JPH02117079A - Connector structure for integrated circuit having metallic substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To aim at miniaturization of a circuit at a low cost by using a part of a conductive foil as the terminals of a connector. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of connecting terminals 22g and 22h are formed laterally in a row along each end edge of a pair of substrates 16a and 16b at the upper surfaces of the outer ends thereof, that is, inside the upper and lower ends thereof specifying one end of a case on an opening side in such a state as to be opposed vertically spacially. The connecting terminals 22g and 22h constitute a part of a conductive foil 22c, and further, are arranged in such a manner that the connecting pins 24a and 24b of a male connector 14 are brought into contact therewith, respectively. This enables miniaturization at a low cost.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a connector for an integrated circuit having a metal substrate, in which a conductive foil is adhered to the metal substrate via an insulating layer and circuit elements are fixed thereto. Regarding structure.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, an integrated circuit having a so-called metal substrate, in which a conductive foil is pasted on the metal substrate via an insulating layer and circuit elements are fixed, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-13234. There are known techniques for The integrated circuit manufacturing method disclosed in this prior art includes the steps of anodizing at least one main surface of an aluminum substrate to form a thin aluminum oxide layer on the substrate surface, and forming a resistor on the aluminum oxide thin layer. a step of forming a plurality of circuit elements by selectively depositing a substance and a good conductor material; a step of fixing a transistor pellet on a lead portion formed by selectively depositing a good conductor; The method is characterized by including a step of sealing at least all of the circuit elements with an insulating resin.

In the integrated circuit formed in this way, heat generated from resistors, transistors, etc. during operation can be dissipated quickly and effectively, making it possible to integrate output circuits, etc. .

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The integrated circuit formed as described above may be adopted for use in vehicles from the viewpoint of its small size and low cost. However, when such an integrated circuit is actually used in a vehicle, it is necessary to take advantage of its small size and low cost while also reliably connecting it to other control parts of the vehicle.

Here, when using a conventional connector as a connecting device, this connector has its own unique housing, is relatively large, and is not cheap, so it is necessary to make the integrated circuit itself smaller and lower in cost. Even so, problems have been pointed out that prevent it from fully demonstrating its benefits.

This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an integrated circuit having a metal substrate in which a conductive foil is pasted on the metal substrate via an insulating layer and circuit elements are fixed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector structure that can reliably reduce the size and cost of a circuit when the connector is connected to the integrated circuit.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the purpose, a connector structure for an integrated circuit having a metal substrate according to the present invention includes a conductive foil on the metal substrate via an insulating layer. An integrated circuit connector structure having a metal substrate to which a circuit element is attached and a circuit element is fixed is characterized in that a part of the conductive foil is used as a connector terminal.

[Function] The integrated circuit connector structure having the metal substrate configured as described above does not have its own independent housing.
A portion of the conductive foil of the integrated circuit is configured to be used as a connector terminal. By constructing the connector terminal from a portion of the conductive foil in this manner, the number of parts can be reduced, and both size and cost can be reduced.

[Embodiment 2] The structure of a first embodiment of a connector structure for an integrated circuit having a metal substrate according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an integrated circuit IO used in this first embodiment. The integrated circuit 10 is configured as an independent functional component for a vehicle, and specifically, is configured as an integrated circuit that independently functions as, for example, an engine control unit.

As shown in the figure, this integrated circuit 10 is formed as a box-shaped case with a closed interior, and a female connector 12 as a connecting device, which is a feature of the present invention, is integrally attached to one end. ing. The male connector 12 will be described in detail later, but is configured to be connected to a commonly used male connector 14.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 3B, this integrated circuit 10 consists of a pair of circuit boards 16a and 1 that are vertically spaced apart.
6b, a side plate 18 for separating both substrates 16a, 16b by a predetermined distance and closing the side surfaces, and a frame 20 for integrally fixing both substrates 16a, 16b and side plate 18. There is.

Specifically, both boards 16a and 16b include IC chips necessary to perform the function as an engine control unit.
Circuit elements such as resistors and capacitors are attached. Here, both substrates 16a.

