Two-piece LED connection element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12374839-B2
Application number	US-202418901007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2024
Priority date	Oct 2, 2023
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A connection element establishes an electrical connection of an LED light module. The LED light module includes a circuit board which is provided with contact pads for the electrical supply of the LED. A substantially ring-shaped frame is designed to overlap the circuit board and to hold it mechanically to a mounting surface of a counter bearing. An outer ring and an inner ring arranged in the outer ring together form the frame. A contact arrangement is mounted in the frame and serves for the electrical supply of the LED. A connection contact in the outer ring serves to connect a connection lead as the first piece of the contact arrangement. A supply contact in the inner ring serves for electrically contacting a contact pad of the circuit board as the second piece of the contact arrangement. The connection contact and the supply contact are connected to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connection element ( 10 ) for electrically connecting an LED light module ( 11 ), the LED light module ( 11 ) including a circuit board ( 12 ) which is provided with contact pads ( 14 ) for electrical supply of an LED ( 13 ), the connection element ( 10 ) comprising:
a substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) designed to overlap the circuit board ( 12 ) and to hold the circuit board ( 12 ) mechanically to a mounting surface (A) of a counter bearing, the substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) including
an outer ring ( 15 ); and
an inner ring ( 20 ) arranged in the outer ring ( 15 ); and

a contact arrangement mounted in the substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) for the electrical supply of the LED ( 13 ), including
a connection contact ( 17 ) in the outer ring ( 15 ) for connecting a connection lead, the connection contact ( 17 ) being a first piece of the contact arrangement, and
a supply contact ( 23 ) in the inner ring ( 20 ) for electrically contacting a contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ), the supply contact ( 23 ) being a second piece of the contact arrangement,
wherein the connection contact ( 17 ) and the supply contact ( 23 ) are connected to each other,

wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) has a geometric pivot axis (S) which is arranged parallel to the mounting surface (A) of the counter bearing, and
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) is arranged in the inner ring ( 20 ) so as to be pivotable about this pivot axis (S).

2. The connection element ( 10 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection contact ( 17 ) forms a contact surface ( 30 ),
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) forms a counter-contact surface ( 31 ), and
wherein the contact surface ( 30 ) and the counter-contact surface ( 31 ) rest directly against one another.

3. The connection element ( 10 ) according to claim 2 ,
wherein the connection contact ( 17 ) forms a contact arm ( 27 ) which extends into a region of the substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) overlapped by the inner ring ( 20 ) and forms the contact surface ( 30 ) for the supply contact ( 23 ) in this region.

4. The connection element ( 10 ) according to claim 2 ,
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) is a contact bridge which spans an area between the contact surface ( 30 ) of the connection contact ( 17 ) and the contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ).

5. The connection element ( 10 ) according to claim 2 ,
wherein the pivot axis (S) is arranged off-center with respect to a distance between the contact surface ( 30 ) of the connection contact ( 17 ) and the contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ).

6. A connection element ( 10 ) for electrically connecting an LED light module ( 11 ), the LED light module ( 11 ) including a circuit board ( 12 ) which is provided with contact pads ( 14 ) for electrical supply of an LED ( 13 ), the connection element ( 10 ) comprising:
a substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) designed to overlap the circuit board ( 12 ) and to hold the circuit board ( 12 ) mechanically to a mounting surface (A) of a counter bearing, the substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) including an outer ring ( 15 ); and
an inner ring ( 20 ) arranged in the outer ring ( 15 ); and

a contact arrangement mounted in the substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) for the electrical supply of the LED ( 13 ), including
a connection contact ( 17 ) in the outer ring ( 15 ) for connecting a connection lead, the connection contact ( 17 ) being a first piece of the contact arrangement, and
a supply contact ( 23 ) in the inner ring ( 20 ) for electrically contacting a contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ), the supply contact ( 23 ) being a second piece of the contact arrangement,

wherein the connection contact ( 17 ) and the supply contact ( 23 ) are connected to each other,
wherein the connection contact ( 17 ) forms a contact surface ( 30 ),
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) forms a counter-contact surface ( 31 ),
wherein the contact surface ( 30 ) and the counter-contact surface ( 31 ) rest directly against one another,
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) is a contact bridge which spans an area between the contact surface ( 30 ) of the connection contact ( 17 ) and the contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ),
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) has a first contact leg ( 24 ), which forms the counter-contact surface ( 31 ) for contacting the connection contact ( 17 ), and
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) has a second contact leg ( 25 ), which is configured to rest on the contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ).

7. The connection element ( 10 ) according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first contact leg ( 24 ) is resiliently deflected towards the contact pad ( 14 ) of the connection contact ( 17 ), and
wherein the second contact leg ( 25 ) is resiliently deflected towards the contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ).

8. The connection element ( 10 ) according to claim 6 ,
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) has a geometric pivot axis (S) which is arranged parallel to the mounting surface (A) of the counter bearing, and
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) is arranged in the inner ring ( 20 ) so as to be pivotable about this pivot axis (S).

9. A connection element ( 10 ) for electrically connecting an LED light module ( 11 ), the LED light module ( 11 ) including a circuit board ( 12 ) which is provided with contact pads ( 14 ) for electrical supply of an LED ( 13 ), the connection element ( 10 ) comprising:
a substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) designed to overlap the circuit board ( 12 ) and to hold the circuit board ( 12 ) mechanically to a mounting surface (A) of a counter bearing, the substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) including an outer ring ( 15 ); and
an inner ring ( 20 ) arranged in the outer ring ( 15 ); and

a contact arrangement mounted in the substantially ring-shaped frame ( 16 ) for the electrical supply of the LED ( 13 ), including
a connection contact ( 17 ) in the outer ring ( 15 ) for connecting a connection lead, the connection contact ( 17 ) being a first piece of the contact arrangement, and
a supply contact ( 23 ) in the inner ring ( 20 ) for electrically contacting a contact pad ( 14 ) of the circuit board ( 12 ), the supply contact ( 23 ) being a second piece of the contact arrangement,

wherein the connection contact ( 17 ) and the supply contact ( 23 ) are connected to each other
wherein the inner ring ( 20 ) forms a retaining pin ( 32 ) for arranging the supply contact ( 23 ),
wherein the supply contact ( 23 ) forms a retaining opening ( 26 ) for the retaining pin ( 32 ), and
wherein the retaining pin ( 32 ) reaches through the retaining opening ( 26 ) for anchoring the supply contact ( 23 ).

10. The connection element ( 10 ) according to claim 9 ,
wherein the inner ring ( 20 ) includes at least one guide web ( 33 ) which rests against an edge of the supply contact ( 23 ) and prevents rotation of the supply contact ( 23 ) about the retaining pin ( 32 ).

Assignees

• Bjb Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Henrici Philipp
• Baumeister Olaf
• Weber Mark

Classifications

• H01R12/714

  with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit · CPC title

• F21V23/06

  the elements being coupling devices {, e.g. connectors} · CPC title

• F21K9/00

  Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers · CPC title

• H01R13/2442

  with a single cantilevered beam · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title