Method for manufacturing a device for measuring the intensity of electric current and device for measuring the intensity of electric current - Patents.com

Abstract

To integrally manufacture a circuit board for measuring a current intensity and a resistance assembly.SOLUTION: A resistance assembly 2 has two terminal elements 3 and a resistance element 4 arranged between the terminal elements in a direction of a current flow. The resistance element and the terminal elements are composed of different conductive materials. A contact pin 5 is formed of a material of the terminal elements. A circuit board 8 having a conductor path and a through hole 9 is positioned on the resistance assembly so that the contact pin penetrates through and projects to the through hole 9 and a projection part 6 is provided on a side separated from the resistance assembly of the circuit board, on the circuit board, and the projection part is deformed, thereby the contact pin is extended in a transverse direction in the region of the projection part of the contact pin, thereby the circuit board is mechanically fixed to the resistance assembly, and conductive connection is formed between the contact pin and at least the one conductor path of the circuit board.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a device for measuring the intensity of electric currents and to a device for measuring the intensity of electric currents. [Background technology]

[0002] To measure the current in an electronic circuit, a measuring resistor is used, which is connected in series with the component to be monitored. The current strength is determined from the voltage drop across the measuring resistor, which is called a shunt resistor. A precise and reliable measurement of the current strength is particularly important, for example in battery management systems of electric or hybrid vehicles. A resistor assembly comprising a measuring resistor with a low ohmic resistance of about 10-50 μOhm and a terminal element for connecting the resistor assembly with a current circuit can be produced from a longitudinally seam-welded composite material. This is known, for example, from US Pat. No. 5,399,363. The composite material is produced from three metal strips, in that the individual metal strips are joined to one another over their respective longitudinal seams by electron beam or laser welding methods.

[0003] The voltage drop across the measuring resistor is picked up by contact pins or similar elements that are arranged on the terminal elements on both sides of the measuring resistor. Contact pins of this kind can be soldered, crimped or welded to the terminal elements of the resistor assembly. The voltage is detected and further processed by the measuring and evaluation electronics. For this purpose, electronic components are provided, which can be arranged on a circuit board. The circuit board can then be located in the immediate vicinity of the resistor assembly.

[0004] From DE 10 200 03 133 A1 a resistor assembly is known with a current measuring resistor of low ohmic resistance, in which connection contacts are provided which are formed by stamping and thread forming a plate-like element, which are used to connect the resistor assembly to an external current circuit in order to tap off the voltage. The connection between the measuring line for voltage measurement and the connection contacts is effected by means of a cable shoe and a fixing screw.

[0005] Furthermore, from US Pat. No. 5,399,543 a resistor assembly is known which has two plate-shaped elements and a strip-shaped resistor element for connecting the resistor assembly to an external current circuit. Two terminal elements on either side of the resistor element are each provided with a hole into which a contact pin is inserted. The contact pins are separate parts which must be manufactured separately and added to the resistor assembly.

[0006] In the devices known from the prior art, additional components must be used to tap off the voltage drop across the measuring resistor, which requires additional effort and costs. Furthermore, contact voltages can occur at the contact points of the individual components, which can distort the voltage signal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 0605800 [Patent Document 2] DE 102009031408 A1 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 10,163,553 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The invention is based on the object of producing an improved device for measuring the intensity of electric currents, in particular of providing a simpler and cheaper method and device for measuring the intensity of electric currents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The invention is defined with respect to a method by the features of claim 1 and with respect to a device by the features of claim 8. The other dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention.

[0010] The present invention includes a method for manufacturing a device for measuring the intensity of an electric current by means of a resistor assembly, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a resistor assembly comprising at least two terminal elements and at least one resistive element disposed between the terminal elements with respect to a direction of current flow, the at least one resistive element and the terminal element being made of different conductive materials; b) molding at least one contact pin from the material of the at least one terminal element; c) positioning a circuit board having at least one conductor path and at least one through hole on the resistor assembly such that at least one contact pin protrudes through the through hole and has a protrusion on the circuit board on a side of the circuit board facing away from the resistor assembly; d) laterally expanding the contact pins at least in the region of their projections by deforming the material, thereby mechanically fixing the circuit board to the resistor assembly; e) forming a conductive connection between the contact pin and at least one conductor track of the circuit board;

