Electronic device having an elongated substrate configuration

Abstract

The electronic device has an elongated printed circuit board configuration and a row of electrical units on the elongated printed circuit board configuration. The indicator unit is wirelessly powered to identify a specific location on the elongated printed circuit board configuration. This identification is used to identify the correct location for subsequent processing of the device during manufacturing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device having an elongated substrate. The present invention relates to a device formed as a strip, such as a light strip.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device formed as a strip may require some processing after initial manufacture, such as bending the strip into a desired shape or separating the strip into a plurality of shorter strips that each function as a separate independent unit.

[0003] In the case of a light strip, for example, there is a flexible printed circuit to which an LED chip is attached, and an insulating coating around the flexible printed circuit, especially a silica gel tube. Previously, they were manufactured separately and then assembled into the light strip. Currently, a co-extrusion process is used to improve productivity and enable an improved and more uniform lighting effect.

[0004] To improve productivity and reduce waste of silica gel, a light strip passing through the co-extrusion process is generally longer than 50 meters and includes 10 to 30 individual light strips. After co-extrusion, this long light strip assembly needs to be divided into individual units. However, it is difficult to find the joining positions of adjacent light strips. One option is to operate a light strip controller to turn on the start or end of the light strip to find the joining position and then cut the light strip. Then, the next light strip is powered on and this is continued until all light strips are separated. This is inefficient and does not work if the light strip is damaged.

[0005] Identifying locations along an elongated printed circuit board can be useful for devices other than light strips, such as any device where a strip substrate needs to be segmented or processed (e.g., shaped) at specific locations. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for an improved way to identify specific locations along an elongated substrate configuration. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0007] The present invention is defined by the claims.

[0008] According to an example of an aspect of the present invention, an elongated printed circuit board configuration, a row of electrical units on the printed circuit board configuration, an indicator unit including an indicator element and a wireless power receiver for wirelessly receiving power to operate the indicator element, thereby identifying a specific location on the elongated printed circuit board configuration. An electronic device is provided.

[0009] This electronic device has a row of electrical units. Indicator elements, such as lighting elements, are used to identify locations along the elongated printed substrate. This location can be, for example, a location where the electronic device is to be further processed (e.g., segmented or bent).

[0010] Accordingly, the desired specific location can be wirelessly indicated using electromagnetic power transmission without the need to power the electrical units themselves. This can greatly improve productivity and positional accuracy (e.g., for separating elongated printed circuit boards).

[0011] In one example, the row of electrical units should have multiple sets of electrical units (each forming a final device) that should be separated into individual sets, and the indicator unit identifies where the separation should occur. After separation, the indicator unit may be removed or may remain part of the separated final device.

[0012] In other examples, the device may have a single set of electrical units, and the indicator unit is used to identify where the device is separated from a longer printed circuit board that was previously formed from multiple such devices. In this case, the indicator unit is integrated with the electrical units and remains in place as part of the completed final device.

[0013] The printed circuit board configuration has, for example, one or more flexible printed circuits.

[0014] As described above, one option is that the row of electrical units has multiple sets of electrical units that should be separated, and the indicator unit identifies where the separation should occur. In that case, the indicator unit may be provided between each pair of adjacent sets of electrical units along the elongated printed circuit board configuration.

[0015] Each set of electrical units (forming a single final device) may have its own individual printed circuit board, and the individual printed circuit boards are connected to each other to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration. Thus, multiple substrates (e.g., 2 m to 5 m in length) are assembled to form an elongated substrate configuration (e.g., to form a length exceeding 50 m), and separation is required after processing of the elongated substrate configuration.

[0016] Each individual printed circuit board may carry at least one indicator unit. Thus, the indicator unit may be an integral part of an individual device.

[0017] Instead, the indicator unit may have a separate device comprising a separate printed circuit board, distinct from the individual printed circuit board. In that case, the individual printed circuit board and the separate printed circuit board are connected to each other so as to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration.

[0018] For example, the connection of these substrates includes an electrical connection, for example, to enable inspection of a full length strip assembly.

[0019] In a preferred example, the indicator element has an illumination element. Thus, the specific location is visually identified. Instead, the location may be electronically identified, for example, using an RFID tag approach. This tag is powered wirelessly and then responds with a response signal when in the position of a wireless interrogation signal.

[0020] The device may have a flexible printed circuit configuration that is co-extruded with an insulating coating such as a sleeve. Thus, an extrusion process is used to provide a sleeve around the electronic device. The insulating sleeve has, for example, a silica gel tube. A long, elongated printed circuit board configuration is formed and then the devices are separated, enabling an efficient co-extrusion process.

[0021] The device has, for example, a light strip and each electrical unit has an LED. The set of LEDs defines a single light strip, but the entire elongated substrate configuration may include a chain of these individual light strips.

[0022] The present invention also provides an indicator unit that is placed between individual printed circuit boards, thereby forming an elongated printed circuit board configuration, the indicator unit having an indicator element and a wireless power receiving device for wirelessly receiving power for operating the indicator element, thereby identifying a joint location between the individual printed circuit boards.

[0023] This is a unit that can be placed between individual substrates (of individual final devices) to form the elongated substrate configuration.

[0024] Within the electronic device or the indicator unit, the wireless power receiving device has, for example, a receiver inductor and an AC / DC converter, and the indicator element has an LED. If the device has light strips each including a set of LEDs, the entire device has, for example, 10 to 30 individual light strips.

[0025] The present invention is a method of manufacturing an electronic device, a row of electrical units, manufacturing an elongated substrate configuration including an indicator element and an indicator unit having a wireless power receiving device for wirelessly receiving power for operating the indicator element, thereby identifying the location of the elongated printed circuit board configuration, passing the elongated printed circuit board configuration over a wireless power transmitter, observing the operation of the indicator element when the elongated printed circuit board configuration passes over the wireless power transmitter, and marking the location of the indicator element, thereby identifying the location indicated by the indicator element.

[0026] The marked location is then used for further processing such as cutting or bending.

[0027] The method may include assembling a plurality of individual printed circuit boards, each carrying a respective set of electrical units, to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration, wherein each individual printed circuit board carries at least one indicator element. In this case, each of the final devices incorporates the indicator unit.

[0028] Alternatively, the method may include assembling a plurality of individual printed circuit boards and a separate printed circuit board of the indicator unit to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration. In this case, a separate indicator unit is placed between the individual final devices.

[0029] The method may include co-extruding an insulating coating and the flexible printed circuit configuration.

[0030] The method is preferably for manufacturing a light strip in which each electrical unit has an LED. Thus, each of the individual printed circuit boards may form a light strip, and the overall device may have, for example, 10 to 30 individual LED strips.

[0031] These and other aspects of the invention will be described and clarified with reference to the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032] For a better understanding of the present invention and to more clearly show how the present invention may be implemented, reference is now made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0034] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, system and method, are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the apparatus, system and method of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the figures are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that throughout the figures, the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts.

[0035] The present invention provides an electronic device having an elongated printed circuit board configuration and a row of electrical units on the elongated printed circuit board configuration. The indicator unit is wirelessly powered to identify a specific location on the elongated printed circuit board configuration. This identification is used to identify the correct location for subsequent processing of the device during manufacturing.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a first example of an electronic device 10 in the form of a light strip assembly. In this example, the light strip assembly has a series connection of a plurality of individual light strips to be separated.

[0037] The light strip assembly has a column of light strips 12. Each light strip 12 is a final product, and thus, the assembly shown in FIG. 1 exists during an intermediate stage of manufacturing where these final products are connected to each other to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the cost of the manufacturing process.

[0038] In this particular example, the column of light strips has an indicator unit 14 disposed between the light strip 12 and the end of an adjacent light strip 12. The indicator unit 14 identifies, in one example, where separation of the light strip assembly into individual light strips 12 should occur. However, the indicator unit may alternatively identify a location for other processing such as bending or other local operations.

[0039] Each light strip 12 has its own individual printed circuit board in the form of a flexible printed circuit. In this context, the term "individual printed circuit board" is used to refer to the substrate 13 for a single light strip. The indicator unit 14 in this example is a device separate from the individual light strips and thus is separate from the individual printed circuit board. The substrate 15 for the indicator unit is described as a "separate printed circuit board". The individual printed circuit board 13 and the separate printed circuit board 15 are connected to each other to form the overall elongated printed circuit board configuration. Thus, the term "substrate configuration" is used to indicate either a single substrate or a connected set of substrates as shown in FIG. 1.

[0040] Thus, in the example of FIG. 1, the indicator unit is provided between each pair of adjacent light strips along the entire elongated printed circuit board configuration of the light strips.

[0041] Each light strip has a row of individual electrical units in the form of LEDs 16. The length of each light strip is, for example, from 2 m to 5 m, and the length of the entire elongated printed circuit board configuration can exceed 50 m. Thus, the entire device can have from 10 to 30 individual light strips.

[0042] The different substrates are connected to each other by terminal blocks. Light strip 12 has a terminal block 22, and indicator unit 14 has a terminal block 24.

[0043] The indicator unit in the preferred example has an illumination unit. It has an illumination element 30 and a wireless power receiving device 32. The wireless power receiving device is for wirelessly receiving power to operate the indicator element, i.e., to light up the illumination element, and this lighting is used to identify a specific location on the elongated printed circuit board configuration.

[0044] Thus, the location of the illumination element 30 is indicated wirelessly using electromagnetic power transmission without the need to power the LEDs of the light strip.

[0045] In the example of FIG. 1, the entire elongated printed circuit board configuration has a plurality of sets of LEDs (each set forming one light strip and thus one final device), and these sets are separated. The indicator unit identifies the location where the separation should be made.

[0046] After separation, the indicator unit (e.g., cut in the middle) is removed.

[0047] The electrical connection between different substrates by terminal blocks enables inspection of the full-length strip. The full light strip may be too long to be inspected as a single unit (due to voltage drop), and thus the elongated strip may be separated into shorter lengths for inspection before being separated into individual final devices.

[0048] Alternatively, or in addition, individual final device strips can be inspected using a standard test procedure.

[0049] The elongated printed circuit board is co-extruded with the insulating sleeve 40. Thus, an extrusion process is used to provide a sleeve around the device before the indicator unit is later used during the manufacturing process. The insulating sleeve has, for example, a silica gel tube. An efficient co-extrusion process is made possible by forming a long, elongated printed circuit board configuration and then separating the devices.

[0050] Figure 2 shows an example of the circuit of the indicator unit. It has an illumination element 30 in the form of an LED, and a wireless power receiving device 32 in the form of a rectifying circuit of an inductor pickup coil L1 and a diode D1 and a capacitor C1. The capacitor is charged by the rectifier and supplies current to the illumination element 30. Of course, other energy harvesting circuits may be used. The coil L1 only needs to have an inductance of a few μH or several tens of μH.

[0051] The example of Figure 1 uses an indicator unit that is separate from the light strip. Figure 3 shows the indicator unit 14 in a perspective view. The indicator unit 14 has its separate printed circuit board 15 to which the illumination element 30, the wireless power receiving device 32 and the terminal block 24 are attached. One terminal block is male and one terminal block is female so that the indicator unit can be placed between the corresponding opposite (male and female) ends of the light strip.

[0052] Figure 4 shows the indicator unit 14 as seen from above.

[0053] The present invention also relates only to this indicator unit for placing between individual printed circuit boards, thereby forming an elongated printed circuit board configuration.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows the device of FIG. 1 passing over the wireless power transmission device 60. When the indicator unit 14 reaches the wireless power transmission device, the lighting element 30 is lit as shown, and the position can be marked for future reference, or there can be automatic detection of light and further automatic processing, such as disconnection.

[0055] Further processing includes, for example, production cutting a long length (e.g., 50 m) into the length of individual devices (e.g., 5 m). The individual devices can further be cut to the desired length for a specific application by the customer. The indicator element is generally only used by the manufacturer in this particular example. However, in other application examples, the end user can utilize the indicator element, for example, using an existing wireless power supply device.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows an example of how the cutting process is performed. The indicator unit 14 is marked and cut only along line 60. This is the rough cutting step. Then, by removing the terminal block 22 from the terminal block 24, the cut half of the indicator unit is removed from the adjacent light strip. This removes the remaining part of the indicator unit. The remaining insulation sleeve is also cut. The terminal block remains within the insulation sleeve.

[0057] In the above example, the indicator unit is placed between the light strips (which have their own individual printed circuit boards).

[0058] Figure 7 shows that, instead, the indicator unit 14 can be part of the light strip. Each light strip has a column of LEDs 16 and, in addition, has the indicator elements of the indicator unit 14 and the wireless power receiving device. The light strips are connected to each other by their terminal blocks 22. The light strips have a male terminal block at one end and a female terminal block at the other end, as in the example above. Since the indicator unit is integrated with the LEDs, the indicator unit remains in a predetermined position as part of the final device.

[0059] In this case, the location is marked and then only the insulation sleeve 40 needs to be cut using a cutting tool that cuts only the insulation sleeve. Then, the individual light strips can be separated by pulling apart the terminal blocks.

[0060] Each individual light strip in this example has an elongated printed circuit board configuration that includes an indicator unit for identifying a specific location of the elongated printed circuit board configuration. In this case, the column of electrical units (i.e., LEDs) on the printed circuit board configuration corresponds to only a single light strip (thus, the elongated substrate "configuration" has only one substrate). In the case of the separated light strips, the indicator unit serves its purpose in that it is used to identify the location where the device was separated from a longer printed circuit board assembly (i.e., the configuration of FIG. 7) previously formed from a plurality of such devices.

[0061] As explained above, the lighting element is only one possible example of an indicator element. Non-visual means can also be used, such as an indicator element in the form of an RFID tag that is powered wirelessly and then responds with a response signal when in the position of the wireless interrogation signal. In that case, the response signal is the indication provided by the indicator element.

[0062] Another example is a wirelessly powered heating element that, when activated, causes a visual change in the insulating layer, such as a color change.

[0063] The present invention is also not limited to light strips. Any electronic device manufactured as a long strip may need to be separated into individual components or bent into a shape, and it may be difficult to identify a suitable location for such separation or bending. For example, a location where the device should be connected to another element, such as a jig or other fixture, can be identified.

[0064] Those skilled in the art can understand and achieve variations to the disclosed embodiments from the study of the drawings, the specification, and the appended claims in the implementation of the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the singular form does not exclude the plural.

[0065] Merely the fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these means cannot be used advantageously.

[0066] Note that when the term "adapted to" is used in the claims or the specification, the term "adapted to" is intended to be equivalent to the term "configured to". Note that when the term "configured" is used in the claims or the specification, the term "configured" is intended to be equivalent to the term "system", and vice versa.

[0067] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. An elongated printed circuit board configuration, a row of electrical units on the printed circuit board configuration, an indicator unit including an indicator element and a wireless power receiving device for wirelessly receiving power to operate the indicator element to thereby identify a specific location on the elongated printed circuit board configuration, wherein the row of electrical units includes a plurality of sets of electrical units to be separated, and the indicator unit has an indicator unit for identifying a location where separation is to be performed, An electronic device, wherein each set of electrical units has its own individual printed circuit board, and the individual printed circuit boards are connected to each other to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, having an indicator unit between each adjacent pair of sets of electrical units along the elongated printed circuit board configuration.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein each individual printed circuit board carries at least one indicator unit.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the indicator unit has a device separate from the individual printed circuit board, the separate printed circuit board being provided, and the individual printed circuit board and the separate printed circuit board are connected to each other to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration.

5. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indicator element has an illumination element.

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having a flexible printed circuit configuration and an insulating coating co-extruded with the flexible printed circuit configuration.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the insulating coating is a sleeve.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the sleeve is a silica gel tube.

9. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, having a light strip, and each electrical unit having an LED.

10. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wireless power receiving device has a power receiving inductor and an AC / DC converter, and the indicator element has an LED.

11. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising: a row of electrical units, A step of manufacturing an elongated substrate configuration including an indicator unit having an indicator element and a wireless power receiving device for wirelessly receiving power to operate the indicator element, thereby identifying a location of an elongated printed circuit board configuration; A step of passing the elongated printed circuit board configuration over a wireless power transmitting device; A step of observing the operation of the indicator element when the elongated printed circuit board configuration passes over the wireless power transmitting device; A method having a step of marking the location of the indicator element, thereby identifying the location indicated by the indicator element.

12. A step of assembling a plurality of individual printed circuit boards, each carrying a respective set of electrical units, to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration, wherein each individual printed circuit board carries at least one indicator element, or The method according to claim 11, having a step of assembling a plurality of individual printed circuit boards and a separate printed circuit board of the indicator unit to form the elongated printed circuit board configuration.

13. The method according to claim 12, having a step of co-extruding a flexible printed circuit configuration with an insulating coating.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the insulating coating is a sleeve, such as a silica gel tube.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14 for manufacturing a light strip in which each electrical unit has an LED.

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