This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan Patent Application No. 100113600, filed on Apr. 19, 2011. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this specification.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a lamp and assembling method thereof and, more particularly, to a light emitting diode (LED) lamp and assembling method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
LEDs are semiconductor components the light-emitting chip of which is primarily made of compounds of chemical elements of the III-V groups such as GaP or GaAs, for example. The principle of light emission of LEDs involves the conversion of electrical energy into photonic energy. More specifically, when an electrical current is applied through the compound semiconductor of an LED, the combination of electrons and holes releases excess energy in the form of light emission. The useful life of LEDs is typically more than 100,000 hours since light emission by LEDs is not due to heating or electrical discharge. Moreover, LEDs have the advantages of fast response, compact size, low power consumption, low pollution, high reliability and suitability for mass production. Accordingly, there exists a wide range of applications of LEDs, including being the light source of large billboards, traffic signals, mobile phones, scanners, facsimile machines, LED lamps, etc.
With respect to LED lamps, one way to avoid overheating of the LED light source due to light emission is to dispose the LED light source on a heat dissipation structure to dissipate heat from the LED light source through the heat dissipation structure. Such heat dissipation structure is typically made of a metallic material with good thermal conductivity. Under the existing technology, an LED light source is disposed on a substrate which is disposed on a heat dissipation structure such that the substrate prevents electrical coupling between the LED light source and the heat dissipation structure that would cause malfunction. However, although the substrate may prevent electrical coupling between the LED light source and the heat dissipation structure, the substrate nevertheless lowers the efficiency in heat dissipation as it hinders heat transfer from the LED light source to the heat dissipation structure. In addition, as the LED light source is typically electrically coupled to a driver circuit of the lamp through conductive wires, configuration of the conductive wires generally increases the difficulty and cost in assembly.
The present invention provides an LED lamp having better heat dissipation efficiency and lower manufacturing cost.
The present invention further provides an assembling method of an LED lamp that reduces the difficulty and time in assembling, thereby lowering manufacturing cost.
According to one aspect, an LED lamp may comprise a heat dissipation structure, an LED light source, and a driver. The LED light source may be disposed over and electrically insulated from the heat dissipation structure. The LED light source may include at least a side having an electrode. The driver may be disposed under and electrically insulated from the heat dissipation structure. The driver may include at least an extended portion that is electrically coupled to the electrode by penetrating through the heat dissipation structure.
In one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure may include at least one opening. The extended portion of the driver may penetrate through the at least one opening and extends toward the LED light source to be electrically coupled to the electrode.
In one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure may include a reception slot in which the LED light source is disposed.
In one embodiment, the LED lamp may further comprise a lampshade. The lampshade and the heat dissipation structure may include at least one positioning slot and at least one positioning rib respectively received in the at least one positioning slot when the lampshade is assembled to the heat dissipation structure to cover the LED light source.
In one embodiment, the LED lamp may further comprise a shell. The shell and the heat dissipation structure may include at least one positioning rib and at least one positioning slot in which the at least one positioning rib is respectively received.
In one embodiment, the LED lamp may further comprise a shell that includes at least one positioning slot. The driver may include a circuit board having one or more edges respectively received in the at least one positioning slot of the shell. Optionally, the driver may further comprise at least one terminal that is electrically coupled to the circuit board and not coplanar with the circuit board. In one embodiment, the circuit board may be electrically coupled to the extended portion of the driver, and the shell may include at least one opening through which the at least one terminal penetrates the shell.
According to another aspect, an LED lamp may comprise a heat dissipation structure, an LED light source, a shell, and a driver. The heat dissipation structure may include a plurality of openings. The LED light source may be coupled to the heat dissipation structure and may include a plurality of electrodes. The shell may be assembled to the heat dissipation structure. The driver may be disposed in the shell and may include a plurality of extended portions. The LED light source and the driver may be disposed on two opposing sides of the heat dissipation structure. The plurality of extended portions may respectively penetrate through the plurality of openings such that the extended portions extend toward the LED light source and are electrically coupled to the electrodes.