[0011] Measurement of the current intensity is also understood as measurement of the intensity of the current, which may vary temporarily. The resistor assembly may comprise a shunt resistor with low ohmic resistance as the resistor element. The terminal element of the resistor assembly may consist of copper, preferably a low-alloyed copper alloy, aluminum or preferably a low-alloyed aluminum alloy, or may contain at least one of these materials. The resistor element may consist of a copper alloy, which is commonly used as a resistor alloy. The specific electrical resistance of the resistor alloy is much higher than the specific electrical resistance of the material of the terminal element. The terminal element may be a terminal element at the end of the resistor assembly. However, it is also possible that at least one terminal element is arranged between two resistor elements with respect to a possible current path. The resistor assembly may be formed in a planar arrangement, in which case the terminal element and the at least one resistor element are formed as plate- or strip-shaped elements and are arranged side by side, preferably in a row, in a plane. The thickness of the resistor element or elements may be any thickness. However, the thickness of the resistor element is usually not greater than the thickness of the terminal element.

[0012] The circuit board preferably has at least one conductor path arranged on the side of the circuit board facing away from the resistor assembly. Furthermore, electrical components used for measuring and evaluating electrical signals may be arranged on the circuit board. The term through hole means a cutout in the circuit board that extends over the entire thickness of the circuit board.

[0013] A contact pin is understood as a material projection rising above the otherwise undeformed surface of the terminal element. The shaping of the contact pin is carried out by displacing material of the terminal element in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the terminal element. The direction in which the material is displaced defines the axis of the contact pin. The contact pin may be solid, partially hollow or hollow along the entire axis. The cross-sectional shape of the contact pin may be any, preferably circular, rectangular, square or hexagonal for solid contact pins or annular for hollow contact pins. The cross-sectional shape and / or size of the contact pin may be constant or may vary steadily or non-stationarily along the extension of the contact pin. For example, the contact pin may have a slightly conical profile, i.e. a profile with a boundary surface that is slightly inclined with respect to the surface of the terminal element. Furthermore, the contact pin may have a step. A step is understood as a non-stationary, i.e. abrupt, change in the cross-sectional shape and / or size of the contact pin. The height of the contact pin with respect to the undeformed surface of the terminal element is higher than the thickness of the circuit board. The contact pins therefore have protrusions on the circuit board when the circuit board is positioned over the resistor assembly such that the contact pins pass through and protrude from the through holes.

[0014] The contact pin, preferably together with further contact pins, can be used as a voltage tap for measuring the voltage drop across at least one resistive element. Alternatively, the contact pin can also be used for grounding the resistor assembly. One or more such contact pins are preferably formed on all terminal elements of the resistor assembly. The contact pin used for voltage measurement is then positioned as close as possible to the resistive element, the voltage drop of which is to be sensed.

[0015] The lateral expansion of the contact pin in method step d) refers to a deformation of the contact pin by transferring material perpendicularly to the axis of the contact pin, i.e. radially to the axis. This deformation takes place with a relatively large protrusion in the region of the contact pin that protrudes from the circuit board. In this region, the lateral extension of the material transferred according to method d) is at least locally greater than the width of the through hole. The circuit board is attached to the resistor assembly by this type of deformation of the contact pin. In particular, the contact pin acquires a shape resembling that of a mushroom or resembling the region of the nail head by the lateral expansion of the section that protrudes from the circuit board. The axial cross section of the contact pin can in particular be T-shaped.

[0016] The lateral expansion of the contact pins also occurs with a relatively small projection in the region within the through-hole of the circuit board, in which region the lateral expansion is limited by the inner wall of the through-hole.

[0017] A particular advantage of the above method is that no additional parts and / or materials are required to form a connection between the resistor assembly and the circuit board. There is no need to assemble the contact pins separately on the resistor assembly or on the circuit board, since the contact pins are directly molded from the material of the terminal element. The work steps required for this, as well as the materials required, e.g. solder, are omitted. Several contact pins can be molded simultaneously. Due to the monolithic connection between the terminal element and the contact pins, undesirable contact voltages that could distort the measurements are avoided.