16b is one common substrate 22 as shown in FIG. 4A.
It is set to be formed by dividing into two pieces.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, this common board 22 includes a board main body 22a made of a conductive material, for example, metal such as aluminum, and an insulating board 22a that is adhered to the front surface of the board main body 22a. 22b, and on this insulating layer 22b,
It is formed from a conductive foil 22c that is formed in a predetermined circuit pattern and defines a circuit network, and a circuit element 22d that is fixed and electrically connected to the conductive foil 22c.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the common substrate 22 has an opening 22e formed in advance in the central portion thereof, which extends in the vertical direction. Here, the circuit networks in the left and right portions are connected to each other via a flexible substrate 22f provided across the opening 22e.

Then, by cutting out both upper and lower edges (areas indicated by symbols X and Y) including both upper and lower edges of this opening 22e,
It is set so that the pair of substrates 16a and 16b described above are formed.

A plurality of connection terminals are provided on the upper surface of the outer end of each of the side substrates 16a and 16b, that is, on the inner surface of both the upper and lower ends defining one end on the opening side of the case in a state where they are vertically spaced apart and facing each other. 22g and 22h are formed in a horizontal row along the edge. Here, these connection terminals 22g and 22h are
A plurality of connection bins 24a of the male connector 14, which will be described later, are defined as part of the conductive foil 22c described above.

24b are arranged so as to be in contact with and connected to each other.

Further, the above-mentioned side plate 18 is formed in a U-shape on the upper surface with the minus side open, and the open side is set to become one end of the case.

Step portions 18a and 18b are formed at the inner edges of both upper and lower end surfaces of the side plate 18 to receive the three edges of the corresponding substrates 16a and 16b, respectively.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, each of the substrates 16a, 16b has a seal rubber 26 attached to the corresponding step portion 18a, 18b.
It is inserted through. By interposing this seal rubber 26, dust is prevented from entering the case from between these rubbers.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the frame body 20 described above is formed so as to sandwich and surround the side surface closed by the side plate 18 from above and below. That is, this frame 20
is a main body 20a facing the side plate 18, and this main body 20a.
from both the upper and lower ends of the
6a.

The flange portions 20b, 2 extend inward by a distance sufficient to hold the three unopened edges of the flange portion 16b, respectively.
2c.

As shown in FIG. 3B, this frame body 20 includes upper and lower substrates 1 fitted into upper and lower step portions 18a and 18b of the side plate 18, respectively.
By sandwiching 6a and 16b from above and below, the case is integrally formed. In addition, as shown in the figure, the circuit elements 22d of both the upper and lower substrates 16a, 16b
The flexible substrate 22f that connects the side plates 18 to
It is set to be located more inward than the other end portion 18c.

Since the frame body 20 is formed in this way, the side plate 1
8 is interposed between the side substrates 16a.

16b will be maintained in an assembled state while being separated vertically by a predetermined distance. That is, in this first embodiment, the integrated circuit 10 is formed in the shape of a case, and the upper and lower surfaces of the case are connected to the substrate lea.
, 16b. As a result,
Side substrate 16a.

Compared to the case where the 16b is housed in a separately prepared case, the size and weight can be reduced.

Next, a connector structure as a connecting device for connecting the case-shaped integrated circuit 10 configured as described above to a controlled portion of a vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

This connection device includes a female connector 12 that is attached to an opening at one end of a case-shaped integrated circuit 10 with a so-called inner bone.
and a male connector 14 which is detachably connected to the female connector 12.

First, a partition wall 28 is attached to an opening at one end of the case-shaped integrated circuit 1o described above, which closes the opening when pulled inward by a predetermined distance. The portions of the upper and lower substrates 18a and 16b located on the tip side (opening side) of the portion where the partition wall 28 is provided are defined to be used also as the connector housing 3o of the female connector 12, which will be described below. ing.

Here, this female connector 12 includes a connector housing 30 defined as described above, and the above-mentioned connection terminals 22g arranged with one end extending toward the opening side beyond the above-mentioned partition wall 28.

