FIELD

The present invention is related to a lighting apparatus and more particularly related to a lighting apparatus easily to be installed to a cavity of a ceiling.

BACKGROUND

Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve a practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. Daylighting (using windows, skylights, or light shelves) is sometimes used as the main source of light during daytime in buildings. This can save energy in place of using artificial lighting, which represents a major component of energy consumption in buildings. Proper lighting can enhance task performance, improve the appearance of an area, or have positive psychological effects on occupants.

Indoor lighting is usually accomplished using light fixtures, and is a key part of interior design. Lighting can also be an intrinsic component of landscape projects.

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence. The color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photons) is determined by the energy required for electrons to cross the band gap of the semiconductor. White light is obtained by using multiple semiconductors or a layer of light-emitting phosphor on the semiconductor device.

Appearing as practical electronic components in 1962, the earliest LEDs emitted low-intensity infrared light. Infrared LEDs are used in remote-control circuits, such as those used with a wide variety of consumer electronics. The first visible-light LEDs were of low intensity and limited to red. Modern LEDs are available across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths, with high light output.

Early LEDs were often used as indicator lamps, replacing small incandescent bulbs, and in seven-segment displays. Recent developments have produced white-light LEDs suitable for room lighting. LEDs have led to new displays and sensors, while their high switching rates are useful in advanced communications technology.

LEDs have many advantages over incandescent light sources, including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved physical robustness, smaller size, and faster switching. Light-emitting diodes are used in applications as diverse as aviation lighting, automotive headlamps, advertising, general lighting, traffic signals, camera flashes, lighted wallpaper and medical devices.

Unlike a laser, the color of light emitted from an LED is neither coherent nor monochromatic, but the spectrum is narrow with respect to human vision, and functionally monochromatic.

The energy efficiency of electric lighting has increased radically since the first demonstration of arc lamps and the incandescent light bulb of the 19th century. Modern electric light sources come in a profusion of types and sizes adapted to many applications. Most modern electric lighting is powered by centrally generated electric power, but lighting may also be powered by mobile or standby electric generators or battery systems. Battery-powered light is often reserved for when and where stationary lights fail, often in the form of flashlights, electric lanterns, and in vehicles.

Although lighting devices are widely used, there are still lots of opportunity and benefit to improve the lighting devices to provide more convenient, low cost, reliable and beautiful lighting devices for enhancing human life.

SUMMARY

In some embodiments, a lighting apparatus is designed for connecting to an external signal wire. The external signal wire has an end electrode. For example, the external signal wire is a power wire with two sub-wires. The two sub-wires are isolated and prevented to have direct contact which may cause short circuit problem. In the ends of the two sub-wires, there may be two electrodes as the end electrode of the external signal wire.

More than three sub-wires may be used, e.g. with a ground line and one or more control lines. In some embodiments, the external signal wire may be a power line from an indoor power source, e.g. 110V or 220V alternating current source.

The lighting apparatus has a light housing, multiple LED chips, a driver component, a printed circuit board, a socket and an elastic clip.

The light housing has a light opening and a back cover. The back cover has a cover entrance. The printed circuit board is used for mounting the plurality of LED chips and the driver component.

The socket has a guiding entrance aligning with the cover entrance. The end electrode of the external signal wire is inserted into the guiding entrance.

The elastic clip has a clip part and an extended part. The extended part is electrically connected to the driver component. The clip part clips the end electrode for forming an electrical connection to the driver component via the extended part.

In some embodiments, the external signal wire includes a power wire.

In some embodiments, the external signal line also includes a control signal line for transmitting a control signal to the driver component for sending a control signal from an external control device via the external signal line to the driver component to control the plurality of LED chips according to the control signal. The external control device may be a switch mounted on a wall for receiving an operation command of a user. The operation command is converted to the corresponding control signal sent to the driver component. For example, the operation command may be to turn-on, turn-off, increase luminance level, lower luminance level, change color temperatures. More complicated commands may be provided by combining multiple operations with more circuits. For example, a prepare-to-sleep command may correspond to lower down the light gradually and turn off after a predetermined time period. In some embodiments, there are other components on the lighting apparatus, e.g. a speaker, a camera, a smoke detector, an indicator. The control signal may be used for control these components.

In some embodiments, the signal wire may include a signal line for transmitting a control signal.

In some embodiments, the lighting apparatus may also include a converter module. The converter module may have a box housing and electronic components placed within the box housing.

The converter module may be selectively, e.g. added when needed, inserted into a section of the external signal line for providing an additional control signal to the driver component.

