EP4189710A1

EP4189710A1 - A component mounting assembly and a method for fixing component

Info

Publication number: EP4189710A1
Application number: EP21751962.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Quan Liu; Yu Qiu; Ronghui Li; Jun Liu
Original assignee: Valeo Siemens eAutomotive Shenzhen Co Ltd
Current assignee: Valeo eAutomotive Shenzhen Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-29
Filing date: 2021-07-28
Publication date: 2023-06-07
Also published as: WO2022022545A1; CN111986867A; CN111986867B

Abstract

The present disclosure proposes a component mounting assembly, which includes: a first component and a second component, the first component comprising a base and at least one leg extending from the base; and a fixing device comprising a bottom and at least one first fixing tab extending perpendicularly from the bottom, the bottom and the at least one first fixing tab defining an accommodating space; wherein the first component and the second component is received in the accommodating space with one of first component and the second component being located at the bottom, the other one is arranged face to face with respect to said the one of first component and the second component and fixed to said the one via the fixing device. The fixing device further includes a second fixing tab. The first and second fixing tabs may pass through the cutout of the printed circuit board, thereby fixing the fixing device, the first component and the second component to the printed circuit board. The present disclosure also proposes a corresponding method for fixing component.

Description

A COMPONENT MOUNTING ASSEMBLY AND A METHOD FOR FIXING COMPONENT

FIELD OF INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a component mounting assembly and a corresponding method for mounting component.