[0018] If the resistor assembly is produced by cutting from a longitudinally seam-welded strip of composite material, the contact pins can be formed at the same time as the composite material is cut, i.e. in this case steps a) and b) of the method are carried out simultaneously. No separate additional work step is therefore required to form the contact pins. The method is therefore quicker and less expensive than if the contact pins were first formed after cutting the composite material. Furthermore, a high positional accuracy of the contact pins is achieved in this way.

[0019] Within the scope of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shaping of the contact pins in method step b) can be carried out by a stamping step or Extrusion This can be done by pressing and embossing. Extrusion is particularly suitable for forming contact pins which are monolithically connected with the material of the terminal element and which extend essentially perpendicularly to the surface of the terminal element, the material being formed by a punch.

[0020] Within the scope of a special embodiment of this invention, a negative mold can be used for shaping the contact pin, which has at least one recess corresponding to the contour of the contact pin, by means of a negative mold of this kind the outer contour of the contact pin can be determined.

[0021] Within the scope of another preferred embodiment of the invention, the lateral expansion of the contact pin in method step d) can be carried out by a swaging process, embossing, caulking or flanging. Flanging is preferably used for contact pins that are hollow along their entire axis, whereas the other methods are preferably used for contact pins that are solid or only partially hollow. In these methods, the force required for the lateral deformation is introduced in the direction of the axis of the contact pin. This not only expands the material of the contact pin laterally, but also presses it against the circuit board in the direction of the axis of the contact pin. The above-mentioned methods are therefore particularly well suited to expanding the part of the contact pin that protrudes beyond the circuit board in all directions perpendicular to the axis of the contact pin or only in certain directions and at the same time achieving a good mechanical fixation of the circuit board to the resistor assembly.

[0022] Within the scope of a particular embodiment of the invention, the lateral expansion of the contact pin in method step d) can be assisted by heating the material by ultrasound or laser. The material of the contact pin is very hardened and rigid due to the deformation in method step b). This prevents the deformation in the next step d). By inputting heat by laser or ultrasound, the material of the contact pin can be at least partially softened, i.e. heated to become softer. The deformation in step d) is then more easily possible.

[0023] Advantageously, the formation of the conductive connection in method step e) can be effected by lateral expansion of the contact pin in the region of the protrusion in method step d). By deformation of the contact pin in step d), a force-locking connection is formed between the circuit board and the contact pin. Advantageously, it is further provided that the expanded region of the contact pin comes into contact with at least one conductor path located on a surface of the circuit board remote from the resistor assembly. In that case, the force-locking connection between the circuit board and the contact pin also results in an electrical connection between the contact pin and the conductor path.

[0024] Within the scope of an additional embodiment of the invention, the formation of the conductive connection in method step e) can be carried out by deforming the contact pin so that it contacts the inner surface of the through hole in the circuit board, the inner surface of the through hole then having the conductive material which contacts at least one conductor path of the circuit board. The lateral expansion of the contact pin in step d) results in a force-locking connection between the contact pin and the inner surface of the through hole, for example a press fit. In this way, a particularly good electrical contact can be formed between the contact pin and the conductor path.

[0025] For other technical features and advantages of the method according to the invention, explicit reference is made to the following description in conjunction with the device according to the invention as well as to the figures and the description of the figures.

[0026] Another aspect of the invention includes a device for measuring the intensity of a current, which may also be understood as measuring the intensity of a current that may vary from time to time. The device comprises a resistor assembly and a circuit board mechanically and electrically connected to the resistor assembly. The resistor assembly comprises at least two terminal elements and at least one resistive element arranged between the terminal elements with respect to the direction of the current, the at least one resistive element and the terminal elements each being made of a different conductive material. The circuit board has at least one through hole. Furthermore, the circuit board has at least one conductor path, which is preferably arranged on the side of the circuit board facing away from the resistor assembly. According to the invention, the resistor assembly has at least one contact pin monolithically connected to one of the terminal elements and made from the material of the terminal element, the contact pin extending through the through hole of the circuit board, protruding from the circuit board and having a lateral extension on the side of the circuit board facing away from the resistor assembly, the extension mechanically fastening the circuit board to the resistor assembly, so that the resistor assembly is connected to the circuit board by the contact pin.

[0027] With regard to the terminology used for the description of the device, explicit reference is made to the above explanation of the terminology in connection with the description of the method for manufacturing this device.

[0028] A particular advantage of the above arrangement is that the monolithic connection between the terminal element and the contact pins avoids undesirable contact voltages which could distort the measured values, and furthermore the arrangement can be produced cheaply and with high precision, since the contact pins are formed directly from the material of the terminal element.

[0029] Within the scope of an embodiment of the device, at least one contact pin can be in electrical contact with at least one conductor path of a circuit board by its lateral extension, the mechanical fastening of the circuit board to the resistor assembly and the electrical contacting of these components being effected by the contact pin.

[0030] Within another embodiment of the device, the at least one contact pin may be in electrical contact with an inner surface of a through hole in the circuit board.

[0031] Within the scope of another advantageous embodiment of the device, at least one contact pin can have a step on which the circuit board rests, such that the circuit board is spaced apart from the terminal element and thus from the resistor assembly. The distance between the circuit board and the resistor assembly results in a better thermal decoupling of the circuit board from the resistor assembly. In this case, the heat generated when a current flows through the resistor element cannot be transferred directly from the resistor element or the terminal element to the circuit board, but must flow through the contact pin. Due to the relatively small cross section of the contact pin, the thermal resistance of the contact pin is large. The heat flow from the resistor assembly to the circuit board is thus reduced, and the circuit board remains at a lower temperature level than if the circuit board rested directly on the terminal element. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the thickness of the resistor element is not smaller than the thickness of the terminal element.

[0032] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the surface of at least one contact pin can have a metal coating, in particular a tin-, silver- or nickel-containing coating. This type of coating can prevent corrosion and thus result in a high quality of electrical contact between the contact pin and the conductor track over the entire life of the device. In that case, the coating can be applied before the shaping of the contact pin in step b) or the contact pin can be coated in a separate step between method steps b) and c).

[0033] For other technical features and advantages of the device according to the invention, explicit reference is made to the above description in conjunction with the method according to the invention as well as to the figures and description of the figures. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a resistor assembly. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a side view of the resistor assembly. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a resistor assembly after method step b). [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a resistor assembly with molded contact pins. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a resistor assembly with a circuit board positioned thereon. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a resistor assembly with a circuit board attached thereto. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a device including a contact pin having a stepped portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a device having hollow contact pins. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to schematic drawings.

[0036] Identical parts are given the same reference numbers in all figures.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a resistor assembly 2 without contact pins. The resistor assembly 2 has terminal elements 3 at the two ends and a resistive element 4 positioned between the two terminal elements 3. The terminal elements 3 and the resistive element 4 are each in the form of a plate. The thickness of the resistive element 4 is somewhat smaller than the thickness of the two terminal elements 3. The resistor assembly 2 can be connected to a current circuit at the two terminal elements 3. For this purpose, the two terminal elements 3 can have connecting devices, e.g. holes, not shown. These connecting devices are provided in the respective terminal elements 3 in areas remote from the resistive element 4. The resistive element 4 is between the terminal elements 3 with respect to the direction of current flow. When a current flows, a voltage is dropped across the resistive element 4, which can be used to detect the intensity of the current flowing through the resistor assembly 2.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a side view of the resistance assembly 2 according to Figure 1. The resistance assembly 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be manufactured, as is known, by longitudinal seam welding of three strips into a composite material and then cutting the welded composite material.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows the resistor assembly 2 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 after method step b). On the upper side of the resistor assembly 2, a negative die 12 with two recesses 13 is positioned. On the lower side of the resistor assembly 2, two punches 11 penetrate into the material of the two terminal elements 3. The punches 11 are positioned facing the recesses 13 of the negative die 12. By the penetration of the punches 11, the material of the terminal elements 3 is pushed aside perpendicularly to the surface of the terminal elements 3 and transferred into the recesses 13 of the negative die 12. In this way, two material projections constituting the contact pins 5 are formed. In the illustrated example, the contact pins 5 are formed solidly.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a resistor assembly 2 with two contact pins 5 formed according to method step b). The punch 11 and the negative die 12 have been removed. To facilitate the removal of the punch 11 and the negative die 12, the punch 11 and the notch 13 can each be provided with a contour with a beveled surface in the negative die 12. Correspondingly, the formed contact pins 5 can also be provided with a contour with a beveled surface. The angle between the beveled surface for demolding and the normal to the surface of the terminal element 3 is typically about 2°. Due to the small deviation from the normal, the beveled surface is not clearly shown in the figure. The height of the contact pins 5 is indicated by the symbol H. The contact pins 5 are provided to pick up the voltage drop across the resistive element 4. In order to minimize distortion of the measurement, the contact pins 5 were formed from the terminal element 3 in such a way that they are positioned close to the connection between the respective terminal element 3 and the resistive element 4.

