WO2017046160A1

WO2017046160A1 - Luminous body, lamp comprising such a luminous body and luminous device comprising such a lamp

Info

Publication number: WO2017046160A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/071686
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pierre Albou; Gilles LE-CALVEZ
Original assignee: Valeo Vision
Priority date: 2015-09-15
Filing date: 2016-09-14
Publication date: 2017-03-23
Also published as: FR3041062A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a luminous body, in particular for an automotive vehicle, including a plurality of faces (1a, 1b, 1c), the luminous body including at least one semiconductor light source on a first of said faces and at least one semiconductor light source on a second of said faces, said semiconductor light sources comprising a plurality of light-emitting rods of submillimetre-sized dimensions forming emitting zones (10a, 10b, 10c) of elongate shape, the faces (1a, 1b, 1c) being arranged so that the normals to each face are oriented in different directions. The invention also relates to a lamp comprising such a luminous body and to a luminous device comprising such a lamp.

Description

Luminous body, lamp comprising such a luminous body and luminous device comprising such a lamp

The present invention relates to a luminous body, a lamp comprising such a luminous body and a luminous device comprising such a lamp. It will find its applications in the field of motor vehicles, in particular to generate crossing beams or road.

In the automotive world, electrically powered lamps are conventionally found in light devices as a source of light. These lamps include a luminous body, a mechanical support, electrical connections and in most cases a transparent protective envelope.

In this field, it has long been known to use ampoules, called halogen, having a characteristic elongate shape. They are especially known under the names H1, H4 or H7, among others. Their luminous body is an incandescent filament. The term "incandescent filament" is understood to mean a wire forming a tight-fitting non-contiguous helix whose envelope of the projection on a plane of the beam that it emits is a parallelogram. When the filament is traversed by an electric current, the luminous body is modeled by a lambertian transmitter cylindrical of revolution.

Because of the incandescent nature of their filament, such lamps have the disadvantage of a high current consumption and release a very large amount of heat. It is then difficult to use any plastic material in the constitution in the lamp.

It has already been attempted to replace them with lamps using other technologies, in particular with light-emitting diode lamps. Such lamps today have a very different appearance from halogen bulbs, in particular by the distribution of the planar diodes to be employed if it is desired to have an enveloping optics, that is to say an optics for which The solid angle under which the light source is viewed by the optics is greater than 2π sr. They also pose problems of integration of the electronic control system which must be used to activate the diodes. They thus encounter difficulties of acceptance by the market and they do not always agree to come in place of halogen lamps in the case of after-sales replacement.

The aim of the invention is to overcome at least partially the drawbacks mentioned above and proposes for this purpose a luminous body, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising at least a plurality of faces, possibly in contact with each other, the luminous body comprising at least a semiconductor light source on a first of said faces and at least one semiconductor light source on a second one of said faces, said semiconductor light sources comprising a plurality of submillimetric size electroluminescent rods forming emitting zones of shape elongated, the faces being arranged so that the normals on each face are oriented in different directions, for the first and second faces at least.

As in the case of a filament, the orthogonal projection on a plane of said sources is located inside a parallelogram. The larger the number of faces, tending towards the circle, the closer you will get to the simulation of a filament. In this way, the desired illumination is obtained. By the elongated configuration of the emitter zones, said lighting system also makes it possible to approach the effect and the shape of the known halogen bulbs.

According to complementary features of the invention, which may be taken together or separately:

the luminous body comprises at least three faces,

each face comprises at least one semiconductor light source, the said semiconductor light source or sources comprising a plurality of submillimetric-sized electroluminescent rods forming elongated emitting zones,

a minimum surface rectangle surrounding the emitting zone of each face is longer than it is wide,

the ratio width / length of the rectangle is ¼,

the length of the rectangle extends in a longitudinal direction of the luminous body,

the light sources are of identical size, the light-emitting zones are of identical shapes,

said electroluminescent rods are arranged to form at least a first surface and a second selectively activatable surface,

said luminous body comprises one or more growth substrates of said light sources,

the said substrate or substrates having an elongated configuration,

each of said substrates is disposed on one of said faces.

The invention also relates to a lamp for a motor vehicle comprising a luminous body as described above.

said lamp comprises a support frame for the luminous body, placed between the faces of said luminous body,

said support armature comprises a heat sink,

said support armature comprises feed tracks of said light sources,

said lamp comprises an end portion forming a base,

said end portion comprises electrical connectors for supplying said luminous body,

said lamp furthermore comprises at least one power converter, configured for feeding said luminous body,

said power converter is located in the base,

said lamp further comprises a control means for the luminous body,

said lamp comprises a bulb for protecting the luminous body.

