Flexible circuit board for mounting light emitting element, illumination apparatus, and vehicle lighting apparatus

Abstract

A flexible circuit board 3a for mounting a light emitting element has base films 31a and 31b, a wiring pattern 32 formed on a surface of the base films 31a and 31b, and the cover films 33a and 33b that covers the base films 31a and 31b and the wiring pattern 32. At least one of the base film and the cover films 33a and 33b have a substrate 331 and 331a comprising a metal. The cover film 33a and 33b have such surface properties as to produce specular reflection or diffuse reflection of light or has substantially white reflecting films 36 and 333 on a surface of the cover film.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a continuation-in-part application of the U.S. application Ser. No. 13 / 351,323, filed on Jan. 17, 2012, and U.S. application Ser. No. 13 / 734,089, filed on Jan. 4, 2013.[0002]This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-007362, filed on Jan. 17, 2011, the Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-000748, filed on Jan. 5, 2012, and the Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-236025, filed on Oct. 25, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The present invention relates to a flexible circuit board for mounting a light emitting element, an illumination apparatus, and a vehicle lighting apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a flexible circuit board for mounting a light emitting element that allows radiation of heat generated by a light emitting element, such ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020]In view of the circumstances described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a flexible circuit board for mounting a light emitting element, such as an LED, that radiates heat generated by the light emitting element to prevent an increase of the temperature of the light emitting element and has a high surface reflectance to allow efficient use of light emitted by the light emitting element.

[0025]Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the flexible circuit board for mounting a light emitting element incorporates a base film having a substrate made of a metal material, deformation or a dimensional change caused by a temperature change or moisture absorption can be more effectively suppressed in the present invention than in a configuration using a film of a resin composition. Accordingly, an increase in the yield of products can be achieved. Also, since aluminum has higher thermal conductivity and higher thermal dissipation capability than a resin composition, thermal load on a component or a device to be mounted or the like can be reduced. The reduction in thermal load allows an increase in the number of layers of conductor patterns such as a circuit pattern and the density of components or devices to be mounted. Additionally, aluminum blocks electromagnetic waves, and effects of external electromagnetic waves or unwanted emissions (EMI) to the outside can be prevented or suppressed. Further, the price of the base film can be made lower than a configuration using a resin composition (e.g., polyimide). For this reason, a reduction in product price can be achieved.

Problems solved by technology

However, a configuration using a film of a resin composition as a base film of a flexible circuit board may suffer from the problems below.

Resin compositions as described above are expensive, which makes it difficult to reduce the price of a flexible circuit board.

A process of forming an opening in a base film of a resin composition by etching is costly and is very low in processing rate.

Die-punching requires facilities for punching, which increases facilities cost.

However, a base film made of a resin composition is considerably deformed or varies widely in dimensions due to a temperature change, moisture absorption, or the like.

However, due to the low thermal conductivity of a resin composition, the higher density or the larger number of layers increases thermal load on a mounted device and the like.

An increase in the density or the number of layers is thus hard to achieve.

The flexible circuit board configured as described above may pose the following problems when used as a substrate for mounting a light emitting element, such as a light emitting diode (LED).

In general, resin materials have low thermal conductivities, so that the flexible circuit board, whose base film and cover film are made of a resin material, may be unable to sufficiently radiate the heat generated by the LED.

However, polyimide, which is used as the material of the base film and the cover film, is brown in color and therefore tends to absorb the light emitted by the LED, thereby reducing the amount of light available.

However, the arrangement in which the radiator plate is mounted on the back surface leads to an increase in cost.

Furthermore, none of the prior-art documents described above discloses an arrangement that achieves both radiation of the heat generated by the LED and efficient use of the light emitted by the LED.

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