Dimmable LED lamp

• US 20100084990A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Next Gen Illumination, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Next Gen Illumination, Inc.
• Inventors: Beaver, Jeffrey Alan, Ang, Simon Saw-Teong
• Granted Patent: US 7,902,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/31 Phase-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/59 for reducing or suppressing flicker or glow effects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/04 Dimming circuit for fluorescent lamps

Abstract

An LED lamp utilizes AC power and bidirectional LED chips to provide dimming capabilities. The dimming capabilities of the lamp reduce the junction temperature of the LEDs on the bi-directional LED chips and thus prolong the life expectancy of the LED lamp.

Claims

1. An LED lamp, comprising:

an AC power source;

a varistor connected in series with the AC power source for regulating voltage spikes;

one or more bi-directional LED chips having a threshold on voltage connected in parallel, wherein the bi-directional LED chips are connected in series to the AC power source and in parallel to the varistor;

two or more resistors connected in series to each side of each bi-directional LED chip for regulating the voltage across the bi-directional chip;

one or more filters for reducing voltage spikes and harmonics and for increasing the duration during which the voltage applied across the bi-directional LED chip remains above the threshold on voltage required to illuminate bi-directional LED chip.

a dimmer for changing the voltage applied across the bi-directional chips.

2. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein the dimmer is a rheostat.

3. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein the dimmer is an SCR dimmer.

4. The LED lamp of claim 1, wherein the dimmer is a TRIAC dimmer.