Heat dissipating circuit board assembly

Claim 1

A heat dissipating printed circuit board assembly especially suitable for handling high voltage-to-ground circuits, comprising: (a) a printed circuit board including (i) a substrate support having a frontside and a backside, (ii) a plurality of electronic components located on said frontside, (iii) electrically conductive means located on said backside and interconnecting said components in circuit with one another in a predetermined way, and (iv) terminal input and output means electrically connected in circuit with said electrical components; (b) a heat conductive and electrically conductive heat dissipating block extending along one edge of said support and having a surface projecting up from and normal to the frontside of said support, said block being spaced predetermined distances from said components, said block being adapted for connection to an electrically grounded, thermally conductive frame for dissipating heat thereto; (c) heat conductive and electrically non-conductive heat transfer means connected to said electronic components and said block for transferring heat from said components to said heat dissipating block for dissipation thereby, said heat transfer means including (i) a heat conductive and electrically non-conductive substrate located over and in confronting relationship with the frontside of said support, (ii) heat conductive and electrically non-conductive means thermally connecting said substrate with said electronic components, and (iii) heat conductive and electrically non-conductive means thermally connecting said substrate with said block; (d) at least one resistance arrangement including (i) a network of interconnected resistors, (ii) means for electrically interconnecting said resistors in circuit with said electronic components, and (iii) a heat conductive and electrically non-conductive substrate supporting said resistors and extending entirely within a plane transverse to said heat transferring substrate and block, said resistor supporting substrate being in physical contact with said resistors and said block for transferring heat from said resistors to said block for dissipation thereby; and (e) electrically non-conductive means for encapsulating (i) said printed circuit board including its support, electronic components and component interconnect means, while allowing said terminal input and output means to extend through said encapsulating means, (ii) said heat transferring substrate, and (iii) said resistance arrangement including its resistors, resistor supporting substrate and interconnect means.