# Patent

## Title
Connection method for connection wire structure of direct light bar

## Abstract

A method for connecting direct light bars includes: providing connection wires, each of which has two ends to each of which a copper ring is mounted; providing light bars, each of which includes a wiring board having a first exposed copper zone that has a hole to serve as a circuit connection contact; providing a circuit board that has a second exposed copper zone including a hole to serve as a circuit connection contact; and positioning the two copper rings of each connection wire on the circuit connection contacts of the first and/or second exposed copper zones to be in alignment with the holes so as to allow the two copper rings to be connected to the holes corresponding thereto to establish circuit connection between the copper rings and the corresponding first and/or second exposed copper zones of the circuit board and the wiring boards of the light bars.

## Background
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a divisional application of patent application Ser. No. 13/521,049, “Connection Wire Structure of Direct Light Bar and Connection Method Thereof”, filed on Jul. 7, 2012 and is now U.S. Pat. No. 8,988,889, which is a national stage patent application of PCT application No. PCT/CN2012/076458, filed on Jun. 5, 2012, claiming foreign priority of Chinese application No. 201210174113.4, filed on May 30, 2012. Disclosure of the above is incorporated by reference herein.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technical field of backlighting, and in particular to a connection wire structure of direct light bar and a connection method thereof.
2. The Related Arts
The fast progress of flat display technology in recent years makes liquid crystal displays (LCDs) widely used in various information appliances, communication devices, and consumer products due to various advantages of for example compact size, light weight, high image quality, and low driving voltage. The liquid crystal that is contained in a liquid crystal display panel of an LCD does not posses any light emitting characteristic and thus, a light source device, such as a backlight module, which supplies light of sufficient illumination and uniform distribution to the liquid crystal display panel, must be provided to the liquid crystal display panel of LCD in order to effect adjustment of displaying illumination of the LCD. According to the location of the backlight module relative to the liquid crystal display panel, the backlight module is classified as a direct backlight module that is installed on the back side of the liquid crystal panel and a side-edge backlight module that is arranged at the circumference of the liquid crystal panel.
The fast development of backlighting technique for backlight module brings light-emitting diode (LED) based backlighting into industrialization, gradually taking the place of cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) as the main stream of backlight source for backlight module. Consequently, LEDs are gradually used in the direct backlight module as a backlight source to replace the fluorescent lamps.
In a backlight module that uses LED as a backlight source, LED chips are mounted to a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a printed circuit board (PCB) to make an LED light bar that then serves as a backlight source to be incorporated in a backlight module of liquid crystal display panel. For a conventional direct backlight module, a large number of light bars are used and they are connected to each other through terminals. As shown in FIG. 1, a schematic view of a conventional connection wire structure of direct backlight module is given. The conventional connection wire structure of direct backlight module comprises a plurality of light bars 100, a plurality of wires 200, a circuit board 300, a female connector 301 mounted to the circuit board 300, a female connector 103 mounted to each of the light bar 100 through pick-and-place operation, and a plurality of male connectors 201 for connecting the connection wires 200. The male connector 201 are bonded to the connection wires 200 by using a pick-and-place machine in such a way that each male connector 201 is connected between two connection wires 200 to thereby sequentially connect all the male connectors 201 and the all the connection wires 200 together to form a wire harness. Each light bar 100 comprises a wiring board 102 and a plurality of LED chips 101 mounted to the wiring board 102. The wiring board 102 can be an FPC or a PCB. The light bar 100 also comprises the female connector 103 that is mounted thereto through pick-and-place operation. Through male-female mating engagement in a one-to-one manner, between the male connectors 201 and the female connectors 103 and the female connector 301, the light bars 100, the connection wires 200, and the circuit board 300 are connected to form a loop and thus achieving the backlighting function. This arrangement suffers a severe drawback that increasing or decreasing one light bar 100 would require an increase or decrease of the quantity of male connectors 201 used. Since the male connectors 201 and the connection wires 200 are securely bonded together through pick-and-place operation, such a known arrangement would lead to the conclusion of additional pick-and-place operation must be carried out to make the additional connection wire 200. This causes a waste of wire cost and the shareability of the wire is poor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel connection wire structure of direct light bar and a connection method thereof, which meets the need of shareability of connection wires when the number of light bars is increased or decreased.
To achieve the object, the present invention provides a connection wire structure of direct light bar, which comprises a plurality of light bars, a plurality of connection wires, and a circuit board. Each of the light bars comprises a wiring board that comprises a first exposed copper zone that comprises a hole to serve as a circuit connection contact. The circuit board comprises a second exposed copper zone that comprises a hole to serve as a circuit connection contact. Each of the connection wires has two ends to each of which a copper ring is connected. The two copper rings of each of the connection wires are respectively connected to the first exposed copper zones or the second exposed copper zones corresponding thereto by coupling pieces so as to establish electrical connection.
Wherein, the coupling pieces comprise bolts.
Wherein, the coupling pieces comprise pins.
Wherein, the copper rings are connected to the two ends of each of the connection wires through pick-and-place operation.
The present invention also provides a connection method of direct light bar, comprising the following steps:
(1) mounting a copper ring to each of two ends of each connection wire;
(2) forming a first exposed copper zone that comprises a hole in a wiring board of each light bar to serve as a circuit connection contact;
(3) forming a second exposed copper zone that comprises a hole in a circuit board to serve as a circuit connection contact; and
(4) connecting the two copper rings of each connection wire by coupling pieces to the holes of the first exposed copper zones or the second exposed copper zone corresponding thereto to establish circuit connection.
Wherein, the coupling pieces comprise bolts.
Wherein, the coupling pieces comprise pins.
Wherein, the copper rings are connected to the two ends of each of the connection wires through pick-and-place operation.
The present invention provides a connection wire structure of direct light bar and a connection method thereof, which meet the need of wire sharing in case of increase or decrease of the number of light bars. When the number of light bars is increased or decreased, it can be easily handled by increasing or decreasing one copper ring mounted connection wire. There is no need to carry out an additional pick-and-place operation of making the connection wire harness so that the cost and the pick-and-place operation time are reduced thereby realizing shareability of wires of various types and various quantities.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The technical solution, as well as beneficial advantages, will be apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional connection wire structure of direct light bar;
FIG. 2 is schematic view showing a preferred embodiment of connection wire structure of direct light bar according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in a conduction site of a light bar after the assembling of the embodiment of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a preferred embodiment of connection method of the direct light bar according to the present invention.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of connection wire structure of direct light bar according to the present invention is shown. The connection wire structure of direct light bar according to the present invention comprises a plurality of light bars 1, a plurality of connection wires 2, and a circuit board 3. Each of the light bars 1 comprises a wiring board 12 and a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) chips 11 mounted to the wiring board 12. The wiring board 12 can be a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a printed circuit board (PCB). The wiring board 12 of each light bar 1 comprises a holed exposed copper zone 13 serving as a circuit connection contact. The circuit board 3 comprises a holed exposed copper zone 31 serving as a circuit connection contact. Each connection wire 2 has two ends each connected with a copper ring 21. To assemble, according a predetermined light bar circuit, the copper rings 21 of each connection wire 2 are respectively connected by coupling pieces to the holes of the corresponding exposed copper zones 31, 13 for conduction of circuit. The coupling pieces can be bolts or pins. The copper rings 21 can be mounted to the two ends of each connection wire 2 by a pick-and-place machine.
Referring to FIG. 3, a cross-sectional view taken in a conduction site of a light bar after the assembling of the embodiment of FIG. 2 is given. The coupling piece 4 is inserted into the corresponding copper ring 21 and the hole centered in the exposed copper zone 13 of the wiring board 12 to establish electrical connection.
Referring to FIG. 4, a flow chart showing a preferred embodiment of connection method of the direct light bar according to the present invention is given. The connection method of direct light bar according to the present invention comprises the following steps:
Step 10: mounting a copper ring to each of two ends of each connection wire;
Step 20: forming a first exposed copper zone that comprises a hole in a wiring board of each light bar to serve as a circuit connection contact;
Step 30: forming a second exposed copper zone that comprises a hole in a circuit board to serve as a circuit connection contact; and
Step 40: connecting the two copper rings of each connection wire by coupling pieces to the holes of the first exposed copper zones or the second exposed copper zone corresponding thereto to establish circuit connection.
Compared to the conventional way of connection, the connection method according to the present invention omits the male connectors that are mounted to connection wires and also eliminates the female connectors that are mounted to the circuit board and the light bar so that the cost is greatly saved. A copper ring is mounted to each of two ends of each connection wire and an exposed copper zone that comprises a hole is formed on the site at an end of the circuit board where the female connector was originally located. A center of the copper ring of the connection wire is set alignment with the hole of the exposed copper zone at the end of the circuit board and a pin or a bolt is applied to fix them together to establish electrical connection.
In summary, the present invention provides a connection wire structure of direct light bar and a connection method thereof, which meet the need of wire sharing in case of increase or decrease of the number of light bars. When the number of light bars is increased or decreased, it can be easily handled by increasing or decreasing one copper ring mounted connection wire. There is no need to carry out an additional pick-and-place operation of making the connection wire harness so that the cost and the pick-and-place operation time are reduced thereby realizing shareability of wires of various types and various quantities.
Based on the description given above, those having ordinary skills of the art may easily contemplate various changes and modifications of the technical solution and technical ideas of the present invention and all these changes and modifications are considered within the protection scope of right for the present invention.

