Bidirectional LED light string

• US 9,713,205 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 1 Energy Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 1 Energy Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Yu, Jing Jing
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US15/047,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 315185 R, 315193, 362231
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0015 Fastening arrangements intended to retain light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• 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 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48257 connecting the wire to a die pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49113 the connectors connecting different bonding areas on the semiconductor or solid-state body to a common bonding area outside the body, e.g. converging wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/09 for baseless lamp bulb
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/44 with an active control inside an LED matrix

Abstract

Disclosed is a rectifierless light string that uses bidirectional LEDs. Each LED is illuminated on both the positive and the negative portion of an AC signal so that the AC signal does not have to be rectified. In addition, LEDs are mounted on LED holder plugs, which are designed to allow the LEDs and bypass resistors to be automatically inserted in the LED holder plug. The LED holder plugs are inserted into a light string socket that contains a shunt switch that provides a conduction path when the LED holder plug is not firmly inserted in the light string socket. In this manner, conduction can occur in the light string when the LED holder plug is dislodged.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode connector assembly comprising:

a light string socket having a central cavity;

wire lead connectors attached to said light string socket that attach to light string wires of a light string;

a light emitting diode plug that has a size and shape to fit firmly in said central cavity of said light string socket, said light emitting diode plug having a central cavity and constructed to allow leads of a resistive circuit component and leads of a light emitting diode to be inserted through said light emitting diode plug and wrapped around an exterior portion of said light emitting diode plug;

light string contacts disposed in said central cavity of said light string socket on an inner surface of said light string socket, which are aligned with said leads of said resistive element and said leads of said light emitting diode, that are wrapped around an outer surface of said light string socket, so that said leads of said resistive element and said leads of said light emitting diode electrically connect to said light string contacts when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted in said light string socket;

a shunt switch that is electrically connected to said light string contacts;

a switch disconnect shaft disposed on said light emitting diode holder plug that engages said shunt switch and separates spring arms of said shunt switch when said light emitting diode holder plug is fully inserted in said light string socket so that said shunt switch is open; and

said resistive component providing an alternative current path around said light emitting diode whenever said light emitting diode is burned out and said shunt switch providing an alternative current path in said light string socket whenever said light emitting diode holder plug is dislodged from said light string socket.

2. The light emitting diode connector assembly of claim 1 further comprising wire connectors molded into said light string socket that firmly hold light string wires.

3. A method of attaching a light emitting diode to a light string comprising:

securing said light emitting diode to a light emitting diode holder plug;

inserting leads of said light emitting diode in an automated fashion through a central portion of said light emitting diode holder plug and wrapping said leads of said light emitting diode around an outer surface of said light emitting diode holder plug;

inserting leads of a resistive component through said light emitting diode holder plug in an automated fashion and wrapping said leads of said resistive component around an outer surface of said light emitting diode holder plug;

providing a light string socket that is electrically connected to wires of said light string, said light string socket having light string contacts on an interior portion of said light string socket that are aligned with said leads of said light emitting diode and said leads of said resistive component when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted into said light string socket so that said resistive component provides an alternative current path whenever said light emitting diode is burned out and said light emitting diode plug is inserted in said light string socket;

providing a shunt switch that is electrically connected to said light string contacts and is disposed in said light string socket so that said light string contacts are electrically connected whenever said light emitting diode holder plug is dislodged from said light string socket; and

opening said shunt switch when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted in said light string socket so that said shunt switch does not provide a current path for said light string when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted in said light string socket and current flows through said light emitting diode or said resistive element.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said opening of said shunt comprises:

providing a switch disconnect shaft on said light emitting diode holder plug that separates connectors of said shunt switch when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted into said light string socket.

