Patent Publication Number: US-8974081-B2

Title: LED lamp

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to illumination devices and, particularly, to an light-emitting diode (LED) lamp with a flat shape and can be received by existing bulb seat. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming increasingly prevalent for a variety of lighting functions. However, existing incandescent bulbs have been used for many years, and it will be a great waste to abandon those bulb seats which have already been installed everywhere, when LED lighting devices replace these existing incandescent bulbs. 
     Therefore, an LED lamp which can be received in existing bulb seat, and can be applied to many fields, such as being used as a mood light, traffic light, or warning light, is needed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, isometric view of an LED lamp according to a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial, cross-sectional view of the LED lamp of  FIG. 1 , which includes a fixing member. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic, isometric view of the fixing member of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing an emitting surface of the LED lamp of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partial, cross-sectional view of the LED lamp of  FIG. 1  according to a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing an emitting surface of the LED lamp of  FIG. 1  according to a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial, cross-sectional view of the LED lamp of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is another partial, cross-sectional view of the LED lamp of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a partial, cross-sectional view of the LED lamp of  FIG. 1  according to a fourth embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic, isometric view of the fixing member of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic, isometric view of the LED lamp according to a fifth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a flat LED lamp  101  according to a first embodiment is illustrated. The LED lamp  101  includes a shallow dish-shaped body  20  and a socket  30  detachably connected to the body  20 . In the first embodiment, a first electrical contact  302  is formed on a distal end portion of the socket  30 , and an outer screw thread  301  functioning as a second electrical contact is formed on an external surface of the socket  30 . The first electrical contact  302  and the second electrical contact  301  are configured to be electrically connected to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of an external power source (not shown) correspondingly. The LED lamp  101  is assembled to a bulb seat (not shown) through the socket  30 , therefore the external power source can supply power to the LED lamp  101 . In the embodiment, the socket  30  is selected from a standard E27 socket and a standard E26 socket. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in the first embodiment, the body  20  and the socket  30  are assembled together by insertions of a number of bolts  41  into a number of through holes defined in the body  20  and the socket  30 . In an alternative embodiment, the body  20  and the socket  30  can be screwed together by engagement of screw threads formed in an external surface of the body  20  and an internal lateral surface of the socket  30 . 
     The body  20  includes a rear cover  21 , a front cover  22 , a lamp board  231 , a number of LED light sources  241 , a driving circuit board  25  and a fixing member  26 . The fixing member  26  is configured for fixing the rear cover  21 , the driving circuit board  25  and the lamp board  231  together. The rear cover  21  can be screwed to or fastened to the front cover  22 . 
     Referring also to  FIG. 3 , in the first embodiment, the fixing member  26  includes a ring-shaped first fixing element  261  and a number of paws  262  extending radially and outwardly from the first fixing element  261 . The first fixing element  261  defines a number of mounting holes for passing through a number of bolts  42  to fix the rear cover  21  and the driving circuit board  25  to the fixing member  26 . Each paw  262  defines a mounting hole for passing through a bolt  43  to fix the lamp board  231  to the fixing member  26 . In the first embodiment, the lamp board  231  parallels to the front cover  22 . 
     A voltage input terminal of the driving circuit board  25  is electrically connected to the socket  30 , and a voltage output terminal of the driving circuit board  25  is electrically connected to the lamp board  231 . The driving circuit board  25  is configured for converting an external relative higher alternate voltage to a relative lower direct voltage, to drive the LED light sources  241  to emit light beams. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , in the first embodiment, the LED light sources  241  are mounted on the lamp board  231  facing an inside of the front cover  22 . Referring also to  FIG. 4 , in the first embodiment, the front cover  22  is made of transparent material. The LED light sources  241  are configured for emitting multicolor light beams, and arranged in a given pattern, such as flowers, animals, stars, and so on, and are visible from an outside through the transparent front cover  22  when the LED light sources  241  are lit. In used, the driving circuit board  25  drives the LED light sources  241  to emit multicolor light beams, and the multicolor light beams and the pattern of the arrangement of the LED light sources  241  are visible from the outside of the transparent front cover  22 , to meet the needs of mood lighting. 
