# US 8,465,175 B2 · LED lighting assemblies with thermal overmolding

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- Number: US 8,465,175 B2
- Document ID: US8465175B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/289,672
- Filed: 2005-11-29
- Published: 2007-05-31
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2005-11-29
- Assignees: GE Lighting Solutions, LLC
- Applicants: Jeffrey Nall; Matthew Mrakovich
- Inventors: Jeffrey Nall; Matthew Mrakovich
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465175B2

## CPC

- H05K 1/0203: {Cooling of mounted components (H05K1/0272 takes precedence)}
- F21K 9/90: Methods of manufacture
- F21S 4/10: with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
- F21S 4/20: with light sources held by or within elongate supports
- F21V 3/02: characterised by the shape
- F21V 3/10: characterised by coatings
- F21V 3/12: the coatings comprising photoluminescent substances
- F21V 9/06: for filtering out ultraviolet radiation
- F21V 23/001: {the elements being electrical wires or cables}
- F21V 23/005: {the substrate is supporting also the light source}
- F21V 23/007: {enclosed in a casing}
- F21V 23/023: {Power supplies in a casing (F21V23/003 takes precedence)}
- F21V 29/70: characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
- F21V 29/85: characterised by the material (liquid coolants F21V29/56)
- G09F 9/33: being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
- H05K 1/0209: {External configuration of printed circuit board adapted for heat dissipation, e.g. lay-out of conductors, coatings}
- H05K 1/181: associated with surface mounted components
- H05K 3/284: {for encapsulating mounted components (H05K1/185 takes precedence)}
- H05K 3/32: electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits
- F21V 31/04: Provision of filling media
- F21Y 2101/00: Point-like light sources
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H05K 2201/0129: Thermoplastic polymer, e.g. auto-adhesive layer; Shaping of thermoplastic polymer
- H05K 2201/0209: Inorganic, non-metallic particles
- H05K 2201/10106: Light emitting diode [LED]
- H05K 2203/1316: Moulded encapsulation of mounted components
- Y10T 29/4913: Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
- Y10T 29/49146: with encapsulating, e.g., potting, etc.
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- 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
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

One or more light emitting diode diodes (LEDs) are attached to a printed circuit board. The attached LEDs are connectable with a power source via circuitry of the printed circuit board. An overmolding material is insert molded an over at least portions of the printed circuit board proximate to the LEDs to form a free standing high thermal conductivity material overmolding that covers at least portions of the printed circuit board proximate to the LEDs. The free standing high thermal conductivity material has a melting temperature greater than about 100° C. and has a thermal conductivity greater than or about 1 W/m·K. In some embodiments, the free standing high thermal conductivity material is a thermoplastic material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lighting assembly comprising:
a plurality of lighting assembly modules each including a printed circuit board, one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed on the printed circuit board and connectable with electrical connectors disposed with the printed circuit board via circuitry of the printed circuit board, and a free-standing high thermal conductivity material overmolding that covers at least portions of the printed circuit board proximate to the one or more LEDs, the free-standing high thermal conductivity material having a melting temperature greater than about 100° C. and having a thermal conductivity greater than or about 1 W/m·K; and
flexible electrical conductors interconnecting the lighting assembly modules via the electrical connectors to define a flexible LED-based lighting string.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the circuit boards do not include metal cores.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the free-standing high thermal conductivity material of the overmolding is a thermoplastic material or a thermoset material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the free-standing high thermal conductivity material overmolding has a shape comporting with molding regions defined by an insert mold that is configured to receive the printed circuit board with the one or more LEDs disposed thereon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein each lighting assembly module includes one or more lenses corresponding to and disposed over the one or more LEDs disposed on the printed circuit board, and the free-standing high thermal conductivity material overmolding does not cover at least a portion of each of the one or more lenses.

### Claim 6

A lighting assembly comprising:
a plurality of LEDs;
a plurality of spaced-apart printed circuit boards, the plurality of LEDs being disposed on the spaced-apart printed circuit boards;
a plurality of thermoplastic overmoldings corresponding to the plurality of printed circuit boards, the thermoplastic overmoldings covering at least portions of the corresponding printed circuit boards proximate to the LEDs disposed on the printed circuit boards, the thermoplastic of the thermoplastic overmoldings having a melting temperature greater than about 100° C. and having a thermal conductivity greater than or about 1 W/m·K;
a flexible electrical cable including a plurality of flexible conductors and insulation surrounding the flexible conductors; and
a plurality of insulation-displacing conductors electrically connected with and secured to each printed circuit board, the plurality of insulation-displacing conductors displacing the cable insulation and electrically connecting with flexible conductors so that the plurality of LEDs disposed on the plurality of printed circuit boards are connectable with a power source via circuitry of the printed circuit boards, the insulation-displacing conductors, and the flexible conductors of the flexible electrical cable.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic overmolding of each printed circuit board covers ends of the insulation-displacing connectors secured to the printed circuit board.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the lighting assembly further comprises:
a channel letter housing, the plurality of spaced-apart printed circuit boards and at least a portion of the flexible electrical cable being disposed inside the channel letter housing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic of the thermoplastic overmoldings has a thermal conductivity greater than or about 10 W/m·K.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the circuit boards do not include metal cores.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic overmoldings approximately abut or contact the bases of the LEDs but do not cover light-emitting apertures of the LEDs.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic overmoldings substantially cover both principal sides of the printed circuit boards.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic overmoldings have a shape comporting with molding regions defined by an insert mold that is configured to receive the printed circuit boards with the LEDs disposed thereon.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:
light-transmissive covers disposed over the LEDs, the thermoplastic overmoldings not covering at least a portion of each light-transmissive cover.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The lighting assembly as set forth in claim 14, wherein the light-transmissive covers are lenses disposed over the LEDs.