1. An ultraviolet light curable resin composition comprising an aqueous solution of an amine salt prepolymer formed by reaction in an aqueous mixture between an unsaturated carboxylic acid and an oligomer having at least one amine group selected from the group consisting of urea formaldehyde resins, melamine formaldehyde resins, amine-polyisocyanate adducts, Michael adducts of a secondary amine and acrylate andor methacrylate compounds and epoxy-amine adducts formed between a secondary amine and epoxy of formula:
wherein n is from 0 to 10 and A comprises a diradical selected from the group consisting of aromatic, substituted aromatic and the diradical of formula II:
wherein R is an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
2. A resin composition according to claim 1 comprising an aqueous solution containing a weight ratio of amine salt prepolymer to water in the range of from 1:4 to 20:1.
3. A resin composition according to claim 2 wherein said weight ratio is in the range of from 3:2 to 9:1.
4. A resin composition according to claim 1 which is curable by UV and contains less than 0.5% by weight based on the weight of the resin component of a UV initiator.
5. A resin composition according to claim 1 which is curable by UV in the absence of photoinitiator.
6. A resin composition according to claim 1 wherein the oligomer having at least one amine group is an epoxy-amine formed between a secondary amine and an epoxide of formula 1:
wherein n is from 0 to 10 and A is a diradical of formula II:
wherein R is an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
7. A resin composition according to claim 6 wherein the epoxide of formula 1 is a product of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A.
8. A resin composition according to claim 6, wherein the amine adduct is formed using a molar ratio of amine to epoxide compound in the range of from 0.5:1 to 2.05:1.
9. A resin composition according to claim 6 wherein the molar ratio of amine to epoxide compound is 0.95:1 to 1.6:1.
10. A resin composition according to claim 1 wherein the oligomer having at least one amine group is prepared from melamine, formaldehyde andor glyoxal and optionally one or more alcohols selected from the group consisting of C1 to C6 alkanols, C1 to C6 alkyl ethers of C1 to C6 alkylene glycols and C1 to C6 alkylene glycols.
11. A resin composition according to claim 1 wherein the oligomer having at least one amine group is a urethane-amine adduct prepared by reaction of a secondary amine with a polyisocyanate.
12. A resin composition according to claim 1 wherein the urethane amine adduct is formed from a molar ratio of amine to polyisocyanate of from 0.90:1 to 1.6:1.
13. A resin composition according to claim 1 wherein the oligomer having at least one amine group is a Michael adduct formed between a secondary amine and an unsaturated compound selected from the group consisting of monomers and prepolymers comprising a plurality of unsaturated groups including at least one acrylate or methacrylate group.
14. A resin composition according to any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the secondary amine is amine of formula IV:
wherein R and R1 are independently selected from straight and branched chain aliphatic of up to 6 carbon atoms optionally substituted by hydroxy and mixtures thereof.
15. A resin composition according to claim 1 wherein the unsaturated acid is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, citraconic acid, sorbic acid, fumaric acid and mixtures of two or more thereof.
16. A resin according to claim 1 wherein the unsaturated acid is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid.
17. A method of forming a coating on a substrate comprising applying to the substrate a layer of an aqueous solution of a radiation curable resin according to claim 1 and subjecting the layer of said aqueous solution to ultraviolet radiation to cure the layer.
18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the composition is applied at a thickness of up to 200 microns.
19. A method according to claim 17 wherein the concentration of the radiation curable resin according to claim 1 is from 20 to 95% by weight of the total aqueous solution.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A lighting system powered by an AC voltage source, the lighting system comprising:
a. a high-frequency AC driver which outputs a relatively constant voltage at a relatively constant frequency, wherein the relatively constant frequency output is substantially higher than the frequency of an input voltage; and,
b. at least two LED circuits each of which have at least two LEDs connected in series, electrically connected to the high-frequency AC driver.
2. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein each of the at least two LED circuits include:
a. at least two LEDs connected in an opposing series relationship such that the anode of each of the at least two LEDs form a first node;
b. at least two LEDs connected in an opposing series relationship such that the cathode of each of the at least two LEDs form a second node; and,
c. a cross connecting LED connecting the first node to the second node such that the cathode of the cross connecting LED is connected to the first node, and the anode of the cross connecting LED is connected to the second node.
3. The lighting system of claim 2 wherein each of the at least two LED circuits are capable of being connected to the high-frequency AC driver in either a series relationship or a parallel relationship.
