US3778745A - Circuit board and method of making the same - Google Patents

Circuit board and method of making the same Download PDF

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Publication number
US3778745A
US3778745A US00172725A US3778745DA US3778745A US 3778745 A US3778745 A US 3778745A US 00172725 A US00172725 A US 00172725A US 3778745D A US3778745D A US 3778745DA US 3778745 A US3778745 A US 3778745A
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United States
Prior art keywords
circuit board
recess
contact
base portion
retaining portions
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US00172725A
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English (en)
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A Fischer
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Individual
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Individual
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/02—Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure
    • H05K7/10—Plug-in assemblages of components, e.g. IC sockets
    • H05K7/1015—Plug-in assemblages of components, e.g. IC sockets having exterior leads

Definitions

  • Electrically conductive contact assemblies are anchored in the material of the member and each have several resiliently deflectable clamping portions which bear against or towards the interior surface of one of the recesses, being connected by a base portion both mechanically and electrically with the base portion being embedded in the material of the member.
  • the present invention relates generally to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical circuit board. Still more particularly the invention relates to an electrical circuit board for establishing electrical or electronic circuit connections, particularly for use in toy or experimentation kits.
  • a further disadvantage of the prior art in which the contacts associated with a given contact location are arranged in line, and in which the spatially separated contacts of a contact location necessitate a large-area configuration of circuit board, is the fact that this makes it impossible to use such circuit boards in combination with one of the popular kits in which electronic components are provided in form of modules each of which in itself contains electronic circuits and wherein the modules are to be electrically connected with one another by the use of a circuit board.
  • the electronic circuits used in such modules are industrially produced and are so small as to permit the dimensions of each module to be similarly very small.
  • Such modules can frequently be connected with one another by means of cooperating undercut male and female coupling portions which are frequently so constructed that a mechanical connection in this manner results automatically in an electrical connection between the circuits of the thus-connected modules, for instance by means of appropriate contact space.
  • Such modules cannot be used in conjunction with the known circuit board because despite the large area of such circuit boards a much smaller number of electrical or electronic modules can be connected with them than the number with which the very much smaller modules are provided.
  • circuit boards whose surface area corresponds to the modules would have so few connecting locationsbecause of the necessary dimensions of such locations resulting from the considerations behind the prior-art constructionthat it would not be possible to construct or appropriately completely a usable electronic circuit.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide such a circuit board in which the space required for the various contacts of a contact location be so small as to be barely in excess of the sum of the cross-sections of the connecting wires of components which are to be electrically connected with one another via the switching or connecting location.
  • the spatial separation of 2.5 mm which has been established as the norm in some countries for electronic circuits be capable of being met.
  • circuit board which, briefly stated, comprises a member of electrically insulating material having an outer surface which is provided with a plurality of recesses each bounded by an interior surface.
  • a plurality of electrically conductive contact means are also provided, each accommodated at least in part in one of the recesses and each comprising a plurality of resiliently deflectable clamping portions bearing towards the interior surface of the respective recess, and a base portion electrically and mechanically connecting these clamping portions.
  • each contact location of the novel circuit accommodate at least four contacts, in which case four of the resiliently deflectable clamping portions are required which may be arranged in laterally adjacent pairs, with a wire to be connected to each or any one of these four contacts.
  • the reference to a pair here is not to be understood as meaning that two of the contacts or clamping portions cooperate with one another; on the contrary, each individual clamping portion cooperates only with the interior surface bounding the recess in which it is located.
  • four contact or connecting wires of identical or differential thickness or cross-sectional configuration can be connected with each contact location so constructed by each being connected to one of the clamping portions. This arrangement permits in a simple manner the maintenance of the aforementioned normative respective spacing of contact points of small resistors, transistors, tubes and the like.
  • the clamping portions of a contact location may be in form of a substantially rectangular plate-like member of electrically conductive material, of which the clamping portions themselves are punched out and deflected out of the general plane of the member, with the remaining part of this member constituting the base which mechanically (in this case by being of one piece with them) and electrically connects the clamping portions.
  • Such a contact assembly may be made by punching in known manner and with known tools the contact portions out of the rectangular blank or member, leaving them connected at one end, and then bending them to desired position with respect to the remainder of the blank.
  • the thus formed contact assembly is inserted into a recess of the circuit board member, with the recess constituting a contact location, and at the base of the recess they are connected via their base portion-- that is the remainder of the blankwith the circuit board member in suitable manner, for instance by clamping, by adhesion, by formation of requisite connecting projections, by embedding or in other ways.
  • the circuit board member of synthetic plastic material around the appropriately positioned and retained contact assemblies.
  • a cover plate which overlies the outer surface of the circuit board member in which the recesses are formed.
  • the cover plate will then be provided with a plurality of apertures which are arranged in sets, with each set being coordinated with one of the recesses and with the apertures of each set affording access to one of the clamping portions in this recess.
  • Such an arrangement has the advantage that the clamping portions are not visible at the exterior of the board, and that at the same time they are largely protected against contamination by dust,.moisture and the like, as well as being protected against mechanical damage.
  • the contact wires are then inserted through these apertures and into clamping engagement between a respective clamping portion and the interior surface of the recess against which it bears or towards which it bears.
  • the clamping portions need not necessarily be in direct engagement with the interior surface, but that it may be sufficient if they simply approach the interior surface.
  • the exposed side of the cover plate may be provided with markings to indicate the associated contacts of a contact location, if this is still desirable despite the very small spacing between the contacts and'the contact locations.
  • the outer or exposed side of the cover plate may be provided for each set of apertures with an appropriate marking, for instance a square which is printed, painted, incised or otherwise provided and on whose corners the apertures are located.
  • an appropriate marking for instance a square which is printed, painted, incised or otherwise provided and on whose corners the apertures are located.
  • the recesses could also be provided at the underside of the circuit board and be enclosed towards the upper side with only openings being provided at the upper side which register with the respective clamping portions. This would eliminate the need for a cover plate at the top, but in such a case a cover plate could then be provided or might be necessary to close the recesses at the underside of the board member.
  • the insertion of the connecting wires may be facilitated by providing the rim portions bounding the respective recesses with guide grooves or notches in the region of the respective clamping portions, and these notches may have approximately triangular crosssections and extend to the respective clamping portions. This then makes it possible to have the clamping portions terminate in a straight-line configuration rather than having to bend or otherwise deform their free ends in order to provide a guide surface for the incoming contact or connecting wires.
  • the contact portions terminate in a straight-line configuration the additional advantage is obtained that they may be provided at their free ends with a sharp edge or the like which slides over the surface of the wire as it is being inserted and thus scrapes off oxide layers which might otherwise disadvantageously influence the quality of electrical connection; such a sharp edge is produced when the contact portions are stamped or punched from their respective blank, without having to carry out a separate step to produce the edge.
  • FIG. 1 is an enlarged vertical section through two contact locations of a circuit board according to the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a top-plan view of a contact location such as shown in FIG. I;
  • FIG. 3 isa fragmentary top-plan view of the embodiment in FIG. 1, with the electrical component shown connected in FIG; 1 having been omitted for the sake of clarity.
  • reference numeral l identifies a circuit board member which is of electrically non-conductive or insulating material, and which in the illustrated embodiment is shown as consisting of synthetic plastic material. However, other materials are of course suitable.
  • the outer surface-in this case the upper surface-of the member 1 is provided with recesses 2 each of which accommodates a contact location 3.
  • a contact assembly 4 composed of a plurality of resiliently deflectable clamping or retaining portions 5 which are electrically conductively connected here also mechanically by being of one piece therewith-with the base portion 6.
  • the clamping portions 5 are clampingly directed towards and along the inner surface 7 bounding the respective recess 2, but they need not contact the surface 7 and can instead merely approach it closely enough to provide a sufficient clamping action between the surface 7 and the respective clamping portion 5.
  • FIG. 1 there is illustrated an electrical or electronic component the contact wires or terminals 8 and 9 of which are inserted through apertures 10 provided in a cover plate 11 which overlies the surface of the member 1 which is provided with the recesses 2.
  • the boundary rims bounding the upper open ends of the respective recesses 2 are in the illustrated embodiment provided with notches or kerfs 12 of here approximately triangular cross-section which extend to the respective clamping portions 5 as illustrated. This facilitates the insertion of the contact wires 8 and 9 after the latter have been introduced through respective ones of the apertures 10.
  • the apertures 10 in the cover plate 11 may, incidentally constitute extensions of the respective kerfs 12, that is they may be located on a line passing longitudinally of the kerfs 12.
  • contact locations 3 of the novel circuit board must be connected with a conductor which supplies electrical energy.
  • this is achieved by having the base portions 6 of the contact assemblies 4 located in some of the contact locations 3 extend through the circuit board member 1 to a recess 13 in which a current-conducting member 14 is accommodated which is electrically conductively connected with the respective base portions 6, for instance by soldering or the like.
  • the remaining contact assemblies in the other contact locations 3 are electrically insulated from one another and not connected with the conductor 14.
  • contact assembly The configuration of the contact assembly, and its position in a recess 2, can be clearly seen from FIG. 2 and it is recalled that such contact assembly may be produced by punching the clamping portions 5 out of a blank and deflecting them in requisite manner, leaving them connected with the remainder of the blank at one end with the remainder then serving as the base portion 6 which may of course be appropriately shaped if desired.
  • FIG. 3 there is illustrated diagrammatically the distribution of the contact locations 3, or more particularly the manner in which this distribution is marked on the cover plate 11.
  • the squares 15 shown in FIG. 3 are the'markings which indicate which of the apertures 10 belong together, thus showing which of the several apertures 10 connected by them (and located at the corners of the respective squares) are all associated with one and the same recess 2 and the contact assembly 4 accommodated therein.
  • the contact wires is inserted through one of the apertures 10 located at the corners of the respective squares 15, then the inserted contact wire will become clamped between the clamping portion 5 located between the respective aperture and the inner surface 7 with which the clamping portion 5 cooperates.
  • the arrangement may be other than quadratic or square, as shown in FIG.
  • novel circuit board connectable mechanically and/or electrically with other components, for instance with modules in which circuits are accommodated and which are provided with cooperating coupling portions.
  • This makes it possible to utilize the novel circuit board as part of a system of electronic modules and, if necessary or desired, to complement the circuits accommodated in the modules. This is for instance the case when an additional partial circuit is required in order to obtain the function which is to be achieved by connecting the individual circuits incorporated in the different modules with one another.
  • connection may be established, in accordance with the present invention, by providing the circuit board member 1 with suitable coupling means, here illustrated as an undercut groove 16 located in the re-.
  • a connection between the novel circuit board and other components can then be established by inserting a coupling head corresponding to the one identified with reference numeral 17 but provided on another component, into the groove 16 and/or by inserting one or more of the coupling heads 17 on the circuit board into grooves corresponding to the groove 16 but provided on respective other components.
  • a circuit board comprising an insulating member having an outer surface, at least one recess extending inwardly from said outer surface and having an open end at the latter, and an inner surface surrounding said recess; electrically conductive contact means installed at least in part in said recess, said contact means including a base portion secured to said insulating member and a plurality of independently deflectable resilient retaining portions electrically and mechanically connected to each other by way of said base portion, said retaining portions extending from said base portion at circumferentially spaced locations of said recess towards said open end and each being deflectable from a normal position in which it is located adjacent to but defines a gap with said inner surface to thereby store energy; and at least one current-conducting terminal extending through said open end into one of said gaps, deflectingthe respective retaining portion out of said normal position so that such retaining portion frictionally engages said terminal and biases the same into frictional engagement with said inner surface, so that said terminal can be withdrawnby overcoming the force of said frictional engagement.
  • a circuit board as defined in claim I wherein said contact means comprises a first pair of oppositely located ones of said retaining portions, and a second pair of oppositely located ones of said retaining portions laterally adjacent said first pair.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Connections Arranged To Contact A Plurality Of Conductors (AREA)
  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)
  • Connection Or Junction Boxes (AREA)
US00172725A 1970-08-27 1971-08-18 Circuit board and method of making the same Expired - Lifetime US3778745A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2042423A DE2042423C3 (de) 1970-08-27 1970-08-27 Schalttafel für Schaltungen von elektrischen und elektronischen Bauelementen

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3778745A true US3778745A (en) 1973-12-11

Family

ID=5780816

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00172725A Expired - Lifetime US3778745A (en) 1970-08-27 1971-08-18 Circuit board and method of making the same

Country Status (12)

Country Link
US (1) US3778745A (OSRAM)
AT (1) AT317336B (OSRAM)
BE (1) BE771758A (OSRAM)
CA (1) CA953822A (OSRAM)
CH (1) CH528850A (OSRAM)
DE (1) DE2042423C3 (OSRAM)
DK (1) DK124510B (OSRAM)
ES (1) ES199673Y (OSRAM)
FR (1) FR2103552B1 (OSRAM)
GB (1) GB1342128A (OSRAM)
IL (1) IL37550A (OSRAM)
NL (1) NL163378C (OSRAM)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0063023A1 (en) * 1981-04-06 1982-10-20 Akzona Incorporated A dual in-line socket assembly
US5868877A (en) * 1997-07-22 1999-02-09 Olin Corporation Copper alloy having improved stress relaxation
US6650548B1 (en) * 2002-06-05 2003-11-18 Paul A. Swetland Apparatus, method and system for interfacing electronic circuits
US8902605B2 (en) 2012-06-13 2014-12-02 International Business Machines Corporation Adapter for plated through hole mounting of surface mount component

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3826222A1 (de) * 1988-08-02 1990-02-15 Roland Man Druckmasch Feuchtwerk

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH66587A (de) * 1913-09-13 1914-09-16 Carl Ehrismann Kupplung für Drähte
US2575161A (en) * 1946-05-31 1951-11-13 British Mechanical Prod Ltd Resilient electric socket contact element
US2944240A (en) * 1956-08-03 1960-07-05 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electrical contact member
US3027534A (en) * 1959-03-17 1962-03-27 Sealectro Corp Plug type electric-circuit selector
US3060400A (en) * 1960-06-27 1962-10-23 Gen Electric Fluorescent lampholder with quickconnect terminals
US3107963A (en) * 1960-10-10 1963-10-22 Atlantis Electronics Corp Transistor test socket
US3152849A (en) * 1961-01-16 1964-10-13 Sealectro Corp Electric socket contacts and electriccircuit selectors using such contacts
US3189866A (en) * 1962-09-21 1965-06-15 Burndy Corp Terminal block connector
US3214722A (en) * 1964-11-17 1965-10-26 Amp Inc Terminal assembly for heating panel or the like
GB1095619A (en) * 1966-08-18 1967-12-20 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Improvements in or relating to electrical socket connectors

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4C (de) * 1877-07-05 J. E. CHRISTOPH zu Niesky Kontinuirlicher Maischdestillirapparat mit eigenthümlicher Maisch- u. Spirituskolonne, neuem Maischregulator und neuem Schlemperegulator

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH66587A (de) * 1913-09-13 1914-09-16 Carl Ehrismann Kupplung für Drähte
US2575161A (en) * 1946-05-31 1951-11-13 British Mechanical Prod Ltd Resilient electric socket contact element
US2944240A (en) * 1956-08-03 1960-07-05 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electrical contact member
US3027534A (en) * 1959-03-17 1962-03-27 Sealectro Corp Plug type electric-circuit selector
US3060400A (en) * 1960-06-27 1962-10-23 Gen Electric Fluorescent lampholder with quickconnect terminals
US3107963A (en) * 1960-10-10 1963-10-22 Atlantis Electronics Corp Transistor test socket
US3152849A (en) * 1961-01-16 1964-10-13 Sealectro Corp Electric socket contacts and electriccircuit selectors using such contacts
US3189866A (en) * 1962-09-21 1965-06-15 Burndy Corp Terminal block connector
US3214722A (en) * 1964-11-17 1965-10-26 Amp Inc Terminal assembly for heating panel or the like
GB1095619A (en) * 1966-08-18 1967-12-20 Telephone Mfg Co Ltd Improvements in or relating to electrical socket connectors

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0063023A1 (en) * 1981-04-06 1982-10-20 Akzona Incorporated A dual in-line socket assembly
US4405188A (en) * 1981-04-06 1983-09-20 Akzona Incorporated Electrical socket with discreet impedance element attached thereto
US5868877A (en) * 1997-07-22 1999-02-09 Olin Corporation Copper alloy having improved stress relaxation
US6650548B1 (en) * 2002-06-05 2003-11-18 Paul A. Swetland Apparatus, method and system for interfacing electronic circuits
US20040066642A1 (en) * 2002-06-05 2004-04-08 Swetland Paul A. Apparatus, method and system for interfacing electronic circuits
US7012196B2 (en) 2002-06-05 2006-03-14 Swetland Paul A Apparatus, method and system for interfacing electronic circuits
US7081591B2 (en) 2002-06-05 2006-07-25 Swetland Paul A Circuit board
US8902605B2 (en) 2012-06-13 2014-12-02 International Business Machines Corporation Adapter for plated through hole mounting of surface mount component

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH528850A (de) 1972-09-30
NL7111769A (OSRAM) 1972-02-29
NL163378B (nl) 1980-03-17
AT317336B (de) 1974-08-26
DK124510B (da) 1972-10-23
BE771758A (fr) 1971-12-31
CA953822A (en) 1974-08-27
ES199673Y (es) 1975-12-16
FR2103552A1 (OSRAM) 1972-04-14
DE2042423B2 (de) 1972-07-20
ES199673U (es) 1975-08-01
DE2042423C3 (de) 1975-07-17
IL37550A0 (en) 1971-11-29
FR2103552B1 (OSRAM) 1976-09-03
IL37550A (en) 1975-06-25
GB1342128A (en) 1973-12-25
DE2042423A1 (de) 1972-03-09
NL163378C (nl) 1980-08-15

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