Insulation unit for circuit boards

Abstract

A circuit board having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the circuit board has at least two circuits, wherein each of the at least two circuits has at least one printed conductor and at least one current-carrying electronic component, and wherein the circuit board has at least one through-hole, which is provided with at least one insulating unit, wherein the at least one insulating unit is arranged in the at least one through-hole and is therefore mechanically connected to the circuit board and is positioned between a first circuit and at least one second circuit of the printed circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a circuit board having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the circuit board has at least two circuits, wherein each of the at least two circuits has at least one conductor track and at least one current-carrying electronic component, and wherein the circuit board has at least one through-hole, which is provided with at least one insulating unit. The circuit board is equipped with the insulating unit in order to comply with standardized air gaps and creepage distances in the case of a compact arrangement.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a plug connector having a printed circuit board.

[0003] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing such a circuit board.

[0004] Such circuit boards are required, for example, in order to realize space-saving circuits with electronic components. Circuit boards are also called printed circuit boards, patch panels, or in English-speaking areas printed circuit boards (PCBs). Background Art

[0005] In order to be able to achieve the desired, ever smaller construction, insulation-specific rules must be observed in order to avoid defects and / or malfunctions. In particular, the so-called air gaps and creepage distances must be observed. For example, particularly compact constructions of circuit boards for use in electrical connectors can only achieve the required air gaps and creepage distances with difficulty by spacing two circuits apart on the circuit board. In order to maintain air gaps and creepage distances, the corresponding components, circuits or entire circuit boards are usually sealed with insulating plastics, paints and / or resins.

[0006] However, with this process, it is virtually impossible to remove and / or replace electrical or electronic components in a non-destructive manner when defects occur.

[0007] DE 3432648 A1 recognizes the problem of small air gaps and creepage distances in perforated grid plates, which are rarely used nowadays. Therefore, it is proposed to improve a circuit board arrangement, in particular for electrical connection strips, by the following means, comprising a circuit board with a grid of predetermined connection holes and an electrical component arranged thereon and provided with an insulating material housing and having solder connections inserted into the connection holes, i.e. recesses with partition wall elements made of insulating material, through which the insulating material housing connected to the component can pass, are provided in the circuit board in the row and column direction of the solder connections, respectively, between the connection holes or between predetermined groups of connection holes.

[0008] A disadvantage of this design is in particular the restriction to grid circuit boards (hereinafter referred to as circuit boards) and the restriction of the use of partition wall elements made of insulating material to the insulating material housings of the electrical components used.

[0009] The German Patent and Trademark Office searched the following prior art in the priority application of the present application: DE 34 23 648 C1; DE 10 2004 041 207 A1; DE 10 2012 018 751 A1; DE 10 2012 102 567 A1 and WO 00 / 72647 A1.

[0010] The following non-patent literature is also cited as prior art by the German Patent and Trademark Office:

[0011] - MECADTRON GmbH: Page 1-2 of NEXTRA - 3D Creepage Analysis [https: / / www.flowcad.ch / ems / upload / ds_pcb / NEXTRA_3D-Kriechstreckeanalysis.pdf]

[0012] - MECADTRON GmbH: NEXTRA Page 1-2 - Creepage analysis [https: / / www.flowcad.ch / cms / upload / ds_pcb / NEXTRA_Kriechstreckenanalysis_ch.pdf]

[0013] - MECADTRON GmbH: NEXTRA pages 1-2 – Air gap analysis [https: / / www.flowcad.ch / cms / upload / ds_pcb / NEXTRA_Luftstreckeanalysis_ch.pdf]. Summary of the invention

[0014] The object of the invention is to design a circuit board that is as compact as possible while maintaining the necessary air gaps and creepage distances. In addition, the possible uses of such a circuit board should be expanded. In addition, the production of the circuit board should be simplified.

