1. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to light emitting diode (LED) lamps, and particularly to an LED lamp with an adjustable illumination direction.
2. Description of Related Art
LEDs (light emitting diodes) are preferred for use in LED lamps rather than CCFLs (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) and other traditional lamps due to their excellent properties, including high brightness, low power consumption, long lifespan, environment friendliness, rapid start-up, directivity, and et al.
Nowadays, screw-type LED lamps are widely used. The screw-type LED lamp is provided with a screw-type lamp cap at one end thereof for electrically connecting the LED lamp with an external power source. Generally, the screw-type LED lamps emit light outwardly around a whole outer circumferential surface thereof. In use, the screw-type lamp cap of the LED lamp is screwed into a screw-type lamp holder which is electrically connected with the external power source, until the screw-type lamp cap is firmly fixed in and electrically connected with the screw-type lamp holder to ensure a good electrical connection between the screw-type lamp cap and the screw-type lamp holder.
However, some screw-type LED lamps are designed to emit light only through a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the LED lamp. Therefore, the screw-type LED lamp is often required to be turned from a first position to a second position so that the emitted light can illuminate on the desired objects at the second position. However, after the screw-type LED lamp is turned from the first position to the second position, the screw-type lamp cap may be electrically disengaged from the screw-type lamp holder to cause an electrical connection between the screw-type LED lamp and the screw-type lamp holder to be interrupted.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an LED lamp with an illumination direction thereof being adjustable.
Many aspects of the present embodiment can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiment. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring to
The heat dissipation part 10 includes a heat dissipation member 11. The heat dissipation member 11 is made of a material having a high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or aluminum alloy. The heat dissipation member 11 includes a vertical base 111 and a plurality of fins 112 extending horizontally outwardly from a left side of the base 111. The base 111 is rectangular. The fins 112 are semicircular and spaced from each other along a lengthwise direction of the base 111. A diameter of the fin 112 is equal to a width of the base 111. A right side of the base 111 forms a heat absorbing surface 113.
The optical part 20 is arranged at a right side of the heat dissipation part 10. The optical part 20 includes an LED module 21 and an envelope 22 covering the LED module 21. The LED module 21 includes a substrate 211, a plurality of LEDs 212 arranged on the substrate 211, and a plurality of electrodes 213 formed on the substrate 211. The LEDs 212 are evenly spaced from each other and electrically connected to the substrate 211 with emitting surfaces thereof facing the envelope 22. The substrate 211 of the LED module 21 is rectangular and attached on the heat absorbing surface 113 of the heat dissipation member 11, whereby heat generated by the LEDs 212 is conducted to the heat dissipation member 11 via the substrate 211 for dissipation. A layer of thermal interface material (TIM) may be applied between the substrate 211 of the LED module 21 and the heat absorbing surface 113 of the heat dissipation member 11 to eliminate an air interstice therebetween, to thereby enhance a thermal conduction efficiency between the LED module 21 and the heat dissipation member 11. The substrate 211 defines a plurality of mounting holes 2111 near oppositely lateral edges thereof. Fasters (not shown) such as screws are used to extend through the mounting holes 2111 to fix the substrate 211 of the LED module 21 onto the heat absorbing surface 113 of the heat dissipation member 11. Alternatively, the substrate 211 of the LED module 21 can be attached to the heat absorbing surface 113 of the heat dissipation member 11 fixedly and intimately through surface mount technology (SMT), whereby an interface between the substrate 211 and the base 111 can be eliminated and a thermal resistance between the LED module 21 and the heat dissipation member 11 is reduced.
The envelope 22 is transparent and has a semicircular cross section. A diameter of the cross section of the envelope 22 is equal to that of the fin 112. The envelope 22 is arranged at the right side of the base 111 of the heat dissipation member 11 and fixed on the base 111, with the LED module 21 covered by the envelope 22. The envelope 22 and the fins 112 of the heat dissipation member 11 cooperatively define an elongated, cylindrical profile of the LED lamp 100. The envelope 22 functions as an optical lens for the LED module 21 to guide light emitted by the LEDs 212 of the LED module 21 to an ambient environment and as a shell to protect the LED module 21 from dust and external damage.