BACKGROUND

Magnetic core is widely used for energy transfer and filtering. The magnetic core is usually made of ferrite material and can take different shapes. Ferrite core is a kind of anti-interference component with rapid application development, it is cheap, easy to use, and has a significant effect on filtering high frequency noise.
An EI core is known in the prior art, which is applied to a motor controller of an electric vehicle, for example. The EI core is mounted on a printed circuit board and consists of a E-core and an I-core which are overlaid. The E-core includes a base and three legs extending perpendicularly therefrom--including two side legs and a middle leg. The two side legs of the E-core are fixedly connected to the I-core, and an air gap is formed between the middle leg of the E-core and the I-core. The air gap width between the middle leg of the E-core and the I-core is a key factor affecting the overall performance of the EI core.
An existing production practice is to realize the connection of the E-core and the I-core by means of glue dispensing process. First, the adhesive is applied between the two side legs of the E-core and the I-core; then, the E-core and the I-core are pressed together. However, the dispensing process has various limitations.
On the one hand, the thickness of the adhesive should not be too small, due to the vibration generated by electric vehicle during driving, the adhesive needs to have enough thickness to ensure that the connection between the E-core and the I-core is sufficiently strong. On the other hand, the thickness of the adhesive should not be too great, because the thickness of the adhesive will directly affect the width of the air gap between the middle leg of the E-core and the I-core, excessive thickness of the adhesive will cause the width of air gap to become bigger accordingly, which will in turn adversely affects the electrical performance of the EI core. In addition, the use of adhesives for connection requires high technological requirements. The thickness of the adhesive depends on the pressure applied during the pressing step. If the pressure is too high, it will cause mechanical damage to the EI core which is relatively fragile; if the pressure is too small, it will cause the adhesive to be too thick. Due to the above-mentioned requirements and restrictions, in production practice, the failure rate of the dispensing process is even as high as 20%.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to propose a low-cost and efficient solution for mounting the EI core to the printed circuit board.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure proposes a component mounting assembly and a corresponding method for fixing component, in order to at least overcome various deficiencies in the prior art.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a component mounting assembly is provided, which comprises:
a first component and a second component, the first component comprising a base and at least one leg extending from the base; and a fixing device comprising a bottom and at least one first fixing tab extending perpendicularly from the bottom, the bottom and the at least one first fixing tab defining an accommodating space; wherein the first component and the second component is received in the accommodating space with one of first component and the second component being located at the bottom, the other one is arranged face to face with respect to said the one of first component and the second component and fixed to said the one via the fixing device.
With the fixing device of the present disclosure, the components can be fixed together in a simple, accurate and efficient manner. Firstly, no additional tools are needed to fix the respective components, and the first component and the second component can be fixed to each other only by snap connection of the fixing device, and the operation is convenient and simple.
In one embodiment, the first component is an E-core with three legs, and/or the second component is an I-core.
In one embodiment, the first component is located at the bottom of the fixing device and the second component is kept in the accommodating space fixedly by the first fixing tab and abuts against at least one leg of the first component.
In another embodiment, the second component is located at the bottom of the fixing device and the first component is kept in the accommodating space fixedly by the first fixing tab and at least one leg thereof abuts against the second component.
In the present disclosure, one of the E-core and the I-core can be first arranged at the bottom of the accommodating space, and then the other is installed, thus there is no special requirement for the assembly sequence of the components.
In one embodiment, two legs of the first component abut against the second component and a gap is left between a third leg of the first component and the second component.
Due to the direct contact between the two side legs of the E-core and the I-core, the air gap between the E-core and the I-core can be ensured to have an accurate width, and there is no deviation caused by the thickness of the adhesive in the dispensing process. Finally, the fixing device and method according to the present disclosure have high repeatability and low failure rate, so that the installation of the EI core can be completed in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
In one embodiment, the component mounting assembly further comprises a printed circuit board, the first component and the second component are located on either side of the printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board comprises a through cutout corresponding to the at least one leg. With the fixing device of the present disclosure, the EI core can be fixed to the printed circuit board in a simple, accurate and efficient manner. First, no additional tools are needed to fix the EI core to the printed circuit board, the E-core and the I-core can be fixed to each other only by snap connection of the fixing device, which is convenient and simple to operate.
In one embodiment, the fixing device further includes at least one second fixing tab that extends perpendicularly from the bottom and is configured to pass through the cutout from one side of the printed circuit board and fix the fixing device to the printed circuit board.
Thus, the fixing device and the EI core received in the fixing device can be fixed to the printed circuit board in a simple, accurate and efficient manner.
Preferably, the fixing device includes a plurality of first fixing tabs and/or a plurality of second fixing tabs.
Optionally, each first fixing tab includes a first hook protruding toward the accommodating space and the first hook is configured to engage with said the other one of the first component (11) and the second component (12) .
Optionally, the second fixing tab includes a second hook protruding away from the accommodating space and the second hook is configured to engage with the printed circuit board and fix the fixing device to the printed circuit board.