For example, there is a position detachable in the external signal line. When a first part of the external signal line and a second part of the external signal line are separated, the first part and the second part respectively have a connecting end to be connected to two ends of the converter module for inserting the converter module into the external signal wire. In other words, the power line and/or signal line passes through the converter module first and then continue to the lighting apparatus.

The converter module may add more function to the lighting apparatus when the converter module is inserted. For example, the convert module may have a wireless module for transmitting and/or receiving data to and/or from an external device. The data are processed or routed to the driver component of the lighting apparatus.

The converter module may have a manual switch exposed outside the lighting apparatus so that users may operate the manual switch to input some commands, which may be further injected to the driver component of the lighting apparatus.

In some other embodiments, the converter module may replace the control function of the driver component. In other words, when the converter module is inserted, the converter module takes over a portion of a complete function of the driver module.

When users need a different function, users just get a corresponding converter module and inserts the converter module into the external signal line to achieve the desired control function provided by the converter module. For example, a lighting apparatus may have not connection capability to external devices. By inserting a convert module that has a wireless circuit as mentioned above, the lighting apparatus may be controlled by an external device wirelessly. Such design adds lots of flexibility.

In some embodiments, the lighting apparatus may also include a converter module that is selectively inserted into the external signal line for receiving a wireless signal and the control signal, the converter module converting the wireless signal to an additional control signal supplied to the driver component via the end electrode of the external signal line.

In some embodiments, the light housing further has a rim and a surrounding wall. A first peripheral edge of the surrounding wall is connected to the back cover. The light opening is at a center of the rim. The rim is connected to a second peripheral edge of the surrounding wall. Such arrangement may form a downlight device that can be installed to an installation box or an installation cavity in a ceiling.

In some embodiments, the lighting apparatus may also include a heat sink for mounting the printed circuit board for carrying away heat of the printed circuit board. The heat sink may be a metal cup with a top plate and a surrounding wall. the top plate is used for mounting and engaging the printed circuit board for carrying away heat of the LED chips and the driver component.

In some embodiments, an external surface of the heat sink engages an inner surface of the light housing for heat dissipation. The heat is transmitted from the printed circuit board to the light housing.

In some embodiments, there is an antenna disposed on the heat sink electrically connected to the driver component. For example, there is a portion of a heat dissipation cup, served as the heat sink, reserved for placing an antenna. Usually, an antenna has a pattern, length and width for receiving a corresponding frequency signal. The antenna may be printed or inserted to the heat dissipation cup and also connect to the driver component or a wireless module to provide connectivity.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board includes an extending slot for plugging a function module providing an additional function to the driver component. The function module may provide a wireless function, a sensor function, or other functions for making the lighting apparatus more convenient. When such function module may be added, such function module may be replaced depending on which function users need. In some cases, the function module may be removed completely and no additional function is provided for such setting, e.g. with a lower cost.

In some embodiments, the driver component and the plurality of LED chips are disposed on opposite sides of the printed circuit board. In other words, the driver component, which may have one or more circuits, is mounted on a back side of the printed circuit board and the LED chips are placed on a front side of the printed circuit board.

In some embodiments, the driver component and the multiple LED chips are disposed at a first side of the printed circuit board. There is a second driver component having a height than the driver component being disposed at a second side of the printed circuit board. In other words, components with larger heights, like a capacitor standing upon a printed circuit with a significant height compared with other components, are placed in a back side of the printed circuit board without causing a shadow of the LED chips if these components are placed at the same side of the printed circuit board as the LED chips.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board has an extending slot for plugging a second light source module.

In some embodiments, the second light source module has a third driver component co-working with the driver component to control the second light source module.

In some embodiments, the third driver component replaces a control function of the driver component when the second light source module is plugged to the extending slot.

In some embodiments, the clip part and the extended part are made of metal material. The clip part includes a pair of clips facing to each other and defining a clipping entrance deformed when the end electrode is inserted into the clip entrance to fix the end electrode.

In some embodiments, the elastic clip has a clip housing to be disposed on the printed circuit board.

In some embodiments, the clip housing has a top part and a bottom part disposed on opposite sides of the printed circuit board. The clip part is enclosed by the top part and the bottom part of the clip housing.

In some embodiments, the printed circuit board has a wire opening. The end electrode is inserted through a guiding entrance of the top part of the clip housing and then passes through the wire opening before being clipped by the clip part of the elastic clip. In some embodiments, the light housing has a reflective cup made as an unibody portion of the light housing.

