Individual light shields

1. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) comprising;

a mounting surface ( 14 ),

a plurality of light emitting diodes ( 28 ) disposed on said mounting surface ( 14 ),

a plurality of light shields ( 40 ) supported by said mounting surface ( 14 ) and disposed over said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) for directing light emitting from said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) in a predetermined direction,

said light shields ( 40 ) having an exterior surface,

said light shields ( 40 ) being serially aligned along said mounting surface ( 14 ) in said predetermined direction with said exterior surface of one light shield ( 40 ) being exposed to light emitting from an adjacent light shield ( 40 ), and

characterized by;

said exterior surface of said light shields ( 40 ) exposed to light emitting from said adjacent light shield ( 40 ) being non-reflective for absorbing light emitting from said adjacent light shield ( 40 ).

2. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said light shields ( 40 ) has an interior surface being reflective for reflecting light from said at least one light emitting diode ( 28 ) disposed there under in said predetermined direction.

3. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by a non-reflective film ( 52 ) disposed over said exterior surface of said light shields ( 40 ) and a reflective material ( 54 ) disposed over said interior surface of said light shields ( 40 ).

4. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said light shields ( 40 ) extends upwardly at a predetermine angle from said mounting surface ( 14 ) over at least one said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) to a forward edge ( 46 ) defining a forward facing opening for directing light out of said forward facing opening in said predetermined direction.

5. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said light shields ( 40 ) comprise a thermally stable opaque material.

6. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said light shields ( 40 ) is disposed over each of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ).

7. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 6 further characterized by each of said light shields ( 40 ) including a pair of sections ( 44 ) being defined by a triangular shape and joining one another at a ridge ( 48 ) extending upwardly from said mounting surface ( 14 ) to a peak ( 50 ) to define a forward facing opening comprising a triangular shape.

8. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) are aligned in rows being spaced and parallel to one another and further characterized by each of said light shields ( 40 ) comprising three sections ( 44 ) wherein one of said sections ( 44 ) is a central section ( 44 ) disposed along and parallel to one of said rows and extending upwardly from said mounting surface ( 14 ) to a forward edge ( 46 ) and a pair of said sections ( 44 ) are disposed at section ends of said one central section ( 44 ) and joining said one central section ( 44 ) at a ridge ( 48 ) extending from said mounting surface ( 14 ) to a peak ( 50 ) to define a forward facing opening of rectangular shape for emitting light from said light emitting diodes ( 28 ).

9. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 8 further characterized by said mounting surface ( 14 ) being defined by a triangular shape so that said rows of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) decrease in length from a wide top end ( 20 ) of said mounting surface ( 14 ) to a narrow bottom end ( 22 ) of said mounting surface ( 14 ) and said forward facing openings of said sections ( 44 ) facing toward said narrow bottom end ( 22 ) of said mounting surface ( 14 ).

10. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

an insulation coating ( 30 ) of electrically insulating material disposed over said mounting surface ( 14 ),

said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) being disposed in spaces between adjacent traces ( 32 ) a plurality of circuit traces ( 32 ) spaced from one another on said coating for preventing electrical conduction between said traces ( 32 ) so that said insulation coating ( 30 ) prevents electrical conduction from each of said traces ( 32 ) to said mounting surface ( 14 ),

a plurality of light emitting diodes ( 28 ) disposed in spaces between adjacent ones of said traces ( 32 ) for emitting light,

each of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) having a positive lead ( 34 ) and a negative lead ( 36 ),

said leads ( 34 , 36 ) of each of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) being in electrical engagement with said adjacent ones of said traces ( 32 ) for electrically interconnecting said traces ( 32 ) and said light emitting diodes ( 28 ),

a conformal coating ( 38 ) of electrically insulating material disposed over said mounting surface ( 14 ) and said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) for environmental protection, and

said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) being electrically interconnected in series with one another.

11. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a heat sink ( 12 ) of thermally conductive aluminum material presenting said mounting surface ( 14 ) and including a heat transfer surface ( 16 ) facing in the opposite direction from said mounting surface ( 14 ).

12. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 11 wherein:

said heat sink ( 12 ) comprises a plurality of elongated strips,

each of said elongated strips is disposed in spaced and parallel relationship to one another to present side edges defining an elongated slot ( 18 ) therebetween extending continuously along adjacent side edges of said elongated strips to separate and render adjacent elongated strips and said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) on said mounting surface ( 14 ) thereof independent of one another,

said heat sink ( 12 ) includes a plurality of fins ( 24 ) extending transversely from said heat transfer surface ( 16 ) and disposed in spaced and parallel relationship to one another for transferring heat away from said heat sink ( 12 ) to surrounding ambient air,

said fins ( 24 ) extend continuously between said strip ends of each of said elongated strips to present a void space ( 26 ) between adjacent fins ( 24 ) and open at said strip ends for exposing said void space ( 26 ) between said adjacent fins ( 24 ) to air, and

said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) on each of said elongated strips being electrically interconnected in parallel with said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) on other elongated strips.

13. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) comprising:

a heat sink ( 12 ) of thermally conductive aluminum material presenting a mounting surface ( 14 ) and a heat transfer surface ( 16 ) facing in the opposite direction from said mounting surface ( 14 ),

an insulation coating ( 30 ) of electrically insulating material disposed over said mounting surface ( 14 ) of said heat sink ( 12 ),

said insulation coating ( 30 ) being about fifty microns in thickness,

a plurality of circuit traces ( 32 ) spaced from one another on said insulation coating ( 30 ) for preventing electrical conduction between said traces ( 32 ) so that said insulation coating ( 30 ) prevents electrical conduction from each of said traces ( 32 ) to said heat sink ( 12 ),

a plurality of light emitting diodes ( 28 ) disposed in spaces between adjacent ones of said traces ( 32 ) for emitting light,

each of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) having a positive lead ( 34 ) and a negative lead ( 36 ),

said leads ( 34 , 36 ) of each of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) being in electrical engagement with said adjacent ones of said traces ( 32 ) for electrically interconnecting said traces ( 32 ) and said light emitting diodes ( 28 ),

a conformal coating ( 38 ) of electrically insulating material disposed over said mounting surface ( 14 ) and circuit traces ( 32 ) and said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) and said leads ( 34 , 36 ) for protecting said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) and the accompanying electrical components,

said conformal coating ( 38 ) comprising a transparent material and being about fifty microns in thickness,

said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) being electrically interconnected in series with one another,

a plurality of light shields ( 40 ) of a thermally stable opaque material disposed on said conformal coating ( 38 ) of said mounting surface ( 14 ) adjacent said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) for directing light emitting from said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) in a predetermined direction,

each of said light shields ( 40 ) disposed over at least one of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) and defined by sections ( 44 ) extending upwardly at a predetermined angle from said mounting surface ( 14 ) over said light emitting diode ( 28 ) to a forward edge ( 46 ) defining a forward facing opening for directing the light out of said forward facing opening in said predetermined direction,

each of said sections ( 44 ) having an interior surface comprising a reflective material ( 54 ) for reflecting the light from said at least one light emitting diode ( 28 ) disposed there under out of said forward facing opening in said predetermined direction,

each of said sections ( 44 ) having an exterior surface facing away from said mounting surface ( 14 ),

said light shields ( 40 ) being serially aligned along said mounting surface ( 14 ) in said predetermined direction with said exterior surface of one light shield ( 40 ) being exposed to light emitting from said forward facing opening of an adjacent light shield ( 40 ),

a light shield adhesive ( 42 ) of ultraviolet cured cyanoacrylate material securing said light shields ( 40 ) to said coating disposed over said mounting surface ( 14 ),

characterized by;

a non-reflective film ( 52 ) defined by a flat black color disposed over said exterior surface of said sections ( 44 ) exposed to light emitting from said adjacent light shield ( 40 ) for absorbing light emitting from said forward facing opening of said adjacent light shield ( 40 ).

14. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 13 further characterized by;

one of said light shields ( 40 ) being disposed adjacent each of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ),

each of said light shields ( 40 ) including a pair of said sections ( 44 ),

each of said sections ( 44 ) being defined by a triangular shape, and

said triangular sections ( 44 ) joining at a ridge ( 48 ) extending upwardly from said mounting surface ( 14 ) to a peak ( 50 ) so that said forward facing opening is further defined by a triangular shape.

15. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 14 wherein said heat sink ( 12 ) is defined by a plurality of elongated strips,

each of said elongated strips is disposed in spaced and parallel relationship to one another to present side edges defining an elongated slot ( 18 ) therebetween extending continuously along adjacent side edges of said elongated strips to separate and render adjacent elongated strips and said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) on said mounting surface ( 14 ) thereof independent of one another,

said heat sink ( 12 ) includes a plurality of fins ( 24 ) extending transversely from said heat transfer surface ( 16 ) and disposed in spaced and parallel relationship to one another for transferring heat away from said heat sink ( 12 ) to surrounding ambient air,

said fins ( 24 ) extend continuously between said strip ends of each of said elongated strips to present a void space ( 26 ) between adjacent fins ( 24 ) and open at said strip ends for exposing said void space ( 26 ) between said adjacent fins ( 24 ) to air, and

said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) on each of said elongated strips being electrically interconnected in parallel with said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) on other elongated strips.

16. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 15 wherein said heat transfer surface ( 16 ) on each of said elongated strips is disposed at an angle other than ninety degrees relative to said parallel fins ( 24 ) thereof.

17. A light emitting assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 13 further characterized by;

said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) being aligned in rows,

said rows being spaced and parallel to one another,

each of said light shields ( 40 ) including three of said sections ( 44 ),

one of said sections ( 44 ) being a central section ( 44 ) disposed centrally and along and parallel to one of said rows and extending upwardly from said mounting surface ( 14 ) to a forward edge ( 46 ), and

a pair of said sections ( 44 ) being disposed at section ends of said one central section ( 44 ) and each joining said one central section ( 44 ) at a ridge ( 48 ) extending upwardly from said mounting surface ( 14 ) to a peak ( 50 ) to define a forward facing opening of rectangular shape for emitting said reflected light.

18. An assembly ( 10 ) as set forth in claim 17 further characterized by;

said mounting surface ( 14 ) of said heat sink ( 12 ) being defined by a triangular shape so that said rows of said light emitting diodes ( 28 ) decrease in length from a wide top end ( 20 ) of said mounting surface ( 14 ) of said heat sink ( 12 ) to a narrow bottom end ( 22 ) of said mounting surface ( 14 ),

a plurality of fins ( 24 ) extending transversely from said heat transfer surface ( 16 ) and disposed in spaced and parallel relationship to one another for transferring heat away from said heat sink ( 12 ) to surrounding ambient air,

said fins ( 24 ) extend continuously between said wide top end ( 20 ) and said narrow bottom end ( 22 ) of said mounting surface ( 14 ) of said heat sink ( 12 ) to present a void space ( 26 ) between adjacent fins ( 24 ) and open at said wide top end ( 20 ) and said narrow bottom end ( 22 ) for exposing said void space ( 26 ) between said adjacent fins ( 24 ) to air, and

said interior surface and said forward facing opening of said sections ( 44 ) light shields ( 40 ) facing toward said narrow bottom end ( 22 ) of said heat sink ( 12 ).