Electricity: conductors and insulators – Insulators – Special application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-02
2001-09-04
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Insulators
Special application
C174S050510, C174S061000, C174S13800J, C336S092000, C338S317000, C248S220210, C248S500000, C361S631000, C361S638000, C361S649000, C361S760000, C361S761000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284981
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of electronics packaging and, more particularly, to securing a circuit component to a circuit board.
In a particular application, a proximity switch is mounted on a printed circuit board. The proximity switch is provided with a pair of mounting holes. At the present time, the most common way of securing the proximity switch to the circuit board is by using screws and nuts. Thus, at least four piece parts are required. In addition, securing the screws and the nuts requires a manual operation. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a way of securing a proximity switch to a circuit board which uses a minimum number of piece parts and which is adaptable to automated techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided an attachment element for securing a circuit component to a circuit board, wherein the circuit board has a pair of spaced openings extending therethrough and the circuit component has a pair of spaced openings extending therethrough and spaced to be registrable with the circuit board openings. The attachment element comprises a U-shaped metal member having a pair of legs spaced the same as the spacing between the circuit board openings. Each of the legs has a length at least equal to the combined thickness of the component and the board when the component is placed on the board for securement thereto.
In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the distal ends of the pair of legs converge toward each other. Accordingly, the legs of the metal member are insertable through respective aligned pairs of openings of the component and the board and resiliently grip the board.
To secure the circuit component to the circuit board using the aforedescribed attachment element, the circuit component is placed on a first side of the circuit board with the component openings in registration with respective board openings and the legs of the metal member are inserted each through a respective aligned pair of openings of the circuit component and the circuit board, and with the distal ends of the legs extending beyond the second side of the circuit board. To make the attachment permanent, the extending distal ends of the legs are soldered to the circuit board.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the step of soldering comprises the step of wave soldering the second side of the circuit board. Accordingly, this final step can be part of the wave soldering step for all of the circuit board components.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3920208 (1975-11-01), Dowdy et al.
patent: 4136269 (1979-01-01), Weidler
patent: 4336417 (1982-06-01), Hickling
patent: 4588854 (1986-05-01), Bailey et al.
patent: 4595794 (1986-06-01), Wasserman
patent: 4600971 (1986-07-01), Rose et al.
patent: 5647748 (1997-07-01), Mills et al.
patent: 5671118 (1997-09-01), Blomquist
patent: 5761036 (1998-06-01), Hopfer et al.
Davis David L.
Dinkins Anthony
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Nino Adolfo
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