Abstract:
A bridge connector made of PCB material has a first plurality of press-fit pins on one portion of the bridge connector and a second plurality of press-fit pins on another portion of the bridge connector. Within the connector is a set of signal conductors. Each conductor connects a press-fit pin of the first plurality of press-fit pins to a corresponding press-fit pin of the second plurality of press-fit pins. When the connector is attached to a printed circuit board (PCB), the press-fit pins extend into and engage corresponding plated through holes in the PCB. The press-fit pins exert enough retention force to mechanically couple two PCB frame sections. The PCB frame sections are electrically connected through the press-fit pins and corresponding signal conductors of the bridge connector. A bridge connector attached at each corner of an infrared touch sensor frame assembly allows the assembly to be solidly assembled from four sections of PCB: a top, bottom, left, and right PCB frame section.
Abstract:
A surface mount component (for example, an electrical connector) includes a connector body portion and a plurality of temperature-activated self-extending surface mount attachment structures (TASESMAS). During a reflow solder process, amounts of solder within the connector melt. Surface and interfacial tensions of structures within the connector cause the TASESMAS structures to extend away from the connector body portion and toward an object (for example, a printed circuit board) to which the surface mount component is to be surface mount soldered. Each TASESMAS may self-extend a different amount to accommodate nonplanarities in the surface to which the component is to be surface mounted. When the component cools after reflow soldering, the amounts of solder solidify thereby fixing the TASESMAS structures in their extended positions.
Abstract:
A high speed socket includes an insulative housing and a printed circuit board body portion. The PCB body portion includes a PCB and surface mount contacts. Each surface mount contact has a first end portion for making contact with an integrated circuit held in the socket and a second end portion for surface mounting to a printed circuit board. The socket's printed circuit board includes AC grounded conductive columns (ACGCC) that extend from a first planar surface of the PCB to a second planar surface of the PCB. The printed circuit board also includes signal conductors. The signal conductors are shielded by the ACGCCs. In one aspect, the socket includes capacitors that are surface mounted to the socket's PCB. In another aspect, the surface mount contacts include self-adjusting solder tails that accommodate PCB warpage.
Abstract:
A high speed stacking connector assembly includes a flexible extension portion. The flexible extension portion includes a first male connector, a center portion, and a second male connector. First and second flexible printed circuits (FPCs) extend parallel to one another from the first male connector, through the center portion, and to the second male connector. A rigid insulative center block of the center portion maintains the FPCs parallel to one another. The flexible portion can bend along a first axis between the first male connector and the center portion and/or along a second axis between the second male connector and the center portion. Due to this bending, the overall assembly accommodates lateral shifting of stacked PCBs. High speed signaling is facilitated by controlled electrical characteristics due to a novel contact beam design and due to the FPCs having a microstrip conductor topology. The contact beams self-adjust to accommodate PCB nonplanarity.
Abstract:
A high speed connector assembly includes a first surface-mount connector (SMC) and a second SMC. The first SMC includes a first flexible printed circuit (FPC) that has conductors that extend from a first FPC edge to a second FPC edge. The first edge includes surface-mount contact structures for surface mounting to a first printed circuit board. The second SMC includes a second FPC that has conductors that extend from a first FPC edge to a second FPC edge. The first edge includes surface-mount contact structures for surface mounting to a second printed circuit board. A set of contact beams is disposed along the second FPC edge. The first and second SMCs are mateable such that the contact beams make electrical contact between conductors in the first FPC and conductors in the second FPC. The FPC of the second SMC flexes to adjust for misalignments between the first and second SMCs.