DE3249507T1 - In-line or layered, mutually perpendicular, three-dimensional printed circuit board - Google Patents

Description

TRANSPATH, LIMITED (US / US); 2,427 Alamo Glen Drive, Danville, Contra Costa County, CA 94526 (US).

Arranged in rows or layers, perpendicular to each other standing, three-dimensional printed circuit board

The invention relates to a vertically arranged in rows or layers related three-dimensional printed circuit board. In particular, the invention relates to the mechanical arrangement of the related multiple electrical circuits.

A quasi-three-dimensional structure is already disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,206,648 known, in which the electronic components between metallic X and Y-axis combs and Y-axis rails in spaced relation to each other are connected.

However, elongated receptacles (47) are provided between each tier through which the many interconnected lines must run. A large number of insulating spacers (30) are used to support the combs and rails. "Three-dimensional leadership functions are shown in a bidirectional manner." (Column 2, lines 40-1) Neither multilayer wiring boards (motherboards) nor (ZIF) connectors that can be inserted without the use of force are known from the patent. These components were invented a few years after the filing date of this patent specification. It is apparent that there is no suggestion in this reference to provide an aligned or coordinated connection of force-fit connector pins from one side of a wiring board to the other side thereof. In US Pat. No. 3,206,648, the signal paths are precisely two-dimensional, with only the control circuits being three-dimensional. Furthermore, US Pat. No. 3,377,515 discloses a two-tier cage for holding a plurality of circuit cards and for making connections to these circuit cards. Several pairs of fingers (30) on the cage make contact with each circuit card. The circuit arrangement is two-dimensional. Nowhere is there any mention of a scheme for connecting the pairs of fingers, one to the other.

The object of the invention is to provide a three-dimensional, mechanical arrangement to create an electrical circuit having multiple inputs and multiple outputs, which is small in size and which has the disadvantages of the known Circuit constructions eliminated.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the characterizing part Part of claim 1 solved. For this purpose, the structure is arranged in floors and each contains a circuit-carrying card that at the edges between the multilayer wiring boards in between, which are briefly called wiring boards in the following are arranged. No force insertable (ZIF) connectors on the wiring boards, the cards each carrying a circuit take up the selected contacts with their circuits. Conductive pins of the ZIF connector put on a common Make electrical connections through the wiring boards. the ZIF connection devices of the alternating floors are arranged orthogonally.

The structure according to the invention has the advantage that the connections between the floors without cables. The very short interconnections the conductive surfaces result in a control switch with superior electrical characteristics. The capacitance is low and the inductive! - tat is very low. Since there are no long lines in the vicinity of other lines, cross-coupling is avoided. Advantageous developments of the subject matter of the invention are in the Described subclaims.

Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings described by way of example. Show:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation view of a three-dimensional circuit structure with three floors;

Figure 2 is a simplified representation of the circuit structure of Figure 1, which shows how the interconnection scheme is implemented; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of an exploded arrangement of a Detail of the three-dimensional circuit structure, which is the orthogonal Location shows;

Figure 4 is a top view of the pin connection interfaces; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are a top plan view of the alternate mode of interface connections;

Figure 8 is a schematic representation of the control in the form of a Switch in the three-dimensional circuit structure according to the invention can be executed.

The essential point of the invention is shown in Figure 4, in which the Pin connections through a wiring board (motherboard) in the form black diamonds or lozenges are shown. These are electric

conductive surfaces that connect multiple pins.

An explanatory, complete structure is shown in FIG. In Figure 1 the reference number 1 denotes the upper or the primary floor of multiple circuit cards. The reference number 2 denotes a middle or secondary level of several circuit cards. It is worth noting that these are orthogonal (at right angles) in relation to the placement the primary cards are arranged.

Furthermore, the reference number 3 denotes the lower or tertiary floor of multiple circuit cards. These are arranged orthogonally in relation to the placement of the secondary cards. This results in a parallel arrangement in relation to the primary cards.

The wiring board 4 is arranged between the primary and secondary floors. The wiring board 5 is arranged between the secondary and tertiary floors. These two wiring boards are spaced from each other in parallel relation by a mechanical holder 6, which can also be used again on the front and on the back of this wiring board for mechanical stiffening. This is not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity. On the top of the wiring board 4 are a plurality of first elongated electrical (multiple) connection devices 7, 7 ', 7 ", 7 ⁿ , which are spaced apart, are arranged parallel with respect to one another and require no insertion force (ZIF). For example, there are eight of these connection devices Each of these devices holds an equal number of printed circuit types 8, 8 ', 8 ", 8 ⁿ and makes electrical contact with them. The circuit cards are mechanically supported by elongated guides 9, 9 ', 9 ", 9.