Optionally, the bottom of the fixing device is of rectangular shape and includes long and short sides, the first fixing tabs are distributed on the long and/or short sides of the bottom and are symmetrically arranged about a center of the bottom.
Optionally, the second fixing tabs are distributed on the long and/or short sides of the bottom and are symmetrically arranged about the center of the bottom.
Optionally, the fixing device includes a reinforcing rib that extends from the root of the first fixing tabs to both sides along the bottom. Thus, the first fixing tab with a longer length can be strengthened to prevent the first fixing tab from being broken from the root when it is deformed.
Optionally, the reinforcing rib includes a first reinforcing rib provided on the long side of the bottom, and the first reinforcing rib extends from the root of the first fixing tabs to both sides along the long side of the bottom.
Optionally, the fixing device includes a second reinforcing rib provided on the short side of the bottom, the second reinforcing rib is positioned at both sides of the root of the first fixing tabs and extends along the thickness direction of the first fixing tabs.
Optionally, the bottom of the fixing device includes a hollow portion near the first fixing tabs and/or the second fixing tabs, for enhancing the deformability of the first fixing tab and/or the second deforming tab.
Optionally, the fixing device is made of plastic.
Optionally, the fixing device is formed as a single piece.
Optionally, the component mounting assembly is disconnectable.
Optionally, the two legs of the first component and the second component are fixed with each other using glue, and/or the first component and/or the second component are fixed to the fixing device using glue.
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for fixing component is provided, which comprises: providing a first component and an second component, wherein the first component includes a base and at least one leg extending from the base; providing a fixing device which comprises a bottom and at least one first fixing tab extending perpendicularly from the bottom, the bottom and the at least one first fixing tab defining an accommodating space; placing one of the first component and the second component at the bottom of the accommodating space; placing the other one of the first component and the second component against said the one located at the bottom face to face such that the first fixing tab abuts said the other one to keep the first component and the second component in the accommodating space.
Optionally, the method for fixing component includes: providing a printed circuit board comprising a through cutout corresponding the at least one leg; after placing said the one of the first component and the second component at the bottom of the fixing device, placing an assembly composed of said the one and the fixing device on one side of the printed circuit board and mounting said the other one in the accommodating space from the other side of the printed circuit board.
Optionally, in the method for fixing component, the step of placing an assembly composed of said the one and the fixing device on one side of the printed circuit board and mounting said the other one in the accommodating space from the other side of the printed circuit board comprises passing the first fixing tab of the fixing device through the cutout and passing the at least one leg of the first component through the cutout.
Optionally, in the method for fixing component, the step of placing an assembly composed of said the one and the fixing device on one side of the printed circuit board and mounting said the other one in the accommodating space from the other side of the printed circuit board comprises passing the second fixing tab of the fixing device through the cutout and fixing the fixing device to the printed circuit board by the second fixing tab, wherein the second fixing tab extends perpendicularly from the bottom.
Optionally, in the method for fixing component, the first component is an E-core with three legs and/or the second component is an I-core.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Those skilled in the art will have a better understanding of the present disclosure and the advantages of the present disclosure can be embodied more clearly through the following drawings. The drawings described here are for illustrative purposes of selected embodiments only, rather than all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Fig. 1 schematically shows a printed circuit board-core assembly according to the present disclosure in a perspective view.
Fig. 2 separately shows the structure of the EI core in a cross-sectional view, in which the printed circuit board and the fixing device are hidden.
Fig. 3 separately shows the fixing device according to the present disclosure.
Fig. 4 further shows the printed circuit board-core assembly according to the present disclosure in a cross-sectional view.
Figs. 5-8 show schematic diagrams of various stages of assembling an EI core to a printed circuit board according to the present disclosure.
Reference numerals
Component mounting assembly 1
First component 11
Second component 12
Base 13
Leg 15
Printed circuit board 2
First side 21
Second side 22
Cutout 23
Fixing device 3
Bottom 31
First fixing tab 32
Accommodating space 30
First hook 34
Second fixing tab 33
Second hook 35
First reinforcing rib 36
Second reinforcing rib 37
Hollow portion 38
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Through the accompanying drawings and corresponding text descriptions, those skilled in the art will further understand the features and advantages of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present disclosure generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. In addition, although the terms "upper" , "lower" , "top" , "bottom" , etc. may be used in this specification to describe various exemplary features and elements of the present disclosure, these terms are used here for convenience, for example, based on the exemplary orientation shown in the figure or the orientation during typical use. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of the structure in order to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, readers should be aware that the drawings may not be drawn to scale.
Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Through the accompanying drawings and corresponding text descriptions, those skilled in the art will further understand the features and advantages of the present disclosure.
Fig. 1 shows the component mounting assembly 1 according to the present disclosure in a perspective view. Fig. 2 separately shows the structure of the component mounting assembly 1 in a cross-sectional view. The component mounting assembly includes a first component 11 and a second component 12. The first component 11 includes a base 13 and at least one leg 15 extending from the base 13, for example, the first component 11 may be an E-core having three legs. The second component 12 may be an I-core, for example. The component mounting assembly 1 may be, for example, an EI core located in a motor controller of an electric vehicle.
