Integrated Leadframe Lighting Assembly Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting assemblies with LED elements face challenges in achieving improved functionality, particularly in ensuring good thermal contact and reducing manufacturing complexity and costs, as they often require separate components for mechanical mounting, electrical connection, and heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A lighting assembly using a leadframe with an optically reflective and electrically insulating material that serves both electrical connection and optical functions, allowing for direct mounting of LED elements and acting as a heat sink, thereby eliminating the need for a printed circuit board and thermal interface material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If LED elements are mounted on a PCB connected to a heat sink with thermal interface material, then thermal contact is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (electrical connection, optical reflection, and thermal management) into a single leadframe component. The leadframe directly contacts the LED element to provide both electrical connection and heat dissipation, eliminating the need for separate PCB and thermal interface material components, thus reducing manufacturing steps while maintaining thermal contact
Solution Approach 2:
The leadframe is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical connection to the LED element, reflects light to direct illumination, and dissipates heat through direct thermal contact. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components and simplifies the assembly structure
2Reliability
If separate components are used for mechanical mounting, electrical connection, and heat dissipation, then functionality is provided, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges mechanical mounting, electrical connection, and heat dissipation functions into a single integrated leadframe component. The leadframe is mechanically attached to the LED element while simultaneously providing electrical traces for current flow and thermal pathways for heat dissipation, reducing component count and manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The leadframe is designed as a universal component that performs multiple essential functions: it mechanically supports the LED element, provides electrical connection through integrated traces, and dissipates heat through direct thermal contact. This multi-functionality maintains full functionality while reducing the bill of materials and assembly complexity
3Temperature
If PCB-based assembly is used with separate thermal interface material, then thermal management is achieved, but the number of material types and production steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for separate thermal interface material by integrating thermal management directly into the leadframe structure. The leadframe itself serves as the thermal pathway from the LED element to the heat sink, reducing the number of material types from multiple (PCB, thermal interface material, heat sink) to fewer (leadframe, heat sink)
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary intermediate components from the thermal management pathway. By removing the thermal interface material layer and using direct leadframe-to-heat-sink contact, the design simplifies the material stack while maintaining effective heat dissipation
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 solution simplifies manufacturing, reduces material requirements, and enhances thermal and optical performance by integrating mechanical mounting, electrical connection, and heat dissipation in a single component, leading to cost savings and improved reliability.
Implementation Method 1
an optically reflective and electrically insulating material arranged to reflect at least a portion of the light emitted from the at least one LED element
Implementation Method 2
Mechanically stable mounting, electrical connection, and good heat dissipation are qualities of interest for achieving a high performance and long lifetime of the lighting assemblies
Data Source
AI summary
Lighting systems are described. A lighting system includes a first lead frame portion and a second lead frame portion. The first lead frame portion has at least a top surface, a bottom surface, and an opening. The second lead frame portion is within the opening of the first lead frame portion and has at least a top surface and a bottom surface. Light-emitting diode (LED) devices are each mechanically and electrically coupled to the top surface of the first lead frame portion and the top surface of the second lead frame portion. An electrically insulating and optically reflective material is disposed over exposed regions of the top surfaces of the first and second lead frame portions.