Circuit board with U-shaped electrical terminals

Abstract

A circuit board assembly includes a circuit board substrate defining an aperture extending through the circuit board substrate, the aperture being configured to receive a planar male terminal inserted from a first side of the circuit board substrate. The assembly also includes a female terminal extending from a second side of the circuit board substrate positioned relative to the first side and defining a slot in a U-shaped portion on the second side of the circuit board substrate. The slot has an open end and a closed end. The slot is sized and arranged to receive the male terminal as it extends through the aperture, the slot and the male terminal being in an interference fit. The female terminal has a pair of tips, each tip having a fixed end attached to a base and a free end. The free end of one of the tips is disposed within a mounting hole in the circuit board substrate, the mounting hole being located adjacent to the aperture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application relates to a circuit board having electrical terminals, and more specifically, to a circuit board having U-shaped electrical terminals configured for inserting a pluggable device through the circuit board substrate. Background Technology

[0002] A tuning fork terminal is an electrical terminal designed to generate a normal force on the surface of a mating plate that is inserted therebetween and deflected simultaneously due to the designed interference.

[0003] Tuning fork terminals are stable and low-cost devices for electrical communication with plate components and switch blades of circuit protection equipment in electrical distribution centers of motor vehicles. Tuning fork terminals are already used in wiring electrical centers with integrated insulating displacement crimping elements and in printed circuit board (PCB) based electrical centers. They can be integrated with other geometries, such as tuning forks integrated into busbars, with plate components and short posts that can be sewn into PCBs or stamped metal.

[0004] Today, tuning fork terminals face various challenges, especially in manufacturing environments. Because tuning fork terminals need to be assembled between an upper and lower electrical center housing, alignment between the tuning fork terminals, the upper electrical center housing, and the electrical equipment has become a recurring problem. Since assembly is often done manually, this can sometimes lead to damage to the tuning fork terminals during the process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one or more aspects of this disclosure, a circuit board assembly includes a circuit board substrate. The circuit board substrate defines at least one aperture extending through the substrate. The aperture is configured to receive a planar male terminal inserted into the aperture from a first side of the circuit board substrate. The assembly also includes a planar female terminal extending from a second side of the circuit board substrate opposite to the first side. The female terminal defines a slot in a U-shaped portion located on the second side of the circuit board substrate. The slot has an open end and a closed end. The slot is sized and arranged to receive the male terminal as it extends through the aperture. A male blade-shaped terminal is interference-fitted with the slot.

[0006] In one or more embodiments of the component according to the foregoing paragraph, the female terminal is formed of an unbent metal sheet.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the main surface of the female terminal is arranged perpendicular to the main surface of the male terminal.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of the components according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the female terminal is attached to the circuit board substrate by a spear-shaped member extending from the female terminal. The spear-shaped member is located on one side of a slot and inserted into a mounting hole in the circuit board substrate, the mounting hole being located next to a recess.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the components according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the spear-shaped element is mechanically and electrically connected to conductive traces on a circuit board substrate.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the components according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the female terminal is attached to the circuit board substrate by a single spear-shaped member that extends from the female terminal only on one side of the slot.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the components according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the female terminal is attached to the circuit board substrate by a pair of spear-shaped members extending from the female terminal on both sides of a slot. The pair of spear-shaped members are inserted into a pair of mounting holes located on both sides of an aperture in the circuit board substrate.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the width of the closed end of the slot is greater than the width of the open end of the slot.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the second male terminal extends from the female terminal in a direction opposite to the slot.

[0014] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the width of a portion of the slot is less than the width of the open end of the slot.

[0015] According to one or more aspects of this disclosure, a circuit board assembly includes a circuit board substrate defining an aperture extending through the circuit board substrate. The aperture is configured to receive a planar male terminal inserted into the aperture from a first side of the circuit board substrate. The assembly also includes a forked female terminal having a pair of tips. Each tip has a free end and a fixed end attached to a base. The pair of tips defines a slot between the pair of tips. The slot has an open end and a closed end. The slot is sized and arranged to receive the male terminal as it extends through the aperture and is configured to interference fit with the male terminal. The free end of one of the tips is disposed within a mounting hole in the circuit board substrate adjacent to the aperture.

