We all know that artificial lighting is of great importance in our life. In addition to creating comfort for the eyes, it also performs the functions of zoning the room, which is important, and the implementation of interesting design solutions. That is why it is now very important to use LED strips with a diffuser. After all, well-chosen lighting helps to give the room style and special personality.

Appointment

The LED strip structurally consists of individual LEDs with high brightness, therefore, the diffuser is intended for uniform distribution of the luminous flux. Using it is important not only in terms of aesthetics and the beautiful appearance of your lighting system, but also for creating a soft light in the room.

The figure shows a profile for an LED strip with a diffuser

Principle of operation

The principle of operation of the diffuser for LED strip is to increase the angle of light distribution due to a special design made of refractive material. Its own geometry and location relative to the light source is arranged in such a way that the luminous flux falling on it is effectively distributed over its entire area and passing through the body of the diffuser, provides uniform illumination of the entire room.

The photo shows the disassembled and assembled LED diffuser.

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Structurally, it is a metal or plastic profile of various shapes and, directly, a removable diffuser made of polycarbonate, polystyrene or methacrylate. This is advisable, since these materials are strong enough, but do not heavily burden the structure. The main profile shapes that are used are:

• corner;
• u-shaped;
• c-shaped.

The shape of the profile is selected depending on the planned installation site. A tape is attached to the profile, the diffuser cover itself is snapped on top. It is of two types:

• matte;
• transparent.

The photo shows matt, plastic, in a corner aluminum profile

Before making a purchase, you need to think about what kind of lighting goals you are pursuing. When it comes to illuminating a showcase in a sales area, then most likely a diffuser with a transparent surface is more suitable for you. If you want to give a relaxed atmosphere to a cafe-bar, then you should give preference to matte.

Flexible

There is also a flexible LED diffuser profile. It is fundamentally different from the designs described above. This type of component product is a silicone tube that contains an LED strip.

The photo shows LED strips of different colors in flexible silicone profiles

For the correct choice of a diffuser for an LED strip, you need to think over the conditions. This includes examining the surface to which you will attach the system, the overall dimensions of the LED strip itself and the climatic conditions of the room (or outside, which is also possible).

It should be noted that despite the fact that diffusers are often made of low-melting materials, there is no need to worry about their toxicity. During operation, the LED emits a very small amount of heat, which practically does not heat the surface of the diffuser.

Fastening

The profile can be fixed on any surface. For this, self-tapping screws, liquid nails or even double-sided tape are used. There are options when special "ears" are attached to the wall, into which, subsequently, both rigid and flexible profiles are ideally fixed. The built-in installation of the diffuser profile is carried out using a pre-cut groove in the chipboard or drywall. In the second case, you can make a very sophisticated lighting in the furniture. And if you use a flexible profile for an LED strip with a diffuser, then you will not have any problems installing it on curved surfaces, arches and the like. In any case, all fastening methods are not complicated at all, and are available even to a non-professional.

Application

The applicability is enormous. Illumination of bookshelves and kitchen cabinets, display cases and aquariums. At home and in the office, in a shop and cafe - the use of LED strips with diffusers will be appropriate and attractive. And dust and moisture resistant allow you to use such lighting for outdoor advertising and any decoration on the street.

Do not forget about the possibility of using strips with LEDs of different colors and those that can change them. This will give a unique atmosphere of celebration and comfort.

How to do it yourself

I would like to immediately add that there is an alternative to buying a ready-made LED diffuser - it's to make it yourself. What to make a diffuser for an LED strip? Actually, this is not at all difficult, as a profile you can use a regular plastic box, which is used for laying wires in a wire, and as a diffuser itself - polycarbonate or plexiglass.

To obtain a matte surface, you can use the mechanical or chemical method. The chemical method consists in applying a special paste to the surface, which will destroy the crystalline structure and give an excellent matte effect, but at the time of application you need to be very careful, since the paste releases toxic substances. The mechanical method is much less harmful, since it consists in processing the surface with an abrasive material, for example, emery, but it requires great physical effort.

The video shows a quick, easy and cheap way to create a homemade LED strip diffuser.

The photo shows the interior of the room, using LED strip lighting

Summing up the above, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that a diffuser for an LED strip is an important, multifunctional component. Also, you can see that the variety of design options will certainly be able to satisfy almost any condition. Comfortable and original lighting is always a huge plus in creating a stylish, themed interior. It can be a classic style or high-tech style, minimalism or kitsch, loft or avant-garde - the use of LED strips with diffusers will always highlight the best design ideas and leave a pleasant impression of the time spent in such a room.

