Structure and mechanism for electrically-connecting an external-conductor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897024-B2
Application number	US-202017602734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a structure for electrically-connecting an external conductor. The structure comprises a wiring-substrate comprising a stack based arrangement of a plurality of layers, wherein said layers are defined as electrically conducting layers and insulating layer. A rivet is supported from the wiring substrate and comprises an embedded portion within the wiring substrate. The embedded portion comprises: an upper section extending through the stack of the plurality of layers, and, a bottom section extending laterally with reference to the upper section. A portion protruding from wiring substrate is provided for receiving an external-conductor and for thereby electrically connecting with the wiring substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A structure for electrically connecting an external conductor, said structure comprising: a wiring substrate comprising a stack based arrangement of a plurality of layers, said layers defined as electrically conducting layers and insulating layer; and a rivet supported from the wiring substrate, said rivet comprising: a) an embedded portion within the wiring substrate, wherein said embedded-portion comprises: an upper section extending through the stack of the plurality of layers; and a bottom section extending laterally with reference to the upper section; and b) a portion protruding from wiring substrate for receiving an external conductor and thereby electrically connecting with the wiring substrate, wherein the wiring substrate is a printed circuit substrate (PCB) composed of a pattern of dielectric layers and copper layers; and
wherein the bottom section is embedded within the insulating layer of the wiring substrate, the insulating layer corresponding to a non-conducting substrate of the PCB.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said external conductor is a high-current carrying conductor comprising at least one of: a bus bar shaped to be connected with the rivet; and a power-cable having a crimp connector.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion of the rivet acts as a terminal-post to connect the external conductors with the wiring substrate.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rivet is embedded within the wiring substrate through the friction riveting process.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bottom section is anchored within the wiring substrate in a positive-locking manner.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the bottom section of the rivet is laterally extended with respect to the upper section owing to plasticization and deformation underwent by the bottom section during the friction riveting process.

7. The structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the laterally extended bottom section corresponds to an arched configuration defining a diameter, said diameter of arched configuration being greater than a diameter of the upper section.

8. The structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a supporting-substrate providing a base for supporting the wiring substrate.

9. The structure as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the supporting substrate receives the bottom section of the rivet for assisting the embedding of the rivet within the wiring substrate.

10. The structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a fastener for rigidly holding the external conductor to the protruding portion of rivet.

11. A structure for electrically connecting an external conductor, said structure comprising: a wiring substrate comprising a stack based arrangement of a plurality of layers, said layers defined by electrically conducting layer and insulating layers; at least one rivet embedded within the wiring substrate, said rivet comprising an upper section extending through the stack of the plurality of layers, and a bottom section extending laterally within the wiring substrate with reference to the upper section; and a metallic-post vertically extending from the upper section of the rivet for receiving an external conductor and thereby electrically connecting the conductor with the wiring substrate via the rivet, wherein the wiring substrate is a printed circuit substrate (PCB) composed of a pattern of dielectric layers and copper layers; and wherein the bottom section is embedded within the insulating layer of the wiring substrate, the insulating layer corresponding to a non-conducting substrate of the PCB.

12. The structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the metallic post is vertically connected to a segment of the rivet protruding from the wiring substrate to define an electrical connection with the rivet, said connection being at least one of a welded or soldered connection.

13. The structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the metallic post is vertically connected to a segment of the rivet sitting flush the wiring substrate to define an electrical connection with the rivet, said connection being at least one of a welded or soldered connection.

14. The structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the rivet is embedded within the wiring substrate through the friction riveting process.

15. The structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the bottom section is anchored within the wiring substrate in a positive-locking manner.

16. The structure as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the bottom section of the rivet is laterally extended with respect to the upper section owing to plasticization and deformation underwent by the bottom section during the friction riveting process.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Richter Max
• Bartz Olaf

Classifications

• B21K1/62 Primary

  special rivets, e.g. with electrical contacts · CPC title

• B21J15/027

  Setting rivets by friction heating · CPC title

• B23K20/1295

  Welding studs · CPC title

• H05K1/0263

  High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board (H05K1/0293 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/05

  Insulated {conductive substrates, e.g. insulated} metal substrate · CPC title