GB2430563A

GB2430563A - Electrical device with a conductor board and a component

Info

Publication number: GB2430563A
Application number: GB0618474A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harald Schach; Thomas Faude
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2005-09-27
Filing date: 2006-09-20
Publication date: 2007-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 2026-09-20
Also published as: DE102005046053B4; GB2430563B; FR2891436A1; GB0618474D0; DE102005046053A1; FR2891436B1; CN1942075A; CN1942075B

Abstract

An electrical device 1 has a conductor board, such as a PCB 2, and a component, such as a shielding housing 3, which are connected to each other electrically and mechanically by means of one or more clamping connections 4, which are formed as one piece with the component. The clamping connection may comprise a fixed arm (7, Fig 2) with a contact point (7A) and a resilient cantilevered arm (8) with contact points (8A and 8B). These form a holding region to clamp to, and connect to, a clamping region 5A to 5H of the conductor board.

Description

DESCRIPTION

ELECTRICAL DEVICE WITH A CONDUCTOR BOARD AND A COMPONENT

The invention relates to an electrical device with a conductor board and a component which are connected to each other electrically and mechanically by means of a clamping connection.

DE 19835 880 Al discloses a clip connector for electrical anciniechanical connection of a conductive portion of a coniiectable plate, such as a liquid crystal glass plate or a liquid crystal film plate, to a conductive portion of a conductor board. The clip connector comprises a resiliently elastic clip which is pushed with its resilient free ends over mutually contacting regions of the conductor board and the connectable plate and connects the two components to each other by reason of a pretensioning position existing in the clip when 1 5 this clip is in the mounted condition.

An attachment means for a shielding housing for electrical conductor boards is disclosed by DE 197 30417 Cl, which has a clamp profile made of electrically conductive material to clamp a shielding housing wall, which comprises at least one centring pin to attach the attachment means in a hole in the conductor board.

Both solutions known from the prior art for connecting a conductor board to a shielding housing or to a connectable plate have the disadvantage that in order to connect the components additional clamping means are used which, in a mounting region, must be held up in addition to the components to be connected to each other and hich. because the\ ha e to he handled, complicate the mounting process to an undesirable extent.

It is the object ot the present invention to proide an electrical device ith a conductor board and a component to be connected thereto which can be connected to each other easily without additional ci ainping means.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by means of an electrical device with a conductor hoard and a component which are connected to each other electrically and mechanically by means of a clamping connection, wherein the clamping connection is formed on the component side as a holding region which receives, at least in regions, at least one clamping region ol the conductor hoard. is formed in a resilient manner and is formed as one piece with the component.

In the case of the electrical device in accordance with the invention which has a conductor board and a component which are connected to each other electrically and mechanically by means of a clamping connection, the clamping connection is formed on the component side as a holding region which receives, at least in regions, at least one clamping region of the 1 5 conductor board, is formed in a resilient manner and is formed as one piece with the component. The conductor board can therefore be connected to the component in a simple manner without additional clamping means, whereby mounting is easily simplified in comparison to the solutions known from the prior art and the electrical device can therefore he produced more cost-effectively.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are provided by the description, the accompanying drawings and the claims.

An exemplified embodiment of an electrical device designed in accordance itii the in' ention is explained in more detail in the lollowmg description. b va of example oni'.

and is shown in a schematicall simplified manner in the draing in which: Figure I is a highl schematic three-dimensional \ iC\\ of an embodiment of electrical device designed in accordance with the invention: and Figure 2 is an enlarged three-dimensional partial cross-sectional view of a housing of the electrical device in accordance with Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a highly schematic three-dimensional illustration of an electrical device I which includes a conductor board 2 and a component 3 formed in this case as a flexible stamped part which is provided as a housing fhr the conductor board formed as a PCB (Printed Circuit Board).

The conductor board 2 is connected electrically and mechanically to the housing 3 via a clamping connection 4, wherein between the conductor board 2 and the component 3 an electrical multiple contact arrangement is provided, having leakage such that an improvement in the stability of the electromagnetic compatibility is achieved in comparison 1 5 to electrical devices connected to each other in a conventional manner.

The clamping connection 4 has a plurality of clamping regions 5A to 511 on the conductor hoard 2. which are provided over the periphery of the conductor board 2 and, on the component side, are received in holding regions 6A to 6H which are formed in a resilient manner and are formed as one piece with the housing 3.

In the manner shoii in Figure 2 the holding regions 6A to 6H each have a first holding element 7 ith a first contact region 7A, which element is spaced apart from a second holding element 8 with a second contact region 8A. The first contact region 7A of the first holding element 7 and the second contact region 8A of the second holding element 8 are each formed on a side of the relevant holding element facing the other holding element 8 or 7 so that the elampin regions 5A to 511 of the conductor hoard 2 are disposed in each case beteen the contact regions 7A and 8A of the holding regions when the conductor board 2 is in the mounted condition.

The first holding clement 7 and the second holding element 8 of the holding region 6E.

shown in Figure 2, of the clamping connection 4 are in each case formed by areas stamped out ola basic body 3A of the housing 3, wherein the elasticity required to produce the functionality of the clamping connection 4 is provided at least in a region of the second holding element 8. this region connecting the contact region 8A of the second holding element 8 to the basic body 3A of the component 3.

