LED tube to replace fluorescent tube
First Claim
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1. An LED lighting tube for placement in a fluorescent light fixture, comprising:
- a tube body with a long axis, comprising a first dummy end cap and a second dummy end cap, with each end cap having two protruding electrodes configured for engagement with said fluorescent light fixture, with said electrodes configured for physically mounting said tube body, and being electrically unconnected to electrical components of said LED lighting tube;
a heat sink base plate positioned within said tube body and attached to said first and second dummy end caps, with said heat sink base having a first and a second side;
a plurality of LED light sources attached to said heat sink base plate and oriented on said first side of said heat sink base plate, and directed generally away from said first side of said base plate;
a diffuser plate attached to said heat sink base plate, and held in a spaced apart relationship with said heat sink base plate, and positioned between said LED light sources and said tube body;
a light cover extending between said end caps and covering said heat sink base plate, said light sources, and said diffuser plate;
a recessed low voltage power input connection in a side of one of said dummy end caps, for connection to a light driver;
said light driver for supplying power low voltage power to said LED light sources, with said light driver comprising a connection to line voltage, and power leads which attach to said recessed low voltage power input connection, with said low voltage power input connection positioned between said end cap electrodes, but not electrically connected to said end cap electrodes.
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Abstract
Presented is an LED light tube in the general configuration of a prior art fluorescent tube. The LED light tube includes end caps with electrodes at each end, with the electrodes providing physical mounting structure to mount the LED light tube in an existing LED light fixture. The end caps of the LED light tube are not electrically active, but merely provide physical mounting structure to mount the LED light bulb in an existing fluorescent light fixture. This allows existing LED light fixtures to be utilized without replacement, by merely replacing the tubes and ballast with LED based equipment.
61 Citations
15 Claims
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1. An LED lighting tube for placement in a fluorescent light fixture, comprising:
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a tube body with a long axis, comprising a first dummy end cap and a second dummy end cap, with each end cap having two protruding electrodes configured for engagement with said fluorescent light fixture, with said electrodes configured for physically mounting said tube body, and being electrically unconnected to electrical components of said LED lighting tube; a heat sink base plate positioned within said tube body and attached to said first and second dummy end caps, with said heat sink base having a first and a second side; a plurality of LED light sources attached to said heat sink base plate and oriented on said first side of said heat sink base plate, and directed generally away from said first side of said base plate; a diffuser plate attached to said heat sink base plate, and held in a spaced apart relationship with said heat sink base plate, and positioned between said LED light sources and said tube body; a light cover extending between said end caps and covering said heat sink base plate, said light sources, and said diffuser plate; a recessed low voltage power input connection in a side of one of said dummy end caps, for connection to a light driver; said light driver for supplying power low voltage power to said LED light sources, with said light driver comprising a connection to line voltage, and power leads which attach to said recessed low voltage power input connection, with said low voltage power input connection positioned between said end cap electrodes, but not electrically connected to said end cap electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15)
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13. An LED lighting tube for placement in a light fixture, comprising:
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a tube body with a long axis, comprising a first dummy end cap and a second dummy end cap, with each end cap having two protruding electrodes configured for engagement with said light fixture, with said electrodes configured for physically mounting said tube body, and being electrically unconnected to electrical components of said LED lighting tube; a heat sink base plate positioned within said tube body and attached to said first and second dummy end caps, with said heat sink base having a first and a second side, with a recessed low voltage power input connection molded into a side of one of said dummy end caps, for connection to a light driver, and with a recessed low voltage power output connection molded into a side of one of said dummy end caps, for providing power to a neighboring lighting tube; a plurality of LED light sources attached to said heat sink base plate and oriented on said first side of said base plate, and directed generally away from said first side of said base plate; a diffuser plate attached to said base plate, and held in a spaced apart relationship with said base plate, and positioned between said LED light sources and said tube body; a cylindrical light cover extending between said end caps and covering said heat sink base plate, said light sources, and said diffuser plate; a light driver for supplying a light driver for supplying power low voltage power to said LED light sources, with said light driver comprising a connection to line voltage, and power leads which attach to a low voltage power input connection molded into said first and second end caps, but not electrically connected to said end cap electrodes.
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Specification