LEDs are successfully used in many spheres of human life, while increasingly displacing other technologies. For example, incandescent lamps are simply not able to compete with these devices. They still have only one trump card - cost. And for all other indicators, LEDs have long been ahead.

In order for them to qualitatively fulfill their role, many devices have been invented. For example, diffusers. You can see it in the photo. Here we will talk about them, in particular, about models made of plexiglass.

About plexiglass

Otto Röhm in 1933 created plexiglass. For this there was a long twenty-year path of research and experimentation. Interestingly, the invention received many positive reviews, thanks to which, after a few years, it began to be produced in large volumes.

The popularity of plexiglass today is at a high level in a wide variety of industries. What is the secret of this material? It's simple. The foundation of popularity lies in the properties of the material. Plexiglas has high strength, lightness, light transmission, and processing flexibility. Due to the presence of these qualities, as well as some others, a large number of different products are created.

One of these is the diffuser. For the manufacture of such products, plexiglass is an excellent material. For this, the material has a high surface quality, optical transparency, the ability to transmit sunlight up to 92%. Therefore, losses when used as a diffuser are minimal.

It is also worth paying attention to other advantages of the material. For example, resistance to ultraviolet radiation. This prevents the material from becoming brittle and yellow over time.

At the same time, plexiglass perfectly resists the effects of chemicals, so the practicality of use is guaranteed. And this property is complemented by water resistance - no additional protection against moisture and water is required.

You should also not forget about environmental friendliness. Indeed, organic glass, even when burning, does not emit a harmful amount of vapors.

And given the use of plexiglass as a material for creating a diffuser, it is very important that it is a dielectric. Ease of processing allows you to create products of the most varied shapes.

Objectively considering the quality of the material, it is impossible to highlight only the positive aspects. Therefore, it is worth looking at the cons. They exist, although there are few of them: they are highly flammable, difficulties in manufacturing may arise, and damage easily occurs on the coating.

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There are several types of diffusers:

• universal;
• for fixing to any kind of ceiling;
• with surface-mounted or built-in housing.

Some models have a prismatic material structure with the highest level of transmittance and an excellent "smooth" light distribution effect. Other products have a matte surface, providing a throughput of up to 60%. As a result, the light is warm and soft.

A variety of types of plexiglass diffusers makes it possible to choose the most optimal model for specific conditions. So, diffusers for LEDs are effectively used in certain conditions. For example, in a bedroom where concentrated light is contraindicated, such a device will come in handy.

How to install

To do this, you should use the instructions for the electrical appliance, in the design of which there is a diffuser. Therefore, as a rule, it is necessary to make several movements in order to fix the products on an electrical appliance with LEDs.

A simple solution

Indeed, if the light from the LED source does not suit you in terms of concentration, you can always use an effective solution - a plexiglass diffuser. It allows you to achieve such a light perception, which is necessary in specific conditions. Therefore, such products are widely used by professional designers, which allows you to create exclusive interiors of premises.

Reflectors for LEDs make it possible to obtain the most directional flux while simultaneously increasing the brightness of the devices. Modern manufacturers offer a very wide selection of such devices, but if you have free time, improvised tools and simple materials, you can try to make reflectors with your own hands.

Where can a reflector come in handy?

Reflectors can significantly improve the basic properties of LEDs, so their scope is not limited to any specific area of ​​lighting technology.
A reflector is equally useful in the following situations:

• when altering turn signals and other types of car lamps;
• when assembling or upgrading flashlights of various ranges;
• when improving home lighting.

The controversy over the best automotive optics continues, and everyone decides for himself what is better to use - lenses or refractors. Both devices help to achieve approximately the same reflectance, the question here is rather in the complexity of controlling the light beam.

For side lights or other light sources with a large number of LEDs, reflectors are not only a more economical option, but sometimes the only option. Instead of a huge lens, it is much easier to use a refractor or their system.

What and how to make a reflector?

For the manufacture of a reflector, it is important to determine not only its size. A certain role is played by the number of planes from which the rays will be bounced. The main difficulty is precisely how to form them.

Any moderately pliable, but rather durable material can serve as the basis. There are quite efficient reflectors made of plastic, laminated plywood or non-woven fabric. How the fixture will be formed depends on the type of case. Sometimes you need polyhedral crystals (they can be found in some types of old lamps, and with small reflectors, beads used in making jewelry will do) to give the refractor the desired properties.

It is important not only to shape the material into the desired shape, but also to make it reflect the light supplied by the LEDs.

An excellent option for the outer coating can be chrome paint, which is sold in cylinders. You do not need to apply a reflective coating, but entrust this procedure to specialists from a specialized workshop.

When designing any optical system, it is important to maintain a balance between the final cost of the assembly and the correct placement of elements. In this case, one should take into account the following pattern: the higher the efficiency of the element, the greater its sensitivity to the installation site.

The components of the system can be secured not only with glue and adhesive tape, but also using pins and hooks with fuses, which are passed through the board.

What are modern reflectors like?

Manufacturers are constantly expanding the range, significantly expanding the possibilities of light tuning. Refractors are available for a wide variety of LEDs and their combinations. Now it is not at all necessary to be limited to one shade.

The devices reflect light in the forward and backward directions, thereby making the distribution of the rays more uniform.

The reflectors can be designed to be mounted with an acrylic rod and will help to neatly hide the LEDs for the most efficient use in the rear lamp size mode.

Refractors can adjust and redirect the illumination of LEDs. They are designed to operate at right angles to the diode axis. When choosing a reflector, it is important to take into account all the parameters of light sources. The types of cases and forms of execution are constantly replenished, so it is worth regularly monitoring new items so as not to miss the most interesting optics options.

Reflectors significantly improve the flow properties of LEDs. They are equally needed for tuning automotive optics and for assembling lamps and lamps. You can try to make simple models with your own hands, but in some cases it is simply pointless to compete with manufacturers.

Although LED lighting appeared relatively recently - literally 10-12 years, but almost instantly replaced the so beloved Ilyich bulb. Thanks to its large resource, economical energy consumption, shock resistance, this lighting fixture has stepped from the field of domestic and industrial lighting to the automotive industry.

The main structural element providing high-quality and comfortable illumination for the eyes is the diffuser for the LED strip. What kind of device it is, what functions it performs and how to install it correctly - you will learn about this in our article.

Diffuser functionality

Incandescent lamps, the design of which includes a tungsten filament, although they are the most energy-intensive today, are the only ones that, without additional devices, give light as close to natural as possible. The LED alternative itself does not provide such light - in addition to being narrowly focused, still bright and cold, extremely uncomfortable for the human eye and well-being. It is such a dissonance that allows you to correct a diffuser made of plexiglass or polymer materials.

The profile for the tape is completed with various diffusers

The use of such a structural element is due to the SanPin standards, with the exception of street lighting and illumination of architectural objects.

So, the functions of the diffuser for LEDs are as follows:

• protection of crystals from external negative factors;
• even distribution of light flux for optimal eye perception;
• ensure a long service life of the entire structure.

In this case, the element must be resistant to alkalis, chemistry, be aesthetically attractive and maintain the general stylistic direction.

What are they made of

If earlier only glass could act as such an element, today the choice has increased significantly. Most often, polymer materials and their combinations are used for manufacturing.

Diffuser for LED strip made of acrylic and plexiglass

In terms of transparency, they are not inferior to ordinary glass, but it has a high class of anti-vandal protection, does not burst under mechanical stress, and withstands significant temperature peaks of -60 / + 60 ° C.

Among the disadvantages - it ignites when exposed to direct fire and does not withstand shock loads.

Diffuser for LED strip made of polystyrene

Thermoplastic polymers are very popular in all areas, they have not "spared" attention and the organization of lighting. It is characterized by high strength, temperature resistance, low price. Withstands shock point loads, available in a variety of colors from fully transparent to rich bright.

Diffuser for LED strip made of polycarbonate

One of the best anti-vandal coatings, which, due to the presence of fire retardants and extinguishers in the composition, withstands any negative factors, including fire, hail and wind. Due to the cellular structure, it is very lightweight, easy to install.

If you are going to make a do-it-yourself diffuser for an LED strip, it is better to buy polycarbonate. In the presence of a factory element, preference should be given to polystyrene or polycarbonate.

Usually opal diffusers are made of acrylic glass, that is, matte with a low radiation angle, and transparent ones with a prismatic angle from polycarbonate. Outdoor appliances are covered with monolithic anti-vandal polycarbonate, and home sources are covered with acrylic.

The choice of this or that material depends solely on financial capabilities, since this does not affect the quality of light. The degree of protection matters, but for home use you can buy without it.

Varieties

In addition to the fact that the material of manufacture is different, there are different ways of supplying lighting due to the difference in structure. For example, prismatic glass, which is often used in the manufacture of a do-it-yourself diffuser, gives a maximum scattering angle of 90 ° due to the intense refraction of light rays. If the glass is opaque matte (opal diffuser), the angle is noticeably reduced to 60 °, but at the same time the room will be cozy due to such a dimming.

Separately, it is worth noting the drawing of the element, which in turn affects both the angle of radiation and the color of the light. High-quality samples are made of 3D-polymer material, which can be installed on large recessed ceiling lamps, for example, Armstrong.

