Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LINKABLE LIGHTING SYSTEMS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to linkable light emitting diode
(LED) lighting
fixtures and systems, and in particular to linkable shop light fixtures and
systems, and linkable
strip light fixtures and systems.
Description of the Prior Art
[0002] There are many light fixtures which are used for a variety of
purposes including
workshops, offices, factories, residences, schools and the like, which until
fairly recently the
market for such fixtures was largely filled with incandescent bulbs and
fluorescent lights. A big
problem with incandescent bulbs is that they convert most of their energy into
heat as opposed to
light, thus wasting electricity and generating unnecessary warmth. Fluorescent
lighting generally
involves ionizing a gas such as argon contained within a sealed tube. The
electrically-excited gas
produces light emission as the gas returns to its normal energy level.
Although fluorescent lighting
is widely used, it does have serious shortcomings. Fluorescent lighting is
rather complex, and
repairs can be costly both with respect to replacing ballasts and other
components which may have
to be replaced from time to time, and with respect to the high voltage that is
needed for fluorescent
lighting. The high voltage makes necessary added electrical insulation, and
the requirement for
safety precautions.
[0003] Compact fluorescent light bulbs have also become popular. Compact
fluorescent
lights, or CFLs convert most of their energy into light rather than heat. CFLs
last longer than
incandescent lights and are designed to fit into existing incandescent light
fixtures. CFLs use about
1/4 of the electricity required for incandescent bulbs while producing a
comparable amount of
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,r
light. While CFLs do not flicker when used for an extended period of time,
they do have flickering
problems if switched on and off frequently. Furthermore, the switching process
takes more time
than is desirable so that CFLs take a longer time to light before they become
fully lit. Furthermore,
CFLs require optimum temperatures to work and are known to function in less
than their rated
capacity when switched on in lower temperatures.
[0004] LEDs are becoming more and more popular. LEDs require lower power
consumption than do CFLs.
[0005] A single LED is very small, but a combination of bunches of LEDs
create powerful
lights which can withstand more extreme conditions than ordinary bulbs. LEDs
use about 1/50 of
the energy of the standard incandescent bulbs, and last ten times longer than
CFL alternatives.
Indeed, LED bulbs can last up to fifteen years without needing to be changed.
LEDs furthermore
produce smaller amounts of heat than do CFLs, and the heat which is produced
by LEDs is usually
past back to a heat sink making them cool to the touch. With respect to energy
efficiency, whereas
a CFL uses less than fifteen watts and costs about $75.00 per year, an LED
bulb of similar output
would draw less than eight watts of power with an annual costs of $30.00 and
last 50,000 hours or
more.
[0006] There is also a disposal problem with CFL bulbs. CFL bulbs contain
mercury which
can evaporate and cause air and water pollution. Furthermore, mercury is a
neurotoxin that can
have a harmful effect on humans, particularly infants. Thus, disposal of CFLs
and regular
fluorescent bulbs can be a problem since they may break and release the
mercury. They can thus
be a problem for landfills and waste management workers, in addition to the
environmental
problems noted above.
[0007) The danger of CFLs is severe. The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has
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=
approved CFL recycling sites. Furthermore, the EPA recommends that in case a
CFL breaks in a
home, all members and pets are recommended to leave the room. The room has to
be aired out for
10-15 minutes, the central forced air should be shut off, and the shards
should be collected with
stiff paper, tape or a damp paper towel, and then put in a glass jar with a
metal lid or a sealable
plastic bag and then taken to a recycling site. On the other hand, LED bulbs
do not come with a
mercury hazard, and most of them are recyclable.
[0008] There are other comparisons which indicate that LED bulbs
are preferable over
CFLs. CFLs require time after actuation in order for them to warm up to full
capacity, whereas
LED bulbs do not require any length of time to become active. CFLs may not
work in temperatures
that are less than -10 F or greater than 100 F whereas LED bulbs are not
temperature sensitive.
CFLs are not dimmable, whereas LED bulbs are dimmable. Although LED bulbs cost
more than
CFLs, the total cost of LED bulbs is less than the cost of CFLs during the
life of the LEDs.
[0009] Thus, LED bulbs and LED light fixtures have been becoming
more and more
popular over time. In many instances, a single LED light fixture may be
sufficient for such uses as
in workshops. However, oftentimes a number of LED fixtures would be desirable.
One could
install a series of independent LED fixtures which need to be turned on and
off as needed. This
could be expensive, and could require a number of receptacles provided along
the area which is to
be illuminated. This concept has been addressed previously, but there are
various shortcomings.
Referring to U.S. Patent No. 7,192,160, a set of fluorescent and/or LED light
sources is shown
having a control box for switching between two light sources is discussed. A
series of lights can
be electrically linked in series, and each light is provided with a control
box so that the individual
lights can be individually operated. This can be used in military barracks,
wherein each soldier
would be able to control his own light. However, this embodiment requires a
series of control
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boxes, making the system expensive. Alternatively, the string of lights can
have one control box
in which all of the lights are operated in series. The first light in the
series of lights is the master
and the remaining lights that are connected are slave lights. Thus, all of the
lights must be operated
together, rather than one at a time.
[0010] Another light tube system is disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
7,513,640. Light tube
system can have a number of light tube units which are connected together by
cables. The cables
have connector pins which extend in a direction perpendicular to the
longitudinal direction of the
light tubes, making it awkward to connect them together. There is no
indication in the '640 patent
as to where the on-off switch is located. The light tubes discussed in this
patent appear to be
fluorescent tubes, and thus have all of the shortcomings of fluorescent bulbs
discussed above.
[0011] In U.S. Patent No. 9,004,716, a set of LED tubes are connected
together by adaptors
so that the tubes extend in a collinear direction. The adaptors include an
adaptor main body and
rotational fittings. A shortcoming of the disclosure of this patent is that
the LED tubes must be
fixed in a certain position, and no variation of the position is possible.
There is also no device for
hanging the assemblies at their opposite ends.
[0012I In U.S. Publication No. 2012/0188756, another master/slave LED work
light is
disclosed. The work light has a power cord that extends entirely through the
work light for
connecting the work lights together. A master/slave LED work light lighting
network and remotely
controlled lighting network is disclosed. There is a master light and a number
of slave lights that
are controlled by the master light. This means that the individual lights
cannot be controlled
separately. This arrangement has a serious shortcoming if the lighting
apparatus is to be used in an
area where the lights in the string need to be turned on or off depending on
the current situation.
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[0013] Another type of LED lamps are referred to as strip lights. Strip
lights are
conventionally flexible strips on which LEDs are mounted, and the flexible
strips usually come
with an adhesive backing so that they can be attached to walls, fixtures and
the like. LED strip
lights are sometimes referred to as LED tapes or ribbon lights. Strip lights
can be water resistant,
and if so they can be used for both indoor and outdoor lighting. Strip
lighting is often used for
colors other than white. All LED strip lights require a driver and generally
operate on a 12 or 24
volt direct current from the driver.
[0014] However, strip lighting is often used for such areas as workbench
lighting and also
for office lighting and artistic lighting. When used with a workbench, strip
lighting can be used to
eliminate shadows that would often occur with behind the shoulder lighting.
LED strip lighting
can also be used to eliminate shadows. LED strip lighting also finds use with
desks such as with
use with a monitor, preferably not being used in a dark room or with strong
lights which can cause
screen glare. The use of an LED strip light behind the monitor can create a
gradual shift between
the brightness of the monitor and the light in the rest of the room to reduce
eye strain. LED strip
lighting can be used in artists' studios to avoid harsh or bright lights which
are close to natural
light.
[0015] U.S. Patent No. 6,283,612 discloses an LED light strip and
incorporates an array of
solid state LEDs inside of a transparent or translucent tube. A single power
supply can energize
up to 350 LEDs in the white configuration. The light strip disclosed in this
patent finds particular
use in lighting candy displays in stores and markets. The strip light
disclosed in this patent has a
solidly mounted circuit board held in the tube firmly so that it is vibration
resistant. A pair of end
caps are located at opposite ends of the tube to plug each end, and a wire
penetrates the cap and is
potted or sealed so as to make the light waterproof. The light strip includes
an electrical cable
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connected to busses on a single end or on both ends of the light, and a male
or female connector
can be incorporated. One embodiment of the LED light strip disclosed in the
latter patent is said
to enable the attachment of a number of light strips together by means of an
electric cable and
connector for attaching the busses together to prepare for a parallel
connection between light strips
so that they can be connected together limited only by the ability of the
power supply. The
individual LED light strips cannot operate separately and must therefore be
used on and off
together. There is no indication that the light strip set forth in the
foregoing patent for anything
other than illuminating displays and not in various work areas.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] An object of the present invention is to provide an economical
lighting assembly
for use in a single location but which can be expanded to multiple locations.
[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide an economical
lighting system
which uses low power in comparison to systems having incandescent bulbs or
fluorescent bulbs,
and which can be used in workplaces or the like in one or a series of
locations.
[0018] It is yet another object of the present invention is the provision
of a lighting system
using low power as compared to incandescent or fluorescent lighting systems,
incorporating LED
arrays in translucent or transparent light transmitting lamps wherein the
lamps can be selectively
connected together for various lengths for generating illumination either
collectively or
individually.
