Manufacturing method for window assemblies with solderless electrical connectors

Abstract

To provide an improved solderless electrical connector, and a method of forming the solderless connector.SOLUTION: A method of manufacturing a window assembly having a solderless electrical connector includes forming a curved transparent substrate, and applying a conductive ink having a thermal degradation temperature onto a surface of the curved transparent substrate. The method further includes applying an adhesive onto the surface of the curved transparent substrate adjacent to the conductive ink, and optionally onto the applied conductive ink, and curing the adhesive at a temperature below the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink to form the solderless electrical connector, with the solderless electrical connector being in electrical contact with the applied conductive ink.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - References to Related Applications This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 860,296, filed on July 8, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to window assemblies, and more specifically to window assemblies having electrically insulated solderless electrical connectors.

Background Art

[0003] Window assemblies for vehicles are often functionalized to include one or more conductive features disposed on a transparent substrate. Generally, these conductive features are printed circuits formed by depositing a conductive ink, typically containing silver, on a transparent substrate, typically composed of glass. These conductive features can include, for example, antennas and heating elements. To supply power to these conductive features, typically, a wire harness is connected to these conductive features via an electrical connector. In typical applications, the electrical connector is mechanically and electrically joined to the conductive feature and the underlying transparent substrate via a solder joint formed between the electrical connector and the conductive feature.

[0004] Typical conductive inks do not have sufficient heat resistance for the temperatures required for conventional soldering applications and can exhibit peak temperatures of 150°C to 330°C at the solder / ink interface. Thus, conventional soldering applications often damage the bonding interface between the conductive ink and the transparent substrate.

[0005] Furthermore, conductive inks that do not contain ceramic frit and instead contain organic compounds typically exhibit much lower adhesion to these transparent substrates, thus failing to support conventional soldering applications. While it is believed that the bonding performance of conductive inks can be improved with primers, the organic nature of conductive inks and the lack of frit suggest that it is difficult to improve the adhesion sufficiently to provide a bonding performance that can withstand soldering. Therefore, improved solderless electrical connectors and methods for forming solderless connectors are needed. [Overview of the project]

[0006] This specification provides a method for manufacturing a glass assembly having a solderless electrical connector. The method includes the step of forming a curved glass substrate. The method also includes the step of applying a conductive ink having a thermal degradation temperature onto the surface of the curved glass substrate to form a conductive ink applied to the surface of the glass substrate. The method also includes the step of applying an adhesive onto the surface of the curved glass substrate adjacent to the applied conductive ink. The method further includes the step of curing the adhesive at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink to form a solderless electrical connector that electrically contacts the applied conductive ink.

[0007] The method provided herein enables the charging of conductive ink applied via a solderless electrical connector without damaging the conductive ink. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] The merits of this disclosure will be more readily apparent when considered in conjunction with the attached drawings and by referring to the following detailed description. [Figure 1] This is a rear perspective view of a vehicle including a rear window assembly formed in accordance with this disclosure. [Figure 2]This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a window assembly cut along line 2-2 in Figure 1, comprising a single glass plate and conductive ink applied thereto, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a window assembly cut along line 3-3 in Figure 1, comprising a single glass plate and conductive ink applied thereto, according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a window assembly cut along line 4-4 in Figure 1, which includes a laminated window assembly coated with conductive ink, according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a window assembly cut along line 5-5 in Figure 1, which includes a laminated window assembly coated with conductive ink, according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a window assembly cut along line 6-6 in Figure 1, which includes a laminated window assembly coated with conductive ink, according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a window assembly cut along line 7-7 in Figure 1, which includes a laminated window assembly coated with conductive ink, according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 3 shows a partial perspective view of a window assembly according to an exemplary embodiment, further including a solderless electrical connector coated with conductive ink and electrically connected to the conductive ink. [Figure 9] Figure 4 is an exploded view of a portion of a laminated window assembly, according to another exemplary embodiment, in which the outer transparent substrate and intermediate layer are corrugated, and the inward-facing surface of the inner transparent substrate coated with conductive ink is exposed. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is an assembly diagram. [Figure 11] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a laminated window assembly, further including a solderless electrical connector electrically connected to the conductive ink on the opposite side of the inner transparent substrate, according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a bottom perspective view of a solderless electrical connector according to another exemplary embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a top perspective view. [Figure 14] Figure 12 is a front view of one configuration of a solderless electrical connector. [Figure 15] Figure 12 is a partial front view of another configuration of the solderless electrical connector. [Figure 16] This is a schematic cross-sectional view cut along line 14-14 in Figure 14, illustrating one exemplary embodiment of a solderless electrical connector. [Figure 17] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a window assembly, including solderless electrical connectors, which are coated with conductive ink and further electrically connected to each electrical connection component and the conductive ink, as shown in Figures 12-14. [Figure 18] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the transparent laminate window assembly, further including the solderless electrical connectors shown in Figures 12-14, which are electrically connected to each electrical connection component and conductive ink applied to the inner surface of the inner transparent substrate. [Figure 19] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the laminated window assembly, further including solderless electrical connectors that are electrically connected to each electrical connection component and conductive ink coated on the inner surface of the inner transparent substrate. [Figure 20] This flowchart shows a method for manufacturing a glass assembly having a solderless electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 21] This flowchart shows a method for manufacturing a glass assembly having a solderless electrical connector according to another exemplary embodiment related to this. [Figure 22] This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a glass assembly having a solderless electrical connector according to yet another exemplary embodiment related to this. [Figure 23] This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a glass assembly having a solderless electrical connector according to yet another exemplary embodiment related to this. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Referring to the drawings, like reference numerals are used to identify like or identical components in the various figures. FIG. 1 schematically shows a window assembly 10 having a conductive feature 16 formed on a transparent substrate 18. Although not essential, the window assembly 10 can be used in automotive applications such as a vehicle 20, and the conductive feature 16 can function to provide an electrical path along a portion of the transparent substrate 18. It should be understood, of course, that the window assembly 10 can be used outside of automotive applications.

[0010] As defined herein, the term "transparent", when used with respect to a substrate, is also referred to as "substantially transparent" and refers to a material having a transmittance that allows more than 70% of the light in a predefined visible light range to pass through the substrate. Unless otherwise indicated, the predefined visible light range is a segment of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen by the human eye. More simply put, this wavelength range is referred to as visible light. Typically, since the human eye can detect wavelengths from 380 to 780 nanometers, the predefined visible light range as defined herein refers to the wavelength of light from 380 to 780 nanometers unless otherwise indicated.

[0011] The conductive feature 16 is defined by conductive ink 52 (see, for example, Figures 2-3) or conductive ink 104 (see, for example, Figures 4-7) applied to one or more surfaces of the transparent substrate 18, as described in the various exemplary embodiments below. The conductive feature 16 may define one or more bus bars, antennas, or heating elements. Furthermore, the conductive feature 16 may be used with one or more electrical components 22 that are integrated within the conductive feature 16 or directly coupled to the conductive feature 16. For example, one or more electrical components 22 may include a circuit resistance heater that operates to locally heat and defrost a portion of the transparent substrate 18. Furthermore, or instead, one or more electrical components 22 may include one or more antennas, LED lights, camera modules, or other such electrical devices. It should be understood that electrical connection components 14, shown as a wire harness 14 in various embodiments, can transmit power from a separate power source to the conductive feature 16 and the associated one or more electrical components 22. Hereafter, the terms electrical connection component 14 and wire harness 14 may be used interchangeably where provided.

[0012] In certain embodiments, the conductive feature 16 may also include one or more conductors 24 or wires that are bonded to the outer layer of the substrate 18 or formed integrally as the outer layer of the substrate 18. One or more conductors 24 may include, for example, a silver conductive layer. In other embodiments, the conductor 24 may be made of another conductive metal in addition to, or instead of, silver. The conductor 24 may be a film, a coating, and / or may take other forms, as long as the conductor 24 is conductive and performs functions known in the art with respect to such conductors. The conductor 24 may be porous and / or non-porous. In various embodiments, the conductor 24 is a porous silver film. In certain embodiments, the conductor 24 is an electrical extension of the electrical component 22 and / or the conductive feature 16. In other embodiments, the conductor 24 is applied individually to the substrate 18 and electrically coupled to the electrical component 22 and / or the conductive feature 16.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment, the window assembly 10 also has a solderless electrical connector 12 (see FIGS. 8 and 11) or 300 (see FIGS. 15 and 16) that mechanically and electrically couples or connects an electrical connection component 14, such as the wire harness 14 shown herein, to the conductive feature 16.

[0014] In certain embodiments, such as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transparent substrate 18 can include a glass plate 50 (shown herein as a single glass plate 50) that includes an outward-facing surface 50A (also referred to as the "P1 surface") and an opposite inward-facing surface 50B (also referred to as the "P2 surface"). In other words, the glass substrate 50 includes first and second opposing surfaces 50A and 50B. The inward-facing surface 50B is positioned adjacent to the interior region 27 of the vehicle 20, also referred to as the passenger compartment 27 of the vehicle 2D, when installed in the opening 25 of the vehicle 20, while the outward-facing surface 50A is positioned toward the exterior 29 of the vehicle 20.

[0015] In one example of forming the curved transparent substrate IS, the curved transparent substrate 18 is first formed as a flat glass sheet. The flat glass sheet can be manufactured using any suitable flat glass manufacturing process, including but not limited to the float process. The flat glass sheet can be composed of any suitable glass composition, including but not limited to soda lime glass, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, boron-aluminosilicate glass, and the like. After forming the flat glass sheet, the flat glass sheet is bent to form the curved transparent substrate 18. The flat glass sheet can be bent using any suitable glass bending process, including but not limited to press bending, gravity bending (i.e., sag bending), roll forming, or cold bending. The flat glass sheet can be bent into any shape suitable for the desired application.

[0016] In other examples, the curved transparent substrate 18 is formed as a curved substrate first, in contrast to manufacturing a flat glass sheet and then bending it. The curved transparent substrate can be manufactured using any suitable curved glass manufacturing process, including but not limited to glass blow molding. Similar to the flat glass sheet described above, in this example where the curved transparent substrate 18 is formed first, the curved transparent substrate 18 may be composed of any suitable glass composition, including but not limited to soda-lime glass, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, boron-aluminosilicate glass, etc.

[0017] In some embodiments, the transparent substrate 18 may include various additives to change the transmittance of the transparent substrate 18, for example, to provide various levels of tint or coloration, while still maintaining the transparent substrate 18 as "transparent" or "substantially transparent" as described above.

[0018] In other embodiments, the transparent substrate 18 may alternatively be a single polymer substrate entirely made from a transparent polymer material such as polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, or polyvinyl butyral.

[0019] In yet another embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, the transparent substrate 18 is in the form of a laminated window assembly, in contrast to being in the form of a single glass plate 50 or a single polymer substrate, and includes an inner transparent substrate 106, an outer transparent substrate 100, and an intermediate layer 102 positioned between the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100. In a particular embodiment, the intermediate layer 102 bonds the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100, allowing a portion of the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 to be held in place when the laminated window assembly 90 is subjected to impact or damage. The inner transparent substrate 106 is positioned adjacent to an internal area 27, also called the occupant compartment 27 of the vehicle 20, when installed in the opening 25 of the vehicle 20, while the outer transparent substrate 100 is positioned facing the outside 29 of the vehicle 20.

[0020] In these embodiments, the inner transparent substrate 106 includes opposing outward-facing surfaces 106A and inward-facing surfaces 106B (i.e., first and second opposing surfaces 106A and 106B), and the outer transparent substrate 100 includes opposing outward-facing surfaces 100A and inward-facing surfaces 100B (i.e., first and second opposing surfaces 100A and 100B). Similarly, the intermediate layer 102 includes opposing outward-facing surfaces 102A and inward-facing surfaces 102B (i.e., first and second opposing surfaces 102A and 102B). As described herein, the outward-facing surface 100A may be referred to as P1, while the inward-facing surface 100B may be referred to as P2. Similarly, the inward-facing surface 106A may be referred to as P3, while the outward-facing surface 106B may be referred to as P4.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 are each formed from the same material as described above with respect to the transparent substrate 18 (e.g., a single glass plate or a single polymer substrate). The inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 may be made of the same or different materials. In certain embodiments, for example, the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 are substantially transparent glass plates. However, in other embodiments, the inner transparent substrate 106 and / or the outer transparent substrate 100 may be plastic, glass fiber, or any other suitable substantially transparent polymer material as described above. In other embodiments, the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 are glass plates with low transparency. For example, if the laminated window assembly 90 is privacy glass, the transparency of the laminated window assembly 90 is significantly reduced, thus allowing less than 70% light transmission in a predetermined wavelength range, such as light transmittance from 0% to 70% in a predetermined wavelength range.

[0022] Typically, the interlayer 102 is substantially transparent to light and contains a polymer or thermoplastic resin such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB). However, other suitable materials may be used to realize the interlayer 102. Like the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100, the interlayer 102 is also substantially transparent or otherwise transparent to light. Therefore, a laminated window assembly 90 including an interlayer 102 between the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 can also be substantially transparent or otherwise transparent to light.

[0023] In each illustrated embodiment, whether the window assembly 10 is in the form of a single transparent substrate 18 or a laminated window assembly 90, each component of the window assembly 10 is curved to include an inner curved surface (e.g., 50B of the single glass plate 50 in Figures 2-3, or 106B of the laminated window assembly 90 in Figures 4-7) and an outer curved surface (e.g., 50A of the single glass plate 50 in Figures 2-3, or 100A of the laminated window assembly 90 in Figures 4-7). Therefore, in each illustrated embodiment, each component of the curved transparent substrate 18 defines a curved outward-facing surface and an inward-facing surface on the opposite side.

[0024] Furthermore, in the vehicle 20 shown in Figure 1, the inner curved surface of the transparent substrate 18 is positioned toward the internal region 27 of the vehicle 20 so as to further define the boundary of the internal region 27, while the outer curved surface is positioned toward the outside 29 of the vehicle 20.

[0025] In certain embodiments, such as those shown in Figures 2 and 3, the conductive feature 16 includes a conductive ink 52 applied to one or both of the outward and inward surfaces (e.g., 50A, 50B of a single glass plate 50) of a curved transparent substrate 18, as described below. In one example, the conductive ink 52 includes conductive particles and ceramic frit. In another example, the conductive ink 52 includes a thermosetting organic monomer and conductive particles (e.g., silver nanoparticles) dispersed in the organic monomer. In yet another example, the organic monomer may be an oligomer, or a combination of monomer and oligomer. In yet another example, the conductive ink 52 includes an organometallic complex containing an organosilver compound, or any other suitable organometallic complex containing an organic component such as an organocopper compound and a conductive metal component.

[0026] In certain embodiments, the applied conductive ink 52 is photocured and / or heat-cured to form a hardened conductive ink 52, or it is sintered to form a sintered conductive ink on one or both of the outward and inward surfaces (50A, 50B, etc. of a single glass plate 50) of the curved transparent substrate 18.

[0027] More specifically, one example of curing the conductive ink 52 includes thermal curing the conductive ink 52. Any suitable thermal curing apparatus, including but not limited to an oven, heat gun, or IR heater, is intended for thermal curing the conductive ink 52. Thermal curing in the context of this disclosure includes exposing the curved transparent substrate 18 to a temperature sufficient to cure the conductive ink 52 on the surface of the curved transparent substrate 18.

[0028] In some cases, the curing temperature for curing the conductive ink 52 is selected considering the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 52. More specifically, a curing temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 52 is selected, and the conductive ink 52 is applied onto the transparent substrate 18 to prevent the conductive ink 52 from burning out of the curved transparent substrate 18 and to minimize optical distortion of the curved transparent substrate 18. For example, if the conductive ink 52 is applied onto a transparent substrate 18 at 210°C, it may reach its thermal degradation temperature. Therefore, a curing temperature below 210°C, for example, 200°C, may be selected.

[0029] In another example, the conductive ink 52 contains a thermosetting metal-organic complex. The organometallic complex may also contain any other suitable organometallic complex containing an organic component such as a silver organic compound or an organocopper compound and a conductive metal component. In this example, after the conductive ink 52 containing the organometallic complex is applied to the surface of a curved transparent substrate 18, the conductive ink 52 may be exposed to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the organic component of the organometallic complex, thereby leaving only the metal particles (e.g., silver particles) on the surface of the curved transparent substrate 18.

[0030] Another example of curing the conductive ink 52 involves photocuring the conductive ink 52 using a UV curing device. In this example, the conductive ink 52 is a photocurable conductive ink 52. The photocurable conductive ink 52 may include a photoinitiator, an organic monomer, and conductive particles (e.g., silver nanoparticles) dispersed in the organic monomer. In other examples, the organic monomer may be an oligomer, or a combination of monomer and oligomer. The photoinitiator may include any suitable compound that initiates polymerization of the organic monomer in response to exposure to UV light. For example, the photoinitiator may be a compound that, when exposed to UV light that initiates polymerization of the organic monomer and / or oligomer, generates a reactive species (e.g., a free radical, a cation, or anion). Thus, in this example, curing the conductive ink 52 involves exposing the conductive ink 52 to a UV curing device to activate the photoinitiator, initiate polymerization of the organic monomer, and cure the conductive ink.

[0031] For example, a UV curing device is a UV light-emitting diode that emits UV light. For instance, a UV curing device can emit UV light with wavelengths between 315 and 400 nanometers (commonly known as the UV-A spectrum). A UV light-emitting diode can emit UV light with a narrower spectrum, such as emitting UV light with a wavelength of substantially 385 nanometers. Any wavelength within the UV spectrum is intended.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the curing of the conductive ink 52 may begin immediately after application to prevent bleeding and staining of the conductive ink 52. For example, the curing of the conductive ink 52 may begin within 0 to 5 seconds after application of the conductive ink 52. Alternatively, curing may begin less than 5 seconds, less than 4 seconds, less than 3 seconds, less than 2 seconds, or less than 1 second after application of the conductive ink 52.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, the conductive ink 52 is sintered after application. The sintering process is a process in which the applied conductive ink 52 is compressed using heat or pressure to form a solid mass without melting it to its liquefaction point, but the particles of the conductive ink 52 may coalesce to form the aforementioned solid mass. Therefore, during the sintering process, the applied conductive ink 52 may be heated to a temperature sufficient to sinter the applied conductive ink 52 without melting it (hereinafter referred to as being heated to the sintering temperature). Alternatively, during the sintering process, the applied conductive ink 52 may be subjected to sufficient pressure to sinter the applied conductive ink 52 without melting it (hereinafter referred to as being pressurized to the sintering pressure). In yet another embodiment, the sintering process may be a combination of heating the applied conductive ink 52 sufficiently to sinter it and applying pressure to the applied conductive ink 52, so that sintered conductive ink is formed on the surface of a curved substrate.

