Replaceable LED module

• US 20050201068A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eric W. Kramer, Kiem Lee, Thomas T. Nagano
• Original Assignee: Eric W. Kramer, Kiem Lee, Thomas T. Nagano
• Inventors: Nagano, Thomas T., Lee, Kiem, Kramer, Eric W.
• Application Number:
  US10/798,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20050201068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/003 Fastening of light source holders, e.g. of circuit boards or substrates holding light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/002 making direct electrical contact, e.g. by piercing F21V21/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10356 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0221 Perforating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/326 the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits H05K3/365 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is an improved replaceable LED module. In particular, the present invention is directed to an environmentally resistant LED module for mounting on at least a pair of electrical leads with a non-conductive sheath surrounding conductive wire. A replaceable LED module preferably comprises a circuit board removably secured to a base by a set of snap tabs on the base. The base has two open ends and contains two electrical leads that traverse the base through the open ends. A protective gasket preferably covers the circuit board. The circuit board is preferably coated in acrylic conformal coating. The preferred circuit board has an LED and two contact teeth. Each contact tooth pierces the protective gasket and the non-conductive sheath of an opposing stranded electrical lead and makes electrical contact with the conductive wire. Thus, power is supplied to the LED from the leads while maintaining the protective gasket and sheath.

Claims

1. An LED module comprising:

a circuit board secured to a base containing at least two electrical leads;

the circuit board having an LED and at least two contact teeth whereby each contact tooth makes electrical contact with one of the at least two electrical leads.

2. The LED module of claim 1 where the at least two electrical leads further comprise a non-conductive sheath and where each contact tooth pierces the non-conductive sheath to make electrical contact with one of the at least two electrical leads.

3. The LED module of claim 1 where a gasket with a thickness covers a side of the circuit board and where the at least two contact teeth traverse the thickness of the gasket to make electrical contact with the at least two electrical leads.

4. The LED module of claim 1 where the base further comprises a set of snap tabs whereby the circuit board is secured to the base by snapping the circuit board onto the base by the set of snap tabs.

5. The LED module of claim 1 where the circuit board is coated in a protective sealant.

6. An LED module comprising:

a circuit board secured to a base for containing at least two electrical leads having non-conductive sheathes;

the circuit board having an LED and at least two contact teeth whereby each contact tooth is sufficiently sharp to pierce the non-conductive sheath of an electrical lead and make electrical contact with the electrical lead.

7. The LED module of claim 6 where a gasket with a thickness covers a side of the circuit board and where the at least two contact teeth traverse the thickness of the gasket.

8. The LED module of claim 6 where the base further comprises a set of snap tabs whereby the circuit board is secured to the base by snapping the circuit board onto the base by the snap tabs.

9. The LED module of claim 6 where the base has two open ends and where at least two electrical leads can traverse the base through the open ends.

10. A replaceable LED module comprising:

a circuit board removably secured to a base by a set of snap tabs on the base;

the base further having two open ends and containing two electrical leads that traverse the base through the open ends;

each electrical lead comprises a non-conductive sheath;

the circuit board having an LED and two contact teeth whereby each contact tooth pierces the non-conductive sheath of one electrical lead and makes electrical contact with the electrical lead.

11. The replaceable LED module of claim 10 further comprising a protective gasket with a thickness covering a side of the circuit board where the contact teeth traverse the thickness of the gasket.

12. The replaceable LED module of claim 10 where the circuit board further comprises a first support length and a second support length;

where the first support length differs in length from the second support length; and

where the set of snap tabs further comprise a first set of snap tabs separated by a first distance corresponding to the first support length and a second set of snap tabs separated by a second distance corresponding to the second support length.