Method for manufacturing a printed circuit board

• US 10,555,415 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J
• Application Number:
  US15/819,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0201 Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0286 Programmable, customizable or modifiable circuits by programmable non-printed jumper connections H05K3/222
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0292 having a modifiable lay-out, i.e. adapted for engineering changes or repair H05K1/0293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0313 Organic insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/142 Arrangements of planar printed circuit boards in the same plane, e.g. auxiliary printed circuit insert mounted in a main printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0187 with regions of different dielectrics in the same layer, e.g. in a printed capacitor for locally changing the dielectric properties
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09027 Non-rectangular flat PCB, e.g. circular
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09118 Moulded substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09963 Programming circuit by using small elements, e.g. small PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09972 Partitioned, e.g. portions of a PCB dedicated to different functions; Boundary lines therefore; Portions of a PCB being processed separately or differently
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10386 Clip leads; Terminals gripping the edge of a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/209 Auto-mechanical connection between a component and a PCB or between two PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/107 Using laser light shaping a substrate by laser ablation H05K3/0026
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1453 Applying the circuit pattern before another process, e.g. before filling of vias with conductive paste, before making printed resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1461 Applying or finishing the circuit pattern after another process, e.g. after filling of vias with conductive paste, after making printed resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/168 : Wrong mounting prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0014 : Shaping of the substrate, e.g. by moulding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/105 : by conversion of non-conductive material on or in the support into conductive material, e.g. by using an energy beam
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/341 : Surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 : Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 : Assembling bases

Abstract

A method of making a printed circuit board and a printed circuit board including a plurality of plastic substrate parts having one or more first substrate parts each having at least one coupling means, and one or more second substrate parts each having at least one receiving means to receive the coupling mean. At least one of the plurality of plastic substrate parts is formed with a further structural element, and at least two of the plurality of plastic substrate parts are connected to each other through the at least one coupling means and the at least one receiving means. The connected substrate parts include a circuit.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board, comprising:

manufacturing a plurality of plastic substrate parts comprising one or more first plastic substrate parts and one or more second plastic substrate parts, with the first and second plastic substrate parts being formed in an injection molding process with each of the one or more first plastic substrate parts comprising at least one coupling means and each of the one or more second plastic substrate parts comprising at least one receiving means configured to receive the coupling means and with the first and second plastic substrate parts each being formed with a surface suited for application of a circuit;

forming at least one of the first and second substrate parts with at least one further structural element, comprising at least one heat sink for dissipating thermal energy from the printed circuit board, by at least one of;

providing a metal sheet or copper foil, coating the metal sheet or copper foil during an injection molding process, and thermally connecting the metal sheet to the circuit;

providing the heat sink as an inlay, or a separate pan which is covered with polymer mass, during an injection molding process,

forming the heat sink concomitantly with the circuit by applying metallic coating forming the conductor tracks during a step of providing the circuit,

selecting and connecting at least one first substrate part and at least one second substrate part of the one or more first and second plastic substrate parts through the at least one coupling means and the at least one receiving means; and

providing the connected first and second substrate parts with the circuit, with the circuit being applied by laser direct structuring (LDS), a molded interconnection device (MID) method, or printing on a surface suited for application of the circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one further structural element comprises at least one of a clip connector, a positioning pin, a groove, and a ridge.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a mold complementary to a form of the plurality of plastic substrate parts, the mold comprising at least one of the coupling means, receiving means and further structural element;

injecting a polymer mass into the mold;

cooling and unmolding a resulting substrate part such that at least one of the coupling means, the receiving means and the further structural element is formed with its respective substrate part in a single step of injection molding.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising

providing a mold complementary to a form of the plurality of plastic substrate parts;

inserting at least one element forming at least part of the at least one of the coupling means, receiving means and further structural element into the mold before injecting the polymer mass; and

cooling and unmolding a resulting substrate part such that at least one of the coupling means, the receiving means and the further structural element is formed with its respective substrate part.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one further structure element comprises at least one of a connector or a fastener for affixing the printed circuit board to other components, a positioning element, a guiding element, and a functional element for increasing mechanical stability of the printed circuit board.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plastic substrate parts comprises any material other than FR4 epoxy glass.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plastic substrate parts are manufactured from a resin.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the coupling means, the further structural element, and the guiding element is configured to facilitate the connection of two substrate parts.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the coupling means and the further structural element is configured to be coupled to or received by a receiving means of another substrate element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupling means is formed as a clip element, a tongue, or a hook, and the receiving means is formed as a slot, lug, pocket, recess, or undercut.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the further structural element comprises a clip connector.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the further structural element comprises a positioning pin or a groove.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the further structural element comprises a bracing element or a ridge.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to the printed circuit board as a whole or to individual regions of the printed circuit board which have a particularly high heat generation during operation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one coupling means comprises a frictional connection, double friction surfaces, a positive locking keyed portion, an adhesive force, or a laser weld.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the further structural element is configured to facilitate at least one of the application of the circuit by making transitions smooth, compensating relative movements between connected substrate parts, and compensating tolerances of substrate parts dimensions.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the circuit element of the one or more first substrate parts is connected to the circuit element of the one or more second substrate parts by soldering and soldering points are placed in regions of transitions between two connected substrate parts.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein an amount of soldering substrate material is adapted to the transitions and two soldering points are provided.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein a layout of the circuit is configured to be adjusted depending on availability of the plastic substrate parts so that a first layout is used with a first availability and a second layout is used with a second availability.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming at least one drill hole or bore into the connected substrate parts and at least partly filling with soldering material during the application of the circuit to enhance heat transfer to a heat sink.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plastic substrate parts are molded with a hole or a bore.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of plastic substrate parts is flexible.

23. A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board, comprising:

manufacturing a plurality of plastic substrate parts comprising one or more first plastic substrate parts and one or more second plastic substrate parts, with the first and second plastic substrate parts being formed in an injection molding process with each of the one or more first plastic substrate parts comprising at least one coupling means and each of the one or more second plastic substrate parts comprising at least one receiving means configured to receive the coupling means and with the first and second plastic substrate parts each being formed with a surface suited for application of a circuit;

selecting and connecting at least one first substrate part and at least one second substrate part of the one or more first and second plastic substrate parts through the at least one coupling means and the at least one receiving means;

providing the connected first and second substrate parts with a circuit, with the circuit being applied by laser direct structuring (LDS), a molded interconnection device (MID) method, or printing on a surface suited for application of the circuit; and

forming at least one drill hole or bore into the connected substrate parts and at least partly filling with soldering material during the application of the circuit to enhance heat transfer to a heat sink.