GB1563414A - Connection of an electronic component to the conductive paths of a printed circuit board - Google Patents

Description

(54) CONNECTION OF AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT TO THE CONDUCTIVE PATHS OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (71) We, ROBERT Bonsai GmbH, a German Company, of Postfach 50, 7000 Stuttgart I, Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a connection between an electrode of an electronic component and a conductive path or paths on a circuit board designed for an automatic soldering process.

A connection is already known in which electronic components, provided with connecting wires, are wired manually and are connected, by manual operation of a soldering iron, to the associated conductive path(s) so as to be electrically conductive. High assembly costs are incurred thereby In addition, to avoid varying thermal expansions corresponding to the various materials, electronic components such as power transistors which heat up relatively intensely, are not disposed on the printed circuit board, since this requires a relatively large amount of room in electronic control units.

An aim of the invention, therefore, is to provide a connection between an electronic component and conductive paths on a circuit board, in which, irrespective of the connecting dimensions and any expansion of the electronic component, caused by heating, the component may be disposed on the circuit board and the electrically conductive connection with the associated conductive paths together with all the other electrical and electronic components, may be effected in one mechanical soldering process.

According to the invention, there is provided a connection between an electrode of an electronic component and a conductive path or paths on a circuit board, wherein a solder connector is mounted in connector openings in the board in the line(s) of the conductive paths), the solder connector having a resilient arm provided with a tapered socket which protrudes through an electrode opening in the board into a soldering region and through which extends the electrode of the electronic component, the electrode being soldered to the tapered socket at said soldering region. at which there are solder connections between other components and conductive paths on the circuit board.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the solder connector is in the form of a connection as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the solder connector is in the form of a resilient contact having limbs which are mechanically connected to the circuit board and which are electrically connected to the conductive path(s) and wherein the resilient arm is electrically connected to the electrode.

The invention is described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a three-dimensionaI view of a portion of a printed circuit board, on which a solder connector is disposed; and Fig. 2 shows the portion of the printed circuit board viewed from one side thereof.

A printed circuit board 1 is provided with connector openings 2, electrode openings 3, and mounted openings 4. The openings 2 (Fig. 2) are situated at connection points 5 of conductive paths 6 on one or both sides of the printed circuit board 1, An electronic component in the form of a power transistor 7 is mounted mechanically on one side of the printed circuit board by means of screws or rivets located in the mounting openings 4. Each electrode 8 of the power transistors 7 extends from this one side through one of the electrode openings 3 in the board 1 into a region on the other side of the board subjected to a mechanical soldering operation during nroduction. A solder connector or holder in the form of a substantially U-shaped resilient contact 9 has two limbs 10. The limbs 10 taper off into pins 11 which are inserted into the openings 2 and whose ends also protrude into the soldering region on said other side of the printed circuit board 1. A resilient arm 12 of the contact 9 is bent such that it is also connected in a U-shaped manner with a bridge section 13 between the limbs 10. The free end of the arm 12 is shaped to form a tapered socket 14. The tapered socket 14 also protrudes with clearance into the soldering region through one of the openings 3 in the printed circuit board 1. A respective electrode 8 of the power transistor 7 extends through the socket 14 and beyond the surface of the other side of the printed circuit board 1. Each electrode 8 is provided with a respective resilient contact 9.

During production, components for control eletcronics, the power transistor 7 for the power stage, and other electrical components are disposed on the printed circuit board 1 and connected to the conductive paths 6 by means of one single mechanical soldering operation so as to be electrically conductive. In each case, soldering flux 15 rises into the socket 14 and forms there, as in the region outside the smaller aperture of the socket 14, a good electrically conductive connection between the respective electrode 8 and the arm 12 of the resilient contact 9. The electrically conductive connection between the resilient contact 9 and the associated conductive path 6 is effected by way of the limbs 10 and- pin 11, which are electrically joined to the connection points 5 of the conductive paths 6 by means of soldering flux.

