Disclosure of Invention
The invention is based on the object of providing an electrical and mechanical connection in an electronic device, in particular an electrical and mechanical connection of a ground connection of the electronic device, in a operationally reliable manner.
This object is achieved by a connection element having the features of the independent claims and an electronic device comprising at least one such connection element.
The invention is therefore based on a connecting element for indirectly connecting two connecting partners to one another, having a first connecting interface (Verbindungsschnittstelle) for connecting to a first connecting partner and a second connecting interface for connecting to a second connecting partner. In the connected state, the connecting element is therefore designed to bridge the force flow between the two connection partners between the first connection interface and the second connection interface. Here, the first connection interface is formed in a first region, and the second connection interface is formed in a second region spaced apart from the first region. The first region and the second region are connected to one another here by a third region which is elastically flexible. The force-transmitting flow acting between the first region and the second region is thus flexibly coupled via the third region. The connecting element is preferably of one-piece design. Furthermore, the connecting element is designed to form, in particular as at least part of a ground connection, a ground connection path of the circuit carrier as the first connection partner. Advantageously, the first region or the first connection interface is coupled to the second region or the second connection interface by means of a resiliently flexible third region, so that the position of the first region or the first connection interface relative to the second region or the second connection interface can be varied relative to each other. This elastic movement capability makes it possible to effectively reduce the stresses which are normally generated at the above-mentioned areas or connection interfaces, which stresses are caused by forces which are due to the different expansion properties of the two connection partners. In addition, assembly tolerances can be easily compensated. The geometric design of the third region can thus advantageously be such that it compensates for existing positioning and positioning tolerances of the two connection partners which are arranged relative to one another and are to be connected by the connecting element. The flexibility of the third region thus ensures that the first and second regions are adapted to the positions of the first and second connection partners without mechanically stressing the first and second connection interfaces due to stress states that would otherwise act. As a result, the connecting element, as at least part of the ground connection, forms a ground line reliably in operation even in the event of temperature changes in operation or in the event of severe tolerance conditions of the connecting elements during assembly. Of course, the connecting element may be electrically conductive, preferably entirely conductive, at least between the first and second connection interfaces. For this purpose, the connection element is preferably formed from a metallic material, for example from copper, aluminum, silver or an alloy thereof. The metal material can also be applied as a layer or arranged on or in the base body of the connecting element, so that the base body can also be made of an electrically insulating material.
The contact device according to the invention can be advantageously modified and improved by the measures listed in the dependent claims.
In an advantageous embodiment of the connecting element, the first region and/or the second region is/are planar at least in the region of the first connection interface or the second connection interface, preferably the entire first region and/or the second region is/are planar. This allows simple assembly conditions for the formation of a particularly low-impedance contact, which is particularly important for the function of forming the ground line by the connecting element.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the connecting element, the first connecting interface is embodied as a solder, solder or adhesive connection piece. This allows the connection element thus designed to be used as an SMD (surface mounted device) component, which provides a cost-effective construction and connection technique in the field of electronics manufacturing. In this case, the first connection interface is designed in particular for connecting the connection element to a complementary connection interface on the surface of the circuit carrier as the first connection partner. The elastic flexibility of the third region advantageously protects the used construction and connection technique from mechanical stress conditions.
Preferably, as an additional option to the previously described embodiment of the connecting element, the second connection interface is also designed as a soldering, welding or adhesive connection piece, with the same advantages already mentioned. An equivalent alternative is that the second connection interface takes the form of a screw tab, which comprises a through hole for the connection piece. The connection is preferably a fastener having a threaded portion, such as a set screw or a bolt sleeve. In this case, the second connection interface is designed in particular for connecting the connecting element to a complementary connection interface located in the housing element as the second connection partner. The embodiment with the screw tab also makes it possible to facilitate disassembly, for example during repair or maintenance work of a superordinate device, in particular an electronic device, in which the connecting element is arranged or used, in particular as part of the included ground connection.
In one embodiment, the first region and the elastic third region and/or the second region and the elastic third region form at least one meander, by means of which a particularly simple, geometrically induced flexibility is achieved in the connecting element. The number of twists, their respective orientations and their respective cross-sections are tailored to the specific application to achieve a particular desired flexibility. The meander may cover a wide set range of flexibility that may be formed. The flexibility of the respective design also determines the possible force transmission between the first region and the second region. By arranging at least two or more differently designed meanders accordingly, a direction dependent flexibility may be achieved. By arranging at least one meander in the same plane as the first region and/or the second region, a very simple connecting element is obtained. It is particularly advantageous if the first region, the second region and the third region are arranged in the same plane. The connecting element can then preferably be formed from a plate-shaped base material in the base plane of the plate material, for example by a cutting process. In principle, however, it is also possible to arrange at least one meander in a plane parallel to the first region and/or the second region. This may be necessary, for example, if the connection partners are connected in the same layer plane and/or offset from one another at a layer angle. The different planes within the connecting element may be formed, for example, by a stamping process. This also applies, for example, to alternative embodiments in which the at least one meander is arranged in a plane perpendicular to the first region and/or the second region. This embodiment is similar to the connection pins of an electrical device, such as an SMD solder.
In a preferred embodiment of the connecting element, the position of the first region and/or the position of the second region moves in the translational and/or rotational movement direction in the connected state of the connecting element and when a force is introduced into the first and/or the second connection interface. This is done until a force balance is achieved between the first region and the second region, wherein the elastic third region provides a reaction force to the introduced force. Thus, the coupling of the first region and the second region by means of the elastically flexible third region allows a temperature-induced relative movement to occur in the connection region without the forces acting on the first connection interface and/or the second connection interface increasing disadvantageously. By designing the flexibility, the maximum force effect can be determined very flexibly. In addition, even in the case where the assembly tolerance is large and the connection position is greatly different, the connection can be thereby reliably formed.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the connecting element, the third region is transitioned to the first region via the first coupling end and is transitioned to the second region via the second coupling end. The third region has at least one or more elastically flexible compensation structures in some areas, which are designed to compensate for the change in distance between the first coupling end and the second coupling end by an elongation or shortening of the elastic action in the third region when the position of the first region and the position of the second region change relative to one another, for example, as a result of the introduction of a force in the connected state of the connecting element. The elastic flexibility in the region of the compensation structure therefore additionally overlaps the already mentioned elastic flexibility of the third region itself. The elastic flexibility of the compensation structure enables the length of the third region to be adjusted when the relative position of the first region and the second region changes. Such a length adjustment ensures that no internal stress conditions are established in the connecting element, which would otherwise lead to stressing of the connecting element as a whole and thus an adverse force effect on the first and second connection interfaces.
Further advantages are achieved in an embodiment of the connecting element in which at least two or more first connecting interfaces are formed, which are each arranged rotationally about the connecting axis of the second connecting interfaces by a rotational angle. In this case, in particular in the rotational arrangement of the first connection interfaces, starting from one first connection interface to the last connection interface, all successive adjacent first connection interfaces have the same rotational angle around the aforementioned connection axis. The rotational arrangement thus formed, comprising the first connection interface, is furthermore preferably rotationally symmetrical, point-symmetrical, axially symmetrical and/or partially symmetrical. By arranging the first connection interfaces in a targeted manner in this way, it is possible to exert a very specific influence on the locally required, direction-dependent flexibility in order to achieve an application-specific introduction of forces in the first region and/or in the second region. This also allows a better distribution of the force transmission over the entire connecting element, so that the connecting element itself is subjected to less load.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the connecting element is a plate, in particular a stamping or a laser cutting. In this way, the connecting element according to the embodiment described above can be produced very cost-effectively and in large quantities. This is particularly important when the connecting element is used in mass-produced electronic devices. Furthermore, the connecting element is made in particular of spring steel, so that the elastic flexibility is maintained over the entire service life even under severe load changes.
The invention also proposes an electronic device comprising a connecting element according to at least one of the preceding embodiments. The first connection interface is connected to a complementary connection interface on the surface of the circuit carrier of the electronic device. The complementary connection interfaces are, for example, contact pads, in particular made of copper-containing or silver-containing material. The contact pads are preferably in electrical contact with the conductor structures of the circuit carrier. Further preferably, the complementary connection interfaces are designed as ground connection points of the circuit carrier. Furthermore, the second connection interface is connected with a complementary connection interface in a housing element of the electronic device. The housing comprises a plurality of housing elements, for example two housing elements, which in the connected or closed state accommodate the circuit carrier in the formed cavity. The circuit carrier is preferably mechanically fixedly connected to one of the housing elements. The circuit carrier is furthermore electrically connected to one of the housing elements by means of a connection element which is part of a grounding device of the electronic device.
In an advantageous embodiment of the electronic device, the housing element is formed from an electrically insulating plastic material. Furthermore, a fastening sleeve for fastening the electronic device to the operating environment is embedded in one of the housing elements. The fastening is performed, for example, on a carrier plate. The operating environment may also be, for example, a body, in particular a body of a motor vehicle. In this case, the electronic device is designed, for example, as a controller, a computer device or a sensor module. In this case, one end of the fastening sleeve extends to the outside of the housing comprising the housing element and at least one further housing element, and the other end extends to the inside of the housing. The fastening sleeve is electrically conductive and provides a ground connection between the circuit carrier and the operating environment by designing the end of the fastening sleeve projecting inwardly into the interior of the housing as a connection interface complementary to the second connection interface of the connection element. In this way, the ground connection of the electronic device can be designed with very low impedance. Furthermore, since the connecting element has the aforementioned flexibility within the ground connection device, the ground connection can be maintained operationally reliably throughout the lifetime of the electronic device.
In an advantageous embodiment of the electronic device, the circuit carrier has at least one recess, in particular in its edge region, wherein the at least one recess is bridged locally or substantially completely by the connecting element. Furthermore, the first region of the connecting element is then arranged adjacent to the edge region of the recess, and the second region and the third region are arranged in the region of the recess. Since the ground connection is realized in the region of the circuit carrier, a compact design is maintained even if the design of the ground line is operationally reliable.
In a further embodiment, the connecting element is held in a clamping manner between the clamping sleeve and the fastening sleeve. The clamping sleeves are arranged on opposite sides of the connecting element. The clamping sleeve has a shaft region which passes through a recess in the other housing element until a radially projecting flange of the clamping sleeve adjoining the shaft region bears against the other housing element from the outside in the region of the recess. In turn, a continuous channel is formed in the clamping sleeve, which channel protrudes as an opening at both end sides in the region of the flange or shaft. The fastening sleeve furthermore has at least one screw thread, in particular an internal thread, which is operatively connected to a corresponding screw thread of a connecting piece, in particular a screw having an external thread, which passes through the channel of the clamping sleeve. In this operative connection, a clamping force is then formed between the clamping sleeve and the fastening sleeve acting on the connecting element. The direction of the clamping force is in particular perpendicular to the second region.
Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail in the following description. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote components or elements performing the same or similar functions.
Detailed Description
In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same functional components, respectively.
Fig. 1 shows a portion of an electronic device 100 in a perspective view. The electronic device comprises a housing 10 formed by a plurality of housing elements. The following embodiments are described with two housing elements 11, 12 each made of an electrically insulating plastic material, but this is only by way of example.
