GB2153162A

GB2153162A - Improvements in or relating to electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2153162A
Application number: GB08500567A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Morris
Original assignee: Pilkington Brothers Ltd
Current assignee: Pilkington Group Ltd
Priority date: 1984-01-23
Filing date: 1985-01-10
Publication date: 1985-08-14
Also published as: JPS60158679U; ES284056U; ES284056Y; FR2558652B1; IT8567050A1; ZA85373B; IT8567050A0; FR2558652A1; JPH021020Y2; BE901551A; ATA15085A; GB8401688D0; DE8501695U1; AT390695B; IT8552877V0; IT1182369B; BR8500279A; GB8500567D0; GB2153162B

Abstract

An electrical connector for making connection to a bus bar on a glass window, such as a glass rear window for a vehicle, is T- shaped and comprises a cross-piece (1) and an integral stem which is shaped as a right-angled connection tab (6). The stem can be folded over so that the tab (6) lies above the cross-piece (1) and the whole connector overlies the bus bar and is obscured by the bus bar. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to electrical connectors This invention relates to electrical connectors and in particular to a T-shaped electrical connector for making connection to a bus bar on a glass window, for example the rear window of a vehicle.

Usually a heated glass rear window for a vehicle carries an array of electrical resistance heating elements on one surface thereof, which heating elements extend between two bus bars formed by fused electrically-conductive frit which are fired onto the surface of the glass near to the sides of the rear window in conventional manner. The resistance heating elements are usually formed of a similar electrically-conductive frit.

A new automobile design has narrow rear corner pillars so there is no space for concealment of the conventional T-shaped connection pieces. Such conventional connectors are as described in GB 1 163 224 which discloses a T-shaped connector in which the cross-piece of the T is shaped as a bridge leaving the two ends of the cross-piece for soldering to the bus bar with the central bridge standing away from the bus bar. The stem of the T-shaped connector projects between 25mm and 50mm to one side from the bridge, and an electrical lead, for example terminated by a spade connector, approaches the connector from one side and is joined to the end of the stem.

With most automobiles the rear pillars are sufficiently massive to allow this conventional arrangement to be accomodated unseen.

Where the pillars are narrower this can become difficult or impossible, particularly if the length of the steni of the T-shaped connector is comparable with the width of the rear pillar.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical connector of this kind for making connection to a bus bar on a glass window in a location where there is insufficient space for the connector if it is arranged in the conventional manner.

According to the invention there is provided a T-shaped electrical connector for making connection to a bus bar on a glass window, which comprises a cross-piece which is bent to form a central bridge connecting two areas for connection to the bus bar, and an integral stem to which connection is made, characterised in that the stem is shaped as a rightangled connection tab, whereby when the connector is in situ, connected to a bus bar, the stem can be folded over so that the rightangled tab lies above the bridge and the whole connector overlies the bus bar.

The connector may be soldered to the bus bar while it is still essentially flat, although with the cross-piece bent to form the bridge.

Usually, in carrying out the invention the connector is soldered to the bus bar in a form in which, at the junction of the stem with the cross-piece, the stem is bent in the same direction as the bridge.

The bent stem of the connector may have two side notches which define a line of fold for folding the tab over the bridge.

Preferably the stem is bent at right-angles, and the tab is folded over at right-angles to the bent portion of the stem.

Preferably the two areas of the cross-piece for connection to a bus bar are shaped enlargements for soldering to a bus bar.

The invention also comprehends a glass rear window for a vehicle, which window has an array of electrical resistance heating elements extending between two bus bars on a surface of the glass and respectively adjacent to opposite sides of the window with a connector on each bus bar for connection to an electrical lead, characterised by two connectors according to the invention respectively soldered to the two bus bars, with the tab of each connector bent to overlie its bus bar.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of the example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a T-shaped electrical connector according to the invention before connection to a bus bar, Figure 2 is an elevation of the connector of Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of the connector in situ connected to a bus bar, and Figure 4 is a view on line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a T-shaped electrical connector for making connection to a bus bar on a glass window comprises a crosspiece 1 and an integral stem 2 which is shaped as a right-angled connection tab. As shown in Fig. 2 the cross-piece 1 is bent, slightly, to form a central bridge 3 connecting two areas 4 which are for connection to the bus bar by soldering in conventional manner.

