Illumination Module For Emitting Light Directed In Parallel

Abstract

The present teaching relates to an illumination module for emitting light directed in parallel in a main emission direction, having a reflector with a focus lying on the front side thereof. At least one LED light source is arranged substantially at the focus of the reflector for radiating light into the reflector. A heatsink is arranged on the rear side of the reflector. The LED light source is oriented counter to the main emission direction. The reflector is configured to direct the light radiated into the reflector by the at least one LED light source in parallel and emit the light in the direction of the main emission direction. The at least one LED light source is held by means of at least one connecting web extending from the heatsink to the LED light source.

Claims

1. An illumination module for emitting light directed in parallel in a main emission direction, the illumination module comprising. a reflector with a focus lying on the front side thereof, at least one LED light source arranged substantially at the focus of the reflector for radiating light into the reflector, and a heat sink arranged on the rear side of the reflector, wherein the LED light source is oriented counter to the main emission direction, wherein the reflector is configured to direct the light radiated into the reflector by the at least one LED light source in parallel and emit said light in the direction of the main emission direction, wherein the at least one LED light source is held by at least one connecting web extending from the heat sink to the LED light source, the at least one connecting web being designed to conduct heat from the at least one LED light source into the heat sink, and the at least one connecting web thermally contacts the at least one LED light source and the heat sink, wherein the at least one connecting web additionally includes a member for electrically contacting the at least one LED light source, wherein the front side of the reflector is covered by a transparent protective glass, wherein the at least one LED light source is enclosed between the reflector and protective glass, wherein the reflector is delimited by side faces oriented parallel to the main emission direction and the protective glass extends as far as the side faces, wherein the side faces additionally define the geometric dimensions of the illumination module normal to the mam emission direction, wherein the geometric shape of the illumination module is selected in such a way that an arbitrarily extendable form-fitting, area-filling arrangement of illumination modules within a plane is attainable due to a planar arrangement side-by-side and/or above one another of individual illumination modules having the same geometric shape.

2. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting web is formed as a metal pipe with cooling liquid received inside the metal pipe.

3. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the illumination module has at least two connecting webs, preferably exactly three connecting webs, which extend through the reflector towards the at least one LED light source, wherein the angle which adjacent connecting webs enclose with one another within a virtual plane normal to the main emission direction is the same for all connecting webs.

4. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the member for electrically contacting the at least one LED light source is formed by the connecting web itself by forming at least one metal electrical line along the connecting web as part of the connecting web.

5. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the member for electrically contacting the at least one LED light source is formed by at least one separate electrical line guided along the connecting web.

6. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink, the reflector, the at least one connecting web and the at least one LED light source form a structural unit.

7. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the protective glass and the reflector are sealed with respect to one another, and the at least one connecting web and the reflector are sealed with respect to one another.

8. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one LED light source is rigidly connected to the heat sink by the at least one connecting web, wherein the reflector is displaceable in relation to the at least one LED light source along a portion of the connecting web, which portion is oriented in the main emission direction.

9. The illumination module according to claim 8, wherein for displacement of the reflector in relation to the at least one LED light source, the reflector acts on the heat sink by an adjustment screw, by which the reflector is displaceable in the main emission direction.

10. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of maximum LED light emitting surface diagonal to maximum reflector diagonal is at most 1:20.

11. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the reflector surface and luminous flux of the LED are selected in such a way that the illumination in the vicinity of the front side of the reflector in a plane normal to the main emission direction is between 50,000 and 150,000 lx.

12. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein a primary optics is attached to the at least one LED light source, by which primary optics the light distribution emitted by the at least one LED light source is changed.

13. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of LED light sources is provided which are configured to form a common remote-phosphor light source by arrangement of a common remote-phosphor element downstream of the LED light sources, which remote-phosphor element is designed for conversion of the light emitted by the LED light sources, wherein the LED light sources are designed to emit light into the remote-phosphor element.

14. The illumination module according to claim 13, wherein the LED light sources are arranged on a first carrier, and wherein the remote-phosphor element is arranged on a second carrier, and wherein a holder is provided, which is designed for releasabie connection of the first carrier and second carrier.

15. The illumination module according to claim 13, wherein the primary optics is fixedly connected to the second carrier.

16. A lighting device, in particular a filming spotlight, for emitting light directed in parallel, the lighting device including a number of illumination modules according to claim 1, wherein adjacent illumination modules border one another form-fittingly.

17. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the illumination modules are arranged in the form of a matrix, wherein the matrix has at least n rows and at least m columns, wherein n and m are natural numbers.

18. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein all illumination modules are arranged two-dimensionally within a plane, wherein the main emission direction of the individual illumination modules the same.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The present teaching will be explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to exemplary and non-limiting embodiments which are shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0038] FIGS. 1a and 1b each show a schematic illustration of the emission characteristic of a reflector arrangement according to the prior art;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of an embodiment of an illumination module according to the present teaching;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of the illumination module according to FIG. 2;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows an exploded illustration of the illumination module according to FIGS. 2 to 3;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a sectional illustration of a further embodiment of an illumination module according to the present teaching;

[0043] FIGS. 6a to 6f show schematic sectional illustrations of further embodiments of an illumination module according to the present teaching;

[0044] FIG. 7a shows a lighting device according to the present teaching comprising a number of illumination modules according to the present teaching;

[0045] FIG. 7b shows a shadow image produced by a lighting device according to FIG. 7a;

[0046] FIG. 8 shows a schematic image of the optical impression given to a viewer of a lighting device in operation depending on the viewer's position; and

[0047] FIG. 9a shows a lighting device according to the prior art;

[0048] FIG. 9b shows a shadow image produced by the lighting device according to FIG. 9a;

[0049] FIGS. 10a and 10b show a further embodiment of a detail of an illumination module according to the present teaching in which the light source is formed as a remote-phosphor light source; and

[0050] FIGS. 11 a and 11 b show sectional illustrations of the illumination module according to FIGS. 10a and 10b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Hereinafter, like reference signs denote like features unless stated otherwise.

[0052] FIGS. 1a and 1b each show a schematic illustration of the emission characteristic of a reflector arrangement according to the prior art, in which a light source, for example in the form of an LED, is arranged in the center of the reflector and emits light in a main emission direction. It can be seen that a component of the light of the light source is reflected on the one hand by the reflector and is thus oriented, but on the other hand a remaining component leaves the reflector unreflected at an emission angle of up to 40. Such arrangements therefore are not very suitable for the imaging exclusively of light directed in parallel.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of an embodiment of an illumination module 1 according to the present teaching. The illumination module 1 is designed for the emission of light directed in parallel in a main emission direction x, and for this purpose comprises a reflector 2 with a focus F lying on the front side thereof, at least one LED light source 3 arranged at the focus F of the reflector 4 radiating light into the reflector 2, and a heat sink 4 arranged on the rear side of the reflector 2.

[0054] The LED light source is oriented counter to the main emission direction x (which in turn is oriented parallel to the optical axis of the reflector), wherein the reflector 2 is designed to direct light in parallel and to emit light in the direction of the main emission direction x. The at least one LED light source 3 is held by means of at least one connecting web 5 extending from the heat sink 4 to the LED light source 3in the present embodiment three connecting webs 5 are provided. The at least one connecting web 5 is designed to conduct heat from the at least one LED light source 3 to the heat sink 4 and preferably consists at least partially of metal. Each connecting web 5 is thermally connected to the at least one LED light source and the heat sink, wherein the connecting web 5 additionally comprises means for electrically contacting the at least one LED light source 3. These means may be formed by separate electrical lines, for example insulated electrical Litz wires guided along the web 5, or lines integrated in the web 5 (to this end, the web 5 itself may be electrically conductive).

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of the illumination module 1 according to FIG. 2. It can be seen that the front side of the reflector 2 is covered by transparent protective glass 6, wherein the at least one LED light source 3 is enclosed between the reflector 2 and the protective glass 6. The at least one LED light source 3 is connected rigidly to the heat sink 4 by means of the at least one connecting web 5, wherein the reflector 2 is displaceable in relation to the at least one LED light source 3 along a portion of the connecting webs 5, which portion is oriented in the main emission direction x. For displacement of the reflector 2 in relation to the at least one LED light source 3, the reflector 2 acts on the heat sink 4 by means of an adjustment screw 7, wherein the reflector 2 is displaceable in relation to the light-emitting diode 3 in the main emission direction x by rotation of the adjustment screw 7.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows an exploded illustration of the illumination module 1 according to FIGS. 2 to 3. It can be seen that the protective glass 6 engages with a housing 8, which surrounds the side walls 2a of the reflector 2 flushly and extends as far as the protective glass 6.

[0057] FIG. 5 shows a sectional illustration of a further embodiment of an illumination module 1 according to the present teaching. A primary optics 9, in the present case in the form of a primary lens, is attached to the at least one LED light source 3 and is used to change the light distribution emitted through the at least one LED light source.

[0058] FIGS. 6a to 6f shows schematic sectional illustrations of further embodiments of an illumination module 1 according to the present teaching, wherein the variant according to FIG. 6a does not have a primary optics, in the variant according to FIG. 6b the primary optics 9 is formed as a lens, in FIG. 6c as a reflector, in FIG. 6d as a mixing rod (for mixing different light colors, which for example are radiated into the mixing rod through different light emitting surfaces of a corresponding light source or corresponding light sources), in FIG. 6e is a combination of mixing rod and primary lens, and in FIG. 6f as a mixing rod with integrated emission optics on the light emitting surface of the light rod.

