Vehicle electric power distribution system

• US 6,496,377 B1
• Filed: 10/09/1996
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Happ, Lawrence R., Bailey, Willaim R., Lesesky, Alan, Korczynski, Jacek
• Primary Examiner(s): Talbott, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vigushin, John B.
• Application Number:
  US08/728,511
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 361/826, 361/748, 361/750, 361/751, 361/752, 361/760, 361/761, 361/762, 361/763, 361/764, 361/767, 361/777, 361/778, 361/796, 361/735, 361/744, 361/775, 361/780, 361/784, 361/791, 361/792, 361/794, 361/795, 361/803, 361/805, 361/813, 361/739, 174/260, 174/262, 174/267, 257/691, 257/698, 257/699, 439/75, 439/76.1, 439/76.2
• US Class Current: 361/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2458 Electrical interconnections between terminal blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/207 Cross-bar layouts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0287 having an universal lay-out, e.g. pad or land grid patterns or mesh patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0298 Multilayer circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10303 Pin-in-hole mounted pins
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1059 Connections made by press-fit insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/175 Configurations of connections suitable for easy deletion, e.g. modifiable circuits or temporary conductors for electroplating; Processes for deleting connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/202 using self-supporting metal foil pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/326 the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits H05K3/365 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle electric power distribution apparatus is provided which includes a plurality of vertically stacked conductive circuit layers, each layer including an array of contact pads, a layer of electrically insulating plastic material between each of the conductive circuit layers, at least some of the contact pads are electrically connected to selected other contact pads of the same conductive circuit layer via integrally formed conductive traces. In addition to the stacked circuit layers the apparatus includes a plurality of conductive pins providing electrical contact between selected contact pads of different selected conductive circuit layers.

Claims

1. A vehicle electric power distribution apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vertically stacked conductive circuit layers at least partially coated with an electrically insulating material, each layer including an array of contact pads, and at least some of the contact pads are electrically connected to selected other contact pads of the same conductive circuit layer via integrally formed conductive traces; and

a plurality of conductive pins providing electrical contact between selected contact pads of different selected conductive circuit layers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating material is plastic.

3. A vehicle electric power distribution apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vertically stacked conductive circuit layers, each layer including an array of contact pads, each of the conductive circuit layers is at least partially encapsulated by an electrically insulating material, and at least some of the contact pads are electrically connected to selected other contact pads of the same conductive circuit layer via integrally formed conductive traces;

a plurality of conductive pins providing electrical contact between selected contact pads of different conductive circuit layers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the electrically insulating material covers substantially all of the conductive circuit layer, except for at least a portion of the contact pads and at least a portion of the conductive traces.

5. A vehicle electric power distribution apparatus comprising:

a plurality of vertically stacked conductive circuit layers, each layer including an array of contact pads, at least one of the conductive circuit layers includes at least one integrally formed electrical contact coplanar therewith, and at least some of the contact pads are electrically connected to selected other contact pads of the same conductive circuit layer via integrally formed conductive traces;

a plurality of conductive pins providing electrical contact between selected contact pads of different selected conductive circuit layers, and the contact extending outwardly from the conductive circuit layer, making electrical contact with at least one of the contact pads, and arranged to provide electrical contact with an external electric power distribution network.

6. An electric power distribution apparatus comprising:

a plurality of conductive plates including contact pads arranged in a predetermined pattern, wherein at least some of the contact pads are electrically connected to selected other contact pads via integrally formed conductive traces;

a plurality of conductive pins providing electrical contact between selected contact pads of different selected conductive plates.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the contact pads are arranged in a rectangular array.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the array is square, and the contact pads are separated by a center-to-center distance of about 0.320 inch.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive pins include a lower tubular portion and an upper connector portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the lower tubular portion is formed by a stamping operation which further forms a longitudinal slot extending substantially throughout the lower tubular portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the lower tubular portion and the upper connector portion are integrally formed.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive plates are fabricated from conductive material having a thickness of from 0.020 to 0.050 inch.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductive material is copper.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive plates are formed by a stamping operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive plates are at least partially coated with an insulating material.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the conductive plates are stacked vertically.

17. An electric power distribution apparatus comprising:

a plurality of conductive plates stacked vertically, wherein the conductive plates are;

formed by a stamping operation to include an arrangement of contact pads wherein at least some of the contact pads are connected to adjacent contact pads by integrally formed conductive traces, and such that the conductive plates are substantially identical after stamping;

at least partially coated with an insulating material such that the conductive plates are electrically isolated from one another; and

subjected to a subsequent shearing operation to selectively remove undesired conductive traces to form desired conductive paths, thus rendering each conductive plate substantially unique from other conductive plates;

a plurality of conductive pins providing electrical contact between selected contact pads of different selected, vertically stacked conductive plates.