LED tube lamp with heat dissipation of power supply in end cap

• US 10,634,337 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jiaxing Super Lighting Electric Appliance Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Jiaxing Super Lighting Electric Appliance Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jiang, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Horikoshi, Steven Y
• Application Number:
  US15/168,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20160341414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/272 Details of end parts, i.e. the parts that connect the light source to a fitting; Arrangement of components within end parts F21K9/278 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/278 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/015 Devices for covering joints between adjacent lighting devices; End coverings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/101 permanently, e.g. welding, gluing or riveting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/12 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/009 the support means engaging the vessel of the source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/001 the elements being electrical wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/04 breaking the electric circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/508 of electrical circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An LED tube lamp includes an LED lamp tube, a coupling structure, one or more end caps, one or more power supplies, and an LED light strip. The end cap is connected to an end of the LED lamp tube by the coupling structure. The power supply is in the end cap. The LED light strip including one or more LED light sources is in the LED lamp tube. The LED light sources are electrically connected to the power supply via the LED light strip. The end cap includes a tube wall and an end wall. The tube wall is coaxial with the LED lamp tube and is connected to the end of the LED lamp tube. The end wall is perpendicular to an axial direction of the tube wall and is connected to an end of the tube wall away from the LED lamp tube.

Claims

1. An LED tube lamp, comprising:

an LED lamp tube, comprising;

a main body; and

two rear end regions respectively at two ends of the main body;

two end caps respectively sleeving the two rear end regions

an LED light strip, at least a portion of the LED light strip attached to the inner circumferential surface of the LED lamp tube, the LED light strip being provided with a plurality of LED light sources disposed thereon; and

a power supply comprising a circuit board electrically connecting the LED light strip and configured to drive the plurality of LED light sources;

wherein the end cap comprises;

a tube wall substantially coaxial with the LED lamp tube and connected to the end of the LED lamp tube;

an end wall substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the tube wall and connected to an end of the tube wall away from the LED lamp tube; and

two vertical ribs on an inner surface of the tube wall, the two vertical ribs being spaced from each other and extending along the axial direction of the tube wall;

wherein each of the vertical ribs comprises a first side, a second side, and a third side, the first side and the second side are opposite to each other, the second side is closer to the end wall relative to the first side, the third side is away from the tube wall and is between the first side and the second side;

further wherein the LED light strip comprises a free extending end portion at one end thereof, the free extending end portion being detached from the inner circumferential surface of the LED lamp tube and electrically connecting to the circuit board,

wherein the free extending end portion is directly soldered to the circuit board; and

wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface of the LED light strip is attached on the inner circumferential surface of the LED lamp tube and the plurality of LED light sources are mounted on the top surface of the LED light strip, and further wherein the LED light strip comprises two first soldering pads arranged on the free extending end portion and on the top surface of the LED light strip.

2. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the circuit board comprises two second soldering pads arrange on the top surface thereof, and each of the first soldering pads be soldered with a respective second soldering pad.

3. The LED tube lamp of claim 2, wherein a soldering material covers one of the first soldering pad, the corresponding second soldering pad and an end edge of the free extending end portion.

4. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, further comprising a coupling structure, wherein the at least one end cap is connected to the end of the LED lamp tube by the coupling structure.

5. The LED tube lamp of claim 4, wherein the coupling structure comprises a first thread and a second thread, the first thread is disposed on the tube wall, the second thread is disposed on the end of the LED lamp tube, and the end cap is connected to the LED lamp tube by the matching of the first thread to the second thread.

6. The LED tube lamp of claim 5, wherein the end cap further comprises at least one opening penetrating through the end wall, wherein when the first thread fully matches the second thread, the at least one opening is rotated about the axle of the LED lamp tube to a predetermined position, wherein when the LED tube lamp is horizontally installed to a lamp base, an altitude of the at least one opening is higher than that of the axle of the tube wall in a vertical direction.

7. The LED tube lamp of claim 5, wherein the coupling structure further comprises a first positioning unit and a second positioning unit, the first positioning unit is disposed on the tube wall, the second positioning unit is disposed on the end of the LED lamp tube, and the first positioning unit is corresponding to the second positioning unit, wherein when the first thread fully matches the second thread, the first positioning unit mates the second positioning unit such that the LED lamp tube and the end cap are positioned to each other.

8. The LED tube lamp of claim 7, wherein the first positioning unit is a convex point and the second positioning unit is a concave point;

or the first positioning unit is a concave point and the second positioning unit is a convex point.

9. The LED tube lamp of claim 5, wherein torque applied to have the first thread fully match the second thread is greater than that applied to have the LED tube lamp installed to a lamp base.

10. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the end cap further comprises at least one opening penetrating through the end wall.

11. The LED tube lamp of claim 10, wherein an axial direction of the at least one opening is substantially parallel with the axial direction of the tube wall, and the at least one opening is aligned with an inner surface of the tube wall.

