TWI759831B - Pcb interconnect scheme for co-planar led strips - Google Patents

Abstract

LED board interconnect schemes for illuminable assemblies are provided. Multiple LED boards may form a partial perimeter along an illuminable assembly. The multiple LED boards and interconnects must fit within a limited width and height of the illuminable assembly. In some implementations, an interconnect board and spring connectors are used to provide a low-profile electrical interconnection while maintaining co-planarity of the LEDs across the LED boards.

Description

Printed Circuit Board Interconnect Scheme for Coplanar Light Emitting Diode Strips

The present invention relates to a printed circuit board interconnection scheme for coplanar light emitting diode strips. Related applications

This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent No. 62/897,203, entitled "PCB Interconnect Scheme for Co-Planar Led Strips," filed on September 6, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims priority to Dutch Patent Application No. 2024328, filed on November 28, 2019, entitled "PCB Interconnect Scheme for Co-Planar Led Strips," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) can be used as part of an assembly to provide lighting and lighting effects in a device. LEDs can be placed on a printed circuit board (PCB) and wired together. In some applications, multiple PCBs containing LEDs may be used, and the PCBs may be electrically connected together end-to-end.

The present disclosure provides new techniques and apparatus for improving the design and construction of interconnect assemblies between LED boards.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings and claims. The following non-limiting embodiments are considered part of this disclosure; other embodiments will be apparent from the entirety of this disclosure and the accompanying drawings.

In some embodiments, a light emitting diode (LED) lighting strip assembly can be provided that includes a first LED board, a second LED board, and an interconnect board. The first LED board may include a first printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side of the first PCB substrate; a plurality of LEDs located on the first side; on a first side of a PCB substrate, wherein each LED emits light away from the first side of the first LED board; the end portion; and a plurality of compressible conductive members, each compressible conductive member from the first The second side of the PCB substrate extends outward. Similarly, the second LED board may include a second PCB substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side of the second PCB substrate; a plurality of LEDs located on the second PCB substrate on a first side, wherein each LED emits light from a first side of the second LED board; an end portion; and a plurality of compressible conductive members, each compressible conductive member outward from the second side of the second PCB substrate extend. The interconnection board may include a third PCB substrate having a first area and a second area. The third PCB substrate may include: a plurality of first conductive pads located on a first side of the third PCB substrate and within a first region of the third PCB substrate; and a plurality of second conductive pads pads, the second conductive pads are located on the first side of the third PCB substrate and within the second area of the third PCB substrate, each of the first conductive pads can be connected with the second conductive pads through the conductive traces of the interconnection board At least one of the pads is electrically connected. In such an embodiment, the end portion of the first LED board may be adjacent to the end portion of the second LED board, the first side of the third PCB substrate facing the second side of the first LED board and the first side of the second LED board On both sides, each compressible conductive member of the first LED board may be in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, and each compressible conductive member of the second LED board may be in conductive contact with a plurality of the second conductive pads and when each compressible conductive member of the first LED board is pressed into conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, and each compressible conductive member of the second LED board is in contact with a corresponding one of the conductive pads When a corresponding one of the second conductive pads is in conductive contact, the height of the LED lighting strip assembly may be substantially equal to the thickness of the third PCB substrate of the interconnection board and the height of the first LED board and the height of the second LED board The sum of the greater of the .

In some embodiments, the compressible conductive members may be pogo pins, and the area of each conductive pad of the plurality of first conductive pads and the plurality of second conductive pads may be at least larger than the The cross-sectional area of the plunger of the corresponding pogo pin in the plane of the second side of the first LED board or the second LED board of the pogo pin.

In any of the preceding embodiments, each compressible conductive member may extend at least about 0.9 mm from the second side of the first LED board or the second side of the second LED board.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the assembly may further comprise: at least one first hole located in the first region of the third PCB substrate of the interconnection board; at least one second hole located in the third region of the interconnection board in the second area of the PCB substrate; at least one hole located in the first LED board and aligned with at least one first hole located in the first area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board; and in the second LED board and at least one hole aligned with at least one second hole located in the second area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the height of the LED lighting strip assembly may be less than about 5.5 mm.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, each compressible conductive member may be a spring loaded needle.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the width of the end portion of the first LED panel and the width of the end portion of the second LED panel may be less than about 12 mm.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the center-to-center spacing of the LEDs in each plurality of LEDs may be less than or equal to about 12 mm.

In some embodiments, a printed circuit board (PCB) interconnect assembly can be provided that includes a first board having a first PCB substrate having a first side and a A second side of a PCB substrate opposite the first side, each compressible conductive member extending outwardly from the second side of the first PCB substrate. The assembly may also include a second board having a second PCB substrate having a first side and a second PCB substrate opposite the first side of the second PCB substrate and a plurality of compressible conductive members side, each compressible conductive member extends outwardly from the second side of the second PCB substrate. The assembly may also include an interconnection board including a third PCB substrate having a first region and a second region, the third PCB substrate including a plurality of first conductive pads and a plurality of first conductive pads Two conductive pads, the first conductive pad is located on the first side of the third PCB substrate and in the first area of the third PCB substrate, the second conductive pad is located on the first side of the third PCB substrate and on the third PCB substrate In the second area of the three PCB substrates, each of the first conductive pads may be electrically connected to at least one of the second conductive pads through a conductive trace of the interconnection board. In such an embodiment, each compressible conductive member of the first plate can be in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, and each compressible conductive member of the second plate can be in conductive contact with a plurality of second conductive pads A corresponding one of the pads is in conductive contact, and when each compressible conductive member of the first plate is pressed into conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, and each compressible conductive member of the second plate is When pressed into conductive contact with a corresponding one of the second conductive pads, the height of the PCB interconnection assembly is substantially equal to the greater of the height of the first board and the height of the second board and the third of the interconnection board. The sum of the thicknesses of the PCB substrates.

In some such embodiments, the compressible conductive member may be a pogo pin, and the area of each conductive pad in the plurality of first conductive pads and the plurality of second conductive pads may be at least larger than when the spring is installed The cross-sectional area of the plunger of the corresponding pogo pin in the plane of the second side of the first or second plate of the needle.

In any of the preceding embodiments, each compressible conductive member may extend at least about 0.9 mm from the second side of the first plate or the second side of the second plate.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the assembly may further include at least one first hole located in the first region of the third PCB substrate of the interconnection board; at least one second hole located in the third PCB of the interconnection board in the second region of the substrate; at least one hole in the first board and aligned with at least one first hole in the first region of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board; and in the second board and in alignment with the at least one first hole in the first region of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board The at least one hole in the second region of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board is aligned with the at least one second hole.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the height of the PCB interconnect assembly may be less than about 5.5 mm.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, each compressible conductive member may be a spring loaded needle.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the width of the first plate and the width of the second plate may be less than about 12 mm.

In some embodiments, a method of assembling an LED lighting strip assembly is provided. The method may include placing an interconnection board having a first printed circuit board (PCB) substrate on the support structure; the first PCB substrate may have a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad, the first conductive pad being located on the second On the first side of a PCB substrate, in the first area of the first PCB substrate, the second conductive pad is located on the first side of the first PCB substrate, in the second area of the first PCB substrate, and the first conductive pad The pads may be electrically connected to the second conductive pads through conductive traces of the interconnect board. The method may further include placing a first LED board having a second PCB substrate, wherein the one or more LEDs are located on a first side of the second PCB substrate such that the second PCB substrate is opposite the first side of the second PCB substrate The second side of the interconnect board is proximate to the first side of the first PCB substrate, and the first compressible conductive member extending outward from the second side of the first LED board is in conductive contact with the first conductive pad; A second LED board of the third PCB substrate, wherein the one or more LEDs are located on the first side of the third PCB substrate such that the second side of the third PCB substrate opposite the first side of the third PCB substrate is adjacent to the first a first side of the PCB substrate and placing a second compressible conductive member extending outwardly from the second side of the second LED board in conductive contact with the second conductive pad; and applying a or more pressures to mechanically couple the first LED board and the second LED board to at least one of the interconnection board or the support structure.