[0019] It is still another object of the present invention to provide LED
light assemblies
which can easily be connected together to expand the area of the illumination,
and which can easily
be disconnected if desired.
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[0020] It is also an object of the present invention to provide an easily
installable shop light
system whose area of illumination can be changed using an easy to use
connection for linking
respective LED lighting assemblies together.
[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide linkable
lighting fixtures
which can be easily and compactly stored, and manually installed for use.
[0022] A further object of the present invention is to provide an assembly
of LED shop
lights which can be connected together by a flexible linking cable having
connectors at either end
for simple, yet effective connection to shop lights that are to be linked
together.
[0023] A still further object of the present is to provide linkable LED
shop lights, when
linked together, can be operated individually.
[0024] An additional object of the present invention is to provide LED
strip lights which
can be linked together to expand their areas of illumination.
[0025] A related object of the present invention is to provide a linkable
LED strip light
system in which individual strip light fixtures can easily be linked together
and unlinked from each
other.
10026] Another additional object of the present invention is to provide a
linkable LED strip
light system in which the LED strip lights, when linked together, can be
individually or
simultaneously operated.
[0027] A still further object of the present invention is to provide an
LED shop light system
which is efficient, effective and easy to use.
[0028] A still additional object of the present invention is to provide a
linkable LED strip
light linkable system which is easy to use, easy to operate and efficient in
operation.
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[0029] These and other objects will be apparent to those of ordinary skill
in the art from
the description to follow and from the appended claims.
[0030] The foregoing objects are achieved according to the preferred
embodiments of the
invention. Referring to the first embodiment, it incorporates shop lights. An
important feature of
the inventive shop light system is that two or more inventive shop lights can
be easily linked
together. Each LED shop light fixture incorporates an LED shop light lamp
which is attached to a
metal cover, the LED shop light lamp incorporates a power component, a heat
sink and an LED
module which in turn includes an array of LEDs which are electrically
connected by a printed
circuit board. The LED shop light lamp further includes a heat sink for
absorbing heat generated
by the LEDs and a diffuser for spreading the light out to the space to be
illuminated. The LED
shop light lamp is seated beneath the metal cover, and a pair of end caps
connect the LED shop
light lamp to the metal cover. The end caps have receptacles for receiving
either a linking plug of
a linking connector in the form of a linking cable, an electrical input plug
of a power cable, the
other end of the power cable including an outlet plug for insertion into an
electrical outlet, or a
protective cap. The linking cable and the power cable are sometimes referred
to herein as electrical
transmitting lines. The preferred embodiment further includes suspension
structure such as chains
which can be secured to a ceiling so that the metal cover with the components
of the LED shop
light fixture attached thereto can be suspended from the ceiling. A light
switch is provided for
energizing or de-energizing the respective LED shop light lamps individually.
The linking cable
noted above can be used to connect one or more like inventive LED shop light
lamps together.
[0031] Another preferred embodiment of the invention relates to linkable
LED strip lights.
The linkable LED strip light is replaceable and fits in a cover forming part
of a linkable LED strip
light fixture. Each linkable LED strip light fixture has an elongated housing
in which is disposed
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a driver located inside a driver box top and a driver box bottom, and a power
plug is electrically
connected to the driver. A heat sink is disposed above an LED module. The LED
module includes
an array of LEDs and a mounted circuit board for electrically connecting the
LED arrays together
into a circuit. At each end of the housing, an end member is provided which is
inserted into an
opening at the opposite ends of the housing. The end member has receptacles
for receiving
alternatively a protective cap, a linking plug or a rigid connector. The lower
part of the housing,
when the housing is in use, is an elongated diffuser for diffusing light
emitted by LED strip lights.
The LED strip lights can be linked together by means of either a linking cable
or a rigid connector.
[0032] As used herein, an LED shop light system refers to two more shop
light assemblies
that can be linked together according to an aspect of the inventions, and an
LED shop light
assembly refers to a single LED shop light fixture that is linkable to a
compatible LED shop light
assembly. An LED shop light fixture incorporates an LED shop light lamp for
illumination.
Likewise, an LED strip light system, refers to two or more strip light
assemblies that can be linked
together, can an LED strip light assembly refers to a single LED strip light
fixture that is linkable
to a compatible LED strip light assembly. An LED strip light fixture has one
or more strip light
lamps for illumination.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] Objects and advantages together with the operation of the invention,
may be better
understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in
connection with the
following illustrations, wherein:
[0034] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an LED shop light assembly according
to a preferred
embodiment of the invention, suspended from metal chains.
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[0035] Fig. 2 is an exploded view of some of the components of the LED
shop light
assembly shown in Fig. 1.
100361 Figs. 3-5 show components of an LED shop light assembly according
to a preferred
embodiment of the invention being installed from on a drywall and from a
ceiling.
