Flexible LED Light Strip for a Bicycle and Method for Making the Same

摘要

An integrally-formed single-piece flexible light strip includes a substrate populated with at least one LED light circuit. A clear flexible plastic housing is molded around the LED light circuit to completely encapsulate the light circuit. A flexible electrical cable and contoured strain relief for the electrical cable are also integrally formed as part of the light strip to maintain complete environmental and physical protection and eliminate any non-flexible portions of the light strip such as when a connector is used. The light strip is manufactured in a cost efficient manner, and is impervious to moisture penetration and highly resistant to physical damage, thereby allowing the light strip to be used in a variety of applications and environments. The shape of the illustrated light strip is specially designed for attachment to the round tubing of a bicycle frame. The light strip includes an electrical circuit allowing a reduction in the number of wires between the strip and its associated external control and power.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing an encapsulated flexible LED light strip comprising the steps of:
placing a flexible substrate including an LED light circuit having at least three spaced-apart LED lights into a cavity mold such that support tabs of the LED light circuit are located on ledges of the cavity mold to support the LED light circuit and fix the position of the LED light circuit in three dimensions within the cavity mold; extending at least one flexible electrical cable from the LED light circuit and out of the cavity mold; supplying a flexible plastic material into the cavity to mold a flexible housing about the LED light circuit for fully encapsulating the LED light circuit on all sides to form a seamless substantially voidless barrier with the at least one flexible electrical cable extending from the LED light circuit and out through the molded flexible housing; and removing the molded flexible housing with the flexible substrate from the cavity mold.