[0041] Fig. 5 shows a resistor assembly 2 with two molded contact pins 5 and a circuit board 8 positioned on the resistor assembly 2. Fig. 5 thus shows the resistor assembly 2 and the circuit board 8 according to method step c). The circuit board 8 has two through holes 9. The circuit board 8 is positioned such that the contact pins 5 protrude through the through holes 9. The height H of the contact pins 5 is greater than the thickness T of the circuit board 8, so that the contact pins 5 each have one protrusion 6 on the circuit board 8 on the side of the circuit board 8 facing away from the resistor assembly 2. The inner dimension of the through holes 9 is slightly greater than the outer dimension of the contact pins 5.

[0042] FIG. 6 shows a device 1 for measuring the current intensity with a resistor assembly 2 and a circuit board 8 fixed on the resistor assembly 2. FIG. 6 shows the device 1 according to method step e). Two contact pins 5 of the resistor assembly 2 are deformed in order to mechanically fix the circuit board 8 on the resistor assembly 2 and at the same time to form a respective electrical contact with a respective conductor track of the circuit board 8. For this purpose, the contact pins 5 are expanded laterally in the region of the projection 6 on the circuit board 8 and in the region lying in the through-hole 9 of the circuit board 8. In the region of the through-hole 9, the lateral expansion is limited by the inner wall of the through-hole 9. The contact pins 5 form-fittingly close the respective through-hole 9. The deformation is carried out in such a way that in the region of the projection 6, a respective lateral expansion 7 is formed which extends wider than the width of the respective through-hole 9. The contact pins 5 thus acquire a shape with a T-shaped cross section in the axial direction. The circuit board 8 is thereby force-fittingly fixed to the resistor assembly 2. At the same time, the lateral extension 7 of each contact pin 5 comes into contact with at least one conductor track of the circuit board 8 on the side facing away from the resistor assembly 2. An electrical connection is thus established between the resistor assembly 2 and the circuit board 8. The conductor tracks are connected to electronic components (not shown) by means of which the voltage drop across the resistor element 4 can be sensed.

[0043] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the device 1 for measuring the current strength, which comprises a resistor assembly 2 and a circuit board 8 fixed to the resistor assembly 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the thickness of the resistor element 4 is approximately the same as the thickness of the terminal element 3. The contact pins 5 each have a step 51 surrounding the contact pin 5, on which the circuit board 8 rests. For this purpose, the contact pins 5 are designed such that the outer dimensions of the contact pins 5 are respectively greater than the inner dimensions of the respective through-holes 9 of the circuit board 8 in the partial regions of the respective contact pins 5 directly adjacent to the terminal element 3. As a result, the circuit board 8 does not rest directly on either the terminal element 3 or on the resistor element 4, and the circuit board has a distance s relative to the terminal element 3, the resistor element 4 and thus to the entire resistor assembly 2. The circuit board is therefore better thermally decoupled from the resistor assembly. The height of the respective step 51 has already been taken into account when shaping the contact pins 5 from the material of the respective terminal element 3. The fixing and contact connection of the circuit board 8 by the contact pins 5 takes place in the same way as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 and described in connection with FIG. 6.

[0044] FIG. 8 shows, as an alternative embodiment, a device 1 for measuring the intensity of electric currents with a resistor assembly 2 and a circuit board 8 fixed to the resistor assembly 2, in which the contact pins 5 are each formed hollow over their entire extension. The contact pins 5 are flanged in the region of the projections 7 in order to respectively create lateral extensions 7 for fastening the circuit board 8. The contact pins 5 are shaped like hollow rivets. In the embodiment of the device 1 shown in FIG. 8, the circuit board 8 rests on two terminal elements 3. Alternatively, the hollow contact pins 5 could also be formed with a step 51, similar to the contact pins 5 shown in FIG. 7, whereby the circuit board 8 is spaced apart from the terminal elements 3.

