EP0983167A1 - Panneau de garnissage avec circuits electriques formes solidaires - Google Patents

Panneau de garnissage avec circuits electriques formes solidaires

Info

Publication number
EP0983167A1
EP0983167A1 EP99912811A EP99912811A EP0983167A1 EP 0983167 A1 EP0983167 A1 EP 0983167A1 EP 99912811 A EP99912811 A EP 99912811A EP 99912811 A EP99912811 A EP 99912811A EP 0983167 A1 EP0983167 A1 EP 0983167A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
trim panel
electrical
interior surface
electrical circuit
set forth
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99912811A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Albert Wojewnik
Ronald K. Reich
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lear Automotive Dearborn Inc
Original Assignee
Lear Automotive Dearborn Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lear Automotive Dearborn Inc filed Critical Lear Automotive Dearborn Inc
Publication of EP0983167A1 publication Critical patent/EP0983167A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60R16/00—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for
    • B60R16/02—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements
    • B60R16/0207—Wire harnesses

Definitions

  • the subject invention relates to a vehicle trim panel assembly having an integrally molded electrical circuit.
  • the subject invention also relates to the method of fabricating the trim panel with the electrical circuit.
  • Veliicles typically have a number of trim panels mounted to different interior surfaces to present a pleasing appearance.
  • One common type of trim panel is a door trim panel mounted to the interior surface of a door assembly.
  • vehicle door assemblies include spaced apart inner and outer panels defining a cavity for mounting a window, window regulator, speakers and other electrical devices therein. These devices are installed inside the door cavity through a plurality of access openings provided in the door inner panel.
  • the door trim panel conceals this interior surface of the door.
  • the door trim panel is conventionally formed of a rigid panel, such as molded plastic or pressed hardboard, covered with a flexible decorative trim material such as cloth, vinyl, leather and/or carpeting.
  • the door trim panel is attached to the door by suitable fasteners which creates a pleasing appearance to the occupant.
  • the door trim panel also often supports a number of electrical components. These components include, lights, window controls, rear view mirror controls, seat adjustment controls, and speakers. Each of these electrical components requires an individual wiring connector and power supply lead wires. The power supply lead wires for all the electrical components are typically bundled together to create what is commonly called a wire harness. The wire harness must be affixed to the trim panel or to the door to eliminate movement of the wires during operating conditions. As can be appreciated, the mounting and wiring of these electrical components is labor intensive and requires a number of connectors and other electrical parts.
  • the power supply lead wires are mounted, molded, etched, printed, or otherwise affixed to a separate rigid board material.
  • the rigid board is in turn mounted in some fashion to either the trim panel or the door or both.
  • the door assembly includes the door itself, a rigid board, and then the trim panel.
  • These proposals likewise have a number of deficiencies.
  • One deficiency is the same as with the loose bundle of wires.
  • This solution still requires a significant amount of intensive manual labor to mount the wires to the board, mount the connectors to the board, and then mount the board itself to either the trim panel or the door. Further, additional connectors must be mounted on the board to electrically connect the connectors from the door to the connectors on the trim panel.
  • the subject invention includes a trim panel of electrically non-conductive material having an exterior surface and an interior surface.
  • the exterior surface provides a decorative trim and the interior surface includes electrical connectors.
  • An electrical circuit is integrally deposited and adhered to the interior surface of the trim p-anel for electrically connecting the electrical connectors and/or components.
  • the subject invention also includes a method of fabricating a vehicle trim panel with an integral electrical circuit.
  • a template with openings is placed over the interior surface of the trim panel prior to deposition of the material.
  • the method includes depositing an electrically conductive fluent material directly onto the interior surface of the trim panel to define the electrical circuits.
  • the fluent material is a liquid.
  • the electrically conductive liquid material is allowed to cure, such that it adheres and hardens on the trim panel prior to removing the template from the interior surface of die trim panel.
  • the invention thus provides a vehicle trim panel having an integrally molded electrical circuit for interconnecting any number of electrical devices.
  • the trim panel of the subject invention can be efficiently manufactured and may not require any additional components or connectors.
  • all of the parts necessary to electrically connect an electrically operated component to an electrical supply are included within the trim panel itself. These parts include the connectors and the electrical circuit wliich are all preferably integrally molded into the trim panel. Some of the components, however, may need to be separately affixed to the trim panel.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trim panel assembly in spaced relationship to a vehicle door assembly
  • Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 is a partially cross-sectional view of an electrical component;
  • Figure 4 is a partially broken perspective view of the trim panel during the method of fabrication.
  • a vehicle trim panel assembly is generally shown at 10 in Figure 1.
  • the trim panel assembly 10 comprises a trim panel 12 of electrically non-conductive material having an exterior surface 14 and an interior .surface 16.
  • the trim panel 12 of the preferred embodiment is a automotive door trim panel 12 which mounts to a vehicle door assembly, generally shown at 18.
  • the trim panel 12 of the subject invention may be any type of trim panel associated with a vehicle without deviating from the scope of the subject invention.
  • Other types of trim panels include trunk panels, quarter panels, rear package trays, headliners, instrument panels, garnish moldings, and console panels.
  • the vehicle door assembly 18 includes spaced apart inner 20 and outer 22 metal panels defining a cavity (not numbered) for mounting a window, window regulator, speakers, and other electrical devices (not shown).
  • a plurality of access openings 24 are provided in the- inner panel 20 to allow access into the cavity of the door assembly 18.
  • Door trim panel 12 is utilized to conceal this interior surface 20 of the vehicle door 18.
  • the door trim panel 12 is preferably formed of a molded plastic such as polypropylene. As appreciated by those skilled in the art, the trim panel 12 may be fabricated of wood fibers, polyurethane, solid molded vinyl, expanded polyurethane foam, any combination thereof or any other suitable rigid electrically non-conductive material.
  • the exterior surface 14 of the trim panel 12 includes a decorative surface. Specifically, the trim panel 12 may be covered with a flexible decorative trim material 26 such as cloth, vinyl, leather, and/or carpeting.
  • the trim panel 12 is attached to the vehicle door 18 by suitable fasteners (not shown) as are well known in the art.
  • the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12 includes a first electrical connector 28 and a second electrical connector 30. As shown in the preferred embodiment there are a number of second electrical connectors 30. These electrical connectors 28, 30 can be of any suitable design or configuration without deviating from the scope of this invention. One contemplated design for a second electrical connector 30 is shown in Figure 3 and discussed in greater detail below.
  • the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12 also supports a number of electrical components. These components can include, window controls, rear view mirror controls 36, seat adjustment controls, and speakers 38. Each of these electrical components 36, 38 typically have an associated individual second electrical connector 30.
  • An electrical circuit, generally shown at 40, is integrally deposited and adhered to the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12 for electrically connecting the first electrical connector 28 to the at least one of second electrical connectors 30.
  • the method of depositing the electrical circuit 40 is discussed in greater detail below.
  • the electrical circuit 40 formed within the trim panel 12 comprises a plurality of spaced apart circuit traces 42 or strips of conductive material. For illustrative purposes, seven traces are shown in Figure 1, however, any number of traces 42 may be utilized as deemed necessary.
  • most electrical components require at least two input supply wires, i.e., a ground wire and an input wire carrying an electrical current. Further, if the electrical component is a switch, there will be at least one output wire also carrying an electrical current.
  • the number of traces 42 formed in the electrical circuit 40 will depend on the number and type of electrical components used. Each individual trace 42 can vary in width and thickness to accommodate varied gauges and to customize resistivity.
  • the trim panel 12 is mounted to the inner panel 20 of the vehicle door assembly 18.
  • the electrical circuit 40 of the trim panel 12 is preferably spaced some distance from the door assembly 18.
  • an insulative coating (not shown) or similar material may be applied over the electrical circuit 40 to create a protective moisture barrier between the door assembly 18 and the trim panel 12.
  • the vehicle door assembly 18 also includes at least one corresponding electrical connector 44.
  • a vehicle wire harness 46 is coupled to the electrical connector 44 of the door assembly 18.
  • the electrical connector 44 of the door assembly 18 is the main power supply source for all the components within the vehicle door 18 and the trim panel 12.
  • At least one of the-first 28 and second 30 electrical connectors of the trim panel 12 is electrically connected to the electrical connector 44 of the door assembly 18.
  • the first electrical connector 28 of the trim panel 12 is electrically connected to the electrical connector 44 of the door assembly 18 and the second electrical connector 30 of the trim panel 12 is electrically connected to one of the electrically operated components 36, 38. Accordingly, every circuit trace 42 of the electrical circuit 40 begins at the first electrical connector 28 and travels along the trim panel 12 to the designated electrical component 36, 38.
  • the electrical current travels from the vehicle wire harness 46, through the electrical connector 44 of the door assembly 18, through the first electrical connector 28 of the trim panel 12, through the electrical circuit 40, through the second electrical connector 30 of the trim panel 12, and finally into the designated electrical component 36, 38.
  • a portion of the electrical circuit 40 is shown in greater detail in Figure 2.
  • the electrical circuit 40 is adhered to the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12.
  • the electrical circuit 40 may also form a relatively small groove (not shown) within the trim panel 12.
  • the electrical circuit 40 is disposed along a thickened portion 50 molded within the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12.