In one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure may include a surface and a protrusion connected to the surface. The LED light source may include a bottom surface that comprises a central portion and a peripheral portion such that the central portion is in contact with the protrusion and that the electrodes are disposed on the peripheral portion and spaced apart from the surface of the heat dissipation structure.
In one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure may include a reception slot in which the LED light source is disposed.
In one embodiment, the LED lamp may further comprise a lampshade that includes at least one positioning slot. The heat dissipation structure may include at least one positioning rib respective received in the at least one positioning slot of the lampshade such that the lampshade is assembled to the heat dissipation structure to cover the LED light source.
In one embodiment, the shell may include at least one positioning rib and the heat dissipation structure may include at least one positioning slot respectively receiving the at least one positioning rib of the shell.
In one embodiment, the shell may include at least one positioning slot, and the driver may include a circuit board having one or more edges respectively received in the at least one positioning slot of the shell. Optionally, the driver may further include a plurality of terminals that are electrically coupled to and not coplanar with the circuit board. The circuit board may be electrically coupled to at least some of the extended portions. The shell may include a plurality of openings such that the terminals extend out of the shell through the openings of the shell.
According to a further aspect, a method of assembling an LED lamp may comprise: providing a heat dissipation structure that includes a plurality of openings, a surface, and a protrusion connected to the surface; providing an LED light source that includes a bottom surface and a plurality of electrodes, the bottom surface comprising a central portion and a peripheral portion with the electrodes disposed on the peripheral portion; connecting the central portion of the LED light source to the protrusion of the heat dissipation structure such that the electrodes are spaced apart from the surface of the heat dissipation structure; providing a shell; disposing a driver, that includes a plurality of extended portions, inside the shell; and assembling the shell to the heat dissipation structure such that: the LED light source and the driver are disposed on two opposing sides of the heat dissipation structure, and the extended portions are electrically coupled to the electrodes of the LED light source by penetrating through the openings of the heat dissipation structure.
In one embodiment, the method may further comprise: providing a lampshade; and assembling the lampshade to the heat dissipation structure such that the lampshade covers the LED light source.
In one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure may include at least one positioning rib, and the lampshade may include at least one positioning slot. Assembling the lampshade to the heat dissipation structure may comprise the at least one positioning slot of the lampshade respectively receiving the at least one positioning rib of the heat dissipation structure when the lampshade is assembled to the heat dissipation structure.
In one embodiment, the shell may include at least one positioning rib, and the heat dissipation structure may include at least one positioning slot. Assembling the shell to the heat dissipation structure may comprise the at least one positioning slot of the heat dissipation structure respectively receiving the at least one positioning rib of the shell when the shell is assembled to the heat dissipation structure.
In one embodiment, the shell may include at least one positioning slot, and the driver may include a circuit board. Disposing the driver inside the shell may comprise respectively receiving one or more edges of the circuit board of the driver in the at least one positioning slot of the shell. Optionally, the driver may further include a plurality of terminals that are electrically coupled to and not coplanar with the circuit board. In one embodiment, the circuit board may be electrically coupled to the extended portions. The shell may include a plurality of openings. Disposing the driver inside the shell may comprise extending the terminals out of the shell through the openings of the shell.
Accordingly, the heat dissipation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a protrusion with the LED light source disposed on the protrusion, so that electrodes of the LED light source are spaced apart from a surface of the heat dissipation structure. Consequently, there is no need to configure a substrate between the LED light source and the heat dissipation structure in order to avoid electrical conduction between the LED light source and the heat dissipation structure. Advantageously, this feature reduces the number of components and lowers manufacturing cost. Additionally, heat dissipation efficiency is improved with the central portion of the bottom surface of the LED light source in direct contact with the heat dissipation structure. Moreover, as the extended portions penetrate through the openings and extend toward the LED light source to be respectively electrically coupled to the electrodes of the LED light source, there is no need for conductive wires to electrically couple the LED light source to the driver. This feature advantageously simplifies the manufacturing process and improves the production efficiency.