[0037] Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view of an LED shop light system
incorporating a pair
of LED shop light bulb assemblies of the type incorporated in the LED shop
light assembly shown
in Fig. 2, connected together by a linking cable.
[0038] Fig. 7 and 7A are partial perspective views of an LED shop light
system composed
of a pair of LED shop light assemblies about to be and then connected together
by a rigid
connector.
[0039] Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of the electrical components for use in
the LED shop
light fixture shown in the preceding figures.
[0040] Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram for the electrical components of a LED
shop light bulb
shown in the preceding figures with a driver.
[0041] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of an LED string light system
according to an
embodiment of the invention incorporating a pair of LED strip light assemblies
according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention linked together according to another
embodiment of the
invention.
[0042] Fig. 11 is an end view of one of the LED strip light fixture of the
type shown in
Fig. 10 with an installed protective cap.
[0043] Fig. 12 is an exploded view of one of the LED strip light fixtures
as incorporated
in the assembly shown in Fig. 10.
[0044] Fig. 13 is an exploded view of another version of an LED strip light
fixture
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according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0045] Figs. 14-18 are respective perspective, top, front, end and bottom
views of the
subassembly of an LED strip light fixture including the housing, the diffuser,
the end covers and
connecting seats of the strip light assembly.
[0046] Fig. 19 is an electric circuit diagram of the electrical components
included in the
foregoing LED strip light fixture in the LED strip light assemblies shown in
Figs. 10-13.
[0047] Fig. 20 is an electric circuit diagram showing the switching
arrangement for an LED
shop light system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0048] One of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is an
elongated linkable
LED shop light fixture 1 as shown in perspective in Fig. I. LED shop light
fixture 1 includes an
LED shop light lamp 3, a cover 5 which is preferably made from metal such as
aluminum, a cap
assembly 7 (there is a cap assembly 7 at either end of cover 5), an on-off
chain 9 which is preferably
made from an appropriate steel or aluminum and, to form an LED shop light
assembly 10 (which
has other components) a pair of suspension chains 11, which can be made from
an appropriate
metal such as steel or aluminum from which LED shop light fixture 1 would be
suspended. On-
off chain 9 is a chain for controlling an on-off switch. An exploded view of
linkable LED shop
light fixture 1 and shop light assembly 10 are shown in Fig. 2. Cover 5 can be
hooked on
suspension chains 11 which would be held fast by a sealing or other upper
support structure.
Suspension chains 11 have at their respective bottoms a hook 13 for extending
through two pairs
of chain-holding holes 23 in a rectangular top wall 15 of cover 5.
[0049] Cover 5 includes a five sided shade 17 having rectangular top wall
15 which has
opposing straight opposing parallel end edges 19, parallel opposing straight
longitudinal edges 21.
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Shade 17 also has opposite shade end portions 18. Cover 5 further comprises a
pair of identical
opposing rectangular side walls 25. Side walls 25 have a first pair of
opposing parallel longitudinal
edges which are connected to and from common longitudinal edges 21 of top wall
15. Side walls
25 further have a second pair of opposing parallel longitudinal edges 29
spaced from said first pair
of opposing longitudinal edges 21. Rectangular top wall 15 and opposing
rectangular side walls
25 forming a three sided cavity 31 in the form of a parallelepiped having an
open bottom. Cavity
31 is defined at its end by upper end edge which is coincident with straight
opposing parallel end
edges 19 of top wall 15 and opposing parallel side edges 33 which are also the
end edges of side
walls 25.
[0050] Cover 5 has opposing identical rectangular side flange walls 35.
Each flange wall
35 has a pair of parallel longitudinal edges that are the same as the second
pair of opposing parallel
longitudinal edges 29 of respective side walls 25 and also identified by
numeral 29, and a second
pair of opposing parallel longitudinal free edges 39. Side flange walls 35 are
inclined by equal
amounts from parallel rectangular side walls 25 and are symmetrical therewith.
[0051] A pair of opposing identical end caps 41 which cooperate with cover
5 to close the
ends of three sided cavity 31. Each end cap 41 comprises an upper flat plate
43 having a width
equal to the distance between longitudinal edges 21 of rectangular top wall 15
so that upper flat
plate 43 can rest against the underside of top wall 15. Upper flat plate 43
preferably attached to
top wall 15 by means of a single screw with a lock washer, and a pair of
resilient tabs (which are
plastic when upper flat plate 43 is plastic) for extending through holes near
end of top wall 15. End
cap 41 further includes an end cover 45 which is flat and extends downwardly
from upper flat plate
43 and has an upper rectangular cover portion 47 which closes the respective
open ends of three-
sided cavity 31, and a lower partially-circular portion 49 having a curved
portion for covering the
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end of LED shop light lamp 3 installed within cover 5 as discussed below.
