Abstract:
Systems, methods and apparatuses for attaching devices to ends of a circuit board. An exemplary method includes removing or creating at least a portion of a sacrificial part of a circuit board based on a predefined pattern, inserting a holder device into a remaining portion of the sacrificial part of the circuit board, placing a device at a predefined location on the circuit board, wherein the device is at least partially supported by a portion of the holder device, attaching the device to the circuit board and removing the holder device and the sacrificial part of the circuit board.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/816,650, filed Apr. 26, 2013, which application is fully incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     In many circuit board designs, jacks, plugs or other types of devices must be mounted to the edge of the circuit board. The process for attaching these type of devices to be circuit board edge is time-consuming and lacks accuracy of placement. One must manually hold or devise an external fixture the device in the proper position at the edge of the circuit board and then solder the device to the circuit board without allowing the device to move relative to the circuit board during soldering. This requires a steady hand of the operator or very complicated and expensive fixtures or machinery. 
     SUMMARY 
     The disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses for attaching devices to ends of a circuit board. An exemplary method includes removing at least a portion of a sacrificial part of a circuit board based on a predefined pattern, inserting a holder device into a remaining portion of the sacrificial part of the circuit board, placing a circuit device at a predefined location on the circuit board, wherein the device is at least partially supported by a portion of the holder device, attaching the device to the circuit board and removing the holder device and the sacrificial part of the circuit board. 
     In some embodiments, the circuit devices are attached by applying a solder paste to a predefined location on the circuit board and performing a predefined solder flow process. 
     In further embodiments, the holder device is inserted in place by applying pressure to the holder device perpendicular to a major plane of the circuit board. 
     Also or instead, a groove is cut, etched or machined between the sacrificial part and a base of the circuit board. 
     In various embodiments, an automated system or manual process performs the operations described above. An exemplary system includes a controller, a device that removes at least a portion of the sacrificial part of the circuit board or removes a component temporarily attached to the circuit board based on a signal received from the controller, a placement device that inserts a holder device into a remaining portion of the sacrificial part of the circuit board based on a second signal received from the controller and places a device at a predefined location on the circuit board based on a third signal received from the controller, an attachment device that attaches the device to the circuit board and a device that removes the holder device and the sacrificial part of the circuit board identified by the predefined pattern based on a fourth signal received from the controller. The device is at least partially supported by a portion of the inserted holder device. 
     In some embodiments, the attachment device applies a solder paste to a predefined location on the circuit board and performs a predefined solder flow process. The application of the solder paste and the performance of the solder flow process are performed based on instructions received from the controller. 
     In other embodiments, the device is inserted manually and automatically soldered. In yet another embodiment, the device is inserted and soldered manually. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure is described further details with reference to the preferred embodiments and accompanying figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows an exemplary system formed in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary circuit board prepared in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a support device placed within the circuit board of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing an exemplary step wherein multiple plug type devices are mounted to an edge of the circuit board while being supported by the support device of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  show perspective views of the circuit board with the attached plug type devices after a portion of the circuit board and the attachment support device have been removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system  10  for attaching devices to or near edges of circuit boards or other type of mounting/receiving board. In one embodiment, the system  10  includes a controller  12 , a circuit board altering device  14 , a placement device  16  and an attachment device  18 . The controller  12  controls operation of the circuit board altering device  14 , the placement mechanism  16  and the attachment device  18 . The circuit board altering device  14  performs an initial predefined etch and/or machining operation on the printed circuit board using any of the number of different types of etching and/or machining techniques, such as chemically etching or mechanically cutting. The circuit board altering device  14  operates based on instructions received from the controller  12 . The placement device  16  automatically retrieves a support device and places it at the circuit board. Then the placement device  16  automatically retrieves the to-be-attached devices and places them at a location on the circuit board according to instructions sent from the controller  12 . Prior to retrieval of devices and placement of the devices on the altered circuit board, the attachment device  18  automatically performs at least a portion of an attachment step as directed by the controller  12 . For example, the attachment device  18  may apply a solder material to a location on the printed circuit board that will receive the to-be-placed device. Once the device has been placed, the attachment device  18  completes the attachment process in order to bond the device to the print circuit board. The placement device  16  or another device removes a sacrificial part of the circuit board and removes the support device for possible reuse. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a printed circuit board (PCB)  20  (panelized form or not) fabricated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The PCB  20  may or may not include circuit traces or other electrical interconnections. Prior to the mounting of any components on the PCB  20 , the PCB  20  has been etched, cut or routed to provide a sacrificial support section  30  for the reception of larger devices (e.g., connectors) that will hang over the edge of the PCB  20 . The section  30  has been etched or routed to include gaps  34  that exposes a permanent edge  32  of the PCB  20 . A groove  36  between the sections  30  and a base section  22  of the PCB  20  has been partially etched or routed to allow for later removal of the sections  30 . The groove  36  may be a routed edge of various shapes. 
