# US 7,044,620 B2 · LED assembly with reverse circuit board

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- Number: US 7,044,620 B2
- Document ID: US7044620B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/836,479
- Filed: 2004-04-30
- Published: 2005-11-03
- Granted: 2006-05-16
- Earliest claimed: 2004-04-30
- Assignees: Guide Corporation
- Inventors: Paul D. Van Duyn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7044620B2

## CPC

- F21S 41/153: arranged in a matrix
- H05K 1/182: associated with components mounted in printed circuit boards [PCB], e.g. insert-mounted components [IMC]
- F21S 41/141: Light emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S 41/192: {Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors}
- F21S 41/30: characterised by reflectors
- F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S 43/15: Strips of light sources
- F21S 43/195: {Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors}
- F21S 43/30: characterised by reflectors
- F21S 45/47: Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
- F21V 29/75: with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
- F21V 29/763: {the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis}
- F21S 41/32: Optical layout thereof
- F21S 43/31: Optical layout thereof
- F21V 19/001: {the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs}
- F21W 2107/10: for land vehicles
- F21Y 2103/10: comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H05K 1/0203: {Cooling of mounted components (H05K1/0272 takes precedence)}
- H05K 2201/10106: Light emitting diode [LED]
- H05K 2201/10477: Inverted
- H05K 2201/1056: Metal over component, i.e. metal plate over component mounted on or embedded in PCB
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A lamp assembly and methods of assembling the lamp assembly are provided. The lamp assembly comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having a face surface, a rear surface opposite the face surface, electrical traces on the rear surface, and an opening extending from the face surface to the rear surface, and a light emitting diode (LED) emitter having a dome portion, a body, and a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the body, wherein the body of the LED emitter is adjacent the rear surface, the dome portion of the LED emitter extends through the opening in the PCB to the face surface, and the electrical terminals are connected to the electrical traces on the rear surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lamp assembly comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) having a face surface, a rear surface opposite the face surface, electrical traces on the rear surface, and an opening extending from the face surface to the rear surface, the PCB configured to permit passage of light rays in a 160° conical manner about an optical axis of a light emitting diode (LED) emitter,
the light emitting diode LED emitter having a dome portion extending through the opening in the PCB to the face surface, a body adjacent to the rear surface, at least one electrical terminal connected to the body and the electrical traces on the rear surface, and the optical axis that extends away from the body and through the dome portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising
a heat slug connected to the body of the LED emitter, and
a heat sink having a portion adjacent the rear surface of the PCB and in contact with the heat slug.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the heat sink is provided with a plurality of fins.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the opening is sized to be only slightly wider than dome portion, and the dome portion is the only portion of the LED emitter readily visible from the face surface of the PCB.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The lamp assembly of claim 4 wherein the PCB is no more than 0.6 mm thick.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the PCB has a plurality of additional openings extending from the face surface to the rear surface, and further comprising a plurality of additional LED emitters, each additional LED emitter having a dome portion, a body, and a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the body, wherein the body of each of the additional LED emitters is adjacent the rear surface, the dome portion of each of the additional LED emitters extends through the opening in the PCB to the face surface, and the electrical terminals of each of the additional LED emitters are connected to the electrical traces on the rear surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The lamp assembly of claim 6 wherein each opening is sized to be only slightly wider than each respective dome portion, and the dome portions are the only portions of the LED emitters readily visible from the face surface of the PCB.

### Claim 8

A method of assembling an LED lamp assembly comprising the steps of
providing an assembly fixture having a support surface,
placing a printed circuit board (PCB) into the assembly fixture, the PCB having a face surface, a rear surface opposite the face surface, electrical traces on the rear surface, and an opening extending from the face surface to the rear surface, the face surface placed against the support surface,
providing a light emitting diode (LED) having a dome portion, a body, a plurality of electrical terminals, and an optical axis extending away from the body,
placing the dome portion through the opening in the PCB, with the body remaining adjacent the rear surface of the PCB, so that the PCB permits passage of light rays emitted in a 160° conical manner about the optical axis of the LED, and
attaching the electrical terminals to the electrical traces to create the LED lamp assembly.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:
placing a heat sink into the assembly fixture, and
fixing the heat sink to the LED lamp assembly.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the PCB is thin, and the heat sink provides rigidity to the structure to minimize fracturing the electrical terminals from the electrical traces.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the support surface is generally planer and has a recess for receiving a part of the dome portion that extends beyond the face surface of the PCB.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the assembly fixture has sides configured to provide alignment of the PCB and the heat sink.

### Claim 13

An automotive lamp assembly comprising:
a printed circuit board having a face surface and a rear surface with at least one hole extending through the printed circuit board from the face surface to the rear surface and with a plurality of electrical traces on the rear surface of the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board configured to permit passage of light rays in a 160° conical manner about an optical axis of at least one light emitting diode (LED);
the at least one LED having a top lens, positioned in the at least one hole and extending through the face surface two electrical terminals connected to the electrical traces on the rear surface of the printed circuit board, and the optical axis extending away from a body adjacent to the rear surface and through the top lens extending through the at least one hole to the face surface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The automotive lamp assembly of claim 13 further comprising a heat sink connected to the at least one LED.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The automotive lamp assembly of claim 14 wherein the heat sink includes a first recess for receiving the at least one LED.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The automotive lamp assembly of claim 15 further comprising a second recess for receiving the printed circuit board.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The automotive lamp assembly of claim 15 wherein at least one LED is secured to the first recess for receiving the at least one LED.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The automotive lamp assembly of claim 14 wherein the printed circuit board is secured to the heat sink.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The automotive Lamp assembly of claim 13 further comprising a reflector positioned upon the face surface of the printed circuit board.