Wiring assembly with composite glass panel and flat ribbon cable

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiring assembly (1) comprising: - a composite glass pane (2) consisting of a first glass pane (3) and a second glass pane (4) which are connected to one another in a plane by at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer (9), - an electrically functional element (10) between the two glass panes (3, 4), - a flat ribbon cable (11) having a conductor track (12), wherein the flat ribbon cable (11) has a first wiring region (6) at a first end (5) and a second wiring region (8) at a second end (7), wherein the first wiring region (6) is arranged between the two glass panes (3, 4) and the second wiring region (8) leads out of the composite glass pane (2) between the two glass panes (3, 4), and wherein the conductor track (12) electrically contacts the electrically functional element (10) in the first wiring region (6), wherein at least two conductor tracks (12, 12') are arranged in at least two, preferably exactly two or exactly three or exactly four, planes (E1, E2) within the flat ribbon cable (11) overlapping.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a wiring assembly having a composite glass plate and a flat ribbon cable, as well as its manufacturing method and its use.

[0002] Increasingly, prefabricated glass in buildings and vehicles incorporates large-area, conductive, and visible-light-transparent functional layers. In particular, high demands are placed on the thermal insulation performance of prefabricated glass for energy conservation and comfort reasons. For example, it is desirable to avoid high heat ingress due to solar radiation, which leads to overheating of interior spaces and, in turn, high energy costs for necessary air conditioning. A remedy is achieved by layer systems that control light transmittance and thus heat ingress due to sunlight by applying voltage. Electrochromic layer systems are known, for example, by EP 0867752 A1, US 2007 / 0097481A1, and US 2008 / 0169185 A1. These layer systems are typically switched by an external switch located near the prefabricated glass. Another function of the electrofunctional layer is to maintain a clear view of the vehicle's glass panes free of ice and fog. Electroheating layers are known (see, for example, WO 2010 / 043598 A1), which, by applying voltage, cause targeted heating of the glass panes. The voltage applied to the electrically heated layer is typically controlled by an external switch, which in vehicles is, for example, integrated into the dashboard. The use of an electrically functional layer as a planar antenna is known, for example, from DE 10106125 A1, DE 10319606 A1, EP 0720249 A2, US 2003 / 0112190 A1, and DE19843338 C2. For this purpose, the functional layer is coupled to a coupling electrode current or capacitor, providing an antenna signal in the edge region of the glass plate. The antenna signal decoupled from the planar antenna is fed to an antenna amplifier, which in motor vehicles is connected to the metal body, thereby providing a high-frequency technically effective reference potential for the antenna signal.

[0003] Such composite glass panels typically consist of at least two rigid monolithic glass sheets, which are planar bonded together by one or more thermoplastic interlayers or adhesive layers. An electrical functional layer lies between these monolithic glass sheets and is typically electrically connected to the external environment via a flat conductor. This is because suitable flat conductors typically have a total thickness of no more than 0.3 mm. This thin flat conductor can be easily embedded between these monolithic glass sheets in the thermoplastic adhesive layer. Examples of flat conductors used for contacting the electrical functional layer in composite glass panels in the field of transportation can be found in DE 42 35 063 A1, DE 20 2004 019 286 U1, WO 2020 / 064158 A1, or DE 93 13 394 U1.

[0004] The use of flat conductors in composite glass plates with electro-optic components is also known. These are planar structures with electro-controllable optical properties, which are active layers. That is, the optical properties of the active layer, particularly its transparency, scattering behavior, or luminosity, can be controlled by voltage. Examples of electro-optic components are SPD elements (SPD = Suspended Particle Device), known for example by EP0876608 B1 and WO 2011033313 A1, and PDLC elements (PDLC = Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal), known for example by DE102008026339 A1.

[0005] Electrical functional layers and electro-optic components are typically electrically contacted at busbars (“buses”), which are applied to and conductively contact the edge regions of the functional layers or electro-optic components. By connecting the busbars to an external voltage source, typically through flat conductors positioned at the busbars, voltage is applied and the functional layers or electro-optic components are switched.

[0006] In practice, flat ribbon cables equipped with numerous conductor circuits are used for more complex control tasks. The conductor circuits are very thin, for example, 0.03 mm to 0.1 mm thick, and are made of copper, which has proven to be suitable because of its good conductivity and good machinability, as well as its low material cost.

[0007] Typically, glass manufacturers require composite glass panels with wiring areas to connect to other control electrical equipment. These composite glass panels are often manufactured for a large number of customers and / or applications, where the wiring areas must be matched to the specific needs of each application and customer. This requires significant effort in matching customer-specific and / or application-specific features, is resource-intensive, and therefore expensive. This primarily involves wiring areas for electrical contacts of flat ribbon cables in the outer areas of the composite glass panel, which must be designed with application and customer specificity in mind. Furthermore, it is generally desirable to electrically connect the flat ribbon cables to another connecting cable, preferably a round cable, because round cables are significantly cheaper than flat ribbon cables, and are also easier to handle compared to flat ribbon cables, where longer sections can be bridged without problems.

[0008] In contrast, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved wiring assembly having a composite glass plate and a flat ribbon cable in electrical contact with the electrical functional elements of the composite glass plate. This wiring assembly enables flexible electrical contact of the flat ribbon cable outside the composite glass plate, while remaining inexpensive, easy to handle, and capable of good lamination.

[0009] According to the invention, these and other objectives are achieved by a wiring assembly having a composite glass plate and a flat ribbon cable, as described in the independent patent claims. Preferred embodiments are known from the dependent claims. Methods for manufacturing said wiring assembly and its use are known from the parallel patent claims.

