Electrical component

Abstract

Component (4) with electrical connection elements (5) for contacting a printed circuit board (1), at least one component support (12) for support on the printed circuit board (1) and a center of gravity that is laterally offset to the component support (12), and a counterweight (9) that is arranged on the component (4) such that a stable center of gravity is located above the component support (12), so that the component (4) is stabilized in its position and held in its assembly position after the component (4) has been mounted on the printed circuit board (1), characterized in that the counterweight (9) is designed as an assembly aid (14) that is detachably arranged on the component (4), wherein the counterweight (9) is connected to the component (4) via a bridge (11) and the assembly aid (14) with the counterweight (9) can be removed from the component (4) by breaking off the bridge (11).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to components with electrical connection elements for contacting a printed circuit board (PCB) and at least one component support for support on the PCB, with a center of gravity located laterally offset from the component support, and a counterweight arranged on the component such that a stable center of gravity is located above the component support, so that the component is stabilized in its position and held in its assembly position after mounting on the PCB. The invention relates in particular to the mounting of components on PCBs and their positioning prior to connection to the PCB with a center of gravity that prevents a stable position after assembly.

[0002] German patent DE 10 2016 118 527 A1 describes an arrangement and a method for soldering a component onto a printed circuit board (PCB), enabling components with unfavorable centers of gravity to be mounted without force by means of a support function, thus making them suitable for a reflow process. This solution can be disadvantageous if, when arranging components on the outer contour of the PCB, which is particularly common with connectors, the support function must be located on the panel layout (edge ​​or adjacent PCB) or if the PCB area at the location of the positioning device must be kept clear.

[0003] For the state of the art, reference is still made to documents US 5 586 008 A and DE 10 2009 017 523 A1.

[0004] US Patent 2008 / 0203547 A1 discloses a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly for an electrical connector. The PCB assembly comprises an array of electrically conductive contacts, a dielectric leadframe housing overmolded onto the contact array, and a ground located within the leadframe housing. The additional ground can shift the center of gravity of the PCB assembly, thus acting as a counterweight to a non-proportional ball-grid array connector.

[0005] US patent 2015 / 0064978 A1 further shows a connector strip and a connector module. The connector module comprises a connector and a removable counterweight block. The connector includes an insulating main body and a number of conductive leads attached to the insulating main body. Each conductive lead includes a solder pad exposed on the insulating main body. The removable counterweight block is detachably connected to the insulating main body and exerts a force of gravity on the solder pads via the insulating main body. During connector and circuit board assembly, the removable counterweight block therefore exerts a force of gravity on the solder pads to ensure stable soldering to the circuit board. Once assembly is complete, the removable counterweight block can also be detached from the insulating main body.

[0006] EP 2 955 791 A1 discloses a connector that can be mounted and held securely on an end section of a substrate, even if the connector has an asymmetrical shape on both sides. Front and rear leg sections project from the underside of the connector body. Front leg sections are located on the side of the substrate's end face relative to rear end leg sections. Viewed from the mounting surface, the leg sections are positioned on the underside such that the center of gravity of the connector itself lies within the area defined by the intersection of the centers of the leg sections.

[0007] German patent application DE 10 2009 017 523 A1 discloses a device for mounting at least one pin for electrical contacting on a printed circuit board, with an insulating body for receiving the pin, wherein the pin has a first region and a second region, wherein the longitudinal axis of the first region of the pin, which can be directly connected to the printed circuit board, is vertical to the surface of the printed circuit board and the longitudinal axis of the second region of the pin is formed at an angle 0° < α ≤ 90° to the longitudinal axis of the first region of the pin.The body has a suction surface for a pick-and-place machine and a receiving element for receiving the pin, wherein the receiving element receives the pin at the second area of ​​the pin and the receiving element is arranged with its longitudinal axis at an angle to the suction surface of the body and the holding element preferably has a support surface for placing the body on the circuit board.

[0008] US Patent 5,586,008 A teaches a component locking mechanism extending from a component having a plurality of solder lugs, extending substantially equidistant from one end of the component to points that are substantially equidistant from a base of the component, the component requiring mounting on a printed circuit board, the locking mechanism comprising: a latch contact with a first section connected to the component in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length of the component, the first end being connected to the component, and a second section angled relative to the first section and projecting through an opening in the printed circuit board, and a third section extending parallel to the first section and terminating at a point on or below the points where the solder lugs are arranged above the base.

[0009] The components relating to the invention are, for example, electrical connectors or other electrical / electromechanical components that are to be mounted on a printed circuit board and for this purpose have at least electrical connection elements. This can be done in a known manner via corresponding holes in the printed circuit board or by contacting the surface of the printed circuit board.

[0010] The invention is based on the objective of eliminating the aforementioned disadvantages and proposing possibilities that allow the assembly of the printed circuit board with electronic / electromechanical components that must be held in a stable position during assembly.

[0011] This problem is solved according to the invention by a component having the features of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments can be found in the respective dependent claims.

[0012] The counterweight is designed as a placement aid that is detachably attached to the component. The counterweight is connected to the component via a bridge, and the placement aid with the counterweight can be removed from the component by breaking off the bridge. This allows the component to be held in the correct position for the subsequent connection process after it has been positioned on the printed circuit board (PCB), regardless of the type of process or the type of connection to the PCB and the electrical contacts on the PCB. This is independent of, for example, whether the component is surface-mount (SMT) or through-hole (THT).

[0013] According to the invention, the counterweight is attached to the component as an additional assembly aid, either during manufacturing or subsequently, via appropriate fastening means or integrated into the component's contour. The assembly aid can be pluggable or breakable, allowing it to be removed after assembly if the assembled circuit board needs to be placed in a housing that requires the space containing the assembly aid and, in particular, the counterweight. With this design, the counterweight can also be magnetic, so that the positioning force is applied additionally or exclusively via magnetic forces between the counterweight and magnetic elements on the circuit board. In this case, the counterweight can be dimensioned with a lower mass.Preferably, the placement aid is positioned so that it is above the usual placement plane of the flatter components and thus does not block any printed circuit board area.

[0014] The procedure for soldering a component with an unfavorable center of gravity during assembly, exhibiting one or more of the aforementioned features, comprises the following steps: - Provision of a printed circuit board with electrical connections; - Arranging the component on the circuit board with the electrical connection elements at the electrical terminals of the circuit board; - Introducing a liquid soldering material and allowing the soldering material to solidify; or - Melting and solidifying existing solder material; and if necessary - Removal of the assembly aid.

[0015] The process takes into account the manufacturing of both SMT and THT components using wave soldering and reflow soldering. The solidification characteristic also applies when using a conductive adhesive.

[0016] The present invention enables the positioning of components with different shapes on a printed circuit board using linear movements and holds them in the correct orientation for the soldering process. The placement process is force-free, thus facilitating automation and the use of, for example, pick-and-place robots. The placement aid ensures a stable position during the soldering process, such as in reflow or wave soldering. It is also possible to use conductive adhesive. After the solder joints have solidified, the placement aid, along with non-functional parts of the components, such as the support element, can be easily removed due to the detachable connection. This allows, for example, the automated placement of existing device connectors, including individual contacts in angled versions, onto printed circuit boards and soldering, for instance, in a reflow process.

[0017] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. Further features will become apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the claims and the accompanying figures. The individual features of the invention can be realized individually or in combination in different embodiments of the invention. The figures depict: Fig. 1 A schematic representation of a THT component, a placement aid and a printed circuit board in the mounted state on the circuit board, Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a THT component with an integrated counterweight in the mounted state on the printed circuit board (not part of the invention), and Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a THT component similar Fig. 2 with a counterweight loosely arranged on it (not part of the invention).

[0018] The embodiment shown in the figures illustrates the schematic structure in a side view of the components involved according to the invention, consisting of a printed circuit board 1, a through-hole technology (THT) component 4 (as opposed to a surface-mount technology (SMT) component) in the form of a connector with an external thread 3 and contact pins 7, and a placement aid 14. The printed circuit board 1 has holes 2 which are aligned with each other such that they can accommodate all the terminal elements 5 of the component 4 to be soldered simultaneously. Typically, at least one component support 12 is provided on the component 4 near the terminal elements 5. The holes 2 serve to accommodate the terminal elements 5 of the component 4.

[0019] Fig. Figure 1 shows the component 4 with a placement aid 14, which has a counterweight 9 that, in this embodiment, is rigidly connected to the component 4 via a bridge 11. The bridge 11 is sufficiently robust to absorb the counterweight forces. The figure is not drawn to scale. If the placement aid 14 interferes with assembly in a housing (not shown), it can be removed after soldering by breaking off the bridge 11 on the component 4. The counterweight 9 is positioned vertically relative to the circuit board 1 such that it is located above a mounting plane for flat components, such as a resistor 8. This allows the available space on the circuit board to be utilized.

[0020] Fig. Figure 2 shows the component 4 without a placement aid 14 as in Fig. 1. If the space for a placement aid 14 is insufficient, or if the component 4 provides areas that are not used anyway, a counterweight 9' can be integrated into the component 4 so that, with appropriate dimensioning, a stable position can also be achieved this way. In the Fig. Figure 2 schematically depicts a counterweight 9' that extends over the entire circumference of the connector shown as component 4. The counterweight 9' is located laterally to the component support 12, which is shown in the component 4 according to Fig. 2 opposite the component support 12 in Fig. 1 is offset.

[0021] Fig. 3 essentially corresponds to the design of Fig.2, where identical elements have the same reference numerals. The only difference is that the initial weight 9" is designed as a loose insert on the THT component 4. This can, for example, be placed in a recess, lie directly on the component 4, or be held in place by magnetic force.

Claims

[1] Component (4) with electrical connection elements (5) for contacting a printed circuit board (1), at least one component support (12) for support on the printed circuit board (1) and a center of gravity that is laterally offset to the component support (12), and a counterweight (9) that is arranged on the component (4) in such a way that a stable center of gravity is located above the component support (12), so that the component (4) is stabilized in its position and held in its assembly position after the component (4) has been mounted on the printed circuit board (1), characterized by , that the counterweight (9) is designed as a placement aid (14) which is detachably arranged on the component (4), wherein the counterweight (9) is connected to the component (4) via a web (11) and the placement aid (14) with the counterweight (9) can be removed from the component (4) by breaking off the web (11). [2] Component (4) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the counterweight (9) of the placement aid (14) is located above a placement level for flat components (8).

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