Floating Circuit Board Connector Alignment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional circuit board connector systems face issues with misalignment and damage due to decreasing pin pitch and increasing manufacturing costs as tolerances become tighter, leading to binding and short circuits when connectors are out of tolerance.
Innovation Solution
A floating circuit board connector system where a first board is coupled to a second board via a floating coupling, allowing relative movement to align with the connector receptacles, preventing binding and damage by accommodating out-of-tolerance spacing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the pin pitch of connector pins is decreased to increase connector density, then the bandwidth per riser board is improved, but the tolerances for lateral movement and lateral misalignment between connectors and sockets decrease, leading to binding and damage issues
Solution Approach 1:
The riser board is designed with floating coupling mechanisms that allow it to move dynamically relative to the motherboard, enabling automatic alignment compensation. The board can shift laterally within controlled ranges to accommodate manufacturing tolerances, transforming a static rigid connection into a dynamic adaptive connection that maintains reliability despite reduced alignment tolerances required by high-density connectors
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameters of the riser board through floating couplings, allowing the board to adjust its lateral position to achieve proper alignment. This parameter adjustment capability enables the system to compensate for manufacturing variations in socket locations on the motherboard, ensuring that even with decreased connector pitch and tighter tolerances, reliable connections are achieved
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional manufacturing techniques are used with fixed tolerance specifications, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but out-of-tolerance sockets cause connector binding, damage, and short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The floating coupling design incorporates built-in alignment compensation capability before connection issues arise. By designing the riser board to float and adjust position, the system preemptively handles potential misalignment problems that would otherwise cause binding or damage, cushioning against the effects of manufacturing tolerances without requiring tighter control
Solution Approach 2:
The floating coupling mechanism acts as an intermediary between the motherboard sockets and the riser board connectors. This intermediate element absorbs and compensates for positional variations, mediating the connection between components with different tolerance characteristics and preventing direct transmission of misalignment forces that would cause damage
3Manufacturing precision
If elaborate tooling is used to achieve accurate socket spacing, then manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to make the motherboard sockets perfectly precise through expensive tooling, the invention inverts the approach by making the riser board the adjustable element. The floating coupling allows the riser board to adapt to the actual socket positions, reversing who needs to be precise - the motherboard can be manufactured with standard tolerances while the riser board compensates through its floating mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A board assembly includes a first board. The first board includes a first board connector that is configured to connect to a first baseboard connector receptacle included on a baseboard and a first board component coupled to the first board connector through the first board. The board assembly also includes a second board that is movably coupled to the first board by at least one floating coupling that allows the second board to move relative to the first board. The second board includes a second board connector that is configured to connect to a second baseboard connector receptacle included on the baseboard and a second board component coupled to the second board connector through the second board.