LED module for sign channel letters and driving circuit
First Claim
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1. An LED module for use in a lighting circuit for illumination of channel letters in a sign and having LED modules removably connected in series to a source of constant current, comprising:
- a substrate;
and an electrical circuit mounted and molded on the substrate, said electrical circuit consisting essentially of an LED and a shunt element connected in parallel with the LED, the electrical circuit having only two electrical connection points for directly electrically connecting the LED module to only a single conductive wire to other modules in a series circuit wherein the shunt element enables power to shunt the LED if the LED becomes inoperative, to keep the other LED modules lit when in the series circuit and connected to power wherein the housing has a retainer for accepting a return wire.
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Abstract
An LED module for use in sign letter channel lights comprises a substrate, a reflector mounted on the substrate, an LED mounted within the reflector on the substrate and a Zener diode shunt element connected in parallel across the LED, a printed circuit board on the substrate, wherein the LED is mounted on the printed circuit board, and an insulating cover. The module may be entirely encapsulated. An LED driving protection circuit provides ground fault protection for a plurality of series connected LED modules.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An LED module for use in a lighting circuit for illumination of channel letters in a sign and having LED modules removably connected in series to a source of constant current, comprising:
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a substrate; and an electrical circuit mounted and molded on the substrate, said electrical circuit consisting essentially of an LED and a shunt element connected in parallel with the LED, the electrical circuit having only two electrical connection points for directly electrically connecting the LED module to only a single conductive wire to other modules in a series circuit wherein the shunt element enables power to shunt the LED if the LED becomes inoperative, to keep the other LED modules lit when in the series circuit and connected to power wherein the housing has a retainer for accepting a return wire. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 10. An LED lighting system for illumination of channel letters in a sign, comprising a circuit having a plurality of LED modules each LED module removably connectable in series to a source of constant current using only two electrical connecting points for directly electrically connecting each LED module to only a single conductor wire to other modules in the circuit, each LED module is removable and replaceable within the circuit, each LED module comprising an LED connected in parallel with a shunt element circuit wherein the shunt element enables power to shunt the LED if the LED becomes inoperative, to keep the other LED modules lit when in the series circuit and connected to power, wherein the housing has a retainer for accepting a return wire.
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19. An LED lighting system comprising a plurality of removable LED modules connected in series to a source of constant current, each removable LED module comprising:
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a substrate; a reflector mounted on the substrate; and an electrical circuit mounted and molded on the substrate, said electrical circuit consisting essentially of an LED mounted within the reflector on the substrate and a Zener diode shunt element connected in parallel across the LED, the electrical circuit having only two electrical connection points for directly electrically connecting the LED module to only a single conductive wire to the other modules in a series circuit, wherein the shunt element enables power to shunt the LED if the LED becomes inoperative, to keep the other LED modules lit when in the series circuit and connected to power, wherein the housing has a retainer for accepting a return wire.
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20. An LED circuit for illumination of channel letters in a sign, comprising:
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a source of DC constant current; and a circuit of plurality of LED modules, each LED module comprising a substrate, and an electrical circuit mounted and molded on the substrate, said electrical circuit consisting essentially of an LED and a shunt element connected in parallel with the LED, the electrical circuit having only two electrical connection points for directly electrically connecting the LED module to only a single conductive wire to other modules in a series circuit wherein the shunt element enables power to shunt the LED if the LED becomes inoperative, to keep the other LED modules lit when in the series circuit and connected to the source of DC constant current, wherein the amount of DC current remains constant independent of the number of LED modules and wherein the source of DC constant current and circuit of a plurality of LED modules are devoid of current limiting elements.
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21. An LED lighting system for illumination of channel letters in a sign, comprising:
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a source of DC constant current; and a circuit of plurality of LED modules, each LED module removably connected in series to the source of constant current using only two electrical connecting points for directly electrically connecting each LED module to only a single conductor wire to other modules in the circuit, each LED comprising an LED connected in parallel with a shunt element circuit wherein the shunt element enables power to shunt the LED if the LED becomes inoperative, to keep the other LED modules lit when in the series circuit and connected to the source of DC constant current, wherein the amount of DC current remains constant independent of the number of LED modules and wherein the source of DC constant current and circuit of a plurality of LED modules are devoid of current limiting elements.
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22. An LED lighting system comprising:
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a source of DC constant current; and a circuit of plurality of LED modules connected in series to the source of constant current, each removable LED module comprising removable LED module comprising a substrate and a reflector mounted on the substrate; and
an electrical circuit mounted and molded on the substrate, said electrical circuit consisting essentially of an LED mounted within the reflector on the substrate and a Zener diode shunt element connected in parallel across the LED, the electrical circuit having only two electrical connection points for directly electrically connecting the LED module to only a single conductive wire to the other modules in the series circuit, wherein the shunt element enables power to shunt the LED if the LED becomes inoperative, to keep the other LED modules lit when in the series circuit and connected to the source of DC constant current, wherein the amount of DC current remains constant independent of the number of LED modules and wherein the source of DC constant current and circuit of a plurality of LED modules are devoid of current limiting elements.
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Specification