[0010] This invention relates to a wiring assembly, which includes at least:

[0011] - A composite glass panel, comprising a first glass panel and a second glass panel planarly bonded together by at least one thermoplastic interlayer.

[0012] - Electrical functional components between the two glass plates

[0013] - A flat ribbon cable with conductive circuitry, wherein the flat ribbon cable has a first wiring region at a first end and a second wiring region at a second end, wherein the first wiring region is disposed between two glass plates, and the second wiring region extends from the composite glass plate between the two glass plates, and wherein the conductive circuitry in the first wiring region is in electrical contact with the electrical functional element.

[0014] Wherein, at least two of the conductor circuits are arranged overlappingly in at least two, preferably exactly two, exactly three, or exactly four planes within the flat ribbon cable.

[0015] The wiring assembly according to the invention therefore comprises a composite glass plate consisting of a first glass plate and a second glass plate that are firmly planar connected to each other by a thermoplastic interlayer.

[0016] The wiring assembly also includes an electrical functional element disposed between two glass plates and a flat ribbon cable for electrical contact of the electrical functional element, and particularly for electrical connection between the functional element and control electrical equipment in the wiring area of ​​the composite glass plate. The flat ribbon cable has a first wiring area and a second wiring area, wherein the first wiring area is located at a first end of the flat ribbon cable along its extension direction, and the second wiring area is located at a second end of the flat ribbon cable. The flat ribbon cable is partially laminated into the composite glass plate, wherein the first end with the first wiring area is located between the two glass plates, and the second end with the second wiring area extends out from the composite glass plate between the two glass plates. In this case, the conductor circuit in the first wiring area makes electrical contact with and is preferably current-connected to the electrical functional element.

[0017] Typically, a flat ribbon cable is a flat body with two opposite sides, which can optionally be made into a planar or curved shape. Flat ribbon cables are usually formed as a long, thin strip and have two ends along their direction of extension. Furthermore, flat ribbon cables are formed to be significantly longer and wider than their thickness allows.

[0018] The flat ribbon cable according to the invention comprises at least two conductor circuits, wherein the at least two conductor circuits are arranged overlappingly within the flat ribbon cable in at least two, preferably exactly two, exactly three, or exactly four planes. "Overlappingly" here refers to the extending plane of the flat ribbon cable, i.e., the plane spanned by the two larger dimensions (length and width) of the flat ribbon cable. Advantageously, in each case, the at least two conductor circuits are arranged equally in a projection perpendicular to the extending plane. Alternatively, the conductor circuits may also be formed larger in a plane and substantially partially or completely occupy that plane within the flat ribbon cable, preferably minus the insulation edge region. This increases the current-carrying capacity of the conductor circuit or achieves shielding.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the flat ribbon cable according to the invention, at least one conductor circuit is arranged on a first surface of an electrically insulating carrier film, and at least one additional conductor circuit is arranged on a second surface of the carrier film (i.e., the surface opposite to the first surface of the carrier film).

[0020] In another advantageous embodiment of the flat ribbon cable according to the invention, the conductor circuit is firmly connected to the first or second surface of the carrier film, preferably via an adhesive surface. Alternatively, the carrier film may be coated with the conductor circuit, particularly by a printing process, such as screen printing.

[0021] In another advantageous embodiment of the flat ribbon cable according to the invention, the flat ribbon cable has an insulating region between planar conductor circuits, said insulating region preferably consisting of segments of insulating film. Advantageously, the segments of insulating film are also arranged at the edges of the flat ribbon conductor.

[0022] In another advantageous embodiment of the flat ribbon cable according to the invention, the conductor circuit has at least one electrically insulating covering film on its side facing away from the carrier film.

[0023] In another advantageous embodiment, a section of the conductor circuit or insulating film is securely connected to the cover film, for example, via an adhesive surface. The carrier film and the cover film together form an insulating sleeve surrounding the conductor circuit.

[0024] The width of a flat ribbon cable can be constant or variable. In particular, a flat ribbon cable can be widened in the first wiring area and / or the second wiring area.

[0025] In another advantageous embodiment of the flat ribbon cable according to the invention, the maximum width bF of the flat ribbon cable, preferably within the composite glass plate and / or at the lead-out point of the composite glass plate, is 6 mm to 40 mm, preferably 20 mm to 40 mm, and particularly 25 mm to 30 mm. In another advantageous embodiment of the flat ribbon cable according to the invention, the maximum thickness dF of the flat ribbon cable, preferably within the composite glass plate and / or at the lead-out point of the composite glass plate, is 150 μm to 600 μm, preferably 300 μm to 400 μm, and particularly 300 μm to 350 μm. A flat ribbon cable with such a maximum size, particularly within the composite glass plate and / or at the lead-out point of the composite glass plate, can be laminated particularly well or affect the stability of the composite glass plate or disrupt its visual appearance. The area at the lead-out point is particularly important here because sealing problems occur particularly frequently there when the flat ribbon cable is large.

[0026] In an advantageous embodiment of the flat ribbon cable, it has a length of 5 cm to 150 cm, preferably 10 cm to 100 cm, and particularly 50 cm to 90 cm. It goes without saying that the length, width, and thickness of the flat ribbon cable can be matched to the requirements of each specific situation. The direction of the length defines the extension direction of the flat ribbon cable.

[0027] The carrier film, cover film, and / or insulating film preferably comprise polyimide or polyester, particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), or composed thereof. The cover film and / or insulating film may also be composed of an electrically insulating varnish, preferably a polymeric varnish. The cover film and / or insulating film may also comprise thermoplastics and elastomers, such as polyamide, polyoxymethylene, polybutylene terephthalate, or ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, or composed thereof. Alternatively, potting materials such as acrylate or epoxy resin systems can be used as the cover film and / or insulating film. The carrier film, cover film, or insulating film can be transparent or colored, for example, black or white.

[0028] The carrier film, cover film, and / or insulating film preferably have a thickness of 10 μm to 300 μm, particularly preferably 25 μm to 200 μm, and especially 60 μm to 150 μm. The carrier film, cover film, and / or insulating film are bonded to the conductor circuit, for example, by an adhesive layer. The thickness of the adhesive layer is, for example, 10 μm to 150 μm, particularly preferably 50 μm to 75 μm. Such carrier films, cover films, and / or insulating films are particularly suitable for electrically insulating and mechanically stabilizing conductor circuits, as well as protecting them from mechanical damage and corrosion.

[0029] The conductor circuit of a flat ribbon cable comprises, or preferably comprises, a metallic material such as copper, aluminum, stainless steel, tin, gold, silver, or alloys thereof. If the conductor circuit is made of metal foil as a strip, the metal can be partially or completely tin-plated. This is particularly advantageous for achieving good solderability while simultaneously preventing corrosion. Furthermore, it improves contact with conductive adhesives.

[0030] According to another advantageous embodiment, the conductor circuit has a thickness dL of 10 μm to 150 μm, preferably 30 μm to 150 μm, and especially 50 μm to 150 μm. This thin conductor is particularly flexible and can be easily laminated into and drawn out of a composite glass plate, for example. According to another advantageous embodiment, the conductor circuit has a width bL of 0.05 mm to 40 mm, preferably 1 mm to 20 mm, and especially 2 mm to 5 mm. This width is particularly suitable for obtaining sufficient current-carrying capacity in combination with the aforementioned thickness.

[0031] The flat ribbon cables, sized to such a degree, are so thin that they can be easily embedded in and drawn out of the thermoplastic interlayer of the composite glass sheet between the individual glass plates. Therefore, these flat ribbon cables are particularly suitable for contacting electrical functional components within the composite glass sheet.

[0032] Each conductor circuit can be electrically contacted at two contact points spaced apart from each other along the conductor circuit. Contact points are areas of the conductor circuit where electrical contact can occur. In the simplest embodiment, these are accessible areas of the conductor circuit. A first wiring area has a contact point of at least one of the conductor circuits. A second wiring area is typically, but not necessarily, located on the same side as the first wiring area relative to the extended plane of the flat ribbon cable. At least one second wiring area has a contact point of at least one of the conductor circuits. The wiring areas of the flat ribbon cable are used for electrical contact with the conductor circuits, and for this purpose, at least at the contact points, any possible covering film and optional insulating film or carrier film are absent or removed, thus making the conductor circuits accessible. Alternatively, the flat ribbon cable may have suitable electrical feeds, so-called through-holes.

[0033] It goes without saying that the wiring area can be protected from corrosion by a conductive coating (such as tin plating) or a non-conductive layer (such as solder varnish). This protective layer is typically removed, burned off, or otherwise penetrated during electrical contact to enable it. Uninsulated wiring areas can be created during production using windowing techniques or through post-production removal, such as by laser ablation or mechanical ablation. In windowing techniques, the conductor circuitry is coated, for example, glued or laminated onto a carrier film by a cover film having corresponding recesses (windows) in the wiring area. Alternatively, conductor circuitry is laminated on both sides, with the cover film having corresponding recesses in the wiring area. During post-production removal, if the conductor circuitry has already been applied to the carrier film, the corresponding recesses in the wiring area can be introduced into the cover film. In the case of laminated flat ribbon cables, the recesses in the wiring area can be introduced into both the cover film and, optionally, the carrier film. However, flat ribbon cables may also have one or more perforations in the cover film and, optionally, the carrier film in the first wiring area and the second wiring area, respectively. In this case, each perforation extends completely into the conductor circuit, i.e., it forms a material-free channel into the conductor circuit.

[0034] The wiring areas are formed according to their respective uses. In an advantageous embodiment, the contact points are formed as soldered contact points. The wiring connection between the wiring area of ​​the flat ribbon cable and the electrical functional components and at least one connection area is preferably achieved by brazing, pressure welding, fusion welding, clamping, extrusion, or plugging. When brazing, soft soldering with low melting point solder is preferred. Lead-free solder is particularly preferred here. Alternatively, conductive connections can be made by bonding or clamping with conductive adhesives, for example by means of metal clips, sleeves, or plugging connections. Within the composite glass plate, wiring connections can also be made by direct contact with the conductive areas, wherein the arrangement is firmly laminated into the composite glass plate and thereby ensures that slippage is prevented.

[0035] Flat ribbon cables advantageously have an electrode field in the first or second wiring region, which comprises a large number of single electrodes electrically connected to the conductor circuit. This enables simple electrical contact of the electrical functional elements for their specific control / regulation.

[0036] In an advantageous embodiment of the wiring assembly according to the invention, the flat ribbon cable in the second wiring region includes one or more electrical connection regions, wherein the flat ribbon cable is detachably or fixedly connected to the connecting cable.

[0037] Advantageously, in the connection area, the conductor circuit at the second wiring area is electrically connected to the cable cores of one or more connecting cables, especially round cables. The conductor circuits and cable cores are particularly preferably electrically connected to each other by welding, crimping, clamping, or plugging connections. The connection area can optionally be arranged in a housing and / or sealed by a potting compound that protects the connection area from corrosion, for example.

[0038] The connecting cable may also have an electrical connector such as a plug or socket at its end away from the connection area, which allows the wiring assembly to be connected to onboard electronic equipment or other control and evaluation units.