[0015] The invention is based on a circuit board with an upper side and a lower side, wherein the circuit board has at least two circuits. In this case, each of the at least two circuits has at least one conductor track and at least one current-carrying electronic component. In addition, the circuit board has at least one through hole, which is provided with at least one insulating unit. The at least one insulating unit is arranged in the at least one through hole and is therefore mechanically connected to the circuit board and is positioned between a first circuit and at least one second circuit of the circuit board. Positioning the insulating unit in the region between the at least two circuits opens up a simple possibility of maintaining the required insulation distances. These insulation distances are mainly related to so-called air gaps and creepage distances. By using the insulating unit, alternative insulation processes can be omitted in the best case. Alternative insulation processes, such as potting electronic components with plastic, usually mean that the potting components cannot be replaced or can only be replaced to a limited extent. In particular, the maintenance process is simplified as a result. In addition, the manufacturing process of the circuit board is improved. This is because the assembly process of the circuit board can be completed by assembling the circuit board with the insulating unit according to the invention. In the best case, painting or potting with plastic can be omitted.

[0016] Therefore, a particular advantage of the invention is that the design and positioning of the insulating unit can be very flexibly adapted to the requirements of the circuit design of the circuit board. This advantage leads to the further advantage that the circuit design can be transferred to the circuit board in a particularly space-saving manner.

[0017] Another embodiment discloses a circuit board with the aforementioned insulating unit, wherein the insulating unit at least substantially reaches the height of the highest electronic component of the first circuit or the second circuit. With this design, horizontally mounted electronic components are intended to be taken into account. The cylindrical capacitor is thus usually provided with conductors for connection to the circuit board, which protrude from the end faces of the cylindrical body. Such a cylindrical capacitor is placed on the circuit board with its circumferential side in order, for example, to reduce the structural height of the circuit board. Even in the best case, the current-carrying conductor of the capacitor protrudes from the circuit board at least by a height that is at least substantially equal to the radius of the capacitor. By designing the insulating unit with a height equal to the diameter of the cylindrical capacitor, the air gap to the adjacent circuit is significantly increased. Likewise, the creepage distance is further increased compared to the adjacent circuit.

[0018] In another embodiment, the circuit board is equipped with an insulating unit, wherein the insulating unit completely defines a boundary area between the first circuit and at least the second circuit. This means that along the area where one circuit approaches the other circuit there is a through hole, which is penetrated by the insulating unit at least in the boundary area, so that the insulating unit spatially separates the circuits from each other. With this embodiment, the length of the air gap and the creepage distance between the relevant circuits can be increased in a simple manner.

[0019] In a meaningful embodiment, the circuit board is provided with an insulating unit, wherein the insulating unit at least partially fills the through-hole of the circuit board. This means that the insulating unit protrudes through the through-hole between at least two circuits, but the through-hole can be designed to be larger than the size required for the insulation between the first circuit and the second circuit through the insulating unit, for example, in order to fasten other components. The necessary air gap and creepage distance can thus be achieved through the insulating unit, while the circuit board can be fixed in the housing or on the upper-level component. In addition, through this embodiment, the through-hole can be designed to accommodate more than one insulating unit at the same time. The first insulating unit in the through-hole can thus spatially separate the first circuit from the second circuit. The second insulating unit can now be formed through the same through-hole so that the first circuit is separated from the third circuit. Of course, the second insulating unit can also separate the third circuit from the fourth circuit. In addition, in this way, a simple and further improved expansion of the insulation distance, i.e. the air gap and the creepage distance, can be achieved. If the first insulating unit according to the invention and the second insulating unit according to the invention are guided through the through-hole, for example, from opposite sides of the circuit board, other molded elements molded on the insulating unit can be joined to each other. Thus, a staggered combination is achieved The staggered combination advantageously uses an effect similar to a labyrinth seal in order to further increase the air gap and creepage distance.Instead of a second insulating unit, the surrounding device housing can also have profiles and / or elements which can be engaged with the insulating unit in a staggered combination.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, the circuit board has an insulating unit, wherein the insulating unit is provided with a latching element, by means of which a positive connection with the circuit board is produced. The latching hooks can be formed on the insulating unit in a simple manner. After the insulating unit has been inserted through the through-hole, the insulating unit will rest on the edge formed by the through-hole on the circuit board and prevent the insulating unit from being accidentally detached from the circuit board. After the section of the insulating unit provided for this purpose has been passed through the through-hole, the projection on the insulating unit is also sufficient to fix the insulating unit on the circuit board. In addition, a further latching element can be provided on the insulating unit in order to connect the circuit board to surrounding components.

[0021] In one embodiment, the circuit board is provided with an insulating unit, wherein the insulating unit is formed so that the insulating unit forms at least one connection between the through hole and at least one edge of the circuit board. In other words, for example, the insulating unit is formed as a half shell. Here, at least two edges of the circuit board are respectively covered by at least one extension (Fortsatz). The insulating unit therefore has an extension, which is guided through the through hole in the circuit board and spatially separates at least one first circuit from the second circuit. For example, the second extension protrudes beyond one side of the circuit board. The first extension and the second extension are connected to at least one board. Advantageously, this embodiment is formed in one piece. According to another embodiment, the circuit board is provided with an insulating unit, wherein the insulating unit at least partially surrounds the upper side of the circuit board or at least partially surrounds the lower side of the circuit board. Ideally, the board of the further improved insulating unit is designed so that at least the first circuit is substantially covered on at least the upper side of the circuit board or at least the lower side of the circuit board. The board of the insulating unit is held on the circuit board by the above-mentioned extension.

[0022] Advantageously, an embodiment of the circuit board provides that the insulating unit is made of a synthetic non-conductive material. By using a particularly puncture-proof plastic, further safety requirements can be met. In addition, due to being made of plastic, the one-piece embodiment is low-cost and relatively easy to manufacture. In addition, the present invention discloses a plug connector with a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is arranged in a housing of the plug connector and engages with the inner wall of the housing. The molded part on the inner wall interacts with the insulating unit to additionally increase the air gap and creepage distance between at least two circuits. For example, such a plug connector can accommodate a sensor to directly process and / or forward information related to a plug connection or similar physical conditions. The insulating unit according to the present invention allows the circuit board to have compact dimensions. Therefore, a circuit board with a reduced size using the insulating unit according to the present invention can be accommodated, for example, between the inner wall of the housing and the contact carrier. Due to the above-mentioned staggered combination of the molded part on the inner wall of the connector and the insulating unit of the circuit board, the circuit board can even be designed to not maintain air gaps and creepage distances during the manufacturing process. By using it in the plug connector housing according to the present invention, the staggered combination between the inner wall of the housing and the insulating unit can maintain the required air gap and creepage distance. Further possibilities resulting from this embodiment with regard to the desired minimization of the printed circuit board are also possible in applications other than plug connectors. For example, sensors with a molded part on the inner wall of the housing can also be used in order to engage with the insulating unit in a staggered manner.

[0023] In addition, the present invention discloses a method for manufacturing a circuit board, comprising at least the following steps:

[0024] a. Create a circuit diagram having at least two circuits;

[0025] b. Planning the positioning of electronic components based on the circuit diagram, and designing and positioning at least one insulating unit;

[0026] c. Determine the appropriate design of the circuit board;

[0027] d. Create an unassembled circuit board according to the previous method steps;

[0028] e. Assemble electronic components on unassembled circuit boards according to circuit diagrams;

[0029] f. Assemble at least one insulating unit for the circuit board.

