Patent Application
20220039208
The present invention relates to an electrical connecting portion for a device with a heating function and, more particularly, to an electrical connecting portion for increasing heat-resistant reliability.
Head lamps, tail lamps, turn signals, fog lamps, etc. are generally disposed on transportation and provide illumination and/or alarming effect. In a snowing condition, snow piles on the surface of a lens of a vehicle lamp and, thus, blocks the outputted light beams. Heating devices have now been provided to heat the lens of the vehicle lamp.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,459,848; 8,899,803; 9,709,238; and 10,364,954 disclose vehicle lamps including a heating element on a lens. The heating element can be an electrically conductive metal coating, copper, or transparent conductive oxide and can be linearly distributed on a surface of the lens of the vehicle lamp. The heating element includes an electrical connecting end electrically connected to a circuit board. The heating element generates heat energy to heat the lens of the vehicle lamp through conduction by the electrical connecting end.
Since a larger heat energy is generated at an interconnection between the electrical connecting end of the electrically conductive coating and the circuit board after electrical conduction, the electrically conductive coating at the electrical connecting end is apt to hot melt, leading to a bad connection and unstable electrical conduction, thereby adversely affecting heating of the lens of the vehicle lamp.
An objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical connecting portion for increasing heat-resistant reliability.
An electrical connecting portion for a device with a heating function according to the present invention is a portion of a heating unit of the device. The electrical connecting portion comprises a substrate, two copper layers, and two electrically conductive coating layers. The substrate is made of a light-transmittable material and includes a front face and a rear face. Each of the two copper layers includes at least one first through-hole extending in a front-rear direction. Each of the two electrically conductive coating layers substantially covers a respective one of the two copper layers and is coupled to the front face of the substrate. Each of the two electrically conductive coating layers substantially fills the at least one first through-hole of the respective one of the two copper layers. Furthermore, the two electrically conductive coating layers have an insulating spacing therebetween. The two electrically conductive coating layers are electrically connected to a heating element of the heating unit of the device. The device according to the present invention can be a vehicle lamp, a dashboard, or an alarm sign.
A method is provided for producing the electrical connecting portion of a device with a heating function according to the present invention. The electrical connecting portion is a portion of the heating unit of the device. The method includes the following steps.
In step S1, a substrate is provided. The substrate is transmittable to light and includes a front face and a rear face.
In step S2, two electrically conductive coating layers are disposed. A portion of each of the two electrically conductive coating layers is disposed on the front face of the substrate. After curing, an insulating spacing is formed between the two electrically conductive coating layers, and the two electrically conductive coating layers are electrically connected to a heating element of the heating unit of the device.
In step S3, two copper layers are disposed. Each of the two copper layers has at least one first through-hole extending in the front-rear direction and is disposed on a portion of a respective one of the two electrically conductive coating layers.
In step S4, another portion of each of the two electrically conductive coating layers is disposed on the respective copper layer and substantially fills the at least one through-hole of the respective copper layer. After curing, each of the two copper layers is substantially covered by the respective electrically conductive coating layer.
In an embodiment of the electrical connecting portion according to the present invention, the electrical connecting portion is a portion of a heating unit of the device. The electrical connecting portion comprises a substrate made, two electrically conductive coating layers, and two copper layers. The substrate is made of a light-transmittable material and includes a front face and a rear face. Each of the two electrically conductive coating layers is disposed on the front face of the substrate, and the two electrically conductive coating layers have an insulating spacing therebetween after curing. The two electrically conductive coating layers are electrically connected to a heating element of the heating unit of the device. Furthermore, each of the two copper layers is disposed on a front face of a respective one of two electrically conductive coating layers.
In an example, each of the two electrically conductive coating layers and the substrate have aligned through-holes extending in the front-rear direction, and a fastener extends through the aligned through-holes.
In an embodiment according to the present invention, the electrical connecting portion further comprises two electrical terminals and a fixing member. The fixing member fixes a relative position between the two electrical terminals. Each of the two electrical terminals is disposed on the front face of the respective one of the two electrically conductive coating layers. Furthermore, each of the two electrical terminals, the fixing member, the respective one of the two electrically conductive coating layers, and the substrate have aligned through-holes, and a fastener extends through the aligned through-holes.
