Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Press forming means – press reshaping means – or vulcanizing... – Roll and coacting stationary shaping surface
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-12
2003-12-02
Mackey, James P. (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Press forming means, press reshaping means, or vulcanizing...
Roll and coacting stationary shaping surface
C425S383000, C425S394000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655950
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board (PCB) having electronic components thereon, where the PCB is mounted into a connector. More particularly, the present invention relates to the shaping of one edge of a PCB for subsequent insertion of a substrate into a connector. In particular, the present invention relates to a printed circuit board cold-shaping tool that forms a bevel upon an insertion edge of the printed circuit board (PCB), where the bevel on the insertion edge is then inserted into an expansion slot of a computer system, and where the PCB is a memory module or any other kind of plug-in card.
2. The Relevant Technology
A printed circuit board, sometimes abbreviated PCB, is a thin plate on which chips and other electronic components are placed. Computers consist of one or more boards, often called cards or adapters, each of which has a plurality of electronic components thereon. A PCB is typically inserted into an expansion slot in order to place the electronic components thereon in electrical communication within the computer. The expansion slot is an opening in a computer where a printed circuit board can be inserted to add new capabilities to the computer. Nearly all personal computers, except for portable computers, contain expansion slots for adding more memory, graphics capabilities, and support for special devices. The boards inserted into the expansion slots are called expansion boards, expansion cards, cards, add-ins, and add-ons.
The PCB has electrical contacts that are in electrical communication with the electronic devices on the PCB. The PCB preferably has one or more bevels upon one edge in order to facilitate insertion thereof into an expansion slot for a digital computer, or other types of electronic devices. A smooth bevel is preferably formed along the edge of the card without disturbing the electrical contacts on the card. In a typical 72-pin card, the bevel has been conventionally formed by a cutting operation that removes material from the card. These cutting operations have typically been performed by machinery, such as with the Bevel Master[] or Bevel Mate[] each of which is distributed by Radoll Designs, Inc. located in the city of Thomasville, Ga., USA.
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional elevation view of a prior art bevel device
10
that is used to cut a printed circuit board (PCB)
12
at an insertion edge
14
and at opposing parallel surfaces
30
. PCB
12
is inserted into a slot
16
of a bevel jig
18
. Bevel jig
18
may be supported by a base
20
. As PCB
12
is advanced by forcing it through slot
16
, a pair of knives
24
trim insertion edge
14
to form bevels. Insertion edge
14
is depicted as having a cross-sectional thickness that fits into and is slightly smaller than slot
16
. During the trimming of insertion edge
14
, a portion of PCB
12
, called a trimming
26
, falls away from PCB
12
and must be removed.
One of the problems that occurs in the prior art is that the presence of trimming
26
causes refuse and refuse management. Where a plurality of pins
28
are disposed along insertion edge
14
and have valuable metal such as gold that is cut away from PCB
12
as part of trimming
26
, additional work must be carried out to recover and reuse the valuable metal in trimming
26
.
Another problem that exists in the prior art is the fact that knives
24
are subject to losing a sharp edge and becoming dull due to on going use. As knives
24
begin to dull, successive PCBs will be beveled differently due to progressively varying degrees of sharpness of the cutting edge of knives
24
. In other words, where printed circuit board
12
is the first to be trimmed by a brand new set of knives
24
, a []clean[] cut may be performed, but the next printed circuit board will experience knives that are just slightly duller. Consequently, as the useful life of knives
24
nears their end, significantly different bevels on a PCB can be formed than when knives
24
are sharp.
Another problem occurs when one knife
24
may be sharper than another knife
24
. An unevenness in sharpness during the beveling operation will cause a greater degree of friction on the duller knife
24
. A difference or excessive friction on a knife
24
can cause PCB
12
to fragment instead of cleanly slicing insertion edge
14
of PCB
12
. Also, the increased pressure against the duller blade of knife
24
will cause PCB
12
to bow or warp. Bowing or warping will in turn cause a greater volume of trimming
26
to be removed from either of surfaces
30
and/or insertion edge
30
. Alternatively, if both occurrences of knives
24
are dull, the entire printed circuit board may be destroyed due to both uneven cutting, excessive friction, fragmentation, warping, or bowing. Still further, too large or too small of a volume of trimming
26
may be removed from one of opposite surfaces
30
of PCB
12
. Consequently, an uneven formation of bevels may cause PCB
12
to be inserted into an expansion slot without proper registration in the slot. This improper registration can cause electrical communication between the expansion slot and the electric contacts on PCB
12
to be established on only one side of PCB
12
.
Another problem that occurs due to the cutting nature of the prior art is, where the material of the pins
28
is scraped instead of cut by knives
24
, the scraping causes the material of pins
28
to pull away from the surface
30
. Where the material of pins
28
is harder than the material of PCB
12
, or where the material of pins
28
is not efficiently bonded to the surface
30
of PCB
12
, the material of pins
28
will be scraped away after a manner that causes it to delaminate from surface
30
of PCB
12
. Consequently, the effect will be inadequate electrical contact when PCB
12
is inserted into an expansion slot.
Along the length of insertion edge
14
(the length is pictured as being perpendicular to the plane of the Figure), PCB
12
may have a varying cross-sectional thickness as PCB
12
is presented against knives
24
. The varying cross-sectional thickness may also cause the cutting operation to be nonuniform. Where the cross-sectional thickness is too thin, cutting may not occur. Where the cross-sectional thickness is too wide, cutting may become irregular or improbable because PCB
12
may be forced out of slot
16
.
What is needed in the art is a tool, and a method of using the same, that forms beveled edges in a printed circuit board while overcoming the problems of the prior art. Such a tool, and a method of its use, is disclosed and claimed herein.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printed circuit board (PCB) edge shaping tool, and method of its use. The inventive tool and its method of use overcome the problems of the prior art associated with cutting and grinding to shape a PCB. The PCB has an insertion edge that extends between opposing parallel surfaces of the PCB. The PCB also has a bottom edge that is opposite and parallel to the insertion edge. The inventive tool is used to form a bevel on the PCB without removing material from the PCB. The bevel formed by the inventive method of using the inventive tool extends between the insertion edge and each of the opposing parallel surfaces of the PCB.
The inventive tool includes a support surface for supporting the bottom edge of the PCB, and also includes a device for moving a shaping tool to form a bevel on the PCB without removing material from the PCB. The bevel is formed while the support surface supports the bottom edge of the PCB and while the shaping tool makes contact with both the insertion edge of the PCB and the opposing parallel surfaces of the PCB.
The printed circuit board can be a memory module or for any other kind of plug-in card such as a modem card, a video card, or an audio card. The inventive method using compressive forces to form bevels upon an edge of a printed circuit board without removing material from the p
Mackey James P.
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Workman Nydegger
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