A power-saving lighting apparatus including an upper housing, a bottom cover assembled with the upper housing, a lighting module and a positioning member is provided. The lighting module is disposed between the upper housing and the bottom cover, and the lighting module is mechanically supported by the bottom cover. The positioning member is disposed on the lighting module, wherein a relative position of the lighting module and the bottom cover is maintained by the positioning member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a power-saving lighting apparatus, in particular, relates to a T-bar lighting apparatus having a substituted lighting module.

2. Description of Related Art

The LED chips are semiconductor devices mainly made of a compound semiconductor material containing III-V group chemical elements, for example, GaP, GaAs, and the like, and function on the principle of converting electric energy to light. That is to say, the compound semiconductor is powered to release excessive energy through the combination of electrons and holes, so as to emit photon (light). The LED can emit light without being heated too much. Therefore, the lifespan of the LED is usually up to 100,000 hours, and an idling time is not required. In addition, the LED has advantages of quick response (approximately 10−9seconds), small volume, power-saving, low pollution, high reliability, and ease mass production. Thus, the LEDs have been intensively used in many fields, for example, light source and illumination device in large-scale bulletin boards, traffic lights, cellular phones, scanners, fax machines, office lightings, etc.

Currently, the brightness and light emitting efficiency of the LEDs are continuously improved, and meanwhile the white LEDs are successfully put into mass production, so the LEDs have been gradually used for illumination purpose, and LED lamps (e.g. bulbs, street lamps, flash lights, office lightings, etc.) have been developed rapidly.

In most offices, the T-bar lighting apparatuses having a plurality of fluorescent tubes are commonly used.FIG. 1schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional T-bar lighting apparatus. Referring toFIG. 1, the conventional T-bar lighting apparatus100includes an upper housing110, a bottom cover120, a plurality of lamp holders130, a plurality of fluorescent tubes140, a ballast unit150, a connector160, and a plurality of leaf springs170. The bottom cover120is assembled with the upper housing110through the leaf springs170installed on the upper housing110. The lamp holders130are installed on a surface of the upper housing110and electrically connected with the ballast unit150and the connector160. As shown inFIG. 1, the fluorescent tubes140are assembled with and electrically connected with the lamp holders130such that the fluorescent tubes140are located between the upper housing110and the bottom cover120. Specifically, the bottom cover120includes a plurality of reflectors122for reflecting the light emitted from the fluorescent tubes140and a plurality of partitions124assembled with the reflectors122.

Since the power-consumption of the conventional T-bar lighting apparatus100having the fluorescent tubes140is quite high, many users have tendency to use the lighting module to substitute the fluorescent tubes140. However, the installation of the substituted lighting module wastes lots of time and is expensive. An easy and cost-effective solution for installing the lighting module is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a power-saving lighting apparatus having a lighting module.

As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention is directed to provide a power-saving lighting apparatus. The power-saving lighting apparatus includes an upper housing, a bottom cover assembled with the upper housing, a lighting module and a positioning member. The lighting module is disposed between the upper housing and the bottom cover, and the lighting module is mechanically supported by the bottom cover. The positioning member is disposed on the lighting module, wherein a relative position of the lighting module and the bottom cover is maintained by the positioning member.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper housing and the bottom cover constitute a casing of a T-bar lighting apparatus.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bottom cover comprises a frame, a plurality of reflectors assembled with the frame and a plurality partitions assembled with the reflectors and the frame, wherein the lighting module is mechanically supported by the reflectors.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power-saving lighting apparatus further comprises a plurality of leaf springs assembled with the upper housing, wherein the bottom cover is assembled with the upper housing through the leaf springs.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power-saving lighting apparatus further comprises a plurality of dummy lamp holders disposed on the upper housing and a power supply unit electrically connected with the dummy lamp holders.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit comprises a dummy ballast unit disposed on the upper housing and a connector disposed on the upper housing, wherein the dummy ballast unit is electrically connected between the dummy lamp holders and the connector.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power-saving lighting apparatus further comprises a first fixing member connected between the upper housing and the bottom cover, wherein the bottom cover is capable of hanging under the upper housing through the first fixing member.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power-saving lighting apparatus further comprises a second fixing member connected between the upper housing and the lighting module, wherein the lighting module is capable of hanging under the upper housing through the second fixing member.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting module comprises a circuit board, a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source and an optical film disposed on the circuit board, wherein the LED light source is disposed on and electrically connected with the circuit board, the LED light source is located between the circuit board and the optical film, and the positioning member is disposed on the optical film.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board comprises a metal-core printed circuit board (MCPCB).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical film comprises a diffusion plate or a prism plate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting module further comprises a heat sink disposed on the circuit board, such that the heat sink and the LED light source are disposed at two opposite side of the circuit substrate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting module further comprises a connecting member adhered between the circuit board and the optical film.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting module further comprises a heat sink disposed between the circuit board and the optical film, and the heat sink has a light-transmitting opening corresponding to the LED light source.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting module further comprises a first connecting member adhered between the circuit board and the heat sink and a second connecting member adhered between the heat sink and the optical film.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting module is mechanically supported by the bottom cover to contact with the upper housing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lighting module comprises an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) module or a module having at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamps disposed thereon.

Since the lighting module is mechanically supported by the bottom cover, the installation and replacement of the lighting module is simple and cost-effective.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In order to save the electrical power, the present invention provides a lighting module capable of being integrated with the conventional T-bar lighting apparatus100as shown inFIG. 1, such that the lighting module of the present invention can, substitute the currently used fluorescent tubes140immediately. The installation of the lighting module of an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as followings.

