U.S. patent application number 09/805221 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-02 for method for fixing a winding to an electronic circuit.
Invention is credited to Gustafson, Ake.
Application Number | 20010010117 09/805221 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 4189710 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010010117 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gustafson, Ake |
August 2, 2001 |
Method for fixing a winding to an electronic circuit
Abstract
The fixing process according to the invention of a winding to
one or more electronic circuits permits elimination of an important
manufacturing step of the processes according to the prior art,
whether the positioning, then the gluing or the precise fixing of
the winding or of the core to be wound on the electronic circuit or
circuits. By a suitable arrangement of the electronic circuit or
circuits (20) and of the possible core (23), independently of one
another, on a holding tool according to the invention, a
semi-finished product (2) is obtained, also according to the
invention, made up of said circuit or circuits and said winding,
the mechanical connection between them being ensured solely by the
copper wires producing, moreover, the electrical connection between
the two elements. The finished component according to the invention
will be obtained by disposing the preceding semi-finished product
on a support ensuring a permanent mechanical connection between the
two elements.
Inventors: |
Gustafson, Ake;
(Chatel-St-Denis, CH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OLIFF & BERRIDGE, PLC
P.O. Box 19928
Alexandria
VA
22320
US
|
Family ID: |
4189710 |
Appl. No.: |
09/805221 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09805221 |
Mar 14, 2001 |
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09374208 |
Aug 12, 1999 |
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09374208 |
Aug 12, 1999 |
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09122744 |
Jul 27, 1998 |
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09122744 |
Jul 27, 1998 |
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08763706 |
Nov 5, 1996 |
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5790387 |
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08763706 |
Nov 5, 1996 |
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08094027 |
Jul 26, 1993 |
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5572410 |
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08094027 |
Jul 26, 1993 |
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PCT/EP92/00363 |
Feb 20, 1992 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
29/605 ;
29/840 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01F 2027/065 20130101;
H01F 27/06 20130101; H01F 41/127 20130101; Y10T 29/49087 20150115;
Y10T 29/49071 20150115; Y10T 29/49144 20150115; H01F 41/076
20160101; Y10T 29/5187 20150115; H01F 41/10 20130101; Y10T 29/49096
20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
29/605 ;
29/840 |
International
Class: |
H01F 007/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 25, 1991 |
CH |
555/91 |
Claims
1. Process for producing a winding (24) and for fixing said winding
to at least one electronic circuit (20, 20A, . . . ), characterized
in that it comprises particularly the following steps: placement of
at least one electronic circuit comprising at least two accessible
metal paths (21, 22, 21A, 22B, . . . ), on a holding tool (1),
bringing a winding wire (25) on one side of guide means (13; 17)
disposed on one face of said tool, then above a first metal path
(21, 21A, . . . ) of the electronic circuit or circuits, producing
the winding with said winding wire, withdrawal of the winding wire
above a second metal path (22, 22A, . . . ) of the electronic
circuit or circuits, then by another side of said guide means (14;
17), soldering each of the portions of wires situated directly
above each of said metal paths to the corresponding metal path,
opening of the tool and withdrawal of the component made up of said
electronic circuit or circuits connected to each other and to the
winding solely by the two winding end wires soldered on the metal
paths of said electronic circuit or circuits.
2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the winding
is carried out with the aid of a flyer.
3. Process according to one of the claims 1 or 2, characterized in
that the winding is carried out about a core (23; 26), held by said
tool independently of said electronic circuit or circuits.
4. Process according to one of the claims 1 or 2, characterized in
that the winding is carried out about a false core (16C) fixed to
said tool.
5. Process according to one of the claims 3 or 4, characterized in
that the soldered joints are carried out when the metal paths are
disposed in a plane parallel to the axis of the winding.
6. Process according to claim 5, characterized in that the
withdrawal of the component is effected by seizing the winding or
the wound core.
7. Process according to claim 5, characterized in that the
withdrawal of the component is effected by seizing at least one
electronic circuit.
