JP5962889B2 - Light emitting diode drive device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving circuit that drives a light emitting diode to light, and more particularly, to a light emitting diode driving device that uses an alternating current power source to drive the light emitting diode.

  In recent years, light-emitting diodes (hereinafter also referred to as “LEDs”) that can be driven with lower power consumption than incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps have attracted attention as light sources for illumination. LEDs are advantageous in that they are small in size and strong in impact resistance, and there is no fear of ball breakage.

As a power source for such lighting equipment, it is desirable to use an alternating current such as a household power source as a power source. On the other hand, the LED is a DC drive element and emits light only with a forward current. Moreover, the forward voltage _Vf of LED currently used extensively as a lighting use is about 3.5V. The LED does not emit light unless it reaches V _f , and conversely, _if it exceeds V _f , an excessive current flows. Therefore, it can be said that driving by direct current is suitable for the LED.

In order to meet these conflicting conditions, various LED drive circuits using an AC power supply have been proposed. For example, a method of switching LEDs so as to change the total value of V _f according to a changing voltage value has been proposed (Patent Document 1). In this method, as shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 14, the LEDs connected in series in multiple stages are divided into blocks 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, and 166, and the LED block according to the voltage value of the input voltage of the rectified waveform. The total value of _Vf is changed stepwise by switching the connection of 161 to 166 with a switch control unit 167 configured by a microcomputer. As a result, since the LED can be lit with a plurality of square waves with respect to the rectified waveform as in the voltage waveform shown in the timing chart of FIG. Can improve.

  On the other hand, the present applicant has developed an AC multistage circuit that drives a multistage circuit in which a plurality of LED blocks obtained by connecting a plurality of LED elements in series and connected in series are connected in series by AC full-wave rectification (Patent Literature). 2). As shown in FIG. 16, this AC multistage circuit 1600 performs full-wave rectification of an AC power supply AP by a bridge circuit 1602 and applies it to the multistage circuit of the LED block. The multistage circuit of the LED block has a first LED block 1611, a second LED block 1612, and a third LED block 1613 connected in series. Based on the energization amount of the first LED block 1611, the first LED current control transistor 1621A switches ON / OFF of the first bypass path BP1601 that bypasses the second LED block 1612, and the first LED block 1611 and the second LED block 1611 Based on the energization amount of the block 1612, the second LED current control transistor 1622A switches ON / OFF of the second bypass path BP1602 that bypasses the third LED block 1613. Further, the third LED current control transistor 1623A is switched from ON to OFF, the third bypass path BP1603 that bypasses the third LED block 1613 is cut off, and energization to the LED current limiting resistor 1603A is started. The AC multi-stage circuit 1600 can improve LED utilization efficiency and power factor while maintaining power supply efficiency.

  Further, the applicant of the present application has developed a light-emitting diode driving device that suppresses harmonic components while connecting LEDs in multiple stages as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the applicant of the present application has developed a light-emitting diode driving device in which the device of FIG. 17 is improved. FIG. 18 shows the LED driving device, FIG. 19 shows a graph of the power input current waveform obtained by the LED driving device, and FIG. 20 shows the current waveform in the first LED block 11. As shown in the graph of FIG. 19, generation of harmonic distortion of the power supply input current is suppressed, and the LED can be driven with a current waveform close to a sine wave.

  On the other hand, the current waveform when a conventional incandescent bulb is used as the light emitting element instead of the LED is also substantially a sine wave. However, in the case of an incandescent light bulb, light emission due to the incandescence of the filament does not respond to the power supply frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz) and thus does not blink. On the other hand, when using LED for a light emitting element, there exists a problem that the blink corresponding to a power supply frequency is repeated by the high responsiveness of LED. This state is shown in the optical output waveform of the sine wave multistage drive circuit of FIG. The ripple rate (= (maximum value−minimum value) / average value) is used as an index for these objective evaluations, and the closer to 0, the better. When the ripple ratio of the light output in FIG. 21 is calculated, the ripple ratio is 2.0 or more. Compared with the ripple ratio of other light emitting elements, the incandescent lamp is 0.1 or less, the fluorescent lamp is 0.9, the inverter fluorescent lamp It is inferior compared with about 0.2. This means that some people feel flickering due to the flickering of light, and if it is synchronized with the rotation speed in the lighting of a rotating body, it seems to stop rotating but it seems to reduce the lighting quality. Become. Therefore, in order to use the light emitting diode driving device of FIG. 18 for higher quality illumination, it is necessary to eliminate the extinguishing period and improve the ripple rate.

  To eliminate the blinking period, smoothing using a capacitor can be considered. That is, it is conceivable that the capacitor is charged during a period when the power supply voltage is high and discharged during a period when the voltage is low. However, when a capacitor is used, the battery is rapidly charged during a short charging period, so that the charging current increases. Since the charging current generally tends to increase as the capacitance of the capacitor increases, in the case of a large-capacity capacitor suitable for such a smoothing application, the charging current is further increased and the power factor is deteriorated. It does not conform to the harmonic distortion standard. In some cases, an active filter IC or the like for improving the power factor is used. However, such an element is expensive and has a harmful effect such as generation of noise due to high-frequency switching.

JP 2006-147933 A JP 2011-40701 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention is to provide a light emitting diode driving device that reduces the turn-off period and improves the ripple rate without disturbing the input current waveform approximated to a sine wave.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

In order to achieve the above object, according to the light emitting diode driving device according to the first aspect, the rectifier circuit 2 can be connected to the AC power source AP and obtain a rectified voltage obtained by rectifying the AC voltage of the AC power source AP. A second LED unit 12 including at least one LED element connected in series with the output side of the rectifier circuit 2, and at least one LED element connected in series with the second LED unit (12) The first LED unit 11 including the first LED unit 11, the first LED unit 11 connected in series, the first bypass unit 21 for controlling the energization amount to the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12, Connected in series with the second LED unit 12 and connected in parallel with the first LED unit 11 as viewed from the second LED unit 12, for controlling the energization amount to the second LED unit 12 A second bypass means 22; A series connection of the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12, a first charging and discharging the capacitor 111 connected in parallel, and wherein the first charging and discharging the capacitor (111), the first bypass Connected in series with the means (21), the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is charged when the rectified voltage is larger than the sum of the forward voltages of the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12, can be configured that will be discharged is smaller than the sum of the forward voltage of the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12.
Moreover, according to the light emitting diode drive device which concerns on a 2nd side surface, the 2nd charging / discharging capacitor | condenser (112) further connected in parallel with said 2nd LED part (12) and in series with 1st LED part (11). The second charge / discharge capacitor (112) is charged when the rectified voltage is larger than the forward voltage of the second LED unit (12), and the second LED unit (12) It can be configured to be discharged when it is less than the forward voltage.
With the above configuration, ripple of output light can be suppressed, and high-quality light emission can be obtained. In addition to the first charging / discharging capacitor, the second charging / discharging capacitor is added so that the second charging / discharging capacitor can be charged even during the period when the first charging / discharging capacitor is not charged. It is possible to suppress the increase and bring it closer to a beautiful waveform.

Furthermore , according to the light emitting diode driving device according to the third aspect, the second bypass means 22 is further provided on the second bypass path BP2 that bypasses the current supplied to the second LED unit 12, A second discharge diode 125 may be provided to prevent the charging current to the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 from passing through the first LED unit 11.
With the above-described configuration, charging to the second charge / discharge capacitor is performed only during a period in which the second bypass unit performs current control, so that it is possible to more effectively suppress ripple of light output.

Furthermore, according to the light emitting diode driving apparatus according to a fourth aspect is further connected to a series connection in series of the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12, a third containing at least one LED element The LED unit 13, the third LED unit 13 connected in parallel, and the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12 connected in series, the third charge / discharge capacitor 113 connected in series, and the first The third LED unit 13 is connected in series and is connected in parallel to the series connection body of the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12 as viewed from the third LED unit 13, and the third LED unit 13 And a third bypass means 23 for controlling the energization amount to the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 in series with the first LED part 11, the second LED part 12 and the third LED part 13. Same as connected body Is connected to the second charging and discharging capacitor 112, the in series connection in parallel with the second LED unit 12 and the third LED unit 13, and can be connected in series to the first LED unit 11.
With the above configuration, by adding additional charge / discharge capacitors, the capacity that can be stored can be increased, the transient current increase can be further suppressed, and the waveform can be smoothed.

