Patent ID: 8188503

Claim:
A method of manufacturing an illumination apparatus, the method comprising: providing a generally rigid substrate with a dielectric surface; providing a plurality of circuit units on the dielectric surface, each of the circuit units comprising a positive trace, a negative trace, electrically conductive traces between the positive and negative traces, and at least one light emitting diode (LED), a first one and a second one of the circuit units each comprising a positive contact connected to the corresponding circuit unit positive trace, and a negative contact connected to the corresponding circuit unit negative trace, so as to supply power across the LED, the first positive trace being electrically connected to the positive traces of others of the plurality of circuit units, including the positive trace of the second circuit unit; cutting the generally rigid substrate so that the positive trace of the first circuit unit is disconnected from the positive trace of the second circuit unit, but remains connected to the positive traces of others of the plurality of circuit units; providing at least one power connector configured to receive power from a power supply, the power connector comprising positive and negative power connector contacts adapted to mate with the positive and negative circuit unit contacts of one of said circuit units; and connecting the power connector to the first circuit unit so that the positive and negative power connector contacts mate with the corresponding positive and negative circuit unit contacts; wherein power is supplied to the first circuit unit and at least one other circuit unit that is electrically connected to the first circuit unit.