In the assembled state of the housing 10, a cavity 50 is formed in which at least one circuit carrier 20 is accommodated. An electronic and/or electrical circuit 21 is formed on the circuit carrier 20, which circuit provides a defined electrical function in the operation of the electronic device 100. Fig. 1 also shows a notch in the housing 10, in which the accommodated circuit carrier 20 and other components of the electronic device 100 can be seen. In particular, the components of the ground connection 30 are shown, by means of which the ground connection 30' of the circuit carrier 20 is formed. The ground connection 30 comprises a connection element 35 which, on the one hand, mechanically connects the circuit carrier 20 as a first connection partner to at least one of the housing elements 11, 12 as a second connection partner. Fig. 2 shows the connection element 35 of fig. 1 in the region of the ground connection 25 of the circuit carrier 20 or of the electrical and/or electronic circuit 21. In the present embodiment, the ground connection point 25 is arranged in the region of the recess 20.1. The recess 20.1 is arranged at the edge region of the circuit carrier 20 such that the recess 20.1 is open to the edge of the circuit carrier 20. In other embodiments, the recess 20.1 may also be closed. The connection element 35 is arranged above the recess 20.1 from one side of the circuit carrier 20 such that the connection element 35 at least partially, preferably substantially completely, covers or bridges the recess as shown in fig. 2. the connecting element 35 has a plurality of functional areas. These functional areas comprise a first area 35.1 arranged in the edge area of the recess 20.1 and at least one second area 35.2 arranged within the recess 20.1 spaced apart from the first area 35.1. The first region 35.1 and the second region 35.2 are connected to each other by a third region 35.3 which is elastically flexible. In the present exemplary embodiment, three first regions 35.1 are formed, which are each connected to the second region 35.2 via a third region 35.3. In top view, all three first regions 35.1 are arranged here on one side of the circuit carrier 20 and are arranged rotationally about the fastening axis S of the second region 35.2 by a rotation angle α. When the angle of rotation is 90 °, the three first regions 35.1 essentially cover the region along the formed edge of the recess 20.1. The first region 35.1 has, on the side facing the circuit carrier 20, a first connection interface 35.1a by means of which the connection element 35 is mechanically and electrically connected to the side surface of the circuit carrier 20. The electrical connection is established via a ground connection point 25 of the circuit carrier 20, which is designed as a connection interface complementary to the first connection interface 35.1 a. The ground connection point 25 is connected, for example, to the line structure of the electrical and/or electronic circuit 21. In particular, the first connection interface 35.1a is designed as a soldering, welding or adhesive connection piece. The first region 35.1 and preferably the second region 35.2 are planar or are planar as a whole at least in the region of the first connection interface 35.1a or the second connection interface 35.2a, so that the connecting element 35 can ultimately be connected in the form of an SMD component during the assembly of the circuit carrier 20, preferably by means of soldered contacts. The second region 35.2 has a second connection interface 35.2a on the side facing the housing elements 11, 12 to be connected. The second connection interface 35.2a can likewise be a soldering connection, a welding connection or an adhesive connection. As a further possible embodiment, the second connection interface 35.2a is shown as a screw tab in fig. 1,2, 3a, 3b, 3c and 3 e. The screw web 35.2a here comprises a through-hole 36.
Fig. 1 best illustrates the fastening of the circuit carrier 20 to the housing 10. In the first housing element 11, a fastening sleeve 15 is embedded in the plastic material of the first housing element 11, which is aligned with the fastening axis S of the second region 35.2 of the connecting element 35. The fastening sleeve 15 contains fasteners accessible from the sides of the connecting element 35. The fastening sleeve 15 has, for example, an internal thread. The shaft region 16.1 of the clamping sleeve 16, which likewise is aligned with the fastening axis S of the second region 35.2, passes through a corresponding recess 12.1 in the second housing element 12. The flange 16.2 of the clamping sleeve 16 adjoining the shaft region 16.1 is located in the edge region of the recess 12.1 on the second housing element from the outside. Furthermore, a fastener 37, for example a fastening screw, passes through the clamping sleeve 16 and further through the recess 36 of the screw tab 35.2 to the clamping sleeve 15. By operatively connecting the fastening element 37 to the fastening sleeve 15, a clamping connection 40 is formed between the fastening head 37.1 of the fastening element 37 and the fastening sleeve 15. In this case, the clamping sleeve 16 contacts the second region 35.2 from the first side and the fastening sleeve 15 from the opposite second side in each case in a physical contact. In this connected state of the connecting element 35, the housing 10 is mechanically and electrically connected to the circuit carrier 20, wherein the connecting element 35 bridges the force flow between the two connection partners between the first connection interface 35.1a and the second connection interface 35.2a, or the effective force flow between the first region 35.1 and the second region 35.2 is coupled via the third region 35.3. Due to the elastic flexibility of the third region 35.3, variations in the respective positions of the first region 35.1 and the second region 35.2 can be compensated for. The corresponding change in position may include a movement in a translational movement direction and/or a rotational movement direction. The position change may occur during assembly due to assembly tolerances of the components to be connected or during operation due to different expansion characteristics of the connected components in particular. The clamping connection 40 simultaneously forms the ground connection 24 mentioned at the beginning. For this purpose, the components involved are made of an electrically conductive material. The connecting element 35 is formed integrally, preferably from a sheet metal part, in particular a stamped sheet metal part or a laser cut part. In order to provide elastic flexibility of the third region 35.3, the connecting element 35 is desirably formed from an elastic sheet material. To secure the ground connection, the electronic device 100 is electrically connected to its operating environment G through the ground connection 24. The operating environment G is, for example, a base structure, for example a body structure or a frame structure of a motor vehicle. Fastening of the electronic device 100 to the operating environment G is performed, for example, by means of a further connection interface of the fastening sleeve 15, which is accessible from outside the housing 10, for example, by means of threads. Thus, an electrical path can be formed through the ground connection 24 to the operating environment G.
