Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to electrical circuit boards such as those circuit boards used to perform an electrical function such as lighting a light emitting diode (LED). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     An electrical circuit board is a board that mechanically supports and electrically connects electrical components using electrically conductive tracks, pads, and other features on a non-conductive substrate. Such circuit boards are often referred to as printed circuit boards or PCBs and typically include electrically conductive tracks that have been etched from copper sheets that have been laminated onto a non-conductive substrate (see Appx A). Such etching process requires masking preparation (adding to the cost of the PCB) and typically requires the use of toxic chemicals during the etching process. Such electrical circuit boards and more especially PCBs are known in the art and have broad application in a variety of electrical appliances. Examples of such circuit boards are disclosed in the following list of US patents and applications, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 8,309,855 to Chung, U.S. Pat. No. 9,204,547 to Hughes, US 2009/0308639 to Chung, US 2014/0313684 to Hughes, US 2015/0351229 to Lee et al, US 2016/0020500 to Matsuda, and US 2016/0057853 to Zacharko et al. Further, it is known to provide light emitting diodes or LEDs as an integrated component of such PCBs (see Appx B). It is also known that such LEDs generate significant heat and that such heat can be detrimental to the function and life of such LED PCBs. Accordingly, the management and dissipation of such heat is an important factor in the design of an LED PCB (see Appx C). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an electrical circuit board assembly (ECBA) preferably having at least one LED component and having a substrate that includes a plurality of raised pads formed such that open channels are formed therebetween, and such that the upper surfaces of the pads are preferably substantially coplanar. Such intra-pad channels facilitate heat transfer and cooling of the substrate and the ECBA. Further, such raised pads provide for alternate methods of electrically conductive track manufacturing so as to avoid the necessity of chemical etching which requires the use of hazardous toxic chemicals. Such alternate methods of electrically conductive track construction include adhesive conductive sheet application, conductive ink screen printing, and conductive ink painting (via rolling or dipping/stamping). 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. 
       Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a trimetric view of the ECBA in an assembled configuration (looking down on the top of the ECBA); 
         FIG. 2  is a trimetric view of the ECBA in an assembled configuration (looking up at the bottom of the ECBA); 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded trimetric view of the ECBA in a disassembled configuration but with the substrate subassembly shown assembled; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded trimetric view of the substrate subassembly, and; 
         FIG. 5  is a trimetric view of the substrate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. 
     Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are included to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. 
     In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention in reviewing the drawings accompanying the specification, a feature table is provided below. It is noted that like features are like numbered throughout all of the figures. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 FEATURE TABLE 
               
             
          
           
               
                 # 
                 Feature 
                 # 
                 Feature 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 10 
                 Electrical Circuit Board 
                 20 
                 Substrate 
               
               
                   
                 Assembly (ECBA) 
               
               
                 22 
                 Raised pad 
                 23 
                 Channel 
               
               
                 24 
                 Quick connect magnet reception 
                 25 
                 Mounting magnet reception 
               
               
                   
                 hole 
                   
                 pocket 
               
               
                 26 
                 Heat sink reception recess 
                 27 
                 Positive lead wire reception 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 slot 
               