[0034] In yet another embodiment, the conductive ink 52 may be a conductive silver ink 52 containing silver nanoparticles. In a particular embodiment, the silver nanoparticles of the conductive silver ink 52 may have an average particle size of 1 to 100 nanometers. One non-limiting conductive silver ink 52, 104 that may be used is a silver nanoparticle ink commercially available from Fujifilm with a sintering temperature of 80°C for 5 minutes. In these embodiments, the conductive inks 52, 104 are photocured, thermocured, sintered, or dried after application, as described above. For example, the conductive silver ink 52 may be applied to the surface of a curved transparent substrate 18 in line widths of 10 micrometers (μm) to 1 millimeter (mm) and then sintered.

[0035] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the conductive ink 52 applied to one or more outward and inward surfaces (e.g., 50A, 50B of a single glass plate 50) of the curved transparent substrate 18 is left uncured and unsintered and is simply dried or otherwise adhered to the outward and / or inward surfaces, respectively.

[0036] To facilitate the following explanation, when the description of conductive ink 52 refers simply to being applied to a curved transparent substrate 18, or simply to conductive ink 52 in relation to any of Figures 2 to 16, it will be understood that the applied conductive ink 52 particularly includes applied conductive ink 52 which is subsequently cured, sintered, or simply dried on the curved transparent substrate 18, unless otherwise specified.

[0037] Figures 2 and 3 show examples of conductive inks applied to a curved transparent substrate 18. In these examples, the curved transparent substrate 18 is a single glass plate 50. In the example shown in Figure 2, the conductive ink 52 is applied to the inward-facing surface 50B of the curved glass plate 50. In the example shown in Figure 3, the conductive ink 52 is applied to the outward-facing surface 50A of the curved glass plate 50. It is intended that the conductive ink 52 can be applied to both the outward-facing and inward-facing surfaces of the curved transparent substrate 18.

[0038] In certain alternative embodiments, such as those shown in Figures 4 to 7, and in the embodiments described below in which the transparent substrate 18 is in the form of a laminated window assembly 90, the conductive feature 16 includes a conductive ink 104 applied to one of the outward or inward surfaces 100A, 106A, 100B, 106B of the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 of the laminated window assembly 90, respectively. In these embodiments, the step of laminating the intermediate layer 102 onto the inner transparent substrate 106 and the outer transparent substrate 100 is performed after the step of applying and / or curing the conductive ink 104. The conductive ink 104 may have the same composition as the conductive ink 52, or it may have a different composition.

[0039] First, referring to Figure 4, in one embodiment, the conductive ink 104 is applied to the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106, and thus placed between the inner transparent substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102.

[0040] In Figure 5, in another embodiment, the conductive ink 104 is applied to the inward-facing surface 100B of the outer transparent substrate 100, and thus placed between the outer transparent substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102.

[0041] In Figure 6, in another embodiment, the conductive ink 104 is applied to the outward-facing surface 100A of the outer transparent substrate 100, so that the outer transparent substrate 100 is positioned between the intermediate layer 102 and the conductive ink 104.

[0042] In Figure 7, in another embodiment, the conductive ink 104 is applied to the inward-facing surface 106B of the inner transparent substrate 106, so that the inner transparent substrate 106 is positioned between the intermediate layer 102 and the conductive ink 104.

[0043] In yet another embodiment, in contrast to being applied to one of the outward or inward surfaces 100A, 106A, 100B, and 106B of the inner transparent substrate 106 and outer transparent substrate 100 of the laminated window assembly 90 (i.e., one of P1, P2, P3, or P4), the conductive ink 104 can be applied to two or more of the outward or inward surfaces 100A, 106A, 100B, and 106B of the inner transparent substrate 106 and outer transparent substrate 100 of the laminated window assembly 90. For example, the conductive ink 104 can be applied to both surfaces 100A and 100B of the outer transparent substrate 100 (i.e., both P1 and P2), to both surfaces 106A and 106B of the inner transparent substrate 106 (i.e., both P3 and P4), to both outward-facing surfaces 106A and 100A (i.e., P1 and P4) of the inner transparent substrate 106 and outer transparent substrate 100 of the laminated window assembly 90, or to both inward-facing surfaces 106B and 100B (i.e., P2 and P3) of the inner transparent substrate 106 and outer transparent substrate 100 of the laminated window assembly 90.

[0044] In certain embodiments, the composition of any one coating layer of conductive ink 52, 104 may be the same as or different from the composition of the other coating layers of conductive ink 52, 104, and the composition may vary based on various factors such as the coating method or location.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the composition of the conductive ink 52 before coating comprises a binder, a pigment, and a solvent such as water, and in certain embodiments, optionally another solvent such as an organic solvent. In these embodiments, one or both of the binder and / or pigment can provide the coated conductive ink 52 with a desired level of conductivity. In embodiments in which the coated conductive ink 52 is photocured, the binder material comprises a photocurable organic monomer / oligomer, such as an acrylic monomer and / or oligomer or a mixture thereof. Typical pigments that can be used include conductive pigments such as carbon black, e.g., CI Black 7 carbon black. Other pigments that give the coated conductive ink 52 a desired color appearance may include various other non-conductive black pigments used in conjunction with the conductive pigments described above.

[0046] The conductive inks 52 and 104 can be applied to a curved transparent substrate using analog printing processes such as screen printing and spray printing with a mask. For example, to screen print the conductive inks 52 and 104, a mask (i.e., a "screen") defining voids corresponding to the desired area to be printed is placed on the transparent substrate 18. The conductive inks 52 and 104 are deposited onto the mask by a manual process using a roller, squeegee, brush, spray, etc., to apply the conductive inks 52 and 104 to the transparent substrate 18 in the desired pattern. Any method for applying the conductive inks 52 and 104 is considered.

[0047] In certain embodiments, applying the conductive inks 52, 104 includes digitally applying the conductive inks 52, 104 to the substrate 18. The term "digitally applying" refers to any suitable application process in which the application of the conductive inks 52 is digitally controlled to deposit the conductive inks 52 onto the substrate according to a digitally based image. Examples of processes for digitally applying conductive inks 52 include, but are not limited to, inkjet printing, electrohydrodynamic printing, and laser printing. In particular, the precise control provided by digitally applying the conductive inks 52 allows the conductive inks 52 to be deposited with a considerably higher resolution than in analog printing processes. For example, the conductive ink 52 can be digitally applied onto the surface of a curved transparent substrate 18 at a resolution exceeding 200 dots / inch, 300 dots / inch, 400 dots / inch, 500 dots / inch, 600 dots / inch, 700 dots / inch, 800 dots / inch, 900 dots / inch, 1000 dots / inch, 1100 dots / inch, 1200 dots / inch, 1300 dots / inch, 1400 dots / inch, 1500 dots / inch, 1600 dots / inch, 1700 dots / inch, 1800 dots / inch, 1900 dots / inch, 2000 dots / inch, 2100 dots / inch, 2200 dots / inch, 2300 dots / inch, 2400 dots / inch, 2500 dots / inch, or 2600 dots / inch. It is noteworthy that a mask is not required when the conductive ink 52 is applied digitally, although it is typically necessary in analog printing processes. Instead, the conductive ink 52 is deposited directly onto the surface of the curved transparent substrate 18 according to the digitally based image, eliminating the need for a mask.

[0048] In one example, digitally applying conductive ink 52 includes inkjet printing the conductive ink onto the surface of a curved transparent substrate 18. Generally, the term "inkjet printing" refers to a printing process in which a digitally controlled printhead ejects droplets of ink onto a substrate according to a digitally based image. Examples of inkjet printing processes include, but are not limited to, continuous inkjet printing, thermal inkjet printing, piezo inkjet printing, and drop-on-demand inkjet printing. Inkjet printing of conductive ink 52 onto the surface of a curved transparent substrate 18 can be performed at resolutions exceeding 200 dots / inch, 300 dots / inch, 400 dots / inch, 500 dots / inch, 600 dots / inch, 700 dots / inch, 800 dots / inch, 900 dots / inch, 1000 dots / inch, 1100 dots / inch, 1200 dots / inch, 1300 dots / inch, 1400 dots / inch, 1500 dots / inch, 1600 dots / inch, 1700 dots / inch, 1800 dots / inch, 1900 dots / inch, 2000 dots / inch, 2100 dots / inch, 2200 dots / inch, 2300 dots / inch, 2400 dots / inch, 2500 dots / inch, or 2600 dots / inch.

[0049] In another example, digitally applying conductive ink 52 involves electrohydrodynamically printing the conductive ink 52 onto the surface of a curved transparent substrate 18. Generally, the term “electrohydrodynamic printing” refers to a printing process in which a digitally controlled and charged printhead directs ink onto the substrate through nozzles according to a digitally based image. In some examples, the nozzle width may be as small as 10 μm so that the line width of the conductive ink 52 being applied is also 10 μm. Naturally, it should be understood that a nozzle width wider than 10 μm may be selected to form conductive features 16 with a line width W wider than 10 μm. Furthermore, electrohydrodynamically printing conductive ink 52 onto the surface of the curved transparent substrate 18 can achieve dots / inch exceeding 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, and 1300. It is intended that the technology may be implemented at resolutions exceeding 1400 dots / inch, 1500 dots / inch, 1600 dots / inch, 1700 dots / inch, 1800 dots / inch, 1900 dots / inch, 2000 dots / inch, 2100 dots / inch, 2200 dots / inch, 2300 dots / inch, 2400 dots / inch, 2500 dots / inch, or 2600 dots / inch. In embodiments in which conductive inks 52 and 104 are digitally applied through an inkjet printing process or the like, the conductive inks 52 and 104 may have line widths between 10 μm and 1 mm.

