Electrical connection for flex circuit device

• US 5,993,247 A
• Filed: 12/01/1997
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kidd, Richard Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): DONOVAN, LINCOLN D
• Application Number:
  US08/980,671
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 439/77, 439/67, 439/329, 439/492, 439/493, 439/495, 439/567, 439/499
• US Class Current: 439/495
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/592 connections to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/78 connecting to other flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures

Abstract

An electrical connection includes a wiring harness and an electrical device. The electrical device has a molded plastic support and a flexible printed circuit. The molded plastic support has an end wall that includes mechanical locks and the flexible printed circuit has a connector portion that overlies the end wall. The wiring harness includes a second flexible printed circuit and a plastic end connector that backs a connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit. A clamp bracket is attached to the end wall of the molded plastic support by mechanical locks and clamps the plastic end connector and the connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit against the end wall with the connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit engaging the connector portion of the flexible printed circuit of the electrical device. The clamp bracket may be insert molded or an integral part of an automotive trim piece, such as inner door panel or instrument panel fascia.

Claims

1. An electrical connection comprising:

an electrical device having a molded plastic support and a flexible printed circuit, the molded plastic support having an end wall that includes mechanical locks and the flexible printed circuit having a connector portion that overlies the end wall,

a wiring harness that has a second flexible printed circuit and a plastic end plate secured to a back of a connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit,

the plastic end plate having lock arms for attaching the plastic end plate to a clamp bracket,

the clamp bracket engaging the mechanical locks to attach the plastic end plate and the connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit secured thereto to the end wall of the support so that the connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit is clamped against the connector portion of the flexible printed circuit of the electrical device, and

the plastic end plate having two widely spaced lock holes receiving the mechanical locks of the support when the clamp bracket is attached to the end wall of the support.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the end wall of the molded plastic support has an elongated slot between the mechanical locks and the connector portion of the flexible printed circuit has several spaced cutouts and a like number of copper strips that terminate at or near an edge of the respective cutouts and bow shaped spring blade terminals are attached to the end portions of the copper strips so as to extend over the cutouts in cantilever fashion.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein the second flexible printed circuit has a number of copper strips that have exposed faces for making electrical contact with the terminals.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the mechanical locks are bifurcated mechanical locks having barbs and wherein the connector portion of the flexible printed circuit, the plastic end plate of the wiring harness and the clamp plate all have locking holes that receive portions of the mechanical locks inboard of the barbs so as to align the contact portions of the flexible printed circuit and the second flexible printed circuit with each other.