Electrical connecting element for connecting a printed circuit board to an electrical component

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical connecting element, comprising a main body at a first end of the electrical connecting element and a contact region at a second end of the electrical connecting element, wherein the electrical connecting element extends parallel to a longitudinal plane, wherein the electrical connecting element can be introduced into a joining region of a printed circuit board perpendicularly to the longitudinal plane such that the longitudinal plane is coplanar to a printed circuit board plane of the printed circuit board in order to form a fixed connection to the printed circuit board, and wherein the contact region is configured to contact an electrical component in order to electrically and mechanically connect the printed circuit board to the electrical component.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] title

[0003] Electrical connecting element for connecting a printed circuit board to an electrical component

[0004] State of the art

[0005] The present invention relates to an electrical connecting element for connecting a printed circuit board to an electrical component and to an electrical assembly comprising a printed circuit board and the electrical connecting element.

[0006] Connective elements are required for the electrical contacting of a printed circuit board (PCB). These connecting elements can be applied to the PCB using press-fit, SMD, or THT technology. When using two PCBs, a connecting element at the desired angle is necessary. Connective elements can only be heated to a limited extent at critical cross-sections. Furthermore, due to thermal limitations, current-carrying connecting elements according to the state of the art have a limited current-carrying capacity. Conventional connecting elements also have limited force absorption in the insertion direction or require an additional housing. It would be desirable to have an electrical connecting element that enables a reliable connection between a PCB and an electrical component while being simple and cost-effective to manufacture.In particular, the electrical connecting element should enable optimization of the installation space and increase efficiency through improved cooling.

[0007] Disclosure of the Invention: The electrical connecting element according to the invention, with the features of claim 1, has the advantage that it enables a reliable connection between a printed circuit board and an electrical component while being simple and cost-effective to manufacture. The electrical connecting element can also contribute to optimizing the available installation space. This is achieved according to the invention by the electrical connecting element comprising a base body at a first end and a contact area at a second end. The electrical connecting element extends parallel to a longitudinal plane. The electrical connecting element can be inserted perpendicular to the longitudinal plane into a joining area of ​​a printed circuit board, such that the longitudinal plane is arranged coplanar to a plane of the printed circuit board to form a secure connection with the printed circuit board.The contact area of ​​the electrical connector is designed to make contact with an electrical component, thus electrically and mechanically connecting the printed circuit board (PCB) to the component. The PCB plane runs centrally through the PCB. Due to the flat design of the electrical connector, which extends along the longitudinal plane, and its ability to be inserted perpendicular to this plane into a joining area of ​​the PCB, a reliable connection between the electrical connector and the PCB can be established. The electrical connector can reliably form an electrical and mechanical connection with the component via the contact area at its other end. The flat design of the electrical connector allows for simple and cost-effective manufacturing.Furthermore, the ability to insert the electrical connecting element into the printed circuit board, whereby the longitudinal plane and the printed circuit board plane are aligned coplanarly to each other, enables a high force absorption of the electrical connecting element in the insertion direction.

[0008] The electrical component is preferably another printed circuit board. More preferably, the base body borders the contact area.

[0009] The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention. Preferably, the base body comprises a head region with a first diameter and a neck region with a second diameter. The head region is located at the first end, and the neck region is positioned towards the contact area. The first diameter is larger than the second diameter, enabling a positive-locking connection with the printed circuit board (PCB) to be formed along the PCB plane. Thus, the electrical connection element is designed to engage in an undercut in the PCB to form the positive-locking connection. This allows high forces to be reliably transmitted from the electrical connection element to the PCB without the electrical connection element breaking out of the PCB.

[0010] Preferably, the head region has a circular cross-section along the longitudinal plane. The circular cross-section can improve the force transmission from the electrical connector to the printed circuit board and reduce voltage spikes.

[0011] Furthermore, the base body preferably has contact lugs designed to contact the printed circuit board (PCB) in order to form a press fit. This ensures a reliable, force-fit connection between the electrical connector and the PCB. The contact lugs preferably extend perpendicular to the longitudinal plane.