               
                 28 
                 Negative lead wire reception slot 
                 29 
                 Mounting hole 
               
               
                 30 
                 Heat sink 
                 32 
                 Mounting hole 
               
               
                 34 
                 Quick connect magnet 
                 36 
                 Mounting magnet 
               
               
                 37 
                 Positive lead wire 
                 38 
                 Negative lead wire 
               
               
                 40 
                 Substrate subassembly 
                 42 
                 Electrically conductive track 
               
               
                 50 
                 Thermally conductive material 
                 60 
                 Dielectric material 
               
               
                 70 
                 Electrically conductive material 
                 80 
                 LED chips 
               
               
                 90 
                 Cover 
                 92 
                 LED chip opening 
               
               
                 94 
                 Mounting hole 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Referring now to the drawings, in a preferred embodiment the invention is an electrical circuit board assembly  10  (ECBA  10 ) adapted to be constructed without etching and for use in providing light from an LED while efficiently dissipating heat from the LED comprising a substrate subassembly  40 , a plurality of LED chips  80 , and a cover  90 . LED chips  80  define substantially standard LED chips that are adapted to be electrically connected to electrically conductive tracks and are adapted to emit light when electrically energized. Cover  90  comprises a generally flat rectangular nonconductive cover having a plurality of LED chip openings  92 , and a plurality of mounting holes  94 . 
     Substrate subassembly  40  comprises substrate  20 , a plurality of heat sinks  30 , a plurality of quick connect magnets  34 , mounting magnet  36 , positive lead wire  37 , negative lead wire  38 , thermally conductive material  50 , dielectric material  60 , and electrically conductive material  70 . 
     Substrate  20  defines a substantially irregular but generally cubic shaped substrate comprised of a non-electrically conductive material such as plastic, fiberglass, etc. Substrate  20  includes a plurality of preferably substantially coplanar raised pads  22 , a plurality of open channels  23  formed therebetween, a plurality of quick connect magnet reception holes  24 , a mounting magnet reception pocket  25 , a plurality of heat sink reception recesses  26 , a positive lead wire reception slot  27 , a negative lead wire reception slot  28 , and a plurality of mounting holes  29 . Substrate  20  may be manufactured by a variety of methods including subtractive processes such as machining substrate  20  from a block of material such as plastic, forming processes such as injection molding substrate  20 , and especially in the case of short run manufacturing, additive processes such as creating substrate  20  by stereolithography, 3D printing, selective laser sintering or fused deposition modeling. It is noted that rather than mere rudimentary shapes such as a generally cubic shape, substrate  20  may be generally formed in virtually limitless shapes including spheres, animals, cars, building, people, and abstract shapes (i.e. waves, twisting objects, and asymmetrical objects). Regardless of the overall shape in which substrate  20  is formed, substrate  20  retains the aforementioned features and functions of substrate  20 . Further, regardless of the overall shape in which substrate  20  is formed, other members of ECBA  10  are like geometrically adapted so as to fit to and function with substrate  20 . 
     Heat sink  30  defines a substantially elongated channel shaped member preferably constructed of metal or like heat conductive material having a plurality of mounting holes  32  formed substantially in a central location thereof. Quick connect magnet  34  defines a substantially solid cylindrical shaped member constructed preferably of a ferromagnetic material. Mounting magnet  36  defines a substantially solid cubic shaped member constructed preferably of a ferromagnetic material. Positive lead wire  37  and negative lead wire  38  define electrically conducting lead wires that include an insulting outer coating. Thermally conductive material  50  defines an adhesive laminate sheet of thermally conductive material but may alternately take the form of a thermally conductive tape, a thermally conductive spray, or a thermally conductive paint. Dielectric material  60  defines an adhesive laminate sheet of dielectric material but may alternately take the form of a dielectric tape, a dielectric spray, or a dielectric paint. Electrically conductive material  70  defines a preferably frangible adhesive laminate sheet of electrically conductive material but may alternately take the form of electrically conductive ink or paint. 
     Substrate subassembly  40  is assembled such that thermally conductive material  50  is adhered to or applied to substantially all of the outer surfaces of substrate  20 , and especially to the surfaces of raised pads  22 , open channels  23 , and heat sink reception recesses  26 . Dielectric material  60  is then adhered to or applied to substantially all of the outer surfaces of substrate  20 . Without masking or etching, electrically conductive material  70  is adhered to or applied to the upper surfaces of raised pads  22 . Electrically conductive material  70  is preferably applied to raised pads  22  by pressing electrically conductive material  70  as a frangible adhesive laminate sheet against raised pads  22  and then pulling electrically conductive material  70  as a frangible adhesive laminate sheet off of substrate  20 . When electrically conductive material  70  as a frangible adhesive laminate sheet is pulled off of substrate  20 , those areas of the laminate sheet that were pressed into contact with raised pads will remain of the upper surfaces of raised pads  22 , and the remainder of the laminate sheet will be removed from substrate  20 . These remaining portions of electrically conductive material  70  as a frangible adhesive laminate sheet that remain adhered to the upper surfaces of raised pads  22  form electrically conductive tracks  42 . Alternatively, electrically conductive material  70  in the form of electrically conductive ink is screen printed on only the upper surfaces of raised pads  22 . These screen printed upper surfaces of raised pads  22  form electrically conductive tracks  42 . Further alternatively, electrically conductive material  70  in the form of electrically conductive ink or paint is applied on only the upper surfaces of raised pads  22  by rolling electrically conductive material  70  in the form of electrically conductive ink or paint onto the upper surfaces of raised pads  22  or by pressing the upper surfaces of raised pads  22  against a member (such as a blotter) having conductive material  70  in the form of electrically conductive ink or paint thereon, the latter method being analogous to “inking” a rubber stamp having raised lettering by pressing the rubber stamp onto an ink pad. These painted upper surfaces of raised pads  22  form electrically conductive tracks  42 . 
     Substrate subassembly  40  is further assembled such that heat sinks  30  are positioned onto heat sink reception recesses  26  quick connect magnets  34  are affixed into quick connect magnet reception holes  24 , mounting magnet  36  is affixed to mounting magnet reception pocket  25 , positive lead wire  37  is affixed in positive lead wire reception slot  27  and electrically connected to an electrically conductive track  42 , and negative lead wire  38  is affixed in negative lead wire reception slot  28  and electrically connected to an electrically conductive track  42 . 
     ECBA  10  is assembled such that LED chips  80  are connected to a first electrically conductive track  42  on a first end and to a second electrically conductive track  42  on a second end, and such that an electrical circuit is formed from positive lead wire  37 , through LED chips  80  and electrically conductive tracks  42 , and to negative lead wire  38 . Cover  90  is positioned on substrate subassembly  40  such that LED chips  80  are positioned in LED chip openings  92 . ECBA  10  is secured by affixing fasteners into mounting holes  29 ,  32  and  94 . 
     In practice, when assembled ECBA  10  is electrically energized via lead wires  37  and  38 , light will emit from LEDs  80  while ECBA  10  is cooled at least in part by air flowing through open channels  23 . ECBA  10  may be easily and quickly positioned on a metallic surface by means of mounting magnet  36  being placed in magnetically adhering contact to such metallic surface. Further, a plurality of ECBAs  10  may be magnetically connected together by placing quick connect magnets  34  of a first instance of ECBA  10  into magnetic contact with quick connect magnets  34  of a second instance of ECBA  10 . In such arrangement of a plurality of ECBAs  10 , ECBAs  10  are preferably arranged such that ECBAs  10  are electrically connected in series by means of lead wires of the various ECBAs  10 . 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Technology Category: 5