[0039] In another advantageous embodiment, the connection area or electrical connector may be surrounded by one or more protective housings. These protective housings improve the mechanical stability of the connection area or connector, particularly during the production of wiring assemblies, and thus reduce the scrap rate of defective items, which in turn leads to cost savings. Here, at least one protective housing is arranged to sit above the one or more connection areas or connectors and preferably mimics the shape of the connection area or connector. This allows for a form-locking housing for the connection area or connector.

[0040] The at least one protective housing serves to mechanically protect the connection area or connector, and is advantageously configured to resist possible deformation of the connection area or connector during the manufacture of the wiring assembly, particularly during the lamination of the composite glass plate under vacuum and at high temperatures. Here, the protective housing can be constructed from a relatively robust plastic, such as polyimide (PI) or PA66, bonded with glass fiber. For this purpose, the at least one protective housing is particularly advantageously constructed from a material harder than the material constituting the connection area and connector. Here, the material hardness is determined according to known and commonly used methods, for example, according to ISO 14577, as it was used at the time of application or at the time of priority.

[0041] For example, the protective housing can be produced by injection molding or 3D printing. For example, the protective housing can be bonded to one or more connection areas or connectors. However, it can also be manufactured together with said one or more connection areas or connectors, for example, by injection molding.

[0042] The wiring assembly according to the invention includes a composite glass plate having electrical functional elements arranged within the composite glass plate. These electrical functional elements can be any electrical structure that performs an electrical function and requires control / regulation by external control electronics, making the use of a flat ribbon cable with multiple conductor circuits technically feasible.

[0043] Preferably, the electrical functional element is an advantageously large-area, conductive, and advantageously transparent layer to visible light (the electrical functional layer), as described at the beginning. The electrical functional layer or a carrier film having the electrical functional layer can be disposed on the surface of a monolithic glass plate. For example, the electrical functional layer is located on the embedded surface of the first and / or second glass plates. Alternatively, the electrical functional layer can be embedded between two thermoplastic films in an intermediate layer. The electrical functional layer is then preferably applied to the carrier film or carrier plate. The carrier film or carrier plate preferably comprises a polymer, particularly polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or combinations thereof.

[0044] The electrical functional layer is preferably disposed on the surface of at least one glass plate and partially, but preferably extensively covers or obscures said surface of the glass plate. The term "extensively" means that at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 75%, or preferably at least 90% of the surface of the glass plate is covered by the functional layer. However, the functional layer may also extend over a smaller proportion of the glass plate surface. The functional layer is preferably transparent to visible light. In an advantageous embodiment, the functional layer is a single layer or a layered structure consisting of multiple single layers, having a total thickness of less than or equal to 2 μm, particularly preferably less than or equal to 1 μm.

[0045] In the context of this invention, "transparent" means that the total transmittance of the assembled glass corresponds to the legal requirements for windshields and front side windows, and preferably has a visible light transmittance of greater than 70%, particularly greater than 75%. For rear side windows, sunroofs, and rear windows, "transparent" can also mean a transmittance of 10% to 70%. Correspondingly, "opaque" means a transmittance of less than 15%, preferably less than 5%, and particularly 0%.

[0046] For example, the electrically functional layer comprises at least one metal, preferably silver, nickel, chromium, niobium, tin, titanium, copper, palladium, zinc, gold, cadmium, aluminum, silicon, tungsten, or alloys thereof, and / or at least one metal oxide layer, preferably indium oxide (ITO) doped with tin, zinc oxide (AZO) doped with aluminum, tin oxide (FTO, SnO2:F) doped with fluorine, or tin oxide (ATO, SnO2:Sb) doped with antimony. Transparent conductive layers are known, for example, from DE 20 2008 017 611 U1 and EP 0 847 965 B1. They consist, for example, of a metal layer such as a silver layer or a silver-containing metal alloy layer. A typical silver layer preferably has a thickness of 5 nm to 15 nm, particularly preferably 8 nm to 12 nm. The metal layer may be embedded between at least two layers of metal oxide-type dielectric material. The metal oxide preferably comprises zinc oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide, titanium oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, etc., and combinations of one or more of them. The dielectric material may also comprise silicon nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, and combinations thereof. The layered structure is typically obtained through a series of deposition processes performed by vacuum methods such as magnetic field-assisted cathode sputtering or by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Very fine metal layers, particularly comprising titanium or niobium, may also be provided on both sides of the silver layer. The lower metal layer acts as an adhesion and crystallization layer. The upper metal layer acts as a protective and getterschicht layer to prevent changes in the silver during further processing steps.

[0047] The transparent electrical functional layer preferably has a surface resistance of 0.1 ohms / square to 200 ohms / square, particularly preferably 1 ohm / square to 50 ohms / square, and very particularly preferably 1 ohm / square to 10 ohms / square.

[0048] The electrically functional layer is preferably an electrically heatable layer, through which it provides heating functionality to the composite glass panel. Such heatable layers are known to those skilled in the art. They typically comprise one or more, for example, two, three, or four conductive layers. These layers comprise, or preferably consist of, at least one metal, such as silver, gold, copper, nickel, and / or chromium, or a metal alloy, and preferably contain at least 90% by weight of metal, particularly at least 99.9% by weight. This layer exhibits particularly advantageous conductivity and simultaneously high transmittance in the visible spectral range. The thickness of a single layer is preferably from 5 nm to 50 nm, particularly preferably from 8 nm to 25 nm. At this thickness, advantageously high transmittance and particularly advantageous conductivity in the visible spectral range are achieved.