[0050] In particular, after digital coating, before the coated conductive ink 52 hardens, the coated conductive ink 52 may spread or disperse on the surface of the curved transparent substrate 18. For example, the conductive ink 52 can be digitally coated with a resolution of 400 dots / inch. However, before hardening, the conductive ink 52 digitally coated at 400 dots / inch may spread on the surface of the curved transparent substrate 18, and upon hardening, the conductive features 16 will have a lower resolution, for example, 200 dots / inch, than the resolution of the initial digital application (coating). Furthermore, the hardening process itself may affect the resolution of the conductive features 16. For example, the conductive ink 52 may expand or contract during the hardening step, affecting the resolution of the conductive features 16.

[0051] Therefore, the resolution of the conductive ink 52 when digitally applied may differ from the resolution of the conductive feature 16 after the digitally applied conductive ink 52 has been cured. Thus, when the digitally applied conductive ink 52 is cured, the conductive feature 16 may have a resolution exceeding 200 dots / inch. In particular, the conductive features are intended to have a resolution exceeding 200 dots / inch, 300 dots / inch, 400 dots / inch, 500 dots / inch, 600 dots / inch, 700 dots / inch, 800 dots / inch, 900 dots / inch, 1000 dots / inch, 1100 dots / inch, 1200 dots / inch, 1300 dots / inch, 1400 dots / inch, 1500 dots / inch, 1600 dots / inch, 1700 dots / inch, 1800 dots / inch, 1900 dots / inch, 2000 dots / inch, 2100 dots / inch, 2200 dots / inch, 2300 dots / inch, 2400 dots / inch, 2500 dots / inch, or 2600 dots / inch.

[0052] Figures 8 and 11 schematically illustrate embodiments of a solderless electrical connector 12 for electrically and mechanically coupling or connecting a wire harness 14 to a conductive feature 16. In certain embodiments, the solderless electrical connector 12 includes an adhesive 150 for mechanically connecting the wire harness 14 to the conductive feature 16 located on a substrate 18. In certain embodiments, the adhesive 150 is conductive and may also be called a conductive adhesive 150, and the conductive adhesive 150 is part of the electrical connection that also electrically connects the wire harness 14 to the conductive feature 16 located on the substrate 18. In other embodiments, the adhesive 150 is non-conductive, and the non-conductive adhesive 150 does not serve as part of the electrical connection that electrically connects the wire harness 14 to the conductive feature 16 located on the transparent substrate 18, but simply serves to mechanically connect the wire harness 14 to the transparent substrate 18.

[0053] Figure 8 shows a solderless electrical connector 12 according to an exemplary embodiment, used with a curved glass plate 50 on which conductive ink 52 is applied to the inward-facing surface 50B, similar to Figure 2. On the other hand, Figure 11 shows a solderless electrical connector 12 according to another exemplary embodiment, used with the laminated window assembly 90 of Figure 4, on which conductive ink 104 is applied to the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106.

[0054] In alternative embodiments, a solderless electrical connector 300 according to another alternative embodiment is provided, as shown in Figures 15 and 16 (see Figures 12 to 14). Figure 15 shows a solderless electrical connector 300 used with a curved glass plate 50 on which conductive ink 52 is applied to the inward-facing surface 50B, similar to Figure 2. On the other hand, Figure 16 shows a solderless electrical connector 300 used with the laminated window assembly 90 of Figure 15, on which conductive ink 104 is applied to the inward-facing surface 100B of the outer transparent substrate 100.

[0055] Figures 8, 11, 15, and 16 show flat transparent substrates 18, but these substrates 18 are shown as flat only for the sake of clarity. In reality, the glass plate 50 in Figures 8 and 15, and the substrates 100, 102, and 106 in Figures 11 and 16, although depicted as flat, are curved substrates / panels corresponding to those shown in Figures 2 to 7, as illustrated and described above.

[0056] Referring first to Figures 8 and 11, a solderless electrical connector 12 according to a particular exemplary embodiment includes an adhesive 150 used to mechanically connect a wire harness 14 to conductive inks 52, 104 applied to the outer substrate 100 or inner substrate 106 of a single glass plate 50 or a laminated window assembly 90.

[0057] In certain embodiments, the selected adhesive 150 is a conductive adhesive because it is conductive in order to transfer electrical energy from the wire harness 14 to the conductive feature 16. Thus, the conductive adhesive 150 functions to mechanically and electrically connect the wire harness 14 to conductive inks 52, 104 applied to the outer substrate 100 or inner substrate 106 of a single glass plate 50 or laminated window assembly 90.

[0058] Furthermore, the adhesive 150 applied to the transparent substrate 18 and / or the coated conductive inks 52, 104 is cured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the coated conductive inks 52, 104. It is desirable to prevent loss of conductivity along some or all of the conductive features 16, particularly within the coated conductive inks 52, 104. This curing can be carried out via a photocuring process, a thermocuring process, or a combination thereof.

[0059] In certain embodiments, the adhesive 150 has sufficient green strength (i.e., initial contact bonding strength) to maintain the solderless electrical connector 12 sealed and bonded to the transparent substrate 18 and / or conductive inks 52, 104, and the conductive inks 52, 104 are applied to the transparent substrate 18 during use without requiring external fixation during the curing process.

[0060] As also shown in Figures 8 and 11, in certain exemplary embodiments, the solderless electrical connector 12 also includes a terminal assembly 160 used as an electrical connection mounting point for the wire harness 14, thereby electrically connecting the wire harness 14 to the conductive inks 52, 104 via the solderless electrical connector 12.

[0061] The terminal assembly 160 includes a base plate portion 162 having a lower surface 164 and an upper surface 166, and an outer peripheral edge 168 connecting the lower surface 164 to the upper surface 166. The lower surface 164 is positioned on and in contact with the adhesive 150. The terminal assembly 160 also includes a flange portion 170 coupled to a portion of the outer peripheral edge 168 and extending from the portion of the outer peripheral edge 168. In Figures 8 and 11, the flange portion 170 is L-shaped and includes a first portion 172 extending laterally with respect to the upper surface 166 and a second portion 174 extending laterally with respect to the first portion 172. In the embodiments of Figures 8 and 11, the second portion 174 provides an electrical coupling point for the wire harness 14 (shown separated from the second portion 174 in Figures 8 and 11).

[0062] In certain embodiments, both the base plate portion 162 and the flange portion 170 are formed from a conductive material such as metal or a metal alloy, and so that when the wire harness 14 is coupled to the flange portion 170, an electrical connection is formed between the wire harness 14 and the conductive inks 52, 104 via the flange portion 170 and the base plate portion 162 of the solderless electrical connector 12. In some examples, the base plate portion 162 and the flange portion 170 are formed integrally, but they may also be formed as two separate components that are glued together and electrically connected to each other (if each of the base plate portion 162 and the flange portion 170 is formed from a conductive material) to form an integrated structure.

[0063] In alternative embodiments, the base plate portion 162 is formed from a non-conductive material or insulating material such as a non-conductive polymer material, and the flange portion 170 is formed from a conductive material as described above. In certain embodiments, the polymer material may be a durable plastic material such as nylon. In these embodiments, the flange portion 170 can be bonded to the base plate portion 162 through a molding operation such as injection molding to form an integrated structure. In embodiments in which the adhesive 150 is a conductive adhesive or in contact with a transparent substrate 18 that is electrically in contact with the conductive inks 52, 104 in order to provide an electrical connection, the lower surface of the first portion 172 of the flange portion 170 is positioned to be electrically in contact with the adhesive 150 that the first portion 172 is electrically in contact with the conductive inks 52, 104.

[0064] In the embodiments of Figures 8 and 11, which include the conductive adhesive 150, the conductive adhesive 150 is applied to the outer surfaces 53 and 105 of the conductive inks 52 and 104 on the opposite side of the surfaces 50B and 106B of the glass plates 50 and 106 to which the conductive inks 52 and 106 are applied. If a non-conductive adhesive 150 is used, the non-conductive adhesive 150 may be applied adjacent to or directly near the outer surfaces 53 and 105 of the conductive inks 52 and 104 of the glass plates 50 and 106.

[0065] In particular, in the typical embodiment shown in Figure 8, which includes a conductive adhesive 150, the conductive adhesive 150 is applied to the outer surface 53 of the conductive ink 52 opposite to the inward-facing surface 50B of the single glass plate 50. As shown in Figure 8, the conductive ink 52 is applied to the inward-facing surface 50B according to the embodiment described above in Figure 2. However, in alternative embodiments, the conductive ink 52 can be applied to the outward-facing surface 50A according to the embodiment described above in Figure 3, or it can be applied to both the inward-facing surface 50B and the outward-facing surface 50A.

[0066] In the typical embodiment shown in Figure 11, which includes the conductive adhesive 150, the conductive adhesive 150 is applied to the outer surface 105 of the conductive ink 104 on the side opposite to the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner substrate 106, according to the embodiment described above in Figure 4.

[0067] More specifically, in order to apply the conductive adhesive 150 to the outer surface 105 of the conductive ink 104 on the side opposite to the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner substrate 106, as described in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, it is desirable to be able to access the conductive ink 104 without having to cut or otherwise remove portions of the outer transparent substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102 for such application.

