ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

Abstract

An electrical assembly is presented herein. The electrical assembly includes a first printed circuit board having a planar first substrate and a first conductive trace disposed thereon, a second printed circuit board distinct from the first printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board having a planar second substrate and a second conductive trace disposed thereon, and an electrically conductive device having at least two terminals interconnecting the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace. A method of assembling an electrical distribution center is also presented.

Claims

1. An electrical assembly, comprising: a first printed circuit board having a planar first substrate and a first conductive trace disposed thereon connected to a first terminal; a second printed circuit board distinct from the first printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board having a planar second substrate and a second conductive trace disposed thereon connected to a second terminal; and an electrically conductive device selected from a list consisting of relay modules and diode modules, the electrically conductive device having first and second mating terminals connected to the first and second terminals, thereby electrically and mechanically interconnecting the first conductive trace on the first printed circuit board to the second conductive trace on the second printed circuit board via the electrically conductive device.

2.-4. (canceled)

5. The electrical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate is noncoplanar with the second substrate.

6. The electrical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate is nonparallel with the second substrate.

7. (canceled)

8. The electrical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second terminals are first and second female tuning fork terminals.

9. The electrical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical assembly is electrical center configured for use in a motor vehicle.

10. A method of assembling an electrical distribution center, comprising: providing a first printed circuit board having a planar first substrate and a first conductive trace disposed thereon connected to a first terminal; providing a second printed circuit board distinct from the first printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board having a planar second substrate and a second conductive trace disposed thereon connected to a second terminal; selecting an electrically conductive device having first and second mating terminals from a list consisting of relay modules and diode modules; and connecting the first and second mating terminals of the electrically conductive device to the first and second terminals, thereby interconnecting the first conductive trace on the first printed circuit board to the second conductive trace on the second printed circuit board.

11.-13. (canceled)

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising arranging the first substrate to be noncoplanar with the second substrate.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising arranging the first substrate to be nonparallel with the second substrate.

16. (canceled)

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first and second terminals are first and second female tuning fork terminals.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electrical distribution center is configured for use in a motor vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 10, further comprising disposing the electrical distribution center in a motor vehicle.

20. (canceled)

21. The electrical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive device has only two mating terminals.

22. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electrically conductive device has only two mating terminals.

23. The electrical assembly according to claim 8, wherein the first and second mating terminals are male blade terminals that are received within the first and second female tuning fork terminals.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first and second mating terminals are male blade terminals that are received within the first and second female tuning fork terminals.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical assembly according to some embodiments;

[0026] FIG. 2 is top view of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a side view of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments;

[0028] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the electrical assembly of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments; and

[0029] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of assembling an electrical distribution center according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The problem of having complex stamped metal bus bar designs or having unnecessary area on a printed circuit board is solved through the implementation of a modular electrical center design. Depending on the design layout various ways to achieve these are possible. Separating individual circuits into a separate printed circuit boards on which the used area of the printed circuit board is maximized and the unused area of the printed circuit board is minimized and interconnecting these separate printed circuit real state area through electrical devices, e.g. fuses or relays or small stamped metal jumpers. This solution also helps with the vertical direction constraints on the electrical center packaging, as the various printed circuit boards can be arranged at different positions on the vertical axis, therefore allowing the electrical center designer to optimize the vertical position of a given particular group of devices in the electrical center.

[0031] This application is directed to an electrical assembly which in the illustrated example in FIGS. 1-4 is an electrical center designed for use in a motor vehicle. As shown, the electrical assembly, hereinafter referred to as the assembly 10 includes a first printed circuit board 12 and a separate second printed circuit board 14. Each of the first and second printed circuit boards 12, 14 includes a circuit board substrate 16, 18 and at least one conductive trace disposed on a surface of the circuit board substrate 16, 18 or within the circuit board substrate 16, 18. The circuit board substrates 16, 18 may be formed of epoxy or polyimide resins. The resin may be reinforced with a woven glass cloth or other matrix such as chopped fibers. Circuit board substrates formed of such materials are typically referred to as FR-4 or G-10 type circuit boards. The circuit board substrates 16, 18 may alternatively be constructed of ceramic or rigid polymer materials. This listing of acceptable substrate materials is not exhaustive and other materials may also be used successfully. A layer of conductive material, such as a copper-based material is electroplated on at least one major surface of each circuit board substrate 16, 18. The layer of conductive material is then formed to create the conductive traces, typically by using a chemical etching process.