The component mounting assembly 1 may further comprises a printed circuit board 2, with the first component 11 and the second component 12 located on either side of the printed circuit board 2. That is, the printed circuit board 2 carries the EI core. In Fig. 1, a part of the component mounting assembly 1 is located below the printed circuit board 2 and is not visible in the figure.
Fig. 2 separately shows the structure of the component mounting assembly 1 in a cross-sectional view, in which the printed circuit board 2 and the fixing device 3 are hidden. The component mounting assembly 1 includes an E-core and an I-core. The first component 11 (i.e. the E-core in Fig. 2) includes a base 13 and three legs 15 extending from the base 13. The three legs 15 extend perpendicularly from the base 13, for example. The three legs 15 are respectively two side legs extending from both sides of the base 13 and a middle leg extending from the middle of the base 13, and this middle leg is called a third leg. When the first component 11 and the second component 12 are assembled together, the base 13 of the first component 11 is parallel to the second component 12, the three legs 15 of the first component 11 extend towards the second component 12, and two legs of the first component 11 abuts against the second component 12, that is, as shown in the figure, the top surfaces of the two side legs 15 are engaged with the bottom surface of the second component 12, an air gap is formed between the middle leg (ie. the third leg) of the first component 11 and the bottom surface of the second component 12. Since there is difference in order of magnitude between the size of the air gap and the height of the core, the air gap is not clearly shown in Fig. 2.
The component mounting assembly 1 includes a fixing device 3, in Fig. 1, a part of the fixing device 3 is located under the printed circuit board 2 and is not visible in the figure.
Fig. 3 separately shows the fixing device 3 according to the present disclosure. The fixing device 3 includes a flat bottom 31. The bottom 31 has a rectangular shape and includes long sides and short sides. The fixing device 3 further includes a plurality of fixing tabs extending perpendicularly from the bottom 31, including at least one longer first fixing tab 32 and at least one shorter second fixing tab 33. Preferably, the fixing device 3 may include a plurality of first fixing tabs 32 and/or a plurality of second fixing tabs 33. The first fixing tabs 32 are used to fix the first component 11 and the second component 12 together, and the second fixing tabs 33 are used to fix the fixing device 3 to the printed circuit board 2. The bottom 31 of the fixing device 3 and the first fixing tab 32 together define a accommodating space 30 for receiving the E-core and the I-core.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, each first fixing tab 32 includes a first hook 34 at its free end. The first hook 34 protrudes toward the accommodating space 30. As will be described in detail below, the first hook 34 is configured to engage with the first component 11 or the second component 12 and to fix it to the other of the first component 11 and the second component 12. Each second fixing tab 33 includes a second hook 35 at its free end. The second hook 35 of the second fixing tab 33, different from the first hook 34 of the first fixing tab 32, protrudes away from the accommodating space 30. As will be described in detail below, the second hook 35 is configured to engage with the printed circuit board 2 and fix the fixing device 3 to the printed circuit board 2.
However, those skilled in the art can envisage other forms of the first fixing tab 32 and the second fixing tab 33, and are not limited to the form of the hook-shaped described previously. For example, in an unshown embodiment, the first fixing tab 32 may be provided with a free end that can be bent freely. The free end of the first fixing tab 32 may be engaged with the first component 11 or the second component 12 in the case of bending and fixed it to the other of the first component 11 and the second component 12. The second fixing tab 33 may also be provided with a free end that can be bent freely. The free end of the second fixing tab 33 can be engaged with the printed circuit board 2 in the case of bending, and fix the fixing device 3 to the printed circuit board 2.
Fig. 4 further shows the component mounting assembly according to the present disclosure in the form of a cross-sectional view. The connection and/or mating relationship of the component mounting assembly 1 and the fixing device 3 in the assembled state according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Fig. 4.
One of the first component 11 and the second component 12 may be located at the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3, and the other may be disposed face to face with respect to it and fixed to it by the fixing device 3. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the first component 11, that is, the E-core, is located at the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3, and the second component 12 is fixedly held in the accommodating space 30 by the first fixing tab 32 and abuts against at least one leg 15 of the first component 11, for example, the two side legs of an E-core. At this time, the first hook 34 of the first fixing tab 32 is configured to be combined with the I-core.
In another example not shown, the second component 12, that is, the I-core, is first mounted at the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3, and the first component 11 is fixedly held in the accommodating space 30 by a first fixing tab 32 and at least one leg thereof, for example, the two side legs of an E-core, abuts against the second component 12. At this time, the first hook 34 of the first fixing tab 32 is configured to be combined with the E-core.
Further, the printed circuit board 2 included in the component mounting assembly comprises a first side 21 and a second side 22 opposite to the first side 21. In Fig. 4, the first side 21 is the lower side of the printed circuit board 2, and the second side 22 is the upper side of the printed circuit board 2. The printed circuit board 2 also includes at least one cutout 23 penetrating through the second side 22 and the first side 21 thereof, corresponding to the leg of the first component 11. In one embodiment, the printed circuit board 2 includes three cutouts 23 to facilitate passing the E-core 11 and a part of the fixing device 3 through the printed circuit board 2 (as best shown in Fig. 6) .
The first component 11 and the second component 12 are respectively positioned on two sides of the printed circuit board 2.
