Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~(97 9L3~L~3
PHN 8433C
The invention relates to a support
having a pattern of electrically conductive traeks,
to which support ;s secured a current conductor of
an electrical element wh~ch is in electrical con-
tact with a track of the pattern. Such a support
is disclosed in United States Patent Speciflcation
39894,236.
The known support is used in a flash
bulb unit having several flash bulbs. The current
conductors of the bulbs are slid in metal lead-
through sleeves each provided in an aperture in
the support and are secured by bending, a bent
edge of the sleeve making the electrical contact
wi~h a track of the circuit. Thus an extra com-
ponent is necessary to connect the current con-
ductors to the support and the circui~ prov1ded
thereon. This is a drawback. For the connection
of a current conductor several operations are
necessary in which in addition the introduction
o~ a leadthrough sleeve in the support and the
insertion of a current conductor in the sleeve
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requires an accurate alignment of the two com-
; ponents. These operations result in a long
assembly time. ~;
It is the object~of the invention to
provide a support of the kind mentioned ln the
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preamble to which the current conductor ~s secured
in a simple and rapid manner, without the use of an
extra connection component, and in electrical con-
tact with a track of the pattern.
For that purpose the support according to
the invention is character~zed ~n that in a~ least
two placed the current conductor 1s sunk at least
partly in the surface of the suppor~ and is enclosed
by the support material, between which connection
places the current conductor is in electrical con- ~`
tact with the track of the pattern. The current con-
ductor is situated between the connection places on
or above the support surface and presses against the
track.
If the connection places are present on
either side of the trackg they will preferably be
chosen near the edge of the track so that the cur-
rent conductor forms an electrical contact with the
edge of the track. Under the influence of the clamp-
; 20 ing effect of the part of the current conductor
situated between the connection places, the edge of
the track is deformed to form a groove at the area
of the conductor, and the electr~cal contact place
; ls enlarged. According as the material of the
current conductor is stiffer, the distance between
the mechanical connection place and the electrical
contact place may be chosen to be larger.
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~L(~7 ~L3~L~3 PHN 8433C
The support may consist of a thermoplastic
synthetic resin, for example polystyrene, polymetha-
crylate or a partly cured thermocuring synthetic
resin, which still becomes plastic upon heating.
The electrically conductlve tracks may be
proYided on the surface of the support by means of
silk screening, transfer-printing or another tech-
nique, for example the electrolytic covering, the
electroless cover1ng, or the local etching away of
a conductive layer, and may be ~ormed from a metal,
for example silver, nickel, tin or other readily
conductive materials, for example graphite. The
thickness of the track generally is between lO and
lOO microns.
lS In order to increase the distance between
the tracks, the support sur~ace may be provided with
grooves and/or ridges extending between the tracks.
The support according to the invention
may be used in lamp unit having one or more flash
bulbs or glow lamps, and in c~rcu~t arrangements in
wh~ch electrical components, such as resistors and
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glow light starters with associated capacitors are
incorporated.
Generally~ a contact resistance lying
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between 0.1 Ohm, for example in the case of silver
tracks, and a few tens~of an ohm, ~or example, in
the case of nickel tracks, is realised between the
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107~3~ :
PHN 8433C
current conductor and ~he electr~cal track, this
also dependent upon the exten~ to which the con-
ductor presses against the track.
In connection with ~he softening temp-
erature o~ the support material the maximum per-
miss~ble curren~ strength through the conductor
will be approximately l Ampere.
The inven~on is part~cularly suitable
~or current conductors having a diameter bet~een
0.2 and 0.8 mm. As materials are used metals, for
example nickel, copper molybdenum, tungsten and
alloys, ~or example fernlco.
An advantage of the support according
; to the invention is that the mechanical connection
o~ the current conductor in the support material
and the electrlcal connect~on of the current con- -
ductor to a track of the pattern are effected in
one operational step. MoreQver, the positioning
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of the current conductor w~th respect to the sup-
port may be dane with a greater tolerance than ~n
the known supports.
