WO2010052202A1

WO2010052202A1 - Component support

Info

Publication number: WO2010052202A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/064503
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wilfried Biehl
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2008-11-04
Filing date: 2009-11-03
Publication date: 2010-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-04
Also published as: DE102008055836B4; DE102008055836A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a component support (2) comprising a strip conductor (20) formed from a pressed screen and comprising at least one electrical terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) arranged on the strip conductor (20), the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) projecting out of the plane of the strip conductor and being constructed for the attachment of an electrical component (4) and the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) of the strip conductor (20) being constructed with a plurality of layers.

Description

COMPONENT SUPPORT

The invention relates to a component support, comprising a strip conductor formed from a pressed screen and comprising at least one electrical terminal arranged on the strip conductor, and to a plug-in assembly comprising a component support.

Plug-in assemblies are used for example in the electric motor of a motor vehicle. The plug-in assembly comprises a component support with strip conductors on which terminals for the connection of electrical components are arranged. Electrical components of this type include relays, switches, fuses and the like, and may be welded onto the terminals or mechanically and electrically connected in some other way. A flat structure produced by punching, also known as a "lead frame", is conventionally used as a component support. In this case, the component support is generally punched out from a single-piece metal plate so as to achieve a high current carrying capacity, and this leads to high rigidity, in particular even for the terminals for the electrical components.

Component supports of this type made from a single-piece metal plate are known inter alia from DE 89 12 914 Ul. This document discloses a plug-in assembly in which a conductor arrangement is produced from a single-piece sheet-metal strip. The conductor arrangement is coated in part with plastics material. The terminals of the component support are bends of the conductor assembly and are produced by bending un-coated sheet-metal portions. An electrical connection between electrical components and the terminals of the support is produced by dip soldering in a soldering bath.

A drawback of a single-piece component support of this type is that the high rigidity of the component support terminal, required for the high current carrying capacity, can lead to a force being exerted on the electrical component when said electrical component is attached to the component support, and this can substantially alter the properties of the component to the point where the component fails.

It is thus the object of the invention to provide a component support and a plug-in assembly which have a high current carrying capacity and in which a damaging exertion of force when the electrical component is attached is prevented.

The object of the invention is achieved by a component support according to claim 1 and by a plug-in assembly according to claim 8. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The invention comprises a component support comprising a strip conductor formed from a pressed screen and comprising at least one electrical terminal arranged on the strip conductor, the terminal projecting out of the plane of the strip conductor and being constructed for the attachment of an electrical component, and the terminal of the strip conductor being constructed in a plurality of layers.

An advantage of the component support according to the invention is that the multi- layer construction provides high flexibility for the strip conductor terminals at the same time as a high current carrying capacity, and this prevents a damaging exertion of force on an electrical component when it is attached to the terminal. This means that damage to the electrical component and to the plug-in assembly can be minimised.

In one embodiment of the invention, the electrically conductive layers of the component support terminal are made of copper. The advantage of copper is that it is a relatively soft metal, which is highly pliable and ductile and therefore easy to work with. Furthermore, copper is suitable for electrically conductive wires and cables, strip conductors such as component supports and components because of its high electrical conductivity.

Furthermore, in a further embodiment of the invention, the strip conductors of the component support are coated, preferably by way of an injection moulding process. This has the advantage that because of the injection moulding, the component support has an inherent rigidity and therefore the desired stability.

Furthermore, in a further embodiment, the pressed screen for the strip conductors and the terminal are formed in one piece. This allows greater material cross-sections and thus an increased current carrying capacity to be achieved, leading to reduced heating of the pressed screen, it moreover being possible to dissipate this heat without any effect on the component support and the electrical component. Furthermore, the plurality of electrically conductive layers allows flexibility of the terminals of the strip conductors.

