Light tube and power supply circuit
AssigneeAltair Engineering, Inc.
InventorsJos Timmermans, Jean C. Raymond
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a light tube for illumination by a power supply circuit including a bulb portion and a pair of end caps disposed at opposite ends of the bulb portion. A plurality of light emitting diodes are disposed inside the bulb portion and in electrical communication with the pair of end caps for illuminating in response to electrical current to be received from the power supply circuit.
Claims26
A light device for illumination by a power supply circuit comprising:
- a bulb portion,
- a first end cap disposed at one end of the bulb portion,
- a second end cap disposed at an end of bulb portion opposite the first end cap, the first and second end caps forming a pair of end caps on opposite ends of the bulb portion;
- and wherein the bulb portion and the pair of end caps are dimensioned to be mounted in a fluorescent light tube socket, and
- a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed inside the bulb portion, the light emitting diodes in electrical communication with the end cap for illuminating in response to electrical current received from the power supply circuit, and wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes is mounted an at least one circuit board;
- and wherein each of the plurality of light emitting diodes is mounted at an angular off-set from the circuit board to establish a predetermined radiation pattern of light.
A light tube for illumination by a power supply circuit comprising:
- a bulb portion,
- a first of end caps disposed at opposite ends of the bulb portion, wherein each of the pair of end caps is shaped to be coupled with a fluorescent light tube socket, and
- a plurality of closely-spaced light emitting diodes disposed inside the bulb portion and extending between the opposite ends of the bulb portion, the light emitting diodes in electrical communication with the pair of end caps for illuminating in response to electrical current received from the power supply circuit;
- and wherein each of the pair of end caps is an electrical bi-pin connector.
In a replacement light tube for a fluorescent light fixture having a light tube socket and a power supply circuit, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of closely-spaced light emitting diodes disposed inside a bulb portion of the light tube and in electrical communication with a pair of end caps coupled to opposed ends of the bulb portion and engageable with the light tube socket, the plurality of light emitting diodes operable to illuminate in response to electrical current delivered by the fluorescent light;
- and wherein each of the pair of end caps is an electrical bi-pin connector.
A light device for illumination by a power supply circuit comprising:
- a bulb portion,
- a first end cap disposed at one end of the bulb portion, and
- a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed inside the bulb portion, the light emitting diodes in electrical communication with the end cap for illumination in response to electrical current received from the power supply circuit;
- and wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes is mounted on at least one circuit board;
- and wherein each of the plurality of light emitting diodes is mounted at an angular off-set from the circuit board to establish a predetermined radiation pattern of light;
- and wherein each of the plurality of light emitting diodes is arranged into one of a plurality of equidistantly-spaced light emitting diode banks, each of the plurality of light emitting diode banks comprising at least two light emitting diodes.
In a replacement light tube for a flourescent light fixture having a light tube socket and a power supply circuit, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of closely-spaced light emitting diodes disposed inside a bulb portion of the light tube and in electrical communication with a pair of end caps coupled to opposed ends of the bulb portion and engageable with the light tube socket, the plurality of light emitting diodes operable to illuminate in response to electrical current delivered by the flourescent light fixture wherein the electric current is a direct current signal;
- a rectifier for converting an alternating current signal from the fluorescent light fixture to the direct current signal;
- and
- a pulse-width modulating circuit for receiving the direct current signal and supplying a resulting modulated signal to the plurality of light emitting diodes.
In a replacement light tube for a flourescent light fixture having a light tube socket and a power supply circuit, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of closely-spaced light emitting diodes disposed inside a bulb portion of the light tube and in electrical communication with a pair of end caps coupled to opposed ends of the bulb portion and engageable with the light tube socket, the plurality of light emitting diodes operable to illuminate in response to electrical current delivered by the flourescent light fixture;
- and wherein each of the plurality of light emitting diodes is arranged into one of a plurality of spaced light emitting diode banks, each of the plurality of light emitting diode banks comprising at least two light emitting diodes.
A retrofit LED light tube for replacing a light tube in a fixture, the retrofit LED light tube comprising:
- a elongated cylindrical transparent envelope,
- a base cap at an end of the envelope, wherein the base cap is an electrical bi-pin connector comprising a first pin and a second pin extending perpendicularly from a surface of the base cap, wherein the first and second pins are adapted to electrically communicate with a fluorescent light socket;
- and
- at least one LED device in electrical communication with the base cap, wherein the at least one LED device is electrically connected to a rectifier and the at least one LED device is further electrically connected to a pulse-width modulating circuit receiving a direct current signal from the rectifier and supplying a modulated signal to the at least one LED device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.