Header for electronic components board in surface mount and through-hole assembly
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsKristopher K. Neild, Claude Fernandez, Charles Schaefer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low-cost header for connecting an electronic components board to a circuit board is disclosed, consisting of side walls made of an unwarpable plastic material and joined together to form a frame around an area substantially the same as the area of the components board. A plurality of metal pins are located in the frame, each having one end extending from said frame such that these ends can be soldered to the components board concurrently with the solder attachment of the components to the board. The other ends of the pins can be formed so that they are adjusted for either through-hole attachment to circuit boards, or for surface mounting.
Claims15
A header for connecting an electronic components board to a circuit board, comprising:
- a plurality of side walls joined together to form a planar frame around an area substantially the same as the area of said components board, said frame having first and second surfaces;
- said side walls made of plastic material unwarpable at assembly temperatures, and having a thickness suitable for tolerating process-induced stresses;
- a plurality of geometric features in said first surface, suitable for aligning said frame to said components board;
- selected side walls having a plurality of openings extending from said first to said second surface;
- a plurality of metal pins intended for assembly to said circuit board, each of said pins having a first end and a second end;
- said first end of each of said pins located in one of said openings, respectively, such that it extends a pre-determined length from said first surface, said length equal for each of said pins;
- and
- said second end of each of said pins protruding from said second surface.
A method for assembling a header and an electronic components board, comprising the steps of:
- providing a header having plastic side walls joined together forming a frame having a planar surface, a plurality of plastic bumps extending from said surface, and a plurality of metal pins, located in said frame, having one end extending from said surface;
- placing solder paste on said extending pin ends;
- providing an electrically insulating assembly board having top and bottom surfaces, each surface having metallic terminals interconnected by conductive routing lines integral with said board, said bottom surface further having dimples matching said plastic bumps;
- aligning said terminals on said bottom board surface with said extending pin ends, and said dimples with said bumps;
- contacting said bottom board surface with said solder paste on said extending pin ends, concurrently inserting said plastic bumps into said dimples;
- placing solder paste on said terminals on said top board surface;
- providing selected electronic components;
- aligning said components with matching terminals on said top board surface;
- contacting said components with said solder paste of said matching terminals;
- increasing the temperature to reflow said solder paste between said pin ends and said bottom terminals, and concurrently between said components and said top terminals;
- and
- cooling the temperature for solidifying said solder, thereby completing said assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.