     In another embodiment, the section  30  is a separate component from the PCB  20 . If the section  30  is a separate component, it is temporarily attached (e.g., clamped) to the PCB  20  to execute the steps shown in  FIGS. 3-5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a holder  40  is received within the section  30 , such that the holder  40  remains in an approximately perpendicular and held in place with defined relationship to a major surface of the PCB  20 . The edges of gaps  34  within the section  30  have been etched in order to accommodate reception of the holder  40 . In one embodiment, the holder  40  slides into place from a position above the section  30 . The holder  40  includes at least two upper horizontal sections  42  that are connected by a lower horizontal section  44 . When the holder  40  is placed within the gaps  34  of the section  30 , the upper sections  42  rest on top of the section  30 , while the lower sections  44  pass below the surface of the section  30  and the PCB  20 . The holder  40  is routed or etched to accommodate the device that the holder  40  will support. 
     The holder  40  may be made of any material that can handle the high-temperature reflow soldering process, such as metal, high temperature plastic, composite, fiberglass, printed circuit board comparable to PCB  20  or any material capable of withstanding and maintaining its mechanical stability during the assembly process. 
     In one embodiment, the lower residential sections  44  include a top edge that is shaped based upon the device that it is designed to support. For example, if the device to-be-attached is cylindrically-shaped, then the top edge of the lower horizontal sections  44  may or may not have a radius of curvature that matches the to-be-attached device. 
     In one embodiment, each  34  includes at least one holder receiving groove  38 . A vertical section  48  of the lower horizontal sections  44  is received by a respective holder receiving groove  38 . The holder receiving groove  38  keeps the holder  40  at a proper distance from the edge  32  and keeps the holder  40  in a proper vertical position. A bottom edge  50  of holder  40  rests on a top surface of the sacrificial section  30 . The physical relationship between the holder  40  and the sacrificial section  30  may be a stable, snug or a snap fit. 
     In one embodiment, a corner between the bottom edge  50  and the outside edge of the vertical section  48  includes a radius of curvature. The curvature may be required as the tools creating the route have a radius and cannot cut a perfectly square finish between the two axis of the cut. Depending on the tool used (such as a laser cutter), a smaller or no curvature may be provided. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , one or more large devices  46  are placed (manually or robotically) on the PCB  20  such that the devices  46  extend beyond the separation seam  36 . Ends of the devices  46  that extend over and/or into the gap  34  of the section  30  are held in position (vertically and/or laterally) by the holder  40 . In one embodiment, the devices  46  are simultaneously placed on the PCB  20  with other connectors, circuit components, etc. (not shown) that need to be soldered to the PCB  20 . These devices are placed after application of a solder paste. Then, once the devices  46  and any other circuit components are ready to be soldered, then a single reflow process is performed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the section  30  may be left or removed along the seam  36  after completion of the attachment process. After the removal of the section  30 , the holder  40  is removed, as shown in  FIG. 6 , and possibly recycled. 
     In another embodiment, the section  30  is not necessary because the holder  40  is supported either manually or by a mechanism during the device attachment process. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.