GB2236911A

GB2236911A - A carrier board on which electrical articles can be assembled.

Info

Publication number: GB2236911A
Application number: GB9022026A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Anthony Icke; David Lloyd Riley
Original assignee: Dowty Woodville Polymer Ltd
Current assignee: Dowty Woodville Polymer Ltd
Priority date: 1989-10-10
Filing date: 1990-10-10
Publication date: 1991-04-17
Also published as: GB9022026D0; WO1991006203A1; EP0447532A1; IE903634A1; GB8922790D0

Abstract

A carrier board for use in the production of an electrical article wherein the electrical article is assembled on the carrier board as it passes along an assembly line and is removed therefrom once assembly of the article is completed, which carrier board is characterised in that it is moulded (13) and includes means (1) to provide dimensional stability and electrical connection means (6, 7, 8) integrally formed therein so as to enable the electrical article being assembled to be powered up and actively tested during assembly whilst remaining on the assembly line. Said means (1) may be a board-like core moulded into the carrier board. Strengthening means (2) may also be moulded into the carrier board. The electrical connection means comprises bus-bars (6, 7) exposed on the lower surface of the carrier board, and a socket (8) on the upper surface of the carrier board.

Description

A CARRIER BOARD Technical Field This invention relates to a carrier board for use in the production of an electrical article on which the electrical article is assembled on an assembly line.

It is known to use a carrier board on the production of electrical articles, such as televisions. Conventional carrier boards are made from wood or wood composites, such as plywood.

Such carrier boards have the following drawbacks and operational difficulties: - the board is subject to splintering and fracture; - the board is subject to malformation in damp conditions; and - the board is subject to high frictional resistance hindering passage along the assembly line.

Disclosure of the Invention The present invention is concerned with providing a carrier board in which the above mentioned problems and operational difficulties are reduced or overcome.

In accordance with the present invention a carrier board for use in the production of an electrical article wherein the electrical article is assembled on the carrier board as it passes along an assembly line and is removed therefrom once assembly of the article is completed, which carrier board is characterised in that it is moulded and includes means to provide the carrier board with dimensional stability electrical connection means integrally formed therein so as to enable the electrical article being assembled to be powered up and actively tested during assembly on the assembly line.

Carrier boards, such as those made in accordance with the present invention may be used in the production of a number of electrical articles for example, televisions, VDU screens, computers, video recorders, Hi-fi equipment and microwave ovens.

Preferably, the carrier board is formed with location means which locate and secure the electrical article being assembled in position as it travels along the assembly line, which location means are formed as an integral part of the carrier board as it is moulded.

The actual location means provided may comprise any suitable device, for example indentations, into which abutment means on the electrical article are located.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carrier board is provided with inbuilt integrally formed carrying handles. This facilitates lifting of the carrier board onto and off the assembly line.

The carrier board is, preferably, provided with electrical connection means which comprises conductive bus-bars mounted to the reverse side, i.e. the side opposite to that on which the article is assembled, of the carrier board. The conductive bus-bars may be mounted into the carrier board during moulding, for example having the carrier board moulded thereabouts.

Alternatively, the conductive bus-bars may be fixed by fasteners such as screws into recesses in the reverse side of the carrier board as a subsequent operation to the moulding, preferably flush with the surface of the carrier board.

As the carrier board passes along the assembly line the conductive bus-bars will contact electrical power means, for example, powered conductive rollers, which transmit electrical power to the carrier board and from there to the electrical article being assembled so as to enable testing of the article. In view of the fact that the carrier board will be used in the assembly of a number of electrical articles, it is important that the conductive bus-bars do not become worn or pitted. Therefore, the conductive bus-bars should be made out of a hard wearing material, for example, a metal such as brass or steel.

Further, in order to facilitate the transmittal of electrical power from the conductive bus-bars to the electrical article the carrier board may be provided with a connecting socket means into which a lead from the electrical article is plugged, preferably this electrical socket means is formed flush with the surface into which it is fitted.

In one embodiment of the present invention the above mentioned connecting socket means is formed integrally in the carrier board during the moulding.

The connecting socket means and the conductive bus-bars are in a preferred embodiment interconnected by means of electrical leads.

It is important for successful continued use of the carrier board that the carrier board is dimensionally stable. That is the board remains perfectly shaped, for example, flat, and there is no change or variation in the dimensions of the board. In order to achieve this, in one embodiment of the present invention, the carrier board is provided with a core member which is cut precisely to shape and about which the carrier board is moulded.

