JP2012182218A - Substrate panel and chassis using the substrate panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lightweight, compact chassis having a sufficient mechanical strength and a substrate panel forming the chassis.SOLUTION: A chassis is assembled using a substrate panel formed by adding stiffness to a circuit substrate. Mechanical stiffness is added to the substrate panel by molding a circuit substrate on which a plurality of electronic members are mounted. Coupling means for assembling the chassis is provided at an edge of the circuit substrate.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a board panel in which mechanical rigidity is provided to a circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted, and a chassis using the board panel.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an electronic device mounted on an aircraft, a chassis is known in which a plurality of circuit boards each mounting a plurality of electronic components are arranged and accommodated. In this way, by mounting a plurality of circuit boards in a chassis, it is possible to effectively use the electronic device mounting space in the aircraft.

  This type of chassis is required to have sufficient mechanical strength to protect the circuit board from external impacts or to prevent distortion of the circuit board. In addition, it is desired to make this type of chassis as light as possible for mounting on an aircraft.

JP 2005-79429 A

  However, in order to provide sufficient mechanical strength, the chassis is generally constituted by a relatively thick metal frame. For this reason, the chassis itself becomes heavier than the weight of the substrate. Also, if multiple circuit boards are housed using a chassis, the size of the chassis will increase by at least the thickness of the frame, and when multiple chassis are mounted on an aircraft, the space occupied by this frame cannot be ignored. Become.

  Therefore, development of a chassis for a lightweight and compact substrate having sufficient mechanical strength is desired.

  The chassis according to the embodiment is assembled by using a board panel that gives rigidity to the circuit board. The board panel is provided with mechanical rigidity by molding a circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted. At the edge of the circuit board, when assembling the chassis, for example, connecting means for connecting to another board panel is fixed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the substrate panel according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view (a), a side view (b), and a bottom view (c) showing an example of a substrate panel according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a chassis assembled using the substrate panel of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view for explaining a structure for connecting the substrate panels according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged plan view of the bottom panel of FIG. 4 as viewed from above. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a chassis according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a state in which the side cover of FIG. 6 is removed.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining the internal structure of the substrate panel according to the first embodiment. In each embodiment described below, at least one board panel of this type is used to assemble a chassis 1 (for example, see FIG. 3) for accommodating a plurality of circuit boards 4 side by side. As an example, the chassis may be assembled using only the substrate panel of FIG.

  Since a plurality of chassis 1 are mounted on an aircraft, for example, it is desirable to make them as lightweight and compact as possible. As a matter of course, this type of chassis 1 that accommodates a circuit board 4 on which a large number of electronic components with relatively low rigidity and connection that is susceptible to shock is mounted requires sufficient mechanical strength and is high. Rigidity is required.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the board panel 10 includes a circuit board 4 on which a plurality of electronic components 2 are mounted. Around the circuit board 4, an epoxy resin is provided by molding so as to embed a plurality of electronic components 2 and cover the entire surface of the circuit board 4. At this time, an insulating coating material 5 is applied in advance to an appropriate thickness on the surface of the circuit board 4 in contact with the mold member 6. As the coating material 5, in this embodiment, a silicon resin having relatively high elasticity is used. That is, the coating material 5 also functions as an elastic member.

  The mold member 6 is preferably formed of a resin having a relatively high rigidity, and the coating material 5 is preferably formed of a resin having a relatively high elasticity, but is not limited to an epoxy resin or a silicon resin, respectively. Other resin materials can be used.

  As described above, by molding the circuit board 4 with a relatively high-stiffness epoxy resin, the circuit board 4 can be given sufficient rigidity to a desired degree, and the circuit board 4 itself is attached to the chassis structural member ( That is, it can be used as the substrate panel 10). This eliminates the need for a separate metal chassis from the circuit board 4 as compared to the conventional structure in which a plurality of circuit boards are housed in a metal chassis, and the size of the entire electronic device is accordingly reduced. Can be small. Further, when the substrate panel 10 according to the embodiment is used as the structural member of the chassis, the chassis can be lightened accordingly.

  When the circuit board 4 on which the plurality of electronic components 2 are mounted is thermally expanded and contracted, the elastic coating material 5 absorbs the thermal deformation of the circuit board 4. For this reason, there is no fear that the connection between the electronic component 2 and the circuit board 4 is cut due to the stress concentration, and the outer shape of the board panel 10 is not changed. That is, when the board panel 10 of the present embodiment is used as a structural member of the chassis 1, sufficient rigidity can be imparted and the reliability as the circuit board 4 can be increased.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows a front view (a), a side view (b), and a bottom view (c) of a substrate panel 10 'according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the chassis 1 using the substrate panel 10 ′.