[0049] As mentioned at the beginning, the electrical functional element can also preferably be an electro-optic component, such as an SPD element, a PDLC element, or an electrochromic EC element. These are known to those skilled in the art and therefore need not be explained in more detail. The electrical functional layer can also be a polymer conductive layer, such as a polymer containing at least one conjugated polymer or a polymer having conductive particles.

[0050] Electro-optic components, such as SPD or PDLC elements, are commercially available as multilayer films, in which an active layer is disposed between two planar electrodes used to apply voltage to control the active layer. Typically, these two planar electrodes are disposed between two carrier films, usually made of PET. Furthermore, the sides of the commercially available multilayer film are covered with a polypropylene or polyethylene protective film to protect the carrier film from contamination or scratches. In the production of composite glass sheets, the electro-optic components are cut from the multilayer film to the desired size and shape and placed between the films of an intermediate layer, by means of which two vitreous glass sheets are laminated together to form a composite glass sheet. A typical application is a windshield with an electrically controllable sunshade, known for example from DE 102013001334 A1, DE 102005049081 B3, DE 102005007427 A1, and DE102007027296 A1.

[0051] In the wiring assembly according to the invention, the electrical functional element is advantageously electrically connected to at least two busbars through which current can be fed. The busbars are preferably arranged in the edge region of the electrical functional element. The length of the busbar is generally substantially the same as the length of the corresponding side edge of the electrical functional element, but may be slightly larger or smaller. The two busbars are preferably arranged in the edge region along two opposite side edges of the functional element. The width of the busbar is preferably 2 mm to 30 mm, particularly preferably 4 mm to 20 mm. The busbars are typically formed in the form of strips, wherein the longer of their dimensions is referred to as the length, and the shorter of their dimensions as the width. Such busbars are formed, for example, as printed and burned-in conductive structures. The printed busbars contain at least one metal, preferably silver. Conductivity is preferably achieved by metal particles contained in the busbar, particularly preferably by silver particles. The metal particles may be located in an organic and / or inorganic matrix such as paste or ink, preferably as a burned-in screen printing paste with glass frit. The layer thickness of the printed busbar is preferably 5 μm to 40 μm, particularly preferably 8 μm to 20 μm, and very particularly preferably 10 μm to 15 μm. Printed busbars with these thicknesses are technically easy to implement and have advantageous current-carrying capacity. Alternatively, the busbar can be designed as a strip of conductive foil. In this case, the busbar comprises, for example, at least aluminum, copper, tin-plated copper, gold, silver, zinc, tungsten, and / or tin or alloys thereof. The strip preferably has a thickness of 10 μm to 500 μm, particularly preferably 30 μm to 300 μm. Busbars made from conductive foil with these thicknesses are technically easy to implement and have advantageous current-carrying capacity. The strip can be conductively connected to a conductive structure, for example, by solder, by conductive adhesive, or by direct placement.

[0052] The composite glass panel of the wiring assembly according to the invention comprises a first glass panel and a second glass panel, which are preferably made of glass, particularly preferably of soda-lime glass, as is commonly used for window glass. However, these glass panels may also be made of other types of glass, such as quartz glass, borosilicate glass, or aluminosilicate glass, or of rigid transparent plastic, such as polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate. The glass panels may be colorless and transparent, colored, or tinted. If the composite glass panel is used as a windshield, it should have sufficient light transmittance in the central viewing area, preferably at least 70% in the main viewing area A, according to ECE-R43. The first glass panel and the second glass panel may also be referred to as the outer glass panel and the inner glass panel.

[0053] The first glass plate, the second glass plate, and / or the intermediate layer may have other suitable coatings known per se, such as anti-reflective coatings, non-stick coatings, scratch-resistant coatings, photocatalytic coatings, sun-protective coatings, or low-E coatings.

[0054] The thicknesses of the first and second glass plates can vary widely to suit specific requirements. Advantageously, both the first and second glass plates have standard thicknesses ranging from 0.7 mm to 25 mm, preferably 1.4 mm to 2.5 mm for vehicle glass, and 4 mm to 25 mm for furniture, appliances, and buildings, particularly for electric radiators. The dimensions of the glass plates can vary widely and depend on the intended use according to the invention. For example, the first and second glass plates have areas ranging from 200 cm² to 20 m², common in the automotive and construction industries.

[0055] Another aspect of the invention includes a method for manufacturing a wiring assembly according to the invention, comprising the following steps:

[0056] a) Provides a flat ribbon cable having conductor circuitry, wherein the flat ribbon cable has a first wiring region at a first end and a second wiring region at a second end.

[0057] b) Conductively connect the conductor circuit of the flat ribbon cable to the electrical functional element in the first wiring area.

[0058] c) Arrange the flat ribbon cable between the two glass plates such that the first wiring area is located between the two glass plates, and the second wiring area is led out between the two glass plates.

[0059] d) After steps a), b) and c), the two glass plates are laminated with a thermoplastic interlayer.

[0060] Steps a), b), and c) can be performed in any order.

[0061] According to one embodiment of the method of the present invention, before or after laminating the two glass plates, an electrical connection area is formed between the second wiring area of ​​the flat ribbon cable and the connecting cable, particularly the round cable, preferably by welding, extrusion, clamping or plugging.

[0062] During lamination, the joining of two monolithic glass sheets is preferably carried out under the influence of heat, vacuum, and / or pressure. Methods known per se for producing composite glass sheets can be used. For example, the so-called autoclave method can be carried out for about 2 hours at an elevated pressure of about 10 to 15 bar and a temperature of 130°C to 145°C. Vacuum bag or vacuum ring methods, also known per se, operate, for example, at about 200 mbar and 80°C to 110°C. The first glass sheet, thermoplastic intermediate layer, and second glass sheet can also be pressed into a glass sheet in a calender between at least one pair of rollers. This type of equipment is known for producing glass sheets and typically has at least one heating passage before the press. The temperature during the pressing process is, for example, 40°C to 150°C. The combination of calendering and autoclave methods has proven particularly useful in practice. Alternatively, a vacuum laminator can be used. They consist of one or more heatable and evacuable chambers in which a first glass plate and a second glass plate are laminated under reduced pressure of 0.01 mbar to 800 mbar and at a temperature of 80°C to 170°C for, for example, about 60 minutes.

[0063] The invention also extends to the use of the wiring assembly according to the invention as glass in building assembly or vehicle assembly, preferably as glass in vehicle assembly, particularly as windshield or sunroof glass in motor vehicles.

[0064] Various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented individually or in any combination. In particular, the features mentioned above and explained below can be used not only in the given combinations, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0065] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings. Elements that are identical or have the same function have the same reference numerals. In the simplified, non-total-scale illustrations:

[0066] Figure 1 A schematic plan view of the composite glass plate of the wiring assembly according to the present invention is shown.

[0067] Figure 2 Shown in detailed view Figure 1 The cut of the wiring assembly,

[0068] Figure 3 A detailed view of one side of the composite glass panel is shown. Figure 1 The cut of the wiring assembly, and

[0069] Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of a flat ribbon cable according to the present invention is shown.

[0070] First refer to Figures 1 to 3 The wiring assembly, generally indicated by reference numeral 1, is shown schematically in the figure.

[0071] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the second glass plate 4 passing through the composite glass plate 2, showing a plan view through the composite glass plate generally indicated by reference numeral 2.

[0072] Figure 2 The cut in the composite glass plate 2 is shown in a plan view of the area from which the flat ribbon cable according to the invention extends from the side 2.1 of the composite glass plate 2, generally indicated by reference numeral 11.

[0073] Figure 3 A detailed view of side 2.1 at the point where the flat ribbon cable 11 emerges from the composite glass plate 2 is shown. Figure 1 and 2 The cut of the wiring component 1.

[0074] The wiring assembly 1 includes a composite glass panel 2, which is formed, for example, as a sunroof glass for a motor vehicle. Figure 3 As schematically shown, the composite glass panel 2 includes a first glass panel 3 serving as the outer glass panel and a second glass panel 4 serving as the inner glass panel. In this case, the inner glass panel faces the interior space of the vehicle during subsequent use, while the outer glass panel faces the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The surface of the outer glass panel (first glass panel 3) facing the surrounding environment of the vehicle, as commonly used in vehicle assembly glass technology, is referred to as surface I, while the surface of the inner glass panel (second glass panel 4) facing the interior space of the vehicle is referred to as surface IV. The two glass panels 3 and 4 are, for example, composed of soda-lime glass. The two glass panels 3 and 4 are firmly connected to each other by at least one thermoplastic interlayer 9, which is made of, for example, polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane (PU).

[0075] The composite glass panel 2 has an electrical functional element 10, also shown schematically, located between the two glass panels 3 and 4. The electrical functional element 10 is, for example, a PDLC element, which serves, for example, as electrically controllable sunshade or privacy protection. The PDLC element is formed from a commercially available PDLC multilayer film embedded in an intermediate layer 9. For this purpose, the intermediate layer 9 comprises, for example, three thermoplastic films made of PVB (not shown in detail here), with a thickness of, for example, 0.38 mm. A first thermoplastic film is connected to the first glass panel 3, and a second thermoplastic film is connected to the second glass panel 4. A thermoplastic frame film located therebetween has a cutout into which the custom-made functional element 10 is precisely fitted. Thus, the third thermoplastic film acts as a veneer for the functional element 10, thereby encapsulating it in the thermoplastic material and thus protecting it. The embedding of PDLC elements in the composite glass panel 2 is well known to those skilled in the art and therefore does not require precise description. Furthermore, as is known to those skilled in the art, PDLC devices typically include an active layer between two planar electrodes and two carrier films. The active layer comprises a polymer matrix having liquid crystals dispersed therein, which are oriented according to a voltage S applied to the planar electrodes, thereby modulating optical properties.

[0076] The functional element 10 is divided into nine segments 10.1, for example, by insulating wires. The segments 10.1 are formed in strip form. The insulating wires between the segments 10.1 have a width of, for example, 40 μm to 50 μm. They can be introduced into the pre-fabricated multilayer film, for example, by means of a laser.

[0077] The insulating wires, in particular, separate the planar electrodes of the functional element 10 into strips that are insulated from each other, each strip having its own electrical connection. Therefore, segments 10.1 can be switched independently of each other.

[0078] Each planar electrode of segment 10.1 passes individually through each segment of busbar 28 on one side (in Figure 1 (shown on the left) contact, while on the opposite side through a common busbar 28 (in) Figure 1 (As shown on the right) Contact. In order to apply voltage to the individual busbar sections of the nine segments 10.1 and the common busbar 28, for example, ten independent line connections are required here.

[0079] The composite glass plate 1 also has a flat ribbon cable 11. The busbars 28 of the segments 10.1 of the functional element 10 are electrically connected to the flat ribbon cable 11, for example, via electrical wires 27. Here, a reliable conductive connection is preferably achieved by welding the connection.

[0080] Functional element 10 is a PDLC functional element that provides adjustable sunshade or privacy protection. For example, the driver or other occupants of the vehicle can operate the PDLC functional element according to the position of the sun, for example, via a touch element (not shown here).

