Printed circuit board, a terminal and a method of assembling a printed circuit board module

• US 10,617,007 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Perez-Uria, Igor, Drugge, Lars, Ferm, Per, Huang, Enock
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayo, III, William H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Rhadames Alonzo
• Application Number:
  US16/085,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20190090349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/111 Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/041 Stacked PCBs, i.e. having neither an empty space nor mounted components in between
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/044 Details of backplane or midplane for mounting orthogonal PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09145 Edge details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09181 Notches in edge pads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10303 Pin-in-hole mounted pins
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1034 Edge terminals, i.e. separate pieces of metal attached to the edge of the printed circuit board [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3405 Edge mounted components, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/366 substantially perpendicularly to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/368 parallel to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/403 Edge contacts; Windows or holes in the substrate having plural connections on the walls thereof H05K3/4092 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to a Printed Circuit Board, PCB, (1) and a terminal (2) for connecting the PCB (1) to an electrical component. The PCB (1) comprises a through-hole (11) for receiving the terminal (2). The through-hole (11) has a partially open side wall (12), wherein the side wall (12) is open along at least a part of a length (L) of the 5 through-hole (11) perpendicular to a radius (R) of the through-hole (11). This allows the terminal (2) to protrude through the open side wall (12) when received by the through-hole (11), such that a position of the terminal (2) is adjustable along the length of the open side wall (12). The terminal (2) comprises a base (21), adapted to be received by the through-hole (11) of the PCB (1) and to create a press fit with the side wall (12) of the through-hole 10 (11), and a pin (22) projecting from a surface (23) of the base (21). The pin (22) is adapted to protrude through the open side wall (12), when the base (21) is inserted into the through-hole (11) of the PCB (1). Furthermore, embodiments herein relate to a method for assembling a PCB module (120) comprising the terminal (2) and the PCB (1).

Claims

1. A Printed Circuit Board, PCB, comprising one or more through-holes for receiving one or more terminals, wherein the one or more through-holes penetrates one or more conductive layers of the PCB and the one or more through-holes has a partially open side wall,

wherein the side wall is at least partially plated to electrically interconnect said one or more conductive layers and wherein the side wall is open along at least a part of a length of the one or more through holes perpendicular to a radius of the one or more through-holes for allowing the terminal to protrude through the open side wall when received by the one or more through-holes, such that a position of the terminal is adjustable along the length of the open side wall, and

wherein the PCB comprises one or more grooves located in between the one or more through-holes on an edge of the PCB adapted to guide the one or more terminals of another PCB positioned next to the PCB, in order to position a terminal of the another PCB in relation to the PCB.

2. The PCB of claim 1, wherein the side wall is open along an entirety of the length of the one or more through-holes perpendicular to the radius of the one or more through-holes.

3. A terminal for mounting on a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising one or more through-holes that penetrates one or more conductive layers of the PCB,

wherein the one or more through-holes has a partially open side wall that is at least partially plated to electrically interconnect said one or more conductive layers, and the side wall is open along at least a part of a length of the one or more through-holes perpendicular to a radius of the one or more through-holes for allowing the terminal to protrude through the open side wall when received by the one or more through-holes such that a position of the terminal is adjustable along the length of the open side wall, the terminal comprising:

a current conductive material;

a base adapted to be received by the one or more through-holes of the PCB and to create a press fit with the side wall of the one or more through-holes; and

a pin projecting from a surface of the base, wherein the pin is adapted to protrude through the open side wall when the base is inserted into the one or more through-holes of the PCB,

wherein the pin further comprises a collar extending in a radial direction of the pin, and

wherein the collar is adapted to provide a spacing to an electrical component adapted to receive the pin.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the terminal is further adapted to be soldered to the side wall of the one or more through-holes, and wherein the collar further is adapted to prevent solder from wetting out along the pin when the terminal is soldered to the PCB.

5. The terminal of claim 3, wherein an extension of the collar in the radial direction is adapted to a required spacing of the PCB with respect to the electrical component adapted to receive the pin.

6. The terminal of claim 3, wherein a position of the collar on the pin is adapted to a/the required spacing of the PCB to the electrical component adapted to receive the pin.

7. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the base of the terminal is mainly prism-shaped and wherein a plurality of edges of the prism-shaped base create the press fit with the side wall of the one or more through-holes.

8. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the pin has a right angled extension in a longitudinal direction of the pin thereby allowing the PCB to be mounted with a lay down design.

9. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the pin has a straight extension in a longitudinal direction of the pin, thereby allowing the PCB to be mounted as a single in one package.

10. The terminal of claim 3, wherein the pin comprises another through-hole adapted to receive a screw for connecting the pin to an electrical component receiving the pin.

11. A method for assembling a printed circuit board (PCB) module, the method comprising:

obtaining a PCB, wherein the PCB comprises one or more through-holes that penetrates one or more conductive layers of the PCB,

wherein the one or more through-holes has a partially open side wall that is at least partially plated to electrically interconnect said one or more conductive layers, and the side wall is open along at least a part of a length of the one or more through-holes perpendicular to a radius of the one or more through-holes for allowing the terminal to protrude through the open side wall when received by the one or more through-holes such that a position of the terminal is adjustable along the length of the open side wall,

wherein the PCB comprises one or more grooves located in between the one or more through-holes on an edge of the PCB adapted to guide one or more terminals of another PCB positioned next to the PCB, in order to position a terminal of the another PCB in relation to the PCB;

inserting a terminal into the one or more through-holes of the PCB,

adjusting a position of the terminal in the one or more through-holes in order to adapt a set of geometrical characteristics of the PCB module to a mounting position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

fixing the terminal to the PCB in a position by soldering.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the set of geometrical characteristics comprises a height of the PCB module, and/or a seating height of the PCB module in relation to a host board and/or a cooling height of the PCB module in relation to a host board and/or a casing in which the PCB module is mounted.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the terminal comprises:

a current conductive material;

a base adapted to be received by the one or more through-holes of the PCB and to create a press fit with the side wall of the one or more through-holes; and

a pin projecting from a surface of the base, wherein the pin is adapted to protrude through the open side wall when the base is inserted into the one or more through-holes of the PCB.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein inserting the terminal into the one or more through-holes of the PCB comprises inserting the base into the one or more through-holes of the PCB such that the pin protrudes through the open side wall.