     In other embodiments, the LED light sources  241  are arranged in a number of different groups for respectively emitting light beams with different colors, and each group of the LED light sources are arranged in a given pattern. The driver  25  is configured for selectively driving one group of the LED light sources  241  to emit light beams, to present an intended given pattern, or driving a plurality of the at least one groups of the LED light sources  241  to sequentially emit light beams, to sequentially present multiple intended given patterns, in order to meet different needs of users at different times and different scenes. 
     In a second embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the LED lamp  102  further includes a number of rear LED light sources  242  mounted on a rear side of the lamp board  231  facing the rear cover  21 . In the second embodiment, at least a part of the rear cover  21  is made of transparent material, and the rear LED light sources  242  are configured to emit light beams towards the rear cover  21 , in order to eliminate a dark area formed on the top of the LED lamp  102 . 
     In a third embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the transparent front cover  22  has a honeycombed pattern including a plurality of cells  221 . Each LED light source  244  is configured to emit a light beam toward the front cover  22  so as to create a light spot in corresponding cell  221  on the front cover  22 . In the third embodiment, the cells  221  have different shapes. 
     In the third embodiment, a number of stripes  222  are etched on a surface of the front cover  22 , to form boundaries of the cells  221 , and a number of colored films with different colors are respectively formed on those cells  221 . In use, the driving circuit board  25  drives the LED light sources  244  to emit white light beams, and the films are configured to convert the white light into light beams with different colors. In other embodiment, a number of different multicolor and transparent glasses are spliced to form the multicolor cells  221 . In use, the driving circuit board  25  drives the LED light sources  244  to emit white light beams, and the white light beams pass through the multicolor cells  221  to form multicolor spots on the surface of the LED lamp  104 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the LED light sources  244  are divided into a number of different groups for respectively emitting light with different colors. Each group of the LED light sources  244  are arranged in a given pattern. In use, each group LED light sources  244  emit their specific color light beams, and are shown outside a crystal visual effect through the transparent front cover  22 . 
     In other embodiment, a light guiding plate  27  as shown in  FIG. 7  or a lens block  28  as shown in  FIG. 8 , is arranged between each group of the LED light sources  244  and the front cover  22 . Adjoining interfaces of adjacent light guiding plates  27  or adjacent lens block  28  form boundaries of the cells  221 . The light guiding plates  27  or the lens blocks  28  are configured to guide the light beams from the LED light sources  244  respectively to the corresponding cells  221 , in order to form corresponding multicolor spots on the surface of the LED lamp  104 . With such structure, makers only need to determine the arrangement of the LED light sources or change the surface of the covers, the driving circuit board  25  can then simply drive the LED light sources to emit their light beams to reach a multicolor and crystal visual effect with non-light mixing driving process, therefore no complicated driving circuits or processes is needed. 
     In a fourth embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the fixing member  26 ′ is shaped like a stepped pyramid, and includes the first ring-shaped fixing element  261 ′, a second ring-shaped fixing element  263 ′ and a third ring-shaped fixing element  264 ′. In the fourth embodiment, the lamp boards  232  and  233  are respectively mounted on the external circumferential surfaces of the second fixing element  263 ′ and the third fixing element  264 ′. With such structure, the LED light sources  243  are mounted on the lamp boards  232  and  233  facing the inside of the rear cover  21  and emit light beams  2431  towards the rear cover  21 . In the fourth embodiment, the rear cover  21  has a reflecting internal surface, which can be coated with reflective film, or made of reflective material. The rear cover  21  is configured for allowing a portion of the light beams from the LED light sources  243  to pass therethrough and reflecting remaining portion of the light beams to the front cover  22 , and the front cover  22  is configured for allowing the reflected light beams to pass therethrough. 
     In the fourth embodiment, the first fixing element  261 ′, the second fixing element  263 ′ and the third fixing element  264 ′ are concentric rings, the first fixing element  261 ′ protrudes from the second fixing element  263 ′, and the third fixing element  264 ′ is connected to the second fixing element  263 ′ via a number of ribs  265 ′, the ribs  265 ′ are evenly spaced from each other and extend radially and outward from the external circumferential surface of the second fixing element  263 ′. 
     In a fifth embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the socket  30 ′ has a flat shape, such as the GX53 socket. In other embodiment, the socket  30 ′ is a bayonet type socket which can be received in the existing common bulb seat. 
     Moreover, it is to be understood that the disclosure may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein.