Electromagnetic coupler socket

• US 6,533,586 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Naylor, Mark E., Critchlow, John L., Knight, Thomas F. Jr., Marketkar, Nandu J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US09/751,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20010024888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 439/38, 439/950, 439/630, 439/632, 439/634, 439/637, 439/152, 439/153, 439/159, 333/109, 333/116
• US Class Current: 439/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4086 Bus impedance matching, e.g. termination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0266 Arrangements for providing Galvanic isolation, e.g. by means of magnetic or capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0268 with modulation and subsequent demodulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/12 Compensating for variations in line impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0237 High frequency adaptations H05K1/0216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0239 Signal transmission by AC coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/95 Electrical connector adapted to transmit electricity to mating connector without physical contact, e.g. by induction, magnetism, or electrostatic field

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a first device having one or more conductive areas to form a portion of an electromagnetic coupler and a socket to mount the first device relative to a second device having one or more conductive areas to form the electromagnetic coupler.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first device having first electrical connections and having a base near an edge of the first device; and

a flex circuit physically coupled to the first device and having flexible conductive areas electrically coupled to the first electrical connections and having a dielectric material covering at least one side of the flexible conductive areas;

wherein the base is to press the flex circuit against a second device when the first device is physically coupled to the second device to provide an electromagnetic coupler between the flexible conductive areas and second electrical connections on the second device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an edge connector to physically couple the first device to the second device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a latching arm to physically couple the first device to the second device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

electrical pins to electrically and physically couple the first device to the second device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the flexible conductive areas comprise conductive lines that are approximately straight.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the flexible conductive areas comprise lattice shaped conductors.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is a printed circuit board.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the dielectric material is approximately 0.5 mils in thickness.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the flexible conductive areas comprise irregular shaped conductors.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the irregular shaped conductors comprise lattice shaped conductors.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first device having electrical connections; and

a connector coupled to the first device and having a first slot formed between the connector and the first device responsive to the connector being coupled to the first device;

wherein the first slot is to receive a first flexible conductive area of a flex circuit responsive to the connector being removably coupled to the flex circuit, the first flexible conductive area and the electrical connections forming an electromagnetic coupler responsive to the first device being coupled to the flex circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the first slot is to receive first and second portions of the flexible conductive area responsive to the connector being coupled to the flex circuit.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

a second slot is formed between the connector and the first device responsive to the connector being coupled to the first device;

wherein the second slot is to receive third and fourth portions of the flexible conductive area responsive to the connector being coupled to the flex circuit.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a first device having first electrically conductive areas;

a second device having second electrically conductive areas;

a third device physically coupled to the first device and having flexible third electrically conductive areas electrically coupled to the first electrically conductive areas;

wherein the third electrically conductive areas and the second electrically conductive areas form an electromagnetic coupler responsive to a base pressing a portion of the third device against the second device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the third device comprises a layer of dielectric material covering at least one side of the flexible third electrically conductive areas, the layer of dielectric material providing electrical isolation between the second electrically conductive areas and the third electrically conductive areas responsive to the base pressing the portion of the third device against the second device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the third electrically conductive areas comprise conductors that are approximately straight.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the third electrically conductive areas comprise conductors that are irregularly shaped.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the irregularly shaped conductors comprise lattice shaped conductors.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the first and second devices are printed circuit boards.