Electrical structural unit and method for assembling closure plate or closure plate assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical component (100), in particular a lighting or sensor device of a motor vehicle, comprising a closure plate (1) or a closure plate assembly (10), on which at least one electrical module (2) is arranged, which can be operated by means of a separate control unit (3). According to the invention, the housing (4) of the structural unit has at least two recesses (41, 42) into which electrical contact-conducting means (31, 32) of the control unit are introduced, and the closing plate or the closing plate assembly has at least two pins (11, 12) on which electrical contact-conducting means (21, 22) of the electrical module are arranged, the electrical module (2) has a recess (3) into which the pin protrudes and is integrally bonded to the recess by means of an electrically conductive bonding medium (5), such that an electrical connection is formed between the electrical module (2) and the control unit (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical structural unit, in particular a lighting device or a sensor device of a motor vehicle, which has an electrical module, in particular a heating module, a light module or a sensor module, arranged on a closing plate or a closing plate assembly, and to a method for assembling the closing plate or the closing plate assembly on the structural unit. Background Art

[0002] Various electrical components are equipped with heatable end plates in order to prevent the formation of ice or condensation on the end plates in practical use and thus ensure, in particular, unrestricted penetration of electromagnetic radiation, such as light or radio waves, through the end plates. Examples of applications in the field of automotive technology are headlamps and lamps as well as radar sensors and lidar sensors.

[0003] For example, a heating module is known which includes a heating wire arranged on a closing plate, the Joule heat of which is used for heating. The connection with the associated control unit, which serves as a power source for operating the heating module, is usually achieved by means of a plug connection or by means of a spring contact. Here, a line group from the control unit is connected to the closing plate by means of a central plug and is contacted and conducted with the heating module.

[0004] In addition to heating modules, this connection concept can also be used for other electrical modules. For example, in the field of automotive technology, sensor modules or light modules (for example for daytime running light functions) can be arranged on a closure plate or on a support frame or cover frame that forms an assembly with the closure plate. To operate such an electrical module, an electrical plug connection is established with a separate control unit that is usually arranged in the interior of the structural unit.

[0005] In actual operation, this connection scheme has the disadvantage that the plug may become loose due to vibrations or shocks, thereby reducing the effective contact area or possibly causing a complete loss of contact. As a result, corrosion may occur at the exposed sections of the individual contact pins and local burning may occur due to the high contact resistance. In addition, today, there are high design and aesthetic requirements for lighting devices for motor vehicles, and from this point of view, the plug visible from the outside behind the closing plate is considered to be disadvantageous or at least an undesirable restriction of the freedom of design. In addition, this connection scheme results in disadvantageously high costs in terms of assembly, because the installation of the plug on the closing plate is a process that can hardly be automated and is usually carried out manually in practice (for example in the case of mass production of lighting devices for motor vehicles). Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a design of an electrical component having an electrical module arranged on a closing plate or a closing plate assembly, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art and is particularly suitable for a lighting device or a sensor device of a motor vehicle.

[0007] This object is achieved starting from an electrical subassembly unit according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 10. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0008] The technical teaching of the present invention discloses an electrical structural unit having a closing plate or a closing plate assembly, wherein at least one electrical module, in particular a heating module, a light module or a sensor module is arranged on the closing plate or the closing plate assembly, wherein the electrical module can be operated by means of a separate control unit, and the housing of the structural unit has at least two recesses according to the present invention, into which electrical contact-conducting devices of the control unit are inserted, wherein the closing plate or the closing plate assembly has at least two pins, on which electrical contact-conducting devices of the electrical module are arranged, wherein the pins extend into the recesses and are materially connected to the recesses by means of an electrically conductive joining medium, thereby forming an electrical connection between the electrical module and the control unit.