12. The LED tube lamp of claim 10, wherein an axial direction of the at least one opening and the axial direction of the tube wall define an acute angle.

13. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the end cap further comprises at least one opening penetrating through the end wall, a projection of the two vertical ribs is inside a projection of the at least one opening on a plane of projection perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube wall.

14. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the end cap further comprises two horizontal ribs, the two horizontal ribs are on the surface of the tube wall, the two horizontal ribs are spaced from each other and extend along the axial direction of the tube wall, the two horizontal ribs are respectively corresponding to the two vertical ribs, and the power supply is between the vertical ribs and the horizontal ribs.

15. The LED tube lamp of claim 14, wherein the horizontal rib comprises a first rib portion, a second rib portion, and a cut portion, the cut portion is between the first rib portion and the second rib portion, and the first rib portion and the second rib portion are spaced from each other by the cut portion.

16. The LED tube lamp of claim 14, wherein the horizontal rib comprises at least one ventilating hole.

17. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the end cap further comprises a blocking plate, the blocking plate is on the surface of the tube wall, the blocking plate and the end wall are spaced from each other in the axial direction of the tube wall, and a side of the power supply facing towards the end wall contacts the blocking plate.

18. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the LED light strip locates at a first plane, the power supply locates at a second plane, the first plane and the second plane are parallel with the axial direction of the tube wall, the first plane and the second plane define an angle about the axial direction of the tube wall, and the angle is greater than 0 degree and is less than 90 degrees.

19. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the two vertical ribs are parallel with each other.

20. The LED tube lamp of claim 1, wherein the two vertical ribs form a channel.

21. The LED tube lamp of claim 20, wherein the channel is good for air circulation.

22. The LED tube lamp of claim 21, wherein the channel communicates the air inside and outside of the end cap.

23. The LED tube lamp of claim 4, wherein the coupling structure comprises an annular convex portion and an annular trough, wherein the annular convex portion is disposed on the tube wall, and the annular trough is disposed on the end of the LED lamp tube;

or the annular convex portion is disposed on the end of the LED lamp tube, and the annular trough is disposed on the tube wall, wherein the annular convex portion is corresponding to the annular trough, wherein the coupling structure further comprises a first positioning unit and a second positioning unit, the first positioning unit is disposed on the tube wall, the second positioning unit is disposed on the end of the LED lamp tube, and the first positioning unit is corresponding to the second positioning unit, wherein the end cap is connected to the LED lamp tube by the coupling of the annular convex portion and the annular trough, and the first positioning unit mates the second positioning unit such that the LED lamp tube and the end cap are positioned to each other.

24. An LED tube lamp, comprising:

an LED lamp tube;

at least one end cap connected to an end of the LED lamp tube;

at least one power supply in the end cap; and

an LED light strip in the LED lamp tube, the LED light strip being provided with a plurality of LED light sources disposed thereon, the LED light sources being electrically connected to the power supply via the LED light strip;

wherein the end cap comprises;

a tube wall substantially coaxial with the LED lamp tube and connected to the end of the LED lamp tube;

an end wall substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the tube wall and connected to an end of the tube wall away from the LED lamp tube;

at least one opening penetrating through the end wall; and

two vertical ribs on an inner surface of the tube wall, the two vertical ribs being spaced from each other and extending along the axial direction of the tube wall;

wherein the vertical rib comprises a first side, a second side, and a third side, the first side and the second side are opposite to each other, the second side is closer to the at least one opening relative to the first side, the third side is away from the tube wall and is between the first side and the second side, and the third side is connected to the power supply;

wherein the shortest distance between the third side of the vertical rib and the tube wall gradually increases along the axial direction of the tube wall towards the end wall.

25. An LED tube lamp, comprising:

an LED lamp tube;

at least one end cap connected to an end of the LED lamp tube;

at least one power supply in the end cap; and

an LED light strip in the LED lamp tube, the LED light strip being provided with a plurality of LED light sources disposed thereon, the LED light sources being electrically connected to the power supply via the LED light strip;

wherein the end cap comprises;

a tube wall substantially coaxial with the LED lamp tube and connected to the end of the LED lamp tube;

an end wall substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the tube wall and connected to an end of the tube wall away from the LED lamp tube;

at least one opening penetrating through the end wall; and

two vertical ribs on an inner surface of the tube wall, the two vertical ribs being spaced from each other and extending along the axial direction of the tube wall;

wherein the vertical rib comprises a first side, a second side, and a third side, the first side and the second side are opposite to each other, the second side is closer to the at least one opening relative to the first side, the third side is away from the tube wall and is between the first side and the second side, and the third side is connected to the power supply;

the shortest distance between the third side of the vertical rib and the tube wall gradually decreases along the axial direction of the tube wall towards the end wall.