Water-tight LED Assembly with Through-Lens Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LED array systems with heat sinks lack secure sealing of electrical connections and wicking breakers, leading to water seepage and reduced lifespan due to exposed wiring, which compromises environmental protection and electrical integrity.
Innovation Solution
An integrated, water-tight LED array holder with refractive optics and an anti-wicking breaker that seals the electrical connection to a modular heat sink, ensuring environmental protection and secure electrical contact, while being separately removable for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional plug and play connectors are used to secure wiring to LED and heat sink, then ease of installation is improved, but water tightness and electrical connection security deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrical connector and the sealing function into a single integrated component. The connector body itself forms a water-tight seal with the heat sink, eliminating the need for separate sealing elements. This merging of functions resolves the contradiction by achieving both ease of installation (through the plug-and-play connector design) and water tightness (through the integrated sealing structure).
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: electrical connection, mechanical securing, and water-tight sealing. This multi-functionality allows the single component to address all requirements without compromising any individual function, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and water tightness.
2Reliability
If pass through holes in heat sink are sealed, then water tightness is improved, but wiring remains exposed to elements
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body is inserted into a recess in the heat sink, creating a nested structure where the connector is housed within the heat sink body. This nesting protects the wiring and electrical connections from environmental exposure while maintaining the water-tight seal through the recess design.
3Reliability
If conventional sealing elements are used, then water ingress prevention is improved, but electrical connection security deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function and electrical connection function are merged into a single integrated connector body. The connector itself forms the water-tight seal through its design, eliminating the need for separate sealing elements that could compromise electrical connection security. This resolves the contradiction by achieving both water ingress prevention and strong electrical connections through the unified structure.
4Ease of operation
If wiring is exposed to elements, then ease of installation is improved, but LED lifespan deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector and wiring are nested within the heat sink recess, protecting them from environmental exposure. This nested structure maintains ease of installation through the plug-and-play design while simultaneously protecting the wiring and LED components from water and other elements, thus extending LED lifespan.
5Reliability
If integrated sealed assembly is implemented, then water tightness and electrical security are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions (electrical connection, sealing, mechanical securing) are merged into a single integrated connector component. This reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining or improving water tightness and electrical security.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed as a universal component that performs multiple functions simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces the overall system complexity by eliminating the need for separate components for each function, while still achieving the required water tightness and electrical security.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents water ingress, enhances the lifespan of LED arrays by securing electrical connections and optics within a sealed environment, ensuring reliable operation and reduced maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
conventional exterior luminaries do not contain a wicking breaker and will allow water to seep through the wire stranding into the LED optical/electrical chamber
Implementation Method 2
An integrated, water-tight LED array holder with refractive optics
Data Source
AI summary
An LED assembly includes an optically active lens, an LED board seated on a first surface of a hear sink, and a gasket disposed between the lens and the heat sink. The lens and the first surface of the heat sink defining a cavity receiving the LED board, with the gasket configured to water-tightly seal the cavity. At least one electrical connector extends through a wall of the lens, with one end provided inside the cavity and connected to the LED board, and another end disposed outside the cavity and connected to a power source.