In some embodiments of the method, the first and second compressible conductive members are pogo pins, and the area of each of the first and second conductive pads is at least greater than The cross-sectional area of the plunger of the corresponding pogo pin in the plane of the second side of the first LED board or the second LED board with the pogo pins installed.

In any of the preceding embodiments of the method, the first compressible conductive member and the second compressible conductive member extend from the second side of the first LED board or the second side of the second LED board at least about 0.9mm. In any of the preceding embodiments of the method, the center-to-center spacing of the one or more LEDs of the first LED panel and the one or more LEDs of the second LED panel is less than or equal to about 12 mm. In any preceding embodiment of the method, when the first compressible conductive member of the first LED board is in conductive contact with the first conductive pad and the second compressible conductive member of the second LED board is in conductive contact with the second conductive pad When contacted, the height of the LED lighting strip assembly may be substantially equal to the sum of the greater of the height of the first LED board and the height of the second LED board and the thickness of the first PCB substrate of the interconnect board.

It is to be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as part of the subject matter disclosed herein, and/or may be combined to achieve particular benefits of particular aspects. In particular, all combinations of the claimed subject matter appearing in this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the subject matter disclosed herein.

These and other features of the disclosed embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the associated drawings.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present embodiments. The embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the disclosed embodiments. Furthermore, although the disclosed embodiments will be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it should be understood that the specific embodiments are not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments.

The present disclosure relates to light bar interconnection schemes. A plurality of straight or curved, long, narrow rigid printed circuit boards (hereafter "LED boards") having linear arrays of LEDs thereon may be used as part of an illuminable assembly and terminated with each other terminal electrical connection. Such LED panels can be used to provide edge lighting, eg adjacent and perpendicular to the surface of the LED panels, or edge lighting of translucent light diffusing elements.

To improve the visual aesthetics and consistency of the lighting provided by the LEDs, all LEDs can be coplanar. The LED board assembly may also have a low profile, eg, less than 7 mm in overall height, or less than about 5.5 mm in a direction perpendicular to the board, and less than 11 mm in overall width in one dimension. Such low profile LED board assemblies are advantageous for use in thin or low profile lighting assemblies to reduce the space requirements of the assembly and/or simplify the appearance of the frame/seams of the lighting assembly. Such LED board assemblies can be fabricated as a single continuous PCB, but the cost of doing so may be uneconomical for larger size LED boards along a convoluted path, eg, 2 feet on one side and A 1cm wide U-shaped PCB strip can be manufactured in a single piece using a 2ft square sheet of PCB material (in some cases 99% of this material can be cut away to provide a finished part). Thus, the LED board assembly can be constructed from smaller PCB boards that can be connected end-to-end to provide the desired end PCB layout. This allows for more efficient manufacturing, easier maintenance, and more compact transport.

Various commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) connectors and other connection schemes were considered for inter-LED board connections, but none provided the desired preferred tolerance, current capacity, compactness, and ease of assembly . These aspects are met by designing new interconnects between each pair of adjacent LED boards.

Various embodiments of interconnect assemblies for LED lighting strips are discussed herein. Each assembly includes an interconnect board and two LED boards. The interconnection board comprises a single interconnection board, ie a printed circuit board, mounted below the adjacent LED board, ie on the side of the LED board opposite the side on which the LEDs are mounted, and by facing the LED board The exposed electrical contact pads provide electrical connection therebetween. The interconnect board also uses a number of compressible conductive members, such as spring loaded pins or spring connectors, to connect the LED board to the electrical contact pads of the interconnect board. In some embodiments, the spring loaded pins are sized to not interfere with the light emitted from the LEDs and fit within a desired vertical height profile. The LED boards and interconnect boards can be fastened using aligned holes on each board so that fasteners can be used to couple the LED boards and interconnect boards to a support structure, such as a housing, frame, or other rigid component. Furthermore, by providing a plurality of compressible conductive members (electrically connected to each other within the LED board) and corresponding electrical contact pads (electrically connected to each other within the interconnect board), the interconnect can be designed to carry large currents, ie greater than 4 amps .

This interconnect assembly improves ease of manufacture and assembly and parts replacement, as interconnects can be established by simply stacking LED boards on top of the interconnect boards. This interconnection can allow for minimal LED spacing, ie about 12mm center-to-center spacing or less, without causing any illumination pattern inconsistencies. The interconnect can also handle misalignments between boards in the x, y, and theta-z directions without sacrificing performance.

1 illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary interconnected LED board assembly 166 having a plurality of interconnected assemblies 100 in accordance with some embodiments. As previously mentioned, multiple LED boards 128 may be used as part of an illuminable assembly where it is impractical to manufacture a single PCB board for the entire illuminable assembly. In this case, the interconnect assembly 100 can be used to connect two adjacent smaller sized LED boards 128 using the interconnect board 102 . The interconnect assembly 100 may be fastened to the support structure 150 . Securing the interconnect assembly 100 to the support structure 150 may facilitate providing a defined structure or pattern for the interconnect assembly 100, which may be rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible. Multiple interconnect assemblies 100 may be used if there are three or more LED boards 128 to be connected. Typically, if there are N LED boards connected together in a chain, N-1 interconnect assemblies can be used, each interconnect assembly 100 connecting adjacent LED boards 128 in succession. Each interconnect assembly 100 includes an interconnect board 102 and two adjacent LED boards 128 . For example, FIG. 1 shows seven LED boards 128 and six interconnect boards 102 forming six interconnect assemblies 100 .

FIG. 2 shows a close-up exploded view of interconnect assembly 100 . The interconnect assembly 100 may include the interconnect board 102 , a first LED board 130 of the LED boards 128 and a second LED board 132 of the LED boards 128 . In some embodiments, the LED board 128 of the first LED board 130 as one interconnect assembly may be the first LED board 130 or the second LED board 132 of a different interconnect assembly 100, and vice versa. The nomenclature of the LED board 128 as the first LED board 130 or the second LED board 132 is used in this description for clarity purposes only.

The first LED board 130 and the second LED board 132 may each have one and/or more LEDs 136 arranged along their lengths, which may be electrically connected to each other or to an integrated circuit LED driver 138 . In some embodiments, the LEDs 136 may have a center-to-center spacing of about 12 mm. In some embodiments, the same center-to-center spacing may persist across the junction between the LED boards 128 due to the design of the interconnecting boards. In such an embodiment, for example, the center-to-center distance of the LEDs 136 on the first LED board 130 from the closest LED 136 on the second LED board 132 is 12 mm. This may be desirable to provide a consistent light distribution to external observers.

Each of the first LED board 130 and the second LED board 132 may also have one or more LED drivers 138 . In some embodiments, the LED driver 138 may be omitted or located away from the LED board. Each LED driver 138 may be electrically connected to and used to control at least one LED 136 . In some implementations, each LED driver 138 can control four LEDs 136 . In other embodiments, each LED driver 138 may control one LED 136 , two LEDs 136 , three LEDs 136 , or more than four LEDs 136 . The LED driver 138 may be placed on the LED board 128 closest to the LEDs 136 it controls. In some embodiments, if the LED driver 138 controls four consecutive LEDs 136 along the LED board 128, it can be placed between the LEDs 136 such that each side of the LED driver 138 has one of the LEDs 136 it controls. two. The location of the LED drivers 138 can be selected so as not to interfere with the spacing and light emission of the LEDs 136 .

In embodiments where the LEDs 136 and LED drivers 138 are positioned as described above, the LED board 128 may have limited space for other components or features (eg, compressible conductive members or holes). In some embodiments, this limits the interconnect assembly between the first LED board 130 and the second LED board 132 . For example, in embodiments where LEDs 136 may be placed at approximately 12 mm center-to-center spacing and LED drivers 138 may be placed between every fourth and fifth LED 136, there may be on LED board 128 The limited space is used to connect the compressible conductive members of the LED board 128 and the holes for securing the LED board 128 to the support structure.

One or more spring connectors 134 may be placed at the end portions 144 of the first LED board 130 and the second LED board 132 . The spring connector 134 or compressible conductive member is an electrical connector that is electrically connected to the LED 136 and/or the LED driver 138 and can provide a spring loaded electrical connection including electrical contacts The direction of the plane of the plate 128 moves; the movable portion of the electrical connector may be biased, eg, with a spring or other elastically deformable member, so that the movable portion or elastically deformable member itself is urged towards, eg, the interconnection board 102 . Although this embodiment is described with reference to the LEDs 136 and/or the LED drivers 138 of the LED board 128, these components may be omitted and/or other components such as transducers, acoustic elements, etc. may be implemented instead. In some embodiments, the spring connectors 134 may be pogo pins, which, as the name implies, are electrical contacts with spring-loaded plungers that can be mounted along a direction perpendicular to the axis translation of the PCB. The spring connector 134 is typically used for electrical connection with the first conductive pad 106 or the second conductive pad 114 on the interconnect board 102 .

The spring connector 134 is connected to the conductive pads 106 , 114 by a mechanical force that causes the movable portion of the spring connector 134 to contact the conductive pads 106 , 114 . In some embodiments, the spring connector 134 is advantageous because a spring or other elastically deformable component allows for misalignment between the interconnect board 102 and one of the LED boards 128 while still maintaining electrical power between them connect. In some embodiments, such misalignment may include inaccurate spacing between conductive pads of adjacent LED boards (x-direction misalignment; for example, may be caused by gap variations between adjacent ends of two LED boards), phase Imprecise alignment between possibly still parallel longitudinal centerlines of adjacent LED panels (y-direction misalignment; for example, may be caused by lateral offset between the ends of two LED panels), and longitudinal centers of adjacent LED panels Imprecise alignment between lines such that they are not parallel, i.e. are angled relative to each other (theta-z misalignment).

The spring connectors and conductive pads can be sized to allow for the aforementioned misalignment while maintaining electrical connection. For example, in some embodiments, the conductive pads may be sized such that under any worst-case tolerance stackup condition for the interconnect assembly, the centerline of the corresponding spring connector for each conductive pad Can be at least 0.25mm from the edge of the corresponding conductive pad, resulting in a potential 0.5mm diameter contact area (spring connectors, such as pogo pins, can often have hemispherical or dome-shaped tips, resulting in a theoretical "zero" area contact (assuming the tip is a perfect hemisphere and the conductive pad a perfect plane), although various factors (e.g. imperfect machining, material deformation, etc.) often result in a larger than zero contact area, or this larger The contact area may be intentional for conductive purposes). By setting the size of the conductive pads to 2.5mm on one side, a misalignment of up to 2mm can be tolerated between adjacent LED boards. It should be understood that other dimension values may be used depending on the desired misalignment tolerance, and the above example is provided only as one possible case. In some embodiments, the conductive pads may be sized to inscribe a circle that is at least 2.75 times larger in diameter, eg, 2.75 times larger than the diameter of, for example, the plunger of a pogo pin or other spring connector used. times to 4 times.

In some embodiments, the interconnect assembly 100 tolerates various degrees of misalignment. In some embodiments, the interconnect assembly 100 may tolerate misalignment in the x and/or y dimensions of less than ±0.5 mm, ±0.4 mm, ±0.3 mm, ±0.2 mm, and/or less than ±0.1 mm. In some embodiments, the interconnect assembly 100 may tolerate misalignment in the theta-z dimension of less than 0.1 mm and/or less than 0.2 mm.

In some embodiments, the spring connectors 134 may extend at least about 0.9 mm from the surface of the LED board 128 facing the interconnect board 102 . If the interconnect board 102 and the LED board 128 are misaligned, resulting in a separation between them of no more than 0.2 mm at any given location between the two boards (in addition to the misalignment described above, this may be due to one board relative to the other) rotation of one of the boards, or loosening of the fasteners coupling them together), the spring connectors 134 can still maintain electrical contact with their corresponding conductive pads 106 , 114 on the interconnect board 102 . The spring connector 134 thus increases the tolerance of the interconnect assembly 100 and allows the tolerance of the various components of the interconnect assembly 100 to be increased.

In the embodiment described here, the LED boards 128 are connected via an interconnect board 102 having conductive pads 106 , 114 connected to the spring connectors 134 of the first LED board 130 and the second LED board 132 . In some embodiments, the interconnect board 102 includes a first region 104 and a second region 112 , wherein the first region 104 has a first plurality of conductive pads 106 and the second region 112 has a second plurality of conductive pads 114 . Each conductive pad in the first plurality of conductive pads 106 is connected to a corresponding one of the spring connectors 134 of the first LED board 130 . Likewise, each conductive pad in the second plurality of conductive pads 114 is connected to a corresponding one of the spring connectors 134 of the second LED board 132 .

Each conductive pad of the first plurality of conductive pads 106 is electrically connected to at least one conductive pad of the second plurality of conductive pads 114 via a conductive trace of the interconnect board 102 . In other embodiments, the first plurality of conductive pads 106 and the second plurality of conductive pads 114 may be a single continuous conductive pad or other conductive configuration that may facilitate conducting electricity from a portion of the interconnect board 102 to another portion of the interconnect board 102 . FIG. 3 shows a view of interconnect board 102 showing traces 108 . In some embodiments, two conductive pads of the first plurality of conductive pads 106 are connected to two conductive pads of the second plurality of conductive pads 114 . This can advantageously increase the amperage that can be carried via the traces 108 , the conductive pads 106 , 114 and the spring connectors 134 , which in some embodiments can exceed 4 amperes. For example, in some embodiments, the spring connector 134 may not be rated to carry 4 amps, or at least 2 amps and less than 4 amps.

In such an embodiment, the use of two or more spring connectors 134 in parallel can distribute the amperage, allowing each spring connector 134 to carry less than 4 amps, reducing the likelihood of any spring connector 134 failing. Using spring connectors in parallel in some embodiments may also provide redundancy to improve reliability. The traces between each conductive pad can be of different sizes, shapes or materials. In some embodiments, traces intended to carry 4 amps (or more) will be thicker or wider than traces that will carry less than 4 amps. In some implementations, traces that will carry large currents (eg, greater than 4 amps) may use copper planes on one or more layers of the PCB of the interconnect board.

In the embodiment shown, the conductive pads and traces in the first region 104 and the second region 112 are symmetrical on a line of symmetry between the first region 104 and the second region 112 . It should be understood, however, that in other embodiments, the plurality of conductive pads 106, 114 and traces 108 may be asymmetric. The conductive pads 106, 114 and traces 108 may be placed in any arrangement that allows the interconnect board 102 to electrically connect the two LED boards 128 as described herein.

In some embodiments, the interconnect plate 102 has a thickness 124 of less than 1.6 mm, which can be beneficial in minimizing the overall thickness of the interconnect assembly 100 . In some embodiments, the interconnect plate 102 has a width 126 of less than 10.5 mm. This may advantageously allow interconnection boards to fit within an illuminable assembly as described herein.

Returning to FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, each conductive pad 106 , 114 is sized to allow easy connection with the spring connectors 134 of the first LED board 130 and the second LED board 132 . The conductive pads 106, 114 are shown in FIG. 2 as being generally square, but could be rectangular, circular, pentagonal, or any other shape that facilitates electrical connection with the spring connector 134 and allows for the spring connector 134 and the conductive pads A certain amount of misaligned shape between the pads 106,114. In some embodiments, the conductive pads 106, 114 may have a diameter (or equivalent vertical dimension) of at least 2.5 mm. This may allow the conductive pads 106, 114 to remain in electrical connection with the spring connectors 134 of the LED board 128 without precise positioning.

In some embodiments, the conductive pads 106 , 114 are sized based on the tolerance range used to manufacture and position the interconnect board 102 and the LED board 128 such that the LED board 128 and the interconnect board 102 can be within the tolerance range The electrical connection between each conductive pad 106 , 114 and the corresponding spring connector 134 is maintained internally. In some embodiments, the tolerance range may be less than about 1 mm between the interconnect board 102 and either the first LED board 130 or the second LED board 132 in a direction parallel to the surface of the interconnect board 102 misplacement. In some embodiments, the tip of the spring connector that contacts the conductive pad may have a contact area of about 0.5 mm in diameter. In such an embodiment, the center contact point of the spring connector 134 may be offset by up to about 1 mm from the center of its respective conductive pads 106 , 114 and still have the entire length of the tip of the spring connector in contact with the conductive pads 106 , 114 Contact area. In some embodiments, the diameter (or equivalent vertical dimension) may be at least about 5 times, at least about 4 times, at least about 3 times, or at least about 2 times larger than the diameter of the contact area of the spring connector 134 . For example, if the spring connector 134 has a contact area diameter of about 0.5 mm, the conductive pads 106, 114 may have a diameter of at least 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, or 1.0 mm.

In some embodiments, the interconnect plate 102 has at least one fastener hole 120 . In some embodiments, fastener holes 120 may be sized to fit around bosses 154 (not visible in FIG. 2 ) protruding from support structure 150 to which interconnect plate 102 may be fastened. In some embodiments, the fastener holes 120 may be sized to be smaller than the dimensions of the bosses 154 so that the interconnect plate 102 rests on top of the bosses 154 (or, alternatively, the threaded holes for the fasteners may simply be set in the feature without the use of bosses 154). In some embodiments, there may be fastening holes 120 in the first region 104 and the second region 112, while in other embodiments there may be only a single fastening hole 120 in either region 104, 112. In some embodiments, there may be no fastening holes 120 . In such an embodiment, the interconnection board 102 may be fastened to the support structure 150 by various mechanisms (eg, clamps mounted on the LED board and/or the interconnection board 102) or by an adhesive.

In some embodiments, the interconnect plate 102 has at least one positioning hole 118 . The positioning holes 118 may be smaller than the fastening holes 120 and may be used to fit around the pegs 152 protruding from the support structure 150 . The positioning holes 118 may be slightly larger in size than the pegs 152 to facilitate easy fitting around the pegs 152 while minimizing movement of the interconnect plate 102 along a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pegs 152 . In some embodiments, there may be positioning holes 118 in the first region 104 and the second region 112, while in other embodiments, there may be only one positioning hole 118 in either region 104, 112. In some embodiments, there may be no locating holes 118 . In such an embodiment, the interconnect plate 102 may be properly positioned by various mechanisms, such as through the recess 158 to which the interconnect plate 102 is fitted as shown in FIG. 1 , wherein the dimensions of the recess 158 and the interconnect assembly being assembled The LED board 128 above the interconnection board 102 in 100 inhibits movement of the interconnection board 102 . In some embodiments, the interconnect plate 102 is positioned by an adhesive.

Similar to the interconnection board 102 , the first LED board 130 and the second LED board 132 may also each have at least one positioning hole 142 and/or at least one fastening hole 140 . The locating holes 142 of the first LED board or the second LED board can fit around the pegs 152 and align with the locating holes 118 in the interconnect board 102 . In some embodiments, the locating holes 142 can be of different shapes, such as slots, which have larger openings than the pegs 152 and thus can fit around the pegs 152 without constraining the interconnect plate 102 in the x and/or y directions movement. Although the fastener holes 120 in the interconnect board 102 can be sized slightly larger than the bosses 154 of the support structure 150 , the fastener holes 140 in any one LED board can be smaller than the fastener holes 120 . However, in some embodiments, fastener holes 120 may be the same size as fastener holes 140 such that bosses 154 do not fit through either hole. Conversely, the fastening holes 118, 140 may be sized to allow the body of the fastener 156 to pass through, but not the head of the fastener 156.

In some embodiments, the locating holes 142, the fastening holes 140, the locating holes 118, and the fastener holes 120 may be along the longitudinal centerline of each LED board and interconnect board. In other embodiments, one or more holes may be offset from the longitudinal centerline. Positioning the holes off-center allows for easier assembly since there can only be one correct orientation to orient the LED board and interconnect board.

When the interconnect assembly 100 is assembled, the fasteners 156 push the LED board 128 and the interconnect board 102 together, bringing the spring connectors 134 into contact with the conductive pads 106 , 114 . Thus, via the first plurality of conductive pads 106 , the second plurality of conductive pads 114 , and the conductive traces 108 therebetween in the interconnect board 102 , the spring connectors 134 of the first LED board 130 and the second LED board An electrical circuit is formed between the spring connectors 134 of 132 . In some embodiments, if the LED board 128 is misaligned, due to the spring or other movable portion extending outward from the spring connector 134 toward the interconnect board 102 , and due to the oversized dimensions of the conductive pads 106 , 114 on the interconnect board 102 , the spring connector 134 can maintain the electrical connection. Since each spring connector 134 can be pushed toward the interconnect plate 102 independently, a considerable amount of misalignment can be tolerated.

Returning to FIG. 1 , the LED board 128 may be used as an LED lighting strip assembly or as part of an interconnected LED board assembly 166 in a illuminable assembly that illuminates a larger device. In some embodiments, the illuminable interconnected LED board assembly 166 includes a support structure 150 to which the LED boards 128 and the interconnect board 102 are secured as the interconnect assembly 100 . Support structure 150 may have recesses 158 for each interconnect assembly 100 sized to fit interconnect board 102 . In some embodiments, each recess 158 is approximately the same depth as the thickness 124 of the interconnect plate 102 and has a width and length at least the same as the width and length of the interconnect plate 102 . This may be beneficial in allowing the LED boards 128 to be coplanar since the interconnect board 102 does not extend beyond the recess 158 . Because the LED boards 128 are coplanar, the LEDs 136 are coplanar, improving the consistency of the visual effect of the LEDs 136 . In some embodiments, the interconnect plate may be located on top of the support structure 150 without the recess 158 . Although the present example is described with reference to LEDs 136 and LED boards 128, other electronic components and boards may be implemented using interconnect board 102, such as acoustic components, microelectromechanical systems, and the like.

Additionally, each recess 158 may have at least one boss 154 and at least one peg 152 . The pegs 152 may be used to position the interconnect board 102 and the LED board 128 and facilitate the interconnection of the assembly 100 . The bosses 154 may provide additional depth for the fasteners. In some embodiments, the depth of the support structure 150 below each recess 158 is insufficient for the fasteners to properly grasp the interconnection assembly 100 and hold the interconnection assembly 100 together. The bosses 154 can thus be used to allow the fasteners to have sufficient depth, while also allowing the recesses 158 to have a depth that is approximately the thickness of the interconnect plate 102 .

The size of the support structure 150 may limit the possible size of the LED lighting strip assembly 166 . Thus, in some embodiments, the LED board 128 is a rigid PCB board having a width of less than about 11 mm. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the height of the interconnect assembly 100 is less than 7 mm. This can prevent the effect of the interconnect assembly on the light from the LEDs 136, which could cause a noticeable interruption of the light pattern from the LEDs 136 seen by an observer. It may also allow for sufficient material in the support structure 150 . As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the recesses 158 in the support structure 150 are sized to fit the interconnect plate 102 . Thicker interconnect arrangements may use deeper recesses/thinner support structures below the interconnect plate to maintain the coplanarity of the LEDs 136 . This may increase the risk of support structure 150 failure at recess 158, increase the design complexity of support structure 150, and/or reduce the stiffness of support structure 150, all of which are undesirable.

FIG. 4 shows an assembled view of the interconnected LED board assembly 166 shown in FIG. 1 . Specifically, inset 460 shows a close-up view of the assembled interconnect assembly 100 . It can be seen that the interconnect plate 102 fits into the recess 158 . Two fasteners 156 each fasten the corresponding LED board 128 to the interconnect board 102 and the support structure 150 .