Furthermore, according to the light emitting diode driving device according to the fifth aspect, the third bypass means 23 is further provided on the third bypass path BP3 that bypasses the current that is passed through the third LED unit 13. A third discharge diode 126 may be provided to prevent the charging current to the third charging / discharging capacitor 113 from passing through the second LED unit 12.
With the above-described configuration, charging to the third charge / discharge capacitor is performed only during the period in which the third bypass means performs current control, so that it is possible to more effectively suppress the ripple of light output.

Furthermore, according to the light emitting diode driving device according to the sixth aspect, at least one of the first LED unit 11, the second LED unit 12, and the third LED unit 13 is connected in series. A fourth LED unit 14 including an LED element, connected in parallel with the fourth LED unit 14, and connected in series with a series connection body of the first LED unit 11, the second LED unit 12, and the third LED unit 13. The fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 and the fourth LED unit 14 are connected in series, and the first LED unit 11, the second LED unit 12, and the third LED unit 13 are viewed from the fourth LED unit 14. And a fourth bypass means 24 for controlling the energization amount to the fourth LED unit 14, and the first charging / discharging capacitor 111 includes the first charging / discharging capacitor 111. One LED part 1 The second LED unit 12, the third LED unit 13, and the fourth LED unit 14 are connected in parallel with each other, and the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 includes the second LED unit 12, the third LED unit. 13 and the fourth LED unit 14 are connected in parallel with the first LED unit 11 in parallel, and the third charge / discharge capacitor 113 is connected to the third LED unit 13 and the fourth LED unit 14. The first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12 can be connected in series with the series connection body.
With the above configuration, by adding additional charge / discharge capacitors, the capacity that can be stored can be increased, the transient current increase can be further suppressed, and the waveform can be smoothed.

Furthermore, according to the light-emitting diode driving device according to the seventh aspect, the fourth bypass means 24 is further provided on the fourth bypass path BP4 that bypasses the current passed through the fourth LED section 14. In addition, a fourth discharge diode 127 may be provided to prevent the charging current to the fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 from passing through the third LED unit 13.
With the above configuration, the fourth charging / discharging capacitor is charged only during the period in which the fourth bypass unit performs the current control, so that it is possible to more effectively suppress the ripple of the light output.

Furthermore, according to the light emitting diode driving device according to the eighth aspect, the current detection signal based on the amount of current flowing on the output line OL to which the first LED unit 11 and the second LED unit 12 are further connected in series is further provided. In order to output a current detection means 4 for detection and an operation control signal for controlling the operation of the first bypass means 21 and the second bypass means 22 in accordance with the current detection signal detected by the current detection means 4 Current control means 30, and the current control means 30 has one output for outputting the operation control signal, and the first bypass means 21 and the second bypass means 22 , The one output can be connected in parallel.
With the above configuration, the fourth bypass means and the first bypass means can be controlled by the common operation control signal of the common current control means, so that the drive circuit for the light emitting diode can be simplified. Further, by sharing the operation of the current control means, it is possible to improve noise resistance and obtain a stable operation with excellent reliability.

Furthermore, according to the light emitting diode driving apparatus according to the ninth aspect, the current control means 30 uses the rectified voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 2 as a reference voltage, and the first bypass means 21 and the second bypass means. An operation control signal for controlling the operation of 22 can be output.
With the above configuration, the amount of current on the output line detected by the current detection means can be controlled to a value proportional to the rectified voltage. Thereby, the input current of the entire circuit becomes a waveform proportional to the AC input voltage, and harmonics can be suppressed.

Furthermore, according to the light emitting diode driving device according to the tenth aspect, the device further includes voltage fluctuation suppression signal generating means 8 connected in series with the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 and detecting fluctuations in the rectified voltage, Based on the sum of the fluctuation of the rectified voltage detected by the voltage fluctuation suppression signal generation means 8 and the current detection signal detected by the current detection means 4, the current control means 30 is connected to the first bypass means 21. And the operation of the second bypass means 22 can be controlled.
With the above configuration, the turn-off period of the fourth LED unit and the third LED unit can be reduced by the charge / discharge capacitor. In addition, when the rectified voltage is high, the fourth LED unit and the third LED unit are energized, and the charge / discharge capacitor is charged. When the rectified voltage is low, the charge / discharge capacitor is supplied to the fourth LED unit and the third LED unit. By applying the discharge current from the non-lighting period, it is possible to eliminate the non-lighting period and to obtain good light quality.

Furthermore, according to the light emitting diode drive device which concerns on an 11th side surface, LED which controls the electricity supply to said 1st LED part 11 and 2nd LED part 12 further connected in series with said 1st LED part 11 is further provided. The driving means 3 is provided, and the first bypass means 21 can be connected in parallel with the LED driving means 3.
With the above configuration, it is possible to limit the energization amount to the fourth LED unit 14 and the third LED unit 13 and reduce the load of the first bypass means 21.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a light emitting diode driving device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a circuit diagram which shows one circuit example of the light emitting diode drive device of FIG. 4 is a graph showing capacitor charge / discharge current and voltage waveform of the light-emitting diode driving apparatus according to Embodiment 1; 6 is a graph showing a current waveform of a fourth LED unit in the light-emitting diode driving apparatus according to Example 1; 3 is a graph showing a waveform of optical output obtained in Example 1. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a light emitting diode driving apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the light emitting diode drive device which concerns on a modification. It is a circuit diagram which shows one circuit example of the light emitting diode drive device of FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C is a circuit diagram illustrating a circuit example of the light-emitting diode driving device in FIG. 6B. It is a graph which shows the electric current and voltage waveform of the 1st charging / discharging capacitor | condenser of the light emitting diode drive device which concerns on Example 2. FIG. It is a graph which shows the electric current and voltage waveform of the 2nd charging / discharging capacitor | condenser of the light emitting diode drive device which concerns on Example 2. FIG. 6 is a graph showing a current waveform of a fourth LED unit in the light emitting diode driving apparatus according to Example 2. 6 is a graph showing a waveform of optical output obtained in Example 2. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating a circuit example of a light-emitting diode driving apparatus according to Example 3. FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating a circuit example of a light emitting diode driving device according to a modification of Example 3; FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating a circuit example of a light-emitting diode driving apparatus according to Example 4. It is a circuit diagram which shows the LED lighting circuit example which uses a microcomputer. It is a timing chart which shows the operation | movement of the LED lighting circuit of FIG. It is a circuit diagram which shows the conventional light emitting diode drive device. It is a circuit diagram which shows the light emitting diode drive device which this applicant developed previously. It is a circuit diagram which shows the light emitting diode drive device which concerns on a modification. It is a graph which shows the input current waveform of the light emitting diode drive device of FIG. It is a graph which shows the current waveform of the 4th LED part in the light emitting diode drive device of FIG. It is a graph which shows the optical output waveform of the light emitting diode drive device of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies a light emitting diode driving device for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the light emitting diode driving device as follows. Further, the present specification by no means specifies the members shown in the claims to the members of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified, and are merely explanations. It is just an example. Note that the size, positional relationship, and the like of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same name and symbol indicate the same or the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of elements are configured by the same member and the plurality of elements are shared by one member. It can also be realized by sharing. In addition, the contents described in some examples and embodiments may be used in other examples and embodiments.

  In order to make the light emitting diode driving device conform to the harmonic current standard, it is desired to design the sine wave current waveform in the same manner as the incandescent lamp. Therefore, in the light emitting diode driving device according to the present embodiment, by superimposing a sine wave on the reference voltage of the LED current control means, the LED driving current waveform is approximated to a sine wave, and the harmonic current standard is 25 W or more. An inexpensive and compact light emitting diode driving device that is adapted is provided.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a light emitting diode driving apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The light emitting diode driving apparatus 100 includes a rectifier circuit 2, an LED assembly 10, first bypass means 21 to fourth bypass means 24, current control means 30, and current detection means 4. The light emitting diode driving device 100 is connected to an AC power supply AP, and obtains a rectified voltage (pulsating voltage) obtained by rectifying an AC voltage, and an LED assembly 10 composed of a plurality of LED units. Are connected in series on the output line OL. Here, four LED units are used, and the first LED unit 11, the second LED unit 12, the third LED unit 13, and the fourth LED unit 14 are connected in series to form the LED assembly 10. Yes. Further, the LED assembly 10, the LED drive means 3, and the current detection means 4 are connected in series to the output line OL.

