Claims
- 1. A non-electrically-conductive component cover configured to be positioned over a component mounted on a printed wiring board and attached to the printed wiring board such that said component cover and said printed wiring board form a component compartment dimensioned to completely encase the component.
- 2. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component cover has an exterior surface shape suitable to have a coating applied thereto.
- 3. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component compartment has a low profile such that, when attached to the printed wiring board, said component cover does not add significantly to printed circuit board dimensions.
- 4. The component cover of claim 3, wherein the component cover is formed of walls having a minimal thickness and an interior surface that is immediately adjacent to surfaces of the component.
- 5. The component cover of claim 3, where said component cover has an exterior surface having a contour that follows generally a contour of the component.
- 6. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component cover is configured such that at least a portion of said component cover can be severed and separated from the printed wiring board to provide access to the component.
- 7. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component cover comprises:
a dome having a closed top, an open bottom remote from said top, and walls extending between said closed top and said open bottom to form a recess suitable for receiving the component; and a flange surrounding said open bottom to be secured to the printed wiring board.
- 8. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said dome and flange form a unitary component cover.
- 9. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said dome and flange are detachably connected to each other to form an integral component cover.
- 10. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said component cover dome has a surface of revolution about a vertical axis.
- 11. The component cover of claim 10, wherein said component cover dome is a half-sphere.
- 12. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said component cover dome has an arbitrarily shape sufficient to cover said component.
- 13. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said flange has a substantially planar bottom surface to mate with the printed wiring board.
- 14. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component compartment is air-tight.
- 15. The component cover of claim 14, wherein said component compartment is one or either evacuated and filled with a suitable inert atmosphere.
- 16. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component cover includes a line of severability that traverses said component cover so as to define a portion of said component cover sufficiently large to provide said access.
- 17. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said component cover is configured such that at least a portion of said component cover can be severed and separated from the printed wiring board to provide access to the component.
- 18. The component cover of claim 17, wherein said component cover includes a line of severability that traverses said component cover so as to define a portion of said component cover sufficiently large to provide said access.
- 19. The component cover of claim 18, wherein said line of severability traverses component cover at or adjacent to a junction between said dome and said flange.
- 20. The component cover of claim 18, wherein said line of severability is a line of weakening that facilitates the severing a portion of said component cover defined by said line of severability.
- 21. The component cover of claim 18, wherein said line of severability is a line of weakening is a crease.
- 22. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component cover is sufficiently thin and formed from a material that can be cut manually.
- 23. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said dome of said component cover is pressure-rupturable in response to a manual force applied radially inward, said dome rupturing and severing along said line of severability.
- 24. The component cover of claim 7, wherein said component compartment has a volume that is substantially equivalent to a volume defined by surfaces of the component.
- 25. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component compartment has an exterior surface that is contoured and without sharp edges, indentations, or other abrupt changes.
- 26. The component cover of claim 1, wherein said component cover is formed of one or more materials from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyphenylsulfone (PPS) or RTV silicone rubbers, and polymers and synthetic rubbers such as TEFLON and VITON.
- 27. A printed circuit board comprising:
a printed wiring board; one or more components mounted on said printed wiring board; and a non-electrically-conductive component cover mounted on said printed wiring board over a selected component to define a component compartment having disposed therein one of said selected components.
- 28. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said printed circuit board further comprises:
a conformal EMI shield coating said at least one component cover and surrounding printed wiring board.
- 29. The printed circuit board of claim 28, wherein said component compartment has a low profile such that, when attached to the printed wiring board, said component cover does not add significantly to printed circuit board dimensions.
- 30. The printed circuit board of claim 29, wherein the component cover is formed of walls having a minimal thickness and an interior surface that is immediately adjacent to surfaces of the component.
- 31. The printed circuit board of claim 29, where said component cover has an exterior surface having a contour that follows generally a contour of the component.
