Illumination device with a connector having a retainer with a rotary member and a starter and a swich and elastic pieces

[0001] Related subject matter is disclosed in U.S. patent applications with Ser. No. 13/301,797 and a title of LIGHT TUBE HOLDER, Ser. No. 13/301,799 and a title of ILLUMINATION DEVICE, Ser. No. 13/301,800 and a title of ILLUMINATION DEVICE, Ser. No. 13/301,801 and a title of ILLUMINATION DEVICE, Ser. No. 13/301,808 and a title of ILLUMINATION DEVICE, and Ser. No. 13/301,810 and a title of ILLUMINATION DEVICE, which have the same assignees as the current application and were concurrently filed.

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to illumination devices, and particularly, to a light-emitting diode (LED) illumination device for adapting an LED tube and a fluorescent tube.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Generally, a conventional light tube holder for fluorescent tubes can not be used with LED tubes. When attempting using an LED tube, the conventional light tube holder needs to be replaced. It is desired and useful if a light tube holder can adapt both fluorescent tubes and LED tubes.

[0006] Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an illuminating device 1 includes a tube holder 10 and a tube 20 mounted on the tube holder 10. The tube 20 may be a traditional fluorescent tube or a light-emitting diode (LED) tube. The tube holder 10 can adapt a tube 20 in the both types. The fluorescent tube has two conductive pins on one end thereof and two conductive pins on an opposite end thereof, and the LED tube has one conductive pin and one insulating pin on one end thereof and one conductive pin and one insulating pin on an opposite end thereof. The tube holder 10 includes a base 11 and a pair of connectors 12 at opposite ends of the base 11. Each connector 12 includes a cap 13, a retainer 15, and a rotary member 14. The cap 13 is attached to one end of the retainer 15. The cap 13 and the retainer 15 cooperatively define a space to rotatably receive the rotary member 14 therein. In the embodiment, a through hole 16 is defined in the retainer 15. The rotary member 14 is smaller in diameter than the though hole 16, thereby allowing the rotary member 14 rotatably received in the through hole 16. The rotary member 14 is hat-shaped, including a brim 140, a body 141, and a first groove 142. The brim 140 is larger in diameter than the though hole 16, and abuts the outside end face of the retainer 15 around the though hole 16. The first groove 142 is defined in the middle of the body 141 extending long a diameter of the body 141, and divides the body 141 into two substantially equal parts. The first groove 142 can receive the two pins 21 of the tube 20 therein. An opening 150 is defined in the retainer 15 and extends from an external lateral surface to the sidewall of the through hole 16, and communicates with the though hole 16.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 4, an elastic member 17 consisting of three elastic pieces 17a, 17b, 17c is positioned in the retainer 15 around the through hole 16. Each elastic piece 17a, 17b, 17c is made of an elastic metal sheet by stamping. The elastic piece 17a has a configuration of a half of a circle, while each of the elastic pieces 17b, 17c has a configuration of one fourth of a circle. A second groove 151 is defined in the retainer 15 opposite the opening 150. In this embodiment, at least one buffer pad 152 is formed on the side wall between the opening 150 and the second groove 151. The opening 150, the second groove 151, and the at least one buffer pad 152 are used to separate the three elastic pieces 17a, 17b, 17c of the elastic member 17 from each other. The three elastic pieces 17a, 17b, 17c of the elastic member 17 can then be electrically insulated from each other. The tube holder 10 further includes an LED tube drive circuit board 18 and a fluorescent tube drive circuit board 19 mounted in the base 11. The elastic pieces 17a, 17c are connected to the LED tube drive circuit board 18 and the elastic pieces 17b, 17c are connected to the fluorescent tube drive circuit board 19.

[0015] When installing the tube 20, the rotary member 14 is first rotated to cause the first groove 142 to align with the opening 150. The pins 21 of the tube 20 can then be inserted into the through hole 16 and supported in the first groove 142. The tube 20 can then be rotated to misalign the first groove 142 of the rotary member 14 with the opening 150, and securely retain the tube 20 in the retainer 15.

[0016] One of the connectors 12 further includes a switch 120 positioned between the edge of the retainer 15 and the elastic piece 17b which is connected to the fluorescent tube drive circuit board 19.

[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a drive circuit 50 of the illumination device 1 with two connectors 12 of FIG. 4 and an LED tube 20 connected thereto. To facilitate the description, the connector 12 at left of the drawing is termed as the connector 12a, while the connector 12 at right is termed as the connector 12b. The switch 120 is positioned in the left connector 12a. The elastic piece 17c of the connector 12a is connected to a negative terminal of a power supply 51. One end of the switch 120 and one end of a ballast 52 are connected to a positive terminal of the power supply 51, and the other end of the switch 120 is connected to the other end of the ballast 52, and then connected to the elastic piece 17c of the connector 12b. A starter 53 is connected between the elastic piece 17b of the connector 12a and the elastic piece 17b of the connector 12b. When the switch 120 is closed, the ballast 53 is bypassed. The switch 120 is normally closed.

[0018] When the tube 20 is an LED tube 20 and inserted into the connectors 12a, 12b, the insulating pins of the LED tube 20 are respectively connected with the elastic pieces 17a of the connectors 12a, 12b, and the conductive pins of the LED tube 20 are respectively connected with the elastic pieces 17c of the connectors 12a, 12b, as shown in FIG. 5. Electrical current from the power supply 51 flows through the switch 120, the elastic piece 17c of the connector 12b, the LED tube 20, the elastic piece 17c of the connector 12a back to the power supply 51. Thus, the LED tube 20 is driven by the LED tube drive circuit board 18 to illuminate.

[0019] When the tube 20 is a fluorescent tube 20, inserted into the connectors 12a, 12b and rotated to a predetermined position (indicated by a mark (not shown) on the connector 12a), the rotary member 14 is rotated to a first position where the pins 21 of the tube fluorescent 20 stay in contact with the elastic pieces 17c, 17b of the elastic member 17. The elastic piece 17b contacted with one pin 21 of the fluorescent tube 20 is pushed to be deformed and actuates the switch 120 to be opened. As a result, electrical current flows through the ballast 52, the fluorescent tube 20, the starter 53, the fluorescent tube 20 again and back to the power supply 51 thereby allowing the fluorescent tube 20 to be driven by the fluorescent tube drive circuit board 19 and illuminate. As a result, no matter what the type of the tube 20 is, the tube holder 10 can well adapt the tube 20.

[0020] In the first embodiment, the elastic member 17 includes three elastic pieces 17a, 17b, and 17c. The length of the elastic piece 17c is about 0.5A, where A represents the perimeter of the through hole 16. The lengths of the elastic pieces 17a and 17b are both 0.25A. The number of the at least one buffer pad 152 is one. Thus, the elastic pieces 17a, 17b, and 17c are separated from each other by the opening 150, the second groove 151 and the buffer pad 152.

[0021] It is understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein.