Illumination system

• US 7,165,863 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electraled Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pricilla G. Thomas
• Inventors: McCarthy, Michael J., Warner, Bryan T., Thomas, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cariaso; Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lovell; Leah S.
• Application Number:
  US10/948,824
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 362/800, 362/219, 362/217, 362/294, 362/391, 362/237, 362/222, 362/221, 362/373, 439/391, 439/426, 439/427, 361/688, 361/749
• US Class Current: 362/219
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/002 making direct electrical contact, e.g. by piercing F21V21/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/053 the metal substrate being covered by an inorganic insulating layer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/056 the metal substrate being covered by an organic insulating layer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0175 Inorganic, non-metallic layer, e.g. resist or dielectric for printed capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/28 Applying non-metallic protective coatings H05K3/0091 takes precedence; methods for intermediate insulating layers for build-up multilayer circuits H05K3/4673
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A module has a metallic mass with an upper surface having laterally spaced wiring channels and outwardly extending fins. A circuit board is mounted on the module and fabricated of an insulating bottom layer with trace patterns thereon. A plurality of electrical components, including at least one light emitting diode, are coupled to the trace patterns of the circuit board. A pair of continuous conductor wires couple the electrical components with each wire and extend through the wiring channels of the module. At least one pair of connectors extend through the circuit board with upper ends coupled with the trace patterns and lower ends extending downwardly to electrically couple with the wires.

Claims

1. An illumination system featuring modules of high-power, high-intensity light emitting diodes coupled in parallel configuration, the system comprising:

a plurality of similarly configured modules each having a metallic mass with an elongated upper component and an elongated lower component, each upper component including a generally flat lower surface and upper surface with laterally spaced wiring channels and a central longitudinal void there between, each upper component also including a curved sides with outwardly extending fins for heat sink purposes, each lower component having a lower surface with a longitudinal depressed area with an adhesive tape there within and an upper surface adjoining the lower surface of the upper component, each lower component having a length greater than the length of its associated upper component to form a mounting tab with a mounting aperture there through;

each module also having a circuit board with a front face and a back face mounted on the upper surface of the upper component, each circuit board being fabricated of an insulating bottom layer consisting of high grade steel, a second layer consisting of a dielectric coating, a third layer consisting of a copper trace pattern, a fourth layer consisting of a dielectric layer, and a top ceramic coated layer;

a plurality of electrical components coupled to the trace pattern of each circuit board, the electrical components including a plurality of high-intensity light emitting diodes, a light emitting diode driver control chip, a single high-frequency capacitor filter, rectifying diodes that convert electrical potential from AC to DC, surface mounted resistors adapted to regulate the electrical potential and illuminate the light emitting diodes, wherein each circuit board has two pairs of small holes for the passage of insulation displacement connectors and one pair of large holes for screws to couple the circuit boards to the metallic mass extending there through;

each module also having a translucent cap cover positionable over a central extent of an associated circuit board, the cap cover having a generally semi-cylindrical upper surface and lateral snap tabs adapted to couple the cover with its associated circuit board;

a pair of continuous alternating current carrying insulated stranded copper core conductor wires coupling the plurality of modules in parallel, each wire extending through a wiring channel of the upper components of the module and aligned with a cross cut channel in the upper component for allowing the electrical components to couple with the wires; and

pairs of electrically conductive insulation displacement connectors extending through each of the circuit boards, each connector having an upper end coupled to the trace pattern and a lower end extending into the wiring channel to frictionally affix, and electrically couple the connector to the wire.

2. An illumination system comprising:

a first module and a second module, each module having;

a metallic mass with laterally spaced wiring channels and outwardly extending fins;

a circuit board mounted on the module and fabricated of an insulating bottom layer with trace patterns thereon; and

,

a plurality of electrical components coupled to the trace patterns of the circuit board and including at least one light emitting diode;

a pair of conductor wires that electrically connect the first and second modules in parallel, wherein each conductor wire extends continuously and un-segmented through a wiring channel of each module; and

wherein each module has one pair of connectors extending through the circuit board with upper ends coupled to the trace patterns and lower ends extending downwardly to electrically couple with the wires.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 and further including two high-power, high-intensity light emitting diodes, a light emitting diode driver control chip, a single high-frequency capacitor filter, rectifying diodes that convert electrical potential from AC to DC, and a plurality of surface mounted resistors adapted to regulate the electrical potential and illuminate the light emitting diodes.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2 and further including at least one light emitting diode and a light emitting diode driver control chip.

5. The system as set forth in claim 2 and further including at least one light emitting diode and a single high-frequency capacitor filter to abate undesired electrical noise.

6. The system as set forth in claim 2 and further including at least one light emitting diode and a rectifying diode that convert electrical potential from AC to DC and at least one surface mounted resistor.

7. A light emitting diode (LED) module comprising:

a heat sink mass;

a circuit board assembly comprising;

a metal bottom layer positioned on an upper surface of the mass;

a first dielectric coating layer positioned on the bottom layer;

a copper trace pattern layer positioned on the first dielectric coating layer;

a second dielectric coating layer positioned on the copper trace pattern layer;

a ceramic coating layer positioned on the second dielectric coating layer; and

,

an arrangement of electrical components mounted to the circuit board assembly and electrically connected to the copper trace pattern, the component arrangement including at least one light emitting diode, a resistor and a driver control chip that regulates voltage to the light emitting diode.

8. The light emitting diode module of claim 7, wherein the bottom layer is fabricated from a heat conductive metal selected from the group of steel, stainless steel and aluminum.

9. The light emitting diode module of claim 7, further comprising at least one connector having an upper portion extending into the circuit board to provide electrical connection with the copper trace pattern, the connector further having a bottom portion extending into the heat sink mass.