[0012] Preferably, the electrical connector is a stamped pre-cut component. Due to its flat design along a longitudinal plane, the electrical connector can be reliably and cost-effectively manufactured as a stamped pre-cut component. Additionally, the electrical connector can preferably be machined. Furthermore, the electrical connector can be passivated.

[0013] The contact area of ​​the electrical connector preferably forms a solder pin or a press-fit pin. This enables a reliable connection between the printed circuit board and the electrical component via the connector. Contacting the component using a solder pin or a press-fit pin can be easily integrated into the manufacturing process. The base body preferably has a greater height perpendicular to the longitudinal plane than the contact area. This allows the base body to be reliably fixed in the printed circuit board and the contact area to be connected to the electrical component with reduced force.

[0014] Furthermore, the invention relates to an electrical assembly comprising a printed circuit board and a previously described electrical connector. The electrical connector forms a rigid connection with a joining area of ​​the printed circuit board, the longitudinal plane of the electrical connector being coplanar with a plane of the printed circuit board. This enables a reliable connection of the electrical assembly to an electrical component via the electrical connector. The electrical connector can be connected to the current-carrying layers of the printed circuit board via the joining area, thus enabling optimal current flow from the printed circuit board to the electrical component.The joining area has a small footprint on the circuit board, so that the installation space can be optimized and the layout area on the circuit board can be increased by means of the electrical assembly according to the invention.

[0015] Preferably, the electrical connector is bonded to the printed circuit board (PCB) by means of a solder layer. This improves the electrical and mechanical properties of the connection between the electrical connector and the PCB. The solder layer is preferably applied between the electrical connector and the PCB using solder paste and formed in a reflow soldering process.

[0016] Preferably, a cooler is arranged at the joining area of ​​the printed circuit board. The cooler is arranged at the joining area, in particular by means of an insulating thermal interface material. The cooler reliably dissipates heat from the electrical connection element, thereby improving the service life and efficiency of the electrical assembly. Furthermore, the cooling can increase the current-carrying capacity of the electrical assembly and the electrical connection element, or reduce the temperature class of the printed circuit board. The contact surface between the cooler and the electrical assembly preferably extends parallel to the plane of the printed circuit board.

[0017] The joining area preferably has a recess in an edge region of the printed circuit board to accommodate the electrical connecting element. This allows the electrical connecting element to be arranged in a space-saving manner in the edge region of the printed circuit board.

[0018] The joining area of ​​the printed circuit board preferably has a metallic coating. Preferably, the metallic coating is passivated. The metallic coating enables a reliable electrical and mechanical connection between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board.

[0019] The base body and the contact area of ​​the electrical connector preferably extend along a longitudinal axis. This improves the force absorption in the insertion direction.

[0020] Alternatively, the base body is preferably arranged at an angle to the contact area. This angled arrangement allows the circuit board and the electrical component to be positioned flexibly and in a space-optimized manner using the electrical connection element.

[0021] Brief description of the drawings

[0022] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing shows:

[0023] Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an electrical assembly consisting of a printed circuit board and an electrical connecting element according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0024] Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the electric

[0025] Connecting element according to the first embodiment of the invention, Figure 3 a schematic perspective view of the printed circuit board according to the first embodiment of the invention, and

[0026] Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view of an electric

[0027] Assembly comprising a printed circuit board and an electrical connecting element according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0028] Embodiments of the invention

[0029] Preferably, all identical components, elements and / or units in all figures are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0030] Below, with reference to Figures 1 to 4, an electrical connecting element 1 and an electrical assembly 100 with a printed circuit board 2 and the electrical connecting element 1 are described in detail.

[0031] Figure 1 shows the electrical assembly 100, which comprises the printed circuit board 2 and three electrical connecting elements 1. The electrical connecting elements 1 form a fixed connection with the printed circuit board 2.

