Flat connector for soldering on laminated glass

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flat plate connector (4, 5) comprising a glass substrate (1), a conductive silver print (2), an adhesive material (8) for electrical connection, an insulating film (6), a conductive metal strip (7), and an additional adhesive tape (3). The flat connector (4, 5) with a dedicated cutout area can be fixed with the tape (3) before mechanical and electrical bonding with the adhesive material (8), which, depending on its type, can improve pull-off resistance and aging tests. The area is then defined as the surface where the connector adheres to the glass, including the various adhesive materials (3, 8). The dedicated cutout area is made in the flat connector (5) so as to generate symmetrical tensile stresses in this adhesive area when the connector is subjected to a tensile force, with the axis of symmetry defined relative to the tensile force axis.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible electrical connector for connecting to electrical elements on a substrate such as glazing in an automobile. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flat connector for soldering on laminated and / or tempered glass. [Background technology]

[0002] In the art, there are many electrical connectors used to connect (directly or indirectly) many different types of electrical elements to a power source. In the field of glazing, particularly automotive glazing, one such example of an electrical connector suitable for connecting connection points (conductive tracks) included in automotive glazing to a battery of an automobile to which the glazing may be mated so that power can be provided to the connection points is described in EP 1 439 600 A2. The thickness of the insulating foil and the surface area of ​​the opening are adapted to the metal amount of the solder stack that provides the electrical connection between the contact surface and the terminal surface. However, this does not solve the problem of flexible electrical connectors for connecting to electrical elements of a substrate, which is to ensure good resistance to traction forces that may be applied to the connector during installation in the automotive glazing or during the service life of the automobile. To achieve a sufficient level of resistance to traction forces, the connector design must prevent the traction forces applied to the connector from causing a peeling effect in the connection area with a low level of resistance, rather than causing symmetric tensile stress in the adhesive area of ​​the flexible electrical connector with a higher level of resistance.

[0003] In another closely related prior art, German Patent Specification No. 4304788A1 discloses a multi-layer sheet contact having a metal foil strip used as a conductor and surrounded by a heat-resistant two-layer insulating jacket made of synthetic material. In the area of ​​the weld connection, the sheet contact has a weld eyelet. For this purpose, both the metal foil strip and two plastic cover sheets are provided with a cutout, the cutout in the metal foil strip being smaller than that in the cover sheet. The foil strip is held at a certain distance from the surface of the support by a lower cover sheet applied to the support, and the intermediate space is filled with molten solder that penetrates the weld center. The contact sheet cannot be provided with a pre-lamination of solder. However, this does not solve the problem of flexible electrical connectors for connecting electrical components to a substrate, which is to generate symmetrical tensile stresses in the bonding area of ​​the flexible electrical connector and therefore ensure good pull-out resistance of the connection.

[0004] The electrical connector of EP 1439600 is constructed from two adjacent, parallel insulating layers that form the connector body. One end of the body has a connection zone where multiple metal contacts, e.g., solder blobs, are located. Each contact is electrically connected to a respective metal conductive track that extends between the insulating layer, the other end of the connector body, and a hub for connection to the vehicle's power source. However, this does not solve the flexible electrical connector's problem of connecting to an electrical element on a substrate, which is to create symmetrical tensile stresses in the bond area of ​​the flexible electrical connector, thereby ensuring good pull-out resistance of the connection.

[0005] Furthermore, in current flexible connectors, when the flexible connector is subjected to a pulling tension, asymmetric tensile stresses are applied to the adhesive area of ​​the flexible connector, causing peeling of the conductive elements provided on the glazing and resulting in separation of the flexible connector. In fact, peel stresses result in low adhesive strength and therefore low resistance to the pulling force required to ensure the connection within the required durability time.

