VACUUM TUBE REAR DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention provides a device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes, comprising a protective cover with a plurality of heat dissipating holes, a rear panel with a panel opening, and at least one vacuum tube, wherein the vacuum tubes are arranged in a containing space of the protective cover through the panel opening and inserted to a connection circuit board for coupling to a printed circuit board. In addition, the protective cover, the rear panel, and the vacuum tubes are placed in parallel with the printed circuit board, so that heat dissipation for the device is improved and replacement and maintenance of the vacuum tubes are easier. In particular, a vacuum tube audio amplifier apparatus having the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes as disclosed herein can be stacked.

Claims

1. A device with a rear-mounted vacuum tube, comprising: at least one protective cover comprising a plurality of heat dissipation holes, a containing space and an opening edge; a rear panel comprising at least one rear panel opening, the opening edge being joined to the rear panel opening; and at least one PCB (printed circuit board) electrically connected to at least one vacuum tube, wherein the PCB is mounted to the rear panel opening, so that the vacuum tube is arranged within the containing space of the protective cover.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device does not include a metal grounding plate at a bottom part.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a transformer electrically connected to the PCB, wherein the transformer and the vacuum tube are arranged at opposite sides of the PCB.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating plate, wherein the insulating plate is arranged between the vacuum tube and the PCB, and is adhered to the PCB.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a connection circuit board electrically connected to the PCB, wherein the vacuum tube is inserted and connected to the connection circuit board.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a securing carrier enclosing a connecting part where the connection circuit board and the vacuum tube are attached.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the rear panel comprises an I/O module.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the protective cover, the vacuum tube and the PCB are secured to the rear panel and assembled to form a test module.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a front panel and a housing, wherein a normal line to a plane of the PCB is defined as a first direction, and the housing is assembled with the front panel and the test module along the first direction, so that a top of the housing enables other devices being stacked thereon.

10. A device with a rear-mounted vacuum tube, comprising: a plurality of protective covers, each protective cover comprising a plurality of heat dissipation holes, a containing space and an opening edge; a rear panel comprising a plurality of rear panel openings, the opening edge of each protective cover being joined to a corresponding rear panel opening; and a plurality of PCBs, each PCB configured with at least one vacuum tube, wherein each PCB is mounted to a corresponding rear panel opening of the rear panel, so that the vacuum tube electrically connected to each PCB is arranged within the containing space of a corresponding protective cover.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the device does not include a metal grounding plate at a bottom part.

12. The device of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of connection circuit boards, wherein each connection circuit board is electrically connected to a corresponding PCB, and the vacuum tube configured with each PCB is inserted and connected to a corresponding connection circuit board.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the protective cover, the rear panel and the PCB are assembled to form a test module.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a front panel and a housing, wherein a normal line to a plane of the PCB is defined as a first direction, and the housing is assembled with the front panel and the test module along the first direction, so that a top of the housing enables other devices being stacked thereon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a cutaway view showing a prior art vacuum tube speaker device (with internally mounted vacuum tubes) and the internal parts thereof.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art vacuum tube audio amplifier apparatus (with top-mounted vacuum tubes).

[0011] FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of a device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 3B is a cutaway view showing the internal parts of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes as illustrated in FIG. 3A.

[0013] FIG. 4A is a rear perspective view of a device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 4B is a cutaway view showing the internal parts of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes as illustrated in FIG. 4A.

[0015] FIG. 5A is an exploded view of a device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 5B is an assembled view of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 6A is an exploded view of a device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 6B is an assembled view of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 7A is an exploded view of a device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 7B is an assembled view of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of a device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes is formed by assembling a housing 330 with a front panel 310 and a rear panel 320. The front panel 310 may comprise an operation panel on which means for adjusting the settings of a stereo by the user may be provided, such as keys or knobs in any form, or any touchable/untouchable buttons. Alternatively, the device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes may comprise a speaker on the front panel 310.

[0022] FIG. 3B is a cutaway view showing the internal parts of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes as illustrated in FIG. 3A. It can be seen that within the housing 330, a PCB (printed circuit board) 317 is placed vertically near the rear panel 320 of the device 30. The PCB 317 may be a multilayer PCB, consisting of multiple layers that form the circuit of a vacuum tube audio amplifier. In particular, all or most of the circuit components are inserted or connected to the PCB 317; by doing so, the space required by the audio system can be reduced, the minimum trace width can be obtained, and the circuit performance can be improved. In addition, the device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to the present invention can be formed without a metal grounding plate at the bottom part.

[0023] FIG. 4A is a rear perspective view of a device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to the present invention. The rear panel 320 of the device 30 may include a protective cover 311. If a protective cover 311 is included, the device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes will extend out of the containing space defined by the housing 330. Moreover, the protective cover 311 comprises a plurality of holes, which help dissipate the intense heat generated by the vacuum tubes when operating; as a result, the intense heat can be directly dissipated out of the device 30. In this way, heat can be dissipated effectively, and therefore, accumulation of intense heat inside the housing, which may impair circuit performance, can be avoided. In addition, the rear panel 320 may comprise an I/O module that can contain terminals in any form, so that signals or power can be received or output by the device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes.

[0024] FIG. 4B is a cutaway view showing the internal parts of the device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes as illustrated in FIG. 4A. It can be seen that for the device 30, the major components of the circuit are positioned near the rear panel 320. Meanwhile, the vacuum tubes are arranged (by placing the tubes through an opening of the rear panel 320) in an area protruding from the rear panel 320 (i.e., outside the containing space defined by the housing 330). Thus, the circuit components can be inserted and connected to the vertically positioned PCB to reduce the space consumed by the circuit of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes. By concentrating the circuit components near the rear panel 320, heat dissipation can be carried out more effectively for the vacuum tubes and the circuit; in consequence, impaired performance of the circuit due to intense heat can be avoided.

[0025] Please refer to both FIG. 3B and FIG. 4B. It can be seen that a (audio) transformer and the vacuum tubes (inside the protective cover) are arranged at opposite sides of the

[0026] PCB. This arrangement can help reduce the trace width; also, it can prevent the vacuum tubes and the transformer 318 (e.g., a standby transformer) from affecting one another when operating, thereby achieving the result of noise reduction. In addition, the device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes can be stacked vertically.

[0027] FIG. 5A is an exploded view of a device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to the present invention. The device 30 does not include a metal grounding plate at the bottom part, but comprises at least a protective cover 311, a rear panel 320, a protective carrier 313, vacuum tubes 314, a connection circuit board 315, an insulating plate 316, a PCB 317, a transformer 318, and an I/O module 310. The above-described elements shown in FIG. 5A are closer to the rear panel 320 than to the front panel 310.

[0028] All of the above-described elements shown in FIG. 5A are assembled to the rear panel 320 along the X-direction (i.e., the normal line to the plane of the PCB 317); methods for assembling them include but are not limited to using snap fits or screws to fasten the elements. Moreover, the protective cover 311 (and its opening edge 311a), the rear panel 320, the insulating plate 316, the plane of the PCB 317, and the central tubular axis of each vacuum tube 314 are all arranged parallel to the Y-direction (i.e., the direction parallel to the plane/surface of the PCB 317); the connection circuit board 315 is arranged parallel to the X-direction; and the two vacuum tubes 314 are arranged along the Z-direction.

[0029] The rear panel 320 comprises a panel opening 321 and an I/O module fitting portion 319a. The panel opening 321 is joined to the opening edge 311a of the protective cover 311, which comprises a plurality of holes to facilitate heat dissipation. Also, the surfaces of the protective cover 311 and the opening edge 311a define a containing space, which, at the least, can be used to accommodate the vacuum tubes 314. Thus, if the vacuum tubes 314 are placed in the containing space of the protective cover 311 through the panel opening 321, heat can be dissipated from the containing space and enter into the air outside the device 30. In this way, the intense heat generated by the vacuum tubes when operating will not stay in the internal space defined by the housing of the device 30. Additionally, the I/O module fitting portion 319a can be joined to the I/O module 319.

[0030] The vacuum tubes 314 are first inserted and connected to the connection circuit board 315 vertically (in the Y-direction); then, the connection circuit board 315 is perpendicularly inserted and connected to the PCB 317, allowing the vacuum tubes 314 to be coupled to the PCB 317. In addition, to assure more solid connections among the vacuum tubes 314, the connection circuit board 315 and the PCB 317, the protective carrier 313 can be used for fitting to the connection circuit board 315, thereby enclosing the connecting part between the vacuum tubes 314 and the connection circuit board 315, as well as the connecting point between the connection circuit board 315 and the PCB 317. The configuration of the protective carrier 313 is intended to maintain good electrical connection for the vacuum tubes 314 when the device 30 undergoes shaking or vibrations (for example, when the device is placed on a production line conveyor belt that is moving).