Thus, electrical HiIfs- or additional connections can be made to each circuit card, the matching with the number of circuit cards number of edges connecting means 10, for example, 8 ^n, is arranged on the rear vertical wall 11, in individual alignment with each ZIF connector 7.

An upper planar frame part 12 is fixedly arranged on the wall 11 and can similarly be placed on both the left and right sides to increase mechanical strength. These pages are for the sake of clarity and because they are only a subordinate Have meaning, not shown.

When assembling, when the frame has been made as a whole, the various circuit cards 8, - 8 ⁿ are pressed between the corresponding ZIF connection ^{devices 7, -7 n} and the guides 9, -9 ⁿ until the contacts on the (left) End of the card entry edge

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binding device. 10, etc., are fully engaged. The secondary floor 2 naturally coincides with floor 1, except that the entire floor is arranged orthogonally to floor 1. The different ZIF connection devices 17, -17 ⁿ arranged in parallel hold the different circuit ^{cards 18, -18 n} , the cards also being held by the ZIF connection devices ^{27, -27 n.} The number of circuit cards on the second floor, for example 10, is controlled by the requirements of the overall circuit of the structure. Multiple or multiple edge joining devices 20 are provided. The third or tertiary floor 3 is inherently the same as an inverted floor 1.

On the underside of the wiring board 5 are a plurality of spaced and mutually parallel, elongate connecting means 23, 23 ', 23 ", attached ⁿ 23rd These are aligned with the aforementioned rows of connecting devices 7, -7 on the upper surface of the wiring board. 4

The connecting devices 23, - 23 are in engagement with an equal number of printed circuit cards 18, 28 ', 28 ", 28 ⁿ and make electrical contact with them. These types of circuits are mechanical by elongated guides 29, 29', 29", 29 which are attached to a lower planar frame part 22. Part 22 is the reverse equivalent of frame part 12.

In a similar manner, the auxiliary or additional connections to the circuit cards 28, -28 ^{n are established} with the number of edge connection devices 30 that corresponds to the number of circuit cards. These connection means are on the rear vertical wall 31 in individual alignment with each ZIF connector 23 - fastened ⁿ 23rd The frame part 22 is fixedly attached to the wall 31, which is also fixedly attached to the wiring board 5. It can be attached to both the left and right side to increase mechanical strength. These pages are not shown as they are only of minor importance.

Each ZIF connection device, such as device 7 in Figure 3, carries a long number of adjacent but electrically separated contacts 33, along the two inner perpendicular surfaces. These are engaged with the contacts on a circuit card, e.g. contacts 34 (Figure 1) on the card 8. Each contact 33 has a pin 35 which is mechanically and electrically mutually attached, one to the other. The pin extends through the insulating material of the body of the connector.

These pins also go through the wiring board in a pattern, that on the wiring board 4 in Figure 4, at the reference numerals 37 and 37A for the ZIF connector 7, for example. The reference signs 37 and 37A indicate plated or plated through holes, i.e., the inner white area at each reference character represents an opening and the surrounding black area is inside the opening and on a larger area on each side of the wiring board 4 plated or galvanized. Each pen 35 is printed in an opening 37, e.g. in an arbor press, so that a solid mechanical and electrical There is contact between the plating in the opening and the pin. Only certain pins are used to connect circuits on a circuit board, e.g., circuit card 8, is used with another circuit on another card, e.g., card 18. These are the pens that are pressed into the openings in the diamond shaped conductive surfaces 40. The two horizontally related openings are aligned with openings 37 and 37A and thus receive a certain number of pins 35. The two vertically related openings are with openings 41 and 41A are aligned to receive certain pins 39. Accordingly, there are four pins on a ZIF connector with that to it adjacent connector on the opposite side of the wiring board electrically connected, which give an electrical contact redundancy.

From the exploded view of Figure 3, the pins that are used for connecting the circuits of one circuit board with a related other Map used to be seen. Two forward pins 35 of the ZIF connectors 7 pass through a conductive or conductive surface 40. Similarly, two forward pins 42 of the ZIF connector go 17 through the same conductive surface 40.

This creates a connection between the floors, e.g. connection 50 in Figure 8. Numerous similar compounds are made in a similar manner, e.g. a total of 80 connections.

Note that connection 50 in Figure 8, due to the nature of the drawing Representation is relatively long. In Figure 4, however, the same connection from one pin to an adjacent pin in area 40 is only a few Millimeter (mm) long.

In Figure 4, eight dashed "openings" are shown, which the conductive Surrounding area 4OA. These openings are missing around the other surfaces, e.g., surface 40. This indicates that the pins, e.g., some of pins 35 and 39, have been removed from the corresponding ZIF connection devices in order to to leave a desired working space in relation to the desired pens,

which penetrate into surface 40A and other surfaces, e.g. 40. Numerous aligned pins and openings 37, 37A, 41, 41A, etc. will be used as ground connections that form a desired ground plane in order to avoid circulating currents. A suitable busbar connects the thus formed conductive plane with the ground, e.g. on the frame at 6, 11,22 etc.

It turned out that the very many pins that fitted with force or press fit into the wiring board openings are sufficient to form an overall rigid and durable structure. However, two screws, e.g. 52, are typically provided at each end, around each ZIF connector to the wiring board either through a threaded opening or through (not shown) Fasten nuts.

Figure 5 shows a reciprocal arrangement of the conductive surface 40 of Figure 4. Two different types of ZIF connectors are shown in Figure 5 shown, especially about different distances between the opposing rows or symmetrically corresponding rows on the other side of the To have wiring board. In the horizontal direction the rows are the Openings, which are marked with the reference numeral 55, much further spaced apart as the orthogonally arranged rows of openings, which are identified by the reference numeral 56.

The conductive surfaces 57, 58, 59 and 60 typically connect the Rows 55 and 56 in groups of three pins. This allows two ways be formed to match or matched tone signals or to move in both directions to switch working data streams.

Figure 6 shows another mutual surface arrangement. Four diagonals conductive traces or strands on the wiring board connect each other two pins, one each for rows 55 and 56. This allows four paths to be made. The cross outline represents an area that is non-conductive is, but the surfaces 62 are conductive.

Figure 7 shows a further arrangement. In the four central conductive openings 65 a pin from each of the rows 66 and 67 occupies an opening. The adjacent pins have not been removed.

A typical electrical application of the circuit structure of the invention exists for a routing or control switch (switcher). This is a device in which a number of inputs, e.g. 100, with 100 Any outputs (outputs) can be connected by using a pushbutton control panel is operated.

In Figure 1, the many large, rectangular elements 70 are solid intersection points, i.e., multiple transistor devices that transmit a signal

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Carry out transmission in the "switched on state" and a signal transmission block in "switched off state".

These elements preferably have small internal capacities, so that the Changing the "on" and "off" states does not significantly affect the entire circuit of which they are a part. The integrated circuit elements, which are suitable for the Giga-Hertz frequency range are applicable, E.g. the RCA type CA 3127 E, which has very low capacities between the connection points. Typically there are three transistors for uses each crossing point with an emitter amplifier output. So structured is the control switch for either audio frequency or video frequency signals suitable.

The schematic circuit of Figure 8 shows exactly how the electrical Ways to the switch are arranged.

An entrance 71 to floor 1 enters a cross point connection at "x". It runs through there and goes out of floor 1 on line 50. The line 50 is actually the conductive surface 40 of Figure 3, as previously explained. The connection will be entrance 11 on floor 2.

The signal output from floor 2 enters entrance 73 of floor 3, goes to their intersection "x" and exits at output port 74. It is noteworthy that the signal that is processed by all three Floors goes. This is different from the state of the art. The "x" path mentioned above is the normal path for a signal from the input 71. If this route cannot be used, another route via line 76 is possible. This continues through another circuit card 77 of the secondary group to the second entrance 81 of the tertiary card group 3, from there to the exit 74.

In normal use there are a number of inputs that are simultaneous is printed on group 1 with the corresponding selected outputs. If it is a three-step control switch, then this device follows the design Charles Clos.

The card 78 in FIG. 8 represents the card 2 of the primary group with an entrance at 79. This becomes an exit of the primary floor and enters the second entrance 80 of the secondary floor card 2. In the simplified representation of FIG. 2, the top three cards 8, 8 'and 8 ^{n are} in the primary floor 1 of FIG. 1.

The cards 18, 18 'and 18 ^{n, which} are arranged orthogonally in relation to this, are on the secondary floor 2 of FIG. 1.

Furthermore, the cards 28, 28 ″ and 28 ⁿ , which have the orientation of the top three cards, are in the third floor 3 of FIG. 1. If one looks for the entrance or the entrance signal 1, one discovers that

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this enters the primary card 8 at 71. It goes on to the exit 40, which is one of the conductive surfaces 40 shown in FIG. From there it goes to the first secondary card 18 at point 72. From there it goes through another conductive surface 40 to the first tertiary card 28 at point 73. The signal emerges from the card 28 at output 74. Other entrances take different but equivalent routes through the Control switches, like this by the fully extended and the dashed lines Lines and the "x" dots is shown.