The first LED unit 11, the second LED unit 12, and the third LED unit 13 are connected to a second bypass unit 22, a third bypass unit 23, and a fourth bypass unit 24 for controlling the energization amount at one end. Is done. The second bypass unit 22, the third bypass unit 23, and the fourth bypass unit 24 are provided in parallel to the LED unit, respectively, and the other end is connected to the upstream side of the current detection unit 4 to each LED unit. A bypass path for adjusting the energization amount is configured. That is, since the amount of current bypassed by the second bypass unit 22, the third bypass unit 23, and the fourth bypass unit 24 can be adjusted, the energization amount of each LED unit can be controlled as a result. In the example of FIG. 1, the fourth bypass unit 24 is connected in parallel with the third LED unit 13 to form a fourth bypass path BP4. Further, the third bypass means 23 is connected in parallel with the second LED unit 12 to form a third bypass path BP3. Furthermore, the 2nd bypass means 22 is connected in parallel with the 1st LED part 11, and forms 2nd bypass path BP2. In addition, the parallel connection here does not require that both ends of each LED unit and each bypass unit are connected, and one end of each bypass unit is connected to one end of each LED unit, and the current is branched. If it is configured so that it is sufficient. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the fourth bypass unit BP4 has one end connected to the upstream side of the third LED unit 13 and the other end connected to the upstream side of the current detection unit 4 on the output line OL. As described above, the parallel connection of the bypass means is used to indicate a connection form in which the current of each LED unit connected on the output line OL is branched.
(Current control circuit)

In addition, a current control circuit is provided for controlling a current circuit that performs current driving of the LED portion. In the circuit example of FIG. 1, the first bypass means 21, the second bypass means 22, the third bypass means 23, the fourth bypass means 24, the current control means 30, and the current control signal applying means 5 are a kind of constant current. The constant current circuit is controlled by the current control means 30 and the current control signal applying means 5.
(Current control means 30)

The current control unit 30 is connected to the first bypass unit 21, the second bypass unit 22, the third bypass unit 23, and the fourth bypass unit 24 via the current control signal applying unit 5. Operations such as ON / OFF of the second bypass unit 22, the third bypass unit 23, and the fourth bypass unit 24 and continuously variable current amount are controlled. The current control means 30 is connected to the current detection means 4 and monitors the current amount of the LED assembly 10, and based on the value, the first bypass means 21, the second bypass means 22, the third bypass means 23, the fourth The control amount of the bypass means 24 is switched.
(First LED unit 11 to fourth LED unit 14)

  On the other hand, each LED unit is a block in which one or a plurality of LED elements are connected in series and / or in parallel. As the LED element, a surface mount type (SMD) or a bullet type LED can be used as appropriate. Moreover, the package of the SMD type LED element can select the outer shape according to the application, and a rectangular type in a plan view can be used. Furthermore, it goes without saying that an LED in which a plurality of LED elements are connected in series and / or in parallel in the package can be used as the LED portion.

  The subtotal forward voltage, which is the sum of the forward voltages of the LED elements included in each LED unit, is determined by the number of LED elements connected in series. For example, when six LED elements having a forward voltage of 3.6V are used, the subtotal forward voltage is 3.6 × 6 = 21.6V.

  The light emitting diode driving device 100 controls the energization amount for each LED unit based on the current value detected by the current detecting means 4. In other words, current control is based on the amount of current that is actually energized rather than the voltage value of the rectified voltage, so it is not affected by variations in the forward voltage of the LED element, and the LED unit can be accurately switched at an appropriate timing. Is realized and stable operation with high reliability is expected. For detecting the current value, the current detection means 4 or the like can be used. A resistor or the like can be suitably used for the current detection means 4.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the current control unit 30 controls the energization limit amount to the fourth LED unit 14 by the fourth bypass unit 24 based on the energization amount of the fourth LED unit 14. Specifically, the fourth bypass unit 24, the third bypass unit 23, the second bypass unit 22, and the first bypass unit 21 are ON, and the fourth bypass unit 24 is a fourth LED unit according to the energization amount. 14 is current driven. After that, when the input voltage rises and reaches a voltage that can drive both the fourth LED unit 14 and the third LED unit 13, a current starts to flow through the third LED unit 13, and when the current value exceeds a certain amount, The fourth bypass means 24 is turned off. Further, the current control means 30 controls the energization limit amount to the fourth LED section 14 and the third LED section 13 by the third bypass means 23 based on the energization quantities of the fourth LED section 14 and the third LED section 13. Specifically, the third bypass unit 23 current-drives the fourth LED unit 14 and the third LED unit 13 according to the energization amount. Thereafter, when the input voltage rises and reaches a voltage that can drive the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, and the second LED unit 12, current starts to flow through the second LED unit 12, and the current value further increases. Exceeds a certain amount, the third bypass means 23 is turned off.

  Furthermore, the current control means 30 is based on the energization amounts of the fourth LED part 14, the third LED part 13, and the second LED part 12, and the fourth LED part 14, the third LED part 13, and the second LED part by the second bypass means 22. The energization limit amount to the LED unit 12 is controlled. Specifically, the second bypass unit 22 drives the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, and the second LED unit 12 in accordance with the energization amount. Thereafter, when the input voltage rises and reaches a voltage that can drive the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, the second LED unit 12, and the first LED unit 11, current starts to flow through the first LED unit 11. Further, when the current value exceeds a certain amount, the second bypass means 22 is turned off. Finally, the first bypass unit 21 and the current control unit 30 drive the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, the second LED unit 12, and the first LED unit 11 in accordance with the energization amount.

  As described above, the LED driving device 100 is arranged in series according to the periodically changing pulsating voltage obtained after full-wave rectification of the alternating current using the AC power supply AP such as a household power supply. A plurality of current circuits configured to light up an appropriate number of LED elements are provided, and the plurality of LED current detection circuits can be operated so that each current circuit operates appropriately.

  The light emitting diode driving device 100 sequentially energizes the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, the second LED unit 12, and the first LED unit 11 as the current value increases. In particular, by restricting the energization amount to each LED unit by current control, the energization amount of the LED unit can be controlled according to the current amount, and the LED can be driven to be driven efficiently with respect to the pulsating voltage.

Further, in the example of FIG. 1, the LED driving unit 3 is connected in parallel with the first bypass unit 21, and a part of the current flowing through the first bypass unit 21 is branched by the LED driving unit 3. However, the load of the first bypass means 21 is reduced.
(Harmonic suppression signal generating means 6)

Furthermore, the current control unit 30 is connected to the harmonic suppression signal generation unit 6. The harmonic suppression signal generator 6 generates a harmonic suppression signal voltage based on the rectified voltage output from the rectifier circuit 2. Here, the harmonic suppression signal generation means 6 compresses the rectified voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 2 to an appropriate magnitude and sends it to the current control means 30. The current control unit 30 uses the signal sent from the harmonic suppression signal generation unit 6 as a reference signal and compares it with the current detection signal detected by the current detection unit 4. Based on the comparison result, the current control unit 30 drives each LED unit at an appropriate timing and current via each of the fourth bypass unit 24 to the first bypass unit 21.
(Smoothing circuit)

Further, the LED driving device shown in FIG. 1 includes a smoothing circuit connected in parallel with the LED assembly 10. The smoothing circuit is a member for reducing the turn-off period of the LED assembly 10. This smoothing circuit is composed of, for example, a first charge / discharge capacitor 111.
(Charging the first charge / discharge capacitor 111)

The voltage between the terminals of the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is equal to the sum V _fall of the forward voltages of all LEDs of the fourth LED unit 14 to the first LED unit 11 in the steady operation state. Therefore, when the input voltage reaches the voltage at which the fourth LED unit 14 to the first LED unit 11 are driven, charging is started, and the input voltage is changed from the fourth LED unit 14 to the first LED unit 11 by the current control means 30. When the voltage drops to a voltage that cannot be driven with the instructed current value (transition to a state in which the fourth LED unit 14 to the second LED unit 12 are driven), the charging is terminated. During the charging period, when the capacitor terminal voltage increases due to charging, V _fall also increases. _Therefore , the LED drive current increases, and the charging current to the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 gradually decreases. The capacitor charging current and the LED drive current are combined and controlled by the current control means 30 to a sine wave current. As a result, the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 can be charged without affecting the current of the entire light-emitting diode driving device that is originally controlled with a current waveform approximated to a sine wave.
(Discharge from the first charge / discharge capacitor 111)

On the other hand, the 1st charging / discharging capacitor | condenser 111 discharges the electric charge accumulated here to the connected 4th LED part 14-1st LED part 11. FIG. The charging voltage of the first charging / discharging capacitor 111 is the sum V _f1-4 of forward voltages of the fourth LED unit 14 to the first LED unit 11 connected in series constituting the LED assembly 10, so that the capacitor is charged. Sometimes, the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is not discharged with a current greater than or equal to the current flowing through the LED assembly 10.
(Circuit example of Example 1)

