GB2178789A - Anchoring pad for high speed mounting of electronic components on printed circuit boards - Google Patents

Abstract

An anchoring pad 10 for securing electronic components to a circuit board comprises a frame member 14 having means 13, 17 to engage a component and a resilient split, oversized, insert 21 for insertion into a hole in the circuit board. In an alternative embodiment, Figure 6 a set of stand-offs 100 each terminating in said inserts 121 at their lower ends is provided for deploying circuit boards in spaced stacked arrangement, the stand-offs having further inserts 121 at their upper ends and also, preferably, at an intermediate level. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Anchoring pad for high speed mounting of electronic components on printed circuit boards Background of the invention Field of the invention This invention relates to component anchoring pads, and more particularly to pads for locking and anchoring electronic devices onto printed circuit boards.

Description ofthepriorart Electronic component pads take several sta nda r- dized shapes. The most common shape is the kind used for isolating semiconductor devices from a printed circuit (PC) board or surface to provide separation forwashing and soldering heat isolation. Occasionally such prior art isolation devices are conformed to provide mechanical supportforthe component. Regardless of the use these prior devices typically attach to the board by separate fasteners and thus entail an elaborate installation sequence. In mass production of circuits a convenient technique for holding a component is desired both in the course of soldering and for mechanical retention thereafter.It is one such technique that is disclosed herein, Cross-reference to related application This application is a division of my pending patent application Serial No. 568,905 filed January 6, 1984 entitled "Anchoring Pad for High Speed Mounting of Electronic Com ponents on Printed Circuit Boards".

Summary of the invention Accordingly, it is the general purpose and object of the present invention to provide pads which conve niently attach to a circuit board while retaining a component.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide pads that securely anchortothe PC Board to prevent flexing and twisting forces from damaging electronic devices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide pads that lock onto electronic devices for preventing movement and misalignment thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide pads that permit anchoring of large electronic devices at a multiplicity of locations.

Another object ofthis invention is to provide i ntegrally formed posts, clips, protrusions and depressions for aligning electronic devices on pads and PC boards.

Another object of the invention is to provide pads that eliminate twisting,flexing and detrimental movements of a component before and aftercompletion ofassembly.

Briefly, these and other objects are accomplished within the present invention by providing an anchoring pad which includes clips and edges on one side thereof conformed to engage an electronic component and one or more protrusions of the split pin form on the othersideforinsertion into standard holes in the board. This pad may be formed of a resilient material structure and thus can be deformed both during the insertion of the component and the insertion ofthe pin.

The foregoing anchoring pad may be used in conjunction with one or more stand-off, similarlyconformed for retention, to stack the pads in spaced alignment overthe circuit board.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of an inventive anchoring pad engaging an electronic component on a circuit board; Figure2 is a side view ofthe pad shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top view ofthe pad shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view, in partial section, illustrating an alternative use ofthe inventive pad; Figure 5 is a side view of an inventive stand-off assembly incorporating engagementfeatures common with those in Figures 1-4; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a further alternative of the stand-off assembly shown in Figure 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment As shown in Figures 1,2,3 and 4, the inventive anchoring pad, generally designated by the numeral 10, comprises a planar base frame 14 conformed to align over a circuit board PC in spaced relationship determined by a plurality of projections orfeet 15 and a spacer 16 on the underside thereof. Frame 14, on its uppersurface, includes a plurality of posts 13separated by a gap equal to the width of an electronic component EC. Quite frequently component EC includesan attachmenttabATprovidedwith a holeAH for attachment by any fastening device. For convenience such holes or openings AH are of a standard size.

A split pylon 17 projects upwardlyfrom frame 14, awayfrom posts 13, the pylon including an enlarged section 17a for interference in hole AH. Thus the elec troniccomponentEC is placed between posts 13with the pylon 17 pressed into hole AH. In the course of this insertion the pylon collapses across its split to pass through the holeAH. In this mannerthe component is fixed to the anchoring pad 10 with the leads CLtherefrom aligned for soldering or other connection.

