Glazing Electrical Connector with Adhesive Receptacle
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flat cable electrical connectors on glazings interfere with adhesive beads, creating gaps that allow water ingress, as the beads fail to adhere properly to the connectors or adjacent regions, leading to ineffective sealing against water.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring a flat region with discontinuities on its sides, which forms a receptacle for the adhesive bead, ensuring a seal against water ingress, and an adhesive layer integrated with the connector for enhanced bonding and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional flat cable electrical connector is mounted on a glazing, then the electrical connection is established, but the adhesive bead cannot properly adhere to the connector or adjacent regions, creating gaps that allow water ingress
Solution Approach 1:
The flat cable is divided into a body portion and a protruding portion that extends beyond the glazing surface. This segmentation allows the adhesive bead to wrap around the protruding portion, creating multiple adhesion zones and eliminating gaps that would allow water ingress.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connector is extended from a two-dimensional flat cable into the third dimension by creating a protruding portion that extends beyond the glazing surface. This dimensional change provides a surface for the adhesive bead to adhere to in multiple directions, ensuring complete sealing.
2Strength
If the flat cable is pressed against the vehicle body, then mechanical connection is achieved, but gaps remain between the adhesive bead, flat cable and glazing, forming water channels
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding portion is pre-formed on the flat cable before assembly, creating a built-in receptacle structure. This preliminary action ensures that when the adhesive bead is applied and the assembly is pressed together, the adhesive naturally fills the protruding portion, preventing water channel formation.
3Reliability
If a wide flat cable is used for electrical connection, then electrical conductivity is improved, but the adhesive bead application is obstructed, preventing proper sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The flat cable is segmented into a wide body portion for electrical connection and a narrower protruding portion for adhesive bonding. This segmentation maintains the electrical conductivity benefits of a wide cable while creating a geometry that allows proper adhesive bead application and sealing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively blocks water channels between the adhesive bead, glazing, and electrical connector, providing a reliable seal against water ingress in applications like vehicle windows and digital signage.
Implementation Method 1
having a first surface for bonding to a glazing via an adhesive layer
Implementation Method 2
having a second surface for bonding to a flange of an aperture via an adhesive bead
Implementation Method 3
the discontinuity forms a receptacle for receiving an adhesive bead to form a seal against water ingress
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~5b
Figure 6~6a
AI summary
An electrical connector (1) for connecting to an electrical component in or on a glazing, comprising at least one electrical conductor (2) having first and second ends (3, 4); a layer (5) at least partly covering the at least one electrical conductor and located between the first and second ends, wherein the layer comprises a flat region (7) having a first surface (7') for bonding to a glazing (10) via an adhesive layer (15) and having a second surface (7'') for bonding to a flange (31) of an aperture (30) via an adhesive bead (20) and having at least two straight sides (8) and a discontinuity (9, 9') arranged in each of the at least two straight sides (8) so that in use mounted on a glazing (10) the discontinuity (9, 9') forms a receptacle for receiving an adhesive bead (20) to form a seal against water ingress along each of the two straight sides (8).