Circuit board having grooves to limit solder flow

Claim 1

A SOLDER BOARD ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF ELECTRIC COMPONENTS FOR INTEGRATION INTO A CIRCUIT BY SOLDERING OR THE LIKE, SAID BOARD COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY NONCONDUCTIVE SUPPORT HAVING TWO OPPOSED SIDES, A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART SOLDERING ZONES ON ONE OF SAID SIDES, EACH SOLDERING ZONE COMPRISING A PATCH ADAPTED TO BE EASILY WETTED BY A MELTED SOLDER COMPOSITION OR THE LIKE AND EFFECTIVE TO CONFINE THE MELTED SOLDER COMPOSITION WITHIN THE AREAL CONFINES OF THE PATCH, EACH PATCH HAVING AT LEAST THREE OPENINGS SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH OPENINGS EXTENDING THROUGH THE NONCONDUCTIVE SUPORT TO THE OTHER OPPOSED SIDE, EACH PATH OPENING BEING OF A SIZE TO RECEIVE BUT ONE LEAD EXTENDING FROM ONE OF SAID ELECTRIC COMPONENTS WHEN MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID OTHER OPPOSED SIDE, WHEREBY AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IS EFFECTED BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO SUCH LEADS FOR EACH PATCH, AND A NETWORK OF GROOVES EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE SURFACE OF SAID ONE SIDE OF THE BOARD BETWEEN AND AMONG SAID SOLDERING ZONES IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO ISOLATE EACH SUCH ZONE FROM THE OTHERS, SAID NETWORK OF GROOVES SERVING THE MULTIPURPOSES OF AIDING TO RETAIN SAID MELTED SOLDER COMPOSITION WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID PATCH, MINIMIZING ARCING FROM PATCH TO PATCH, AND PROVIDING WEAKENED AVENUES ALONG WHICH THE SOLDER BOARD CAN BE BROKEN TO PRODUCE A BOARD OF DESIRED SIZE AND CONFIGURATION.