Patent Application
20070177368
The present invention relates to a communication product, and more particularly to a communication product having an impact-resistant structure. The present invention also relates to a method for fabricating such as a communication product.
With increasing development of electronic industries, electronic components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors and chips are widely used in communication products, for example mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs). These communication products are operated and controlled by the circuits arranged on the printed circuit board, and driven by some electronic components thereon. Nowadays, since the communication products are developed toward minimization and modulization, many functions are integrated into a single IC module.
For a purpose of simplifying layout of electronic components on the circuit board, reducing noise and allowing for high-density mounting, a surface mount technology (SMT) is widely used to mount the electronic components onto the circuit board.
Generally, the surface mount technology (SMT) comprises the following steps. Firstly, a solder paste is coated onto the contact pads of the circuit board. Then, by using the automatic placement equipment, the surface mount components (or IC modules) are precisely placed on the contact pads. Afterwards, the surface mount components and the circuit board are heated in a reflow furnace to melt the solder paste. The circuit board is then cooled to solidify the solder so as to bond the wire leads of the surface mount components onto the circuit board. Since the wire leads of the surface mount components are thin and crowded, the amount of the solder paste is limited. For further increasing adhesion between the surface mount components and the circuit board, a gluing procedure is necessary to apply glue on the peripheries of the surface mount components. This gluing procedure causes some problems. For example, the gluing procedure is labor-intensive and costly.
Please refer to FIGS. 1(A), 1(B) and 1(C), which schematically illustrate the steps of fabricating a communication product according to the prior art. In
As known, electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) are detrimental to the electronic components on the circuit board 1. For a purpose of minimizing the influence of ESD and EMI, these IC modules should be shielded by electrically conductive material such as metal. As shown in
Please refer to
Furthermore, for a purpose of inspecting an IC module, the glue on the periphery of the IC module should be removed before the IC module is detached from the circuit board. Likewise, after the IC module is inspected or replaced with a new one, the surface mount technology (SMT) and the gluing procedure as described above should be implemented. Therefore, the disadvantages of using the gluing procedure occur again.
In views of the above-described disadvantages resulted from the conventional method, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to develop a communication product having an impact-resistant structure according to the present invention through wholehearted experience and research.
An object of the present invention is to provide a communication product having an impact-resistant structure for avoiding detachment of the electronic components or breakdown of the communication product when the communication product is suffered from a drop or a strong impact.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication product having an impact-resistant structure so as to reduce the time and cost of fabricating or inspecting the IC modules thereof.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication product having an impact-resistant structure. The communication product comprises a circuit board, a shielding frame, a shielding case and an impact-resistant structure. The circuit board has at least an electronic component mounted thereon. The shielding frame is arranged on the circuit board and enclosing the electronic component, wherein the shielding frame has a higher level than the electronic component with respect to the circuit board. The shielding case is secured to the shielding frame and shields the electronic component. The impact-resistant structure comprises a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, and a flexible layer sandwiched between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer. The first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer are attached onto the inner surface of the shielding case and the top surface of the electronic component, respectively.
In an embodiment, the electronic component is an IC module, for example a baseband processor IC module, a power amplifier IC module, a transceiver IC module, a power management controller IC module or a memory IC module.
Preferably, the shielding frame and the shielding case are made of metal.
Preferably, the flexible layer is made of elastomeric material, for example foam or rubber.
In an embodiment, the electronic component is mounted on the circuit board via a surface mount technology.
Preferably, the communication product is a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process of fabricating a communication product. Firstly, an electronic component is mounted on a circuit board. Then, a shielding frame is attached on the circuit board and enclosing the electronic component, wherein the shielding frame has a higher level than the electronic component with respect to the circuit board. An impact-resistant structure including a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, and a flexible layer sandwiched between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer is provided. Then, the first adhesive layer of the impact-resistant structure is attached onto the inner surface of a shielding case. Afterwards, the shielding case is secured onto the shielding frame and shields the electronic component such that the second adhesive layer of the impact-resistant structure is attached onto the top surface of the electronic component.
The above contents of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1(A), 1(B) and 1(C) are schematic views illustrating the steps of fabricating a communication product according to the prior art;
FIGS. 2(A), 2(B) and 2(C) are schematic views illustrating the steps of fabricating a communication product having an impact-resistant structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
Please refer to FIGS. 2(A), 2(B) and 2(C), which schematically illustrate the steps of fabricating a communication product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In
Subsequently, as shown in
Afterwards, as shown in
In some embodiments, in the step as shown in
From the above description, the impact-resistant structure of the present invention is capable of avoiding detachment of the electronic components or breakdown of the communication product when the communication product is suffered from a drop or a strong impact. Advantageously, the impact-resistant structure used in the communication product is simple and cost-effective. As previously described, the gluing procedure conventionally used to fabricate the communication product is labor-intensive and costly. According to the present invention, due to the excellent impact resistance provided by the impact-resistant structure, the gluing procedure may be exempted. That is, after the shielding case is opened, the IC module can be directly detached for inspection without removing the glue. After the IC module is inspected or replaced with a new one, the surface mount technology (SMT) is implemented, but the gluing procedure may be omitted.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