The core member may be a board-like member formed from any suitable material, for example, wood, (Registered TradeMark) fibre board suchas MEDITE,/or the same material from which the carrier board is moulded.

The electrical leads are, preferably, provided so that they run along channels provided in the core member and the carrier board is moulded thereabouts to secure them into position.

In certain forms of the present invention it may be necessary to provide the carrier board with strengthening means. This strengthening means, for example, may comprise a fibre glass mat. Description of the Drawings The invention is illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of a carrier board made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view of a carrier board made in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 3 shows an upward view of a carrier board made in accordance with the present invention.

Best Mode of Carrying out the Invention The illustrated carrier board comprises a fibre board core member 1 and a fibre glass mat 2 beneath the core member 1 and both moulded within a body 3 of modified methyl methacrylate (for (Registered Trade Mark) example, MODAR/836 as supplied by ICI Acrylics).

The core 1 and mat 2 extend over the major part of the width and breadth of the carrier board, the core 1 providing dimensional stability and the mat 2 providing strengthening. Opposite ends of the carrier board have carrying handles 4 moulded therein within the body 3 in the form of undercuts or recesses. These handles allow the carrier board to be lifted onto or off a production line.

Further, location means 5 in the form of indentations are moulded within the body 3 in the upper surface of the carrier board to allow the location of an electrical article, such. as a television receiver, which is to be assembled on the carrier board.

The carrier board also incorporates electrical connection means so as to enable the electrical article being assembled to be powered up and actively tested during assembly on the carrier board. The electrical connection means comprises two pairs of brass bus-bars 6, 7 which are exposed on the lower surface of the carrier board (see Figure 3) for engagement by powered conductive rollers on the assembly line when in use, and an electrical socket 8 which is accessible on the upper surface of the carrier board for the electrical article to be plugged in for testing and which is connected to the bus-bars 6, 7 by electrical leads 9. These leads 9 may run in channels 10 formed in the core member 1 at least over a part of their length. The bus-bars 6, 7 are located in recesses 11 in the body 3 of the carrier board with their outer faces substantially flush with the lower surface of the carrier board.

Screw fastners 12 secure the bus-bars in place.

The socket 8 is received in a recess 13 in the core member 1 and is moulded into the body 3 of the carrier board.

Claims

1. A carrier board for use in the production of an electrical article wherein the electrical article is assembled on the carrier board as it passes along an assembly line and is removed therefrom once assembly of the article is completed, which carrier board is characterised in that it is moulded and includes means to provide dimensional stability and electrical connection means integrally formed therein so as to enable the electrical article being assembled to be powered up and actively tested during assembly whilst remaining on the assembly line.

2. A carrier board as claimed in claim 1 in which said means to provide dimensional stability comprises a dimensionally stable core member about which the carrier board is moulded.

3. A carrier board as claimed in claim 2 in which the core member is a board-like member which extends across a major portion of the width and breadth of the carrier board.

4. A carrier board as claimed in claim 2 or 3 in which the core member is provided with channels to accommodate electrical leads.

5. A carrier board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes strengthening means that is moulded within the carrier board.

6. A carrier board as claimed in claim 5 in which the strengthening means comprises a fibre glass mat.

7. A carrier board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the carrier board is moulded from modified methyl methacrylate.

8. A carrier board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the electrical connection means comprises bus-bars which are exposed on that side of the carrier board opposite to that on which the electrical article is to be assembled.

9. A carrier board as claimed in claim 8 in which the carrier board is moulded around the busbars.

10. A carrier board as claimed in claim 9 in which the bus-bars are connected by fasteners in recesses in the carrier board.

11. A carrier board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the electrical connection means comprises connecting socket means connected to the bus-bars and adapted for insertion of plug means of the electrical article to be assembled on the carrier board.

12. A carrier board as claimed in claim 11 in which the connecting socket means is moulded into the carrier board.

13. A carrier board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which includes location means to locate an electrical article to be assembled on the carrier board.

14. A carrier board as claimed in claim 13 in which the location means comprise indentations moulded into the carrier board.

15. A carrier board as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which includes carrying handles.

16. A carrier board for use in the production of an electrical article which is assembled on the carrier board on an assembly line substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.