The invention also relates to a light device comprising at least one lamp as described above. Said luminous device may further comprise a power supply capable of electrically supplying said lamp so that it emits light.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the appended drawings among which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in perspective, an example of a luminous body and a lamp according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a transverse section according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 partially and schematically illustrates one of the faces of the lamp of FIG. 1,

- Figure 4 schematically illustrates, in side view, another embodiment of a lamp according to the invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention relates to a luminous body, in particular for a motor vehicle. In particular, its purpose is to propose luminous bodies that can be integrated in bulbs with a format similar to or similar to the format of lamps of the type H1, H4 or H7 whose elongated shape is characteristic.

Said luminous body comprises a plurality of faces 1a, 1b, 1c. Said faces are in contact here by a common edge 2, oriented along a longitudinal axis 4 of said luminous body. Said faces are preferably elongated in the direction of said longitudinal axis 4 of the luminous body.

Said luminous body advantageously has a cylindrical configuration having a polygonal cross section, here triangular. It has three faces, each parallel to said longitudinal axis 4 of the luminous body. It may, however, have a larger number of faces. Conversely, in a degenerate configuration, it may have only two opposite and parallel faces. In other words, the faces are arranged so that the normals on each face are oriented in different directions and / or directions.

The luminous body comprises at least one semiconductor light source 3 on a first face and at least one semiconductor light source 3 on a second face. Preferably and as illustrated, it has semiconductor light sources 3 on each of the faces 1a, 1b, 1c.

The said semiconductor light sources 3 comprise a plurality of electroluminescent rods 6 of submillimetric dimensions forming emitting zones 10a, 10b, 10c of elongated shape. Each stick 6 is here symbolized by a line.

Said rods extend from a growth substrate 8 which can be a layer of material, especially Si.

Said rods 6 have a concentric layer structure, especially GaN layers with interposition of quantum wells, said layers being generated from said substrate 8. The nature and arrangement of the layers allow the emission of photons all along the rods.

Said substrate 8 and said rods 6 are formed by one or more chips. For example, in known chips using such technology, said rods 6 have a diameter of less than one micron for a height of the order of a few microns and are spaced apart on the substrate 8 from a distance of the order of 10 to 50 microns. Said rods 6 are advantageously regularly distributed on said substrate. The one or more chips are, in particular, rectangular in shape and the dimensions of their sides are of the order of one centimeter or less.

Each of the emitting zones may be formed of one or more chips, located side by side. Said rods 6 may be distributed on said substrate 4 of each of the chips so that each of the emitter zones substantially correspond to the surface of the associated chips and / or their substrate.

Each of said emitter zones 10a, 10b, 10c may cover the associated face 1a, 1b, 1c. In other words, here, said substrate 8 may cover each of said faces 1a, 1b, 1c. In other words, each of the faces 1 a, 1 b, 1 c may be covered by a single chip whose size corresponds substantially to that of the corresponding face or by a set of chips which, combined, occupy all of said face. However, the size of the faces, the emitter zones, the substrate (s) and the chip (s) may also not match. We can still find several emitting zones per face.

The light sources may be of identical sizes. The light emitting zones may be of identical shapes.

It is understood that, according to the invention, the light sources are disposed on the surface and facing outwardly of a cylinder whose cross section is a polygon, preferably regular. The degenerate case of two faces corresponds to a parallelepiped of which one of the dimensions is very small compared to the two others.

In this way, it is possible to simulate the lighting provided by a filament, with a luminous body advantageously having an elongated configuration. Indeed, as in the case of a filament, the orthogonal projection on a plane of said sources is located inside a parallelogram.

By way of example, a minimum surface rectangle surrounding the emitting zone 10a, 10b, 10c of each face is longer than it is wide, the width / length ratio of the rectangle of the surface being, for example, ¼. The length of the rectangle extends in a longitudinal direction 4 of the luminous body.

Advantageously, said electroluminescent rods 6 are arranged to form at least a first surface and a second selectively activatable surface.

When said surfaces respectively correspond to said emitting areas 10a, 10b, 10c, they can be selectively switched on from one face to the other.

Combined or alternatively to the above, said surfaces may be within one of said zone 10a, 10b, 10c. In this way, it will be possible to light only part of the corresponding emitting zone.

Said projector may also comprise one or more phosphores, not shown, for changing the color emitted by said light sources. In other words, said system may comprise a wavelength converter. By wavelength converter is meant a light converter comprising at least one luminescent material designed to absorb at least a portion of at least one excitation light emitted by a light source and to convert at least a portion of said light of excitation absorbed into an emission light having a wavelength different from that of the excitation light. By way of example, to emit white light, blue or UV light emitting rods with a light converter will be used to add white light by additive synthesis.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, said lamp comprises a support frame

20 of the luminous body. Said armature 20 is placed between the faces 1a, 1b, 1c of said luminous body. Said armature 20 advantageously has a profile identical to that of the luminous body, namely a cylindrical profile of polygonal cross section, here triangular, the faces 21a, 21b, 21c of the profile being located parallel to the faces Corresponding 1 a, 1 b, 1 c of said body. The substrate 8 of said light sources is located opposite said faces 21a, 21b, 21c.

