Three-dimensional light emitting appliance

Abstract

Inter-alia, a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional light emitting appliance is disclosed, said method comprising: providing a first data model of a three-dimensional area; arranging a plurality of spots for light emitting devices on the three-dimensional area of the first data model, wherein the plurality of spots is substantially evenly distributed over at least a part of the three-dimensional area; transforming the first data model of the three-dimensional area comprising the spots into a substantially two-dimensional and flat second data model, wherein the position of the spots on the second data model is derived; manufacturing a printed circuit board in accordance with the second data model and arranging pads of the printed circuit board on the spots of the second data model; equipping the pads of the printed circuit board with light emitting devices; and bringing the printed circuit board into the shape of the three-dimensional area. Further, a three-dimensional light emitting appliance is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional light emitting apparatus, the method comprising: providing a first data model of a three-dimensional area; arranging a plurality of spots for light emitting devices on the three-dimensional area of the first data model, the plurality of spots being substantially evenly distributed over at least a part of the three-dimensional area; transforming the first data model of the three-dimensional area comprising the spots into a substantially two-dimensional second data model, positions of the spots on the second data model derived from positions of the spots on the first data model, positions of the spots on the second data model being unevenly distributed; manufacturing a printed circuit board in accordance with the second data model and arranging pads of the printed circuit board on the positions of the spots of the second data model; equipping the pads of the printed circuit board with light emitting devices; and bringing the printed circuit board into the shape of the three-dimensional area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the spots of the first data model for the light emitting devices on the three-dimensional area is arranged substantially equidistant to adjoining spots for the light emitting devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the spots for the light emitting devices of the two-dimensional and flat surface is arranged substantially non-equidistant to adjoining spots for the light emitting devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pads are formed in columns of pads such that each pad or each column of pads is coupled with a different conductive track to respectively control each pad or each column of pads separately.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pads of the printed circuit board are equipped with LEDs, including at least one type of LED selected from RGB-LEDs and RGBW-LEDs as light emitting devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein while or after equipping the pads with the light emitting devices, at least one film selected from films including a reflection film, an optical resin, and an optical film is applied on the printed circuit board.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a diffuser is attached to the printed circuit board.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the spots of the three-dimensional model is between about 0.25 cm and about 2 cm.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first data model is a computer aided design data model of a three-dimensional surface of a car interior.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the light emitting devices are individually controllable by passengers within the car interior.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second data model is a computer aided manufacturing data model.

12. A three-dimensional light emitting appliance, characterized in that, the three-dimensional light emitting appliance is manufactured according to claim 1; and the first data model is a computer aided design data model of a three-dimensional surface of a car interior.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the spots of the three-dimensional model is between about 0.75 cm and about 1.5 cm.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein bringing the printed circuit board into the shape of the three-dimensional area comprises performing a textile-like work process on the printed circuit board manufactured in accordance with the second data model by making a cut development corresponding to a geometry of the three-dimensional area.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein all light emitting devices in the three-dimensional area produced by the cut development are substantially equidistant to each other and substantially evenly arranged over a surface of the three-dimensional area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Examples of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional light emitting appliance; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of a part of an exemplary embodiment of a light emitting appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(4) The following description serves to deepen the understanding of the present invention and shall be understood to complement and be read together with the description as provided in the above summary section of this specification.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional light emitting appliance.

(6) As can be seen in FIG. 1, the first step is to provide a three-dimensional CAD data model of a three-dimensional area. It is preferred that the three-dimensional area is an area and/or component of a car interior, such as a dashboard or the interior of a door.

(7) The next step is to arrange spots or positions for light emitting devices on the three-dimensional CAD data model of the three-dimensional area. These spots are positioned evenly over the three dimensional area so that each spot is positioned substantially equidistant to a neighboring spot.