22h. Here, one of the connection terminals 22g arranged on the upper substrate 16a that defines the upper surface of the case-shaped integrated circuit IO is connected to the upper connection pin 24a of the male connector 14, which also defines the lower surface of the integrated circuit 10. The other connection terminal 22 arranged on the lower substrate 16b that defines
h, the lower connection bin 24b of the male connector 14 is
They are set to be in contact with each other and electrically connected.

As detailed above, in this first embodiment, in the female connector 12 integrally formed with the case-shaped integrated circuit 10, the connecting terminals 22g used therein,
22h is defined by a part of the conductive foil 22c that defines the circuit network. As a result, in this first embodiment, the structure of the female connector 12 is simplified, and therefore, weight reduction and cost reduction are achieved.

In addition, in this first embodiment, these connection terminals 22
The vertical separation distance β and the left and right arrangement pitch p of g and 22h are defined based on the specifications of the conventionally used bin arrangement. As a result, the male connector 14 connected to the female connector 12 integrally attached and formed on the case-shaped integrated circuit 10 can be of a conventionally used type. This improves economic efficiency.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the above-mentioned upper board 16a is formed with a locking hole 34 into which the engagement boss 32 protruding and formed on the upper surface of the male connector 14 is inserted and locked. ing. The engagement between the engagement boss 32 and the locking hole 34 ensures that the male connector 14 remains connected to the female connector 12 once it is attached to the connector 12. That will happen.

In this first embodiment, since the integrated circuit 10 is configured to include the above-mentioned partition wall 28, this partition wall 28 functions as a stopper when the male connector 14 is inserted. Accidental disconnection of the circuit inside the integrated circuit 10 due to over-insertion of the male connector 14 is reliably prevented. Further, by providing the partition wall 28, the inside of the integrated circuit IO is isolated from the outside, and the circuit element 22d is prevented from being contaminated by dust. Furthermore, since the partition wall 28 is provided, the rigidity of the case-shaped integrated circuit 10 itself is increased, and its strength is ensured.

Here, the male connector of the conventionally used type is heavy and large, and in this first embodiment, this is not adopted, and the case-shaped integrated circuit 10, which is small and lightweight, is used. A dedicated female connector 12
is formed using a part of the integrated circuit 10. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the reduction in size and weight of the integrated circuit 10 described above from being impaired.

Further, in this first embodiment, the female connector 12
The connector housing 3o is connected to the upper and lower side boards 16a, 1
A part of 6b is also used. As a result,
Since these boards 16a and 16b have a conductive board body 22a, this connector housing 3o
The internal space of the connecting bin 2 is substantially electromagnetically shielded.
The risk of unnecessary radio waves being mixed in from 4a and 24b is reliably prevented, and the circuit element 22d is less susceptible to electromagnetic interference.

Furthermore, the integrated circuit lo of the first embodiment is configured such that its upper and lower surfaces are defined by a pair of substrates 16a and 16b. As a result, according to the first embodiment, the number of parts of the integrated circuit 10 is reduced, and the integrated circuit 10 is made smaller and less expensive.

Furthermore, in this first embodiment, each substrate 16
a and 16b are conductive aluminum substrate main bodies 22
a, and the insulation J'12 stuck on this board main body 22a.
2b, and a conductive foil 22c stuck on the insulating layer 22b in a predetermined circuit pattern. As a result, the heat generated from the various circuit elements 22d is
Since this aluminum substrate main body 22a can be used as a heat sink to radiate heat, there is no need to provide a separate heat radiating member, and a significant reduction in size can be achieved.

Furthermore, in this first embodiment, as mentioned above,
Since the upper and lower surfaces of the case are each composed of a pair of substrates 16a and 16b having a substrate main body 22a made of aluminum, these substrates 16a.

16b can be used as an electromagnetic shielding member. As a result, this case-shaped integrated circuit 10
The internal space of the circuit element 2 is substantially electromagnetically shielded.
2d is less susceptible to electromagnetic interference.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention. Below, various embodiments and various modifications of this invention will be described. In the various modifications and other embodiments described below, the same parts as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

For example, in the first embodiment described above, the integrated circuit 1
0, it has been explained that it functions as an engine control unit, but it is not limited to this, and for example, it can operate as a functional component of a vehicle speed control device, a control device for four-wheel steering, an automatic transmission control device, etc. It can be configured as follows.

In addition, in the first embodiment described above, this connector structure is such that the female connector 12 is integrally formed with the case-shaped integrated circuit 10, and the corresponding male connector 14 is detachably connected to the female connector 12. Although described above, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and may be configured as shown in FIG. 6 as a second embodiment.

That is, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the female connector 12 integrally formed with the case-shaped integrated circuit 10 is integrally formed with the corresponding connection board 36. It is configured to be directly connected via a male connector 38.

In other words, in the second embodiment, the female connector 1
2 is integrally formed with the integrated circuit 10, and the male connector 38 is integrally formed with the connection board 36, so that the integrated circuit 10 can be directly connected to the connection board 36 without going through the connector. It is observed to be connected and installed.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the connection board 36 is
The entire device is constructed from a flexible substrate. That is, this connection board 36 includes a polyimide film 36a serving as a board body, a conductive foil 36b formed of copper foil with a predetermined connection pattern on the polyimide film 36a, and a conductive foil 36b extending over the conductive foil 36b. An insulating layer 3 is attached to the conductive foil 36b and electrically insulates the conductive foil 36b from the outside.
6c.

Here, in this connection board 36, a male connector 38 that is connected to the female connector 12 of the integrated circuit 10 is defined in the middle part (that is, the part excluding the end part), and here, the above-mentioned male connector 38 is defined. The insulating layer 36c is removed, and the conductive foil 36b is left exposed to the outside. And these interrupted conductive foils 3
6b is defined as a connection terminal in the male connector 38. Note that the connection terminals in these male connectors 38 are set in the same arrangement pattern as the connection terminals in the female connector 12.

When connecting the connection board 36 configured as described above to the integrated circuit 10, as shown in the figure, the connection board 36 is connected to the integrated circuit 10.
is bent so as to protrude at a portion that defines the male connector 38, and an elastic member 40 such as rubber is inserted into the bent portion. The size of the road and the distance are set to be or slightly larger. By pushing the elastic member 40 into the opening of the integrated circuit 10 with the connection board 36 in between, the connection terminals of the male connector 38 defined on the connection board 36 are connected by the elastic force of the elastic member 400.
The connecting terminals 22g and 22h of the female connector 12 defined in the integrated circuit 10 are contacted and electrically connected.

In this way, in the second embodiment, the integrated circuit 10 can be directly connected to the connection board 36 without having separate connector housings for a male connector and a female connector, and the overall Small size as
It is possible to achieve weight reduction and cost reduction.

In the second embodiment configured in this way, as shown in FIG. 7, the connection terminals 22g arranged on the upper substrate 16a and the connection terminals 22h arranged on the lower substrate 16b are different from each other. , Chiaki is set to put each other. In other words, if we pay attention to the male connector 38 side, the conductive foil 36b
The connection terminals defined by the interruptions are set in a staggered manner.

By arranging the connection terminals 22g and 22h in this way, when the connection board 36 is connected to the integrated circuit 10 with the left and right sides reversed, the connection terminals located on the same side do not come into contact with each other. , it is set so that electrical connection is not possible.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the integrated circuit 10 is provided with the female connector 12, and the male connector 14 or the connection board 36 is fitted into the female connector 12 for connection. However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration described above, but may be configured as shown in FIG. 8 as a third embodiment.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8, in this third embodiment, the connector formed integrally with the integrated circuit 10 is configured as a male connector 42, and the integrated circuit 1
0 is connected to another circuit board 4 through this male connector 42.
It is configured to be directly connected to 4. Here, this circuit board 44 is configured as a multiplex communication circuit for multiplex communication of output signals such as control signals and drive signals from the integrated circuit 10 with other parts of the vehicle.