Said support frame 20 may be formed of a heat sink, in particular a metal conductor. Said armature 20 is in this way, for example, full. Alternatively and / or in addition, it may include heat pipes.

Said support frame advantageously comprises feed tracks of said light sources, not shown, preferably located on the faces 21a, 21b, 21c of said armature 20.

Said tracks are formed, in particular, by printed circuit boards, not shown, for example attached to a core of said frame 20. The said card or cards are disposed on a face of said substrate 8 opposite to a face carrying said light sources 2. In other words, each printed circuit board is stacked under the substrate or 8 corresponding substrates so as to electrically connect said rods 6 associated with said tracks. Said printed circuit board is, for example, a pcb type card, fpcb, mpcb, smi, according to the acronyms usually used in this field.

In other words, said tracks are situated between said faces 21a, 21b, 21c of the support armature 20 and the substrate 8 of the light sources associated with the corresponding faces 1a, 1b, 1c of said luminous body.

As illustrated in Figure 3, said lamp advantageously comprises an end portion 30 forming a base. Said end portion comprises electrical connectors 32, 34, connected to said luminous body. Said electrical connectors 32, 34 are for this purpose, for example, connected by electrical wires 36 to the tracks of each of the faces of the support armature 20. In FIG. 3, said armature 20 is directly visible, the luminous body n ' having not been illustrated.

Said lamp further comprises at least one power converter 38 (FIG. 1). By power converter means a device for converting a power supply from a vehicle power supply network into a power supply suitable for achieving a desired light function, and possibly to provide said adapted power supply to a light source for carrying out said desired light function. Said converter 38 is preferably located in the base 30. It is powered by said electrical connectors 32, 34 and is connected to said wire 36 feeding the zones emitter corresponding to each of the faces of the luminous body.

Alternatively, said power converter may also be located in said support frame 20.

Said lamp may comprise a means for controlling the light body, not illustrated, for example located in the base 30 or in said support frame 20. Said control means may be configured to ensure the selective activation of said surfaces. It can also be configured to diagnose the state of the sources: on, damaged or broken.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, said lamp may comprise a bulb 40 for protecting said luminous body. It is, for example, subject to said cap 30. It advantageously has an elongate shape encasing said luminous body.

Said bulb may have an opacifying coating 42 at its end opposite the base 30.

Said bulb 40 is possibly not gastight since it does not have to contain a controlled atmosphere. It will, however, preferentially be liquid-tight to prevent short circuits. Said bulb 40 is formed, for example of a polymeric material.

The invention also relates to a light device, in particular a projector, comprising at least one lamp as described above. Said luminous device may further comprise a power supply capable of electrically supplying said lamp so that it emits light.

Claims

1. Luminous body, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of faces (1a, 1b, 1c), the luminous body comprising at least one light source (3) with semiconductors on a first of said faces and at least one source semiconductor light source (3) on a second one of said faces, said semiconductor light sources (3) comprising a plurality of submillimeter-sized electroluminescent rods (6) forming elongated emitting zones (10a, 10b, 10c) , the faces (1a, 1b, 1c) being arranged so that the normals on each face are oriented in different directions.

2. Light body according to claim 1 wherein the light body comprises at least three faces (1a, 1b, 1c).

3. Light body according to the preceding claim wherein each face comprises at least one light source (3) semiconductor, said light source (s) (3) semiconductor comprising a plurality of electroluminescent rods (6) submillimeter dimensions forming emitting zones (10a, 10b, 10c) of elongated form.

4. Light body according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a minimum surface rectangle surrounding the emitting zone of each face is longer than wide.

5. Light body according to the preceding claim wherein the ratio width / length of said rectangle is ¼.

6. Light body according to any one of claims 5 or 6 wherein the length of the rectangle extends in a longitudinal direction of the light body.

7. Light body according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the light sources (3) are of identical sizes.

8. Light body according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the light emitting zones (10a, 10b, 10c) are of identical shapes.

The light body according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said electroluminescent rods (6) are arranged to form at least a selectively activatable first surface and second surface.

10. Lamp for a motor vehicle comprising a luminous body according to any one of the preceding claims.

1 1. The lamp of claim 10 further comprising a frame (20) for supporting the luminous body, placed between the faces (1a, 1b, 1c) of said luminous body.

12. Lamp according to the preceding claim wherein said support frame (20) comprises a heat sink.

13. Lamp according to any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein said support frame (20) comprises feed tracks of said light sources.

A lamp as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13 including a base-shaped end portion (30), said end portion including electrical connectors (32, 34) for powering said light body.

15. Lamp according to any one of claims 10 to 14 further comprising at least one power converter (38) configured to supply said light body.

16. Lamp according to any one of claims 10 to 15 further comprising a control means of the luminous body.

17. Lamp according to any one of claims 10 to 16 comprising a bulb (40) for protecting said luminous body.

18. Luminous device comprising at least one lamp according to any one of the preceding claims.

19. Light device according to claim 18 further comprising a power supply adapted to electrically power said lamp so that it emits light.