[0081] In order to control nine independent segments 10.1 that share a common pole, the flat ribbon cable 11 has, for example, ten conductor circuits that are electrically insulated from each other.

[0082] Figure 4 A schematic cross-section of an exemplary flat ribbon cable 11 is shown, which has ten electrically insulated conductor circuits 12. Here, five conductor circuits 12 and 12' are arranged overlappingly in two different planes E1 and E2. For this purpose, five conductor circuits 12 are connected to a first (upper) surface of a carrier film 24, and five additional conductor circuits 12' are connected to a second (lower) surface of the carrier film 24, and are bonded to the carrier film 24, for example, through an adhesive surface not shown here.

[0083] The conductor circuit 12 has, for example, a thickness dL of 75 μm and a width bL of 3 mm, and is made of, for example, copper foil or tin-plated copper.

[0084] Furthermore, the flat ribbon cable 11 has two electrically insulating covering films 25.1, which are arranged on the upper side (first, upper surface) and lower side (second, lower surface) of the carrier film 24, and the conductor circuits 12, 12' are contained between the carrier film 24 and the covering films 25.1. This protects the conductor circuits 12, 12' from mechanical damage, short circuits and corrosion.

[0085] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, sections of the electrically insulating film 25.2 are arranged between the conductor circuits 12, 12' of the corresponding planes E1, E2 and at the outward edge regions. The insulating film 25.2 is securely connected to the carrier film 24 and the cover film 25.1, for example, by adhesive bonding (not shown here).

[0086] The entire flat ribbon cable 11 has a maximum width bF of 26 mm and a maximum thickness dF of 315 μm, for example, at the lead-out point 29 of the composite glass plate 2. This wide and thick flat ribbon cable 11 can still be laminated well and reliably into the composite glass plate 2.

[0087] It goes without saying that the flat ribbon cable 11 can be matched to the specific circumstances of each practical application and can, for example, have conductor circuits on three or four planes. Alternatively or in combination, more or fewer conductor circuits can be arranged adjacent to each other on each layer.

[0088] like Figure 2As illustrated in the schematic plug-in diagram, a flat ribbon cable 11 is partially laminated into the composite glass plate 2 and led out from the composite glass plate 2 between the two glass plates 3 and 4. Figure 2 In this configuration, a flat ribbon cable 11 is routed around the side 2.1 of the second glass plate 4 and arranged on the surface IV of the second glass plate 4. For this purpose, the second glass plate 4 may have a recess in the exit area, for example, passing through a polished area (not shown here).

[0089] The flat ribbon cable 11 has a first wiring region 6 and a second wiring region 8, wherein the first wiring region 6 is located at a first end 5 of the flat ribbon cable 11 along its extension direction, and the second wiring region 8 is located at a second end 7 of the flat ribbon cable 11. In the first wiring region 6, the flat ribbon cable 11 has an electrode field 13 having ten electrodes for electrical (e.g., current) contact with the functional element 10. For contact with the conductor circuit 12' of the underlying plane E2, the flat ribbon cable 11 may have recesses or plated through-holes (so-called vias) in the carrier film 24.

[0090] The flat ribbon cable 11 has a second wiring area 8 at its second end 7. It is connected to, for example, a round cable 26 via a connecting element 14, such that the respective conductor circuits 12, 12' are in electrical contact with the respective cable cores of the round cable 26. At the end of the round cable 26 opposite to the connecting element 14, a wiring element 17, such as a plug or socket, may be arranged for further electrical connection, such as with onboard electronic equipment of a vehicle.

[0091] The connecting element 14 and / or wiring element 17 may be arranged, for example, within a protective housing 19, which protects the connecting element 14 and / or wiring element 17 from mechanical damage during the lamination process.

[0092] As can be seen from the above statements, the wiring assembly according to the invention advantageously enables flexible, inexpensive, and simple electrical connections between flat ribbon cables and electrical devices outside the composite glass panel, such as control electrical devices for controlling / regulating electrical functional elements of the composite glass panel. Particularly advantageous is the simple and flexible matching of the required number and size of conductor circuits to the corresponding requirements, as well as the good laminationability of the composite glass panel.

[0093] List of reference numerals

[0094] 1 Wiring assembly

[0095] 2 Composite glass panels

[0096] 2.1 Side or lead-out surface

[0097] 3 First glass plate

[0098] 4. Second glass plate

[0099] 5 First end

[0100] 6 First Wiring Area

[0101] 7 Second end

[0102] 8 Second Wiring Area

[0103] 9. Intermediate layer

[0104] 10 Electrical functional components

[0105] Section 10.1

[0106] 11 Flat ribbon cable

[0107] 12 Conductor Circuits

[0108] 14 Connecting Area

[0109] 17. Socket or plug

[0110] 19 Protective casing

[0111] 24. Carrier membrane

[0112] 25.1 Covering film

[0113] 25.2 Insulating film

[0114] 26 Round Cable

[0115] 27 Conductor wire

[0116] 28. Busbar

[0117] 29. Extraction site

[0118] bF Flat ribbon cable 11 (maximum) width

[0119] bL is the (maximum) width of conductor circuit 12.

[0120] dF is the (maximum) thickness of the flat ribbon cable 11.

[0121] dL is the (maximum) thickness of conductor circuit 12.