Next, FIG. 2 shows a specific circuit configuration example in which the light emitting diode driving apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 is realized by using a semiconductor element. This light emitting diode driving device 100 ′ uses a diode bridge as the rectifier circuit 2 connected to the AC power supply AP. A protective resistor 81 is provided between the AC power supply AP and the rectifier circuit 2. Further, a bypass capacitor 82 is connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit 2. Although not shown, a fuse and a surge protection circuit for preventing overcurrent may be provided between the AC power supply AP and the rectifier circuit 2.
(AC power supply AP)

As the AC power supply AP, a commercial power supply of 100V or 200V can be suitably used. 100V or 200V of this commercial power supply is an effective value, and the maximum voltage of the rectified waveform obtained by full-wave rectification is about 141V or 282V.
(LED assembly 10)

  Each LED part constituting the LED assembly 10 is connected in series with each other, divided into a plurality of blocks, and a terminal is drawn from the boundary between the blocks, and the fourth bypass unit 24, the third bypass unit 23, The second bypass means 22 and the first bypass means 21 are connected. In the example of FIG. 2, the LED assembly 10 is configured by four groups of the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, the second LED unit 12, and the first LED unit 11.

Each LED unit 11 to 14 illustrated in FIG. 2 represents the LED package 1 in which one LED symbol is mounted with a plurality of LED chips. In this example, each LED package 1 has 10 LED chips mounted thereon. The number of light emitting diodes connected to each LED unit or the number of LED units connected is determined by the added value of forward voltages, that is, the total number of LED elements connected in series and the power supply voltage to be used. For example, when a commercial power source is used, the total forward voltage V _fall that is the sum of V _f of each LED unit is set to about 141 V or less.

  The LED unit includes one or more arbitrary numbers of LED elements. As the LED element, one LED chip or a plurality of LED chips combined in one package can be used. In this example, an LED package 1 including 10 LED chips is used as one LED element shown in the figure.

In the example of FIG. 2, the four LED portions are designed to have the same V _f . However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and as described above, the number of LED units may be 3 or less, or 5 or more. By increasing the number of LED units, it is possible to increase the number of current controls and perform more detailed lighting switching control between the LED units. Furthermore, the V _{f of} each LED unit may not be the same.
(First bypass means 21 to fourth bypass means 24)

  The 1st bypass means 21, the 2nd bypass means 22, the 3rd bypass means 23, and the 4th bypass means 24 are members for current drive corresponding to each LED part. Such first bypass means 21 to fourth bypass means 24 are constituted by switching elements such as transistors. In particular, FETs are preferable because the saturation voltage between the source and the drain is almost zero, and the amount of current supplied to the LED portion is not hindered. However, it goes without saying that the first bypass means 21 to the fourth bypass means 24 are not limited to FETs, and can be constituted by bipolar transistors or the like.

In the example of FIG. 2, LED current control transistors are used as the first bypass means 21 to the fourth bypass means 24. Specifically, the third LED unit 13, the second LED unit 12, the first LED unit 11, and the LED driving unit 3 include a fourth LED current control transistor that is a fourth bypass unit 24 to a first bypass unit 21, respectively. 24B, the third LED current control transistor 23B, the second LED current control transistor 22B, and the first LED current control transistor 21B are connected. Each LED current control transistor is switched between ON state and current control in accordance with the current amount of the LED section in the previous stage. When the LED current control transistor is turned off, no current flows through the bypass path, and the LED portion is energized. That is, since the amount of current bypassed by each of the fourth bypass means 24 to the first bypass means 21 can be adjusted, the energization amount of each LED unit can be controlled as a result. In the example of FIG. 2, the fourth bypass unit 24 is connected in parallel with the third LED unit 13 to form a fourth bypass path BP4. Further, the third bypass means 23 is connected in parallel with the second LED unit 12 to form a third bypass path BP3. Furthermore, the 2nd bypass means 22 is connected in parallel with the 1st LED part 11, and forms 2nd bypass path BP2. Furthermore, the first LED current control transistor 21B is connected in parallel with the LED driving means 3 to form the first bypass path BP1, and the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, the second LED unit 12, and the first LED The energization amount to the unit 11 is controlled.
(Backflow prevention diode)

  Each bypass path is provided with a backflow prevention diode. Specifically, the first backflow prevention diode 121 is provided in the first bypass path BP1, the second backflow prevention diode 122 is provided in the second bypass path BP2, and the third backflow prevention diode 123 is provided in the third bypass path BP3. A fourth backflow prevention diode 124 is provided in each of the fourth bypass paths BP4.

Here, the fourth LED section 14 is not provided with a bypass path or bypass means connected in parallel. This is because the fourth bypass unit 24 connected in parallel with the third LED unit 13 controls the amount of current of the fourth LED unit 14. For the first LED unit 11, the first LED current control transistor 21B performs current control.
(LED driving means 3)

In the example of FIG. 2, a resistor is provided as the LED driving means 3. In this example, by connecting the LED driving means 3 in parallel with the first LED current control transistor 21B as the first bypass means, the current supplied to the first bypass means when the amount of current increases becomes the LED driving means. 3 to reduce the load on the first bypass means. However, when the first bypass means has sufficient current resistance, the LED driving means may be omitted.
(Current control means 30B)

  The current control unit is a member that controls the fourth bypass unit 24 to the first bypass unit 21 corresponding to each LED unit to perform current driving at an appropriate timing. The current control means outputs an operation control signal for controlling the operation of the bypass means using the rectified voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 2 as a reference voltage. Thereby, the amount of current on the output line OL detected by the current detection means 4 can be controlled to a value proportional to the rectified voltage. As a result, the input current of the entire circuit becomes a waveform proportional to the AC input voltage, and harmonics can be suppressed.

  A switching element such as a transistor can also be used for the current control means 30B of FIG. In particular, the bipolar transistor can be suitably used for detecting the amount of current. In this example, the current control means 30B is composed of an operational amplifier 30B. Needless to say, the current control means is not limited to an operational amplifier, and can be constituted by a comparator, a bipolar transistor, a MOSFET, or the like.

In the example of FIG. 2, the current control means 30B controls the operation of the LED current control transistors 21B to 24B. That is, the operational amplifier 30B controls the energization amount to switch the LED current control transistor to OFF / current control / ON.
(Current detection means 4)

The current detection means 4 is a member for detecting a current supplied to the LED assembly 10 in which the LED units are connected in series by a voltage drop or the like. By performing current detection with the current detection means 4, current driving of each LED unit constituting the LED assembly 10 is performed. The current detecting means 4 also functions as a protective resistor for the LED. Further, in order to drive the current based on the current detection signal detected by the current detection means 4, the current detection means 4 is connected to an operational amplifier 30B which is a current control means 30B for controlling the current circuit. In this circuit example, the fourth bypass unit 24, the third bypass unit 23, the second bypass unit 22, the first bypass unit 21 and the current control unit 30B constitute a kind of constant current circuit.
(Current control signal applying means 5)

  Further, a current control signal applying means 5 is interposed between the current control means 30B and each bypass means. For example, since a potential difference is generated between the operation control signal applied to the fourth bypass unit 24 and the operation control signal applied to the first bypass unit 21, the current control signal applying unit 5 is provided to provide the fourth bypass unit 24 and the first bypass unit 24. The operation of the bypass means 21 can be switched reliably. The current control signal applying means 5 defines at which current timing each LED current control transistor is turned on / off. Here, as the input voltage increases, the current control signal applying Zener diodes 5E and 5F as the current control signal applying unit 5 are turned on in order of the fourth LED current control transistor 24B to the first LED current control transistor 21B. 5G is set and arranged. In the example of FIG. 2, the current control signal applying means 5 is constituted by a Zener diode, but may be a resistor, a diode or the like.

