Motorola Corporation

Temic Automotive of North America, Inc.

Thomas P Gall

Kevin Douglas Moore

William C Weigler

Anthony J Polak

Ying Wang

Michael J Pfeifer

Jeffrey Lord

Michael J Pomeroy

Jinbao Jiao

Robert Babula

James E Herbold

Steven G Sharkey

Timothy J Trento

Richard A Hawkins

An electronic control module comprising a vent assembly is provided. The electronic control module comprises a housing having a first aperture and a substrate disposed within the housing. The substrate has a second aperture positioned adjacent to the first aperture, and includes the hydrophobic vent assembly disposed over the second aperture and adheringly coupled to the substrate. The hydrophobic vent assembly may be adapted to prevent the ingress of moisture and permit the egress of certain gases.

Apparatus for venting an electronic control module

A method for vertical removal of excess solder from a circuit substrate includes the use of a sacrificial circuit substrate with a plurality of pads and vias that are solder-wettable. The pads and vias of the sacrificial circuit substrate are placed in vertical proximity to the excess solder of the circuit substrate. The excess solder is heated until it is liquid, wherein the excess solder is wicked vertically onto the pads and into the vias of the sacrificial circuit substrate. Thereafter, the sacrificial circuit substrate is lifted from the proximity of the circuit substrate while the solder is in a liquid, taking the excess solder with it but leaving a predetermined amount on the circuit substrate.

Vertical removal of excess solder from a circuit substrate

An apparatus and method for an adhesive assembly for securing a printed circuit board to a substrate. The assembly provides a printing tool with a plurality of apertures defined therethrough. Preferably, the apertures have a top opening with a larger area than a bottom opening. The printing tool is placed upon one of the printed circuit board and/or substrate, and a liquid adhesive is printed onto the printing tool. The liquid adhesive forms islands of adhesive within each aperture. Removing the printing tool deforms each island to form a raised edge at a periphery of each island. A temporary liner can be placed on the raised edges to protect the adhesive until the printed circuit board can be assembled with the substrate.

Adhesive assembly for a circuit board

An electronic control unit having a flexible circuit board assembly is disclosed. The electronic control unit comprises a flexible circuit board with at least one layer having first and second portions separated by a bendable region. The electronic control unit further comprises a substantially rigid substrate having first and second portions separated by a bend region and inside and outside surfaces. The first and second portions of the circuit board are affixed to respective first and second portions of the substrate. The bend region has one of the group of a recess and aperture extending outwardly from the inside surface of the substrate with the one of the group of the recess and aperture sized to accept the bendable region of the circuit board.

Electronic control unit

A flexible circuit board assembly and method includes a rigid circuit board having a first portion and a second portion separated by a bending region. A plurality of grooves are cut into the bending region. The grooves are cut substantially parallel to an axis about which the bending region is bent. Preferably, the grooves are located on an inside bending radius of the circuit board, but can be located on the outside radius or both.

Flexible circuit board assembly

A method for securing a metallic substrate ( ) to a metallic housing ( ). The method may include: firing a first solderable coating ( ) to an edge ( ) of the metallic substrate ( ); firing a second solderable coating ( ) to a groove ( ) of the metallic housing ( ); joining the edge ( ) of the metallic substrate ( ) to the groove ( ) of the metallic housing ( ) to form a joint ( ) at the first solderable coating and the second solderable coating; applying a solder ( ) to the joint ( ); and solder bonding the metallic substrate ( ) to the metallic housing ( ) to provide a hermetic seal at the joint ( ). There is also an electronic control module that incorporates the method.

Method and apparatus for securing a metallic substrate to a metallic housing

An electronic control unit (ECU) includes a flexible circuit substrate having a first partition interconnected to a third partition by a second, flexible partition. The electronic control unit further includes a rigidizer having a first partition interconnected to a third partition by a second partition. When the ECU is twice folded, the second, flexible partition of the circuit substrate assumes an approximate 'U'-shape, resulting in a reduced cracking and splitting rate than the prior art. In various embodiments of the present invention, the assumption of a 'U'-shaped fold in the second, flexible partition of the circuit substrate is facilitated by multiple apertures in a second rigidizer partition, by a depression in a second rigidizer partition, or by non-slidably affixing a first circuit substrate partition to a first rigidizer partition via a first adhesive and non-slidably affixing a third circuit substrate partition to a third rigidizer partition via a second adhesive.

A flexible circuit ( ) includes a first circuit path portion ( ) and a second rigid circuit path portion ( ) to which electronic components ( ) may be coupled. Each circuit path portion ( and ) including a resin layer ( and ) and an adjacent conductive layer ( and ). Each circuit path portion ( and ) defining a gap ( and ) substantially running along a line corresponding to a desired bend location. A central circuit path portion ( ) is disposed between the first circuit path portion ( ) and the second rigid circuit path portion ( ) and includes a first conductive layer ( ) in electrical communication with the first circuit path portion ( ) and a second conductive layer ( ) in electrical communication with the second rigid circuit path portion ( ), so as to provide electrical communication across the gaps ( and ). A metal plate ( ) is disposed adjacent the second rigid circuit path portion ( ).

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Northbrook, IL, United States of America

Thomas P Gall