Floating circuit board connector system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10028403-B1
Application number	US-201715593076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	May 11, 2017
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A board assembly includes a first board. The first board includes a first board connector that is configured to connect to a first baseboard connector receptacle included on a baseboard and a first board component coupled to the first board connector through the first board. The board assembly also includes a second board that is movably coupled to the first board by at least one floating coupling that allows the second board to move relative to the first board. The second board includes a second board connector that is configured to connect to a second baseboard connector receptacle included on the baseboard and a second board component coupled to the second board connector through the second board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A board assembly, comprising:
a first board including:
a first board connector that is configured to connect to a first baseboard connector receptacle included on a baseboard; and
a first board component coupled to the first board connector through the first board; and

a second board that is movably coupled to the first board by at least one floating coupling that allows the second board to move relative to the first board, wherein the first board and the second board substantially share a common longitudinal axis, and wherein the second board includes:
a second board connector that is configured to connect to a second baseboard connector receptacle included on the baseboard; and
a second board component coupled to the second board connector through the second board.

2. The board assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one floating coupling is configured to allow the second board to move from a misaligned orientation into an aligned orientation when a spacing between the first baseboard connector receptacle and the second baseboard connector receptacle is different than a spacing of the first board connector and the second board connector.

3. The board assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one floating coupling includes:
a first slot defined by the second board; and
at least one resilient member that is located in the first slot and that engages a coupling member that is coupled to the first board, wherein the resilient member is configured to resist movement of the second board relative to the first board.

4. The board assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second board connector includes a keying element that is configured to receive a connector receptacle key on the second baseboard connector receptacle to align the second board connector with the second baseboard connector receptacle when a spacing between the first baseboard connector receptacle and the second baseboard connector receptacle is different than a spacing of the first board connector and the second board connector.

5. The board assembly of claim 1 , wherein the floating coupling allows the second board to move relative to the first board in a direction that is substantially parallel with the baseboard.

6. The board assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mounting structure, wherein the first board is coupled to the mounting structure, and wherein the second board is moveably coupled to the mounting structure via the at least one floating coupling.

7. The board assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first board is coupled to the mounting structure by a first floating coupling that allows the first board to move relative to the mounting structure, and wherein the second board is coupled to the mounting structure by a second floating coupling that allows the second board to move relatively to the mounting structure.

8. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a chassis;
a first board connector receptacle located in the chassis;
a second board connector receptacle located in the chassis, wherein the first board connector receptacle and the second board connector receptacle substantially share a common longitudinal axis; and
a board assembly; wherein the board assembly comprises:
a first board having a first board connector configured to be coupled with the first board connector receptacle; and
a second board that is movably coupled to the first board by at least one floating coupling that allows the second board to move relative to the first board, wherein the second board includes a second board connector configured to be coupled with the second board connector receptacle.

9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the at least one floating coupling is configured to allow the second board to move from a misaligned orientation into an aligned orientation when a spacing between the first board connector receptacle and the second board connector receptacle is different than a spacing of the first board connector and the second board connector.

10. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the at least one floating coupling includes:
a first slot defined by the second board; and
at least one resilient member that is located in the first slot and that engages a coupling member that is coupled to the first board, wherein the resilient member is configured to resist movement of the second board relative to the first board.

11. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the second board connector includes a keying element that is configured to receive a connector receptacle key on the second board connector receptacle to align the second board connector with the second board connector receptacle when a spacing between the first board connector receptacle and the second board connector receptacle is different than a spacing of the first board connector and the second board connector.

12. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the floating coupling allows the second board to move relative to the first board in a direction that is substantially parallel with the first board connector receptacle and the second board connector receptacle.

13. The IHS of claim 8 , further comprising:
a mounting structure, wherein the first board is coupled to the mounting structure, and wherein the second board is moveably coupled to the mounting structure via the at least one floating coupling.

14. The IHS of claim 13 , wherein the first board is coupled to the mounting structure by a first floating coupling that allows the first board to move relative to the mounting structure, and wherein the second board is coupled to the mounting structure by a second floating coupling that allows the second board to move relatively to the mounting structure.

15. A method of coupling a board assembly to a baseboard, comprising:
engaging a first connector included on a first board with a first connector receptacle that is located adjacent a second connector receptacle;
engaging a second connector included on a second board, with the second connector receptacle, wherein the second board is movably coupled to the first board by at least one floating coupling; and
moving, via the at least one floating coupling, the second board relative to the first board to align the second connector and the second connector receptacle when a spacing between the first connector receptacle and the second connector receptacle is different than a spacing of the first connector and the second connector.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the moving, via the at least one floating coupling, the second board relative to the first board to align the second connector and the second connector receptacle when a spacing between the first connector receptacle and the second connector receptacle is different than a spacing of the first connector and the second connector includes:
moving, via the at least one floating coupling, the second board from a misaligned orientation into an aligned orientation.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the moving, via the at least one floating coupling, the second board relative to the first board to align the second connector and the second connector receptacle when a spacing between the first connector receptacle and the second connector receptacle is different than a spacing of the first connector and the second connector includes:
receiving, by a keying element included in the second connector, a connector receptacle key on the second connector receptacle to align the second connector with the second connector receptacle.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the moving, via the at least one floating coupling, the

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Hartman Corey Dean
• Jimenez Iii Salvador D

Classifications

• H05K7/142 Primary

  Spacers not being card guides · CPC title

• H01R43/26

  for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) · CPC title

• H01R12/7005

  Guiding, mounting, polarizing or locking means; Extractors (for printed circuit boards H05K) · CPC title

• H01R12/73

  connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H05K7/1452 Primary

  Mounting of connectors; Switching; Reinforcing of back panels · CPC title