BENDING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS

Abstract

A printed circuit board having essentially a first region, a second region, and a third region. The first region and the third region can be used for the placement of electrical and/or electronic components. The second region located in the middle of the three regions is a bend region. A side edge of the printed circuit board is offset inward in this region in order to narrow the contour of the printed circuit board in the bend region. This region likewise has one or more through holes. Both the narrowing and the through holes facilitate a bending of the printed circuit board, namely a bending of the first region relative to the third region or vice versa.

Claims

1. A printed circuit board comprising: a bend region that has a narrowing and/or a through hole; and a side edge set back inward for the narrowing of the printed circuit board in the bend region.

2. The printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is an FR4 printed circuit board.

3. The printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board has at least two regions or three regions, including the bend region, wherein the bend region is a middle region of the three regions.

4. The printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein an antenna, in particular an NFC antenna, or parts of an antenna, in particular parts of an NFC antenna, are arranged in the bend region of the printed circuit board.

5. The printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board has supply lines, and wherein supply lines of the antenna are arranged in the bend region of the printed circuit board.

6. A sensor group for a keyless entry system, comprising: a carrier; electrical and/or electronic components; an interface for connection to a vehicle electronic system; and a printed circuit board according to claim 1.

7. The sensor group according to claim 6, wherein the carrier has first fastening elements in a first region and has second fastening elements in a second region, which are set up for accommodating the printed circuit board by a first fastening step in the first region of the carrier and a second fastening step in the second region of the carrier, wherein the printed circuit board is adapted to be bent in the bend region during the second fastening step.

8. The sensor group according to claim 7, wherein a bend radius for the printed circuit board is defined by the fastening elements of the carrier.

9. A door handle for a motor vehicle, comprising: a housing; and a sensor group according to claim 6.

10. The door handle according to claim 9, wherein the sensor group has a shape in which the antenna is placed a short distance from an outer surface of the door handle.

11. The door handle according to claim 10, wherein the antenna is placed approximately parallel to the outer surface of the door handle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a printed circuit board according to the invention in a top view;

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a sensor group according to the invention in a side view;

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a sensor group according to the invention with fastening steps indicated; and

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a door handle according to the invention for a vehicle in a side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In FIG. 1, a printed circuit board 1 according to the invention is shown in a top view. The printed circuit board 1 is essentially rectangular in the top view and is designed to accommodate electrical and/or electronic components 4, 5. The printed circuit board 1 essentially has a first region 11, a second region 12, and a third region 13.

[0022] The first region 11 and the third region 13 can be used for the placement of electrical and/or electronic components 4, 5. The second region 12, located in the middle of the three regions 11, 12, 13, is intended as a bend region. A side edge 14 of the printed circuit board 1 is offset inward in this region in order to narrow the contour of the printed circuit board 1 in the bend region 12. This region likewise has one or more through holes 122. Both the narrowing 121 and the through holes 122 facilitate a bending of the printed circuit board 1, namely a bending of the first region 11 relative to the third region 13 or vice versa. The printed circuit board 1, which advantageously can be an FR4 printed circuit board, which are available inexpensively and in large quantities, is inherently too rigid to be bent without the risk of damage. The narrowing 121 and the through holes 122 make it easier to bend the printed circuit board 1 in the bend region 12. As a result, it is possible to bring the printed circuit board 1 into a desired shape.

[0023] Electronic components 4, 5 are provided on the printed circuit board 1 in the first and third regions 11, 13. The printed circuit board 1 has conductive traces that connect the electronic components 4, 5 to one another. In addition, a conductive trace 15, which is routed essentially in a loop along the side edge 14, is provided in the first region 11 and in the second region 12. This conductor loop forms an NFC antenna 15, which is connected through supply lines 16 to a circuit formed by the electronic components 4, 5.

[0024] A through hole 17 is provided in each of the corners of the first region 11 and of the third region 13; these through holes are used to fasten the printed circuit board 1 to a carrier 2.

[0025] The printed circuit board 1 populated with the components 4, 5 is assembled with a carrier 2 to form a sensor group 1, 2, 4, 5 (FIG. 2).

[0026] The carrier 2 has two regions 21, 22, in which fastening elements 211, 221 are provided. The fastening elements 211, 221 are posts at the free ends of which are provided latching structures. The posts have shoulders at a slight distance from the free ends. The free ends of the posts are inserted into the through holes 17 in the corners of the first and third regions 11, 13 of the printed circuit board 1, and the printed circuit board 1 is snapped onto the latching structures, with the printed circuit board 1 resting on the shoulders of the posts.

[0027] The shoulders of the fastening elements 211 of the first region 21 lie in a first plane, and the shoulders of the fastening elements 221 of the second region 22 lie in a second plane. The first plane and the second plane are at an angle to one another. A line of intersection is located between the two regions 21, 22, where the bend region 12 of the printed circuit board 1 fastened to the carrier is also located. This means that the printed circuit board 1 is bent in the region between the first region 21 and the second region 22 of the carrier 2, which is to say in the bend region, since otherwise the printed circuit board cannot rest on the shoulders lying in the first plane or the second plane.

[0028] The sensor group thus produced is placed in a housing 3 of a door handle (FIG. 4). As a result, the first region 11 and the second region 12, in which the NFC antenna 15 is formed, are parallel to and only a short distance away from an external surface of the housing 3.

[0029] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.