It is obvious that the very brief interconnections in this Construction through the conductive surfaces 40 result in a control switch of, for example, superior electrical characteristics. The capacity is low and the inductance is very low. Also eliminates the absence of relatively long lines that run close to other lines, mostly cross-coupling.

Figure 1 shows eight circuit cards in the primary floor 1, ten cards in the secondary floor 2 and eight cards in the tertiary floor 3. This is not the only number of cards for the floors. The number of cards depends on the absolute size of the switch in terms of its number of inputs and outputs.

Another set of numbers includes ten cards on the primary floor, 19th Cards on the secondary floor and ten cards on the tertiary floor. The preferred way to assemble the ZIF connectors is in that first the individual contacts with their pins are inserted into the openings in the wiring board. Then the housing, i.e. the sides and bottom with an arbor press and jig assembled.

The transistor crosspoints provided for the pattern control switch are unidirectional in the signal flow. Every signal flow goes from an entrance to an exit.

A signal flow in two directions can be in a reciprocal construction can be achieved in the integrated circuits with buffers for three states for the transistor crosspoints, such as the 74 LS 365 hex. Three-state buffer. Mechanical or silicone-controlled relays are also suitable Rectifiers (SCR's).

Due to the three-step (storey) construction and the very short interconnections the conductive surfaces 40 make the circuitry of this invention only a quarter the size of conventional devices of this type. This is an important practical benefit.

Each of the ZIF connectors is provided with an end stop 21 (Figure 1) made of insulation material that flips open to the circuit board to enter the connecting device and hand over the The end of the card is closed to hold it in place. Referring to Figure 1, the various integrated circuits 70 are solid-state crosspoints seven in number in each vertical row in the primary and tertiary floors and six in number Piece arranged in the secondary floor.

In a typical embodiment there are ten primary matrices, 19 secondary matrices, and ten tertiary matrices. A primary card, like the 7, has 19 outputs, each of which, one input to a secondary Card will. Each secondary card output becomes an input to a tertiary card.

However, the number, the "x" point integrated circuits 70 corresponding to the circumferential ^e §chaltbedarfs vary, for example, are arranged in each vertical row of ten.

A three-stage control switch has been described to show the circuit construction of this invention. Also can be five, seven and even nine Tap changers are made using only the technique that has been taught is expanded.

The connections and circuitry of this invention are suitable to transmit both digital signals and analog signals.

Claims (10)

Γ :: ·.: /. : "": ■ /.X:.:. 3249bO7 * - · · ■ ~ —ia - patent claims 1. In rows or layers, perpendicular to each other in Related, three-dimensional, printed circuit board, characterized by: 'ii.-i'. a plurality of planar, spaced, stacked wiring boards; a plurality of first, spaced apart, arranged parallel with respect to one another, Elongated connecting devices that can be inserted without the use of force on a surface of each wiring board; several second, spaced, parallel with respect to each other; .arranged, Elongated connecting devices that can be inserted without the use of force on the opposite surface of each wiring board, which is orthogonal with respect to that on the aforementioned surface are arranged; electrically conductive pins optionally running through each of the wiring boards between the first and second connection means extend that connect the connecting devices elektria: h and Cards that carry a circuit in each of the elongated Connection devices are inserted and arranged at right angles to the wiring board, creating a circuit on one of the cards that inserted into one of the first elongate connecting means is electrically connected to circuitry on one of the cards which is inserted into one of the second elongate connection means is. 2. Plate circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure is repeated to a total system of three floors of circuit cards. 3. Plate circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the a circuit-carrying card carries a plurality of matrix cross-point circuits which form a switch assembly type controller. 4. Plate circuit according to claim! 1, characterized in that mutual Floors have the same number of circuit boards and that in between Floors have a larger number of circuit cards. 5. A plate circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that each circuit card the same number of intersection points on a mutual floor has, and that each circuit card in an intermediate Floor has a smaller number of intersection points. 6. Plate circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that each cross-point circuit is a unidirectional solid-state device. 7. Plate circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that each cross-point circuit is a bidirectional device. 8. plate circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductive pins at least one insertable without the use of force Connector and the conductive pins of a non-forcible connector that includes the one without the use of force insertable connecting device orthogonally crosses, alternately in electrical contact with a conductive one Stand surface (40) on one of the wiring boards. 9. plate circuit according to claim 8, characterized in that the openings that the pins extend through the wiring board let, continuously plated or galvanized to be electrical to be conductive, and that the openings with one of the conductive Surfaces (40) are optionally electrically connected. 10. Plattensc '^ aging according to claim 8, characterized in that . multiple conductive pins extending through the wiring board extend, which is not in electrical contact with the conductive surface (40), are electrically connected to one another and to are connected to an electrical ground.