Electronic assembly and method of manufacturing same

• US 9,295,171 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive USLLC (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Blossfeld, Mike, Sanchez, Luis Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hung S
• Application Number:
  US14/071,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20140092570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 361728-730, 361/732, 361/796, 361/800, 361/752, 3122231-2232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/00 Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/41 by frictional grip in grommet, panel or base
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/18 for manufacturing bases or cases for contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/205 with a panel or printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/16 structurally associated with support for line-connecting terminals within the box
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/003 having an integrally preformed housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0047 having a two-part housing enclosing a PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0052 characterized by joining features of the housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/006 characterized by features for holding the PCB within the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1428 for small modular apparatus with terminal block
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/941 Crosstalk suppression
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 : Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 : by assembling plural parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4922 : with molding of insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49222 : forming array of contacts or terminals

Abstract

An electronic assembly comprises a housing, a cover for the housing, a printed circuit board receivable in the housing, and a compliant pin header assembly. The compliant pin header assembly is mountable in the housing by inter-engaging features on the header assembly and the housing. The compliant pin header assembly has compliant pins for engaging corresponding features on the printed circuit board to connect the compliant pin header assembly electrically to the printed circuit board. The cover, when the electronic assembly is assembled, engages the housing and also engages the printed circuit board at a location spaced from an outer periphery of the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. An electronic assembly comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a cover for the housing;

(c) a printed circuit board receivable in the housing; and

(d) a compliant pin header assembly,

the compliant pin header assembly being mountable in the housing by inter-engaging features on the header assembly and the housing, the compliant pin header assembly having compliant pins for engaging corresponding features on the printed circuit board to connect the compliant pin header assembly electrically to the printed circuit board, the cover when the assembly is assembled engaging the housing and also engaging the printed circuit board at a location spaced from an outer periphery of the printed circuit board.

2. The electronic assembly of claim 1 wherein the inter-engaging features on the compliant pin header assembly and the housing snap together.

3. The electronic assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover is secured to the housing and clamps the printed circuit board in the housing.

4. The electronic assembly of claim 3 wherein the cover is secured to the housing by at least one fastener, said electronic assembly being free of any fastener attaching the printed circuit board to the cover and free of any fastener attaching the printed circuit board to the housing.

5. The electronic assembly of claim 3 wherein the housing and the cover are both made of plastic, the cover being secured to the housing by laser welding.

6. The electronic assembly of claim 3 wherein at least one projection is formed on the cover to engage the printed circuit board and help clamp the printed circuit board in the housing.

7. The electronic assembly of claim 3 wherein at least one projection is formed on an interior surface of the housing to engage the printed circuit board and help clamp the printed circuit board in the housing.

8. The electronic assembly of claim 7 wherein said at least one projection has a flat surface for receiving and supporting the printed circuit board and wherein an adjacent angled surface helps to position the printed circuit board on the flat surface.

9. The electronic assembly of claim 1 further comprising a capacitor and a carrier for the capacitor, the carrier including a tubular portion defining a cylindrical space for receiving the capacitor, the carrier also including at least one spring portion for engaging the capacitor and applying a spring bias to retain the capacitor in the carrier.

10. The electronic assembly of claim 1 further comprising a capacitor and a carrier for the capacitor, the carrier being mounted to the housing so as to be located on a side of the printed circuit board opposite the cover.

11. An electronic assembly comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a printed circuit board receivable in the housing; and

(c) a compliant pin header assembly including

(i) a header with passages formed to receive compliant pins, and

(ii) electrically conductive compliant pins receivable in the passages of the header,

the compliant pin header assembly being mountable in the housing with the compliant pins engaging and electrically connected to the printed circuit board, each passage of the header being at least partially defined by a substantially flat datum surface and an opposed passage surface disposed opposite the substantially flat datum surface, each compliant pin being receivable in a corresponding one of said passages and having a substantially flat pin surface for engaging the datum surface of the corresponding passage and also having an opposed pin surface disposed opposite the substantially flat pin surface, the opposed pin surface including a raised portion for engaging the opposed passage surface of the corresponding passage and thereby pressing the substantially flat pin surface of said compliant pin against the datum surface of the corresponding passage when said compliant pin is received in the corresponding passage.

12. The electronic assembly of claim 11 wherein the compliant pin header assembly is mounted in the housing by inter-engaging features on the header assembly and the housing, the inter-engaging features snapping together and pressing the header assembly against the housing in a direction to oppose a force applied when a connector is pressed against the compliant pins to attach the connector to the compliant pins.

13. The electronic assembly of claim 11 further comprising a cover, the cover being secured to the housing and clamping the printed circuit board in the housing.

14. The electronic assembly of claim 13 wherein at least one projection is formed on the cover to engage the printed circuit board and help clamp the printed circuit board in the housing.

15. The electronic assembly of claim 13 wherein the housing is formed of plastic and the cover is formed of metal.

16. The electronic assembly of claim 15 wherein at least one projection is formed on the cover to engage the printed circuit board and help clamp the printed circuit board in the housing, said at least one projection engaging an electrical contact formed on the printed circuit board to provide an electrical grounding path from the printed circuit board to the cover.

17. The electronic assembly of claim 13 wherein at least one projection is formed on an interior surface of the housing to engage the printed circuit board and help clamp the printed circuit board in the housing.

18. The electronic assembly of claim 17 wherein a probe opening is formed in the printed circuit board, the probe opening being aligned with a portion of said at least one projection to permit measurement of a distance between said at least one projection and a surface of the printed circuit board.

19. The electronic assembly of claim 17 wherein said at least one projection has a flat surface for receiving and supporting the printed circuit board and wherein an adjacent angled surface helps to position the printed circuit board on the flat surface.

20. The electronic assembly of claim 13 wherein the cover is secured to the housing by at least one fastener, said electronic assembly being free of any fastener attaching the printed circuit board to the cover and free of any fastener attaching the printed circuit board to the housing.

21. The electronic assembly of claim 11 further comprising a capacitor and a carrier for the capacitor, the carrier including a tubular portion defining a cylindrical space for receiving the capacitor, the carrier also including at least one spring portion for engaging the capacitor and applying a spring bias to retain the capacitor in the carrier.

22. The electronic assembly of claim 11 further comprising a capacitor and a carrier for the capacitor, the carrier being mounted to the housing so as to be adjacent to the printed circuit board.

23. The electronic assembly of claim 11 wherein each compliant pin is L-shaped so as provide a pin leg and a terminal leg, the terminal leg being received in the corresponding passage of the header, the pin leg engaging the printed circuit board.

24. The electronic assembly of claim 11 wherein each compliant pin further has opposed side surfaces disposed at a first angle to each other so that the compliant pin tapers in width, each passage being further defined by two opposed passage side surfaces disposed at a second angle to each other so that the passage tapers in width, the second angle being different than the first angle, the opposed side surfaces of the compliant pin contacting the opposed passage side surfaces when the compliant pin is received in the passage.

25. The electronic assembly of claim 11 wherein the header of the compliant pin header assembly includes an outwardly projecting rib and the housing includes a slot for receiving the rib, the header assembly being mounted in the housing by inserting the outwardly projecting rib into the slot in the housing.

26. A method for assembling an electronic device, said method comprising the steps of:

inserting a compliant pin into a header to form a compliant pin header assembly;

engaging the compliant pin header assembly with a housing so that a first end of the compliant pin is presented outwardly of the housing and a second end of the compliant pin is disposed within the housing;

placing a printed circuit board within the housing so that the printed circuit board engages the second end of the compliant pin; and

placing a cover on the housing so that the cover engages the housing and also engages the printed circuit board at a location spaced from an outer periphery of the printed circuit board.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the cover is metal, and the step of placing the cover on the housing includes the step of placing the cover on the housing so that the cover engages an electrical contact formed on the printed circuit board at a location spaced from an outer periphery of the printed circuit board to provide an electrical grounding path from the printed circuit board to the cover.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the cover is metal, and said method further comprises the step of engaging the cover with a fastener to mount the electronic assembly to a support member, the fastener providing an electrical grounding path from the cover to the support member.

29. An electronic assembly comprising:

(a) a housing formed of plastic;

(b) a printed circuit board receivable in the housing;

(c) a cover formed of metal, the cover being secured to the housing and clamping the printed circuit board in the housing, a compression limiter being formed on the cover, the compression limiter including a fastener opening that is aligned with an attachment opening formed in the housing, the fastener opening and the attachment opening receiving a fastener to mount the electronic assembly to a support member, the compression limiter limiting a compression load applied to the housing by the fastener; and

(d) a compliant pin header assembly including

(i) a header with passages formed to receive compliant pins, and

(ii) electrically conductive compliant pins receivable in the passages of the header,

the compliant pin header assembly being mountable in the housing with the compliant pins engaging and electrically connected to the printed circuit board, each passage of the header being at least partially defined by a substantially flat datum surface and an opposed passage surface disposed opposite the substantially flat datum surface, each compliant pin being receivable in a corresponding one of said passages and having a substantially flat pin surface for engaging the datum surface of the corresponding passage and also having an opposed pin surface disposed opposite the substantially flat pin surface, the opposed pin surface including a raised portion for engaging the opposed passage surface of the corresponding passage and thereby pressing the substantially flat pin surface of said compliant pin against the datum surface of the corresponding passage when said compliant pin is received in the corresponding passage.

30. The electronic assembly of claim 29 wherein at least one projection is formed on the cover to engage the printed circuit board and help clamp the printed circuit board in the housing, said at least one projection engaging an electrical contact formed on the printed circuit board to provide an electrical grounding path from the printed circuit board to the cover, the cover being electrically grounded to the support member through the fastener.