[0009] The present invention is based on the following idea: replace the plug commonly used in the prior art with an electrically conductive joining medium, into which the electrical contact-conducting device of the electrical module and the control unit constructed for its operation is introduced. Here, the electrical conductivity of the joining medium is so high that no significant ohmic loss occurs when the current is transmitted between the contact-conducting devices. Each of the at least two connection structures formed in this way is provided for a polarity, i.e., for the power supply of the anode side or the cathode side of the electrical module. If the structural unit includes a plurality of electrical modules arranged on a closed plate or a closed plate assembly, a suitable number of recesses and pins must be provided for the corresponding electrical contact-conducting devices. The closed plate assembly is formed by a closed plate and at least one other component connected thereto, such as a support frame or a cover frame for the electrical module. The closed plate assembly is characterized in particular in that it can be handled as an integral unit when mounted on the housing of the electrical structural unit.

[0010] The connection solution according to the invention is designed to compensate for manufacturing tolerances of the closing plate or closing plate assembly and the housing, so that the recess on the housing side has a larger diameter than the pin of the closing plate or closing plate assembly received therein. The electrical contact-conducting means of the electrical module arranged thereon are introduced into the electrically conductive joining medium via the pin, and the joining medium fills the recess and covers the electrical contact-conducting means of the control unit that are introduced into the recess. After the closing plate or closing plate assembly is assembled, the joining medium is converted into a hardened state, so that the connection structure between the contact-conducting means is constructed to be permanent and non-detachable, and in particular is not affected by vibrations or shocks generated during the actual operation of the structural unit.

[0011] The separate control unit is received in particular in the interior of the electrical component unit formed between the closure and the housing. The recess is preferably formed in the back of the housing, and the electrical contact-conducting means of the electrical module and the control unit can extend into the recess so that they are not visible to an observer from the outside through the closure plate.

[0012] The bonding medium is in particular configured as an electrically conductive adhesive or solder. For example, adhesives or sealants based on acrylates, epoxides, polyurethanes or silicones are known, which are doped with metal pigments or fillers and have suitable electrical conductivity. In particular, alloys with low melting points are considered as solders, during the processing of which the recesses of the housing, which are usually made of plastic, and the pins of the closing plate are not subjected to thermal damage. In the hardened state, the required electrical connection between the electrical contact-conducting device of the electrical module and the control unit is provided both by the adhesive and by the solder. In addition, it is also possible to advantageously form a material-locked connection structure that can be mechanically loaded between the pin and the recess.

[0013] In an advantageous embodiment of the electrical component, the electrical module is designed as a heating module in the form of a heating film. The heating film has a planar arrangement of one or more thin heating wires, which are received on or in a carrier film, for example by means of back injection molding. The heating film is arranged on, in particular adhesively bonded to, the inner side of the closing plate, and the electrical contact-conducting means preferably branch off from the heating film in the immediate vicinity of the pins of the closing plate.

[0014] The electrical contact-conducting means of the electrical module and / or control unit are formed in particular by line ends with bare litz wires, contact-conducting strips or the like, which are surrounded by an electrically conductive bonding medium and the associated electrical line is connected to the electrical module or control unit.

[0015] In another advantageous embodiment, the electrical contact-conducting means of the control unit is latched or clamped onto the recess, for example by means of barbed-hook-shaped latching projections which hook into corresponding receptacles in the wall of the recess. The contact-conducting means is thus already fixed in the recess during assembly, thereby ensuring the desired covering with the joining medium filled into the recess.

[0016] For example, the electrical contact-conducting means of the electrical module has a metal sleeve which is placed on the pin, and / or the electrical contact-conducting means of the control unit has a metal insert which is pressed into the recess. The electrical input line is connected to the sleeve or the insert, for example, by means of a crimp connection. In this embodiment, there is a particularly large-area and therefore low-ohmic contact resistance between the electrical contact-conducting means and the joining medium.

[0017] In another embodiment, the electrical contact-conducting means of the electrical module and the control unit are in direct main body contact-conducting, wherein the contact-conducting is ensured by the bonding medium. For example, the contact-conducting means of the control unit has a spring-like insert at the line end, which forms a prestressed main body contact-conducting with a sleeve of the electrical contact-conducting means of the electrical module that is mounted on a pin. Due to the at least partial embedding by the conductive bonding medium, the contact arrangement is fixed in such a way that a low-ohmic contact resistance is ensured even in the event of a positional change of the contact-conducting means, for example, caused by vibrations.

