LED TUBE AND LAMP ARRANGEMENT

• US 20110260614A1
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teknoware Oy (Teknopower Oy)
• Original Assignee: Teknoware Oy (Teknopower Oy)
• Inventors: HARTIKKA, Yrjö, KUISMA, Jouko
• Granted Patent: US 8,624,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/51
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/27 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with two fittings for each light source, e.g. for substitution of fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/04 breaking the electric circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3578 Emulating the electrical or functional characteristics of discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/56 involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/26 Circuit arrangements for protecting against earth faults
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A LED tube includes a translucent or fluorescent tube of substantially the shape and size of a fluorescence tube, inside which one or more LED components and a current control unit are installed. At both ends of the LED tube, there is a pair of contact pins for connecting the light element mechanically and electrically to the tube holders of the fluorescence tube lighting fixture. The tube lamp has a safety unit arranged to prevent a voltage from transferring through the tube lamp from its one end to the other until a voltage supplied from the corresponding tube holder of the lighting fixture to the pair of contact pins has been separately detected at each end of the tube lamp. Inside the LED tube, there is at least one optical line that is arranged to transfer a control or measurement signal associated with the safety unit from one end of the LED tube to the other without capacitive leakage currents.

Claims

1. A LED tube comprising a translucent or fluorescent tube of substantially the shape and size of a fluorescence tube, inside which one or more LED components and a current control unit are installed and at each end of which there is at least one contact pin for connecting the light element mechanically and electrically to the tube supports of the fluorescence tube lighting fixture, wherein the LED tube has a safety unit arranged to connect electric power from the ends of the LED tube to the current control unit and/or LED components separately only after voltage fed from the corresponding tube support of the lighting fixture to said at least one contact pin has been detected at each end of the LED tube separately, and wherein the LED tube has at least one optical control line arranged to transfer at least one control or measurement signal associated with said safety unit from one end of the LED tube to the other, opposite end.

2. A LED tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety unit comprises switching means on a current path between contact pins at different ends of the LED tube, and wherein said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer at least one control or measurement signal associated with the control of said switching means.

3. A LED tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety unit comprises switching means in series on a current path between said at least one contact pin at the first end of the LED tube and the current control unit, and wherein said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer the control or measurement signal associated with the control of said switching means from the opposite, second end of the LED tube to the first end.

4. A LED tube as claimed in claim 3, wherein the safety unit comprises:

a first voltage detection means connected to detect voltage at said at least one contact pin at the first end of the LED tube and to control said switching means LED tube, and

a second voltage detection means connected to detect voltage at said at least one contact pin at the second end of the LED tube and to control said switching means at the opposite, first end of the LED tube, and said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer a signal from said second voltage detection means to said switching means.

5. A LED tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety unit comprises switching means in series on a current path at both ends of the LED tube between said at least one contact pin and the current control unit, and wherein the control of the switching means is cross-connected in such a manner that voltage detection at one end of the LED tube is arranged to control the electrical power switching means at the opposite end, and wherein said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer the cross-connected control or measurement signals associated with the control of the switching means between the ends of the LED tube.

6. A LED tube as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one optical control line comprises:

a first optical line arranged to transfer a voltage measurement or control signal of the connection from the first end of the LED tube to the opposite, second end,

a second optical line arranged to transfer a voltage measurement or control signal of the connection from the second end of the LED tube to the opposite, first end.

7. A LED tube as claimed in claim 5, wherein the safety unit comprises

a first and a second controlled switching means at a first and at a second end of the LED tube, respectively, for supplying electric power to the current control unit and/or to the LED components,

a first voltage detection means connected to detect voltage at said at least one contact pin at the first end of the LED tube,

a first optical line, with which the first voltage detection means is connected to control said second switching means at the opposite, second end of the LED tube, and

a second voltage detection means connected to detect voltage at said at least one contact pin at the second end of the LED tube, and

a second optical line, with which the second voltage detection means is connected to control said first switching means at the opposite, first end of the LED tube.

