Continuous extrusion method for manufacturing a Z-directed component for insertion into a mounting hole in a printed circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160151-B2
Application number	US-201715397829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a Z-directed component for insertion into a mounting hole in a printed circuit board according to one example embodiment includes simultaneously extruding a plurality of materials according to the structure of the Z-directed component to form an extruded object and forming the Z-directed component from the extruded object. In one embodiment, the extruded object is divided into individual Z-directed components. In one embodiment, the timing of extrusion between predetermined sections of one of the materials is varied in order to stagger the sections in the extruded object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a plurality of Z-directed components each for insertion into a respective mounting hole in a printed circuit board, comprising:
simultaneously extruding a plurality of materials in the cross-sectional shape of a Z-directed component to form an extruded object with the plurality of materials arranged relative to each other in operative positions of the plurality of materials for electrical function of the Z-directed component;
dividing the extruded object into a plurality of segments; and
curing each of the plurality of segments to form a plurality of individual Z-directed components each insertable into a respective mounting hole in a printed circuit board.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said extruding the plurality of materials in the cross-sectional shape of the Z-directed component includes extruding the plurality of materials in a lengthwise direction of the Z-directed component.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of materials extend lengthwise through substantially the entire extruded object.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said extruding the plurality of materials in the cross-sectional shape of the Z-directed component includes forcing the plurality of materials through a chamber of an extrusion die to form the extruded object, a portion of the chamber including a barrier that separates different materials from each other and defines the positions of the materials relative to each other.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a diameter of the chamber and a thickness of the barrier narrow in a downstream direction of extrusion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of extruded materials is a conductive material that forms a conductive channel in each of the plurality of individual Z-directed components.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising applying a conductive trace to one of a top surface and a bottom surface of at least one of the plurality of individual Z-directed components that connects with the conductive channel of said Z-directed component to provide an interconnection between the conductive channel of said Z-directed component and a trace on the printed circuit board.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the extruded conductive material extends to a side surface of each of the plurality of individual Z-directed components to provide an interconnection between the conductive channel of each Z-directed component and a respective trace on the printed circuit board.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising applying a layer of insulator on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of at least one of the plurality of individual Z-directed components to protect a portion of the extruded conductive material that is exposed at the respective top or bottom surface of said Z-directed component.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising twisting the extruded object while forcing the extruded object through the chamber to cause the conductive channel to spiral in at least one of the plurality of individual Z-directed components.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising compressing at least one of the plurality of individual Z-directed components with a plug that includes a recess formed in an end thereof having a tapered rim around a periphery of the recess to form a corresponding taper in one of a top surface and a bottom surface of said Z-directed component.

Assignees

• Lexmark Int Inc

Inventors

• Hardin Keith Bryan
• Kratzer Zachary Charles Nathan
• Zhang Qing

Classifications

• H05K2201/10984

  Component carrying a connection agent, e.g. solder, adhesive · CPC title

• B29K2995/0005

  Conductive · CPC title

• H05K2201/10015

  Non-printed capacitor · CPC title

• H05K3/4046

  using auxiliary conductive elements, e.g. metallic spheres, eyelets, pieces of wire · CPC title

• Y10T29/49135

  and shaping, e.g., cutting or bending, etc. · CPC title