Motorola Corporation

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

David W Currier

Tomasz L Klosowiak

Donald J Zito

Keith A Meny

Sanjar Ghaem

William L Olson

Gary K Mui

James D Baer

James V Lowery

Russ Dalbke

David B Fiedler

Christopher I McCarthy

Pavel Pesek

Leobardo Martinez Hernandez

Horace M Long

Lawrence M Hartzell

Peter Lechowicz

Maxwell H Case

Mark Fulcher

David Fiedler

An electronic controller which includes a cover connected to a base plate, a housing, and a printed circuit board disposed in the housing. The base plate includes a press-fit inspection opening or aperture, and a cover is placed on the base plate over the opening, creating a seal path between the cover and the edge of the opening in the base plate. In one embodiment, there is a sealant, such as room temperature vulcanization (RTV) or heat cured sealant, dispensed on the sheet metal base plate around the perimeter of the opening, and the sealant is cured to prevent the formation of a leak path. Prior to the curing process, the cover is held in place by a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), as the sealant is cured. The controller is treated to a curing process to cure the sealant between the cover and the base plate.

Press-fit contact window cover retention

A retention structure which provides both soldering and vibration stabilization of a capacitor as the capacitor is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) of an electronic module. An aperture is part of the PCB to stabilize and prevent the capacitor from rolling during manufacturing. Once secured to the PCB, Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV), or similar adhesive bead, is placed onto a rigidizer or base plate (typically a casted or aluminum sheet plate). Once the capacitor is soldered in place and fixated on the PCB, the assembly is then placed onto the rigidizer such that the PCB is attached to the rigidizer using an adhesive, and the RTV bead contacts and is deformed by the capacitor, connecting the capacitor to the rigidizer to provide vibration stabilization support. The electronic module includes a cover, and optional dampening/constraint pads are attached to the cover of the electrolytic capacitor for additional vibration stabilization.

Electrolytic capacitor retention device

A method and apparatus for bending a substantially rigid substrate () having first and second portions () interconnected by a bend region (). The apparatus comprises first and second heated die members (). The first heated die member () has a longitudinal body portion () and an outer edge portion () that extends along the longitudinal body portion () and is substantially rounded. The second heated die member () has a longitudinal body portion () and a groove () that extends along the longitudinal body portion (). The first and second heated die members () are configured to contact the substrate () and are capable of bending the substrate () in the bend region () when the outer edge portion () of the first heated die member () slides into the groove () of the second heated die member (). There is also a method for bending the substantially rigid substrate ().

System and method for bending a substantially rigid substrate

A flexible circuit board assembly (10) includes a flexible substrate (11) having first and second end portions (14,15) and an intermediate portion (16). Conductive metalization interconnect paths (17) extend between the substrate end portions (14, 15) and across the intermediate portion (16). The substrate first and second end portions are mounted to first and second end portions (21, 22) of a rigidizer plate (20). Stiffening material (35) is provided on the flexible substrate intermediate portion (16) to define stiff (36, 37, 38) and less stiff (39, 40) paths that extend across the interconnect paths (17) and the substrate intermediate portion (16) and define desired bend curvature characteristics for the flexible substrate intermediate portion (16). A method utilizes this structure to provide a flexible circuit board assembly (10), preferably with a bent rigidizer plate (20).

Flexible circuit board assembly and method

Semiconductor carrier assemblies (10, 40) use a flexible substrate (11) to connect to at least one semiconductor device (19). Preferably the flexible substrate (11) also connects to a circuit component, preferably a circuit board (31). The flexible substrate (11) is configured in a U-shaped configuration having at least one rigidizer plate (25; 41, 42) positioned in the notch of the U. Interconnections between the semiconductor device (19) and the flexible substrate (11), and, preferably, the circuit component (31) are provided by solder connections (22, 28). Preferably, two rigidizer plates (41,42) having different temperature coefficients of expansion are positioned in the notch of the U of the flexible substrate (11) and preferably a low modulus adhesive layer (50, 51, 47) is utilized in the assembly to minimize thermal stress.

Flexible substrate folded in a U-shape with a rigidizer plate located in

Electronic circuit modules (10; 100; 400) have connector (11; 111; 411) with through pins (14, 114; 414) and a metal ground path (17) embedded therein which fit within a recess (24; 124; 424) formed by a heat sink (18; 118; 418) having a central plate portion (19) surrounded by metallic cooling fins (23). A polyimide insulating circuit base film (26; 126; 500) has conductor paths (27) and circuit components (30) on at least a top surface (28) thereof with a bottom surface (31) mounted to the top surface (21) of the heat sink plate portion (19). The connector through pins are electrically connected to the conductor paths on the polyimide base film and a cover (33;133) together with the heat sink forms an internal cavity (34; 134) for protection of the components. This structure provides a compact configuration and lower manufacturing costs for a circuit module, permits reducing RF radiation and absorption problems and permits reducing resistive connections between the through pins and the components. Also implemented are high frequency bypass capacitive networks (18, 222; 118, 325) associated with each of the conductive through pins.

Arrangement for electronic circuit module

A through slot is provided in the central apex portion of a U-shaped heat sink clip and results in an advantageous assembly and method of manufacture. A heat sink and power transistor are clamped together by arm portions of the clip. The slot is used either to permit the passage of an insertion tool for holding the clip open during attachment of the clip to the heat sink and power transistor device or to permit passage of external leads of the power transistor. In either case, the resultant heat sink assembly does not require opening of the clip by providing access to ends or outer projections of the clip arm portions by mounting tools or by providing additional exterior clip projections. Thus a much more compact and readily manufacturable heat sink assembly is provided.

Heat sink clip and assembly and method of manufacture

The assembly includes a heat-conductive plate onto which a pair of circuit modules are mounted, one module on each side of the plate. A continuous piece of flexible material, such as polyimide, forms the substrate for one circuit module, passes around an edge of the plate, and connects to the other circuit module for which it also forms the substrate. Conductors carried by the flexible material interconnect the modules and also connect the modules to external devices via a connector.

Assembly for circuit modules

An inductor housing having a platform for supporting an inductor and a standoff unit for supporting the platform away from a conductor board such that various electrical components can be installed on the conductor board between the inductor platform and the conductor board surface. The inductor housing also has a hole disposed therethrough such that the inductor housing may serve as an insulating standoff support member for connecting a conductor board to a chassis.

Inductor housing

An integrated circuit (IC) assembly 10 using an IC carrier is disclosed. An IC 15 and IC carrier together form a carrier subassembly 11 in which two parallel rows of IC leads 20 and 21 are received by carrier contacts 28 mounted in openings 27 in a horizontal portion 14 of a main carrier member 13. Extending pin portions 30 of the carrier contacts vertically extend from the horizontal portion openings into two carrier channels 31 and 32 wherein the extending pin portions and carrier channels are dimensioned so as to recess the pin portions and prevent finger access thereto. A socket subassembly 12 is provided comprising a main socket member 40 having two raised islands 44 and 45 each with a row of socket contacts 41 fixed therein. Each socket island is dimensioned for removably fitting within one of the carrier channels with the carrier pin portions mating with the socket contacts. The main carrier member is provided with a heat sink 25 on which the IC is mounted, and the horizontal portion 14, main carrier sidewalls 17 and a cover 16 form a main carrier cavity 18 in which the IC is mounted. The socket subassembly is mounted to a printed circuit board 49. The recessing of carrier pin portions in the carrier channels permits manually handling the carrier subassembly 11 without risking static electricity discharge damage to the IC or mechanical lead damage.

Growing community of inventors

Algonquin, IL, United States of America

David W Currier