Housing with Integrated Light Guide Paths for PCB Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional housing constructions for electronic circuit boards in high-reliability applications like automobiles and aircraft face challenges in integrating high-voltage and low-voltage components while maintaining lightweight and cost-effective manufacturing, particularly due to the complexity of shielding and insulating components, which increases production costs and error rates when using optical fibers in fully automated manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
The housing design incorporates light guide paths as integral components, serving both mechanical support and optical signal transmission, allowing for robot-friendly assembly and reducing component count, weight, and production costs by eliminating the need for separate flexible light guides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate flexible light guides are used for optical signal transmission, then high-voltage and low-voltage components can be shielded and insulated, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase, and fully automated assembly becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the housing structure and light guide function into a single integrated component. The housing body itself is designed with light-guiding properties, eliminating the need for separate flexible light guides. This merging reduces device complexity while maintaining the shielding and insulation functions through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: mechanical protection, structural support, and optical signal transmission. By making the housing itself light-guiding, it eliminates the need for dedicated light guide components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If separate flexible light guides are used for optical signal transmission, then high-voltage and low-voltage components can be shielded and insulated, but manufacturing cost and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the light guide function into the housing structure, the patent reduces the number of separate components that need to be manufactured and assembled. This merging simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces production time while maintaining the necessary shielding and insulation for high-voltage and low-voltage components.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-functional housing that serves as both structural enclosure and light guide reduces component count and assembly steps. This universality streamlines manufacturing operations and reduces production costs while ensuring proper shielding and insulation through the integrated design.
3Reliability
If separate flexible light guides are used for optical signal transmission, then high-voltage and low-voltage components can be shielded and insulated, but assembly by robots becomes difficult and error rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of light guide paths into the rigid housing structure creates a fixed, predetermined optical pathway that does not require manual positioning or alignment during assembly. This merging enables robots to automatically assemble the device without the complexity of handling and positioning separate flexible light guides, thereby improving automated assembly capability while maintaining shielding and insulation.
4Reliability
If more components are used for shielding and insulation, then high-voltage and low-voltage components can be properly isolated, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the housing and light guide into a single integrated component, the patent eliminates the weight of separate light guide materials. The housing material itself provides both structural support and optical guidance functions, reducing overall weight while maintaining proper isolation of high-voltage and low-voltage components through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-functional housing reduces the total component count and eliminates redundant materials. By making the housing itself light-guiding, it removes the need for additional light guide components, thereby reducing weight while maintaining reliable isolation between high-voltage and low-voltage components.
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
This design enhances manufacturing efficiency, reduces production costs, and ensures high reliability by enabling fully automated assembly of electronic circuit boards with integrated light guide paths that support both mechanical housing and optical signal transmission, meeting stringent '0-defect production' requirements.
Implementation Method 1
the light guides are components of the housing and, in addition to the task of guiding the light, also simultaneously take on the task of a housing
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a housing structure for electronic circuit boards and particularly to a housing structure in which high and low voltage components are arranged. The housing structure comprises a housing (1) with a rectangular cross-section for receiving electronic circuit boards (2), in which predetermined sections (1b) of the housing (1) conduct light, these sections (1b) comprise light inlet surfaces and light outlet surfaces, the light inlet surfaces are associated with optical transmitters (3) and the light outlet surfaces are associated with optical receivers (4), and the optical transmitters (3) and optical receivers (4) are connected to a circuit board (2) such that signals may pass.