Energy efficient festive lamp

• US 7,354,174 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technical Consumer Products, Inc. (Quality Light Source GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Technical Consumer Products, Inc. (Quality Light Source GmbH)
• Inventors: Yan, Ellis
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; Jacob Y.
• Application Number:
  US11/293,551
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 362/252, 362/240, 362/238, 362/800, 362/806, 313/500, 313/512, 313/634, 315/185.S, 315/200.A
• US Class Current: 362/249.16
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/238 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/005 the substrate is supporting also the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/02 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/00 Light sources with three-dimensionally disposed light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/59 for reducing or suppressing flicker or glow effects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel energy saving decorative festive lamp that is ideally suited for use in clubs, restaurants, or decorative applications, where specialized lighting, such as rapid flashing or frequent starts, is required. It may be used with hanging chandeliers for a spectacular display of dazzling illumination sources or because of its low power consumption, may find application as a night-light or to illuminate hallways and stairwells. Each lamp consumes only one watt, is energy efficient and has a long-life, lasting up to 50,000 hours. The outer glass envelope covering the LED array is preferably transparent, whereas the LEDs are available in the following colors: red, blue, green, amber, and white. This energy saving lamp operates efficiently at 1 watt or less to produce an illuminance greater than 25,000 mcd from a string of 10 LEDs, or greater than 37,500 mcd from a string of 15 LEDs, when contained in a transparent cover.

Claims

1. A modular light emitting diode (LED) lamp, comprising a plurality of colored sources of illumination in an arrangement of a helically wound, serial string of light emitting diodes;

wherein the LEDs are arrayed in a random spatially spheroidal arrangement and a circuit board supports a pair of upright, internal conducting rods, the first conducting rod of the pair is coated with an insulating layer of Teflon®

to serve as a protective coating to prevent arcing or physical contact in the event of a failure, while the second conducting rod of the pair remains uncoated.

2. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 1, wherein the serial string of light emitting diodes is current limited to prevent thermal runaway.

3. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 2, wherein the LED lamp receives power through a circuit having a means for reducing flicker emanating from the LEDs.

4. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 3, wherein the circuit board comprises a first resistor and a capacitor in parallel, connected serially to a second resistor;

wherein the capacitor provides a dissipationless, voltage dropping, reactive coupling element, for energy conservation.

5. The modular, decorative festive LED lamp as recited in claim 4, wherein the LED lamp comprises an energy saving lamp that operates efficiently at 1 watt or less.

6. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 5, wherein the first resistor element enhances a discharge and recovery rate of the capacitor to aid in applications that require rapid flashing or frequent starts.

7. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 6, wherein the second resistor provides a current limiting element in the event of a solid state failure, thereby preventing a thermal escape and consequent damage to the LED string.

8. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 7, wherein the capacitor and resistors are succeeded by a rectifier bridge that provides an unfiltered DC voltage for application to the LED string without a filter capacitor, thereby enabling the LED string to perform in rapid flashing and in frequent starting applications.

9. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 8, wherein the rectifier bridge comprises a first pair of diodes in parallel with a second pair of diodes that provides a doubled frequency of operation to the LED string, thereby reducing the flicker emanating from the LED string.

10. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 9, wherein each LED is joined to an adjacent LED by ends of the leads that are twisted in essentially two and one-half turns, snipped off for a neat appearance, and soldered to form a joined twisted-lead connection.

11. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 10, wherein the string of serially joined light emitting diodes is formed into a circular array of two and one-half turns that is arranged in a spiral, which when joined to the conducting rods, descends spirally in the form of a helix about these conducting rods.

12. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 11, wherein a radius of the helix is not a constant radius, but the first turn and the final half turn formed with essentially the same radius, and a centrally located second turn formed with an expanding, then contracting radius to give the serial array of LEDs an apparent spheroidal shape.

13. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 12, wherein the string of serially joined LEDs is connected between the conducting rods, a first end lead of a first LED in the string is soldered to the first connecting rod and a last end lead of a last LED, in the string is soldered to the second connecting rod.

14. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 13, wherein the LED string is encased in a transparent protective lamp housing envelope, that isolates the diodes from coming into contact with ones hands or with a flammable material, in the event the diodes should experience a high temperature.

15. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 14, wherein the lamp produces an illuminance greater than 25,000 millicandela (mcd), while contained in the transparent housing envelope.

16. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 15, wherein the lamp is constructed using LEDs of a single illumination color selected from the group consisting of red, blue, green, amber and white.

17. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 16, wherein the lamp is mounted on a candelabra base.

18. The modular LED lamp as recited in claim 16, wherein the lamp includes a circuit housing and is mounted on a medium base.