Housing and method to control solder creep on housing

• US 9,402,118 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Tony K., Friel, Kurt B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Sabrina
• Application Number:
  US13/949,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20140037124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 381/345, 381/355, 381/361, 381/369, 381/386, 381/395
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/8592 Applying permanent coating, e.g. protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16151 Cap comprising an aperture, e.g. for pressure control, encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16152 Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/003 Mems transducers or their use of the electrostatic type H04R19/005
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10083 Electromechanical or electro-acoustic component, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10371 Shields or metal cases
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3426 characterised by the leads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An acoustic device includes a substrate, a substrate cover, and a plurality of electrical and acoustic components. The substrate cover is disposed on the substrate and the plurality of electrical and acoustic components are disposed on the substrate and under the substrate cover. The substrate cover is constructed of a base metal and the substrate cover comprises a partially plating. The partial plating is arranged so as to prevent solder creep along a surface of the substrate cover.

Claims

1. An acoustic device, the device comprising:

a substrate;

a substrate cover disposed on the substrate, the substrate and the substrate cover being physically separate from one another, the substrate cover including a core constructed of a base metal and having an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein the substrate cover includes a first partial metal plating and a second partial metal plating, the first partial metal plating affixed to the interior surface and covering only a portion of the interior surface and the second partial metal plating affixed to the exterior surface and covering only a portion of the exterior surface, the first partial metal plating and the second partial metal plating being immediately adjacent to the substrate such that solder coupling the substrate to the substrate cover communicates with the substrate, the first partial metal plating and the second partial metal plating; and

a plurality of electrical and acoustic components disposed on the substrate and under the substrate cover,

wherein the first partial metal plating and the second partial metal plating are arranged so as to prevent solder creep along a surface of the substrate cover.

2. The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the base metal is brass.

3. The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first partial metal plating and the second partial metal plating is gold.

4. The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the base metal is stainless steel.

5. The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first partial metal plating and the second partial metal plating is effective to prevent solder creep to a predetermined height of the substrate cover.

6. The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the portion of the interior surface is approximately ¼

to ⅓

of the interior surface and the portion of the exterior surface is approximately ¼

to ⅓

of the exterior surface.

7. The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first partial metal plating and the second partial metal plating is nickel.

8. A cover for an acoustic device, the cover comprising:

a core constructed of a base metal, wherein the core includes an exterior surface and an interior surface;

a first metal plating disposed over a portion of the exterior surface, the first metal plating arranged so as to prevent solder creep along the exterior surface of the cover;

a second metal plating disposed over a portion of the interior surface, the second metal plating arranged so as to prevent solder creep along the interior surface of the cover; and

a first non-plated surface over a remaining portion of the exterior surface of the cover,

wherein the cover is configured for attachment to a substrate of the acoustic device, and

wherein the first non-plated surface does not attach to a solder.

9. The cover of claim 8, wherein the base metal is brass.

10. The cover of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first metal plating and the second metal plating is gold.

11. The cover of claim 8, wherein the base metal is stainless steel.

12. The cover of claim 8, wherein the first metal plating is effective to prevent solder creep to a predetermined height of the exterior surface and the second metal plating is effective to prevent solder creep to a predetermined height of the interior surface.

13. The cover of claim 8, wherein the portion of the interior surface is approximately ¼

to ⅓

of the interior surface and the portion of the exterior surface is approximately ¼

to ⅓

of the exterior surface.

14. The cover of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first metal plating and the second metal plating is nickel.

15. The cover of claim 8, further comprising a second non-plated surface over a remaining portion of the interior surface of the cover, wherein the second non-plated surface does not attach to the solder.