Metallized Plastic Lamp Housing for LED Heat Dissipation
Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor-based vehicle lights face efficiency decreases with increasing temperature, and small designs struggle with effective waste heat dissipation due to limited space for heat management.
Innovation Solution
A lamp housing made of metalizable plastic with conductor tracks and light sources integrated directly within, acting as both heat sinks and optical reflectors, enhances heat dissipation by using metallization surfaces and cooling structures, and a separate metalized lamp base for the ballast element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If semiconductor-based light-emitting diodes are used to reduce lamp space, then design freedom is improved, but waste heat dissipation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the conductor track function with the heat sink function by integrating metallization surfaces directly into the lamp housing structure. The conductor tracks are formed as metallization surfaces on the plastic housing, which simultaneously serve as electrical conductors and thermal management components, eliminating the need for separate heat dissipation structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The lamp housing is designed to perform multiple functions: structural support, electrical conduction through metallization surfaces, optical reflection, and thermal management. The metallized plastic housing acts as both a conductor track carrier and a heat sink, while also serving as an optical reflector for the LED light source.
2Temperature
If conductor tracks are integrated directly into the lamp housing without circuit board, then heat dissipation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the plastic housing by applying metallization surfaces through vacuum deposition or other coating techniques. This transforms the non-conductive plastic into a structure with integrated conductive pathways, enabling direct heat transfer from LED to housing while simplifying the overall assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The lamp housing is constructed as a composite structure combining plastic material with metallization surfaces. This composite approach allows the housing to exhibit both thermal management properties of metal and the manufacturing advantages of plastic, while the metallized surfaces provide electrical conduction and optical reflection capabilities.
3Temperature
If metallization surfaces are used for conductor tracks, then heat dissipation and optical reflection are improved, but material complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metallization surfaces perform three functions simultaneously: electrical conduction for power supply to LED, thermal conduction for heat dissipation from LED and conductor tracks, and optical reflection for light distribution. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components despite the added material complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of conductor tracks, heat sinks, and optical reflectors into a single integrated structure - the metallized lamp housing. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate circuit boards, heat sink components, and reflector surfaces, reducing overall device complexity despite using metallized plastic material.
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 optimizes heat dissipation, maintaining efficiency in small designs by effectively transferring waste heat to the lamp housing or ambient air, improving light distribution and reducing thermal stress on the light source.
Implementation Method 1
This ensures that the waste heat produced or transported by the conductor tracks can be discharged almost optimally to the luminaire housing. The light source is preferably also carried directly, in particular without using a circuit board, through the metalizable or metalized plastic of the lamp housing, so that waste heat from the light source can also be optimally dissipated to the lamp housing.
Implementation Method 2
The conductor tracks are particularly preferably designed in such a way that they act as an optical reflector and/or heat reflector for the light source. For this purpose, metallization surfaces, which preferably simultaneously form conductor tracks, and the lamp housing carrying the metallization surfaces can be designed in such a way that the metallization surfaces have a concave surface or a surface that curves inward or inward.
Implementation Method 3
The cooling of the lamp can be further improved if the external rear side of the lamp housing is designed at least partially in the form of cooling structures, such as cooling ribs. A cooling structure serves to increase the surface area of the outside of the lamp housing.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes a luminaire having a luminaire housing (G), which at least partially consists of metallizable plastic, having a light source (LED) arranged in the luminaire housing (G), and having conductor tracks (L), which are borne directly by the metallizable plastic of the luminaire housing (G).