## Claims

1. A method for connecting direct light bars, comprising the following steps:
(1) providing a plurality of connection wires, each of which has two ends, including a first end and a second end, to which a first copper ring and a second copper ring are respectively mounted, wherein the first copper ring mounted to the first end comprises a first circular hole and the second copper ring mounted to the second end comprises a second circular hole;
(2) providing a plurality of light bars, each of which comprises a wiring board that comprises a first exposed copper zone that comprises a circular hole to serve as a first circuit connection contact;
(3) providing a circuit board that comprises a second exposed copper zone that comprises a circular hole to serve as a second circuit connection contact; and
(4) positioning the first and second copper rings of each of the connection wires respectively on the circuit connection contacts of the first exposed copper zone and the second exposed copper zone such that the first circular hole is positioned on and in coaxial alignment with the circular hole of the first exposed copper zone and the second circular hole is positioned on and in coaxially alignment with the circular hole of the second exposed copper zone, with a coupling piece received through each of the first circular hole and the circular hole of the circuit board and the second circular hole and the circular hole of the wiring board, respectively, to fix the first circular hole to the circular hole of the circuit board and to fix the second circular hole to the circular hole of the wiring board so as to allow the first and second copper rings to be physically and electrically connected to the first exposed copper zone and the second exposed copper zone to establish circuit connection between the first and second copper rings and the first exposed copper zone and the second exposed copper zone, respectively, such that the circuit board and the wiring boards of the light bars are electrically connected by the connection wires.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling pieces comprise bolts.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling pieces comprise pins.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second copper rings are connected to the first and second ends of each of the connection wires through pick-and-place operations.