8. Holding tool for the execution of a process according to one of
the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a first
fixed nose (10) and a second nose (11) movable in relation to the
first nose, a space (12) remaining between two inner faces (10A,
11A) of said noses when the latter are in close position, said
noses comprising first positioning means (10B, 10C; 10D) for at
least one electronic circuit (20, 20A) arranged near the front end
of the first nose (10), the upper surface of said electronic
circuit or circuits being flush with the upper surface of said
first nose, means for holding (15, 11) said electronic circuit or
circuits within said positioning means, second positioning and
holding means (10C, 11B; 16; 18) for a coil core (23; 26) or for a
winding (24), said first and second positioning means being
arranged in such a way that a space remains between said electronic
circuits and between the electronic circuit close to the coil core
or to the winding and said coil core or said winding, and guide
means for a winding wire.
9. Holding tool according to claim 8, characterized in that the
guide means are composed of a single point (17) disposed on a rear
portion of a nose of said tool in order to guide the wire above one
or more first metal paths of one or more electronic circuits, then
after the winding has been carried out, above one or more second
metal paths of said electronic circuit or circuits.
10. Holding tool according to claim 8, characterized in that the
guide means are composed of a single point (17) disposed on a rear
portion of a nose of said tool in order to guide the wire above one
or more first metal paths of one or more electronic circuits, then
after the winding has been carried out, above one or more second
metal paths of said electronic circuit or circuits.
11. Holding tool according to one of the claims 9 or 10,
characterized in that it further comprises other guide means (19,
26A) disposed at the entry and at the exit of the winding.
12. Component produced particularly in the course of a process
according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the
electronic circuit or circuits and the winding are connected only
by the ends of the winding wires soldered on the metal paths of
said electronic circuit or circuits.
13. Component according to claim 12, characterized in that it is
subsequently inserted into a glass tube (30) to be sealed
there.
14. Component according to claim 12, characterized in that it is
subsequently covered partially or totally by a fixing coating
(34).
15. Component according to claim 12, characterized in that it is
subsequently fixed on a rigid support (33).
16. Component according to claim 12, characterized in that it is
subsequently placed between two portions (35A, 35B) of at least one
thin sheet of synthetic material forming an envelope, the free
edges (36) of said portions of sheet subsequently being sealed
together.
17. Component according to claim 12, characterized in that a
plurality of said components are disposed side by side, a free
space subsisting between each of said components, between two
parallel strips (35A, 35B) of a thin synthetic material, a sealing
(36) of the two strips being produced about each of said components
in order to form an envelope.
18. Component according to claim 17, characterized in that each
component is separated from the others by cutting said strips along
a line situated between two consecutive sealings disposed in said
free space.
19. Component according to one of the claims 17 to 18,
characterized in that its envelope comprises fixing means (37)
disposed outside of the sealed part of the envelope.
20. Component according to claim 12, characterized in that the
electronic circuit or circuits are forced back into the plane of
the winding.
21. Component according to one of the claims 12 or 20,
characterized in that the electronic circuit or circuits are forced
back into the space disposed within the winding.
22. Component according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that
the component is intercalated between two sheets of synthetic
material assembled together.
23. Component according to claim 12, characterized in that the
electronic circuit or circuits are forced back against a flange of
the winding core (26).
24. Component according to claim 23, characterized in that the
electronic circuit or circuits are glued against the flange of the
winding core.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to the making of electronic
components of very small dimensions, and in particular to those
including a winding connected to one or more electronic circuits,
or more precisely to one or more chips or integrated circuits or
printed circuits or discrete electronic elements. Electronic
circuit will be spoken of hereafter in the description, it being
well understood that each time it may have to do with one or the
other of the elements mentioned above.
[0002] Certain problems are encountered at the time of making such
components, caused mainly by the very small dimensions of the
elements in question; indeed, the type of electronic circuit
involved here has typical dimensions on the order of 1 mm.times.1
mm.times.0.5 mm and a typical mass on the order of 4 mg, whereas
the coil core, for one of the embodiments considered, has a
diameter on the order of 0.8 mm and a length of about 5 mm, and the
copper wire used for winding has a typical diameter of 0.020 mm
over enamelled insulation.
[0003] When producing such a component conventionally, it is
necessary to fix the electronic circuit or circuits to the core
before the winding of the latter, the fixing in position of one of
these elements relative to the other having to be done with great
precision so that the ends of the winding wires may be brought
safely opposite the metal paths disposed on the electronic circuit
in order to be soldered there, on an automatic winding machine.
Such a component according to the prior art is described in the
application EP-A-0.405.671, where it is seen that the circuit or
circuits are first fixed to a specially shaped portion of the
core.
[0004] The fixing process according to the invention proposes to
get rid of this drawback by eliminating the intermediate step
consisting in first fixing the core to be wound to the electronic
circuit. The elimination of this delicate step greatly facilitates
the production of such components by making it possible to avoid
soiling the tool or the production machine with glue and, moreover,
by making use of a tool manufactured with precision, permits doing
away with the necessity of having precise positioning of the
various elements before they are disposed on the winding tool.
[0005] A first object of the invention is therefore to propose a
winding process by which, in particular, the electronic circuit or
circuits are held independently of the winding, appropriate guide
means guiding the winding wire so that it passes directly above
metal paths of the electronic circuit or circuits. Another object
of the invention is that the process may preferably be applied to
an automatic winding machine provided with a "flyer"-type pay-out
reel. Another object of the invention is that the preceding process
may be applied to a winding carried out on a core as well as to a
winding carried out on a false core, thus permitting an air-core
coil to be obtained. Other objects of the invention are that the
soldered joints of the wires on the circuits may take place along a
plane parallel to the axis of the core, and that different
possibilities may be envisaged for withdrawing the component from
the machine after winding.
[0006] In order to achieve these different objects, the winding
process according to the invention answers the characteristics of
claims 1 to 7.
[0007] Another object of the invention is to propose a tool
permitting the preceding process to be carried out, capable of
holding the different electronic circuits and the winding
independently of one another and comprising guide means capable of
bringing the winding wire safely to the suitable locations for
soldering and winding.
[0008] This object is obtained by a specially designed holding tool
answering the characteristics of claims 8 to 11.
[0009] And finally, another object of the invention is to propose a
component, comprising a winding and at least one electronic
circuit, without any rigid mechanical connection between the
winding and the electronic circuit or circuits, produced especially
by the process and with the aid of the tool mentioned above, this
component capable of being considered a semi-finished product and
so answering the characteristics of claim 12 and being capable of
then being terminated according to several embodiments in
conformity with the characteristics of claims 13 to 24.
[0010] This invention is more particularly understandable starting
from the appended drawing with the figures where:
[0011] FIG. 1 represents a top view of a first embodiment of a
holding tool according to the invention,
[0012] FIG. 2 represents a longitudinal section along the line
II-II of the holding tool of the preceding figure,
[0013] FIG. 3 represents a top view of another embodiment of a
holding tool according to the invention,
[0014] FIG. 4 represents a longitudinal section along the line
IV-IV of the holding tool of the preceding figure,
[0015] FIG. 5 represents still another embodiment of a holding tool
according to the invention,
[0016] FIG. 6 represents a component according to the invention in
the form of a semi-finished product, and
[0017] FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, and 6E represent other embodiments of
a finished component.
[0018] FIG. 7 represents another embodiment of a finished
component, and
[0019] FIG. 8 represents still another embodiment of a finished
component.
[0020] A holding tool 1, according to a first embodiment of the
invention, is depicted in FIG. 1; it is rather similar to that
described in patent application CH 552/91-9; it differs therefrom,
which constitutes the invention, in the system of holding the
electronic circuit and the core independently, as will be seen
below. The tool 1 has a general clamp shape and comprises a first
nose 10, generally a fixed nose, and a second nose 11, generally a
movable nose, being able to move away from one another, preferably
in parallel direction, or to move together leaving an intermediate
space 12 between the two inside faces 10A and 11A of said noses, as
well as guide means, here made up of two guide points 13 and 14,
each of them being disposed on a rear portion of the upper face of
the movable nose 11 and of the fixed nose 10, respectively. The
holding tool 1 is intended to hold the component 2 made up of an
electronic circuit 20, comprising two metal paths 21 and 22, and of
a core 23 intended to receive the winding 24. To hold the circuit
20 and the core 23, the front end of the inside face 10A of the
fixed nose 10 includes a cavity 10B, the rear part of which is not
completely hollowed out but includes a support portion 10C in the
prolongation of the lower part of the nose 10. The width of the
cavity 10B is slightly less than the width of the electronic
circuit 20 and approximately equal to the diameter of the core 23,
whereas the thickness of the support portion 10C remaining in the
rear part of said cavity is such that the upper face of the
electronic circuit 20 is flush with the upper face of the nose 10
when said circuit is disposed on said support portion, as is
visible in FIG. 2, which is a section along the axis II-II of the
preceding figure. The electronic circuit 20 as well as the core 23
are disposed independently of one another in the tool 1, either
manually or automatically, by suitable automatic loading
devices.
