Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2001-10-16
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
C361S752000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302706
ABSTRACT:
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 11-003402 filed on Jan. 8, 1999 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic component.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electronic control unit according to the related art, a casing for accommodating a circuit board is formed integrally with a connector, and a plurality of terminals on the side of the circuit board are connected to a plurality of terminal units on the side of the connector respectively by wire bonding.
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of an electronic control unit according to the related art.
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of an essential part of a pad portion of the electronic control unit according to the related art.
Referring to these drawings, a resinous casing
11
is composed of a body portion
13
with its top face having an opening and a cover
14
, and accommodates a circuit board
16
. A connector
12
is formed integrally with the casing
11
. A plurality of terminal units
19
, which are provided with lead portions
17
in the shape of a band plate and with pins
18
, are embedded in the connector
12
by insert molding. The terminal units
19
are arranged adjacent to one another and at an equal pitch. In this case, the respective lead portions
17
extend parallel to one another along a top face of a pad portion
22
of the casing
11
, that is, along a resinous face
22
a
. Top faces of the lead portions
17
, that is, terminal faces
17
a
are exposed. The pins
18
protrude into a socket
21
for connecting the connector
12
to a cable (not shown). The casing
11
, the connector
12
and the circuit board
16
constitute the electronic control unit.
A plurality of terminals (not shown) formed on the circuit board
16
are electrically connected to the terminal units
19
by wire bonding. For this purpose, bonding wires
23
formed of aluminum wires or the like are caused to oscillate at a high frequency with both ends thereof being pressed against terminals of the circuit board
16
and the lead portions
17
by a bonding tool. As a result, pressure welding sections between the bonding wires
23
at one end and the terminals of the circuit board
16
and pressure welding sections between the bonding wires
23
at the other end and the lead portions
17
are cleared of dirt, oxide film and the like. Thus, the ends of the bonding wires
23
are bonded to the terminals of the circuit board
16
and the lead portions
17
respectively.
However, in an attempt to connect the terminals of the circuit board
16
to the terminal units
19
by wire bonding, it is necessary to press the bonding wires
23
at one end against the lead portions
17
with the aid of the bonding tool. In this case, in order to hold the bonding tool in position, images of the respective lead portions
17
are read, and edge portions, corner portions and the like of the read images are recognized. Then positions of the respective lead portions
17
are detected based on the result of recognition.
However, since resin has adhered to the peripheries of the terminal faces
17
a
, the edge portions, the corner portions and the like of read images of the respective lead portions
17
cannot be recognized precisely.
Also, since the respective lead portions
17
deviate from their proper locations, it is necessary to read positions of all the lead portions
17
. Consequently, in addition to the complication of the overall operation, the cost of production of the electronic control unit goes up.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic component which makes it possible to precisely detect positions of respective lead portions and to lower the cost of production of an electronic control unit, by solving the aforementioned problems of the electronic control unit of the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, the electronic component has a resinous pad portion and a plurality of terminal units embedded in the pad portion.
Each of the terminal units is provided with lead portions that are disposed parallel to one another with their terminal faces exposed, and junction portions for junction between bonding wires and the lead portions are formed on the terminal faces.
Also, corner portions are formed at predetermined sections on the terminal faces. In this case, each of the corner portions is composed of two line segments. Therefore, when images of the lead portions are read, the corners of the read images can be recognized precisely. Accordingly, positions of the respective lead portions can be detected precisely and easily.
In another electronic component of the present invention, the corner portions formed on the terminal faces are formed by intersection of line segments that are formed by protrusions formed on predetermined sections of the terminal faces of the lead portions with line segments that are formed by the terminal faces. In this case, the corner portions are formed of the line segments formed by the protrusions and the line segments formed by the lead portions. Therefore, when images of the lead portions are read, the corners of the read images can be recognized precisely. Accordingly, positions of the respective lead portions can be detected precisely and easily.
Furthermore, in another electronic component of the present invention, the corner portions formed on the terminal faces are designed such that the terminal faces are offset from a resinous face of the pad portion. In this case, the terminal faces are offset from the resinous face at the corner portions. Therefore, at the portions where the terminal faces are offset from the resinous face, the resin filling the cavity does not adhere to the corner portions and does not foul the terminal faces. Therefore, when images of the lead portions are read, the corner portions of the read images can be recognized precisely. Accordingly, positions of the respective lead portions can be detected precisely and easily.
Further, in another electronic component of the present invention, the corner portions are formed on the terminal faces of those lead portions which are located at both ends in a row of the lead portions. In this case, the corner portions are recognized only as to the lead portions at both ends, and coordinates of the lead portions at both ends are calculated. Thereby it becomes possible to calculate positions of the other lead portions, which are located between the lead portions at both ends. Thus the lead portions can be detected precisely and easily.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5748451 (1998-05-01), Thompson et al.
patent: 6031590 (2000-02-01), Kim
patent: 6133637 (2000-10-01), Hikita et al.
patent: 6144571 (2000-11-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 4-286147 (1985-12-01), None
patent: 60-263120 (1985-12-01), None
patent: 10-257642 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 11-297450 (1999-10-01), None
patent: 11-273769 (1999-10-01), None
patent: 11-297448 (1999-10-01), None
Aokie Kouji
Murakami Naotaka
Onoda Katsuhiko
Takata Hiroki
Yamato Osamu
Aisin Aw Co. Ltd.
Duverne J. F.
Lorusso & Loud
Sircus Brian
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