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Another advantage of the support is
that in the manu~acture there may be started from
a supportlng member wh~ch does not have spec~al
provisions at the connection places as is the case
in the known support. This contrlbutes ~o a
cheaper produce.
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PHN 8433C
The current conductor may be secured to
the support in an ultra-sonic operation. There is
started from a current conductor wh1ch is laid on
the support surface in such manner that it lies on
the track of the pattern to be connected. In the
connection place the conductor is made to vibrate
ultra-sonically by means of a sonotrode. In said ~;
place the ultrason~cally vibrating conductor trans-
fers energy to the support of synthetic material
which is softened at that area, after which the
current conductor is pressed in the plastically
deformable material. Ihe materiai is pushed aside
by the conductor~and stowed at the circum~erence of ;~
the conductor~ After embedding of the current con-
l:5 ductor, the material solidifles and the current
conductor ~s locked in the support material and in
clamping contact with the track. Instead of the
current conductor,-it is alternatively possible to
give the support an ultrasonic vibration.
According to another method of securing ~;
in which a support of impact-resistant polystyrene,
for example butadlene-styrene copolymer and acrylo-
nitrile burad~ene-styrene plastic is preferably
used, the current conductor, after providlng same
across the track to be connected on the support,
is pressed in the cold condition in one or a few
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~ blows in the .upport1ng material at the connection
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~7~3~
PHN 8433C
place. The support material is pushed aside by
the current conductor and is stowed at the circum-
ference of the conductor. After termination of the
processing operation the current conductor is em-
bedded in the support material and in clamping con-
tact w~th the track.
Although German Patent Specificatlon
2,007,266 discloses a vibration device for connect-
ing a wire to a printed circuit, the connection pro-
duced in said specif~cation is a welded jo~nt be-
tween the wire and a track of the circuit. Such a
connection ~mposes spec~al requirements upon the
~aterial and the thickness of the track and the
wire. The invention on the contrary uses no weld- ~ -
ing process and hence no fusion of metals occurs.
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As a result of this the choice of the materials
and the thickness of the track is much less criti-
:.
cal. `
; ~ It is to be noted that a plastics support
is known from 6erman Offenlegungsschrlft 2,121,465
wh~ch is provided w~th an electric wiring of cir-
cular wire on which electrical conductors are
soldered. The wiring is provided in ducts recessed
in the support surface which are locally squeezed
so as to hold the wlring.
A preferred embodiment oF the sùpport is
characterlzed in that at least one of the connection
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PHN 8433C
places is situated within the boundary of the track.
In this embodiment the current conductor is forced
through the track in a connection place. In said
place the track has lost its coherence. The width
of the track at the connection place is preferably
taken to be larger than the thickness of the con-
ductor so that the track continues uninterruptedly
on at least one side of the conductor.
In this embodlment of the support the
electrical contact place directly adjoins the ;~
mechanical connection place. The formed contact has
a very favourable contact resistance since the cur-
rent conductor reg~dly engages the track.
According to another embod~ment of the
support both connection places may be situated within
the boundary of the track. Each connection place now
has an electrical contact area having a very favourable
; contact resistance, between whlch connection places the
conductor has a curved variation. ;
The invention also relates to a ~lash bulb
unit having a support according to the invention.
The invention w~ll be described in greater
detail with reference to the drawing, ~n which
Fig. 1 is a perspective front elevation -
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of the support accord~ng to the invention,
Fig. 2 is a sectional view o~ an enlarged ;
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1~37~3~
PHN 8433C
scale of a first embodlment of the connection of a
current conductor to the support taken on the line
II - II of the support shown ~n Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 ~s a sectlona1 view of the detail
shown in F;g. 2 taken on the line III - III. .
