Printed circuit board with side access termination pads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10057987-B2
Application number	US-201414901751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	Jul 8, 2013
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A printed circuit board provides lateral notches for receiving wire conductors in a lateral direction to be joined with printed circuit board traces by solder or an insulation displacement connector eliminating the need for laborious sequential insertion of conductors through printed circuit board holes.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A printed circuit board assembly comprising:
a printed circuit board having an insulating, substantially planar and rigid substrate defining opposed laterally extending faces bounded at a periphery by edges, at least one face including adhered, laterally-extending conductive traces; and
electrical components attached to the conductive traces to provide at least a portion of an electrical circuit;
wherein at least one edge of the printed circuit board substrate provides a set of notches, each given notch of the set of notches extending laterally from the at least one edge to a respective termination point within the periphery and having opposed notch walls;
wherein each termination point is partially surrounded by electrically conductive material covering a surface of at least one face outside of each given notch about the termination point, the electrically conductive material electrically connected with at least one conductive trace of the conductive traces electrically communicating with at least one of the electrical components;
whereby a given electrical wire conductor may be attached to at least one trace of the conductive traces by orienting the given electrical wire conductor to extend perpendicularly to the faces and sliding the given electrical wire conductor laterally into the given notch to electrically connect with corresponding electrically conductive material;
wherein the notches are tapered to have an opening width measured perpendicularly to an extent of the notch between the at least one edge and the termination point greater than a width at the termination point measured perpendicularly to an extent of the notch; and
wherein the termination point is a C-shaped hole providing a constricting portion narrower than the opening width and narrower than a diameter of the C-shaped hole, the constricting portion being positioned between the opening width and the termination point;
further including multiple insulated flexible electrical wire conductors having multiple center strands surrounded coaxially by electrical insulation, the center strands of each electrical wire conductor pressed into a corresponding one of the notches and soldered to the electrically conductive material wherein the constricting portion is sized to allow the center strands to pass laterally by the constricting portion into the C-shaped hole to be retained in the C-shaped hole with the center strands compressed together.

2. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive material is trace material physically continuous with at least one trace of the conductive traces and positioned to be attached to an electrical wire conductor by soldering thereto.

3. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 1 wherein the trace material surrounds a region of each notch of the set of notches past the constricting portion at the termination point by a least 270 degrees measured from a center of the region.

4. A printed circuit board assembly comprising:
a printed circuit board having an insulating, substantially planar and rigid substrate defining opposed laterally extending faces bounded at a periphery by edges, at least one face including adhered, laterally-extending conductive traces; and
electrical components attached to the conductive traces to provide at least a portion of an electrical circuit;
wherein at least one edge of the printed circuit board substrate provides a set of notches, each given notch of the set of notches extending laterally from the at least one edge to a respective termination point within the periphery;
wherein each termination point is partially surrounded by electrically conductive material covering a surface of at least one face outside of each given notch about the termination point, the electrically conductive material electrically connected with at least one conductive trace of the conductive traces electrically communicating with at least one of the electrical components;
whereby a given electrical wire conductor may be attached to at least one trace of the conductive traces by orienting the given electrical wire conductor to extend perpendicularly to the faces and sliding the given electrical wire conductor laterally into the given notch to electrically connect with corresponding electrically conductive material;
wherein the electrically conductive material associated with each given notch of the set of notches is a first metal plate fitting over a given notch and having a cutting edge displaced inward from edges of the given notch and tapering inward toward the termination point of the given notch to cut through insulation of an electrical wire conductor extending perpendicular to the faces when the electrical wire conductor is pressed into the given notch laterally to the termination point to provide a gas-tight electrical connection between the first metal plate and a center conductor of the electrical wire conductor.

5. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 4 wherein a portion of the first metal plate extends over at least one trace and is soldered thereto.

6. The printed circuit board of claim 4 further including a second metal plate forming a clip with the first metal plate, the second metal plate in opposition to the first metal plate fitting under the given notch and having a tapered cutting edge displaced inward from lateral edges of the given notch also to cut through insulation of an electrical wire conductor extending perpendicularly to the faces when the electrical wire conductor is pressed into the given notch laterally.

7. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 6 wherein the clip provides a front joining member holding the first and second metal plates in opposition with inward spring biasing of the first and second metal plates together to a dimension less than a thickness of the substrate between the opposed laterally extending faces.

8. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 4 further including multiple insulated flexible electrical wire conductors having center strands surrounded coaxially by electrical insulation, wherein the cutting edge has a separation greater than a diameter of the electrical insulation at the at least one edge of the printed circuit board tapering inward to a separation no greater than a diameter of the center strands at the termination point.

9. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 1 wherein the notches are spaced apart in substantially equal separation along the at least one edge.

10. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 1 wherein the conductive traces are copper cladding adhered to the printed circuit board substrate and selectively etched to define trace dimensions.

11. The printed circuit board assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrical components are selected from the group consisting of electrical switches, solid-state electrical devices, resistors, and capacitors.

12. A method of fabricating a printed circuit board assembly of a type having:
electrical components;
a printed circuit board having an insulating substantially planar and rigid substrate defining opposed laterally extending faces bounded by edges, at least one face including adhered conductive cladding providing laterally extending metallic traces, at least one edge of the printed circuit board substrate providing a set of notches, each notch extending into the at least one edge to a respective termination point and wherein each termination point is surrounded by electrically conductive material covering an uninterrupted surface of the at least one face about the termination point, the electrically conductive material electrically continuous with at least one metallic tra

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Wang Xianbo
• Heckenkamp Mark R
• Smith Jerald J
• Kirby Maxwell J
• Bargholtz Jr William E
• Osvatic Michael S

Classifications

• H05K2201/10287

  Metal wires as connectors or conductors · CPC title

• H05K3/325

  by abutting or pinching; Mechanical auxiliary parts therefor · CPC title

• H05K1/119 Primary

  Details of rigid insulating substrates therefor, e.g. three-dimensional details (H05K1/117 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K2201/10022

  Non-printed resistor · CPC title

• H05K2203/0195

  Tool for a process not provided for in H05K3/00, e.g. tool for handling objects using suction, for deforming objects, for applying local pressure · CPC title