In the following, the invention is explained in greater detail by way of embodiments with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a plug-in assembly comprising a component support and an electrical component, Fig. IA being a top view and Fig. IB being a bottom view of the plug-in assembly; Fig. 2 is a detail of the component support of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top view of a component support terminal of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the electrical component of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows a plug-in assembly which is used for an electric motor in a motor vehicle, preferably in a passenger vehicle or in a freight vehicle. However, the invention is not intended to be restricted to an embodiment of this type, but to include all devices in which plug-in assemblies may be used.

Fig. IA is a top view of the plug-in assembly 1, a region of the plug-in assembly 1 being shown in a cut-out. In this cut-out region of the plug-in assembly 1, a component support 2 can be seen, which is embedded in an injection-moulded housing 3 and to which an electrical component 4 can be attached.

Fig. IB is a bottom view of the injection-moulded housing 3 of the plug-in assembly 1. On the lower side of the assembly, the electrical component 4 and the electrical contacts 12, which project out of the injection-moulded housing 3, can be seen. The electrical contacts 12 of the component support 2 or of the strip conductor 20 mean that the plug-in assembly 1 and an appropriate counter part on the electric motor can be electrically connected. The electrical contacts 12 further make it possible to attach various types of plug. In addition, the injection-moulded housing 3 comprises plug connections 13 on the lower side. The plug connections 13 fasten the plug-in assembly 1 in the electric motor on the one hand and fix the electrical component 4 on the other hand.

The component support 2, which can be seen more clearly in the detail of Fig. 2, has a flat structure which is produced by punching and which acts as a strip conductor 20. In the punching process, L-shaped and in some cases T-shaped lines are formed in the strip conductor region, to which the electrical component 4 is attached. Terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 are provided in the region of the L-shaped and T-shaped lines of the strip conductor 20 and allow the attachment of the electrical component 4 to the strip conductor 20. The terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 are bent out from the plane of the strip conductor and thus arranged perpendicular to the strip conductor 20. The front four terminals 21, 22, 23, 24 of the strip conductor 20 are constructed so as to be wider than the rear two terminals 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20. The electrical component 4 is mechanically fixed to the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 and electrically coupled to the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. The - A - component terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 are positioned so as to fit precisely onto one another, allowing a good electrical connection to be established between the electrical component 4 and the component support 2. Generally, the component terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 are welded onto the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 in order to produce a secure connection.

The electrical component 4, which is fastened to the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductors 20 and shown in detail in Fig. 4, is a relay. Other electrical components may also be used, such as fuses, switches, resistors or the like.

As shown in Fig. 4, the electrical component 4 comprises a casing 40 which is produced from a non-conductive material, preferably from a thermoplastic plastics material. Thermoplastic plastics material has good electrical insulation properties. Other highly electrically insulating materials may also be used. The material on the lower side of the electrical component 4 is also thermoplastic plastics material. Component terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 project from the lower side of the casing 40 of the electrical component 4 and are made of electrically conductive copper.

The component terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 are preferably formed so as to be rigid and typically consist of a copper plate, as this is particularly highly conductive. The component terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 may also, however, consist of another electrically conductive material. Five component terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 are shown, the rear component terminals 44, 45, being constructed so as to be narrower than the front three component terminals 41, 42, 43 in such a way that they correspond in shape to the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 and can be fastened to the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.

The component support 2 is preferably coated with plastics material by injection moulding. In the process, the component support 2 is inserted into the injection mould for the plug-in assembly 1 and coated with moulding compound, in particular plastics material, during the injection moulding. The moulding compound is preferably a thermoplastic plastics material.

Thermoplastic plastics materials are plastics materials which are highly deformable within a particular temperature range. Examples of thermoplastic plastics materials are polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate. Other highly electrically insulating materials may also be used. Coating the component support 2 with plastics material has the advantage of providing the component support 2 with the desired stability. Parts of the component support 2 which are not to be coated, such as the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 for the electrical component 4 and electrical contacts 12, may be kept free of the moulding compound by appropriate partition walls or separation chambers. In addition, the plug-in assembly 1 comprises spacers 10 and supports 11 which are attached in the interior of the plug-in assembly 1 and are provided for fitting and centring the plug-in assembly 1.

