Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-27
2003-09-23
Vigushin, John B. (Department: 2827)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S777000, C361S781000, C361S791000, C361S803000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06625038
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority of a prior German application Serial No. 100 38 390.4-34 filed Aug. 7, 2000.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a circuit substrate assembly comprising pairs of “left-hand” and “right-hand” circuit substrates including electrical and/or electronic and/or electromechanical components positioned mirror-symmetrical to each other, it relating more particularly to circuit substrate assemblies as set forth in the preamble of claim 1 as known from DE 39 04 771 C1, DE 44 05 566 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,777 in each case.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The objective forming the basis of the present invention is explained, by way of an example, with reference to
FIGS. 3
a
to
6
b.
For controlling car door locks, use is made nowadays of electromechanical locking devices. Shown diagrammatically in
FIGS. 3
a
or
3
b
is a plan view of the open pans
1
,
1
′ of a circuit substrate
2
,
2
′ for a left-hand and right-hand car door respectively.
The circuit substrates
2
,
2
′ are plastics substrate parts in which electric conductors are embedded which connect the electrical and/or electronic and/or electromechanical components to each other on the two circuit substrates
2
,
2
′.
In
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
the components applied to the two circuit substrates
2
or
2
′ are, for example, a first switch SW
1
or SW
1
′, a second switch SW
2
or SW
2
′, a first electric motor M
1
or M
1
′, a second electric motor M
2
or M
2
′ and a plug S or S′. The electric motors are each symbolized by the contact terminals and the direction of rotation of the motor.
In series automobile production the situation calls for configuring the two circuit substrates
2
,
2
′ and their pans
1
,
1
′ as shown in
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
for a left-hand and right-hand car door mirror-symmetrical to permit installing them on both sides of the motor vehicle positioned and oriented mirror-symmetrical to each other.
When imagining that a mirror plane P is oriented between the left-hand and right-hand variants of a circuit substrates
2
,
2
′ as shown in
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
, then due to the symmetry requirements the positions and orientations of the components mounted on the left-hand circuit substrate
2
are mirror-symmetrical to the positions and orientations of the components mounted on the right-hand circuit substrate
2
′.
It is particularly in series motor vehicle production that for reasons of simplifying material economy and cost savings in designing the variants there exists the marginal requirement that the number of component variants to be developed and held available is to be minimized. This means, for example, that no specific left-hand and specific right-hand variant is to be provided in each case for the components as shown in
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
. By making use of only one variant of components the complexity requirements in installation and on the corresponding automated handling devices are also reduced in each case.
Instead, what is desired in series production is that the motors M
1
and M
2
, the switches SW
1
and SW
2
and plug S as shown in
FIG. 3
a
and all totally identical to the motors M
1
′ or M
2
′, the switches SW
1
′ and SW
2
′ and plug S′ as shown in
FIG. 3
b.
Accordingly, as regards their circuit-functional contact assignment and effectiveness, the components as shown in
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
are not mirror-symmetrical to each other, i.e. the identical motors M
1
in
FIG. 3
a
and M
1
′ in
FIG. 3
b
both rotate counter-clockwise, for example (and not opposite in rotation to each other) and the plug positions plug positions A-K of the plugs S or S′ as shown in
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
are likewise not mirror-symmetrical to each other, they instead corresponding to each other.
In other words, mirror-symmetry exists as regards the three-dimensional geometry of the installation situation for the left-hand and the right-hand variant of the circuit substrate, whereas asymmetry exists as regards the functionality of the circuit.
Due to the components being identical as shown in left-hand and right-hand configuration this also results in, in the case of car door locking devices, that for the mating the plugs and the wiring harnesses connected thereto a left-hand and right-hand variant does not need to be provided in each case, but instead only an identical variant to be installed on the left-hand and right-hand side of the vehicle as regards its symmetrical positioning and orientation in a three-dimensional geometry, but which is asymmetrical as regards its circuit functionality.
Since both circuit substrates as shown in
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
are assigned exactly the same circuit diagram and the same contact pin assignment, as shown in
FIG. 4
for example, two different layouts for the circuitry need to be designed for the circuitry in the left-hand and right-hand embodiment of the circuit substrates
2
,
2
′ for correctly contacting the left-hand and right-hand variant of the circuit substrates
2
,
2
′ in accordance with the circuit function.
Satisfying this requirement hitherto in actual practice was achieved by selecting a layout for the left-hand circuit substrates
2
different to that for the right-hand circuit substrates
2
′, as evident from
FIGS. 5
a
and
5
b
each showing a layout for a left-hand and a right-hand circuitry.
Referring now to
FIGS. 6
a
and
6
b
there is illustrated, the same as shown in
FIGS. 3
a
and
3
b
, how the circuitry as shown in
FIGS. 5
a
and
5
b
is embedded in the circuit substrates
2
,
2
′ which is usually done by potting the circuit substrates in plastics.
When using e.g. a stamped matrix for the circuitry, then the layouts as shown in
FIGS. 5
a
and
5
b
correspond to two different stamped matrixes, each of which is to be embedded in the left-hand and right-hand circuit substrates
2
,
2
′ respectively, this requiring, of course, two different stamping/bending dies for producing the stamped matrixes. In automated production this results in two production lanes totally separate from each other needing to be equipped including stamping/bending dies and automated handling devices each specifically adapted to the left-hand and right-hand stamped matrix. By making use of different stamping/bending dies for the left-hand and right-hand stamped matrix it is possible to configure on the two stamped matrixes, by suitably bending the free-standing stamped matrix sections, contact pins (not shown) permitting contacting the components to the two stamped matrixes as shown in
FIGS. 6
a
and
6
b
such that the components are positioned mirror-symmetrical to each other on the left-hand and right-hand stamped matrix.
Similar problems are likewise involved when using circuit substrates with applied track arrays, e.g. in the form of of rigid circuit boards or flexible printed circuit films instead of stamped matrixes. Here too, two variants having different circuitry (layouts) needs to be provided for the left-hand and right-hand embodiment in the case of such circuit substrates provided with tracks, meaning that, e.g. two different kinds of exposure masks need to be employed in photolithographic circuit board production.
In any case, the problem remains of having to handle two different variants of the circuitry in series production, as a result of which the objective of minimizing the variants of the components employed and the complexity in handling fails to be attained optimally.
Although only one circuit substrate is involved when using circuit substrates having two different layouts for the circuitry applied to both sides (e.g. as in the case of a double-sided circuit board provided with tracks on both sides or a double-sided flexible circuit film printed on both sides) this still needs to be provided with tracks on both sides which, depending on the method employed in each case, may considerably add to the com
Chernoff Vilhauer McClung & Stenzel LLP
Cherry GmbH
Vigushin John B.
LandOfFree
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