DE3725803A1 - Wiring for domestic electrical appliances - with terminals of all modules ending in same plane for push=over circuit board - Google Patents

Abstract

Electric domestic appliances such as coffee machines, irons, mixers, toasters, hairdryers, vacuum cleaners and others have all their control modules arranged in such a way that their terminals all end in the same horizontal plane. A contact plane is prefabricated, with holes for the terminals and grooves between them where a joint is required. A conductive paste is placed in the grooves and the plane is placed on the terminals. ADVANTAGE - This minimises the wiring cost and automates the labour-intensive wiring procedure.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing small electrical household appliances, for example from Coffee makers or being inside of the intake the electrical connections of various assemblies serving device cavity the electrical circuit the assemblies are executed together with one another Device for carrying out a method.

To the group of numerous electrical Small household appliances include e.g. B. mixer, stirrer, Irons, toasters, fryers, irrigators, Hair treatment devices, vacuum cleaners, waffle irons, Food processors, juicers, centrifuges or the like. The invention relates to these devices. Nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity only electric coffee machines mentioned because doing so preferred application can be represented. The However, procedure is common to all electrical Small household appliances applicable, where in one Cavity of the device an interconnection of several Contact points is required.  

It is known to manufacture coffee machines, i.e. H. when assembling the individual parts into one device, in Base area the intended modules and Modules, e.g. B. instantaneous water heater, thermostat switch, Overtemperature protection, on and off switch, Use connections for supply line and similar parts and then the electrical connection between the individual contact points. The some of the modules used are already included attached electrically flexible cables, so-called strands, provided with the second Contact point in the device with the corresponding Mating contacts are often connected to difficult accessible places. Already in this step previous work steps, also called pre-assembly, all wire sections are pretreated individually. The Pieces of wire are cut to length, stripped and depending on Use with end sleeves, cable lugs or the like. This time-consuming preparation will in connection with semi-automatic devices executed.

The final assembly of the device is also carried out by hand, with specific assemblies, eg. B. the instantaneous water heater can be removed from a further pre-assembly. In this case, too, mechanical components and electrical components are partially delivered in pairs and installed on the assembly line. Overall, the manual wiring and the difficult - because reciprocal - installation of the modules proves to be particularly labor-intensive. The costs for the pre-assembly and for the final assembly can be determined exactly and represent a considerable part of the production costs on the production side. To reduce these assembly costs, the operating processes are summarized as follows:
semi-automatic preparation of the wire connections, manual pre-assembly of the water heater, manual assembly of the electrical wiring and finally manual final assembly of the entire device.

To improve these workflows, attempts have been made to to automate these workflows. This should be by hard wiring the assemblies respectively. Due to the hard wiring is only one small part of the total wiring so that automatic work steps could not be achieved. Furthermore, the automatic bending of the Single wires for hard wiring one above average technical effort equipment without the ultimate goal of Automation to come much closer.

The object of the invention is a method and To create a device with the help of the wiring of the individual assemblies and their electrical Connections in a small electrical household appliance automated to a large extent at low cost can be.  

This object is achieved by the characterizing part of claim 1 solved. variants of the method are in subclaims 2 to 8 spelled out. Furthermore, a device belongs to Invention, the characterizing part of which is set out in claim 9 is listed. There are further subclaims for this 10 through 23. This ensures that the semi-automatic preparation of wire connections not applicable. The wiring of the individual connections of the different assemblies is automated. The Security of a method based on the invention small electrical household appliance has been increased significantly.

Already during the manufacture of the individual assemblies become the electrical connection ends of each electrical contacts prepared so that their All connections after their installation in the device base end in one level. Be fully automatic in this Level the connections between the contacts produced. It is conceivable that the connections through automatic wiring and soldering, gluing or the like. But it is also possible Insert circuit boards and these with the contacts connect automatically. The security of after Device manufactured according to the method is significantly increased because of human error conditional assembly errors are eliminated and the Cannot loosen connection points.

Exemplary embodiments are shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 and are described in more detail below.

