RIBBON CABLE FOR DETECTING A BREAK, CONNECTION ASSEMBLY WITH COMPOSITE PANEL, METHOD FOR DETECTING A BREAK, AND USE OF THE RIBBON CABLE

Abstract

A ribbon cable having an additional conductor track for breaking detection, includes a carrier film having at least one electrical conductor track, wherein the carrier film has a first connection region at a first end and a second connection region at a second end, wherein the first connection region can be arranged between the two panes of a laminated pane and the second connection region can be guided out of the laminated pane between the two panes, and wherein the electrical conductor tracks can electrically contact an electrical functional element in the first connection region, wherein the carrier film has an additional conductor track which is designed to be loop-shaped, so that an ohmic resistance between the two ends of the additional conductor track can be measured.

Claims

1. A ribbon cable having an additional conductor track for breaking detection, comprising: a carrier film having at least one electrical conductor track, wherein the carrier film has a first connection region at a first end and a second connection region at a second end, wherein the first connection region is configured to be arranged between two panes of a laminated pane and the second connection region is configured to be guided out of the laminated pane between the two panes, and wherein the at least one electrical conductor tracks is configured to electrically contact an electrical functional element in the first connection region, wherein the carrier film has an additional conductor track which is configured to be loop-shaped, so that an ohmic resistance between two ends of the additional conductor track can be measured.

2. The ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein the additional conductor track is arranged in an edge region of the carrier film.

3. The ribbon cable according to claim 1 wherein the additional conductor track is guided substantially in a U-shaped manner around the first connection region.

4. The ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical conductor track and the additional conductor track are arranged next to one another in one plane or one above the other in at least two planes.

5. The ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical conductor track is arranged on a first surface of an electrically insulating carrier film and at least one further conductor track is arranged on a second surface of the electrically insulating carrier film.

6. The ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical conductor track and the additional conductor track are fixedly connected to a first surface or a second surface of the carrier film.

7. A connection assembly comprising: a laminated pane formed of a first pane and a second pane, which are connected areally to one another via a thermoplastic intermediate layer, an electrical functional element which is arranged between the first and second panes, a ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein the first connection region is arranged between the first and second panes and the second connection region is guided out of the laminated pane between the first and second panes, and wherein the at least one electrical conductor track electrically contacts the electrical functional element in the first connection region.

8. A method for breaking detection, comprising: a) providing a ribbon cable according to claim 1 or a connection assembly, b) measuring or calculating an ohmic reference resistance value R.sub.Ref between the ends of an undamaged additional conductor track, c) measuring an ohmic resistance between the ends of the additional conductor track and comparing the measured resistance value R.sub.Mess to the reference resistance value R.sub.Ref.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ribbon cable is considered defective if the measured ohmic resistance value R.sub.Mess deviates from the ohmic reference resistance value R.sub.Ref.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step c) is performed before and/or after the ribbon cable is arranged in a connection assembly.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step c) is carried out repeatedly, preferably before and/or after the ribbon cable is arranged in a connection assembly.

12. A method comprising providing a ribbon cable according to claim 1 or a connection assembly as a building glazing or vehicle glazing.

13. The ribbon cable according to claim 1, wherein the carrier film has at least two electrical conductor tracks.

14. The ribbon cable according to claim 4, wherein the at least one electrical conductor track and the additional conductor track are arranged in exactly two or exactly three or exactly four planes.

15. The ribbon cable according to claim 6, wherein the at least one electrical conductor track and the additional conductor track are fixedly connected to the first or second surface of the carrier film via an adhesive surface.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the ribbon cable is considered defective if the measured ohmic resistance value R.sub.Mess is increased from the ohmic reference resistance value R.sub.Ref.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the ribbon cable is considered defective if the measured ohmic resistance value R.sub.Mess is increased by more than 5% from the ohmic reference resistance value R.sub.Ref.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the ribbon cable is considered defective if the measured ohmic resistance value R.sub.Mess is increased by more than 10% from the ohmic reference resistance value R.sub.Ref.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the ribbon cable is considered defective if the measured ohmic resistance value R.sub.Mess is increased by more than 50% from the ohmic reference resistance value R.sub.Ref.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle glazing is a windshield, side panel, rear windshield or roof panel of a motor vehicle.

