portable electronic device, such as a smart phone.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates generally to Light Emitting
Diode (LED) lighting components, lamps, and luminaries which can be
used as light sources in various lighting applications and
specifically in connection with cases for mobile electronic
devices. For purposes of providing functional lighting, many
electronic devices have lights (LED or otherwise) disposed about
one end of the device which may be used to illuminate a subject to
photograph or to provide illumination for other activities. In many
instances, however, the brightness of the lights associated with
the electronic device is limited. For example, in many LED lighting
applications, several high power LEDs are placed in close
configuration, such as flashlights, headlights and the like. The
heat generating components, their power supplies, the PCBs, the
thermal interface materials, and the fixing structures dictate the
achievable performance level in the lighting application.
[0003] Mobile electronic cases are generally used to fit onto the
mobile electronic device for protection and personalized
decoration. The main function of a mobile phone case is to protect
the surface of the mobile phone from frequent frictions and
scratches and to withstand slight impacts. Apart from the single
function of protection, some mobile phone cases provide additional
alterations to offer functions of standing or hooking, etc. There
is a lack, however, of mobile electronic cases or covers that
include a separate lighting source that is not directly connected
to the mobile electronic device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In light of the problems and deficiencies inherent in the
prior art, the present invention seeks to overcome these by
providing methods, devices, and systems for providing a light
source within a mobile electronic protective case. Aspects of the
technology disclosed herein reside generally in a protective
covering configured for use with a mobile electronic device and
housing a mobile electronic device. In one aspect of the
technology, the covering comprises a front wall and a plurality of
side walls defining a primary cavity and a back wall disposed
within the primary cavity, separating the primary cavity into a
protective covering electronics housing cavity and a mobile
electronic device housing cavity. One or more apertures are
disposed within the front wall and a light source is disposed
within the protective covering electronics housing cavity. At least
a portion of the light source is disposed outside of the protective
covering electronics housing cavity and through at least one of the
one or more apertures in the front wall. A power supply is disposed
within the protective covering electronics housing cavity and
coupled to the light source. A heat sink is disposed within the
protective covering electronics housing cavity and in contact,
directly or indirectly, with the light source. At least a portion
of the heat sink is disposed outside of the protective covering
electronics housing cavity and through at least one of the one or
more apertures in the front wall. In one aspect, a plurality of
indentations are disposed within the front wall corresponding at
least to the area occupied by a planar heat conductive material
disposed directly behind the light source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The present technology will become more fully apparent from
the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings
merely depict exemplary aspects of the present technology they are,
therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope. It will be
readily appreciated that the components of the present technology,
as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could
be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different
configurations. Nonetheless, the technology will be described and
explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of
the accompanying drawings in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a back side of a mobile
electronic device case in accordance with one aspect of the
technology;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a front side of the mobile
electronic device of FIG. 1 in accordance with one aspect of the
technology;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a front view of the mobile electronic device of
FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a back side of the mobile
electronic device case of FIG. 1 with a back wall of the case
removed;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of FIG. 4;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a front view of a mobile electronic device case in
accordance with one aspect of the technology;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a front view of a mobile electronic device case in
accordance with one aspect of the technology;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a front view of a mobile electronic device case in
accordance with one aspect of the technology;
[0014] FIG. 9 is a front view of a mobile electronic device case in
accordance with one aspect of the technology;
[0015] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a mobile electronic device
in accordance with one aspect of the technology;
[0016] FIG. 11a is a side view illustrating one aspect of a
flexible COB LED array in accordance with one aspect of the
technology;
[0017] FIG. 11b is a top view of FIG. 11a;
[0018] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a mobile electronic device
case and corresponding mobile electronic device in accordance with
one aspect of the technology;
[0019] FIG. 13 is a cross sectional side view of a portion of a
mobile electronic device in accordance with one aspect of the
technology; and
[0020] FIG. 14 is a cross sectional side view of a portion of a
mobile electronic device in accordance with one aspect of the
technology.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY ASPECTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY
[0021] Although the following detailed description contains many
specifics for the purpose of illustration, a person of ordinary
skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and
alterations to the following details can be made and are considered
to be included herein. Accordingly, the following aspects of the
technology are set forth without any loss of generality to, and
without imposing limitations upon, any claims set forth. It is also
to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the
purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not
intended to be limiting. Unless defined otherwise, all technical
and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this
disclosure belongs.