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the device according to the invention according to claim 9;

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the side view;

Fig. 3 shows another side view of the invention showing the electrical connections;

Fig. 4 also shows the electrical connections and the contacts in the corresponding top view;

Fig. 5, 6 show a variant of the method.

In the area of surface 11 shown forming the contacts 1 of the assemblies to be interconnected 6, wherein the connection contacts 1 can be formed as flat conductors 2 and / or as a pin with different geometrical design of the form part.

All contacts 1 are aligned in the joining direction " A ". Its length is adjusted so that their ends open into the surface region of the contact plane 4, wherein the contact layer 4 has the contact to facilitate insertion into the Durchdringungspositionen after expanding downward through openings. 5 The latter are adapted to the respective profile of the contacts 1 (flat conductor 2 and / or the pin 3 ), so that they are designed to be almost form-fitting to the through openings 5 - or vice versa.

In the practice of the inventive method, a contact layer 4 to the plurality of flat conductors 2 and / or pin 3 is pushed, wherein Justiernocken not shown fix the inserted position right at the edge of the contact plane. 4 The downwardly widening through openings 5 facilitate the joining process, so that the desired work step can also be carried out automatically. Locking cams molded onto the base plate, which are also not shown, hold the fully assembled contact plane in position.

In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, for example, grooves 10 are recessed, which receive the pasty or liquid, conductive material. Fig. 1 shows the grooves 10 in the partial sections AB , CD , EF and GH . The grooves 10 each end at the through openings 5 .

By means of a program-controlled, automatic application device, the pasty or liquid, conductive material is placed both in the grooves 10 and the contact points 9 are applied with this material, after the curing of which the entire connection is complete.

In a preferred application example of the method, the contact levels 4 are already prepared in an automatic device in a previous work step. There, the grooves 10 are filled with the pasty or liquid, conductive material, as can now be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The contact points 9 are not yet applied. The contact level 4 thus prefabricated, which has been treated by means of, for example, a programmable robot or the like, is then inserted with its electrical connections 8 - in a station on the assembly line - into the corresponding household appliance, the flat conductors 2 and the pins 3 being almost form-fitting in the through openings 5 of the contact levels 4 are inserted. The previously mentioned support aids on the edge ensure that the contact plane 4 is in a perfect position.

In this case, only the contact points 9 are applied to an assembly line with a program-controlled, automatic device (robot or axis handling system). The initially pasty and / or liquid conductive material hardens during further transport in the assembly line.

The manufacture and configuration of the contact planes 4 according to the device claims 9 to 23 can also be expanded and varied as desired, there being no restriction either in terms of material or format, and the sequence of the work steps can also be varied as desired. A standardized configuration of the contact level 4 is particularly advantageous, with all the necessary grooves and through openings 5 being provided for a type series in the different positions and dimensions, and ultimately only the device-specific configuration using the program-controlled application device being used.

The inventive method according to claims 1 and 4 in conjunction with device claim 23 also provides, for example, to understand the "contact plane" as a purely geometric structure and the prefabricated electrical connections 8 directly to the flat conductors 2 or the, with close attention to the characterizing part of the claims Postpone 3 and / or to contact. For this purpose, the physical presence of the contact level 4 is not necessary, for example and under certain conditions. For explanation, Fig. 5 and 6 show the same arrangement of the modules ( 6, 6 ', 6'',6''' ) as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Likewise, the electrical connections 8 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are reproduced in the same configuration, the “prefabricated” electrical connections 8 “self-supporting” in this variant being used and contacted as a bridge from contact to contact.

The design of the electrical connections 8 can also be present in other embodiments. For example, the use of pieces of wire or the like, the ends being contacted accordingly with the flat conductors 2 and / or the pins 3 , for. B. by welding, soldering or dotting.

As the present statements show, are different variations of the method given, whereby, as already mentioned, always the Basic idea remains, automation steps - in connection with the characteristic parts of the Claims - to create.  