The plug-in assembly 1 may also, however, be formed without spacers 10 and supports 11. The electrical component 4 is fastened to the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20, which terminals are kept free by the partition walls or the separation chambers. The terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 are constructed so as to be flexible in such a way that an exertion of force damaging to the internal properties of the electrical component 4 can be prevented. The flexibility of the terminals

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 is provided by a layer construction 5 which is composed of a plurality of electrically conductive layers 50, as is shown in the view of Fig. 3.

The electrically conductive layers 50 of the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 are preferably made of copper. Copper is a relatively soft metal, which is highly pliable and ductile and therefore easy to work with. In addition, copper exhibits excellent electrical conductivity. Alternatively, the electrically conductive layers 50 may also be made of any other conductive material, such as aluminium. Aluminium is an even better electrical conductor than copper per gram of weight, but is more voluminous. Because copper is more inert than aluminium and less problematic to work with, copper is generally used as a conductor with aluminium only being used where the component support is concerned.

The layer construction 5 of the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 comprises at least two electrically conductive layers 50. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the layer construction 5 is composed of four electrically conductive layers 50. The terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 may also, however, consist of more or fewer than the four electrically conductive layers 50 specified. The terminals 21,

22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and the strip conductor 20 are preferably formed in one piece, the strip conductor 20 also consisting of a plurality of electrically conductive layers 50 in this case. However, the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and the conductor strip 20 may also be constructed in some other way. Thus, the component support 2 may be formed in a single layer, whilst the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the conductor strip 20 are formed in a plurality of layers so as to have the required flexibility. The flexibility of the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 is improved by a preferably point-like connection of the electrically conductive layers 50. The electrically conductive layers 50 are interconnected by welding, riveting, adhesive bonding, flanging and/or the like. The flexibility in the region of the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 is advantageous because the electrical component 4 is mechanically fixed and electrically coupled in this region. In this way, a damaging exertion of force in the electrical component 4 can be prevented. However, to secure the fastening, the component terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 are welded to the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20.

The strip conductor 20, which may also be composed of electrically conductive layers 50 as explained above, is preferably rigid, since only the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the strip conductor 20 have to be flexible. This is provided by the injection-moulding process for producing the plug-in assembly 1. The strip conductor 20 is also coated with plastics material in part during the injection-moulding process. This provides the strip conductor 20 with the desired stability.

Claims

1. Component support comprising a strip conductor (20) formed from a pressed screen and comprising at least one electrical terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) arranged on the strip conductor (20), the terminal projecting out of the plane of the strip conductor and being constructed for the attachment of an electrical component (4), characterised in that the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) of the strip conductor (20) is constructed with a plurality of layers.

2. Component support according to claim 1, characterised in that the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) of the strip conductor (20) comprises at least two electrically conductive layers (50).

3. Component support according to claim 2, characterised in that the electrically conductive layers (50) are made of copper.

4. Component support according to claims 2 and 3, characterised in that the electrically conductive layers (50) are connected to one another, preferably at a point, by welding, riveting, adhesive bonding and/or flanging.

5. Component support according to claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the strip conductor is a flat structure produced by punching.

6. Component support according to claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) and the strip conductor (20) are constructed in one piece, the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) being bent out from the plane of the strip conductor.

7. Component support according to claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the strip conductor (20) is coated completely or in part with plastics material.

8. Plug-in assembly comprising a component support (2) according to the preceding claims 1 to 7, wherein the electrical component (4) comprises at least one component terminal (41, 42, 43, 44, 45), which is connected to the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) of the component support (2).

9. Plug-in assembly according to claim 8, characterised in that the component terminal (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) is welded to the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) of the strip conductor (20).

10. Plug-in assembly according to either claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that the component terminal (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) is electrically coupled and mechanically fixed to the terminal (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) of the strip conductor (20).