[0022] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the
singular forms "a," "an" and "the" include plural referents unless
the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example,
reference to "a layer" includes a plurality of such layers.
[0023] In this disclosure, "comprises," "comprising," "containing"
and "having" and the like can have the meaning ascribed to them in
U.S. Patent law and can mean "includes," "including," and the like,
and are generally interpreted to be open ended terms. The terms
"consisting of" or "consists of" are closed terms, and include only
the components, structures, steps, or the like specifically listed
in conjunction with such terms, as well as that which is in
accordance with U.S. Patent law. "Consisting essentially of" or
"consists essentially of" have the meaning generally ascribed to
them by U.S. Patent law. In particular, such terms are generally
closed terms, with the exception of allowing inclusion of
additional items, materials, components, steps, or elements, that
do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics or
function of the item(s) used in connection therewith. For example,
trace elements present in a composition, but not affecting the
compositions nature or characteristics would be permissible if
present under the "consisting essentially of" language, even though
not expressly recited in a list of items following such
terminology. When using an open ended term, like "comprising" or
"including," it is understood that direct support should be
afforded also to "consisting essentially of" language as well as
"consisting of" language as if stated explicitly and vice
versa.
[0024] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like
in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for
distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for
describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to
be understood that any terms so used are interchangeable under
appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described
herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other
than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Similarly, if
a method is described herein as comprising a series of steps, the
order of such steps as presented herein is not necessarily the only
order in which such steps may be performed, and certain of the
stated steps may possibly be omitted and/or certain other steps not
described herein may possibly be added to the method.
[0025] The terms "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom,"
"over," "under," and the like in the description and in the claims,
if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for
describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood
that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate
circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for
example, capable of operation in other orientations than those
illustrated or otherwise described herein. The term "coupled," as
used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly connected in an
electrical or nonelectrical manner. Objects described herein as
being "adjacent to" each other may be in physical contact with each
other, in close proximity to each other, or in the same general
region or area as each other, as appropriate for the context in
which the phrase is used. Occurrences of the phrase "in one
embodiment," or "in one aspect," herein do not necessarily all
refer to the same embodiment or aspect.
[0026] As used herein, the term "substantially" refers to the
complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action,
characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For
example, an object that is "substantially" enclosed would mean that
the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely
enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute
completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context.
However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so
as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total
completion were obtained. The use of "substantially" is equally
applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the
complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic,
property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a
composition that is "substantially free of" particles would either
completely lack particles, or so nearly completely lack particles
that the effect would be the same as if it completely lacked
particles. In other words, a composition that is "substantially
free of" an ingredient or element may still actually contain such
item as long as there is no measurable effect thereof.
[0027] As used herein, the term "about" is used to provide
flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given
value may be "a little above" or "a little below" the endpoint.
Unless otherwise stated, use of the term "about" in accordance with
a specific number or numerical range should also be understood to
provide support for such numerical terms or range without the term
"about". For example, for the sake of convenience and brevity, a
numerical range of "about 50 angstroms to about 80 angstroms"
should also be understood to provide support for the range of "50
angstroms to 80 angstroms."
[0028] As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements,
compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a
common list for convenience. However, these lists should be
construed as though each member of the list is individually
identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual
member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of
any other member of the same list solely based on their
presentation in a common group without indications to the
contrary.
[0029] Concentrations, amounts, and other numerical data may be
expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be
understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience
and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not
only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the
range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or
sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value
and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a
numerical range of "about 1 to about 5" should be interpreted to
include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about
5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the
indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are
individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from
1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,
individually.
[0030] This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one
numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an
interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range
or the characteristics being described.
[0031] Reference throughout this specification to "an example"
means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic
described in connection with the example is included in at least
one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in an example" in
various places throughout this specification are not necessarily
all referring to the same embodiment.
[0032] Reference in this specification may be made to devices,
structures, systems, or methods that provide "improved"
performance. It is to be understood that unless otherwise stated,
such "improvement" is a measure of a benefit obtained based on a
comparison to devices, structures, systems or methods in the prior
art. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the degree of
improved performance may vary between disclosed embodiments and
that no equality or consistency in the amount, degree, or
realization of improved performance is to be assumed as universally
applicable.
