Miniature electronic device with improved housing attachment
AssigneeBourns, Inc.
InventorRonald E. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an electronic device, of the type having an electronic component carried on a substrate, a housing to enclose the component, and terminal leads attached to the substrate, the housing is attached to the substrate by means of crimped tabs formed on extensions of the terminal leads. The extensions are directly generally perpendicularly to the substrate, and they terminate in inwardly-bent tabs which engage the housing in slots provided in the top surface of the housing. The tabs are crimped downwardly into the slots to lock the housing onto the substrate. An O-ring may optionally be retained in the housing, whereby the crimping of the tabs compresses the O-ring against the substrate to provide a substantially hermetic seal.
Claims15
An electronic device, of the type including an electronic component carried on a substrate, a housing having top and side surfaces enclosing said component, and terminal leads attached to said substrate on each of at least two opposed sides thereof, wherein the improvement comprises:
- an upwardly-extending extension attached to at least one of said terminal leads on each of said two opposed sides of said substrate, each of said extensions having a main portion and a free end;
- retention means, on said free end of each of said extensions, and engageable with said top surface of said housing, for lockably retaining said housing in engagement with said substrate;
- and
- slot means, in said side surfaces of said housing, for receiving said main portion of each of said extensions, said main portions being thereby recessed inwardly from said side surfaces, substantially without protruding from said side surfaces.
An electronic device, comprising:
- a substrate carrying an electronic component on a major surface thereof;
- a housing having top and side surfaces enclosing said major surface of said substrate on which said component is carried;
- a terminal lead attached to each of at least two opposed sides of said substrate, each of said leads having a first portion engageable with said substrate, and a second portion extending perpendicularly to said major surface carrying said component;
- retention means, on said second portion of each of said terminal leads, and engageable with said housing, for lockably retaining said housing in engagement with said substrate;
- and
- slot means in said top and side surfaces of said housing, for receiving said second portion and said retention means of each of said terminal leads, said second portions being thereby recessed inwardly from said side surfaces substantially without protruding from said side surfaces.
An electronic device, comprising:
- a substrate carrying an electronic component on a major surface thereof;
- a housing enclosing said major surface of said substrate on which said component is carried, said housing having a top surface spaced from and substantially parallel to said substrate, and a plurality of side surfaces each extending from said top surface to said major surface of said substrate;
- a terminal lead attached to each of at least two opposed sides of said substrate, each of said leads having a first portion engageable with said substrate, a second portion extending perpendicularly to said major surface carrying said component, and a third portion provided at the end of said second portion and forming an angle of not more than approximately ninety degrees therewith;
- and
- a plurality of slots each extending from said top surface through an adjacent side surface to an edge thereof engageable with said major surface of said substrate;
- whereby said third portion of each of said leads is engageable with one of said slots in said top surface of said housing to lockably retain said housing in engagement with said substrate;
- and
- whereby said second portion of each of said leads is received in one of said slots so as to be recessed inwardly from said side surface substantially without protruding therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.