Indoor lighting should be calculated taking light losses into account. If, for example, an ice lamp produces 4000 Lumens and an opal diffuser with 60% light transmittance is selected, the luminous flux will be 4000x0.60 = 2400 Lumens.

VIDEO: Types of diffusers for LED sources

Installation methods

There are the following types of profiles with a diffuser for LED strip:

• a consignment note is a universal installation method practiced for all surfaces;
• mortise - recommended for working with wood, chipboard and other materials where the source will be installed;
• angular - mainly needed for zoning and highlighting individual elements;
• interior - used as a design element, mainly made of polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic glass).

There is even a transparent cable channel for LED strip that can be installed on glass shelves, furniture and interior items.

Any selected installation method can be performed independently, the main thing is to choose the right customer. If it is acrylic, a fragile material, delivery must be done according to all the rules so that the product does not burst. In everyday life, polycarbonate will become a much more practical solution, it does not burst, does not grow cloudy, it is not "taken" by either chemistry or alkali.

Mounting methods

Since the diode tape is produced in different shapes and sizes, there are certain shapes and diffusers, respectively, so that the installation takes a minimum of time and does not require "fitting" on site.

Since LED devices are more convenient and durable to mount on a flat, non-textured surface, the base is made in the form of a profile. These can be strips, stripes, rulers, rings, where flexible material is laid out in a circle, etc.

Finally

The task of the diffuser for the LED strip is to eliminate the narrow directivity of the luminous flux inherent in all ice sources and thereby create a soft distribution of light over the entire surface.

Since there are differences between the purpose of the room, the types of these elements differ in terms of the angle of radiation - transparent, matte, prismatic, with a pattern, etc.

On sale, the diode tape is sold separately, respectively, the profile is also separately. Anyone can choose one that matches the given parameters. It takes a minimum of time to install it; there is all the necessary complex for fastening. In the same way, a failed profile is replaced.

When choosing one or another type of diffuser for LEDs, please note that opal (matte) varieties are much more popular, therefore they are 20-30% more expensive.

VIDEO: Profile for LED strip from improvised means

This design is all that a super-bright LED needs to function properly as a luminaire.

Not so long ago I discovered super-bright LEDs for myself at a very affordable price. They look like this:

They have a lot of advantages: high luminescence brightness, relatively low power consumption, long service life, small dimensions, resistance to repeated switching, etc. They are produced with a capacity of one watt and above, have three different shades of white glow.

But when using them I ran into some difficulties. First, they get very hot. If you use them at even half the power, they need a radiator. Secondly, these LEDs have a large dispersion angle. That is, if you make a simple table lamp out of them, then it will shine in your eyes the same way as on a table. Therefore, the luminous flux must be focused in the desired direction. The following construction helped to solve both of these problems.

A bit of school physics. You can focus the light flux, or direct it in parallel using a parabolic mirror, if you place a point light source in the focus of the parabola. Making a parabolic mirror at home is an impossible task. But it is possible to make a shade that would simultaneously partially focus the light flux and remove heat.

The green line in the figure is the parabolic mirror, the black rectangle at the bottom is the super-bright LED, the yellow point is the LED crystal and at the same time the focus of the parabola. And the rest of the black lines are the body of the future reflector. It is clear that the body repeats the shape of the parabola very approximately, but it will focus some percentage of the light. Dimensions, of course, are in millimeters.

The unwrap of the reflector will look like this:

The shade can be made of 0.5-1mm thick aluminum, copper, or even tin from a tin can. In this case, 1mm thick aluminum was used.

In addition, for the lamp you will need a 15x20mm piece of one-sided foil-clad PCB, onto which the LED itself will be soldered.

To begin with, a reflector and textolite are cut out, then holes are drilled in them, 4 pieces with a diameter of 1 mm, two more holes with a diameter of 3 mm are drilled in the plafond, and two 1 mm holes in the textolite for connecting wires. Then the reflector and the textolite are twisted together by two pieces of wire. You can also glue them together. The reflector bends, resulting in the following:

Bend the reflector carefully so as not to deform the seat for the LED, otherwise the LED will overheat. If the reflector is made of copper or tin, then its petals can and should be soldered together. After the reflector is folded, the edges can be filed or sandpaper if necessary.

The final step is to install the LED. Before that, you need to apply a little thermal paste to the place of its installation in order to improve thermal transfer. The LED pins will have to be bent a little to fit into the holes. After that, the leads are unbent to their original state, the LED is pressed against the reflector and soldered. Care must be taken that none of the LED contacts touch the reflector in order to prevent a short circuit between the terminals as much as possible.