Flexible circuit board splice clamp

• US 6,299,469 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Glovatsky, Andrew Zachary, McMillan, Richard Keith, Kalinowski, Pawel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEBB, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/553,204
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 439/329, 439/507, 439/67, 439/499, 439/418, 439/422, 361/776, 337/381, 337/418
• US Class Current: 439/329
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/18 Packaging of the electronic circuit in a casing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/21 Engine cover with integrated cabling
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/187 using a hot wire flow sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/3005 Details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 9/02 concerning induction conduits throttle valves, or arrangements thereof in conduits F02D9/08
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10019 Means upstream of the fuel injection system, carburettor or plenum chamber F02M35/10013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10111 Substantially V-, C- or U-shaped ducts in direction of the flow path
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10144 Connections of intake ducts to each other or to another device
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10242 Devices or means connected to or integrated into air intakes; Air intakes combined with other engine or vehicle parts filters F02M35/02; silencers F02M35/12 and F02M35/14; air coolers F02B29/04; heaters F02M31/00; air storage tanks F02B21/00; compressors F02B33/00; sensors F02M35/10373
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10249 Electrical or electronic devices fixed to the intake system; Electric wiring electric heaters F02M31/12; sensors F02M35/10373
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10321 Plastics; Composites; Rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 3/02 having inductive energy storage, e.g. arrangements of induction coils ignition coils structurally combined with sparking plugs F02P13/00; constructional details of ignition coils H01F38/12
• CPC Class Codes: F05C 2225/08 Thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/684 Structural arrangements; Mounting of elements, e.g. in relation to fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/616 having contacts penetrating insulation for making contact with conductors, e.g. needle points
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/26 Pin or blade contacts for sliding co-operation on one side only for modular jack type connectors H01R24/62
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for splicing flexible circuit boards, particularly those having one or more flexible strip extensions with conductor runs. The splice clamp of the present invention has two hinged plates that clamp over unconnected ends of two flexible circuit board segments. The splice clamp includes alignment guides for aligning the segments in the clamp so that one or more jumpers contact and provide an electrical bridge between the conductors of the segments when the plates are clamped together. The jumpers contact conductive pads of larger size than the conductor runs to ensure electrical coupling between the flexible circuit board segments. The jumpers may have pointed tips that cut through insulation. The clamp includes flexible clasps on one plate that engage with catch surfaces on the other plate to lock the flexible circuit board segments spliced together.

Claims

1. A kit for use with an automobile electronic assembly having a first engine component coupled to a flexible circuit board by a first extension made of a flexible substrate supporting runs of conductors extending from terminals of the first engine component and having a splice region, the kit comprising:

a replacement engine component for replacing the first engine component and having electrical terminals;

a replacement extension for replacing a portion of the first extension between the splice region and the terminals of the first engine component, the replacement extension having a splice region and being made of a flexible substrate supporting runs of conductors and being electrically coupled to the electrical terminals of the replacement engine component at the other end; and

a splice connector having conductive jumpers that can bridge the splice regions and couple the first extension to the replacement extension so that the replacement engine component can be electrically coupled to the flexible circuit board.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein the splice connector is a clamp having a top plate joined to a bottom plate by a hinge.

3. The kit of claim 1, wherein the hinge is a living hinge integrally connected between the top and bottom plates allowing the splice connector to be opened and closed.

4. The kit of claim 2, wherein the top and bottom plate have planar inner surfaces.

5. The kit of claim 4, wherein the bottom planer surface is recessed approximately the thickness of the extension.

6. The kit of claim 5, wherein the metallic jumpers are disposed within the top plate in a lateral arrangement spaced apart the distance between the runs and having a pair of pointed contact ends protruding through the top inner surface.

7. The of claim 6, wherein the bottom plate two sets of laterally aligned extension alignment posts projecting from the bottom inner surface and the top plate has recesses corresponding to the extension alignment posts in which the extension alignment posts are disposed when the splice connector is closed, the extension alignment posts aligning the free end of the extension with the free end of the replacement extension such that the pointed ends of the metallic jumpers contact the conductive contact pads of the extension and replacement extension when the splice connector is closed.

8. The kit of claim 7, wherein the extension and replacement extension each have a set of alignment openings proximate the conductive contact pads and sized to fit the alignment posts.

