Transistor Pin Alignment Assembly for PCB Insertion Accuracy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Automated printed circuit board assembly faces challenges in accurately aligning and handling power transistors with long copper legs, which are prone to damage due to loose pin tolerances and complex assembly requirements, leading to increased costs and scrap rates.
Innovation Solution
A three-part component carrier system with a pin alignment portion affixed to the PCB, a carrier portion for retaining transistors, and a clamping portion to distribute insertion force, utilizing conical or triangular prism extrusions for precise alignment and clamping of transistor pins to prevent damage during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If individual transistors are used with loose pin tolerances, then cost is reduced, but assembly complexity and alignment difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-part alignment assembly (carrier portion, pin alignment portion, and force distribution portion) as an intermediary device between the transistor and PCB. This alignment assembly acts as a mediator that compensates for loose pin tolerances by providing precise alignment features (conical extrusions, alignment holes) that guide the transistor pins into correct positions on the PCB, thereby reducing assembly complexity despite using lower-cost individual transistors with loose tolerances
2Reliability
If tight holes are used in PCB for good soldering, then connection quality is improved, but pin alignment precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary alignment action through the pin alignment portion with conical extrusions and alignment holes that pre-position the transistor pins before they enter the tight PCB holes. The alignment assembly performs the precision alignment function in advance, allowing the PCB holes to be tight for good soldering while the alignment features handle the precision positioning requirement
Solution Approach 2:
The pin alignment portion serves as an intermediary mechanism between the loose-tolerance transistor pins and the tight PCB holes. It provides conical extrusions that guide and center the pins, mediating the transition from loose pin tolerances to precise hole alignment, thereby enabling both good soldering connections and accommodating manufacturing variations
3Temperature
If long copper legs are used for thermal management, then thermal performance is improved, but handling difficulty and damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier portion provides a protective structure that holds and supports the long copper legs during assembly. By enclosing and supporting these flexible, prone-to-damage legs within the carrier assembly, the system maintains the thermal management benefits of long copper legs while protecting them from damage during handling and assembly operations
4Productivity
If complex robotic systems are used for automated assembly, then productivity is improved, but handling of fragile components becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the assembly system into distinct functional parts: the carrier portion for secure retention, the pin alignment portion for precise positioning, and the force distribution portion for controlled insertion. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally, making the overall system more manageable for automated robotic handling while protecting fragile components
Data Source
AI summary
An electric vehicle thermal management system for compressing a low pressure refrigerant with a centrifugal compressor to generate a high pressure refrigerant, determining a battery cooling condition, routing one of the low pressure refrigerant and the high pressure refrigerant to the heat exchanger in response to the battery cooling condition, regulating a transfer of heat between the refrigerant loop and the battery cooling loop in response to a temperature of the battery coolant within the battery cooling loop and the battery cooling condition, and regulating the transfer of heat between the battery coolant loop and a cabin coolant loop in response to the HVAC setting and a cabin coolant temperature within the cabin coolant loop.