First, in this integrated circuit 10, the conductive foil 22c is
The male connector 42 protrudes outward from the corresponding upper and lower boards 16a and 16b, and these extensions allow the male connector 42
connection terminal 42a.

42b. These connection terminals 42a,
A support film 46 made of an insulating material is commonly attached to the back surface of the 42b in a lined state.

This support film 46 is formed to have a predetermined rigidity, and the middle portion thereof is formed to have a protrusion 46a that protrudes outward in a convex shape as shown in the figure. Note that the connection terminals 42a and 42b mentioned above are connected to this protrusion 46a.
It extends to the vicinity of the bottom with the sides wrapped around it.

On the other hand, the circuit board 44 includes a board main body 44a made of epoxy resin, a conductive foil 44b made of copper foil stuck to the board main body 44a to form a circuit network in a predetermined circuit pattern, and Although not shown, this conductive foil 44
b and various circuit elements connected on top. A male connector 42 is provided in the middle of this circuit board 44.
A through hole 44c into which the protrusion 46a is inserted is formed.

Here, a female connector 48 of the circuit board 44 is defined around the through hole 44c. That is, the conductive foil 44b described above is interrupted at the through hole 44c to form connection terminals 48a and 48b of the female connector 48. These connection terminals 48a, 48b are connected to the through hole 44c.
It extends to the lower surface of the board main body 44a in a state where the peripheral surface of the board is wrapped around.

By configuring the third embodiment as described above, this integrated circuit 10 is connected to the female connector 48 integrally formed on the circuit board 44 via the male connector 42 integrally formed thereon. By being fitted, they are integrally attached and electrically connected.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, the connector structure for an integrated circuit having a metal substrate according to the present invention has a structure in which a conductive foil is pasted on the metal substrate via an insulating layer and circuit elements are fixed. , a connector structure for an integrated circuit having a metal substrate, characterized in that a part of the conductive foil is used as a connector terminal.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in an integrated circuit in which a conductive foil is pasted on a metal substrate via an insulating layer and circuit elements are fixed, the integrated circuit can be made smaller and lower in cost when a connector is connected to the integrated circuit. A connector structure for an integrated circuit having a metal substrate capable of achieving the above-described characteristics is provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a first embodiment of an integrated circuit having a metal substrate to which the structure of the first embodiment of the connector structure according to the present invention is applied; FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. Figure 3A is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the integrated circuit; Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view showing the state of connection between the side plate and the circuit board in the integrated circuit; Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view showing how the frame is attached; Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing how the frame is attached. Figure 4B is a sectional view showing the configuration of the common board; Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the female connector attached to the integrated circuit; Figure 6 is the connector according to the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the structure; FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the arrangement pattern of both connection terminals used in the second embodiment; and FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a third embodiment. In the figure, 10... integrated circuit, 12... female connector,
14...Male connector, 16a:16b...Circuit board, 18...Side plate, 18a; 18b...Step part,
2o...frame body, 20a...main body, 20b; 20
c...Flange part, 22...Common board, 22a...
- Board body, 22b... Insulating layer, 22c... Conductive foil, 22d... Circuit element, 22e... Opening, 22f
...Flexible substrate, 22 g; 22 h ・
... Connection terminal, 24 a; 24 b ... Connection bottle, 26 ... Seal rubber, 28 ... Partition wall, 3°.
...Connector housing, 32...Engagement boss, 34.
... Locking hole, 36 ... Connection board (second embodiment), 3
8...Male connector, 40...Elastic member, 42...
・Male connector (third embodiment) 42a: 42b・
... Connection terminal, 44... Circuit board, 44a... Board body, 44b... Conductive foil, 44c... Through hole, 46...
...Support film, 46a...Protrusion, 48...Female connector, 48a; 48b...Connection terminal. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3A Figure Figure Figure 4A Figure Figure

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A connector structure for an integrated circuit having a metal substrate, in which a conductive foil is adhered to the metal substrate via an insulating layer and circuit elements are fixed thereto, wherein a part of the conductive foil is attached to the connector. An integrated circuit connector structure having a metal substrate that is used as a terminal.