Electrical connection
to LED shop light lamp 3 is preferably made by two pairs of electrical
conducting wires extending
from a driver discussed below and extending respectively to end caps 41. The
electrical conducting
wires are attached to a pair of electrically insulated tubes or tubular prongs
forming a part of
respective end caps 41 which are lined with an electrical conducting tubular
sleeve which extend
beyond the free end of the prongs and are engageable as discussed below. A
third tubular prong
also has an electrical conducting tubular sleeve extending beyond the free end
which is connected
to an electrical conducting sheet metal grounding plate attached to each of
end caps 41. The
foregoing conducting members are preferably copper. Electrical connection is
made by electrical
contact with the extensions of the conducting tubular sleeves, but other forms
of electrical
connection fall within the scope of the invention. The three prongs with their
conducting sleeves
are designated broadly as LED lamp electrical contacting structure. End cap 41
include a linking
orifice 51 preferably having having the shape of three overlapping circles or
a trefoil forming the
end of three overlapping cylinders for providing access for receiving an
electrical input plug 69, a
linking plug 70, a linking connector 53 or a protective cap 55. The foregoing
three prongs are
disposed in the last-mentioned partial cylinders. The foregoing three prongs
are fixed in and a part
of each end cap 41. End cap 41 has a recess having the same trefoil
configuration as does linking
connector 53, wherefore protective cap 55 can cover the foregoing recess for
protective purposes.
End cover 45 further can have a manufacturer's designation (brand name,
trademark, etc.) located
at area 57.
[0052] LED shop light assembly 10 includes LED shop light fixture 1,
suspension chains
11 and the cables as further presently explained. A power cable 61 and a
linking cable 63 are both
shown in Fig. 2. Power cable 61 includes an insulated electrical line 65, an
outlet plug 67 and an
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electrical input plug 69 at the opposite ends of electrical line 65.
Electrical input plug 69 has three
equiangularly-spaced prong receptacles for receiving three electrical prongs
from LED shop light
lamp 3. The prong receptacles of each output plug, each electrical input plug
and each linking
connector described herein has diameters to receive the LED lamp prongs in a
snug relation. Three
prongs of electrical input plug 69 are tubular and have copper (or other
electrical conducting)
tubular sleeves arranged to make contact with the extensions of the copper
sleeves in the prongs of
each end cap 41. Each of the linking devices, i.e. linking connector 53,
electrical input plug 69, and
linking plug 70 must have appropriate electrically conductor construction to
operatively connect
with the LED lamp contacting structure. The foregoing electrically conductive
construction are
referred to herein as linking electrically contacting structure. Each of
linking connector 53, electric
input plug 69 and linking plug 70 have three merged plastic tubes with copper
or other electrical
conducting sleeves, which when inserted into linking orifice 51 of LED shop
light lamp 3, effects
an electrical conducting transmission line with LED shop light lamp 3. This is
because the
electrical conducting sleeves of the respective linking devices are an example
of the linking
electrically contacting structure which cooperate with the LED lamp
electrically contacting
structure to establish an electric transmitting structure to transmit
electricity between the respective
plug and linking connector to another LED lamp or from a power outlet to the
respective LED
lamp. Power cable 61 is used to supply electric power to LED shop light
fixture 1, and is
accomplished by inserting the prongs of outlet plug 67 in an ordinary wall
socket and by inserting
electrical input plug 69 into one of linking orifices 51 of end cap 41.
Electrical conducting wires
from the tubular prongs are connected to a driver 77 discussed below. Linking
cable 63 is used to
link or connect a pair of LED shop light fixtures 1 together so that each of
the linked-together shop
light fixtures 1 can be operated together or individually, so long as power
cable 61 is inserted in an
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electrical outlet and in linking orifice 51 in an end of the linked together
shop light fixtures 1.
Linking cable 63 has linking plugs 70 at its opposite ends, and linking plugs
70 of a linking cable
63 can easily be inserted in linking orifice 51 of adjacent shop light
fixtures 1 so that the linked in
shop light fixtures 1 can be operated together.
[0053] In order to activate LED shop light lamp 3 held within cover 5, a
switch 71 is
provided. Switch 71 is included in the electrical circuit that includes the
foregoing lamp 3 as
discussed hereinafter. On-off chain 9 is attached to switch 71, and it
includes tags 75 for
identifying shop light fixture 1.
