Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-09
2001-10-23
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With vehicle
C343S711000, C343S872000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06307515
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a contact device for an electrical functional element, for example an antenna or a heating apparatus, disposed on a window, in particular on a vehicle window, with a housing fixed on the window and comprising components, for example an amplifier, with an input connection between the housing and the functional element, which is also fixed on the window, and with output links.
The document DE-GM 75 27 621 discloses an antenna for radiophonic reception in motor vehicles, whose antenna conductors are installed on a window. For the direct linking of an antenna amplifier with these antenna conductors, the amplifier is here fitted inside a small housing and the latter in bonded to the window. Two antenna conductors, linked together in a conducting manner inside the housing of the amplifier, are liked directly to the input terminals of the amplifier and moreover also bonded to the window. At its output, the amplifier is connected by a multipole flat cable to the on-board network (supply voltage) and to the receiver apparatus, The flat cable is fixed along the rubber seal of the window, preferably wedged between the seal and the window. other details relating to the nature of the bonded joins do not appear in this document. Likewise, the latter does not describe the type of cables in greater detail.
The document DE-GM 72 20 420 also discloses a window with active antenna, in which an amplification capsule is bonded in a recess of the window and is placed in contact via elements for linking to the input and to the output. The connection between the antenna conductors and the amplification capsule is not discussed therein in greater detail.
The document DS-GM 72 27 083 discloses an arrangement of this type in which the active capsule of the antenna is accommodated in the base housing of an interior rear view mirror fixed to the window.
The document DE-C1-195 36 131 C1 discloses a multiple linking element for windows with antenna, in which several free contact lands and the corresponding conductor segments, mutually insulated, are clustered together on a heat-resistant sheet. The latter is provided, on its face turned towards the corresponding contact field on the window, with a narrow strip for hot bonding, which runs in a straight line, with a relatively small width, perpendicularly to the conductor segments. It can be bonded to the glass surface, before the contact lands are soldered or bonded by means of a conducting adhesive to the corresponding contact lands of the antenna conductors. In this way, the linking element can be positioned and fixed provisionally on the window, which carries the antenna conductors. The bonding strip serves moreover to relieve the tension on the contact zone proper.
It is also known practice (DE-A1-195 33 761) to arrange control circuits for window heating apparatus or automatic windscreen wipers, directly on the window to be heated; this control circuit can for example comprise a moisture detector as well as other switching means such as an amplifier and the like.
Conductors or electrical structures, which are disposed for example on or in a window, are frequently placed lastingly in contact with electrical or electronic components by soft soldering of contact lands made in a corresponding manner. Contacts with plugs or sprung contacts are also known (for example DE 1 196 330, DE-C2-36 04 437). Such contacts by purely mechanical effect are certainly simple to manipulate, however they are also subject to the corrosion of the contacts and to mechanical wear, which is caused for example by vibrations.
The document DE-A1-195 10 186 discloses the practice of linking electrical conductors disposed on a rigid substrate to braided wires of a flat cable, by removing the insulant on one side from the braided wires and by pressing the stripped sections of the latter onto the conductors on the substrate side by means of a clamping piece, with interposition of an adhesive containing electrically conducting particles. In this operation, this latter piece can even be bonded with the substrate and it then overlies the finished contact zone, relieving the tension. When using an adhesive which can be hardened by UV rays, the clamping piece must be made of glass. For regular operation of this contact device, the adhesive must be anisotropically conducting, that is to say the embedded conducting particles cannot effect a conductive connection stretching over too long a distance, so that two or more of two of the conductors to be bonded are not short-circuited.
The objective of the invention is to improve a contact device with a housing and an input connection to the electrical functional element in accordance with the state of the art mentioned in the introduction, in a manner which allows simple and reliable manipulation and mounting and good leaktightness against exterior influences.
In accordance with the invention, this aim is achieved by the characteristics of claim
1
and of the allied claim
7
. The characteristics of the secondary claims depending respectively on these independent claims indicate advantageous variants of these objectives.
According to a first solution in accordance with the invention, the housing and the input connection disposed outside the housing to be fixed on the window, are provided, on their face turned towards the functional element, with adhesive layers extending mutually, it being possible for the input connection to be linked by contact lands with corresponding contact lands of the electrical functional element installed on the window independently of the contact device and the corresponding adhesive layer exhibiting at least one recess in the region of the contact lands.
Thus, on the one hand a clear separation is effected between the contact device and the functional element. The contact device and respectively the integrated electrical components therein, such as an amplifier, may consequently be fabricated and tested independently of the functional element placed on the side of the window.
On the other hand, the contact lands are, after the fitting and pressing of the input connection provided with the adhesive layer, protected in a dependably manner against exterior influences such as moisture or soiling. Likewise the adhesive layer offers the contact zone protection against mechanical actions during the mounting of the window and after fitting the latter. This configuration makes it possible to mount the entire contact device in a single manipulation or also in a mechanized manner on the window.
In a particularly advantageous manner, the input connection is made in the form of a sheet cable which is completely covered by the adhesive layer on its side turned towards the window, except for the at least one recess in the region of the contact lands. A particularly large bonding surface is thus created, optimally suitable both as a seal and to relieve the tension.
The adhesive layer is not in general electrically conducting. It must be sufficiently thick to be able to compensate for any irregularities such as curvature of the windows. Appropriate available adhesives can be extruded; they are however also available in the form of sheets, if necessary also with adhesive action on both faces. These acrylic-based adhesives are even approved for exterior applications in the field of motor vehicles and thus guarantee long lifetime in relation to the case of application described here.
It may be judicious to make the adhesive layer thicker at the housing than that of the input connection. The latter will as a general rule be flexible, whilst the housing containing the amplifier and/or other electronic components on a board is rigid and does not adapt to irregularities or to curvatures of the support. This thicker adhesive layer must afford compensation with regard to this point. For this purpose, its consistency is preferably that of a foam with closed pores. For example, adhesives available under the commercial label 3M Loctac 582 may be used here. In the region of the input connection, an adhesive available under
Maeuser Helmut
Sauer Gerd
Chen Shih-Chao
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Saint-Gobain Vitrage
Wong Don
LandOfFree
Contact device for an electrical functional element disposed... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Contact device for an electrical functional element disposed..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Contact device for an electrical functional element disposed... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2575888