Abstract
A circuit board has an upper face and a lower face. The circuit board comprises at least two circuits, with each of the at least two circuits comprising at least one conductor track and at least one current carrying electronic component. The circuit board has at least one through-hole which is provided with at least one insulating unit. The at least one insulating unit is arranged in the at least one through-hole and so is mechanically connected to the circuit board and thus is positioned between a first circuit and at least one second circuit of the circuit board.
Claims
1.-12. (canceled)
13. A circuit board (1) with an upper side (2) and a lower side (3), wherein the circuit board (1) has at least two circuits, wherein each of the at least two circuits has at least one conductor track and at least one current-carrying electronic element (6, 6, 6), wherein the circuit board (1) has at least one through opening (7) which is provided with at least one insulating unit (8), and wherein the at least one insulating unit (8) is arranged in the at least one through opening (8) and is thus mechanically connected to the circuit board (1) and in this case is positioned between a first circuit (4) and at least one second circuit (5) of the circuit board (1).
14. The circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the insulating unit (8) reaches a height of a highest electronic element (6) of the first circuit (4) or the second circuit (5).
15. The circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the insulating unit (8) at least partially delimits a region of the first circuit (4) and the second circuit (5).
16. The circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the insulating unit (8) projects through the at least one through opening (7) of the circuit board (1) at least in sections.
17. The circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the insulating unit (8) has a latching element (9) by means of which the insulating unit (8) produces a positive connection to the circuit board (1).
18. The circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the insulating unit (8) is molded in such a way that the insulating unit (8) forms at least one connection between the at least one through opening (7) and at least one edge of the circuit board (1).
19. The circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the insulating unit (8) encloses at least parts of the upper side (2) or the lower side (3) of the circuit board (1).
20. The circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the insulating unit (8) is produced from a synthetic, non-conductive material.
21. A plug connector with a circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the circuit board (1) is arranged inside a housing (10) of the plug connector and is engaged with an inside wall (11) of the housing (10), wherein a molding on the inside wall (11) interacts with the insulating unit (8), in order to additionally increase clearances and creepage distances between at least the two circuits (4, 5).
22. A method for producing a circuit board (1) as claimed in claim 13, comprising at least the following steps: a. creating a circuit diagram with the at least two circuits (3,4); b. planning the positioning of electronic elements based on the circuit diagram while simultaneously configuring and positioning the at least one insulating unit (8); c. determining a suitable configuration of the circuit board (1); d. creating an unassembled circuit board according to the preceding method steps; e. assembling the unassembled circuit board with electronic elements according to the circuit diagram; f. assembling the circuit board (1) with the at least one insulating unit (8).
23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein at least the following sub-steps are assigned to step b.: b.1 determining a dimensioning of the circuit board (1); b.2 calculating the shape of the at least one insulating unit (8); b.3 calculating the at least one through opening (7); b.4 checking the dimensioning of the circuit board (1) taking into account the necessary clearances and creepage distances when using the insulating unit (8).
24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein at least step b. or one of the sub-steps b.1 to b.4 assigned to step b. is carried out using at least one computer program.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawings and is explained in greater detail hereinafter. In the drawings:
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of the upper side of a circuit board with an insulating unit;
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a perspective representation of an insulating unit;
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a perspective representation of the lower side of a circuit board with an insulating unit;
[0040] FIG. 4 shows a perspective sectional representation of a circuit board with a housing which interacts with the insulating unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations. Identical reference numbers are, in part, used for the same but possibly not identical elements. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently. Directional information such as left, right, above and below, for example, are intended to be understood with reference to the respective figure and may vary in the individual representations compared to the object represented.
[0042] FIG. 1 shows the upper side 2 of a circuit board 1 with a particularly space-saving arrangement of the electronic elements 6, 6, 6. The insulating unit 8 is used according to the invention in order to enable such a compact arrangement on the printed board 1. The insulating unit 8 separates the first circuit 4 at least for the most part from the second circuit 5. In this case, it becomes clear that the insulating unit 8 projects through a through opening 7 in the circuit board 1. The electronic elements 6, 6 and 6 are represented and numbered on the circuit board 1 by way of example. The electronic element 6 shown is an integrated circuit module (IC module). The electronic elements 6 and 6 can be different surface mount components, also referred to as SMD (surface-mounted device/s). Electronic elements such as 6 are usually SMD resistors. The electronic element 6 is an SMD capacitor. Further electronic elements can be designed in an optically similar manner and can be used instead of the designated electronic elements. In this case, it should be recognized that the insulating unit 8 reaches or projects beyond the height of the electronic elements 6, 6 and 6 used. In the case represented, the first circuit 4 is part of a switching circuit which is spatially interrupted by the electronic element 6 and is continued at the electronic element 6 opposite the circuit 4 as a second circuit 5.