  This board panel 10 'has basically the same structure as the board panel 10 of the first embodiment described above except that it has two connectors 3, a heat sink 7, and four screw holes 8 (connection means). For this reason, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the component which functions similarly to the board | substrate panel 10 of 1st Embodiment mentioned above here, and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  For example, when the chassis 1 is assembled as shown in FIG. 3, the board panel 10 ′ is one of a plurality of board panels (five sheets in the present embodiment) arranged in parallel so as to be spaced apart from each other in parallel. It corresponds to one sheet. That is, the two connectors 3 project from the lower end of the board panel 10 'facing the upper surface 12a of the bottom panel 12 described later. These two connectors 3 are fixed to the circuit board 4 in the board panel 10 'and are electrically connected to a wiring pattern (not shown).

  As a matter of course, a total of ten connectors not shown here are provided on the upper surface 12a of the bottom panel 12 corresponding to the five substrate panels 10 '. These ten connectors are electrically and mechanically connected to a mother board (not shown) embedded in the bottom panel 12. That is, the bottom panel 12 is also considered as a kind of substrate panel.

  Further, in the board panel 10 ′, a heat sink 7 is appropriately attached in close contact with an electronic component 2 ′ such as a CPU that generates a relatively large amount of heat among a plurality of electronic components 2 mounted on the circuit board 4. Yes. As shown in FIG. 2B, the heat sink 7 integrally has a plurality of heat radiation fins 7a protruding outward from the mold member 6, that is, from the surface of the substrate panel 10 '. In other words, the mold member 6 partially embeds the heat sink 7 so that the heat radiating fins 7a of the heat sink 7 protrude outward.

  As described above, by projecting the heat dissipating fins 7a of the heat sink 7 attached to the electronic component 2 ′ having a relatively high temperature to the outside of the substrate panel 10 ′, the electronic component 2 ′ can be effectively dissipated. The elastic coating material 5 absorbs thermal deformation of the circuit board 4 on which the electronic component 2 ′ and the heat sink 7 are mounted. In the present embodiment, when the chassis 1 is assembled as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of heat radiation fins 7 a of the heat sink 7 are arranged in a gap between the adjacent substrate panel 10 ′. For this reason, the radiating fins 7 are exposed to the cooling air flowing between the plurality of substrate panels 10 ′, and the electronic component 2 ′ is cooled more effectively.

Here, a method for assembling the chassis 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the connectors 3 of the five board panels 10 ′ are connected to connectors (not shown here) on the upper surface 12a of the bottom panel 12 in which the motherboard is embedded, and all the board panels 10 ′ are electrically connected to the bottom panel 12. Connect.

  As a result, the two screw holes 8 respectively provided on the lower end side of each substrate panel 10 ′ correspond to the corresponding screw holes 12 b (connecting means) provided through the bottom panel 12 (in this embodiment, 2 × 5 = 10). Each screw hole 12b penetrating the bottom panel 12 is provided with a flange portion having a small diameter for engaging the head of the screw 13.

  Next, from the lower surface side of the bottom panel 12, the screws 13 (connection means) are respectively inserted into the screw holes 8 and the screw holes 12b overlapped as described above, and the lower end of each board panel 10 ′ is connected to the upper surface 12a of the bottom panel 12. Fasten and fix to. Thus, by fastening and fixing all the screws 13, the board panel 10 ′ and the upper surface 12 a of the bottom panel 12 are brought into close contact with each other, and at the same time, the connector between each board panel 10 ′ and the bottom panel 12. The electrical connection by 3 can be guaranteed.

Thereafter, the front panel 14 and the rear panel 16 are attached.
A plurality (three in this embodiment) of connectors 14 a for connecting a harness (not shown) for connecting the chassis 1 to an external device (not shown) are projected outwardly from the front panel 14. Further, two connectors 14 b for electrically connecting the front panel 14 to the bottom panel 12 are provided on the back side near the lower end of the front panel 14.

  On the other hand, a blower not shown here is attached to the rear panel 16 so as to protrude outward. In addition, a connector (not shown) for electrical connection to the bottom panel 12 is provided near the lower end of the rear panel 16 so as to protrude from the back surface. Since the rear panel 16 is attached in the same manner as the front panel 14, the description of the method for attaching the rear panel 16 is omitted here.

