Patent Publication Number: US-9903538-B2

Title: Connector for LED module substrate

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The contents of the following Japanese applications are incorporated herein by reference, 
     Japanese Design Application No. 2015-022083 filed on Oct. 7, 2015, and 
     Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-211013 filed on Oct. 27, 2015. 
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a connector used for the electrical connection of a chip-on type LED module substrate. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Chip-on-board (COB) LED module substrates in which LED elements are mounted on substrates have been employed in the field of lighting, etc. 
     In this case, connectors for providing power to the LED module substrates have been used. 
     For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a cover assembly for interposing an LED array (LED module substrate) by causing deflection terminals provided in a cover to be in contact with an anode and a cathode of the LED array and then fixing the cover to a support. 
     However, such a configuration in which the LED module substrate is interposed in the vertical direction between the cover and the support, for example, and fixed with screws has a problem in that a contact pressure of the deflection terminals (connection terminals) in which feeding terminals are elastically in contact with feeding pads of the LED module substrate varies depending on the tightening force of the screws. 
     Alternatively, an upper cover member and a lower cover member may be individually prepared beforehand and an LED module substrate may be interposed between the upper and lower cover members. In such a configuration, the upper cover member and the lower cover member need to be handled separately and therefore need to be packed separately during the transportation thereof. 
     Furthermore, there is a risk of a connection terminal (contact) provided in the upper cover member to be touched unintentionally and thereby deformed. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-118900 
     SUMMARY 
     Technical Problem 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector capable of easily holding, and establishing electrical connection of, an LED module substrate and achieving highly-reliable electrical connection. 
     Solution to Problem 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an LED module substrate connector for holding, and establishing electrical connection of, an LED module substrate includes: a lower cover member for placing the LED module substrate thereon; and an upper cover member pivotally attached to an end of the lower cover member. The upper cover member includes a feeding connection terminal configured to be elastically in contact with a feeding pad provided in the LED module substrate. When the upper cover member is closed relative to the lower cover member with a pivotal movement, the connection terminal elastically connects with a surface of the feeding pad while sliding thereon. 
     Here, the structure for pivotally attaching the upper cover member to the lower cover member is not limited to any particular structure. For example, the upper and lower cover members may be mutually hinged at ends thereof via a hinge structure. 
     Such a hinge structure is also not limited to any particular coupling structure. Axial attachment or pivotal attachment, for example, may be employed. 
     According to the aspect of the present invention, the LED module substrate is placed on the lower cover member and the upper cover member is then closed relative to the lower cover member with a pivotal movement. This allows the LED module substrate to be held by the upper and lower cover members. 
     With this configuration, the feeding connection terminal provided in the upper cover member elastically comes in contact with the surface of the feeding pad in the LED module substrate while sliding thereon along with the pivotal movement of the upper cover member. Thus, a self-cleaning action is exerted on the contact part. 
     At this time, if the connection terminal extends in a direction not perpendicular to a pivotal movement direction of the upper cover member and if a contact part of the connection terminal elastically connects with the surface of the feeding pad while sliding thereon in two directions, i.e., an elastic displacement direction of the connection terminal and the pivotal movement direction of the upper cover member when the upper cover member pivots in a closing direction, a further enhanced self-cleaning action is exerted on the contact part. 
     Here, the phrase “the connection terminal extends in a direction not perpendicular to a pivotal movement direction of the upper cover member” means that if an elastic piece, having a free end with a tip serving as a contact part, extends from a contact provided in the upper cover member for connecting with an external power supply, for example, the extending direction is not perpendicular to the pivot axis direction of the upper cover member. 
     According to the connector of the aspect of the present invention, the upper cover member is pivotally attached to the lower cover member beforehand. This allows the upper and lower cover members to be handled together and prevents the connection terminal provided inside the upper cover member from being unintentionally touched and thereby being deformed. 
     Moreover, along with the pivotal movement of the upper cover member, the connection terminal in the upper cover member connects with the feeding pad in the LED module substrate while sliding thereon. This causes the self-cleaning action and thereby achieves highly-reliable electrical connection. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C   1 D, and  1 E illustrate a configuration example of a connector for an LED module substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1A  shows a state in which an upper cover member is opened.  FIG. 1B  shows a state in which the upper cover member is closed as a transparent view of the upper cover member. FIGS.  1 C and  1 D show movements of connection terminals in contact with feeding pads.  FIG. 1E  is a side transparent view illustrating a state in which the upper cover member is closed. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the upper cover member is opened. 
         FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E  show a positional relationship between the connection terminals and the feeding pads when the upper cover member is closed toward a lower cover member.  FIG. 3A  is a side view thereof.  FIG. 3B  is a plan view thereof.  FIG. 3C  is a side view as seen in a pivot axis direction.  FIGS. 3D and 3E  show movements of the connection terminals. 
