Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – Hermetic sealed envelope type
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-30
2001-01-23
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
Hermetic sealed envelope type
C361S752000, C361S720000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06177632
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a versatile metal case for a circuit board which dissipates heat and aids in mounting the circuit board to another surface, such as another circuit board, in either a horizontal or a vertical configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical devices which have circuitry provided on a circuit board are increasingly utilizing sub-circuits mounted on small circuit boards, or daughter boards, which then must be connected electrically and physically to the main circuit, or motherboards. A power supply for the circuit is an example of a sub-circuit that is commonly found on a separate circuit board. Power supplies generate heat generally to a greater extent than the rest of the circuit so cooling the power supply sub-circuit presents an additional problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive case for physically and electrically connecting a circuit board containing a sub-circuit to another circuit board. Another object of the invention is to provide a case for a circuit board which aids in dissipation of the heat generated by the circuit on the circuit board. Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a case for circuit board of a single design which may be mounted as a surface mounted component or as a through pin mounted component in either a vertical or horizontal position.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention are provided by a circuit board case having a back panel with a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side edges. Side panels are provided connected to the edges of the back panel. Each of the side panels is provided with a top edge, a bottom edge, and a free side edge opposite the edge connected to the back panel. The bottom edges of the side panels are shaped to provide pins and tabs for mounting the case in a vertical configuration. The free edges of the side panels are provided with pins and support tabs for mounting the case in a horizontal configuration. A circuit board is mounted in the case preferably with the back plane of the circuit board lying against the back panel of the case. The lower edge of the circuit board is mounted at the bottom edge of the case and edge contacts are provided on the lower edge of the circuit board. Connector pins are mounted on the edge contacts. The pins are capable of electrically connecting the circuit of the circuit board in the case to another circuit when the case is mounted in either the vertical or horizontal mounting position. The bottom edge of the back panel of the case is provided with a cut away which is clear of the pins on the edge connector of the circuit board so as to prevent short circuiting of the pins.
To ensure proper mounting of the case on a motherboard, shoulders are provided on the present case for abutting the surface of the motherboard in either a through pin mounting or a surface mounting arrangement. The shoulders and through pins are provided in either the horizontal or vertical mounting configuration.
The circuit board case of the present invention including the back panel and side panels as well as the support shoulders and mounting pins are all formed from a single sheet of thermally conductive material which is then cut and bent into the configuration of the present circuit board case.
The present case provides small shoulders to achieve a minimal contact area on the main circuit board so that tracks, or leads, on the main circuit board are not shorted and so that circuit elements on the main circuit board may be positioned inside the U-shaped case in the vertical mounting or under the case in the parallel mounting position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4152671 (1979-05-01), Tuma et al.
patent: 5557063 (1996-09-01), Mottahed
Brady III Wade James
Kincaid Kristine
Ngo Hung V
Swayze, Jr. W. Daniel
Telecky , Jr. Frederick J.
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