LED circuits and assemblies

• US 8,179,055 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lynk Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lynk Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Kottritsch, Robert L., Miskin, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/287,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 315/185.R, 315/185.S, 315/192, 315/250, 315/312
• US Class Current: 315/250
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/42 Antiparallel configurations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

An AC-driven LED circuit 10 includes a first parallel circuit 12 having a first branch 14 and a second branch 16 which connect at first and second common point 18, 20. The common points 18, 20 provide input and output for an AC driving current from a driver of the circuit. The first branch 14 has a first LED 26 and a second LED 28, the first LED 26 being connected to the second LED 28 in opposing series relationship with the inputs of the first and second LEDs 26, 28 defining a first branch junction 34. A second branch 16 has a third LED 30 and a fourth LED 32, the third LED 30 is connected to the fourth LED 32 in opposing series relationship with the outputs of the third and fourth LEDs 30, 32 defining a second branch junction 36. Improvement in performance and scalability is provided by adding n diodes to a given parallel circuit and x cross connecting circuit branch diodes (40, 44) and providing one or more parallel circuits (15) in series and or parallel. An AC-driven LED assembly with discretely packaged LEDs being connected in an AC circuit and being sized preferably substantially 2.5 mm or less in length and width, and more preferably 2.0 mm or less; and being mounted to a substrate at a distance from the other of preferably approximately 3 mm or less, and more preferably 2.0 mm or less.

Claims

1. An AC-driven LED circuit comprising:

a first circuit having LEDs, each LED having an input and an output, and the circuit having at least first and second branches connecting at first and second common points, the common points providing input and output for an AC driving voltage for the circuit;

the first branch having at least a first, a second, and a third LED, and the second branch having at least a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth LED;

the first LED is connected to the second LED in opposing series relationship and one of the first or the second LEDs is connected in series with the third LED, with the inputs of the first and second LEDs defining a first branch junction;

the fourth LED is connected to the fifth LED in opposing series relationship and one of the fourth or fifth LEDs is connected in series with the sixth LED, with the outputs of the fourth and fifth LEDs defining a second branch junction,

the first and second branches are connected to one another such that the output of the first LED is connected to the input of the fourth LED at the first common point and the output of the third LED is connected to the input of the sixth LED at the second common point; and

,

a first cross-connecting circuit branch having at least a seventh LED, the first cross-connecting circuit branch being configured such that the input of the seventh LED is connected to the second branch junction and the output is connected to the first branch junction,

wherein at least one additional LED is connected in series with

the second LED between the second common point and the first branch junction than is connected in series with the first LED between the first common point and the first branch junction, or

the first LED between the first common point and the first branch junction than is connected in series with the second LED between the second common point and the first branch junction.

2. The AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 1 further comprising one or more additional circuits each being the same as the first circuit, each additional circuit being conductively connected to the first circuit and to one another at the their common points for providing an input and an output for an AC driving voltage for the circuit.

3. An AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 2 wherein the additional circuits are connected in series to the first circuit.

4. An AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 2 wherein the additional circuits are connected in parallel to the first circuit.

5. The AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 1 wherein the number and type of LEDs of the AC-driven LED circuit draw a combined current which is substantially equal to the nominal current capacity of the AC-source.

6. The AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 1 wherein the number and type of LEDs of the AC-driven LED circuit drops a combined voltage which is substantially equal to the nominal voltage capacity of the AC-source.

7. The AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 2 wherein the first circuit and each other circuit has a voltage drop of twelve volts.

8. The AC-driven LED circuits of claim 1 wherein all the LEDs are formed on a semiconductor.

9. The AC-driven LED circuits of claim 1 wherein the LEDs are discretely packaged separately from each other.

10. The AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 1 further comprising n additional LEDs, in pairs, wherein the pairs are configured among the first and second branch circuits of the first circuit, such that current flows through the n additional LEDs of the first circuit upon both a negative and positive phase of the AC driving source and so that the current draw through each of the first circuit during both AC phases is substantially the same.

11. The AC-driven LED circuit of claim 1 further comprising x cross-connecting circuit branches each having one or more LEDs and being configured such that current flows through each of the respective one or more LEDS upon both a negative and positive phase of the AC driving source and so that the current draw through the first circuit during both AC phases is substantially the same.

12. The AC-driven LED circuit of claim 1 further comprising at least one additional LED is connected in series with

the fifth LED between the second common point and the second branch junction than is connected in series with the fourth LED between the first common point and the second branch junction if the at least one additional LED is connected in series with the second LED, or

the fourth LED between the first common point and the second branch junction than is connected in series with the fifth LED between the second common point and the second branch junction if the at least one additional LED is connected in series with the first LED.

13. An AC-driven LED circuit comprising:

a first circuit having LEDs, each LED having an input and an output, and the circuit having at least first and second branches connecting at first and second common points, the common points providing input and output for the circuit;

the first branch having at least a first and a second LED connected in opposing series relationship, and the second branch having at least a third and a fourth LED connected in opposing series relationship;

the first LED being connected in series with the fourth LED through at least a fifth LED;

the second LED being connected in series with the third LED through at least the fifth LED;

the first and second branches are connected to one another such that the first LED connects to the third LED at the first common point and the second LED connects to the fourth LED at the second common point,

wherein at least one more LED is connected in series with

each of the second and fourth LEDs than is connected in series with each of the first and third LEDs between each LEDs respective common point and the fifth LED, or

each of the first and third LEDs than is connected in series with each of the second and fourth LEDs between each LEDs respective common point and the fifth LED.

14. The AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 13 further comprising n additional LEDs, in pairs, wherein the pairs are configured among the first and second branch circuits of the first circuit, such that current flows through the n additional LEDs of the first circuit upon both a negative and positive phase of the AC driving source and so that the current draw through each of the first circuit during both AC phases is substantially the same.

15. The AC-driven LED circuit of claim 13 further comprising x cross-connecting circuit branches each having one or more LEDs being connected in parallel with the fifth LED and being in series with the first and fourth LEDs and the second and third LEDs.

16. An AC-driven LED circuit comprising:

a first branch having at least a first and a second LED wherein the input of the first LED is connected to the input of the second LED at a first branch junction;

a second branch having at least a third and a fourth LED wherein the output of the third LED is connected to output of the fourth LED at a second branch junction;

a first common point connecting the first branch and the second branch wherein the output of the first LED is connected to the input of the third LED;

a second common point connecting the first branch and the second branch wherein the output of the second LED is connected to the input of the fourth LED;

at least one cross-connecting branch having at least a fifth LED, the at least one cross-connecting branch being connected such that an input of the fifth LED is connected to the second branch junction and an output of the fifth LED is connected to the first branch junction,

wherein at least one more LED is connected in series with

each of the first and third LEDs than each of the second and fourth LEDs between each LEDs respective branch junction and common point, or

each of the second and fourth LEDs than each of the first and third LEDs between each LEDs respective branch junction and common point.

17. The AC-driven LED circuit according to claim 16 further comprising n additional LEDs, in pairs, wherein the pairs are configured among the first and second branch circuits of the first circuit, such that current flows through the n additional LEDs of the first circuit upon both a negative and positive phase of the AC driving source and so that the current draw through each of the first circuit during both AC phases is substantially the same.

18. The AC-driven LED circuit of claim 16 further comprising x cross-connecting circuit branches each having one or more LEDs and being configured such that current flows through each of the respective one or more LEDS upon both a negative and positive phase of the AC driving source and so that the current draw through the first circuit during both AC phases is substantially the same.