Patent ID: 8564206

Claim:
An LED lighting device comprising: a step-up chopper which includes at least a first inductor and a first switching element, the step-up chopper serving to increase an output voltage applied from an external DC power supply and output the increased output voltage; a step-down chopper which includes at least a second inductor and a second switching element, the step-down chopper serving to decrease the output voltage from the step-up chopper and apply the decreased output voltage to a light source unit having one or more light emitting diodes; a controller which controls operations of the first switching element and the second switching element; a current limiter which includes a current limiting element for limiting current flowing therethrough and a switch for switching between a path passing through the current limiting element and a path not passing through the current limiting element on a front side of the step-up chopper; and a voltage detection unit which detects a load voltage applied to the light source unit, wherein the controller stops an operation of the first switching element when the voltage detection unit detects the voltage applied to the light source unit exceeding a predetermined voltage value, and the switch allows a current to flow through the path passing through the current limiting element when the operation of the first switching element is stopped.