Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-07-10
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2841)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement
C174S260000, C361S760000, C361S767000, C439S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259040
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to electrical printed circuit boards and, more particularly, to an electrical printed circuit board having at least one plug contact element oriented with its longitudinal axis parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board and connected to this surface using a reflow soldering process.
BACKGROUND ART
Reflow soldering processes produce a solder connection of surface mountable components to connection regions of a printed circuit board. These surface mountable components are referred to as SMD components. A reflow soldering process includes four steps. First, solder paste is provided on solder surfaces of the printed circuit board. The solder paste forms the connection regions. A screen-printing process is employed to provide the solder paste on the solder surfaces. Second, the SMD circuit components are then pressed with their connections into the solder paste of the corresponding solder surface. An automatic placement machine presses the SMD components into the solder paste.
Third, the assembled printed circuit board then passes through a temperature profile in a reflow soldering installation. Temperature profile components of the solder paste undergo gas-phase stripping before a flux agent contained therein is activated. Fourth, the solder metal contained in the solder paste is melted. Consequently, the solder connection is produced.
Throughout the process of assembling the printed circuit board until the solder connection sets, the SMD components are held in their position only by the adhesive strength of the solder paste. This is possible because the SMD components are generally relatively small and light. The SMD components further have at least two connection contacts.
However, it is often necessary to provide intersection points for subsequent connection of the printed circuit board to other devices. These intersection points take the form of plug connectors. If plug contact elements are used for plug connectors they must be mounted with their longitudinal axis parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board. The sole contact points, i.e., single solder paste attachments, on the printed circuit board on which respective plug connectors are mounted to cannot adequately hold the plug connectors in the desired position. In particular, round plug contact elements are typically in the form of solid turned parts having an elongate cylindrical form and a relatively large mass. A problem is that because of shaking to which the printed circuit board is typically subjected to during the course of processing, forces and turning moments arise which far exceed the holding force applied by the single solder paste attachment.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical circuit board for a reflow soldering process having means for holding plug contact elements in the designated position until the solder connection has set in which the plug contact elements are positioned with SMD circuit components in one working process.
The present invention achieves this object without the aid of additional mechanical components, adhesive media or the like. The present invention employs apertures or slots in the printed circuit board having a length and width dimensioned such that in cooperation with the lengths and cross-sections of the plug contact elements an optimum soldering position thereof on the printed circuit board is achieved. In a particularly advantageous embodiment the plug contact elements are round and have portions of different diameters.
In carrying out the above object and other objects, the present invention provides an electrical printed circuit board. The electrical circuit board includes first and second printed circuit boards. The first printed circuit board portion has a metal connection region and the second printed circuit board portion has a slot therein. A plug contact element is oriented with its longitudinal axis parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board. The plug contact element has a head and a body. The head of the plug contact element is positioned adjacent to the metal connection region to be soldered thereto. The body of the plug contact element is at least partially disposed in the slot in order to be positioned and secured from the moment the head of the plug contact element has been positioned adjacent to the metal connection region until the head of the plug contact element has been soldered to the metal connection region.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the present invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4992052 (1991-02-01), Verhoeven
patent: 5108295 (1992-04-01), Koike et al.
patent: 5269694 (1993-12-01), Kachlic et al.
patent: 5876221 (1999-03-01), Sasaki
patent: 5921788 (1999-07-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 5999412 (1999-12-01), Busse et al.
patent: 6179631 (2001-01-01), Downes et al.
patent: 400539 (1990-12-01), None
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Gaffin Jeffrey
Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG
Patel I B
LandOfFree
Electrical printed circuit board and process does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electrical printed circuit board and process, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electrical printed circuit board and process will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2522100