[0033] An initial overview of the technology is provided below and
specific technology embodiments are then described in further
detail. This initial summary is intended to aid readers in
understanding the technology more quickly, but is not intended to
identify key or essential features of the technology, nor is it
intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Broadly
speaking, aspects of the current technology comprise a case
configured to house a mobile electronic device, such as a tablet,
cellular phone, GPS, laptop computer, etc. The case comprises a
front wall with side walls and a back wall defining a cavity
between the walls of the case. A light source (e.g., a light
emitting diode or LED, etc.), battery, power switch, and heat sink
are disposed, at least partially, within the cavity. In one aspect,
at least a portion of the heat sink structure is positioned outside
the cavity and exposed to the surrounding air. In another aspect, a
portion of the front wall of the case is thinned to promote heat
conduction outside of the cavity. In particular, the front wall of
the case proximate to the heat sink structure within the cavity is
thinned.
[0034] With reference generally to FIGS. 1 through 5, a case 5
having an outer shell 10 is disclosed. The outer shell 10 comprises
a front wall 11 and side walls 12 defining a cavity 13 therein. A
back wall 14 of the case 5 is disposed within the cavity 13
separating the cavity 13 into (i) a case or covering electronics
cavity 15 configured to house lighting-related electronics, and
(ii) a mobile electronics device cavity 16 configured to house a
mobile electronic device therein. In one aspect of the technology,
the front wall 11 and side walls 12 are integrally formed though
they may be separately manufactured (from the same or different
materials) and fit together at a later time as suits a particular
construction application.
[0035] The side walls 12 of the case 5 comprise a plurality of side
wall apertures 18 that create portals to access functional aspects
of the mobile electronic device to be housed therein. For example,
the side wall apertures 18 may provide access to a power switch,
volume controls, headphone jacks, etc. associated with the mobile
electronic device. The side wall apertures 18 are disposed in the
side walls 12 in a location that corresponds to the mobile
electronics device cavity 16. A single side wall aperture 19 is
located in side wall 12 near a bottom of the case 5 and is disposed
in a location that corresponds to the case 5 or protective covering
electronics cavity 15 configured to house lighting-related
electronics. The single side wall aperture 19 creates a portal to
provide access for a power source to be coupled to a rechargeable
battery located within the protective covering electronics cavity
15. A battery charge indicator 20 is disposed about the front wall
11 of the outer shell 10.
[0036] The front wall 11 of the outer shell 10 comprises a
plurality of apertures 22. One of the apertures 22 passes through
the front wall 11 and the back wall 14 as well as the protective
covering electronics cavity 15 that lies between the front wall 11
and the back wall 14. In one aspect, this pass-through aperture 22
is located in a position that corresponds to a light, camera, or
other functional attribute of the mobile electronic device that
would otherwise be blocked by the case 5. Of course, one or more
pass-through apertures 22 may be disposed in the case 5 as suits a
particular application. In one aspect of the technology, a case
light aperture 25 is disposed within the front wall 11 and is
configured to permit a light source 26 (e.g., an LED, etc.) to be
positioned about the case 5. A power switch aperture 35 is also
disposed in the front wall 11 and is configured to permit placement
of a power switch 36 within the case 5. The power switch 36 is
operatively coupled to a battery 40 and the light source 26 and
acts to control the flow of power from the battery 40 to the light
source 26.
[0037] In one aspect of the technology, the light source 26
comprises a COB LED (chip on board light emitting diode) 27. The
COB LED 27 comprises a plurality of microchips disposed on a
substrate 28. The microchips are powered by the battery 40 and
generate light as is known in the art. The COB LED 27 is mounted on
a heat sink 50 comprising a thermally conductive material. The heat
sink 50 is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat
generated by the COB LED 27 into a coolant fluid in motion. In one
aspect, the coolant fluid in motion is air inside the protective
covering electronics cavity 15 as well as air outside of the
device. In one aspect of the technology, the heat sink 50 comprises
a flat planar metallic component 51 that occupies an area behind
the substrate 28 as well as open space in approximately the top
one-third of the protective covering electronics cavity 15. While
the figures illustrate placement of the light source 26 and
corresponding heat sink 50 in the top of the protective covering
electronics cavity 15, it is understood that the light source 26
and heat sink 50 may be located in the middle or bottom of the
cavity 15 without departing from the essence of the technological
innovation here.
