LED lighting device and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

LED lighting device (100), comprising: a housing (10); a light-emitting LED unit (20) arranged in the housing (10);and an LED driver (30) configured to operate the light-emitting LED unit (20), wherein the LED driver (30) and the light-emitting LED unit (20) are integrally arranged within the housing (10), wherein the LED driver (30) and the light-emitting LED unit (20) are formed on the same printed circuit board (21), and wherein a steel support (40) is configured to support the LED driver (30) and the light-emitting LED unit (20) within the housing (10), the support (40) having an outer profile configured to bear against an inner surface of the housing (10), and comprising a support element (41), wherein the printed circuit board (21) is arranged on and adhesively bonded to the support element (41), and wherein the support element (41) of the support (40) is a pair of cantilever arms extending from an inner surface of the support (40) extend inwards;

Description

Technical FieldThe present application relates to an LED (light emitting diode) lighting device, and more particularly, to an LED lighting device that is compact in construction and easy to install. Further, the present application relates to a method for manufacturing the LED lighting device.Prior ArtLED lighting, as is already widely known, has many unacceptable advantages, so that LEDs are becoming more widely used as a light source in lighting devices to replace conventional light sources. An LED tube is a main product used in an indoor LED lighting apparatus. As compared with a conventional daylight tube and a conventional fluorescent tube, the LED tube has a higher lumen efficiency, a longer lifetime and is also more energy saving and environmentally friendly. In addition, an LED tube does not require a ballast nor a starter and can easily be produced and installed in modular fashion. Accordingly, the LED tube has gained increased popularity and is used in various applications in both industrial and private applications.In an LED lighting device, in general, in order to allow the LED to emit light, an external power supply is applied to the LED lighting unit as a constant LED power source via an LED driver. The LED driver usually consists of a driver circuit comprising a plurality of electronic components and is electrically conductively connected in the housing as an integral component in the form of a separate component or a printed circuit board to the LED printed circuit board of the light-emitting LED unit. Thus, the number of components is high. Further, this complicates the processes of manufacturing and assembling the components, so that the space in the lighting device cannot be effectively utilized. US 2015 / 0 267 874 A1 describes a light source device having a tubular light-transmissive cover, wherein a placement plate with LEDs fastened by means of a support is arranged inside the light-transmissive cover.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a novel LED lighting device having a reduced number of components and a more compact construction.Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel LED lighting device having a high bending strength.Another object of the present invention is to provide an LED lighting device that is easily modular and that is easy to assemble.Another object of the present invention is to provide an LED lighting device which is low in cost, easy to manufacture, and further solves the problem of mutually different thermal expansion coefficients of different materials.One or more of the above objects can be achieved by an LED lighting device according to the present invention. The LED lighting device includes: a housing; a light-emitting LED unit disposed in the housing; and an LED driver configured to drive the light-emitting LED unit; wherein the LED driver and the light-emitting LED unit are integrally disposed inside the housing.By integrating the LED driver and the LED light emitting unit into one component, the object of reducing the number of components, the object of simplifying the construction of the LED lighting device, the object of simplifying the assembling steps, and the object of saving space are achieved.The LED lighting device further includes a bracket made of steel configured to support the LED driver and the light-emitting LED unit inside the housing. The bracket may be further configured to dissipate heat and improve a bending strength of the lighting device. The bracket has an outer profile configured to abut an inner surface of the housing and formed with a support member, wherein the circuit board is disposed on and adhesively bonded to the support member, and wherein the support member of the bracket is a pair of cantilever arms extending inward from an inner surface of the bracket.Preferably, the LED lighting device further includes an end cover configured to close an opening of the housing and configured to electrically connect the LED driver and the light-emitting LED unit to an external power supply. Preferably, the end cover comprises a locking element, wherein the end cover is latchable with the holder by means of the locking element. In this way, simple assembly is achieved and the problem of jamming or deformation of the plastic tube caused by different thermal expansion coefficients of different materials is addressed.Further, there is provided a method of manufacturing the LED lighting device according to the present invention, comprising the steps of: soldering the electronic components of the LED driver and the LED elements of the light-emitting LED unit on the same circuit board; adhering the soldered circuit board to the holder; disposing the adhered assembly including the circuit board and the holder inside the housing via an opening of the housing; and closing the opening of the housing via an end cover.Brief Description of the FiguresFeatures and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description relating to individual embodiments and given with reference to the figures. Identical features or components are provided with identical reference numerals. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale. The following are shown: FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an LED lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic view of an LED driver integrated on an LED circuit board in the LED lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a holder according to a further embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of the LED lighting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of an end of the LED lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the LED driver in a mounted state and the end cover in a locked state, FIG. 6 shows an enlarged detail view of part A from FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the end cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIGS. 8 to 14 are flowcharts schematically illustrating an assembling method for the LED lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSExemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the figures. The description of the exemplary embodiments is intended for purposes of illustration and example explanation only and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the present invention and its application or use.Spatially relative terms such as "inner," "outer," "below," "bottom," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used herein for simplified description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as depicted in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to describe, in addition to the orientations or orientations of the device illustrated in the figures, also further different orientations or orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, if the device is turned over in terms of its features, components described as "below" or "below" relative to other elements or features would then be arranged to be "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" may include both an orientation above and below. The device can also be oriented differently (rotated through 90° or have a different orientation), wherein the spatial relative description used here is to be interpreted accordingly.Hereinafter, an LED lighting device according to the present invention will be described using an example of an LED tube with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.As shown in FIG. 1, an LED lighting device (LED tube) 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 10 and an LED light emitting unit 20 disposed inside the housing 10.The housing 10 is typically a lamp tube of various embodiments, such as an extruded T5 or T8 tube. Since the amount of heat generated by an LED light source is small, the package 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be made of a plastic material instead of metal or glass materials having high heat resistance. For example, the housing 10 may be a T5 plastic tube. The T5 plastic tube is extruded from a polymeric material having high light transmittance and high water resistance. Furthermore, a polymeric material is characterized in that it is not easy to break, easy to form, resistant to aging, lightweight and cost-effective. The polymeric material may be, for example, polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc. However, the housing of the lighting device of the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be made of any suitable materials.As shown in FIG. 2, the light-emitting LED unit 20 is composed of an LED printed circuit board (PCB) 21 and at least one LED element 22 mounted on the LED printed circuit board 21. The LED elements 22 may be arranged in a row as shown, but also in multiple rows, or with any arrangement or pattern.The LED element is a semiconductor light source configured to convert electrical energy into visible light. The semiconductor light source has a specific voltage-current characteristic that the current changes exponentially with voltage when the voltage applied to the LED element exceeds a dead zone voltage. Therefore, in order for the LED element to be normally operated and not burned out by slight voltage fluctuations, the LED lighting device 100 typically further includes an LED driver 30 that is used as a constant current source for the LED element 22 so that the current is not higher than the rated current of the LED element and is not affected by a difference between a bias voltage and an input voltage of the LED element. Specifically, the LED driver 30 is a device that converts commercial current, rectifys, and filters to be output to the LED light-emitting unit 20. Generally, the