Stress controlling mounting structures for printed circuit boards

Abstract

A printed circuit board having a plurality of traces and pads printed then. Slots or openings of various geometric shapes are formed in the board to provide flexible mounting members. The pads are mounted on the mounting members. Surface-mounted electrical components have their terminals soldered to the pads. The flexibility of the mounting members permits small movements of the soldered joints in response to thermal expansions, vibrations, etc. to control potentionally damaging stresses.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printed circuit assembly comprising: a board;   at least one mounting member flexibly attached to said board;   a pattern of printed wires mounted on the surface of the board;   first and second spaced conductive surfaces connected to said wires and at least one of which is mounted on said mounting member; and   an electronic component fixed to each of said conductive surfaces.   
     
     
       2. The circuit board of claim 1 wherein said mounting member is at least partially surrounded by an opening formed in said board. 
     
     
       3. The circuit board of claim 2 wherein said board has a flat, planar body and said mounting member lies in the plane of said body. 
     
     
       4. The circuit board of claim 3 wherein said mounting member and said board are formed of a common material. 
     
     
       5. The circuit board of claim 4 wherein said component is mounted on said board. 
     
     
       6. The circuit board of claim 4 wherein said member is formed as a cantilevered beam flexibly attached to said board. 
     
     
       7. The circuit board of claim 4 wherein said member is formed as a broad surface with at least two narrow flexible arms extending between said broad surface and said body. 
     
     
       8. The circuit board of claim 6 wherein said cantilevered beam is flexibly mounted for movement in the plane of said board and in a direction transverse to the plane of said board. 
     
     
       9. The circuit board of claim 6 wherein said first and second spaced conductive surfaces are mounted on said at least one mounting member. 
     
     
       10. A printed circuit assembly comprising: a board;   first and second mounting members, each flexibly attached to said board;   a pattern of printed wires mounted on the board;   first and second conductive surfaces connected to said wires and each surface mounted on a different one of said members; and   an electronic component having terminals each fixed to one of said surfaces.   
     
     
       11. The circuit board of claim 10 wherein each said member is at least partially surrounded by an opening in said board. 
     
     
       12. The circuit board of claim 11 wherein said board has a flat, planar body and said mounting members lie in the plane of said body. 
     
     
       13. The circuit board of claim 12 wherein said mounting members and said board are formed of a common material. 
     
     
       14. The circuit board of claim 13 wherein said members are formed as cantilevered beams flexibly attached to said board. 
     
     
       15. The circuit board of claim 14 wherein said members each include a broad surface with two flexible arms extending between said broad surface and said body. 
     
     
       16. The circuit board of claim 14 wherein said beams are flexibly mounted for movement in the plane of said board and in a direction transverse to the plane of said board. 
     
     
       17. The circuit board of claim 14 wherein said opening is an H-shaped slot formed in said board that surrounds the free edges of each of said cantilevered beams. 
     
     
       18. The circuit board of claim 15 wherein said opening includes a pair of U-shaped slots fored in said board. 
     
     
       19. The circuit board of claim 16 wherein said opening is a W-shaped slot formed in said board. 
     
     
       20. The circuit board of claim 12 wherein said component is surface mounted on said body.