To facilitate better understanding of the features of and benefits provided by the present invention, implementation examples are provided in the Detailed Description section below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the illustrated embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 110 includes a surface 110a and a protrusion 112 that is connected to the surface 110a. The LED light source 120 includes a bottom surface 122 and a plurality of electrodes 124. The bottom surface 122 comprises a central portion 122a and a peripheral portion 122b around the central portion 112a. The central portion 122a is in contact with or otherwise connected to the protrusion 112. The electrodes 124 are disposed on the peripheral portion 122b and are spaced apart from the surface 110a of the heat dissipation structure 110. One or more of the electrodes 124 may extend from the peripheral portion 122b to one or more sides of the LED light source 120. The shell 130 is assembled to the heat dissipation structure 110. The driver 140 is disposed inside the shell 130 and is electrically coupled to the electrodes 124 of the LED light source 120 to drive the LED light source 120 to emit light.
In the illustrated embodiment, the LED light source 120 is electrically insulated from the heat dissipation structure 110. The driver 140 is electrically insulated from the heat dissipation structure 110 and the shell 130. In one embodiment, the LED light source 120 may comprise a single-crystal or poly-crystal package structure. Alternatively, the LED light source 120 may comprise a chip-on-board (COB) package structure. Alternatively, the LED light source 120 may comprise a LED chip of a single color or multiple colors. Furthermore, the LED light source 120 may include fluorescent powder of a single color or multiple colors. Moreover, the LED lamp 100 may comprise an LED bulb of type A (e.g., A60), type GU (e.g., GU-10), type PAR (e.g., PAR-30), or type MR (e.g., MR-16).
In the above-described configuration, the electrodes 124 of the LED light source 120 are spaced apart from, and thus not in contact with, the surface 110a of the heat dissipation structure 110. Accordingly, there is no need to configure a substrate between the LED light source 120 and the heat dissipation structure 110 in order to avoid electrical conduction between the LED light source 120 and the heat dissipation structure 110. Advantageously, this feature reduces the number of components and lowers manufacturing cost. Additionally, heat dissipation efficiency is improved with the central portion 122a of the bottom surface 122 of the LED light source 120 in direct contact with the heat dissipation structure 110. The central portion 122a of the heat dissipation structure 110 may be, for example, welded or bonded to the heat dissipation structure 110.
In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the LED light source 120 and the driver 140 are respectively disposed on two opposing sides of the heat dissipation structure 110. The heat dissipation structure 110 has a plurality of openings 114 (two of which are shown), and the driver 140 has a plurality of extended portions 140a (two of which are shown). As shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Turning now to the assembling method of the LED lamp 100 of
Referring to
As electrical conduction is achieved by having the extended portions 140a penetrate through the openings 114 and extend toward the LED light source 120 to be respectively electrically coupled to the electrodes 124 of the LED light source 120, there is no need for conductive wires to electrically couple the LED light source 120 to the driver 140. This feature advantageously simplifies the manufacturing process and improves the production efficiency. Notably, in various embodiments the order of assembling is not limited to that shown in
The above-described assembling method of the LED lamp 100 may further include providing the lampshade 150 as shown in
More specifically, when assembling the lampshade 150 to the heat dissipation structure 110, the positioning rib 118 of the heat dissipation structure 110 (as shown in
In addition, when the driver 140 is disposed in the shell 130 as shown in
In summary, the heat dissipation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a protrusion with the LED light source disposed on the protrusion, so that electrodes of the LED light source are spaced apart from a surface of the heat dissipation structure. Consequently, there is no need to configure a substrate between the LED light source and the heat dissipation structure in order to avoid electrical conduction between the LED light source and the heat dissipation structure. Advantageously, this feature reduces the number of components and lowers manufacturing cost. Additionally, heat dissipation efficiency is improved with the central portion of the bottom surface of the LED light source in direct contact with the heat dissipation structure. Moreover, as the extended portions penetrate through the openings and extend toward the LED light source to be respectively electrically coupled to the electrodes of the LED light source, there is no need for conductive wires to electrically couple the LED light source to the driver. This feature advantageously simplifies the manufacturing process and improves the production efficiency.
Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the foregoing and other variations in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims provided herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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100113600 | Apr 2011 | TW | national |