[0032] The electrical connecting element comprises a base body 10 and a contact area 13. The base body 10 is arranged at a first end 11 and the contact area 13 at a second end 12 of the electrical connecting element 1. The electrical connecting element 1 extends parallel to a longitudinal plane which is coplanar to a printed circuit board plane of the printed circuit board 2.

[0033] The longitudinal plane preferably lies on a longitudinal axis of the electrical connecting element 1.

[0034] The printed circuit board plane preferably extends along a main extension direction of the printed circuit board 2 and is arranged centrally in the printed circuit board 2.

[0035] The base body 10 has a head region 14 with a first diameter d1 and a neck region 15 with a second diameter d2. The head region 14 is located at the first end 11, and the neck region 15 is located towards the contact region 13. The head region 14 has a substantially circular cross-section along its longitudinal plane. The first diameter d1 of the head region 14 is larger than the second diameter d2 of the neck region 15. Thus, the electrical connecting element 1 can form a positive-locking connection with an undercut in a joining area 30 of the printed circuit board 2.

[0036] The base body 10 has seven contact lugs 16 around its circumference, which extend perpendicular to the longitudinal plane and contact the joining area 30 of the printed circuit board 2. An interference fit preferably exists between the contact lugs 16 and the joining area 30, so that a press fit can be formed between the electrical connecting element 1 and the printed circuit board 2 by means of the contact lugs 16.

[0037] The electrical connector 1 is a stamped and embossed component, preferably manufactured from a metal sheet. In a first step, the electrical connector 1 is stamped out of the metal sheet. Subsequently, the electrical connector 1 can be shaped by means of an embossing process.

[0038] The contact area 13 of the electrical connecting element 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention is designed as a press-fit pin 21. A reliable electrical and mechanical connection between the electrical connecting element 1 and an electrical component can be formed by means of the press-fit pin 21. The press-fit pin 21 preferably breaks open a surface of the electrical component, so that a gas-tight connection can be created between the electrical component and the electrical connecting element 1.

[0039] The joining area 30 of the printed circuit board 2 has a metallic coating 31, which is formed as a uniform layer between the printed circuit board 2 and the electrical connecting element 1.

[0040] The shape of the joining area 30 corresponds to the shape of the base body 10 of the electrical connecting element 1. Adjacent to the edge region 32 of the printed circuit board 2, the joining area 30 has a cuboid-shaped neck region, which is designed to contact the neck region 15 of the electrical connecting element 1. Adjacent to this, the joining area 30 has a circular region, which is designed to contact the head region 14 of the electrical connecting element 1. Thus, the joining area 30 forms an undercut by means of which the electrical connecting element 1 can form a positive-locking connection with the printed circuit board 2.

[0041] The electrical connector 1 was inserted perpendicular to the longitudinal plane into the joining area 30 of the printed circuit board 2. Specifically, the electrical connector 1 was pressed into the joining area 30. Additionally, the electrical and mechanical connection between the electrical connector 1 and the printed circuit board 2 can be improved by means of a solder layer.

[0042] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the electrical connecting element 1 according to the first embodiment from Figure 1. The base body 10 of the electrical connecting element 1 extends linearly perpendicular to the longitudinal plane. This allows the electrical connecting element 1 to be manufactured particularly easily from a sheet of metal using a stamping process.

[0043] The contact area 13 has a lower height perpendicular to the longitudinal plane than the base body 10.

[0044] In particular, the press-fit pin 21 of the contact area 13 is manufactured by means of an embossing step.

[0045] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the printed circuit board 2 from Figure 1. The printed circuit board 2 has seven joining areas 30 with identical geometry. The joining areas 30 are arranged at a constant distance from each other along an edge region 32 of the printed circuit board 2. Thus, the joining areas 30 form recesses into which the electrical connecting elements 1 can be inserted.