For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the E-core, particularly its base 13, is positioned on the first side 21 of the printed circuit board 2. The bottom 31 of the fixing device 3 is also positioned on the first side 21 of the printed circuit board 2. The E-core is received in the accommodating space 30 of the fixing device 3 and the base 13 of the E-core is placed on the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3.
The three legs 15 of the E-core and the first fixing tabs 32 and the second fixing tabs 33 of the fixing device 3 pass through the three cutout 23 of the printed circuit board 2 to the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 2.
The second hook 35 of the second fixing tab 33 engages with the top surface of the printed circuit board 2 from the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 2, thereby fixing the fixing device 3 and the E-core to the printed circuit board 2.
The second component 12 (I-core) is positioned on the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 2 with its bottom surface is engaged with the side leg 15 of the E-core, and there is a gap between the third leg (middle leg) of the first component 11 and the second component 12. The first hook 34 of the first fixing tab 32 is engaged with the top surface of the I-core, so that the I-core is confined in the accommodating space 30 of the fixing device 3, thereby fixing the I-core to the E-core. Thus, the component mounting assembly 1 consisting of the first component 11 and the second component 12 is fixed relative to the printed circuit board 2.
Alternatively, in another embodiment (not shown in the figure) , the second component 12 (I-core) is located at the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3. The I-core and the bottom of the fixing device 3 is positioned on the first side 21 of the printed circuit board 2. The first component 11, such as an E-core, is positioned on the other side 22 of the printed circuit board 2 with the legs facing the printed circuit board and therefore facing the second component 12 already located at the bottom 31, in order to be installed in the accommodating space 30. In this case, the first fixing tab 32 and the second fixing tab 33 of the fixing device pass through the cutout 23 from the first side 21 of the printed circuit board 2, while the legs of the first component 11 pass through the cutout 23 from the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 12, and the side legs thereof abut against the second component 12.
Referring back to Fig. 3, other structural details of the fixing device 3 will be described below.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the number of the first fixing tabs 32 is four, which are respectively distributed on the four sides of the bottom 31, ie. the long sides and the short sides. The first fixing tabs 32 are symmetrically distributed with respect to the center of the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3. For example, each first fixing tab 32 is arranged at the center of the corresponding side. However, the number and distribution of the first fixing tabs 32 are not limited to the situation shown in Fig. 3. Optionally, the number of the first fixing tabs 32 may be two, three, five, six, eight, etc. Optionally, the first fixing tabs 32 may be distributed only on the long side of the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3 or only on the short side of the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the number of the second fixing tabs 33 is four, and they are distributed symmetrically with respect to the center of the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3. For example, the second fixing tabs 33 are distributed on two short sides of the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3. Two second fixing tabs 33 are distributed on each short side, and the two second fixing tabs 33 are located on either side of the first fixing tabs 32 at the center of the short side. However, the number and distribution of the second fixing tabs 33 are not limited to the situation shown in Fig. 3. Optionally, the number of the second fixing tabs 33 may be two, three, five, six, eight, etc. Optionally, the second fixing tabs 33 are only distributed on the long side of the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3. Optionally, the second fixing tabs 33 are distributed on both the long side and the short side of the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3.
The fixing device 3 may include a reinforcing rib for the first fixing tab 32 extending from the root of the first fixing tab 32 to both sides along the bottom 31. As shown in Fig. 3, the fixing device 3 may include a first reinforcing rib 36 provided on the long side of the bottom 31. The first reinforcing rib 36 extends from the root of the first fixing tab 32 to both sides along the long side of the bottom 31. The fixing device 3 may further include a second reinforcing rib 37 provided on the short side of the bottom 31. The second reinforcing rib 37 is positioned on both sides of the root of the first fixing tab 32 and extends along a direction of thickness of the first fixing tab 32. Here, the direction of thickness refers to the direction of the first fixing tab 32 extending perpendicular to its long sides or short sides. Of course, those skilled in the art can envisage that the second reinforcing ribs can also extend from the root of the first fixing tab 32 along the short side of the bottom 31 to both sides. Thus, the first fixing tab 32 with a longer length can be strengthened to prevent the first fixing tab 32 from being broken from the root when it is deformed.
The bottom 31 of the fixing device 3 may further include a hollow portion 38. As shown in Fig. 3, a hollow portion 38 is provided at a position close to the root of the first fixing tab 32 to enhance the deformability of the first fixing tab 32. Optionally, in addition to the hollow portion 38 close to the first fixing tab 32, a hollow portion is also provided at a position close to the root of the second fixing tab 33. Optionally, a hollow portion is provided only at a position close to the root of the second fixing tab 33.
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing device 3 is formed as a single piece and made of plastic. The fixing device 3 may be integrally formed by, for example, injection molding process.
In the present disclosure, the component mounting assembly 1 is detachable. In another example, the two side legs of the first component 11 and the second component 12 are fixed to each other by glue, and/or the first component 11 and/or the second component 12 are fixed to the fixing device 3 by glue.
Hereinafter, the method for fixing component according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8. For the convenience of illustration and description, in Fig 6, contrary to Fig. 4, the first side 21 of the printed circuit board 2 is shown facing upwards, and the second side 22 (not shown) is facing downwards. While in Figs. 7 and 8, as in Fig. 4, the first side 21 (not shown) of the printed circuit board 2 faces downward, and the second side 22 faces upward.