In this embodiment at the junction of the integral stem 2 with the cross-piece 1, the stem 2 is bent in the same direction as the bridge, that is upwardly as shown in Fig. 2 and at right-angles so that there is a bent portion 5 of the stem at right-angles to the bridge 3. The right-angled connection tab 6 of the stem presents a tongue 7 onto which a female connector is fixed. The bent stem portion 5 has two side notches 8 which define a line of fold 9 for folding the tab 6 over the bridge at right-angles to the bent portion of the stem to the configuration shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In Figs. 3 and 4 there is shown part of a bus bar of conventional fused silver-containing frit 10 which is fired onto a surface of a glass window, part of which is indicated at 11, which is usually the rear window of an automobile. Usually the bus bars and heating elements extending between the bus bars, are fired on to the inner surface of the window.

The connector is stamped from copper sheet and hot tin dipped. The connector is placed on the bus bar with shaped enlargements 1 2 on the ends of the cross-piece forming feet which are soldered to the bus bar. When soldering is complete, the rightangle connection tab 6 is bent at the line of fold 9 to the configuration shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the tab is folded over and above the bridge 3 of the connector and lies in line with the bus bar 1 0. The whole of the connector thus overlies the bus bar, within the bounds of the bus bar, and can receive the female connector with its lead all lying in the line of the bus bar, thereby ensuring a neat assembly which can be located close to the narrow rear corner pillars of the vehicle without complication.When the bus bars are on the inner surface of the window, the connectors and leads are obscured by the bus bars when the window is viewed from the outside.

In an alternative embodiment the connector is soldered to the bus bar while still flat, that is without the bend at the junction of the stem and the cross-piece. After soldering of the enlargements 1 2 on the ends of the crosspiece 1 to the bus bar, the stem is first bent in the same direction as the bridge to the configuration shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then the right-angled connection tab 6 is folded over so that it lies above the bridge and the whole connector overlies the bus bar as shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in dotted lines at 1 3 in Fig. 2, the right-angled tab may be directed oppositely to the tab 6 of the illustrated embodiment. This tab 1 3 still lies within the bounds of the bus bar and overlies the bus bar when bent over and abdve the bridge 3.

Each connector may have two tabs 6 and 13, so that a connection can be made from either direction, depending on the layout in a particular vehicle.

Claims

1. A T-shaped electrical connector for making connection to a bus bar on a glass window, which comprises a cross-piece which is bent to form a central bridge connecting two areas for connection to the bus bar, and an integral stem to which connection is made, characterised in that the stem is shaped as a right-angled connection tab, whereby when the connector is in position, connected to a bus bar, the stem can be folded over so that the right-angled tab lies above the bridge and the whole connector overlies the bus bar.

2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1, wherein at the junction of the stem with the cross-piece, the stem is bent in the same direction as the bridge.

3. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the bent stem of the connector has two side notches which define a line of fold for folding the tab over the bridge.

4. A connector as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the stem is bent at right angles, and the tab is folded over at right angles, to the bent portion of the stem.

5. A connector as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the two areas of the cross-piece for connection to a bus bar are shaped enlargements for soldering to a bus bar.

6. A glass rear window for a vehicle, which window has an array of electrical resistance heating elements extending between two bus bars on a surface of the glass and respectively adjacent to opposite sides of the window with a connector on each bus bar for connection to an electrical lead, characterised by two connectors according to the invention respectively soldered to the two bus bars, with the tab of each connector bent to overlie its bus bar.

7. A T-shaped electrical connector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.