[0038] In one aspect of the technology, the planar heat sink
component 51 comprises an aluminum alloy, copper alloy, or other
material known in the art. In one aspect of the technology, the
back side 52 of the planar heat sink component 51 is coated with a
thermally insulating material in an effort to dissipate heat
through the top and edges of the planar component 51 rather than
the back side 52 of the heat sink component 51. In one aspect, the
thermally insulating material includes plastics, polyamides,
polyurethanes, polystyrenes, other polymers, elastomers, and the
like. In accordance with one aspect of the technology, the heat
sink 50 further comprises a thermally conductive frame 55. The
frame 55 is configured to approximate the shape of the LED 26 and
is configured to position the LED 26 in aperture 25. The frame 55
is in contact with the planar heat sink component 51. When mounted
in aperture 25, an outer portion of the frame 55 surrounds the
perimeter of the light source 26 (e.g., the LED) and is exposed to
the air outside of the case 5. In this manner, heat generated from
the light source 26 is conducted away from the light source 26. In
one aspect of the technology, the frame 55 comprises an aluminum
alloy, copper alloy, or other thermally conductive material known
in the art. A mounting ring 56 is disposed between the frame 55 and
the light source 26 to further help secure the frame 55 onto the
front wall 11 and position the light source 26 within aperture 25.
The frame 55 and mounting ring 56 may be circular or may be some
other shape to approximate the perimeter of the light source 26.
With specific reference to FIG. 13, in one aspect of the
technology, a top surface (i.e., the surface disposed outside of
cavity 15) of the frame 55 comprises a plurality of concentric
channels 57 circumscribing the light source 26. In this aspect, no
mounting ring 56 is used and the frame 55 is positioned in direct
contact with the light source 26 as well as the planar heat sink
component 51, though it is understood that a mounting ring 56 could
be used so long as the frame 55 is in contact with the planar heat
sink component 51. It is understood that thermal adhesives and
greases may be used in connection with the technology described
herein as is known in the art and the use of a small amount of
thermal adhesive or grease between the frame 55 and the planar heat
sink component 51 (or other components discussed herein) or the
frame 55 and the light source 26 would still be considered to be
"directly in contact" with an adjacent component. Moreover, the
light source 26 should be read broadly to include any heat
producing element of the light source 26, including, but without
limitation, the substrate 28 on which LEDs 27 are mounted in an LED
light source application.
[0039] With reference generally to FIGS. 4 and 5 and more specific
reference to FIGS. 6 through 9, a plurality of indentations 60 are
disposed in the front wall 11 of case 5. The indentations 60 are
disposed at least over the same area of the front wall 11 that
corresponds to the location of the planar heat sink component 51
though they may be disposed over the entire front wall 11. In one
aspect, the indentations 60 result in a thinned portion of the
front wall 11 that more easily conducts heat away from the cavity
15. FIGS. 6 through 8 illustrate an aspect where the indentations
60 comprise linear channels 61. The linear channels 61 may be
oriented in numerous different directions as suits a particular
application, including vertical, horizontal, or angled. Moreover,
in one aspect of the technology, the linear channels 61 may extend
across the front wall 11 having an open end at the intersection of
the front wall 11 with the side wall 12. The open end promotes heat
dissipation laterally away from the front wall 11. While linear
channels 61 are shown on the figures, the indentations 60 may also
be configured in non-linear channels, circles, squares, or any
other number of shapes as suits a particular application.
[0040] FIG. 9 illustrates an aspect where the indentations 60
comprise circular indentations 62. As with the linear channels 61,
the circular indentations 62 are disposed about the area of the
front wall 11 that corresponds to the area where the planar heat
sink component 51 resides within cavity 15 though the circular
indentations 62 may be disposed about the entire surface of front
wall 11. In one aspect of the technology, the indentations 60
(linear, circular, or otherwise) may be located about the side
walls 12 of the case 5 to further promote dissipation of heat away
from the cavity 15. In another aspect of the technology the
thickness of the front wall 11 relative to the "thinned" areas
within indentations 60 is approximately less than 2 to 1. That is,
the "thinned" areas within the indentations 60 are less than
approximately half the thickness of the front wall 11 adjacent the
indentations 60.
