Conductive multilayer panel for the cockpit of vehicles, in particular motor vehicles

Abstract

A panel intended for the cockpit of a vehicle is conductive so that a large number of electrical and electronic devices can be installed inside the cockpit. The panel has a structure consisting of a plurality of layers of substantially equal shape and size, superimposed and firmly coupled to one another. One of the layers consists of a flexible printed circuit board that extends substantially over the entire surface of the panel, or at least over a substantial portion thereof, and that is provided with electrical connectors arranged at positions where the electrical and electronic devices associated with the dashboard are to be subsequently installed. Wired connections of electrical and electronic devices associated with the dashboard are eliminated. This entails a considerable simplification when making electrical connections to these electrical and electronic devices, as well as in the case of subsequent maintenance and/or repair work.

Claims

1. A conductive multi-layer panel for the cockpit of a vehicle, wherein the panel has a multilayer structure consisting of a plurality of layers of substantially equal shape and size, superimposed and firmly coupled to one another, wherein one of the layers of the multilayer structure consists of a flexible printed circuit board, the flexible printed circuit board extending at least over a substantial portion of the panel, wherein the flexible printed circuit board has cavities at seats intended to receive electrical and electronic devices, wherein electrical and electronic devices received in the cavities of the flexible printed circuit board have respective electrical connectors and are associated with the panel, and wherein the flexible printed circuit board is provided with conductive tracks extending up to a perimeter of the cavities.

2. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit board constitutes the extreme layer of said multilayer structure farthest from the cockpit.

3. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is provided with electrical connectors arranged at the perimeter of the cavities and wherein the electrical connectors of the flexible printed circuit board are adapted to connect directly to electrical connectors of the electrical and electronic devices associated with the panel.

4. The panel according to claim 3, wherein the electrical connectors of the flexible printed circuit board are made as rigid connectors integrated to the flexible printed circuit board.

5. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit board ensures both a transmission of control signal and a transmission of electric power supply.

6. The panel according to claim 5, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is provided with conductive tracks, and wherein the conductive tracks are used both for the transmission of control signals and for the transmission of electric power supply.

7. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer structure comprises a supporting layer, which is immediately adjacent to the flexible printed circuit board and acts as a mechanical support for the flexible printed circuit board.

8. The panel according to claim 7, wherein the multilayer structure further comprises an outer covering layer.

9. The panel according to claim 6, wherein the flexible printed circuit board and the outer covering layer are the opposite extreme layers of the multilayer structure, the flexible printed circuit board constituting the extreme layer of the multilayer structure farthest from the cockpit, and the outer covering layer constituting the extreme layer of the multilayer structure closest to the cockpit.

10. The panel according to claim 8, wherein one or more intermediate layers are sandwiched between the supporting layer and the outer covering layer.

11. The panel according to claim 10, wherein the supporting layer and the one or more intermediate layers are provided with through-holes for passage of the electrical connectors of the flexible printed circuit board.

12. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit board has a multilayer structure comprising a plurality of conductive layers made of a metal material and alternating with insulating layers made of a polymer material.

13. The panel according to claim 12, wherein the multilayer structure of the flexible printed circuit board has opposite extreme layers and the opposite extreme layers of the multilayer structure of the flexible printed circuit board are insulating layers.

14. The panel according to claim 12, wherein the multilayer structure of the flexible printed circuit board comprises one or more conductive layers made of a metal material provided with electro-conductive tracks and intended for power transmission, and one or more conductive layers made of a metal material provided with electro-conductive tracks and intended for control signal transmission.

15. The panel according to claim 14, wherein the one or more conductive layers made of a metal material provided with electro-conductive tracks and intended for power transmission and the one or more conductive layers made of a metal material provided with electro-conductive tracks and intended for control signal transmission are separated from one another and shielded by further conductive layers made of a metal material.

16. The panel according to claim 12, wherein the multilayer structure of the flexible printed circuit board comprises, starting from the end farthest from the cockpit of the vehicle: a first insulating layer made of a polymer material, having structural features; a first conductive layer made of a metal material with a shielding function; a second insulating layer made of a polymer material; one or more conductive layers made of a metal material with electro-conductive tracks for power transmission; a third insulating layer made of a polymer material; a second conductive layer made of a metal material with a shielding function; a fourth insulating layer made of a polymer material; one or more conductive layers made of a metal material with electro-conductive tracks for control signal transmission; a fifth insulating layer made of a polymer material; a third conductive layer made of a metal material with a shielding function; a sixth insulating layer made of a polymer material.

17. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle and the conductive multilayer panel is a panel for covering the cockpit of the motor vehicle.

18. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit board extends substantially throughout the entire panel.

19. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle and the conductive multilayer panel is a dashboard for a cockpit of the motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages will become more apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the annexed figures, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1a and 1b show the flexible printed circuit board of a dashboard for the cockpit of a motor vehicle made according to the invention, seen from different and opposite viewpoints;

(3) FIG. 1c shows, in an enlarged scale, a detail of FIG. 1a;

(4) FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically show the multilayer structure of a dashboard for the cockpit of a motor vehicle made according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 schematically shows the structure of a flexible printed circuit board according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(6) In the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, particular reference will be made to the application of the invention to the making of a conductive dashboard for the cockpit of a motor vehicle.

(7) However, this application should not be understood in a limiting sense and the invention can also be applied to other covering panels for the cockpit of vehicles, in particular motor vehicles, such as the covering panels for the doors of a motor vehicle.

(8) More generally, the invention can also be applied to other panels in the cockpit of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, on which electrical and electronic devices are installed to which control and power supply signals must be sent.

(9) The cockpit dashboard made according to the teachings of the present invention comprises a multilayer structure in which one of the layers consists of a flexible printed circuit board. Said flexible printed circuit board 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b.

(10) As can be seen from said Figures, according to the invention the term multilayer structure means a structure formed by a plurality of layers of equal shape and size, superimposed and firmly coupled to one another, and, as a result, the flexible printed circuit board 10 is sized and shaped so as to extend substantially over the entire surface of the dashboard, or at least over a substantial part thereof, and to follow the contour thereof.

(11) The layers of the multilayer structure can be coupled to one another, e.g. by mechanical coupling, gluing, welding (especially laser welding).

(12) In particular, said flexible printed circuit board 10 has cavities 12 at seats intended to receive the electrical and electronic devices intended to accommodate the electrical and electronic devices associated with the dashboard.

(13) Generally, said printed circuit board 10 may include a base body 14 made of a non-conductive material on which conductive tracks 16 are engraved (better visible in the enlarged scale detail in FIG. 1c).

(14) The non-conductive base body 14 can be made of a material such as polyimide or polyester, for example.

(15) The conductive tracks 16 can be made of copper, for example.

(16) The flexible printed circuit board 10 can be made by using photolithography or serigraph printing or electrochemical photoengraving techniques or any technique within the reach of the person skilled in the art.

(17) For example, it can be made by means of the photolithographic technique. The photolithographic technique involves depositing a conductive material (e.g. a metal material such as copper) on a non-conductive support (e.g. made of a polymer material) and subsequently depositing a photo resist. In order to achieve the desired pattern for conductive tracks, a variety of well-known techniques can be used, including direct writing with UV laser, shadow mask with UV lamp, etc. According to the photolithographic technique, the making of the flexible printed circuit board then includes the steps of developing the photo resist, etching the developed areas and stripping the residual photo resist until the desired result is obtained.

(18) Thanks to the fact that the flexible printed circuit board 10 extends substantially over the entire surface of the dashboard, the conductive tracks can extend up to the perimeter of each of the cavities 12 and, at the perimeter of said cavity, a connector 18 can be provided for the electrical connection of the electrical or electronic device housed in the cavity.

(19) In particular, connectors 18 provided at the different cavities 12 may be rigid connectors.

(20) Said rigid connectors are preferably integrated to the flexible printed circuit board 10.

(21) It will thus be evident to the person skilled in the art that the invention advantageously eliminates the need for wired connections.

(22) Advantageously, once the configuration of the dashboard and the arrangement of the electrical and electronic devices associated therewith have been determined during the design step, the connectors 18 will be positioned on the flexible printed circuit board 10 at the desired positions.

(23) This will allow a considerable simplification of the subsequent assembling operations, with a consequent reduction in manufacturing times.

(24) The conductive tracks 16 of the flexible printed circuit board 10 are preferably used for both control signal transmission and power transmission of the electrical power supply.

