LED lighting apparatus for use with AC-output lighting ballasts

• US 10,117,295 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Jun, McBryde, James Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US13/749,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,105 Days
• Field of Search: 315185 R, 315200 R, 315244, 315246, 315254, 315258, 315312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/382 with galvanic isolation between input and output
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/39 Circuits containing inverter bridges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A lighting apparatus includes at least one light emitting diode (LED) and a passive resonant converter circuit having an output coupled to the at least one LED and an input configured to be coupled to a ballast that produces an AC output. The passive resonant converter circuit may include a combination of a passive rectifier circuit, such as a passive diode bridge, and a resonant circuit, such as a CL resonant circuit. An input of the passive rectifier circuit may be configured to be coupled to the ballast and the resonant circuit and the at least one LED may be coupled to an output of the passive rectifier circuit. At least a portion of the passive resonant converter may be packaged with the at least one LED in a lamp and all or a portion of the passive resonant converter circuit may be packaged as a module or other unit for use with a lamp.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus comprising:

at least one light emitting diode (LED); and

a passive resonant converter circuit having an output coupled to the at least one LED and an input configured to be coupled to a gas discharge lamp ballast that produces an AC output, and comprising a resonant CL circuit comprising;

at least one inductor coupled in series with the at least one LED; and

at least one capacitor.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit provides no active voltage or current regulation.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit comprises a combination of a passive rectifier circuit and the resonant CL circuit.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 3, wherein an input of the passive rectifier circuit is configured to be coupled to the gas discharge lamp ballast and wherein the resonant CL circuit and the at least one LED are coupled to an output of the passive rectifier circuit.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one capacitor is between the at least one inductor and the input.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the resonant CL circuit comprises the at least one capacitor coupled in parallel with the at least one inductor and the at least one LED.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one LED comprises a string of serially-connected LEDs.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one capacitor configured to be coupled in series between the gas discharge lamp ballast and the passive resonant converter circuit.

9. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one LED and at least a portion of the passive resonant converter circuit are integrated in a lamp.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an isolation transformer configured to be coupled between the passive resonant converter circuit and the gas discharge lamp ballast.

11. A lamp replacement kit comprising the lighting apparatus of claim 1.

12. The lamp replacement kit of claim 11 comprising a lamp configured to be coupled to a lamp connector, wherein the at least one LED is positioned in the lamp.

13. The lamp replacement kit of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the passive resonant converter circuit is positioned in the lamp.

14. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit is configured to substantially match an output impedance of the gas discharge lamp ballast.

15. A lamp comprising:

a housing;

at least one electrical contact supported by the housing and configured to engage at least one electrical contact in a lamp connector of a gas discharge lighting device;

at least one light emitting diode (LED) positioned in the housing and configured to provide illumination through at least one translucent portion of the housing; and

a passive resonant converter circuit positioned in the housing and having an input coupled to the at least one electrical contact and an output coupled to the at least one LED and comprising a resonant CL circuit comprising at least one inductor coupled in series with the at least one LED and at least one capacitor coupled in parallel with the at least one inductor and the at least one LED, the passive resonant converter circuit configured to transfer power to the least one LED from a lamp ballast connected to the lamp connector.

16. The lamp of claim 15, further comprising an AC/AC converter circuit positioned in the housing, having an input coupled to the at least one electrical contact and an output coupled to the passive resonant converter circuit.

17. The lamp of claim 15, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit provides no active voltage or current regulation.

18. The lamp of claim 15, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit further comprises a passive rectifier circuit,

wherein an input of the passive rectifier circuit is coupled to the at least one contact and wherein the resonant CL circuit and the at least one LED are coupled to an output of the passive rectifier circuit.

19. The lamp of claim 15, wherein the at least one LED comprises a string of serially-connected LEDs.

20. The lamp of claim 15, further comprising at least one capacitor coupled in series between the at least one electrical contact and the passive resonant converter circuit.

21. The lamp of claim 15, wherein the resonant CL circuit of the passive resonant converter circuit is configured to substantially match an output impedance of the gas discharge lamp ballast.

22. An apparatus comprising:

an output configured to be coupled to at least one LED;

an input configured to be coupled to a gas discharge lamp ballast that produces an AC output; and

a passive resonant converter circuit coupled to the input and to the output, and comprising a resonant CL circuit comprising;

at least one inductor configured to be coupled in series with the at least one LED; and

at least one capacitor.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit supports power transfer from the gas discharge lamp ballast to the at least one LED without active voltage or current regulation.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit comprises a combination of a passive rectifier circuit and the resonant CL circuit.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein an input of the passive rectifier circuit is configured to be coupled to the gas discharge lamp ballast, wherein the resonant CL circuit is coupled to an output of the passive rectifier circuit and wherein the output of the passive rectifier circuit is configured to be coupled to the at least one LED.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one capacitor is between the at least one inductor and the input.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the resonant CL circuit comprises the at least one capacitor configured to be coupled in parallel with the at least one inductor and the at least one LED.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising at least one capacitor configured to be coupled in series between the gas discharge lamp ballast and the passive resonant converter circuit.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the passive resonant converter circuit is packaged in a module configured to be electrically connected between the gas discharge lamp ballast and a lamp connector.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the passive resonant converter circuit is packaged in a lamp including the at least one LED.

31. A lamp replacement kit comprising the apparatus of claim 22 and the at least one LED.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the passive resonant converter circuit is configured to substantially match an output impedance of the gas discharge lamp ballast.