Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-27
2003-11-18
Martin, David (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S766000, C361S807000, C361S736000, C361S799000, C174S051000, C174S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06650546
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to printed circuit boards for use in PC cards. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an improved chip component assembly which streamlines the manufacturing of the PC card while also utilizing relatively less space on the printed circuit board.
2. The Relevant Technology
The ever-increasing demand for personal computers and related equipment may be ascribed to any of a variety of factors. One such factor is that while the capabilities and performance of computers have improved dramatically in recent years, the average cost of computers has also declined during the same period. This divergence in cost and performance has been a significant factor in fueling the demand for personal computers.
Another factor driving the demand for personal computers is the expansion and development of the global computer network commonly known as the “Internet,” and related network communications. More and more commercial and non-commercial enterprises are conducting business by way of the Internet, and consumers need personal computers to gain access to the products and information that are available by way of the Internet.
Further, advances in the power and sophistication of computer application software, operating systems, communications software, and peripheral devices have required the development of computers with greater processing speeds and capacities. At the same time however, the pressure to at least maintain, and preferably reduce, the physical size of the computer and its various components has increased as well. Accordingly, downsizing and miniaturization of computer components is an issue of great importance in the industry.
Various efforts are currently underway to maintain, or expand, the power of personal computers and related peripheral devices, while at the same time reducing the size, or form factor, of such computers and devices. In one such effort, manufacturers began to develop miniature portable expansion devices, also known as “PC cards,” having smaller sizes. Examples of such PC cards include add-on memory cards, modems, network interface cards, and wireless communication cards. The typical PC card was designed to plug into a port, slot, or socket in the host computer. As a result, PC cards serve to expand the power and capability of the host computer without significantly increasing the size of the physical envelope of the host computer.
As suggested above, PC cards may take a variety of forms and embody a variety of different functionalities. As needs have emerged in the industry, different types of PC cards necessary to implement concepts responsive to those needs have been developed. By way of example, modem PC cards have been developed that are configured to facilitate communication between a host device, in which the modem PC card is received, and various remote devices, such as telephones, networked computers, and the like. Such modem PC cards have become popular due to their small size, relatively low cost, and their ability to interface directly with currently existing RJ-type communication plugs, such as are typically employed in the context of computer network applications.
Notwithstanding the foregoing useful features, various problems and shortcomings have conspired to impede advancement in the art. Many of such problems and shortcomings relate to the chip components typically employed in PC cards, and the related manufacturing and assembly processes.
Known PC cards typically employ a wide variety of components. One example of a component commonly used in PC cards is the so-called chip components. Chip components typically installed in PC cards may include, among other things, chip capacitors, chip inductors, chip resistors, and chip filters. Many known chip components have a body that is characterized by a geometry which includes relatively large opposed upper and lower surfaces, or edges, each of which may be square or rectangular, and four relatively smaller rectangular side surfaces interposed between the upper and lower surfaces. Because such chip components are typically mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) in a way that the lower surface is arranged in a face-down orientation with respect to the PCB, at least two of the rectangular side surfaces typically have attached thereto respective terminal elements suitable for connecting with corresponding solder pads on the PCB. The terminal elements, in turn, are in electrical communication with various functional elements contained within the chip component.
During assembly, the chip component is mounted so that the respective terminal elements contact corresponding solder pads on the PCB. The chip component can then be permanently joined to the PCB by attaching the respective terminal elements to the appropriate solder pads by soldering. In many cases, the attachment of the chip component to the PCB is accomplished as part of an automated manufacturing process. As discussed in greater detail below however, the aforementioned chip component configurations and installation processes implicate at least one significant problem.
In particular, it is a consequence of typical chip component installation configurations that because the chip component is placed so that the relatively larger square face is oriented face down with respect to the top surface of the printed circuit board, the chip component necessarily takes up relatively more space on the PCB than if, for example, the chip component was mounted edgewise so that one of the relatively smaller rectangular edges was attached to the printed circuit board instead. In view of the demand for PC cards of increasing power and functionality, and the consequent emphasis on efficient use of the limited PCB surface area, such chip placement arrangements are undesirable because they unnecessarily occupy space on the PCB that could otherwise be used to accommodate the installation of additional components.
The foregoing problem is further aggravated by the fact that many of such chip components must be grounded to the printed circuit board and/or other structures in order to assure their continued effective operation and/or the safe and effective operation of the PC card and related devices and components. For example, it is frequently desired to ground chip components so as to preclude electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electro-magnetic interference (EMI) that can impair the functionality and operability of the PC card in which the chip components are installed.
As another example, in modem PC cards, a group of chip capacitors is commonly employed to provide the dual functions of providing a common alternating current (AC) reference between the modem and the telephone line to which the modem is connected, as well as capturing high frequency noise at the modem and returning the high frequency noise to ground before it can be transmitted down the telephone line. In order that they can effectively and reliably implement the aforementioned functionalities, the chip capacitors must be grounded.
Typically, the grounding of chip components, such as the chip capacitors discussed above, is accomplished through some type of grounding device that must be connected both to the chip component and to a ground pad on the PCB. As a consequence of such configurations, many known grounding devices act to further increase the amount of PCB space required to accommodate installation of the chip component. As noted above, such a result is at cross purposes with the overarching desire and need to maximize the functionality of PC cards.
In view of the foregoing problems, various attempts have been made to develop arrangements of chip components, and related grounding devices, directed toward facilitating more efficient use of the available space on the PCB. One technique commonly employed is the reorientation of the various chip components so that they are mounted on edge in the PCB in a so-called “tombstone” orientation. One benefit of such an arrangement is
Giles Rick
Nelson Jon A.
Oliphant David
3Com Corporation
Bui Hung
Martin David
Workman Nydegger
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