Circuit Board Fuse Region for Arc Tracking Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Circuit boards in appliances like automatic dishwashers are susceptible to arc tracking events, which can lead to overheating and failure due to high energy shorts, and existing thermal protectors may not effectively contain or respond to these events, causing damage and potential fires.
Innovation Solution
A circuit board design featuring a substrate with a peninsula element and a fuse region that evanesces with heat to electrically open the power input pin during an arc tracking event, preventing further power supply and potentially containing the arc tracking within a non-flammable housing or connector box.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional thermal protectors are used, then the circuit board has basic protection, but they may not effectively contain or respond to arc tracking events, causing damage and potential fires
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit board is segmented into a main substrate and a separate peninsula element. The power input connector is mounted on the peninsula element, which is spaced from the substrate to create a fuse region. This segmentation isolates the high-risk power connection area from the main circuit board, allowing arc tracking to be contained in the fuse region without damaging the entire circuit board or surrounding components.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuse region acts as an intermediary element between the power input connector and the main substrate. When arc tracking occurs, the fuse region evanesces with heat to electrically open the power input pin, serving as a sacrificial protective barrier that prevents direct damage to the circuit board and housing.
2Device complexity
If the power input connector is placed close to the substrate junction, then the device complexity is reduced, but arc tracking can cause overheating and failure
Solution Approach 1:
The peninsula element extends from the substrate in a dimensional configuration that creates a spaced separation between the power input connector and the main substrate junction. This dimensional arrangement creates the fuse region without significantly increasing overall device complexity, as the peninsula is an integrated extension of the existing circuit board structure.
3Speed
If arc tracking is allowed to propagate freely, then the system responds quickly, but it causes overheating and potential fires
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse region is pre-configured as a sacrificial element that will evanesce with heat before arc tracking can propagate to cause overheating or fire. This preliminary protective structure is designed to fail in a controlled manner, stopping the arc tracking event before it can reach harmful levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harmful effect of arc tracking-generated heat is converted into a beneficial protective mechanism. The fuse region is designed to evanesce specifically in response to the heat from arc tracking, using the harmful thermal energy to trigger the protective opening of the power input pin and containment of the arc tracking event.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively stops power to the circuit board during an arc tracking event, reducing the risk of damage and fire, while the non-flammable housing or connector box helps in containing and minimizing the impact of the event, making the system more robust and predictable compared to conventional thermal protectors.
Implementation Method 1
a fuse region in the peninsula element that evanesces with heat in response to arc tracking along the electrical trace to the power input connector
Implementation Method 2
arc tracking along the electrical trace to the power input connector
Data Source
AI summary
A printed circuit board to which corresponding wiring connectors such as power wiring connectors, may be connected to couple electrical components and a power supply to the printed circuit board and a control housing, which may be used for operably storing such a printed circuit board.