Flexible printed circuit for a gearbox control unit of a commercial vehicle and corresponding gearbox control unit

1 . A flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) for a gearbox control unit ( 102 ) of a commercial vehicle, said flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) comprising:

a body section ( 126 ) and

an arm section ( 148 ), said arm section ( 148 ) being attached to said body section ( 126 ),

wherein said body section ( 126 ) includes a body mounting interface ( 150 ) for mounting the flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) to a bottom housing section ( 104 ) and/or a top cover ( 6 ) of a gearbox control unit ( 102 ),

wherein the arm section ( 148 ) includes at least one arm mounting interface ( 130 ) having at least one opening ( 132 ), the opening ( 132 ) being configured to receive a fastening device ( 134 ) arranged at a bottom housing section ( 104 ) and/or a top cover ( 6 ) of the gearbox control unit ( 102 );

wherein the arm section ( 148 ) comprises a longitudinal body section ( 136 ), and wherein the arm mounting interface ( 130 ) extends laterally from the body section ( 136 );

wherein the arm mounting interface ( 130 ) is a first arm mounting interface, and the arm section ( 148 ) further includes at least a second arm mounting interface ( 130 ), the first and second arm mounting interfaces extending laterally from the longitudinal body section ( 136 ) of the arm section ( 148 ), and wherein the first and second arm mounting interfaces ( 130 ) extend from the longitudinal body section ( 136 ) in opposite lateral directions from one another.

2 . The flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) according to claim 1 ,

wherein the arm mounting interface ( 130 ) has a thickness (T m ) that is substantially equal to a thickness (T b ) of the body section ( 136 ).

3 . A flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) for a gearbox control unit ( 102 ) of a commercial vehicle, said flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) comprising:

a body section ( 126 ) and

an arm section ( 148 ), said arm section ( 148 ) being attached to said body section ( 126 ),

wherein said body section ( 126 ) includes a body mounting interface ( 150 ) for mounting the flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) to a bottom housing section ( 104 ) and/or a top cover ( 6 ) of a gearbox control unit ( 102 ),

wherein the arm section ( 148 ) includes at least one arm mounting interface ( 130 ) having at least one opening ( 132 ), the opening ( 132 ) being configured to receive a fastening device ( 134 ) arranged at a bottom housing section ( 104 ) and/or a top cover ( 6 ) of the gearbox control unit ( 102 );

wherein the arm section ( 112 ) comprises a first section ( 142 ), a second section ( 144 ), and a hinge portion ( 146 ) connecting the first and second sections, and wherein the hinge portion ( 146 ) enables the second section ( 144 ) to abut against the first section ( 142 ) when the second section ( 144 ) is hinged towards the first section ( 142 ).

4 . The flexible printed circuit ( 112 ) according to claim 3 ,

wherein the first section ( 142 ) and the second section ( 144 ) each include one or more of the at least one arm mounting interface ( 130 ), and wherein, when the first and second sections ( 142 , 144 ) are hinged towards one another, the openings ( 132 ) of the arm mounting interfaces of the first and second sections are aligned to one another.

5 . A gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) for a commercial vehicle, said gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) comprising:

a bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) configured to be attached to a gearbox of a vehicle,

a top cover ( 6 ), the top cover ( 6 ) being releasably attached to the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ),

an interface connector ( 8 , 108 ) arranged at the top cover ( 6 ),

a flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) being arranged at the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ), the flexible printed circuit being connected to the interface connector ( 8 , 108 ),

wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) comprises:

a body section ( 126 ) and

an arm section ( 148 ), said arm section ( 148 ) being attached to said body section ( 126 ),

wherein said body section ( 126 ) includes a body mounting interface ( 150 ) mounted to the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) and/or the top cover ( 6 ),

wherein the arm section ( 148 ) includes at least one arm mounting interface ( 130 ) having at least one opening ( 132 ), wherein the opening ( 132 ) receives a fastening device ( 134 ) arranged at the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) and/or the top cover ( 6 );

wherein the fastening device ( 134 ) arranged at the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) and/or the top cover ( 6 ) is a bracket snap ( 152 ).

6 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 5 ,

wherein the bracket snap ( 152 ) comprises or is made of plastic or metal.

7 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 5 ,

wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) is mounted between the top cover ( 6 ) and the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ), said flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) being at least one of preformed or biased, wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) deforms by bending towards one definitive side ( 16 ).

8 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 7 ,

wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) forms a c-shape ( 16 ) when deformed and bent toward the one definitive side.

9 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 7 ,

wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) extends along a longitudinal extent of the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ).

10 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 7 ,

wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) bends along a longitudinal extent ( 58 ) of the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ).

11 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 7 ,

wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) is mounted to the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) at a mounting point located at a distance (d) from a longitudinal housing edge ( 60 ), wherein the longitudinal housing edge ( 60 ) is at an opposite side of the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) from a pivot axis ( 26 ) that is formed between the bottom housing section and the top cover, wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) is bent toward the mounting point, wherein the distance (d) is greater than half of the total length (I) of the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ).

12 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 7 ,

wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) comprises a first surface ( 18 ) and a second surface ( 20 ), the second surface ( 20 ) being opposite from the first surface ( 18 ),

and wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) is bent about the first surface ( 18 ) or the second surface ( 20 ).

13 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) bends when the top cover ( 6 ) moves toward the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ).

14 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ) remains attached to the top cover ( 6 ) and the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) when the top cover ( 6 ) and the bottom housing section ( 4 , 104 ) move away from each other.

15 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 5 , wherein a housing component is attached to the bracket snap, and the bracket snap also determines the position of the flexible printed circuit ( 12 , 112 ).

16 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the arm section ( 112 ) comprises a first section ( 142 ), a second section ( 144 ), and a hinge portion ( 146 ) connecting the first and second sections, and wherein the hinge portion ( 146 ) enables the second section ( 144 ) to abut against the first section ( 142 ) when the second section ( 144 ) is hinged towards the first section ( 142 ).

17 . The gearbox control unit ( 2 , 102 ) according to claim 16 ,

wherein the first section ( 142 ) and the second section ( 144 ) each include one or more of the at least one arm mounting interface ( 130 ), and wherein, when the first and second sections ( 142 , 144 ) are hinged towards one another, the openings ( 132 ) of the arm mounting interfaces of the first and second sections are aligned to one another.