Crimp connection for mesh shielding material used in steering wheel with capacitive sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10056702-B2
Application number	US-201615296495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Nov 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

An example assembly includes an electrically conductive member, an electrically conductive mesh, and a crimp connector. The electrically conductive mesh includes a first area and a second area. The first area is twisted and extends from the second area. One of the electrically conductive member and the twisted first area is twisted around the other of the electrically conductive member and the twisted first area to form a twisted connection. The crimp connector is crimped onto the twisted connection to form a crimped connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising:
an electrically conductive member;
an electrically conductive mesh comprising:
a second area that extends along a second longitudinal axis; and
a first area that is twisted and extends from the second area along a first longitudinal axis that is transverse to the second longitudinal axis;
wherein one of the electrically conductive member and the twisted first area is twisted around the other of the electrically conductive member and the twisted first area to form a twisted connection;

a crimp connector that is crimped onto the twisted connection to form a crimped connection, wherein the first area of the electrically conductive mesh, including the crimped connection, is folded onto the second area of the electrically conductive mesh; and
a covering adhered onto the second area of the electrically conductive mesh that encloses the crimped connection between the covering and the second area of the electrically conductive mesh.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first area of the electrically conductive mesh comprises a rectangular tab, and wherein the second area of the electrically conductive mesh is larger than the first area of the electrically conductive mesh.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive member is a wire, and wherein the wire and the twisted first area are twisted around each other to form the twisted connection.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive mesh comprises a plurality of rows of loops that are interlocked and electrically conductive and the loops of each row wrap about legs of the loops in an adjacent row.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive mesh comprises aluminum, copper, or tungsten.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive mesh comprises a nickel-copper alloy.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
a steering wheel core; and
an aesthetic cover that is wrapped around the steering wheel core;
wherein the second area of the electrically conductive mesh is wrapped around the steering wheel core, and is at least partially situated between the steering wheel core and the aesthetic cover.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , comprising:
a capacitive sensor situated between the aesthetic cover and the second area of the electrically conductive mesh; and
a heating element situated between steering wheel core and the second area of the electrically conductive mesh;
wherein the second area of the electrically conductive mesh is configured as an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield to shield the capacitive sensor from EMI of the heating element.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first area and the second area are both meshed areas.

10. A method of electrically connecting an electrically conductive member to an electrically conductive mesh, comprising:
twisting a first area of the electrically conductive mesh, which extends along a first longitudinal axis from a second area of the electrically conductive mesh, to form a twisted mesh area, wherein the second area extends along a second longitudinal axis that is transverse to the first longitudinal axis;
twisting one of the electrically conductive member and the twisted mesh area around the other of the electrically conductive member and the twisted mesh area to form a twisted connection;
crimping a crimp connector over the twisted connection to form a crimped connection;
folding the first area of the electrically conductive mesh, including the crimped connection, onto the second area of the electrically conductive mesh; and
adhering a covering onto the second area of the electrically conductive mesh that encloses the crimped connection between the covering and the second area of the electrically conductive mesh.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first area of the electrically conductive mesh comprises a rectangular tab, and wherein the second area of the electrically conductive mesh is larger than the first area of the electrically conductive mesh.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrically conductive member is a wire, and wherein twisting one of the wire and the twisted mesh area around the other of the wire and the twisted mesh area to form a twisted connection comprises twisting the wire and the twisted mesh area around each other.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein prior to the crimping, the crimp connector has a cylindrical shape.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrically conductive mesh comprises a plurality of rows of loops that are interlocked and electrically conductive and the loops of each row wrap about legs of the loops in an adjacent row.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrically conductive mesh comprises aluminum, copper, or tungsten.

16. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
wrapping the electrically conductive mesh around a steering wheel core; and
wrapping a capacitive sensor layer around the steering wheel core, such that the electrically conductive mesh is situated between the steering wheel core and the capacitive sensor layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising:
wrapping a heating element around the steering wheel core, such that the heating element is situated between the steering wheel core and the electrically conductive mesh.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first area and the second area are both meshed areas.

19. A steering wheel assembly, comprising:
a steering wheel core;
an electrically conductive shield layer; and
a sensor layer;
wherein each of the shield layer and sensor layer at least partially surround the steering wheel core;
wherein the shield layer is situated between the steering wheel core and the sensor layer; and
wherein the shield layer comprises an electrically conductive mesh that comprises a nickel-copper alloy.

20. The steering wheel assembly of claim 19 , wherein the electrically conductive mesh is knitted and includes a plurality of rows of loops that are interlocked and electrically conductive, and the loops of each row wrap about legs of the loops in an adjacent row.

Assignees

• Gentherm Inc
• Gentherm Inc

Inventors

• De La Garza Fernandez Gerardo Edel
• Gonzalez Reyes Carlos Alberto

Classifications

• H01R43/048

  Crimping apparatus or processes (H01R43/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R4/20 Primary

  using a crimping sleeve {(H01R4/01 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01R4/12

  by twisting · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R4/70

  Insulation of connections (end caps H01R4/22) · CPC title