Reference numerals

1 contacts
2 flat conductors
3 cones
4 contact level
5 through opening
6 assembly
7 surface
8 connection
9 contact point
10 groove
11 area

Claims (24)

1. A process for the production of small electrical household appliances, for example electric coffee machines or the like, the electrical interconnection of the assemblies being carried out within the device cavity serving to accommodate the electrical connections of different assemblies, characterized in that the connection contacts to be interconnected are preferably in a common joining direction " A "end in the area of a contact plane and be contacted with electrical connections. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection contacts penetrate the contact level and contacted with electrical connections will. 3. The method according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the electrical connections from pasty or liquid, conductive material and be applied. 4. The method according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the electrical connections from prefabricated, conductive material. 5. The method according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that  the contacting, as well as the formation of the electrical connections by applying a pasty or liquid, conductive material can be effected simultaneously. 6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the "contacting" by applying a pasty or liquid, conductive material. 7. The method according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that the contacting is effected by pressing. 8. The method according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the contacting is effected by welding. 9. Device for performing the method according to claim 1 to 8, characterized in that the connection contacts ( 1 ), flat conductor ( 2 ) and / or pin ( 3 ), which by their shape and dimension in the surface area of the contact planes ( 4 ) protrude and end there. 9a. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the contact planes ( 4 ) have through openings ( 5 ) corresponding to the positioning and shaping of the flat conductors ( 2 ) and / or the pins ( 3 ). 10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the assemblies ( 6 ) facing away from the surface ( 7 ) of the contact planes ( 4 ) has electrical connections ( 8 ) which are each extended to the edge of the through openings ( 5 ). 11. The device according to claim 9 to 10, characterized in that before or after the insertion of the contact planes ( 4 ) in the electrical devices, the manufacture of the provided on the surface electrical connections ( 8 ) by applying a curable, pasty or liquid, electrically conductive material he follows. 12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the "application" by means of an automatic, program-controlled order setup made becomes. 13. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the contact planes ( 4 ) after the assembly of the modules ( 6 ) are inserted into the electrical device, the flat conductor ( 2 ) and / or pin ( 3 ) almost form-fitting and almost flush in the Through openings ( 5 ) are inserted. 14. The apparatus according to claim 9 to 13, characterized in that by applying a pasty or liquid, conductive material to the position of the through opening ( 5 ), the individual electrical contact ( 9 ) between the electrical connection ( 8 ) extended to the edge and the flat conductor ( 2 ) or pin ( 3 ) inserted into the through opening ( 5 ) is produced. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the application of a pasty or liquid, conductive material to the position of the through opening ( 5 ) is carried out by means of an automatic, program-controlled application device. 16. The apparatus according to claim 3, and 8 to 15, characterized in that the electrical connections ( 8 ) on the contact level ( 4 ) consist of preformed material, wherein rectangular, square, round, oval, polygonal cross sections or the like are provided. 17. Device according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the electrical contacts ( 9 ) are produced by upsetting, pressing, riveting, melting, welding or the like. 18. The apparatus according to claim 9 to 17, characterized in that the contact planes ( 4 ) additionally have one or more contact points which differ from the contact points ( 9 ) mentioned in the preceding claims with respect to the joining direction and the contacting. 19. The apparatus according to claim 9 to 18, characterized in that the contact planes ( 4 ) in the course of the electrical connections ( 8 ) are provided with grooves ( 10 ). 20. The apparatus according to claim 9 to 19, characterized in that the contact planes ( 4 ) are produced by injection molding, deep drawing, sintering, cutting, punching, embossing, casting, milling, pressing or similar processes. 21. The apparatus according to claim 9 to 20, characterized in that plastic, resin, ceramic, glass, soaked cardboard, thermoformed film, hard rubber, clay mixtures, glass wool, rock wool, mica or similar insulating materials are used as the starting material for the production of the contact planes ( 4 ). 22. The apparatus according to claim 9 to 21, characterized in that the contact planes ( 4 ) introduced during their manufacture contact points ( 9 ) and / or electrical functional elements, for. B. resistors, chokes, fuses, thermal switches or the like. 23. The device according to claim 1 and 4, characterized in that the terminal contacts ( 1 ) ending in the surface area of a contact plane are contacted directly with prefabricated electrical connections ( 8 ) with their ends designed as flat conductors ( 2 ) or pins ( 3 ).