GB2174243A

GB2174243A - Electronic component support

Info

Publication number: GB2174243A
Application number: GB08607591A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sidney Harold Martin
Original assignee: Fujitsu Services Ltd
Current assignee: Fujitsu Services Ltd
Priority date: 1985-04-22
Filing date: 1986-03-26
Publication date: 1986-10-29
Also published as: GB8607591D0; GB8510232D0; GB2174243B

Abstract

A device for supporting light emitting diodes 17 (LEDs) on a printed circuit board comprising pairs of spaced resilient arms 16 extending from a base 11. The arms are arranged so that, when an LED is inserted between each pair, the free ends of the arms engage and locate the LED. The device, together with the LEDs mounted therein, is secured to the printed circuit board 19 by soldering the connection leads 18 of the LED 17s, which extend through the base, to conductors on the printed circuit board. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electronic component support This invention relates to support devices for electronic components and in particular to such devices intended for supporting light emitting diodes on printed circuit boards.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are commonly used as indicators on electronic equipment and for this purpose, it is desired to mount the LED in such a manner that it can be viewed through a display panel of the equipment. A common method of mounting LEDs is to provide a support device secured in an aperture in the display panel and the support device has a recess, internally of the equipment, to receive the LED.

According to the invention a support device for an electronic component includes: a base; a pair of arms spaced apart and extending from the base, the spacing of the arms where they join the base being no less than the thickness of a component to be received between the arms, at least one arm of the pair being resilient and the free ends of the arms being spaced a distance slightly less than the thickness of the component; whereby a component inserted between the arms of the pair is engaged and located solely by portions of the arms adjacent their free ends.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference by way of example to the drawing in which: Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of a component support mounted on a printed circuit board with light emitting diodes supported thereby.

Figure 2 is an end view in the direction of arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing a support 10 for a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is constituted by a moulding of synthetic plastics material. The support 10 comprises a base 11 from which pairs of arms 12, 13 extend. The spacing between the arms of each pair, where they join the base 11, is greater than the thickness of an LED 14 to be held by the support so that the LED is not gripped by the arms adjacent the base of the support. The free ends 15, 16 of the arms 12, 13 are formed so that the spacing therebetween is slightly less than the thickness of an LED intended to be held by the support. Hence when an LED is inserted into the space between the arms 12, 13 with its back face adjacent the base 11 of the support 10, the LED is engaged adjacent its front face 17 by the free ends 15, 16 of the arms 12, 13.The base 11 of the support has an aperture extending therethrough between each paid of arms, the apertures being positioned to permit connection leads 18 of the LEDs to pass through the apertures and into holes provided in a printed circuit board 19 on which the LED is to be mounted. The support 10 and the LEDs held thereby are secured to the printed circuit board 19 by soldering the connections leads 18 to conductive pads or tracks 20 on the board which provide electrical connections to the LEDs. In order to facilitate insertion of the LEDs between the free ends 15, 16 of the arms, the inner faces of the free ends are chamfered.The base 11 is formed with a groove or recess in the face which seats against the printed circuit board to ensure that there is clearance between the support 10 and any solder which may extend around the connections between the leads 18 and the printed circuit board.

As may be seen from Fig. 1, the arms 12, 13 of adjacent pairs are separated by slots 21 which extend into the base 11. This permits the support to be formed from a length of moulding which is then cut in the region of the slots into individual supports for receiving a required number of LEDs.

It will be appreciated that the plastics material from which the support is moulded is chosen such that the arms have the required resilience to permit insertion of the LEDs and to ensure that the LEDs are gripped by the arms with a relatively small pressure. While the embodiment illustrated in the drawing is symmetrical with the arms of a pair being identical, if desired, one arm may be formed to be relatively rigid and only the other arm is relatively resilient.

The cross section of the arms may be different from that illustrated in the drawing, the only requirement being that the LED is held by the arms only at a position adjacent the front face 17 of the LED. By means of this arrangement the front face, which is the face of the LED which in use will be viewed for the emission of light, is located in a desired position so that it will align with a viewing position in an indicator panel.

For situations where it is desired to support more than one row of LEDs or to support two LEDs side by side instead of end to end, the support 10 may be formed with a central arm and side arms on each side of the central arm so that one LED is supported between the central arm and one side arm and a second LED is supported between the central arm and the other side arm.

Also if the LEDs have a form different from that illustrated, in which they have parallel planar faces, the free ends of the arms may be shaped to correspond with the shape of the LEDs at the position at which they are gripped by the arms. For example, if the LEDs are of cylindrical form having a circular or spherical viewing face, the opposed faces of the free ends of the arms may be formed with an indent to locate the LED in a direction aligned with the length of the support 10.

Claims

1. A support device for an electronic component including: a base; a pair of arms spaced apart and extending from the base, the spacing of the arms where they join the base being no less than the thickness of a component to be received between the arms, at least one arm of the pair being resilient and the free ends of the arms being spaced a distance slightly less than the thickness of the component; whereby a component inserted between the arms of the pair is engaged and located solely by portions of the arms adjacent their free ends.

2. A support device as claimed in claim 1, including a plurality of pairs of arms extending from the base, each pair being arranged to receive a component.

3. A support device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, including apertures extending through the base to receive connecting leads of a component or components inserted therein.

4. A support device as claimed in claim 3 and at least one component inserted therein, the component connecting leads extending through the apertures and being soldered to conductive areas on a printed circuit board.

5. A support device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said component is a light emitting diode.

6. A support device as claimed in claim 4 or 5, including a recess formed in the base to provide a clearance between the support device and the soldered connections to the printed circuit board.

7. A support device as claimed in any of claims 2-6, in which the arms of adjacent pairs are separated by slots extending into the base to thereby enable the base to be cut in the region of the slots to form support devices having a required number of pairs of arms.

8. A support device as claimed in any preceding claim formed as a moulding synthetic plastics material.

9. A support device for an electronic component constructed as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.