Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2004-02-24
Gibson, Randy (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S797000, C361S803000, C361S813000, C361S689000, C257S685000, C257S686000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06697259
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a protective circuit device for a storage battery for preventing overcharge to the storage battery, circuit board device of the protective circuit, and storage battery pack provided with the protective circuit device.
BACKGROUND ART
In electronic devices such as portable telephones, a storage battery pack with a storage battery enclosed in a resin casing is generally used as a power supply source. In most cases, a protective circuit device for preventing overcharge to the storage battery is included in the storage battery pack. The protective circuit device has a charging terminal for charging the storage battery with electricity from a domestic plug socket or the like, and a discharging terminal for supplying electricity to a terminal device such as a portable telephone. An exemplary conventional protective circuit device is shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
.
A protective circuit device
3
shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
has a prescribed interconnection pattern (not shown) and a circuit board
32
on which various electronic parts
6
, including a chip resistor, are mounted. Circuit board
32
is in an L shape, and has metal terminals
40
and
41
at both ends. In addition, a first terminal portion
32
C and a second terminal portion
34
A, in which a plurality of metal pieces are inserted into resin, are mounted to protective circuit device
3
. Terminal portions
32
C and
34
A are electrically connected to metal terminals
40
and
41
.
First terminal portion
32
C has a structure in which the region of the metal piece is partially exposed from the surface of a resin portion
32
c
. First terminal portion
32
C is mounted to circuit board
32
such that the exposed region is on the side of the back surface of circuit board
32
(faces down). The exposed region turns to, for example, charging terminal
31
. On the other hand, second terminal portion
34
A has a structure in which each metal piece is partially exposed from the upper surface of a so-called terminal base
34
B (a resin portion) having a prescribed height. The region in which the metal piece is exposed turns to, for example, discharging terminal
30
.
Terminal base
34
B has a horizontal portion
34
a
in which the metal terminal is exposed, as well as a vertical wall
34
c
and a plurality of leg portions
34
b
that are downwardly extending from horizontal portion
34
a
. Namely, with second terminal portion
34
A mounted to circuit board
32
, a prescribed space is formed between circuit board
32
and the lower surface of horizontal portion
34
a
, as shown in FIG.
13
. Thus, various electronic parts
6
can be mounted in the region of circuit board
32
directly below horizontal portion
34
a
before mounting second terminal portion
34
A. After mounting electronic parts
6
, second terminal portion
34
A is mounted to circuit board
32
such that contact between second terminal portion
34
A and electronic parts
6
is avoided.
However, the above described protective circuit device
3
suffers from problems related to a low efficiency in manufacture and cost involved. The reason is as follows. Since first and second terminal portions
32
C and
34
A are formed by inserting metal pieces into resin, steps of forming terminal portions
32
C and
34
A are additionally required. Further, in the steps of forming terminal portions
32
C and
34
A, molds for forming resin portions
32
c
and
34
B of terminal portions
32
C and
34
A and for inserting the metal pieces are required. The molds are required for each of terminal portions
32
C and
34
A.
Moreover, manufactured protective circuit device
3
should be tested to determine as to if it operates as designed. Then, if protective circuit device
3
is determined to be defective due to a mounting failure of electronic part
6
mounted in a region of circuit board
3
corresponding to second terminal portion
34
A, such poorly mounted electronic part
6
cannot be re-mounted unless second terminal portion
34
A is removed. Thus, if electronic part
6
is not properly mounted in the region of circuit board
32
corresponding to second terminal portion
34
A, protective circuit device
3
must be discarded, whereby the yield is decreased.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made to solve the aforementioned problems. An object of the present invention is to manufacture a protective circuit device and storage battery pack with high efficiency and favorable cost.
A circuit board of a protective circuit for a storage battery according to the present invention has a first board including a circuit portion, and a second board connected to the first board through a deformable conductive member. The circuit portion includes, for example, an interconnection pattern and an electronic part connected thereto. The conductive material may be a metal piece, for example.
The first board preferably has a first external terminal electrically connected to the circuit portion. The second board preferably has a second external terminal electrically connected to the circuit portion.
Further, the first board preferably has a protrusion protruding from one end thereof. In this case, the first external terminal is formed on the protrusion. The second board is preferably arranged on the side opposite to the protrusion with respect to and spaced from the first board.
A third board may be provided between the first and second boards. In this case, the first, second, and third boards may be connected by the same conductive member. The conductive member may include the first and second conductive members. Then, the first conductive member connects the first and third boards, whereas the second conductive member connects the second and third boards.
Further, the first and second boards may be formed in the region surrounded by a frame. A plurality of such regions are provided, each having the first and second boards.
Normally, various electronic parts and the like are mounted on the board with a plurality of boards collectively connected by the frame. After terminals to be electrically connected to the mounted electronic parts are formed, each board is separated from the frame. Thus, a circuit for an intended use is obtained. Here, as the second board (island) is connected to the first board (the circuit board body) through the conductive member, the second and the first boards are maintained in a desired positional relationship with the conductive member bent. For example, the second board can be vertical or parallel to the first board. In addition, if the circuit board of the protective circuit has a third board (island), for example, the second board can be parallel to the first board and the third board can be vertical to the first board thereby connecting the first and second boards.
Since the second board is connected to the first board through the conductive member, the second and first boards can be electrically connected. In this case, the second board may be provided with electronic parts and terminals. If the protective circuit board is provided with a third board, the second board can be parallel to the first board by separating the board from the frame and bending the conductive member. Thus, if the external terminal is formed on the second board, for example, the above mentioned second and third boards serve as the second terminal portion of the conventional example.
If the second board is parallel to the first board and the second board is arranged directly above the first board, a prescribed space is obtained between the first and second boards. The height of the space can be determined by appropriately selecting the dimension of the third board, length of the conductive member and the like. Various electronic parts are mounted to the first board before bending the conductive member, for example in the state of collective board. In this case, by appropriately setting the height of the space, contact between the second board and the electronic parts can be avoided even if the second board is arranged directly above the f
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Bui Hung
Gibson Randy
Rohm & Co., Ltd.
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