Fig. 4 is a sectional vlew on an enlarged
scale of a second embodiment of the connection of a
current conductor to the support taken on the line
IV - IV of the support shown in Fig 1,
Fig. 5 ~s a sectional view of the detail
shown in Fig. 4 taken on the llne V - V~ and
Flgure 6 shows a flahs-bulb un~t having
a support as shown in Fig. 1.
The support 10 shown in Fig. 1 has a print-
ed electr~cal circuit of which parts of the n~ckel
tracks 11 and 21 are v~sible. rhe track thickness is
20 microns. A high-voltage flash-bulb 12 is situated
on the support and is connected to the support 10 by
means of the current conductors 13 and 23 and makes
an electrical contact with the tracks 11 and 21 of
the circuit. The ignit~on voltage of the flash bulb
12 is 1000 vo1ts. The current conductors consist of
Fernico and have a diameter of 0.4 mm.
F~gs. 2 and 3 show on an enlarged scale
a detall of the connection of the current conductor
13 to the support 10 of polystyrene. The conductor
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PHN 8433C
13 crosses the ~rack 11 and, on either side of ~he track
11, is sunk in the support material at the places 14 and
15, which material tightly encloses the conductor 13.
The cunrent conductor 13 has been secured to the support
by means of a sonotrode, not shown, having a vibration
frequency of 20 KHz. When the conductor 13 is forced
into the support material at the connection places 14 :
and 15, said material is slightly pushed aside and is
stowed on either side of the conductor 13 so that raised
portions 16 and 17 are formed. Said raised portions con-
tribute to a good mechanical connectlon o~ the conductor.
The loop-like part of the conductor 13 between the places .-.
: 14 and 15 makes an electrical clamping contact with the ~.
track 11. The edge llA of the track adjoining the con-
-~ 15 nection place 14 ~s deformed at that area under the :~
in~luence of the clamp~ng effect of the conductor 13.
- Figs. 4 and 5 show on an enlarged scale the . .
connectiQn of the current conductor 23 to the support .:-
.. 10 of impact resistant polystyrene. The conductor 23
20; extends parallel to the track 21 and is forced through
the track 21 ~n two places 24 and 25 and is enclosed in ;.
the support material.
The current conductor 23 is forced in the
support material ln the cold sta~e by means of a pin,
25: not shown, having a diameter of 1.5 mm, w~th a force
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~97~1L3~L9
PHN 8433C
of 200N. During the pressing operat~on, the raised
portions 26 and 27 have been formed ~n the connection
places 24 and 25 and closely surround ~he conductor
23. The conductor electrically contacts at least
the parts of the track 21 adjoin~ng the connection
places 24 and 25. Notablyg the conductor 23 is in
a very good contact w;th the edges 21A of the track
21 situated in the places 24 and 25.
Figure 6 shows a flash bulb unlt accord-
ing to the invent~on hav~ng a support as shown in
; Fig, 1. The support which is referenced 30 consists
of polystyrene and has a th~ckness oF 1.5 mm. Refer-
ence numerals 31, 32, 33 and 34 denote high voltage . .
flash bulbs which are mechanically connected to the
support 30 by means of the current conductors 35
and are connected electrically to the tracks ~f the
c~rcu~t 36 printed on the support, all this in a
manner as shown in F~g. 2, 3, 4 or 5. The support 30
is enclosed in a plastlcs hnus~ng 37 wh~ch is closed
' 20 by a transparent co~er overlying the flash bulbs.
A reflector member 39 is s~tuated between the flash
bulbs and the support 30. The Flash bulb unit in
th~s embodiment has two cannection members 40 and
41 which can be placed in a fitting aperture of a
photo camera. The circuit 36 printed on the support
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PHN 8433C
is such that the flash bulbs 31 and 32 can be fired
- when the un~t is coupled to a camera by means of the
connection member 40, and the flash bu1bs 33 and 34
can be fired when the unit is coupled to a camera by
means of the connection member 41.
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