Flexible circuits for electrical harnesses

• US 10,153,570 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellink Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cellink Corporation
• Inventors: Coakley, Kevin Michael, Brown, Malcolm, Juarez, Jose, Yang, Dongao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Sherman
• Application Number:
  US15/952,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20180301832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 174 72 A
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0413 Inner panel, e.g. characterised by carrying components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0215 Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/115 Electric wiring; Electric connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01254 Flat-harness manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0045 Cable-harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/04 Flexible cables, conductors, or cords, e.g. trailing cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/08 Flat or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/421 for heat dissipation
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/592 connections to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/69 deformable terminals, e.g. crimping terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/205 with a panel or printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0201 Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0129 Thermoplastic polymer, e.g. auto-adhesive layer; Shaping of thermoplastic polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0154 Polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0209 Inorganic, non-metallic particles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/041 Stacked PCBs, i.e. having neither an empty space nor mounted components in between
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/052 Branched
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 : Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 : Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0228 : Cutting, sawing, milling or shearing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0052 : Depaneling, i.e. dividing a panel into circuit boards; Working of the edges of circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/28 : Applying non-metallic protective coatings H05K3/0091 takes precedence; methods for intermediate insulating layers for build-up multilayer circuits H05K3/4673
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/366 : substantially perpendicularly to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/368 : parallel to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided are electrical harness assemblies and methods of forming such harness assemblies. A harness assembly comprises a conductor trace, comprising a conductor lead with a width-to-thickness ratio of at least 2. This ratio provides for a lower thickness profile and enhances heat transfer from the harness to the environment. In some examples, a conductor trace may be formed from a thin sheet of metal. The same sheet may be used to form other components of the harness. The conductor trace also comprises a connecting end, monolithic with the conductor lead. The width-to-thickness ratio of the connecting end may be less than that of the conductor trace, allowing for the connecting end to be directly mechanically and electrically connected to a connector of the harness assembly. The connecting end may be folded, shaped, slit-rearranged, and the like to reduce its width-to-thickness ratio, which may be close to 1.

Claims

1. An electrical harness assembly comprising:

a connector, comprising a first contact interface and a first connecting portion; and

a first conductor trace, comprising a first conductor lead and a first connecting end, wherein;

the first conductor lead and the first connecting end of the first conductor trace are monolithic;

the first conductor lead has a width-to-thickness ratio of at least 2; and

the first connecting end of the first conductor trace is electrically coupled to the first connecting portion of the connector, wherein the first connecting end of the first conductor trace has a width-to-thickness ratio less than the width-to-thickness ratio of the first conductor lead.

2. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first connecting portion of the connector comprises a base and one or more tabs; and

the first connecting end of the first conductor trace is crimped between the base and the one or more tabs of the first connecting portion.

3. The electrical harness assembly of claim 2, wherein the first connecting end of the first conductor trace is welded to the base.

4. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first connecting portion of the connector comprises a first plate and a second plate parallel to the first plate and forming a cavity;

the first connecting portion further comprises a biasing element protruding into the cavity from the first plate toward the second plate; and

the first connecting end of the first conductor trace protrudes into the cavity and contacts the biasing element.

5. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the first connecting end is folded.

6. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the first connecting end is reshaped.

7. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the first connecting end is slit into a plurality of strands;

and wherein the plurality of strands is bundled together.

8. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second conductor trace, comprising a second conductor lead and a second connecting end, wherein:

the second conductor lead and the second connecting end of the second conductor trace are monolithic;

the second conductor lead has a width-to-thickness ratio of at least 0.5;

a thickness of the second conductor lead and a thickness of the first conductor lead are equal; and

the second conductor lead and the first conductor lead do not contact each other.

9. The electrical harness assembly of claim 8, wherein the second connecting end of the second conductor trace is electrically coupled to multiple connecting portions of the connector.

10. The electrical harness assembly of claim 9, wherein the connector comprises one or more jumpers electrically coupling the multiple connecting portions.

11. The electrical harness assembly of claim 9, wherein the second conductor lead is wider than the first conductor lead.

12. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the first connecting end is a stack of multiple layers formed by folding the first conductor trace.

13. The electrical harness assembly of claim 12, wherein the first connecting end is a stack of two layers.

14. A car door assembly comprising:

a car door comprising a surface;

an electrical harness assembly directly interfacing the surface of the car door, wherein;

the electrical harness assembly is attached to the surface of the car door;

the electrical harness assembly is conformal to the surface of the car door; and

the electrical harness assembly has a width-to-thickness ratio of at least about 2, wherein the electrical harness assembly comprises a first insulator, a first conductor trace, and a second insulator, wherein;

the first conductor trace is disposed between the first insulator and the second insulator; and

the first insulator is disposed between the first conductor trace and the surface of the car door, and wherein the first insulator is adhered to the surface of the car door using a thermally conductive mounting adhesive.

15. The car door assembly of claim 14, wherein the electrical harness assembly is attached to the surface of the car door along at least 90% of an interface between the electrical harness assembly and the surface.

16. The car door assembly of claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive mounting adhesive is a thermally conductive pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) film.

17. The car door assembly of claim 14, wherein the first insulator comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyamide (PA), soldermask, and polyvinyl butyral (PVB).

18. A car door assembly comprising:

a car door comprising a surface;

an electrical harness assembly directly interfacing the surface of the car door, wherein;

the electrical harness assembly is attached to the surface of the car door;

the electrical harness assembly is conformal to the surface of the car door; and

the electrical harness assembly has a width-to-thickness ratio of at least about 2, wherein the electrical harness assembly comprises a first insulator, a first conductor trace, and a second insulator, wherein;

the first conductor trace is disposed between the first insulator and the second insulator; and

the first insulator is disposed between the first conductor trace and the surface of the car door, and wherein the first insulator is a thermally conductive mounting adhesive.