[0032] The first and second printed circuit boards 12, 14 each include a female tuning fork terminal 20 attached to the respective conductive traces. The first and second printed circuit boards 12, 14 are electrically and mechanically interconnected by an electrically conductive device 22 having two male blade terminals 24 received within the female tuning fork terminals 20, thereby interconnecting the first conductive trace on the first printed circuit board 12 to the second conductive trace on the second circuit board 14. In the illustrated example, the electrically conductive device 22 is a relay module, however in alternative embodiments, the electrically conductive device 22 may be a fuse module, diode module, or a jumper formed of sheet metal. The printed circuit board terminals 20 and electrical device terminals 24 are not limited to the terminal types illustrated but may be any combination of compatible terminal types.

[0033] The first and second printed circuit boards 12, 14 and the electrically conductive device may be housed in electrically insulative housings 26 (see FIG. 1) that are contained in an electrically insulative case (not shown).

[0034] The second printed circuit board 14 may be arranged such that its major surface is not coplanar with the major surface of the first circuit board 12. In addition, the second printed circuit board 14 may be arranged such that its major surface is not parallel with, or may be perpendicular to, the major surface of the first circuit board 12. Arranging the second circuit board 14 to be nonplanar and/or nonparallel to the first circuit board 12 may provide a reduction in the overall packaging size of the assembly 10. In addition, the inventors have been able to realize a reduction in printed circuit board area of at least 45% which provides material cost savings for the material required to manufacture the first and second circuit boards 12, 14.

[0035] In the nonlimiting illustrated example, the first printed circuit board 12 is a motherboard 12, and the second printed circuit board 14 is one of the four daughterboards 14. In the illustrated example, each of the four daughterboards 14 are electrically and mechanically interconnected to the motherboard 12 by a relay module 22. The motherboard 12 may be connected to the vehicle electrical power supply while the daughterboards 14 are connected to various circuits in the vehicle to provide electrical protection and control for those circuits

[0036] A method 100 for of assembling an electrical distribution center, such as the assembly 10 described above is also presented herein. The method 100 includes the following steps:

[0037] STEP 102, PROVIDE A FIRST PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD HAVING A PLANAR FIRST SUBSTRATE AND A FIRST CONDUCTIVE TRACE DISPOSED THEREON, includes providing a first printed circuit board 12 having a planar first substrate 16 and a first conductive trace disposed thereon;

[0038] STEP 104, PROVIDE A SECOND PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD HAVING A PLANAR SECOND SUBSTRATE AND A SECOND CONDUCTIVE TRACE DISPOSED THEREON, includes providing a second printed circuit board 14 having a planar second substrate 18 and a second conductive trace disposed thereon; and

[0039] STEP 106, INTERCONNECT THE FIRST CONDUCTIVE TRACE TO THE SECOND CONDUCTIVE TRACE VIA AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE DEVICE HAVING AT LEAST TWO TERMINALS, includes interconnecting the first conductive trace to the second conductive trace via an electrically conductive device 22 having at least two terminals 24. The electrically conductive device 22 may be a relay, a fuse, or a jumper in which case the method 100 may further include an optional step of forming the electrically conductive device 22 from sheet metal to provide a jumper.

[0040] Prior to STEP 106, the method 100 may include the optional steps of arranging the first substrate 16 to be noncoplanar with the second substrate 18 and/or arranging the first substrate 16 to be nonparallel with the second substrate 18. The first printed circuit board 12 may include a first terminal 20 and the second printed circuit board 14 may include a second terminal 20. In this case, STEP 106 further includes electrically and mechanically interconnecting the electrically conductive device 22 between the first and second terminals 20 via engagement of two of the terminals 24 on the electrically conductive device 22 with the first and second terminals 20.

[0041] Following STEP 106, the method 100 may further include the step of disposing the electrical distribution center in a motor vehicle.

[0042] While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s), but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.