The electric part 30 is arranged at a bottom end of the LED lamp 100 and connected to the heat dissipation part 10 and the optical part 20. The electric part 30 includes a circuit board 31, a casing 32 and a lamp cap 33. The circuit board 31 is received in the casing 32. The circuit board 31 has a pair of first wires 301 extending upwardly and a pair of second wires 302 extending downwardly therefrom. The first wires 301 are connected with the electrodes 213 of the LED module 21, and the second wires 302 are connected with the lamp cap 33 which is used to connect with the lamp holder 400 to get electric current to enable the LED module 21 to emit light.
The casing 32 is bowl-shaped, and has an open end facing and connecting the heat dissipation part 10 and the optical part 20. The casing 32 includes a circular bottom plate 321 and an annular sidewall 322 (see in
The lamp cap 33 is arranged at a bottom end of the casing 32. The lamp cap 33 includes a cylindrical electric shell 331 and an electric pole 332 axially inserted in the electric shell 331. The electric shell 331 is made of metal sheet having a high electrical conductivity. The electric shell 331 has an opening facing the casing 32, and includes a tubular-shaped main body 3311 and a cone-shaped end plate 3312 extending downwardly from a bottom end of the main body 3311. The main body 3311 defines a plurality of threads in an outer surface thereof for engaging to the lamp holder 400. The end plate 3312 defines a through hole 3310 in a central portion thereof for insertion of the electric pole 332 therein. The electric pole 332 is made of material having a high electrical conductivity. The electric pole 332 has an inner end 3321 adjacent to the casing 32 and an outer end 3322 far from the casing 32. The electric pole 332 is axially inserted in the electric shell 331. The base 111 of the heat dissipation member 11 extends along an axial direction of the electric pole 332. The inner end 3321 and the outer end 3322 of the electric pole 332 extend axially out of two ends of the electric shell 331, respectively. A diameter of the outer end 3322 of the electric pole 332 is smaller than that of the through hole 3310 of the end plate 3312. An insulating member 3314 is attached on an inner surface of the end plate 3312 and disposed around the outer end 3322 of the electric pole 332. The electric pole 332 is fixedly connected to and electrically insulated from the end plate 3312 of the electric shell 331 by the insulating member 3314. The pair of second wires 302 of the circuit board 31 are respectively connected with an inner surface of the main body 3311 and the inner end 3321 of the electric pole 332.
Referring also to
A coil spring 333 is received in the electric shell 331 and disposed around the electric pole 332. The coil spring 333 is compressed between the bottom plate 321 of the casing 32 and the end plate 3312 of the electric shell 331. The coil spring 333 helps a stable connection between the lamp cap 33 and the casing 32. Further, a positioning sleeve 334 is received in the electric shell 331 and disposed around the electric pole 332. The positioning sleeve 334 is surrounded by the coil spring 333 and has an inner passage through which the electric pole 332 extends. The positioning sleeve 334 has an outer diameter sufficiently larger than that of the electric pole 332 and is securely connected with the electric pole 332. A top end of the coil spring 333 engages with the casing 32, and a bottom end of the coil spring 333 engages with an annular flange 3341 formed at a bottom end of the positioning sleeve 334. Due to the presence of the positioning sleeve 334 and the coil spring 333, the casing 32 can rotate stably relative to the lamp cap 33 when the LED lamp 100 is rotated from a first position to a second position or vice versa, wherein at any point between the first and second positions, the LED lamp 100 always electrically connects with the lamp holder 400. The annular flange 3341 at the bottom end of the positioning sleeve 334 is adjacent to the end plate 3312 of the electric shell 331 and has a bottom face connecting with a top face of the insulating member 3314.
