Electrical connector, LED assembly, and method of assembly therefor

• US 20050030763A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bahram Bahramian
• Original Assignee: Bahram Bahramian
• Inventors: Bahramian, Bahram
• Granted Patent: US 7,234,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/558
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 2200/40 of hollow light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre

Abstract

An electrical connector for connecting multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) in parallel to a two-wire electrical supply bus, made up of upper and lower halves that snap together and contact pins that pass through holes in the upper half to make insulation displacement connections with the conductors of the supply bus. Assemblies including large numbers of LEDs are made by snapping connectors onto the bus, inserting contacts into the connectors, and connecting LEDs to the contact pins, although not necessarily in that order. The contact pins may be hollow to receive the LED leads. Also, the positions of the holes in the upper halves of the connectors, and therefore of the contact pins, may be staggered, so that the spacing between the contacts can be made equal to the pitch between the leads of the LEDs without spacing the conductors of the supply bus further apart.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a first body part;

a second body part configured to resiliently mate with said first body part;

said first and second body parts configured to receive insulated conductors therebetween; and

apertures formed in said first body part in a direction orthogonal to said insulated conductors, said apertures configured to receive contacts;

wherein said contacts are configured to penetrate an insulation layer of said insulated conductors when said contacts are inserted into said apertures.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first group of channels formed in said first body part and configured to receive said conductors; and

a second group of channels formed in said second body part and configured to receive said conductors and to oppose said first group of channels.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein:

said first and second groups of channels each consist of a pair of channels.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein:

said apertures are separated by a distance equal to a spacing between leads of a light emitting diode.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein:

said contacts are at least partially hollow, and are configured to receive said leads of said light emitting diode.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein:

said apertures are separated by a distance equal to a spacing between leads of a light emitting diode.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein:

said contacts are at least partially hollow, and are configured to receive said leads of said light emitting diode.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein:

said contacts are at least partially hollow, and are configured to receive said leads of said light emitting diode.

9. An assembly for connecting a plurality of light emitting devices in parallel, said assembly comprising:

an electrical supply bus, said bus comprising a pair of insulated electrical conductors;

a plurality of electrical connectors configured to be resiliently attached to said bus;

said connectors comprising a pair of contacts configured to penetrate an insulation layer of said insulated electrical conductors, said contacts configured to receive leads of said light emitting devices.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein:

said connectors each comprise first and second body parts configured to be resiliently fastened together.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein:

each said first body part is provided with apertures to receive said contacts.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein:

said light emitting devices are light emitting diodes.

13. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein:

said pair of insulated conductors are conjoined mechanically along at least part of a length of said conductors.

14. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein:

said contacts are at least partially hollow.

15. A method of connecting a plurality of light emitting devices in parallel, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an electrical supply bus, said bus comprising a pair of insulated electrical conductors;

attaching a plurality of electrical connectors to said bus;

penetrating an insulation layer of each said insulated electrical conductor with an electrical contact, and

connecting leads of said light emitting devices to each said contact.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of:

resiliently fastening together first and second body parts of said connectors.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

each said first body part is provide with apertures to receive said contacts.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein:

said light emitting devices are light emitting diodes.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein:

said pair of insulated conductors are conjoined mechanically along at least part of a length of said conductors.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein:

said contacts are at least partially hollow.