PCB Centring and Locking Pins for Electromotive Drive Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing assembly methods for electromotive auxiliary drives, such as windscreen wiper motors, face challenges in securely and simply connecting the PCB to the housing without damaging the electrical components and avoiding mechanical stresses during the bonding process.
Innovation Solution
The use of centring and locking pins for preliminary centring and alignment of the PCB, which also serve as spacers, ensures proper engagement and fixing of the electrical contacts before final soldering or welding, eliminating manufacturing defects and mechanical stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional assembly methods are used to connect PCB to housing, then electrical connections can be established, but manufacturing defects occur and mechanical stresses damage the connecting elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing centring of the PCB relative to the housing section before the actual bonding process. The centring pins are inserted into centring openings to establish precise alignment between the PCB and housing section prior to applying adhesive or heat, preventing misalignment defects and reducing mechanical stress on connecting elements during the bonding process.
2Ease of manufacture
If PCB is fixed directly to housing section, then assembly is simple, but precise alignment of electrical connecting elements cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces centring pins as intermediary elements between the PCB and housing section. These pins insert into corresponding centring openings to mediate the alignment process, ensuring precise positioning of the PCB relative to the housing section before final fixation. This intermediary mechanism maintains assembly simplicity while achieving high alignment precision for electrical connecting elements.
3Reliability
If multiple separate components are used for centring, joining and locking, then each function can be optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the centring pins, which simultaneously perform centring, positioning, and locking functions. The pins are designed with specific geometries that enable them to centre the PCB, maintain precise alignment, and provide mechanical retention all in one component, thereby reducing the total number of parts while maintaining or improving fixing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The centring pins are designed as multi-functional elements that perform multiple tasks: they centre the PCB relative to the housing section, maintain precise alignment during assembly, and provide locking retention. This universal design eliminates the need for separate centring devices, positioning elements, and locking mechanisms, simplifying the overall device structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
Electromotive auxiliary drive for use in vehicles, for example a windscreen wiper drive or motor, having at least one electronic system accommodated inside a gear, having a circuit board or PCB, which with the use of at least one centring and locking pin reaching through a centring and fixing opening is maintained centred in the interior of the gear.