Three-dimensional electrical interconnection system

A molded electrical interconnection system includes a three-dimensional molded dielectric substrate including at least one open socket. Stamped and formed electrical circuitry is embedded in the molded substrate and includes a contact blade projecting into the socket. An interface module is positioned in the socket to define a receptacle for receiving a male terminal of a complementary connecting device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, 
particularly, to a molded electrical interconnection system which has 
stamped and formed electrical circuitry. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Printed circuit boards have been used for many years in the electrical 
industry. A typical printed circuit board includes a flat (versus 
three-dimensional) substrate having a pattern of circuit traces printed or 
otherwise deposited thereon. Electronic components are electrically 
coupled to the circuit traces on one or both sides of the flat substrate 
by solder connections to contact pads of the circuit traces. Often, solder 
tails from the electrical components are inserted into holes in the flat 
substrate, and the tails are soldered to the circuit traces on the board 
and/or in the holes. These solder connections require expensive and often 
tedious processes. If a solder connection becomes damaged, its repair also 
is expensive and tedious. 
In some electrical fields, such as in the automotive industry, 
three-dimensional circuit structures have been developed wherein a 
plurality of stamped and formed conductors are embedded, as by 
overmolding, in a three-dimensional molded dielectric substrate. The 
conductors have contact tabs or blades which project from the substrate. 
In some instances, the blades may be disposed in recesses in the 
substrate. The molded substrate is designed to permit mounting of 
electrical devices or parts thereon, such as relays, switches, terminal 
boards or the like, making required electrical connections between the 
devices or parts through the conductors embedded in the substrate. Again, 
expensive and tedious solder connections are used even with such 
pre-dimensional circuit structures. To avoid the solder connections, 
expensive and complicated covers have been used over the three-dimensional 
substrate, or the various electrical devices or parts are connected 
directly to the formed tabs of the conductors, but these connections 
typically require female contacts. 
The present invention is directed to providing a three-dimensional circuit 
structure which utilizes novel interface modules to provide an 
interconnection between the conductors of the circuit structure and the 
electrical devices or parts connected to the structure. The interface 
modules are particularly useful as male-to-male interfacing modules. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved 
electrical interconnection system, such as a three-dimensional molded 
interconnection system. 
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the system includes a 
three-dimensional molded dielectric substrate having at least one open 
socket. Stamped and formed electrical circuitry is embedded in the molded 
substrate. The circuit includes a contact blade projecting into each open 
socket. An interface module is positioned in the socket to define a 
receptacle for receiving a male terminal of a complementary connecting 
device. 
Specifically, the interface module comprises a terminal block having a 
dielectric block generally of the configuration of the socket. An 
interconnecting terminal is mounted on the dielectric block for 
interconnecting the contact blade of the electrical circuitry with the 
male terminal of the complementary connecting device. 
As disclosed herein, the interconnecting terminal is generally S-shaped to 
define two resilient legs at opposite ends thereof. One of the legs is 
adapted for engaging the contact blade of the electrical circuitry in the 
socket of the dielectric substrate. The other leg is adapted to engage the 
male terminal of the complementary connecting device inserted into the 
socket. The other leg of the S-shaped interconnecting terminal is located 
to sandwich the male terminal of the complementary connecting device 
between the other leg and a wall of the socket. In essence, the interface 
terminal forms a spring means for biasingly engaging both the contact 
blade of the electrical circuitry and the male terminal of the 
complementary connecting device. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent 
from the following detailed description taken in connection with the 
accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIGS. 1-7, the 
invention is embodied in a molded electrical interconnection system in the 
form of a three-dimensional circuit structure, generally designated 1. The 
structure includes a three-dimensional molded dielectric substrate 3 which 
is molded with a plurality of open recesses or sockets 4. As seen in the 
drawings, molded dielectric substrate 3 has a top surface 3a and a bottom 
surface 3b. Each open socket 4 has an interior side wall 4b for reference 
purposes hereinafter. A plurality of interface modules or terminal blocks, 
generally designated 5, are inserted into sockets 4. The interface modules 
will be described in greater detail hereinafter. Hooked latches 6 are 
molded integrally with dielectric substrate 3 and project upwardly beyond 
top surface 3a thereof. 