Description

[0084] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments, wherein reference is made to the accompanying figures. Elements that are identical or have the same effect are provided with the same reference signs. In a simplified, not-to-scale representation:

[0085] FIG. 1A is a schematic representation of the first connection region of a ribbon cable according to the invention,

[0086] FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view along the section line A-A of the ribbon cable according to the invention according to FIG. 1A,

[0087] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the ribbon cable according to FIG. 1A with a defect,

[0088] FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view of a laminated pane of a connection assembly according to the invention,

[0089] FIG. 3B is a detailed view of the connection assembly of FIG. 3A, and

[0090] FIG. 3C is a detailed view of a side face of the laminated pane of the connection assembly of FIG. 3A.

[0091] Reference is first made to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, in which a ribbon cable denoted overall by the reference numeral 11 is schematically illustrated.

[0092] FIG. 1A shows a schematic representation of the first connection region 6 of a ribbon cable 11 according to the invention. The first connection region 6 is located at a first end 5 of the ribbon cable 11.

[0093] FIG. 1B shows a schematic cross-sectional view along the section line A-A of the ribbon cable 11 according to the invention according to FIG. 1A.

[0094] For example, ten electrical conductor tracks 12 are arranged on a polymeric carrier film 24 and are bonded, for example, to the carrier film 24. The electrical conductor tracks 12 each open into a terminal electrode 15. Furthermore, an additional conductor track 13 is guided on the carrier film 24 substantially in a U-shaped manner around the first connection region 6 within the edge region of the carrier film 24. The additional conductor track 13 is, for example, glued to the carrier film 24. The distance from the additional conductor track 13 to the edge of the carrier film 24 is, for example, 3 mm.

[0095] The electrical conductor tracks 12 and the additional conductor track 13 consist, for example, of a thin copper, silver, tin, or gold film. The films can additionally be coated, e.g., silver-plated, gold-plated, or tin-plated. The thickness of the films is, for example, 35 ?m, 50 ?m, 75 ?m, or 100 ?m.

[0096] The carrier film 24, the electrical conductor tracks 12 and the additional conductor track 13 are covered with a cover film 25.1 and preferably glued thereto. A ribbon cable 11 is thus produced with embedded conductor tracks 12, 13, which are electrically insulated on the outside. The cover film 25.1 or the carrier film 24 are typically excluded in the regions of the terminal electrodes 15, so that the ribbon cable 11 can be electrically contacted there. Further portions of an insulating film 25.2 can be arranged between the individual conductor tracks 12, 13 and between the additional conductor track 13 and the edge of the carrier film 24.

[0097] For the material of the carrier film 24, films made of polyimide, and preferably black or yellow polyimide films (e.g., PI-MTB/MBC), for example, having a thickness of 25 ?m or of 50 ?m, are particularly suitable. Alternatively, polymer films made of PEN, preferably of white, black or transparent PEN, for example with a thickness of 25 ?m, may be used.

[0098] For the material of the cover film 25.1 and, where applicable, as insulating film 25.2, films made of polyimide, and preferably black or yellow polyimide films (e.g., PI-MTB/MBC), for example having a thickness of 25 ?m, are particularly suitable. Alternatively, polymer films made of PEN, and preferably of white PEN, for example having a thickness of 25 ?m, may be used.

[0099] Adhesive layers between carrier film 24, cover film 25.1, insulating film 25.2, electrical conductor track 12 and/or additional conductor track 13 can, for example, contain or consist of epoxy adhesives or thermoplastic adhesives. Typical thicknesses of the adhesive films are 25 ?m to 35 ?m. The adhesives may be transparent or colored, e.g., black.