[0068] Accordingly, as best shown in Figures 9 and 10, and in relation to Figure 11, the outer transparent substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102 of the laminated window assembly 90 become corrugated during their respective forming processes, exposing a portion of the inward-facing surface 106B of the outer substrate 100 having conductive ink 104 (i.e., the respective edges of the outer transparent substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102 include corrugated edge regions 100C, 102C). Preferably, this corrugation is performed during the initial forming of the outer transparent substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102.

[0069] The laminated window assembly 90 is assembled by a lamination method, and as shown in Figure 10, the corrugated edge regions 100C and 102C are aligned to form a corrugated edge 107 having the same extent, and a portion of the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner substrate 106 and a portion of the conductive ink 104 are left uncovered, allowing the conductive adhesive 150 to be applied to the areas corresponding to the regions removed by the corrugation process.

[0070] In the illustrated embodiment, the corrugated edge regions 100C and 102C are positioned along the outer periphery of the laminated window assembly 90. However, in other embodiments, the corrugated edge regions 100C and 102C may be located inward relative to the outer substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102, respectively, thereby defining openings enclosed by the outer substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102, respectively.

[0071] In certain embodiments, the conductive adhesive 150 can also be applied to the peripheral edge portions 52A and 104A of the conductive inks 52 and 104, and to the surfaces 50A and 106A of the curved transparent substrate 18 adjacent to the peripheral edge portions 52A and 104A of the conductive inks 52 and 104. In this way, the conductive adhesive 150 can form a peripheral seal adjacent to the peripheral edge portion 52A of the conductive inks 52 and 104.

[0072] After the conductive adhesive 150 is applied, the lower surface 164 of the base plate portion 162 is placed on the conductive adhesive 150 on the side opposite to the transparent substrate 18 and comes into contact with the conductive adhesive 150.

[0073] Next, the conductive adhesive 150 is cured to attach the base plate portion 162 to the conductive inks 52 and 104, and optionally to the transparent substrate 18 (in this embodiment, as described above, the thermal conductive adhesive 150 is applied to the curved surfaces 50A and 106A of the transparent substrate 18 adjacent to the peripheral edge portions 52A and 104A of the conductive inks 52 and 104).

[0074] In exemplary embodiments, as described above, the adhesive 150 is cured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive inks 52, 104. This is desirable to prevent loss of conductivity along part or all of the applied conductive inks 52, 104 of the conductive feature 16.

[0075] In certain embodiments, the adhesive 150 is photocured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive inks 52 and 104. In certain other embodiments, the adhesive 150 is thermocured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive inks 52 and 104. In yet another embodiment, the applied adhesive 150 is photocured and also thermocured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive inks 52 and 104.

[0076] Exemplary conductive adhesives 150 that can be used include, but are not limited to, acrylate polymers, epoxy polymers, or acrylate-epoxy copolymers, or polyurethane adhesives. The conductive adhesive 150 may also be a reactive adhesive (i.e., an adhesive that begins curing in response to an external stimulus such as exposure to light, heat, moisture, or other initiating chemicals). In some examples, the conductive adhesive 150 may contain a photoinitiator that initiates polymerization of the adhesive in response to exposure to UV light. The conductivity of these conductive adhesives 150 may be provided by the polymer itself (i.e., an inherently conductive polymer) or by conductive fillers such as metal or carbon fillers (powder or fibers) dispersed in the polymer.

[0077] In the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 11, the adhesive 150 is applied to the outer surface 105 of the coated conductive ink 104, and is applied according to the embodiment of the laminated window assembly 90 shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

[0078] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the procedure is generally the same as in Figure 11, except that the inner transparent substrate 106 (opposite side of the outer transparent substrate 100) and the intermediate layer 102 are corrugated, and the adhesive 150 is applied to the outer surface 105 of the conductive ink 104 that has been pre-applied to the inward-facing surface 100B of the outer transparent substrate 100.

[0079] In the embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7, the procedure is generally the same as in Figure 8, and neither the inner transparent substrate 100 nor the outer transparent substrate 106 (along with the intermediate layer 102) is corrugated. Instead, the adhesive 150 is applied to the outer surface 105 of the conductive ink 104 that has been pre-applied to the outward-facing surface 100A of the outer transparent substrate 100 (as in Figure 6), or to the inward-facing surface 106B of the inner transparent substrate 106.

[0080] Referring here to Figures 12 to 18, in contrast to using adhesive 150 and terminal assembly 160 as solderless electrical connector 12 to electrically connect conductive ink 52 to wire harness 14, as shown in Figures 8 and 11, an alternative solderless connector 300 can also be used.

[0081] First, referring to Figures 12 to 16, the solderless connector 300 according to the alternative embodiment includes, as its main components, an insulating cover 302, a biasing member 320, and an adhesive 350 for bonding the cover 302 to the transparent substrate 18.

[0082] The insulating cover 302 can be formed from a durable polymer material such as nylon and is generally in the form of a plate defined within an inner surface 306, an outer surface 308, and an end surface 310, the end surface 310 extending between the inner surface 306 and the outer surface 308 and connecting the inner surface 306 and the outer surface 308.

[0083] The biasing member 320 may be in the form of a pair of spaced-apart leaf springs 320. Each biasing member / leaf spring 320 includes a first end 322, a second end 324 on the opposite side, and a central region 326 extending between the first end 322 and the second end 324 and connecting the first end 322 and the second end 324. The second end 324 of each biasing member / leaf spring 320 defines an opening 328 used as a connection point for the wires of the wire harness 14. The biasing member / leaf spring 320 is formed from a conductive material such as a metal or metal alloy, which allows electricity to flow from the wire harness 14 to the conductive inks 52, 104 applied to the wire harness when the solderless connector 300 is assembled by coupling it to the transparent substrate 18 and the wire harness 14 is connected to the biasing member 320 in an assembled state, as will be further described below.

[0084] As shown in the embodiments in Figures 12 to 16, the second end 324 of each biasing member / leaf spring 320 can curve along its length and extend outward and laterally away from the outer surface 308 of the insulating cover, with the terminal portion 324a of each second end 324 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 positioned furthest from the outer surface 308 of the insulating cover 302. In some examples, the terminal portions 324a of each second end 324 are positioned relatively closer to each other than the rest of the length of each second end 324 (e.g., the portion of the second end 324 adjacent to the central region 326). In further alternative embodiments, the second end 324 may extend along its length substantially perpendicular to the outer surface 308 between the central region and each terminal portion 324a, with the terminal portions 324a positioned furthest from the outer surface 308 of the insulating cover 302.

[0085] As shown in the embodiments in Figures 12 to 16, the first end 322 of each biasing member / leaf spring 320 can be straight or curved along its length and extend outward and laterally away from the inner surface of the insulating cover 302, with the terminal portion 322a of each second end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 positioned furthest from the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302. Preferably, as shown in the figures, the terminal portions 322a of each first end 322 are positioned relatively closer to each other than the rest of the length of each first end 322 (for example, the portion of the first end 322 adjacent to the central region 326).

[0086] In certain embodiments, the end portion 322a is curved relative to the remaining length of the first end portion 322 in order to provide an additional surface area for bonding to the transparent substrate 18.

[0087] In yet another embodiment, as shown in Figure 15, the first end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 includes a stepped portion 323 adjacent to the central portion 326. When the insulating cover 302 is coupled to the glass plate 50 as part of the formation of the solderless electrical connector 300, the stepped portion 323 allows an additional length of the first end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 to be positioned in contact with the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302.

[0088] The biasing member / leaf spring 320 used in any of Figures 12 to 16 may be molded within the molded insulating cover 302 or otherwise coupled to the molded insulating cover 302 such that a central region 326 extends through the insulating cover 302 and is fixed to the insulating cover 302, with a first end 322 extending outward from the inner surface 306 and a second end 324 extending outward from the outer surface 308.

[0089] In certain embodiments, the biasing member / leaf spring 320 is in the form of a metal (such as aluminum) or metal alloy (such as aluminum alloy) and / or polymer material and / or elastomer material that is less susceptible to compression set over time, and maintains a certain degree of functional elasticity over time at temperatures in the range of approximately -40°C to approximately 120°C.

[0090] In other alternative embodiments, the polymer material of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 may include a foam such as an open-cell or closed-cell foam. In specific embodiments, the polymer material and / or elastomer material of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 may include, for example, polyurethane, rubber (such as rubber formed from ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)), or polystyrene.

[0091] To facilitate connection with the conductive feature 16, the biasing member / leaf spring 320 may be conductive. Conductivity can be provided by the polymer itself (i.e., an inherently conductive polymer), by conductive fillers such as metal or carbon fillers (powder or fibers) dispersed in the polymer, and / or by the use of a conductive skin such as metal or metal alloy foil placed on the polymer.

[0092] In yet another embodiment, as shown in Figure 16, the central region 326 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 defines a pair of notched regions 327 along its length. These notched regions 327 function to increase the tensile strength of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 molded within the cover 302 during use. The notched regions 327 may define any suitable geometric shape and, in some examples, may be opposite each other.

[0093] The adhesive 350 may also be applied to the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302 adjacent to the intersection 309 between the inner surface 306 and the end surface 308. Alternatively, the adhesive 350 may be applied to the inner surface 306 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 in a region not associated with the second end 324.

[0094] In certain embodiments, the adhesive 350 is in the form of a tape (i.e., an adhesive tape) that is adhered to the inner surface 306. In certain embodiments, the adhesive 350 used for the tape 350 is nonconductive, but in other embodiments, the adhesive 350 and / or the tape adhesive 350 may be an adhesive similar to the adhesive 150 described above with respect to Figures 8 to 11. Before being applied to the inner surface, the tape adhesive 350 may include a carrier layer (i.e., a liner) that is removed before the tape adhesive 350 is applied to the inner surface 306. As described below, a separate opposite carrier layer may be provided that is subsequently removed before the tape adhesive 350 is applied to the transparent substrate 18.

