Reducing or eliminating board-to-board connectors

• US 9,525,222 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shedletsky, Anna-Katrina, Guide, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuongchi T
• Application Number:
  US14/250,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20150295332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 439/607.01, 439/79
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/613 by means of interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09754 Connector integrally incorporated in the printed circuit board [PCB] or in housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10424 Frame holders
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/025 Abrading, e.g. grinding or sand blasting
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/363 by soldering

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for creating a connection mechanism for a circuit board. The method includes securing a plurality of electrical conductors to a sleeve. Once the electrical conductors have been coupled to the sleeve, the sleeve and the plurality of conductors are coupled to, and molded with, the circuit board. At least one side of the circuit board, such as, for example, the molding over the plurality of electrical conductors, is subsequently reduced to expose at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of electrical conductors. An electrical connector is then coupled to the at least the portion of the one or more of the plurality of electrical conductors that was exposed when the first side of the printed circuit board was reduced.

Claims

1. An electrical component, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

an array of electrical conductors coupled to the printed circuit board and affixed to a sleeve, each of the array of electrical conductors extending through the sleeve and separated by a gap;

an over-molded structure formed over the array of electrical conductors and the circuit board wherein the over-molded structure encompasses the array of electrical conductors between the sleeve and the printed circuit board; and

an electrical connector coupled to the array of electrical conductors opposite the printed circuit board.

2. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the array of electrical conductors comprise at least one electrical pin.

3. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the array of electrical conductors are insert molded with the sleeve.

4. The electrical component of claim 1, further comprising a shielding layer disposed on at least a portion of the printed circuit board.

5. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is coupled to the array of electrical conductors using a bumping and soldering process.

6. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is a flexible connector.

7. An electrical component, comprising:

a printed circuit board comprising at least one module;

a pin connector coupled to the printed circuit board, the pin connector having a height dimension; and

an electrical connector coupled to the pin connector opposite the printed circuit board, the electrical connector having an overhang extending beyond the pin connector and over at least a portion of the module.

8. The electrical component of claim 7, wherein the overhang extends over multiple modules of the printed circuit board such that the multiple modules are placed in a higher density arrangement.

9. The electrical component of claim 7, wherein a size of the printed circuit board is based on a size of the overhang.

10. The electrical component of claim 7, wherein the pin connector is coupled to the printed circuit board using a soldering process.

11. The electrical component of claim 7, wherein the electrical connector is a flexible connector.

12. An electrical component, comprising:

a printed circuit having a module;

an array of pins coupled to the circuit board and affixed within a sleeve to form a pin connector, two pins of the array of pins being separated by an offset;

an overmolded layer integrally formed over a portion of the at least one module and a portion of the array of pins,

wherein;

the overmolded layer has a first height at the module and a second height at the offset; and

the second height is less than the first height and at least a portion of the two pins are exposed within the offset.

13. The electrical component of claim 12, further comprising a fiducial marking provided on the sleeve.

14. The electrical component of claim 12, wherein the sleeve comprises an alignment feature.

15. The electrical component of claim 12, wherein the molded layer is provided over the at least the portion of the module and the pin connector by an over-molding process.

16. The electrical component of claim 12, wherein the pin connector is coupled to the printed circuit board using a soldering process.

17. The electrical component of claim 12, further comprising an electrical connector coupled to the pin connector.

18. The electrical component of claim 17, wherein the electrical connector comprises an overhang.

19. The electrical component of claim 17, wherein the electrical connector is coupled to the pin connector using a soldering process.

20. The electrical component of claim 17, wherein the electrical connector is a flexible connector.