[0054] LED shop light lamp 3 includes driver 77, a heat sink 79, an LED
module 81,
diffuser 83, and prongs, three in number (or other electrically contacting
structure) for transmitting
electrical current to lamp 3. Driver 77 is used to transmit power to LED shop
light lamp 3 when
lamp 3 assembled in cover 5. Electrical conducting wires are connected to both
driver 77 and the
printed circuit included in LED module 81. Heat sink 79 is provided for
absorbing and transmitting
heat generated by LED shop light lamp 3 when the latter is illuminated. LED
module 81 is
provided adjacent heat sink 79. LED module 81 comprises LED chips that are
mounted on printed
circuit boards that use surface-mounted technology. Finally, diffuser 83 is
provided for containing
driver 77, heat sink 79 and LED module 81. Diffuser 83 spreads the
illumination from LED
module 81 in a desired pattern, which essentially directs most of the
illumination downwardly to
the space to be illuminated. LED shop light lamp 3 further includes end
connectors 103 shown in
Figs. 1 and 6 schematically (but which can be of any appropriate type
including those in the known
art) at LED shop light lamp end portion 104 through which electrical
connection can be made with
LED shop light lamp 3.
[0055] Linkable LED shop light fixture 1 is very easy to install. In order
to install shop
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light fixture 1 to a drywall ceiling 89 as shown in Fig. 3, the installer uses
a toggle bolt 84 with a
toggle bolt hook 85. A small hole 87, which should be around 1/4", is drilled
in drywall ceiling 89.
The installer inserts a bolt 93 through hole 87 with a pair of flaps 91 in a
folded position until flaps
91 are on the upper part of drywall ceiling 89, at which time they open up as
shown in Fig. 3.
Toggle bolt 93 is then tightened. If a wood ceiling is used, the installer
would drill a small hole 95
into a wood ceiling 97as illustrated in Fig. 4 and install a bolt hook 99
therein. In either case, hook
13 at the lower, free end of suspension chains 11, is inserted through each
pair of chain holding
holes 23 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this manner, shop light fixture 1 is
easily installed in either
of ceilings 89 or 97.
[0056] There are two ways in which adjacent linkable LED shop light
fixtures 1 can be
linked together to form an LED shop light system 100. With reference to Fig.
6, linking cable 63 is
used to link together shop light assemblies 1. It can be seen that the two
linking plugs 70 are
inserted in linking orifice 51 (shown in Fig. 2) extending though the
respective end caps 41 at the
adjacent ends of shop light assemblies I. Linking cable 63 is flexible, and
shop light assemblies 1
do not have to be in alignment as they are shown, but could be at an angle
relative to each other
could be at different distances from the ceiling and need not be parallel to
each other. Furthermore,
linking cable 63 can be held taut as shown in Fig. 6, but can also have some
slack in it as well.
[0057] Reference is made to Fig. 20 showing the electrical connection of a
pair of LED
shop light lamps 3 in shop light fixtures 1 of LED shop light assemblies 10 to
form an LED shop
light system 100. Two LED shop light lamps 3 in shop light fixtures 3 are
linked together. Switch
71 is connected in series with driver 77 in each of the pair of linked
fixtures 1 with LED shop light
lamps 3. Each circuit is connected to ground. Each LED shop light lamp 3 has a
pull switch 71 for
operating driver 77 or for deactivating driver 77. Each pull switch 71 can
thus be operated to
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activate the respective LED lamps 3 to turn them on or off
[0058] Referring to Fig. 7 and 7a, linking connector 53, which is
preferably rigid, is shown
installed into linking orifice 51 of one shop light assembly 1 and positioned
for insertion into
linking orifice 51 in the adjacent shop light assembly 1. Once linking
connector 53 is installed in
both linking orifices 51 and shop light assemblies 1 are urged together as
shown in Fig. 7a, shop
light assemblies I are firmly connected together as shown in Fig. 7a, and
their respective end piece
covers 45 either engage each other or are very close to such engaging. Linking
connectors 53 could
be long, yet still make the electrical connection with each. Linking connector
53 is preferably short,
about an inch and a quarter (11/4 inches) in length, but it could be of any
length. It is preferably
symmetrical at both ends, and has prong receptacles at both ends having copper
or other electrical
conducting tubular sleeves for receiving the respective prongs from each of a
pair of LED lamps.
The sleeves contact the tubular extensions of the tubular sleeves in end cap
41. When the LED
lamps have three prongs equiangularly-spaced on the ends of the respective LED
lamps, the prong
receptacles of each linking connector are likewise equiangularly-spaced to
receive the LED lamp
prongs. As can be seen in Figs. 2 and 7, linking connector 53 is composed of
three merged tubes.
The tubes have copper or other electrical conducting tubular sleeves. At
either ends, the tubes
having cylindrical holes forming the prong receptacles. The prong receptacles
have a trefoil
orientation. Linking connector 53 has a thickened band at its midsection which
acts as a shoulder
for engaging the surface around linking orifice 51 to limit the insertion of
linking connector 53 into
end cap 41.
