Apparatus and system for interconnecting circuits and electronic components

• US 3,880,486 A
• Filed: 03/05/1973
• Issued: 04/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emik A. Avakian
• Original Assignee: Emik A. Avakian
• Inventors: Avakian, Emik A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Terrell P.
• Application Number:
  US05/337,838
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 174/153R,148R,68.5 317/11DH,11CC,11CP 339/17,18,19,59,60,61,119,120,125,126,198E
• US Class Current: 439/75
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/58 terminals for insertion into holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0314 Elastomeric connector or conductor, e.g. rubber with metallic filler elastomeric dielectric H05K2201/0133
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10333 Individual female type metallic connector elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10962 Component not directly connected to the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/308 Adaptations of leads connectors to printed circuits H01R12/00

Abstract

A connector element or plug for use in circuit boards is a double-ended plug with an interconnecting shank between the larger head portion at one end and a smaller head or retainer portion at the other end, and this plug is positioned in a hole in a circuit board with the larger head overlying one surface of the board and a circuit thereon, and with the retainer extending beyond the hole at the opposite side of the board to hold the plug in position. The connector element establishes an electrical connection from the circuit contacted thereby to another circuit or to another connector element in another circuit board overlying the first board. Alternatively, the connector element has a central recess to receive a connector pin from a circuit external to the circuit board as, for example, a pin in a dualin-line package or a contact on a leadless IC package and makes a connection from said pin to the circuit on the board contacted by the connector element.

Claims

1. A connector element for making an electrical connection between circuits on circuit boards, said element being made of a resilient, conducting, elastomeric material and including a shank adapted to be positioned in a hole in a circuit board, said shank having a head at each end, each head being larger in diametEr than the shank and being formed to provide resilient retention of said element within the hole whereby upon or after insertion each head will overlie and be in contact with the opposite surfaces of the board with one head extending over and in contact with a circuit on the board.

2. A connector element as in claim 1, in which the shank of the element is of such a length that when fitted in the circuit board hole the shank will be under tension and will retain at least one head of the element securely against the board surface and the circuit positioned thereon.

3. A connector element as in claim 1, in which the underside of the larger head is flat for engagement with the board surface and the circuit thereon.

4. A connector element as in claim 1, in which one head is deformable when inserted through a hole in the board smaller in diameter than the diameter of said head.

5. A connector element as in claim 1, in which one head is adapted to be inserted through the board and is substantially smaller than the other head to serve as a retainer.

6. A connector element as in claim 1, in which the element has a central opening therethrough to receive a connecting pin therein.

7. The combination with a circuit board having a conductive circuit on one side thereof, said board having a hole therein to receive a connector therein, of an elastomeric connector element having a shank to fit in the opening in said board, said shank having a head at one end to overlie one surface of the board, and being large enough to overlie a part of the circuit thereon, the other end having a retainer portion larger than the hole in the board and compressable for insertion through the hole, said connector element being resilient and conductive to provide an electrical connection with said circuit.

8. The combination as in claim 7, in which the length of the shank is less than the thickness of the board and the printed circuit thereon.

9. The combination as in claim 7, wherein there are two circuit boards with a similarly located connector element in each board, and the boards are stacked with the connector elements in contact, thereby establishing electrical connections between the circuits on the two boards engaged by the connector elements.

10. A plurality of connector elements for making electrical connections between circuits on standard circuit boards, each connector being made of resilient conducting elastomeric material and including a shank adapted to be positioned in a hole in a circuit board, said shank having a head at one end to overlie and be in contact with a circuit on the surface of the board, said shank having a retainer at the other end formed larger than the hole but of a dimension to be distorted upon insertion through the hole in the board, and a web connecting the heads of each of said plurality of connector elements for holding said elements in parallel relation to one another and in such proper spacing as to fit within spaced holes in the circuit board.

11. A plurality of connector elements as in claim 10 in which the webs are nonconductive so they electrically isolate one connector element from another.

12. A plurality of connector elements as in claim 10 in which the heads have grooves therein and the webs are formed with connector element to provide such that the grooves in the several heads are in alignment with each other.

13. A plurality of connector elements as in claim 12 in which the connectors have central recesses and the webs support the connectors for engagement by the pins of a dual-in-line package, and the recesses accept and guide the pins to reduce the insertion pressure.

14. A connector element for use with circuit boards to establish an electrical connection with at least one part of a circuit on one surface of a board, the board having a hole therethrough adjacent said part, said element being a conductive resilient elastomer and having a shank adapted to be positioned in the hole and having a large head at one end forMed to overlie the one surface of the board and to engage therewith, the dimension of said head being large enough to overlie and engage with the part of the circuit adjacent to the hole to make an electrical connection therewith when said element is positioned in the hole.

15. The combination with a circuit board having a conductive circuit on one side thereof, said board having at least one hole therethrough, of a connector element for making an electrical connection with said circuit, said element being made of a resilient, conducting, elastomeric material and including a shank adapted to be positioned in the hole in the circuit board, said shank having a head at each end, each head being larger in diameter than the shank and being formed to provide resilient retention of said element within the hole whereby upon or after insertion each head will overlie and be in contact with the opposite surfaces of the board with one head extending over and in contact with a portion of the circuit on the board.

16. The combination as in claim 15 in which one head of the element is deformable for insertion through the hole in the board, the hole being smaller in diameter than the head.

17. A connector element for making an electrical connection with a circuit on a circuit board, said board having a hole to receive the element, said element being made of a resilient conductive elastomeric material of such density and consistency as to receive an external component pin and be expanded thereby, said element including a shank of a dimension to fit within the hole in the board, said shank having a head at each end larger than the shank and being formed to provide resilient retention of said element with the heads in contact with the opposite surfaces of the board and with one head in contact with a circuit on the board.

18. A connector element as in claim 17 in combination with an external component pin positioned in said element and making contact therewith.

19. The combination with a circuit board having a circuit on one side thereof and at least one hole through the board, of a connector element for use with the circuit board to establish an electrical connection with at least one part of a circuit on the one side of a board, the hole in the board being adjacent said part of the circuit, said element being a conductive and resilient elastomer and having a shank adapted to be positioned in said hole, the element also having a large head at one end formed to overlie the one side of the board and to engage therewith, the dimension of said head being large enough to overlie and engage with the part of the circuit adjacent to the hole to make an electrical connection therewith when said element is positioned in the hole.

20. The combination with a circuit board having a circuit on one side and at least one hole through the board, of a connector element positioned in said hole, said element being a conductive resilient elastomer having a shank in said hole, said element having a head on one end to overlie said one said of the board, the dimension of the head being large enough to engage a portion of said circuit adjacent to the hole and to make a connection therewith, and said shank substantially filling the hole.

21. The combination of claim 20 in which the material of the element is of such density and consistency that it is penetrable by an external component pin thereby making contact from said pin to the circuit on the board.