4. The lighting system of claim 3 wherein each of the two LED circuits have substantially identical forward operating voltages.
5. The lighting system of claim 4 further comprising a switch configured between the high-frequency AC driver and the at least two LED circuits.
6. The lighting system of claim 5 wherein the switch is a two-way switch.
7. The lighting system of claim 5 wherein the switch is a three-way switch.
8. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the high-frequency AC driver and at least two LED circuits are packaged separately.
9. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the high-frequency AC driver and at least two LED circuits are packaged together forming an AC LED lighting device.
10. The lighting system of claim 1 further comprising a bridge rectifier electrically connected between the high-frequency AC driver and the at least two LED circuits.
11. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the at least two LED circuits include at least two LEDs connected in series.
12. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the bridge rectifier is formed using diodes.
13. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the bridge rectifier is formed using LEDs.
14. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the bridge rectifier is formed using a combination of diodes and LEDs.
15. The lighting system of claim 11 wherein each of the at least two LED circuits are capable of being connected in either a series relationship or a parallel relationship.
16. The lighting system of claim 15 wherein each of the at least two LED circuits have a substantially identical forward operating voltage.
17. The lighting system of claim 16 further comprising a switch configured between the high-frequency AC driver and the at least two LED circuits.
18. The lighting system of claim 17 wherein the switch is a two-way switch.
19. The lighting system of claim 17 wherein the switch is a three-way switch.
20. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the high-frequency AC driver, the bridge rectifier, and at least two LED circuits are packaged separately.
21. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the high-frequency AC driver and the bridge rectifier are packaged together forming a DC LED driver.
22. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the high-frequency AC driver, the bridge rectifier, and the at least two LED circuits are packaged together forming a DC LED lighting device.
23. The lighting system of claim 10 wherein the rectifier and the at least two LED circuits are packaged together.
24. A LED lighting device comprising:
a. at least one LED circuit;
b. the at least one LED circuit having at least two LEDs connected in series;
c. a bridge rectifier wherein the at least one LED circuit being electrically connected to the bridge rectifier.
25. The LED lighting device of claim 24 further comprising at least one additional LED circuit wherein the at least one additional LED circuit includes two LEDs connected in series.
26. The LED lighting device of claim 25 wherein a second bridge rectifier is electrically connected to the at least one additional LED circuit.
27. The LED lighting device of claim 25 wherein the at least one additional LED circuit is electrically connected to the bridge rectifier.
28. The LED lighting device of claim 27 wherein a switch is electrically connected between:
a. the bridge rectifier and,
b. the at least one LED circuit and the at least one additional LED circuit.
29. The LED lighting device of claim 26 wherein a switch is electrically connected to the inputs of each of the bridge rectifier and the second bridge rectifier.
30. The LED lighting device of claim 28 wherein the at least one LED circuit and the at least one additional LED circuit have a substantially identical forward voltage.
31. The LED lighting device of claim 30 wherein the at least LED circuit and the at least one additional LED circuit are capable of being connected in either a series relationship or a parallel relationship.
32. The LED lighting device of claim 24 further comprising a high-frequency AC driver attached to one or more of the bridge rectifier and the second bridge rectifier.
33. A LED lighting device comprising:
a. at least two LED circuits;
b. each of the at least two LED circuits having at least two LEDs connected in series;
c. a bridge rectifier wherein each of the at least two LED circuits are electrically connected to the bridge rectifier in a parallel relationship.
34. A method of providing light, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing an AC voltage at a first frequency;
b. transforming the AC voltage at a first frequency to a provided voltage at a second frequency;
c. supplying the provided voltage at the second frequency to at least two LED circuits.
35. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of transforming the AC voltage at the first frequency to the provided voltage at the second frequency using a high frequency AC driver.
36. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of providing the provided voltage at a substantially identical value to the AC voltage.
37. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of providing the provided voltage as a second AC voltage less than the AC voltage.
38. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of providing the provided voltage as a second AC voltage greater than the AC voltage.
39. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of rectifying the provided voltage at the second frequency prior to supplying the provided voltage to the at least two LED circuits.
40. The method of claim 39 further comprising the step of rectifying the provided voltage at the second frequency using a bridge rectifier.
41. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of selecting how many of the at least two LED circuits receive the provided AC voltage.
42. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of selecting how many of the at least two LED circuits receive the provided AC voltage using one of a two-way switch or a three-way switch.