In the circuit example of FIG. 2, energization is performed in the order from the fourth LED unit 14 to the third LED unit 13, the second LED unit 12, and the first LED unit 11 as the input voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 2 increases. The amount can be controlled. When the input voltage decreases, the LEDs are turned off in the reverse order.
(Harmonic suppression signal generating resistors 60 and 61)

On the other hand, in the circuit example of FIG. 2, the current control unit 30 </ b> B is configured by an operational amplifier 30 </ b> B, and the operational amplifier 30 </ b> B is controlled by the harmonic suppression signal generation unit 6. The harmonic suppression signal generation means 6 includes harmonic suppression signal generation resistors 60 and 61. The harmonic suppression signal generation resistors 60 and 61 divide the rectified voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 2. In other words, the rectified voltage is compressed to an appropriate level. A harmonic suppression signal that is a compressed sine wave and is output from the harmonic suppression signal generation resistors 60 and 61 is input to the + side input terminal of the operational amplifier 30B that is a current control unit.
(Constant voltage power supply 7)

  The operational amplifier 30 </ b> B is driven by the constant voltage power supply 7. The constant voltage power supply 7 includes an operational amplifier power supply transistor 70, a Zener diode 71, and a Zener voltage setting resistor 72. The constant voltage power supply 7 supplies power to the operational amplifier 30B only during a period in which the rectified voltage after the AC power supply AP is rectified by the rectifier circuit 2 exceeds the Zener voltage of the Zener diode 71. This period is set to include the lighting period of the LED assembly 10. In other words, the operational amplifier 30B is operated during the lighting of the LED assembly 10 to control the lighting.

  On the other hand, a voltage that is a current detection signal detected by the current detection resistor 4 is input to the negative input terminal of the operational amplifier 30B. The voltage of the current detection resistor 4 is controlled to be current controlled along a sine wave applied to the + side input terminal of the operational amplifier 30B. Thus, since the current control operation is performed along the sine wave, the LED drive current has a waveform approximated to a sine wave.

Each LED section can be configured by connecting a plurality of light emitting diode elements in series with each other. As a result, the rectified voltage can be effectively divided by a plurality of light emitting diode elements, and variations in forward voltage V _f and temperature characteristics for each light emitting diode element can be absorbed to some extent, and control in units of blocks can be made uniform. . However, the number of LED units and the number of light emitting diode elements constituting each LED unit can be arbitrarily set according to required brightness, input voltage, etc., for example, the LED unit can be configured with one light emitting diode element, It goes without saying that finer control can be performed by increasing the number of LEDs, or conversely, the control can be simplified by using only two LED units.

  In the above configuration, the number of LED units is four, but it goes without saying that the number of LED units can be two or three, or five or more. In particular, by increasing the number of LED portions, it is possible to control the stepped current waveform more finely and further suppress harmonic components. In the example of FIG. 2, the switching operation in which each LED unit is turned ON / OFF is divided almost evenly with respect to the input current. However, it is not necessarily equal, and the LED unit is switched with a different current. Also good.

In yet above example, divided LED into four LED unit, each LED unit is configured to respectively the same V _f, it may not be the same for V _f. For example, if V _{f of the} LED unit 1 can be set as low as possible, that is, about 3.6 V for one LED, the current rise timing can be advanced and the fall timing can be delayed. This is further advantageous for reducing harmonics. If this method is used, the number of LED units and the V _f setting can be freely selected, and the current waveform can be approximated to a sine wave, so that it is easy to realize higher harmonics and suppression of harmonics. .
(Voltage fluctuation suppression signal generating means 8)

  Furthermore, the light emitting diode driving device can also include a voltage fluctuation suppression signal generation means 8 that generates a voltage fluctuation suppression signal and sends it to the current control means. The voltage fluctuation suppression signal generating means 8 is connected in series with the charge / discharge capacitor 111 and detects fluctuations in the rectified voltage. Based on the sum of the fluctuation of the rectified voltage detected by the voltage fluctuation suppression signal generation means 8 and the current detection signal detected by the current detection means 4, the current control means 30 controls the operation of each bypass means. . As a result, when the rectified voltage is high, each LED unit is energized and charged to the charge / discharge capacitor 111. On the other hand, when the rectified voltage is low, the discharge current from the charge / discharge capacitor is energized to each LED unit. And good light quality can be obtained. Further, since the amount of current on the output line OL detected by the current detector 4 is proportional to the rectified voltage, when the average value of the rectified voltage changes, the average value of the amount of current on the output line OL also changes proportionally. . Therefore, by controlling the current detection signal by adding a rectified voltage suppression signal, even if the average value of the rectified voltage changes, the average value of the amount of current on the output line OL is kept constant and stable. Light output is obtained.

In the circuit example of FIG. 2, the voltage fluctuation suppression signal generation means 8 is configured by a region surrounded by a broken line, and is added to the current detection signal after integrating the voltage fluctuation suppression signal. Thereby, even if the rectified voltage fluctuates, the average current is controlled to be constant.
(Charging the first charge / discharge capacitor 111)

  The current waveform of the light emitting diode driving device 100 ′ shown in FIG. 2 is the same as the current waveform shown in FIG. 19. Here, FIG. 19 shows a current waveform of a light emitting diode driving apparatus 1800 (circuit diagram of FIG. 18) according to a modification, in which the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is omitted from the light emitting diode driving apparatus 100 'of FIG. Each member in FIG. 18 is the same as that in FIG. 2 except for the first charge / discharge capacitor 111, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

Charging to the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 in the light emitting diode driving apparatus 100 ′ of FIG. 2 is performed from the power supply line through the first charge / discharge capacitor 111, the first backflow prevention diode 121, and the first LED current control transistor 21B. The charging is performed when the LED assembly 10 is controlled to be turned on by the first LED current control transistor 21B. Then, as described above, the charging current is charged so that the capacitor terminal voltage and the total V _f of the LED assembly 10 are equal to each other, and this charging current is combined with the LED current flowing through the LED assembly 10 and this combination is performed. The current is controlled so that the current becomes a sine wave by the fourth current control transistor 24B. Accordingly, the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 can be charged without hindering the harmonic distortion suppression function realized in the circuit example 1800 of FIG.

On the other hand, the LED current during capacitor charging decreases by the amount by which the capacitor charging current is subtracted. The period in which the first LED current control transistor 21B performs sinusoidal current control is the period in which all the LED units from the fourth LED unit 14 to the first LED unit 11 are turned on in the circuit example of FIG. The period is near the peak. In addition, the light output also peaks during this period. If the LED current during this period can be reduced, the peak of light output can be suppressed, and the ripple rate of light output can be reduced. Therefore, by charging the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 during this period, the peak of the light output is suppressed, and the power stored in the capacitor is discharged when the power supply voltage is low to obtain the light output. The rate improvement effect is obtained twice.
(Improvement of ripple rate)

It is important in terms of improving the quality of output light to reduce the turn-off period and improve the ripple rate without disturbing the input current waveform approximated to a sine wave in the light emitting diode driving device. Hereinafter, improvement of the ripple rate will be described with reference to FIGS. The applicant originally developed a light-emitting diode driving device 1700 that suppresses harmonic components while connecting LEDs in multiple stages as shown in FIG. In this circuit, operational amplifiers are used as the first current control means 1731, the second current control means 1732, the third current control means 1733, and the fourth current control means 1734, respectively. The applicant also improved this device and developed a light-emitting diode driving device 1800 shown in FIG. A graph of the power supply input current waveform obtained by the light emitting diode driving device 1800 is shown in FIG. 19, and the current waveform in the fourth LED unit 14 is shown in FIG. As shown in the graph of FIG. 19, generation of harmonic distortion of the power supply input current is suppressed, and the LED can be driven with a current waveform close to a sine wave. On the other hand, the current waveform when a conventional incandescent bulb is used as the light emitting element instead of the LED is also substantially a sine wave. However, in the case of an incandescent light bulb, light emission due to the incandescence of the filament does not respond to the power supply frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz), and no flickering occurs. On the other hand, when using LED for a light emitting element, there exists a problem that the blink corresponding to a power supply frequency is repeated by the high responsiveness of LED. This state is shown in the optical output waveform of the sine wave multistage drive circuit of FIG. The ripple rate (= (maximum value−minimum value) / average value) is used as an index for these objective evaluations, and the closer to 0, the better. When the ripple ratio of the light output in FIG. 21 is calculated, the ripple ratio is 2.0 or more. Compared with the ripple ratio of other light emitting elements, the incandescent lamp is 0.1 or less, the fluorescent lamp is 0.9, the inverter fluorescent lamp It is inferior compared with about 0.2. This means that some people feel flickering due to the flickering of light, and if it is synchronized with the rotation speed in the lighting of a rotating body, it seems to stop rotating but it seems to reduce the lighting quality. Become. Therefore, in order to use the light emitting diode driving device of FIG. 18 for higher quality illumination, it is necessary to eliminate the extinguishing period and improve the ripple rate. To eliminate the blinking period, smoothing using a capacitor can be considered. That is, it is conceivable that the capacitor is charged during a period when the power supply voltage is high and discharged during a period when the voltage is low. However, when a capacitor is used, the battery is rapidly charged during a short charging period, so that the charging current increases. Since the charging current generally tends to increase as the capacitance of the capacitor increases, in the case of a large-capacity capacitor suitable for such a smoothing application, the charging current is further increased and the power factor is deteriorated. It does not conform to the harmonic distortion standard. In some cases, an active filter IC or the like for improving the power factor is used. However, such an element is expensive, and there are problems such as generation of noise due to high-frequency switching. In order to solve such a problem, in Example 1, the charge / discharge capacitor 111 is used as described above, and the charge charged when the rectified voltage applied to the LED assembly 10 is high is discharged when the rectified voltage is low. Thus, by energizing the LED assembly 10, the difference in the amount of current to the LED assembly 10 was suppressed, and the ripple rate was successfully improved. Further, by providing the LED driving means 3 and the first bypass means 11 to the fourth bypass means 14 on the charging path, the inrush current to the charge / discharge capacitor 111 can be suppressed and the power factor can be prevented from being lowered.
(Discharge from the first charge / discharge capacitor 111)