9. The kit of claim 2, wherein the bottom plate has a flexible clasp at the unhinged end that engages a catch surface in the top plate so secure the metallic jumpers in contact with the conductive contact pads.

10. The kit of claim 1, wherein the extension and replacement extension have an insulation layer covering the conductor runs.

11. The kit of claim 1, further comprising a seal disposed at the seam between the extension and the replacement extension.

12. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the first and replacement engine components is selected from the group consisting of:

an ignition coil, a fuel injector, an engine control unit, a throttle position sensor, an exhaust recirculation valve, temperature and manifold pressure sensors, inlet air temperature sensors, and a by-pass throttle air valve.

13. The kit of claim 1, wherein the flexible circuit board includes a plurality of extensions coupling the first electronic component to a plurality of second electronic components.

14.The kit of claim 1, wherein the conductors are an etched tri-metal composite comprising a layer of aluminum disposed between layers of copper.

14. The kit of claim 1, wherein of the splice connector includes an integral resilient seal positioned to hermetically seal a seam between the extension and the replacement extension.

15. The kit of claim 1, wherein the splice connector has a first plate and a second plate and wherein the first plate is integrally mounted to a support for the flexible circuit board of the first electronic component.

16. The kit of claim 16, wherein the first plate has a recessed channel and alignment posts for containing and aligning, respectively, splice ends of the fingerlike extension and the replacement extension when splicing the finger-like extension to the replacement extension.

17. The kit of claim 17, wherein the first and second plates can be fit together around the splice ends of the finger-like extension and the replacement extension.

18. In an automobile electronic assembly including a first electronic component having a flexible circuit board with a flexible circuit extension made of a flexible substrate supporting conductor runs wherein the flexible circuit extension electrically couples the first electronic component to a second electronic component, a method of servicing the electronic assembly, comprising the steps of:

cutting through the flexible circuit extension cross-wise so that the extension is in two segments, a first segment connected to the first electronic component and a second segment connected to the second electronic component;

removing the first electronic component and the first extension segment;

installing a replacement component having a replacement extension segment corresponding to the first electronic component and the first extension segment;

bringing together free ends of the second extension segment and the replacement extension segment so that the conductor runs of the second extension segment are aligned with the conductor runs of the replacement extension segment; and

clamping a splice connector with metallic jumpers over the free ends so that the metallic jumpers bridge the conductor runs of the second extension segment to that the conductor runs of the replacement extension segment.

19. The method of claim 19, wherein the splice connector is a clamp having a top plate joined to a bottom plate by a hinge allowing the splice connector to be opened and closed.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second electronic components is selected from the group consisting of:

an ignition coil, a fuel injector, an engine control unit, a throttle position sensor, an exhaust gas recirculation valve, temperature and manifold absolute pressure sensors, inlet air temperature sensors, and by-pass throttle air valve.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the conductors are an etched tri-metal composite comprising a layer of aluminum disposed between layer of copper.

20. The method of claim 20, wherein the metallic jumpers are disposed within the top plate in a lateral arrangement spaced apart the distance between the runs and having a pair of contact ends protruding through a top inner surface.

21. The method of claim 21, wherein the conductor runs have conductive contact pads of increased width than the runs and wherein the extension is cut such that the conductive contact pads are in the second extension segment.

22. The method of claim 22, wherein the bottom plate has two sets of laterally aligned extension alignment posts projecting from a bottom inner surface and the top plate has recesses corresponding to the extension alignment posts in which the extension alignment posts are disposed when the splice connector is closed, and wherein the second and replacement extension segments each have a set of alignment openings proximate the conductive contact pads and sized to fit the alignment posts.

23. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

aligning the openings in the second extension segment and the openings in the replacement extension segment such that the pointed ends of the metallic jumpers contact the conductive contact pads of the second and replacement extension segments when the splice connector is closed.

24. The method of claim 24, further including the step of sealing the seam between the second and replacement extension segments.

25. The method of claim 25, wherein the bottom plate has a flexible clasp at the unhinged end and the top plate has a catch surface at the unhinged end, further comprising the step of snapping the splice connector closed.

26. The method of claim 26, wherein the second and replacement extension segments have an insulation layer covering the conductor runs, and wherein the jumper contact ends are pointed to cut through the insulation layer and contact the conductive contact pads when the splice connector is closed.