Electrical connector with interspersed entry ports for pins of different LEDs

• US 6,666,689 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savage Charitable Foundation
• Original Assignee: John M. Savage Jr
• Inventors: Savage, John M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRIS, ANTON B
• Application Number:
  US10/256,922
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 439/56, 439/683, 439/682, 439/617, 362/555, 362/378
• US Class Current: 439/56
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/717 with built-in light source
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7172 Conduits for light transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/765 the terminal pins having a non-circular disposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/185 combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/301 by means of a mounting structure H05K3/325 takes precedence

Abstract

An electrical connector comprising, in combination a body defining first and second electrical terminal entry ports, the first entry ports including four ports, there being an LED unit having pin terminals respectively received in three of said four ports, three of said pin terminals adapted for delivering controllable electrical current for controlling color emitted by the LED unit, another of said pin terminals received in a fourth one of said four ports.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising, in combination

a) a body defining first and second electrical terminal entry ports,

b) said first entry ports including four ports,

c) there being an LED unit having pin terminals respectively received in three of said four ports, three of said pin terminals adapted for delivering controllable electrical current for controlling color emitted by the LED unit,

d) another of said pin terminals received in a fourth one of said four ports,

e) the connector body having internal threads, and there being a lens unit having external threads,

f) said internal and external threads being plastic mating threads configured to forcibly and axially slip over crest as the connector is axially pushed relatively onto the lens unit, there being a compressible locking ring located in alignment with the connector to be compressively deformed as the connector body is pushed endwise toward the lens unit and as the threads slip over crest forwardly followed by rotary tightening of the connector threads in the lens unit threads, by less than about one full turn, the locking ring then expanding to a lesser compressed condition causing the external and internal threads to relatively slip over crest rearwardly, to a thread made up position of connector securement to the lens unit.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second entry ports include two ports which are spaced closer together then any two of said four ports.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said two ports are within an a real zone defined by said four ports.

4. The combination of claim 1 including female electrical terminals in alignment with said first and second entry ports.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein four of said female terminals associated with said first four entry ports receive LED unit four pin terminals.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein two of said female terminals associated with said second entry ports receive LED unit two pin terminals.

7. The combination of claim 2 including female electrical terminals in alignment with said first and second entry ports.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein four of said female terminals associated with said first four entry ports receive LED unit four pin terminals.

9. The combination of claim 7 wherein two of said female terminals associated with said second entry ports receive LED unit two pin terminals.

10. The combination of claim 4 wherein each female terminals includes a sleeve, a tapered guide surface within said sleeve, and a spring finger having an edge to frictionally engage the surface of an LED unit terminal pin received in the sleeve.

11. The combination of claim 8 wherein each female terminal includes a sleeve, a tapered guide surface within said sleeve, and a spring finger having an edge to frictionally engage the surface of an LED unit terminal pin received in the sleeve.

12. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first and second entry ports are interspersed.

13. The method of using the combination of claim 3 which includes

a) selecting one of two LED units, the first characterized as having four pin terminals, and the second characterized as having two pin terminals,

b) and inserting the pin terminals of the selected LED unit into one of said connector first entry ports and second entry ports spaced apart and interspersed to receive said pin terminals.

14. The method of claim 13 including providing selected female terminals in alignment with said entry ports to receive insertion of said selected pin terminals.

15. The method of claim 14 including providing a hollow lens in alignment with said LED unit, and to internally receive the LED unit.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step b) locates said selected LED within said connector, and said lens is threadably connected into the connector to receive at least a part of the LED unit.

17. The combination of claim 1 wherein said LED unit has additional pin terminals received in said second electrical terminal entry ports.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein said second electrical terminal entry ports include two ports, whereby said LED unit has two of said additional pin terminals.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein said LED unit has a total of six pin terminals including

i) first and second pairs of terminals received in said first entry ports,

ii) and a third pair of pin terminals defined by said additional pin terminals, received in said second entry port.

20. The combination of claim 19 including circuitry connected with said first, second and third pairs of terminals to control color emitted by said LED unit.

21. The combination of claim 20 wherein said LED unit includes a first LED electrically connected to said first pair of terminals (1 and 6);

a second LED electrically connected to said second pair of terminals (3 and 4); and

a third LED electrically connected to said third pair of terminals.

22. The combination of claim 20 wherein said third pair of terminals is located between said first and second pairs of terminals.

23. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body defines a lens holder having a receptacle portion with internal threading to receive an externally threaded lens to transmit light of a controlled color emitted by the LED unit.

24. The combination of claim 23 wherein said body defines a reduced size connector portion containing said first and second entry ports.

25. The combination of claim 24 wherein said LED unit has a light emitting zone received in said holder receptacle portion, between said internal threading and said first and second entry ports in said connector portion.

26. In combination

a) a holder in the form of a socket at one end of the holder and a connector at the opposite end of the holder,

b) internal threads in the holder to threadably connect to a lens unit,

c) the connector having terminal ports,

d) and an LED unit having a light transmitting end received into the holder, said unit having pins received into said connector ports, for electrical connection to circuitry that energizes one or more LEDs in said unit,

e) and including said lens unit having external threads, said external and internal threads being plastic mating threads configured to forcibly and axially slip over crest as the connector is axially pushed relatively onto the lens unit, a compressible locking ring being provided and located in alignment with the connector to be compressively deformed as the connector is pushed endwise toward the lens unit and as the threads slip over crest forwardly followed by rotary tightening of the connector threads, on the lens unit threads, by less than about one full turn, the locking ring then expanding to a lesser compressed condition causing the external and internal threads to relatively slip over crest rearwardly, to a thread made up position of connector securement to the lens unit.

27. The combination of claim 26 wherein there are six of said ports.

28. The combination of claim 27 wherein three of said ports are in one row, to define a plane, another three of said ports are in another row to define a second plane, said planes being parallel.

29. The combination of claim 27 wherein three of said ports define a first staggered row, and another three of said ports define a second staggered row.