  Next, the discharge from the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 will be described. In the light emitting diode driving device 100 ′ of FIG. 2, the discharge circuit of the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is configured by the LED assembly 10 including the fourth LED unit 14 to the first LED unit 11. As described above, all the LED units are to be discharged, but the discharge current does not flow through the sine wave multistage drive circuit and does not affect the operation.

The capacitor charge / discharge current and voltage waveform to the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 are shown in FIG. In this figure, the capacitor charge / discharge current is indicated by I, and the capacitor charge / discharge voltage waveform is indicated by V, respectively. The terminal voltage of the capacitor is the LED terminal voltage V based on the LED current when all the LED units are turned on as described above, that is, the current _Ifa obtained by subtracting the capacitor charging current from the control current by the first LED current control transistor 21B. _Charges approximately equal to _fa . Therefore, even if the current of the discharge of the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is not controlled, it is limited by the LED terminal voltage V _fa and a discharge current larger than I _fa does not flow.

  Immediately after the capacitor charging is completed, the charging current disappears, the LED driving current increases, and the LED terminal voltage also increases, so that no discharge occurs. The power supply voltage further decreases, and the two LED groups of the fourth LED unit 14 and the third LED unit 13 by the sine wave multi-stage drive circuit are sine wave current driven (the second LED unit 12 and the first LED in the sine wave multi-stage drive circuit). From the vicinity where the unit 11 is turned off, the capacitor terminal voltage exceeds the LED terminal voltage and discharge starts. Since this discharge current is superimposed on the sinusoidal current drive of FIG. 2 and flows to the LED, the LED terminal voltage rises, acts in a direction to suppress the discharge current, and no excessive current flows to the LED. As the power supply voltage decreases, the number of LED units driven by the sine wave multistage drive circuit decreases, and the LED terminal voltage fluctuation due to the drive current also decreases.

Thus, the LED terminal voltage increases and decreases as the drive current increases and decreases. That is, the terminal voltage of the LED unit driven by the multistage drive circuit is higher than that when the LED unit is not driven. Therefore, the LED terminal voltage is high during a period in which more LED units are driven by the multistage drive circuit, and as a result, the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is not discharged during a period exceeding the capacitor terminal voltage. Meanwhile, since the first charging and discharging the capacitor 111 is charged by a current obtained Wakea' a multistage driver circuit, LED drive current at this time is lower I _fa than without the first charging and discharging the capacitor 111. That is, the charged capacitor terminal voltage is charged only at the voltage V _fa that can be discharged at the maximum I _fa for all the LED units. When the power supply voltage decreases and the number of LED units driven by the multistage drive circuit decreases, the LED terminal voltage decreases and the discharge of the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is started. Note that the LED terminal voltage decreases and the discharge current from the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 increases as the number of LED units driven by the multistage drive circuit decreases, but exceeds the LED drive current _Ifa during the charging period as described above. There is no.

  In this way, the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is sequentially discharged according to the driving state of the LED unit, and the LED unit can be turned on even during a period when the LED unit is not lit with only the sine wave multistage drive circuit as shown in FIG. Further, the capacitor is discharged regardless of the sinusoidal multistage drive circuit, that is, without damaging the harmonic distortion suppressing effect and the high power factor. For this reason, while maintaining harmonic suppression and a high power factor, it is possible to reduce the turn-off period by adding a sine wave multistage drive circuit and to greatly improve the ripple rate of the optical output.

  Here, the current waveform of the fourth LED unit in the light-emitting diode driving apparatus according to Example 1 is shown in FIG. 4 and, for comparison, the fourth waveform in the light-emitting diode driving apparatus 1800 of FIG. The current waveform of the LED section is shown in FIG. In the configuration of FIG. 18, the fourth LED portion is turned off in the low voltage region, that is, in the section indicated by the arrow in FIG. 20. Further, the driving waveform of the fourth LED portion shows a waveform that is almost a sine wave. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the LED current is reduced by charging the capacitor at the power supply voltage peak (section indicated by the horizontal arrow in FIG. 4), while the sine wave multi-stage drive circuit The capacitor discharge current is increased in accordance with a decrease in the current of the LED unit driven by (the vertical arrow in FIG. 4). As a result, it was confirmed that the light output could be obtained by turning on the fourth LED section even in the section where the LED section was conventionally turned off, and as a result, it was confirmed that the period during which the LED section was completely turned off was eliminated. Thus, by turning the current corresponding to the peak cut to the original extinguishing period, it is possible to light the high-quality LED unit that smoothes the lighting amount and suppresses flickering.

  Furthermore, the waveform of the optical output obtained in Example 1 is shown in the graph of FIG. As shown in this figure, the ratio of the dark time to the peak of the light output can be improved to about 60%, the ripple rate is 0.6 or less, exceeding the fluorescent lamp, and the illumination quality is greatly improved Can be confirmed.

Further, according to this configuration, the charging current to the first charging / discharging capacitor 111 is combined with the driving current of the LED assembly 10 in the sine, even though the large capacity first charging / discharging capacitor 111 is mounted. Generation of a large inrush current can be avoided by driving the wave current. Furthermore, since the capacitor charging current is controlled by sinusoidal current driving, the capacitor ripple current is very small compared to the rapid charging. For this reason, even if it uses as the 1st charging / discharging capacitor | condenser 111 the aluminum electrolytic capacitor made short compared with the lifetime of a LED element, a long lifetime can be ensured and the quality and reliability of a light emitting diode drive device can be improved.
(Example 2)

  In the above example, an example in which one first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is connected as a smoothing circuit has been described. However, according to the present invention, a plurality of capacitors can be connected, which can further enhance the waveform improvement effect. As such an example, as a second embodiment, a block diagram of the light emitting diode driving device 200 to which the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 is connected is shown in FIG. 6A, a specific circuit diagram example is shown in FIG. The current and voltage waveforms of the one charge / discharge capacitor 111 are shown in FIG. 8, and the current and voltage waveforms of the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 are shown in FIG. The second charge / discharge capacitor 112 is connected in parallel with the fourth LED unit 14 and in series with the first LED unit 11. The current waveform of the light emitting diode driving device 200 is the same as the current waveform shown in FIG.

