Patent Publication Number: US-2010110678-A1

Title: Light-emitting diode tube structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a tube structure, and particularly to a light-emitting diode tube structure. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the progress in technologies, the living quality is enhanced. Accordingly, the quality of lighting equipments is improving continuously. Among general light equipments, fluorescent light is the most prevalent. The fluorescent light technology according to the prior art has being used for quite a long time and has become an indispensable lighting equipment in life. According to the prior art, the fluorescent tube emits light by gas discharging, which discharges mercury vapor in sealed tubes. The metal mercury is hazardous to the environment. Once the fluorescent tubes are broken, mercury leaks rapidly to the air. When people inhale the mercury gas, mercury will remain in the body and harm the nervous system. Besides, the fluorescent tubes break once the exerted external force is excessive. In addition to harming the environment and human bodies owing to leakage of mercury and fluorescent powders, broken tubes will not shine any longer. 
     Meanwhile, with the rising awareness of environmental protection, people think highly of energy saving increasingly. Due to advancement in device technologies, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) play a major role rapidly in the technical field of lighting. The lighting equipments using LEDs as the light source overcome many drawbacks of fluorescent tubes in such as flexibility in size, power consumption, low-current drivability, and heating problem. In addition, there are various LED wavelengths available for application. Although lighting equipments using LEDs as the light source can solve the problems described above, replacing all of the lighting installations costs highly, retarding users&#39; willingness to replacement. Additionally, the replaced light frames bring new problems to the environment. Furthermore, the brightness of LEDs is lower. It is thereby an important issue for making use of the light emitted by LEDs efficiently. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides an LED tube structure, which replaces the conventional fluorescent tubes by LED tubes while making use of the light emitted by LEDs efficiently. Hence, the problems described above can be solved. 
     SUMMARY 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide an LED tube structure, which condenses light emitted by LEDs using a condenser film. Thereby, LED light can be utilized with high efficiency. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide an LED tube structure, which diffuses light emitted by LEDs by using a diffuser film. Thereby, LED light can be utilized with high efficiency. 
     The LED tube structure according to the present invention comprises a lamp cover and a light-emitting assembly. The light-emitting assembly is disposed under the lamp cover; and a condenser film or a diffuser film is disposed above the light-emitting assembly. The light-emitting assembly comprises a base, a circuit board, and a plurality of LEDs. The circuit board is disposed on the base. The plurality of LEDs are disposed on the circuit board and are connected electrically by a plurality of wires disposed on the circuit board. Light emitted by the LEDs is condensed or diffused by the condenser film or the diffuser film for lighting purposes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  shows a front view of the LED tube structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  shows an exploded view of the LED tube structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1C  shows a partial enlarged view of the base according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1D  shows a structural schematic diagram of the LEDs disposed on the circuit board according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1E  shows a structural schematic diagram of the LEDs and the bypass diodes disposed on the circuit board according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the LED tube structure according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  shows a cross-sectional view of the cylindrical condensing microstructures according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  shows a cross-sectional view of the spherical condensing microstructures according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3C  shows a cross-sectional view of the conical condensing microstructures according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 3D  shows a cross-sectional view of the Fresnel lens according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In order to make the structure and characteristics as well as the effectiveness of the present invention to be further understood and recognized, the detailed description of the present invention is provided as follows along with embodiments and accompanying figures. 
       FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  1 C show a front view and an exploded view of the LED tube structure and a partial enlarged view of the base according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the LED tube structure according to the present invention comprises a lamp cover  10 , a light-emitting assembly  20 , and a condenser film  32 . The light-emitting assembly  20  is disposed under the lamp cover  10 ; and the condenser film  32  is disposed above the light-emitting assembly  20 . 
     The light-emitting assembly  20  comprises a base  22 , a circuit board  24 , and a plurality of LEDs  26 . A groove  222  is disposed on the base  22 ; and the circuit board  24  is disposed at the bottom of the groove  222 . The material of the base  22  includes metals. According to the present preferred embodiment, aluminum is used for description. The plurality of LEDs  26  are disposed on the circuit board  24 . The LED s  26  are connected in series or in parallel. As shown in  FIG. 1C , because the material of the base  22  is aluminum, which a conductor, when the LEDs  26  are connected electrically using a plurality of wires  28 , the wires  28  are disposed atop the circuit board  24  for preventing short circuit. 