LED driver 30 is composed of a driving circuit 32 having a plurality of electronic components 31.In the conventional technique, the LED driver is typically connected as an integral component in the form of a separate component or circuit to the LED circuit board of the LED light emitting unit disposed in the lighting device case. Accordingly, it is necessary to additionally provide an electrical connection unit, which however increases the complexity and the costs of manufacturing and assembly. In particular, in the case that the interior space of the housing of the LED lighting device is not sufficiently large, the LED driver has to be arranged outside the lighting device, for example on a special mounting bracket or a lamp holder, and connected to the interior space of the lighting device via an electrical cable. For example, considering LED tubes that can be classified into T2, T3, T4, T5, T8, T10, and T12 by small to large diameters, the T5 tube and the T8 tube are most often present. The T8 tube has a diameter of 26 mm and thus has an inner space large enough to place a conventional LED driver directly in the tube and electrically connect it to the LED circuit board. In contrast, the T5 tube has only a diameter of 16 mm and accordingly has a limited inner space. Thus, in the T5 tube of conventional constructions, an LED driver disposed outside is often used because the internal space thereof is not large enough. In this case, a mounting holder provided specifically for this purpose is also provided for use with the T5 tube. In this way, the manufacturing cost of the product is higher and the on-site installation is more complex. The aesthetic, safety and the feasibility of the product are also reduced in this way.As shown in FIG. 2, in lighting device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, driving circuit 32 of LED driver 30 is integrated on LED circuit board 21, and the plurality of electronic components 31 of LED driver 30 are soldered in driving circuit 32. In this way, the LED driver 30 is formed, which is integrally formed with the LED light-emitting unit 20.Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a board connector 23 configured to be electrically connected to an external power supply (not shown here) is provided at a tip end of the LED board 21. The LED driver 30 is integrated in a portion of the LED circuit board 21 between the circuit board connector 23 and the LED array. The external power supply is connected to the LED driver 30 via the printed circuit board connector 23. After processing by the LED driver 30, a constant current meeting the operation requirement of the LED element 22 is output from the LED driver 30.Compared to the arrangements known from the prior art, in which the LED driver 30 is electrically conductively connected to the LED printed circuit board 21 as a separate component, the integration of the LED driver 30 in the printed circuit board 21 makes it possible to reduce the number of separate components of the lighting device and necessary additional electrical connections between the LED driver and the LED printed circuit board. This simplifies the structure and assembly of the lighting device. Also, the number of failure points is reduced so as to increase the reliability. Further, since the structure and assembly of the lighting device are simplified, space saving can be achieved. This is especially important for a small lighting device.Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of electronic components 31 of the LED driver 30 are divided into a first set of one or more electronic components 31 awith similar height dimensions and a second set of one or more electronic components 31 bwith similar height dimensions, based on the height in a direction perpendicular to the LED circuit board 21 under installation conditions. Each of the electronic components of the first set 31a is higher than each of the electronic components of the second set 31b. For example, the height of each component of the first set of electronic components 31 amay be in the range of 1 / 5 to 3 / 5 of the diameter of the housing and the height of each component of the second set of electronic components 31 bmay be less than 1 / 5 of the diameter of the housing. The range of values can be adjusted according to the distribution of the height and other dimensions (for example, the footprint on the LED circuit board) of the electronic components. The first set of electronic components 31 amay include, for example, a relay or the like, and the second set of electronic components 31 bmay include, for example, a resistor, a capacitor, or the like. The first set of electronic components 31 aand the second set of electronic components 31 bmay be soldered on opposite side surfaces of the LED circuit board 21, respectively. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the LED element 22 and the first set of electronic components 31 amay be disposed on an upper side surface of the LED circuit board 21, and the second set of electronic components 31 bmay be disposed on a lower side surface of the LED circuit board 21.Since the electronic components 31 of the LED driver 30 are divided to be disposed on the upper and lower side surfaces of the LED circuit board 21, the interior of the tube can be utilized even more effectively, as compared with the case where the electronic components are disposed on the same side of the LED circuit board. In this way, small lighting devices, such as T5 or T4 tubes, allow the LED driver to be mounted internally, thereby obviating the need for a special mounting fixture.As shown in FIG. 1, the LED lighting device 100 includes a holder 40 configured to support the LED circuit board 21. The bracket 40 is disposed on an inner surface of the housing 10 and made of steel. The holder 40 extends at least over a length of the LED circuit board 21 provided with the LED elements 22, and since the holder 40 directly contacts the LED light emitting unit 20 and is made of steel having good heat dissipation, the holder 40 can serve as a heat sink for the LED light emitting unit 20. Since steel has a higher bending strength as compared with conventional heat sink materials such as metallic aluminum, the bracket 40 made of steel also addresses the problem of a low bending strength of the case 10 made of plastic.The cross section of the bracket 40 is substantially arc-shaped, is complementary to a profile of the inner surface of the housing 10, and is configured to abut the inner surface of the housing 10. According to some embodiments of the present invention, two lateral ends of the arc-shaped bracket 40 abut respectively on two hook-shaped portions 11 integrally formed on the inner surface of the housing 10 to extend toward the bracket 40, so that slipping of the bracket 40 in a circumferential direction along the inner surface of the housing 10 is restricted. The hook-shaped portions 11 may be integrally extruded with the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 1, edges of both lateral ends of the arcuate bracket 40 may be folded to prevent bending and deformation thereof. Alternatively, if made of an elastic steel sheet, the bracket 40 may be held on the inner surface of the housing 10 by a self-induced spring force.As shown in FIG. 1, the holder 40 includes a support member 41. the LED circuit board 21 is disposed on the support member 41 of the holder 40 so as to divide the internal space of the housing 10 into two spaces S 1 and S 2. The first set of electronic components 31 aand the second set of electronic components 31 bmay be accommodated in one of the spaces S 1 and S 2, respectively.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, opposite sides of the bracket 40 are formed symmetrically with bent portions recessed toward the inside. The bent portion is formed by bending a portion of the bracket, and includes a horizontal portion and a vertical portion. The horizontal portions of the bent portions formed on opposite sides constitute the support member 41 configured to support the LED circuit board 21. Two sides of the LED circuit board 21 are placed on the support member 41 so as to divide the inner space of the housing 10 into the first space S 1 on an upper side and the second space S 2 on a lower side. The position of the support member 41 in the height direction may be adjusted according to the space required by the first set of electronic components 31 aand the second set of electronic components 31 b.The shape of the bracket 40, the manner of fixing the bracket 40, and the arrangement or structural configuration of the support member 41 are not limited to the above concrete example, and can be variously implemented. FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which a pair of closely-spaced arms extend inward from opposite sides of a base body of the holder 40 constituting the support member 41 and configured to support the LED circuit board 21.Reference is made to FIG. 4 which shows a schematic exploded drawing of the LED lighting device 100 according to the embodiment. As illustrated, the LED lighting device 100 further includes end covers 52 and 53 provided at two ends of the housing 10. The housing 10 can be closed by inserting the end caps 52 and 53 respectively into apertures 12 and 13 located on opposite sides of the housing 10. The end caps 52 and 53 may form an interference fit with the housing 10. The LED circuit board 21 has an elongated shape and may extend along the entire length of the housing 10. The LED circuit board 21 includes a first portion 21 aintegrally formed with the LED driver 30 and a second portion 21 bprovided with the array of LED elements. The first portion 21a is disposed near an opening of the housing 10 such that the LED driver 30 can be electrically connected to an external power supply via the end cover.As shown in FIG. 4, each of the end covers 52 and 53 has a cylindrical shape with a closed end and is made of an opaque material. For example, end caps 52 and 53 may be made of a plastic material that, while the same as that of housing 10, has been treated, for example, colored, coated, or modified to be opaque. Alternatively, end caps 52 and 53 may be made of a different suitable material than the material of housing 10. On the inner sides of the end covers 52 and 53, terminals (not shown here) configured to be connected to the connectors 23 at two ends of the LED circuit board 21, respectively, are provided. Also, on the outer sides of the end covers 52 and 53, terminal pins 54 configured to be connected to an external power supply are respectively provided. In the illustrated embodiment, the LED driver 30 is disposed at a left end of the LED circuit board 21. Thus, the left end