[0018] The electrical component according to the invention is in particular designed as a component for a motor vehicle, for example as a headlight, a taillight or a radar sensor or a lidar sensor. Here, the housing and the closing plate are in particular injection-molded plastic components.

[0019] In another embodiment, the electrical module is arranged on a support frame or a cover frame, wherein the support frame or the cover frame forms part of the closing plate assembly. The corresponding frame is especially formed integrally with the closing plate, for example in a production process by means of injection molding. Alternatively, the frame can be joined to the closing plate in a separate production step, thereby forming a closing plate assembly on which the electrical module is received.

[0020] The invention further relates to a method for mounting a closing plate or a closing plate assembly on an electrical component according to one of the above embodiments, wherein at least the following steps are performed in a non-fixed order:

[0021] - providing a closing plate or a closing plate assembly having the at least one electrical module arranged thereon, wherein the closing plate or the closing plate assembly has the at least two pins on which the electrical contact-conducting means of the electrical module are arranged, and the closing plate has at least one joining tab,

[0022] - providing a structural unit having a control unit for operating the electrical module and having a housing, the housing having at least one engagement seat and the at least two recesses, into which the electrical contact-making means of the control unit lead,

[0023] - filling the recess with an electrically conductive joining agent, wherein the electrical contact-making means of the control unit which leads into the recess is covered with the joining agent,

[0024] - filling the bonding seat with adhesive,

[0025] - positioning the closing plate or the closing plate assembly on the housing so that the pins of the electrical module and the electrical contact-conducting elements arranged thereon are immersed in the joining medium in the recesses and the joining tabs are immersed in the adhesive in the joining support, and

[0026] - Allowing the joining agent and / or adhesive to harden.

[0027] Therefore, the establishment of the electrical connection between the electrical module and the control unit is carried out in conjunction with the supporting connection of the closing plate at the housing by an adhesive connection. The adhesive connection is realized by a material-locked connection between a joining support filled with an adhesive and a joining tab immersed therein. The adhesive and the electrically conductive joining medium are respectively filled into the recess or the joining support in a flowable state. When positioning the closing plate or the closing plate assembly, compensation for manufacturing tolerances can be achieved both in the joining support and in the recess, the dimensions of the joining support and the recess being determined so that sufficient clearance is available for the detailed positioning of the joining tab or the pin, respectively.

[0028] During assembly, the control unit forms a structural assembly with the housing and the electrical module forms a structural assembly with the closing plate or closing plate assembly, ie the electrical module is positioned together with the closing plate or closing plate assembly relative to the housing.

[0029] The curing of the adhesive in the joint support and the curing of the conductive adhesive used as the joint medium in the recess can be realized by heating (for example, by high-frequency excitation) or ultraviolet radiation according to the adhesive type. The adhesive used can be configured as a two-component system or a single-component system cured by moisture. When solder is used as the joint medium, only the curing process of the solder must be waited. In addition, conductive paste that does not require a curing process can be used as the joint medium. The adhesive introduced into the joint support can be configured as a permanent elastic, thereby not hardened. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Other measures to improve the present invention will be described below together with the description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings. In which, in schematic form:

[0031] Figure 1a A first cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a structural unit according to the invention,

[0032] Figure 1b Shown relative to Figure 1a A second cross-sectional view of section line AA,

[0033] Figure 2a shows a first cross-sectional view of a second embodiment,

[0034] Figure 2b Shown relative to Figure 2a A second cross-sectional view of section line BB,

[0035] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing a third embodiment,

[0036] Figure 4 showing a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment,

[0037] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment, and

[0038] Figure 6 Detailed view showing the locked contact-making element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Figure 1a A portion of a first exemplary embodiment of an electrical construction unit 100 according to the invention is shown in cross-sectional view, and Figure 1b Shown along Figure 1a Another cross-sectional view of the section line AA in FIG. In all the figures, only a section is shown in each case.

[0040] The electrical component 100 comprises a heatable closing plate 1 having an electrical module 2 arranged thereon in the form of a heating module 2a which can be operated by means of a control unit 3 accommodated in the interior of the component 100. The heating module 2a is designed as a heating film which is adhesively bonded to the inner side of the closing plate.