[0046] All joining areas 30 preferably have a metallic coating 31. The joining areas 30 are similar in shape to the base bodies 10 of the electrical connecting elements 1, so that a force-fit and form-fit connection can be established between the electrical connecting elements 1 and the joining areas 30. Figure 4 shows the electrical assembly 100 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment and differs from the first embodiment in particular in the design of the contact area 13 of the electrical connecting element 1.

[0047] In the second embodiment, the contact area 13 is designed as a solder pin 20. This allows the electrical connecting element 1 to be inserted into an opening in an electrical component using the solder pin 20. The solder pin 20 of the electrical connecting element 1 can then be soldered to the electrical component to establish an electrical and mechanical connection between the electrical connecting element 1 and the electrical component. The solder pin 20 can be designed for SMD or THT contacting of the electrical component.

[0048] A cooler can preferably be arranged in the joining area 30 of the printed circuit board 2 and adjacent to the base body 10 of the electrical connecting element 1. This allows heat to be dissipated from the electrical connecting element 1. An insulating thermal conductivity is preferably arranged between the cooler and the electrical connecting element 1, so that current flow between the electrical connecting elements 1 can be prevented.

[0049] The base body 10 and the contact area 13 of the electrical connecting element 1 are arranged along a common longitudinal axis. Alternatively, the contact area 13 of the electrical connecting element 1 can also be arranged at an angle to the base body 10.

[0050] Thus, a reliable connection between the printed circuit board 2 and the electrical component can be established using the electrical connecting element 1. The electrical connecting element 1 is simple and cost-effective to manufacture. Its compact design allows for optimization of the layout area on the printed circuit board 2. Furthermore, the flexible design of the contact area 13 enables space-optimized contact with the electrical component.

Claims

Claims 1. Electrical connecting element, comprising - a base body (10) at a first end (11) of the electrical connecting element (1) and - a contact area (13) at a second end (12) of the electrical connecting element (1), - wherein the electrical connecting element (1) extends parallel to a longitudinal plane (LL), - wherein the electrical connecting element (1) can be inserted perpendicular to the longitudinal plane (LL) into a joining area (30) of a printed circuit board (2), such that the longitudinal plane is arranged coplanar to a printed circuit board plane of the printed circuit board (2) in order to form a fixed connection with the printed circuit board (2), and - wherein the contact area (13) is set up to contact an electrical component in order to connect the printed circuit board (2) electrically and mechanically to the electrical component.

2. Electrical connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the base body (10) comprises a head region (14) with a first diameter (d1) and a neck region (15) with a second diameter (d2), wherein the head region (14) is located at the first end (11) and the neck region (15) is located in the direction of the contact region (13), and wherein the first diameter (d1) is larger than the second diameter (d2), so that a positive connection with the printed circuit board (2) can be formed along the plane of the printed circuit board.

3. Electrical connecting element according to claim 2, wherein the head region (14) has a circular cross-section along the longitudinal plane.

4. Electrical connecting element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (10) has contact lugs (16) which are set up to contact the printed circuit board (2) in order to form a press connection with the printed circuit board (2).

5. Electrical connecting element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical connecting element (1) is a stamped pre-formed component.

6. Electrical connecting element according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact area (13) forms a solder pin (20) or a press-fit pin (21).

7. Electrical assembly comprising a printed circuit board (2) and an electrical connecting element (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical connecting element (1) forms a fixed connection with a joining area (30) of the printed circuit board (2) and wherein the longitudinal plane of the electrical connecting element (1) is arranged coplanar to a printed circuit board plane of the printed circuit board (2).

8. Electrical assembly according to claim 7, wherein the electrical connecting element (1) is connected to the printed circuit board (2) by means of a solder layer.

9. Electrical assembly according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein a cooler is arranged at the joining area (30) of the circuit board (2), in particular by means of an insulating thermal conducting medium.

10. Electrical assembly according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the joining area (30) has a recess in an edge area (32) of the printed circuit board (2) for receiving the electrical connecting element (1).

11. Electrical assembly according to one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the joining area (30) has a metallic coating (31).

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