KR20230150098A - Plastic resin circuit board manufacturing method using electronic circuit plating process - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a compact LED structure and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a partition wall surrounding the LED light source is made of plastic resin equipped with an LED light source and has a structure that simultaneously implements a touch sensing function and a reflection function.

Description

Plastic resin circuit board manufacturing method using electronic circuit plating process}

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a plastic resin circuit board using an electronic circuit plating method and a plastic resin circuit board completed by this manufacturing method.

IME (In-mold electronics) technology was born relatively recently as a technology that realizes 3D shapes and functions by integrating printed conductive ink and in-mold decoration techniques. In the automobile field, it was first commercialized by Ford in an overhead console in 2012, and has since developed dramatically, currently expanding into home appliances, medical equipment, consumer stores, portable electronic devices, national defense, and aviation.

IME technology usually involves the first step of printing decoration, touch control units or antennas on a plastic film, the second step of surface mounting various electronic components on the film, and thermoforming the film to create a 3D shape. It consists of three steps and a process of integrating the 3D film with plastic resin and insert molding. In the automotive field, the finished product manufactured in this way is installed to be visible as an attractive exterior film, for example, on the dashboard or door trim of the driver's seat. The car door can be opened by touching the film using an operation similar to a smartphone screen touch or push operation. The window can be raised or lowered. IME products can provide most of the electrical and electronic functions required for automobiles, do not require mechanical parts such as buttons, knobs, links, shafts or motors, save space and provide exterior products with excellent design. It has many advantages, such as:

Looking at prior patents related to IME, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0094936 involves creating a film, forming conductors and graphics on the film, attaching electronic devices on the film, and then injection molding to form a three-dimensional shape. The contents are disclosed. Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0130395 discloses screen printing a conductor on a substrate, mounting electronic devices, and then injection molding into a three-dimensional shape. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018-0213651 discloses a process of forming a conductive circuit on a film, mounting electronic devices, and thermoforming the film to create a three-dimensional structure. These patents have the limitation that they disclose general information about mounting electronic circuit patterns and electronic devices on a single film and forming the film.

In consideration of the above prior art and patents, the inventors, in Patent Application No. 10-2020-0174369 filed on December 14, 2020, included a film on which a design was formed, a first plastic resin located at the bottom of the film, and a first It contains a second plastic resin located at the bottom of the plastic resin, and an electronic circuit is formed on the upper or both sides of the second plastic resin by a plating method and electronic devices are mounted, so that the film, the first plastic resin, the electronic circuit, and the electronic device are formed. An IME structure was proposed that integrated the second plastic resin in which the device was formed.

Furthermore, the inventors began developing a technology in which a multi-IME structure has a lighting function. And, as a structure and manufacturing method that perform this lighting (light emission) function, the technology disclosed and described in Patent Application No. 10-2021-0094326 on July 19, 2021 was proposed. In Figure 6 of the above patent application, an encapsulant 50 surrounds the LED element L disposed between the light guides 200 on the upper surface of the second plastic resin to form a capsule structure. Also, in Figure 7, the lens 60 surrounds the LED element (L) disposed between the light guides 200 on the upper surface of the second plastic resin to form a capsule structure. This capsule structure has the advantage of protecting components including the LED element (L) from heat or pressure and providing a diffusion function to light.

This application was designed to further improve and expand the above patent application when providing a touch sensing function while maintaining the advantages of the multi-IME structure.

Therefore, the present invention is a robust and durable IME structure that can be applied to automobiles and home appliances, especially a plastic resin using an electronic circuit plating method that can efficiently guide light emitted from LED elements and perform a touch function, and the same. The purpose is to provide a manufacturing method.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is a plastic resin with an electronic circuit formed thereon, the electronic circuit is formed on the upper or lower surface, or both surfaces of the plastic resin, and the resin includes a receiving portion where the LED element is placed, and a receiving portion. Adjacent to the part, a partition wall is provided surrounding the receiving part and is convex upward, and the partition wall body includes a plastic resin formed with a touch electrode that senses a touch that presses the plastic resin and a reflective member that reflects the light emitted from the LED element. to provide.

The partition wall body includes a first slope inclined downward toward the LED element, a floor integrally formed and extended at one end of the first slope, and a gently downward slope at one end of the floor in the opposite direction to the first slope. It may include a second slope.

The reflective member may be formed at least on the first inclined portion.

The reflective member may be included in the touch electrode.

In addition, the present invention is a process for manufacturing a plastic resin with an electronic circuit formed thereon, the process comprising: injection molding a plastic resin including an upwardly convex partition wall; Laser etching the part of the plastic resin where the electronic circuit will be placed; A step of forming an electronic circuit on the etched portion, which includes forming a touch electrode that senses a touch that presses the plastic resin and a reflective member that reflects light on the partition wall, which step includes a plating process. Steps performed by; and providing a process including the step of mounting an electronic device.

The step of mounting the electronic device includes bonding by soldering, and soldering includes reflow soldering, wire soldering, selective soldering, wave soldering, laser spot soldering, laser wire soldering, and laser-jet soldering. ) It can be any one of soldering.

Additionally, the present invention is an IME structure, wherein the IME structure includes: a lower plastic resin made of the above plastic resin; and an upper plastic resin mounted from above to cover the LED elements of the lower plastic resin and combined with the lower plastic resin, wherein an inner surface providing a space for accommodating the LED elements is formed on the lower surface of the upper plastic resin. An IME structure is provided in which a touch portion in contact with the lower surface of the upper plastic resin is formed on the wall and a touch electrode is formed on at least a portion of the touch portion.

A connector for power supply may be mounted on the lower plastic.

The present invention applies a plating method to implement an electronic circuit on the surface of a plastic resin, minimizing restrictions due to product shape, and is sturdy, has good adhesion and durability, and can guide and adjust lighting when the electronic device is an LED light source. This has the effect of providing an improved IME structure that can realize various optical patterns.

According to the present invention, a part in which a touch electrode and a reflection member are formed is provided in a plastic resin, thereby accurately sensing a touch caused by external pressure and reflecting light emitted from an LED light source to improve lighting intensity.

According to the present invention, since the touch part and the reflection part can be formed simultaneously in the same structure, space utilization is economical and it is possible to produce a plastic resin with a compact structure.

1 is a cross-sectional view before assembly showing the components of the IME structure of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view after assembly of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an enlarged view centered on the partition wall body that characterizes the present invention;
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of another embodiment of a partition wall body characteristic of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a diagram showing a manufacturing method of the second plastic resin and related parts of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a drawing of a member including an LED light source shown in the applicant's prior application; and
Figure 7 is another view of a member including an LED light source shown in the applicant's prior application.

Each embodiment according to the present invention is merely an example to aid understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention may be composed of a combination of at least one or more of the individual components and individual functions included in each embodiment.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view before assembly showing the components of the IME structure 1 of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view after assembly. The IME structure (1) can be applied to any field, including automobiles, home appliances, and mobile phones, but the explanation below mainly assumes automobiles.

The IME structure (1) consists, in order, from the top, of a light transmission shielding layer (2), a first plastic resin (4) located below the light transmission shielding layer (2), and a second plastic resin located below the first plastic resin (4). Contains resin (6). An electronic circuit 8 and an electronic element 10 are formed on the upper surface 6a and/or the lower surface 6b of the second plastic resin 6. The IME structure 1 is manufactured so that the light transmission shielding layer 2, the first plastic resin 4, the electronic circuit 8, and the second plastic resin 6 on which the electronic elements 10 are formed are integrated.

The IME structure 1 of the present invention is premised on a lighting function, and therefore, it will be described as if the electronic device 10 is an LED device (L). However, as long as it performs a lighting or light-emitting function, it is not limited to the LED element (L) and various light-emitting elements can be used.

The light transmitting shielding layer 2 has an overall disk shape with a convex curved center and flat left and right sides, but is not limited thereto. The light-transmitting shielding layer 2 is formed with a light-transmitting part that allows light to pass through and a shielding part that does not allow light to pass through. The light of the LED element (L) is emitted through the light transmitting part.

The light transmission shielding layer 2 may be made of a film or sheet, but any material may be used as long as it provides a light transmission shielding function. Various film materials such as PC, PMMA, PET, and TPU can be applied. In the case of sheets, natural leather, artificial leather, natural wood, or fabric can be used.

The upper surface (4a) of the first plastic resin (4) has the same shape as the light-transmitting shielding layer (2) so as to match the lower surface of the light-transmitting shielding layer (2). However, an inner surface 42 is formed on the lower surface 4b at a higher position than other parts to provide a space S for accommodating the LED element L. The thickness of the first plastic resin 4 on which the inner surface 42 is formed is thinner than other parts. The type of resin is not limited and any plastic-based resin such as PC, acrylic, ABS, AES, PMMA, PI, or PPA can be used appropriately. The first plastic resin (4) is made of a transparent material resin for external lighting.

The second plastic resin 6 has a shape opposite to the first plastic resin 4, but is not limited to this. The second plastic resin (6) may be made of the same material as the first plastic resin (4), but it does not necessarily have to be a transparent material, and may be made of a material that is stronger than the first plastic resin (4).

The second plastic resin 6 of the present invention has a shape having a flat portion and an uneven portion. The LED element L is disposed in the relatively flat accommodating part 16, and a partition wall 60 having an upwardly convex shape surrounds the accommodating part 16. An electronic circuit 8 is formed on the upper surface 6a and the lower surface 6b of the second plastic resin 6. However, the electronic circuit 8 can be formed only on either the top surface 6a or the bottom surface 6b.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, when the first and second plastic resins 4 and 6 are combined, an LED element (L) is formed between the inner surface 42, the receiving portion 16, and the partition wall 60. ) is provided with an empty space (S) surrounding it. The first and second plastic resins 4 and 6 are tightly coupled without gaps except for the space S. The side edge of the inner surface 42 is manufactured to match the shape of the outer portion of the partition wall body 60, and the partition wall body 60 is provided with a touch portion T that abuts and contacts the inner surface 42. When the touch portion (T) is pressed, the electronic circuit (8) is energized and power can be supplied to the LED element (L). If you press the touch part (T) once more, the power supply to the LED element (L) may be stopped. Alternatively, the color of the light source can be changed by operating the touch unit (T). For this purpose, a touch electrode 100a is formed in the touch portion T of the present invention. In a broad sense, the touch electrode 100a is a member included in the electronic circuit 8. A touch sensitive sensor such as a piezoelectric sensor may be further disposed on the upper surface 6a.

A connector 90 for supplying power to the LED element (L) is installed on the lower surface (6b) of the second plastic resin (6). One end of the electronic circuit 8 is inserted into the terminal portion 90 for electricity supply. When the electronic circuit 8 is formed only on the upper surface of the second plastic resin 6, a through hole is formed penetrating the thickness of the second plastic resin 6 and passes through one end of the electronic circuit 8 through the through hole. to connect to the connector (90). For this purpose, it is desirable to use a plating process as described later.

Next, the partition wall body 60, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

The partition wall body (60) of the present invention is implemented in the second plastic resin (6). The partition wall 60 includes a first inclined portion 64 that slopes gently downward toward the LED element (L), a relatively flat floor 62 integrally formed and extended at one end of the first inclined portion 64, and , At one end of the floor 62, it includes a second inclined portion 66 that slopes gently downward in the opposite direction to the first inclined portion 64. The first and second slopes 64 and 66 are symmetrical with respect to the floor 62, but are not limited thereto. The first and second inclined portions 64 and 66 may include not only an inclined surface but also a flat surface, and the ridge 62 may also be formed as an inclined surface rather than a flat surface, except for the top tip portion.

As shown in FIG. 2, the touch portion T is present over most of the floor 62 of the partition wall 60, and the first slope 64 provides the space S, so that the touch portion T Although not provided, the touch portion T may be formed in some portions adjacent to the floor 62.

In the present invention, a touch electrode 100a and a reflective member 100b are formed on the upper surface of the partition wall 60.

The touch electrode 100a is a member corresponding to the electronic circuit 8, but for the understanding of the present invention, it is assigned a separate member number and is distinguished from the electronic circuit 8. The areas of the touch electrode 100a and the touch portion T do not necessarily have to match, but are preferably formed to include most of the touch portion T. However, if it is an area that can be pressed and contacted by the user's hand or electronic tool, the installation area can be reduced, such as by forming it mainly on the floor 62. In FIG. 3 , the touch electrode 100a is shown on the assumption that it is formed on most of the upper surface of the partition wall 60.

The reflective member 100b is formed to reflect light from the LED element (L) and emit light into the space (S) to prevent light leakage and to increase lighting intensity by concentrating the light toward the front (upper surface). For example, the reflective member 100b may be made of materials such as TiO ₂ , CaCO ₃ , BaSO ₄ , or transparent PET, white PET, or Ag sheet. When the reflective member 100b includes a pigment, it is appropriate that the reflective member 100b is a white pigment to increase reflectance. The reflective member 100b is formed to cover at least the first inclined portion 64.

The touch electrode 100a and the reflective member 100b can be formed in several ways; For example, the touch electrode 100a may be formed over most of the upper surface of the partition 6, and the reflective member 100b may also be formed integrally in the same area as the touch electrode 100a. At this time, the reflective member 100b can be formed on the touch electrode 100a as a separate coating layer. Figure 4 shows an example in which the reflective member 100b is applied as a coating layer on the touch electrode 100a.