[0100] By measuring the ohmic resistance R of the auxiliary line 13, for example via connections in the second connection region 8, damage to the ribbon cable 11 and the electrical conductor tracks 12 contained therein can be determined. The measurement can take place in a punctiform or continuous manner. When measuring the ohmic resistance R of an undamaged additional line 12, a low reference resistance value R.sub.Ref of typically a few milliohms (mohm) results. In

[0101] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the ribbon cable 11 according to FIG. 1A with a defect in a breaking region Z. In the breaking region Z, the two electrical conductor tracks 12 arranged on the left in the figure and the additional conductor track 13 are damaged and interrupted. The measured ohmic resistance value R.sub.Mess of the additional conductor track 13 is then very high, typically in the kiloohm (kohm) or megaohm (Mohm) range.

[0102] Such damage often results from excessive loading of the ribbon cable 11, for example after lamination into a laminated pane and bending of the ribbon cable 11 around a disk edge.

[0103] Furthermore, reference is made to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, in which a connection assembly denoted overall with the reference numeral 1 is schematically illustrated.

[0104] FIG. 3A shows a view through a laminated pane designated overall with the reference numeral 2.

[0105] FIG. 3B shows a detail of the laminated pane 2 in a plan view in the region in which a ribbon cable 11 according to the invention is guided out of the side face 2.1 of the laminated pane 2.

[0106] FIG. 3C shows a detail of the connection assembly 1 of FIG. 3A in a detailed view of a side face 2.1 of the laminated pane 2.

[0107] The connection assembly 1 comprises a laminated pane 2 which is designed here, for example, as a roof panel of a motor vehicle. As shown schematically in FIG. 3C, the laminated pane 2 comprises a first pane 3, which serves as an outer pane, and a second pane 4 as an inner pane. In this case, the inner pane is the pane directed towards the vehicle interior, while the outer pane points towards the vehicle environment. The surface of the outer pane that faces the vehicle environment (first pane 3) is referred to as surface I, as is usual in vehicle glazing technology, and the surface of the inner pane that faces the vehicle interior (second pane 4) is referred to as surface IV. The two panes 3, 4 consist, for example, of soda-lime glass. The two panes 3, 4 are fixedly connected to one another by two thermoplastic intermediate layers 9, for example made of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane (PU).

[0108] The laminated pane 2 is provided with an electrical functional element 10, which is located between the two panes 3, 4 and which is likewise shown merely schematically. The electrical functional element 10 may, for example, be a PDLC functional element which serves, for example, as an electrically controllable sun or privacy screen. The PDLC element is formed by a commercially available PDLC multilayer film which is embedded in the intermediate layer 9. For this purpose, the intermediate layer 9 comprises, for example, a total of three thermoplastic films (not shown) with a thickness of, for example, 0.38 mm of PVB, wherein a first thermoplastic film is connected to the first pane 3, and a second thermoplastic film is connected to the second pane 4, and wherein an intermediate thermoplastic frame film has a cutout into which the cut-to-size functional element 10 is inserted precisely. The third thermoplastic film thus forms as it were a kind of mount for the functional element 10, which is thus encapsulated by the thermoplastic material and protected thereby. This embedding of the PDLC element into a laminated pane 2 is well known to a person skilled in the art, so that a precise description is unnecessary. As is further known to a person skilled in the art, the PDLC element generally comprises an active layer between two flat electrodes and two carrier films. The active layer contains a polymer matrix with liquid crystals which are dispersed therein and which align as a function of the electrical voltage S applied to the planar electrodes, whereby the optical properties can be controlled.

[0109] The functional element 10 is here subdivided, for example, by insulation lines into nine segments 10.1. The segments 10.1 are designed like strips. The insulation lines between the segments 10.1 have, for example, a width of 40 ?m (micrometers) to 50 ?m. They may, for example, have been introduced into the prefabricated multilayer film by means of a laser.

[0110] The insulation lines separate in particular the flat electrodes of the functional element 10 into strips insulated from one another, each having a separate electrical connection. The segments 10.1 are thus switchable independently of one another.