[0045] For reasons of better representation, the invention has been exemplarily described in FIGS. 1 to 8 using a resistor assembly 2 with only one resistive element 4 and two terminal elements 3 in each case. It is also possible to apply the method described above to resistor assemblies with more than one resistive element 4 and at least one further terminal element 3 arranged between the two resistive elements 4 with respect to a possible current path. The resistor assembly can then be configured such that the same current flows through at least two resistive elements 4, which allows for redundant current measurements, or such that different currents flow through at least two resistive elements 4, which allows for partial current measurements. In these cases, the method for forming a contact pin 5 and for forming a mechanical and electrical connection with a circuit board 8 described in the above description, in FIGS. 1 to 8 and by means of the examples can also be used for forming one or more contact pins 5 from the material of the terminal element 3 arranged between two resistive elements 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 device 2 Resistor Assembly 3-Terminal Element 4 Resistance elements 5 Contact pins 51 Step 6 Protrusion 7 Lateral extension 8 Circuit Board 9 Through holes 11 Punch 12 negative type 13 Notch H Contact pin height T Circuit board thickness s distance

Claims

1. 1. A method for manufacturing a device for measuring electric current intensity by means of a resistor assembly, comprising the steps of: a) providing a resistor assembly comprising at least two terminal elements and at least one resistive element disposed between said terminal elements with respect to a direction of current flow, said at least one resistive element and said terminal elements being made of different conductive materials; b) forming at least one contact pin monolithically and integrally connected with one of said terminal elements by transferring a portion of the material of at least one of said terminal elements; c) positioning a circuit board having at least one conductor path and at least one through hole on the resistor assembly such that at least one of the contact pins projects through the through hole and has a protrusion on the circuit board on a side of the circuit board facing away from the resistor assembly; d) laterally expanding the contact pins at least in the region of the protrusions of the contact pins by deforming the material, thereby mechanically fixing the circuit board to the resistor assembly; e) forming a conductive connection between said contact pin and at least one conductor path of said circuit board.

2. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the shaping of the contact pin in step b) is carried out by a stamping step or by extrusion.

3. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that for shaping the contact pin a negative die is used which has at least one recess which corresponds to the contour of the contact pin.

4. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lateral expansion of the contact pin in step d) is performed by a swaging process, embossing, crimping or flanging.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lateral expansion of the contact pins in step d) is assisted by heating the material by ultrasound or laser.

6. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the formation of the conductive connection in step e) is performed by laterally expanding the contact pin in the region of the protrusion of the contact pin in step d).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the conductive connection in step e) is formed by deforming the contact pin so as to contact an inner surface of the through hole of the circuit board.

8. 1. A device for measuring electric current strength, comprising a resistor assembly and a circuit board mechanically and electrically connected to the resistor assembly, the resistor assembly comprising at least two terminal elements and at least one resistive element arranged between the terminal elements, the at least one resistive element and the terminal elements being made of different conductive materials, the circuit board having at least one conductor path and at least one through hole, the resistor assembly having at least one contact pin formed by transferring a portion of the material of the terminal element and thereby monolithically and integrally connected to one of the terminal elements, the contact pin extending through the through hole of the circuit board and having a lateral extension on a side of the circuit board facing away from the resistor assembly, the resistor assembly being connected to the circuit board by the contact pin by mechanically fixing the circuit board to the resistor assembly by the extension.

9. 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the at least one contact pin is in electrical contact with at least one conductor track of the circuit board by its lateral extension.

10. 10. The device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the at least one contact pin is in electrical contact with an inner surface of the through hole in the circuit board.

11. The device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the at least one contact pin has a step portion, and the circuit board is placed on the step portion so that the circuit board is spaced from the terminal element.

12. 12. The device according to claim 8, wherein the surface of the at least one contact pin has a metallic coating, in particular a tin-, silver- or nickel-containing coating.

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