Circuit board having arc tracking protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10064266-B2
Application number	US-201113185583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2011
Priority date	Jul 19, 2011
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A printed circuit board to which corresponding wiring connectors such as power wiring connectors, may be connected to couple electrical components and a power supply to the printed circuit board and a control housing, which may be used for operably storing such a printed circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit board comprising:
a substrate having perimeter edges bounding an interior section contained within the perimeter edges;
a slot formed in the interior section of the substrate and fully defining a peninsula element;
a power input connector provided on the peninsula element; and
an electrical trace provided on the substrate and extending onto the peninsula element and conductively connected with the power input connector;
wherein the power input connector is spaced from a junction of the peninsula element and the substrate to define a fuse region in the peninsula element, between the junction and the power input connector, that evanesces with heat in response to arc tracking along the electrical trace to the power input connector to electrically open the power input connector relative to the electrical trace.

2. The circuit board of claim 1 further comprising conformal coating on the substrate.

3. The circuit board of claim 2 wherein the conformal coating is not present in the slot.

4. The circuit board of claim 1 wherein the peninsula element has a width of less than 5 mm at the fuse region.

5. The circuit board of claim 4 wherein the width is 3-4 mm.

6. The circuit board of claim 4 wherein the power input connector comprises at least one pin and the pin closest to the junction is at least 4 mm from the junction.

7. The circuit board of claim 6 wherein the at least one pin is 5 to 6 mm from the junction.

8. The circuit board of claim 6 wherein the electrical trace is less than 4 mm wide.

9. The circuit board of claim 8 wherein the electrical trace is less than 3 mm wide.

10. The circuit board of claim 1 wherein the power input connector is spaced from the junction by less than 5 mm.

11. The circuit board of claim 1 wherein the substrate includes insulating layers formed from at least one of FR-2 material and FR-4 material.

12. The circuit board of claim 1 wherein the power input connector and the electrical trace are configured for a 10 amp power supply.

13. The circuit board of claim 1 in combination with a connector box enclosing the power input connector.

14. The circuit board of claim 13 wherein the connector box comprises a gasket that envelopes the power input connector.

15. The circuit board of claim 14 wherein the connector box comprises wire openings and the gasket closes the wire openings.

16. The circuit board of claim 14 wherein the gasket is a foam gasket.

17. The circuit board of claim 16 wherein the foam gasket is made from a blend of Nitrile and PVC.

18. A circuit board comprising:
a substrate;
a continuous slot within the substrate fully defining a peninsula element portion of the substrate bounded by the continuous slot and a junction between the substrate and the peninsula element portion of the substrate;
a power input connector provided on the peninsula element portion of the substrate; and
an electrical trace provided on the substrate and extending onto the peninsula element portion of the substrate and conductively connected with the power input connector;
wherein the power input connector is spaced from the junction and the substrate to define a fuse region in the peninsula element, between the junction and the power input connector, that evanesces with heat in response to arc tracking along the electrical trace to the power input connector to electrically open the power input connector relative to the electrical trace.

Assignees

• Fitzpatrick Kevin J
• Roth Ryan K
• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Fitzpatrick Kevin J
• Roth Ryan K

Classifications

• H01H85/04

  Fuses, i.e. expendable parts of the protective device, e.g. cartridges · CPC title

• H05K2201/10181

  Fuse · CPC title

• H05K2201/09063

  Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections · CPC title

• H05K1/0256 Primary

  Electrical insulation details, e.g. around high voltage areas · CPC title

• H05K2201/10189

  Non-printed connector · CPC title