Sealed circuit board connectors and electronic device including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017373431-A1
Application number	US-201715608044-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first circuit board; a first connector provided on one face of the first circuit board; a second circuit board disposed on the one face of the first circuit board, and electrically connected to the first circuit board; a second connector provided on one face of the second circuit board, and engaged with the first connector to electrically connect the second circuit board to the first circuit board; a sealing member disposed between the first circuit board and the second circuit board to seal a space between the first connector and the second connector; and a coupling member coupling the first circuit board and the second circuit board to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a first circuit board; a first connector provided on one face of the first circuit board; a second circuit board disposed on the one face of the first circuit board, and electrically connected to the first circuit board; a second connector provided on one face of the second circuit board, and engaged with the first connector to electrically connect the second circuit board to the first circuit board; a sealing member disposed between the first circuit board and the second circuit board to seal a space between the first connector and the second connector; and a coupling member coupling the first circuit board and the second circuit board to each other.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board is a flexible board, and
wherein the first circuit board or the second circuit board, which is the flexible board, further includes a reinforcing member to support the flexible board.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second connector is connected to the first connector while enclosing an outside portion of the first connector, and
the sealing member is disposed around a periphery of the second connector.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first connector is connected to the second connector while enclosing an outside portion of the second connector, and
the sealing member is disposed around a periphery of the first connector.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member includes protruding portions protruding toward the first circuit board and the second circuit board, to be coupled in closed contact with the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupling member comprises:
at least one coupling protrusion provided on the first circuit board to protrude from one face to be spaced apart from the first connector by a predetermined interval; a coupling hole provided in the second circuit board, and penetrating the second circuit board to be connected to the at least one coupling protrusion; and a fastening member coupled to the at least one coupling protrusion through the coupling hole.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board includes a first connector body, and a remaining one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board includes a second connector body such that the first connector body is seated on the second connector body or the second connector body is seated on the first connector body.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first connector body includes the first connector and a coupling opening of the coupling member adjacent to the first connector, and the second connector body includes the second connector and a coupling hole of the coupling member adjacent to the second connector.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sealing member is disposed along a periphery of one of an outer peripheral face of the first connector body and an outer peripheral face of the second connector body.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the coupling opening and another coupling opening are disposed in the first connector body at each of opposite sides of the first connector, and
the coupling hole and another coupling hole are disposed in the second connector body at each of opposite sides of the second connector.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first connector and a third connector are disposed on the first connector body at each of opposite sides of the coupling opening, and
the second connector and a fourth connector are disposed on the second connector body at each of opposite sides of the coupling hole.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board includes a fixing member to fix the sealing member.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the sealing member is between the fixing member and a remaining one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the fixing member is provided in a closed loop shape along a periphery of the first connector of the first circuit board and the second connector of the second circuit board, and
the sealing member is provided to be coupled to an upper peripheral face of the fixing member, and to protrude toward one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the fixing member is provided in a closed loop shape along a periphery of the first connector of the first circuit board and the second connector of the second circuit board, and
the sealing member is provided to be coupled to an inner peripheral face of the fixing member, and to protrude toward the first connector or the second connector.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the sealing member includes an inclined sealing face formed in a protruding portion.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:
a pressing protrusion formed on an end of the sealing member to be pressed by the first circuit board or the second circuit board.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board includes a fixing member protruding in a closed loop shape around the first connector or the second connector,
the sealing member is coupled to a remaining one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board around the first connector or the second connector, and the sealing member seals a gap between the one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board and the fixing member.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the sealing member includes an inclined sealing face to come in contact with the fixing member.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board includes a seating opening inwardly recessed from a surface of the at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, and
at least one of the first connector and the second connector is mounted in the seating opening.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the sealing member is disposed between the seating opening and the first circuit board or the second circuit board, and
at least one face of the sealing member makes closed contact with the first circuit board or the second circuit board, and at least another face of the sealing member is provided to make closed contact with the seating opening.

22 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board includes an opening that penetrates the first circuit board or the second circuit board,
at least one of the first connector and the second connector is positioned in the opening to be coupled to the first circuit board or the second circuit board, and a support member is coupled to the opening to support the at least one of the first connector and the second connector positioned in the opening while blocking movement of the at least one of the first connector or the second connector.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the at least one of the first connector or the second connector seated inside the opening is mounted on one face of the support member, and
a periphery of one face of the support member is coupled to a rear face of the first circuit boa

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Yong-Seok
• Noh Dae-Young
• Song Chan-Keun
• Lee Min-Sung
• Jung Min-Su
• Cho Sung-Joo
• Choi Young-Sik
• Park Jin-Young
• YOO Min-Woo
• Yoon Byoung-Uk
• Choi Jong-Chul

Classifications

• H01R12/716 Primary

  Coupling device provided on the PCB · CPC title

• H05K5/0095

  hermetically-sealed · CPC title

• H01R13/5219

  Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal · CPC title

• H01R13/73

  Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall · CPC title

• H01R13/5205 Primary

  Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet (H01R13/5221 takes precedence) · CPC title