Assembly with resilient housing to bias conductor

An assembly with a conductor held by a resilient housing in which a PCB and/or a battery is held by an interference fit in a cavity of the resilient housing wherein insertion of the item so held forms an interference fit that forces the conductor into an electrical contact with a conductive member of the PCB and causes the resilient housing to bias the conductor against the conductive member of the PCB. The conductor does not need to be resilient. A switch can also be held by an interference fit with the resilient housing and unique channels in the resilient housing, formed by at least one rib connected to a top and a bottom of the housing, can be independently resilient.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of solder-less electrical assemblies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrical assemblies have long used lead solder to help make and keep electrical connections. However, use of solder, and especially lead solder, has come under increasing criticism due to environmental concerns.

The present invention is especially well-suited for, but not limited to use in, footwear, wearing apparel and toys. For an electrical assembly to be useful in such fields it must be compact and inexpensive to manufacture. This means that both the number of parts, as well as the number of manufacturing steps, must be kept to the bare minimum if one is to be competitive in the world today.

The present invention advances simple, compact and easy to manufacture electrical assemblies that are well-suited for use in a variety of applications, including footwear, apparel and toys.

The present invention improves upon prior inventions of the same inventor, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,147,337 and 8,004,856.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to an assembly with a conductor held by a resilient housing in which a PCB and/or a battery is held by an interference fit in a cavity of the resilient housing wherein insertion of the item so held forms an interference fit that forces the conductor into an electrical contact with a conductive member of the PCB and causes the resilient housing to bias the conductor against the conductive member of the PCB. The conductor does not need to be resilient. A switch can also be held by an interference fit with the resilient housing and unique channels in the resilient housing, formed by at least one rib connected to a top and a bottom of the housing, can be independently resilient.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved solder-less assembly.

This and further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art in connection with the drawings and the detailed description of the invention set forth below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention details how various parts can easily be assembled without the use of solder. Although not limited to a final assembly, the present invention is especially well suited to assembly of a package useful for controlling lighting of multiple light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) through movement, which itself is useful in a variety of products, such as, for example, footwear, clothing and toys. It bears note, however, that techniques and assemblies described herein in connection with such usage can be applied to many additional fields.

In the Figures and the following description, number designations indicate various features of the invention, with like number designations referring to like features throughout both the drawings and the description. Although the Figures are described in greater detail below, the following is a glossary of the elements identified in the Figures.

GLOSSARY

FIG. 1illustrates an assembly, shown generally as1, that has multiple subcomponents that are assembled together—one or more batteries10, a battery block11, a switch assembly20, a PCB30, a ribbon block assembly40, and two conductors,15and16. The ribbon block assembly40may have its own subassemblies attached to its other end, and/or support multiple LEDs in parallel, as will be discussed below.

Battery10, in an especially preferred embodiment, is a lithium 3 volt button cell battery. This type of battery allows positive electrical contact to be made with its upper negative surface10nand positive electrical contact to be made with either its side surfaces10sor its bottom surface10b. In an alternative embodiment, more than one battery can be stacked on top of each other.

Battery block11, shown inFIGS. 3-5, in an especially preferred embodiment, is molded from resilient material, such as plastic. Two conductors,15and16, are attached to battery block11in either one or two assembly steps. Conductors15and16can be forced through a wall of battery block11or preformed holes or pilot holes (not shown) can be used to assist in this assembly step. Conductors15and16, which might be thought of as resembling u-shaped staples, are made of electrically conductive materials and each has two leads that extend down into an interior cavity of battery block where they will make electrical contact as is described later. In one embodiment of the invention, conductors15and16are staples that are assembled by a stapling step.

After conductors15and16have been assembled to battery block11, battery10is inserted into battery opening12formed in battery block11where it will be held in place by an interference fit. During insertion of battery10into battery opening12, first lead15.1of conductor15will come into contact with negative surface10nof battery10and be bent over due to the insertion process (seeFIG. 6) to secure electrical contact with the battery. Bending first lead15.1, in an especially preferred embodiment, also assists with creating a more secure interference fit to hold battery10in place due to resiliency of the battery block material which forces now bent first lead15.1against battery10. During the same insertion step first lead16.1of conductor16will make positive electrical contact with battery10and, in an especially preferred embodiment, the electrical contact will be made with a side surface10sof battery10. Making electrical contact with side surface10sis especially preferred because it allows both conductors15and16to be assembled to the same surface of battery block11, although conductor16could alternatively be assembled to a bottom surface and make electrical contact with bottom surface10bof battery10in the same manner as was done with electrical conductor15and negative surface10n.

FIGS. 3-5show an especially preferred embodiment of the present invention in which three columns or ribs13help stabilize battery block10when a PCB30is inserted into PCB opening19in battery block11. Each column13provides structural support to prevent top surface17from bowing away from bottom surface18, thus helping to maintain electrical contacts with PCB30, and PCB30has channels (seeFIG. 4) that are designed to receive columns13to provide a mating fit. In an especially preferred embodiment, each frictionally formed electrical lead (e.g.,15.1and16.1) is supported by its own unique channel of resilient housing formed by at least one column13and each unique channel is independently resilient.

After battery10is inserted into battery block11, switch assembly20can be assembled to battery block11. Switch assembly20can be designed so that it fits into an opening in battery block11and can be held in place by an interference fit. Switch assembly20has first and second switch assembly leads20.1and20.2that extend into PCB opening19in battery block11. Switch assembly20can be constructed so that it extends above battery block11, as shown inFIG. 1, although it is preferable that the top of switch assembly20is flush with battery block11so as to make a more compact assembled module. Also, althoughFIG. 1shows the opening in which switch assembly block20is inserted has three sides, it need not be so, and could instead be a four-sided opening formed near the end of battery block11where PCB30is inserted. The details of switch assembly20are not critical to the present invention, and any number of different switch assemblies can be used, an example of which is U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,577, the details of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference.

After switch assembly20has been assembled to battery block11(seeFIG. 1), PCB30is inserted into PCB opening19. PCB30can carry a variety of electronics, shown generally as33, to control electrical function of electrical assembly1. (Electronics33can include, but do not necessarily need to include, a microprocessor.) Electronics33can be pre-mounted on PCB30before PCB is assembled to battery block11. PCB30has multiple conductive traces32aligned so that when PCB30is inserted into PCB opening19they will make electrical contact with second lead15.2of conductor15, second lead16.2of conductor16, and first and second switch assembly leads20.1and20.2, and it is especially preferred that insertion of PCB30causes leads15.2and16.2to bend over so as to secure electrical contact and also assist with creating an interference fit. PCB30, in an especially preferred embodiment, has a radius31(FIG. 4) that increases the surface area for contact and PCB30is held within battery block11by an interference fit. Because battery block11is made of a resilient material, once PCB30has been inserted into PCB opening19and the four leads are electrically connected, the housing will bias the leads, each in its own unique channel, against their respective conductive members of PCB30. PCB30can also have either male or female mating members (not shown) designed to mate in a snap fit fashion with corresponding female or male mating members in either or both of battery block11and ribbon block41. Alternatively, and in an especially preferred embodiment, PCB30does not have any male or female mating members and, instead, battery block11and ribbon block41snap fit together, holding PCB30inside, so as to create a small, self-contained module that can be used, for example, in footwear, clothing and other uses. Such a module can have transparent or translucent walls and also contain one or more LEDs positioned within such walls that can be seen through the walls when the module is appropriately positioned in footwear, clothing or the like.

After PCB30is inserted into PCB opening19of battery block11it is then inserted into PCB opening42of ribbon block41, although the order of such assembly steps can be reversed.

Ribbon block assembly40is an assembly of ribbon block41and ribbon wire assembly50. Ribbon wire assembly50has at least one conductive wire51, and usually groups of multiple conductive wires51, each of which has an insulative covering52surrounding it, with a portion of insulative covering52being stripped away (shown as53inFIG. 7) so as to allow electrical contact to be made with the conductive wire. It is especially preferred that insulative covering52is only stripped away where electrical contact is to be made with the conductive wire and the back half of insulative covering52remains in place, as such back covering will assist in making a more secure electrical contact upon assembly when it is compressed by a forced connection between the exposed area of the conductive wire and the electrical conductor member to which it is being electrically connected.

Ribbon block assembly40is inserted into ribbon opening43of ribbon block41where it is held in place by an interference fit. Once PCB30is fully inserted into PCB opening42, conductive traces32will make electrical contact with conductive wires51at exposed portions53of insulative covering52(seeFIG. 6). It has been found that such electrical contact can be made without the need to use through hole PCB connections, which reduces the cost of the PCB30needed in accordance with the present invention, by causing the exposed conductive wire to be bent over a top of PCB30. (While it has been found that through hole PCB connections are not required for use with ribbon wire LEDs, to be described later, there may be other uses of electrical assemblies in which through hole PCB connections might be desirous, and such a possibility would still be within the scope of the present invention). It also bears note that the electrical connections formed between PCB30and both battery10and switch assembly20also do not require the use of through hole PCB connections. Finally, in an especially preferred embodiment, instead of stripping insulative covering52away, a slit is made in insulative covering52and then electrical contact is made between a conductive wire and a conductive trace32of a top surface of PCB30, as is illustrated inFIGS. 6A-6C.

Electrical assembly1of the present invention has many distinct advantages.

One major advantage of electrical assembly1is that it can be assembled without the use of any solder. This represents a significant advantage, especially as there is more and more concern about environmental effects of solder.

Another major advantage of electrical assembly1is ease of manufacturing and assembly, which greatly reduces cost. Because solder is not required, no soldering iron steps are required, thus reducing cost. Also, electrical assembly1can be manufactured from subcomponents with just six assembly steps without using separate connecting parts, which greatly reduces its cost of manufacture. In a similar fashion, multiple PCBs can be electrically connected together in a single electrical assembly in which multiple PCBS are interconnected by use of one or more ribbon block assemblies.

