LED module and holder with terminal well

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9494303-B2
Application number	US-201314382500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2013
Priority date	Mar 2, 2012
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A holder is disclosed that is configured to secure an LED array in position. An LED module is disclosed that includes an LED array that can be mounted to a suitable substrate and includes the holder the retain the LED array. The holder includes a housing that supports terminals that provide an electrical path to the LED array from an electrical power source. The housing and terminal provide a wire trap so that a conductor can be electrically connected to the LED array without the need for solder attach. The holder can be a one-piece or two-piece design.

First claim

We claim:

1. A holder, comprising:
a housing with a shelf configured to be positioned on and hold down at least two sides an LED array, the shelf including an edge, the housing further including a terminal well and a fastener mount, the terminal well including a first conductor notch and a second conductor notch, the first notch orientated along a horizontal direction, the second notch orientated at an angle along a vertical direction; and
a terminal with a base positioned in the terminal well, the terminal including an arm that extends out of the terminal well and beyond the edge of the shelf, the arm having a contact on a distal end, the terminal further including a first wire trap aligned with the first conductor notch and a second wire trap aligned with the second notch and the wire traps are configured to retain an inserted wire.

2. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the terminal well has a height greater than a height of the terminal and the terminal well includes a notch aligned with the arm so that the arm extends parallel from the base for a distance.

3. The holder of claim 2 , wherein the shelf includes a groove aligned with the arm and the contact is positioned below the shelf.

4. The holder of claim 3 , wherein the terminal includes at least three terminal retainers configured to engage the terminal well.

5. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the first wire trap and the second wire trap are orientated perpendicular to each other.

6. The holder of claim 5 , wherein the edge is curved.

7. The holder of claim 1 , wherein the terminal well is a first terminal well, the housing further includes a second terminal well with a conductor notch, another one of the terminal positioned in the second terminal well, the two arms of the two terminals extending in opposite directions.

8. A holder, comprising:
a first housing with a shelf configured to be positioned on and hold down at least two sides an LED array, the shelf having an edge, the first housing further including a terminal well and a fastener mount, the terminal well including a first conductor notch and a second conductor notch, the first notch orientated along a horizontal direction, the second notch orientated at an angle along a vertical direction;
a second housing with a shelf configured to be positioned on and hold down at least two sides an LED array, the second housing further including a second terminal well and a fastener mount, the second terminal well including a third conductor notch and a fourth conductor notch, the third notch orientated along a horizontal direction, the fourth notch orientated at an angle along a vertical direction; wherein the first and second housing are configured to engage opposing corners of an LED array; and
a pair of terminals, each terminal positioned in one of the terminal wells, each terminal including an arm that extends out of the terminal well, the arm having a contact on a distal end, each terminal further including a first wire trap aligned with the respective first and third conductor notch and a second wire trap aligned with the respective second and fourth conductor notches and configured to retain an inserted wire.

9. The holder of claim 8 , wherein the first and second terminal wells have a height greater than a height of the terminal and the terminal well includes a notch aligned with the arm so that the arm extends parallel from the base for a distance.

10. The holder of claim 9 , wherein the shelf includes grooves aligned with the arms and the contacts are positioned below the shelf.

11. The holder of claim 8 , wherein the first wire trap and the second wire trap of each terminal are orientated perpendicular to each other.

12. The holder of claim 8 , wherein each terminal includes four terminal retainers.

13. An LED module, comprising:
an LED array with a plate that supports a light engine on a first side, the plate further including two pads on the first side;
a housing with a shelf configured to be positioned on and hold down at least two sides an LED array, the shelf including an edge, the housing further including a first terminal well and a fastener mount, the first terminal well including a first conductor notch and a second conductor notch, the first notch orientated along a horizontal direction, the second notch orientated at an angle along a vertical direction; and
a first terminal with a base positioned in the first terminal well, the terminal including an arm that extends out of the first terminal well to the pad, the arm having a contact on a distal end that engages one of the pads, the terminal further including a first wire trap aligned with the first conductor notch and a second wire trap aligned with the second notch and the wire traps are configured to retain an inserted wire.

14. The LED module of claim 13 , wherein the shelf includes a groove aligned with the arms and the contact is positioned in the groove.

15. The LED module of claim 13 , wherein the first terminal includes four terminal retainers configured to engage the terminal well and two of the terminal retainers are positioned on a first side of the arm and the other two terminal retainers are positioned on a second side of the arm.

16. The LED module of claim 13 , wherein the housing is a first housing, the holder further including another of the housing and the terminal, the another housing and terminal configured to engage two different sides of the LED array.

17. The LED module of claim 13 , wherein the edge is curved so as to maintain a constant distance between the edge and the light engine.

18. The LED module of claim 13 , wherein the housing is configured to hold down four sides of the LED array and includes a second terminal in a second terminal well, the second terminal including an arm that extends out of the second terminal well to the other pad, the arm having a contact on a distal end that engages the other pad, the second terminal further including a third wire trap aligned with a third conductor notch formed in the second well and a fourth wire trap aligned with a fourth notch formed in the second, the third notch orientated along a horizontal direction, the fourth notch orientated at an angle along a vertical direction and configured to retain an inserted wire.

19. The LED module of claim 18 , wherein the third wire trap and the fourth wire trap are orientated perpendicular to each other.

20. The LED module of claim 13 , wherein the first wire trap and the second wire trap are orientated perpendicular to each other.

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Mcgowan Daniel B
• Carranza Carlos
• Jaklic Fred

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21K9/20

  Light sources comprising attachment means · CPC title

• F21Y2105/10

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

• F21V19/004 Primary

  by deformation of parts or snap action mountings, e.g. using clips · CPC title

• F21V23/06

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