cover 52 may be formed slightly different from the right end cover 53. The left end cover 52 is longer in the longitudinal direction, thereby enabling the left end cover 52 inserted in the housing 10 to cover a part of the LED circuit board 21 integrated with the LED driver 30 and emitting no light. In particular, the left end cover 52 may cover the first portion 21 aof the LED circuit board 21 such that the first portion 21 ais not visible from the outside during operation. The external power supply is applied to the LED driver only via the left end cap 52. Thus, the inner terminal and the outer terminal pin 54 of the left end cover 52 are arranged to allow the LED connector 23 on this side to be electrically connected to the external power supply. The right end cover 53 may be longitudinally shorter as long as the right opening of the housing 10 can be closed by the end cover 53. The inner terminal and the outer terminal pin 54 of the right end cover 53 may be common connectors configured to fix the lighting device 100 and not provide the function of an electrical connector.Further, since the first portion 21a needs to be covered by the end cover 52, the first portion 21a may be formed in consideration of the thickness of the end cover, as clearly shown in FIG. 1, to be slightly narrower than the second portion 21b to form symmetrically stepped portions 24 at the joint between the two portions. In the assembled state, sidewalls of the end caps may abut the stepped portions 24 to allow effective use of the interior space and facilitate positioning of the end caps. If necessary, as shown in FIG. 4, an upper part of the left end cover 52 associated with the first portion 21 amay be recessed to further save space that may be used for arranging the electronic components 31.Each of the end caps 52 and 53 may further include a locking member 55. The locking member 55 can snap into the retainer 40 to lock the end caps 52 and 53 to the retainer 40.The above-described locking structure of the end covers 52 and 53 and the bracket 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the left end of the LED lighting device, and FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged detailed view of the part A framed by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5.According to the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 55 extends horizontally along a longitudinal direction of the end cover 52, 53 for a length starting from an insertion end of the end cover 52, 53. the locking member 55 has a substantially L-shaped shape and includes a downwardly protruding locking protrusion 551 at a tip end. The locking member 55 may be integrally formed with the end cover 52, 53.Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the bottom of the bracket 40 may be formed with a straight portion. The straight portion extends along a longitudinal direction of the holder 40 over the entire length or a part of the length of the holder 40. A recess 43 is formed on a rear side of the elastic tab 42. The shape of the recess 43 is complementary to the shape of the locking protrusion 551 of the locking member 55. Further, the size of the recess 43, particularly the size of the recess in the longitudinal direction, is slightly larger than the size of the locking protrusion 551 to allow the locking protrusion 551 to easily snap into the recess. The straight portion at the bottom of the bracket 40 may be formed, for example, by first pressing and then excising and bending the straight portion to form the elastic tab 42 and the recess 43. As shown in FIG. 1, in the assembled state, the straight portion of the holder 40 is spaced apart from a lowermost side of the light emitting LED unit 20 by a predetermined distance, the light emitting LED unit 20 being integrally formed with the LED driver 30 and mounted on the holder 40, so that the locking member 55 of the end cover 52, 53 can be inserted between the straight portion of the holder 40 and the lowermost side of the LED emitting unit 20. The above-described locking structure and its manufacturing method are only exemplary. The present invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the end cap may be secured to the bracket by other suitable methods or methods.With such an arrangement, when the end cover 52, 53 is inserted into the housing 10, when the locking member 55 of the end cover 52, 53 is aligned with the elastic tab 42 of the bracket 40, the elastic tab 42 bent upward is pushed down by the locking protrusion 551. Then, in the step of inserting the end cover 52, 53, the locking protrusion 551 rides over the elastic tab 42 until the locking protrusion 551 fully slides into the recess 43 and no longer exerts a pressing force on the elastic tab 42. At this time, as shown in more detail in FIG. 6, a state of the elastic tab 42 is restored in which it obliquely bends upward and abuts against an abutting portion of the locking protrusion 551 so as not to allow the locking protrusion 551 to retract, whereby the end cover 52, 53 is locked at a desired position by the engagement of the locking protrusion 551 with the recess 43 and the elastic tab 42. In this position, an inserted end of the end cover 52 is disposed substantially flush with an edge of the first portion 21 aof the circuit board to be covered. In other words, the end cover 52 accurately completely covers