Patent ID: 7795632

Claim:
A method of making a unitary LED and light guide assembly ( 10 ) comprising the steps of: forming first and second electrically isolated power input leads ( 16 , 20 ); securing an LED ( 12 ) with an output surface ( 14 ) to one of said first and second electrically isolated power input leads; electrically connecting said LED to the other of said electrically isolated power input leads to form a subassembly ( 50 ); placing said subassembly ( 50 ) in a mold; and molding a unitary light guide ( 24 ) about said subassembly ( 50 ) and further including the steps of providing said unitary light guide ( 24 ) with an axially extending, light transmissive guide body ( 26 ) using total internal reflection, said guide body ( 26 ) having a light output window ( 28 ), an input window ( 30 ) formed to capture substantially all the light emitted by the LED ( 12 ) at said output surface ( 14 ); and molding the unitary light guide ( 24 ) about said subassembly ( 50 ) to provide an integral support ( 32 ) enveloping at least a portion of a first surface ( 16 a ) and a second surface ( 16 b ) of said first power input lead ( 16 ) and a first surface ( 20 a ) and a second surface ( 20 b ) of said second power input (lead 20 ) to anchor said guide body ( 26 ) with respect to the electrically isolated power inputs ( 16 , 20 ) and molding a base coupling ( 38 ) formed to frictionally engage a recess ( 110 ) in a substrate ( 100 ).