[0006] The problems mentioned in the prior art are overcome by the application of the present invention, which proposes a flat connector, in which the traction force applied to the connector generates stresses that are symmetrically distributed in the bonded area with respect to the traction axis. The peeling effect caused by other standard flat connectors is eliminated thanks to the symmetric distribution of stresses in the bonded area with respect to the traction force axis. Summary of the Invention

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flat electrical connector suitable for connecting to an electrical element of a substrate having a high traction resistance, which does not suffer from the problems outlined above during and after its connection to the electrical element.

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention provides a flexible electrical connector for connection to an electrical element of a substrate, such as glazing in an automobile, which is designed to enable the generation of tensile stresses symmetrical about the tensile force axis in the bonding area of ​​the flexible electrical connector to the electrical element of the substrate, such as glazing, when subjected to a tensile force.

[0009] The present invention relates to a flexible electrical connector for connection to an electrical element on a substrate, such as glazing in an automobile, designed such that when the connector is subjected to a tensile force, it is possible to create a tensile stress in the area of ​​attachment of the flexible electrical connector to the electrical element on the substrate, e.g., the glazing, that is symmetrical about the tensile force axis.

[0010] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a flexible flat connector is disclosed that is to be electrically connected to a conductive structure provided on a glass substrate, the flexible flat connector comprising a conductive metal strip and an adhesive material (conductive glue or solder alloy) for mechanically and electrically connecting the connector to the conductive structure provided on the glass of the glass substrate, the surface of mechanical and electrical contact between the connector and the glass substrate being called the adhesive area, and the connector being provided with at least one dedicated cut-out area in or around the adhesive area.

[0011] The connector is provided with an insulating film that covers at least the side of the connector facing the glass substrate.

[0012] According to the invention, the flat connector is provided with at least one dedicated cut-out area in or around the adhesive area.

[0013] According to the invention, a dedicated cut-out area is made in the flat connector to generate a symmetrical tensile stress across the adhesive area when subjected to a tensile force, and an axis of symmetry is defined relative to this tensile force axis.

[0014] The flexible flat connector according to the invention is provided with at least one cut-out area, at least one cut-out area being configured in such a way that the stresses caused by tensile stresses in the adhesive area are distributed symmetrically relative to this tensile force axis.

[0015] Axial symmetry is defined by an axis that is perpendicular to the length of the connector and divides the bonded area into symmetrical portions, with the axis of traction tension being centered and perpendicular to the bonded area and therefore lying on this axis of symmetry.

[0016] According to the present invention, the adhesive area is the interface between the conductive silver print and the adhesive material. A dedicated cut-out area is made in the flat connector so that the axis of the traction force and the flat connector axis are aligned and perpendicular, resulting in symmetrical tensile stress across the adhesive area when subjected to a tensile force.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, bonding is performed with a connecting material such as a solder alloy, leaded or lead-free, or conductive glue. This electrical connection can be combined with an adhesive material positioned at least on the side facing the support, evenly surrounding the electrical connection area. The adhesive tape can be of various different types, from standard adhesive tapes that are temperature or IR cured to structural adhesive tapes (SBT). The purpose of this tape can be to assist in positioning the connector and / or to increase adhesive strength and / or to provide a seal around the electrical connection, depending on its type.

[0018] The flat connector before electrical connection by soldering or conductive glue can be fixed with another adhesive material to improve the connection process and, depending on the material, to strengthen the bond. The adhesive area is the interface between the conductive silver print and the adhesive material, as defined above.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the conductive metal strip is an alloy of copper and tin, or any conductive metal such as copper, silver, or any pure metal, or plated with other metals such as tin and silver. The conductive metal strip is preferably copper. The solder alloy may include high to low melting point alloys including materials such as tin, copper, lead, silver, indium, and bismuth.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, where the electrical connection material is a solder alloy, the insulating film of the flat connector can be removed from the top surface of the soldering area, and openings in the soldering area then allow for improved heat conduction during soldering.

[0021] According to the invention, the dedicated cut-out areas can be made U-shaped in the flat connector, and the dedicated cut-out areas can also be made straight along the length of the flat connector, thereby bending the flat connector into two halves, provided that at least one cut-out area is configured in such a way that stresses caused by tensile stresses in the connector are uniformly distributed with respect to the axial symmetry of the adhesive area.

