Coplanar card-edge connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12444869-B2
Application number	US-202218080967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2022
Priority date	Dec 14, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A connection system comprises a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board comprises a top face and a bottom face. The printed circuit board also comprises a first edge that is normal to the top face and bottom face. The printed circuit board also comprises a second edge that is normal to the top face and bottom face. The first edge face and second edge face intersect at an angle that is not a straight angle. The connection system also comprises a coplanar card-edge socket on the printed circuit board. The socket comprises a top section that interfaces with the top face of the printed circuit board along the first and second edge faces of the printed circuit board. The socked also comprises a bottom section that interfaces with the bottom face of the printed circuit board along the first and second edge faces of the printed circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connection system for a card-edge connector, the connection system comprising:
a printed circuit board comprising:
a top face and a bottom face; and
a first edge face that is normal to the top face and bottom face and a second edge face that is normal to the top face and bottom face;
wherein the first edge face and second edge face intersect at an angle that is not a straight angle;

a coplanar card-edge socket on the printed circuit board, the socket comprising:
a top section that interfaces with the top face of the printed circuit board along the first and second edge faces of the printed circuit board; and
a bottom section that interfaces with the bottom face of the printed circuit board along the first and second edge faces of the printed circuit board.

2. The connection system of claim 1 , wherein the first edge face and the second edge face intersect at a 90-degree angle.

3. The connection system of claim 1 , wherein the coplanar card-edge socket comprises an alignment tab.

4. A printed circuit board comprising:
a top face and a bottom face;
a first edge face that is normal to the top face and bottom face and a second edge face that is normal to the top face and bottom face, wherein the first edge face and second edge face intersect at an angle that is not a straight angle;
a first set of card-edge contacts on the top face along the first edge face;
a second set of card-edge contacts on the top face along the second edge face;
a circuit-chip module mounted to the top face of the printed circuit board;
wherein the circuit-chip module is partially surrounded by the first set of card-edge contacts and the second set of card-edge contacts;
a third edge face that is normal to the top face and bottom face;
a fourth edge face that is normal to the top face and bottom face, wherein the third edge face and fourth edge face intersect at an angle that is not a straight angle;
a third set of card-edge contacts on the top face along the third edge face; and
a fourth set of card-edge contacts on the top face along the fourth edge face.

5. The printed circuit board of claim 4 , wherein the first edge face and the second edge face intersect at a 90-degree angle.

6. The printed circuit board of claim 4 , wherein the circuit-chip module is a microprocessor chip.

7. The printed circuit board of claim 4 , further comprising an alignment cutout.

8. The printed circuit board of claim 4 , wherein the printed circuit board has a tapered shape.

9. The printed circuit board of claim 4 , further comprising:
a coplanar card-edge socket on the printed circuit board, the socket comprising:
a top section that interfaces with the top face of the printed circuit board along the third and fourth edge faces of the printed circuit board; and
a bottom section that interfaces with the bottom face of the printed circuit board along the third and fourth edge faces of the printed circuit board.

10. A connection system for a card-edge connector, the connection system comprising:
a first printed circuit board comprising:
a first top face and a first bottom face; and
a first edge that is normal to the first top face and first bottom face and a second edge that is normal to the first top face and first bottom face;
wherein the first edge and second edge intersect at a first angle that is not a straight angle;

a second printed circuit board comprising:
a second top face and a second bottom face;
a third edge that is normal to the second top face and second bottom face and a fourth edge that is normal to the second top face and second bottom face,
wherein the third edge and fourth edge intersect at a second angle that is supplementary to the first angle; and

a first set of card-edge contacts on the second top face along the third edge; and

a coplanar card-edge socket on the first printed circuit board, the socket comprising:
a top section that interfaces with the first top face of the first printed circuit board along the first and second edges of the first printed circuit board; and
a bottom section that interfaces with the first bottom face of the first printed circuit board along the first and second edges of the first printed circuit board;

wherein inserting the third and fourth edges of the second printed circuit board into the coplanar card-edge socket causes the first printed circuit board to be on the same plane as the second printed circuit board.

11. The connection system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second edge intersect at an obtuse angle.

12. The connection system of claim 10 , wherein the first and second edge intersect at an acute angle.

13. The connection system of claim 10 , wherein the second printed circuit board comprises a non-volatile storage module.

14. The connection system of claim 10 , wherein the second printed circuit board comprises an alignment cutout.

15. The connection system of claim 10 , wherein the second printed circuit board has a tapered shape.

16. The connection system of claim 10 , wherein the second printed circuit board comprises:
a fifth edge that is normal to the second top face and second bottom face;
a sixth edge that is normal to the second top face and second bottom face; and
a second set of card-edge contacts on the second top face along the fifth edge.

17. The connection system of claim 10 , wherein the second printed circuit board comprises:
a fifth edge that is normal to the second top face and second bottom face;
a sixth edge that is normal to the second top face and second bottom face; and
a coplanar card-edge socket on the second printed circuit board, the socket comprising:
a top section that interfaces with the second top face of the second printed circuit board along the fifth and sixth edges of the second printed circuit board; and
a bottom section that interfaces with the second bottom face of the second printed circuit board along the fifth and sixth edges of the first printed circuit board.

18. The connection system of claim 10 , further comprising a third printed circuit board, wherein the third printed circuit board comprises a card-edge connector that interfaces with a corresponding card-edge connector on the second printed circuit board.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Mann Phillip V
• Smith Tyler
• Jandt Tyler
• Shirk/Heath Sandra J

Classifications

• H01R12/721 Primary

  cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits · CPC title

• H05K1/117 Primary

  Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors · CPC title

• H01R12/732 Primary

  Printed circuits being in the same plane · CPC title

• H05K2201/10189

  Non-printed connector · CPC title

• H01R12/735

  Printed circuits including an angle between each other · CPC title