  When attaching the front panel 16, first, the two connectors 14b near the lower end are electrically connected to the two connectors 12c provided at the end of the bottom panel 12, respectively. Thus, the two screw holes 12d (connection means) provided at the side ends near the top of the two substrate panels 10 ′ at both ends in the overlapping direction and the upper end corner of the front panel 14 are provided. The two screw holes 14c (connection means) overlap each other. At the same time, two screw holes 14d (connecting means) provided through the vicinity of the lower end corner of the front panel 14 are also provided corresponding to the front end of the bottom panel 12. It overlaps with the hole 12e (connecting means). Each of the four screw holes 14c and 14d of the bottom panel 12 is provided with a small-diameter flange portion for engaging the head of the screw 15 (connection means).

  Then, from the front of the front panel 14, screws 15 are respectively inserted into the screw holes 12d and screw holes 14c and the screw holes 12e and 14d overlapped as described above, and the upper end corner of the front panel 14 is connected to the board panel. The lower end corner of the front panel 14 is fastened and fixed to the front end of the bottom panel 12 while being fastened and fixed near the upper end of 10 ′.

  At this time, by tightening all the screws 15, the back surface of the front panel 14 can be brought into close contact with the front side end portion of each substrate panel 10 ′ and the front side end portion of the bottom panel 12. Electrical connection by the connectors 12c and 14b between the panel 14 and the bottom panel 12 can be ensured.

Finally, the cover panel 18 is attached.
The cover panel 18 has a total of ten screw holes 18a (connecting means) facing the screw holes 12f (connecting means) provided near the upper corners of the five substrate panels 10 'penetrating the panel. Is provided. Further, the cover panel 18 is provided near two screw holes 18b (connection means) facing the screw holes 14e (connection means) provided near the upper end corner of the front panel 14 and near the upper end corner of the rear panel 16. Two screw holes 18c (connection means) opposed to the formed screw holes 16a (connection means) are respectively provided through the panel.

  Then, from above the cover panel 18, the screw 19 (connecting means) is inserted into the screw hole 12f and the screw hole 18a, the screw hole 14e and the screw hole 18b, and the screw hole 16a and the screw hole 18c stacked as described above. Then, the cover panel 18 is fastened and fixed. Thereby, the back surface of the cover panel 18 is brought into close contact with the upper ends of the plurality of substrate panels 10 ′, the upper end of the front panel 14, and the upper end of the rear panel 16, and the assembly of the chassis 1 is completed.

  As described above, the chassis 1 assembled using the substrate panel 10 ′ of the present embodiment has high rigidity, and can be lightweight and compact. In particular, the chassis 1 of the present embodiment does not require a separate frame from the circuit board 4, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the assembly can be facilitated.

  Further, according to the substrate panel 10 ′ of the present embodiment, since the circuit board 4 is molded with resin, the electronic component 2 mounted on the circuit board 4 is not exposed to the outside air. Therefore, when air is circulated between the board panels 10 'with the chassis 1 assembled, the circuit board does not have to worry about dust and moisture adhering to the circuit board, and maintenance is not required. .

  Note that the front panel 14, the rear panel 16, the cover panel 18 and the like of the present embodiment can also be regarded as a board panel molded with a circuit board. Therefore, for example, a circuit code can be printed on the front surface of the front panel 14.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, although the fastening structure using a screw hole and a screw was demonstrated as a connection means which connects board | substrate panels, it is not restricted to this, A board | substrate panel is adhere | attached or the other is attached to one board | substrate panel. It is also possible to provide an engaging claw for engaging with the substrate panel.

  Further, as a positioning means for positioning the substrate panels with each other when assembling the chassis 1 of the present embodiment, positioning pins and positioning steps not shown here can be provided on the substrate panel.

  FIG. 4 shows a partially enlarged structure for connecting the lower end of the substrate panel 10 ″ of the third embodiment to the upper surface 12a of the bottom panel 12 ′ of another embodiment. 5 shows a partially enlarged plan view of the bottom panel 12 ′ of FIG. 4 as viewed from above. Here, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the connecting means for the bottom panel 12 ′ of the substrate panel 10 ″ An example will be described.

  The board panel 10 ″ and the bottom panel 12 ′ of the present embodiment each have aluminum fastening blocks 22 and 24 as connecting means for connecting each other. The connector 25 on the upper surface 12a of the bottom panel 12 ′ is also provided. Is provided with an annular groove 27 for disposing the O-ring 26. Since the other structure is substantially the same as that of the above-described embodiment, the same components as those described above are used here. Reference numerals are assigned and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The fastening blocks 22 of each board panel 10 ″ are relatively small blocks that are respectively attached to the four corners of the panel, and the fastening blocks 24 of the bottom panel 12 ′ are along the front side edge of the panel and on the rear side. The cover panel 18 (not shown here) is also provided with elongated fastening blocks at both ends in the same manner as the bottom panel 12 '.