[0041] The electrical connection between the heating module 2a and the control unit 3 is established in that the housing 4 has two recesses 41, 42 into which the electrical contact-conducting means 31, 32 of the control unit 3 are inserted, wherein the closing plate 1 has two pins 11, 12 on which the electrical contact-conducting means 21, 22 of the heating module 2a are arranged, wherein the pins 11, 12 extend into the recesses 41, 42 and are connected to them in a materially bonded manner by means of an electrically conductive bonding medium 5. In this case, for example, the cathode-side connection is established via the recess 41 and the anode-side connection is established via the recess 42. The bonding medium 5 has a suitably high electrical conductivity so that current can flow with low losses between the line ends of the contact-conducting means 11 and 31 or 12 and 32 that pass therein.

[0042] The recesses 41 , 42 have a significantly larger diameter than the pins 11 , 12 , so that dimensional deviations of the closure plate 1 or of the housing 4 caused by production can be compensated when producing the connection.

[0043] Furthermore, the housing 4 comprises a groove-shaped joining seat 43 which is filled with adhesive 6, and the closure plate 1 has a protruding joining web 13 which is surrounded at the end by adhesive 6. The adhesive connection thus formed serves to receive the closure plate 1 on the housing 4 of the electrical component 100 in a mechanically loadable and largely media-tight manner.

[0044] Figure 2a A portion of a second exemplary embodiment of an electrical construction unit 100 according to the invention is shown in cross-sectional view, and Figure 2b Shown along Figure 2a Another cross-sectional view of section line BB in FIG.

[0045] Different from the first embodiment, the electrical contact means 21 , 22 of the electrical module 2 have metal sleeves 21 a , 22 a which are fitted onto the pins 11 , 12 , while the electrical contact means 31 , 32 of the control unit 3 have metal inserts 31 a , 32 a which are pressed into the recesses 41 , 42 .

[0046] Figure 3 A part of a third embodiment of an electrical structural unit 100 according to the present invention is shown in a cross-sectional view. Therein, the electrical contact-conducting means 21, 31 of the electrical module 2 and the control unit 3 are in direct main body contact-conducting, wherein the contact-conducting is ensured by the joint medium 5. The contact-conducting means 31 of the control unit 3 has, for example, a spring-like insert 31b at the line end, into which the pin 11 is pressed during the assembly process, thereby forming a pre-tensioned main body contact-conducting with the sleeve 21a of the electrical contact-conducting means 21 of the electrical module 2 which is mounted on the pin 11.

[0047] Figure 4 and Figure 5 A fourth and a fifth exemplary embodiment of an electrical component 100 according to the invention are shown in cross-sectional views, wherein the electrical module 2 is designed as a sensor element 2c or an optical module 2b. Figure 5 In the embodiment of the present invention, the closing plate assembly 10 comprises a closing plate 1 and a covering frame 14 joined thereto, and the electric module 2 is arranged on the covering frame.

[0048] Figure 6 A cross-sectional detail view around a recess 41 of a structural unit according to the invention is shown, wherein an electrical contact-conducting device 31, which connects a control unit to an electrical contact-conducting device 11 of an electrical module via an electrically conductive joining medium 5, is latched onto the recess 41. For this purpose, the electrical contact-conducting device 31 has a barbed-hook-shaped latching projection 33, which is received in an associated recess on the housing 4. This latching of the contact-conducting device 31 is particularly advantageous for reliable handling during assembly of the structural unit.

[0049] The invention is not limited to the examples given above in terms of its embodiment. On the contrary, a large number of variants are conceivable, which also use the solution shown in essentially different types of embodiments. All features and / or advantages (including structural details, spatial arrangements and method steps) derived from the claims, the description or the drawings can be important to the invention both individually and in different combinations. Reference numerals list