the first portion 21 awhich is integrally formed with the LED driver 30 and does not emit light. The locking structure can be unlocked by inserting a special tool from the outside, such as a rigid sheet or the like, to press down the elastic tab. In this way, undesired disassembly or undesired actuation can be prevented.In order to prevent the end cover and the holder from moving together along the longitudinal direction, each of the end covers 52 and 53 may be provided with a groove 56 on both sides as shown in FIG. 7. The groove 56 extends for a certain length along the longitudinal direction at an insertion side of the end cover. The groove 56 is configured to engage with the hook-shaped portion 11 on the inner surface of the housing 10 and allow the hook-shaped portion 11 to be inserted into the groove 56. The insertion path of the end cover 52, 53 relative to the housing 10 along the longitudinal direction may be limited by the extension width of the groove 56. Further, after assembly, the terminals on the inner side of the end cover 52, 53 are engaged with the connectors 23 of the circuit board 21 to limit the displacement of the LED circuit board 21 and thus the holder 40 along the longitudinal direction of the lighting device 100. In other words, the LED light emitting unit 20, the LED driver 30, and the holder 40 accommodated in the LED lighting device 100 are fixedly mounted.Since the housing 10 of the lighting device 100, the holder 40, and the LED circuit board 21 accommodated in the housing 10 are all elongated in shape and made of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients, a difference in thermal expansion and cold contraction in the longitudinal direction of the resin housing and the metal components inside the resin housing is noticeable, which may cause the tube to be jammed due to the dimensional deviations caused by this difference. In the present invention, by fixing the end covers 52 and 53 to the holder 40 and not to the housing, the holder 40 and the LED circuit board 21 are allowed to freely expand or contract along the longitudinal direction. Further, by providing the grooves 56, the end covers 52, 53 can be slid relative to the housing 10 along the longitudinal direction, respectively. In this way, the problem of jamming or deformation of the lighting device 100 caused by non-matching thermal expansion coefficients of the different materials used is easily and effectively solved.The LED lighting device 100 according to the present invention having the above-described configuration is easy to manufacture and assemble. Moreover, this simplifies modular production. The manufacturing method of the LED lighting device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 14.As shown in FIG. 8, first, electronic components of an LED driver are soldered onto a printed circuit board equipped with LED elements. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, the LED board is adhered and fixed to a support member of the holder, for example, with an adhesive, so that a first portion of the LED board integrally formed with the LED driver can be suspended outside the holder. The adhesive is preferably a thermally conductive adhesive which is uniformly applied between the contact surfaces of the holder and the LED printed circuit board and thus facilitates heat dissipation. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10, the holder is inserted into a housing together with the LED circuit board bonded thereto. This is done via an opening on one side of the housing. In this case, these are accommodated in the housing in such a way that printed circuit board connectors arranged only at a head end of the printed circuit board protrude from openings on opposite sides of the housing. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a left end cover is inserted into the housing and fixed to the bracket. Finally, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a right end cover is inserted into the housing and fixed to the bracket, thereby completing the assembly of the lighting device. Here, it is noted that the left end cover and the right end cover need not be mounted in a particular order.Although an example of an LED tube is disclosed herein in which the LED driver is integrated at one end of the LED circuit board, those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Rather, the LED driver can be integrated into any suitable components of the LED printed circuit board, depending on the requirement. Thus, the subject matter of the present invention is also applicable to LED lighting devices having a different shape or configuration, for example, an LED tube to which a current or a voltage is applied from two sides.Further, although the present invention is illustrated by the example of the T5 tube, the LED lighting device according to the present invention may have any other shapes, for example, circular, elliptical, triangular, and various irregular shapes. In some variations, the LED lighting device may include only one opening in a housing.While preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail herein, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the structures described and illustrated in detail herein. Those skilled in the art can also make further variations and modifications without thereby departing from the principle and scope of the present invention. Such variations and modifications are accordingly to be considered as falling within the scope of the present invention.List of reference characters100 LED lighting device 10 housing 11 hook-shaped portion 12, 13 opening 20 light emitting LED unit 21 circuit board 21 afirst portion 21 bsecond portion 22 LED element 23 circuit board connector 24 stepped portion 30 LED driver 31 electronic components 31 afirst set of electronic components 31 bsecond set of electronic components 32 driver circuit 40 holder 41 support member 42 elastic tab 43 recess S 1, S 2 space 52, 53 end cover 54 terminal pins 55 locking member 551 locking protrusion 56 groove

