KR20190076866A - Lamp assembly having free-floating appearance - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lamp assembly including at least one bracket (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) and flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) placed on the brackets (101a, 101b, 101c, 201). The flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) include at least one lighting surface (106a, 106b, 106c) and a rear surface opposite to the lighting surface (106a, 106b, 106c). A contact surface is arranged on the rear surface and the flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) are mechanically and electrically connected with the brackets (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) on the contact surface. The brackets (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) include metal strip conductors (108a, 108b, 108c, 208) printed on the brackets (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) with conductive ink for an electric contact with the flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c). Moreover, the present invention relates to a lighting device for a vehicle including the lamp assembly, especially to a vehicle headlamp.

Description

[0001] LAMP ASSEMBLY HAVING FREE-FLOATING APPEARANCE [0002]

The present invention relates to a lamp assembly comprising at least one bracket and a planar lamp disposed on the bracket, wherein the flat lamp has at least one illuminating surface and at least one illumination A rear side facing the opposite direction of the surface, a contact surface arranged on the rear side, the flat lamp being mechanically and electrically connected to at least one bracket on the contact surface.

Flat lamps, particularly organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), are based on their uniform radiating characteristics, low mounting depth, almost any contouring, and the possibility of segmentation, Meeting new customer-specific design requirements such as lighting impression; Implementation of a depth effect; And the implementation of free floating shapes. This particular illumination impression, and the implementation of depth effects and free-floating impression, particularly keeps the observer's attention awake and thus exhibits a safety gain.

Planar lamps are usually fixed within a frame, or on a bracket, and are wired by connectors and various cable connections or flexible conductors. However, certain disadvantages arise through configurations including frames, brackets, and various wires. In particular, the free floating impression is reduced due to the visibility of the electrical connections or the frame, the wiring must be installed and fixed, and there is also a considerable number of connectors and electrical connections that are not easy to inspect, Do.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages; And to provide a lamp assembly having a relatively improved free floating geometry while being based on the electric contact of a flat lamp which is simple to realize and which, in particular, is associated with the production of a lamp assembly, which saves money.

These challenges are addressed in lamp assemblies such as those mentioned at the outset, wherein the brackets according to the invention comprise metal strip conductors printed on the brackets with conductive ink for electrical contact of the flat lamps.

According to the present invention, the electrical contact of the flat lamp fixed on the bracket can be formed in a particularly cost effective and inconspicuous manner. The features according to the present invention enable relatively simpler and more cost effective manufacture / assembly of lamp assemblies and relatively lower defect sensitivity as compared to more complex wiring systems, By omitting loose cables / conductors and plug-type connectors, an optimized free floating lifting of the at least one flat lamp as well as excellent contact in the minimum space is also possible. The present invention relates to a material bonded connection between a flat lamp and a mounting bracket; And therefore excellent mechanical resistance; Less tolerance; A simple automated manufacturing and functional inspection process using fewer steps; Robust lighting system; And high design and design freedom. The free floating impression of at least one illumination surface, which is improved compared to the known solutions described above, particularly facilitates the attention of the observer and thus exhibits a safety benefit.

In addition, through a compact construction that saves space, a stable assembly with a high design effect that is particularly desirable for automotive headlamp applications is realized. The mounting space in automotive headlamps is compactly dimensioned, as already known, due to the plurality of optical modules, and mostly optical several other headlamp components, and therefore each additional possibility of mounting space saving and At the same time, it is highly desirable to provide high design and design freedom.

