Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a circuit board. More particularly, the invention relates to a circuit board to be supplied to a plurality of destinations. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, in the circuit board, a providing destination, such as maker name or the like, a mold number, an acquisition standard and so forth are indicated by silk print. 
     In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-289189, in a printed circuit board which can mount a circuit protecting fuse, in order to adapt to difference of specification of the fuse depending upon destination (country), two rating indication portions respectively indicating ratings of fuses are provided on end portions of the printed circuit board in such a manner that respective rating indicating portion can be removable along a perforation defined by aligned small holes. Then, one of the rating indicating portions is removed with leaving the other adapted to the rating of the actual destination, for shipping to the destination. 
     However, in the printed circuit board set forth above, no consideration has been given for indicating a plurality of providing destination (maker name, vender name and so forth). Also, when the unnecessary one of the rating indicating portion is cut off along the perforation, since the perforation is by aligned small holes, the cut portion should form unevenness. 
     In the meantime, in OEM (original Equipment Manufacturing) business of the circuit board (mother board), the following operations are taken place. 
     A company A assembles the own circuit board (mother board) manufactured by itself in own apparatus manufactured by itself and ships the apparatus. 
     A company B purchases the mother boards from the company A to ship the mother boards to companies C and D as own circuit boards manufactured by itself. The companies C and D purchased the mother board from the company B assembles the same in own apparatus and ship the apparatus. 
     In such case, for the company B, presence of indication of provider taking the company A as maker is not favorable for the company B in view point of shipping such mother boards to other companies, i.e. companies C and D as own products. For this reason, the company A, under request of the company B, separately manufactures two kinds of circuit boards for own use and for the company B. 
     Namely, when similar circuit boards for a plurality of providing destinations are manufactured in one factory, the circuit boards for respective providing destinations are manufactured separately for differentiating the maker name. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been worked out in view of the inconvenience is the prior art. It is therefore an object of the present invention to permit common use of the same circuit board without separately manufacturing the circuit board per providing destinations when similar circuit boards are manufactured for a plurality of providing destinations in the same factory. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a circuit board having at least a first providing destination indicating region on which a first providing destination is indicated and a second providing destination indicating region located adjacent the first providing destination indicating region and having a second providing destination indicated thereon, and part mounting portions provided in respective of the providing destination indicating regions, wherein part mounting portions are designed for receiving parts for hiding providing destinations indicated on corresponding providing destination indicating region. 
     A plurality of part mounting portions may be provided for selectively mounting the parts on the providing destination indicating regions other than that indicating an intended providing destination. Preferably, the part mounting portions may be provided on both ends of respective providing destination indicating regions. 
     The parts mounted on the providing destination indicating regions other than that indicating an intended providing destination, may form a part of a circuit together with other parts. In the alternative, the parts mounted on the providing destination indicating regions other than that indicating an intended providing destination, may be dummy parts not forming a part of a circuit. 
     In addition, manufacturing information depending upon respective providing destination may be indicated in respective providing destination indicating regions. The manufacturing information in each providing destination indicating region may be a bar code. Furthermore, a test circuit adapted to each providing destination may be embedded in each providing destination indicating region. 
     According to the second aspect of the present invention, a circuit board has at least a first providing destination indicating region on which a first providing destination is indicated and a second providing destination indicating region located adjacent the first providing destination indicating region, on which second providing destination region, a second providing destination is indicated, the first and second providing destination indicating regions are defined by thinned portion extending along boundaries of respective of the providing destination indicating regions so that the providing destination indicating regions other than that indicating an intended providing destination being are removed. 
     In addition, manufacturing information depending upon respective providing destination may be indicated in respective providing destination indicating regions. The manufacturing information in each providing destination indicating region may be a bar code. Furthermore, a test circuit adapted to each providing destination may be embedded in each providing destination indicating region. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given hereinafter and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which, however, should not be taken to be limitative to the invention, but are for explanation and understanding only. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of major portion of the preferred embodiment of a circuit board according to the present invention illustrated in a condition before a provider indication is hidden by parts; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view similar to  FIG. 1  but illustrated in a condition where the provider indication is hidden by parts; 
         FIG. 3  is a plane view showing a modification of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of major portion of another embodiment of the circuit board according to the present invention illustrated in a condition before unnecessary provider indication region is removed; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial enlarged section of another embodiment of the circuit board of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of the major portion of another embodiment of the circuit board of the present invention illustrated in a condition where the unnecessary providing destination indicating region is removed; and 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of a modification of another embodiment of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention will be discussed hereinafter in detail in terms of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be obvious, however, to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instance, well-known structures are not shown in detail in order to avoid unnecessary obscurity of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a circuit board  300  is commonly manufactured for a maker A and a maker B, and is sequentially formed a rectangular first providing destination indicating region  310  for the maker A and a rectangular second providing destination indicating region  320  for the maker B, which the second providing destination indicating region  320  is the same shape and the same size as the first providing destination indicating region  310 . In the first providing destination indicating region  310 , a maker name (or mark)  311  of the maker A is silk printed. On the other hand, in the second providing destination indicating region  320 , a maker name (or mark)  321  of the maker B is silk printed. 
