Multizone Mixing Cup for LED Color Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LED lighting systems face challenges in providing white light with high efficiency, luminous flux, good color rendering, and color stability due to thermal degradation of phosphors when used in conjunction with LEDs, leading to poor color rendering and uneven illumination.
Innovation Solution
The use of a common housing with domed luminescent converting appliances (DLCAs) over LEDs to separate the phosphor from the LED, allowing for the blending of blue, red, yellow/green, and cyan spectral outputs to produce a preselected illumination spectrum, reducing thermal degradation and improving color rendering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If phosphors are placed at the chip level to be in the path of emitted light, then color rendering is improved, but thermal degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the phosphor application into multiple discrete zones around the LED chip, with each zone containing phosphor particles at specific distances from the chip surface. This segmentation allows different phosphor zones to be positioned at optimal distances for their respective functions, improving color rendering while managing thermal exposure through spatial distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional planar phosphor coating to a three-dimensional arrangement of phosphor zones at varying radial distances from the LED chip. This dimensional approach enables phosphors to be positioned in the light path without direct thermal contact, resolving the contradiction between color rendering and thermal degradation.
2Reliability
If phosphors are remotely placed to reduce thermal degradation, then reliability is improved, but illumination uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different phosphor materials with specific characteristics to different radial zones around the LED chip. Each zone is tailored with phosphors optimized for its specific position and function, ensuring that local illumination quality is maximized while maintaining overall uniformity through the coordinated arrangement of all zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple phosphor zones with different characteristics into a unified lighting system. The synergistic effect of these merged zones produces uniform illumination across the entire output, while each individual zone remains thermally managed through its specific positioning and phosphor selection.
3Ease of operation
If traditional LED reflector combinations are used with specific distances and angles, then illumination directionality is improved, but hot spots and uneven illumination occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the phosphor application from the traditional reflector system and positions it in discrete zones in the light path before reflection. This separation allows independent optimization of phosphor placement for uniformity while the reflector maintains its directional control, eliminating the coupling that causes hot spots.
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 approach enhances color rendering performance by blending specific spectral outputs from LEDs, resulting in improved color stability and uniform illumination across a range of Correlated Color Temperatures (CCTs), while minimizing thermal issues and hot spots.
Implementation Method 1
altering the illumination produced by a first LED illumination source by passing it through a first domed lumo converting appliance (DLCA) associated with the common housing to produce a blue channel preselected spectral output
Implementation Method 2
The interior surface of the common housing can be reflective to blend the spectral outputs from the LED illumination sources
Data Source
AI summary
An optical cup which mixes multiple channels of light to form a blended output, the device having discreet zones or channels including a plurality of reflective cavities each having a remote phosphor light converting appliance covering a cluster of LEDs providing a channel of light which is reflected upward. The predetermined blends of phosphors provide a predetermined range of illumination wavelengths in the output.