 The lamp assembly according to the present invention can therefore be used more advantageously for signal indicator functions and thus may be a component of a signal light. The term " signal lamp "or" signal light "includes, for example, daytime running light or marker light. The lamp assembly may in particular be a component in the headlamp, for example a signal lamp module in the headlamp. The term "headlamp " as used herein includes all types of automotive headlamps, especially front headlamps and tail lamps. The structural configuration and light distribution of planar lamps, headlamps, and signal indicators are well known and are generally dictated by legal requirements known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The term "planar lamp ", also referred to herein as a lamp, corresponds to lamps including planar illumination components, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), light emitting diode (LED) arrays, or planar light guides do. The illumination surface of the planar lamp may be substantially planar, but may be curved. Such lamps, including planar lighting components, are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The term " automobile "(KFZ = MV) corresponds to a single or multi-lane motor-driven onshore vehicle such as motorcycles, passenger cars,

Preferably the planar lamp is an organic light emitting diode (OLED). The OLED can be, for example, a glass-based OLED that includes one or more illumination surfaces and a backside facing away from the illumination surface. On the back side, a contact surface is provided for mechanical and electrical contact of the bracket and the OLED. The contact surface is preferably kept very small relative to the surface of the flat lamp, so that contact in the smallest space and the best free floating shape can be realized.

In the case of specific design requirements or design requirements, at least one bracket may be formed substantially long. More advantageously, the at least one bracket includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end of the bracket being mechanically and electrically connected to the contact surface of the flat lamp. Further, the lamp assembly according to the present invention may further include an assembling surface on which a second end of the bracket is mechanically and electrically connected. The mounting surface may be, for example, a mounting surface or a circuit board that is assembled or assembled in the inner chamber of the headlamp housing. Further, the assembly surface may be a fixed component including a connector.

At least one bracket formed substantially long may be formed in a plane or a linear shape, or a curved shape in two or three dimensions. The shape of the substantially elongated bracket is determined in particular by the shape and size of the planar lamp fixed on itself. In short, on the one hand, the flat lamps must be assembled and fixed, for example, above at least one bracket in the headlamp housing, and on the other hand, the entire free floating lifting of one or more flat lamps of the lamp assembly is not degraded To be maintained. Therefore, as a matter of course, for the entire free floating impression, the view to at least one bracket, preferably to the outside observer, is obscured through the planar lamp (s).

Unlike molded interconnection device (MID) brackets, which are made of opaque materials, transparent materials such as transparent plastic, for example, may also be used for printing conductive ink on brackets. Correspondingly, the bracket can be made of clear plastic, thereby achieving additional design advantages in terms of the visibility of the bracket of the lamp assembly, and the free floating shape of the planar lamps.

For certain embodiments, the flat lamp may be electrically and mechanically connected to the bracket by conductive ink, an electrically conductive adhesive (conductive adhesive), or by an electrically conductive lacquer (conductive lacquer). (Polytec PT GmbH, Germany), PE-EP 600 (Printcolor Screen Ltd, Switzerland), Eposolder 6537 (United adhesives, Inc., USA), PC 3431 (Heraeus And ICP-4000 (manufactured by Henkel). In the case of this variant, the brackets printed with the strip conductors of the conductive ink material may include an adhesive and a contact surface for mechanical and electrical connection of the flat lamp, To the contact surface on the back side of the flat lamp. To this end, a conductive ink, conductive lacquer or conductive adhesive is applied on the bonding and contact surfaces of the brackets, followed by a flat lamp, e.g., an OLED, seated and secured.

Preferably, a conductive ink, which is also used for printing strip conductors on the bracket, is used to mechanically and electrically connect the bracket and the flat lamp. In this case, the conductive ink is applied to the bracket area (e.g., the above-described adhesive and contact surface) where the bracket is continuously connected to the contact surface of the flat lamp while printing the strip conductors. In this way, the flat lamp is mechanically and electrically connected to the bracket only by the electrically conductive ink. This generally saves the application process of additional electrically conductive adhesives (such as conductive adhesives or conductive lacquers) during the fabrication of lamp assemblies, thereby saving one method step.

