Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to illuminating apparatus, and particularly to a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp having an LED light bar inserted in a frame of the LED lamp. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In recent years, due to excellent light quality and high luminous efficiency, light emitting diodes (LEDs) have increasingly been used as substitutes for incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps and fluorescent tubes as light sources of illumination devices. 
         [0005]    An LED lamp generally includes a casing, a light bar and a lamp cover. The light bar includes a supporting salver and a plurality of LEDs mounted on the supporting salver. Different light bars may have LEDs with different numbers or in different arrangements to generate different light distributions, thereby meeting different light distribution requirements. However, the light bar is generally mounted on the casing through screw or glue. Therefore, once the light bar is mounted on the casing, the light bar is not readily to be removed or replaced. As a result, additional processes and cost may be required for maintenance and repair of the LED lamp. 
         [0006]    What is needed, therefore, is an LED lamp which can overcome the disadvantages as described above. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Many aspects of the present 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 being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an isometric, assembled view of an LED lamp in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from an opposite direction thereof 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged, exploded view of a part of the LED lamp of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a further exploded view of the LED lamp of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , but viewed from an opposite direction thereof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The LED lamp  100  includes a frame  10 , a light bar  20 , a driving module  30 , a lamp cover  40  and two side plates  50 . 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the frame  10  is elongated and has a cross section with an upper U-shaped sub-frame and two trapezium-shaped mounting portions  13  extending downwardly from two lateral sides of the U-shaped sub-frame. The frame  10  is made of a material exhibiting excellent thermal conductivity and light reflectivity, such as aluminum wherein the frame  10  can be formed by aluminum extrusion. The upper sub-frame of the frame  10  includes a supporting plate  11  and two sidewalls  12  extending upwardly from two opposite edges of the supporting plate  11 . The supporting plate  11  is elongated and substantially rectangular. The supporting plate  11  includes a first surface  111  and a second surface  112  opposite the first surface  111 . The two sidewalls  12  each extend from a lateral side of the second surface  112  of the supporting plate  11 . The two sidewalls  12  are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the supporting plate  11 . The two sidewalls  12  extend along a length direction of the supporting plate  11 . The two sidewalls  12  and the second surface  112  of the supporting plate  11  together define a receiving room  14 . 
         [0015]    The two mounting portions  13  each have a hollow structure, thereby reducing a weight of the frame  10  and increasing a heat-dissipating area of the frame  10 . The two mounting portions  13  are spaced from each other and extend along the length direction of the supporting plate  11 . Each mounting portion  13  includes an outer wall  131 , an inner wall  132  and a middle wall  133  interconnecting bottom ends of the outer and inner walls  131 ,  132 . The outer wall  131  extends obliquely (i.e., downwardly and inwardly) from an outer side of the first surface  111  of the supporting plate  11 . The outer wall  131  extends along the length direction of the supporting plate  11 . The inner wall  132  extends obliquely (i.e., outwardly and downwardly) from a middle portion of first surface  111  of the supporting plate  11 . The middle wall  133  is parallel to the supporting plate  11  and interconnects the outer wall  131  and inner wall  132 . The middle wall  133  faces downwardly. The mounting portion  13  has a trapeziform shape in cross section. The two spaced inner walls  132  and a portion of the first surface  111  of the supporting plate  11  between the inner walls  132  together form a reflecting cup  15 . The inner walls  132  extend away from each other along a lighting direction of the light bar  20 . The reflecting cup  15  extends along the length direction of the supporting plate  11  for reflecting light emitted from the light bar  20 . To further increase a reflectivity of the reflecting cup  15 , a reflecting material can be coated thereon. The receiving room  14  and the reflecting cup  15  are at two opposite sides (i.e., top and bottom sides) of the supporting plate  11 . Alternatively, a reflecting film  60  is attached on each of the inner walls  132  to enhance the reflectivity. 
         [0016]    Two L-shaped appendages extend downwardly from the middle walls  133 , respectively to thereby define two clipping grooves  134  each of which is defined below the middle wall  133  of one of the mounting portions  13 . Each clipping groove  134  extends from each middle wall  133  away from the supporting plate  11  and extends horizontally away from the other middle wall  133 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the clipping groove  134  extends downwardly from the middle wall  133  and extends horizontally and outward. The clipping groove  134  extends along the length direction of the supporting plate  11 . The clipping grooves  134  are used for receiving edges of the lamp cover  40  to thereby assemble the lamp cover  40  to the frame  10 . The edges of the lamp cover  40  clip into the clipping grooves  134 . 
