Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-22
2003-02-18
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
C439S067000, C439S493000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06520789
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to electrical connectors and relates more particularly to modular electrical connectors for electrically interconnecting printed circuit boards and the like via a flexible circuit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical connections are frequently made between flexible circuits and printed circuit boards. In many cases, flexible circuits are used to connect multiple printed circuit boards to one another.
A flexible circuit generally includes a flat, flexible substrate upon which electrical conductors or traces are formed. The electrical conductors typically terminate at end portions of the flexible circuit. Terminations formed at these end portions may comprise raised features such as conductive protuberances or bumps, which are used to effect electrical connection to corresponding contact pads formed upon a mating surface of a printed circuit board or the like. Such bumps typically comprise a malleable metal such as gold, which readily bonds with the corresponding aluminum contact pads. Thus, such bumps may be utilized to effect electrical interconnection of flexible circuits and rigid circuits, such as printed circuit boards and the like.
When electrically connecting a flexible circuit with a printed circuit board, the bumps of the flexible circuit are pressed firmly against corresponding conductive contact pads of the printed circuit board in order to provide a reliable electrical connection. A clamping system is typically defined by a connector which provides the compression force necessary to maintain the desired mechanical and electrical contact between the bumps and the contact pads. The connector thus facilitates reliable electrical connection of the flexible circuit and the printed circuit board.
It is known to use flexible circuitry to connect printed circuit boards to one another according to various different configurations or relative orientations of the printed circuit boards. According to a first exemplary contemporary configuration, spaced apart, generally coplanar printed circuit boards are bridged or attached to one another via flexible circuitry which extends therebetween, so as to define a jumper. According to a second exemplary contemporary configuration, stacked, generally parallel printed circuit boards are interconnected via flexible circuitry, so as to define a mezzanine. According to a third exemplary configuration, generally orthogonal printed circuit boards are attached to one another via flexible circuitry, so as to define a backplane.
More particularly, according to the contemporary coplanar configuration, two generally coplanar printed circuit boards are electrically interconnected with one another via a flexible circuit which extends in a bridge-like fashion therebetween. Clamping connectors are utilized to attach each end of the flexible circuit to one of the printed circuit boards by urging contact bumps of the flexible circuit toward corresponding contact pads formed upon each printed circuit board.
Such contemporary clamping connectors each generally comprise two elongated clamp members between which one end of the flexible circuit and a portion of the printed circuit board are sandwiched, such that when fasteners are used to draw the two elongated clamp members toward one another, the flexible circuit and the printed circuit board are compressed between the two elongated clamp members. In this manner, the conductive bumps of the flexible circuit are brought into intimate mechanical contact with the complimentary pads of the printed circuit board.
According to the contemporary parallel configuration, the two printed circuit boards are positioned in a stacked configuration, e.g., one above the other, and a spacer (along with the flexible circuit and two printed circuit boards) is disposed between two elongated clamp members of a single clamp. The spacer maintains the two printed circuit boards a desired distance from one another. Thus, in the parallel configuration, a single clamp effects desired electrical contact between the first printed circuit board and a first end of the flexible circuit, as well as between the second printed circuit board and a second end of the flexible circuit.
According to the contemporary orthogonal configuration, the spacer is configured so as to position the two printed circuit boards generally at right angles with respect to one another. Each of two separate clamp members independently clamps one of the two printed circuit boards and one end of the flexible circuit to a common spacer. That is, one of the two clamp members clamps one printed circuit board and one end of the flexible circuit to the spacer and the other of the two clamp members clamps another printed circuit board and the other end of the flexible circuit to the same spacer. The spacer is configured so at to orient the two printed circuit boards generally orthogonal to one another when the two printed circuit boards are clamped to the spacer.
Thus, according to contemporary practice, a variety of different configurations of connectors or clamp members are required in order to facilitate the interconnection of printed circuit boards at various different desired orientations with respect to one another.
One disadvantage commonly associated with such contemporary connectors is the need to manufacture a separate, custom spacer for each unique application which requires a spacer. For example, when it is desired to electrically connect two parallel printed circuit boards to one another in a mezzanine fashion, a particular, unique spacer must be fabricated which provides the desired orientation and spacing of the two printed circuit boards relative to one another. Similarly, when it is desired to position two printed circuit boards orthogonal to one another in a backplane fashion, it is necessary to fabricate a spacer which facilitates the desired orthogonal positioning of the printed circuit boards.
Moreover, it is expensive to fabricate such custom spacers and it is expensive and inconvenient to maintain an inventory of such unique spacers in an attempt to anticipate common printed circuit board mounting configurations.
Another disadvantage associated with such contemporary connectors is the relatively high material cost of the spacer. The spacer in such contemporary clamping systems is fabricated from metal. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the fabrication of spacers from metal is undesirably time consuming and expensive. Frequently, such metal spacers are individually machined.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a connecting system which facilitates the electrical interconnection of printed circuit boards and the like utilizing a flexible circuit, wherein at least some portion of each connector is standardized such that the standardized portions may be utilized in a variety of different connector configurations so as to reduce inventory requirements. It is also desirable to provide a connecting system wherein the use of lower cost materials is facilitated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an electrical connector for interconnecting printed circuit boards and the like with flexible circuitry and for mounting printed circuit boards and the like at desired positions relative to one another is provided.
Although the present invention is described and illustrated herein as effecting the interconnection of two printed circuit boards, such is by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various different, generally rigid, electronic devices may be interconnected using the connecting system of the present invention.
The clamping system of the present invention comprises an inboard clamp member which has a body configured to cooperate with a generally complimentary outboard clamp member, so as to capture a portion of at least one printed circuit board and a portion of a flexible circuit between the inboard clamp member and the outboard clamp member in a manner which facil
Daugherty, Jr. Robert Earl
Jensen Eric Dean
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Ta Tho D.
Twomey Thomas N.
LandOfFree
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