Light emitting diode mounting structure

• US 6,386,733 B1
• Filed: 11/15/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Ohkohdo, Masaya, Sakata, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/440,145
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249, 362/235, 362/800, 362/226, 362/252, 362/545, 439/515, 439/514, 439/389, 439/395, 439/397, 439/419
• US Class Current: 362/249.06
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/195 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/001 the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/002 making direct electrical contact, e.g. by piercing F21V21/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/503 of light sources cooling arrangements structurally associated with gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps H01J61/52; cooling arrangements structurally associated with electric incandescent lamps H01K1/58; cooling arrangements structurally associated with light-emitting diodes H01L33/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/09 for baseless lamp bulb
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2454 forming a U-shape with slotted branches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A light emitting diode mounting structure for a light emitting diode having four leads has two metal plates fixed to wire on a housing. The leads engage the metal plates in electrical contact therewith and are supported by the metal plates, a surface part of which reflects light from the light emitting diode.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode mounting structure comprising:

a housing having a pair of wires extending parallel to one another in a mutual proximity relationship;

a light emitting diode having at least one pair of leads;

a pair of metal plates spaced from one another, each of the metal plates having a surface part for mounting thereon the light emitting diode and a pair of foot parts clamped to the housing and the foot parts of each pair of metal plates engaging the pair of wires, respectively, to provide electrical connection between the pair of leads of the light emitting diode and the pair of wires in the housing, the pair of leads of the light emitting diode engaging the pair of metal plates, respectively, to provide electrical connection therewith; and

a surface part of each of the metal plates having a surface area capable of reflecting light from the light emitting diode.

2. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode comprises four leads, and

the leads are engaged with the pair of metal plates disposed in a mutual proximity relationship.

3. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one pair of leads is formed of a metal having a thermal conductivity equivalent to or greater than that of copper.

4. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of wires comprises an insulating covering and a center conductor disposed within the insulating covering,

each of the foot parts extending toward the housing from the surface part and having a cutting groove formed at the end of each foot part, and

when a respective one of the wires is inserted into a respective cutting groove, the respective cutting groove cuts the insulating covering of the wire and bites into the inside thereof, forming electrically conductive contact with respect to the center conductor thereof and holding the wire in place.

5. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the surface part of each of the metal plates has a metallic coloring imparted thereto.

6. A light emitting diode mounting structure comprising:

a housing having a pair of wires extending parallel to one another;

at least two light emitting diodes each having a pair of leads; and

at least two pairs of metal plates clamped by the housing in spaced relationship, one of each pair of metal plates engaging one of the pair of wires to provide electrical connection between the one of the pair of wires and the one of each pair of metal plates, and the other one of each pair of metal plates engaging the other one of the pair of wires to provide electric connection between the other one of the pair of wires and the other one of each pair of metal plates;

wherein the pair of leads of each light emitting diode engages each pair of metal plates, respectively, to provide electrical connection between one of the pair of leads and the one of the pair of wires and electrical connection between the other one of the pair of wires and electrical connection between the other one of the pair of leads and the other one of the pair of wires; and

wherein each of the metal plates has a hole for allowing a jumper wire to establish connection between the metal plate and another of the metal plates.

7. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 6, wherein each of the metal plates includes a surface part for mounting thereon a respective one of the light emitting diodes and a foot part engaging the wire of the housing.

8. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a housing disposed inside a lens and including a plurality of mounting surfaces disposed so as to follow a contour of the lens;

a plurality of pairs of wires located in the housing, each pair of wires being supported on each of the mounting surfaces;

a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the plurality of mounting surfaces, respectively, with each light emitting diode having at least one pair of leads; and

a plurality of pairs of metal plates fixed to and connected to the plurality of mounting surfaces, respectively, each of the metal plates including a surface part for mounting thereon each of the light emitting diodes and a pair of foot parts engaging each of the wires of the housing, the leads of each light emitting diode engaging the metal plates of each pair of metal plates so as to provide electrical connection between the pair of wires and the pair of leads of each light emitting diode.

9. A light emitting diode mounting structure comprising:

a housing having a mounting surface which carries thereon a pair of spaced wires;

a light emitting diode having a pair of leads; and

a pair of metal plates for mounting thereon the light emitting diode, each of the metal plates having a surface part to which the light emitting diode is mounted, and a pair of foot parts clamped by the mounting surface;

wherein the pair of foot parts of each metal plate engages each of the wires of the housing and the pair of leads of the light emitting diode are clamped to the metal plates to provide electrical connection between the wires of the housing and the light emitting diode via the leads thereof.

10. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 9, wherein the light emitting diode has four leads, and

the leads of the light emitting diode engages the pair of metal plates disposed in a mutual proximity relationship.

11. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 10, wherein the housing includes a pair of opposing walls that retain the wires in fixed place, and

wherein the pairs of foot parts of the metal plates are clamped with the opposing wall of the mounting surface such that the foot parts of each metal plate engages each of the wires retained on the opposing walls of the housing.

12. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 10, wherein each of the metal plates includes a pair of cutting grooves formed on each of the foot parts, the cutting grooves of the respective metal plates engaging the wires, respectively.

13. The light emitting diode mounting structure according to claim 10, wherein the surface part of each of the metal plates has a pair of spaced slits to allow the leads to engage for electrical connection therewith.