         [0017]    A part of the inner wall  132  of the mounting portion  13  which is close to the supporting plate  11  is recessed towards the outer wall  131  of the corresponding mounting portion  13  to define a slot  135 . The slots  135  extend along the length direction of the supporting plate  11 . An opening of the slot  135  faces an opening of the other slot  135  for receiving the light bar  20 . 
         [0018]    A screw groove  136  is defined on an inner surface of the outer wall  131  of each of the mounting portions  13 . The screw groove  136  is formed in the hollow mounting portion  13  and extends along the length direction of the supporting plate  11 . The screw groove  136  is C-shaped in cross section. The screw groove  136  is used for fixing the side plate  50  to the frame  10 . 
         [0019]    The light bar  20  includes a substrate  21  and a plurality of LEDs  22  arranged on the substrate  21  in a matrix. The substrate  21  is elongated and substantially a rectangular plate. In this embodiment, the plurality of LEDs  22  are arranged in a row along a length direction of the substrate  21 . A thickness of the substrate  21  of the light bar  20  is corresponding to a height of each of the slots  135  of the frame  10 , whereby the substrate  21  can be fixed to the frame  10  by inserting lateral edges of the substrate  21  into the slots  135 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the driving module  30  is fixed on the second surface  112  of the supporting plate  11  of the frame  10  and is received in the receiving room  14 . Two wiring junctions  70  are mounted on the supporting plate  11  and each of the wiring junctions  70  is deposited on one side of the driving module  30 . The driving module  30  is electrically connected to the light bar  20  via one of the wiring junctions  70  and is electrically connected to external power via the other wiring junction  70 . 
         [0021]    A length of the lamp cover  40  matches that of the supporting plate  11 . The lamp cover  40  is substantially semicircular in cross section, or the lamp cover  40  is substantially C-shaped in cross section. A hook  141  is formed on each edge of the lamp cover  40 . The hooks  141  extend from the edge of the lamp cover  40  inwardly and horizontally along a length direction of the lamp cover  40 . Each hook  141  is clipped in the clipping groove  134  of the frame  10  to fix the lamp cover  40  on the frame  10  firmly. The lamp cover  40  also acts as a dustproof cover for the plurality of LEDs  22 . 
         [0022]    The side plate  50  is mounted on each of two lateral sides of the frame  10  and the lamp cover  40 . The side plate  50  includes a barrier sheet  51  and a folding sheet  52 . The folding sheet  52  extends outward and horizontally from a top of the barrier sheet  51 . Two screw holes (not labeled) corresponding to the screw grooves  136  are defined in the barrier sheet  51 . The side plate  50  is fixed on a lateral side of the frame  10  and the lamp cover  40  by screws. Another screw hole (not labeled) is defined in the folding sheet  52  for fixing the LED lamp  100  onto a wall or a ceiling. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5  again, in assembly of the LED lamp  100 , the light bar  20  is inserted into the slots  135  of the frame  10 , by pushing the light bar  20  into the slots  135  from a lateral side of the supporting plate  11  until the light bar  20  is totally received in the slots  135  of the frame  10 , thus mounting the light bar  20  to the frame  10 . By this, the light bar  20  is fixed on the supporting plate  11  of the frame  10 . The light bar  20  can be easily dismounted from the frame  10  by pulling the light bar  20  out of the slots  135 . The driving module  30  and two wiring junctions  70  are fixed on the supporting plate  11  via screws. Wires are soldered on the light bar  20  to electrically connect the light bar  20  to the wiring junctions  70  and the driving module  30 . The reflecting films  60  are attached on the inner walls  132  of the mounting portions  13 . The lamp cover  40  is pushed towards the frame  10  from a lateral side of the frame  10  until the hooks  41  of the lamp cover  40  are totally received in the clipping grooves  134 , thus mounting the lamp cover  40  to the frame  10 . The lamp cover  40  can be easily dismounted from the frame  10  by pulling the lamp cover  40  away from the frame  10  until the hooks  41  are totally out of the clipping grooves  134 . The side plates  50  are fixed on two lateral sides of the frame  10  via screws. Since the light bar  20  can be easily pulled out of the frame  10  to separate the light bar  20  from the frame  10 , a replacement or a maintenance of the light bar  20  can be easily performed. 
         [0024]    In the aforementioned embodiment, since the light bar  20  is mounted on the frame  10  in an easily dismountable way, the LED lamp  100  can change different light bars conveniently to generate different light distributions to meet different light distribution requirements without the necessity of redesigning the LED lamp  100 . Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the LED lamp  100  can be lowered. 
         [0025]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Category: 2