Patent Publication Number: US-7217005-B2

Title: Light emitting diode lamp module

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) lamp module, and more particularly to an light emitting diode lamp module with excellent moisture-resistance or water-resistance. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   LED lamps are widely used for automobiles, decorations and illumination products. Since LED lamps have superior electrical and mechanical characteristics, demands for LED lamps have been increased. In connection to this, interests in full-colored LED lamps are increasing as an alternative to fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps. 
   Recently, buildings or plants in the city area are ornamented with some twinkling bulbs. Compared with the bulbs, LED lamp modules with twinkling function have longer lifetime, higher brightness and lower power consumption, therefore the bulbs are gradually substituted with the LED lamp modules. Since decorations having the LED lamps are generally hung on buildings or plants (e.g. trees) outdoor for ornamental purpose, the moisture-resistance of the LED lamp module is very important. 
     FIG. 1A  is a perspective view showing a conventional LED lamp module; and  FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional LED lamp module. Referring to  FIG. 1A , the conventional LED lamp module  100  includes LED lamps  110 , sleeves  120 , electric wires  130  and connectors  140 . The relationships of the elements mentioned above are described in detail as follows. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B , each LED lamp  110  includes a carrier  112 , a LED chip  114  disposed on the carrier  112 , a bonding wires  116  electrically connected between the carrier  112  and the LED chip  114 , and an encapsulant  118  that encapsulates a portion of the carrier  112 , the LED chip  114  and the bonding wires  116 . Specifically, the carrier  112  includes a first pin  112   a,  a second pin  112   b  and a pedestal portion  112   c  connected with one end of the first pin  112   a.  The LED chip  114  is disposed on the pedestal portion  112   c  and is electrically connected with the first pin  112   a  and the second pin  112   b  by the bonding wires  116 . The LED chip  114 , the pedestal portion  112   c,  a portion of the first pin  112   a  and a portion of the second pin  112   b  are encapsulated by the encapsulant  118 . 
   Each LED lamp  110  is assembled with one sleeve  120 . When assembling the LED lamp  110  with the sleeve  120 , the LED lamp  110  is plugged into the sleeve  120  such that the first pin  112   a  and the second pin  112   b  of the LED lamp  110  will be exposed ouside the sleeve  120 . Then, the first pin  112   a  and the second pin  112   b  exposed are bent to lean against the outer surface of the sleeve  120 . 
   Still referring to  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B , each connector  140  includes a housing  142  for accommodating the sleeve  120  and two conductive plates  144   a,    144   b  disposed on the inner surface of the housing  142 . The electric wires  130  are electrically connected with the conductive plates  144   a,    144   b  of the connector  140  correspondingly. In addition, the LED lamps  110  assembled with the sleeves  120  is plugged into the connector  140 , such that the conductive plates  144   a,    144   b  are electrically connected with the first pin  112   a  and the second pin  112   b,  which are bent to lean against the outer surface of the sleeve  120 . In other words, the electric wires  130  are electrically connected with the LED chips  114  through the conductive plates  144   a,    144   b,  the first pin  112   a  and the second pin  112   b.    
   In the LED lamp module  100  as described above, the conductive plates  144   a,    144   b,  the first pin  112   a  and the second pin  112   b  are protected from moisture (or water) by the housings  142  of the connectors  140 . It should be noted that a gap is formed between the sleeves  120  and the connectors  140  during assembling, such that moisture (or water) permeating from the gap with rust the conductive plates  144   a,    144   b,  the first pin  112   a  and the second pin  112   b.  In the prior art, the LED lamp module  100  has little moisture-resistance or water-resistance, and the lifetime of the LED lamp module  100  is short. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is directed to provide an LED lamps module with excellent moisture-resistance or water-resistance. 
