Connector shielding in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9647366-B1
Application number	US-201615096777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

Connector shielding devices are described herein. One connector shielding device includes a circuit board having a connector that is connectable with a connector of an additional circuit board. The shielding device further includes a plurality of spring fingers connected to and extending from a first surface of the circuit board or a base support adjacent to the first surface of the circuit board. The plurality of spring fingers provides a perimeter around the connector of the circuit board. Additionally, each spring finger of the plurality of spring fingers is configured to deflect toward the first surface of the circuit board when the connector of the circuit board connects with the connector of the additional circuit board. Further, a Faraday cage is provided by the circuit board, the additional circuit board, and the plurality of spring fingers when the connector and the additional connector are connected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a circuit board having a connector that is connectable with a connector of an additional circuit board; and
a plurality of spring fingers connected to and extending from a first surface of the circuit board or a base support adjacent to the first surface of the circuit board, the plurality of spring fingers providing a perimeter around the connector of the circuit board,
wherein each spring finger of the plurality of spring fingers is configured to deflect toward the first surface of the circuit board when the connector of the circuit board connects with the connector of the additional circuit board.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board is a printed circuit board or a flexible printed circuit.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spring fingers comprises at least one conductive metal selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, nickel, brass, bronze, iron, platinum, tin, tungsten, lithium, molybdenum, carbon, steel, lead, alloys thereof, and combinations thereof.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spring fingers is connected to the first surface of the circuit board.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of spring fingers is soldered to the first surface of the circuit board.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein each spring finger of the plurality of spring fingers is connected to the base support along a first plane of the base support,
wherein the base support comprises an opening located in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the opening is configured to receive the circuit board such that the base support abuts at least a portion of four separate surfaces of the circuit board.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one spring finger extending from a second surface of the circuit board or the base support adjacent to the second surface of the circuit board, the second surface being opposite from and parallel with the first surface.

8. A device comprising:
a base support having four surfaces, the first and second surfaces positioned in separate and parallel planes, and the third and fourth surfaces positioned in separate and parallel planes perpendicular to the planes of the first and second surfaces, wherein the third surface connects a first edge of the first surface with a first edge of the second surface and the fourth surface connects a second edge of the first surface with a second edge of the second surface; and
a plurality of spring fingers extending from the first surface of the base support,
wherein the base support comprises an opening between the four surfaces, wherein the opening is configured to receive a circuit board having a connector,
wherein the base support is configured to abut at least a portion of four separate surfaces of the circuit board, and
wherein the plurality of spring fingers is configured to provide a perimeter around the connector of the circuit board.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the base support and the plurality of spring fingers are single piece of conductive metal.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the conductive metal comprises silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, nickel, brass, bronze, iron, platinum, tin, tungsten, lithium, molybdenum, carbon, steel, lead, alloys thereof, or combinations thereof.

11. The device of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one spring finger extending from the second surface of the base support.

12. A device comprising:
a first circuit board having a first connector;
a second circuit board having a second connector connectable with the first connector of the first circuit board; and
a plurality of spring fingers positioned between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, wherein the plurality of spring fingers provide a perimeter around the first connector and the second connector when the first connector and the second connector are connected,
wherein the first circuit board, the second circuit board, and the plurality of spring fingers provide a Faraday cage when the first connector and the second connector are connected.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first circuit board is a printed circuit board, and the second circuit board is a flexible printed circuit.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first circuit board and the second circuit board are printed circuit boards.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first connector is a plug and the second connector is a socket.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein a retention force is provided by the connection of the first connector and the second connector,
wherein a spring force is provided in an opposite direction of the retention force by a deflection of the spring fingers between the first and second circuit boards when the first connector and the second connector are connected, and
wherein the retention force is greater than the spring force.

17. The device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of spring fingers is connected to and extends from a first surface of the first circuit board or a base support adjacent to the first surface of the first circuit board.

18. The device of claim 17 , further comprising:
at least one spring finger extending from a second surface of the first circuit board or a base support adjacent to the second surface of the first circuit board, the second surface being opposite from and parallel with the first surface.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein a retention force is provided by the connection of the first connector and the second connector,
wherein a spring force is provided in an opposite direction of the retention force by a deflection of the spring fingers between the first and second circuit boards when the first connector and the second connector are connected,
wherein an opposing spring force is provided by a deflection of the at least one spring finger extending from the second surface by a component adjacent to second surface of the first circuit board, and
wherein a sum of the retention force and the opposing spring force is greater than the spring force.

20. The device of claim 12 , wherein a fraction of the plurality of spring fingers is connected to and extends from a first surface of the first circuit board or a base support adjacent to the first surface of the first circuit board, and wherein a remaining fraction of the plurality of spring fingers is connected to and extends from a first surface of the second circuit board or a base support adjacent to the first surface of the second circuit board.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Turowski Daniel Joseph

Classifications

• H01R13/6582

  with resilient means for engaging mating connector · CPC title

• H01R12/718

  Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing (contacts for abutting H01R12/714) · CPC title

• H01R12/7076

  for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display · CPC title

• H01R12/52

  connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R13/6594 Primary

  the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members · CPC title