Flexible PCB LED Assembly for Wide Illumination Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional LED lighting units with high directivity and narrow beam angles require complex arrangements of LEDs to illuminate wide areas, leading to increased manufacturing costs and complexity.

Innovation Solution

The use of flexible printed circuit boards with a heat-dissipating copper foil layer, where LEDs are attached to both top and side surfaces, allowing for overlapping irradiation areas and a simple board shape, enabling efficient illumination of a wide range while reducing manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a plurality of light-emitting diodes are arranged to face different directions to illuminate a wide range, then the illumination coverage is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination coverageVSAvoidarrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the three-dimensional surface of a flexible printed circuit board by attaching LEDs to both top surface portions and side surface portions. This dimensional expansion allows LEDs to face different directions (upward, sideways, downward) without requiring complex spatial arrangements, thereby improving illumination coverage while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible printed circuit board is divided into multiple surface portions (top surfaces and side surfaces) where LEDs are attached. Each portion independently contributes to illumination in a specific direction, and the segmented arrangement allows comprehensive coverage without complex inter-LED positioning requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If light-emitting diodes are attached to both top surface and side surface portions of flexible printed circuit boards, then the material yield increases, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial yieldVSAvoidattachment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible printed circuit board serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, electrical connectivity, and multiple attachment surfaces for LEDs. The board's flexibility and multi-surface geometry allow LEDs to be attached in various orientations using standardized mounting techniques, reducing precision requirements while maximizing material utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration allows for effective illumination of a wide area with multiple LEDs facing different directions, preventing blind spots and increasing material yield, thus reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying the production process.

Implementation Method 1

each flexible printed circuit board desirably includes a heat-dissipating layer which is made of copper foil

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2570720B1Circuit board assembly and lighting device
Publication Date: 2016.03.09 NIPPON MEKTRON LTD
  • EP2570720B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2570720B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2570720B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A lighting unit, e.g. an LED bulb or a straight LED luminaire, which illuminates a wide range and is configured with low cost. In a light-emitting diode lamp, a board assembly is disposed in a lamp main body, and light-emitting diodes are attached to the board assembly. The board assembly comprises a plurality of flexible printed circuit boards. Each flexible printed circuit board includes a base in the form of a flat plate, respective connections to a power supply portion of the light-emitting diode lamp are provided at two ends of the base, and the base is bent at a plurality of points of a middle portion to form a top surface portion and side surface portions. The flexible printed circuit boards are three-dimensionally assembled such that the top surface portions cross each other and such that one of the top surface portions lies on top of another.