The anchoring pad 10, in turn, is located by yet another split post or pin 21 extending from the lower surface of frame 14 centrallythroughthespacer 16.

This split pin 21, again, includes an enlarged section 21 a conformed for interference collapse across its split when passing into the interior of any standard size hold PH in the circuit board PC. Moreover, a dog ortooth 22 may project from the underside offrame 14 to pass into a ny other opening PO in the circu it board, th us securing the pad against rotation.

To further improve the installation convenience of the device frame 14may include on the upper surface an adhesively coated section 19 against which the component EC may be pressed. Thus the component is well fixed and anchored during installation and is retained thereafter.

Of course the dimensioned configuration of posts 13 and pylon 17 may be variously carried out to accommodate the shapes of commercially available components. Moreover, the spacing can be selected to accommodate heat sinks HS and other required matter.

Theforegoing anchor pad 10 may be used in combination with the stand-offstructure shown in Figures Sand 6. As shown in Figure 5 a stand-off, generally designated by the numeral 100, comprises a set of legs 101 and 1 02 of equal length connected bydiagonal bridging 103. Each of the legs 101 and 102, at the ends thereof, include split pylons 121 which, similarto pylon 21, engage holes PH1 and PH2 in stacked circuit boards PC1 and PC2. Stand-offs 100 may be used in pairs to thus provide a bridged frameworkfor the stacked circuit boards at a separation sufficient to accommodate the electronic components ECi and EC2 on each circuit board.

By reference to Figure 6 stand-offs 100 may further include intermediate ledges 125, again, provided with split pylons 121 which engage openings in an intermediate circuit board PC3.

One should note that each stackedcircuitboard PC1 -PC3 may incorporate the foregoing anchor pad 10 with consequent convenience in assembly and circuitintegrity. Both the anchor pad 10 andthe stand-offs 100 may be made of insulative (dielectric) material structure, most effectively achieved by polymer casting, whereby the resilient aspects of the material obtain further advantage to attenuate shock.

Obviously many modifications and changes may be made to the foregoing description without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be determined solely on the claims appended hereto.

Claims (10)

1. An anchoring padforsecuringelectroniccom- ponentsto a circuit board comprising: a frame; retaining means formed on said frame for engaging said components; engaging means extending from said frame for engaging an opening in said circuit board, said engaging means including a split pylon having an enlarged section greaterthan said openingforinterfer- ing insertion therein.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein: said frame includes an adhesive surface for adhesion to said component.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein: said retaining means includes a split post con- formed to engage in interference engagement a hole in said component.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3 wherein: said anchoring pad is formed of an electrically insulating material structure.

5. A stand-offfor mounting circuit boards in spaced relationship relative each other comprising: a frame having substantially parallel upper and lower edges; engagement means formed#n said upper and low er edges for engaging said circuit boards, said engagement means including split pylons having an enlarged intermediate section for interference insertion into openings formed in said circuit boards.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein: said frame includes a ledge intermediate said upper and lower edge, said ledge including a plurality of said split pylons.

7. Apparatus according to Claim wherein said stand-off is formed of an electrically insulating material structure.

8. Anchoring component pads comprising: a single continuous piece of formed suitable material for anchoring electronic devices to PC board or Flexible PC; integrally formed anchoring means that securely holds said pad onto PC Board or Flexible PC; means which lend to assembly by hand or by robotic fingers for high speed assembly; sustaining means that are integrally and continuouslyformed sections of said padforsupporting and positioning modules to be anchored onto said PC Board or Flexible PC.

9. An anchoring pad for securing electronic componentsto a circuit board as claimed in claim 1, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by any one of the examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. Astand-offformounting circuit boards in spaced relationship relative each other as claimed in claim 5, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated bythe example shown in the accompanying drawings.