SERIES-WIRED LED LIGHT STRING WITH UNIDIRECTIONAL SHUNTS

• US 20090129077A1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: JLJ, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JLJ, Inc.
• Inventors: Janning, John L.
• Application Number:
  US12/358,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/234
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/105 with a spare lamp in the circuit, and a possibility of shunting a failed lamp lamp changing devices H01R33/00, H01R43/00; incandescent lamps with a reserve body H01K
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/23 of two or more light sources connected in series

Abstract

A series-connected string of light emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s), operating on AC or DC voltage, each having connected thereacross a voltage regulating shunting circuit which regulates the voltage across an empty or otherwise inoperative socket so as to maintain unidirectional current across each of the remaining sockets in the string, thereby insuring continuous illumination of the light string. The voltage regulating shunting circuit of the present invention is a silicon rectifier diode connected in series with a voltage regulating diode. The voltage regulating diode may be an array of silicon diodes or a Zener diode. The voltage regulating shunting circuit can be mass produced by using conventional manufacturing techniques.

Claims

2-1. The series-wired light string of claim 1, wherein the voltage regulating diode is an array of silicon diodes connected in series.