Sub-PCB Bulkheads for Lamp Driver Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic components with open housings on both sides face challenges in safely and efficiently encapsulating the interior with casting compounds without material loss, requiring additional bulkheads that increase manufacturing costs and offer no additional benefits during the component's service life.
Innovation Solution
The use of sub-circuit boards as bulkheads, which are mechanically and/or electrically connected to the main circuit board, allows for a space-optimized design where the sub-circuit boards serve as both functional components and barriers to contain the potting compound, reducing assembly effort and eliminating the need for separate bulkheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate bulkheads are used to enclose the housing interior for casting, then the housing can be sealed for encapsulation, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase due to additional separate parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bulkhead function with the circuit board by extending the circuit board to form the bulkhead structure. The circuit board is designed to protrude from the housing and seal against the housing interior, combining the electrical circuit carrier function with the sealing bulkhead function into a single integrated component, thereby eliminating separate bulkhead parts while maintaining sealing quality for encapsulation
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit board is given multiple functions: it serves as both the electrical circuit carrier and the sealing bulkhead. By making the circuit board multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for dedicated separate bulkhead components, reducing device complexity while maintaining the sealing capability required for housing encapsulation
2Ease of operation
If the housing is open on both sides for cable routing, then cable connection and handling are facilitated, but the casting process becomes difficult without additional bulkheads to prevent material loss
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit board is designed to extend beyond the housing to form a bulkhead that seals the housing interior at the opening side. This integration allows the housing to remain open for cable routing while the circuit board bulkhead prevents casting compound loss during encapsulation, solving both the ease of operation and material loss problems simultaneously
3Reliability
If thick flexible bulkheads are used to retain casting compound, then the bulkheads can be robust for sealing, but the installation space increases and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for separate thick flexible bulkheads by using the circuit board itself as the sealing structure. The circuit board is designed with appropriate thickness and sealing features to retain casting compound effectively, while being thinner and more space-efficient than dedicated bulkhead components, thereby reducing installation space while maintaining robustness
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using separate bulkhead components that would require significant thickness for robustness, the patent uses the circuit board structure itself, which can be manufactured with precise thickness control. The circuit board copying the bulkhead function requires minimal additional space while achieving the same sealing and retention reliability through its structural design
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an electronic component (1), in particular a driver for a lamp, comprising a housing (2) with two opposing openings (20), a printed circuit board (3) for receiving electronic components, which is arranged in the housing (2) and extends at least partially between the openings (20) of the housing (2), and a potting compound which fills a defined partial area (4) between the openings (20) of the housing (2), wherein the partial area (4) is spatially limited towards the openings (20) by a bulkhead (5) which together with the housing (2) substantially circumferentially closes the partial area (4), and wherein at least one of the bulkheads (5) is designed as a sub-printed circuit board (50).The invention further relates to a lamp comprising an electronic component (1) according to the invention and a light source, in particular an LED, which is electrically connected to the electronic component (1) for the operation of the lamp. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an electronic component (1).