Circuit Board Edge Insulation Coating for Thermal and Space Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Circuit boards require significant unused edge regions to maintain air clearance and creepage distances, limiting their size and thermal efficiency due to the need for insulation between conductive parts, which also restricts the extension of heat-spreading copper layers.
Innovation Solution
Applying a coating of insulating material to the circuit board's end-face edge to create a solid insulator, reducing or eliminating the need for air clearance and creepage distances, allowing for a smaller board size and improved thermal performance by extending copper layers to the edge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If creepage distances are maintained with respect to the circuit board edge, then insulation reliability is improved, but the usable area of the circuit board deteriorates due to large unused edge regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a coating of insulating material to the end-face edge of the circuit board, transitioning from two-dimensional surface insulation to three-dimensional edge insulation. This vertical extension of insulation into the third dimension (edge height) eliminates the need for horizontal creepage distances at the board edge, thereby resolving the contradiction between insulation reliability and usable area.
2Reliability
If creepage distances are maintained with respect to the circuit board edge, then insulation reliability is improved, but thermal transfer efficiency deteriorates due to limited extension of heat-spreading copper layers
Solution Approach 1:
By coating the end-face edge with insulating material, the patent enables heat-spreading copper layers to extend to the very edge of the circuit board without compromising insulation reliability. This removes the horizontal distance constraint, allowing thermal energy to be efficiently dissipated across the maximum possible surface area of the board.
3Area of stationary object
If the circuit board size is reduced, then space utilization is improved, but insulation reliability deteriorates due to insufficient air clearance and creepage distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for reduced horizontal creepage distances by providing vertical insulation through the edge coating. The insulating material extends along the end-face edge with a height substantially equal to the board thickness, creating a three-dimensional insulation barrier that maintains reliability even when the board's horizontal dimensions are minimized.
4Loss of energy
If heat-spreading copper layers are extended to the edge region, then thermal transfer efficiency is improved, but insulation reliability deteriorates due to reduced air clearance and creepage distances
Solution Approach 1:
The edge coating provides vertical insulation that complements the horizontal extension of copper layers. By insulating the end-face edge rather than relying solely on horizontal distances, the patent enables copper layers to reach the board edge for optimal thermal dissipation while maintaining insulation reliability through the third-dimensional protective barrier.
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 solution reduces the circuit board's size, enhances thermal efficiency, and increases robustness against environmental influences by preventing moisture penetration and delamination, while maintaining effective insulation.
Implementation Method 1
The circuit board end-face edge is provided with a coating of an insulating material... the applied coating forms a materially integral solid insulator on the circuit board end-face edge which prevents the formation of creepage currents
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit board is disclosed that includes a plurality of circuit board layers located one on top of the other. The plurality of circuit board layers includes a topmost circuit board layer and a bottommost circuit board layer, wherein the topmost circuit board layer forms a top of the circuit board, wherein the bottommost circuit board layer forms a bottom of the circuit board, and wherein the plurality of circuit board layers together forms an end circuit-board edge that runs perpendicularly to the top and the bottom of the circuit board. The end circuit-board edge is provided with a coating made of an insulating material.