Limited flicker light emitting diode string

• US 7,649,322 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seasonal Specialties LLC (Seasonal Specialties)
• Original Assignee: Seasonal Specialties LLC (Seasonal Specialties)
• Inventors: Altamura, Steven J., Neuman, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US11/983,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20080116816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 315/185.R, 315/186, 315/192, 315/186.S, 315/209.R, 315/210, 315/224, 315/225, 315/226, 315/246, 315/250, 315/291, 315/287, 315/294, 315/297, 315/299, 315/300, 315/301, 315/302, 315/306, 315/307, 315/312
• US Class Current: 315/185.00S
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/40 Details of LED load circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

A limited flicker decorative light-emitting diode (LED) string includes a power plug adapted to connect to an alternating current (AC) power source and supply AC power to the LED string, a first pair of LEDs and a second pair of LEDs, a plurality of LEDs electrically connected in series to form an LED series, and a plurality of rectifying diodes. The plurality of rectifying diodes provides full-wave rectification of the AC power to the LED series and half-wave rectification of the AC power to the first and second pair of LEDs.

Claims

1. A decorative LED string, comprising:

a first power terminal and a second power terminal;

a first diode, wherein an anode of the first diode is electrically connected to the first power terminal;

a second diode, wherein an anode of the second diode is electrically connected to a cathode of the first diode;

a third diode, wherein an anode of the third diode is electrically connected to the second power terminal;

a fourth diode, wherein an anode of the fourth diode is electrically connected to a cathode of the third diode, and a cathode of the fourth diode is electrically connected to a cathode of the second diode;

a fifth diode, wherein a cathode of the fifth diode is electrically connected to the first power terminal;

a sixth diode, wherein a cathode of the sixth diode is electrically connected to an anode of the fifth diode;

a seventh diode, wherein a cathode of the sixth diode is electrically connected to the second power terminal;

an eighth diode, wherein a cathode of the eighth diode is electrically connected to an anode of the seventh diode, and an anode of the eighth diode is electrically connected to an anode of the sixth diode;

a plurality of LEDs electrically connected in series to form an LED series, wherein a first LED of the LED series is electrically connected to the second diode and to the fourth diode, and a last LED of the LED series is electrically connected to the sixth diode and the eighth diode.

2. The LED string of claim 1, wherein at least some of said diodes are rectifying diode and wherein said string includes bulb assembly sockets and wherein said rectifying diodes are in said sockets.

3. The LED string of claim 2, wherein the bulb assembly sockets are three-wire sockets.

4. The LED string of claim 2, wherein at least some of the rectifying diodes are LEDs.

5. The LED string of claim 1, further comprising a current-limiting device electrically connected in series with at least one diode.

6. The LED string of claim 5, wherein the current-limiting device is surface-mount current-limiting device encased in an LED lens.

7. The LED string of claim 5, wherein the current-limiting device is located in said socket.

8. The LED string of claim 5, wherein the current-limiting device is a resistor.

9. The LED string of claim 1, wherein the LEDs emit more than one color of light.

10. The LED string of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of bulb assemblies, wherein each bulb assembly includes a socket and at least one LED, wherein each socket is adapted to receive either two or three wires;

a wire set electrically connecting the power plug, rectifying diodes, and LEDs; and

a plurality of splice compartments, wherein the splice compartment is adapted to receive two wires of the wire set, output a single wire of the wire set, and electrically all three wires such that the number of wires entering the socket is reduced.

11. The LED string of claim 10, wherein at least one rectifying diode is located within at least one of the plurality of splice compartments.

12. The decorative LED string of claim 1, wherein the first, third, fifth, and seventh diodes are rectifying diodes.

13. The decorative LED string of claim 1, wherein the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth diodes are LEDs.

14. The decorative LED string of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh and eighth diodes are LEDs, and at least one LED in each of the diode pairs acts as a rectifying diode.

15. The decorative LED string of claim 1, wherein the first, third, fifth, and seventh diodes are rectifying diodes.

16. The decorative LED string of claim 1, wherein the first, third, fifth, and seventh diodes are LEDs.