LED Connector with Spring-Loaded Top Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex light emitting devices with multiple electrical contacts face challenges in connection and heat dissipation, requiring more flexible mounting and electrical connection arrangements to accommodate varying drive currents and simplify board layout and manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A connector system that includes a stiff body with exposed electrical contacts for mounting and connecting light emitting devices to printed circuit boards, allowing for flexible adaptation and simplification of connections, including the use of a single connector for multiple LEDs and enhanced thermal dissipation through top contacts and spring-loaded mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If standard LED packaging with bottom contacts is used, then reflow surface mount techniques can be efficiently applied, but flexibility in mounting arrangements and electrical connections is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs spring-loaded contacts that can dynamically adjust to accommodate variations in LED package height and contact position, enabling the same mounting structure to work with different LED configurations while maintaining reliable electrical connection
Solution Approach 2:
The connector structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, enables electrical connection, allows for thermal dissipation through top contacts, and accommodates various mounting orientations (through-hole, surface mount, flexible circuits) within a single design
2Adaptability or versatility
If LED lamps become more complex with larger numbers of contacts and chips, then more applications can be supported, but connection and heat dissipation issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces top contacts in addition to bottom contacts, utilizing the vertical dimension for thermal dissipation and electrical connection. This multi-dimensional approach allows heat and electrical signals to be managed from multiple directions, reducing the complexity burden on any single connection point
3Reliability
If multiple connectors are used for each LED, then individual electrical connections can be established, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple electrical connection functions into a single integrated connector structure that can simultaneously establish connections with multiple LED packages, reducing the total number of connectors needed while maintaining reliable individual connections through its multi-contact design
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for connecting surface mount devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), to printed circuit boards (PCBs). The connector may be prepackage with an LED assembly or on a PCB to which the LED assembly will be mounted. Connection complexity can be moved from the PCB to the connector, and LED assemblies may be customized differently for different customers. One to many and many to one connections are readily supported with variations on the connector.