When the lamp cap 33 of the LED lamp 100 is screwed into the lamp holder 400, in order to adjust the illumination direction of the LED lamp 100, an orientation-adjusting structure is provided between the casing 32 and the lamp cap 33. The orientation-adjusting structure includes an annular guiding groove 326 defined in the casing 32, a block 327 formed in the guiding groove 326, and a protrusion 3315 formed on a top end of the lamp cap 33. The guiding groove 326 is defined in the bottom plate 321 of the casing 32 and concentric with the through hole 3211. When the lamp cap 33 is connected to the casing 32, the protrusion 3315 of the lamp cap 33 is received in the guiding groove 326 of the casing 32. After the electric shell 331 of the lamp cap 33 has been screwed into the lamp holder 400 and before the lamp cap 33 electrically connects with the lamp holder 400 and LED lamp 100 is at the first position, the rotation of the lamp cap 33 is synchronous with and follows the rotation of the casing 32 by an engagement between a first side of the block 327 and the protrusion 3315. When the lamp cap 33 and the lamp holder 400 are electrically connected together and the LED lamp 100 is at the first position, the lamp cap 33 and the casing 32 are both stopped from rotation along the screwing-in direction. Thereafter, the casing 32 can be rotated in a reverse direction which causes the protrusion 3315 of the lamp cap 33 to slide along the guiding groove 326 in the reverse direction until the casing 32 and accordingly the LED lamp 100 reach the second position. The block 327 formed in the guiding groove 326 limits a relative rotation between the lamp cap 33 and the casing 32 within a predetermined angle between the first and second positions. When the protrusion 3315 is blocked by an opposite second side of the block 327 during the reverse rotation of the casing 32, the casing 32 and accordingly the LED lamp 100 reach the second position. A further rotation of the casing 32 from the second position in the reverse direction causes the lamp cap 23 to also rotate in the reverse direction, whereby the lamp cap 23 is loosened from the lamp holder 400. Detailed explanations are given below.
In this embodiment, the guiding groove 326 of the casing 32 is defined in an outer surface of the bottom plate 321, and the protrusion 3315 of the lamp cap 33 is formed on an end of the electric shell 331 adjacent to the casing 32 and extends towards the casing 32. Further, an annular protecting wall 325 is formed on the outer surface of the bottom plate 321 of the casing 32 and concentric with the through hole 3211. The protecting wall 325 is disposed around the electric shell 331 of the lamp cap 33 to guide the rotation of the electric shell 331 and to prevent people from touching the electric shell 331, to thereby improve the safety of the LED lamp 100. The bottom plate 321 of the casing 32 further defines a wire hole 3212 therein for passing of one of the pair of second wire 302 which is electrically connected between the circuit board 31 and the inner surface of the electric shell 331.
The lamp holder 400 is a conventional one and defines a cavity 41 therein for receiving the lamp cap 33 of the LED lamp 100. The cavity 41 is substantially cylindrical. The lamp holder 400 includes a screw cap 42 attached on an inner surface of the cavity 41 and a resilient flake 43 mounted at a central portion of a bottom end of the cavity 41. The screw cap 42 and the resilient flake 43 are respectively connected with a naught wire 401 and a live wire 402 of the external power source via two connectors 44.
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In assembly of the lamp cap 33c and the casing 32, the positioning sleeve 334 is disposed around the electric pole 332 and can be rotated together with the electric pole 332. The connecting member 335 is disposed around the electric pole 332 and arranged between the casing 32 and the positioning sleeve 334. The pins 3353 of the connecting member 335 are received in the receiving holes 3342 of the positioning sleeve 334, to thereby make the connecting member 335 can be rotated together with the positioning sleeve 334. The protrusion 3354 of the lamp cap 33 is received in the guiding groove 326 of the casing 32. The coil spring 333 is compressed between the flange 3341 of the positioning sleeve 334 and the positioning plate 3351 of the connecting member 335 to provide elastic force, to thereby keep the protrusion 3354 of the lamp cap 33c always received in the guiding groove 326 of the casing 32 and to prevent the lamp cap 33 from moving along the axial direction of the electric shell 331b relative to the casing 32. The inner wall 3352 of the connecting member 335 is received in the electric shell 331c for guiding the rotation of the electric shell 331c.
When the lamp cap 33c of the LED lamp 100c is screwed into the lamp holder 400, the protrusion 3354 of the lamp cap 33c slides along the guiding groove 326 relative to the casing 32 until the protrusion 3354 meets the block 327 formed in the guiding groove 326. Then the connecting member 335 of the lamp cap 33c is rotated together with the casing 32, driving the entire lamp cap 33c to rotate in the screw cap 42 of the lamp holder 400 until the outer end 3322 of the electric pole 332 intimately contacts with the resilient flake 43 of the lamp holder 400. After the electric shell 331c of the lamp cap 33c had been screwed into the lamp holder 400, by rotating the casing 32 reversely, the protrusion 3354 of the lamp cap 33c formed on the connecting member 335 is disengaged from the block 327 and slides along the guiding groove 326 relative to the casing 32 towards a reverse direction. Therefore, the LED lamp 100c can be easily adjusted to a desired position.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009 1 0306372 | Aug 2009 | CN | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20020136010 | Luk | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20100314984 | Lee | Dec 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110050072 A1 | Mar 2011 | US |