[0059] Any number of shop light assemblies 1 can be linked together using
either linking
cables 63 or linking connectors 53. One power cable 61 is required in order to
energize a single
shop light assembly 1 or a series of shop light assemblies 1 that are linked
together. Each of a set of
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linked together shop light assemblies 1 can be operated independently by means
of the actuation of
switch 71 by means of chain 73 by simply pulling chain 73 to turn the
respective shop light
assemblies 1 on and off.
[0060] A circuit diagram for shop light assembly 1 is shown in Fig. 8.
There is a pair of
inputs I, and N with a fuse Fl in series with input L which are connected to a
transformer LF1 to
which is connected a circuit component including a capacitor CX1 which is
parallel with resisters
R1 and R2. Also in this circuit component is an inductor Li connected in
parallel with a resister
R3. Another transformer LF2 is connected to a circuit component having a
variable resister VR1
which is in turn connected to an AC/DC converter BD I. The output of the
latter, V+ and V-
connected across a pair of capacitors Cl and C2. These are in turn connected
to a circuit having a
control component. Components C 1 -C10 are capacitors. D1 and D2 are diodes.
The component
labelled MT7838 is a single-stage buck average constant current controller. T1
is a transformer
which is connected to the ground. BD1 is a current compressor and VR1 is a
voltage reducer. The
bridge having capacitors Cl and C2 are connected to ground, as are capacitor
C5 and the circuit
including RS1-RS4, C6 and R9. EC1-EC4 are polarized capacitors.
[0061] Referring to Fig. 9, an LED strip circuit 120 is shown. Strip
circuit 120 has four
strings 122, 124, 126 and 128, each having twenty four LEDs. These are powered
by a driver 130.
[0062] Referring to Fig. 10, a pair of respective LED strip light
assemblies 150 is shown
which are connected by a linking cable 152. A series of LED strip light
assemblies 150 can be
connected together for a virtual unlimited number of LED strip light
assemblies 150 by means of
sequential linking cables 152. A power cable would be required to connect an
end of LED strip
light assembly 150 to a power source.
[0063] Referring to Fig. 11, an end view of an LED strip light fixture 153
is shown. A
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CA 2960058 2017-12-06
linking opening (discussed below) in which a linking plug (discussed below) is
to be inserted
should be protected when not in use. Therefore, a protective cap 154 having a
trefoil configuration,
which is the same configuration as that leading to the end connector opening,
it is used to protect
the end connector opening. This is shown in Fig. 11. Protective cap 154 has a
depression 156 into
which an implement can be inserted for removing protective cap 154 from the
end connector
opening.
[0064] An exploded view of one form of LED strip light fixture 153 is
shown in Fig.12.
LED strip light fixture 153 includes a housing 160 which comprises a top piece
162 and a pair of
parallel, opposing, and elongated side walls 164 with a pair of opposing end
pieces 166 which are
mounted across the coplanar parallel ends of top piece 162. Side walls 164
have elongated, side
wall bottom edges 167.
[0065] LED strip light fixture 153 includes an LED strip light 158 which
includes a driver
168 above which is a driver box bottom 170. Driver 168 fits inside a driver
box top 172 and driver
box bottom 170 to be enclosed therein. A power plug 174 is provided for
attachment to driver 168
for transmitting electric power thereto.
[0066] An LED module 176 is an elongated member having a plurality of
strips of LEDs
included therein. A heat sink 178 which is of about the same length as LED
module 176, and it is
provided for absorbing the heat generated by LED module 176. Also attached to
housing 160 is a
diffuser 180 which receives LED module 176 and heat sink 178, and which is
clipped to the bottom
of housing 160. Diffuser 180 diffuses illumination from LED module 176 in a
generally downward
direction.
[0067] A pair of end covers 182 clip onto the ends of diffuser 180 to
protect the interior of
diffuser 180 and the parts that it encloses, from contaminants in the ambient
air.
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[0068] A screw assembly 183 is used for attaching driver box top with
driver 168 and
driver box bottom 170 to housing 160. Screw, washer and nut assembly attach
the illumination
components including diffuser 180, LED module 176 and heat sink 178 to housing
160.
[0069] Another size of an LED strip light assembly is shown in Fig. 13.
Referring to Fig.
13, an LED strip light assembly 190 is shown. LED strip light assembly 190
includes a housing
192 having a top wall 194 extending downwardly from its opposing parallel
edges is a pair of side
walls 196, to form three walls of a rectangular parallelepiped having an open
bottom opposite top
wall 194. Housing 192 has a pair of end pieces 198 which are disposed at the
opposite ends of
housing 192. Connecting seats 200 are disposed in apertures 202 in respective
end pieces 198.