- 32. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said component cover is configured such that at least a portion of said component cover can be severed and separated from the printed wiring board to provide access to the component.
- 33. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said component cover comprises:
a dome having a closed top, an open bottom remote from said top, and walls extending between said closed top and said open bottom to form a recess suitable for receiving the component; and a flange surrounding said open bottom to be secured to the printed wiring board.
- 34. The printed circuit board of claim 33, wherein said dome and flange form a unitary component cover.
- 35. The printed circuit board of claim 34, wherein said component cover dome has a surface of revolution about a vertical axis.
- 36. The printed circuit board of claim 34, wherein said component cover dome has an arbitrarily shape sufficient to cover said component.
- 37. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said component compartment is air-tight.
- 38. The printed circuit board of claim 37, wherein said component compartment is one or either evacuated and filled with a suitable inert atmosphere
- 39. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said component cover includes a line of severability that traverses said component cover so as to define a portion of said component cover sufficiently large to provide said access.
- 40. The printed circuit board of claim 33, wherein said component cover is configured such that at least a portion of said component cover can be severed and separated from the printed wiring board to provide access to the component.
- 41. The printed circuit board of claim 40, wherein said component cover includes a line of severability that traverses said component cover so as to define a portion of said component cover sufficiently large to provide said access.
- 42. The printed circuit board of claim 41, wherein said line of severability traverses component cover at or adjacent to a junction between said dome and said flange.
- 43. The printed circuit board of claim 41, wherein said line of severability is a line of weakening that facilitates the severing a portion of said component cover defined by said line of severability.
- 44. The printed circuit board of claim 41, wherein said line of severability is a line of weakening is a crease.
- 45. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said component cover is sufficiently thin and formed from a material that can be cut manually.
- 46. The printed circuit board of claim 33, wherein said dome of said component cover is pressure-rupturable in response to a manual force applied radially inward, said dome rupturing and severing along said line of severability.
- 47. The printed circuit board of claim 33, wherein said component compartment has a volume that is substantially equivalent to a volume defined by surfaces of the component.
- 48. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said component compartment has an exterior surface that is contoured.
- 49. The printed circuit board of claim 27, wherein said component cover is formed of one or more materials from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyphenylsulfone (PPS) or RTV silicone rubbers, and polymers and synthetic rubbers such as TEFLON and VITON.
- 50. A method for providing a printed circuit board with one or more components encased in a component compartment suitable to be coated with a conformal coating, the method comprising:
(a) determining, based on component dimensions, dimensions a dome of said component cover, said dome having a closed top, an open bottom remote from said top, and walls extending between said closed top and said open bottom to form a recess suitable for receiving the component; (b) determining dimensions of a flange of the component cover, said flange surrounding said open bottom of said dome; (c) manufacturing said component cover based on said dome and said flange dimensions; and (d) attaching said component cover to the printed wiring board to form the component compartment.
- 51. The method of claim 50, wherein (d) comprises:
(1) evacuating said component compartment; and (2) sealing said component cover to said printed wiring board to form an air-tight component compartment.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to the following commonly owned U.S. Patent Applications:
[0002] U.S. Patent Application entitled “A BOARD-LEVEL EMI SHIELD THAT ADHERES TO AND CONFORMS WITH PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD COMPONENT AND BOARD SURFACES,” naming as inventor(s) Samuel M. Babb, Lowell E. Kolb, Brian Davis, Jonathan P. Mankin, Kristina L. Mann, Paul H. Mazurkiewicz and Marvin Wahlen, and filed concurrently herewith under Attorney Docket No. 10992052-1; and
[0003] U.S. Patent Application entitled “ FILLER MATERIAL AND PRETREATMENT OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD COMPONENTS TO FACILITATE APPLICATION OF A CONFORMAL EMI SHIELD,” naming as inventor(s) Lowell E. Kolb and filed concurrently herewith under Attorney Docket No. 10001844-1.