In yet other embodiments, the flat lamp is mechanically coupled to the bracket by a UV cured adhesive. In this variation, the brackets printed with strip conductors of conductive ink comprise an adhesive and a contact surface for mechanically and electrically connecting the flat lamp. The adhesive and contact surfaces of the brackets, in the case of said variants, comprise one or more contact surfaces for electrical contact to the flat lamps on the one hand and the contact surfaces on the rear surface of the lamp, and on the other hand, One or a plurality of adhesive surfaces for mechanically securing the device. This can be done, for example, by printing conductive ink on one or more contact surfaces on the bracket, and by applying a UV curable adhesive on the adhesive surface. In this case, the flat lamp may itself include a corresponding adhesive surface on its rear side, and then the adhesive side of the lamp is adhered to the adhesive side of the bracket by UV curing adhesive.

Conductive inks may be selected from the group consisting of silver based inks, copper based inks, conductive carbon nanoparticle based inks and conductive carbon nanotube based inks. The foregoing conductive inks are well known from the prior art. Famous manufacturers of conductive inks are, for example, Inkron (Finland), Printcolor Screen Ltd. (Switzerland) and PV Nano Cell Ltd. (Israel). For conductive inks, products Sicrys ™ 150T-11, Sicrys ™ IC25EG-1, Sicrys ™ IC50TM-8 from the manufacturer PV Nano Cell Ltd., product IDA-125C from the manufacturer Inkron, or product PE- AG510 Silver Conductive Ink is a representative example.

The strip conductors of the conductive ink are printed on the bracket, i. E. On the surface of the bracket, according to the invention. In the case of simple realizations of the lamp assembly according to the invention, the strip conductors on the bracket are formed of conductive inks applied by ink jet printing.

In order to meet specific design requirements or design requirements, the lamp assembly may include two or more brackets on which a flat lamp is fixed, respectively. In this case, the individual flat lamps can be positioned differently in space. In this way, a three-dimensional dense configuration with high design and design freedom is possible, and at the same time, electrical contact is easily implemented and suitable in the smallest space. Furthermore, the various elements can be relatively positioned with respect to each other with high precision according to the present invention.

Further, in certain refinements of the present invention, the lamp assembly may include electrical circuitry integrated into or on the bracket. The circuit is positioned in areas that are not visible to the observer in a manner that is effective on or within the bracket so that the entire floating impression of the lamp assembly is not interfered. The integration of the circuitry on or within the brackets has the advantage that the mounting space can be reduced and utilized effectively and the additional assembly and wiring costs are eliminated. It should be mentioned once more that the mounting space in the automotive headlamp is densely designed in particular due to the plurality of optical modules and the majority of the optical plural different headlamp components, It is desirable to provide additional possibilities.

Still another object of the present invention is an illuminating device for a motor vehicle comprising at least one lamp assembly according to the present invention and as described herein.

The lamp assembly according to the invention may, in certain variations, be a component of an independent lamp for a motor vehicle, which does not include any other lighting functions or optical modules, except for the lighting function fulfilled by the lamp assembly . Independent automotive lamps of this type typically include a housing with a light-emitting opening covered by a cover disk, wherein at least one lamp assembly is disposed within the housing. An independent lamp may be, for example, a signal indicator or a differential light in the form of an independent front lamp, side lamp or tail lamp.

In yet other variations, the lamp assembly may be a component of an automotive headlight or an optical module. Therefore, the illumination device according to the invention can be in the form of an automotive headlamp, in particular in the form of a front headlamp or a tail lamp. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lamp assembly is a component of an automotive headlamp, not an independent lamp as described above. Thus, today's automotive headlamps typically include a plurality of optical modules, which can perform their respective lighting functions separately or interacting with one another. The optical modules are usually arranged immediately adjacent to each other in the headlamp housing. In an effective manner, a car headlamp is constructed according to known headlamp principles and includes a housing with a light emitting opening covered by a diffusion disk, wherein at least one lamp assembly is disposed within the housing do. The automotive headlamp may comprise, in particular, at least one optical module and at least one lamp assembly according to the invention, as disclosed herein.

