Stacked Circuit Boards With Offset Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile wireless communication systems require separate devices and external Ethernet switches, leading to increased weight, size, and complexity, making them cumbersome for users in harsh environments.
Innovation Solution
An integrated electronic module with stacked circuit boards and rotationally offset elongate connectors that electrically and mechanically couple the boards, reducing package size and weight while maintaining ruggedness and reliability, allowing for compact and efficient wireless communication within a single device housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If separate devices and external Ethernet switches are used, then device functionality is achieved, but weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the radio device and Ethernet switch into a single integrated housing, eliminating the need for separate devices and external cables. The circuit boards are stacked vertically within one housing, with elongate connectors providing both electrical and mechanical coupling between boards, thereby reducing overall weight and system complexity while maintaining full functionality.
2Area of moving object
If separate devices are used, then functionality is provided, but space and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The radio device and Ethernet switch are merged into a single housing unit, reducing the space users must carry and manage. This integration eliminates the burden of handling multiple separate devices and cables, directly improving user convenience while reducing the total area occupied.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit boards are arranged in a vertical stacked configuration within the housing, utilizing the vertical dimension rather than spreading components horizontally. This three-dimensional arrangement maximizes space efficiency, allowing full functionality within a compact footprint that is easier for users to carry and operate.
3Volume of moving object
If circuit boards are stacked closely, then package size is reduced, but mechanical coupling and reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The elongate connectors serve dual functions: electrical connection and mechanical coupling between stacked circuit boards. By combining these functions into a single component, the design achieves compact packaging while maintaining robust mechanical coupling that ensures reliability in harsh environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The elongate connectors incorporate both conductive elements for electrical connection and structurally sound materials for mechanical coupling. This composite approach allows the same component to provide both electrical functionality and mechanical strength, enabling close stacking of circuit boards without compromising reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may include a plurality of circuit boards, data processing circuitry carried by the plurality of circuit boards, and a plurality of connectors electrically and mechanically coupling the circuit boards in a stacked spaced relation defining a plurality of levels. The elongate connectors may include pairs of parallel first and second elongate connectors between adjacent circuit boards, and with each pair of parallel first and second elongate connectors being rotationally offset in successive levels.