Connecting seats 200 have a trefoil-shaped opening for receiving a linking
plug, and electrical
input plug or a protective cap 204 for the protection of the interior of
connecting seat 200, when a
plug is not installed therein. A linking cable or connecting cord 224 similar
to linking cable 63 or a
linking connector 222 similar to linking connector 53 discussed with respect
to shop light assembly
1 are provided. Reference is made to the discussion regarding linking
connector 53 for a
description of linking connector 222. A power cable or power cord 226 is
similar to power cable 61
is required when assembly 190 is to be turned on for illumination. Reference
is made to the
discussion of power cable 61 for the description of the components of the
electric input plug and
the outlet plug included in power cable 226. LED strip light assembly 190
includes an LED strip
light fixture with the foregoing components other than linking connector 222,
linking cable 224
and power cord 226.
[0070] The following parts are those known from known strip light
assemblies. These
include a driver 206, a driver box bottom 208, a driver box top 210 and a
screw assembly 211 for
attaching driver box top 210 to driver box bottom 208 for enclosing driver
206. A power plug 212
CA 2960058 2017-12-06
is also provided for power for driver 206. Screws 213 attach driver box bottom
208 to driver box
top 210 to enclose driver 206. Strip light 190 further includes an LED module
214, a heat sink 216,
a diffuser 218 and a pair of opposing end covers 220.
[0071] Drawings of the entire strip light assembly 190 are shown in Figs.
14-18. Fig. 14
shows LED strip light fixture 191 in perspective form. Shown in Fig. 14 are
housing 192 with top
wall 194 and side wall 196, end piece 198 having inserted therein connecting
seat 200 with
protective cap 204. Located between end covers 220 is diffuser 218.
[0072] Fig. 15 shows a top view of strip light fixture 191 in which can be
seen top wall 194
of housing 192. A front view of LED strip light fixture 191 is depicted in
Fig. 16. Housing 192 is
shown on which side wall 196 is visible. The lower portion of LED strip light
fixture 191 is
diffuser 218. The end view of LED light fixture 191 in inverted form is shown
in Fig. 17. End
cover 220 is shown above end piece 198 in which are located connecting seat
200 into which
extends protective cap 204. Referring to Fig. 18, the bottom view of LED strip
light fixture 191
shows diffuser 218 between protective caps 204.
[0073] Referring next to Fig. 19, a circuit 230 is shown for the electric
circuitry of strip
light assemblies 150 and 190. Circuit 230 includes inputs L and N, a fuse Fl
connected in parallel
with a voltage variator RV1, and the latter are connected to a variable
inductor 1_,1. These are
connected to a circuit for output smoothing, which includes a capacitor Xl,
resistors R1A, RIB and
R2, the latter of which are connected in series and in parallel with capacitor
X1 . Also included in
the smoothing circuit are resistor R3 which is connected across inductor L2
and resistor R4 which
is connected across inductor L3. Included in the smoothing circuit is a diode
bridge BR1. BR1 is
connected in parallel with a capacitor Cl and a variable capacitor RV2.
Another circuit connected
to the previously discussed circuits includes three resistors RSA, R5B and R6
which connected in
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series, and in parallel with a diodc D2 and a resistor R7. Further in the
latter circuit are a resistor
R16 connected in series with a capacitor C2, connected in parallel with
resistors R17A and R17B,
the latter connected in series. A transformer Ti is connected across the
latter circuit including
diode D1 and another circuit having a positive direct current and negative
direct current terminals.
Lines 4 and 5 which are connected to transformer Ti run in parallel and
resistors R11 and R12 are
connected in line 4. Between the line connecting R11 and R12 is a line
connected across a control
circuit Ul. A semiconductor control component M1 is connected in parallel with
resistors R10 and
R19, and in parallel with parallel conductors R13, R14 and R15 as well as
capacitor C4.
[0074] The embodiments of the invention described above provide very useful
and
economical lighting systems which can be used to illuminate different areas
according to their
respective sizes and shapes. The respective LED light assemblies can be easily
linked together by
persons without needing any training to make these connections. With respect
to a series of LED
shop light fixtures, the LED shop light fixtures can be placed in virtually
any space and pointed in
any direction, linked together and plugged into a wall output. Similarly, LED
strip light fixtures
can be linked together and be connected to a power outlet with a power cord.
The respective LED
light units can be connected together by a linking cable of any length, and
which is flexible so that
the respective lighting units can face in virtually any direction. Similarly,
the lighting units can be
connected together by rigid connector to render lighting units to be in effect
a single lighting unit
having various lengths, with the individual components being individually
operated.
[0075] The invention has been described in detail, with particular emphases
on the
preferred embodiments thereof, but variations and modifications may occur to
those skilled in the
art to which the invention pertains.
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