[0095] In some embodiments, the selected adhesive 350 must have sufficient green strength (i.e., initial contact bonding strength) to maintain the insulating cover 302 against the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302 and, when used thereafter, to maintain a sealed and bonded state of the surface of the transparent substrate 18 during use without requiring external fixation during the curing process.

[0096] Exemplary adhesives 350 that can be used include, but are not limited to, acrylate polymers, epoxy polymers, acrylate and epoxy copolymers, and polyurethane adhesives. Adhesive 350 may also be a reactive adhesive (i.e., an adhesive that begins curing in response to an external stimulus such as exposure to light, heat, moisture, or other initiating chemicals). In some examples, adhesive 350 may contain a photoinitiator that initiates polymerization of the adhesive in response to exposure to UV light. An example of an acrylate and epoxy copolymer-based tape adhesive is Structural Bonding Tape 9550, commercially available from 3M® in St. Paul, Minnesota. Another exemplary tape adhesive based on epoxy resin chemicals is UV-LUX®, commercially available from Lohmann GmbH & Co.KG in Neuwied, Germany.

[0097] In certain embodiments, the adhesive tape 350 is a solid pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape 350 that can be bonded to the transparent substrates 18, 100 by applying pressure to the tape 350 to remove air bubbles between the tape 350 and the transparent substrates 18, 100, thereby ensuring close contact between the tape 350 and the transparent substrates 18, 100. In certain embodiments, the pressure applied to the PSA tape 350 initiates a curing process within the PSA tape 350, which occurs at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 104, as described above. In yet another embodiment, in addition to using pressure to initiate a curing process within the PSA tape 350, the PSA tape can be photocured and / or thermally cured, which occurs at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 104, as described above.

[0098] In certain embodiments, the adhesive 350 is conductive and is a conductive adhesive 350. The conductivity of the conductive adhesive 350 may be provided by the polymer itself (i.e., an inherently conductive polymer) or by conductive fillers such as metal or carbon fillers (powder or fibers) dispersed in the polymer.

[0099] In the assembled state best shown in the two exemplary embodiments of Figures 17 and 18 (and as will be described in more detail below), the first end 322 is positioned to be in electrical contact with the conductive ink 104 and elastically compressed between the molded insulating cover 302 and the conductive ink 104. In embodiments where the adhesive 350 is in the form of a tape, any carrier layer is removed from the tape adhesive 350, then photocuring of the tape adhesive is initiated, and the tape adhesive 350 is then pressed onto the transparent substrate 18 or onto the outer surfaces 53, 105 of the applied conductive ink 52, 104, thereby directly bonding the insulating cover 302 to the transparent substrate 18 or indirectly bonding it to the transparent substrate 18 via the conductive ink 52, 104, thereby the first end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 is also sealed and positioned between the adhesive 350, the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302 and the upper surface of the applied conductive ink 52, 104. If the adhesive 350 is not in the form of tape, the carrier removal step is unnecessary, and the adhesive 350 is instead applied to the transparent substrate 18 or to the outer surfaces 53, 105 of the applied conductive inks 52, 104, thereby directly bonding the insulating cover 302 to the transparent substrate 18 or indirectly bonding it to the transparent substrate 18 via the conductive inks 52, 104, so that the first end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 is also sealed between the adhesive 350, the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302 and the upper surface of the conductive inks 52, 104. Furthermore, the second end 324 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 extends outward from the outer surface 308 of the insulating cover 302 in a direction away from the transparent substrate 18 and the conductive inks 52, 104, and is configured to connect to the wires of the wire harness 14 through the opening 328 of the second end 324.

[0100] Figures 15 and 16 schematically show embodiments of a solderless electrical connector 300 in an assembled state, which mechanically and electrically connects a wire harness 14 to a conductive feature 16 placed on a transparent substrate 18. Figure 15 shows a solderless electrical connector 300 used with a curved glass plate 50 on which conductive ink 52 is applied to the inward-facing surface 50B, similar to Figure 2, while Figure 16 shows a solderless electrical connector 12 used in the laminated window assembly 90 of Figure 5, on which conductive ink 104 is applied to the inward-facing surface 100B of the outer transparent substrate 100.

[0101] Similar to the above description relating to Figure 8, and relating to Figure 15, the Disclosure also considers alternative embodiments in which a solderless electrical connector 300 is used with a curved glass plate 50 in which conductive ink 104 is applied to the outward-facing surface 50A, or to both the outward-facing surface 50A and the inward-facing surface 50B, according to the embodiment shown in Figure 3.

[0102] Furthermore, as with respect to Figure 11, and in relation to Figure 16, the Disclosure also considers alternative embodiments in which a solderless electrical connector 300 coated with conductive ink 104 is used according to embodiments of the laminated window assembly 90 shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

[0103] In an embodiment where the inner transparent substrate 106 (in contrast to the outer transparent substrate 100) and the intermediate layer 102 are corrugated, and conductive ink 104 is pre-applied to the inward-facing surface 100B of the outer transparent substrate, the solderless electrical connector 300 is introduced in substantially the same procedure as discussed above in Figure 16.

[0104] In an alternative embodiment, if neither the inner transparent substrate 100 nor the outer transparent substrate 106 (along with the intermediate layer 102) is corrugated, and instead the conductive ink 104 is pre-applied to the outward-facing surface 100A of the transparent substrate 100 (as in Figure 6), or to the inward-facing surface 106B of the inner transparent substrate 106, the solderless electrical connector 300 is introduced with respect to a single glass plate 50 by substantially the same procedure as described above in Figure 15.

[0105] Referring now to Figure 19, yet another alternative embodiment of the laminated window assembly 90 including the solderless electrical connector 300 of Figure 17 is shown. In this embodiment, a conductive foil 111 (i.e., a conductive ribbon 111) is used to form electrical connections to a conductive ink layer 104 applied to the inward-facing surface 100B(P2) of the outer transparent substrate 100 and / or to a conductive ink layer 104 applied to the inward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106. In this embodiment, the electrical connection component 14 is located outside the outer transparent substrate 100 or inside the inner transparent substrate 106 and does not require a corrugated arrangement as in Figure 18.

[0106] For the sake of clarity and ease of explanation and illustration, in the embodiment shown in Figure 19, the conductive ink 104 is applied to the inward-facing surface 100B (i.e., P2) of the outer transparent substrate 100, and is thus positioned between the outer transparent substrate 100 and the intermediate layer 102.

[0107] Referring to Figure 19, the conductive foil 111 (shown here as aluminum foil 111) is electrically coupled or connected to the conductive ink 104 at its outer edge, and in certain embodiments, physically connected. The conductive foil 111 extends along the edge of the outward-facing surface 100A of the outer substrate 100 (i.e., along P1) and is coupled to a solderless electrical connector 300 which includes an insulating cover 302, a biasing member 320, and an adhesive 350, as shown below.

[0108] As also shown in Figure 19, in the assembled state, the first end 322 of the biasing member 320 is positioned to electrically contact the conductive foil 111 extending along the outward-facing surface 100A of the outer substrate 100, and is elastically compressed between the molded insulating cover 302 and the conductive foil 111. In embodiments where the adhesive 350 is in the form of a tape, any carrier layer is removed from the tape adhesive 350, then the photocuring of the tape adhesive 350 is initiated, and the tape adhesive 350 is then pressed against the outward-facing surface 100A and optionally along the upper surface of the conductive foil 111 to directly bond the insulating cover 302 to the outward-facing surface 100A of the substrate 100, and / or indirectly bond it to the outward-facing surface 100A of the substrate 100 via the conductive foil 111, thereby the first end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 is also sealed and positioned between the adhesive 350, the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302, and the upper surface of the conductive foil 111. Since the adhesive 350 is not in the form of tape, a carrier removal step is not required. Furthermore, the second end 324 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 extends outward from the outer surface 308 of the insulating cover 302 in a direction away from the outward-facing surface 100A of the substrate 100 and the conductive foil 111, and is configured to connect to the wires of the wire harness 14 through the opening 328 of the second end 324 in the same manner as described above in Figure 17. Thus, the conduction of the conductive ink 104 on P2 (or P3 in an alternative embodiment where the conductive ink 104 is applied on the inward-facing surface 106A as in Figure 4) is generated by the operation of the electrical connection component 14, and the charge spreads through the conductive foil to the conductive ink 104.

[0109] As described above, the Disclosure also covers related methods for manufacturing a glass assembly having a solderless electrical connector 12 utilizing adhesive 150, either a single glass plate 50 (see flowchart in Figure 20 corresponding to Figure 8) or a laminated window assembly 90 (see flowchart in Figure 21 corresponding to Figure 11), and a terminal assembly 160 using adhesive 150 according to the specific exemplary embodiments described above. The Disclosure also covers related methods for manufacturing a glass assembly having an alternative solderless electrical connector 300 on either the single glass plate 50 or the laminated window assembly 90 (see flowcharts in Figures 21 and 22 corresponding to Figures 15 and 16).

[0110] Referring to Figure 20, an exemplary embodiment of a method 500 for forming a glass assembly 10 including a solderless electrical connector 12 on a single glass plate 50 is provided. For ease of explanation, the flowchart in Figure 20 illustrates the embodiment in Figure 8, in which the solderless electrical connector 12 is positioned on the inward-facing surface 50B of the single glass plate 50. However, the same procedure can also be used to position the solderless electrical connector 12 on the outward-facing surface 50A of the single glass plate 50 according to the flowchart in Figure 20, however there are some differences in the procedure described in step 504 below.

[0111] First, referring to step 502, the curved transparent substrate 18 is formed as a single glass plate 50 having an inward-facing surface 50B and an outward-facing surface 50A, as described above.

[0112] Next, in step 504, the conductive ink 52 is applied to one or both of the inward-facing surface 50B and the outward-facing surface 50A (in Figure 8, it is shown to be applied to the inward-facing surface 50B, as in Figure 2). A suitable method for applying the conductive ink 52 has been described above. In certain embodiments, as part of step 504, after the conductive ink 52 has been applied, the conductive ink 52 is photocured, thermocured, sintered, or otherwise dried on the curved glass substrate 50, as described above.

[0113] In step 506, the adhesive 150 is applied to a portion of the conductive ink 52, and optionally to the surface of the curved transparent substrate 18 adjacent to the conductive ink 52 (i.e., to a portion of the inward-facing surface 50B adjacent to the edge of the conductive ink 52).

[0114] In step 508, the terminal assembly 160 is positioned on the adhesive 150 on the side opposite to the conductive ink 52. In particular, the lower surface 164 of the base plate portion 162 is positioned on the upper surface of the adhesive 150 and in contact with the upper surface. More specifically, the lower surface 164 of the base plate portion 162 is pressed against the upper surface of the adhesive 150.

[0115] In an embodiment in which the base plate portion 162 is formed from a non-conductive material, the second portion 174 of the flange portion 170 also comes into contact with the upper surface of the adhesive 150 during step 508. In yet another embodiment in which the base plate portion 162 is formed from a conductive material, the second portion 174 of the flange portion 170 also comes into contact with the upper surface of the adhesive 150 during step 508.

[0116] In embodiments where the base plate portion 162 and the flange portion 170 are separate components, step 508 may also include a substep of bonding the base plate portion 162 and the flange portion 170 together to form a single unit, either before or after they are placed on the adhesive.

[0117] Next, in step 510, the adhesive 150 is cured to form the solderless electrical connector 12. In step 510, the curing of the adhesive 150 is performed at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink 52. This is desirable to prevent loss of conductivity along the conductive characteristics 16 resulting from the degradation of part or all of the applied conductive ink 52, and consequently from the degradation of the applied conductive ink 52, if exposed to temperatures exceeding the thermal degradation temperature.

[0118] In certain embodiments, the adhesive 150 is photocured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink 52. In certain other embodiments, the adhesive 150 is thermally cured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink 52. In yet another embodiment, the adhesive 150 is both photocured and thermally cured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink 52.

[0119] In an alternative embodiment of the method in Figure 20, the step of curing the adhesive 150 as described in step 510, in particular the step of photocuring the adhesive 150 in step 510, is initiated before positioning the terminal assembly 160 on the adhesive 150 opposite the conductive ink 52, similar to step 508.

[0120] In step 512, the wire harness 14 is coupled to the terminal assembly 160. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the wires of the wire harness 14 are electrically connected to the second portion 174 of the flange portion 170.

[0121] Referring now to Figure 21, an exemplary embodiment of method 600 for forming a glass assembly 10 including a solderless electrical connector 12 into a mating window assembly 90 is provided. For ease of explanation, the flowchart in Figure 21 illustrates the embodiment in Figure 11, in which the solderless electrical connector 12 is positioned on the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106. However, the same procedure can also be used to position the solderless electrical connector 12 on the inward-facing surface 100B of the outer transparent substrate 100 according to the flowchart in Figure 21, with some differences in the procedure described in step 604 below.

[0122] First, referring to step 602, as best shown in Figure 9, the outer transparent substrate 100, the intermediate layer 102, and the inner transparent substrate 106 are formed, and the outer transparent sheet 100 and the intermediate layer 102 have corrugated edges 100C, 102C as described above. Although not shown in Figure 9, the outer transparent substrate 100, the intermediate layer 102, and the inner transparent substrate 106 are formed as curved outer transparent substrate 100, curved intermediate layer 102, and inner transparent substrate 106 as part of these forming steps.

[0123] Next, in step 604, the conductive ink 104 is applied to at least one surface 100B, 106A of one or both of the outer transparent substrate 100 and the inner transparent substrate 106 (in Figure 11, it is shown being applied to the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106). The method of applying the conductive ink 104 is the same as the method discussed above and will not be repeated here for brevity. Optionally, as part of step 604, the applied conductive ink 104 is photocured and / or heatcured to form a cured conductive ink, or sintered to form a sintered conductive ink 104, or otherwise dried as described above.

[0124] Next, in step 605, a laminate window assembly 90 is formed in which the intermediate layer 102 is placed between the outer transparent substrate 100 and the inner transparent substrate 106, and the conductive ink 104 is placed between the intermediate layer 102 and the inner transparent sheet 106, as shown in Figure 10. As part of step 605, heat and pressure are applied that are sufficient to form a laminate in which the intermediate layer 102 adheres to both the outer transparent substrate 100 and the conductive ink 104, but insufficient to degrade the conductive ink 104. Also as part of step 605, the corrugated edge regions 100C, 102C are aligned to form corrugated edges 107 with the same extent, leaving a portion of the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106 and a portion of the conductive ink 104 uncovered.

[0125] Next, in step 606, the adhesive 150 is applied to a portion of the conductive ink 104 and, optionally, to the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106 adjacent to the conductive ink 104 (i.e., a portion of the inward-facing surface 106A adjacent to the edge of the conductive ink 104).

[0126] In step 608, the terminal assembly 160 is positioned on the adhesive 150 opposite to the conductive ink 104. In particular, the lower surface 164 of the base plate portion 162 is positioned on the upper surface of the adhesive 150 and in contact with the upper surface. More specifically, the lower surface 164 of the base plate portion 162 is pressed against the upper surface of the adhesive 150.

[0127] In an embodiment in which the base plate portion 162 is formed from a non-conductive material, the second portion 174 of the flange portion 170 also comes into contact with the upper surface of the adhesive 150 during step 608. In yet another alternative embodiment in which the base plate portion 162 is formed from a conductive material, the second portion 174 of the flange portion 170 also comes into contact with the upper surface of the adhesive 150 during step 608.

[0128] In embodiments where the base plate portion 162 and the flange portion 170 are separate components, step 608 may also include a substep in which the base plate portion 162 and the flange portion 170 are bonded to each other to form a single structure, either before or after being placed on the adhesive 150.

[0129] Next, in step 610, the adhesive 150 is cured using the method described above to form the solderless electrical connector 12, but this will not be repeated here for brevity.

[0130] In step 612, the wire harness 14 is coupled to the terminal assembly 160. In particular, as shown in Figure 11, the wires of the wire harness 14 are electrically coupled to the second portion 174 of the flange portion 170.

[0131] Referring now to Figure 22, an exemplary embodiment of a method 700 for forming a glass assembly 10 including a solderless electrical connector 300 on a single glass plate 50 is provided. For ease of explanation, the flowchart is illustrated with respect to the embodiment in Figure 15, in which the solderless electrical connector 300 is positioned on the inward-facing surface 50B of the single glass plate 50. However, the same procedure can also be used to position the solderless electrical connector 300 on the outward-facing surface 50A of the single glass plate 50, following the flowchart in Figure 22, although there are some differences in the procedure described in step 704 below.

[0132] First, referring to step 702, the single glass plate 50 is formed as a curved glass piece having an inward-facing surface 50B and an outward-facing surface 50A, as described above.

[0133] Next, in step 704, the conductive ink 52 is applied to one or both of the inward-facing surface 50B and the outward-facing surface 50A using the same procedure as described above in step 504 in Figure 17 (in Figure 8, it is shown to be applied to the inward-facing surface 50B as in Figure 2), and this procedure is not repeated here. The method for applying the conductive ink 104 is the same as the method discussed above and is not repeated here for brevity. Optionally, as part of step 704, the applied conductive ink 52 is photocured and / or heat-cured to form a cured conductive ink, or sintered to form a sintered conductive ink 52, or otherwise dried as described above.

[0134] In step 706, a solderless electrical connector 300 according to an alternative embodiment is formed or provided by another method.

[0135] In certain embodiments in which a solderless connector is formed, as described above, the biasing member / leaf spring 320 may be molded within the molded insulating cover 302, or otherwise bonded to the molded insulating cover 302, such that the central region 326 extends through the insulating cover 302, and attached to the insulating cover 302 such that the first end 322 extends outward away from the inner surface 306 and the second end 324 extends outward away from the outer surface 308. The adhesive 350 is then applied to the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover adjacent to the intersection 309 of the inner surface 306 and the end surface 308. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the adhesive 350 may be applied to the inner surface 306 in areas of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 that are not associated with the second end 324.

[0136] In exemplary embodiments as shown in Figures 12 to 16, the adhesive 350 is in the form of a tape that is adhered to the inner surface 306 and may be non-conductive or conductive.