The method for mounting component according to the present disclosure firstly includes: providing a first component 11 and an second component 12, as mentioned above, the first component 11 includes a base 13 and at least one leg 15 extending from the base 13; providing a fixing device 3 which comprises a bottom 31 and at least one first fixing tab 32 extending perpendicularly from the bottom 31, the bottom 31 and the at least one first fixing tab 32 defining an accommodating space.
Then one of the first component 11 and the second component 12 is at the bottom of the accommodating space 30. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the E-core is placed on the bottom 31, specifically, the E-core is inserted down into the accommodating space 30 of the fixing device 3 until the base 13 of the E-core is positioned on the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3. During this period, the first fixing tab 32 of the fixing device 3 is elastically deformed from its initial position away from the accommodating space 30. Once the E-core as a whole crosses the first hook 34 of the first fixing tab 32, the first fixing tab 32 moves back to its initial position.
Next, the I-core is abutted against the E-core at the bottom 31 face to face, such that the first fixing tab 32 abuts against the I-core to keep the E-core and the I-core in the accommodating space 30.
Then, as shown in Fig. 6, the method for fixing component according to the present disclosure further comprises providing a printed circuit board 2, as described above, the printed circuit board 2 comprises a through cutout 23 corresponding to the leg of the first component 11. Correspondingly, the method includes: after placing the E-core at the bottom 31 of the accommodating space 30, placing the assembly formed by the E-core and the fixing device 3 on one side of the printed circuit board 2, for example the first side 21 shown in Fig. 6.
Then, the leg 15 of the E-core and the first fixing tab 32 and the second fixing tab 33 of the fixing device 3 pass through the cutout 23 of the printed circuit board 2. During this period, the second fixing tab 33 of the fixing device 3 elastically deforms from its initial position toward the accommodating space 30. Once the second hook 35 of the second fixing tab 33 comes to the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 2 as a whole, the second fixing tab 33 moves back to its original position. At this time, the second hook 35 of the second fixing tab 33 bears against the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 2 (see Fig. 7) . In this way, the fixing device 3 can be held on the printed circuit board 2 by a snap connection, so that the fixing device 3 and the E-core are fixed to the printed circuit board 2. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, a second component 12 (I-core) is provided and inserted downward from the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 2 into the accommodating space 30 of the fixing device 3, and the I-core is fixed to the E-core by using the plurality of first fixing tabs 32. When the I-core is inserted into the accommodating space 30, the first fixing tab 32 is elastically deformed from its initial position. Once the I-core is located at the predetermined fastening position in the accommodating space 30, the first fixing tab 32 moves back to its initial position (see Fig. 8) . At the predetermined fastening position, the first hook 34 of the first fixing tab 32 bears against the top surface of the I-core, and the bottom surface of the I-core is in direct contact with the two side legs of the E-core. The height of the first fixing tab 32 is designed such that the I-core and the E-core can be stacked tightly in the accommodating space 30, and the I-core is confined in the accommodating space 30 of the fixing device 3 through the snap connection. Thus, the I-core is reliably fixed to the E-core.
In another example not shown in the figure, the second component 12, such as an I-core, is now placed on the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3, that is, the I-core is inserted into the accommodating space 30 of the fixing device 3 until the base 13 of the I-core is positioned on the bottom 31 of the fixing device 3. Then, the assembly formed by the I-core and the fixing device 3 is placed on one side of the printed circuit board 2, for example, the first side 21. Then, the first fixing tab 32 and the second fixing tab 33 of the fixing device 3 pass through the cutout 23 of the printed circuit board 2 from the first side 21.
Next, provide a first component 11, such as an E-core, and insert it into the accommodating space 30 of the fixing device 3 from the second side 22 of the printed circuit board 2, and the E-core is fixed to the I-core using the first fixing tab 32. Specifically, the legs of the E-core pass through the cutout 23 of the printed circuit board 2 from the second side 22, and after being installed in place, the two side legs abut against the surface of the I-core.
With the fixing device 3 of the present disclosure, the component mounting assembly 1 can be assembled in a simple, accurate and efficient manner. First of all, each assembly operation of the component mounting assembly 1 does not require additional tools, the first component and the second component can be fixed to each other by snap connection of the fixing device 3 only, and the two can be held at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board 2, and the operation is convenient and simple. In addition, due to the direct contact between the two side legs of the E-core and the I-core, the air gap between the E-core and the I-core can be ensured to have an accurate width, with no deviation caused by the thickness of the adhesive in the dispensing process. Even if the two side legs of the first component and the second component can be fixed with glue, there is no very strict requirement on the thickness of the glue, because the accurate width of the air gap is ensured by the fixing device. Finally, the fixing device 3 and method according to the present disclosure have high repeatability and low failure rate, so that the installation of the component mounting assembly 1 can be completed in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Further features of the present disclosure can be found in the claims, the drawings and the description of the drawings. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the specification, as well as the features and feature combinations shown in the description of the drawings and/or individually in the drawings are not only used for the combinations indicated respectively, but also used in other combinations or used alone, and does not violate the scope of this disclosure. The details of the present disclosure that are not explicitly shown and explained in the figures, but are presented from the explained details through a single feature combination and can be produced, thus become included and disclosed. Therefore, details and combinations of features that do not have all the features of the originally formed independent claims should also be regarded as disclosed.