[0043] In FIG. 2, the insulating unit 8 according to the invention used in FIG. 1 is represented in a perspective manner. In this case, a possible molding of an insulating unit 8 according to the invention is shown. The embodiment represented is composed of an insulating plate 13 and insulating elements 12 and 12 which project out of the insulating plate 13. In principle, a design consisting of merely one of the insulating elements 12 or 12 is conceivable. However, in the case of the represented embodiment of the insulating unit 8, a comprehensive insulation of the circuits to be shielded can be achieved. For this purpose, the insulating unit 8 with the insulating element 12 is fed through a through opening 7 in the circuit board 1. At the same time, the insulating element 12 is fed along an edge at a peripheral region of the circuit board. In this case, the insulating unit 8 is provided with latching elements 9. The latching elements 9 latch on an edge of the peripheral region of the circuit board 1. The insulating unit 8 is thus connected to the circuit board 1 in a secure but releasable manner. Moreover, it is also conceivable to provide the insulating element 12 with at least one latching element 9. Depending on the design of the circuit board 1 and the insulating unit 8, thought can be given to the arrangement and dimensioning, and/or to the use of latching elements similar to the latching elements 9. It may be useful to possibly use alternatives, for example a ridge on the insulating elements 12 and/or 12. Moreover, further latching elements which have an opposite orientation to the latching elements 9 can be used along an at least in principle parallel plane to the insulating plate 13. This makes it possible to create stops in a simple manner and without any particular effort for attaching an insulating unit 8 to the circuit board 1. Furthermore, FIG. 2 indicates that the insulating plate 13 can in principle also be molded from plate sections 13.1 and 13.2 located on two or more planes. Electronic elements, such as the elements 6, 6 and 6 shown previously or equivalent electronic elements, can therefore be bordered and/or enclosed in a precise manner.
[0044] FIG. 3 shows by way of example how an embodiment of this type of an insulating unit 8 can be used. In this case, a plate section 13.1 of the insulating plate 13 nestles against the lower side 3 of the circuit board 1. A further plate section 13.2 runs basically parallel to the plate section 13.1 and to the lower side 3 of the circuit board 1. However, electronic components 6 and 6 are arranged under the plate section 13.2. The plate section 13.2 is therefore designed to be further spaced apart from the lower side 3 of the circuit board 1. Furthermore, it becomes clear that the insulating unit 8 can in principle be connected to the circuit board 1 directly during an assembly process of a circuit board 1, after assembly of the circuit board 1 with electronic elements. Sealing the circuit board 1 with insulating lacquers and/or plastics materials can therefore initially be dispensed with. The production process can thus be temporally optimized. However, insulating the circuit board 1 with insulating lacquers and/or plastics materials is not prevented by the insulating unit.
[0045] One possibility for further increasing the clearances and creepage distances is illustrated in FIG. 4. In this case, a circuit board 1 is assembled with an insulating unit 8 and inserted into a housing 10 which has insulating elements 12 on the inside wall 11. This insulating element 12 can be brought into engagement with the insulating elements 12 and/or 12 of the insulating unit 8. For this purpose, it is useful for the housing 10 to be made of a plastics material. Alternatively, the housing 10, or rather at least the inside wall 11 of the housing 10, can be covered with insulating materials, for example a plastics material on its inside wall 11, in order to achieve an insulating effect. This procedure can be useful in particular in the case of housings which in principle have electrically conductive properties. The represented combing of the insulating elements 12 and 12, which resembles a labyrinth seal, enables further enlargement of the clearances and creepage distances. Moreover, the combing enables secured positioning of the circuit board 1 in a housing 10. FIG. 4 further indicates that the region of the insulating element 12 which projects through the through opening 7 beyond the upper side 2 of the circuit board 1 at least in principle reaches the height of the electronic element 6. In this case, the insulating unit 8 encloses a partial region of the lower side 3 of the circuit board 1. Moreover, the combing of the insulating unit 8 and the inside wall 11 of the housing 10 virtually form a partial housing which in principle surrounds at least one partial region of the circuit board 1.
[0046] It is clear to the person skilled in the artunless otherwise specifiedthat the combinations represented and discussed are not the only possible combinations, even if different aspects or features of the invention are in each case shown in combination in the figures. In particular, mutually corresponding units or feature complexes from different exemplary embodiments can be exchanged with one another.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS
[0047] 1 circuit board [0048] 2 upper side [0049] 3 lower side [0050] 4 first circuit [0051] 5 second circuit [0052] 6, 6, 6 electronic element [0053] 7 through opening [0054] 8 insulating unit [0055] 9 latching element [0056] 10 housing [0057] 11 inside wall [0058] 12, 12, 12 insulating element [0059] 13 insulating plate [0060] 13.1, 13.2 plate section
