IP Library Granted Patent US 8,836,239
Granted Patent B2
US 8,836,239 · App. 13/324,219 · Granted Sep 16, 2014

LED lighting device and illumination apparatus including same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,836,239
App. No.
13/324,219
Granted
Sep 16, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An LED lighting device includes a converter for converting a power source voltage into a DC voltage and outputting it to an LED unit; and a controller for controlling an output of the converter. The converter has a chopper circuit including a series circuit of an inductance element and a capacitor; a switching element connected to the inductance element in series and turned on/off by the controller; and a diode as discharging path of the inductance element during an OFF state of the switching element. The controller controls an on/off time of the switching element such that a current supplied to the LED unit during a specific time period after a lighting operation is started becomes smaller than a current supplied to the LED unit in a steady state by using a voltage generated in a secondary coil of the inductance coil as an operating voltage thereof.

Claims (24)

1. An LED lighting device comprising:

a power converting unit configured to convert a power source voltage to a DC voltage and output the DC voltage to an LED unit; and

an output control unit configured to control an output of the power converting unit,

wherein the power converting unit has a chopper circuit including a series circuit of a primary coil of an inductance element and a capacitor; a switching element which is connected to the primary coil of the inductance element in series and turned on and off by the output control unit; and a diode serving as a discharging path of the primary coil of the inductance element during an OFF state of the switching element,

wherein an operating voltage of the output control unit is obtained from a voltage generated in a secondary coil of the inductance element, and the output control unit controls an on-duty ratio of the switching element during an initial time period after a lighting operation is started to be smaller than that during a steady state of the lighting operation so that a current supplied to the LED unit during the initial time period is smaller than that during the steady state.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operating voltage of the output control unit is obtained from a positive voltage generated in the secondary coil when charges accumulated in the inductance element are discharged.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the output control unit controls the operation of the switching element in a critical mode where the switching element is turned on at the time when a current flowing through the primary coil of the inductance element becomes zero, and uses the secondary coil to detect the current flowing through the primary coil of the inductance element.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the output control unit controls the operation of the switching element in a critical mode where the switching element is turned on at the time when a current flowing through the primary coil of the inductance element becomes zero, and uses the secondary coil to detect the current flowing through the primary coil of the inductance element.

5. An illumination apparatus comprising:

the LED lighting device of claim 1 ;

lamp sockets to which the LED unit is mechanically electrically connected; and

an apparatus body for holding the LED lighting device and the lamp sockets.

6. An illumination apparatus comprising:

the LED lighting device of claim 2 ;

lamp sockets to which the LED unit is mechanically electrically connected; and

an apparatus body for holding the LED lighting device and the lamp sockets.

7. An illumination apparatus comprising:

the LED lighting device of claim 3 ;

lamp sockets to which the LED unit is mechanically electrically connected; and

an apparatus body for holding the LED lighting device and the lamp sockets.

8. An illumination apparatus comprising:

the LED lighting device of claim 4 ;

lamp sockets to which the LED unit is mechanically electrically connected; and

an apparatus body for holding the LED lighting device and the lamp sockets.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Mar 14, 2012
From: PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORKS CO.,LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027858/0539 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2011
From: HAMAMOTO, KATUNOBU; YAMAMOTO, MASAFUMI; UEDA, KEISUKE; TAKIKITA, HISAYA
To: PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORKS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 027373/0598 →