Bridge Element for Establishing an Electrical Connection, and Arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021028564-A1
Application number	US-201916980729-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2018
Publication date	Jan 28, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A bridge element (3) for establishing an electrical connection and at least one mechanical connection between an actuator (1) and a bridge element (3) for a transmission control unit of a transmission includes first electrical contacts (5a, 6a) and second electrical contacts (5b, 6b), which are connected to the first electrical contacts (5a, 6a) with electrical conductors (5, 6), and at least first mechanical connecting elements (7, 8) proximate the first electrical contacts (5a, 6a).

First claim

1 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . A bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) for establishing an electrical connection between an actuator ( 1 , 21 , 41 , 61 , 81 , 101 ) and an electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 42 , 62 , 82 , 102 ) and at least one mechanical connection between the actuator ( 1 , 21 , 41 , 61 , 81 , 101 ) and the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) in a transmission control unit of a transmission, comprising:
first electrical contacts ( 5 a , 6 a , 25 a , 26 a , 45 a , 46 a , 65 a , 66 a , 105 a , 106 a ); second electrical contacts ( 5 b , 6 b , 25 b , 26 b , 45 b , 46 b , 65 b , 66 b , 105 b , 106 b ) connected to the first electrical contacts ( 5 a , 6 a , 25 a , 26 a , 45 a , 46 a , 65 a , 66 a , 105 a , 106 a ) with electrical conductors ( 5 , 6 , 25 , 26 , 45 , 46 , 65 , 66 , 85 , 105 , 106 ) for the electrical connection between the actuator ( 1 , 21 , 41 , 61 , 81 , 101 ) and the electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 42 , 62 , 82 , 102 ); and first mechanical connecting elements ( 7 , 8 ) positioned proximate the first electrical contacts ( 5 a , 6 a , 25 a , 26 a , 45 a , 46 a , 65 a , 66 a , 105 a , 106 a ) and configured for the mechanical connection between the actuator ( 1 , 21 , 41 , 61 , 81 , 101 ) and the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ).

23 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , further comprising second mechanical connecting elements ( 9 , 10 ) positioned proximate the second electrical contacts ( 5 b , 6 b ) and configured for a mechanical connection between the bridge element ( 3 ) and the electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 2 , 62 , 82 , 102 ).

24 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 23 , wherein the second mechanical connecting elements ( 9 , 10 ) are detent or snap-in connectors.

25 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the first mechanical connecting elements ( 7 , 8 ) are detent or snap-in connectors.

26 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the first electrical contacts are spring pressure contacts ( 5 a , 6 a , 25 a , 26 a , 45 a , 46 a ) or knife/fork contacts ( 65 a , 66 a , 71 , 105 a , 107 ).

27 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 26 , wherein the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) has a longitudinal or plug-in axis (a) and a pressure direction (F 1 ) of the first electrical contacts, which are spring pressure contacts ( 5 a , 6 a ), extends essentially perpendicularly to the longitudinal or plug-in axis (a).

28 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the second electrical contacts are spring pressure contacts ( 5 b , 6 b , 25 b , 26 b , 105 b , 106 b ) or pin/hole plug contacts ( 45 b , 46 b , 65 b , 66 b ).

29 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 28 , wherein the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) has a longitudinal or plug-in axis (a), and the pressure direction (F 2 ) of the second electrical contacts, which are spring pressure contacts ( 5 b , 6 b , 105 b , 106 b ), extends in the direction of the longitudinal or plug-in axis (a).

30 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 42 , 62 , 82 , 102 ) is a printed circuit board or a coated stamped grid.

31 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the first electrical contacts ( 5 a , 6 a , 25 a , 26 a , 45 a , 46 a ), the second electrical contacts ( 5 b , 6 b , 25 b , 26 b , 45 b , 46 b ), and the electrical conductors are contact spring wire ( 5 , 6 , 25 , 26 , 45 , 46 ).

32 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the first electrical contacts ( 65 a , 66 a , 105 a , 106 a ), the second electrical contacts ( 65 b , 66 b , 105 b , 106 b ), and the electrical conductors ( 65 , 66 , 105 , 106 ) are sheet metal strips.

33 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein a labyrinth sealing ( 15 , 16 ; 90 ; 115 , 116 ) is formed between one or more of the electrical conductors ( 5 , 25 , 45 , 65 , 85 , 105 ) on one side of the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) and one or more of the electrical conductors ( 6 , 26 , 46 , 66 , 86 , 106 ) on the other side of the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ).

34 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 33 , wherein the labyrinth sealing comprises a groove ( 15 , 115 ) and a ridge ( 16 , 116 ) engaging into the groove ( 15 , 115 ).

35 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) comprises two mutually joinable housing halves ( 3 a , 3 b , 63 a , 63 b , 83 a , 83 b , 103 a , 103 b ), and the electrical conductors ( 5 , 6 , 25 , 26 , 45 , 46 , 65 , 66 , 85 , 86 , 105 , 106 ) are accommodated and fixed in or between the two mutually joinable housing halves ( 3 a , 3 b , 63 a , 63 b , 83 a , 83 b , 103 a , 103 b ).

36 . The bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 , wherein the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) comprises a housing or housing part ( 3 a , 3 b , 63 a , 63 b , 83 a , 83 b , 103 a , 103 b ), and the electrical conductors ( 5 , 6 , 65 , 66 , 85 , 86 , 105 , 106 ) are molded and fixed into the housing or housing part ( 3 a , 3 b , 63 a , 63 b , 83 a , 83 b , 103 a , 103 b ).

37 . An arrangement for an electrical connection of an actuator ( 1 , 21 , 41 , 61 , 81 , 101 ) comprising first electrical connection contacts ( 11 , 12 , 31 , 32 , 71 , 107 ) and an electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 42 , 62 , 82 , 102 ) comprising second electrical connection contacts in a transmission control unit of a transmission, comprising the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ) of claim 22 .

38 . The arrangement as of claim 37 , wherein the first electrical connection contacts of the actuator ( 1 , 21 , 41 , 61 , 81 , 101 ) are contact pins ( 11 , 12 , 31 , 32 ) and, together with the first electrical contacts ( 5 a , 6 a , 107 a , 108 a , 207 a , 208 a ) of the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ), form first contactings.

39 . The arrangement of claim 37 , wherein the second electrical connection contacts of the electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 42 , 62 , 82 , 102 ) are contact surfaces on a surface of the electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 42 , 62 , 82 , 102 ) or hole contacts and form second contactings.

40 . The arrangement of claim 37 , wherein the electronic circuit arrangement ( 2 , 22 , 42 , 62 , 82 , 102 ) comprises openings for form-locking and/or force-locking accommodation of the second mechanical connecting elements ( 9 , 10 ) of the bridge element ( 3 , 23 , 43 , 63 , 83 , 103 ).

41 . The arrangement as claimed of

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Moosmann Markus
• Pawlak Florian
• Nusser Tobias
• Mayr Karlheinz
• Schmidt Thilo

Classifications

• H01R12/7052

  characterised by the locating members · CPC title

• H01R13/5202

  Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings · CPC title

• H01R12/7023 Primary

  integral with the coupling device · CPC title

• F16H61/688 Primary

  with two inputs, e.g. selection of one of two torque-flow paths by clutches · CPC title

• H01R12/7076 Primary

  for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display · CPC title