[0016] In one or more embodiments of the components according to the preceding paragraph, the free ends of each tip are evenly distributed within one of a pair of mounting holes in the circuit board substrate, the pair of mounting holes being located on both sides of the aperture.

[0017] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the female terminal is formed from an unbent sheet of metal.

[0018] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the main surface of the female terminal is arranged perpendicular to the main surface of the male terminal.

[0019] In one or more embodiments of the components according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the female terminal is attached to the circuit board substrate by a spear-shaped member extending from the free end of the tip.

[0020] In one or more embodiments of the components according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the spear-shaped element is mechanically and electrically connected to conductive traces on a circuit board substrate.

[0021] In one or more embodiments of the components according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the female terminal is attached to the circuit board substrate by a single spear-shaped member.

[0022] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the width of the closed end of the slot is greater than the width of the open end of the slot.

[0023] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the second male terminal extends from the base.

[0024] In one or more embodiments of the component according to any of the preceding paragraphs, the width of a portion of the slot is less than the width of the open end of the slot. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1A and 1B This is a top perspective view of a circuit board assembly according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 2A and 2B This is a bottom perspective view of a circuit board assembly according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 3A This is a right-side view of a circuit board assembly according to some embodiments;

[0029] Figure 3B and Figure 3C These are right-side and left-side views of a circuit board assembly according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 4A and 4B This is a side view of the circuit board assembly. Figure 4A It has terminals according to some embodiments, in contrast Figure 4B Terminals with prior art; and

[0031] Figure 5A and 5B This is a side view of the circuit board assembly. Figure 5A Terminals with connecting components according to some embodiments, in contrast Figure 5B It has terminals that are connected to the component according to the prior art. Detailed Implementation

[0032] This paper presents a testing device and method that overcomes the shortcomings of previous devices used for high-voltage insulation testing.

[0033] This invention is inspired by the decreasing vehicle packaging space for components such as power distribution centers, and the potential damage to tuning fork terminals during the final assembly process of such centers. The redesigned tuning fork interface features a U-shaped tuning fork located beneath the printed circuit board, requiring less packaging space, offering greater resistance to damage during terminal mating, and still retaining the essential characteristics of a tuning fork terminal. This new design for the female terminal also requires less material to manufacture than typical tuning fork female terminal designs.

[0034] Figure 1A-2B The circuit board assembly 10 shown includes a printed circuit board substrate, referred to as PCB 12, in which a plurality of holes or apertures 14 are formed, and the male terminal 2, such as the male terminal of a fuse assembly 4, is received through PCB 12 as it passes from the top side 16 to the bottom side 18. PCB 12 is formed of epoxy resin or polyimide resin. The resin may be reinforced with woven glass cloth or other substrates such as short fibers. Substrates formed from such materials are commonly referred to as FR-4 or G-10 type circuit boards. PCB 12 may optionally be made of ceramic or rigid polymer materials. The acceptable substrate materials listed here are not exclusive, and other materials may also be successfully used. A conductive material layer, such as a copper-based material, is electroplated on at least one major surface of PCB 12. The conductive material layer is then formed to create power and ground circuit traces.

[0035] The circuit board assembly 10 also includes a plurality of female terminals 20A, 20B, and 20C, collectively referred to herein as female terminals 20, which are attached or mounted to the bottom side 18 of the PCB 12 such that they extend from the bottom side 18 rather than the top side 16. The female terminals 20 are based on tuning fork terminals and have paired tips 22 forming a U-shaped portion 24, in which a slot 26 is defined. The slot 26 has an open end 28 and a closed end 30. The slot 26 is arranged in an aperture 14 to receive the male terminal 2 as it extends through the aperture 14 in the PCB 12. The slot 26 is also sized to allow an interference fit with the male terminal. The female terminals 20 also have a tapering opening 32 leading to the open end 28 of the slot 26, the tapering opening 32 being designed to guide the male terminal 2 into the slot 26. The female terminal 20 also includes contact protrusions 34 extending from both sides into the groove 26 to form contact portions of the groove, the width W1 of which is smaller than the width W2 of the open end 28 of the groove 26. These contact protrusions 34 provide stable electrical contact between the female terminal 20 and the male terminal 2. The contact protrusions 34 may include two protrusions arranged opposite each other, one on each tip, in... Figure 1B The best illustration is shown in the image. Alternatively, the contact protrusion 34 may include three contact protrusions, two of which protrude from one of the tips, and one protrusion protrudes from the other tip and is disposed between the two protrusions.

[0036] and Figure 4B In contrast to a typical tuning fork terminal design, the female terminal 20 is mounted on the bottom side 18 of the PCB 12, opposite the insertion side, which in the example shown is the top side 16. It can be seen that... Figure 4A female terminal 20 and Figure 4B Compared to the tuning fork type terminal 6, the female terminal 20 is mounted on the bottom side 18 while the male terminal 2 is inserted from the top side 16. Figure 4B The tuning fork terminal 6 is mounted on the top side 16 of PCB12, while the male terminal is inserted into the tuning fork terminal 4 from the same top side 16 of PCB12.

[0037] The female terminal 20 is formed from an unbent metal sheet. This allows the female terminal 20 to be formed from a flat sheet metal material using stamping or blanking processes without any further metal forming processes, such as bending or folding. This simplifies the manufacturing process of the female terminal 20 and reduces its manufacturing cost.

[0038] In order for the male terminal 2 to be correctly received in the slot 26 of the female terminal 20, when the male terminal 2 is received in the slot 26, the main surface 36 of the female terminal 20 is arranged perpendicular to the main surface 8 of the male terminal 2. Figure 2A and 2BAs used herein, the primary surface is the terminal surface with the largest surface area.

[0039] like Figure 1B and 3A As shown in -3C, the female terminal 20 can have several different embodiments. In each of these embodiments, the female terminal 20 is attached to the PCB 12 by a tab or spear-shaped member 38 extending from the female terminal 20 on the side of the slot 26. The spear-shaped member 38 is inserted into a mounting hole 40 in the PCB 12, which is positioned adjacent to a aperture 14 in the PCB 12. The spear-shaped member 38 and the mounting hole 40 are sized such that the spear-shaped member 38 and the mounting hole 40 are in a press-fit or interference fit state to secure the female terminal 20 to the PCB 12. The spear-shaped member 38 is electrically connected to an electrical conductive circuit trace 42 on the PCB 12, for example, by a soldering process, to electrically connect the female terminal 20 to the circuit trace 42, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1A .

[0040] In such Figure 3A In the first embodiment of the female terminal 20A shown, the female terminal 20A is attached to the PCB 12 by a single spear-shaped member 38, which extends from the female terminal 20A only on one side of the slot 26.

[0041] In such Figure 3B and 3C In the second and third embodiments of the female terminals 20B and 20C shown, the female terminals 20B and 20C are attached to the PCB 12 by a pair of spear-shaped members 38. These spear-shaped members 38 extend from the female terminals 20B and 20C on both sides of the slot 26 and insert into a pair of mounting holes 40 located on both sides of the aperture 14 in the PCB 12. For example, it is possible to... Figures 3B to 3C As seen, the width of the closed end 30 of the slot 26 is greater than the width of the open end 28 of the slot 26, resulting in a generally circular shape for the closed end 30. Without supporting any particular operational theory, this circular shape helps reduce the strain generated in the female terminals 20B and 20C when the male terminal 2 is inserted into the slot 26. The circular closed end 30 increases the surface area inside the slot 26 and distributes strain more widely during male terminal insertion, thereby reducing the maximum strain level at any particular location in the slot 26.

[0042] like Figure 3C As shown, the third embodiment of the female terminal 20C also has a second male terminal 44, which extends from the female terminal 20C in a direction opposite to the slot 26.

[0043] Through such Figure 4A The female terminal 20 shown as "bottom mounted" is... Figure 4BCompared to the "top-mounted" tuning fork terminal 4 shown, the height of the electrical connection can be reduced by more than 30%. The reduced height of the connector also reduces the height requirement of the distribution center housing 46 covering the female terminal 20 compared to the distribution center housing 9 covering the tuning fork terminal 6. (See...) Figure 5A and 5B In addition to reducing the package volume of the power distribution center, the female terminal 20 also allows for a reduction of up to 47% in the material volume required to manufacture the power distribution center enclosure, compared to... Figure 5A and Figure 5B This saves on material costs. Additionally, with Figure 4B Compared to the "top-mounted" tuning fork with 4 terminals shown, Figure 4A The female terminal 20 in the middle requires up to 57% less sheet metal material to produce, which provides additional material cost savings.

[0044] While the invention has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made and its elements can be replaced by equivalents without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, various modifications can be made to adapt particular circumstances or materials to the teachings of the invention without departing from its main scope. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited to the one or more embodiments disclosed, but rather to include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0045] As used herein, “one or more” includes functions performed by a single element, functions performed by more than one element, such as in a distributed manner, several functions performed by a single element, several functions performed by several elements, or any combination of the above.

[0046] It should also be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., are used in some cases to describe various elements herein, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments, a first contact may be referred to as a second contact, and similarly, a second contact may be referred to as a first contact. Both the first and second contacts are contacts, but they are not the same contact.

[0047] The terminology used in the description of the various embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the specification and appended claims of the various described embodiments, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to equally include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “comprises,” and / or “including” as used herein specifically mean the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0048] As used herein, the term "if" may optionally be interpreted as "when," "at," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection," depending on the context. Similarly, depending on the context, the phrase "if determined" or "if [the condition or event] is detected" may optionally be interpreted as "when determined," "in response to determination," "when [the condition or event] is detected," or "in response to the detection of [the condition or event]."

[0049] Furthermore, while this document may use terms of regulation or orientation, these elements should not be limited by such terms. Unless otherwise stated, all regulations or orientations are for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another and, unless otherwise stated, do not indicate any particular order, sequence of operations, direction, or orientation.

Claims

1. A circuit board assembly, comprising: A circuit board substrate, the circuit board substrate defining an aperture extending through the circuit board substrate, the aperture being configured to receive a planar male terminal from a first side of the circuit board substrate; as well as A planar female terminal extends from a second side of the circuit board substrate opposite to the first side, defining a slot in a U-shaped portion on the second side of the circuit board substrate. The slot has an open end and a closed end. The slot is arranged to receive a male terminal extending from the first side of the circuit board substrate through the aperture. A portion of the slot width is smaller than the width of the open end of the slot due to contact protrusions extending from both sides of the U-shaped portion into the slot. The female terminal is attached to the circuit board substrate by a pair of spear-shaped members extending from the female terminal on both sides of the slot, and the contact protrusions are located between the spear-shaped members and the closed end of the slot.

2. The circuit board assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The female terminal is formed from an unbent metal sheet.

3. The circuit board assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main surface of the female terminal is arranged perpendicular to the main surface of the male terminal.

4. The circuit board assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spear-shaped component is mechanically and electrically connected to the conductive traces on the circuit board substrate.

5. The circuit board assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The paired spear-shaped members are inserted into paired mounting holes in the circuit board substrate, the paired mounting holes being located on both sides of the aperture.

6. The circuit board assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The closed end of the groove defines a circular shape, the diameter of which is greater than the width of the open end of the groove.

7. The circuit board assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second male terminal extends from the female terminal in the opposite direction to the slot.

8. A circuit board assembly, comprising: A circuit board substrate, the circuit board substrate defining an aperture extending through the circuit board substrate, the aperture being configured to receive a planar male terminal from a first side of the circuit board substrate; as well as A forked female terminal having a pair of pointed tips, each tip having a fixed end attached to a base and a free end, the pair of tips defining a groove between them, the groove having an open end and a closed end, the groove being arranged to receive a male terminal extending from a first side of the circuit board substrate through the aperture, wherein a portion of the groove width is smaller than the width of the open end of the groove due to contact protrusions extending from both sides of the U-shaped portion into the groove, and wherein the free end of each tip is disposed within one of a pair of mounting holes in the circuit board substrate adjacent to the aperture, and the contact protrusion is located between the tip and the closed end of the groove.

9. The circuit board assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The paired mounting holes are located on both sides of the aperture.

10. The circuit board assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The female terminal is formed from an unbent metal sheet.

11. The circuit board assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The main surface of the female terminal is arranged perpendicular to the main surface of the male terminal.

12. The circuit board assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The female terminal is attached to the circuit board substrate via a spear-shaped member extending from the tip.

13. The circuit board assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that, The spear-shaped component is mechanically and electrically connected to the conductive traces on the circuit board substrate.

14. The circuit board assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The closed end of the groove defines a circular shape, the diameter of which is greater than the width of the open end of the groove.

15. The circuit board assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second male terminal extends from the base.

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