(25) The use of the flexible printed circuit board 10 will, in particular, allow the passage of high currents ensuring a reduced increase in temperature due to the Joule effect, thus eliminating the limitation of prior art regarding the maximum electrical current threshold.

(26) Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the multilayer structure of the dashboard according to the invention is shown schematically.

(27) Generally, said multilayer structure will comprise at leastin addition to the layer consisting of the flexible printed circuit board 10a supporting layer 20, which is immediately adjacent to the flexible printed circuit board 10 and acts as a mechanical support for said flexible printed circuit board 10, and an outer layer 30, which basically has the function of conferring the desired aesthetical appearance to the dashboard.

(28) As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flexible printed circuit board 10 forms an extreme layer of the multilayer structure, and in particular the layer farthest from the cockpit of the vehicle and closest to the bonnet and engine compartments between the layers of the multilayer structure of the dashboard according to the invention.

(29) In other words, the flexible printed circuit board 10 and the outer layer 30 are the opposite extreme layers of the multilayer structure of the dashboard.

(30) Due to the fact that the flexible printed circuit board 10 is the layer farthest from the cockpit of the vehicle, maintenance, repair and replacement will be particularly easy.

(31) In addition, if the multilayer panel according to the invention is used to make the dashboard for the cockpit of a vehicle, said flexible printed circuit board 10 will not risk interfering with the correct functioning of the airbags in the event of an accident.

(32) Between this flexible printed circuit board 10or more precisely between the support layer 20 adjacent theretoand the outer coating layer 30, additional intermediate layers may be placed, depending on the specific applications.

(33) The support layer 20, as well as the intermediate layersif anywill be provided with appropriate holes 22 in correspondence with the position of the connectors 18 of the flexible printed circuit board 10 for the passage of the connectors.

(34) As a non-limiting example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, between the support layer 20 and the external covering layer 30 there is a layer of foamed material (foam) 40 adapted to give a soft touch feeling to the dashboard.

(35) It will be evident to the person skilled in the art that the number and kind of the intermediate layers may vary from time to time according to specific needs.

(36) Althoughas described above and as illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1bthe flexible printed circuit board 10 can be made in the form of a base body 14 made of a non-conductive material on which conductive tracks 16 are engraved, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible printed circuit board 10 in turn comprises a multilayer structure formed by an alternation of insulating and conductive layers.

(37) This multilayer structure of the flexible printed circuit board 10 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4.

(38) Generally, said flexible printed circuit board 10 includes several conductive layers 10b, 10d, 10f, 10h, 10j made of a metal material (e.g. copper, aluminum) alternating with insulating layers 10a, 10c, 10e, 10g, 10i, 10k made of a polymer material (e.g. polyimide).

(39) The extreme layers 10a, 10k of said multilayer structure are preferably insulating layers.

(40) Said layers 10a-10k can be produced separately and then assembled to form a single body, for example by means of a laser welding process able to guarantee the complete functionality of the electronic circuits.

(41) In particular, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the multilayer structure of the flexible printed circuit board includes one or more conductive layers 10d equipped with electro-conductive tracks and dedicated to power transmission and one or more conductive layers 10h equipped with electro-conductive tracks and dedicated to control signal transmission.

(42) These two layers or groups of layers are separated from each other and shielded by additional metal layers 10b, 10f, 10j to avoid electromagnetic compatibility problems.

(43) Generally, the multilayer structure of said flexible printed circuit board 10 comprises, starting from the end farthest from the cockpit of the vehicle: a first insulating polymer layer 10a, also having structural features; a first metal layer 10b with a shielding function; a second insulating polymer layer 10c; one or more metal layers 10d with electro-conductive tracks for power transmission; a third insulating polymer layer 10e; a second metal layer 10f with a shielding function; a fourth insulating polymer layer 10g; one or more metal layers 10h with electro-conductive tracks for control signal transmission; a fifth insulating polymer layer 10i; a third metal layer 10j with a shielding function; a sixth insulating polymer layer 10k.

(44) It will be evident to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and numerous changes and modifications are possible within the scope defined by the appended claims.

(45) In particular, although in the embodiment described above reference has been made to the dashboard for the cockpit of a motor vehicle, this application should not be understood in a limiting sense and the invention can also be extended to other panels for the cockpit of vehicles, in particular to all those panels for the cockpit of a vehicle with which electrical and electronic devices are associated or may be associated.