FIG. 8 shows a pattern of stamped and formed electrical circuitry or 
conductors 2 which are generally coplanar. The conductors have upstanding 
contact blades 2b and 2c which are located for projecting into open 
sockets 4 of molded dielectric substrate 3. The circuit structure is 
manufactured by overmolding dielectric substrate 3 over the stamped and 
formed electrical circuitry shown in FIG. 8, with contact blades 2b and 2c 
projecting freely into sockets 4 of the substrate. Conductors 2 also have 
terminal blades 2a which can be used to plug the entire molded electrical 
interconnection system or circuit structure 1 into an outside connecting 
device. Terminal blades 2a are shown in various figures, including FIG. 1, 
projecting from a side of dielectric substrate 3 which is overmolded about 
the stamped and formed electrical circuitry, including flat coplanar 
conductors 2. 
One of the interface modules 5 is shown in FIGS. 10-14. The interface 
module is a two-piece structure including an interconnecting terminal 8 
which is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 and a dielectric block 7 which is shown 
in FIG. 17. 
Referring first to FIGS. 15 and 16 in conjunction with FIGS. 10-14, the 
interconnecting terminal of interface module 5 is generally designated 8. 
The terminal is generally S-shaped (or Z-shaped) and includes a center 
base 9 having engagement projections 10 formed on opposite sides of the 
base for press-fitting the interconnecting terminal into the dielectric 
block of the interface module as seen best in FIG. 10. The S-shaped 
interconnecting terminal 8 defines two resilient legs 11 at opposite ends 
thereof, i.e. at opposite sides of base 9. The terminal is stamped and 
formed of sheet metal material, resulting in legs 11 being resilient. The 
legs have outwardly facing contact ends 11a. 
Referring to FIG. 17 in conjunction with FIGS. 10-14, the dielectric block 
or insulating housing of each interface module 5 is generally designated 
7. The dielectric block has a cavity 12 divided by a central partition 13. 
A pair of slots are formed in the block adjacent partition 13. In 
assembly, the interconnecting terminal is inserted into cavity 12 in 
dielectric block 7 in the direction of arrows "A" (FIGS. 14 and 17). 
During insertion, engagement projections 10 of the terminal are press fit 
into slots 14 of the dielectric block, whereby resilient legs 11 are 
disposed on opposite sides of partition 13 as best seen in FIG. 14. 
The assembled interface modules 5 are inserted into respective ones of open 
sockets 4 in three-dimensional molded dielectric substrate 3 to complete 
the electrical interconnection system or circuit structure 1 of the 
invention. Each interface module 5 is inserted into a respective one of 
the sockets so that one of the resilient legs 11 of the respective 
interconnecting terminal 8 is in engagement with the respective contact 
blade 2b of the stamped and formed electrical circuitry that is located in 
that respective socket. The opposite leg 11 of the interconnecting 
terminal is in position for engaging a male terminal 19 inserted into the 
socket from a complementary connecting device. This is shown in FIG. 14 
wherein the male terminal 19 is illustrated in phantom in a gap 15 between 
the leg 11 of the interconnecting terminal 8 and wall 4b of the socket. In 
essence, the inserted male terminal becomes sandwiched between wall 4b and 
the contact portion 11a of the terminal leg, with the leg acting as a 
spring means to biasingly engage the male terminal. The opposite leg 11 of 
the interconnecting terminal also acts as a spring means for biasingly 
engaging the respective contact blade 2b of the stamped and formed 
circuitry at the opposite side of the respective socket. 
Finally, FIG. 18 shows a plurality of electrical devices or parts 16, 17 
and 18 removably mounted on the top and bottom sides 3a and 3b, 
respectively, of molded dielectric substrate 3. These components may 
comprise a wide variety of electrical devices, such as switches, relays or 
the like. Although latches 6 are not shown as being used with the 
components in FIG. 18, the latches might be used for engaging 
complementary latch means on other components to hold the components to 
the molded substrate. The entire assembly shown in FIG. 18 further can be 
interconnected with an outside circuit structure by using terminal blades 
2a to plug the structure into the outside structure. 
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific 
forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics 
thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be 
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the 
invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.