LED tube

• US 8,235,545 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd., Fuzhun Precision Industry Company Limited (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd., Fuzhun Precision Industry Company Limited (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zheng, Shi-Song, Lu, Zhong-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John A
• Application Number:
  US12/758,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 362/217.13, 362/218, 362/240, 362/249.01, 362/651, 362/657, 362/658, 362/659, 362/217.04, 362221-223, 362/227, 362/235, 362/244, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/218
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/278 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/006 the substrate being distinct from the light source holder
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/00 Safety devices structurally associated with lighting devices gas- tight or water-tight arrangements F21V31/00; in general F16P; protective circuit arrangements per se H02H7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/507 of means for protecting lighting devices from damage, e.g. housings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/76 with essentially identical parallel planar fins or blades, e.g. with comb-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• 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]

Abstract

An LED (light emitting diode) tube includes a connecting member, an LED module mounted on a bottom side of the connecting member, a driving circuit module mounted on a top side of the connecting member, two covers engaging with two opposite lateral sides of the connecting member and two connectors. The two covers cover the driving circuit module and the LED module, respectively. The two connectors are located at two opposite ends of the LED tube. Two recesses are cooperatively defined by the two covers and the connecting member in two opposite sides of the LED tube and along a length of the LED tube. The recesses separate the two covers from each other and each have a width less than 12 mm.

Claims

1. An LED (light emitting diode) tube comprising:

a connecting member;

a driving circuit module mounted on a top side of the connecting member;

an LED module mounted on a bottom side of the connecting member;

two covers engaging with two opposite lateral sides of the connecting member and covering the LED module and the driving circuit module, respectively; and

two connectors located at two opposite ends of the LED tube and engaging with the two covers;

wherein two recesses are cooperatively defined by the two covers and the connecting member in two opposite sides of the LED tube and along a length of the LED tube, the two recesses separating the two covers from each other.

2. The LED tube as claimed of claim 1, wherein each of the recesses has an opening with a width less than 12 mm.

3. The LED tube as claimed of claim 1, wherein the two opposite lateral sides of the connecting member are located in the two recesses, the two opposite lateral sides of the connecting member being located inside of a circumferential outer surface of the LED tube.

4. The LED tube as claimed of claim 1, wherein the connecting member is made of a heat conductive material, the connecting member comprising a conductive plate and two fixing parts formed at two opposite lateral sides of the conductive plate and connecting with the covers.

5. The LED tube as claimed of claim 4, wherein each of the covers comprises a covering portion and two engaging portions extending inwardly from two distal edges of the covering portion, the two engaging portions being engagingly received in the two fixing parts of the connecting member.

6. The LED tube as claimed of claim 5, wherein two separated latching slots are defined in each of the fixing parts for receiving corresponding engaging portions of the covers, each of the latching slots being T-shaped in cross section and having an elongated opening at an outer side of each of the fixing parts.

7. The LED tube as claimed of claim 6, wherein each of the engaging portions has a T-shaped in cross section with a cross sectional size the same as that of a corresponding latching slot of each of the fixing parts, each of the engaging portions sliding into the corresponding latching slot from an end of the connecting member to an opposite end of the connecting member until the engaging portion is fully received in the corresponding latching slot.

8. The LED tube as claimed of claim 7, wherein each of the fixing parts has a first fixing plate extending outwardly and horizontally from one of the two opposite lateral sides of the conductive plate and two second fixing plates extending oppositely from a juncture between the first fixing plate and the conductive plate, the latching slots being formed between the first and second fixing plates of each of the fixing parts.

9. The LED tube as claimed of claim 8, wherein each of the first fixing plates has two protruding parts extending oppositely from an outer lateral edge thereof to thus have a T-shaped configuration, the second fixing plates of each of the fixing parts firstly extending upwardly or downwardly and outwardly from the juncture between the first fixing plate and the conductive plate and then is curved back toward the first fixing plate to form the latching slots between the first and second fixing plates.

10. The LED tube as claimed of claim 5, wherein the covering portions of the covers each have an arc-shaped configuration and cover the top and bottom sides of the connecting member, respectively.

11. The LED tube as claimed of claim 10, wherein the covering portions of the covers are coupled together via the connecting member to cooperatively form a tube, the two fixing parts of the connecting member being located inside of a circumferential outer surface of the tube.

12. The LED tube as claimed of claim 11, wherein the connectors are mounted on two opposite ends of the tube and electrically connected with the driving circuit module.

13. An LED (light emitting diode) tube comprising:

a connecting member comprising a conductive plate, two pairs, of latching slots being respectively defined at two opposite lateral sides of the conductive plate, each pair of latching slots being spaced from each other, each of the latching slots opening towards an outside of the LED tube;

a driving circuit module mounted on a top side of the conductive plate of the connecting member;

an LED module mounted on a bottom side of the conductive plate of the connecting member;

two covers each comprising two engaging portions extending inwards from two distal edges thereof, the engaging portions of the covers sliding into corresponding latching slots of the connecting member to thus connect the two covers to the connecting member so that the covers cover the driving circuit module and the LED module, respectively; and

two connectors connected to two opposite ends of a tube formed by the connecting member and the covers.

14. The LED tube as claimed of claim 13, wherein two recesses are defined in two opposite sides of the LED tube and along a length of the LED tube and separate the two covers from each other.

15. The LED tube as claimed of claim 14, wherein each of the recesses has an opening with a width less than 12 mm.

16. The LED tube as claimed of claim 13, wherein each of the latching slots of the connecting member is T-shaped in cross section.

17. The LED tube as claimed of claim 16, wherein each of the engaging portions of the covers is T-shaped in cross section with a cross sectional size the same as that of a corresponding latching slot of the connecting member, thereby being fittingly received in the corresponding latching slot.