[0021] It will be noticed that, in the two figures, the length of
the support portion 10C is slightly less great than the length of
the electronic circuit 20 when the latter rests against the rear
face of the cavity 10B. The front face of the support portion 10C
serves as a stop against which the end of the core 23 comes to
rest. Thus, the core 23 is separated from the electronic circuit 20
by a small space corresponding to the difference between the length
of the support portion 10C and the length of the electronic circuit
20, within the positioning tolerances. To hold the core 23 in
position, the front end 11B of the movable nose 11 includes a
concave cavity coming to rest against a cylindrical portion of the
core 23, whereas the electronic circuit 20 is held at the back of
the cavity 10B by a blade spring 15, the rearward end of which is
fixed to the inside face 11A of the movable nose 11. The fact of
holding the two elements 20 and 23 between the two noses of the
tool independently of one another is novel and forms part of the
invention.
[0022] The winding 24 is preferably produced with the aid of a
"Flyer" (not shown). The winding wire 25 is brought by the "Flyer,"
which makes it pass behind the first guide point 13, then above the
first metal path 21, in order to effect the winding 24 about the
core 23, before withdrawing the wire above the second metal path 22
and behind the second guide point 14 to carry it away toward the
following holding tool. Next, the two portions of wire situated
directly above each of the metal paths 21 and 22 are soldered to
said paths by an automatic soldering apparatus (not shown) which
takes off the enameled insulation from the portion of wire in
question at the same time as it undertakes the soldering. A
transfer device (not shown) can now come to take the component 2,
seizing it preferably by the core 23, or by the electronic circuit
20, and withdraw it from holding tool 1 after opening of the
movable nose 11 and cutting or tearing of the wire ends before the
soldering carried out on the metal path 21 and after that carried
out on the metal path 22. Because of the relative positions of the
two guide points 13 and 14, mutually and with the circuit 20, as
shown in FIG. 1, the wire arriving to be wound and the one leaving
after winding cross at a point situated between the circuit 20 and
the winding 24; it would be just as possible to dispose these
different elements in such a way that the crossing of the two wires
is situated outside the component 2. The manner of producing the
winding 24 described here corresponds to a preferred manner;
certain variants in the way of using the "Flyer" may be found,
particularly by assisting it with auxiliary fingers or guide hooks
as need be.
[0023] A second embodiment of a tool 1 according to the invention
is depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, where it is applied to the
manufacture of an air-core winding to which an electronic circuit
20 is added. For this embodiment of the holding tool, the cavity
10B in which the circuit 20 is lodged holds said circuit on three
side faces, while an extension of the movable nose 11 comes to hold
the fourth side face. As is seen in FIG. 4, the thickness of the
extension of the movable nose 11 coming to lean against the circuit
20 is approximately equal to that of the circuit, as a result of
which the bottom of the circuit 20 can lean against a plane bottom
part of the seat 10B. In this embodiment, the movable nose 11
serves only to hold the circuit 20 in its seat via its extension.
In the case of the making of an air-core winding, i.e., without a
core, it is necessary to have a false core as depicted, for
example, at 16, made up of a first fixed flange 16A, fixed to the
end of the nose 10, of a second movable flange 16B, of a bobbin
16C, not necessarily of circular cross-section, fixed either to the
fixed flange 16A or to the fixed [sic] flange 16B, and of fixing
means 16D permitting the movable flange 16B, as well as the bobbin
16C, to be made integral with the fixed flange 16A. Guide means
16E, for example one or more notches, may be disposed on a portion
of the circumference of the fixed flange 16A in order to guide the
winding wire 25. Preferably, the notch or notches 16E have a
suitable shape, in principle three-dimensional, in order to guide
the wire correctly and dependably at the time of its arrival on the
winding and at the time of its withdrawal.
[0024] Besides the modifications mentioned above, the tool 1
further comprises another modification as compared with the first
embodiment described earlier. One notices in the figure that
instead of the two guide points 13 and 14 of FIG. 1, the tool 1
depicted here comprises only a single guide point 17 serving to
guide the wire 25 both at the time of its arrival on the tool 1 and
at the time of its leaving. In order that the guidance may be
correct, and that the two portions of wire overhanging the metal
paths 21 and 22 may be parallel, the diameter of the point 17 will
preferably be equal to the space between axes between the two metal
paths 21 and 22.
[0025] The winding operation is carried out similarly to what has
been described previously, the wire 25 being brought onto the tool
1 behind the point 17, passing next above the metal path 21 of the
circuit 20, then through the notch or the first notch 16E, next to
be wound around the bobbin 16C, between the two flanges 16A and
16B, then to be withdrawn through the notch or the second notch
16E, to pass above the metal path 22, then behind the point 17.
When the soldered joints are made on the metal paths 21 and 22,
when means for gluing or fixing the turns of the winding 24 have
been used in order to join the turns together and when the ends of
the wires respectively disposed before the joint of the path 21 and
after that of the path 22 have been torn off, it suffices to
withdraw the movable flange 16B by acting upon the fixing means
16D, then to withdraw the assembly composed of the winding 24 to
which the circuit 20 is fixed by means of the two winding wire ends
soldered to the paths 21 and 22. These last operations may be
carried out manually or by automatic means. It is then possible, by
mechanical means or manually, to force the circuit 20 back into the
same plane as the winding 24, possibly within the empty space
disposed within the winding 24.
[0026] FIG. 5 shows still another embodiment of a tool 1, intended
for disposing several circuits 20, 20A . . . simultaneously on a
winding 24. In this case, the seat 10B provided in the fixed nose
10 is dimensioned for receiving several circuits, two in the case
represented, disposed one behind the other on the principal
longitudinal axis of the tool 1. Spacing means 10D, possibly
retractable, may be provided in said seat so that a free space
subsists between the circuits. It is an advantage of the embodiment
of the tool 1 comprising only a single guide point 17 to have a
portion of said tool above which the ends of the wires 25 entering
and leaving the winding are disposed mutually parallel. When
disposing several circuits 20, 20A, . . . on this tool portion, it
is therefore easy to make the winding wire pass successively above
several metal paths 21, 21A, . . . at the time of the intake of the
wire, then once more over several paths 22, 22A, . . . at the time
of its withdrawal.
[0027] The tool 1 is represented here to be used for producing a
winding 24 on a core 26 comprising a core base and two flanges.
This core 26 may be made of any material according to the use to be
made of it, it may be of synthetic material, magnetic or not, rigid
or flexible. Since the core base is preferably hollow, a tenon 18
may be provided on the end of the nose 10, disposed along the
principal axis of the tool 1, and onto which it is possible to slip
the core 26. Additional means for guiding the wire 25 in order to
dispose it suitably on the core 26 may be provided, for example two
or four possibly profiled points 19, disposed at the end of the
nose 10 or one or two grooves 26A of suitable shape disposed on a
portion of the flange of the core 26 in contact with the nose
10.
[0028] The way of carrying out the winding 24 and the soldered
joints on the circuits is absolutely similar to what has been
described previously.
[0029] Different embodiments of the holding tool have been
described for the execution of different embodiments of windings.
It is well understood that certain ones of the variants described
are generally independent of one another and that it is possible to
choose the one which is best adapted to the needs. For example, the
ends of the fixed and movable noses of FIG. 1 are particularly
adapted for small cylindrical cores, whereas the modes of fixing
the coil by a tenon 18, as in FIG. 5, or by a false coil form 16,
as in FIG. 3, depend essentially on the type of winding to be
produced. Likewise, the embodiment according to which the guide
means are composed of only a single point 17, as in FIG. 5, is
particularly adapted to the cases where there is a component
comprising more than one circuit 20. On the other hand, the mode of
holding the circuit 20, with or without spring 15, may be chosen
for any embodiment. The auxiliary guide means, points 19 and/or
profiled grooves 16E or 26A, are chosen according to the needs.
[0030] It is thus seen that by the process and the tool according
to the invention, it is possible to produce a component according
to the invention made up of a winding of fine wire of any known
type, connected to one or more electronic circuits, the
characteristic common to all these components being that, at this
stage of manufacture, the winding and the circuit or circuits are
held together mechanically only by the connection wires which join
them. This effect is possible solely owing to the very low mass of
the electronic circuit and to the mechanical resistance of the
connection wires, which is sufficient despite the very small
diameter of said wires.
[0031] Another advantage of the process and of the tool according
to the invention is that the operation of soldering the fine wire
on the metal paths can take place in a plane parallel to the axis
of the coil, generally in a horizontal plane; for the usual winding
machines, this facilitates the soldering operation. However, there
is nothing to prevent analogously disposing the circuit or circuits
20 along a vertical plane in case there is a machine carrying out
the soldered joints along a vertical plane.
[0032] One or more electronic circuits 20, 20A, . . . are mentioned
in the description; it may be a question, as mentioned above,
either of a miniaturized complete integrated electronic circuit or
else of a simple electronic element, as, for example, a capacity
[sic] or even of a miniature printed circuit. In case several
circuits are assembled, there may be, for example, identical or
different circuits or a circuit and an electronic element or even
identical or different electronic elements. The characteristics
common to these parts are a very small size and mass, as well as
the fact that two metal contact paths are accessible on one face of
each of said parts.
[0033] Generally, the components 2 made up of a winding connected
to one or more circuits cannot be used as is but must be packaged.
For example, the miniature winding 24 connected to the circuit 20,
as depicted in FIG. 1, must be considered a semi-finished product,
whether a component according to the invention as shown in FIG. 6,
made up of a core 23 on which the winding 24 is produced, the two
ends of the winding wires being soldered on the metal paths 21 and
22 of an electronic circuit 20. The only connection between the
electronic circuit 20 and the core 23 is made via said ends of the
winding wires which thus ensure both the electrical connection
between the two elements and the mechanical connection between
these same two elements. In view of the very low mass of the
electronic circuit 20, the mechanical rigidity offered by the two
connection wires is sufficient to support one or the other of said
elements when the complete component is held by the other of said
elements, the core 23 or the circuit 20. In view of the slight
spacing provided between them at the time of the placing of the
circuit 20 and of the core 23 on the tool 1, there exists no
tensile stress on the wires due to a poor positioning of one of the
elements relative to the other.
[0034] It is obvious that in such dimensions, the mechanical
connection ensured by the connection wires can be only a temporary
connection and cannot be a permanent connection; it is nevertheless
sufficient to make it possible to eliminate a first stage of fixing
the electronic circuit 20 to the core 23, the elimination of said
stage of the manufacturing process permitting a substantial saving
of time and money.
[0035] To finish the manufacture of the complete component
according to the invention, it now suffices to encapsulate said
component in order to protect it from mechanical shocks and from
soiling, to ensure a durable mechanical connection between the two
elements, and to give it a size allowing it to be handled better.
Several possibilities exist for this purpose; in FIG. 6A the
component has been introduced into a glass mini-tube 30 closed at
one end, containing a certain quantity of a liquid 31 capable of
hardening, for example by polymerization under the effect of an
exposure to an UV radiation, or else a two-component liquid
hardening when the two components are combined, in order to fix the
two elements together and to the tube 30. The tube 30 is then
hermetically sealed by fusion or by a sealing product 32. According
to another embodiment of the finished product visible in FIG. 6B,
the two elements of the component 2 are simply disposed on a rigid
support 33 on which they are glued; they are made integral with one
another via said rigid support. The assembly may or may not be
covered, partially or completely, with a protective coating.
