LED Illumination Device Adjustable Beam Width Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional illumination devices with adjustable beam width suffer from image degradation and the formation of undesirable 'donut holes' when varying the angular distribution, leading to high complexity and cost due to the need for complex and expensive driver systems to maintain light flux and avoid thermal overload.
Innovation Solution
A lighting device with a plurality of LEDs arranged around a center, featuring an optical element and a driving unit that operates different selections of LEDs at varying powers to achieve adjustable beam widths without significant dimming, ensuring even distribution and minimizing thermal load by maintaining a consistent light flux across different beam settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the light source is moved away from the focal point to widen the beam, then the beam width increases, but the image quality degrades and a dark donut hole is formed
Solution Approach 1:
The LED array is divided into multiple individually controllable LED elements arranged in a matrix pattern. By selectively activating different subsets of LEDs, the system can independently control beam width and maintain uniform illumination without the dark donut hole effect. The matrix arrangement allows precise control over which LEDs are active, enabling wide beams with uniform light distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts beam width by changing the spatial distribution of active LEDs in real-time. The driving unit can selectively activate different patterns of LEDs to transition between narrow and wide beam modes, maintaining consistent image quality across different beam widths without mechanical movement.
2Manufacturing precision
If both centrally arranged LEDs and ring LEDs are driven to avoid dark donut hole, then uniform illumination is achieved, but thermal overload occurs and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of driving all LEDs at full power, the system uses partial action by selectively activating only the necessary subset of LEDs for each beam width mode. The driving unit optimizes the activation pattern to achieve the required illumination uniformity while minimizing the total number of active LEDs, thereby reducing thermal load.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the power levels and activation patterns of LED subsets. The driving unit can vary the drive current and spatial distribution of active LEDs to achieve different beam widths while maintaining thermal management through optimized parameter selection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple LED selections are driven at different powers to achieve adjustable beam widths, then beam width variability is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The driving unit is designed with multi-functionality to handle different LED activation patterns and power levels through a single integrated control system. The same driving unit can generate various beam widths by programming different LED selection patterns, eliminating the need for separate driver circuits for each mode and reducing overall system complexity.
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
The solution enables simple and cost-effective switching between narrow and wide beams with minimal thermal overload, maintaining consistent light flux and reducing the complexity and expense of driver systems by using a consistent number of LEDs across operation modes.
Implementation Method 1
an optical element disposed in a path of light emitted by at least one of said LEDs and an optical axis extending through said center and said optical element
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3A~5D
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The invention relates to an illumination device comprising a plurality of LEDs (3) arranged on a carrier, an optical element disposed in a path of light emitted by at least one of said LEDs (3), and a driving unit for operating at least one of said LEDs (3). The driving unit in a first operation mode drives at a selected power a first selection of LEDs (13, figure 3A) to issue a first beam with a device light flux and with a first beam width, and drives in an at least one further operation mode at said selected power a further selection of LEDs (13, figure 3B), different in at least one LED from said first selection, to issue a further beam with said device light flux and with a further beam width wider than the first beam width. The LEDs of the further selection of the LEDs are evenly distributed over the carrier.