Circuit Board Connector Isolation Ribs and Slots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printed circuit boards face issues with current leakage and voltage breakdown when high voltage is applied due to the close proximity of electrical connectors and pads, which existing connector designs fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates rectangular pads on the circuit board edge with vias for internal circuit communication and alternating ribs between connector tails that fit into slots extending beyond the pads, creating an extended isolation path to prevent leakage and breakdown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the distance between adjacent tails and pads is reduced to increase connector density, then productivity and compactness are improved, but voltage breakdown and current leakage occur more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the isolation mechanism from a two-dimensional surface gap to a three-dimensional structure by forming slots that penetrate through the circuit board thickness. This vertical dimension addition creates a much longer isolation path between adjacent high-voltage pads, effectively preventing voltage breakdown while maintaining compact horizontal spacing between connectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit board is segmented into isolated regions by creating slots that physically divide the substrate between adjacent pads. This segmentation breaks the continuous conductive path that would otherwise allow current leakage, forcing any potential discharge path to travel through the extended slot length rather than directly between pads.
2Reliability
If slots are added to extend the isolation path, then voltage breakdown resistance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation slots are merged with the existing connector mounting structure, where the slots are formed as integral features of the circuit board design rather than as separate added components. This integration allows the slots to perform their voltage isolation function while being structurally combined with the connector assembly process.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit board connector is disclosed that has isolator ribs between contact tails, and slots in the edge of a circuit board between circuit pads that communicate with the ribs to avoid pad-to-pad current leakage and high-voltage breakdown. The slots may be between individual circuit board fingers that each include one of the conductor pads.