LED backlight system for cabinet sign

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10223944-B2
Application number	US-201414181087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 5, 2006
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A backlighting system for a cabinet sign may include a plurality of panels. Each panel includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) attached to the panel. The diode has a box sign depth factor of less than about 1.4. An integrated circuit may also be located on the panel. A wire physically connects adjacent panels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting system for illuminating a sign, the system comprising: a plurality of electrically interconnected modules each module including a support comprised of an elongated printed circuit board having a major surface, circuitry on the support, and a plurality of light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) in a linear array on the major surface electrically connected to the circuitry; one or more electrical conductors electrically connecting the plurality of modules; and one or more flexible strips independent of the one or more electrical conductors, said strips mechanically connecting adjacent modules; further comprising a clamping element receiving the one or more flexible strips for securing the lighting system to the frame of a sign.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical conductors and the one or more flexible strips have sufficient flexibility that one module can be folded over its adjacent module.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more flexible strips comprise a ribbon.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an overmolding covering at least a portion of the front surface of the support.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each module comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in a one dimensional array.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each module comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in a two dimensional array.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the LEDs are equally spaced apart.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising three or more modules and wherein the one or more flexible strips mechanically connect adjacent modules to be equidistant from one another.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrically interconnected modules form a lattice.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a clamping element receiving the one or more flexible strips for securing the lighting system to the frame of a sign.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a double-sided printed circuit board (“PCB”).

12. A sign comprising a frame and the lighting system of claim 1 attached to the frame.

13. The sign of claim 12 wherein the plurality of modules are arranged in a row.

14. The sign of claim 12 wherein the plurality of modules are arranged in a column.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said flexible strip is elongated and wherein a direction of elongation of said flexible strip is perpendicular to a direction of elongation of said printed circuit board.

16. A method of installation of a lighting system for illuminating a sign, the method comprising: providing a sign box including at least four side walls and opposed front and back walls, at least one of said front and back wall being light transmissive; forming a string of LED modules by mechanically connecting modules via one or more flexible strips, and securing at least two strips with-saidbetween opposed side walls of the sign; electrically connecting a plurality of electrical interconnected modules via one or more electrical conductors, the plurality of electrical interconnected modules each including a support, circuitry electrically connected to the circuitry; wherein said strips are disposed vertically and said LED modules on the support, at least one light emitting diode (“LED”) are suspended away from the walls of the sign box.

17. The method of claim 16 further including:
securing the lighting system to the frame of a sign via a clamping element.

18. The method of claim 16 , further including:
arranging the plurality of electrical interconnected modules in a one dimensional array.

19. The method of claim 16 , further including:
arranging the plurality of electrical interconnected modules in a two dimensional array.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said strips are disposed vertically and said LED modules are suspended away from the walls of the sign box.

21. A blacklighting system comprising:
a) a first plurality of light emitting modules, each module including:
a support,
circuitry on the support,
a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically connected to the circuitry and arranged in each module in a spaced relationship in a first array,
an overmolding covering the support;

b) wherein the first plurality of light emitting modules are arranged in spaced relationship to one another in a second array such that the relative spacing of the light emitting diodes between adjacent modules is substantially the same as the relative spacing of the light emitting diodes in a given module;
c) one or more insulated electrical conductors electrically connecting the first plurality of modules, said conductors being partially encompassed in the overmolding; and
d) one or more flexible strips mechanically connecting adjacent modules in the second array.

22. The backlighting system of claim 21 wherein the one or more flexible strips define the relative spacing between adjacent modules.

23. The backlighting system of claim 21 comprising:
a) a second plurality of light emitting modules, each module including:
a support,
circuitry on the support,
a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically connected to the circuitry and arranged in each module in a spaced relationship in a third array,
an overmolding covering the support;

b) wherein the second plurality of light emitting modules are arranged in a spaced relationship to one another in a fourth array such that the relative spacing of the light emitting diodes between adjacent modules is substantially the same as the relative spacing of the light emitting diodes in a given module;
c) one or more insulated electrical conductors electrically connecting the second plurality of modules; and
d) one or more flexible strips mechanically connecting adjacent modules in the fourth array.

24. The backlighting system of claim 23 wherein the fourth array is arranged in spaced relationship to the second array such that the relative spacing of the light emitting diodes between adjacent modules from the first plurality and second plurality is substantially the same as the relative spacing of the light emitting diodes in a given module.

25. The backlighting system of claim 23 wherein the second array and the fourth array are arranged relative to one another in a common plane.

26. The backlighting system of claim 23 wherein the first plurality of light emitting modules is electrically connected to the second plurality of light emitting modules, and further comprising a power supply to electrically energize the first and second plurality of light emitting modules.

27. The backlighting system of claim 23 wherein the light emitting diodes are arranged in a module in a linear array.

28. The backlighting system of claim 21 wherein the light emitting diodes are arranged in a module in a two-dimensional array.

29. The backlighting system of claim 24 wherein the first plurality and second plurality of modules are arranged adjacent one another in one of a series of columns and rows.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein adjacent modules are electrically connected by wires, the wire having sufficient flexibility that the adjacent modules of the plurality of modules are capable of being folded over on top of one another.

31. The backlighting system of claim 23 wherein the second plurality of modules is a

Assignees

• Nall Jeffrey Marc
• Carpenter Kevin
• Saha Koushik
• Li Chenyang
• Brengartner Jr Ronald K
• Wang Xin
• Stimac Tomislav J
• Ge Lighting Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Nall Jeffrey Marc
• Carpenter Kevin
• Saha Koushik
• Li Chenyang
• Brengartner Jr Ronald K
• Wang Xin
• Stimac Tomislav J

Classifications

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• G09F13/22

  electroluminescent (electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00) · CPC title

• F21Y2105/10

  comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title

• F21Y2103/10

  comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title