In one variant, the automotive headlamp has the form of a front headlamp. The configuration of the front headlamp is known to a person skilled in the art. The front head lamp usually includes a plurality of optical modules, such as a daytime running light unit, a low beam unit, a high beam unit, a blinking light unit, and the like. Correspondingly, each of the optical modules of the front headlamp can form a light distribution such as a low beam, a high beam, a daytime running light, a blinking light, and the like. The front headlamp according to the invention therefore comprises, in addition to the known optical modules, at least one lamp assembly according to the invention.

In another variant, the automotive headlamp has the form of a tail lamp. The construction of the tail lamp is known to the person skilled in the art. The tail lamps include a plurality of optical modules such as a rear lamp unit, a brake light unit, a blinking light unit, and the like. Correspondingly, each of the optical modules of the tail lamp can form a light distribution such as a rear lamp, a brake light, a flashing light, and the like. The tail lamp according to the invention therefore comprises, in addition to the known optical modules, at least one lamp assembly according to the invention.

Still another object of the present invention is an automobile comprising a lamp assembly according to the invention as disclosed herein, and / or a lighting device according to the invention, particularly a car headlamp, for an automobile as disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention, together with further advantages, will be described in more detail in accordance with the following non-limiting examples and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a lamp assembly according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a view showing an arrangement structure of brackets of the lamp assembly according to Fig. 1 including three brackets in total excluding the flat lamps and connectors. Fig.
3 is an illustration of an example of a gripping section of a lamp assembly according to the present invention that includes exactly one bracket for a flat lamp.
4 is a top view showing the bonding and contact surfaces of a bracket for electrical and mechanical connection to an OLED.

Obviously, the embodiments described herein are used for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Rather, all configurations that a typical technician can know in accordance with the specification of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention, and the scope of protection is determined through the claims.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding elements, for the sake of a relatively simpler description and illustration. The reference numerals used in the claims should furthermore only facilitate the readability of the claims and the understanding of the present invention, and in no way have the features which violate the protection scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that all of the examples shown in the drawings may be provided within an automotive headlamp and as part of an automotive headlamp.

1 is a perspective view of an exemplary lamp assembly 100 according to the present invention. The lamp assembly 100 includes three flat lamps 101a, 101b and 101c which are formed in a long and different length from each other and which are curved as well as three flat lamps in the form of three flame-shaped OLEDs 102a, 102b and 102c And one OLED 102a, 102b, 102c is fixed on each of the first ends 103a, 103b, 103c (see FIG. 3) of the respective brackets 101a, 101b, 101c and each of the brackets 101a , 101b, and 101c. 1, a stable assembly with a free-floating configuration is achieved through a dense, space-saving configuration, i.e., an OLED 102a, 102b, 102c ) Seems to be floating freely (floating).

The OLEDs 102a, 102b, and 102c are OLEDs that include illumination surfaces 106a, 106b, and 106c, which are in the form of flame in the illustrated example and are also glass-based, With the built-in state, e.g., embedded within the headlamp housing, the illumination surfaces 106a, 106b, 106c are directed towards the viewer. However, as a matter of fact, the design or design of the OLEDs may be different. It is likewise conceivable that instead of OLEDs, other flat lamps, for example light emitting diode (LED) arrays or planar light conductors, may be provided with the light source.

The brackets 101a, 101b and 101c are fixed on the assembly plate 105 with their respective second ends 104a, 104b and 104c and are electrically and mechanically connected to the assembly plate 105. 1 also shows a connector 107 for securing on an assembly plate 105 to electrically connect the lamp assembly 100 to an automobile when, for example, the lamp assembly 100 is embedded in a headlamp . Then, by the assembly plate 105, the lamp assembly 100 is assembled in the headlamp housing together with other optical modules, for example. It will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art that a circuit board / printed circuit board instead of the assembly plate 105 and the connector 107 can also be provided as an assembly surface for the fixing and electrical contact of the brackets 101a, 101b and 101c You will know.

