LED LAMP

• US 20130093309A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Deppe, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 8,845,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/51
• 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: F21K 9/272 Details of end parts, i.e. the parts that connect the light source to a fitting; Arrangement of components within end parts F21K9/278 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/00 Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices F21V17/00, F21V19/00 take precedence; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q, stands for supporting apparatus or articles in general F16M11/00; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• 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: H01R 33/96 with switch operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling

Abstract

An LED lamp (1) is provided, having at least one LED unit (4) arranged in a housing (2), a first (5, 5′, 5″, 5′″) and a second (6) lamp cap being arranged spaced from each other on opposing ends of the housing (2), said lamp caps (5, 5′, 5″, 5′″, 6) each comprising at least one contact element for connecting said LED unit (4) with a lamp fixture. To enhance the safety of the LED lamp (1) during removal of the lamp (1) from the fixture, said first lamp cap (5, 5′, 5″, 5′″) comprises contact breaking means (40, 40′, 40″), configured to electrically disconnect said contact elements of said first (5, 5′, 5″, 5″) and second (6) lamp caps from each other when said LED lamp (1) is removed from said lamp fixture.

Claims

1. An LED lamp, comprising

one LED unit arranged in a housing,

a first and a second lamp cap being arranged spaced from each other on opposing ends of the housing, said lamp caps each comprising at least one contact element for connecting said LED unit with a lamp fixture, wherein said first lamp cap comprises contact breaking means, configured to electrically disconnect said contact elements of said first and second lamp caps from each other when said LED lamp is removed from said lamp fixture.

2. The LED lamp according to claim 1, wherein said contact breaking means are adapted to disconnect said contact elements from each other when said LED lamp is rotated and/or displaced linearly against said lamp fixture.

3. The LED lamp according to claim 1, wherein said contact breaking means are configured to disconnect said at least one contact element of said first lamp cap from said LED unit.

4. The LED lamp according to claim 1, wherein said contact breaking means comprise a switching member, which is displaceable from a connected state, in which said contact elements are connected with each other, to a disconnected state, in which said contact elements are disconnected from each other.

5. The LED lamp according claim 4, wherein said contact breaking means comprise an actuation member to set said switching member to said connected state.

6. The LED lamp according to claim 4, wherein said switching member comprises at least one latching section, adapted to engage with a locking device in said connected state and said contact breaking means further comprise a spring element, biasing said switching member toward said disconnected state.

7. The LED lamp according to claim 6, wherein said first lamp cap further comprises a release element, said release element being displaceable relative to said locking device, so that in an activated state, said release element provides disengagement of said latching section from said locking device.

8. The LED lamp according to claim 7, wherein said locking device is mounted to a cap housing and where said contact element of said first lamp cap and said release element are connected with a release base plate, which base plate being pivotably connected with said cap housing and being pivotable about a longitudinal axis of said LED lamp from an operational position to a first release position, in which said release element is activated.

9. The LED lamp according to claim 7, wherein said contact element of said first lamp cap is fixed to said release element, so that said elements are displaceable against said cap housing along an axis, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said LED lamp from an operational position to a second release position, in which said release element is activated.

10. The LED lamp according to claim 7, wherein said locking device comprises at least one tongue, said tongue having a recess and being displaceable from an engaged state, in which said recess is engageable with said latching section of said switching member to a disengaged state in which said recess is disengaged from said latching section and where said tongue being biased toward said engaged state.

11. The LED lamp according to claim 10, wherein said locking device comprises two tongues, arranged spaced from each other by said release element a direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said LED lamp and wherein said release element is provided to increase the distance between said tongues to displace said tongues from said engaged state to said disengaged state.

12. A lamp cap for an LED lamp having at least one LED unit, comprising

at least one contact element for connecting said LED unit with a lamp fixture and

contact breaking means, configured to electrically disconnect said at least one LED unit from said contact element when said LED lamp is removed from said lamp fixture.

13. (canceled)