[0111] The respective flat electrodes of the segments 10.1 are each individually contacted on the one side via portions of bus bars 28 (shown on the left in FIG. 1) and on the opposite side via a common bus bar 28 (shown on the right in FIG. 1). For example, ten independent electrical line connections are thus required here to apply a voltage to the respective individual bus bar portions of the new segments 10.1 and to the one common bus bar 28.

[0112] The laminate pane 1 furthermore has a ribbon cable 11. The bus bars 28 of the segments 10.1 of the functional element 10 are in each case electrically conductively connected to the ribbon cable 11 via electrical conductor wires 27, for example. A reliable electrically conductive connection is preferably achieved here by soldering the connection.

[0113] The functional element 2 is a PDLC functional element, which functions as a controllable sun or privacy screen. The driver or another vehicle occupant can operate the PDLC functional element, for example, via a touch control element depending on the sun position.

[0114] For controlling the nine independent segments 10.1 with a common opposing pole, the ribbon cable 11 has, for example, ten electrically insulated electrical conductor tracks 12.

[0115] It is understood that the ribbon cable 11 can be adapted to the respective conditions of actual use and can extend, for example, across two, three, or four planes. Alternatively or in combination, more or fewer conductor tracks per planes can be arranged next to one another.

[0116] As illustrated in the schematic realization as per FIG. 3B, the ribbon cable 11 is partially laminated into the laminated pane 2 and guided out of the laminated pane 2 between the two panes 3, 4. In FIG. 3B, the ribbon cable 11 is guided around the side face 2.1 of the second pane 4 and arranged on the surface IV of the second pane 4. For this purpose, the second pane 4 can have a recess, for example via a ground region (not shown here) in the exit region.

[0117] The ribbon cable 11 has a first connection region 6 and a second connection region 8, wherein the first connection region 6 is located at a first end 5 and the second connection region 8 is located at a second end 7 of the ribbon cable 11 along an extension direction of the ribbon cable 11. In the first connection region 6, the ribbon cable 11 has an electrode field with ten terminal electrodes 15 for electrical (e.g., galvanic) contacting of the functional element 10.

[0118] The ribbon cable 11 has a second connection region 8 at its second end 7. This is connected via a connecting element 14 to a round cable 26 in such a way that, for example, the individual conductor tracks 12 and the two ends of the additional conductor track 13 are each electrically contacted with individual cores of the round cable 26. At the end of the round cable 26 remote from the connecting element 14, for example, connection element 17, for example a plug or a socket, can be arranged for the further electrical connection, for example with an on-board electronics system.

[0119] The connecting element 14 and/or the connection element 17 can, for example, be arranged within a protective housing 19, which protects the connecting element 17 and/or the connection element 17 from mechanical damage during the lamination process.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0120] 1 Connection assembly [0121] 2 Laminated pane [0122] 2.1 Side or exit face [0123] 3 First pane [0124] 4 Second pane [0125] 5 First end [0126] 6 First connection region [0127] 7 Second end [0128] 8 Second connection region [0129] 9 intermediate layer [0130] 10 Electrical functional element [0131] 10.1 Segments [0132] 11 ribbon cable [0133] 12 Conductor track [0134] 13 Additional conductor track [0135] 14 Connecting region [0136] 15 Terminal electrode [0137] 17 Socket or plug [0138] 19 Protective housing [0139] 24 Carrier film [0140] 25.1 Cover film [0141] 25.2 Insulating film [0142] 26 Round cable [0143] 27 Conductor wire [0144] 28 bus bar [0145] 29 Exit point [0146] bF (maximum) width of the ribbon cable 11 [0147] bL (maximum) width of the conductor track 12 [0148] dF (maximum) thickness of the ribbon cable 11 [0149] dL (maximum) thickness of the conductor track 12 [0150] E1 Plane 1 [0151] A-A Cutting line [0152] Z Fracture region [0153] I, IV Surface