Fig. 3a again shows the aforementioned connecting element 35 in a perspective view in isolation. It can be seen here that the first region 35.1 and the elastic third region 35.3 and/or the second region 35.2 and the elastic third region 35.3 form at least one meander 35.123. The first region 35.1 and the second region 35.2 are firmly connected to the respective connection partner 10.1, 10.2, 20, while the third region can be moved in the region of the recess 20.1 of the circuit carrier 20 to adapt to the respective position of the connection partner 10.1, 10.2, 20. This mobility results mainly from the fact that the third region 35.3 can pivot about the respective pivot axis a in the region of the first coupling end 35.3a and/or the second coupling end 35.3b, by means of which the third region 35.3 transitions into the first region 35.1 or the second region 35.2, respectively, in a resiliently flexible manner.
In principle, the third region 35.3 may comprise a plurality of identical or different meanders 35.123. Fig. 3b and 3c show further embodiments of the connecting element 35. Fig. 3a shows three first regions 35.1 arranged rotated 90 ° about the fastening axis S, whereas the embodiment according to fig. 3b has two first regions 35.1 arranged opposite one another with respect to the through-opening 36 and the embodiment according to fig. 3c has four first regions 35.1 each arranged rotated 90 ° about the fastening axis S. The number of first regions 35.1 and the corresponding angle of rotation α about the fastening axis S in the rotational arrangement can be adapted accordingly depending on the application, in particular in order to give the thus correspondingly formed third regions 35.3 a direction-dependent flexibility. The rotational arrangement of the first region 35.1 is preferably rotationally symmetrical, point symmetrical, axially symmetrical and/or partially symmetrical.
Although the previous embodiments show the first region 35.1, the second region 35.2 and the third region 35.3 lying in the same plane. It is likewise conceivable, however, for the first region 35.1 and the second region 35.2 to be arranged offset parallel to one another and/or at an angle to one another. The third region 35.3 then extends between these different planes.
At least one elastically flexible further compensation structure 35.321 can be formed in the third region 35.3. Fig. 3d shows such a compensating structure 35.321 in an enlarged scale. The compensation structure is arranged, for example, in the region of the meander 35.123. The compensating structure 35.321 is designed to cause a change in the distance between the first coupling end 35.3a and the second coupling end 35.3b by an elongation or shortening of the elastic action of the third region 35.3 when the positions of the first region 35.1 and the second region 35.2 are relatively changed, for example when expansion occurs due to a temperature change. The compensating structure 35.321 has, for example, at least one meander. The meanders of the compensating structure 35.321 here extend in a different plane than the meanders 35.123 formed between the first region 35.1 and/or the second region 35.2 and the third region 35.3, in particular in a plane perpendicular thereto.
Fig. 3e shows a final embodiment of the connecting element 35. Unlike the previously shown embodiments, the meanders 35.123 formed between the first region 35.1 and/or the second region 35.2 and the third region 35.3 extend in a plane perpendicular to the first region 35.1 and the second region 35.2. A plurality of such meanders 35.123 are arranged around the second region 35.2 so that the connection element 35 is similar to the type of electrical device with connection pins.