Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-30
2003-12-02
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
83, 83, 83, 83
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655018
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to techniques for mounting electrical components to circuit boards, and more specifically to techniques for surface mounting electrical components to circuit boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Techniques for mounting electrical components to circuit boards are known and commonly used in the electronics industry. Many such electrical components include electrical leads (sometimes referred to as “pins” or “terminals”) extending therefrom, wherein these electrical leads must be mechanically and electrically attached to the circuit board in forming a desired electrical or electronic circuit.
Early electrical circuit boards included a number of holes or passageways defined therethrough, and an electrically conductive film patterned on a backside thereof. With such circuit boards, electrical components are typically arranged on a top side of the circuit board, and their electrical leads are passed through appropriate holes defined through the board and soldered to the electrically conductive film patterned around the various circuit board holes. In this manner, electrical components are arranged on a top side of the circuit board, and mechanically and electrically attached to an opposite back side of the circuit board to form a desired electrical or electronic circuit.
Advances in circuit board technology have provided for so-called “plated-through” hole technology wherein electrically conductive film can be patterned on both the top side, the back side and/or within a circuit board, as well as on the sidewalls of the various holes defined through the circuit board. Circuit boards implementing plated-through technology provide for the ability to carry out the soldering process on either or both sides of the circuit board.
An example of a known electrical circuit assembly technique utilizing a plated-through hole circuit board is shown in
FIGS. 1A and 2
. Referring to
FIG. 1A
, an electrical component
12
is attached to a circuit board
14
via a number of electrical terminals
16
a
-
16
x
extending from component
12
. Circuit board
14
includes a corresponding number of electrically conductive pads
18
a
-
18
x
defining plated-through holes
14
′ therethrough (see FIG.
2
). Referring to
FIG. 1B
, each of the electrical terminals
16
X conventionally define a region
16
X′ extending from component
12
and having a first width or cross-sectional area that is larger than the cross-sectional area of the circuit board holes
14
′, and a region
16
X″ extending from region
16
x
′ and having a second reduced width or cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the circuit board holes
14
′. The interface between regions
16
X′ and
16
X″ typically defines a step that supports the component
12
against the top of the circuit board
14
when the various electrical terminals
16
a
-
16
x
are extended through the circuit board holes
14
′. The electrical terminals
16
a
-
16
x
are then electrically and mechanically attached to the corresponding electrically conductive pads
18
a
-
18
x
via solder connections
20
a
-
20
x
as illustrated in FIG.
1
A.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, a cross-section of the circuit assembly illustrated in
FIG. 1A
is shown along section lines
2
—
2
.
FIG. 2
illustrates a known technique for electrically and mechanically attaching example electrical leads
16
b
and
16
z
(not shown in
FIG. 1
) of electrical component
12
to circuit board
14
. For example, electrical terminal
16
b
includes a first section
16
b
′ extending from electrical component
12
in a direction generally parallel with a top planar surface
12
a
thereof. A second section
16
b
″ of electrical terminal
16
b
extends downwardly and in a direction substantially normal to the planar face
12
a
of electrical component
12
and through a hole or passageway
14
′ defined through circuit board
14
. The hole or passageway
14
′ is plated-through as shown by electrically conductive film portions
18
b
. A solder connection
20
b
forms an electrical and mechanical attachment of terminal portion
16
b
″ to the electrically conductive film portions
18
b.
While the known electrical component mounting techniques described hereinabove and shown with respect to
FIGS. 1A
,
1
B and
2
have been extensively used in the electronics industry, they have certain drawbacks associated therewith. For example, while some electrical components may be mounted flush and in contact with the top of circuit board
14
, others must be elevated from the top of the circuit board as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
for various reasons. In such cases, a number of drawbacks may result. For example, electrical component
12
may be a display unit or other device having a top surface
12
a
that must not only be elevated from circuit board
14
, but must also be substantially parallel with circuit board
14
for proper viewing thereof. If the electrical terminals
16
a
-
16
z
are not precisely configured such that each of the interfaces between terminal portions
16
X′ and
16
X″ define substantially parallel surfaces, special care must then be taken to ensure that electrical component
12
is mounted to circuit board
14
in such a manner that surface
12
a
is substantially parallel with circuit board
14
.
What is therefore needed is a technique for mounting electrical components to circuit boards that overcome the foregoing and other related difficulties associated with conventional electrical component mounting techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present invention. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of mounting an electrical circuit component to a circuit board comprises the steps of providing an electrical component having an electrical terminal extending therefrom, providing a circuit board defining a bore extending from a first surface toward a second opposite surface thereof, deforming the electrical terminal to define a mounting portion having a tip portion extending away therefrom, and mounting the electrical component to the circuit board with the mounting portion of the electrical terminal juxtaposed with the first surface of the circuit board and with the tip extending into the bore.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a circuit assembly comprises an electrical component having an electrical terminal extending therefrom, the electrical terminal defining a mounting portion having a tip portion extending therefrom, and a circuit board defining a bore extending from a first surface toward a second opposite surface thereof. The electrical component is mounted to the circuit board with the mounting portion of the electrical terminal juxtaposed with the first surface of the circuit board and with the tip extending into the bore.
One object of the present invention is to provide a technique for surface-mounting an electrical component to a circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a technique to simplify the construction of circuit assemblies utilizing display units.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6274823 (2001-08-01), Khandros et al.
patent: 6336269 (2002-01-01), Eldridge et al.
Chmielewski Stefan V.
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Funke Jimmy L.
Grant Alvin J
Hail III Joseph J.
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