Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With mating connector which receives panel circuit edge
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-21
2001-06-19
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With mating connector which receives panel circuit edge
C439S924100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247937
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a circuit board which can be inserted into a card edge connector by a force smaller than and minimized from that required for a circuit board of prior and similar structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
shows a circuit board assembly and a card edge connector of a prior technology. The circuit board assembly
100
includes a first circuit board
120
, a second circuit board
140
and a coupling part
160
. The first circuit board
120
includes printed circuit elements
122
and a connecting part
124
. Various circuit elements are mounted on the printed circuit elements
122
. The connecting part
124
includes tabs
126
which electrically connect the circuit elements on the printed circuit elements
122
to a first card edge connector
200
. The tabs
126
can be formed on one side or both sides of the connecting part
124
. The tabs
126
are usually plated with gold, and hence the connecting part
124
is called as a gold tab card edge. In the same manner as the first circuit board
120
, the second circuit board
140
includes printed circuit elements
142
and a connecting part
144
, and the connecting part
144
includes tabs
146
. The coupling part
160
supports the first circuit board
120
and the second circuit board
140
in parallel, and is composed of a screw, a sleeve and a nut in the example shown in the FIG.
1
. The first circuit board
120
is electrically connected to the second circuit board
140
. The first card edge connector
200
includes an elongated aperture
220
, and terminals
240
are arranged within the aperture
220
. The second card edge connector
300
includes an elongated aperture
320
, and terminals
340
are arranged within the aperture
320
.
FIG. 2
shows a cross section of the card edge connector and the circuit board when these are connected. In the FIG.
2
(A), the connecting part
124
of the first circuit board
120
moves toward the elongated aperture
220
of the first card edge connector
200
, and the leading portion of the connecting part
124
is pressed against the terminals
240
. Each of the terminals
240
is formed by a leaf spring, and the terminals
240
are in a closed condition in the FIG.
2
(A).
In the FIG.
2
(B), when the connecting part
124
of the first circuit board
120
is inserted toward a bottom of the aperture
220
by an applied force, the terminals
240
are opened, the tabs
126
slide on the terminals
240
, and the connecting part
124
is further inserted toward the bottom of the aperture
220
. When the leading portion of the connecting part
124
engages with the bottom of the aperture
220
or the portions of the both sides edges of the first circuit board
120
engage with the card edge connector
200
, the connecting part
124
is stopped, and in this stopped condition, the tabs
126
are electrically connected to the terminals
240
. Although the connection of the first circuit board
120
is shown in the
FIG. 2
for simplifying the description, the same connecting operation as the above operation is made for the second circuit board
140
.
In general, the force F
1
required for moving the connecting part
124
of the circuit board to open the terminals
240
, as shown in the FIG.
2
(A), is larger than the force F
2
required for sliding the connector part
124
on the opened terminals
240
, as shown in the FIG.
2
(B). Accordingly, the maximum value of the force required for simultaneously inserting the two connecting parts of the two circuit boards with the same shape of the circuit board assembly into the card edge connector is represented
2
F
1
.
The following two methods have been used for connecting a plurality of circuit boards of the circuit board assembly
100
to the card edge connectors
200
and
300
.
(1) After that the first circuit board
120
is connected to the card edge connector
200
and the second circuit board
140
is connected to the card edge connector
300
, the first and second circuit boards
120
and
140
are electrically and mechanically connected. and
(2) After that the first circuit board
120
and the second circuit board
140
are electrically and mechanically connected, both the circuit boards
120
and
140
are simultaneously connected to the card edge connectors
200
and
300
, respectively.
Although a large force is not required to insert the respective circuit board into the card edge connector in the described method (1), it is necessary to electrically and mechanically connect both the circuit boards after the insertion of the respective circuit board into the card edge connector. This electrical and mechanical connection may prove to be difficult since the space between the circuit boards is narrow. Also, a more complicated mechanism is required to mechanically connect the circuit boards
120
and
140
in comparison with the described method (2), the method (1) is unfavorable in the size and the fabricating cost.
Although the assembling steps in the fabrication of the method (2) are relatively simple and the mechanism for mechanically coupling both the circuit boards is more simple than that of the method (1), the large force is required to simultaneously inserting the both the circuit boards into the card edge connectors. Therefore, the assembling work must be carefully made to prevent the problems that the large force causes the circuit boards to be distorted, so that solders are cracked, and the solders of the mounted circuit elements are peeled off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefor one object of the present invention to reduce the force required for inserting the circuit board assembly including a plurality of circuit boards into the card edge connectors.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide the circuit board assembly which can be more easily inserted into the card edge connectors for realizing the easy assembling work and the simple connecting mechanism.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the circuit board assembly which does not damage or have a bad effect on the electrical and mechanical connections due to the insertion to the card edge connectors.
A circuit board in accordance with the present invention comprises a first connecting part and a second connecting part, and the first connecting part is shifted from the second connecting part in the connecting direction.
A circuit board in accordance with the present invention includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part, where a length of the second connecting part in the connecting direction is shorter than a length of the first connecting part in the connecting direction.
A circuit board in accordance with the present invention further includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part, and the first connecting part is shifted from the second connecting part in the connecting direction whereby the first connecting part and the second connecting part are not inserted into a connector at the same time.
A circuit board in accordance with the present invention includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part, and the first connecting part is shifted from the second connecting part in the connecting direction whereby a force required for inserting the first connecting part and the second connecting part into a connector is small.
A circuit board assembly in accordance with the present invention includes a first circuit board including a first connecting part, a second circuit board including a second connecting part and a coupling part for coupling the first circuit board and the second circuit board, and the first connecting part is shifted from the second connecting part in the connecting direction.
A circuit board connecting system in accordance with the present invention includes a circuit board including a first connecting part and a second connecting part, and a card edge connector for connecting to the first connecting part and the second connecting part, and the first connecting part is shifted from the second connecting p
Kimura Tomoaki
Miwa Yohichi
Terada Masaru
Bogdon Bernard D.
Bracewell & Patterson LLP
International Business Machines - Corporation
Patel Tulsidas
Schelkopf J. Bruce
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