As noted above, in some embodiments, the overall height of the interconnect assembly 100 allows for a low profile overall height in a direction perpendicular to the board, eg, less than 7 mm or less than about 5.5 mm. In some embodiments, the height of the assembled interconnect assembly 100 is substantially equal to the sum of the thickness 124 of the interconnect board 102 and the height of the first LED board 130 or the second LED board 132, whichever is greater. In this case, substantially equal may include allowing a height equal to this sum or equal to this sum plus an additional amount, such as an additional amount less than 0.2 mm or less than 0.1 mm, to account for the interconnect board 102 and the first LED board 130 or the third Potentially small gaps between the two LED boards 132, eg, less than 0.2 mm, less than 0.1 mm, or no gap. As used herein, the height of the LED board 128 is the bottom or second side of the LED board 128 and the highest or top surface of the components mounted to the first side of the LED board (eg, the top surface of the LED 136, the LED driver 138 the maximum normal distance between the top surface of the compressible conductive member 134, the upper surface of the compressible conductive member 134, etc.). Notably, in some embodiments, the height of the LED board 128 does not include the distance the compressible conductive member 134 extends from the bottom or second side of the LED board 128, as in some cases the compressible conductive member 134 may is compressed into the LED board 128 . As discussed further below with reference to FIG. 9 , the compressible conductive member 134 may be compressed when the interconnect assembly 100 is assembled, and when compressed, the compressible conductive member 134 may not extend from the bottom side or the second side of the LED board 128 . side extension.

FIG. 5 shows another view of the interconnected LED board assembly 166 without the support structure 150 .

6 and 7 show front and rear views of the curved LED board 129. The curved LED board 129 includes a PCB 146 on which one and/or more LEDs 136 and/or LED drivers 138 are placed. The curved LED board 129 also has spring connectors 134 at both end portions 144 , positioning holes 142 and fastening holes 140 .

The curved LED board 129 is curved in the plane of the PCB board 146 . LEDs 136 may typically have a higher luminosity per unit of energy consumed when LEDs 136 emit light in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the surface on which LEDs 136 are mounted, compared to planes that emit light parallel to the surface on which LEDs 136 are mounted. Thus, by bending the LED board 129 within the plane of the PCB board 146 , the LEDs 136 can be used more effectively to achieve a similar amount of light emission than if the LED board 129 were bent out of the plane of the PCB board 146 . If the LED board 129 were bent out of the plane of the PCB board 146, such as by using a flexible circuit board, the LEDs 136 would have to emit light parallel to the surface on which they were mounted, which would cause an increase in energy to achieve a similar light emission. Furthermore, if the LED board is bent out of the plane of the PCB board, such as by using a flexible circuit board, the overall height of the LED board in the direction of the axis of curvature can be greater than the embodiment shown (where the LED board is in the plane of the PCB board) bend) height. The curved LED board 129 may also be straight at each end portion 144 to facilitate connection with the interconnect board 102 . In some embodiments, both the end portions of the LED board 129 and the interconnect board 102 may be curved.

FIG. 7 shows a rear view of the curved LED board 129 . The locating hole 142 and the fastening hole 140 are still visible, as is the plunger of the spring connector 134 (ie, part of the compressible conductive member). The backside of the curved LED board 129 may not have any other features, and the end portion 144 may be connected to the interconnect board 102 to electrically connect the curved LED board 129 to another LED board 128 , 129 . In some embodiments, the spring connectors 134 may extend approximately 0.9 mm from the backside of the curved LED board 129 . Additionally, the spring connector may extend less than about 2.2 mm, or about 2.15 mm, from the front of the curved LED board 129

8 is a partial view of an illuminable assembly 864 having two interconnected LED board assemblies 866 as described herein, each assembly having a first LED board 830, a second LED board 832, and an interconnecting board 802. As discussed above, LED boards 830 and 832 may each have a plurality of LEDs 836 and a plurality of compressible conductive members 834 . Each interconnected LED board assembly 866 may be within and hidden by the illuminable assembly 864 . One interconnected LED board assembly 866 is located on the bottom of the illuminable assembly 864, with LEDs 836 emitting upward, while another interconnected LED board assembly is mounted on the top of the illuminable assembly 864, with LEDs 836 oriented downward. Illuminated LED 836. Although only one interconnect assembly is shown for the top and bottom interconnected LED board assemblies 866, as previously discussed, each interconnected LED board assembly 866 may have multiple interconnect assemblies. The light from each LED 836 may then be emitted into a light area 870 between the two interconnected LED board assemblies, which may be bounded, for example, by a diffuser plate or other light diffusing device, to create a uniform Illuminated walls or surfaces.

FIG. 9 is a view of an exemplary compressible conductive member 134 . The compressible conductive member 134 or spring connector 134 may have three main parts: an inner body portion 184, a plunger 186, and an outer body portion 182; an inner spring (not visible) is housed within the body portions 182, 184 and faces the plunger 186 applies a force to push the plunger 186 out of the exposed end of the inner body portion 184 . When the compressible conductive member 134 is mounted in a hole in the PCB, the inner body portion 184 can fit inside the PCB; this is in contrast to a typical pogo pin, whose housing is usually removed from the PCB in which the pogo pin is mounted The sides stick out (typical pogo pins are not designed to allow the pins to be fully pressed into the PCB). Accordingly, inner body portion 184 may have a length of less than approximately 1.44 mm when measured along a central axis perpendicular to the circular cross-section of compressible conductive member 134 such that inner body portion 184 is no larger than a PCB (inner body portion 184 is configured to meet it).

Plunger 186 extends from inner body portion 184 and is movable relative to inner body portion 184 along a central axis. As part of interconnect assembly 100 , plunger 186 of each compressible conductive member 134 is in conductive contact with conductive pads 106 , 114 on interconnect plate 102 that compress plunger 186 toward inner body 184 . In some embodiments, the plunger 186 may be the only portion of the compressible conductive member 134 that extends beyond the surface of the PCB on the side of the LED board 128 that faces the interconnect board 102 .

When mounted in the LED board 128 , the outer body portion 182 may extend from the side of the PCB facing away from the interconnect board 102 . The outer body portion 182 has a flange that can limit movement of the compressible conductive member 134 through the PCB during installation, thereby ensuring that the compressible conductive member 134 is installed at the proper height/depth relative to the PCB. The outer body portion 182 , including the flange, may have a length of less than about 2.2 mm to avoid interference with light emitted from the LEDs 136 .

It will be appreciated that the interconnects shown here may be particularly suitable for end-to-end connections between relatively thin long PCBs, such as may be used for LED strip lighting, for example. Such a PCB can be about 1 cm wide and an order of magnitude larger in length. Some LED lighting applications use at least two conductive paths established across each such end-to-end connection; for LED lighting applications where the color of the LED can be controlled, such connections may use at least four conductive paths ( power, ground, clock signals, and data signals), the at least four conductive paths are established across each such end-to-end connection. Establishing robust, easy-to-assemble end-to-end connections between adjacent LED boards, such as those discussed above, can be problematic. In fact, several alternatives are considered, but the aforementioned interconnect arrangement has a better performance level.

For example, one alternative to the aforementioned interconnect arrangement utilizes butt-mounted 90° pin connectors with a female connector on one end of one board and a male connector on an adjacent end of the other board. A male connector has a plurality of pins that protrude outward from the end of the board along the longitudinal axis of the board (ie, along the longest axis of the board at the end of the board); a female connector has a corresponding number of sockets. Receptacles, the sockets will be positioned to receive these pins when the two plates are properly aligned with each other and slid toward each other along the longitudinal axis. However, there are several problems with using such connectors. For example, if such connectors are used, assembly is complicated by the fact that electrical connections between the boards may need to be made, for example, before the boards are put into place. Furthermore, such connectors may use relatively precise positioning, which may be difficult to achieve given the tolerance stack-up of the depicted structures. A similar variation is for the male connector to use spring-loaded pins oriented to translate in a direction parallel to the plane of the board and out of the end of the board; however, this connection was similarly found to be insufficient Mechanical tolerance stackup for the structure depicted in Figure 1.

The above-described embodiments advantageously provide for easier assembly than the above-described butt-mounted pin connectors. In the example configuration of Figure 1, the plate may be placed in a position above the locator pins perpendicular to the plane of the plate, and once placed, the pins may prevent lateral and/or longitudinal movement of the plate. The interconnect assembly described above may be beneficial because it is easier to assemble by simply stacking the board onto the pins, the assembly does not require assembly prior to placement, and the assembly allows misalignment in the x and y directions ( e.g. due to manufacturing tolerances). Additionally, the embodiments described above allow for a reasonably small distance between the LEDs on two adjacent boards, while still carrying sufficient current for the LED circuits.

