Method of producing an LED hose light

• US 6,857,924 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chih-Wei Jen, Ta-Hao Fu
• Original Assignee: Chih-Wei Jen, Ta-Hao Fu
• Inventors: Fu, Ta-Hao, Jen, Chih-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santiago, Mariceli
• Application Number:
  US10/158,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20030224687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 445/24, 445/25, 313/512
• US Class Current: 445/24
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers

Abstract

A method of producing an LED hose light includes the steps of mounting a plurality of serially connected LED strings directly on a core tube, using an intermediate tube having embedded power cords for supplying power to the LED strings to enclose the core tube having the LED strings mounted thereon, so as to form an assembly of the core tube, the LED strings, and the intermediate tube, and extending the assembly of the core tube, the LED strings, and the intermediate tube through an outer tube. The LED hose light associating LED strings with the core tube is easily bendable and energy-saving and can be produced at largely reduced cost.

Claims

1. A method of producing an LED hose light, said LED hose light including a core tube, a plurality of serially connected LED strings directly mounted on said core tube, an intermediate tube enclosing said core tube, and a transparent outer tube enclosing said intermediate tube, comprising the steps of:

producing said core tube by drawing a predetermined material into a desired tubular shape;

cutting one side of said tubular shape to provide a longitudinal groove; and

forming a plurality of recesses spaced along an opening of said groove;

producing each of said LED strings by compressing a metal wire at different sections thereof;

cutting each of said compressed sections into two plate electrodes;

providing a chip on a first one of said two plate electrodes in each compressed section, and a lead wire on a second plate electrode to overlap a surface of said chip on said first plate electrode, so as to form a light emitting element on each said compressed section of said metal wire;

positioning said plurality of light emitting elements in said recesses spaced on said core tube;

using a transparent material to circumferentially enclose said core tube at positions having said recesses and said light emitting elements provided thereat;

positioning said metal wire in said longitudinal groove while keeping said metal wire in a wavy line; and

separately extending two outmost ends of said metal wire across a top of said opening of said longitudinal groove of said core tube;

producing said intermediate tube by serially connecting a plurality of transparent hollow tubular sections to one another with two power cords that have different polarities and are embedded in two opposite sides of walls of said tubular sections, so that said two power cords are exposed from said intermediate tube at joints of any two said tubular sections that are adjacent to each other for said outmost ends of said metal wires of said LED strings to overlap thereat latter; and

forming an axial opening at one side of the wall of each said tubular section to allow quick positioning of said core tube having said LED strings mounted thereon into said tubular sections of said intermediate tube via said axial openings;

producing said outer tube with a transparent hollow tubular member that is made of a plastic material and dimensioned to enable easy extending of said intermediate tube therethrough;

positioning said core tube having said LED strings mounted thereon into said tubular sections of said intermediate tube via said axial openings on said tubular sections to form an assembly of said core tube, said LED strings, and said intermediate tube; and

overlapping said outmost ends of said metal wire of each said LED string with said power cords exposed from joints of said adjacent tubular sections of said intermediate tube; and

extending said assembly of said core tube, said LED strings, and said intermediate tube through said outer tube, so as to enclose said assembly in said outer tube to form a complete LED hose light.

2. The method of producing an LED hose light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metal wire of each said LED string is positioned in said longitudinal groove of said core tube in a wavy line to provide a buffering length sufficient to allow said metal wire to stretch freely when said LED hose light is bent.

3. The method of producing an LED hose light as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said LED strings includes a plurality of said light emitting elements that are serially connected to one another, and two outmost ends of said metal wires of a first and a last light emitting element in each said LED string are separately overlapped with said two power cords having different polarities, so that a plurality of parallelly connected LED strings are formed between said two power cords.

4. The method of producing an LED hose light as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transparent material for enclosing said core tube at said recesses and said light emitting elements comprises epoxy resin.