FIGS. 2-4schematically illustrate installation of a lighting module onto a T-bar lighting apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG. 2, users may push the leaf spring170to dismantle the bottom cover120from the upper housing110so as to unload the fluorescent tubes140assembled with the lamp holders130. After the bottom cover120is dismantled from the upper housing110, the bottom cover120hangs under the upper housing110through a first fixing member180connected between the upper housing110and the bottom cover120so as to prevent the bottom cover120from dropping.

Referring toFIG. 3, a lighting module200with power-saving property is then provided to be assembled with the upper cover110through a second fixing member190connected between the upper housing110and the lighting module200, such that the lighting module200is capable of hanging under the upper housing110through the second fixing member190. The first fixing member180and the second fixing member190may be a rope made of insulating materials, such as polymer, textile, etc. In the present embodiment, the lighting module200may be at least one LED light bars, at least one LED plane light source, at least one organic light-emitting diode (OLED) light bars, at least one OLED plane light source, a lighting module having cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) installed thereon, or other types of lighting modules. For example, the OLED may be a Phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED or a white OLED (WOLED) provided by Universal Display Corporation. When the fluorescent tubes140are unloaded, the lamp holders130and the ballast unit150for driving the fluorescent tubes140is useless for driving the lighting module and become dummy components. Specifically, in the power-saving lighting apparatus100′ having the lighting module200, a plurality of dummy lamp holders130and dummy ballast unit150are still disposed on the upper cover110. It is noted that, the dummy lamp holders130and the dummy ballast unit150used for driving the fluorescent tubes may be further dismantled optionally. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the lighting module200may be electrically connected to the dummy lamp holders130through an electrical wire or other suitable means for electrical connection. More specifically, the lighting module200may be electrically connected to the dummy lamp holders130through an electrical wire and a power adapter. The power adapter may be a component mounted on the lighting module200or may be fabricated in a circuit board.

Referring toFIG. 4, the bottom cover120is assembled with the upper cover110through the leaf spring170again so as to accomplish the installation of the lighting module200. After the installation of the lighting module200, the lighting module200is mechanically supported by the bottom cover120stably. The lighting module200may further contact with the upper housing110such that the lighting module200can be sandwiched between the upper housing110and the bottom cover120firmly.

In the present embodiment, the dummy ballast unit150and the connector160of the power-saving lighting apparatus100′ may constitute a power supply, wherein the dummy ballast unit150is electrically connected between the dummy lamp holders130and the connector160. The lighting module200may be electrically connected with the power line through the connector160originally disposed on the upper cover110. However, the electrical connection between the lighting module200and the power line can be realized by any other suitable manners and one ordinary skilled in the art can choose the electrical connection manners base on different design requirements.

Referring toFIG. 4, the power-saving lighting apparatus100′ of the present invention includes an upper housing110, a bottom cover120assembled with the upper housing110, a lighting module200and a positioning member300. The lighting module200is disposed between the upper housing110and the bottom cover120, and the lighting module200is mechanically supported by the bottom cover120. The positioning member300is disposed on the lighting module200, wherein a relative position of the lighting module200and the bottom cover120is maintained by the positioning member300.

In the present embodiment, the upper housing110and the bottom cover120constitute a casing of a T-bar lighting apparatus. Specifically, the bottom cover120may includes a frame126, a plurality of reflectors122assembled with the frame126and a plurality partitions124assembled with the reflectors122and the frame126, wherein the lighting module200is mechanically supported by the reflectors122.

FIG. 5AandFIG. 5Billustrate cross-sectional views of two lighting modules in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG. 5A, the lighting module200according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a circuit board210(e.g. a metal-core printed circuit board), an LED light source220and an optical film230(e.g. a diffusion plate or a prism plate) disposed on the circuit board210, wherein the LED light source220is disposed on and electrically connected with the circuit board210, the LED light source220is located between the circuit board210and the optical film230, and the positioning member300is disposed on the optical film230. In detail, the positioning member300is disposed on an outer surface of the optical film230so as to maintain the relative position of the lighting module200and the bottom cover120.

As shown inFIG. 5A, the lighting module200may further include a heat sink240disposed on the circuit board210, such that the heat sink240and the LED light source220are disposed at two opposite side of the circuit substrate210. When the lighting module200is disposed to contact with the upper housing112, the heat sink230can contact with the upper housing112to enhance the overall heat dissipation performance of the lighting module200. Additionally, the lighting module200may further include a connecting member250adhered between the circuit board210and the optical film230.

More specifically, in order to enhance heat dissipation characteristics of the LED light source220, the circuit board210may have a plurality through holes (not shown) while the heat sink210may have a plurality of protrusions (not shown) extending through the through holes and the protrusions are directly in contact with the LED light source220. It is noted that various heat dissipation solution may be applied to the lighting module200.

It is noted that when organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) are used as the lighting module200, the organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) may be a flexible film-like device which is installed on the heat sink240. For example, the organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) may be installed on the heat sink through a frame and is electrically connected with a flexible printed circuit (PFC) film. In addition, when CCFLs are used as the lighting module200, the CCFLs maybe installed on a circuit board.

The lighting module200′ shown inFIG. 5Bis similar with the lighting module200shown inFIG. 5Aexcept that the heat sink240is disposed between the circuit board210and the optical film230, and the heat sink240has a light-transmitting opening242corresponding to the LED light source220. Additionally, the lighting module200′ may further include a first connecting member250aadhered between the circuit board210and the heat sink240and a second connecting member250badhered between the heat sink240and the optical film230. Specifically, in order to enhance heat dissipation characteristics of the LED light source220, the heat sink240may have a plurality of protrusions P which are in contact with the circuit board210directly.

To sum up, the lighting module in the power-saving lighting apparatus is installed and replaced easily and quickly. Therefore, the installation and replacement of the lighting module is cost-effective.