Electrical apparatus with compliant pins
View Patent ↗An improved electrical apparatus concludes a manually actuatable electrical device which is disposed on a printed circuit board and has a manually movable control element. A plurality of electrical current conducting compliant pins extend into engagement with conductive linings in openings in the printed circuit board. The electrical apparatus is free of solder connecting the compliant pins to the conductive linings in the openings in the printed circuit board.
1. An electrical apparatus comprising:
a printed circuit board having a plurality of openings with conductive linings, said printed circuit board has first and second major sides, said printed circuit board includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces disposed on said second major side of said printed circuit board, each of said electrically conductive traces being electrically connected with one said conductive linings;
an electrical device disposed adjacent to said first major side of said printed circuit board and having a manually movable control element, said electrical device includes a housing formed of a polymeric material which melts at a temperature above about 200° Centigrade; and
a plurality of electrical current conducting compliant pins connected with said electrical device and press fitted into said openings in said printed circuit board, each of said compliant pins being disposed in contact with said conductive lining in one of said openings and providing an electrically conductive path between said lining and said electrical device, each of said complaint pins has a first end portion which is embedded in the polymeric material of said housing and is electrically insulated from an adjacent complaint pin by the polymeric material of said housing,
said electrical apparatus being free of solder connecting said compliant pins to conductive linings in the openings in the printed circuit board.
2. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said compliant pins has a second end portion which is disposed in one of said openings in said printed circuit board and does not project past said second major side of said printed circuit board.
3. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each one of said compliant pins has a flange which engages said first major side of said printed circuit board adjacent to one of said openings to block movement of said one of said compliant pins in a direction toward said second major side of said printed circuit board.
4. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing is spaced from said first major side of said printed circuit board and said compliant pins extend across a space between said first major side of said printed circuit board and said housing.
5. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrical device includes a push—push switch which is operable to effect movement of a window in a vehicle between open and closed conditions.
6. An electrical apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrical device includes a potentiometer which is operable to vary intensity of light emitted by a source of light in a vehicle.