The two copper layers of the electrical connecting portion according to the present invention can be more stably coupled to the two electrically conductive coating layers, respectively. Furthermore, the two copper layers and the two electrically conductive coating layers can be respectively connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the power input of the circuit board. Since the two copper layers of the electrical connecting portion according to the present invention are excellent conductors, after the electrical connecting portion is electrically connected, the current flows into the two copper layers and the two electrically conductive coating layers and then flows into the heating element. By the above diversion mechanism, the two copper layers are electrically conductive and reduce the current flowing through the two electrically conductive coating layers to reduce the heat generated by the two electrically conductive coating layers. This prevents hot melting of the two electrically conductive coating layers to thereby increase the electrical connection stability while avoiding bad contact.
The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts.
Additionally, the electrical connecting portion 1 according to the present invention can be in the form of at least one single-wire structure, such as a copper layer 121, an electrically conductive coating layer 13, and a glue layer 122. Preferably, as can be seen in the first and second embodiments according to the present invention, the electrical connecting portion 1 is of a dual-wire structure and can, but not limited to, be used as a positive electrode and a negative electrode. In unrestricted alternative embodiments, the electrical connecting portion 1 is of a single-wire structure and is used with copper plates in the third embodiment according to the present invention or an electrical terminal in the fourth embodiment according to the present invention.
Each of the two copper layers 121 has a front face 123 and a rear face 124. Furthermore, each of the two copper layers 121 has at least one first through-hole 125 extending in a front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the at least one through-hole 125 is circular in cross section (see
Each of the two glue layers 122 is located between a respective one of the two copper layers 121 and a respective one of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13. Each of the two glue layers 122 is coupled to the rear face 124 of the respective cooper layer 121. Furthermore, each of the two glue layers 122 includes at least one second through-hole 126 extending in the front-rear direction and intercommunicating with the at least one first through-hole 125. In this embodiment, the shape of the at least one second through-hole 126 is identical or similar to the shape of the at least one first through-hole 125 or is different from the shape of the at least one first through-hole 125.
Each of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 can be electrically conductive silver paste or other metal in a liquid form. Each of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 substantially covers the respective copper layer 121 and is coupled to the front face 111 of the substrate 11. Furthermore, each of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 substantially fills the at least one first through-hole 125 of the respective copper layer 121 and the at least one second through-hole 126 of the respective glue layer 122. Furthermore, an insulating spacing is defined between the two electrically conductive coating layers 13. The term “substantially covers” used herein means complete covering or partial covering. However, the present invention is not limited in this regard. Furthermore, the term “substantially fills” used herein means complete filling or partial filling, such that a portion of the respective electrically conductive coating layer 13 contiguous to the front face 123 of the respective copper layer 121 can be in electrical connection with a portion of the respective electrically conductive coating layer 13 contiguous to a rear face 122a of the respective glue layer 122. Nevertheless, the present invention is not limited in this regard.
The heating unit 2 of the device according to the present invention includes a substrate 21, a heating element 22, and the electrical connecting portion 1. The substrate 21 of the heating element 2 is connected to the substrate 11 of the electrical connecting portion 1. A portion of the substrate 21 corresponding to the electrical connecting portion 1 permits the electrical connecting portion 1 to bend rearwards. Both the heating element 22 and the electrical connecting portion 1 have the same two electrically conductive coating layers 13. In another embodiment (not shown), the heating element 22 can be made of other material which is electrically conductive for heating purposes, such that the electrical connecting portion 1 and the heating element 22 form an electrically conductive loop. Furthermore, the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 are electrically connected to the heating element 22 of the heating unit 2 of the device.
The heating unit 2 according to the present invention is disposed in a mold 3 as show in
As shown in
In the present invention, the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 and the two copper layers 121 have excellent engaging reliability through coupling of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 and the first through-holes 125 of the two copper layers 121.
With reference to
In step S1, a substrate 11 is provided. The substrate 11 is transmittable to light and includes a front face 111 and a rear face 112.