[0022] According to the invention furthermore, a plurality of cutout areas can be made in the flat connector, in which case the flat connector can be a bifurcated connector.

[0023] Another embodiment of the present invention states that an insulating material can coat the edges of the cutout area to maximize the shear resistance of the flat connector around the cutout area.

[0024] The present invention further states that when the flat connector is connected to the conductive structure provided on the surface of the glass substrate by a solder material such as an adhesive material, the soldering flux can be applied to the alloy droplets in advance in a dry manner or can be applied before soldering. The soldering process can be achieved by resistance soldering, a soldering iron, or during an autoclave process. The shape and number of solder points on the conductive film can vary depending on requirements.

[0025] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a glazing comprising at least one sheet of glazing material, an electrically conductive structure, and optionally an adhesive for securing an electrical connector to the glass substrate, and a flexible connector at least covered by an insulating film as disclosed above.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive structure is a metal coating, for example a silver coating. Conductive structures are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0027] The embodiments herein are better understood from the following detailed description, which refers to the drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a standard flat connector without tension stress.

[0029] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG.

[0030] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of a standard flat connector when a traction force is applied, with the traction axis shown in dashed line, which is contemplated by the present invention to provide an axis of symmetry for the bond.

[0031] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the new flat connector design without tension stress.

[0032] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG.

[0033] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view of the new flat connector when a traction force is applied, with the traction axis shown in dashed line, which is contemplated by the present invention to provide an axis of symmetry for the bond.

[0034] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view of a new flat connector with cutout areas A and B along the axis of symmetry during traction force according to the present invention.

[0035] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top view of FIG.

[0036] [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting plane A in FIG.

[0037] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of section A of FIG. 7, now including an opening in the top insulating film to facilitate the soldering process.

[0038] [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting plane B in FIG.

[0039] [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of section B of FIG. 7, now including an opening in the top insulating film to facilitate the soldering process.

[0040] [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the new flat connector design of FIG.

[0041] [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another connector design that makes it possible to reach the same effect of stress distribution in the adhesive area, in this case obtained by a straight cutout area with both ends bent in opposite directions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The embodiments of the present specification and their various features and advantageous details will be more fully described with reference to the non-limiting embodiments exemplified in the following detailed description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present specification. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate understanding of how the embodiments of the present specification can be implemented and to further enable those skilled in the art to implement the embodiments of the present specification. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments of the present specification.

[0043] Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the claims. Terms such as "can be," "shall be," "could be," and other related terms in this specification disclosed in the preceding and subsequent parts of the specification in no way limit or modify the scope of the present invention. The terms are provided solely for the understanding of the main invention and its embodiments.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a side view design of a standard flat connector (4) used for electrical connection on glass. The standard flat connector (4) is connected to a glass substrate (1) using an adhesive material (3). The adhesive material (3) is connected to the standard flat connector (4) and the conductive silver print (2) using conductive glue or soldering alloy or a combination of both. The adhesive material (3) can also be connected with or without tape. The tape can be of various types, from temperature- or IR-curing standard adhesive tape to structural adhesive tape (SBT). The conductive silver print (2) can be with or without a black underlay. The surface-mounted conductive silver print (2) can be connected (electrically or by adhesive) to the substrate.

[0045] Figure 2 shows a top view of a standard flat connector (4), which shows the connector perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the adhesive area.

[0046] Figure 3 shows a side view of a standard flat connector (4) being pulled perpendicular to the glass substrate. The pulling force, which is also perpendicular to the plane of the flat connector (4), creates asymmetric tensile stresses in the adhesive material (3) with the axis of symmetry of the bonded area aligned with the pulling force axis (dashed line), resulting in peel stresses in the adhesive material (3). The stresses in the adhesive material (3) are not uniformly distributed across its entire surface. This resulting peel stress results in a low adhesive strength needed to ensure a connection within the required durability. Any pull test will result in delamination of the connector instead of pulling across the entire connecting surface.

[0047] Figure 4 shows a side view design of a new flat connector (5) used for electrical connection on glass. The new flat connector (5) is connected to a glass substrate (1) using an adhesive material (3). The adhesive material (3) is connected to the flat connector (5) according to the present invention and the conductive silver coating using conductive glue, a soldering alloy, or a combination of both. The solder alloy can be lead-based or lead-free, or conductive glue, and the conductive metal strip is any metal, preferably copper. The adhesive material (3) can also be connected with or without tape to an insulating film. The tape can be of various types, from standard adhesive tape that cures at temperature or IR to structural adhesive tape (SBT). The conductive silver print (2) can be with or without a black underlay. The surface-mounted conductive silver print (2) can be connected (electrically or by adhesive) to the substrate.

[0048] Figure 5 shows a top view of a flat connector (5) according to the present invention. According to the present invention, the connector is perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the adhesive area (3). The flat connector (5) according to the present invention is cut in a specific shape to avoid peeling effects from one side of the adhesive material (3). The shape of the cut-out area is not limited to a U-shape as shown in Figure 5, but can be any shape as long as it provides symmetrically distributed stress in the adhesive area with respect to the defined axis of symmetry. The flat connector (5) according to the present invention can be partially or completely insulated or not depending on the requirements.

[0049] Figure 6 shows a side view of the flat connector (5) according to the present invention when it is pulled perpendicular to the glass plane. The pulling force perpendicular to the plane of the flat connector (5) also generates tensile stresses that are symmetrically distributed in the adhesive area (3) due to the specific cutting geometry according to the present invention when the pull-off axis is aligned with the axis of symmetry of the adhesive area (3). The stress generated in the adhesive material (3) is distributed uniformly along the entire surface of the adhesive material (3). The symmetrical distribution of pulling stresses results in better adhesive strength to ensure the connection within the required durability time. The new flat connector (5) eliminates peel stresses in the adhesive material (3) that result in high resistance to pulling forces.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a side view of a flat connector (5) according to the present invention with a cutout area design used for electrical connection on glass. The flat connector (5) according to the present invention is connected to a glass substrate (1) using an adhesive material (3). The adhesive material (3) is connected to the flat connector (5) according to the present invention and the conductive silver print using conductive glue, a soldering alloy, or a combination of both. The solder alloy can be lead-based or lead-free, or conductive glue, and the conductive metal strip can be any metal, preferably copper. The adhesive material (3) can also be connected with or without tape to an insulating film. The tape can be of various types, from standard adhesive tape that cures at temperature or IR to structural adhesive tape (SBT). The conductive silver print (2) can be with or without a black underlay. The surface-mounted conductive silver print (2) can be connected (electrically or by adhesive) to the substrate.

[0051] 8 shows a top view of a flat connector (5) according to the present invention with a cutout area design, showing that the connector (5) according to the present invention is perpendicular to the axis of symmetry of the adhesive area. The flat connector (5) according to the present invention is cut out from a dedicated area to center the pulling force on the solder area to avoid peeling effects from one side of the adhesive material (3). The shape of the cutout area is not limited to a U-shape as shown, but can be any shape as long as it provides force along the axis of symmetry. The flat connector (5) according to the present invention can be insulated or not, depending partially or completely on the requirements.

[0052] 9 and 10 show cross-sectional views along the A-section. The conductive metal stripes (7) of the flat connector (5) according to the present invention are soldered with a solder alloy (8), which may be leaded or completely lead-free, or even conductive glue may be used. The conductive metal stripes (7) may be coated with an insulating film (6). In the case of electrical connection by soldering, an opening (9) may be formed at the top of the insulating film to allow better heat conduction during the soldering process. In addition to the adhesive material, standard tape (3) may be used to assist positioning before bonding by soldering or curing the conductive glue. This tape may also increase adhesive strength when using temperature- or IR-curing structural adhesive tape (SBT).