  • the exterior surface 14 of the trim panel 12 is not effected by the deposition of the electrical circuit 40 on the interior surface 16.
  • five spaced apart circuit traces 42 or strips are shown, however, as discussed above, the number of traces 42 will depend upon the number and type of electrical components.
  • a cavity 52 is formed within the exterior surface 14 of the trim panel 12 and extends into the interior surface 16.
  • the electrical circuit 40 is deposited on at least a portion of the cavity 52.
  • a metal strip 54 is deposited on at least a portion of one of the electrically operated components.
  • the electrically operated component shown in Figure 3 is the rear view mirror control 36.
  • the mirror control 36 is mounted within the cavity 52 to electrically connect the mirror control 36 to the electrical circuit 40 witliin the cavity 52.
  • the electrical circuit 40 is connected to the electrical connector 44 in the vehicle door 18, i.e., the main power supply.
  • the rear view mirror control 36 is now connected to the main power supply.
  • the mirror control 36 is simply an illustration of one type of electrical component and the scope of the subject invention is in no way limited to this type of device.
  • a template 56 having openings 58 is applied to the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12.
  • the electrical circuit 40 is then deposited on the trim panel 12 by spraying molten metal particles through the openings 58 and onto the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12. For illustrative purposes, only a portion of the trim panel 12 and template 56 are shown.
  • the method of fabricating the vehicle trim panel 12 with the electrical circuit 40 comprises the steps of providing the trim panel 12 having the interior surface 16, the exterior surface 14 with the decorative appearance, and spaced first 28 and second 30 electrical connectors. .An electrically conductive fluent material is then deposited onto the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12 to define the electrical circuit 40 between the first 28 and second 30 electrical connectors.
  • the fluent material is a liquid.
  • the electrically conductive liquid material is then cured to adhere and harden to the trim panel 12, whereby the electrical circuit 40 is electrically conductive between the first 28 and second 30 connectors.
  • the curing of the liquid material is defined as allowing the liquid or otherwise fluent material to harden into a solid state.
  • the method of fabricating the trim panel 12 is further defined by applying the template 56 with the openings 58 on the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12.
  • the electrically conductive liquid material is then deposited through the openings 58 and onto the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12.
  • the template 56 may then be removed from the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12, whereby the electrical circuit 40 is electrically conductive between the first 28 and second 30 connectors.
  • the electrical circuit 40 comprises a plurality of spaced apart traces 42.
  • the location of the spaced apart traces 42 on the trim panel 12 corresponds to the position of the openings 58 in the template 56. Again for illustrative purposes, only a pair of openings 58 in the template 56 are shown in Figure 4.
  • the method of depositing the electrically conductive liquid material is preferably defined by spraying molten metal particles through the openings 58 and onto the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12.
  • the molten metal particles of the preferred embodiment preferably are pure copper which has a melting point of approximately 400°F.
  • other types of metal such as zinc, may be utilized so long as the /metal has sufficient conductivity characteristics and will adhere to the trim panel 12.
  • the spraying of the molten metal particles is further defined by feeding metal wire into a gas flame and driving the molten metal particles against the interior surface 16 of the trim panel 12.
  • This method of application is commonly called thermal spraying.
  • the driving of the molten metal particles during the thermal spraying process could occur by other methods, such as utilizing a high velocity gas, a wire arc spray, a combustion spray, or a plasma inert gas spray.
  • the molten metal particles may be deposited onto the trim panel 12 by other means without deviating from the overall scope of the subject invention.
  • Other means can include pouring the molten metal, electrolysis printing, electrostatic painting, plating, extruding the metal, or utilizing a slurry, powder, or paste of molten metal.
  • the depositing of the electrically conductive liquid material is further defined by molding the thickened portion 50 of the trim panel 12 in close proximity to the openings
  • the thickening of the trim panel 12 ensures that the exterior 14 or decorative surface is not affected by the deposition of the electrical circuit
  • This overall method of fabricating the door trim panel 12 is further defined by mounting the trim panel 12 to the vehicle door assembly 18.
  • the method of mounting the trim panel 12 to the door assembly 18 is further defined by electrically connecting at least one of the first 28 and second 30 electrical connectors of the trim panel 12 with the electrical
  • the method of mounting the trim panel 12 to the door assembly 18 is further defined by electrically connecting the first electrical connector 28 of the trim panel 12 with the electrical connector 44 of the door assembly 18 and electrically connecting the second electrical connector 30 of the trim panel 12 with one of the electrically operated components 36, 38.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Vehicle Interior And Exterior Ornaments, Soundproofing, And Insulation (AREA)