The arrangement of the three brackets 101a, 101b and 101c on the assembly plate 105 is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and with the OLEDs 102a, 102b and 102c and the connector 107 removed.

In accordance with the present invention, three brackets 101a, 101b and 101c are mounted on respective brackets 101a, 101b and 101c for electrical contact of the OLEDs 102a, 102b and 102c, And metal strip conductors 108a, 108b, and 108c that are printed with ink. The metal strip conductors 108a, 108b and 108c extend from the first ends 103a, 103b and 103c to the second ends 104a, 104b and 104c along the entire length of the brackets 101a, 101b and 101c. With regard to the nature and type of conductive inks, reference is made to the description at the beginning of the description above and in the claims set forth in the claims. However, in principle all types of conductive inks that enable printing of brackets 101a, 101b, 101c are also suitable. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily be able to select a suitable conductive ink for printing strip conductors 108a, 108b, and 108c corresponding to the material from which the bracket (s) is made. Printing of the strip conductors 108a, 108b, and 108c can be performed, for example, by inkjet printing. The brackets 101a, 101b, 101c are typically made of plastic, and are preferably made of clear plastic. Through the use of transparent plastic, additional design advantages are achieved with respect to the (in this case lower) visibility of the brackets 101a, 101b, 101c and the free floating shape of the OLEDs 102a, 102b, 102c. Also, through the use of brackets 101a, 101b, 101c of different lengths, the OLEDs 102a, 102b, 102c are positioned differently from one another in space, and the realization of complex 3D designs and illumination impressions, Thereby enabling excellent electrical contact in the minimum space.

3 shows another example of the arrangement structure of the bracket 201 on the assembly plate 205 of the lamp assembly according to the present invention. A single difference from the lamp assembly 100 or bracket arrangement shown in Figures 1 or 2 is that only three brackets 101a, 101b and 101c are replaced by exactly one bracket 201 (not shown) Flat lamps / OLEDs. The above description of FIGS. 1 and 2 applies similarly and in a sense to the example shown in FIG. 3, which includes only one bracket 201. The bracket 201 also has a first end 203 and a second end 204 for electrical contact of the OLED strip conductors 208 (not shown) printed with conductive ink on the bracket 201 . The metal strip conductors 208 extend from the first end 203 to the second end 204 along the entire length of the bracket 201. The above description is referred to for all details.

Figure 4 shows a detailed top view of the first ends 103a, 103b, 103c, and 203 of the brackets 101a, 101b, 101c, and 210 shown in Figures 1-3. On each of the first ends 103a, 103b, 103c, 203, there is provided an adhesive comprising two contact surfaces 303a, 303b for electrical contact of each OLED 102a, 102b, 102c, An adhesive surface 303c for mechanically fixing the OLEDs 102a, 102b and 102c on the respective brackets 101a, 101b, 101c and 201 as well as the contact surface 300 is also located. One corresponding contact surface (or adhesive and contact surface) is arranged on the back surface of each OLED 102a, 102b, 102c, which faces each illumination surface 106a, 106b, 106c. Each adhesive and contact surface on the back surface of each OLED 102a, 102b, 102c is electrically and mechanically connected to the respective first ends 103a, 103b, 103c, 203 of each bracket 101a, 101b, 101c, Lt; / RTI > The strip conductors 108a, 108b, 108c and 208 made of conductive ink extend to the contact surfaces 303a and 303b along the length of the brackets 101a, 101b, 101c and 201, Are printed on the contact surfaces 303a and 303b. For mechanical connection, an adhesive such as a UV curing adhesive is applied on the adhesive surface 303c.

Instead of the construction of the adhesive and contact surfaces shown in Fig. 4 comprising two contact surfaces and one adhesive surface, for example, on the first end of the bracket, a single surface may be provided which simultaneously has a fixing function and a contact function. The mechanical and electrical connection between the OLED and the bracket can be performed, for example, by applying an electrically conductive adhesive (conductive adhesive) or an electrically conductive lacquer (conductive lacquer). Instead of a conductive adhesive or conductive lacquer, the conductive ink itself used for the production of strip conductors may also be used for mechanical and electrical connection between the OLED and the bracket.