  A light emitting diode driving device 200 shown in FIG. 7A is obtained by adding a second charge / discharge capacitor 112 and a second discharging diode 125 to the light emitting diode driving device 100 shown in FIG. 2, and other members are shown in FIG. The detailed description will be omitted as appropriate. Further, for the sake of simplicity, the LED section is composed of two LEDs, the second LED section 12 and the first LED section 11, and the light-emitting diode drive is configured such that the lighting is controlled by the second bypass means 22 and the first bypass means 21. Device 200 ′ is shown in FIG. 6B. The light emitting diode driving device 200B shown in this figure is connected in series with the second LED unit 12 and is connected in parallel with the first LED unit 11 when viewed from the second LED unit 12, and to the second LED unit 12. The second bypass means 22 for controlling the energization amount of the LED, and the first bypass means connected in series with the first LED portion 11 and for controlling the energization amount to the second LED portion 12 and the first LED portion 11 21, the second LED unit 12 and the first LED unit 11 in series, the first charge / discharge capacitor 111 connected in parallel, the second LED unit 12 in parallel and the first LED unit 11 in series. And a second charging / discharging capacitor 112 connected to the second charging / discharging capacitor 112. The first charge / discharge capacitor 111 is charged when the rectified voltage is larger than the sum of the forward voltages of the second LED unit 12 and the first LED unit 11. Moreover, when it is smaller than the sum of the forward voltage of the 2nd LED part 12 and the 1st LED part 11, it discharges. On the other hand, the second charging / discharging capacitor 112 is charged when the rectified voltage is larger than the forward voltage of the second LED unit 12, and is discharged when it is smaller than the sum of the forward voltages of the second LED unit 12. . By comprising in this way, the ripple of output light can be suppressed and high quality light emission can be obtained. In addition to the first charging / discharging capacitor 111, the second charging / discharging capacitor 112 is added, so that the second charging / discharging capacitor 112 can be charged even during a period when the charging / discharging capacitor is not charged. It is possible to reduce the increase and bring it closer to a beautiful waveform. In particular, by using the second charging / discharging capacitor 112, the electric charge charged when the rectified voltage applied to the second LED unit 12 is high is discharged when the rectified voltage is low, and the second LED unit 12 is energized. The advantage that the ripple rate can be improved by suppressing the height difference of the current amount to the second LED unit 12 is obtained. Further, by providing the second bypass means 22 in the charging path, the inrush current to the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 can be suppressed, and the power factor can be prevented from decreasing.

Moreover, as shown to FIG. 7A, while the 2nd discharge diode 125 comprises the discharge path | route through which the discharge current from the 2nd charging / discharging capacitor | condenser 112 flows into the 4th LED part 14-the 2nd LED part 12, 2nd charging / discharging. The charging current to the capacitor 112 is prevented from passing through the first LED unit 11. The second discharge diode 125 is connected in series with the second backflow prevention diode 122, and one end of the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 is further connected therebetween. The second charge / discharge capacitor 112 is connected to the second LED current control transistor 22B, which is the second bypass means, via the second backflow prevention diode 122. Since charging to the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 is performed only during a period in which the second LED current control transistor 22B performs current control, it becomes possible to more effectively suppress the ripple of light output.
(Charging to the second charge / discharge capacitor 112)

Charging to the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 is performed from the power supply line through the second charge / discharge capacitor 112, the second backflow prevention diode 122, and the second LED current control transistor 22B. The charging is performed when the fourth LED unit 14, the third LED unit 13, and the second LED unit 12 are controlled to be turned on by the second LED current control transistor 22B. The charging current is charged such that the capacitor terminal voltage and the total V _{f of} the fourth LED unit 14 to the second LED unit 12 are equal to each other, and this charging current is also the fourth LED unit 14 to the second LED unit 12. Is combined with the LED current flowing through the second LED current control transistor 22B, and the resultant current is controlled to be a sine wave by the second LED current control transistor 22B. Accordingly, the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 can be charged without hindering the harmonic distortion suppression function realized in the circuit example 1800 of FIG.

On the other hand, the LED current during capacitor charging decreases as the capacitor charging current is subtracted. The period in which the second LED current control transistor 22B performs sinusoidal current control is a period in which the LEDs from the fourth LED unit 14 to the second LED unit 12 are lit in the circuit example of FIG. 7A. In the circuit example of FIG. 2, the light output also peaks in FIG. 5 during this period. If the LED current during this period can be reduced, the peak of light output can be suppressed and the ripple rate can be reduced. Therefore, by charging the second charging / discharging capacitor 112 during this period, the peak of the optical output is suppressed, and the power stored in the capacitor is discharged when the power supply voltage is low to obtain the optical output, thereby improving the ripple rate. Is obtained twice.
(Discharge from the second charge / discharge capacitor 112)

  Next, the discharge from the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 will be described. In the light emitting diode driving device 200 of FIG. 7A, the discharge circuit of the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 includes the fourth LED unit 14 to the second LED unit 12. The discharge current does not flow through the sinusoidal multistage drive circuit and does not affect its operation. Similarly to the description of the discharge of the first charge / discharge capacitor 111, the LED is not discharged with an excessive current.

  Here, while showing the current waveform of the 4th LED part 14 in the light emitting diode drive device 200 which concerns on Example 2, it shows the current waveform of the 4th LED part 14 in the light emitting diode drive device 100 of Example 1 in FIG. Compare with FIG. In the configuration of the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, there is a light output peak in the section indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4 when the fourth LED unit 14 to the second LED unit 12 are lit. On the other hand, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the LED current is reduced by charging the second charge / discharge capacitor 112 at the time of the power supply voltage peak (section indicated by the horizontal arrow in FIG. 10), As the current of the LED unit driven by the sine wave multi-stage drive circuit decreases, the capacitor discharge current is increased (vertical arrow in FIG. 10), so that the ripple rate can be further improved. Further, like the first charge / discharge capacitor 111, the current ripple is small, and a long life can be ensured even if an aluminum electrolytic capacitor is used.

  Further, FIG. 11 shows a light output waveform obtained by the light emitting diode driving apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment. From this figure, it can be confirmed that the ripple rate is suppressed as compared with the optical output of Example 1 shown in FIG.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 7A, the light emitting diode drive device using four LED parts, the 4th LED part 14-the 1st LED part 11, was demonstrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and as described above, the number of LED units can be set to 3 or less, or an arbitrary number of 5 or more as long as it is plural. For example, as in the light emitting diode driving device 100B shown in FIG. 6B, an effective AC multi-stage circuit can be constructed even with two LED units, the second LED unit 12 and the first LED unit 11. An example of such a circuit is shown in FIG. 7B as a light emitting diode driving device 200B. The number of LED units is appropriately selected according to the required quality, such as light quantity and crest factor, power consumption, cost, and the like.
(Example 3)

  Further, the number of charge / discharge capacitors is not limited to two, and three or more can be added. As such an example, FIG. 12A shows a circuit diagram of a light emitting diode driving apparatus 300 according to Example 3 using three charge / discharge capacitors. As shown in this figure, a third charge / discharge capacitor 113 is connected in parallel with the fourth LED portion 14 and the third LED portion 13. With such a configuration, the ripple rate can be improved as in the first and second embodiments.

  In particular, the third charge / discharge capacitor 113 is used to discharge the electric charge charged when the rectified voltage applied to the second LED unit 12 is high and to energize the second LED unit 12 when the rectified voltage is low. The advantage that the ripple rate can be improved by suppressing the height difference of the current amount to the second LED unit 12 is obtained. Further, by providing the third bypass means 23 in the charging path, there is an advantage that the inrush current to the third charging / discharging capacitor 113 can be suppressed and the power factor can be prevented from decreasing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12A, the third discharge diode 126 constitutes a discharge path through which the discharge current from the third charge / discharge capacitor 113 flows to the fourth LED portion 14 and the third LED portion 13, and the third charge / discharge capacitor. It prevents that the charging current to 113 energizes to the 2nd LED part 12 side. The third discharge diode 126 is connected in series with the third backflow prevention diode 123, and one end of the third charge / discharge capacitor 113 is connected between them. The third charge / discharge capacitor 113 is connected to a third LED current control transistor 23B, which is a third bypass means, via a third backflow prevention diode 123. The charging of the third charging / discharging capacitor 113 is performed only during the period in which the third LED current control transistor 23B performs the current control, so that it is possible to more effectively suppress the ripple of the light output. In the example of FIG. 12A, the LED driving device using four LED units, the fourth LED unit 14 to the first LED unit 11, has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the number of LED units is three. It can also be a piece. An example of such a circuit is shown in FIG. 12B as a light emitting diode driving device 300B.
Example 4

  Furthermore, an example using four charge / discharge capacitors is shown in FIG. This figure shows a circuit diagram of a light emitting diode driving apparatus 400 according to the fourth embodiment. Here, a fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 is connected in parallel with the fourth LED unit 14. Even with this configuration, an improvement in the ripple rate can be expected. The fourth discharge diode 127 constitutes a discharge path in which the discharge current from the fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 flows to the fourth LED unit 14, and the charge current to the fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 flows to the third LED unit 13 side. Prevent energization. The fourth discharge diode 127 is connected in series with the fourth backflow prevention diode 124, and further, one end of the fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 is connected therebetween. The fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 is connected to the fourth LED current control transistor 24B, which is the fourth bypass means 24, via the fourth backflow prevention diode 124. The charging of the fourth charge / discharge capacitor 114 is performed only during the period in which the fourth LED current control transistor 24B performs the current control, so that it is possible to more effectively suppress the ripple of the light output.

  Since the light emitting diode driving device described above includes an LED element, the LED element and the driving circuit thereof are arranged on the same wiring board, thereby turning on a household AC power source as a lighting device or lighting fixture that can be turned on. Available.

100, 100 ', 200, 200', 200B, 300, 300B, 400, 1700, 1800 ... Light-emitting diode drive device; 1600 ... AC multistage circuit 2 ... Rectifier circuit 3 ... LED drive means 4 ... Current detection means 5 ... Current control 5E, 5F, 5G ... Current control signal applying Zener diode 6 ... Harmonic suppression signal generating means 7 ... Constant voltage power supply 8 ... Voltage fluctuation suppressing signal generating means 10 ... LED assembly 11 ... First LED unit 12 ... 2nd LED part 13 ... 3rd LED part 14 ... 4th LED part 21 ... 1st bypass means; 21B ... 1st LED current control transistor 22 ... 2nd bypass means; 22B ... 2nd LED current control transistor 23 ... 3rd Bypass means; 23B ... Third LED current control transistor 24 ... Fourth bypass means; 24B ... Fourth LED current control transistor 0 ... current control means; 30B ... current control means (operational amplifier)
60, 61 ... Harmonic suppression signal generating resistor 70 ... Operational amplifier power supply transistor 71 ... Zener diode 72 ... Zener voltage setting resistor 81 ... Protection resistor; 82 ... Bypass capacitor 111 ... First charge / discharge capacitor 112 ... Second charge / discharge capacitor 113 ... third charge / discharge capacitor 114 ... fourth charge / discharge capacitor 121 ... first backflow prevention diode 122 ... second backflow prevention diode 123 ... third backflow prevention diode 124 ... fourth backflow prevention diode 125 ... second discharge diode 126 ... second Three discharge diodes 127 ... fourth discharge diodes 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166 ... LED block 167 ... switch control unit 1602 ... bridge circuit 1603A ... LED current limiting resistor 1611 ... first LED block 1612 ... second LED block 161 ... third LED block 1621A ... first current control transistor 1622A ... second current control transistor 1623A ... third current control transistor 1631A ... first current detection transistor 1632A ... second current detection transistor 1633A ... third current detection transistor 1731 ... first One current control means 1732 ... second current control means 1733 ... third current control means 1734 ... fourth current control means AP ... AC power supply BP1 ... first bypass path; BP2 ... second bypass path; BP3 ... third bypass path BP4 ... Fourth bypass path BP1601 ... First bypass path BP1602 ... Second bypass path BP1603 ... Third bypass path OL ... Output line

Claims (11)

A rectifier circuit (2) that can be connected to an AC power supply (AP) and obtains a rectified voltage obtained by rectifying the AC voltage of the AC power supply (AP);
A second LED section (12) including at least one LED element connected in series with the output side of the rectifier circuit (2);
A first LED part (11) comprising at least one LED element connected in series with the second LED part (12);
First bypass means (21) connected in series with the first LED section (11), for controlling the amount of electricity to the first LED section (11) and the second LED section (12),
The second LED unit (12) is connected in series and connected to the first LED unit (11) in parallel when viewed from the second LED unit (12), and the second LED unit (12) Second bypass means (22) for controlling the energization amount to
A series connection of the first LED unit (11) and the second LED unit (12), a first charge / discharge capacitor (111) connected in parallel ,
With
The first charge / discharge capacitor (111) is connected in series with the first bypass means (21),
The first charge / discharge capacitor (111) has a rectified voltage,
The first LED unit (11) and the second LED unit (12) are charged when greater than the sum of the forward voltage,
LED driving device characterized by comprising is configured that will be discharged is smaller than the sum of the forward voltage of the first LED unit (11) and a second LED unit (12).   The light emitting diode driving device according to claim 1, further comprising:
  A second charge / discharge capacitor (112) connected in parallel with the second LED section (12) and in series with the first LED section (11);
  The second charge / discharge capacitor (112) has a rectified voltage,
    Charged when it is greater than the forward voltage of the second LED part (12),
    A light emitting diode driving device characterized in that it is configured to be discharged when it is smaller than a forward voltage of the second LED section (12). The light-emitting diode driving device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
The second bypass means (22) is provided on the second bypass path (BP2) for bypassing the current passed through the second LED section (12), and is connected to the second charge / discharge capacitor (112). A light emitting diode driving device comprising a second discharge diode (125) for preventing a charging current from passing through the first LED section (11). A light emitting diode driving apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, further
A third LED part (13) comprising at least one LED element connected in series with a series connection of the first LED part (11) and the second LED part (12);
The third LED unit (13) is connected in parallel, and the first LED unit (11) and the second LED unit (12) are connected in series, and the third charge / discharge capacitor (113) is connected in series. ,
Connected in series with the third LED part (13) and connected in parallel with the series connection body of the first LED part (11) and the second LED part (12) as seen from the third LED part (13) A third bypass means (23) for controlling the amount of current supplied to the third LED section (13),
With
The first charge / discharge capacitor (111) is connected in parallel with the series connection body of the first LED part (11), the second LED part (12) and the third LED part (13),
The second charge / discharge capacitor (112) is connected in parallel with the series connection body of the second LED part (12) and the third LED part (13) and in series with the first LED part (11). A light-emitting diode driving device. The light emitting diode driving device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
The third bypass means (23) is provided on a third bypass path (BP3) that bypasses the current passed through the third LED section (13), and is connected to the third charge / discharge capacitor (113). A light emitting diode driving device comprising a third discharge diode (126) for preventing a charging current from passing through the second LED section (12). The light emitting diode driving device according to any one of claims 2 to 5 , further comprising:
A fourth LED unit (14) including at least one LED element connected in series with a series connection body of the first LED unit (11), the second LED unit (12) and the third LED unit (13); ,
The fourth LED unit (14) is connected in parallel with the first LED unit (11), the second LED unit (12) and the third LED unit (13) connected in series. Four charge / discharge capacitors (114),
The first LED unit (11), the second LED unit (12) and the third LED unit (13) connected in series with the fourth LED unit (14) and viewed from the fourth LED unit (14) A fourth bypass means (24) for controlling an energization amount to the fourth LED section (14),
With
The first charge / discharge capacitor (111) is in parallel with the series connection body of the first LED part (11), the second LED part (12), the third LED part (13), and the fourth LED part (14). Connected,
The second charge / discharge capacitor (112) is in parallel with the series connection body of the second LED part (12), the third LED part (13) and the fourth LED part (14), and the first LED part (11 ) In series,
The third charge / discharge capacitor (113) is in parallel with the series connection body of the third LED part (13) and the fourth LED part (14), and the first LED part (11) and the second LED part ( 12. A light-emitting diode driving device connected in series with the serial connection body of 12). The light emitting diode driving device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
The fourth bypass means (24) is provided on a fourth bypass path (BP4) for bypassing a current passed through the fourth LED section (14), and is connected to the fourth charge / discharge capacitor (114). A light emitting diode driving device comprising: a fourth discharge diode (127) for preventing a charging current from passing through the third LED section (13). The light-emitting diode driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , further comprising:
Current detection means (4) for detecting a current detection signal based on the amount of current flowing on an output line (OL) in which the first LED section (11) and the second LED section (12) are connected in series;
Current control means for outputting an operation control signal for controlling the operation of the first bypass means (21) and the second bypass means (22) according to the current detection signal detected by the current detection means (4). (30),
With
The current control means (30) is provided with one output for outputting the operation control signal, and the first bypass means (21) and the second bypass means (22) are provided with the one output. A light-emitting diode driving device characterized by being connected in parallel to each other. The light-emitting diode driving device according to claim 8 ,
The current control means (30) is an operation control signal for controlling operations of the first bypass means (21) and the second bypass means (22) using the rectified voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit (2) as a reference voltage. A light emitting diode driving device. The light-emitting diode driving device according to claim 8 or 9 , further comprising:
The first charge / discharge capacitor (111) is connected in series, and includes voltage fluctuation suppression signal generation means (8) for detecting fluctuations in the rectified voltage,
Based on the sum of the fluctuation of the rectified voltage detected by the voltage fluctuation suppression signal generation means (8) and the current detection signal detected by the current detection means (4), the current control means (30), A light emitting diode driving device configured to control operations of the first bypass means (21) and the second bypass means (22). The light-emitting diode driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , further comprising:
LED driving means (3) for controlling energization to the first LED part (11) and the second LED part (12) connected in series with the first LED part (11),
The light emitting diode driving device according to claim 1, wherein the first bypass means (21) is connected in parallel with the LED driving means (3).

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