Alternatively, the touch electrode 100a can be manufactured by mixing a metallic reflective member with the material forming the touch electrode 100a. In this case, the touch electrode 100a will be a conductive electrode including a reflective member 100b. In this way, when the touch electrode 100a includes the reflective member 100b, only a plating process for this is required and there is no need to form a separate coating layer, so the manufacturing process is very simple (FIG. 3).

The reflective member 100b can also be formed as a separate coating layer only on the first inclined portion 64 or by being included in the touch electrode 100a of this portion.

The structural feature of the present invention is that the partition wall 6, which is convex upward from the second plastic resin 6, provides a touch sensing area such as the touch portion T and at the same time reflects the light of the LED element L. As a result, overall space can be saved and the IME structure 1 can be made more compact, and the size and position of the touch electrode 100a and the reflective member 100b can be freely changed within the scope of this technical idea. there is.

Next, the manufacturing method of the second plastic resin 6 and related parts of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

First, the second plastic resin 6 including the partition wall body 60 is injection molded to a predetermined shape.

Next, the portion of the second plastic resin 6 where the electronic circuit 8 will be placed is etched by laser etching.

Next, an electronic circuit 8 is formed on the etched part. The electronic circuit 8 includes a touch electrode 100a. The touch electrode 100a and the reflective member 100b are formed on the partition wall 60. It is desirable to use a plating process as the process. For example, in the process of manufacturing the touch electrode 100a, other parts of the electronic circuit 8 are masked, the area where the touch electrode 100a will be formed is exposed, and circuit pattern material and reflective material are plated on this area. do.

Next, the electronic device, the LED device (L), is mounted.

Mounting work includes joining by soldering, and soldering can be appropriately selected among reflow soldering, wire soldering, selective soldering, wave soldering, laser spot soldering, laser wire soldering, and laser-jet soldering. You can.

Next, the connector 90 is mounted on the lower surface of the second plastic resin 6 and connected.

The second plastic resin (6) completed in this way is mechanically combined or injection molded with the first plastic resin (4) to form the IME structure (1).

It will be understood that the present invention has special features in the IME structure (1), especially the second plastic resin (6). As long as the second plastic resin 6 is used, either the first plastic resin 4 or the light transmission shielding layer 2 can be freely selected as appropriate.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, this does not limit the present invention, and various variations and modifications may be made to the present invention. It is obvious that the scope of rights of the present invention extends to the same or equivalent scope as the claims described below.

Claims (8)

A plastic resin with an electronic circuit formed thereon, wherein the electronic circuit is formed on the top or bottom or both sides of the plastic resin, and the resin has a receiving portion where the LED element is disposed, and an upwardly convex space surrounding the receiving portion adjacent to the receiving portion. A plastic resin that provides a wall, and on the partition wall, a touch electrode that detects a touch that presses the plastic resin and a reflective member that reflects light emitted from the LED element are formed. According to clause 1,
The partition wall body includes a first inclined portion inclined downward toward the LED element, a floor integrally formed and extended at one end of the first inclined portion, and a second inclined portion downward toward the opposite direction of the first inclined portion from one end of the floor. A plastic resin comprising an inclined portion. According to clause 2,
The reflective member is a plastic resin formed at least on a first inclined portion. According to clause 3,
The reflective member is a plastic resin included in the touch electrode. A process for manufacturing a plastic resin on which an electronic circuit is formed, the process comprising:
Injection molding a plastic resin including an upwardly convex partition wall;
Laser etching the part of the plastic resin where the electronic circuit will be placed;
A step of forming an electronic circuit in the etched portion, which includes forming a touch electrode that senses a touch that presses the plastic resin and a reflective member that reflects light on the partition wall, which step includes a plating process. Steps performed by; and
A process including the step of mounting electronic devices. According to clause 5,
The step of mounting the electronic device includes bonding by soldering, and soldering includes reflow soldering, wire soldering, selective soldering, wave soldering, laser spot soldering, laser wire soldering, and laser-jet soldering. ) process, which is either soldering. As an IME structure, the IME structure is:
A lower plastic resin made of the plastic resin of any one of claims 1 to 4; and
It includes an upper plastic resin that is mounted from above to cover the LED elements of the lower plastic resin and is combined with the lower plastic resin, and an inner surface that provides a space for accommodating the LED elements is formed on the lower surface of the upper plastic resin, and the partition wall body An IME structure in which a touch portion in contact with the lower surface of the upper plastic resin is formed and the touch electrode is formed on at least a portion of the touch portion. According to clause 7,
IME structure, where the lower plastic is equipped with a connector for power supply.