Connector for light-emitting diode strip

• US 9,239,136 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elemental LED, Inc. (Elemental Led LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elemental LED, Inc. (Elemental Led LLC)
• Inventors: Dankelmann, Andreas, Petersen, Russell, Kelley, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): COUGHLIN, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/967,017
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 362/581, 362/217.13, 362/217.17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62 Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/5066 mounted in an insulating housing having a cover providing clamping force

Abstract

An LED connector half (500) mates with a wire connector half (300) to connect a light strip (100) comprising LEDs (115) to a pair of wires. The LED half includes a hinged top (700) with an opening (705) to admit an end LED on the strip when the top is closed, securing the strip to the connector half without blocking the LED. The wire half secures a pair of wires (315) to terminals (305) in a housing (310). The wire half is inserted into the LED half, connecting the Electrodes and terminals. The halves are held together by a tongue (320) and socket (800). In another aspect, a connector (1100) joins two light strips by capturing the LEDs at the ends of the strips in openings (1110) and clamping conductive electrodes (1140) against the strips by closing a lid (1105) against the body, without obscuring LED light output.

Claims

1. An anchoring or strip connector for a light strip containing a plurality of light-emitting diodes and a plurality of strip conductors electrically connected to said light-emitting diodes, comprising:

a base portion,

a closable lid attached to said base portion by a hinge, said lid including at least one opening for admitting a light-emitting diode when said lid is closed,

a plurality of electrodes in said lid arranged to contact said respective plurality of strip conductors on said strip when said strip is positioned on said base portion and said lid is closed, said plurality of electrodes also arranged to be connected to a plurality of power-supply terminals,

whereby when said strip is positioned on said base portion and said lid is closed, at least one light-emitting diode on said strip is admitted into said opening and said plurality of electrodes are urged into contact with said plurality of conductors so that said light-emitting diode can receive power from said power-supply terminals via said strip conductors when said power-supply terminals are energized.

2. The anchoring connector of claim 1, further including a wire connector portion containing a pair of power supply terminals arranged to be connected to a pair of conductors wire for energizing said terminals, said wire connector portion arranged to slidably mate with said anchoring connector and thereby urge said terminals on said wire connector portion on into contact with said electrodes in said anchoring connector, thereby connecting said strip with said wires.

3. The anchoring connector of claim 2 wherein said terminal includes at least one wing for prying said terminal open in order to release said wire, and said wire connector portion includes at least one slot adjacent said wing so that a flat-tipped instrument can be inserted into said slot to displace said wing and release said wire from said terminal.

4. The anchoring connector of claim 2, further including an opening in said lid and a mating projection on said base, said opening and said projection being positioned so that said projection in inserted into said opening when said lid is closed, thereby securing said anchoring connector in a closed condition.

5. The anchoring connector of claim 1 wherein said conductors on said strip each have a terminus including a solder bump for positively engaging said electrodes in said lid when said lid is closed.

6. An anchoring connector for joining first and second light strips of the type having a top side, a bottom side, and two ends, each light strip containing a plurality of light-emitting diodes and a plurality of conductors electrically connected to said light-emitting diodes on said top side, each strip having one of said light-emitting diodes at an end of said strip, comprising:

a base portion,

a channel in said base portion, said channel extending across said base portion and having first and second ends,

a plurality of gripping members secured in said channel of said base portion for gripping said bottom sides of said first and said second light strips when they are inserted into opposite ends of said channel,

a closable lid attached to said base portion by a hinge, said lid including first and second openings for admitting said light-emitting diodes at said ends of said first and said second light strips,

a plurality of electrodes in said lid arranged to contact said plurality of conductors on said top sides of said first and said second light strips, thereby connecting said plurality of conductors of said first and second strips when said lid is closed,

whereby when said first light strip is inserted into said channel from said first end of said channel and said second light strip is inserted into said channel from said second end of said channel and said first and said second light strips abut one-another at the center of said channel and said lid is closed, said gripping members grip said bottom sides of said light strips, said light-emitting diodes at said ends of said first and said second light strips are admitted into said first and said second openings in said lid and said plurality of electrodes in said are urged into contact with said plurality of conductors so that said light-emitting diodes on said second light strip can receive current from said conductors on said first strip when said first strip is energized.

7. The anchoring connector of claim 6 wherein said lid includes at least a third opening and said base includes at least one projection, said third opening in said lid being arranged to mate with said projection on said base when said lid is closed, thereby securing said anchoring connector in a closed condition.

8. The anchoring connector of claim 6 wherein said gripping members are made of materials selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic.

9. The anchoring connector of claim 6 wherein each of said plurality of conductors further includes a solder bump at said ends of said strips so that said electrodes in said lid each connect said plurality of said conductors of said first and second strips via contact with said solder bumps when said lid is closed, thereby improving electrical conduction between said conductors on said first and second strips.

10. An anchoring connector for a light strip having a light-emitting diode at an end, comprising:

an anchor portion and a wire portion,

said anchor portion having a base and a closable lid secured to said base by a hinge, said lid having at least one opening for admitting said light-emitting diode,

said strip having at least one electrode having a curved arm that is slidably affixed to a conductor on said strip at said end and extending outward therefrom,

said wire connector portion containing at least one terminal arranged to receive a wire for energizing said terminal,

said wire portion being arranged to slidably mate with said anchor portion and thereby urge said terminal on said wire portion into contact with said electrode on said anchor portion, thereby connecting said strip with said wire.

11. The anchoring connector of claim 10 wherein said conductor on said strip further includes a solder bump interposed between said electrode and said conductor so that said electrode is securely connected to said conductor.

12. The anchoring connector of claim 10, further including at least one additional opening in said lid and at least one projection on said base, said additional opening in said lid being arranged to mate with said projection on said base when said lid is closed, thereby securing said anchoring connector in a closed condition.

13. The connector of claim 10 wherein said wire connector and said anchoring connector are made from materials selected from the group consisting of nylon, polycarbonate, and polypropylene.

14. The connector of claim 10 wherein said terminal includes means for springably gripping said wire, thereby securing said wire in said terminal.

15. The connector of claim 14 wherein said terminal further includes a plurality of wings which can be springably urged apart to enable removal of said wire from said terminal.

16. The connector of claim 14 wherein said wire connector portion further includes an opening adjacent said wings for admitting a lever to urge said wings apart so that said wire can be removed from said terminal.

17. The connector of claim 10 wherein said terminal further includes a collar through which said wire is inserted, said collar being capable of being crimped against said wire so that said wire is securely held within said terminal.