Printed circuit board (PCB) spliced board

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of PCB manufacturing, and provides a PCB makeup, which comprises a plurality of PCB units with the same shape, the PCB units are rectangular, the plurality of PCB units are arranged into an array, the vertex positions of the PCB units in the array are connected through connecting ribs, and a makeup gap is formed between the adjacent PCB units outside the connecting ribs. According to the PCB, the PCB makeup connection is carried out by utilizing the four corner spaces of the single PCB unit, so that the utilization rate of the board can be improved, the production efficiency can be improved, and the working procedures and the production cost can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of PCB manufacturing, and more specifically, to a PCB panel. Background Art

[0002] Currently, PCB (abbreviation of Printed Circuit Board, translated as printed circuit board) is used in various existing electronic products. Various electronic components are placed on PCBs of various shapes to achieve corresponding circuit functions. With the development of integration technology, the size of PCBs in various electronic products is getting smaller and the electronic components are getting denser. In the manufacturing process of PCBs, in order to improve processing efficiency, a panel splitting method of PCB panels is generally adopted. According to production requirements, multiple small PCBs are arranged on a large board, and cutting lines and borders are designed to obtain a panel. Among them, individual PCBs can be connected by methods such as VCUT or stamp holes to facilitate subsequent panel splitting after SMT (abbreviation of Surface Mount Technology, translated as surface mount technology) circuit boards.

[0003] VCUT, also known as V-Groove or V-Slot, is a commonly used separation process in the process of PCB paneling. It is achieved by cutting V-shaped grooves along a predetermined separation line on the surface and bottom of the PCB. These grooves can keep multiple small PCBs connected during the manufacturing process and can be easily separated when needed.

[0004] Stamp holes are a series of small holes (usually semi-circular holes or circular holes) punched on the edge of the PCB, similar to the hole arrangement on the edge of a stamp. Stamp holes are achieved by punching a series of small holes along a predetermined separation line on the edge of the PCB. These holes can be made by drilling or milling processes. During separation, by applying appropriate force manually or by machine and gently breaking along these holes, and there will be some rough marks on the edge of the PCB after separation, which need to be further processed to ensure smoothness and flatness. Stamp holes are suitable for scenarios where particularly precise separation is not required, or when the shape of the PCB is relatively complex and non-linear separation is needed. They are more common in small batch production and prototype design.

[0005] In practical applications, it is found that if VCUT is used for panelization, the PCB panel structure may bend during the furnace passing process in the SMT mounting stage, and the defective rate of SMT soldering quality after the furnace is very high. Therefore, additional furnace passing fixtures must be added to improve the situation, resulting in an increase in production costs and a decrease in production efficiency. It may also occur that during the panel separation after SMT mounting, due to improper operation by the operator, the VCUT processing of the board material is offset, resulting in damage to the components on the board edge and even scrapping of the entire PCB board. In addition, the panel separation stress on the entire panel separation line is relatively large, causing relatively great damage to the electronic components (such as sensors, gyroscopes, precision devices, etc.) near the VCUT panel separation line.

[0006] If the way of using perforations is adopted, multiple perforations are often required between individual PCBs. This not only results in a relatively large panelization gap, causing waste of PCB space, but also is time-consuming and laborious due to the large number of perforations. In addition, if the size of an individual PCB is small, when using perforations as the connection line between individual PCBs, since perforations are suitable for scenarios where particularly precise separation is not required, the PCB may be scrapped due to stress factors during panel separation. Therefore, the perforation method is not suitable for the panelization of small-sized PCBs in practice.

[0007] In summary, perforations and VCUT are used in PCB panelization to arrange multiple small PCB designs on a larger substrate and facilitate the separation of individual PCBs after processing. Among them, perforations are suitable for PCB designs with complex shapes and irregular separation requirements, but not for scenarios with precise separation, especially for the panelization of small-sized PCBs. In addition, although VCUT panelization can overcome the defects of perforations to a certain extent, the PCB panel using the VCUT process is prone to board bending during the furnace passing process in the SMT mounting stage, and additional furnace passing fixtures must be added to ensure the yield of SMT soldering quality after the furnace. Therefore, how to improve the PCB panel structure to avoid the problems caused by the existing perforation and VCUT processes is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a PCB panel to solve the technical problems that the existing VCUT panel is prone to board bending during the furnace passing process in the SMT mounting stage and the application scenario of the perforation panel is very limited.

[0009] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides a PCB panel, including a plurality of PCB units with the same shape. The shape of the PCB unit is rectangular, and the plurality of PCB units are arranged in an array. The PCB units in the array are connected by connecting ribs at the vertex positions, and there is a panelization gap between adjacent PCB units outside the connecting ribs.

[0010] In some alternative embodiments, the width of the minimum connection between the connecting rib and the PCB unit at the vertex position is 0.5 mm, and the minimum layout gap between adjacent PCB units is 0.5 mm.

[0011] In some alternative embodiments, the layout gaps between adjacent PCB units in different array directions are equal.

[0012] In some alternative embodiments, the minimum side length of the PCB unit is greater than or equal to 2 mm.

[0013] In some alternative embodiments, a layer of silk-screened lines is provided on the surface where the PCB unit is connected to the connecting rib.

[0014] In some alternative embodiments, when there is a layout border in the PCB layout, the vertex positions of the PCB units adjacent to the border are also connected to the border through connecting ribs, and the layout gap between the border and the PCB unit is greater than or equal to the layout gap between adjacent PCB units.

[0015] In some alternative embodiments, the vertex position of the PCB unit is a truncated angled hypotenuse, and the connecting rib is provided with connecting ends that are in one-to-one docking with the truncated angled hypotenuse.

[0016] In some alternative embodiments, the length of the truncated angled hypotenuse at the vertex position of the PCB unit is equal to the width of the connecting end of the connecting rib.

[0017] In some alternative embodiments, an arc groove is provided between the two connecting ends of the connecting rib that connect adjacent PCB units, and the arc groove communicates with the layout gap between the two PCB units docked with the two connecting ends.

[0018] In some alternative embodiments, the vertex position of the PCB unit is a rounded angled hypotenuse, and the connecting rib is provided to be connected to the rounded angled hypotenuse.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the PCB layout provided by the present utility model are at least as follows: By connecting each PCB unit through connecting ribs at the four vertex positions of the PCB unit, only the space at the four corners of the PCB unit is occupied, that is, the connecting rib occupies a small PCB space. This not only allows more space in the PCB unit to place electronic components, improving the utilization rate of the board material, but also the connecting rib connects each PCB unit at the four corner positions of the PCB, generating less stress during board separation, and can effectively reduce the damage to the device caused by stress, so it is applicable to the layout between small-sized PCB units; in addition, it can also overcome the situation that when using VCUT layout for SMT mounting, due to the V-groove, the thickness of the PCB is different in different regions, and the board is prone to bending during the reflow process in the SMT mounting stage, achieving the guarantee of the SMT welding quality after the furnace without using a reflow carrier, thereby effectively reducing the production cost. Description of the Drawings

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present utility model, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present utility model. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic plan view of a PCB panel layout provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 It is another schematic plan view of a PCB panel layout provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural view of a connecting rib provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural view of a PCB panel layout with a frame provided by an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0025] Among them, the reference numerals in the figures: 1, PCB unit; 2, connecting rib; 21, connecting end; 3, panel layout gap; 4, frame. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present utility model clearer, the following further details the present utility model in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present utility model and are not used to limit the present utility model.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed on" another component, it can be directly or indirectly located on that other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to that other component. The orientations or positions indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientations or positions shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and cannot be construed as limitations on the technical solutions of the present application. The terms "first" and "second" are only used for the purpose of convenient description and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of technical features. The meaning of "a plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0028] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3, in the first embodiment of the present utility model, a PCB panel is provided, which includes a plurality of PCB units 1. The shape of the PCB unit 1 is rectangular, and the plurality of PCB units 1 are arranged in an array. Each PCB unit 1 in the array is connected by a connecting rib 2 at the vertex position, and there is a panel gap 3 between adjacent PCB units 1 outside the connecting rib 2.

[0029] For the PCB panel provided in the above embodiment, each PCB unit 1 is connected by the connecting rib 2 at the four vertex positions of the PCB unit 1, only occupying the space at the four corners of the PCB unit 1, that is, the connecting rib 2 occupies a smaller PCB space. This not only allows more space in the PCB unit 1 to place electronic components, improving the utilization rate of the board material, but also the connecting rib 2 connects each PCB unit 1 at the four corner positions of the PCB, generating less stress during panel separation, and can effectively reduce the damage to the device caused by stress, so it is suitable for the panel of small-sized PCB units 1; in addition, it can also overcome the situation that in the SMT mounting of the VCUT panel, due to the V-groove, the thickness of the PCB is different in different regions, and the board is prone to bending during the reflow process in the SMT mounting stage, realizing the guarantee of the SMT welding quality after the furnace without using a reflow carrier, thus effectively reducing the production cost.

[0030] In the PCB panel, the shapes and sizes of each PCB unit 1 can be the same or different. That is, the PCB panel can include PCB units 1 of one shape or can include PCB units 1 of multiple shapes; in the case where the PCB panel includes more than one shape of PCB unit 1, the shapes of different-shaped PCB units 1 are generally different. In the case where the PCB panel includes PCB units 1 of one shape, the sizes of each same-shaped PCB unit 1 can be the same or different. In this embodiment, the shape of each PCB unit 1 constituting the PCB panel is preferably rectangular, and the sizes of each PCB unit 1 are the same. For example, the PCB unit 1 is a square or a rectangle, and the sizes are the same. Among them, the array where the PCB unit 1 is located can be that multiple PCB units 1 are arranged in a column in the vertical direction or arranged in a row in the horizontal direction; or multiple PCB units 1 are arranged in rows and columns to form a matrix structure, as Figure 1 shown.

[0031] The connecting rib 2, also known as the connecting bridge or connecting point, etc., refers to the narrow part used to temporarily connect multiple PCB units 1 together during the panel building process. These connecting ribs 2 maintain the integrity of the PCB units 1 during production and processing, facilitating batch processing. Finally, when separation is required, these connecting ribs 2 can be cut mechanically or manually to separate the individual PCB units 1 in the panel. In this embodiment, the connecting ribs 2 connect the PCB units 1 at the vertex positions of the PCB units 1 to form a matrix structure, and except for the connecting ribs 2 at the PCB vertex positions, the space between adjacent PCB units 1 is entirely a hollow structure, that is, the panel building gap 3.

[0032] The panel building gap 3 refers to the void or distance between adjacent PCB units 1 on the PCB panel. These gaps provide sufficient space and room for operation during cutting, separation, and manufacturing processes. It can be understood that the narrower the panel building gap 3, the larger the size of the PCB units 1 in the same panel, or the more PCB units 1 can be formed, resulting in a higher utilization rate of the board, but the greater the difficulty of separating the boards; on the contrary, the wider the panel building gap 3, the more sufficient the space and room for operation provided during cutting, separation, and manufacturing processes, but the smaller the size of the PCB units 1 in the same panel, or the fewer PCB units 1 can be formed, that is, the lower the utilization efficiency of the board.

[0033] When the size of the PCB unit 1 is relatively large, that is, the size of the PCB unit 1 is significantly larger than the panel building gap 3, the width of the panel building gap 3 mainly affects the utilization efficiency of the board, and has a relatively small impact on board separation. Because even if the panel building gap 3 is small and touches the edge of the PCB unit 1 during board separation, due to the relatively large size of the PCB, there is a certain interval redundancy between its edge position and the nearest electronic component on the board, so it is not easy to damage the electronic components on the PCB unit 1. When the size of the PCB unit 1 is relatively small, generally the electronic components on the board are more densely arranged. If the panel building gap 3 is narrower, then the space and room for operation provided for board separation are very limited. Therefore, the probability of board damage caused by board separation is greater. To avoid such problems, in practical applications, the panel building gap 3 will be designed wider to reduce the loss rate of the board.

[0034] In an alternative embodiment, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the minimum width of the connection between the connecting rib 2 and the PCB unit 1 at the vertex position is 0.5 mm, and the minimum panel building gap 3 between adjacent PCB units 1 is 0.5 mm. Specifically, the overall size L3 of the connecting rib 2 can be determined by the width of the connection between the connecting rib 2 and the PCB unit 1 at the vertex position (i.e., the width L1 of the connecting end 21) and the width L2 of the panel building gap 3. In short, when the width of the connection between the connecting rib 2 and the PCB unit 1 (i.e., the width L1 of the connecting end 21) and the width L2 of the panel building gap 3 are smaller, the overall size L3 of the connecting rib 2 is also smaller.

[0035] In this alternative embodiment, according to the current process, the minimum width of the connection rib 2 at the connection with the PCB unit 1 can be made 0.5 mm, and the minimum panelization gap 3 can be made 0.5 mm. However, in actual applications, considering factors such as the operation tolerance during panel separation or the process level, etc., the width of the connection between the connection rib 2 and the PCB unit 1 may be made greater than 0.5 mm, and the panelization gap 3 may also be made greater than 0.5 mm. For example, in a PCB panelization, the width of the connection between the connection rib 2 and the PCB unit 1 is 1 mm, and the panelization gap 3 is designed to be 0.5 mm.

