Flex board spacer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10973125-B2
Application number	US-201916456509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A spacer for providing support to a flex board including a spacer body having, a first portion including multiple surfaces on a first side thereof and multiple surfaces on a second side opposite the first side, a second portion including multiple surfaces on a first side thereof and multiple surfaces on a second side opposite the first side, wherein the second portion is connected to the first irregular portion by a bridge having a single surface on a first side thereof and multiple surfaces on a second side opposite the first side and a set of orifices each for receiving a fastener therein, wherein at least one of the orifices is located on the first side of the first portion and at least one of the orifices is located on the first side of the second portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spacer for providing support to a flex board comprising:
a spacer body including:
a first portion including multiple first surfaces facing a first direction and multiple second surfaces facing a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction;
a second portion including multiple third surfaces facing the first direction and multiple fourth surfaces facing the second direction;
a bridge positioned between the first portion and the second portion having at least one surface facing the first direction and at least one surface facing the second direction, the spacer body being sized and configured such that multiple surfaces contact parts of a first board and a second board of a flex board when assembled to the flex board to provide stiffness to the flex board, wherein the bridge includes four standoffs on the surface facing the second direction; and
a plurality of orifices each for receiving a fastener therein.

2. The spacer of claim 1 , wherein the second portion includes a fully encircled void.

3. The spacer of claim 1 , wherein the orifices are co-planar.

4. The spacer of claim 1 , wherein the first portion includes two orifices, each orifice located within a distinct corresponding standoff from a surface of the first portion defining a majority of the first portion.

5. The spacer of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is asymmetrical in a lengthwise and widthwise direction.

6. The spacer of claim 1 , wherein the spacer body is a single continuous monolithic, integral structure.

7. The spacer of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second irregular portion include a non-conductive material.

8. The spacer of claim 3 , wherein the second portion includes two orifices, each flush with a surface of the second portion.

9. The spacer of claim 4 , wherein each of the standoffs are vertically oriented.

10. The spacer of claim 5 , wherein second portion is asymmetrical in the lengthwise and widthwise directions.

11. The spacer of claim 1 , wherein the spacer is manufactured using additive manufacturing methods.

12. A flex board comprising:
a first board including a set of electronic inputs and outputs;
a second board including inputs and outputs corresponding to the inputs and outputs of the first board connected to the first board by a flexible connector;
a spacer fastened to the first board for providing stiffness to the flex board, wherein the spacer contacts only a portion of the first board, and contacts only a portion of the second board when assembled;
a first portion including multiple surfaces facing a first direction and multiple surfaces facing a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction;
a second portion including multiple third surfaces facing the first direction and multiple fourth surfaces facing the second direction;
a bridge positioned between the first portion and the second portion having at least one surface facing the first direction and at least one surface facing the second direction, the spacer body being sized and configured such that multiple surfaces contact parts of the first board and the second board of the flex board when assembled to the flex board to provide stiffness to the flex board; and
a plurality of orifices each for receiving a fastener therein.

13. The flex board of claim 12 , wherein the spacer contacts each of the boards in at least three spaced apart locations.

14. The flex board of claim 12 , wherein the second portion includes two orifices, each flush with a surface of the second portion, and wherein the first portion includes two orifices.

15. The flex board of claim 14 , wherein each orifice of the first portion is located within a distinct corresponding standoff from a surface of the first portion defining a majority of the first portion.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Brown Ricardo O
• Andreozzi Michael
• Fisher Ben
• Brandenburg Loren O

Classifications

• H05K1/148 Primary

  Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means · CPC title

• H05K7/142 Primary

  Spacers not being card guides · CPC title

• H05K2201/2036

  Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly · 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

• H05K2201/10409

  Screws · CPC title