     In order to increase the efficiency of the light emitted by the LEDs  26 , according to the present invention, one or more reflectors  40  are further included. The reflectors  40  are disposed on both sides of the groove  22 . Thereby, the light emitted by the LEDs  26  can be reflected by the reflectors  40 , and hence enhancing light-emitting efficiency of the LED tube structure according to the present invention. 
     The lamp cover  10  according to the present invention is an arch extended longitudinally. At the bottom edges of the lamp cover  10 , inserts  102  are disposed, respectively. Besides, trenches  224  are disposed on both sides of the base  22  corresponding to the inserts  102 . When the lamp cover  10  and the base  22  are assembled, the inserts  102  insert into the trenches  224 , securing the lamp cover  10  to the base  22  as well as facilitating disassembling of the lamp cover  10 . Thereby, the convenience in maintenance for the present invention is improved. 
     Moreover, the present invention further comprises two conducting caps  50  put around the lamp cover  10  and the base  22 . The conducting caps  50  have one or more electrodes  52  connecting electrically to the circuit board  24 . Thereby, the appearance of the LED tube structure according to the present invention is identical to the fluorescent tube according to the prior art, facilitating replacement by users and hence substituting the fluorescent tubes according to the prior art. Additionally, for assembling the conducting caps  50  securely to the base  22 , one or more protruding parts  54  are disposed inside the conducting caps  50 , and one or more holding trenches  226  are disposed at the bottom of the base  22  corresponding to the location of the protruding parts  54 . Thereby, the conducting caps  50  can be put around the lamp cover  10  and the base  22  tightly, increasing convenience and safety of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1D  and  FIG. 1E  show structural schematic diagrams of the LEDs and the bypass diodes disposed on the circuit board according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figures, the LEDs  26  according to the present invention are connected on the circuit board  24  in series or in parallel. If in parallel, once one of the LEDs  26  is damaged, the operation of the other LEDs  26  will not be affected. On the other hand, if the LEDs  26  are connected on the circuit board  24  in series by the wires  28 , once one of the LEDs  26  is damaged, the other LEDs  26  will not function normally. Thereby, according to the present invention, a bypass diode  29  can be connected in parallel with each of the LEDs  26  connected in series as shown in  FIG. 1E . Accordingly, when one of the LEDs  26  is damaged, the current will flow through the bypass diode  29  corresponding to the damaged LED  26 , and hence maintaining normal operation of the other LEDs  26  connected in series. Since using bypass diodes  29  is a general technique according to the prior art, the details will not be described further. 
       FIGS. 3A to 3D  show cross-sectional views of the condensing microstructures according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figures, the condenser film  32  according to the present invention can be attached to the inner or outer surface of the lamp cover  10 . The condenser film  32  has a plurality of condensing microstructures, which can be cylindrical, spherical, conical microstructures, or a Fresnel lens. By condensing light emitted by the LEDs  26  using the condenser film  32 , the light of the LEDs  26  can be condensed and thus utilized efficiently. 
       FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the LED tube structure according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the difference between the present preferred embodiment and the previous one is that, according to the present preferred embodiment, instead of the condenser film  32 , a diffuser film  34  is disposed above the light-emitting assembly  20 . In order to adapt to various applications, the diffuser film  34  is used for diffusing the light emitted by the LEDs  26 . The material of the diffuser film  34  includes a resin selected from any combination of the group comprising silicon resin, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, and barium sulphate. The diffuser film  34  according to the present invention can further contain light diffuser particles for diffusing the light emitted by the LEDs  26 . The material of the light diffuser particles is selected from the group comprising polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, epoxy resin, poly lactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate, silicon dioxide, and aluminum oxide. 
     To sum up, the present invention relates to an LED tube structure, which comprises a lamp cover and a light-emitting assembly. The light-emitting assembly is disposed under the lamp cover; and a condenser film or a diffuser film is disposed above the light-emitting assembly. By using the condenser film or the diffuser film, the light emitted by LEDs can be condensed or diffused for using. 
     Accordingly, the present invention conforms to the legal requirements owing to its novelty, nonobviousness, and utility. However, the foregoing description is only embodiments of the present invention, not used to limit the scope and range of the present invention. Those equivalent changes or modifications made according to the shape, structure, feature, or spirit described in the claims of the present invention is included in the appended claims of the present invention.