[0036] Preferably, the panelization gaps 3 of adjacent PCB units 1 in different array directions are equal. For example, Figure 1 In the shown PCB panelization, the panelization gaps 3 between each column of PCB units 1 are the same, the panelization gaps 3 between each row of PCB units 1 are the same, and the panelization gaps 3 between each column of PCB units 1 are the same as the panelization gaps 3 between each row of PCB units 1. Of course, in practice, the panelization gaps 3 between the rows and columns of the PCB units 1 in the array can be different. For example, the panelization gaps 3 between each column of PCB units 1 are greater than or less than the panelization gaps 3 between each row of PCB units 1. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0037] From the application scenario perspective, the PCB provided by the above embodiments is suitable for the panelization of small-sized PCB units 1. For example, in an actual application scenario, the minimum side length of the PCB unit 1 is greater than or equal to 2 mm. In the panelization, the width of the connection between the connection rib 2 and the PCB unit 1 is 1 mm, and the panelization gap 3 is designed to be 0.5 mm. Among them, considering that the shape of the PCB unit 1 can be square or rectangular, if the PCB unit 1 is square, then the minimum size of the PCB unit 1 can be 2 mm * 2 mm, and if the PCB unit 1 is rectangular, then the minimum size of the PCB unit 1 can be 2 mm * 3 mm, etc.

[0038] In order for the PCB panelization to be better separated after the electronic components are mounted, the four vertex positions of the PCB unit 1 can be designed to be suitable for being separated from the connection rib 2 and at the same time provide sufficient connection strength.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment, the vertex position of the PCB unit 1 can be a chamfered hypotenuse or a rounded hypotenuse, and the connecting rib 2 is connected to the chamfered hypotenuse or the rounded hypotenuse. In this embodiment, the vertex position of the PCB unit 1 is preferably a chamfered hypotenuse. The connecting rib 2 is provided with connecting ends 21 that are in one-to-one docking with the chamfered hypotenuse. The connecting rib 2 is connected to the chamfered hypotenuse at the vertex position of the PCB unit 1 through the connecting ends 21 to join adjacent PCB units 1 together. Among them, all or part of the chamfered hypotenuse on the PCB unit 1 can be connected to the connecting rib 2, that is, the width of the connection between the chamfered hypotenuse and the connecting ends 21 on the connecting rib 2 is equal to or less than the length of the chamfered hypotenuse. Preferably, the length of the chamfered hypotenuse at the vertex position of the PCB unit 1 is equal to the width of the connecting ends 21 of the connecting rib 2, so as to avoid burrs and other situations at the connection between the connecting rib 2 and the PCB unit 1.

[0040] Among them, the shape and structure of the connecting rib 2 are not unique. For example, in an alternative embodiment, in combination Figure 3 speaking, there is an arc groove between the two connecting ends 21 of the connecting rib 2 that connect adjacent PCB units 1, and the arc groove communicates with the plate joining gap 3 between the two PCB units 1 that are docked with the two connecting ends 21. This arc groove can be formed when using a router to process the plate joining gap 3 of the PCB. That is to say, when processing the PCB flat plate provided in this embodiment, a router can be used according to Figure 1 The structure shown is used to process the plate joining gap 3. Since the router can only form the corner edges of the arc groove on the PCB and cannot form right-angle edges, after all the plate joining gaps 3 are processed, Figure 1 The PCB plate joining shown can be obtained. It can be seen that the connecting rib 2 that connects each PCB unit 1 is a solid connecting rib 2, that is, it is an integral structure with the PCB. In addition, referring to Figure 4 , in the case where the PCB plate joining has a frame 4, the structures of various connecting ribs 2 in Figure 4 can be formed after processing the plate joining gap 3 between the PCB unit 1 and the frame 4, that is, there is an arc groove between adjacent connecting ends 21 of the connecting rib 2. It can be seen that the PCB plate joining structure provided in this embodiment is simple, and can effectively reduce the processing procedures during the plate joining process, thereby reducing production costs.

[0041] Specifically, the number of connecting ends 21 on the connecting rib 2 corresponds to the number of PCB units 1 connected by the connecting rib 2. In a PCB plate joining, a connecting rib 2 can be connected to the chamfered hypotenuses of at most 4 PCB units 1 at the vertex position. In this scenario, there are 4 connecting ends 21 on the connecting rib 2, and the width of the connection between each connecting end 21 and the chamfered hypotenuse of the PCB unit 1 is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm.

[0042] In addition, in some PCB plate joinings, some connecting ribs 2 can also be connected to one or two PCB units 1.

[0043] For example, in combination with Figure 4 it is stated that in the case where the PCB panel has a panel border 4, the vertex positions of the PCB units 1 adjacent to the border 4 are also connected to the border 4 through the connecting ribs 2. The adjacent PCB units 1 near the border 4 are connected to the border 4 through the connecting ribs 2 provided with two connecting ends 21. In this application scenario, the connecting ribs 2 are only provided with two adjacent connecting ends 21, which are respectively butted against the beveled hypotenuses at the vertex positions of the two adjacent PCB units 1; while the PCB units 1 at the corner positions of the border 4 are connected to the border 4 through the connecting ribs 2 provided with one connecting end 21. In this application scenario, the connecting ribs 2 have only one connecting end, which is used to connect to the beveled hypotenuse corresponding to the PCB unit 1 at the corner position of the border 4. Among them, the panel gap 3 between the border 4 and the PCB unit 1 is greater than or equal to the panel gap 3 between the adjacent PCB units 1. That is to say, the size of the panel gap 3 between the PCB unit 1 and the border 4 and the panel gap 3 between the PCB units 1 can be different or the same. In this embodiment, the panel gap 3 between the PCB unit 1 and the border 4 and the panel gap 3 between the PCB units 1 are preferably the same.

[0044] It can be understood that the wider the width at the connection between the connecting end 21 and the beveled hypotenuse, the higher the connection reliability between the PCB unit 1 and the connecting rib 2, that is, the splicing between the PCB units 1 is more stable and firm. Of course, if the length of the beveled hypotenuse does not exceed half of the side length of the PCB unit 1 where it is located, and the beveled hypotenuse is longer, then the area of the intercepted PCB unit 1 is larger. Therefore, in practical applications, the length of the beveled hypotenuse can be set according to specific requirements, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0045] Furthermore, after the PCB panel is completed, SMT or other methods can be used to mount electronic components. After the electronic components are mounted, the PCB panel is then subjected to a panel separation operation. At this time, in order to better separate the PCB units 1 without damaging the electronic components thereon, existing panel separation means can be used to perform the panel separation operation on the PCB panel.

[0046] In an alternative embodiment, a layer of silk-screen lines (not shown in the drawings) is provided on the surface where the PCB unit 1 is connected to the connecting rib 2. Among them, the silk-screen lines (English: Silkscreen lines) are a kind of marking lines on the printed circuit board (PCB), usually printed on the surface of the PCB using white or yellow ink. In this embodiment, by setting silk-screen lines at the connection positions between each individual PCB unit 1 and the connecting rib 2 in the panel to mark the cutting lines between different PCB units 1, when finally separating the panels, engineers only need to cut along the silk-screen lines on the PCB panel to obtain single PCB units 1, thereby effectively avoiding the situation of PCB board scrapping caused by engineer operation errors.

[0047] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present utility model shall be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A PCB panel, comprising a plurality of PCB units of the same shape, characterized in that: The PCB unit is rectangular in shape, and a plurality of the PCB units are arranged in an array. The PCB units in the array are connected at the vertex positions by connecting ribs, and there are panel gaps between adjacent PCB units outside the connecting ribs.

2. The PCB panelization according to claim 1, characterized in that: The minimum connection width between the connecting rib and the PCB unit at the vertex position is 0.5 mm, and the minimum panel gap between adjacent PCB units is 0.5 mm.

3. The PCB panelization according to claim 2, characterized in that: The panel spacing between adjacent PCB units in different array directions is equal.

4. The PCB panelization according to claim 2, characterized in that: The minimum side length of the PCB unit is greater than or equal to 2 mm.

5. The PCB panelization according to claim 1, characterized in that: A layer of silk-screen lines is provided on the surface of the connection between the PCB unit and the connection rib.

6. The PCB panelization according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the PCB panel has a panel border, the vertex position of the PCB unit adjacent to the border is also connected to the border through the connecting ribs, and the panel gap between the border and the PCB unit is greater than or equal to the panel gap between adjacent PCB units.

7. The PCB panelization according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The vertex position of the PCB unit is a truncated angle bevel, and the connecting rib is provided with a connecting end that is connected one-to-one with the truncated angle bevel.

8. The PCB panelization according to claim 6, characterized in that: The length of the truncated hypotenuse of the PCB unit at the vertex position is equal to the width of the connecting end of the connecting rib.

9. The PCB panelization according to claim 7, characterized in that: An arc groove is provided between two connection ends of the connection rib that connect adjacent PCB units, and the arc groove is communicated with the panel gap between the two PCB units that are butted against the two connection ends.

10. The PCB panelization according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The vertex position of the PCB unit is a rounded bevel edge, and the connecting rib is connected to the rounded bevel edge.

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