[0030] In principle, it is clear to the person skilled in the art that in particular steps a. to c. can be combined or interchanged with one another. In particular, manufacturing methods that require encapsulating components with plastic or painting circuit boards to maintain air gaps and creepage distances are time-consuming. Time can be saved by using an insulating unit according to the invention, because the insulating unit according to the invention is connected to the circuit board in a simple manner after the actual assembly process. Ideally, an insulating unit provided with a latching device is used for particularly rapid manufacturing. This results in the possibility of completing the production of the circuit board by means of a simple latching of the insulating unit with the circuit board after assembling the electronic components. Of course, in this case, the soldering of the electronic components is used as an assembly step to establish the function of the circuit board. Therefore, the circuit board is manufactured in essentially known steps. First, the circuit board itself is manufactured. Optionally, the circuit board is already provided with an insulating lacquer layer at least in some places at this point. The selected electronic components are inserted into their designated slots. The electronic components are soldered to the circuit board in designated soldering areas. Finally, at least one insulating unit according to the invention is guided through at least one provided through-hole and connected to the circuit board. Ideally, a form-locking connection is formed between the circuit board and at least one insulating unit. Alternative solutions are of course known to the person skilled in the art. In particular, a connection by means of adhesive, lacquer or a plastic material seal, for example, is a simple but realizable alternative.

[0031] Another advantageous method provides that step b. of the above exemplary embodiment is assigned at least the following sub-steps:

[0032] b.1 Determine the size of the circuit board;

[0033] b.2 Calculate the shape of at least one insulating unit;

[0034] b.3 calculate at least one through hole;

[0035] b.4 Check the size of the circuit board taking into account the necessary air clearance and creepage distance when using insulating units.

[0036] Here, the person skilled in the art also recognizes that the individual sub-steps can be combined or interchanged with each other. The sub-steps specifically relate to the steps of designing and planning the circuit board and the associated insulating unit according to the invention. It makes sense to first consider to which field of application the circuit board should preferably be assigned. This usually leads in advance to the dimensions of the space that the circuit board ideally occupies. The dimensions of the insulating unit can be calculated based on the thus known factors of the structural dimensions of the circuit board and the circuit to be applied to the circuit board. The dimensions of the insulating unit now depend on the necessary insulation factors, namely the air gap and the creepage distance. Once the dimensions of the insulating unit have been calculated, the through-holes required for the insulating unit can be determined. Final testing ensures the implementation of the design. Computer simulations instead of actual tests can also be particularly meaningful, especially for cost reasons.

[0037] In a preferred method, at least one step of the method is supported by at least one computer program. Method step b. and its substeps b.1 to b.4 are particularly suitable for support by a computer program. It is also conceivable to use two synchronous computer programs, wherein a first computer program executes the first method step and a second computer program executes the second method step. At least one computer program calculates the corresponding data so that, for example, method steps a. and b. or substeps b.1 and b.2 are processed at least approximately simultaneously. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail below. In the drawings:

[0039] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the upper side of a circuit board having an insulating unit according to the invention;

[0040] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an insulation unit according to the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 A perspective view showing the underside of a circuit board having an insulating unit according to the invention; and

[0042] Figure 4 A perspective sectional view of a circuit board with a housing interacting with an insulating unit according to the invention is shown.

[0043] The drawings contain partially simplified schematic diagrams. In some cases, the same reference numerals are used for identical, but not necessarily identical, elements. Different views of the same element may be scaled differently. Directional indications such as "left", "right", "upper" and "lower" are to be understood with reference to the corresponding drawings and may vary in the various views relative to the object represented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Figure 1 The top side 2 of a circuit board 1 with a particularly space-saving arrangement of electronic components 6, 6', 6" is shown. In order to achieve this compact arrangement on the circuit board 1, an insulating unit 8 according to the invention is used. The insulating unit 8 separates the first circuit 4 from the second circuit 5 at least to a large extent. It is clear here that the insulating unit 8 protrudes through the through-hole 7 in the circuit board 1. As an example, the electronic components 6, 6', 6" are shown and numbered on the circuit board 1. The electronic component 6 shown is an integrated circuit module (IC module). The electronic component 6', 6" can be various surface-mounted components, also called SMD (surface-mounted device / multiple surface-mounted devices). The electronic component 6' is usually an SMD resistor. In this case, the electronic component 6" is an SMD capacitor. Other electronic components can be designed to be optically similar and can be used instead of the specified electronic component. It can be seen here that the insulating unit 8 at least reaches or exceeds the height of the electronic components 6, 6' and 6" used. In the case shown, the first circuit 4 is part of a circuit that is spatially interrupted by the electronic component 6 and continues as a second circuit 5 on the electronic component 6 opposite the first circuit 4.

[0045] exist Figure 2 middle, Figure 1 The insulating unit 8 according to the invention used in the embodiment is shown in a perspective view. A possible construction of the insulating unit 8 according to the invention is shown here. The embodiment shown consists of an insulating plate 13 and insulating elements 12 and 12' protruding from the insulating plate 13. In principle, an embodiment consisting of only one of the insulating elements 12 or 12' is conceivable. However, in the case of the embodiment shown of the insulating unit 8, extensive insulation of the circuit to be shielded can be achieved. For this purpose, the insulating unit 8 with the insulating element 12 is guided through the through hole 7 in the circuit board 1. At the same time, the insulating element 12' is guided along the edge through the edge area of ​​the circuit board. The insulating unit 8 is provided with a latching element 9. The latching element 9 is latched on the edge of the edge area of ​​the circuit board 1. Therefore, the insulating unit 8 is firmly but detachably connected to the circuit board 1. It is also conceivable that the insulating element 12 is also provided with at least one latching element 9. Depending on the design of the circuit board 1 and the insulating unit 8, the arrangement and size or the use of a latching element similar to the latching element 9 can be considered. It may be meaningful to use alternatives, such as protrusions on the insulating element 12 and / or 12'. Furthermore, further latching elements oriented opposite to the latching elements 9 can be used along a plane at least substantially parallel to the insulating plate 13. In this way, a stop for fastening the insulating unit 8 to the circuit board 1 can be easily and without particular effort. Figure 2It can be seen that the insulating plate 13 can in principle also be formed from plate sections 13.1 and 13.2 located on two or more layers. Thus, electronic components such as the electronic components 6, 6' and 6" shown above or equivalent electronic components can be precisely surrounded and / or enclosed.

[0046] Figure 3 An example of how this embodiment of the insulating unit 8 can be used is shown. Here, a plate section 13.1 of an insulating plate 13 is placed against the underside 3 of the circuit board 1. Another plate section 13.2 extends essentially parallel to the plate section 13.1 and the underside 3 of the circuit board. However, the electronic components 6' and 6" are arranged below the plate section 13.2. Therefore, the plate section 13.2 is designed to be further spaced apart from the underside 3 of the circuit board 1. It is also obvious that after the circuit board 1 is assembled with the electronic components, during the assembly process of the circuit board 1, the insulating unit 8 can in principle be connected directly to the circuit board 1. Therefore, it is firstly possible to dispense with sealing the circuit board 1 with insulating varnish and / or plastic. The manufacturing process can thus be optimized in terms of time. However, the insulating unit does not prevent the circuit board 1 from being insulated by means of insulating varnish and / or plastic.

[0047] A possibility to further increase the air clearance and creepage distance is Figure 4 . In this case, the circuit board 1 is equipped with an insulating unit 8 and inserted into a housing 10, which has an insulating element 12" on the inner wall 11. The insulating element 12" can be engaged with the insulating elements 12 and / or 12' of the insulating unit 8. For this purpose, it makes sense for the housing 10 to be made of plastic. Alternatively, the housing 10 or at least the inner wall 11 of the housing 10 can be covered with an insulating material, such as plastic, on its inner wall 11 to achieve an insulating effect. This process can make sense in particular when the housing has essentially conductive properties. The staggered combination of the insulating elements 12 and 12" shown, which is similar to a labyrinth seal, can further increase the air gap and creepage distance. In addition, the staggered combination can firmly position the circuit board 1 in the housing 10. Figure 4 It can also be seen that the insulating element 12 protrudes through the through-hole 7 beyond the area of ​​the upper side 2 of the circuit board 1 at least substantially to the height of the electronic component 6. The insulating unit 8 here surrounds a portion of the lower side 3 of the circuit board 1. In addition, by the staggered combination of the insulating unit 8 and the inner wall 11 of the housing 10, a partial housing is almost formed, which substantially surrounds at least a portion of the area of ​​the circuit board 1.