[0041] With reference to FIG. 13, in accordance with one aspect of
the technology, the indentations 60 comprise an aperture 63 that
passes through the bottom of the indentation 60 and into the cavity
15. In one aspect, the top cross sectional area of the aperture 63
is less than half the top cross sectional area of the indentation
60 and, in one aspect, is less than ten percent of the top cross
sectional area of the indentation 60. However, in another aspect of
the technology, the aperture 63 is substantially equal to the
indentation 60 but is filled with a material (e.g., a thermally
conductive polymer or aluminum alloy) that has a thermal
coefficient of conductivity that is greater than the conductivity
of the material comprising the outer shell 10. In one aspect, the
outer shell 10 comprises a material having a thermal coefficient
less than 1 and the filler material placed within the aperture has
a thermal coefficient of conductivity greater than 1. In accordance
with one aspect of the technology, a bottom portion 64 of the
indentation 60 comprises opposing sloped walls. It is believed that
the sloped walls assist in the dynamics associated with dissipation
of heat. In like manner, in accordance with one aspect of the
technology and with reference to FIG. 14, the indentations 60 may
comprise linear channels 61 with a sloped bottom 65 that slopes
upward as the channel 61 extends away from the light source 26. It
is believed that the heat gradient is greater near the light source
26 and frame 55. The sloped bottom 65 allows for construction of a
significantly thin bottom near the greatest amount of heat while
maintaining structure integrity of the front wall 11 nearer the
side walls 12.
[0042] In accordance with one aspect of the technology, the outer
shell 10 of the case 5 is constructed of one or more of a
polycarbonate, rubber, plastic, silicone, carbon fiber, or metal
material. In one aspect, the outer shell 10 comprises a rigid frame
and a semi or non-rigid covering though the entire cover may be
primarily rigid or primarily semi or non-rigid as suits a
particular application. In one aspect of the technology, the
material used to construct the outer shell 10 comprises a material
that promotes additional removal of heat from the device. Heat
transfer has three modes: conduction; convection; and radiation.
Only the conduction mode is dependent on material conductivity.
Heat often moves through a material faster than it can be removed
from its surface. Thermally conductive synthetic materials (e.g.,
plastics, polycarbonates, etc.) can transfer heat like metals and
ceramics. A non-linear relationship generally exists between heat
transfer and material thermal conductivity. For example, one can
image a block of material with a thickness of 1/2 inch. 5 Watts of
power are input on one side of the sample and the heat is carried
away on the opposing side with a fan. The heat transfer is
represented by the sum of the temperature differentials and can be
calculated as a function of the material thermal conductivity. In
one aspect of the technology, the outer shell 10 is formed, at
least in part, of a thermally conductive polymer. The term
"thermally conductive polymer," means a polymer having a thermal
conductivity, measured in watts/meter.degree. K (W/m.degree. K) of
at least 1.0, measured according to ASTM E1461 and F433. Preferred
polymers generally have a thermal conductivity of at least 1.0
W/m.degree. K, at least 1.5 W/m.degree. K, or at least 3.0
W/m.degree. K. Suitable thermally conductive polymers include
thermally conductive polypropylene, thermally conductive elastomer,
thermally conductive liquid crystalline polymer, thermally
conductive nylon, thermally conductive polycarbonate, thermally
conductive PC/ABS blend, and thermally conductive PPS. Other
suitable thermally conductive polymers include polymers containing
metal or ceramic fillers in a sufficient quantity to provide the
desired level of thermal conductivity.
[0043] Aspects of the current technology utilize the manufacture of
chip onboard (COB) LEDs on a flexible substrate, though flexible
COB LEDs are not required. In one aspect of the technology, the
flexible COB LED is manufactured using a first fixture to hold a
flexible substrate in place and provide general location reference
targets for aligning chip placement, wire bonding, and gel dipping.
The flexible substrate comprises conductive trace pads thereon. An
adhesive is placed on the flexible substrate followed by placement
of LED chips (or dies) onto the flexible substrate. This assembly
is then heated for curing. The leads of the LED dies are then wire
bonded to the conductive trace pads on the flexible substrate. A
second fixture is used to hold the flexible substrate and bonded
die sub-assembly in place while a first coating of silicone or
other protective material is deposited on the LED dies. This
sub-assembly is then heated for curing. A third fixture may be used
and is placed over the sub-assembly that holds the sub-assembly
immobile and provides a flow dam as silicone gel is flooded over
the LED array, followed again by a third heating step. The gel
flooding may also be performed in some cases without the need for
the third fixture. The resulting flexible COB LED array can then be
used in any number of applications (e.g., spotlights, hand-held
flashlights, headlamps, bicycle lighting, etc.) where an array
having a planar geometry is applied to a non-planar surface to
provide a light source. In another method for fabrication, the dies
are fixed to the flexible substrate, cured, wire bonded, cured
again, selective coating of silicone covering the dies and wire
bonds and curing in the same fashion as described above. This
assembly is then mounted with thermally conductive adhesive to a
pre-shaped aluminum structure of desired shape and inserted into a
transparent or translucent plastic housing. A final
silicone-phosphor coating is injected into the intended space
between the outer wall of the transparent/translucent housing and
the light emitting surface of the flexible COB LED assembly,
filling the space. In an optional aspect, the housing is pre-loaded
with a quantity of silicone-phosphor coating before the flexible
COB LED assembly is placed within the housing. Any remaining space
is then filed with additional silicone-phosphor material. In one
aspect, the assembly is then placed into a vacuum chamber to remove
unwanted bubbles that may be present in the coating material. The
entire assembly is again cured. The resulting non-planar COB LED
assembly is used as a drop-in module into a final lighting product.
Additional information with respect to the flexible COB LED may be
found in U.S. application Ser. No. 62/151,559 which is incorporated
herein in its entirety by reference.
[0044] In accordance with one aspect of the technology, FIGS. 11a
and 11b illustrate a COB LED structure 205. The COB LED structure
205 generally includes a flexible substrate 210, an LED chip 230, a
thermally conductive binding layer 240, a circuit layer 250, a
plurality of electrical connection lines 260, a binder (e.g., clear
epoxy or fluorescent adhesive) 280 and a package coating 290. In
accordance with one aspect of the technology, the flexible
substrate 210 comprises a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) made
of a flexible polymer. The description in this paragraph, as well
as others, is exemplary of one aspect of the technology. It is
understood, that not all of the above-referenced components are
required in a COB LED structure used with the present technology.
Other components may be used as suits a particular application.
[0045] Broadly speaking, a flexible PCB is an array of conductors
bonded to a thin dielectric film. In one aspect of the technology,
a single-sided flexible substrate 210 is employed and comprises a
single conductor layer made of either a metal or conductive (metal
filled) polymer on a flexible dielectric film and component
termination (or connection) features are accessible only from one
side. Holes may be formed in the base film to allow component leads
to pass through for interconnection by soldering, for example. In
another aspect, double access flex, also known as back bared flex
are employed. These circuits are flexible circuits having a single
conductor layer that is processed so as to allow access to selected
features of the conductor pattern from both sides. In another
aspect of the technology, a double sided flexible PCB is employed.
Double-sided flex circuits are flex circuits having two conductor
layers. These flex circuits can be fabricated with or without
plated through holes. Because of the plated through hole,
terminations for electronic components are provided for on both
sides of the circuit, thus allowing components to be placed on
either side. In yet another aspect of the technology, a polymer
thick film (PTF) circuit is employed. PTF is a printed circuit
having conductors printed onto a polymer base film. The PTF is a
single conductor layer structure.
[0046] In one aspect of the technology, the base material of the
flexible polymer film which provides the foundation for a substrate
ranges from approximately 12 .mu.m to 125 .mu.m (1/2 mil to 5 mils)
but thinner and thicker materials are possible for use herein.
Thinner materials are more flexible and for most material,
stiffness increase is proportional to the cube of thickness.
Non-limiting examples of different materials used as base films
including: polyester (PET), polyimide (PI), polyethylene napthalate
(PEN), Polyetherimide (PEI), along with various fluropolymers (FEP)
and copolymers polyimide films. Adhesives are used as the bonding
medium to create the substrate. In an additional aspect, a metal
foil is used as the conductive element of the flexible substrate.
The metal foil is the material from which the circuit paths are
etched. A wide variety of metal foils of varying thickness as are
known in the art. In one aspect of the technology, stiffening
members (e.g., small diameter wires) are placed about the back side
of the flexible substrate to increase the stiffness of the flexible
substrate but continue to permit the substrate to be malleable.
Advantageously, the stiffening members help maintain the flexible
substrate in a selected configuration. For example, if the flexible
substrate is bent into an arc shape, the stiffening members help
keep the flexible substrate in the arc shape. This feature
minimizes the likelihood that the bond between the flexible
substrate and an underlying heat sink will be disturbed.
[0047] In accordance with one aspect of the technology, the LED
chip 230 comprises a sapphire substrate and includes at least an N
type semiconductor layer, a semiconductor light emitting layer and
a P type semiconductor layer, which are sequentially stacked. In
one aspect, the N type semiconductor layer is an N type GaN
(gallium nitride) layer, the semiconductor light emitting layer may
consist of gallium nitride or indium gallium nitride, and the P
type semiconductor layer is a P type GaN layer. Further, the P type
semiconductor layer and the N type semiconductor layer are
respectively connected to a positive end and a negative end of an
external power source by at least one electrical connection line.
The thermally conductive binding layer 240 is used to bind the LED
chip 230 to the flexible polymer substrate. In general, the
thermally conductive binding layer 240 consists of silver paste,
tin paste, copper-tin alloy or gold-tin alloy. The circuit layer
250 is formed on the flexible substrate 210 and includes a circuit
pattern. The electrical connection lines 260 are used to connect
the LED chip 230 to the circuit layer 250. That is, the positive
and negative ends of the LED chip 230 are respectively connected to
the positive and negative terminals of the circuit layer 250 so as
to supply power to the LED chip 230 and turn on the LED chip
230.
[0048] In one aspect, the fluorescent binder or coating 280 is
deposited on the LED chip 230 to provide the effect of
fluorescence. More specifically, the fluorescent binder 280 can
convert the original light generated by the LED chip 230 into the
output light within the spectrum of visible light with a specific
wavelength. For example, the original light with the spectrum of
ultraviolet is converted into substantially blue (425 to 450 nm) or
substantially red (650 to 700 nm) light. The package coating 290 is
transparent, providing electrical insulation to enclose the circuit
layer 250, the electrical connection lines 260 and the fluorescent
binder 280. In one aspect, the package coating 290 comprises
silicone gel or epoxy resin or other materials known in the
art.
[0049] In another aspect of the technology, a transparent assembly
cap 295 is disposed atop a plurality of LED chips 230 configured on
a single flexible COB LED. In lieu of (or in addition to, depending
on a particular application) a fluorescent coating 296, such as a
phosphor coating, is deposited about the interior of the assembly
cap 295. The single fluorescent coating 296 disposed about the
assembly cap 295 covering a plurality of LED chips 230 results in a
uniform light pattern emanating from the entire array.
Advantageously, when disposed in a non-planar fashion, the result
is a high-powered, compact, light source distributed over a
non-planar area. In contrast to a non-COB LED array, the flexible
COB LED (or FCOB LED) array of the present technology provides
high-power, uniform lighting options producing an output typically
greater than 150 lumens.
[0050] In accordance with one aspect of the technology, a flexible
COB LED is used as the light source 26 in connection with the case
5. In this aspect, the light source 26 extends from a side wall 12
of the case 5, across the front wall 11 of the case 5 and onto an
opposing side wall 12. In this manner, a single light source 26 in
the form of a single flexible COB LED arrangement (e.g., LED's
disposed on a single substrate) is disposed about the case 5 and
provides light in both forward and lateral directions to the user.
In this aspect, the planar heat sink component 51 is formed to
approximate the shape of the single flexible COB LED arrangement
and the frame 55 extends around the entire perimeter of the COB
LED. The frame 55 may be rectilinear or curvilinear as suits a
particular application. Importantly, the single COB LED and its
attendant frame 55 extends from a first side wall across the front
wall 11 of the case 5 and onto a second side wall, wherein the
first side wall opposes the second side wall.
[0051] It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements
are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the
present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative
arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and
the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and
arrangements. Thus, while the present invention has been described
above with particularity and detail in connection with what is
presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments
of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to,
variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of
operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the
principles and concepts set forth herein.
* * * * *