[0053] Figures 11 and 12 show cross-sectional views along section B. The conductive metal stripes (7) of the flat connector (5) according to the present invention are soldered with a solder alloy (8), which may be leaded or completely lead-free, or even conductive glue may be used. The conductive metal stripes (7) may be coated with an insulating film (6). In the case of electrical connection by soldering, an opening (9) may be formed at the top of the insulating film to allow better heat conduction during the soldering process. The insulating film (6) connects the conductive metal strips (7) to the adhesive material (3), which in turn connects to the conductive silver print (2). The central portion of cutout area B may be attached to the conductive silver print (2) without adhesive material (3) or using adhesive material (3) only in the central portion of cutout area B. This figure shows how the elements described in Figures 9 and 10 are arranged around the U-shaped cutout area according to the present invention. If an insulating film (6) is used, it is preferably positioned in such a way that it protects the U-shaped edge of the conductive metal stripe (7) around the cutout area, in such a way that the shear resistance of this insulating material can increase the mechanical resistance of the connector around this cutout area.

[0054] FIG. 13 shows an axonometric view of the new inventive flat connector (5) described and illustrated in FIGS.

[0055] 14 presents another connector design that allows for symmetrical distribution of stress in the bonded area when subjected to tensile force. This is achieved by forming a straight cutout area at the end of a standard flat connector in the connection area, then folding the connector along its entire longitudinal axis, and finally bending the two connection parts in opposite directions. As illustrated by this example, the flat connector and cutout area can be of any shape, and the aim is to achieve a uniform or symmetrical distribution of tensile stress in the connection area when the connector is subjected to tensile force, in order to eliminate the peeling effect that results in low resistance to such an attempt.

[0056] However, although numerous features and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, it should be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative only, and details, particularly matters relating to the shape, size, and arrangement of parts, may be varied within the principles of the invention, all within the scope indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms referred to.

Claims

1. A flexible flat connector to be electrically connected to conductive structures provided on a glass substrate, a conductive metal strip; an adhesive material for mechanically and electrically connecting the flexible flat connector to a conductive structure provided in the glass of the glass substrate, the surface of the adhesive material being in mechanical and electrical contact between the flexible flat connector and the glass substrate being called the adhesive area; an insulating film covering at least the flexible flat connector on the side facing the glass substrate; Including, an adhesive material is provided on one end of the conductive metal strip; The flexible flat connector is provided with at least one dedicated cut-out area in the adhesive area; The flexible flat connector is formed such that a dedicated cutout area generates a symmetrical tensile stress in the adhesive area when subjected to a tensile force in a direction perpendicular to the adhesive area, and the axis of symmetry of the symmetrical tensile stress extends in a direction perpendicular to the adhesive area.

2. 2. The flexible flat plate connector of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is a lead or lead-free solder alloy or a conductive glue.

3. 2. The flexible flat plate connector of claim 1, wherein the conductive metal strip is an alloy of copper and tin, or is copper or silver, or is plated with tin or silver.

4. 10. The flexible flat plate connector of claim 1, wherein the insulating film covers both sides of the flexible flat connector.

5. 5. The flexible flat plate connector of claim 4, wherein the insulating film also covers the cutout area edges to maximize the shear resistance of the flexible flat connector around the cutout area.

6. 5. The flexible flat plate connector of claim 4, wherein the adhesive material is a solder alloy and the insulating film is removed on the other side of the adhesive area to facilitate heat conduction during the soldering process.

7. The flexible flat plate connector of claim 1 , wherein at least one dedicated cut-out area has a U-shape.

8. 2. The flexible flat plate connector of claim 1, wherein the dedicated cutout area is made straight along its length, after which the flexible flat connector is folded along its entire longitudinal axis, and finally the two connecting portions are bent in opposite directions.

9. Glazing, at least one sheet of glazing material; a conductive structure; At least the flexible connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8; Glazing including.

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