Another alternative is an open-ended box edge connector. Such connectors are "H" shaped in cross section and are designed to accommodate the edge of the PCB in both the top and bottom recesses of the "H" shaped cross section. The edges of the PCBs used in such interconnections will have exposed conductive pads that the box edge connector will electrically connect together using conductive elements within the connector. In testing, it was found that the size of such a connector was too large to bring the LEDs adjacent to the box edge connector close enough together to satisfy, for example, a center-to-center of about 12mm for the LEDs along the PCB and across the end-to-end connections interval. In contrast, the above-described embodiments allow for closer spacing because the spring connectors can be placed without blocking the end portion of each LED board, thereby allowing the LEDs to be placed closer to the end of each LED board.

Additionally, some solutions using custom hardware were considered. For example, another option considered is end-to-end solder wire connections between adjacent boards, but such connections can be difficult to manufacture, difficult to precision and can complicate assembly as the boards may need to be connected together prior to assembly, and Disassembly may be difficult in the event that an LED board is found to have a manufacturing defect and/or is to be replaced. The above-described embodiments advantageously do not require such delicate assembly, but can be assembled by stacking the plates, eg onto pegs and securing them to maintain the electrical connection.

Another option considered is to make separate small conductive jigs with upper and lower jaws, which can be placed on both sides of two adjacent PCBs so that each jig contacts each end-to-end edge along the PCB The exposed conductive contact pads are positioned on the edge of the clamp; the clamps can then be individually tightened using screws that pass through one jaw and into the threaded holes in the other jaw. However, this solution can take advantage of a conductive path connection using three parts (two jaws and a screw), parts that can be small and difficult to handle, and screws that can come loose, which can make the connection unreliable. The above-described embodiments can avoid these aspects by using conductive pads with an area larger than the contact area on the spring connector, which can maintain electrical connections despite misalignment between boards, and may not require handling of small parts during assembly.

The interconnect solutions discussed in this application provide the most reliable interconnect solutions that also provide the desired tightness of spacing between LEDs across the interconnect area, low overall profile, current carrying rating and board misalignment tolerance.

It should be understood that, in some implementations, the various features discussed herein may also be implemented in a reduced (or enlarged) format. For example, if lower output LEDs are used and/or a lower number of LEDs are used, the current levels that may need to be supported may be lower, and smaller and/or fewer compressible conductive members may need to be used, allowing for electrical conduction The contact pads are smaller in size and/or fewer in number.

Embodiment 1: A light emitting diode LED lighting strip assembly comprising: a first LED board comprising: a first printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a first side and a first side with the first PCB substrate an opposite second side; a plurality of LEDs on the first side of the first PCB substrate, wherein each LED emits light from the first side of the first LED board; an end portion; and a plurality of compressible conductive members, Each compressible conductive member extends outwardly from the second side of the first PCB substrate; the second LED board includes: a second PCB substrate having a first side and a first side opposite the first side of the second PCB substrate two sides; a plurality of LEDs on the first side of the second PCB substrate, wherein each LED emits light from the first side of the second LED board; an end portion; and a plurality of compressible conductive members, each of which can be a compressed conductive member extending outwardly from a second side of the second PCB substrate; and an interconnect board including a third PCB substrate having a first region and a second region, the third PCB substrate including: a plurality of A first conductive pad located on the first side of the third PCB substrate and in the first area of the third PCB substrate, and a plurality of second conductive pads located on the third PCB substrate the first side of the three PCB substrates and within the second region of the third PCB substrate, wherein each of the first conductive pads is electrically connected to at least one of the second conductive pads through a conductive trace of the interconnect board, wherein : The end portion of the first LED board is close to the end portion of the second LED board, the first side of the third PCB substrate faces the second side of the first LED board and the second side of the second LED board, the first LED board Each compressible conductive member of the second LED board is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, each compressible conductive member of the second LED board is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of second conductive pads, and when Each compressible conductive member of the first LED board is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, and each compressible conductive member of the second LED board is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the second conductive pads , the height of the LED lighting strip assembly is substantially approximately equal to the sum of the greater of the height of the first LED board and the height of the second LED board and the thickness of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board.

Embodiment 2: The LED lighting strip assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the compressible conductive member is a pogo pin and each of the plurality of first conductive pads and the plurality of second conductive pads The area is at least greater than the cross-sectional area of the plunger of the corresponding pogo pin in the plane of the second side of the first LED board or the second LED board on which the pogo pin is mounted.

Embodiment 3: The LED lighting strip assembly of any of Embodiments 1-2, wherein each compressible conductive member extends from the second side of the first LED board or the second side of the second LED board at least About 0.9mm.

Embodiment 4: The LED lighting strip assembly of any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, further comprising: at least one first hole in the first area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board; at least one a second hole located in the second area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board; located in the first LED board and aligned with at least one first hole located in the first area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board and at least one hole located in the second LED board and aligned with the at least one second hole located in the second area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board.

Embodiment 5: The LED lighting strip assembly of any one of Embodiments 1-4, wherein the height of the LED lighting strip assembly is less than about 5.5 mm.

Embodiment 6: The LED lighting strip assembly of any of Embodiments 1-5, wherein each compressible conductive member is a spring-loaded pin.

Embodiment 7: The LED lighting strip assembly of any of Embodiments 1-6, wherein the width of the end portion of the first LED board and the width of the end portion of the second LED board are both less than about 12 mm.

Embodiment 8: The LED lighting strip assembly of any of Embodiments 1-7, wherein the center-to-center spacing of the LEDs in each plurality of LEDs is less than or equal to about 12 mm.

Embodiment 9: A printed circuit board (PCB) interconnect assembly comprising: a first board including a first PCB substrate and a plurality of compressible conductive members, the first PCB substrate having a first side and a connection with the first PCB a second side opposite the first side of the substrate, each compressible conductive member extending outwardly from the second side of the first PCB substrate; a second plate comprising a second PCB substrate and a plurality of compressible conductive members, the second The PCB substrate has a first side and a second side opposite the first side of the second PCB substrate, each compressible conductive member extending outwardly from the second side of the second PCB substrate, wherein each compressible conductive member is in a compressible an outer surface on a side of the compressed conductive member facing away from the first side of the second board; and an interconnect board including a third PCB substrate having a first region and a second region, the third PCB substrate It includes a plurality of first conductive pads and a plurality of second conductive pads, the first conductive pads are located on the first side of the third PCB substrate and in the first area of the third PCB substrate, and the second conductive pads are located on the first side of the third PCB substrate. The first side of the three PCB substrates and within the second region of the third PCB substrate, wherein each of the first conductive pads is electrically connected to at least one of the second conductive pads through a conductive trace of the interconnect board, wherein: each compressible conductive member of the first plate is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, each compressible conductive member of the second plate is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of second conductive pads, And when each compressible conductive member of the first plate is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, and each compressible conductive member of the second plate is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the second conductive pads , the height of the PCB interconnection assembly is substantially approximately equal to the sum of the greater of the height of the first board and the height of the second board and the thickness of the third PCB substrate of the interconnection board.

Embodiment 10: The PCB interconnect assembly of Embodiment 9, wherein the compressible conductive member is a pogo pin and each of the plurality of first conductive pads and the plurality of second conductive pads The area is at least greater than the cross-sectional area of the plunger of the corresponding pogo pin in the plane of the second side of the first or second plate on which the pogo pin is mounted.

Embodiment 11: The PCB interconnect assembly of any of Embodiments 9-10, wherein each compressible conductive member extends at least about 0.9 from the second side of the first board or the second side of the second board mm.

Embodiment 12: The PCB interconnect assembly of any one of Embodiments 9 to 11, further comprising: at least one first hole in the first region of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board; at least one a second hole located in the second area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board; located in the first board and aligned with at least one first hole located in the first area of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board at least one hole; and at least one hole located in the second board and aligned with the at least one second hole located in the second region of the third PCB substrate of the interconnect board.

Embodiment 13: The PCB interconnect assembly of any one of Embodiments 9 to 12, wherein the height of the PCB interconnect assembly in a direction perpendicular to the first side of the third PCB substrate is less than about 5.5 mm .

Embodiment 14: The PCB interconnect assembly of any of Embodiments 9-13, wherein each compressible conductive member is a spring-loaded pin.