8. A LED tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety unit is arranged to detect the heating voltage received from the tube holder of the fluorescence tube lighting fixture to the contact pins at each end of the LED tube.

9. A tube lamp as claimed claim 1, wherein the LED tube comprises two contact pins at each end of the tube;

and wherein between the two contact pins a resistive, inductive and/or capacitive measuring component is connected at each end of the LED tube to generate a current path between the contact pins; and

wherein the safety unit is arranged to detect low voltage over said measuring component at each end of the LED tube, which low voltage results from current passing through the measuring component and generated with a high-resistance component connected in place of or beside a starter in the fluorescence tube lighting fixture of a ballast-starter type.

10. A LED tube as claimed claim 1, wherein said at least one optical control line is also arranged to transfer a signal associated with the control of the LED components and/or current control unit.

11. A LED tube as claimed claim 1, wherein said at least one optical control line comprises:

an electrical-to-optical converter that converts the electrical signal to be transferred to an optical signal,

an optical-to-electrical converter that converts the transferred optical signal to an electrical signal, and

an optical wave guide mounted between the electro-optical and opto-electrical converters.

12. A LED tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one optical control line comprises an opto-isolator or a corresponding component that is arranged to isolate an electrical control wire from the live end.

13. A LED tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein part of the tube coating of the LED tube is made of metal or comprises a metal structure for providing cooling.

14. A lighting fixture arrangement comprising a lighting fixture which is intended for a fluorescent tube and in which a LED tube as claimed in claim 1 is installed, said LED tube further comprising a translucent or fluorescent tube of substantially the shape and size of a fluorescence tube, inside which one or more LED components and a current control unit are installed and at each end of which there is at least one contact pin for connecting the light element mechanically and electrically to the tube supports of the fluorescence tube lighting fixture, wherein the LED tube has a safety unit arranged to connect electric power from the ends of the LED tube to the current control unit and/or LED components separately only after voltage fed from the corresponding tube support of the lighting fixture to said at least one contact pin has been detected at each end of the LED tube separately, and wherein the LED tube has at least one optical control line arranged to transfer at least one control or measurement signal associated with said safety unit from one end of the LED tube to the other, opposite end.

15. A lighting fixture arrangement as claimed in claim 14, in which the lighting fixture comprises a high-frequency electronic ballast.

21. A lighting fixture arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the safety unit comprises switching means on a current path between contact pins at different ends of the LED tube, and wherein said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer at least one control or measurement signal associated with the control of said switching means.

22. A lighting fixture arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the safety unit comprises switching means in series on a current path between said at least one contact pin at the first end of the LED tube and the current control unit, and wherein said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer the control or measurement signal associated with the control of said switching means from the opposite, second end of the LED tube to the first end.

23. A lighting fixture arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the safety unit comprises:

a first voltage detection means connected to detect voltage at said at least one contact pin at the first end of the LED tube and to control said switching means LED tube, and

a second voltage detection means connected to detect voltage at said at least one contact pin at the second end of the LED tube and to control said switching means at the opposite, first end of the LED tube, and said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer a signal from said second voltage detection means to said switching means.

24. A lighting fixture arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein the safety unit comprises switching means in series on a current path at both ends of the LED tube between said at least one contact pin and the current control unit, and wherein the control of the switching means is cross-connected in such a manner that voltage detection at one end of the LED tube is arranged to control the electrical power switching means at the opposite end, and wherein said at least one optical control line is arranged to transfer the cross-connected control or measurement signals associated with the control of the switching means between the ends of the LED tube.

25. A lighting fixture arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein said at least one optical control line comprises:

a first optical line arranged to transfer a voltage measurement or control signal of the connection from the first end of the LED tube to the opposite, second end,

a second optical line arranged to transfer a voltage measurement or control signal of the connection from the second end of the LED tube to the opposite, first end.

16-20. -20. (canceled)