Card edge connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016181712-A1
Application number	US-201414575318-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for manufacturing an add-in card are described. An example of an add-in card in accordance with the described techniques includes a circuit board with contact fingers formed on an outer surface of the circuit board. Each of the contact fingers is configured to make electrical contact with a pin when inserted into a receptacle. The gap between the contact fingers is greater than or equal to a width of the pin. The add-in card also includes a protection mechanism to prevent the pin from being captured between the contact fingers if the add-in card is misaligned when inserted or removed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An add-in card, comprising:
a circuit board; contact fingers disposed on an outer surface of the circuit board, each of the contact fingers to make electrical contact with a pin when inserted into a receptacle, wherein a gap between the contact fingers is greater than or equal to a width of the pin; and a protection mechanism to prevent the pin from being captured between the contact fingers if the add-in card is misaligned when inserted or removed.

2 . The add-in card of claim 1 , wherein the protection mechanism is a support step disposed between each of the contact fingers.

3 . The add-in card of claim 2 , wherein the support step comprises a plurality of support step segments that are electrically isolated from one another.

4 . The add-in card of claim 2 , wherein the support step is a raised metal pad that is electrically isolated from each of the contact fingers.

5 . The add-in card of claim 2 , wherein a gap between an edge of the support step and an edge of a nearest contact finger is less than a width of the pin.

6 . The add-in card of claim 2 , wherein the support step is disposed between a bottom end of the contact finger and a point at which the pin is to make contact the contact finger when fully inserted.

7 . The add-in card of claim 1 , wherein each of the contact fingers comprises a first portion with a first width and a second portion with a second width less than the first width, wherein the second portion is disposed below a point at which the pin is to make contact when fully inserted.

8 . The add-in card of claim 1 , wherein the add-in card is compliant with a PCIe Card Electromechanical Specification and a width of the contact fingers is less than or equal to 0.7 mm.

9 . The add-in card of claim 1 , wherein the add-in card is compliant with a PCIe Card Electromechanical Specification.

10 . A computing device, comprising:
a baseboard comprising a receptacle for receiving an add-in card, the receptacle including pins; an add-in card inserted into the receptacle, the add-in card comprising a circuit board and contact fingers disposed on an outer surface of the circuit board to make contact with the pins; and a protection mechanism to prevent the pins from being captured between the contact fingers when inserted or removed.

11 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the protection mechanism is a support step disposed between each of the contact fingers.

12 . The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the support step comprises a plurality of support step segments that are electrically isolated from one another.

13 . The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the support step is a raised metal pad that is electrically isolated from each of the contact fingers.

14 . The computing device of claim 11 , wherein a gap between an edge of the support step and an edge of a nearest contact finger is less than a width of the pin.

15 . The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the support step is disposed between a bottom end of the contact finger and a point at which the pin is to contact the contact finger when fully inserted.

16 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein each of the contact fingers comprises a first portion with a first width and a second portion with a second width less than the first width, wherein the second portion is disposed below a point at which the pin is to make contact the contact finger when fully inserted.

17 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the add-in card is compliant with a PCIe Card Electromechanical Specification and a width of the contact fingers is less than 0.7 mm.

18 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the protection mechanism is a widening of the pins at a point where the pins makes contact with the contact fingers.

19 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:
forming contact fingers on an outer surface of a circuit board, each of the contact fingers to make electrical contact with a pin when inserted into a receptacle, wherein a gap between the contact fingers is greater than or equal to a width of the pin; and forming a protection mechanism on a surface of the circuit board between the contact fingers to prevent damage to the pins and contact fingers during insertion and removal.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the protection mechanism comprises forming metal pads between the contact fingers and electrically isolating the metals pads from the contact fingers.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein forming the contact fingers and forming the metal pads comprises a same metal patterning step.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein forming the metal pads comprises forming each of the metal pads in a plurality of electrically isolated segments.

23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein forming the contact fingers comprises forming a first portion with a first width and forming a second portion with a second width less than the first width, wherein the second portion is positioned below a point at which the pin is to make contact with the contact finger when fully inserted.

24 . A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising:
forming a pin comprising a contact point to make contact with one of a plurality of contact fingers of an add-in card; and disposing the pin within a receptacle to receive the add-in card; wherein forming the pin comprises forming a protection mechanism that prevents the pin from being captured between the contact fingers.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein forming the protection mechanism comprises forming a widened portion at the contact point of the pin.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Wig Timothy

Classifications

• H01R43/205

  with a panel or printed circuit board · CPC title

• H01R12/721 Primary

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

• H01R12/7005 Primary

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

• H01R12/737

  Printed circuits being substantially perpendicular to each other (for printed connections H05K3/366) · CPC title

• H05K1/117

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