10. The light emitting diode module of claim 9, wherein the upper portion of the connector has an upper end that is positioned above the ceramic coating layer of the circuit board.

11. The light emitting diode module of claim 9, wherein the circuit board includes at least one hole configured to receive an elongated fastener that secures the circuit board to the mass.

12. The light emitting diode module of claim 9, further comprising a conductor wire that extends continuously through a longitudinal channel of the mass, wherein the bottom connector portion extends into the channel and electrically couples with the conductor wire.

13. The light emitting diode module of claim 7, wherein the component arrangement further including a high-frequency capacitor that filters undesired electrical noise and a rectifying diode that converts electrical potential from AC to DC.

14. A light emitting diode module comprising:

a heat sink mass;

a circuit board positioned on the mass;

an arrangement of components electrically connected to the circuit board, the component arrangement including at least one light emitting diode, a driver control chip configured to regulate the voltage to the light emitting diode, a resistor, and a rectifying diode that converts electrical potential from alternating current to direct current; and

,

at least one connector having an upper portion extending into the circuit board to provide electrical connection with the component arrangement, the connector further having a bottom portion extending into the heat sink mass.

15. The light emitting diode module of claim 14, wherein the component arrangement further includes a high-frequency capacitor that filters undesired electrical noise resulting from the operation of the electrical components.

16. The light emitting diode module of claim 14, wherein the component arrangement includes a light emitting diode positioned at opposed ends of the circuit board, and wherein the driver control chip is positioned in a central portion of the circuit board between the light emitting diodes.

17. The light emitting diode module of claim 16, wherein the circuit board includes a hole dimensioned to receive an elongated fastener that secures the circuit board to the mass, wherein the hole is positioned between the driver control chip and one of the light emitting diodes.

18. The light emitting diode module of claim 14, wherein the components are positioned on a central portion of the circuit board, and wherein a cover is positioned over the driver control chip, the resistor and the rectifying diode, while the light emitting diode remains exposed.

19. The light emitting diode module of claim 18, wherein the cover includes at least one tab that releasably engages a rib of the heat sink mass.

20. The light emitting diode module of claim 14, wherein the mass has a longitudinal channel, wherein a conductor wire extends continuously through the longitudinal channel, and wherein the bottom connector portion extends into the channel and electrically connects with the conductor wire.

21. The light emitting diode module of claim 20, the mass further having a cross-cut channel intersecting the longitudinal channel to define a void area within the mass.

22. The light emitting diode module of claim 21, wherein the longitudinal channel extends between opposed end walls of the mass and the cross-cut channel extends between opposed side walls of the mass, and wherein the bottom connector portion extends into the void area for connection with the connector wire.

23. The light emitting diode module of claim 20, wherein the bottom connector portion electrically connects with the conductor wire to define a single-point connection with the conductor wire.

24. A lighting system comprising:

a first module and a second module, wherein each module has a heat sink mass with a first and a second internal longitudinal channel, each module further having a circuit board positioned on the mass, the circuit board having at least one light emitting diode, a driver control chip and a resistor, each module further having both a first connector that extends downward through the circuit board and into the first longitudinal channel and a second connector that extends downward through the circuit board and into the second longitudinal channel;

a first conductor wire extending continuously through the first longitudinal channel of both the first module and the second module, wherein the first conductor wire is electrically coupled to the first connector of each module;

a second conductor wire extending continuously through the second longitudinal channel of both the first module and the second module, wherein the second conductor wire is electrically coupled to the second connector of the each module;

wherein the first and second conductor wires connect the first and second modules in parallel.

25. The lighting system of claim 24, wherein the each circuit board of the first and second modules further includes both a high-frequency capacitor that filters undesired electrical noise and a rectifying diode that converts electrical potential from alternating current to direct current.

26. The lighting system of claim 24, wherein the first and second modules each include a cover positioned over the resistor and the first and second connectors, while the light emitting diode remains exposed.

27. The lighting system of claim 24, wherein the heat sink mass of each module includes a lower portion and an upper portion, and wherein the length of the lower portion exceeds the length of the upper portion to define a mounting tab for the module.

28. A lighting system for use within a display sign, the lighting system comprising:

a first module having an elongated, metal-core circuit board and an arrangement of components electrically connected to the circuit board, the component arrangement including;

a pair of light emitting diodes wherein each diode is mounted to a longitudinal end portion of the circuit board;

a driver control chip that provides regulated voltage to the light emitting diodes, the control chip positioned at a central portion of the circuit board between the light emitting diodes;

a high-frequency capacitor that filters undesired electrical noise resulting from operation of the components; and

,

at least one surface mounted resistor.

29. The lighting system of claim 28, wherein the component arrangement further includes a rectifying diode that converts electrical potential from alternating current to direct current.

30. The lighting system of claim 28, wherein the circuit board includes a first hole dimensioned to receive a first elongated fastener for securement of the circuit board to a mounting surface of the display sign, wherein the first hole is positioned between the driver control chip and one of the light emitting diodes.

31. The lighting system of claim 30, wherein the circuit board includes a second hole dimensioned to receive a second elongated fastener, wherein the second hole is positioned between the driver control chip and the other of the light emitting diodes.

32. The lighting system of claim 28, further comprising a second module electrically connected to the first module by a pair of conductor wires, the second module having an elongated, metal-core circuit board and an arrangement of components electrically connected to the circuit board, the component arrangement including a pair of light emitting diodes wherein each diode is mounted to a longitudinal end portion of the circuit board.

33. The lighting system of claim 32, wherein the component arrangement of the second module further includes a high-frequency capacitor that filters undesired electrical noise and at least one surface mounted resistor.