Flexible light engine with bus bars and interconnectors
First Claim
1. A method of roll-to-roll manufacturing a circuit for a flexible light engine (10), comprising:
- providing an electrically insulating, flexible lower laminate sheet (12) from a first roll;
providing an electrically insulating, flexible upper laminate sheet (14) from a second roll;
forming electrically conductive first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22) in a single conductive layer on at least one of the lower and upper laminate sheets (12, 14);
forming electrically conductive interconnectors (30) at a plurality of locations on each of the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22);
providing a metallic strip (40) from a third roll;
disposing the metallic strip (40) in the single conductive layer on at least one of the lower and upper laminate sheets (12, 14);
connecting the metallic strip (40) via the interconnectors (30) to the first metallic bus bar (20) at the plurality of interconnector locations of the first metallic bus bar (20);
connecting the metallic strip (40) via the interconnectors (30) to the second metallic bus bar (22) at the plurality of electrical interconnector locations of the second metallic bus bar (22);
retaining the metallic strip (40) between the lower laminate sheet (12) and the upper laminate sheet (14) by laminating the lower laminate sheet (12) with the upper laminate sheet (14), whereby the laminating also disposes the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22) between the lower laminate sheet (12) and the upper laminate sheet (14);
perforating the upper laminate sheet (14), wherein perforations (16) of the upper laminate sheet (14) are in register with exposed portions (42) of the metallic strip (40);
perforating the exposed portions (42) of the metallic strip (40) thereby defining a plurality of metallic contacts (50);
coupling an LED package (60) within each perforation (16) of the upper laminate sheet (14) to the metallic contacts (50) provided by the exposed portions (42) of the metallic strip (40), thereby defining a plurality of series LED strings (64) connected in parallel between the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22); and
coiling the flexible light engine (10) onto a fourth roll.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible light engine, comprising insulating lower and upper laminate sheets; first and second electrically conductive metallic bus bars between the sheets; a plurality of electrically conductive metallic conductors between the sheets being disposed laterally between the bus bars, wherein each conductor defines two metallic contacts exposed in register with adjacent perforations in the perforated upper sheet; wherein each of the bus bars further comprises respective at least two interconnectors, and wherein the conductors are connected to respective interconnectors to define at least two series circuits and connectable in parallel between the bus bars, wherein each of the series circuits comprises a subset of the plurality of metallic conductors; and a plurality of LEDs attached to the contacts defining at least two series LED strings and connected in parallel between the bus bars, each said LED string comprising a plurality of LEDs.
21 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of roll-to-roll manufacturing a circuit for a flexible light engine (10), comprising:
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providing an electrically insulating, flexible lower laminate sheet (12) from a first roll; providing an electrically insulating, flexible upper laminate sheet (14) from a second roll; forming electrically conductive first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22) in a single conductive layer on at least one of the lower and upper laminate sheets (12, 14); forming electrically conductive interconnectors (30) at a plurality of locations on each of the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22); providing a metallic strip (40) from a third roll; disposing the metallic strip (40) in the single conductive layer on at least one of the lower and upper laminate sheets (12, 14); connecting the metallic strip (40) via the interconnectors (30) to the first metallic bus bar (20) at the plurality of interconnector locations of the first metallic bus bar (20); connecting the metallic strip (40) via the interconnectors (30) to the second metallic bus bar (22) at the plurality of electrical interconnector locations of the second metallic bus bar (22); retaining the metallic strip (40) between the lower laminate sheet (12) and the upper laminate sheet (14) by laminating the lower laminate sheet (12) with the upper laminate sheet (14), whereby the laminating also disposes the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22) between the lower laminate sheet (12) and the upper laminate sheet (14); perforating the upper laminate sheet (14), wherein perforations (16) of the upper laminate sheet (14) are in register with exposed portions (42) of the metallic strip (40); perforating the exposed portions (42) of the metallic strip (40) thereby defining a plurality of metallic contacts (50); coupling an LED package (60) within each perforation (16) of the upper laminate sheet (14) to the metallic contacts (50) provided by the exposed portions (42) of the metallic strip (40), thereby defining a plurality of series LED strings (64) connected in parallel between the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22); and coiling the flexible light engine (10) onto a fourth roll. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A flexible light engine (10), comprising:
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an electrically insulating, flexible lower laminate sheet (12); an electrically insulating, perforated, flexible upper laminate sheet (14); a first metallic bus bar (20) and a second metallic bus bar (22) disposed in a single conductive layer between the lower laminate sheet (12) and the upper laminate sheet (14), the first metallic bus bar (20) and the second metallic bus bar (22) being electrically conductive; a plurality of electrically conductive metallic conductors (48) being disposed in the single conductive layer between the lower laminate sheet (12) and the upper laminate sheet (14) and being disposed laterally, in a width direction (W), between the first metallic bus bar (20) and the second metallic bus bar (22); wherein each metallic conductor (48) defines two metallic contacts (50), one said metallic contact (50) being at each opposing free end of each said metallic conductor (48), and each metallic conductor (48) extends between adjacent perforations (16) in the perforated upper laminate sheet (14), the two metallic contacts (50) of each metallic conductor (48) being exposed in register with adjacent perforations (16) in the perforated upper laminate sheet (14); wherein each of the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22) further comprises respective at least two interconnectors (30), and wherein the metallic conductors (48) are connected to respective interconnectors (30) to define at least two series circuits (70) and connectable in parallel between the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22), wherein each of the at least two series circuits (70) comprises a subset of the plurality of metallic conductors (48); and a plurality of surface mount light emitting diodes (LEDs) (60) attached to the metallic contacts (50) defining at least two series LED strings (64) and connected in parallel between the first and second metallic bus bars (20, 22), each said LED string (64) comprising a plurality of LEDs (60). - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification