Bent Isolated Metallic Substrate PCB for Automotive Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automotive lighting devices face challenges in reducing size while maintaining functionality, reliability, and ensuring watertightness and electro-static discharges protection, particularly due to complex wire harnesses and connectors in compact designs.
Innovation Solution
An isolated metallic substrate printed circuit board with a bending portion, featuring a first and second plane portion forming an angle, allows for easier electric connections by orienting the connector differently, eliminating the need for complex housing operations and providing improved thermal performance through a heatsink element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the printed circuit board is made small to reduce device size, then the final device size is reduced, but the difficulty of making connections increases and wire harnesses may entangle or connect improperly
Solution Approach 1:
The printed circuit board is bent at an angle (e.g., 90 degrees) to extend the connection portion in a different spatial dimension. This allows the connector to be accessed from a direction perpendicular to the main board plane, effectively adding a dimensional aspect to the connection geometry. This resolves the contradiction by enabling easy connector access without increasing the device's footprint area.
Solution Approach 2:
The printed circuit board is divided into distinct functional portions: a connection portion for connectors, a bending portion for spatial transition, and a second portion for mounting light sources. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the connection portion can be accessed easily while the light source portion remains compact, resolving the contradiction between connection ease and device size.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more wire harnesses and connectors are added to provide advanced lighting functions, then functionality is improved, but the complexity of electric connections and risk of entanglement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bent printed circuit board structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for connectors, creates spatial separation to prevent entanglement, enables electrical connections, and maintains a compact form factor. This multi-functionality allows advanced lighting features to be implemented without proportionally increasing connection complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By utilizing the third dimension through bending, the design accommodates multiple connectors and wire harnesses in a compact space without them lying flat and entangling. The vertical or angled arrangement created by bending allows cables to be routed in different spatial planes, reducing complexity despite increased functionality.
3Ease of operation
If difficult operations are performed on the housing to accommodate connections in compact devices, then connection functionality is achieved, but the difficulty of designing and moulding the housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the housing with complex hollows and cavities to access connectors in a compact device, the bent printed circuit board brings the connection portion to an accessible location by utilizing spatial bending. This eliminates the need for complex housing modifications while maintaining connection accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The printed circuit board structure itself provides the solution for connection accessibility through its bent geometry, rather than requiring the housing to be specially modified. The board's own configuration enables easy connector access without imposing manufacturing complexity on the housing.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention is referred to an Isolated metallic substrate printed circuit board (1) for an automotive luminous device. The printed circuit board (1) is bended by a bending portion (5), in such a way that the printed circuit board comprises a first plane portion (6), the bending portion (5) and a second plane portion (7) which forms an angle with the first plane portion (6). The first portion (6) comprises a connection portion (8) which is configured to receive an electric connector (11). The connection portion (8) comprises a plurality of electric tracks, which are deposited on the track layer (4) of the connection portion (8). The second portion comprises a solid-state light source (9) arranged on the track layer (4). The connection portion (8) and the solid-state light source (9) are in electric connection by means of electric tracks which run along the track layer (4) of the first portion (6), the bending portion (5) and the second portion (7).