Claims

An LED lighting device (100) comprising: a housing (10); a light emitting LED unit (20) disposed in the housing (10); and an LED driver (30) configured to drive the light emitting LED unit (20), wherein the LED driver (30) and the light emitting LED unit (20) are integrally disposed inside the housing (10), wherein the LED driver (30) and the light emitting LED unit (20) are formed on the same circuit board (21), and wherein a bracket (40) made of steel is configured to support the LED driver (30) and the light emitting LED unit (20) inside the housing (10), wherein the bracket (40) has an outer profile configured to support the LED driver (30) and the light emitting LED unit (20) inside the housing (10), The support member (41) is disposed on and adhesively bonded to an inner surface of the housing (10) and formed with a support member (41), wherein the circuit board (21) is disposed on and bonded to the support member (41), and wherein the support member (41) of the bracket (40) is a pair of cantilever arms extending inward from an inner surface of the bracket (40).The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the pair of cantilever arms is formed by bending a pair of portions of the holder (40).The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 1, wherein a pair of hook-shaped portions (11) are formed on the inner surface of the housing (10) and configured to cooperate with two lateral end portions of the holder (40) to position the holder (40) in the housing (10).The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 1, wherein LED elements (22) of the LED light emitting unit (20) are disposed on one side of the circuit board (21), and a part of electronic components (31a) of the LED driver (30) is disposed on the circuit board side, and the other part of electronic components (31b) of the LED driver (30) is disposed on the other side of the circuit board (21).The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 4, wherein the one part of the electronic components (31a) is larger in height than the other part of the electronic components (31b), and wherein the position of the support member (41) in the height direction is set to allow the circuit board (21) held by the support member (41) to separate an inner space of the housing (10) into two spaces (S1, S2) for respectively accommodating the one part of the electronic components (31a) and the other part of the electronic components (31b).The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 4, wherein the lighting device (100) is formed with a tubular body, wherein the housing (10) is a T5 tube, and wherein the holder (40) has a substantially arc-shaped cross section.The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 1, further comprising an end cover (52, 53) configured to close an opening (12, 13) of the housing (10) and configured to electrically connect the LED driver (30) and the light emitting LED unit (20) to an external power supply.The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the end cover (52, 53) comprises a locking element (55), by means of which the end cover (52, 53) is attachable to the bracket (40).The LED lighting device (100) according to claim 8, wherein the locking member (55) extends outward from the end cover (52, 53) and has a downwardly protruding locking protrusion (551) at a tip end, wherein the bottom of the holder (40) is formed with an obliquely upwardly bent elastic tab (42) and a recess (43) disposed at a rear side of the elastic tab (42), and wherein the locking protrusion (551) extends beyond the elastic tab (42) and is latchable in the recess (43).A method of manufacturing the LED lighting device (100) according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: soldering the electronic components (31) of the LED driver (30) and the LED elements (22) of the LED light emitting unit (20) on the same circuit board (21); adhering the soldered circuit board (21) to the holder (40); disposing the adhered assembly comprising the circuit board (21) and the holder (40) inside the housing (10) via an opening (12, 13) of the housing (10); and closing the opening (12, 13) of the housing (10) with an end cover (52, 53).The method of claim 10, wherein the step of closing the opening (12, 13) of the housing (10) with an end cap (52, 53) further comprises a step of locking a locking member (55) of the end cap (52, 53) to a bottom of the bracket (40).The method of claim 10, wherein the housing (10) is a T5 tube, and wherein the end cap (52, 53) comprises a first end cap and a second end cap that close openings (12, 13) respectively disposed at opposite ends of the T5 tube.

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