To this end, DE 100 61 866 A1 discloses an electrical arrangement which can be fitted onto a roof of a motor vehicle, with which a flexible printed circuit board is welded to a housing of a light-emitting diode using the effect of heat and in which a flat flexible cable for the external terminal is electrically connected to the printed circuit board by means of clamping or welding.
DE 197 50 224 A1 discloses a plug for producing a detachable electrical connection between a flat flexible cable and a printed circuit board. In this process, contact between the cable conductors and the conductor surfaces of the printed circuit board is made by a means generating a contact pressure. The plug includes an upper and a lower plug part, which consist of insulating material and form a clamping limb, between which both the flat flexible cable, for the purpose of strain relief, and also the conductor cores of the flat flexible cable and metallized regions of the printed circuit boards, for the purpose of contact-making, can be clamped. In this process, the upper plug part cooperates with first recesses of the printed circuit board for the purpose of the clear separation of adjacent conductors of the flat flexible cable and the lower plug part cooperates with two recesses of the same for the purpose of locking the inserted plug as well as the flat flexible cable onto the printed circuit board.
The disadvantages involved in using flexible elements, such as for instance flat flexible cables for the contact connection of two printed circuit boards for instance, consist in a maximum current transmission mostly only being possible for signal contacts and the positioning on the printed circuit board mostly having a negative effect on the electromagnetic compatibility. In addition, in particular in electronic housings for the automotive sector, high demands are placed on the vibration resistance of the freely oscillating cable, which can also be damaged or destroyed during the fitting process. In particular, longer cables exhibit high losses for critical conductors and have a negative effect on the electromagnetic compatibility. With the use of plug connections, it is particularly disadvantageous that the plug connection requires a housing, which in turn results in an increased space requirement.
Alternatively, DE 42 08 765 A1 discloses an operating box, which comprises one or a number of circuit boards separated from one another by means of insulation having printed circuits made out of conductive material attached on one or both sides, onto which components are plugged and soldered, with the printed circuits being electrically conductively connected by means of pins to both sides of a circuit board or the printed circuits. The disadvantage here is however that the pins enabling the electrical contact have to be suitably fitted into a connector fastener, which results in an assembly problem as a result of the plurality of pins and the mechanical overdetermination associated therewith.
Based on this, the object underlying the present invention is to create an electrical contact-making element for printed circuit boards such that both a transmission of signal and also of power contacts is enabled which is stable with respect to other influences, such as vibrations for instance and herewith still provides for a simple fitting process.
This object is achieved by an electrical contact-making element having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and developments, which can be used individually or in combination with one another, are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
The electrical contact-making element according to the invention is characterized in that the electrical contact-making is carried out by way of at least one u-shaped plug pin. The u-shaped embodiment having two side limbs which run in parallel with one another and a base limb connecting the side limbs to one another allows an electrical contact connection, which can be easily pressed in, between two printed circuit boards, which are already equipped with electrical components and are screwed into the housing, characterized in that the electrical contact-making element, in the subsequent fitting step, is inserted into the holes provided in the housing upper part and into the holes provided in the printed circuit board.
The plug pin preferably comprises different limb lengths, so that printed circuit boards which are arranged in particular one above the other can be easily contacted without herefor having to design deep recesses in the housing lower part.
It is preferred if the plug pins comprise insertion shoulders so that a uniform insertion depth is achieved during the fitting process of the plug pin, the deviations of this positioning can be determined immediately, as a result of which a secure and stable contact connection is ensured.
The plug pin according to the invention advantageously has a spring system. This characteristic results in a more secure electrical contact being ensured even in the event of significant vibrations. In addition, an individual adaptability to unusual printed circuit board structures with electrical contact-making which is difficult to access is enabled by means of the spring embodiment.
The plug pin according to the invention preferably comprises a material composition made of copper/tin or copper/silver or copper/gold, with other electrically conductive material compositions also being conceivable. The selection of the material composition can be made as a function of the load to be expected in respect of the current flow rate.
It is advantageous if the plug pins are arranged in a stabilizing spacer. The spacer is used as a guide element when pressing the plug pins into the holes provided herefor in the printed circuit boards and/or in the housing upper part and as a stabilizer in the plugged-in state, so that the plug pins remain in a fixed position.
It is also preferable for the contact-making of the printed circuit boards to be carried out in a space-saving fashion by means of the plug pin according to the invention, in other words, less space has to be factored in for the electrical contact-making by means of the plug pins on the printed circuit boards to be contacted in each instance, and the printed circuit board can thus be used almost completely to accommodate electrical components.
It is also preferred if the plug pins are fitted after the printed circuit boards have been fitted into the housing by way of a simple press-in mechanism. There is thus no need for complicated soldering or welding processes.
It is preferred if the printed circuit boards are arranged one above the other so that a plurality of electrical components can be positioned in as space-saving a fashion as possible and the electrical contact-making of the printed circuit boards is carried out easily by correspondingly lengthening the limbs of the u-shaped plug pins.
The plug pins are preferably manufactured from a corrosion-resistant material, since in particular the base limbs are arranged in a space, which substances causing corrosion are able to reach, even if a protective cover is applied to the housing after the plug pins have been pressed in again.
The present invention firstly advantageously achieves a stable, reliable electrical contact between a number of carrier components, such as for instance printed circuit boards, for example, which ensures secure contact is made even in the case of external influences such as vibrations, for example, and can be fitted, by means of a simple press-in mechanism, at the end of the fitting process. It is particularly suited to applications in the automotive sector.
Further advantages and embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments as well as with reference to the figures, in which;
Both the base limb 2 and also the side limbs 3, 4 and/or the bent side limbs 8, 9 preferably have different lengths, so that a plurality of contacts is possible as a result of the different embodiments of the plug pins 1. The plug pins 1 preferably have a spring. This characteristic facilitates both the pressing-in process and attenuates possible vibrations. Copper/tin, copper/silver or copper/gold are preferably selected as the material composition for the plug pins 1, with each other electrically conductive material also being conceivable. Small holes are provided for the contact-making of the respective electrical carrier components, such as for instance printed circuit boards, into which holes the arrow-shaped end regions 11 of the side limbs 3, 4 of the plug pins 1 are inserted. This contact-making of the individual printed circuit boards saves space, since the remaining installation space on the carrier components is available for electrical components. The plug pins are preferably produced from a temperature-stable and corrosion-resistant material, since they are arranged in a space, which substances causing corrosion can reach.
The present invention firstly advantageously produces a stable, reliable electrical contact connection between a number of electrical carrier components, such as for instance printed circuit boards, which ensures secure contact is made even in the case of external influences such as vibrations, for instance, and can be fitted, by means of a simple press-in mechanism, at the end of the fitting process. It is particularly suited to applications in the automotive sector.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2005 036 296 | Aug 2005 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2006/063339 | 6/20/2006 | WO | 00 | 1/23/2008 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2007/014797 | 2/8/2007 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080200047 A1 | Aug 2008 | US |