ELECTRIC CONTACT ASSEMBLY, PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD ASSEMBLY, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric contact assembly for electrically contacting a printed circuit board or the like, comprising an installation ring (3) with an opening (3a), said installation ring (3) being designed to be fixed to the printed circuit board (11), and comprising a press-in pin (2) with a first zone (21) and a second zone (22), wherein the first zone (21) has a greater degree of mechanical flexibility than the second zone (22), and the first zone (21) is designed to be connected to another electronic component. The second zone (22) is assembled in the opening (3a) of the installation ring (3) by means of a first interference fit (4).

Claims

1. An electric contact assembly comprising: an installation ring (3) having an opening (3a), wherein the installation ring (3) is configured to be fastened to the printed circuit board (11), and a press-in pin (2) having a first zone (21) and a second zone (22), wherein the first zone (21) has greater mechanical flexibility than the second zone (22), wherein the first zone (21) is configured to be connected to a further electronic component, and wherein the second zone (22) is fitted in the opening (3a) of the installation ring (3) by a first interference fit (4).

2. The electric contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the press-in pin (2) is made in one piece of one material.

3. The electric contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first zone (21) of the press-in pin (2) is a geometrically reshaped region.

4. The electric contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second zone is made of a solid material.

5. The electric contact assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a press-in aid (20) disposed on the second zone (22).

6. The electric contact assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first zone (21) is configured for a second interference fit (5) with the further electronic component.

7. A printed circuit board assembly comprising: a first printed circuit board (11) comprising a base region (11a) made of an electrically conductive material and an insulation layer (11b) which is disposed on said base region (11a) and is made of an electrically non-conductive material, and an electric contact assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the installation ring (3) of the electric contact assembly (1) is fastened to the insulation layer (11b).

8. The printed circuit board assembly according to claim 7, wherein a solder connection or a weld connection is configured between the first printed circuit board (11) and the installation ring (3).

9. The printed circuit board assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a second printed circuit board (12), wherein a second press connection (5) is configured between the second printed circuit board (12) and the first zone (21) of the press-in pin (2).

10. The printed circuit board assembly according claim 7, wherein the first printed circuit board (11) is made of an insulated metal substrate.

11. The printed circuit board assembly according to any one of claim 7, wherein, on one side of the base region (11a), an insulation layer (11b) is made of a flame-retardant composite material.

12. A method for producing a printed circuit board assembly (10) comprising a first printed circuit board (11) made of an insulated metal substrate, and a second printed circuit board (12) comprising the steps providing the first printed circuit board (11), carrying out an SMD process for fastening at least one SMD component (14) and at least one installation ring (3) of an electric contact assembly (1) within the SMD process, pressing a press-in pin (2) into the installation ring (3) fastened to the first printed circuit board (11), so that a first press connection (4) is configured between the press-in pin (2) and the installation ring (3), wherein the press-in pin (2) comprises a first zone (21) and a second zone (22), wherein the first zone (21) is more flexible than the second zone (22) and the second zone (22) is configured on the first press connection (4), and pressing the second printed circuit board (12) onto the at least one press-in pin (2) on the first zone (21) of the press-in pin (2) to produce a second press connection (5) between the press-in pin (2) and the second printed circuit board (12).

13. The electric contact assembly according to claim 3, wherein the geometrically reshaped region is an oval eyelet or a ring.

14. The electric contact assembly according to claim 4, wherein the second zone is made of a cylindrical solid material.

15. The electric contact assembly according to claim 5, wherein the press-in aid is a peripheral annular flange on the second zone (22).

16. The printed circuit board assembly according claim 10, wherein the first printed circuit board (11) is an IMS printed circuit board.

17. The printed circuit board assembly according to claim 11, wherein the insulation layer (11b) is made of FR4.

18. The method according claim 12, wherein the first printed circuit board (11) is an IMS printed circuit board.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] A preferred design example of the invention is described in detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows:

[0028] FIG. 1 a schematic side view of a press-in pin of an electric contact assembly according to a preferred design example of the invention,

[0029] FIG. 2 a plan view of an installation ring of the electric contact assembly,

[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the entire electric contact assembly, and

[0031] FIG. 4 a schematic sectional view of a printed circuit board assembly with a plurality of electric contact assemblies according to FIGS. 1 to 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] An electric contact assembly 1 and a printed circuit board assembly 10, and a method for producing a printed circuit board assembly according to a preferred design example of the invention, will be described in detail in the following with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0033] FIGS. 1 to 3 show the electric contact assembly 1 according to the invention. The electric contact assembly comprises two main components, namely an installation ring 3 (FIG. 2) and a press-in pin 2, which can be seen in detail in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows the assembled state of the installation ring 3 with the press-in pin 2.

