Method of forming a printed circuit board assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9832874-B2
Application number	US-201514745526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly includes a first PCB and a second PCB disposed substantially parallel and opposite to each other, such that a second side of the first PCB is opposite to a first side of the second PCB; wherein the second PCB has a first set of side connectors on its first side and a second set of side connectors on its second side, configured for both electrical power supply to and signal communication with the second PCB; the second PCB both electrically and mechanically connected to the second side of the first PCB via a first elastomeric connector; and the second PCB electrically connected to the first PCB via its second set of side connectors and a flexible electrical connector that is electrically connected to the second set of side connectors and the first PCB.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, the method comprising:
disposing a first PCB and a second PCB substantially parallel and opposite to each other and each having a first side and a second side opposite to each other, such that the second side of the first PCB is opposite to the first side of the second PCB;
wherein the second PCB has a first set of side connectors on the first side and a second set of side connectors on the second side, the first and second sets of connectors configured for both electrical power supply to and signal communication with the second PCB;
electrically and mechanically connecting the second PCB to the second side of the first PCB via a first elastomeric connector arranged between the first side of the second PCB, where the first elastomeric connector connects to the first set of connectors, and the second side of the first PCB; and
electrically connecting the second PCB to the first PCB via the second set of side connectors and a flexible electrical connector that is electrically connected to the second set of side connectors and the first PCB.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising electrically connecting the second PCB to the first PCB via a second elastomeric connector, which connects to the second set of side connectors of the second PCB, and the electrical connector, which connects both the second elastomeric connector and the first PCB.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising electrically connecting the second PCB to the first side of the first PCB via the second set of side connectors and the flexible electrical connector, the flexible electrical connector connected to the first side of the first PCB.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector has a portion extending over a lateral edge of the first PCB and a lateral edge of the second PCB, perpendicularly to average planes of the first and second PCBs.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the electrical connector is a flat flex cable.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the electrical connector is a rigid-flex connector, which is integral with the first PCB.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a fastening structure to maintain the flexible electrical connector, the first elastomeric connector, the second elastomeric connector, and a lateral edge of each of the first PCB and the second PCB.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fastening structure has a U-section and is arranged so as to clamp the flexible electrical connector, the first elastomeric connector, the second elastomeric connector, and the lateral edge of each of the first PCB and the second PCB.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assembly comprises a set of at least two second PCBs, each configured with respect to the first PCBs similarly as the second PCB, wherein each of the second PCBs is maintained substantially parallel and opposite to the first PCB, and wherein the second PCBs are arranged side by side on one side of the first PCB or in one or more pairs, with each second PCBs of one pair on each side of the first PCB.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising arranging one or more of the second PCBs on the second side of the first PCB, and arranging one or more other second PCBs of the set on the first side of the first PCB.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the assembly comprises a set of four second PCBs, each arranged on the second side of the first PCB, wherein four second PCBs of the set are arranged on the first side of the first PCB and four second PCBs of the set are arranged on the second side of the first PCB.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first PCB comprises a storage module PCB and any second PCB comprises an mSATA PCB.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a substantially flat flash memory component on one side of a second PCB, which flash memory component has an average thickness that substantially corresponds to the thickness of the first elastomeric connector, and wherein the assembly further comprises two flash memory components on each side of the second PCB, and wherein one or each flash memory component is a NAND flash memory.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging a power converter and a module controller in electrical contact with, on one side of, the first PCB, wherein the module controller is electrically connected to one or more second PCB and is otherwise configured to enable the power converter.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first elastomeric connector is electrically conducting along directions perpendicular to an average plane and are not electrically conducting in-plane, and comprise deformable layers of alternating conductive and insulating materials.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Doering Andreas C
• Heller Ralph
• Luijten Ronald P
• Schmatz Martin L

Classifications

• H01R43/26

  for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) · CPC title

• H05K2201/10189

  Non-printed connector · CPC title

• Y10T29/49128

  Assembling formed circuit to base · CPC title

• H05K2201/10954

  Other details of electrical connections · CPC title

• H01R13/2414

  conductive elastomers · CPC title