High-Temp Thermoplastic Pin Headers for Reflow Soldering
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Solution Overview
Problem
State-of-the-art pin headers are not resistant to high temperatures, making them unsuitable for reflow soldering processes with Surface Mounted Devices (SMD) components, requiring manual assembly and increasing time and economic costs due to the need for hand soldering or individual pin placement.
Innovation Solution
A pin strip with a connecting body made of high-temperature-resistant thermoplastic, featuring supporting feet that keep the connector body at a defined distance from the printed circuit board, allowing for reflow soldering and automated assembly, with soldering pins designed to extend like pins for 'pin-in-paste' processes or flat soldering surfaces for planar contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional pin headers made of polyester or nylon are used, then they can be manufactured with standard materials and processes, but they cannot withstand the high temperatures of reflow soldering processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the connecting body from conventional polyester or nylon to high-temperature-resistant thermoplastic materials such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or LCP (liquid crystal polymer). This material substitution enables the connecting body to withstand reflow soldering temperatures of 230°C to 260°C while maintaining manufacturability through standard injection molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining high-temperature-resistant thermoplastic base materials with reinforcing fibers (glass fibers or mineral reinforcements). This composite approach enhances the thermal stability, mechanical strength, and dimensional stability of the connecting body, allowing it to survive the thermal stress of reflow soldering while maintaining structural integrity.
2Productivity
If manual hand soldering or individual pin placement is used for pin headers, then the connecting body does not need to withstand high temperatures, but the assembly process becomes time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by designing the pin strip with pre-aligned soldering pins held together in a connecting body at defined distances from the printed circuit board. This pre-positioning allows the entire pin strip to be placed and soldered simultaneously in one automated operation, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual placement and alignment of individual pins while ensuring consistent soldering quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple individual pin placement operations into a single integrated pin strip assembly. By combining multiple soldering pins into one connected structure with a unified connecting body, the patent enables simultaneous placement and soldering of all pins in one automated reflow process, dramatically improving productivity while maintaining reliable solder joints through consistent thermal exposure.
3Ease of operation
If the connecting body lies flat on the printed circuit board during soldering, then the structure is simple, but the soldering areas cannot be properly soldered from the other side of the board
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by elevating the connecting body off the printed circuit board surface using supporting feet. This vertical displacement creates clearance space between the connecting body and the board, allowing solder paste to be applied to the soldering areas on the opposite side of the board and enabling proper solder flow and joint formation during the reflow process.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting feet act as intermediary elements between the connecting body and the printed circuit board. These feet provide the necessary spacing and structural support, mediating the relationship between the connecting body and the board to enable proper soldering geometry while maintaining overall structural simplicity and stability.
4Temperature
If support feet are added to elevate the connecting body, then reflow soldering becomes possible, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting feet are designed with optimized dimensional parameters, including height, width, and spacing, to provide the minimum necessary clearance for solder paste application and solder flow while maintaining structural stability. The feet are integrated into the connecting body as a unified component, and their simple geometric forms minimize the increase in overall device complexity while enabling reflow soldering capability.
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
Enables reliable, automated assembly and soldering of pin strips with SMD components in a reflow process, reducing manual labor and increasing manufacturing efficiency by ensuring a robust mechanical and electrical connection.
Implementation Method 1
the connection body consists of a thermoplastic high-temperature resistant plastic
Implementation Method 2
the support feet form spacer elements that keep the connecting body of the pin strip at a defined distance from the circuit board
Implementation Method 3
the solder is then melted. The melting takes place by exposing the assembled circuit board to a temperature in the range of approx. 280° C. for several seconds
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pin header (1) for mounting on a printed circuit board (2). The pin header has a connector body (3) in which at least two solder pins (4) are held, each comprising a soldering area (8a) for soldering the solder pins (4) to the circuit board (2) and a contact area (8b). The solder pins (4), at least with their soldering areas (8a), form a row lying in a plane and project with the contact area (8b) beyond an upper body surface (5a) of the connector body (3) extending perpendicular to the plane, and with the soldering area (8a) beyond a lower body surface (5b) of the connector body (3) extending perpendicular to the plane.The connector body (3) has support feet (7a) for supporting the pin header (1) on the printed circuit board (2). These feet are arranged on the lower surface (5b) of the body and extend parallel to the solder pins (4), creating a space beneath the connector body (3) that allows hot air to flow around the soldering area (8a). The connector body (3) is made of a thermoplastic material resistant to high temperatures, enabling the pin header to withstand high temperatures. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for mounting a pin header (1) according to the invention onto a printed circuit board (2).