Board Joint Mechanism

Abstract

To provide a method and a mechanism for connecting a plurality of printed boards without the need for a connector or soldering.SOLUTION: In a board joint mechanism 1 having a first connector portion and a second connector portion, the first connector portion and the second connector portion are formed as a male-side connector portion 5 or a female-side connector portion 4. The female-side connector portion 4 is made up of a plurality of through-holes 6 and a through-hole plating piece. The male-side connector portion 5 is made up of a plurality of protruding parts 7 extending in an extension direction of the board joint mechanism 1. The first connector portion and the corresponding second connector portion are connected to each other by a conductive part made of a metallic foil belt 3. Among the protruding parts 7 forming the male-side connector portion 5, two of the protruding parts 7 located on outermost edge portions each have a claw part 8 disposed on a further inner side than each of the protruding parts 7 and facing each of the protruding parts 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a board joint mechanism comprising an insulating plate and a plurality of metal foil strips attached to both sides of the insulating plate. [Background technology]

[0002] As technology becomes more sophisticated and complex, the use of multiple printed circuit boards is increasing. These boards are usually arranged parallel to one another or perpendicular to one another, and connectors are usually used to connect the boards together.

[0003] The connectors used usually require a certain amount of board space, especially connectors with many terminals (pins), and the manufacturing of such connectors also requires a lot of manufacturing costs.

[0004] Furthermore, soldering is required to connect such a connector to a printed circuit board, and soldering requires financial and time costs.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a method of connecting printed circuit boards that does not require connectors or soldering.

[0006] Here, Patent Document 1 proposes a printed wiring board in which a sub-printed wiring board (2) is fixed upright to a main printed wiring board (1). The main printed wiring board (1) and the sub-printed wiring board (2) are connected without a connector, but the printed wiring boards (1, 2) are connected to each other by soldering.

[0007] Among the methods for connecting electronic components to a printed wiring board, those that do not require soldering include those that use contact pins as in Patent Document 2 and those that use press-fit terminals as in Patent Document 3, but both of these are merely technologies used in connectors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2592361 [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-16394 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2014-44913 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and mechanism for connecting multiple printed circuit boards together, which does not require connectors or soldering and enables the printed circuit boards to be connected together in three dimensions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This problem is solved by a board joint mechanism consisting of an insulating plate and a plurality of metal foil strips attached to both sides of the insulating plate, the board joint mechanism having a plurality of first connector portions formed at a first end of the board joint mechanism and a plurality of second connector portions formed at the other end of the board joint mechanism, the first and second connector portions being formed as male connector portions or female connector portions, the female connector portion being made of a plurality of through holes and through hole plating provided on these through holes, the male connector portion being formed of a plurality of protrusions extending in the extension direction of the board joint mechanism, the first connector portions and the corresponding second connector portions being connected by conductive portions formed by the metal foil strips, and the two protrusions forming the male connector portion that are located at the outermost edge have claw portions that are directed towards the protrusions located more inward than the protrusions.

[0011] Advantageously, stopper projections may be formed between the plurality of protrusions forming the male connector portion.

[0012] It is further advantageous if the through holes are formed as slots.

[0013] In another embodiment, the metal foil strip can be split in the area where the through holes shaped as slots are to be formed.

[0014] The board joint mechanism of the present invention can be manufactured by a manufacturing method including the steps of cutting a material consisting of an insulator and metal foil attached to both sides of the insulator to a predetermined panel size, forming a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of through holes in the cut panel member, plating the inner surfaces of the through holes to form through-hole plating, and connecting the corresponding protrusions and through holes with metal foil strips. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] Overall view of the substrate joint mechanism according to the present invention [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of substrate joint mechanisms according to the present invention are combined together. [Figure 3] Example of a claw provided on a male connector [Figure 4] A diagram of the stopper protrusion provided on the male connector part [Figure 5] Diagram of cutting the metal foil strip in the through-hole area of ​​the female connector [Figure 6] Diagram of an embodiment in which the number of intermediate terminal mechanisms is changed [Figure 7] Diagram of the board joint mechanism with nine terminal mechanisms [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the substrate joint mechanism according to the present invention is used; [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing another state of use of the substrate joint mechanism according to the present invention; [Figure 10] Diagram of discarded boards generated during the manufacturing process of printed circuit boards [Figure 11] Diagram of the female connector part [Figure 12] Connector pin implementation diagram [Figure 13] Diagram of the board joint mechanism being inserted into the printed circuit board via the connector [Figure 14] Diagram of the board joint mechanism being inserted into the printed circuit board via the connector [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram of another embodiment (LED cube) of the substrate joint mechanism according to the present invention. [Figure 16] 10 is a diagram of another embodiment (LED cube) of the substrate joint mechanism according to the present invention. [Figure 17] LED Cube Exploded View [Figure 18] Diagram of LED cube components [Figure 19] LED cube light emission status DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows an overall view of one embodiment of a board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention is formed from an insulating plate 2 and a plurality of metal foil strips 3 attached to both sides of the insulating plate 2. The metal foil can be, for example, copper foil. The metal foil strips 3 are provided at positions corresponding to each other on the front and back surfaces of the insulating plate 2. In this embodiment, three metal foil strips 3 are provided on each of the front and back surfaces.

[0018] 1, the board joint mechanism 1 has a female connector portion 4 on the upper side and a male connector portion 5 on the lower side. The female connector portion 4 is formed by a through-hole 6 that penetrates the insulating plate 2 and the metal foil strips 3 provided on both sides of the insulating plate 2. In this embodiment, the through-hole 6 is formed as an elongated hole. The inside of the elongated hole is plated to ensure conductivity between the metal foil strips 3 on the front and back sides of the board joint mechanism 1 and the metal foil strip 3 of the male connector portion 5 that is inserted into the through-hole 6.

[0019] The male connector portion 5 is formed from a plurality of protrusions 7. In this embodiment, the male connector portion 5 is formed from a total of three protrusions 7. Each male connector portion 5 and the corresponding female connector portion 4 are connected by each metal foil strip 3. The connection by the metal foil strips 3 is made on both the front and back surfaces of the insulating plate 2. As a result, each male connector portion 5, the corresponding female connector portion 4, and the metal foil strips 3 constitute a single terminal structure (pin structure), so to speak.

[0020] Each protrusion 7 is formed to have basically the same shape and dimensions. Furthermore, it can be seen that the left and right outer protrusions 7 in FIG. 1 (protrusions 7 located at the outermost edges) have claw portions 8. These claw portions are formed facing away from the protrusion 7 located at the outermost edges toward the protrusion 7 located inside it. These claw portions enhance the engagement with the female connector portion 4 (through hole 6), preventing the male connector portion 5 from falling off the female connector portion 4.

[0021] The total thickness (finished plate thickness) of the insulating plate 2 and the metal foil strips 3 provided on both sides thereof is configured to ensure the connection and conductivity of both connector parts, taking into consideration the through-holes 6 of the female connector part 4 and the finished dimensions after the through-holes are plated. As a result of this configuration and the fact that the through-holes 6 are formed as elongated holes, the male connector part 5 and the female connector part 4 come into contact with each other on a "surface" basis, improving and stabilizing the electrical connection.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a state in which multiple such board joint mechanisms 1 are combined. The left side of FIG. 2 (FIG. 2a) shows a state in which two board joint mechanisms 1 are combined, the center side (FIG. 2b) shows a state in which three board joint mechanisms 1 are combined, and the right side (FIG. 2c) shows another state in which three board joint mechanisms 1 are combined. In all of these figures, it can be seen that the female connector portion 4 of one board joint mechanism 1 is inserted into the male connector portion 5 of another board joint mechanism 1. In this way, the board joint mechanism 1 of the present invention can be connected to multiple boards, that is, the connection can be performed in multiple stages. This makes it possible to flexibly connect multiple printed circuit boards that may be arranged in a variety of ways, such as at right angles or in parallel.

[0023] As can be seen in Figure 2, the board joint mechanisms 1 can be connected to each other without soldering. The configuration of the male connector portion 5 and the female connector portion 4 as described above ensures conductivity without soldering.

[0024] Of course, it is also possible to solder the male connector portion 5 and the female connector portion 4 to establish electrical continuity between them.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the claw portion 8 provided on the protrusion 7 located at the outermost edge of the male connector portion 5. The left side of FIG. 3 shows the claw portion 8 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the right side shows the claw portion 8 according to another embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3a and 1, the upper and lower sides of the claw portion 8 are formed to have approximately the same length. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3b, these sides are formed to have different lengths. As a result, the angles α and β of the upper part of the claw portion 8 are different. The angle β of the claw portion 8 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3b is smaller than the angle α in FIGS. 1 and 3a, which further improves the engagement of the protrusion 7 of the male connector portion 5 with the through-hole 6 of the female connector portion 4. Of course, other shapes of the claw portion 8 are also conceivable, taking into account the engagement between the male connector portion 5 and the female connector portion 4.

[0026] As can be seen in Figure 4, it is also possible to provide stopper protrusions 9 between the protrusions 7 of the male connector part 5, more specifically, on the insulating plate 2 between the metal foil strips 3. This allows the positional relationship between the board joint mechanisms 1 to be adjusted when the male connector part 5 of the board joint mechanism 1 is inserted into the female connector part 4.

[0027] Figure 5 shows another possibility for the female connector portion 4. As shown in Figure 5, it is possible to separate the metal foil strip 3 located above the through-hole 6 from the metal foil strip 3 located below it by removing the portions of the metal foil strip 3 on both sides of the through-hole 6, for example, using a drill or the like. This cuts off the electrical continuity between the upper and lower portions of the metal foil strip 3 above the through-hole 6. In other words, it becomes possible to have the front and back surfaces of the male connector portion 5 of the board joint mechanism 1 inserted into this through-hole 6 function as separate terminals and electrodes. As a result, it becomes possible to have one terminal (one protrusion 7) perform the functions and roles of two terminals, enabling what is called a "multi-pin structure."

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, the total number of terminals (number of pins) can be increased by increasing the number of terminal structures (intermediate terminal structures) other than the terminal structures arranged on the outermost edge. Figure 6 shows how an embodiment having a total of nine terminal structures is realized.

[0029] 7 shows another embodiment of the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a nine-terminal structure (nine-pin structure) is realized. The board joint mechanisms 1 in this embodiment can be used in combination with each other, as in the embodiment in FIG. 2.

[0030] The board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention can be used not only in combination with each other, but also in combination with an ordinary printed circuit board provided with a female connector portion 4 and / or a male connector portion 5. In this case, the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention functions as a substitute for a connector, so to speak.

[0031] For example, in the example of Figure 8, a normal printed circuit board 10 is provided with a female connector portion 4. It can be seen that a male connector portion 5 of the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention is inserted into this female connector portion 4. A cable 12 is connected to the female connector portion 5 of the board joint mechanism 1. In this way, the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention functions as a substitute for a connector. It is conceivable that a PC or the like is connected to the end of the cable 12 to write data to the IC chip 11.

[0032] In another embodiment, the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention may be formed with a male connector portion 5 on both sides or a female connector portion 4 on both sides. For example, FIG. 9 shows two printed circuit boards 10, 10' being connected by a board joint mechanism 1 formed with a male connector portion 5 on both sides. The printed circuit boards 10, 10' are each provided with a female connector portion according to the present invention. This makes it possible to easily connect the two printed circuit boards 10, 10' without using soldering.

[0033] Finally, we will explain the method for manufacturing the board joint mechanism 1. Basically, the board joint mechanism 1 can be manufactured in the same or similar manner as a normal printed wiring board (double-sided board).

[0034] The manufacturing method of the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention includes at least the following steps: (1) a panel cutting step, (2) a through-hole 6 and protrusion 7 forming step, (3) a through-hole plating step, and (4) a metal foil strip forming step.

[0035] In the panel cutting step, the material is cut into predetermined panel dimensions, and the material can be a copper-clad laminate for double-sided boards.

[0036] Next, the cut material is drilled and processed to form through holes 6 and protrusions 7. This forms the basic components of each terminal mechanism of the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention. At this stage, the metal foil band has not yet been formed.

[0037] Next, the through-holes 6 are plated, thereby electrically connecting the metal foil on the front surface and the metal foil on the back surface.

[0038] Finally, a metal foil strip is formed. The formation of the metal foil strip can be carried out according to a normal pattern formation process. That is, this process includes laminating an etching resist, baking the pattern, removing unnecessary parts other than the pattern, forming a resist for pattern formation, an etching process (removing the metal foil in parts other than the pattern), and peeling off the resist.

[0039] The board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention can be manufactured from the same material as a normal printed circuit board, so by properly considering the layout on the material, it is possible to simultaneously manufacture the printed circuit board and the board joint mechanism 1 according to the present invention from a single material, which can significantly reduce manufacturing costs.

[0040] For example, as can be seen in Figure 10, in the normal manufacturing process of a printed circuit board, a portion called a waste board is generated. In Figure 10, the portion marked with the reference numeral 20 is the waste portion. As described above, the joint board according to the present invention can be manufactured from the same material as a normal printed circuit board, utilizing this waste portion. This leads to reducing the cost of parts, etc., and solving issues such as the SDGs and zero emissions that are currently being addressed in various fields.

[0041] Figure 11 shows another embodiment of the female connector portion 4 in the joint board according to the present invention. The female connector portion 4 can be provided not only in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the joint board as shown in the examples above, but also at an angle (for example, at a 45 degree angle) to the longitudinal direction of the joint board as shown in this figure (Figure 11).

[0042] Furthermore, as can be seen in Figure 11 (right), a plurality of female connector portions 4 can be provided in the same area. For example, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 11, the female connector portions 4 can be provided in an X-shape, crossing each other. This further improves the degree of freedom of board layout in three-dimensional space using the joint board according to the present invention.

[0043] Figure 12 shows another embodiment of the male connector portion 3 of the joint board according to the present invention. In the examples of Figures 1 and 6, all connector pins of the male connector portion 3 are formed to be the same length, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 12. In the male connector portion 3 shown in the right diagram of Figure 12, the two connector pins located in the center are formed shorter than the two connector pins located on both sides (the outermost sides). This makes the connector pins located on the inside less likely to break or be damaged than in the embodiment shown on the left diagram of Figure 12.

[0044] Fig. 13 shows an example of use of the joint board according to the present invention. As shown in Fig. 13, by providing a suitable female connector portion on the printed circuit board, or by providing a male connector portion that fits the female connector portion of a normal connector, the joint board according to the present invention can be configured so that the male connector portion can be directly inserted into the female connector portion of the printed circuit board (left side of the figure), or can be inserted and connected to the printed circuit board via a connector or the like (right side of the figure).

[0045] When inserting and connecting to a printed circuit board via a connector, it is possible to configure the printed circuit board and the joint board of the present invention to extend parallel to each other, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 14, or to configure the joint board to extend perpendicular to the printed circuit board, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 14.

[0046] Furthermore, Fig. 15 shows a further developed form of the board joint mechanism according to the present invention. As shown in Fig. 15, the board joint mechanism according to the present invention can have a structure with multiple end portions, at which male and female connector portions are formed. The terminals of the male and female connector portions formed at each end portion can be appropriately connected using standard printed circuit board technology. In the example of Fig. 10, multiple LED light emitters are placed on the board joint mechanism according to the present invention, which is formed into a grid structure using the printed circuit board technology, forming a single LED cube, so to speak.

[0047] Such an LED cube can be used as a teaching tool to promote understanding of spatial figures. Use of the LED cube of the present invention is expected to improve geometric and spatial cognitive abilities.

[0048] In recent years, there has been an increase in children who have difficulty performing mental operations and who are unable to reliably understand floor plans. These children have problems such as being unable to imagine the shape of a new surface within a solid, or being unable to transition from intuitive thinking to logical thinking, and these problems are particularly evident when it comes to spatial figures.

[0049] By using this LED cube according to the present invention, children are expected to be able to understand the difference between a blueprint and an actual three-dimensional object. Because the internal structure of the three-dimensional object is visible through the LED cube, it is easy to understand diagonal lines and twisted lines. In addition, the impressive appearance is expected to increase children's motivation to learn.

[0050] Figure 16 is a view of the LED cube shown in Figure 15 from a different angle. Four columnar joint boards and five lattice-shaped joint boards connected and supported by these four columnar joint boards can be seen. At the bottom of the LED cube, a control printed circuit board equipped with a control mechanism for controlling the light emission of the LEDs can be seen.

[0051] Figure 17 is an exploded view of the LED cube in Figure 16, showing the four columnar joint boards, five grid-shaped joint boards, and the control printed circuit board more clearly.

[0052] Figure 18 is a detailed diagram of the columnar joint board, lattice joint board, and control printed circuit board shown in Figure 17. The left side of the diagram shows the front side (one side) of each board, and the right side shows the back side (the other side). It can be seen that an LED is placed on the front side of the lattice joint board, and a capacitor is placed on the back side. It is of course possible to place an LED on the back side of the lattice joint board.

[0053] FIG. 19 shows the state in which an LED cube made up of such components is energized and the LEDs are emitting light. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Board joint mechanism 2. Insulating plate 3 Metal foil strip 4 Female connector part 5 Male connector part 6 through holes 7 Protrusion 8 Claw 9 Stopper protrusion 10, 10' printed circuit board 11 IC chip 12 Cable 20 Disposable board section

Claims

1. a board joint mechanism comprising an insulating plate and a plurality of metal foil strips attached to both sides of the insulating plate, the board joint mechanism having a plurality of first connector portions formed at a first end of the board joint mechanism and a plurality of second connector portions formed at the other end of the board joint mechanism, the first and second connector portions being formed as male connector portions or female connector portions, the female connector portion being formed by a plurality of through holes and through hole plating provided in these through holes, the male connector portion being formed by a plurality of protrusions extending in the extension direction of the board joint mechanism, the first connector portions and the corresponding second connector portions being connected by conductive portions formed by the metal foil strips, the two protrusions forming the male connector portion that are located at the outermost edge have claw portions directed toward the protrusions located more inward than the protrusions, and stopper projections are formed between the plurality of protrusions forming the male connector portion.

2. 2. The board joint mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the through-hole is formed as an elongated hole.

3. 3. The board joint mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the metal foil strip is divided in a region where the through hole formed as an elongated hole is formed.

4. cutting a blank consisting of an insulator and metal foils attached to both sides of the insulator to a predetermined panel size; forming a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of through holes in the cut panel member; a step of plating the inner surface of the through hole to form a through hole plating; connecting the corresponding protrusions and through holes with metal foil strips; a first connector portion formed at a first end of the board joint mechanism and a second connector portion formed at the other end of the board joint mechanism, the first and second connector portions being formed as male connector portions or female connector portions, the female connector portion being formed with a plurality of through holes and through hole plating provided on these through holes, the male connector portion being formed with a plurality of protrusions extending in the extension direction of the board joint mechanism, the first connector portion and the corresponding second connector portion being connected by a conductive portion formed by the metal foil band, and the two protrusions forming the male connector portion and located at the outermost edge have claw portions directed toward the protrusions located more inward than the first protrusions.

5. 3. The board joint mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the female connector portion is formed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the board joint mechanism.

6. 6. The board joint mechanism according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of female connector portions are provided in the same area.

7. 3. The board joint mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the length of the connector pins arranged in the center is shorter than the length of the connector pins arranged at the outermost positions.

Images