[0034] The installation ring 3 is a closed ring made of an electrically conductive material, preferably metal. The installation ring 3 comprises an inner opening 3a. The inner opening 3a is configured to receive the press-in pin 2.

[0035] The press-in pin 2 comprises a first zone 21 and a second zone 22. The first zone 21 has greater mechanical flexibility than the second zone 22. The second zone 22 is thus the stiffer zone of the press-in pin. The second zone 22 is substantially a cylindrical solid material pin.

[0036] In this design example, the first zone 21 is a region that has been geometrically reshaped out of its initial shape, e.g., a cylindrical pin, and is configured as an oval eyelet. Raw material at a free end of the raw material can be reshaped to form a region of the first zone 21 which has been geometrically reshaped into a closed eyelet and the raw material can then be cut to a desired length of the press-in pin. This creates the second zone 22, which can be untreated raw material, for example a wire material.

[0037] The press-in pin 2 further comprises a press-in shoulder 20, which in this design example is a peripherally closed ring that is fastened to the second stiffer zone 22 of the press-in pin 2. This can be accomplished via a solder connection or a weld connection, for example.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a side view of the finished press-in pin 2 with the first zone 21, the rod-shaped, stiffer second zone 22 and the press-in shoulder 20.

[0039] It should be noted that the first zone 21 can also be produced by fastening an eyelet or a ring made of a different material to a rod-shaped material that provides the second zone 22 of the press-in pin 2.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows the installed state, in which the press-in pin 2 is pressed into the opening 3a of the installation ring 3. This results in a first press connection 4 between the installation ring 3 and the press-in pin 2 in the region of the second free end of the press-in pin 2.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows the printed circuit board assembly 10 with a plurality of electric contact assemblies 1. The printed circuit board assembly 10 comprises a first printed circuit board 11 and a second printed circuit board 12 which is disposed at a distance above the first printed circuit board 11. The printed circuit board assembly 10 also comprises a plurality of electric contact assemblies 1. The method according to the invention is explained with reference to FIG. 4 as well.

[0042] As can be seen from FIG. 4, the first printed circuit board 11 is an IMS printed circuit board comprising a metal body 11a and an insulation layer 11b made of an FR4 material. A plurality of electronic components 14 can be fastened to the FR4 material using SMD technology. FIG. 4 schematically shows an SMD component 14 fastened to the insulation layer 11b. The installation ring 3 of the electric contact assembly 1 is likewise provided as an SMD component and is fastened to the surface of the insulation layer 11b by means of a solder connection 6. This makes it possible to integrate the fastening of the installation ring 3 into the already existing SMD production process. The production of the first printed circuit board 11 can thus be carried out in a very cost-efficient manner and in a very short time.

[0043] To complete the electric contact assembly, the press-in pin 2 is now pressed into the installation ring 3 fastened to the surface of the insulation layer 11b, so that the first press connection 4 between the installation ring 3 and the press-in pin 2 is configured. This is accomplished using a not-depicted press-in tool, which engages on the press-in shoulder 20 of the press-in pin 20.

[0044] The press-in pins 1 can be pressed into a respective installation ring 3 individually, or a plurality of press-in pins 2 are pressed into respective installation rings 3 in parallel.

[0045] In a final step, the second printed circuit board 12 is then pressed onto the press-in pins 2 projecting from the surface of the first printed circuit board 11. To do this, the first zones 21 are inserted into passage openings 13 in the second printed circuit board 12 so that a second press connection 5 is respectively configured between the first zone 21 of the press-in pin 2 and the second printed circuit board 12.

[0046] The second printed circuit board 12 comprises an insulation carrier 12a made of an FR4 material and electrical lines 12b on a surface of the insulation carrier 12a.

[0047] Thus, according to the invention, a large number of electrical contact-connections between the first printed circuit board 11 and the second printed circuit board 12 can be achieved in a single step. The press-in pins 2 are preferably all configured identically.

[0048] A printed circuit board assembly 10 can thus be produced while continuing to use a conventional SMD production process without special processes. The electrical contacting can be configured freely, in particular with regard to position and number, is possible. It is also possible to adapt quickly to a wide variety of requirements, or to switch production to a different printed circuit board assembly. The joining steps can be carried out without a heat treatment of the printed circuit boards 11, 12. This, too, results in simple process management and monitoring.