Flexible circuits for electrical harnesses

• US 10,446,956 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2019
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• 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:
  US16/371,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20190229449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 174 72 A, 174117 F
• 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 first conductor trace, extending along an axis of the electrical harness assembly and comprising a first conductor lead and a first connecting end, monolithic with the first conductor lead;

a second conductor trace, extending along the axis of the electrical harness assembly and comprising a second conductor lead and a second connecting end, monolithic with the second conductor lead,

a third conductor trace, extending along the axis of the electrical harness assembly and comprising a third conductor lead and a third connecting end, monolithic with the third conductor lead; and

an insulator, comprising a first elongated opening, extending along the axis of the electrical harness assembly and partially dividing the insulator into a first insulator strip and a second insulator strip and further comprising a second elongated opening, extending along the axis and partially dividing the insulator into a third insulator strip and the second insulator strip, wherein;

the first conductor lead is laminated to the first insulator strip and away from the first elongated opening;

the second conductor lead is laminated to the second insulator strip and away from the first elongated opening;

the third conductor lead is laminated to the third insulator strip and away from the second elongated opening;

the second conductor lead is positioned away from the second elongated opening;

the first elongated opening has a closed shape such that the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip are joined together and monolithic at both ends of the first elongated opening;

the second elongated opening has a closed shape such that the second insulator strip and the third insulator strip are joined together and monolithic at both ends of the second elongated opening; and

the first elongated opening and the second elongated opening have different lengths along the axis.

2. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first adhesive layer portion and a second adhesive layer portion, separated by an adhesive opening, wherein:

the first conductor lead is disposed between the first adhesive layer portion and the first insulator strip;

the second conductor lead is disposed between the second adhesive layer portion and the second insulator strip.

3. The electrical harness assembly of claim 2, wherein the adhesive opening coincides with the first elongated opening of the insulator.

4. The electrical harness assembly of claim 2, wherein each of the first adhesive layer portion and the second adhesive layer portion is a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) film.

5. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first insulator strip, the first conductor lead, the second insulator strip, and the second conductor lead has a rectangular cross-section within a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the axis.

6. The electrical harness assembly of claim 5, wherein a width of the first insulator strip is smaller than a thickness of the first insulator strip within a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the axis, the thickness defined by stacking of the first insulator strip and the first conductor lead.

7. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the first elongated opening enhances in-plane flexibility of the electrical harness assembly.

8. The electrical harness assembly of claim 7, wherein the first elongated opening allows portions of the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip, surrounding the first elongated opening and positioned away from ends of the first elongated opening, to move relative to each other, during in-plane bending of the electrical harness assembly.

9. The electrical harness assembly of claim 8, wherein the first elongated opening allows the portions of the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip, surrounding the first elongated opening and positioned away from the ends of the first elongated opening, to form a stack, during the in-plane bending of the electrical harness assembly.

10. The electrical harness assembly of claim 8, wherein the first elongated opening allows the portions of the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip, surrounding the first elongated opening and positioned away from the ends of the first elongated opening, to twist relative to portions of the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip, at the ends of the first elongated opening, during the in-plane bending of the electrical harness assembly.

11. The electrical harness assembly of claim 8, wherein the first elongated opening allows the electrical harness assembly to maintain a thickness less than or equal to a width of the first insulator strip or a width of the second insulator strip, during the in-plane bending of the electrical harness assembly.

12. The electrical harness assembly of claim 1, further comprising a connector, wherein:

the connector comprises a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion;

the first connecting portion of the connector is electrically coupled to the first connecting end of the first conductor trace; and

the second connecting portion of the connector is electrically coupled to the second connecting end of the second conductor trace.

13. The electrical harness assembly of claim 12, wherein the first connecting end is positioned above the second connecting end such that a projection of the first connecting end is a direction perpendicular to a width of the first connecting end is centered relative to the second connecting end.

14. The electrical harness assembly of claim 12, wherein:

the connector comprises a third connecting portion, electrically coupled to the first connecting end of the first conductor trace; and

the connector comprises a jumper, electrically coupling the first connecting portion and the third connecting portion.

15. A method of arranging an electrical harness assembly having an axis, the method comprising:

providing the electrical harness assembly comprising;

a first integrated portion, a slit portion, and a second integrated portion, such that the slit portion is disposed between the first integrated portion and the second integrated portion along the axis;

a first conductor trace, comprising a first conductor lead and a first connecting end, monolithic with the first conductor lead, extending along the axis through the first integrated portion, the slit portion, and the second integrated portion;

a second conductor trace, extending along the axis and comprising a second conductor lead and a second connecting end, monolithic with the second conductor lead, extending along the axis through the first integrated portion, the slit portion, and the second integrated portion;

an insulator, comprising a first elongated opening, extending along the axis through the slit portion and between the first integrated portion and the second integrated portion and partially, dividing the insulator into a first insulator strip and a second insulator strip, and having a closed shape such that the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip are joined together at both ends of the first elongated opening in the first integrated portion and the second integrated portion; and

laminating the first integrated portion and the second integrated portion to a surface of a heat sink, such that the first integrated portion is turned related to the second integrated portion around a turn axis perpendicular to the surface of the heat sink thereby forming a bend radius, wherein, after laminating, the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip have different orientation relative to each other along the bend radius in the slit portion, wherein the electrical harness assembly further comprises a third conductor trace, extending along the axis of the electrical harness assembly and comprising a third conductor lead and a third connecting end, monolithic with the third conductor lead, extending along the axis through the first integrated portion, the slit portion, and the second integrated portion, wherein;

the insulator comprises a second elongated opening, extending along the axis of the electrical harness assembly through the slit portion and between the first integrated portion and the second integrated portion and partially dividing the insulator into a third insulator strip and the second insulator strip;

the third conductor lead is laminated to the third insulator strip and is positioned away from the second elongated opening;

the second conductor lead is positioned away from the second elongated opening;

the second elongated opening has a closed shape such that the second insulator strip and the third insulator strip are joined together at both ends of the second elongated opening in the first integrated portion and the second integrated; and

the first elongated opening and the second elongated opening have different lengths along the axis.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, after laminating, the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip have different twist angles relative to the surface of the heat sink along the bend radius in the slit portion.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, after laminating, the first insulator strip and the second insulator strip are stacked in a direction parallel to the surface of the heat sink along the bend radius in the slit portion.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the lengths the first elongated opening and the second elongated opening depend on the bend radius.