  For example, the elongate fastening block 24 on the front side of the bottom panel 12 ′ has an elongate groove 24 a that receives the front side edge of the circuit board 4 as a stepped portion for engaging and positioning the edge of the circuit board 4. . Similarly, the rear-side fastening block 24 has an elongated groove 24a that functions as a stepped portion for positioning and receives the rear-side edge of the circuit board 4. On the other hand, the fastening block 22 of the board panel 10 ″ also has a step part 22a for receiving and positioning the four corners of the circuit board 4.

  And each fastening block 22 and 24 is positioned with respect to the circuit board 4 by engaging the edge part or corner | angular part of the circuit board 4 with the groove | channel 24a or the step part 22a, respectively, In this state, a circuit board 4 is fixed. At this time, the fastening blocks 22 and 24 are fixed to a wiring pattern (not shown) of the circuit board 4 by, for example, soldering. That is, the connecting means of the present embodiment is attached to the circuit board 4 similarly to the electronic component 2. Further, the circuit board 4 to which the fastening blocks 22 and 24 are fixed in this way is molded with an epoxy resin to form a board panel 10 ″ and a bottom panel 12 ′.

  When connecting the substrate panel 10 ″ having the above structure to the bottom panel 12 ′, the two connectors 3 protruding from the lower end of the substrate panel 10 ″ are respectively inserted into the corresponding two connectors 25 of the bottom panel 12 ′. At this time, the flat lower surface 22b of the two fastening blocks 22 fixed to the lower end corner of the board panel 10 ″ and the flat upper surface 24b of the fastening block 24 fixed to the front side and the rear side of the bottom panel 12 ′, respectively. And the screw hole 8 engraved on the lower surface 22b of the fastening block 22 and the screw hole 12b engraved through the fastening block 24 overlap.

  At this time, the O-ring 26 disposed around the connector 25 of the bottom panel 12 'is slightly crushed, and the periphery of the connector 3 on the board panel 10 "side and the connector 25 on the bottom panel 12' side is sealed. That is, as described above, when the fastening blocks 22 and 24 come into contact with the surfaces 22b and 24b, a slight gap is formed between the lower end surface 6a of the mold member 6 of the substrate panel 10 ″ and the upper surface 12a of the bottom panel 12 ′. However, the periphery of the connector is hermetically sealed by deforming the O-ring 26 so as to connect the gap.

  For this reason, according to the present embodiment, the panels 10 ″ and 12 ′ can be positioned with high positional accuracy by bringing the fastening blocks 22 and 24 into contact with each other and fastening them with the screws 13, respectively. In addition, it is possible to guarantee the connection in a sealed state of the connectors 3 and 25. Thus, the connector can be protected.

  Further, by using the metal fastening blocks 22 and 24 as the connecting means as in the present embodiment, it is stronger and stronger than the case of being screwed to the mold member 6 as in the second embodiment described above. Secure fastening is possible. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the fastening blocks 22 and 24 are fixed to the wiring pattern of the circuit board 4 by soldering, the fastening blocks 22 and 24 can also function as a ground member. The connection between the panels as described in the present embodiment is not limited to the connection between the substrate panel 10 ″ and the bottom panel 12 ′, but the connection between the front panel 14, the rear panel 16, the cover panel 18, and the like. It goes without saying that can also be applied.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a chassis 30 according to the fourth embodiment in which the board panel provided with the fastening block (connecting means) as described above is assembled as shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the side cover 39 of the chassis 30 in FIG. 6 is removed.

  The chassis 30 has a plurality of bottom panels 31 each provided with an elongated fastening block 31a (connecting means) at the front and rear end portions, and a relatively small fastening block 32a (connecting means) at each of four corners. A plurality of substrate panels 32, a front panel 33 having elongated fastening blocks 33a (connecting means) at the upper end and lower end, a rear panel 34 having elongated fastening blocks 34a (connecting means) at the upper and lower ends, and A cover panel 35 having elongated fastening blocks 35a (connecting means) is provided at the front and rear ends.

  A plurality of connectors 36 for connecting a harness for connecting to an external device protrude from the front side of the front panel 33. A blower 37 is attached to the rear surface side of the rear panel 34. A cover 38 is attached on the cover panel 35, and a side cover 39 is attached to the side surface of the chassis 30.