(8) Afterwards, the three-dimensional CAD data model is transformed into a two-dimensional CAM model. This is done by deriving the position of the spots from the three-dimensional area to the substantially flat and two-dimensional surface. The spots thus are unevenly distributed over the two-dimensional surface so that the spots are not positioned equidistant to each other.

(9) Now a PCB is manufactured according to the two-dimensional CAM data model. This is preferably done by a photolithographical process. Further, pads are arranged on the positions of the spots. Each of these pads is preferably connected individually with a conductor path and isolated to the other pads of the PCB.

(10) Subsequently, the PCB is equipped with the light emitting devices wherein preferably one light emitting device is placed onto one pad of the PCB respectively. The PCB can furthermore be equipped with a reflection film, an optical resin, an optical film and/or a diffuser.

(11) Finally, the PCB is brought into a three-dimensional form which corresponds to the three-dimensional form of the initial three-dimensional CAD data model. This leads to a light emitting appliance in which all light emitting devices are substantially equidistant to each other and evenly arranged over the surface of the three-dimensional light emitting appliance.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of a part of an exemplary embodiment of a light emitting appliance 2. The base of the light emitting appliance 2 is build by a PCB 4. Exemplary, two light emitting devices in form of LEDs 6 are soldered onto pads 8 of the PCB 4. A reflection film 10 is applied directly onto the PCB 4 which is covering the lower part of the LEDs 6. An optical resin 12 is applied onto the reflection film 10 and onto the LEDs 6 in order to seal the area around the LEDs 6. The optical resin 12 is enclosed by an optical film 14 which protects the LEDs 6 and the optical resin 12 e.g. from moisture and/or from external impacts. Spaced apart from the optical film 14 is a diffuser plate 16 to enhance the light distribution created by the LEDs 6.

(13) In the present specification, any presented connection in the described embodiments is to be understood in a way that the involved components are operationally coupled. Thus, the connections can be direct or indirect with any number or combination of intervening elements, and there may be merely a functional relationship between the components.

(14) Moreover, any of the methods, processes and actions described or illustrated herein may be implemented using executable instructions in a general-purpose or special-purpose processor and stored on a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., disk, memory, or the like) to be executed by such a processor.

(15) The expression “A and/or B” is considered to comprise any one of the following three scenarios: (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) A and B. Furthermore, the article “a” is not to be understood as “one”, i.e. use of the expression “an element” does not preclude that also further elements are present. The term “comprising” is to be understood in an open sense, i.e. in a way that an object that “comprises an element A” may also comprise further elements in addition to element A.

(16) It will be understood that all presented embodiments are only exemplary, and that any feature presented for a particular example embodiment may be used with any aspect of the invention on its own or in combination with any feature presented for the same or another particular example embodiment and/or in combination with any other feature not mentioned. In particular, the example embodiments presented in this specification shall also be understood to be disclosed in all possible combinations with each other, as far as it is technically reasonable and the example embodiments are not alternatives with respect to each other. It will further be understood that any feature presented for an example embodiment in a particular category (method/appliance) may also be used in a corresponding manner in an example embodiment of any other category. It should also be understood that presence of a feature in the presented example embodiments shall not necessarily mean that this feature forms an essential feature of the invention and cannot be omitted or substituted.

(17) The statement of a feature comprises at least one of the subsequently enumerated features is not mandatory in the way that the feature comprises all subsequently enumerated features, or at least one feature of the plurality of the subsequently enumerated features. Also, a selection of the enumerated features in any combination or a selection of only one of the enumerated features is possible. The specific combination of all subsequently enumerated features may as well be considered. Also, a plurality of only one of the enumerated features may be possible.

(18) The sequence of all method steps presented above is not mandatory, also alternative sequences may be possible. Nevertheless, the specific sequence of method steps exemplarily shown in the figures shall be considered as one possible sequence of method steps for the respective embodiment described by the respective figure.

(19) The invention has been described above by means of example embodiments. It should be noted that there are alternative ways and variations which are obvious to a skilled person in the art and can be implemented without deviating from the scope of the appended claims.