[0031] There is also an insulating plate 316 adhered to the PCB 317, and thus, the insulating plate 316 is positioned between the vacuum tubes 314 and the PCB 317.

[0032] Accordingly, the insulating plate 316 comprises an opening 316a, and the vacuum tubes 314 connected to the connection circuit board 315 can be inserted and connected to the PCB 317 through the opening 316a. This allows the user to connect/disconnect the vacuum tubes 314 and the connection circuit board 315 without touching the nodes (soldering points) on the PCB 317, thereby preventing the occurrence of short circuits. The use of the insulating plate 316 described herein is only exemplary and non-limiting; an insulation adhesive or insulating film may be used to cover on the PCB 317 as a substitute for the insulating plate 316.

[0033] The connection circuit board 315 is inserted and connected to one side of the PCB 317; on the opposite side of the PCB 317, a transformer 318 is positioned. The above arrangement can help reduce the trace width. The PCB 317 may alternatively comprise a grounding layer to achieve the result of noise reduction.

[0034] Further, the rear panel 320 may comprise supporting members 320a and 320b for supporting the protective cover 311, the vacuum tubes 314, and the PCB 317. The supporting members can facilitate assembling the above-described elements to the rear panel 320, and can support or secure these elements after the assembling operation is finished. The supporting members 320a, 320b may be integrally formed with the rear panel 320. The configuration of the supporting members 320a and 320b is intended to form a test module by directly assembling and securing the protective cover 311, the vacuum tubes 314, the connection circuit board 315, the insulating plate 316, the PCB 317, and the transformer 318 to the rear panel 320. The assembled test module will allow the testing operations to be carried out more easily during the manufacturing process, since the testing operations will not be limited to the space within the device housing. Additionally, the test module may further include the I/O module 319 by joining it to the I/O module fitting portion 319a.

[0035] FIG. 5B is an assembled view of the device 30 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to an embodiment of the present invention. After the assembly of the device is completed, the vacuum tubes 314 are positioned inside the containing space of the protective cover 311 and outside the containing space of the device housing. Also, the above-described elements are close to and secured to the rear panel 320, making it easier to carry out testing operations directly to the assembled device during the manufacturing process.

[0036] The above-described arrangement according to the present invention not only facilitates heat dissipation, but also facilitates replacement of the vacuum tubes 314 by the user or a device supplier. By removing the protective cover 311 and the protective carrier 313, the vacuum tubes 314 can be taken out and replaced directly; it is not necessary to remove the larger device housing.

[0037] In addition, as the vacuum tubes 314 are arranged on the rear panel 320 along the X-direction, the device 30 can be stacked along the Y-direction.

[0038] FIG. 6A is an exploded view of a device 60 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to another embodiment of the present invention. The device 60 does not include a metal grounding plate at the bottom part. To satisfy different application needs, the device 60 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes further comprises an antenna element 600; also, the layout of a rear panel 620 is slightly altered, but the directions in which the elements are placed are basically the same as in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6B is an assembled view of the device 60 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to the present invention. Similarly, this arrangement not only facilitates heat dissipation, but also facilitates replacement of the vacuum tubes 314 by the user or a device supplier. Removing the larger device housing is not needed.

[0039] According to the present invention, the number of each element, such as the number of the vacuum tube, the protective cover and the PCB, can increase depending on the circuit needs of the device with rear-mounted vacuum tubes. FIG. 7A is an exploded view of a device 70 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. The device 70 does not include a metal grounding plate at the bottom part and comprises two protective covers 3111 and 3112, each protecting two vacuum tubes. Thus, the rear panel 720 comprises two panel openings.

[0040] FIG. 7B is an assembled view of the device 70 with rear-mounted vacuum tubes according to the present invention. The arrangement of two protective covers 3111 and 3112 not only facilitates heat dissipation, but also facilitates replacement of the vacuum tubes 314 by the user or a device supplier. Removing the larger device housing is not needed.

[0041] The above disclosure of the present invention is meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. For example, the number of each element is not limited to that described above. There may be one protective cover protecting one or more vacuum tubes, while one or more PCBs are used. Such arrangements are also within the scope of the present invention.