Light-emitting diode lamp and light fixture including same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG.
1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an electric lamp 20 including multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted along opposite edges of opposite sides of a substantially planar printed circuit board (PCB) 24.
As described in more detail below, the multiple LEDS are arranged to form two LED arrays.
The LEDs of one of the LED arrays are mounted along opposite edges of one side of the PCB 24, and the LEDs of the other LED array are mounted along opposite edges of the other side of the PCB 24.
As shown in FIG.
1, the PCB 24 is positioned within a tubular sheath 26, and light emitted by the multiple LEDs passes through the tubular sheath 26.
In the embodiment of FIG.
1, the sheath 26 is a hollow cylinder made of a material substantially transparent to visible light (i.
e.
, is substantially "clear").
In FIG.
1, LEDs 22 of one of the LED arrays mounted to a side 28 of the PCB 24 are visible through the sheath 26.
In the embodiment of FIG.
1, the LEDs 22 are mounted along opposite edges of the side 28 of the PCB 24.
Two ends caps 30A and 30B installed at opposite ends of the tubular sheath 26 are adapted to properly position and hold the PCB 24 in the sheath 26.
More specifically, the PCB 24 has two opposed ends, and each end has two projections extending outwardly therefrom.
One of the ends corresponds to the end cap 30A, and the other end corresponds to the end cap 30B.
As shown in FIG.
1, the end cap 30A has two holes 32A and 32B adapted to receive the corresponding projections of the PCB 24.
The end cap 30B also has two holes for receiving the corresponding projections of the PCB 24.
When the end caps 30A and 30B are inserted into the opposite ends of the sheath 26 such that the projections of the PCB 24 reside in the corresponding holes in the end caps 30A and 30B, the PCB 24 is properly positioned and held in the sheath 26.
In the embodiment of FIG.
1, the lamp 20 is intended to advantageously replace a preheat-type fluorescent lamp, having a bi-pin base on each end, in a light fixture adapted to receive preheat-type fluorescent lamps