With reference to the drawings described above, the ramp device of the present disclosure may further include electrical circuitry (not shown) integrated into or on the brackets 101a, 101b, 101c, 201. [

The invention may be modified in any manner known to one of ordinary skill in the art and is not limited to the embodiments shown. Also, individual aspects of the present invention may be taken separately and may be substantially combined with one another. The gist of the present disclosure lies in the underlying ideas of the present invention, which can be implemented in a variety of ways through ordinary artisans in view of the teachings of the present disclosure and still remain as such.

100: lamp assembly
101a, 101b, 101c, 201:
102a, 102b, 102c: a flat lamp (OLED)
103a, 103b, 103c, 203: a first end of the bracket
104a, 104b, 104c, 204: a second end of the bracket
105, 205: Assembly plate
106a, 106b, 106c: an illumination surface on the OLED
107: Connector
108a, 108b, 108c, and 208: strip conductors made of conductive ink
300: adhesive and contact surface for OLED on the first end of the bracket
303a, 303b: contact surface for electrical contact of the OLED
303c: Adhesive surface for mechanical fixing of OLED

Claims (15)

A lamp assembly (100) comprising at least one bracket (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) and a flat lamp (102a, 102b, 102c) disposed on the bracket (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) (102a, 102b, 102c) includes at least one illumination surface (106a, 106b, 106c) and a back surface facing the opposite direction of the at least one illumination surface (106a, 106b, 106c) And wherein the flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) are mechanically and electrically connected to at least one bracket (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) on a contact surface,
The brackets 101a, 101b, 101c and 201 are connected to the metal strip conductors 108a, 102b and 102c printed on the brackets 101a, 101b, 101c and 201 with conductive ink for electrical contact of the flat lamps 102a, 102b and 102c. , 108b, 108c, 208). The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) are organic light emitting diodes (OLED). The lamp assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one bracket (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) is substantially elongated. The bracket of claim 3, wherein the at least one bracket (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) comprises a first end (103a, 103b, 103c, 203) and a first end (103a, 103b, 103c, 203) Wherein the first ends of the brackets are mechanically and electrically connected to the contact surfaces of the planar lamps (102a, 102b, 102c), and the second ends (104a, 104b, 104c, 204) The lamp assembly comprising: 5. A device according to claim 4, characterized by an assembly surface (105,205) on which the second ends (104a, 104b, 104c, 204) of the brackets (101a, 101b, The lamp assembly. The lamp assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the at least one bracket (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) is curved in a plane, or two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. 7. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) are formed by conductive ink or an electrically conductive adhesive (conductive adhesive), or by an electrically conductive lacquer (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) are electrically and mechanically connected to each other. 7. A lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) are mechanically connected to the brackets (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) Lamp assembly. 9. The ink according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the conductive ink is selected from the group consisting of silver based inks, copper based inks, conductive adhesive nanoparticle based inks and conductive carbon nanotube based inks The lamp assembly comprising: 10. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the strip conductors (108a, 108b, 108c, 208) on the brackets (101a, 101b, 101c, 201) are formed of conductive ink applied by inkjet printing The lamp assembly comprising: 11. The lamp assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the lamp assembly comprises two or more brackets (101a, 101b, 101c) on which flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) The lamp assembly comprising: 12. The lamp assembly of claim 11, wherein the individual flat lamps (102a, 102b, 102c) are positioned differently from one another in space. 13. A lamp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising electrical circuitry integrated into or on the brackets (101a, 101b, 101c, 201). A lighting device for an automobile comprising at least one lamp assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13. 15. Lighting device according to claim 14, characterized in that it is in the form of a car headlamp, in particular in the form of a front head lamp or a tail lamp.

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