Electrical line penetration through a housing wall

• US 6,239,370 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Loibl, Josef, Franzen, Frank, Scheuerer, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R.
• Application Number:
  US09/161,197
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 174/65 R, 174/50, 174/50.58, 174/50.61, 174/50.62
• US Class Current: 174/666
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0222 Grommets
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions

Abstract

An electrical line penetration through a housing wall made of plastic has electrical traces embedded in a flexible conductor. The electrical traces of the flexible conductor have electrical contact points on both sides of the housing wall. The flexible circuit is injection-molded into the housing wall. In the production of the sealed electrical line penetration, a flexible film with an electrical trace is clamped in, on the outer side of the housing to be injection-molded and the inner side of the housing to be injection-molded respectively, between two halves of an injection mold.

Claims

1. A sealed electrical line penetration, comprising:

a housing wall made of plastic enclosing a cavity;

a flexible circuit penetrating said housing wall, said flexible circuit having a plurality of electrical traces embedded therein and electrical contact points on either side of said housing wall;

said flexible circuit being injection molded into said housing wall, and said electrical traces of said flexible circuit being led to different levels in said housing wall.

2. The sealed electrical line penetration according to claim 1, wherein said flexible circuit is a flexible film with a top film and a base film, said electrical traces being embedded between said top film and said base film.

3. The sealed electrical line penetration according to claim 2, wherein said top film and said base film are physically bonded to said housing wall.

4. The sealed electrical line penetration according to claim 2, wherein said top film and said base film are chemically bonded to said housing wall.

5. The sealed electrical line penetration according to claim 2, wherein said top film and said base film are physically and chemically bonded to said housing wall.

6. The sealed electrical line penetration according to claim 1, wherein said flexible circuit is one of a plurality of flexible circuits molded into said housing wall and split up in said housing wall to different levels.

8. The sealed electrical line penetration according to claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit has clearances through which a plastic can flow during injection molding.

7. A sealed electrical line penetration, comprising:

a housing with a housing wall made of plastic, said housing enclosing a cavity;

a flexible circuit penetrating said housing wall, said flexible circuit having a plurality of electrical traces embedded therein and electrical contact points on either side of said housing wall;

said flexible circuit being encapsulated by said housing wall, and said flexible circuit being injection molded into said housing substantially around a periphery thereof.