According to a third embodiment visible in FIG. 6C, the component 2
is simply covered with an overlay coating 34 which ensures its
mechanical hold. A fourth possible embodiment of the finished
component is shown in FIG. 6D; in this case, the component has been
placed between two independent portions 35A and 35B of a flexible
sheet of synthetic material, the free edges 36 of said portions
then being sealed together in any suitable manner, by thermal
effect, by gluing, by crimping, etc. The envelope according to this
embodiment may be contrived starting from a folded sheet in order
to obtain the two portions 35A and 35B, only three free edges 36
being sealed, or else from two separate portions 35A and 35B of
which the four free edges 36 are sealed, or even from a tube made
up of a sheet rolled up and already closed along one generatrix,
the two free edges 36 to be sealed being constituted by the ends of
the tube. In order that the component cannot move between the two
portions of sheets 35A and 35B, the sealing takes place as close as
possible to the component, or else a vacuum is created between the
two portions of sheets before sealing, so that the component is
held firmly in its envelope. Even though the envelope-forming sheet
is made up of a thin and flexible material, as a result of the
small size of the component, or of its envelope, respectively, the
component is held in its envelope in a sufficiently rigid
manner.
[0036] One advantage of this last embodiment of the envelope of a
component is visible in FIG. 6E, where a plurality of components 2
assembled in a chain are seen. The components 2 are disposed side
by side with a free space between them, between two flexible strips
35A and 35B, sealings 36, preferably welds, are made around the
component in order to seal the component 2 within a fluid-tight
envelope made up of two portions of the strips 35A and 35B
connected by the sealings 36. Thus, the envelopment may take place
by automatic means, the storage of the finished parts is
facilitated thereby since it is easier to store a strip comprising
a known number of elements rather than this same number of
individual elements; it is very easy to obtain one or more
individual finished elements since it then suffices to cut the
strip, manually or by automatic means, between two consecutive
welds situated in the space separating two components. Individual
hooking or fixing means may easily be added to envelopes made up of
thin sheets, for example one or more holes 37 contrived on one or
more portions of the strip preferably disposed outside of the
sealed part, thus permitting each component to be fixed to any
other structure.
[0037] As concerns the other winding embodiments described, the
means of making the component rigid will be adapted to the type of
coil and to its use; they will generally be less critical than for
the first embodiment seen above, owing to the larger size of the
coil. For example, for the air-core coil obtained by the tool of
FIGS. 3 and 4, which might be intended to be inserted in an
envelope in the shape and size of a credit card, the electronic
circuit or circuits will first of all be forced back into the plane
of the winding, possibly within the free space within the winding,
manually or by mechanical means, by passages in a guiding slide of
appropriate shape, or by an air jet, then the whole will be covered
between two synthetic sheets, preferably semi-rigid or rigid, as is
seen in FIG. 7 where the upper covering sheet is taken away in
order to distinguish the positioning of the component.
[0038] For the semi-finished product manufactured by the tool
according to FIG. 5, it generally suffices as previously to fold up
the connection wires in order to bring the circuit or circuits 20,
20A . . . into a plane parallel to the flange of the coil 26 as
depicted in FIG. 8. According to the needs, it is thereafter
possible to fix the circuit or circuits to said flange, by gluing
for example. If the coil core comprises an accommodation of
sufficient size, it is also possible to press the circuit or
circuits back there and possibly to glue them there in order to
ensure their mechanical protection.
[0039] As is seen in all the figures, the relative position of the
electronic circuit 20 and the coil 24 is not important, the play
between these two elements being limited only by the available
length of the connection wires. Later, this component will form
part of a larger electronic circuit, its excitation being ensured
by electromagnetic field.
[0040] Diverse variants of the products mentioned above may be
envisaged; in particular, it is not absolutely necessary for the
elements to have the dimensions and masses mentioned; it suffices,
to answer the characteristics of the invention, that the mechanical
hold which can be offered by the connection wires be sufficient to
ensure a temporary mechanical connection between elements, the
dimensions and masses of which may be appreciably greater than
indicated. Furthermore, as indicated previously, the electronic
circuit in question may take different forms; it may also concern
an integrated circuit, a simple discrete electronic component, or a
printed circuit. Moreover, only a few possibilities of finishing
the component have been described, it is well understood that said
component may be finished in many other ways according to the
needs.
[0041] Thus, by the process and the holding tool according to the
invention, it is possible to obtain a semi-finished product and a
finished product according to the invention, having the same
operating qualities as those of the prior art, but the manufacture
of which is appreciably simplified to the extent that soiling due
to the glue on the tool or the machine is avoided, and that
moreover it is no longer necessary to carry out an operation of
assembling two or more elements necessitating great precision, said
precision being transferred to the making of the tool according to
the invention.
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