Single flute drill for drilling holes in printed circuit boards and method of drilling holes in a printed circuit board
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorDavid E. Houser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drill bit for forming holes in a printed circuit board. The drill bit includes a first end including a tip for contacting the material of the circuit board. A second end of the drill bit is attached to apparatus for rotating the drill bit. A cutting edge is in the vicinity of the first end. A pressure pad is opposite the cutting edge. A flute winds upwardly about the drill bit in a helix. An angle of the helix with respect to a longitudinal axis of the drill bit varies continuously, wherein the angle is about from about 15.degree. to about 35.degree. in the vicinity of the first end and increases with increasing distance from the first end to at least from about 35.degree. to about 65.degree..
Claims10
A drill bit for forming holes in a printed circuit board, said drill bit comprising:
- a first end including a tip for contacting the material of the circuit board;
- a second end for attaching to apparatus for rotating said drill bit;
- a cutting edge in the vicinity of said first end;
- a pressure pad opposite said cutting edge;
- and
- a single flute winding upwardly about said drill bit in a helix, an angle of said helix with respect to a longitudinal axis of said drill bit varying continuously, wherein said angle is from about 15.degree. to about 35.degree. in the vicinity of said first end and increases with increasing distance from said first end to at least from about 35.degree. to about 65.degree..
A method of forming holes in a printed circuit board, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a drill bit including a first end including a tip for contacting the material of the circuit board, a second end for attaching to apparatus for rotating said drill bit, a cutting edge in the vicinity of said first end, a pressure pad opposite said cutting edge, and a flute winding upwardly about said drill bit in a helix, an angle of said helix with respect to a longitudinal axis of said drill bit varying continuously, wherein said angle is from about 15.degree. to about 35.degree. in the vicinity of said first end and increases with increasing distance from said first end to at least from about 35.degree. to about 65.degree.;
- b) rotating said drill bit;
- c) bringing said tip into contact with a surface of the printed circuit board;
- d) forming a hole in said circuit board by moving at least one of said drill bit and said circuit board in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said drill bit, thereby forcing said drill bit into said circuit board and causing said cutting edge of said drill bit to remove a portion of said circuit board;
- and
- e) moving at least one of said drill bit and said circuit board in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said drill bit, thereby removing said drill bit from said hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.