[0048] Even if different aspects or features of the present invention are shown in combination in the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, corresponding units or feature combinations from different embodiments can be exchanged with each other.

[0049] Reference numerals list

[0050] 1 Circuit Board

[0051] 2 upper side

[0052] 3 Lower side

[0053] 4 First Circuit

[0054] 5 Second Circuit

[0055] 6, 6', 6" Electronic Components

[0056] 7 Through Holes

[0057] 8 Insulation unit

[0058] 9 Locking element

[0059] 10 Housing

[0060] 11 Inner wall

[0061] 12, 12', 12" Insulation Elements

[0062] 13 Insulation board

[0063] 13.1, 13.2 Plate sections

Claims

1. A circuit board (1) having an upper side (2) and a lower side (3), wherein: The circuit board (1) has at least two circuits, wherein each of the at least two circuits has at least one printed conductor and at least one current-carrying electronic component (6, 6', 6"), and wherein the circuit board (1) has at least one through hole (7), characterized in that the through hole is provided with a plurality of insulating units (8), wherein a first insulating unit in the through hole spatially separates a first circuit from a second circuit and a second insulating unit is formed through the same through hole so as to separate the first circuit from a third circuit; The insulating unit (8) is arranged in the at least one through-hole (7) and is thus mechanically connected to the circuit board (1) and is positioned between the first circuit (4) and at least one second circuit (5) or between the first circuit (4) and the third circuit of the circuit board (1), the insulating unit (8) surrounding at least part of the upper side (2) or the lower side (3) of the circuit board (1), wherein the insulating unit (8) consists of an insulating plate (13) and insulating elements (12 and 12') protruding from the insulating plate (13), wherein the insulating plate (13) has a plate section (13.1) which is in contact with the lower side (3) of the circuit board (1).

2. The circuit board (1) according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The insulating unit (8) at least reaches the height of the highest electronic component (6) of the first circuit (4) or the second circuit (5).

3. The circuit board (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized in that The insulating unit (8) at least partially defines the areas of the first circuit (4) and the second circuit (5).

4. The circuit board (1) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The insulating unit (8) at least partially protrudes through the through hole (7) of the circuit board (1).

5. The circuit board (1) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The insulating unit (8) has a locking element (9), through which the insulating unit (8) creates a positive-locking connection with the printed circuit board (1).

6. The circuit board (1) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The insulating unit (8) is shaped such that the insulating unit (8) forms at least one connection between the through hole (7) and at least one edge of the circuit board (1).

7. The circuit board (1) according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The insulating unit (8) is made of a synthetic non-conductive material.

8. A plug connector having a circuit board (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The circuit board (1) is arranged in a housing (10) of the plug connector and is engaged with an inner wall (11) of the housing (10), wherein a shaped portion on the inner wall (11) interacts with the insulating unit (8) to additionally increase an air gap and a creepage distance between at least two circuits.

9. A method for manufacturing a circuit board (1) according to claim 1, comprising at least the following steps: a. Create a circuit diagram having at least two circuits; b. planning the positioning of electronic components based on the circuit diagram, and designing and positioning at least one insulating unit (8); c. determining a suitable design of the circuit board (1); d. Create an unassembled circuit board according to the previous method steps; e according to the circuit diagram for the unassembled circuit board assembly of electronic components; f. Assembling at least one insulating unit (8) for the circuit board (1).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: At least the following sub-steps are assigned to step b.: b.1 determining the size of the circuit board (1); b.2 calculating the shape of at least one insulating unit (8); b.3 Calculate at least one through hole (7); b.4 Check the size of the circuit board (1) taking into account the air gap and creepage distance when using the insulating unit (8).

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least step b. or one of the substeps b.1 to b.4 assigned to step b. is performed by means of at least one computer program.

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