PCB Riveting Control via Electrical Conduction Zone Mark
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional screw-based mounting of printed circuit boards in automotive vehicles is time-consuming and costly, and riveting, while attempting to address these issues, can result in mechanical fragility and insufficient electrical continuity due to poor riveting quality, which is difficult to control accurately.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling the riveting of printed circuit boards by using a rivet with a flattened head that covers a control mark on the electrical conduction zone, allowing for straightforward and reliable determination of riveting conformity, either manually or automatically using a camera and analysis submodule, to ensure proper centering and contact area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If riveting is used to mount the printed circuit board instead of screwing, then assembly time and cost are reduced, but mechanical strength and electrical continuity may be compromised due to poor riveting quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining control marks on the printed circuit board that indicate the precise positioning and coverage requirements for rivet heads. These marks are prepared in advance during PCB manufacturing, establishing clear criteria for acceptable riveting before the actual assembly process begins. This allows operators or automated systems to quickly verify riveting quality without complex measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mark serves as an intermediary element between the rivet head and the electrical conduction zone. It provides a visual reference that mediates the relationship between the mechanical fastening function and the electrical continuity requirement, allowing indirect verification of riveting quality through mark coverage observation rather than direct measurement of contact area or electrical properties.
2Measurement precision
If conventional riveting control methods are used to check rivet diameter and centering, then measurement precision may be improved, but assembly time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from complex dimensional verification and reduces it to a simple visual check of mark coverage. Instead of measuring rivet diameter, centering position, and contact area with precision instruments, the method extracts only the essential quality indicator (whether the rivet head adequately covers the control mark) and makes it directly observable through the mark's design.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mark is designed with visual characteristics (such as contrasting color or distinct pattern) that make it easily distinguishable from the surrounding PCB surface. This visual differentiation allows rapid detection of mark coverage by the rivet head, enabling quick quality verification without precise measurement instruments. The mark's visibility acts as a visual signal for riveting conformity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for mounting a printed circuit board for an automotive vehicle on a carrier structure including at least one rivet. The printed circuit board includes at least one mounting aperture that is capable of accommodating the rivet and which defines an electrical conduction zone and at least one mark having a control end up to which the mark extends over the electrical conduction zone. The method includes a step of positioning the printed circuit board on the carrier structure such that the rivet extends through the mounting aperture, a step of riveting the rivet such that its head is at least partly flattened on the electrical conduction zone and a step of determining the conformity of riveting when the head of the rivet covers the control end of the mark.