5. A serial light emitting diode light string that does not use a rectifier comprising:

a plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes, each of said plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes comprising;

a first light emitting diode mounted on a first wafer that is encapsulated by a lens, said first light emitting diode having an anode and a cathode;

a second light emitting diode mounted on a second wafer that is encapsulated by said lens, said second light emitting diode having an anode that is electrically connected to said cathode of said first light emitting diode to form a first node and a cathode that is electrically connected to said anode of said first light emitting diode to form a second node;

a serial string of said plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes formed by connecting said first nodes of each of said plurality of light emitting diodes to said second node of another of said plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes;

an alternating current connector attached to said serial string of bidirectional light emitting diodes to form said light emitting diode light string, said alternating current connector providing alternating current to said serial string of bidirectional light emitting diodes, without a rectifier, which causes said first light emitting diode to be illuminated while said alternating current is positive, and which causes said second light emitting diode to be illuminated while said alternating current is negative, so that said bidirectional light emitting diodes do not flicker and have an extended life such that each of said first light emitting diode and said second light emitting diode is illuminated for a half of a cycle of said alternating current;

a light emitting diode connector assembly for mounting and connecting said plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes to form said serial string of said plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes comprising;

a light string socket having a central cavity;

wire lead connectors attached to said light string socket that attach to light string wires of a light string;

a light emitting diode plug that has a size and shape to fit firmly in said central cavity of said light string socket, said light emitting diode plug having a central cavity and constructed to allow leads of a resistive circuit component and leads of a light emitting diode to be inserted through said light emitting diode plug and wrapped around an exterior portion of said light emitting diode plug;

light string contacts disposed in said central cavity of said light string socket on an inner surface of said light string socket, which are aligned with said leads of said resistive element and said leads of said light emitting diode, that are wrapped around an outer surface of said light string socket, so that said leads of said resistive element and said leads of said light emitting diode electrically connect to said light string contacts when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted in said light string socket;

a shunt switch that is electrically connected to said light string contacts;

a switch disconnect shaft disposed on said light emitting diode holder plug that engages said shunt switch and separates spring arms of said shunt switch when said light emitting diode holder plug is fully inserted in said light string socket so that said shunt switch is open; and

said resistive component providing an alternative current path around said light emitting diode whenever said light emitting diode is burned out and said shunt switch providing an alternative current path in said light string socket whenever said light emitting diode holder plug is dislodged from said light string socket.

6. A method of making a serial light emitting diode light string that does not use a rectifier comprising;

providing a plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes, each of said plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes comprising;

a first light emitting diode mounted on a first wafer that is encapsulated by a lens, said first light emitting diode having an anode and a cathode;

a second light emitting diode mounted on a second wafer that is encapsulated by said lens, said second light emitting diode having an anode that is electrically connected to said cathode of said first light emitting diode to form a first node and a cathode that is electrically connected to said anode of said first light emitting diode to form a second node;

connecting said plurality of bidirectional light emitting diodes to said serial light emitting diode light string so that said first nodes are connected to said second nodes to form a serial string of bidirectional light emitting diodes, comprising;

securing said light emitting diode to a light emitting diode holder plug;

inserting leads of said light emitting diode in an automated fashion through a central portion of said light emitting diode holder plug and wrapping said leads of said light emitting diode around an outer surface of said light emitting diode holder plug;

inserting leads of a resistive component through said light emitting diode holder plug in an automated fashion and wrapping said leads of said resistive component around an outer surface of said light emitting diode holder plug;

providing a light string socket that is electrically connected to wires of said light string, said light string socket having light string contacts on an interior portion of said light string socket that are aligned with said leads of said light emitting diode and said leads of said resistive component when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted into said light string socket so that said resistive component provides an alternative current path whenever said light emitting diode is burned out and said light emitting diode plug is inserted in said light string socket;

a shunt switch that is electrically connected to said light string contacts and is disposed in said light string socket so that said light string contacts are electrically connected whenever said light emitting diode holder plug is dislodged from said light string socket;

opening said shunt switch when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted in said light St socket so that said shunt switch does not provide a current path for said light string when said light emitting diode holder plug is inserted in said light string socket and current flows through said light emitting diode or said resistive element; and

applying an alternating current to said serial string of bidirectional light emitting diodes without rectifying said alternating current which causes said first light emitting diode to illuminate when said alternating current is positive, and causes said second light emitting diode to illuminate when said alternating current is negative, so that said bidirectional light emitting diodes do not flicker and have an extended life such that each of said first light emitting diode and said second light emitting diode are illuminated for a half cycle of said alternating current.