PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD CONNECTION ASSEMBLY

• US 20120129362A1
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Hampo, Richard J., Pavlovic, Slobodan, Sharaf, Nadir, Rai, Rutunj, Khan, Aftab Ali
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/65
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/71 for rigid printing circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/718 Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing contacts for abutting H01R12/714
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0262 Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10295 Metallic connector elements partly mounted in a hole of the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10303 Pin-in-hole mounted pins

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a vehicle power module comprises a first printed circuit board (PCB) including a first plurality of electrical components for providing a first voltage and a second voltage. The vehicle power module further comprises a second PCB including a second plurality of electrical components, the second PCB being spaced away from the first printed circuit board and a first connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the first voltage to the second PCB. The vehicle power module further comprises a second connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the second voltage to the second PCB. The first connector assembly provides the first voltage of up to 14V and the second connector assembly provides the second voltage of 200V or greater.

Claims

1. A vehicle power module comprising:

a first printed circuit board (PCB) including a first plurality of electrical components for providing a first voltage and a second voltage;

a second PCB including a second plurality of electrical components, the second PCB being spaced away from the first printed circuit board;

a first connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the first voltage to the second PCB; and

a second connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for providing the second voltage to the second PCB;

wherein the first connector assembly provides the first voltage of up to 14V and the second connector assembly provides the second voltage of 200V or greater.

2. The vehicle power module of claim 1 wherein the second connector assembly includes a male connector and a female connector.

3. The vehicle power module of claim 2 wherein the second PCB includes a top side and a bottom side, and wherein the second PCB defines a first cavity that extends from the top side and the bottom side for enabling the male connector to protrude through the bottom side.

4. The vehicle power module of claim 3 wherein the female connector includes a plurality of beam members positioned on the bottom side for defining a second cavity and for engaging the male connector on the bottom side.

5. The vehicle power module of claim 4 further comprising a heat dissipation device being positioned adjacent to the top side of the second PCB.

6. The vehicle power module of claim 4 wherein the second PCB defines a plurality of attachment cavities positioned about the first cavity which extend from the top side to the bottom side.

7. The vehicle power module of claim 6 wherein the female connector further includes a plurality of board attachment portions, each board attachment portion being received at a corresponding attachment cavity for securing the female terminal to the second PCB.

8. The vehicle power module of claim 7 wherein each board attachment portion extends through each attachment cavity for protruding from the top side of the second PCB.

9. The vehicle power module of claim 7 wherein each board attachment point generally corresponds to a predetermined amount of current that is capable of being passed through the female connector.

10. A vehicle power module comprising:

a first printed circuit board (PCB) including a first plurality of electrical components for enabling transmission of electrical power;

a second PCB including a second plurality of electrical components for electrically communicating with the first plurality of electrical components, the second PCB being spaced away from the first printed circuit board;

a heat dissipation device positioned between the first PCB and the second PCB for discharging heat from at least one of the first plurality of electrical components and the second plurality of electrical components; and

a first connector assembly including a first male connector and a first female connector, the first connector assembly being coupled to the first PCB and to the second PCB for enabling transmission of the electrical power from the first plurality of electrical components to the second plurality of electrical components and the female connector being positioned on a side of the second PCB that is opposite to the heat dissipation device.

11. The vehicle power module of claim 10 wherein the second PCB includes a first side and a second side, wherein the second PCB defines a first cavity that extends from the first side and the second side for enabling the male connector to protrude through the second side, and wherein the second side of the second PCB is positioned opposite to the heat dissipation device.

12. The vehicle power module of claim 11 wherein the female connector includes a plurality of beam members positioned on the second side for defining a second cavity and for engaging the male connector on the second side.

13. The vehicle power module of claim 11 wherein the second PCB defines a plurality of attachment cavities positioned about the first cavity which extend from the first side to the second side.

14. The vehicle power module of claim 13 wherein the female connector further includes a plurality of board attachment portions, each board attachment portion being received at a corresponding attachment cavity for securing the female terminal to the second PCB.

15. The vehicle power module of claim 14 wherein each board attachment portion extends through each attachment cavity for protruding from the top side of the second PCB.

16. A vehicle power module comprising:

a transformer for providing a high voltage;

a printed circuit board (PCB) for receiving the high voltage; and

a connector assembly coupled to the transformer and to the PCB, the connector assembly including;

a male connector; and

a female connector including at least two beam terminals defining a cavity to receive the male connector, the female connector being arranged to secure the male connector to enable transfer of the high voltage to the PCB.

17. The vehicle power module of claim 16 wherein the at least two beam terminals includes a first beam terminal and a second beam terminal and wherein the first beam terminal is positioned opposite to the second beam terminal to form the cavity.

18. The vehicle power module of claim 17 wherein the first beam terminal and the second beam terminal is arranged to compressively engage the male connector to secure the male connector.

19. The vehicle power module of claim 17 wherein the first beam terminal and the second beam terminal is arranged to engage and secure the male connector without a bolted connection.

20. The vehicle power module of claim 17 wherein the first beam terminal and the second beam terminal is arranged to engage and secure the male connector without a wire connection.