Claims

A component mounting assembly comprising:

a first component (11) and a second component (12) , the first component (11) comprising a base (13) and at least one leg (15) extending from the base (13) ; and

a fixing device (3) comprising a bottom (31) and at least one first fixing tab (32) extending perpendicularly from the bottom (31) , the bottom (31) and the at least one first fixing tab (32) defining an accommodating space (30) ;

wherein the first component (11) and the second component (12) are received in the accommodating space (30) with one of first component (11) and the second component (12) being located at the bottom (31) , the other one is arranged face to face with respect to said the one of first component (11) and the second component (12) and fixed to said the one via the fixing device (3) .
The component mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the first component (11) is an E-core with three legs and/or the second component (12) is an I-core.
The component mounting assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the first component (11) is located at the bottom (31) of the fixing device (3) and the second component (12) is kept in the accommodating space (30) fixedly by the first fixing tab (32) and abuts against at least one leg of the first component (11) .
The component mounting assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the second component (12) is located at the bottom (31) of the fixing device (3) , and the first component (11) is kept in the accommodating space (30) fixedly by the first fixing tab (32) and at least one leg thereof abuts against the second component (12) .
The component mounting assembly according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that two legs of the first component (11) abut against the second component (12) and a gap is left between a third leg of the first component (11) and the second component (12) .
The component mounting assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that:

it further comprises a printed circuit board (2) , the first component (11) and the second component (12) are located on either side of the printed circuit board (2) , and the printed circuit board (2) comprises a through cutout (23) corresponding to the at least one leg.
The component mounting assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that:

the fixing device (3) further includes a at least one second fixing tab (33) that extends perpendicularly from the bottom (31) and is configured to pass through the cutout (23) from one side (21) of the printed circuit board (2) and fix the fixing device (3) to the printed circuit board (2) .
The component mounting assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that:

the fixing device (3) comprises a plurality of first fixing tabs and/or a plurality of second fixing tabs.
The component mounting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the first fixing tabs (32) include a first hook (34) protruding toward the accommodating space (30) and the first hook (34) is configured to engage with said the other one of the first component and the second component.
The component mounting assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that:

the second fixing tabs (33) include a second hook (35) protruding away from the accommodating space (30) and the second hook (35) is configured to engage with the printed circuit board (2) and fix the fixing device (3) to the printed circuit board (2) .
The component mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that:

the bottom (31) of the fixing device (3) is of rectangular shape and includes long and short sides, the first fixing tabs (32) are distributed on the long and/or short sides of the bottom (31) and are symmetrically arranged about center of the bottom (31) .
The component mounting assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that:

the second fixing tabs (33) are distributed on the long and/or short sides of the bottom (31) and are symmetrically arranged about the center of the bottom (31) .
The component mounting assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that:

the fixing device (3) includes a reinforcing rib (36, 37) that extends from the root of the first fixing tabs (32) to both sides along the bottom (31) .
The component mounting assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that:

the reinforcing rib includes a first reinforcing rib (36) provided on the long side of the bottom (31) , and the first reinforcing rib (36) extends from the root of the first fixing tabs (32) to both sides along the long side of the bottom (31) .
The component mounting assembly of claim 13, characterized in that:

the fixing device (3) includes a second reinforcing rib (37) provided on the short side of the bottom (31) , the second reinforcing rib (37) is positioned at both sides of the root of the first fixing tabs (32) and extends along the thickness direction of the first fixing tabs (32) .
The component mounting assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that:

the bottom (31) of the fixing device (3) includes a hollow portion (38) near the first fixing tabs (32) and/or the second fixing tabs (33) .
The component mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fixing device (3) is made of plastic.
The component mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fixing device (3) is formed as a single piece.
The component mounting assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the component mounting assembly is disconnectable.
The component mounting assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that said two legs of the first component (11) and the second component (12) are fixed with each other using glue, and/or the first component (11) and/or the second component (12) are fixed to the fixing device (3) using glue.
A method for fixing component, characterized in that:

providing a first component (11) and an second component (12) , wherein the first component (11) includes a base (13) and three legs (15) extending from the base (13) ;

providing a fixing device (3) which comprises a bottom (31) and at least one first fixing tab (32) extending perpendicularly from the bottom (31) , the bottom (31) and the at least one first fixing tab (32) defining an accommodating space (30) ;

placing one of the first component (11) and the second component (12) at the bottom (31) of the fixing device (3) ;

placing the other one of the first component (11) and the second component (12) against said the one located at the bottom (31) face to face such that the first fixing tab (32) abuts said the other one to keep the first component (11) and the second component (12) in the accommodating space (30) .
The method for fixing component according to claim 21 comprising:

providing a printed circuit board (2) comprising a through cutout corresponding to the at least one leg;

after placing said the one of the first component (11) and the second component (12) at the bottom (31) of the fixing device (3) , placing an assembly composed of said the one and the fixing device (3) on one side of the printed circuit board (2) and mounting said the other one in the accommodating space (30) from the other side of the printed circuit board (2) .
The method for fixing component according to claim 22, wherein the step of placing an assembly composed of said the one and the fixing device (3) on one side of the printed circuit board (2) and mounting said the other one in the accommodating space (30) from the other side of the printed circuit board (2) comprises passing the first fixing tab (32) of the fixing device (3) through the cutout (23) and passing the at least one leg of the first component (11) through the cutout (23) .
The method for fixing component according to claim 22 or 23, wherein

the step of placing an assembly composed of said the one and the fixing device (3) on one side of the printed circuit board (2) and mounting said the other one in the accommodating space (30) from the other side of the printed circuit board (2) comprises passing the second fixing tab (33) of the fixing device (3) through the cutout and fixing the fixing device (3) to the printed circuit board (2) by the second fixing tab (33) , wherein the second fixing tab (33) extends perpendicularly from the bottom (31) .
The method for fixing component according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein the first component (11) is an E-core with three legs and/or the second component (12) is an I-core.