In step S2, two electrically conductive coating layers 13 are disposed. A portion of each of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 is disposed on the front face 111 of the substrate 11. After curing, an insulating spacing is formed between the two electrically conductive coating layers 13, and the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 are electrically connected to the heating element 22 of the heating unit 2 of the device shown in
In step S2.5, two glue layers 122 are disposed. Each of the two glue layers 122 is disposed on the portion of the respective electrically conductive coating layer 13 that has cured. Each of the two glue layers 122 includes at least one second through-hole 126 extending in the front-rear direction. Step 2.5 is between step S.2 and step S3.
In step S3, two copper layers 121 are disposed. Each of the two glue layers 122 is disposed between the respective copper layer 121 and the respective electrically conductive coating layer 13. Each of the two cooper layers 121 has a front face 123 and a rear face 124. Each of the two glue layers 122 is coupled to the rear face 124 of the respective copper layer 121. Each of the two copper layers 121 has at least one first through-hole 125 extending in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, each of the two copper layers 121 is disposed on the respective glue layer 122 before curing. The at least one through-hole 125 intercommunicates with the at least one second through-hole 126.
In step S4, another portion of each of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 is disposed on the respective copper layer 121 and substantially fills the at least one through-hole 125 of the respective copper layer 121 and the at least one through-hole 126 of the respective glue layer 122. After curing, each of the two copper layers 121 is substantially covered by the respective electrically conductive coating layer 13.
Please refer to
Therefore, only the differences between the first and second embodiments will be described. The two copper layers 121 in step S3 may be disposed on cured portions of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 by sputtering or evaporation. Namely, the second embodiment does not include the two glue layers 122 in this embodiment.
The two copper layers 121 and the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 of the electrical connecting portion 1 according to the present invention can be respectively connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the power input of the circuit board 5. The two copper layers 121 of the electrical connecting portion 1 according to the present invention are excellent conductors. Thus, after the electrical connecting portion 1 is electrically connected, the current flows into the two copper layers 121 and the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 and then flows into the heating element 22. By the above diversion mechanism, the two copper layers 121 are electrically conductive and reduce the current flowing through the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 to reduce the heat generated by the two electrically conductive coating layers 13. This prevents hot melting of the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 to thereby increase the electrical connection stability while avoiding bad contact.
The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the two copper layers 121 of the third embodiment do not include the at least one first through-hole 125 and the at least one second through-hole 126 substantially filled by the two electrically conductive coating layers 13 shown in
The heating unit 2 of this embodiment can be disposed in the mold 3 to be integrally formed with the lens 4 of the device, as shown in
Since the electrical connection portion 1 can adopt the copper layers 121 (such as rolled copper sheets), the drawback of hot melting of electrically conductive coating layers can be avoided while providing improved electrical conduction stability. Furthermore, the copper layers 121 (such as rolled copper sheets) of the electrical connection portion 1 of this embodiment are bendable and, thus, less likely to break, an excellent electrical connection can still be achieved when the electrical connecting portion 1 bends to be inserted into the slot 52 of the electrical connection end 51 of the circuit board 5 shown in
The fixing member 71 is made of insulating material and can be used to fix the relative position between the two electrical terminals 74 while providing insulation between the two electrical terminals 74. Thus, the relative position between the two electrical terminals 74 can be fixed by the fixing member 71 to permit easy subsequent insertion of the two electrical terminals 74 into another two electrical terminals with a fixed relative position therebetween. Each of the two electrical terminals 74 is disposed on the front face 131 of the respective electrically conductive coating layer 13. Furthermore, the fixing member 71 is disposed on top of the two electrical terminals 74. Furthermore, each of the two electrical terminals 74, the respective electrically conductive coating layer 13, the fixing member 71, and the substrate 1 have aligned through-holes 72 extending in the front-rear direction, and a fastener 73 extends through the aligned through-holes 72. In this embodiment, the fastener 73 is a rivet. Nevertheless, the fastener 73 can be a bolt or other element. Furthermore, the two electrical terminals 74 can be placed in a mold, and injection molding can be carried out to form the fixing member 71 for fixing the two electrical terminals 74. Nevertheless, the present invention is not limited in this regard.
The heating unit 2 of this embodiment can be placed in the mold 3 to be integrally formed with the lens 4, as shown in
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications and variations are still possible without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is limited by the accompanying claims.