The power transistors 7 are electronic components which heat up relatively intensely. During temperature change, they cause varying thermal expansion in the various materials, such as the resilient contact 9 and the conductive paths of the printed circuit board 1, disposed adjacent to them. Because of the resilience of the arm 12 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the electrode 8, compensation is made for stresses caused by the varying expansion during temperature change. It is thereby possible to dispose electronic components such as the transistors 7, which heat up relatively intensely, directly on the printed circuit board 1. Both the costly step of wiring manually and that of soldering with a manual soldering iron are not needed to produce the electrically conductive connections between the power transistors 7 and the conductive paths 6. The pins 11 making direct contact with the conductive paths 6 may also be adapted to contact the connection points 5 and conductive paths 6 irrespective of the dimensions of the electrodes 8.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A connection between an electrode of an electronic component and a conductive path or paths on a circuit board, wherein a solder connector is mounted in connector openings in the board in the line(s) of the conductive path(s), the solder connector having a resilient arm provided with a tapered socket which protrudes through an electrode opening in the board into a soldering region and through which extends the electrode of the electronic component, the electrode being soldered to the tapered socket at said soldering region, at which there are solder connections between other components and conductive paths on the circuit board.

2. A connection as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the solder connector is in the form of a resilient contact having limbs which are mechanically connected to the circuit board and which are electrically connected to the conductive path(s) and wherein the resilient arm is electrically connected to the electrode.

3. A connection as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the electronic component is disposed on the printed circuit board.

4. A connection constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. printed circuit board 1. A resilient arm 12 of the contact 9 is bent such that it is also connected in a U-shaped manner with a bridge section 13 between the limbs 10. The free end of the arm 12 is shaped to form a tapered socket 14. The tapered socket 14 also protrudes with clearance into the soldering region through one of the openings 3 in the printed circuit board 1. A respective electrode 8 of the power transistor 7 extends through the socket 14 and beyond the surface of the other side of the printed circuit board 1. Each electrode 8 is provided with a respective resilient contact 9. During production, components for control eletcronics, the power transistor 7 for the power stage, and other electrical components are disposed on the printed circuit board 1 and connected to the conductive paths 6 by means of one single mechanical soldering operation so as to be electrically conductive. In each case, soldering flux 15 rises into the socket 14 and forms there, as in the region outside the smaller aperture of the socket 14, a good electrically conductive connection between the respective electrode 8 and the arm 12 of the resilient contact 9. The electrically conductive connection between the resilient contact 9 and the associated conductive path 6 is effected by way of the limbs 10 and- pin 11, which are electrically joined to the connection points 5 of the conductive paths 6 by means of soldering flux. The power transistors 7 are electronic components which heat up relatively intensely. During temperature change, they cause varying thermal expansion in the various materials, such as the resilient contact 9 and the conductive paths of the printed circuit board 1, disposed adjacent to them. Because of the resilience of the arm 12 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the electrode 8, compensation is made for stresses caused by the varying expansion during temperature change. It is thereby possible to dispose electronic components such as the transistors 7, which heat up relatively intensely, directly on the printed circuit board 1. Both the costly step of wiring manually and that of soldering with a manual soldering iron are not needed to produce the electrically conductive connections between the power transistors 7 and the conductive paths 6. The pins 11 making direct contact with the conductive paths 6 may also be adapted to contact the connection points 5 and conductive paths 6 irrespective of the dimensions of the electrodes 8. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A connection between an electrode of an electronic component and a conductive path or paths on a circuit board, wherein a solder connector is mounted in connector openings in the board in the line(s) of the conductive path(s), the solder connector having a resilient arm provided with a tapered socket which protrudes through an electrode opening in the board into a soldering region and through which extends the electrode of the electronic component, the electrode being soldered to the tapered socket at said soldering region, at which there are solder connections between other components and conductive paths on the circuit board.

2. A connection as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the solder connector is in the form of a resilient contact having limbs which are mechanically connected to the circuit board and which are electrically connected to the conductive path(s) and wherein the resilient arm is electrically connected to the electrode.

3. A connection as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the electronic component is disposed on the printed circuit board.

4. A connection constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.