1 0 The first holding element 7 is shorter than the basic body 3A of the housing 3 so that the elasticity of the first holding element 7 is less than the elasticity of the second holding element 8 which is substantially formed as a spring arm.

It is thereby achieved that when the conductor board 2 is in the mounted condition, deflection of the first holding element 7 in the region of its contact region 7A with respect to an tipper edge 9 of the housing 3 is avoided and the dimensions of the electrical device 1 are not changed after mounting the conductor board 2 of the housing 3 with respect to the unmounted condition of the housing 3. In this way the electrical device I can easily be mounted at an installation site without mounting-induced tolerances.

The second holding element 8 is deformed by mounting the conductor board 2 on the housing 3 in the direction of the basic body 3A of the housing 3. wherein this deformation is made possible by the area 10 stamped out of the housing 3 and the resulting elasticity of the second holding element 8.

Furthermore, the clamping connection 4 in the holding regions 6A to 6H is created in the manner sho\n in Figure 2 ith in each case a third contact region 8B which cooperatcs with the second contact region 8.\ of the second holding element $ and. \hen the conductor board 2 is in the mounted condition, is disposed on the same side of the conductor board 2 as the contact region SA cooperating therewith. Both contact regions 8A and SB are provided as contact points for the conductor board 2 on the housing 3. with the aid of which a position of the conductor board 2 is exactly defined with respect to the holding elements 7 and 8 in the region between the first contact region 7A. and the second contact region 8A of the holding elements 7 and 8.

Therefore the possibility is simply provided of positioning the conductor board 2 with respect to the first contact region 7A and the second contact region 8A of the two holding elements 7 and 8 in such a way that in the clamping regions SA to 5H of the conductor board no bending moments which would in some circumstances damage the conductor board 2 are imposed by the clamping connection 4.

Furthermore, the three contact regions 7A. 8A and 8B are formed as electrical contact points between electrically conductive surfaces of the conductor board 2 and the housing 3 so that, in addition to their support function, the three contact regions 8B also contribute to a further improvement in the stability of the electromagnetic compatibility by reason of the increase in the electrical contact points between the conductor board 2 and the housing 3.

During connection of the conductor board 2 to the housing 3 the conductor board 2 is first inserted with its clamping regions 5A to SF! into stamped-out regions 11 from above and then pushed. in the manner of a drawer and by a small application of force, between the two holding elements 7 and 8 or their contact regions 7A and 8A until the conductor board 2 conies into position on the stop edge 12 of the housing 3.

In order that the surfaces of the conductor board 2 in contact with the three contact regions TA. SA and SB during mount!ng are not damageu in a manner detracting from the functionalit of the conductor hoard 2 the contact regions 7A to 8B are formed in a rounded manner in regions facing the conductor board 2 so that the surfaces of the conductor hoard 2 are not damaged by sharp edges.

The above described clamping connection can fundamentally be used for mutual connection of all electrical components which are formed with electrically conductive surfaces, both mechanically and also electrically in a simple manner without complicated and cost-intensive connection measures such as soldering, plug connections, additionally attached separate parts such as additional spring connectors or screw connections.

Claims

An electrical device with a conductor board and a component which are connected to each other electrically and mechanically by means of a clamping connection, wherein the clamping connection is formed on the component side as a holding region which receives, at least in regions, at least one clamping region of the conductor board, is formed in a resilient manner and is formed as one piece with the corn ponent.
2 i-\n electrical device as claimed in claim I, wherein the holding region has a first holding element with a first contact region, which element is spaced apart from a second holding element with a second contact region, wherein the first contact region of the first holding element and the second contact region of the second holding element is formed in each case on a side of the relevant holding element 1 5 facing the other holding element and the clamping region of the conductor board is disposed between the contact regions when the conductor board is in the mounted condition.
3 An electrical device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the component is formed as a flexible stamped part. wherein the first holding element and the second holding element are produced by areas stamped out of a basic body of the component and the elasticity required for the functionality of the clamping connection is provided at least in a region of a holding element, this region connecting the contact region of this holding element to the basic body of the component.
4 An electrical device as claimed in claim 2 or 3. herein at least one third contact region is pros ided hichi cooperates ith one of the contact regions in such a and. hen the conductor board is in the mounted condition, is disposed on the same side of the conductor board as the contact region cooperating therewith, that a position of the conductor hoard is defined with respect to the contact regions of the holding elements, between which the conductor board is clamped with its clamping region in the mounted condition, by the conductor plate being in contact with the mutually cooperating contact regions of the component.
An electrical device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the contact regions arc formed in a rounded manner in regions facing the conductor board.
6 An electrical device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, Jierejn the contact regions are provided as electrical contact points between the conductor board and the component.
7 An electrical device as claimed in any one of claims I to 6, wherein the clamping region of the conductor board is provided on the periphery of the conductor board.
8 An electrical device as claimed in any one of claims I to 7, wherein the contact regions are positioned with respect to each other in such a way that, during mounting, the conductor board is first laid on the two mutually cooperating contact regions and can then be guided between the two contact regions of the holding elements by translational dispacernent over the mutually cooperating contact regions.

9 j\ii electrical device substantially as herein described ith relèrence to, and as illustrated in the accompanying draings.

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