Embodiment 15: The PCB interconnect assembly of any of Embodiments 9-14, wherein the width of the first board and the width of the second board are both less than about 12 mm.

Embodiment 16: A method of assembling an LED lighting strip assembly, comprising: placing an interconnect board having a first printed circuit board (PCB) substrate on a support structure, wherein the first PCB substrate has a first conductive pad and a second Two conductive pads, the first conductive pad is located on the first side of the first PCB substrate, in the first area of the first PCB substrate, the second conductive pad is located on the first side of the first PCB substrate, the first PCB within a second area of the substrate, and the first conductive pad is electrically connected to the second conductive pad through the conductive traces of the interconnect board; placing a first LED board having a second PCB substrate with one or more LEDs located in the first side of the second PCB substrate such that the second side of the second PCB substrate opposite the first side of the second PCB substrate is close to the first side of the first PCB substrate of the interconnect board and such that the a second laterally outwardly extending first compressible conductive member is in conductive contact with the first conductive pad; placing a second LED board having a third PCB substrate, wherein one or more LEDs are located on the first side so that the second side of the third PCB substrate opposite the first side of the third PCB substrate is close to the first side of the first PCB substrate, and the second LED board extending outwardly from the second side of the second LED board is compressing the conductive member in conductive contact with the second conductive pad; and applying one or more pressures to the first LED board and the second LED board to mechanically couple the first LED board and the second LED board to the interconnect board or at least one of the support structures.

Embodiment 17: The method of Embodiment 16, wherein the first compressible conductive member and the second compressible conductive member are pogo pins, and the The area is at least greater than the cross-sectional area of the plunger of the corresponding pogo pin in the plane of the second side of the first LED board or the second LED board on which the pogo pins are mounted.

Embodiment 18: The method of any of Embodiments 16 to 17, wherein the first and second compressible conductive members extend from the second side of the first LED board or the second side of the second LED board The lateral extension is at least about 0.9 mm.

Embodiment 19: The method of any one of Embodiments 16 to 18, wherein the center of the one or more LEDs of the first LED panel and the one or more LEDs of the second LED panel The spacing to the center is less than or equal to about 12 mm.

Embodiment 20: The method of any of Embodiments 16 to 19, wherein when the first compressible conductive member of the first LED board is in conductive contact with the first conductive pad, and the second LED board of the second LED board is in conductive contact When the compressible conductive member is in conductive contact with the second conductive pad, the height of the LED lighting strip assembly is substantially approximately equal to the greater of the height of the first LED board and the height of the second LED board and the second height of the interconnect board. The sum of the thickness of a PCB substrate. in conclusion

The preceding description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various configurations described herein. While the subject technology has been described in detail with reference to various drawings and configurations, it should be understood that these are for illustration purposes only and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the subject technology.

Terms such as "about", "approximately", "substantially", "nominal" or similar terms, when used to refer to a quantity or similar quantifiable characteristic, should be understood to include the stated value ±10 unless otherwise stated value in % range. In some instances, these terms may include values of less than or equal to ±5%, such as less than or equal to ±2%, such as less than or equal to ±1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.5%, such as less than or equal to ±0.2%, For example less than or equal to ±0.1%, for example less than or equal to ±0.05%.

It should also be understood that any use of sequence indicators herein, such as (a), (b), (c), . . . is for organizational purposes only and is not intended to convey any a particular order or importance. Nonetheless, there may be situations where certain items associated with an order indicator may inherently use a particular sequence, such as: "(a) obtain information about X, (b) determine Y based on information about X, and (c) obtain information about Z"; in this example, (a) will be executed before (b) because (b) relies on the information obtained in (a), however, (c) can be executed in (a) ) and/or (b) before or after.

It should be further understood that the use of the word "each", such as in the phrase "for each <item> of one or more <item>" or "of each <item>", if used herein Use, should be understood to include groups of singular items and groups of items, i.e. the phrase "for each" is used in the sense that it is used in programming language to refer to each item in any group of the referenced items . For example, if the population of items referred to is a single item, then "each" would refer only to that single item (although in fact the dictionary definition of "each" often defines the term as referring to "two or more" each of the items"), and will not imply that there must be at least two of these items. Similarly, when the selected item may have one or more subitems and one of those subitems is selected, it should be understood that where the selected item has one and only one subitem, the selection of that one subitem is inherent in the selection of the item itself.

There may be many other ways to implement the subject technology. Various functions and elements described herein may be divided differently from those shown without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Various modifications to these embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Accordingly, many changes and modifications of the subject technology can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the subject technology. For example, a different number of a given module or unit may be used, a different type of a given module or unit may be used, a given module or unit may be added, or a given module or unit may be omitted.

Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not intended to be relevant to the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly recited in the above description.

Although the above-described embodiments have been described in some detail for the sake of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes, systems and apparatus of the present embodiments, and/or may be combined to achieve particular benefits of particular aspects. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the embodiments are not to be limited to the details given herein.

100: Interconnect Assemblies 102: Interconnect Board 104: The first area 106: Conductive pads 108: Traces 112: Second area 114: Conductive pads 118: Positioning hole 120: Fastener hole 124: Thickness 126:width 128: LED board 129: LED board 130: The first LED board 132: Second LED board 134: Spring Connector 136: LED 138: LED driver 140: Fastening holes 142: Positioning hole 144: End Section 146:PCB/PCB board 150: Support Structure 152: Bolt 154: Boss 156: Fasteners 158: Recess 166: Interconnect LED Board Assembly 182: External body part / body part 184: Internal Body Section / Body Section 186: Plunger 460: Illustration 802: Interconnect Board 830: LED board 832: LED Board 834: Compressible Conductive Components 836: LED 864: Illuminated Assemblies 866: Interconnected LED Board Assemblies 870: Light Zone

In the figures of the accompanying drawings, the various embodiments disclosed herein are shown by way of example and not by way of limitation, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[FIG. 1] An exploded view showing a portion of the illuminable assembly described herein.

[FIG. 2] An exploded view showing the interconnect assembly described herein.

[FIG. 3] A view showing an interconnection board used in the interconnection assembly described herein.

[FIG. 4] An assembly diagram illustrating a portion of the illuminable assembly described herein.

[Fig. 5] An assembly diagram showing the interconnected LED boards.

[Fig. 6] A view showing one side of the curved LED board.

[Fig. 7] shows views of different sides of the curved LED board.

[FIG. 8] A view showing an illuminable assembly as described herein.

[ FIG. 9 ] A view showing the compressible conductive member.

Figures 1 through 7 and 9 are to scale in each figure, but scale may vary from figure to figure.

102: Interconnect Board

104: The first area

106: Conductive pads

112: Second area

114: Conductive pads

118: Positioning hole

120: Fastener hole

128: LED board

130: The first LED board

132: Second LED board

134: Spring Connector

136: LED

138: LED driver

140: Fastening holes

142: Positioning hole

144: End Section

150: Support Structure

152: Bolt

156: Fasteners

Claims (20)

A light emitting diode (LED) lighting strip assembly, comprising: a first light emitting diode board, comprising: a first printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a first side and a connection with the first printed circuit board a second side of the substrate opposite the first side, a plurality of light emitting diodes located on the first side of the first printed circuit board substrate, wherein each light emitting diode emits light from the first The first side of the diode plate emits light, an end portion, and a plurality of first compressible conductive members, each first compressible conductive member of the plurality of first compressible conductive members from the the second side of the first printed circuit board substrate extends outward; a second light emitting diode board includes: a second printed circuit board substrate having a first side and a contact with the second printed circuit board substrate On a second side opposite the first side, a plurality of light emitting diodes are located on the first side of the second printed circuit board substrate, wherein each light emitting diode extends from the second light emitting diode The first side of the body plate emits light, the end portion, and a plurality of second compressible conductive members, each second compressible conductive member from the second compressible conductive member the second side of the printed circuit board substrate extends outward; and an interconnect board including a third printed circuit board substrate having a first region and a second region, the third printed circuit board substrate including: a plurality of first a conductive pad located on the first side of the third printed circuit board substrate and within the first region of the third printed circuit board substrate, and a plurality of second conductive pads located on the third printed circuit board substrate the first side of a third printed circuit board substrate and within the second region of the third printed circuit board substrate with each first conductive pad passing through The conductive traces of the interconnect plate are electrically connected to at least one of the second conductive pads, wherein: the end portion of the first light emitting diode plate is proximate the second light emitting diode The end portion of the board, the first side of the third printed circuit board substrate facing the second side of the first light emitting diode board and all of the second light emitting diode board on the second side, each of the first compressible conductive members of the first light-emitting diode plate is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, the second light-emitting diode plate Each of the second compressible conductive members is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of second conductive pads, and when each of the first compressible conductive pads of the first light emitting diode plate member is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, and each of the second compressible conductive members of the second light emitting diode plate is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the second conductive pads At one conductive contact, the height of the LED lighting strip assembly is substantially equal to the sum of: the thickness of the third printed circuit board substrate of the interconnect board, and the thickness of the first LED lighting The greater of the height of the polar body plate and the height of the second light emitting diode plate. The light emitting diode lighting strip assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second compressible conductive members are pogo pins, and the plurality of first conductive pads and The area of each conductive pad in the plurality of second conductive pads is at least larger than the area of the first light emitting diode board or the second light emitting diode board on which the pogo pins are mounted. The cross-sectional area of the plunger of the corresponding pogo pin in the plane of the second side. The light emitting diode lighting strip assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first compressible conductive member and the second compressible conductive member extend from the first light emitting diode The second side of the plate or the second side of the second light emitting diode plate extends at least about 0.9 mm. The light emitting diode lighting strip assembly of claim 1, further comprising: at least one first hole located in the first area of the third printed circuit board substrate of the interconnection board, at least A second hole located in the second area of the third printed circuit board substrate of the interconnect board, located in the first light emitting diode board and connected to all the holes located on the interconnect board at least one hole aligned with the at least one first hole in the first region of the third printed circuit board substrate; and in the second light emitting diode board and with the at least one hole in the interconnect board The at least one hole in the second region of the third printed circuit board substrate is aligned with the at least one second hole. The light emitting diode lighting strip assembly of claim 1, wherein the height of the light emitting diode lighting strip assembly is less than about 5.5 mm. The light emitting diode lighting strip assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first compressible conductive members and each of the second compressible conductive members are spring loaded pins. The light emitting diode lighting strip assembly of claim 1, wherein the width of the end portion of the first light emitting diode plate and the end portion of the second light emitting diode plate The widths of the sections are all less than about 12 mm. The light-emitting diode lighting strip assembly of claim 1, wherein a center-to-center spacing of light-emitting diodes in each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes is less than or equal to about 12 mm. A printed circuit board (PCB) interconnect assembly comprising: a first board comprising: a first printed circuit board substrate having a first side and opposite the first side of the first printed circuit board substrate and a plurality of first compressible conductive members, each of the plurality of first compressible conductive members the first compressible conductive member extends outwardly from the second side of the first printed circuit board substrate; a second board comprising: a second printed circuit board substrate having a first side and a a second side of the printed circuit board substrate opposite the first side, and a plurality of second compressible conductive members, each of the second compressible conductive members from the plurality of second compressible conductive members The second side of the second printed circuit board substrate extends outward, wherein each of the second compressible conductive members is at the first side of the second compressible conductive member facing away from the second board an outer surface on one side of the side; and an interconnect board including a third printed circuit board substrate having a first area and a second area, the third printed circuit board substrate including: a plurality of first conductive pads, on a first side of the third printed circuit board substrate and within the first region of the third printed circuit board substrate, and a plurality of second conductive pads on the third printed circuit board on the first side of the substrate and within the second region of the third printed circuit board substrate, wherein each first conductive pad is electrically connected to the second through conductive traces of the interconnect board At least one of the pads is electrically connected, wherein: each of the first compressible conductive members of the first plate is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the first conductive pads, each of the second plates Each of the second compressible conductive members is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the plurality of second conductive pads, and when each of the first compressible conductive members of the first plate is in contact with the first the printed circuit board when a corresponding one of the conductive pads is in conductive contact and each of the second compressible conductive members of the second board is in conductive contact with a corresponding one of the second conductive pads The height of the interconnect assembly is approximately equal to the sum of the following values: the thickness of the third printed circuit board substrate of the interconnect board, and the greater of the height of the first board and the height of the second board. The printed circuit board interconnect assembly of claim 9, wherein the first and second compressible conductive members are pogo pins, and the plurality of first conductive pads and all Each conductive pad of the plurality of second conductive pads has an area at least larger than a corresponding spring in the plane of the second side of the first plate or the second plate on which the pogo pins are mounted The cross-sectional area of the plunger of the needle. The printed circuit board interconnect assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the first compressible conductive member and the second compressible conductive member extend from the second side of the first board Or the second side of the second plate extends at least about 0.9 mm. The printed circuit board interconnect assembly of claim 9, further comprising: at least one first hole located in the first region of the third printed circuit board substrate of the interconnect board, at least one a second hole located in the second area of the third printed circuit board substrate of the interconnection board, located in the first board and connected to the third printed circuit board located on the interconnection board at least one hole in the first region of the board substrate aligned with the at least one first hole; and in the second board and with the third printed circuit board substrate in the interconnect board The at least one hole in the second region is aligned with the at least one second hole. The printed circuit board interconnect assembly of claim 9, wherein the height of the printed circuit board interconnect assembly is less than about 5.5 mm. The printed circuit board interconnect assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the first compressible conductive members and each of the second compressible conductive members are spring loaded pins. The printed circuit board interconnect assembly of claim 9, wherein the first Both the width of the plate and the width of the second plate are less than about 12 mm. A method of assembling a light emitting diode lighting strip assembly, comprising: placing an interconnect board having a first printed circuit board (PCB) substrate on a support structure, wherein: the first printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a first conductive a pad and a second conductive pad, the first conductive pad being located on the first side of the first printed circuit board substrate in a first area of the first printed circuit board substrate, the second conductive pad a pad is located on the first side of the first printed circuit board substrate, within a second area of the first printed circuit board substrate, and the first conductive pad passes through conductive traces of the interconnect board a wire is electrically connected to the second conductive pad; placing a first light emitting diode board having a second printed circuit board substrate, wherein one or more light emitting diodes are located on a first side of the second printed circuit board substrate , such that a second side of the second printed circuit board substrate opposite the first side of the second printed circuit board substrate is adjacent to the first side of the first printed circuit board substrate of the interconnect board one side and bringing a first compressible conductive member extending outward from the second side of the first light emitting diode plate in conductive contact with the first conductive pad; placing a first compressible conductive member having a third printed circuit board substrate Two light-emitting diode boards, wherein one or more light-emitting diodes are located on a first side of the third printed circuit board substrate such that all the The second side of the third printed circuit board substrate is adjacent to the first side of the first printed circuit board substrate, and the second side extending outward from the second side of the second light emitting diode plate two compressible conductive members in conductive contact with the second conductive pad; and applying one or more pressures to the first light emitting diode plate and the second light emitting diode plate to press the second light emitting diode plate A light emitting diode plate and the second light emitting diode plate are mechanically coupled to at least one of the interconnection plate or support structure. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second compressible conductive members are pogo pins, and the first and second conductive pads are The area of each conductive pad of the pad is at least larger than the corresponding spring in the plane of the second side of the first LED board or the second LED board on which the pogo pins are mounted The cross-sectional area of the plunger of the needle. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second compressible conductive members emit light from the second side or the second side of the first light emitting diode plate The second side of the diode plate extends at least about 0.9 mm. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more light emitting diodes of the first light emitting diode panel and the one or more light emitting diodes of the second light emitting diode panel The center-to-center spacing is less than or equal to about 12 mm. The method of claim 16, wherein when the first compressible conductive member of the first light emitting diode plate is in conductive contact with the first conductive pad, and the second light emitting diode When the second compressible conductive member of the board is in conductive contact with the second conductive pad, the height of the LED lighting strip assembly is substantially equal to the sum of: The thickness of the first printed circuit board substrate, and the greater of the height of the first LED board and the height of the second LED board.

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