U.S. patent application number 09/730322 was filed with the patent office on 2001-10-18 for circuit board interconnect.
This patent application is currently assigned to TYCO ELECTRONICS LOGISTICS AG. Invention is credited to Alden, Wayne S., Kirkman, Michael, Mason, Jeffery, Michaud, Arthur G., Petrocelli, William, Sharp, Brian Paul, Wapenski, Peter.
Application Number | 20010030854 09/730322 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26877569 |
Filed Date | 2001-10-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010030854 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alden, Wayne S. ; et
al. |
October 18, 2001 |
Circuit board interconnect
Abstract
Interconnection apparatus is provided which is especially useful
to mount and connect circuit boards having a contact assembly of
resilient compressive contacts to a backplane or other mateable
board or device. The apparatus includes an enclosure having guide
channels for each board to be housed in the enclosure, a contact
assembly for providing compressive contact between the contact ends
of each board and corresponding contacts of the backplane, and
elements for seating each board into engagement with the
backplane.
Inventors: |
Alden, Wayne S.; (Whitman,
MA) ; Petrocelli, William; (Douglas, MA) ;
Wapenski, Peter; (Foster, RI) ; Michaud, Arthur
G.; (New Bedford, MA) ; Kirkman, Michael;
(Swansea, MA) ; Mason, Jeffery; (North Attleboro,
MA) ; Sharp, Brian Paul; (Providence, RI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WEINGARTEN, SCHURGIN, GAGNEBIN
& HAYES, LLP
TEN POST OFFICE SQUARE
BOSTON
MA
02109
US
|
Assignee: |
TYCO ELECTRONICS LOGISTICS
AG
|
Family ID: |
26877569 |
Appl. No.: |
09/730322 |
Filed: |
December 5, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60181847 |
Feb 11, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/752 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/1454
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/752 |
International
Class: |
H05K 005/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A circuit board interconnect comprising; a printed circuit board
having an upper edge and a lower edge and selected traces which
terminate at a side edge of the board in an array of contact ends;
a contact assembly having compressive contacts to provide
electrical connection between the contact ends of the circuit board
and contacts of a mating board; a fastening mechanism for retaining
the contact assembly on the circuit board with each compressive
contact engageable with a respective contact end; and an alignment
mechanism for mating the circuit board to a mating board with the
compressive contacts engaging respective contacts of the mating
board.
2. The circuit board interconnect of claim 1 wherein the fastening
mechanism includes a spring assembly on the circuit board for
evenly distributing the insertion force across the entire array of
compressive contacts of the contact assembly.
3. The circuit board interconnect of claim 2 wherein the spring
assembly comprises: a slotted spring element disposed at the mating
end of the circuit board; a pair of elements mounted to the circuit
board at the mating edge thereof on respective opposite surfaces; a
pivot bar attached to the pair of elements by a pivot pin; the
forward facing edge of each pivot bar engageable with a portion of
the slotted spring.
4. The circuit board interconnect of claim 1 wherein the contact
assembly includes a substrate of electrically insulative material
and an array of resilient compressive contacts retained
therein.
5. The circuit board interconnect of claim 1 wherein the alignment
mechanism includes: first and second runners disposed respectively
at the top and bottom of the circuit board.
6. The circuit board interconnect of claim 5 wherein the fastening
mechanism includes first and second rods slidably attached to the
respective top and bottom sides of the circuit board and each
having a fastener mateable with a cooperative fastener for
retaining the circuit board in aligned position with the mating
board.
7. The circuit board interconnect of claim 1 wherein the alignment
mechanism includes: a first pair of blocks mounted on the upper
edge of the circuit board; a second pair of blocks mounted on the
lower edge of the circuit board; each of the pair of blocks having
aligned openings therethrough; first and second rods each slidable
disposed within a respective pair of blocks, each of the rods
having a fastener at the inner end thereof the fastener being
mateable with a cooperative fastener for retaining the circuit
board in aligned position with the mating board.
8. The interconnection apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fastening
mechanism includes first and second rods slideably attached to the
respective top and bottom of the circuit board and each having a
threaded end cooperative with a mating connector on the backplane
to seat the circuit board in aligned position on the backplane.
9. The circuit board interconnect of claim 7 wherein the alignment
mechanism includes: a slotted spring element disposed at the inner
end of the circuit board and having first and second webs on
respective sides of a slot, and an opening at each end of the
element disposed about the fastener end of the respective rods;
first and second elements mounted to the circuit board at the rear
edge thereof on respective opposite surfaces, the forward facing
edge of each element having a triangular configuration; a pair of
pivot bars each pivotably attached to respective elements by a
pivot pin; the forward facing edge of each pivot bar being
engageable with a respective web of the slotted spring element.