Electrical assembly1is particularly well suited for use in applications where it can be used to power LEDs, some examples of which include footwear, clothing and strings of LEDs. In such a use one or more LEDs60can be assembled to electrical assembly1, without the use of solder, by using a wire block assembly for each LED, which will now be described.

Each LED60can be assembled to its own pair of conductive wires51or multiple LEDs can be assembled on a single pair of conductive wires51(seeFIG. 8). In an especially preferred embodiment of the present invention, LED leads end with a sharp pin point62(seeFIG. 13) which is useful in piercing an insulative covering52of conductive wires51.

In accordance with an especially preferred embodiment of the present invention, an LED block70(seeFIG. 10) has a wire hole71into which a pair of conductive wires51for a single LED60is inserted. In an especially preferred embodiment, illustrated inFIGS. 9 and 10, LED block70has a stress reliever74that extends outwardly around wire hole71to lessen stress that might otherwise be exerted upon a pair of conductive wires51inserted into LED block70. When multiple LED blocks70are to be used on a pair of conductive wires51, the blocks can be aligned along the pair of conductive wires51before LEDs70are inserted into each LED block70. Because multiple LED blocks70can be used on a single pair of conductive wires51, a large number of LEDs70can be supported by a single electrical assembly. For example, electrical assembly1can be used to support a ribbon block assembly40that has four pairs of conductive wires51, each of which has up to nine (or more) LED blocks70, which means the total assembly can support36or more LEDs, in a very inexpensive, yet reliable, assembly.

After a pair of conductive wires51is firmly in place in an LED block70, first and second LED leads61.1and61.2of an LED60are each brought down and inserted into LED lead cavities72of LED block70. LED lead cavities72can be designed to adjust the spacing of LED leads61.1and61.2and self-align them for insertion into a pair of conductive wires51. Such self-alignment can be accomplished, for example, by forcing LED leads61.1and61.2together by narrowing the width of LED lead cavities72when the width between LED leads61.1and61.2is greater than the width of the pair of conductive wires51where they will make contact (seeFIG. 13a). Also, if the width of the LED leads61.1and61.2is narrower than the width of the pair of conductive wires51, then LED lead cavities72could be used to force LED leads61.1and61.2further apart and into alignment. As noted earlier, each lead61.1and61.2has a sharp pin point62that facilitates insertion of the leads through insulative covering52of conductive wires51. Wire hole71and LED lead cavities72, in an especially preferred embodiment (seeFIG. 13), intersect at a right angle. Alternatively, the angle can vary (seeFIGS. 11 and 12), or wire hole71and LED lead cavities72can even meet straight on (seeFIG. 16), although such configurations are not preferred.

Accordingly, the present invention allows many LEDs to be used in a variety of applications without the need for any solder whatsoever and such construction can be achieved by a simple assembly process that greatly reduces manufacturing cost. This represents a significant advantage over prior art techniques, especially when many LEDs are being combined and electrically connected in parallel on a single pair of conductive wires51.

So far the present disclosure has disclosed how a number of sub-assemblies can be assembled quickly, simply, and economically without the use of solder. A further embodiment will now be disclosed in which electrical assembly1is placed inside of an outer case100which can conveniently be constructed of plastic. As illustrated inFIG. 2, outer case100has case bottom102in which electrical assembly1is placed and case cover101which is then closed complete a sealed case. In an especially preferred embodiment, either case cover101or case bottom102has one or male members103designed to mate with counterpart one or more female members104found in its opposite member. The mating of one or more male and female members serves as an alignment guide as well as increasing structural integrity of a sealed case. After electrical assembly1is inserted into case bottom102and case cover101is closed, the case can be sonic welded. Wires50extend out of the sealed case, with the case acting both to insulate electrical assembly1and also to help insure the structural integrity of ribbon block assembly40which is now bent over ninety degrees by closing of case cover101and held in place by the sonic welding (seeFIG. 2). (It is also further possible that sonic welding can cause insulative covering52of conductive wires51to weld to the parts of case100, thus creating an even stronger bond, and making it less likely for ribbon wire assembly50to move in future use.)

Accordingly, the present invention discloses a simple, cost-effective electrical assembly and process of manufacture that is environmentally friendly and, in an especially preferred embodiment, well suited for use with LEDs. Moreover, the electrical assembly is compact and sturdy and well suited for use in a variety of applications, including for use in footwear and clothing.

Although the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art. For example, it is possible to connect multiple electrical assemblies1together so that a single switch assembly20triggers multiple chains of LEDs to activate at the same time. Such an assembly will be particularly useful for footwear and other applications where size and cost is important, but it is desired that a large number of LEDs (e.g., twelve), light at the same time. In addition, it is possible that multiple batteries can be aligned next to each other, instead of on top of each other, where there is more concern about vertical height of an assembled unit than horizontal length of the unit. Also, electrical components with multiple leads, instead of LEDs, can be connected to a pair of conductive wires using an electrical component block that applies the principals stated herein to such components. Further modifications are also possible in alternative embodiments without departing from the inventive concept.

Accordingly, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that still further changes and modifications in the actual concepts described herein can readily be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed inventions as defined by the following claims.