[0059] FIG. 7a shows a lighting device 10 according to the present teaching comprising a number of illumination modules 1 according to the present teaching, which are arranged form-fittingly next to one another and one above the other within a plane. FIG. 7b shows a shadow image produced by a lighting device 10 according to FIG. 7a. It can be seen that the shadow of the window shown therein is sharply outlined on account of the parallel light emission and corresponds to a normal projection of the window onto the shadow plane.

[0060] FIGS. 9a and 9b, by contrast, show a lighting device according to the prior art and a shadow image produced there with. A blurred imaging of the shadow and a widening of the shadow elements are clearly visible.

[0061] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of the optical impression given to a viewer of a lighting device 10 in operation depending on the viewer's position. The emission of the light emitted by the lighting device 10 is directed in parallel to a high level so that only those areas that lie directly in front of the eye in the main emission direction x are perceived to be light-emitting by a viewer.

[0062] FIGS. 10a to 11b show a further embodiment of a detail of an illumination module 1 according to the present teaching. In order to provide an improved overview, reference signs have been included only in FIGS. 10a and 11a. The illumination module 1 comprises a plurality of LED light sources 3, which are configured to form a common remote-phosphor light source 12 by arrangement of a common remote-phosphor element 11 downstream of the LED light sources 3 (see FIG. 11a), which remote-phosphor element is designed for conversion of the light emitted by the LED light sources 3, wherein the LED light sources 3 are designed to emit light into the remote-phosphor element 11. The LED light sources 3 and the downstream remote-phosphor element 11 are in this case separated spatially from one another or distanced from one another.

[0063] The LED light sources 3 are arranged on a first carrier 13. The remote-phosphor element 11 is arranged on a second carrier 14, wherein holding means 15 are provided, which are designed for releasably connection of the first carrier 13 and second carrier 14. As can be clearly seen in FIGS. 11a and 11b, the second carrier 14 has a groove at its circumference, which groove can be engaged by holding means 15, which in the present example are formed as clips, in the fastened state. The fastened state can be seen in FIGS. 10b and 11b. In this case, the primary optics 9 is fixedly connected to the second carrier 14. The second carrier 14 may be formed as a separately produced body or also as an element produced with the lens 9 in a casting process.

[0064] The use of a remote-phosphor light source 12 of this kind results in the following advantages:

[0065] the light emitting surface is impinged homogeneously;

[0066] failure of an individual LED likely will not be noticed;

[0067] screen-door imaging with certain focus positions is prevented (note: with certain focus positions, the individual chips of multi-chip LEDs (or LED arrays) are imaged in the target planethe imaging in this case assimilates a light-dark grid, particularly if a very large number of individual chips are interconnected to form a planar array;

[0068] the conversion layer is separated from the LED chip and therefore from the main heat source;

[0069] the dimensions and shape of the components in question may be almost freely selected;

[0070] minor spectral adaptation of the light, even with lower quantities (whereby the development of a COB-LED that is suitable for mass production is unnecessary).

[0071] The remote-phosphor element 11 is distanced from the LED light sources 3, wherein the LED light sources 3 are enclosed laterally by side walls 16, which, in the assembled state of the remote light source, extend as far as the remote-phosphor element 11. These side walls 16 are highly reflective, and therefore the light emitted by the light sources 3 impinges on the remote-phosphor element 11 with minimal loss.

[0072] In addition, it may be provided that the primary optics 9, which is typically formed as a lens, has a free-form lens contour, which is adapted to the geometric shape of the illumination module 1 in such a way that light is emitted by the illumination module 1 as homogeneously as possible and the emitted light cone coincides largely with the geometric shape of the illumination module 1measured as a normal projection in the light emission direction, wherein the geometric shape is delimited by the side walls 2a and the emission extends as homogeneously as possible as far as the side walls 2a and ends thereafter, such that, with a superposition of adjacent light modules, a seamless homogeneous transition of the individual light distributions associated with the light modules may be provided. In other words, the lens is preferably formed in such a way that its outer shape follows the reflector limit: a square reflector requires a lens in which contour elements repeat four times; in the case of a hexagonal reflector, the contour elements repeat six times, etc.

[0073] In view of this teaching, a person skilled in the art is able to arrive at embodiments of the present teaching which have not been shown without exercising inventive skill. The present teaching is therefore not limited to the shown embodiment. Individual aspects of the present teaching or of the embodiments may also be selected and combined with one another. Those concepts forming the basis of the present teaching that may be implemented in various ways by a person skilled in the art in the knowledge of this description and yet still remain maintained as such are essential. Any reference signs in the claims are exemplary and serve merely to facilitate the reading of the claims; they do not limit the claims.