         FIG. 4  shows an exploded view in a state in which the upper cover member and the lower cover member are separated from a pivotal attachment part. 
         FIG. 5  shows a state in which the connector is fixed to a heat sink. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     While a configuration example of a connector of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     In the connector of an embodiment of the present invention, an upper cover member  10 , which is pivotable via a hinge structure, is coupled to an end of a lower cover member  20  having an attachment part  21  for placing and attaching an LED module substrate  30  thereon as shown in  FIGS. 1A to 1E and 2 . 
     The hinge structure is not limited to any particular hinge structure. In the present embodiment, however, a pair of pivotal attachment protrusions  22  are disposed, by way of example, so as to face each other at the end of the lower cover member  20 , and a pair of pivotal attachment recesses  12  are provided at a corresponding end of the upper cover member  10  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     With this configuration, the upper cover member  10  can be pivotable with respect to the lower cover member  20  by fitting and pivotally attaching the pivotal attachment protrusions  22  in the lower cover member  20  into and to the pivotal attachment recesses  12  in the upper cover member  10 . 
     Such a pivotal attachment axis is illustrated in  FIG. 1A  as a pivot center O with an alternate long and short dash line. 
     The lower cover member  20  has the attachment part  21  for placing and attaching the LED module substrate  30  thereon. The LED module substrate  30  is attached in the attachment part  21 . 
     The LED module substrate  30  includes: a light-emitting part  31  having a mounted LED element; and feeding pads  32  and  33  for providing power to the mounted LED element. 
     Positioning recesses  34   a  and  34   b  are provided at corner portions of the LED module substrate and positioning protrusions  21   a  and  21   b  are provided at corner portions of the attachment part  21  in the lower cover member  20 , by way of example, so that the attachment positions can be easily found mutually when the LED module substrate  30  is attached to the lower cover member  20 . 
     The upper cover member  10  includes: an opening  11  through which light emitted from the light-emitting part  31  of the LED module substrate  30  can be directed to the outside; and contacts  13  and  14  for connecting to an external power supply via a cable, for example. 
     In the present embodiment, the contacts  13  and  14  include: connection parts  13   b  and  14   b  into which cable cores are inserted for connection; and connection terminals  13   a  and  14   a  each made of an elastic piece in the shape of a plate spring having a free end on a tip side as seen from a main part of the contact, as shown in  FIGS. 3A to 3E . 
     The connection terminals  13   a  and  14   a  are disposed with a predetermined angle (including a case parallel to the direction of the pivotal attachment axis) so that the extending direction of the free end from the base adjacent to the contact main part is not perpendicular to the direction of the pivot center axis (direction of the pivotal attachment axis). 
     Movements of contact parts when the connection terminals  13   a  and  14   a  elastically come into contact with the feeding pads  32  and  33  in the LED module substrate  30  by closing the upper cover member  10  are illustrated in  FIGS. 1C and 3A to 3E . 
     The connection terminals  13   a  and  14   a,  each having the free end, extend as the elastic pieces from the contacts  13  and  14  attached to the upper cover member  10 . Thus, in the present embodiment, the connection terminal  14   a,  positioned closer to the pivot center O, first starts to be elastically in contact with the feeding pad  33 , and then the connection terminal  13   a,  positioned farther away from the pivot center O, starts to be elastically in contact with the feeding pad  32 . 
     Contact parts  113   a  and  114   a  of the connection terminals  13   a  and  14   a  are applied with a sliding force in the elastic displacement direction along with the elastic deformation of the connection terminals and a sliding force displaced in the pivotal movement direction from the pivot center side toward the free end side of the upper cover member  10  due to the pivotal movement of the upper cover member  10  in its closing direction. As the result, the contact parts  113   a  and  114   a  slide in directions indicated by oblique arrows as the vector synthesis of the aforementioned sliding forces. 
     As described above, since the contact parts slide also in the pivotal movement direction other than the elastic displacement direction of the connection terminals  13   a  and  14   a , the contact parts have an enhanced self-cleaning action. 
     Locking parts  23   a  and  23   b  provided in the lower cover member  20  are configured to engage with locked parts  15   a  and  15   b  provided in the upper cover member  10  when the LED module substrate  30  is held by the upper and lower cover members  10  and  20  beforehand and then the upper cover member  10  is closed so that a stable contact pressure can be ensured in the feeding pad part. 
     In order to facilitate opening and closing operations at such time, tabs  24   a  and  24   b  are vertically provided at both side portions of the lower cover member  20  as shown in  FIG. 2 . By doing so, the tabs  24   a  and  24   b  can be easily held with fingers. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the LED module substrate  30  set in the connector is fixed to a heat sink  1 , for example, with fixtures  4   a  and  4   b  such as screws through attachment holes  16   a  and  16   b  provided in the upper cover member  10 . 
     Next, the cores of cables  2  and  3  are connected to the connection parts  13   b  and  14   b  of the contacts  13  and  14  by insertion. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
     
         
           10  upper cover member 
           11  opening 
           12  pivotal attachment recess 
           13  contact 
           13   a  connection terminal 
           14  contact 
           14   a  connection terminal 
           15   a  locked part 
           15   b  locked part 
           20  lower cover member 
           21  attachment part 
           22  pivotal attachment protrusion 
           23   a  locking part 
           23   b  locking part 
           30  LED module substrate 
           31  light-emitting part 
           32  feeding pad 
           33  feeding pad 
         O pivot center