Surface Mounted Protection Device with Integrated Carrier Tape

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surface mounted technology for electronic components on printed circuit boards requires additional equipment and cost due to the separate discharge of base tapes and cover tapes after chip removal, which complicates the assembly process and increases costs.

Innovation Solution

Integrating an electronic component, such as a fusible element, within a housing structure formed from carrier tape, where the component is coupled to a base housing with terminals extending along its outer surface, and a cover is formed over the component, allowing for direct attachment to a printed circuit board without separate discharge of the carrier tape components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If carrier tape is used to feed electronic components in surface mounted technology, then high-speed feeding and high-density mounting are achieved, but base tapes and cover tapes are separately discharged requiring additional equipment and cost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechip feeding speedVSAvoiddischarge equipment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base tape and cover tape are merged into a single integrated carrier tape structure that remains together through the mounting process. The cover tape is formed to overlap and secure the electronic component on the base tape, creating a unified assembly that is discharged together rather than separately, eliminating the need for additional discharge equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If separate discharge of base tapes and cover tapes is implemented, then electronic chips can be picked up by suction nozzles, but additional equipment and cost are required to accommodate the by-product

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechip pickup easeVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic component is extracted from the carrier tape at the mounting position by suction nozzles, while the carrier tape structure itself remains intact. The cover tape is designed to be removable from the base tape at the component location, allowing chip pickup while maintaining the base tape for continued feeding, thus enabling easy operation without requiring separate discharge equipment for the entire carrier tape.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Area of moving object

If high-density mounting of electronic chips is achieved, then smaller device size and higher performance are obtained, but the assembly process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting densityVSAvoidassembly process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The carrier tape is segmented into functional zones: a base tape portion for feeding and positioning, a cover tape portion for protection and securing, and an integrated structure that maintains alignment. This segmentation allows high-density mounting through precise positioning while simplifying the assembly process by keeping the carrier tape as a unified feeding mechanism rather than requiring separate handling of multiple components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3406013B1Surface mounted protection device
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 LITTELFUSE INC
  • EP3406013B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3406013B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B
  • EP3406013B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Approaches herein provided surface mounted devices each configured as a stand-alone component suitable for attachment to a substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB). In some embodiments, a method includes forming a base housing, coupling an electronic component to the base housing, and forming a cover over the electronic component, wherein the cover is coupled to the base housing. The electronic component may include a fusible link/element extending between terminals, the terminals wrapped around an exterior of base housing. The device may then be coupled to the PCB, for example, by attaching the terminals to an upper surface of the PCB.