  When assembling the chassis 30, first, a plurality of substrate panels 32 are arranged in parallel in an upright position on the upper surface of the bottom panel 31, and the fastening blocks 31 a of the bottom panel 31 and fastenings at the lower end corners of each substrate panel 32 are arranged. The blocks 32a are fastened and fixed with screws (connection means) (not shown).

  Then, the cover panel 35 is placed on the upper ends of the plurality of substrate panels 32, and the fastening blocks 35a of the cover panels 35 and the fastening blocks 32a at the upper end corners of the substrate panels 32 are not shown in the drawing (connecting means). Fasten and fix each.

  Further, the front panel 33 is arranged on the front side of the chassis, and the fastening block 33a at the upper end of the front panel 33 and the fastening block 35a on the front side of the cover panel 35 are fastened with screws (connection means) not shown. The fastening block 33a at the lower end of 33 and the fastening block 31a on the front side of the bottom panel 31 are fastened with screws (not shown).

  Further, the rear panel 34 is disposed on the rear side of the chassis, and the fastening block 34a at the upper end of the rear panel 34 and the fastening block 35a on the rear side of the cover panel 35 are fastened with screws (connection means) not shown, and the lower end of the rear panel 34 is secured. The fastening block 34a and the fastening block 31a on the rear side of the bottom panel 31 are fastened with screws (connection means) not shown.

  Finally, the lid 38 is attached on the cover panel 35, and the side covers 39 are attached to both side surfaces of the chassis. For example, the side cover 39 is fastened to the side surface of the mold member 6 of the front panel 33 by using three screws 39a (connecting means) at the front side, and has three screws 39a (connecting means) at the rear side. ) Is fastened to the side surface of the mold member 6 of the rear panel 34, and the upper end side end portion is fastened to the side surface of the mold member 6 of the cover panel 35 using the three screws 39 a (connection means), and the lower end side end The part is fastened to the side surface of the mold member 6 of the bottom panel 31 using three screws 39a (connection means). As described above, the assembly of the chassis 30 of the present embodiment is completed.

  According to the present embodiment, since the metal block is employed as the connecting member for connecting the substrate panels, the chassis 30 can achieve the same effects as those of the third embodiment.

  According to the substrate panel of at least one embodiment described above, by providing rigidity to the circuit board 4 itself, it is possible to provide a lightweight and compact chassis having sufficient mechanical strength.

  As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where all the circuit boards 4 are molded and used as the structural member of the chassis has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and at least one circuit board 4 is provided with rigidity so that the chassis can be used. It can be used as a part.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,30 ... Chassis, 2 ... Electronic component, 4 ... Circuit board, 5 ... Coating material, 6 ... Mold member, 7 ... Heat sink, 10, 10 ', 10 "... Substrate panel, 12, 12' ... Bottom panel, 14 ... front panel, 16 ... rear panel, 18 ... cover panel, 22, 24 ... fastening block, 26 ... O-ring.

Claims (12)

A circuit board on which a plurality of electronic components are mounted;
A mold member that gives mechanical rigidity by molding this circuit board, and
Connecting means for assembling the chassis using the circuit board to which rigidity is imparted by this mold member;
A substrate panel.   2. The board panel according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means is fixed to an edge of the circuit board.   3. The board panel according to claim 1, wherein the mold member is provided so as to cover the entire surface of the circuit board by embedding the plurality of electronic components.   The board panel according to claim 3, wherein an insulating coating material is applied to a surface of the circuit board in contact with the mold member.   The substrate panel according to claim 4, wherein the mold member is a resin having a relatively high rigidity, and the coating material is a resin having a relatively high elasticity.   3. The board panel according to claim 2, wherein the connecting means is fixed to a wiring pattern on the circuit board by soldering and is molded by the molding member together with the circuit board.   7. The board panel according to claim 2, wherein the connecting means has a stepped portion for engaging and positioning with an edge of the circuit board.   3. The board panel according to claim 1, further comprising a connector for electrical connection with another board panel coupled via the coupling means. A heat sink attached in contact with the electronic component;
3. The substrate panel according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the heat sink protrudes outside the mold member.   A chassis for housing a circuit board, which is assembled by using at least one board panel according to claim 1.   A chassis in which a plurality of the substrate panels according to any one of claims 1 to 9 are assembled. A first substrate panel;
A plurality of second substrate panels that are connected to one end of the first substrate panel and arranged apart from each other, and
A chassis comprising at least one of the first and second substrate panels formed of the substrate panel according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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