Carrier, primarily for light emitting diode

Details Carrier, primarily for light emitting diode Carrier, primarily for light emitting diode

2000-02-22

2001-11-13

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With vitreous-type envelope

Having only two duplicate contacts arranged bilaterally...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06315612

ABSTRACT:

Many products are fitted with so-called wedge based lamps whose filament lead wires emerge from glass to allow direct push contact of the filament lead wires with associated electrical circuitry.
There would be advantages, in terms of longer life and greater mechanical reliability, in utilising light emitting diodes rather than wedge based lamps.
An aim of the present invention, therefore, is to enable a light emitting diode to simulate a wedge based lamp in its connection with the associated electrical circuitry.
This aim is achieved by the provision of a carrier which, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a body and a pair of holes which extend through the body away from a face against which a light emitting diode may be placed towards a pair of supports over which respective lead wires of the light emitting diode may be bent.
Preferably, the carrier is shaped so that the face against which a light emitting diode is to be placed is generally planar, and manipulating the respective lead wires is then sufficient to hold the light emitting diode in place.
Preferably, the carrier is provided with a tubular member between the supports for facilitating the mounting of a pair of light emitting diodes in series and, preferably, the carrier is shaped so that a free end of each of the supports is formed with a respective groove.
It is desirable for the carrier to be provided with means for indicating the polarization of a light emitting diode.
The need to know the polarization of the light emitting diode arises from the need to avoid damage resulting from incorrect powering of the light emitting diode which would occur if the light emitting diode was incorrectly connected to its associated electrical circuitry.
It is therefore also desirable for the carrier to be provided with means for preventing incorrect mounting of the carrier.
In fact, in one arrangement, the means for indicating the polarization of the light emitting diode is further utilised as the means for preventing the incorrect mounting of the carrier.
More particularly, a protrusion provided by the carrier may both indicate the polarization of the light emitting diode and engage with either a keyway or an abutment provided by a component with which the carrier is to be associated.
A keyway could allow the carrier to be located in its then current orientation by allowing the protrusion to enter the keyway when correctly orientated whereas an abutment could prevent the carrier from being located in its then current orientation by abutment with the protrusion when incorrectly orientated.
In an alternative arrangement, said protrusion could be replaced by a slot or the like for engagement with a rib or the like on said associated component.
More generally, said protrusion could be supplemented or replaced by a part of the carrier such as a (further) slot or a (further) protrusion which is not primarily intended to indicate the polarization of the light emitting diode but is primarily intended to prevent incorrect mounting of the carrier with said associated component.
Thus, in a preferred arrangement, the protrusion primarily intended to indicate polarization is distinct from the protrusion primarily intended to prevent incorrect mounting.
Preferably, the carrier is integrally formed of an insulating material, for example by plastics moulding.
In many applications there are advantages in using light emitting diodes because they take much less power than lamps and there is therefor a lower drain on a power source such as a battery.
One very useful application would be to replace the hazard warning lights on a car or other vehicle. This may be a direct replacement for the indicator bulbs or be physically provided with the indicator bulbs but connected to the hazard warning system. Either way when the vehicle breaks down the hazard warning lights would flash with only minimal drain on the battery.
The fact that the carrier emulates a wedge based lamp means that there is a choice as to which to fit.
For instance, the less expensive models of a car could be fitted with wedge based lamps whereas the more expensive models could be fitted with light emitting diodes.
Another very useful application, again for cars or other vehicles, could be to replace the bulbs in an instrument panel by light emitting diodes on carriers, which would have the benefit of requiring simpler drive circuits as well as less power for the drive circuits.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2343675 (1944-03-01), Kenyon
patent: 3206713 (1965-09-01), Horan
patent: 5057982 (1991-10-01), Hanami
patent: 5160200 (1992-11-01), Cheslske
patent: 5378158 (1995-01-01), Owen
patent: 6109764 (2000-08-01), Shu
patent: 2 145 577 A (1985-03-01), None

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