[0050] 100 electrical structure units

[0051] 1 Closed plate

[0052] 10 Closing plate assembly

[0053] 11, 12 pins

[0054] 13 Jointing tabs

[0055] 14 Cover the frame

[0056] 2Electrical Module

[0057] 2a Heating module

[0058] 2b optical module

[0059] 2c sensor module

[0060] 21, 22 Electrical contact conduction device of electrical module

[0061] 21a, 22a metal sleeve

[0062] 3Control Unit

[0063] 31, 32 Control unit electrical contact conduction device

[0064] 31a, 31b, 32a Metal inserts

[0065] 33 Locking protrusion

[0066] 4 Shell

[0067] 41, 42 concave parts

[0068] 43 Joint support

[0069] 5. Conductive bonding medium

[0070] 6. Adhesives

Claims

1. An electrical structural unit (100), in particular a lighting device or a sensor device of a motor vehicle, the electrical structural unit having a closing plate (1) or a closing plate assembly (10), on which at least one electrical module (2), in particular a heating module (2a), a light module (2b) or a sensor module (2c) is arranged, the electrical module (2) being operable by means of a separate control unit (3), characterized in that: The housing (4) of the structural unit (100) has at least two recesses (41, 42), into which the electrical contact-conducting devices (31, 32) of the control unit (3) are inserted, and the closing plate (1) or the closing plate assembly (10) has at least two pins (11, 12), on which the electrical contact-conducting devices (21, 22) of the electrical module (2) are arranged, and the pins (11, 12) extend into the recesses (41, 42) and are connected to the recesses by a material connection by means of an electrically conductive joining medium (5), thereby forming an electrical connection between the electrical module (2) and the control unit (3).

2. The electrical structural unit (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The joining medium (5) is designed as an electrically conductive adhesive or solder.

3. The electrical structural unit (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The electrical module (2) is designed as a heating module (2a) in the form of a heating film.

4. The electrical structural unit (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrical contact-conducting means (21, 22, 31, 32) of the electrical module (2) and / or the control unit (3) are formed by line ends with bare litz wires, contact-conducting strips or the like.

5. The electrical structural unit (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrical contact-conducting means (31, 32) of the control unit (3) are locked or clamped on the recesses (41, 42).

6. The electrical structural unit (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrical contact-conducting device (21, 22) of the electrical module (2) has a metal sleeve (21a, 22a) which is mounted on the pin (11, 12), and / or the electrical contact-conducting device (31, 32) of the control unit (3) has a metal insert (31a, 31b, 32a) which is pressed into the recess (41, 42).

7. The electrical structural unit (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrical contact-conducting devices (21, 22, 31, 32) of the electrical module (2) and the control unit (3) are in direct body contact-conducting, and the contact-conducting is ensured by the joining medium (5).

8. The electrical structural unit (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrical module (2) is arranged on a supporting frame or a covering frame (14), which forms part of the closing plate assembly (10).

9. The electrical component (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The structural unit (100) is configured as a lighting device or a sensor device of a motor vehicle, and the at least one electrical module is configured as a heating module (2a), a light module (2b) or a sensor module (2c), and the heating module is used to heat the closing plate (1).

10. Method for mounting a terminating plate (1) or a terminating plate assembly (10) on an electrical component (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in particular on a lighting device or a sensor device of a motor vehicle, wherein: Perform at least the following steps in no fixed order: - providing a closing plate (1) or a closing plate assembly (10) having the at least one electrical module (2) arranged thereon, the closing plate (1) or the closing plate assembly (10) having the at least two pins (11, 12) on which the electrical contact-conducting means (21, 22) of the electrical module (2) are arranged, and the closing plate (1) having at least one joining tab (13), - providing a structural unit (100) having a control unit (3) for operating the electrical module (2) and having a housing (4), the housing having at least one engagement support (43) and the at least two recesses (41, 42), into which the electrical contact-conducting means (31, 32) of the control unit (3) lead, - filling the recesses (41, 42) with an electrically conductive joining agent (5), and covering the electrical contact-conducting means (31, 32) of the control unit (3) which extend into the recesses (41, 42) with the joining agent (5), - filling the bonding seat (43) with adhesive (6), - positioning the closing plate (1) or the closing plate assembly (10) on the housing (4) such that the pins (11, 12) of the electrical module (2) and the electrical contact-conducting elements (21, 22) arranged thereon are immersed in the joining medium (5) in the recesses (41, 42) and the joining tabs (13) are immersed in the adhesive (6) in the joining support (43), and - Hardening of the joining agent (5) and / or the adhesive (6).

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