10. The circuit board interconnect of claim 6 wherein the fasteners
on the first and second rods are threaded fasteners;
11. Interconnection apparatus comprising: an enclosure having a
front and a back; a backplane mounted in the enclosure; at least
one pair of guides extending from the front to the back of the
enclosure and operative to orient a circuit board orthogonal to the
backplane and to align contact ends of the circuit board with
reference to contacts of the backplane; a circuit board disposable
in the pair of guides and having selective traces which terminate
at a side edge of the board in an array of contact ends; a contact
assembly on the end of the circuit board containing the array of
contact ends and having compressive contacts engageable with
respective contact ends; a pair of runners mounted on the circuit
board and operative to engage the pair of guides and orient the
board in the enclosure and align the contact ends of the board with
reference to the backplane; a spring assembly on the circuit board
for evenly distributing the insertion force across the entire array
of compressive contacts; and a fastening mechanism for retaining
the board and contact assembly in seated position with each
compressive contact engaged with a respective contact end of the
board and respective backplane contact.
12. The interconnection apparatus of claim 11 wherein the fastening
mechanism includes threaded fittings connected to the enclosure the
fittings being cooperative to receive threaded fittings of the
circuit board.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The applicant claims the benefit under Title 35, USC
.sctn.119(e) of United States provisional application Ser. No.
60/181,847 filed Feb. 11, 2000, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] N/A
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A printed circuit board is described in copending
application Ser. No. 09/477,847 filed Jan. 4, 2000 which comprises
selected traces which terminate at a side edge of the board in an
array of contact ends. The contact ends are engageable with
respective compressive contacts of a contact assembly which serves
to interconnect the circuit board to a backplane or other mating
device or circuit. The printed circuit board is typically mounted
orthogonally to a backplane and often an array of boards are
mounted in an enclosure for connecting to a common backplane. This
type of printed circuit board having selected traces which
terminate at a side of the board in an array of contact ends is
referred to herein as a side interconnect or SI board.
[0004] Appropriate hardware must be employed to achieve proper
alignment of the SI boards to a backplane and to maintain proper
contact force for good electrical connection between contacts of
each board and contacts of the backplane. Conventionally electrical
connectors are provided at a surface of each board and which are
mateable with an electrical connector on the backplane. Such
connectors add bulk which may limit the packing density of boards
which are mateable within a single enclosure to a backplane. Such
connectors also add to the electrical path length which can affect
electrical performance.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with the invention, interconnection apparatus
is provided which is especially useful to mount and connect circuit
boards having a contact assembly of resilient compressive contacts
to a backplane or other mateable board or device. The circuit
boards can be side interconnect (SI) boards. The apparatus includes
an enclosure having guide channels for each SI board to be housed
in the enclosure, a contact assembly for providing compressive
contact between the contact ends of each board and corresponding
contacts of the backplane, and elements for seating each board into
engagement with the backplane.
[0006] The interconnection apparatus of the invention transfers
compression forces of the interconnect contacts to the backplane
and support plate and not to the card cage enclosure. The
structural strength of the cage itself need not withstand the full
loading forces of the cards since the loading forces are not
transferred to the cage structure once the cards are seated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0007] The invention will be more fully described in conjunction
with the drawings in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a circuit card in accordance
with the invention and insertable within a card cage;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the card cage with the circuit
card installed;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the circuit card and card cage
of FIG. 1 showing the connector end of the circuit card;
[0011] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the components of the card
cage and card assembly;
[0012] FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the contact assembly;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a circuit card in accordance
with the invention partially seated in the card cage; and
[0014] FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the circuit board in
accordance with the invention fully seated in the card cage.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] A card cage having a circuit board or card installable
therein is shown in FIGS. 1-4. A card rack or cage 10 is operative
to retain one or more circuit cards 12 in guide channels 14 and to
maintain alignment of the cards for electrical connection with
contacts on a backplane 16 disposed at the inner portion of the
rack. The card cage 10 is composed of sides 18 and 20 and top and
bottom extrusions 22 to provide an enclosure of intended width to
accommodate a given number of cards in respective guide channels.
Stiffeners 24 are provided behind the backplane 16 to maintain the
rigidity and planarity of the backplane. The card cage is itself
known in the art.