   As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides an LED lamps module. The LED lamp module includes a plurality of LED lamps, a plurality of electric wires and a plurality of moisture-resisting members. In one embodiment of the present invention, each LED lamp includes a substrate with a circuitry, at least one LED chip disposed on the substrate and connected with the circuitry electrically, a plurality of pins connected with the circuitry of the substrate electrically, and an encapsulant encapsulating the substrate, the LED chip and a portion of each pin. The electric wires are connected with the pins exposed. The moisture-resisting member encapsulats the pins exposed and a portion of each electric wire. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, the LED lamp may be a full-colored LED lamp with two pins or four pins. The LED chip disposed in the full-colored LED lamp including a red LED chip, a green LED chip and a blue LED chip, for example. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, the LED lamp module further includes a control integrated circuitry disposed on the surface (top surface or bottom surface) of the substrate, and the control integrated circuitry is encapsulated by one of the encapsulants. Moreover, the LED lamp module further includes an electrostatic protection circuitry integrated in each control integrated circuitry or in each circuitry of the substrate. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, the LED lamp module further includes a plurality of ornaments, e.g. light-guiding members or light-reflecting members having any structure, for covering the LED lamps. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1A  is a perspective view showing a conventional LED lamp module; 
       FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional LED lamp module; 
       FIG. 2A  is a perspective view showing an LED lamp module in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view showing an LED lamp module in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an LED lamp has four pins in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 2A  is a perspective view showing an LED lamp module in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 2A , the LED lamp module  200  of the present invention includes a plurality of LED lamps  210 , a plurality of electric wires  220  and a plurality of moisture-resisting members  230 . The relationship of the elements mentioned above is described in detail as follows. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2A , each LED lamp  210  includes a substrate  212  with a circuitry, at least one LED chip  214  disposed on the substrate  212  and connected with the circuit electrically, a plurality of pins  216  connected with the circuit of the substrate  212  electrically, and an encapsulant  218  encapsulating the substrate  212 , the LED chip  214  and a portion of each pin  216 . The electric wires  220  are connected with the pins  216  that are exposed outside the encapsulant  218 . The moisture-resisting members  230  encapsulats the pins  216  exposed outside the encapsulant  218  and a portion of each electric wire  220 . 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, the LED lamp  210  may be a full-colored LED lamp with two pins or four pins (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). The number of the pins is not limited in the present invention. The LED chips  214  disposed in the full-colored LED lamp including a red LED chip, a green LED chip and a blue LED chip, as shown in  FIG. 2A . However, the number and the type of the LED chips are not limited in the present invention. Specifically, several monochromatic LED chips with the same emission characteristics can also be used in the present invention. 
     FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view showing an LED lamp module in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , in the present embodiment, the electric wire  220  includes an insulating layer  220   a  and a conductive wire  220   b  wrapped in the insulating layer  220   a.  As shown in  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , one end of the conductive wire  220   b  are exposed by the insulating layer  220   a,  and the exposed end of the conductive wire  220   b  is connected with one of the pins  216  of the LED lamp  210  by solder material  240 . However, the electric wires  220  and the pins  216  may also be connected by other possible techniques. For example, each pin  216  may have a piercing end to pierce through the insulating layer  220   a  and connect with the conductive wire  220   b.  As shown in  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , in each LED lamp  210 , not only are the pins  216  exposed outside the encapsulant  218 , but also a portion of each electric wire  220 , the bottom of the encapsulant and the solder material  240  are encapsulated by the moisture-resisting members  230 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2B , in one embodiment of the present invention, each LED lamp  210  further includes a plurality of bonding wires  250  connected between the LED chips  214  and the circuitries electrically. However, the connection between the LED chips  214  and the substrate  212  is limited to wire bonding process. Any skilled artisan can use flip-chip bonding process, surface mount technologhy or other alternative bonding techniques. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, each substrate  212  has a top surface and a bottom surface, the LED chips  214  are disposed on the top surface of the substrate  212 , and the pins  216  are protruded from the bottom surface of the substrate  212 . In addition, the LED lamp  210  may further includes a control integrated circuit (control IC)  260  disposed on the top surface (shown in  FIG. 2A ) or the bottom surface (shown in  FIG. 2B ) of the substrate  212 . Each control IC  260  is encapsulated by the encapsulants  218 . 
   It should be noted that an electrostatic protection circuit may be integrated in each control IC  260  or be integrated in the circuit of the substrate  212 . The material of the moisture-resisting members  230  includes plastics or other materials with excellent moisture-resistance. 
   In order to obtain excellent moisture-resistance, the moisture-resisting members of the present invention are being substituted for the sleeve and the connector of the prior art. The moisture-resisting members tightly connected with bottom portion of the encapsulant  218  may be formed by injection molding process. The LED lamp module  200  with excellent moisture-resistance may be fabricated by the following process. First, LED lamps  210  each having pins  216  are provided. Then, the pins  216  of the LED lamps  210  and electric wires  220  are welded by solder material  240 . However, the pins  216  of the LED lamps  210  and electric wires  220  are welded by other possible processes. Ultimately, the moisture-resisting members  230  are formed to encapsulate the pins  216  exposed outside the encapsulant  218 , a portion of each electric wire  220  and the solder material  240 . 
   When forming the moisture-resisting members  230  by injection molding processes, electrostatic damage, thermal deterioration or other problems of the LED lamps  210  may occur so as to damage the LED chips  214  of the LED lamps  210 . Therefore, the control IC  260  or the circuit of the substrate  212  with electrostatic protection function can prevent the LED chips  214  from failing. 
   It should be noted that the LED lamp module  200  may further includes a plurality of ornaments for covering the LED lamps  210 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the ornaments comprise light-guiding members or light-reflecting members with various structures. 
   While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.