[0122] E1 Plane 1

[0123] E2 Plane 2

Claims

1. Wiring assembly (1), comprising: - a composite glass pane (2) consisting of a first glass pane (3) and a second glass pane (4) which are connected to one another in plane by at least one thermoplastic intermediate layer (9), - an electrically functional element (10) between the two glass panes (3, 4), - a flat ribbon cable (11) with conductor tracks, wherein the flat ribbon cable (11) has a first wiring area (6) at a first end (5) and a second wiring area (8) at a second end (7), wherein the first wiring area (6) is arranged between the two glass panes (3, 4) and the second wiring area (8) leads out of the composite glass pane (2) between the two glass panes (3, 4), and wherein the conductor tracks (12) electrically contact the electrically functional element (10) in the first wiring area (6), wherein at least two conductor tracks are arranged in at least two planes within the flat ribbon cable (11) overlapping.

2. Wiring assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least two conductor tracks are arranged in exactly two planes within the flat ribbon cable (11) overlapping.

3. Wiring assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least three conductor tracks are arranged in exactly three planes within the flat ribbon cable (11) overlapping.

4. Wiring assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least four conductor tracks are arranged in exactly four planes within the flat ribbon cable (11) overlapping.

5. Wiring assembly (1) according to claim 2, wherein at least one conductor track is arranged on a first surface of an electrically insulating carrier film (24) and at least one further conductor track is arranged on a second surface of the carrier film (24).

6. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 5, wherein The conductor tracks are firmly connected with the first or with the second surface of the carrier film (24).

7. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 6, wherein The conductor tracks are firmly connected with the first or with the second surface of the carrier film (24) by an adhesive bond.

8. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The flat ribbon cable (11) has an insulating area between the conductor tracks of one plane.

9. Wiring assembly (1) according to claim 8, wherein the insulating area consists of an insulating film (25.2).

10. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The conductor tracks have at least one electrically insulating cover film (25.1) on their surface facing away from the carrier film (24).

11. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 10, wherein The conductor tracks are firmly connected with the cover film (25.1).

12. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 11, wherein The conductor tracks are firmly connected with the cover film (25.1) by an adhesive bond.

13. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The maximum width bF of the flat ribbon cable (11) is 6 mm to 40 mm.

14. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 13, wherein The maximum width bF of the flat ribbon cable (11) is 20 mm to 40 mm.

15. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 13, wherein The maximum width bF of the flat ribbon cable (11) is 25 mm to 30 mm.

16. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 13, wherein The maximum width bF of the flat ribbon cable (11) is within the composite glass pane (2) and / or at the lead-out point (29) of the composite glass pane (2).

17. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The maximum thickness dF of the flat ribbon cable (11) is 150 pm to 600 pm.

18. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 17, wherein The maximum thickness dF of the flat ribbon cable (11) is 300 pm to 400 pm.

19. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 17, wherein The flat ribbon cable (11) has a maximum thickness dF of 300 pm to 350 pm.

20. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 17, wherein The flat ribbon cable (11) has a maximum thickness dF within the composite glass pane (2) and / or at the exit point (29) of the composite glass pane (2).

21. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the width bL of each conductor track is 0.05 mm to 40 mm.

22. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 21, wherein the width bL of each conductor track is 1 mm to 20 mm.

23. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 21, wherein the width bL of each conductor track is 2 mm to 5 mm.

24. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 21, wherein the width bL of each conductor track is within the composite glass pane (2) and / or at the exit point (29) of the composite glass pane (2).

25. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the thickness dL of each conductor track is 10 pm to 150 pm.

26. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 25, wherein the thickness dL of each conductor track is 30 pm to 150 pm.

27. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 25, wherein the thickness dL of each conductor track is 50 pm to 150 pm.

28. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 25, wherein the thickness dL of each conductor track is within the composite glass pane (2) and / or at the exit point (29) of the composite glass pane (2).

29. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein in at least one connection region (14) the conductor track is electrically connected to a cable core of one or more connection cables (16) at the second wiring region (8).

30. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 29, wherein the conductor track and the cable core are electrically connected by a soldered connection, an extruded connection, a clamped connection or a plug-in connection.

31. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 29, wherein the at least one connection region (14) is exactly one connection region (14).

32. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 31, wherein the conductor track and the cable core are electrically connected by a soldered connection, an extruded connection, a clamped connection or a plug-in connection.

33. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 29, wherein the connection cable (16) is a round cable (26).

34. The wiring assembly (1) according to claim 33, wherein the conductor track and the cable core are electrically connected by a soldered connection, an extruded connection, a clamped connection or a plug-in connection.

35. The wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein one or more connection regions (14) are surrounded by at least one protective housing (19).

36. Method for manufacturing a wiring assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 35, having the following steps: a) providing a flat ribbon cable (11) having a conductor track, wherein the flat ribbon cable (11) has a first terminal (5) with a first terminal area (6) and a second terminal (7) with a second terminal area (8), b) electrically conductively connecting the conductor track of the flat ribbon cable (11) in the first terminal area (6) with an electrically functional element (10), c) arranging the flat ribbon cable (11) between two glass sheets (3, 4) such that the first terminal area (6) is located between the two glass sheets (3, 4) and the second terminal area (8) leads out between the two glass sheets (3, 4), d) laminating the two glass sheets (3, 4) after steps a), b) and c) by at least one thermoplastic interlayer (9).

37. The method according to claim 36, having the following step: forming an electrical connection area (14) between the second terminal area (8) of the flat ribbon cable (11) and a connecting cable (16) by a soldered connection, an extruded connection, a clamped connection or a plug-in connection, before or after laminating the two glass sheets (3, 4).

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the connecting cable (16) is a round cable (26).

39. Use of the terminal assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 35 as a building glazing or a vehicle glazing.

40. The use according to claim 39, wherein the vehicle glazing is a windshield or a sunroof of a motor vehicle.

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