[0137] Next, in step 708, the solderless connector 300 is bonded onto the conductive ink 52. In particular, the first end 322 of each biasing member 320 is positioned to be in electrical contact with the conductive ink 52 and elastically compressed between the molded insulating cover 302 and the conductive ink 52. The adhesive 350 is pressed onto the transparent substrate 18, in particular onto the outward-facing surface 50B of the single glass plate 50, or onto the outer surface 53 of the conductive ink 52, thereby bonding the insulating cover 302 either directly to the transparent substrate 18 / single glass plate 50 or indirectly to the transparent substrate 18 / single glass plate 50 via the conductive ink 52, so that the first end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 is also sealed between the adhesive 350, the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302, and the upper surface of the conductive ink 52. Furthermore, the second end 324 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 extends outward from the outer surface 308 of the insulating cover 302 in a direction away from the transparent substrate 18 / single glass plate 50 and conductive ink 52.

[0138] Next, in step 710, the adhesive 350 is cured to form the solderless electrical connector 12. In step 710, curing of the adhesive 350 is initiated by applying a stimulus. In particular, the curing of the adhesive 350 is carried out at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 52. This is desirable to prevent loss of conductivity along some or all of the conductive features 16 that would result from the degradation of the conductive ink 52 if the conductive ink 52 were exposed to temperatures exceeding its thermal degradation temperature.

[0139] In certain embodiments, the adhesive 350 is photocured / photoinitiated at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 52. For example, the adhesive 350 is photocured / photoinitiated by momentarily exposing the adhesive to an ultraviolet light source. In such embodiments, the curing process is self-sustaining once initiated externally, but may be slow enough to provide a minimum amount of time (e.g., more than about 20 seconds) for the user to perform the remaining steps. In one example, self-sustaining curing may be facilitated by providing one or more catalysts and initiators having a plurality of microcapsules that can release a catalyst and / or initiator when exposed to a light source such as an ultraviolet lamp.

[0140] In other specific embodiments, the adhesive 350 is thermally cured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 52. In these embodiments, the applied adhesive 350 can be cured in an oven, by other thermal means, or in the ambient environment, provided that this curing is performed at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive inks 52, 104, as described above. In yet another embodiment, the adhesive 350 is photocured by the method described above and thermally cured at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the conductive ink 52.

[0141] If the adhesive 350 is a light-activated tape adhesive 350, before applying the tape adhesive 350 onto the transparent substrate 18, particularly onto the outward-facing surface 50B of the single glass plate 50 or onto the outer surface 53 of the conductive ink 52, the carrier material is removed from the adhesive 350, the tape adhesive 350 is exposed to light, and the insulating cover 302 is bonded directly to the transparent substrate 18 / single glass plate 50, or to the transparent substrate 18 / single glass plate 50, as in step 708.

[0142] In step 712, the wire harness 14 is coupled to the second end 324 of each biasing member 320. In particular, as shown in Figure 15, the wires of the wire harness 14 are electrically coupled to the second end 324 of each biasing member 320 through the openings of the biasing members 320.

[0143] Referring next to Figure 23, an exemplary embodiment of method 800 for forming a glass assembly 10 including a solderless electrical connector 300 on a mating window assembly 90 is provided. For ease of explanation, the flowchart illustrates the embodiment shown in Figure 16, in which the solderless electrical connector 300 is positioned on the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106. However, following the flowchart, the same procedure can also be used to position the solderless electrical connector 300 on the inward-facing surface 100B of the outer transparent substrate 106, except that the procedure described in step 804 below is slightly different.

[0144] First, referring to step 802, the outer transparent substrate 100, the intermediate layer 102, and the inner transparent substrate 106 are formed as described above, as best shown in Figure 9, so we will not repeat them here.

[0145] Next, in step 804, the conductive ink 104 is applied to at least one surface 100B, 106A of one or both of the outer transparent substrate 100 and the inner transparent substrate 106 (in Figure 16, it is shown to be applied to the outward-facing surface 106A of the inner transparent substrate 106).

[0146] The method for applying the conductive ink 104 is the same as the method described in step 504 of Figure 17 with respect to the application of the conductive ink 52, and will not be repeated here for brevity. Optionally, as part of step 804, the applied conductive ink 52 is photocured and / or heatcured to form a cured conductive ink, or sintered to form a sintered conductive ink 52, or otherwise dried as described above.

[0147] Next, in step 805, the intermediate layer 102 is placed between the outer transparent substrate 100 and the inner transparent substrate 106, and a conductive ink 104 is placed between the intermediate layer 102 and the inner transparent sheet in the same manner as described above, as shown in Figure 16, to form a laminated window assembly 90, but this will not be repeated here for brevity.

[0148] In step 806, a solderless electrical connector 300 according to an alternative embodiment is provided, either formed or otherwise, according to the method described above, but for brevity, this will not be repeated here.

[0149] Next, in step 808, the solderless connector 300 is coupled onto the conductive ink 104. In particular, the first end 322 of each biasing member 320 is positioned to electrically contact the conductive ink 104 and elastically compressed between the molded insulating cover 302 and the conductive ink 104. The adhesive 350 is pressed onto the transparent substrate 18, in particular onto the outward-facing surface 106B of the inner transparent sheet 106 or onto the outer surface 105 of the conductive ink 104, to directly bond the insulating cover 302 to the transparent substrate 18 / inner transparent sheet 106 or indirectly to the transparent substrate 18 / inner transparent sheet 106 via the conductive ink 104, thereby the first end 322 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 is also sealed and positioned between the adhesive 350, the inner surface 306 of the insulating cover 302 and the upper surface 105 of the conductive ink 104. Furthermore, the second end 324 of the biasing member / leaf spring 320 extends outward from the outer surface 308 of the insulating cover 302 in a direction away from the transparent substrate 18 / inner transparent sheet 106 and conductive ink 104.

[0150] Next, in step 810, the adhesive 350 is cured in substantially the same manner as described above in step 710 of Figure 20 to form the solderless electrical connector 300. For brevity, this is not repeated here.

[0151] In step 812, the wire harness 14 is coupled to the second end 324 of each biasing member 320. In particular, as shown in Figure 16, the wires of the wire harness 14 are electrically coupled to the second end 324 of each biasing member 320 through the openings in the biasing members 320.

[0152] Several embodiments have been described in the preceding description. However, the embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to any particular form. The terms used are for illustrative purposes only, not limiting purposes. In light of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible, and the present invention can be carried out in ways other than those specifically described.

[0153] Various additional substitutions and modifications beyond those already described herein can be made to the embodiments described above. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as an exhaustive description of all embodiments, nor should the claims be construed as limiting the claims to specific elements illustrated or described in relation to these embodiments. For example, any individual element of the described embodiments may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise appropriate operation. This includes, but is not limited to, currently known alternative elements, such as those that may now be known to those skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that a person skilled in the art might recognize as alternatives during development. For example, when an element of the claims is referred to in the singular form using the articles "a, an" or "the, said," it should not be construed as limiting that element to the singular form. Furthermore, it will be understood that the terms "include, includes, including" have the same meaning as the terms "comprise, comprises, comprising."

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a window assembly having a solderless electrical connector, the manufacturing method is: The steps include forming a curved transparent substrate, A step of digitally applying conductive ink onto the surface of a curved transparent substrate without a mask, curing the conductive ink at a temperature below 210°C to form conductive ink applied to the surface of the transparent substrate, wherein the applied conductive ink has a thermal degradation temperature. The steps include applying an adhesive to the surface of the curved transparent substrate adjacent to the coated conductive ink, The step includes curing the adhesive at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink to form the solderless electrical connector that makes electrical contact with the applied conductive ink. Manufacturing method.

2. The step of curing the adhesive includes heating the adhesive to a temperature that is above the thermal curing temperature of the adhesive but lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink, and / or The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of curing the adhesive includes the step of photocuring the adhesive at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a reactive adhesive, and the step of curing the adhesive is performed at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a conductive adhesive applied on the applied conductive ink, and the solderless electrical connector is electrically connected to the applied conductive ink via the conductive adhesive.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying conductive ink onto the surface of the transparent substrate further includes the step of photocuring the applied conductive ink to form cured conductive ink on the surface of the transparent substrate.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the coated conductive ink has a line width of 10 micrometers to 1 millimeter on the surface of the curved transparent substrate.

7. The transparent substrate includes a first transparent substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface on the opposite side, a second transparent substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface on the opposite side, and a polymer intermediate layer disposed in contact with the inner surfaces of the first and second transparent substrates, The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the step of digitally applying conductive ink to the surface of the curved transparent substrate and curing the conductive ink includes the step of digitally applying conductive ink to one or both of the inner surface and the opposite outer surface of the first transparent substrate, curing the conductive ink to form the applied conductive ink on one or both of the inner surface and the opposite outer surface of the first transparent substrate.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive includes an adhesive tape, and the step of curing the adhesive to form the solderless electrical connector includes the step of applying pressure to the adhesive tape applied to the surface of the curved transparent substrate at a temperature lower than the thermal degradation temperature of the applied conductive ink to form the solderless electrical connector.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of coupling an electrical connection component to the solderless electrical connector, wherein the electrical connection component is electrically connected to the coated conductive ink.

10. A step of providing a molded insulating cover and a biasing member coupled to the molded insulating cover, wherein the biasing member has a first end and a second end opposite to it; The manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: electrically connecting the first end of the biasing member to the applied conductive ink, and bonding the molded insulating cover to the adhesive while the biasing member is elastically compressed between the molded insulating cover and the applied conductive ink.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of connecting an electrical connection component to the second end of the biasing member, wherein the electrical connection component is electrically connected to the coated conductive ink via the biasing member.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the green strength of the adhesive is such that, while the adhesive is curing, the molded insulating cover can be maintained relative to the surface of the transparent substrate with the first end of the biasing member elastically compressed between the molded insulating cover and the applied conductive ink, without requiring external fixing.

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