LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE AND ILLUMINATION APPARATUS

• US 20100270935A1
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Hiromichi, Hiramatsu, Takuro, Terasaka, Hiroshi, Kamata, Masahiko, Otake, Hirokazu, Nishiie, Mitsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/185.R
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/40 Details of LED load circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/59 for reducing or suppressing flicker or glow effects

Abstract

A light-emitting device and an illumination apparatus are disclosed. A plurality of LED elements are connected in series between positive and negative lines, and first bypass capacitor is connected in parallel to the LED elements respectively. Each series circuit of a predetermined number of LED elements is connected in parallel to second bypass capacitors. As a result, with the negative power line set as a grounding point, the AC impedance at connection points of the series circuit of the LED elements against the ground is reduced. Thus, the erroneous lighting or “flicker” of each LED which otherwise might be caused by an external noise is prevented.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting diodes connected in series with each other and mounted on a printed board;

a plurality of first bypass capacitors connected substantially in parallel to the semiconductor light-emitting diodes; and

a second bypass capacitor connected in parallel to said first bypass capacitors in such a manner as to reduce the AC impedance at desired connection points of said plurality of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes against the grounding point of said plurality of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes as a reference.

2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a third bypass capacitor connected to a predetermined number of the first bypass capacitors different from the first bypass capacitors connected to the second bypass capacitor;

wherein the ratio between a combined capacitance of the second bypass capacitor and the first bypass capacitors connected to the second bypass capacitor and a combined capacitance of the third bypass capacitor and the predetermined number of the first bypass capacitors is set to be an inverse ratio between the number of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes connected to said second bypass capacitors and the predetermined number.

4. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a dimmer which adjusts the light emission strength of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes.

5. The light-emitting device according to claim 2, further comprising a dimmer which adjusts the light emission strength of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes.

7. An illumination apparatus comprising:

the light-emitting device according to claim 1; and

a power supply unit which supplies a DC output to the light-emitting device.

8. An illumination apparatus comprising:

the light-emitting device according to claim 2; and

a power supply unit which supplies a DC output to the light-emitting device.

3. A light-emitting device comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting diodes connected in series with each other; and

a plurality of first bypass capacitor connected in parallel to the semiconductor light-emitting diodes in such a manner as to reduce the AC impedance at desired connection points of said plurality of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes against the grounding point of said plurality of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes as a reference.

6. The light-emitting device according to claim 3, further comprising a dimmer which adjusts the light emission strength of the semiconductor light-emitting diodes.