Overmolded electronic assembly and overmoldable interface component

• US 7,390,978 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dean, Timothy B., Petsinger, Jeffrey M., Rooney, Daniel T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Hung V
• Application Number:
  US11/021,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20060141828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 174/521, 257/678, 257/757, 361/752, 361/757, 361/737
• US Class Current: 174/521
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09127 PCB or component having an integral separable or breakable part
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10037 Printed or non-printed battery
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10325 Sockets, i.e. female type connectors comprising metallic connector elements integrated in, or bonded to a common dielectric support
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0052 Depaneling, i.e. dividing a panel into circuit boards; Working of the edges of circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence

Abstract

An overmolded electronic assembly (900, 1000, 1200) is fabricated from one or more overmoldable interface components (300, 400, 500, 1220, 1750) that may be electrical contacts or electronic components that have physical interfaces, such as speakers or sensors. The overmoldable interface components have a sacrificial end that is cut off from the remainder of the overmoldable interface components after being overmolded in an electronic assembly, providing a sealed cavity into the overmolded electronic assembly.

Claims

1. An overmolded electronic assembly, comprising:

an electronic assembly that comprises;

a plurality of electronic components, and

one or more overmoldable interface components that are each sealed at an internal end; and

an overmolding that envelops the plurality of electronic components of the electronic assembly, wherein each of the one or more overmoldable interface components provides a sealed cavity in the overmolding and has an opening that is flush with a flat surface of the overmolding.

2. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 1, wherein the opening of each overmoldable interface component has been cut flush with the flat surface of the overmolding.

3. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 1, wherein each overmoldable interface component is a cylindrical metal shell that is soldered to a solder pad of a circuit substrate of the electronic assembly.

4. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 3, wherein the internal end of the cylindrical metal shell is one of a pinch sealed, a plug sealed, and a cap sealed end.

5. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more overmoldable interface components comprises a five sided box.

6. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 5, wherein the five sided box comprises a four sided metal box soldered to a printed circuit substrate.

7. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more overmoldable interface components comprises an internal metal contact that is electrically isolated from a cavity wall of the overmoldable interface component and wherein the internal metal contact is electrically connected to a substrate of the overmolded electronics assembly.

8. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more overmoldable interface components further comprises an internal cylindrical end that encloses and is sealed to a cylindrical portion of at least one of the electronic components.

9. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the electronic components is disposed within the sealed cavity of at least one of the one or more overmoldable interface components such that the at least one of the electronic components is exposed at the flat surface of the overmolding.

10. The overmolded electronic assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electronic components are disposed within the sealed cavity of at least one of the one or more overmoldable interface components such that the electronic components are exposed at the flat surface of the overmolding.