     On a boundary line between two, first and second providing destination indicating regions  310  and  320 , and boundary lines at both ends of the providing destination indicating regions, three parts mounting holes  331 ,  332  and  333  are provided. These parts mounting holes may serve as through holes provided on wiring of the circuit board  300 . 
     When the circuit board  300  is to be provided for the maker B, a part  10  is mounted on the first providing destination indicating region  310  displaying the maker name  311  of the maker A to hide the maker name  311  of the maker A with the part  10 . Conversely, when the circuit board  300  is to be provided for the maker A, the part  10  is mounted on the second providing destination indicating region  320  displaying the maker name  321  of the maker B to hide the maker name  321  of the maker B with the part  10 . At this time, the part  10  is fixed to the circuit board  300  using two of three part mounting holes  331 ,  332  and  333 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , both terminals  11  and  12  of the part  10 , such as capacitor or the like, are inserted into the part mounting holes  331  and  332  to electrically connect to wiring on the circuit board  200  by soldering for using the part  10  as a part of the circuit, and conjunction therewith, to hide the maker name  311  of the maker A by the part  10 . The part  10  may be a dummy part not forming a part of the circuit on the circuit board  300 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a modification for the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . In respective of first and second providing destination indicating regions  310  and  320 , manufacturing information  341  and  342  depending upon respective makers are indicated by bar codes. The manufacturing information  341  and  342  are to be used upon manufacturing and shipping by a manufacturing apparatus and/or shipping apparatus. For this purpose, the manufacturing information  341  and  342  may be identification information relating to construction of the parts corresponding to respective maker names  311  and  321 . In case of manufacturing apparatus, by reading out the manufacturing information  341  and  342 , a part specialized for the maker can be automatically mounted on the circuit board  300 . 
     Furthermore, when a test standard is adopted by a maker, it is possible to embed a test circuit adapted to each maker in each providing destination indicating regions  310  and  320  with multi-layer structure of the circuit board  300 . Such test circuit may be a coupon checking whether the impedance satisfies a predetermined value per each layer of the circuit board or not. 
     Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be discussed. Referring to  FIG. 4 , a circuit board  100  is common for the maker A and the maker B. In the end portion of the circuit board  100 , a rectangular first providing destination indicating region  110  for the maker A and a second providing destination indicating region  120  for the maker B and having the same shape and same size as the first providing destination indicating region  110  are defined by a V-shaped cutting groove  130  on both of surface and back surfaces for reducing the thickness of the circuit board  100  as shown in  FIG. 5 . Then, a maker name  111  of the maker A is silk printed within the first providing destination indicating region  110  and a maker name  121  of the maker B is silk printed within the second providing destination indicating region  120 . 
     In case of the circuit board  100 , unnecessary one of the first providing destination indicating region  110  and the second providing destination indicating region  120  is cut along the cutting groove  130  and removed. Namely, when the circuit board  100  is for the maker B, for example, the first providing destination indicating region  110  is removed leaving the second providing destination indicating region  120 . Removal of the first providing destination indicating region  110  can be easily done by manually applying a force for causing shearing along the cut groove  130  for reduced thickness in the V-shaped grooves on surface and back surface of the circuit board, and without damaging other portion. 
       FIG. 7  shows a modification for another embodiment of  FIG. 4 . For respective of the first and second providing destination indicating regions  110  and  120 , manufacturing information  212  and  222  depending upon respective makers are provided in addition to the maker names  111  and  121  of the makers A and B. The manufacturing information  212  and  222  are indicated by bar codes similarly to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, by removing one of the providing destination indicating regions  110  or  120 , unnecessary manufacturing information is also removed for preventing confusion to be caused by presence of the manufacturing information. 
     Furthermore, when a test standard is adopted by a maker, it is possible to embed a test circuit adapted to each maker in each providing destination indicating regions  110  and  120  with multi-layer structure of the circuit board  100 . Such test circuit may be a coupon checking whether the impedance satisfies a predetermined value per each layer of the circuit board or not. 
     As set forth above, with the present invention, when the circuit board for a plurality of providing destinations are manufactured in the same factory, it becomes unnecessary to separately manufacture the circuit boards for each providing destination and the circuit board can be used in common to be economical. When the providing destination is specified to one, damaging of other portion of the circuit board by removal of one portion of the circuit board can be avoided. 
     It is also possible to indicate manufacturing information for respective providing destinations and/or to embed the test circuits for respective providing destinations, together with indication of the providing destinations. 
     Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to exemplary embodiment thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omission and additions may be made therein and thereto, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be understood as limited to the specific embodiment set out above but to include all possible embodiments which can be embodied within a scope encompassed and equivalent thereof with respect to the feature set out in the appended claims.

Technology Category: h