Abstract

Cette invention se rapporte à un panneau de garnissage de véhicule en matériau électriquement non conducteur, qui est monté à l'intérieur de l'unité de porte d'un véhicule. Une surface extérieure de ce panneau comporte un garnissage décoratif et une surface intérieure de ce panneau comporte un premier connecteur électrique et un second connecteur électrique. Un circuit électrique est déposé et collé de façon solidaire à la surface intérieure du panneau de garnissage, de façon à connecter électriquement le premier connecteur électrique au second connecteur électrique. Ce circuit électrique comporte un certain nombre de pistes qui conduisent le courant électrique jusqu'à un certain nombre de composants électriques. On obtient les pistes du circuit en déposant un matériau coulant électroconducteur sur la surface interne du panneau de garnissage, afin de définir des pistes de circuit électrique entre le premier et le second connecteur électrique. Ces pistes de circuit sont de préférence déposées par vaporisation thermique.
EP99912811A 1998-04-01 1999-03-22 Panneau de garnissage avec circuits electriques formes solidaires Withdrawn EP0983167A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US5339598A 1998-04-01 1998-04-01
US53395 1998-04-01
PCT/US1999/006244 WO1999050099A1 (fr) 1998-04-01 1999-03-22 Panneau de garnissage avec circuits electriques formes solidaires

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0983167A1 true EP0983167A1 (fr) 2000-03-08

Family

ID=21983931

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99912811A Withdrawn EP0983167A1 (fr) 1998-04-01 1999-03-22 Panneau de garnissage avec circuits electriques formes solidaires

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0983167A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1999050099A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9928485D0 (en) * 1999-12-03 2000-02-02 New Transducers Ltd Vehicle trim panels
US6640434B1 (en) 2000-04-11 2003-11-04 Lear Corporation Method of forming an electrical circuit on a substrate
DE10141263B4 (de) * 2001-08-23 2005-07-07 Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag Modular aufgebautes Fahrzeug
DE102006037857A1 (de) * 2006-08-11 2008-02-21 Johnson Controls Gmbh Innenverkleidungsteil mit Elektronik-Baustein zur Steuerung elektrischer Geräte
DE102013220706A1 (de) * 2013-10-14 2015-04-16 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Zusammenfügen von Fahrzeugbauteilen mit elektrischer Steckverbindung
DE102020109335A1 (de) 2020-04-03 2021-10-07 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Formteil mit elektrischer Kontaktierung

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3023905C2 (de) * 1980-06-26 1982-09-09 Adam Opel AG, 6090 Rüsselsheim Armaturentafel für Fahrzeuge, insbesondere Kraftfahrzeuge, und Verfahren zur Herstellung einer solchen
JPS6346945A (ja) * 1986-08-14 1988-02-27 Yazaki Corp 自動車用ワイヤ−ハ−ネス装置
US4848829A (en) * 1987-10-26 1989-07-18 General Motors Corporation Door trim panel assembly
DE3842340A1 (de) * 1988-12-16 1990-06-21 Opel Adam Ag Kraftfahrzeugtuer
CA2210485C (fr) * 1995-01-20 2010-07-20 Michael H. Bunyan Joints emi moules sur place

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9950099A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1999050099A1 (fr) 1999-10-07

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