[0016] The circuit card 12 includes blocks 30 mounted in upper and
lower pairs to the upper and lower edges of the circuit card. The
blocks 30 have openings therethrough for slidably accommodating the
hex shaped rods 32. The inner ends of the rods 32 are threaded and
are mateable with a threaded fitting on the backplane for seating
the card within the card cage, as will be further described below.
A C-clip 34 is provided in a groove of each rod 32 to capture the
rod within the blocks 30 and prevent the rod from slipping out of
the blocks. A runner 36 is provided at the top and bottom of the
circuit card and is attached to respective pairs of blocks 30. The
runners 36 are slidable within the respective grooves of guide
channels 14 and by which the card is slidably inserted and
removable from the card cage.
[0017] The card 12 is shown removed from the card cage in FIG. 1
and installed within the card cage in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows the
circuit card removed from the card cage and showing the connector
end of the card. FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the card
cage and card components.
[0018] A slotted spring element 40 is disposed at the inner end of
the card 12 with the openings at the top and bottom of the spring
element disposed around the threaded ends of the rods 32. A pair of
elements 42 are mounted to the circuit board at the rear edge
thereof on respective opposite surfaces. The forward facing edge of
each element 42 has a triangular configuration 44. A pivot bar 46
is pivotably attached to respective elements 42 by a pivot pin 48.
The forward facing edge of each pivot bar 46 is engageable with a
respective web of the slotted spring member 40. Each of the
elements 42 has a fitting 42 with an opening therethrough to
accommodate the rod 32. One of the fittings 43 is on the lower end
of one of the elements, while the fitting on the other element 42
is on the upper end to accommodate the respective upper and lower
rods.
[0019] The threaded end of each rod 32 extends through the
respective openings at the upper and lower ends of the slotted
spring 40. The items 45 are spring bumpers to protect the end
positions of the compressive contacts in the event that the card is
inserted at an angle and for the purpose of avoiding overstress of
the contacts.
[0020] The contact assemblies 50 of resilient compressive contacts
are attached to the elements 42 and with the compressive contacts
in engagement with respective contact ends of the circuit board 12.
The contact assembly is shown in enlarged view in FIG. 4A and
includes a thin substrate 51 of electrically insulative material
and resilient conductive contact elements 53 retained on the
substrate. The contact elements are of generally cylindrical shape
having respective top and bottom ends which are engageable with the
contacts of the circuit board and the contacts of the backplane, as
described in the aforesaid copending patent application. Strips 52
of electrically insulating material are provided as seen in FIG. 4
to provide insulation between the backplane and stiffening members
24 and between the backplane and conductive portions of the
assembly.
[0021] Threaded fittings 54 are secured through openings in the
backplane and insulator strips 52 to the stiffener members 24.
These fittings have female threaded receptacles for receiving the
threaded ends of rods 32.
[0022] The circuit card is installed in the card cage by aligning
the runners 36 with the guide channel grooves and sliding the card
inward toward the backplane. The rods 32 are rotated to threadably
engage the receptacles 54 to screw the card into fully seated
position. The rods 32 can be rotated by a socket drive or any other
suitable tool or the outer end or head end of the rod can be
slotted or otherwise configured to accept a driving tool which
could be a slotted or cross-slotted screwdriver or Allen style
wrench. The head ends of each rod can also include a knob for
manually rotation without need for a separate tool.
[0023] During seating of the card as shown in FIG. 5, the spring 40
engages the pivot bars 46 which serves to distribute the insertion
force across the entire length of the elements 42. During complete
seating of the card as shown in FIG. 6, the resilient compressive
contacts provide connection between the respective contact ends of
the circuit board and the corresponding contacts of the
backplane.
[0024] The interconnection apparatus which has been described above
is operative to transfer compression forces to the backplane and
its support plates and not to the card cage enclosure. The slotted
spring and associated elements 42 and 46 are effective to evenly
load the mating edge of the card and provide uniform compressive
forces on the resilient compressive contacts of the contact
assemblies. As noted above, compressive forces are transferred to
the backplane and support plates rather than to the card cage
structure. Increasing the number of daughter cards in the card
enclosure does not add any additional load to the card cage itself.
A feature of the invention is that the structural strength of the
card cage need not be increased to accommodate increasing numbers
of cards. Thus, the cage construction can be relatively inexpensive
and relatively simple.
[0025] The invention is not limited to use with an SI type of
circuit card, but is useful for interconnection of daughter cards
to backplanes using compressive type connectors or contacts in
which an even force throughout the length of the connector is
required.
[0026] Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by the
particular embodiments shown and described but is to embrace the
spirit and full scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *