Electrical connector, LED assembly, and method of assembly therefor
First Claim
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;
said apertures staggered in a longitudinal direction relative to said insulated conductors so as to be separated by a first distance equal to a spacing between leads of a light source, where said spacing is greater than a second distance defined laterally between adjacent said insulated conductors;
wherein said contacts are configured to penetrate an insulation layer of said insulated conductors when said contacts are inserted into said apertures; and
wherein said contacts are at least partially hollow, each of said contacts having a central aperture therein configured to receive one of said leads of said light source within said aperture and laterally surrounded by said aperture.
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Accused Products
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.
33 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An electrical connector comprising:
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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; said apertures staggered in a longitudinal direction relative to said insulated conductors so as to be separated by a first distance equal to a spacing between leads of a light source, where said spacing is greater than a second distance defined laterally between adjacent said insulated conductors; wherein said contacts are configured to penetrate an insulation layer of said insulated conductors when said contacts are inserted into said apertures; and wherein said contacts are at least partially hollow, each of said contacts having a central aperture therein configured to receive one of said leads of said light source within said aperture and laterally surrounded by said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An assembly for connecting a plurality of light emitting devices in parallel, said assembly comprising:
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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 each comprising first and second body parts configured to be resiliently fastened together; said first body part provided with apertures in a direction orthogonal to said pair of insulated conductors to receive a pair of contacts; said apertures staggered in a longitudinal direction relative to said insulated conductors so as to be separated by a first distance equal to a spacing between leads of said light emitting devices, where said spacing is greater than a second distance defined laterally between said pair of insulated conductors; said 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; wherein said contacts are at least partially hollow, each of said contacts having a central aperture therein configured to receive one of said leads of said light source within said aperture and laterally surrounded by said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method of connecting a plurality of light emitting devices in parallel, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an electrical supply bus, said bus comprising a pair of insulated electrical conductors; attaching a plurality of electrical connectors to said bus; providing first and second parts of said connectors; resiliently fastening together said first and said second body parts of said connectors, providing in each said first body part an aperture in a direction orthogonal to each of said pair of insulated conductors to receive an electrical contact; said apertures staggered in a longitudinal direction relative to said insulated conductors so as to be separated by a first distance equal to a spacing between leads of said light emitting devices, where said spacing is greater than a second distance defined laterally between said pair of insulated conductors; penetrating an insulation layer of each said insulated electrical conductor with said electrical contact, and connecting leads of said light emitting devices to each said contact; said step of connecting said leads further comprising inserting each said lead into a central aperture within each said contact, such that each said lead is laterally surrounded by each said central aperture. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification