Stanley Electric Co., Ltd

Shuichi Ajiki

Yasuo Toko

Sadayuki Konishi

Naoya Sone

Koichi Masuyama

Tsutomu Akagi

Yasuyuki Kawakami

Mitsunori Harada

Toshinobu Kashima

A light emitting apparatus with a combination of a plurality of LED chips and a phosphor layer is provided and can be configured to significantly reduce variations in chromaticity and luminance. The plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices (LED chips) are disposed with a gap therebetween, and the phosphor layer is formed on the upper surface thereof to bridge over the gaps between the LED chips. The phosphor layer may be uniform in thickness, but can be less in thickness over the gaps between the LED chips than on the upper surface of the LED chips. The phosphor layer can be continuously formed on the upper surface of the array of the chips with no phosphor layer present in between the chips. This configuration allows for reducing variations in luminance and chromaticity which may result from the gaps or the phosphor layer present in between the gaps.

Semiconductor light emitting apparatus

The disclosed subject matter includes reliable semiconductor light-emitting devices having a favorable light distribution using an LED chip, which can emit light having a different color as compared to that emitted directly by the LED chip. The semiconductor light-emitting device can include an LED chip having an electrode, a phosphor layer located on the LED chip except for the electrode, a bonding wire connected to the electrode, and a light-reflecting resin. The light-reflecting resin can be disposed on a light-emitting surface that is exposed around the electrode and on the electrode including the bonding wire, and can prevent the LED chip from exhibiting a leak of light that is not wavelength-converted via the phosphor layer, while increasing light that passes through the phosphor layer. In addition, the light-reflecting resin can protect the bonding wire from vibration, etc. Thus, the disclosed subject matter can provide reliable semiconductor light-emitting devices having high brightness without substantial color variability and that can emit various colored light(s).

Semiconductor light-emitting device

A vehicle lamp can include a light source unit including a light guide plate with a light emission surface, and a point or line light source opposed to one end face of the light guide plate. The light guide plate can be made of a transparent plate-like material. A convex projection lens can be configured to focus light emitted from the light source unit and project the light forward in a direction of light illumination. The light guide plate can have a prism array on a rear surface thereof extending with a serrated cross section from the one end face to the opposite end face of the light guide plate, and in a direction parallel with the end face. The prism array can include a plurality of prism surfaces, with each prism surface being obliquely formed so that when light enters the light guide plate from the light source side and impinges thereon, a substantial amount of the light can be totally reflected into small angles of incidence to the emission surface. The projection lens can be disposed such that a focus thereof on a light source unit side is located on the light emission surface of the light guide plate.

Vehicle lamp

A vehicle lamp can create a desired distribution pattern easily with a simple configuration while having a thin body and light weight. The vehicle lamp can include a light source unit and a convex projection lens configured to project light from the light source unit forward in the direction of light illumination. The light source unit can include a light guide plate having a light emission surface and made of a transparent material to the visible light range and can include a light source disposed in front of one end face of the light guide plate. The projection lens can have a focus arranged on or near the light emission surface of the light guide plate. The light source unit can include a reflection sheet configured to reflect light from the light guide plate back into the light guide plate and can have a shape configured to provide a cutoff pattern. The reflection sheet can be located adjacent an edge of the light guide plate adjacent the light source. A high beam light source unit can be disposed adjacent or on the reflection sheet closer to the projection lens.

An LED light source device can have a simple configuration which can easily create a desired light distribution pattern with a low profile and light weight. An illumination apparatus and a vehicle lighting device can also be configured to use the LED light source device. The light source device can include a light guide plate made of a flat plate-like material that is transparent in the visible range, and which has a front surface serving as a light emission surface. A point light source can be opposed to an end surface of the light guide plate. A rear surface of the light guide plate can include a luminance control element configured to control a luminance distribution on the light emission surface. The luminance control element controls light from the light source, incident through the end surface of the light guide plate, so that a reduced inversion of a light distribution pattern that is to be emitted is formed on the light emission surface as the luminance distribution. The light guide plate can include a polarizing film for making the light emission surface emit p-polarized (parallel polarized) light.

Light source device and vehicle lighting device

An LED light source device and an illumination device using the same, including vehicle lighting devices, can have a light weight and thin profile and can form a desired light distribution pattern while employing a simple configuration. The light source device can include a plate shaped light guide member made of a material that is transparent in a visible range. The light guide member can have a front surface serving as a light emitting surface and having a plate shape, and a rear surface having a luminance control element for controlling a luminance distribution on the light emitting surface. A point or linear light source facing towards an end surface of the light guide member can be provided. The luminance control element controls light reaching the element from the end surface of the light guide member and configures the luminance distribution on the light emitting surface, the luminance distribution being obtained by reducing a light distribution pattern to be projected (and in some cases horizontally and vertically reversing the pattern).

A method for producing a color-converting light-emitting device is provided that can prevent the deposition of elements caused by ion migration during an electrophoresis process used to deposit a phosphor layer on the light emitting device. An anode and a light-emitting device having a semiconductor light-emitting element are disposed in a solution in which phosphor particles are dispersed. An auxiliary cathode can be disposed between the light-emitting device and the anode. A DC voltage can be applied between one electrode of the light-emitting device and the anode so that the electrical potential of the electrode is lower than that of the anode, thereby moving the particles to a surface of the semiconductor light-emitting element and allowing them to deposit thereon. The electrical potential of the auxiliary cathode is maintained lower than that of the surface of the semiconductor light-emitting element. In this manner, cations dissolved from metallic regions of the light-emitting device can be attracted to the auxiliary cathode and prevented from being deposited on a surface of the light emitting device.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Shuichi Ajiki