Flexible LED lighting strip
First Claim
1. A flexible lighting device, comprising:
- an elongated translucent flexible cylindrical tube with opposed tube ends,a flexible circuit board positioned in said tube extending between said opposed tube ends, said flexible circuit board having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said interior surface defining an elongated continuous chamber between said opposed tube ends,said flexible circuit board defining a plurality of cutouts between said interior and exterior surfaces between said tube ends, said cutouts being of such shape that allow the bending of said flexible circuit board,a source of input electrical power,a source of output electrical power,electrical circuitry mounted to said flexible circuit board and connected to said input source of electrical power and to said output source of electrical power,a plurality of LEDs mounted to said flexible circuit board and electrically connected to said electrical circuitry, wherein light emitted from said LEDs can pass at least in part through said cutouts and out said tube.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible lighting device includes an elongated flexible tube with a translucent tube shell and opposed tube ends and a flexible circuit board set in the tube so that it extends between the tube ends. The flexible circuit board has opposed interior and exterior surfaces. Electrical circuitry is mounted to the circuit board and connected to an external input source and an output source of electrical power. The circuit board defines a number of cut-outs, preferably those of a generally diamond shape. The device is described in two embodiments: one with inwardly directed LEDs on the circuit board directed into the tube and one with outwardly directed LEDs on the circuit board directed out of the tube. The method of making the flexible lighting device is also described.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A flexible lighting device, comprising:
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an elongated translucent flexible cylindrical tube with opposed tube ends, a flexible circuit board positioned in said tube extending between said opposed tube ends, said flexible circuit board having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said interior surface defining an elongated continuous chamber between said opposed tube ends, said flexible circuit board defining a plurality of cutouts between said interior and exterior surfaces between said tube ends, said cutouts being of such shape that allow the bending of said flexible circuit board, a source of input electrical power, a source of output electrical power, electrical circuitry mounted to said flexible circuit board and connected to said input source of electrical power and to said output source of electrical power, a plurality of LEDs mounted to said flexible circuit board and electrically connected to said electrical circuitry, wherein light emitted from said LEDs can pass at least in part through said cutouts and out said tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for making a flexible LED lighting strip that includes the following steps:
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a. providing a biasable flat circuit board having an upper surface and a lower surface and opposed linear short edges and opposed linear long edges, the flat circuit board defining a plurality of diamond-shaped cutouts located at regular intervals between the short edges and further defining a plurality of semi-diamond-shaped cutouts opening at the long edges that are directly opposed one to the other generally midway between the diamond-shaped cutouts opening at the long edges; b. mounting electrical circuitry including trades, solder pads, plated through holes and vias, and related electronic components in preparation for a plurality of LEDs to be mounted to the flat circuit board; c. securing the plurality of LEDs to the flat circuit board between the long edges and extending generally between the short edges, the LEDs having LED center lines perpendicular to the flat circuit board. d. connecting the LEDs to the electrical circuitry; e. providing a translucent flexible hollow tube having a tube length and a tube inner diameter; f. forming the biasable flat circuit board into a biased mode tightly rolled circuit board having a cylindrical circuit board length that is generally equal to the tube length with the upper surface of the flat circuit board being the interior surface of the cylindrical circuit board and the lower surface of the flat circuit board being the exterior surface of the cylindrical circuit board, the LEDs being inwardly directed to the axis of the hollow tube; and g. pulling the tightly rolled circuit board into the tube and aligning the length of the rolled circuit board with the length of the tube and releasing the rolled circuit board from its biased mode wherein the rolled circuit board now becomes a partly rolled and cylindrical circuit board, and wherein the base portions of the inwardly directed LEDs are adjacent to the inner surface of assembled circuit board and the center lines of the inwardly directed LEDs are perpendicular to the axis of the tube. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A method for making a flexible LED light strip that includes the following steps:
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a. providing a biasable flat circuit board having an upper surface and a lower surface and opposed linear short edges and opposed linear long edges, the flat circuit board defining a plurality of diamond-shaped cutouts located at regular intervals between the short edges and further defining a plurality of semi-diamond-shaped cutouts opening at the long edges that are directly opposed one to the other generally midway between the diamond-shaped cutouts opening at the long edges; b. mounting electrical circuitry including traces, solder pads, plated through holes and vias, and related electronic components in preparation for a plurality of LEDs to be mounted to the flat circuit board; c. securing the plurality of LEDs to the flat circuit board between the long edges and extending generally between the short edges, the LEDs having LED center lines perpendicular to the flat circuit board; d. connecting the LEDs to the electrical circuitry; e. providing a translucent flexible hollow tube having a tube length and a tube inner diameter; f. forming the biasable flat circuit board into a biased mode tightly rolled circuit board having a cylindrical circuit board length that is generally equal to the tube length with the upper surface of the flat circuit board, the LEDs being outward directed from the axis of the hollow tube; and g. pulling the tightly rolled circuit board into the tube and aligning the length of the rolled circuit board with the length of the tube and releasing the rolled circuit board from its biased mode wherein the rolled circuit board now becomes a partly rolled and cylindrical circuit board, wherein the lens portions of the outwardly directed LEDs are adjacent to the inner side of the tube and the center lines of the outwardly directed LEDs are perpendicular to the axis of the tube. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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Specification