Separator for electrical assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10164361-B2
Application number	US-201615543850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A separator is configured to separate first and second printed circuit boards that are in electrical communication with each other through first and second pluralities of electrical connectors that are mounted to the first and second substrates, respectively, and mated to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A separator configured to separate first and second electrical sub-assemblies that include first and second substrates, respectively, and respective pluralities of first and second electrical connectors that are mounted to the first and second substrates, respectively, and mated to each other, the separator comprising:
a first separation member having at least one first separation post that is sized and configured extend through an aperture that extends through the first printed circuit board; and
a second separation member having at least one second separation post that is sized and configured to extend through a second aperture that extends through a second printed circuit board of the second electrical sub-assembly, such that the first separation post is in mechanical communication with the second substrate, and the second separation post is in mechanical communication with the first substrate,
wherein when the first separation post extends through the first aperture and is in mechanical communication with the second substrate, and the second separation post extends through the second aperture and is in mechanical communication with the first substrate, at least one of the first and second separation members is configured to receive a compressive force toward another one of the first and second separation members sufficient to cause the first and second substrates to separate from each other.

2. The separator as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first separation member comprises a first base, such that the at least one first separation post extends out from a first surface of the first base.

3. The separator as recited in claim 2 , wherein the second separation member comprises a second base, such that the at least one second separation post extends out from a first surface of the second base.

4. The separator as recited in claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second bases define respective outer perimeters, and when the outer perimeters are aligned with each other and the first surfaces of the first and second bases face each other and are spaced from each other along a transverse direction, the at least one first post is spaced from the at least one second post along a direction perpendicular to the transverse direction.

5. The separator as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first separation member comprises a plurality of first separation posts that extend from the first base, the second separation member comprises a plurality of second separation posts that extend from the second base, and each of the first and second separation posts is configured to extend through a respective one of a plurality of apertures that extend through the first and second substrates, respectively.

6. The separator as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first separation posts extend out from the first base along a direction normal to the first base, and the second separation posts extend out from the second base along a direction normal to the second base.

7. The separator as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first separation posts all have a same height as measured from the first base to respective tips of the first separation posts, and the second separation posts all have a same height as measured from the second base to respective tips of the second separation posts.

8. The separator as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first separation posts are equidistantly spaced along the first base, and the second separation posts are equidistantly spaced along the second base.

9. The separator as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first and second bases are oriented parallel to each other when the first and second separation members are coupled to the first and second substrates, respectively.

10. The separator as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first and second separation posts are oriented parallel to each other when the first and second separation members are coupled to the first and second substrates, respectively.

11. The separator as recited in claim 5 , wherein when the first and second pluralities of separation posts extend through the first and second substrates, respectively, a plane normal to the transverse direction extends through each of the pluralities of first and second separation posts, and each of the first separation posts is spaced from each of the second separation posts along the plane.

12. The separator as recited in claim 5 , wherein the separator is configured such that when the first surfaces of the first and second bases face each other and respective outer perimeters of the first and second bases are aligned with each other along the transverse direction, none of the first separation posts are aligned with any of the second separation posts along the transverse direction.

13. An electrical system, comprising the separator and the first and second electrical subassemblies as recited in claim 1 .

14. An electrical system comprising:
a first electrical sub-assembly including:
a first substrate that defines a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein a plurality of first apertures extend through the first substrate from the first surface to the second surface; and
a plurality of first electrical connectors mounted to the first substrate, such that the first electrical connectors extend out from the first surface of the first substrate at respective footprints, wherein each of the first apertures is disposed outside each of the footprints;

a second electrical sub-assembly including:
a second substrate that defines a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and
a plurality of second electrical connectors mounted to the second substrate, such that the second electrical connectors extend out from the first surface of the second substrate at respective footprints of the second substrate, wherein the second substrate comprises a plurality of second apertures disposed outside each of the footprints of the second substrate; and a first separation member including a first base and a plurality of first separation posts that extend out from the first base a first distance, wherein each of the first separation posts is sized to extend through a respective one of the first apertures; and
wherein when the first and second electrical connectors are mated to each other along a transverse direction, the second surface of the first substrate is spaced from the first surface of the second substrate a distance along the transverse direction that is less than the first distance.

15. The electrical system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the plurality of second apertures extend through the second substrate from the first surface to the second surface, the electrical system further comprising:
a second separation member including a second base and a plurality of second separation posts that extend out from the second base a second distance,
wherein when the first and second electrical connectors are mated to each other along the transverse direction, the second surface of the second substrate is spaced from the first surface of the first substrate a distance along the transverse direction that is less than the second distance.

16. The electrical assembly as recited in claim 15 , wherein the first and second bases are oriented parallel to each other when the first separation posts extend through the first apertures and the second separation posts extend through the second apertures.

17. The electrical assembly as recited in claim 15 , wherein each of the first separation posts is spaced from all of the second separation posts

Assignees

• Fci Usa Llc

Inventors

• Minich Steven E

Classifications

• H05K3/3465

  Application of solder · CPC title

• H01R12/716 Primary

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• H05K2201/10189

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• H05K2203/041

  Solder preforms in the shape of solder balls · CPC title

• H05K2201/042

  Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other · CPC title