TWM640844U - Connector assembly and connectting system - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector assembly that may be used to connect an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board is disclosed. The connector assembly includes a base, and a bracket mechanically fastened to the base. The connector assembly also has a handle rotatably coupled to the base. The connector assembly includes a link bar movably coupling the handle to the base. The connector assembly further includes a guiding feature mechanically coupled between the base and the bracket. The guiding feature is configured to direct relative motion between the base and the bracket. The link bar and the guiding feature are also configured to transfer an external force applied to the handle, the external force being transferred to the upper and lower circuit boards via the base and the bracket.

Description

Connector components and connection systems

The present disclosure relates generally to mechanisms for connecting circuit boards, and more particularly, to a connecting mechanism that allows easy assembly of two circuit boards.

A computer server is a computer device, usually designed for some specialized function. Servers generally include common components such as processors, memory, a cooling system, and a power system. Typically, servers have a chassis with walls of a certain height, which can be standardized to insert the chassis into a rack in a data center. A chassis typically houses a motherboard with essential components such as processors, dual in-line memory (DIMMs), storage devices, fans, and power supplies. Servers can be specially designed to enhance the performance of certain functions. For example, an application server may have relatively more processors for processing applications, or a storage server may have more storage devices for more storage capacity. However, it is often necessary to expand the functions of the server through additional components (such as network interface cards, memory, or processors).

Modern servers are designed to allow users to flexibly add or Enhanced functionality. The additional circuit board is pluggable on top of an existing circuit board in the server chassis and includes functional components that can be electrically connected to other server components through the existing circuit board. Server chassis typically have a motherboard oriented horizontally at the bottom of the chassis. Additional circuit boards can be plugged into connectors extending from the main board.

For example, an upper expansion circuit board can be placed on the lower circuit board, and the lower circuit board can be a main board of a server. The lower circuit board may include a plurality of rectangular board-to-board connectors. The board-to-board connectors are each electrically connectable to a corresponding connector on the bottom side of the upper circuit board. A series of spacers extend from each corner of the board-to-board connector. Spacers help support the upper circuit board. Each spacer is a cylinder with a hole to receive a fastening mechanism such as a screw. Thus, with four board-to-board connectors, there are a total of sixteen spacers; thus sixteen screws are required to attach the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board.

Assembly of the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board is accomplished by lowering the upper circuit board so that the connectors mate with the board-to-board connectors on the lower circuit board. Once the board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board mates with the connector on the bottom of the upper circuit board, a locking mechanism can engage to secure the electrical connection. A lever or other mechanism may be used to engage various connection mechanisms such as pins and slots. The final step is to insert screws to secure the upper circuit board to each spacer of the lower circuit board. Thus, with four board-to-board connectors, each with four spacers, sixteen screws are required.

However, when disassembling the circuit board, it is difficult to ensure that the user removes all sixteen screws before actuating the unlocking mechanism to disassemble the upper circuit board from the lower circuit board. When assembling or disassembling the screws with complex patterns on the circuit board, users often do not know what to do Which screws to install or remove. Users can refer to a manual or review the instructions in the standard operating procedure (SOP) document of the circuit board, but consulting such reference materials will increase the time of the disassembly operation. Removing the wrong screw may damage the structure due to improper handling. Alternatively, if the user fails to remove one of the screws, the upper circuit board may be damaged when the user attempts to pull the upper circuit board away from the lower circuit board.

Therefore, there is a need for a quick connection mechanism that can connect and disconnect two circuit boards without relying on screws. There is an additional need for a mechanism that effectively transfers the force applied when connecting and disconnecting circuit boards in a connection assembly.

The terms of the embodiments and similar terms (eg, implementations, configurations, features, examples, and options) are intended to broadly refer to all the subject matter of the present disclosure and the following claims. Several statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the meaning or scope of the subject matter described herein or to limit the scope of claims below. Embodiments of the disclosure covered herein are defined by the claims below, not the subject matter of the present invention. This novel summary is a high-level overview of various features of the disclosure, and introduces some of the concepts more described in the description below. This novelty is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used on its own to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to the entire specification of the present disclosure, in due part, any or all drawings and claims of each application.

An example connector assembly for connecting an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board is disclosed. The connector assembly includes a base, and a bracket mechanically secured to the base. The connector assembly also has a handle rotatably coupled to the base. The connector assembly includes a link movably coupling the handle to the base. The connector assembly further includes a guide element mechanically coupled between the base and the bracket. The guide element is configured to direct relative movement between the base and the support. The connecting rod and the guiding element are configured to transmit an external force applied to the handle, and the external force is transmitted to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board through the base and the bracket.

Another disclosed example is a system having an upper circuit board and a lower circuit board. The system includes a connector assembly for connecting the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board. The connector assembly further includes a base, and a bracket mechanically fastened to the base. The connector assembly also has a handle rotatably coupled to the base. The connector assembly further includes a link movably coupling the handle to the base. The connector assembly further includes a guiding element mechanically coupled between the base and the bracket. The guide element is configured to direct relative movement between the base and the support. The connecting rod and the guiding element are configured to transmit an external force applied to the handle, and the external force is transmitted to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board through the base and the bracket.

The above novel content is not intended to present each embodiment or every feature of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing novel disclosures merely provide examples of some of the novel features and characteristics set forth herein. The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of representative embodiments and modes for carrying out the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. In view of the detailed description of various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, a brief description of the symbols provided below, this Additional features of the disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

100: system

101:Connector assembly

102: handle

103: Base

104: gear

106: gear lever

108: Connecting rod

110:Fixer

112: Guidance element

114,116: Fixing parts

118,120: spacer

122: Concave

124: Bracket

126: upper circuit board

128: Lower circuit board

130,150: board-to-board connector

The present disclosure and its advantages will be better understood from the following description of exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings depict exemplary embodiments only, and therefore should not be considered limiting of the various embodiments or of the scope of the claims.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a system having an example connector assembly according to certain features of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1A during disassembly with an example connector assembly in accordance with certain features of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1A with an example connector assembly disassembled and in an open position, according to certain features of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1D is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1A with the example connector assembly disassembled and in a closed position according to certain features of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a detailed perspective view of an upper circuit board and a lower circuit board in an open position in accordance with certain features of the present disclosure.

Figure 2B is a detailed perspective view of the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board in a closed position according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure is directed to a connector assembly that can be used to connect an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board. The connector assembly includes a handle rotatably coupled to the connector The base of the component. The connector assembly has at least one link movably coupling the handle to the base of the connector assembly. The connector assembly also has at least one guide element configured to direct relative movement between the base of the connector assembly and a bracket coupled to the base of the connector assembly. The connecting rod and the guide element are also configured to withstand an external force applied to the handle, and transmit the external force to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board through the base and the bracket of the connector assembly.

The various embodiments are described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference characters are used to designate similar or equivalent elements throughout. The drawings are not drawn to scale and are provided merely to illustrate features and characteristics of the present disclosure. It should be understood that numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding. However, it will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific details or otherwise. In some instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail for illustrative purposes. The various embodiments are not limited by the order in which acts or events are presented, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. In addition, not all shown acts or events may be required to implement some of the features and characteristics of the present disclosure.

For purposes of this embodiment, the singular includes the plural and vice versa unless expressly stated otherwise. The term "including" means "including without limitation". In addition, similar words such as "about (about, almost, substantially, approximately)" and similar words thereof may be used herein to mean, for example, "at (at)", "near, nearly at (near, nearly at)", "at 3% within 5% (within 3-5% of)", "within acceptable manufacturing tolerances manufacturing tolerances)” or any logical combination thereof. Additionally, the terms "vertical" or "horizontal" are intended to additionally include "within 3-5%" of vertical or horizontal directions, respectively. Additionally, directional words such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "above," and "below" are intended to relate to equivalent directions depicted in referenced drawings; understood from the context, for example, from the common location of an object or element; or other descriptions of such.

1A to 1D show perspective views of a system 100 having a connector assembly 101 according to an embodiment. As an option, the present system 100 may be implemented in combination with elements from any of the other embodiments listed herein, such as other embodiments described with reference to other figures. However, such system 100, as well as other systems provided herein, may be used in a variety of applications and/or permutations that may or may not be specifically described in the illustrative embodiments set forth herein. Furthermore, the system 100 provided herein may be used in any desired environment. Figures 1A-1D (and other figures) can therefore be considered to include any possible permutations.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 1A , system 100 is shown including connector assembly 101 , a bracket 124 , and upper and lower circuit boards 126 , 128 , respectively. The connector assembly 101 itself is preferably configured to connect an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board. Accordingly, the present embodiment is shown to include a handle 102 coupled to a base 103 of the connector assembly 101 . More specifically, the handle 102 (eg, lever) is rotatably coupled to a base 103 of the connector assembly 101 via a rotatable mount 110 .

The rotatable fixture 110 can preferably couple the handle 102 to the base 103 without inhibiting the handle 102 from an open position to a closed position. positional rotational motion (see, for example, Figures 1C to 1D below). Accordingly, rotatable mount 110 may have a first portion configured to secure (e.g., physically couple) handle 102 to base 103, and rotatable mount 110 may also have a second portion configured to facilitate handle 102 between opening and closing. Rotation between closed (eg, locked) positions. According to an example, which is not intended to be limiting, the handle 102 may comprise Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 1215 or any other desired type of free-cutting steel.

According to an example not intended to limit the invention, the rotatable mounts 110 may each include a threaded body configured to secure the handle 102 to the base 103 so that the handle 102 cannot A rotating sleeve portion physically coupled to the handle 102. Thus, the fixing 110 is able to allow the rotational movement of the handle 102 and fix it laterally relative to the base 103 . It should be noted, however, that various different designs may be implemented for the handle and/or mount 110, eg, depending on the desired implementation.

The handle 102 is also coupled to the base 103 of the connector assembly 101 by at least one link 108 . At least one linkage 108 movably couples the handle 102 to the base 103 such that rotational movement of the handle 102 occurs in a controlled and directed manner. In other words, the link 108 seen in FIG. 1A can couple the handle 102 to the base 103 and still facilitate movement therebetween. According to an example, which is not intended to be limiting, one or more of the connecting rods 108 may comprise hot-dip galvanized steel or any other desired type of galvanized steel.

Referring to the design of the connecting rod 108, a first part of the connecting rod 108 is coupled to to the vertical arm of the handle 102 and a second portion of the link 108 is coupled to an upper surface of the base 103 . The first and second portions of the link 108 are movable relative to each other when the first and second portions of the link 108 are respectively connected to the handle 102 and the base 103 . For example, when the handle 102 is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the mount 110 guides the rotational movement of the handle (relative to the base 103), while the first and second portions of the link 108 move relative to each other (e.g., rotate, slide etc.), so that the handle eventually reaches the closed position (for example, see Figure 1D). However, this design of linkages is not intended to be limiting, and one or more linkages included in a given embodiment may have a different design, preferably to facilitate controlled movement of the handle 102 relative to the base 103. .

The base 103 further includes at least one gear rod 106 coupled to the base 103 . The gear rod 106 is preferably coupled to the base 103 preventing lateral and rotational movement of the gear rod 106 . The gear rod 106 may thus be coupled to the base 103 using one or more fasteners, adhesives, machining processes (eg, welding), or the like. The gear lever 106 can thus be easily replaced in some way, for example, in response to suffering damage, implementing a different gear ratio to affect the transmission of external forces applied to the handle 102 to the upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 (e.g., will be described in more detail below), etc. In other approaches, one or more gear rods 106 may be physically formed in base 103 during a manufacturing process, for example, as will be understood by those of skill in the art after reading this description. According to an example, not intended to be limiting, one or more of the gear rods 106 may comprise a zinc alloy.

The handle 102 further includes one or more portions thereof configured as gears 104 . The gears 104 are configured to rotatably engage the gear lever 106, also preferably so that the handle 102 can be rotated in a controlled manner from an open position to a closed position. as much as possible Tube gear 104 is depicted as being formed from a portion of handle 102 itself using one or more additive and/or subtractive manufacturing processes, although gear 104 may be implemented differently depending on the method. For example, in some approaches, one or more gears 104 may be coupled to base 103 using one or more fasteners, adhesives, machining processes (eg, welding), or the like. In some ways, gear 104 can also be easily replaced, for example, in response to suffering damage, implementing a different gear ratio to affect the transmission of external forces applied to handle 102 to upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 (e.g., will be described in more detail below), etc.

In some embodiments, the gear 104 and the gear lever 106 may each include gear teeth that interlock with each other and help facilitate the rotational movement of the handle 102 . In other words, the gear 104 and the gear lever 106 may actually be rotatably coupled to each other such that the gear teeth of the gear lever 106 engage the gear teeth of the gear 104 when the handle 102 is rotated between the closed position and the open position. However, gear 104 and gear lever 106 may implement any desired design (eg, configuration) capable of facilitating rotational movement of handle 102 relative to base 103 , eg, as would be understood by those of skill in the art after reading this description.

Although described in various ways herein as handle 102 and base 103 being rotatably coupled to each other, connector assembly 101 may also be coupled to a bracket 124 . Depending on the embodiment, bracket 124 may or may not be part of the connector assembly. For example, in some embodiments, the bracket may simply be part of a server frame (eg, as a chassis), at least removably coupled to the base of the connector assembly 101 . In other embodiments, the bracket may actually be part of the connector assembly 101 . Thus in some cases, connector assembly 101 can be coupled to an existing configuration (e.g., a server with an existing circuit board), while in other cases, connector assembly 101 can be used with As a stand-alone assembly, it is possible to connect loose circuit boards that have not been implemented in an existing configuration.

As shown in FIG. 1A , the connector assembly 101 may be coupled to a bracket 124 using a fastener 116 that aligns with a recess (eg, a through hole) 122 in the bracket 124 . In some embodiments, bracket 124 may be a support bracket. Fixtures 116 are preferably configured such that they can be easily locked and released without applying any force to upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128, bracket 124, and other components that are also coupled to bracket 124 (e.g. , the remainder of a server chassis). For example, the fasteners 116 may include screws in some embodiments. However, connector assembly 101 may be coupled to bracket 124 using any desired type and/or number of fasteners, adhesives, interlocking features, clips, and the like.

As described above, a circuit board already implemented in a server on a chassis can be augmented by selectively coupling a second circuit board to the circuit board. Accordingly, by coupling the base 103 of the connector assembly 101 to the server chassis, the connector assembly 101 and bracket 124 are able to transmit the force applied to the handle 102 directly to the upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128, for example, As will be understood by those skilled in the art after reading this description. Factors including the length of the vertical arm of the handle 102, the size of the gear 104 and/or gear rod 106, the configuration of the linkage 108, etc. may affect the amount of force applied to the handle and ultimately transferred to the mating circuit board.

The connector assembly 101 additionally includes one or more guide elements 112 preferably configured to guide relative movement between the base 103 of the connector assembly 101 and the bracket 124 . These guide elements may include guide blocks, pins, pistons, machine Mechanical hinges or the like can direct the relative movement between the base 103 and the bracket 124 of the connector assembly 101 so that the board-to-board connectors of the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128 align with each other in response to a force applied to the handle 102 And in conjunction, the handle 102 is rotated to the closed position (see, eg, FIG. 1D ). In some embodiments, the guide element 112 may interact with the bracket 124 and/or one or more complementary elements of the upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 themselves. According to an example, not intended to be limiting, one or more of the guide element 112 and/or any subcomponents thereof may comprise a zinc alloy or any other desired type of free-machining steel.

As mentioned above, servers can be designed to allow users to flexibly add or enhance functionality in a computer system by adding circuit boards with additional hardware. Therefore, it may be desirable for the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128 to be physically and functionally (eg, electrically) coupled to each other to improve the overall performance of the system 100 .

For example, an upper expansion circuit board can be placed on a lower circuit board, and the lower circuit board is a main board of a server. Accordingly, the upper circuit board 126 and/or the lower circuit board 128 may include a plurality of rectangular board-to-board connectors. Each board-to-board connector 130 on a top side of the lower circuit board 128 can be electrically connected to a corresponding board-to-board connector (not shown) on the bottom side of the upper circuit board 126 . Although the lower circuit board 128 is shown as including two board-to-board connectors 130, the upper circuit board 126 and/or the lower circuit board 128 may include three, four, five, etc. rectangular board-to-board connectors 130, from Board extension. Preferably, however, upper circuit board 126 and lower circuit board 128 include a corresponding number of board-to-board connectors 130 configured to mate with each other.

A series of spacers 120 are also located at each corner of the board-to-board connector 130 fall near. For example, spacers 120 extending from lower circuit board 128 help support upper circuit board 126 . Similarly, the spacer 118 extending from an upper surface of the upper circuit board 126 assists in maintaining a desired spacing value between the upper circuit board 126 and the base 103 of the connector assembly 101 . In some approaches, the one or more spacers 118, 120 may be a cylinder with a hole to receive a fastening mechanism, such as a screw.

In some embodiments, the board-to-board connector connecting the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board may be a high-force connector. In other words, the board-to-board connectors can be coupled to each other due to exerting a relatively high physical force on the corresponding circuit boards. For the purposes of this description, a "relatively high force" is at least more than the force associated with coupling two circuit boards together using a fastening mechanism. These high force connectors can fit into each other and couple the boards together by applying a force to the boards that is at least 5 times higher than any external force experienced by the boards during normal operation of the system. In other embodiments, since a force applied to the circuit board is at least 6 times, 7 times, 8 times, 9 times, 10 times, at least 20 times, at least 30 times higher than any external force experienced by the circuit board during normal operation of the system etc., but can be higher or lower, high force connectors can fit into each other and couple the boards together. High force connectors may be configured to mate circuit boards with each other due to the relatively high force applied thereto.

Thus, assembly of the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board is accomplished by lowering the upper circuit board so that the connectors mate with the board-to-board connectors on the lower circuit board. However, the lower circuit board is often implemented in a particular configuration (eg, a server) and thus may be susceptible to damage. This is especially true in embodiments that involve applying sufficient force to the circuit boards to mate with each other via one or more high force connectors.

Still referring to FIG. 1A , the connector assembly 101 is thus preferably configured to safely exert substantial forces on mating circuit boards. For example, by coupling the connector assembly 101 to the circuit board itself, and having a mechanical system that efficiently transmits external user-applied forces to the mating circuit board, the connector assembly 101 can desirably avoid applying A situation where the force to mate the circuit boards to each other is not consistent with respect to the force associated with successfully mating the board-to-board connectors to each other. Additionally, upper circuit board 126 may be removably coupled to base 103 of connector assembly 101 and/or lower circuit board 128 may be removably coupled, for example, via one or more additional fasteners, adhesives, frictional connections, etc. Connect to bracket 124.

As mentioned above, this avoids causing damage to the circuit board and/or the substrate to which the circuit board may have been coupled despite the application of a large amount of force. This not only improves the reliability with which the boards can mate with each other, but also allows the use of high force board-to-board connectors. Likewise, previous systems that relied on the use of multiple fasteners to couple circuit boards and similar types of components together suffered from inefficiencies and errors associated with actually inserting and removing the respective plurality of fasteners.

Referring now to FIG. 1B , the upper circuit board 126 has been removably coupled to the base 103 by the fasteners 114 . Although not shown in this figure, the fastener 114 may extend through the base 103 and into the spacer 118 . In addition to interacting with the fixing member 114 to couple the upper circuit board 126 to the base 103 , the spacer 118 can thereby maintain a desired distance between the upper circuit board 126 and the base 103 of the connector assembly 101 .

Continuing to FIG. 1C , the connector assembly 101 has been removably coupled to the bracket 124 . In this embodiment, the fixing member 116 fits into a recess in the bracket 124 (for example For example, see 122 in FIGS. 1A-1B ), such that the connector assembly 101 and the bracket 124 are removably coupled to each other. In other embodiments, however, the connector assembly 101 and bracket 124 may be coupled to each other using any desired clamps, adhesives, fasteners, or the like. It should also be noted that handle 102 is depicted in an open position with link 108 fully extended.

Guide element 112 of connector assembly 101 is also shown aligned with spacer 120 coupled to lower circuit board 128 and/or bracket 124 . In some approaches, an upper portion of spacer 120 is configured to pass through a recess in guide element 112 . The guide element 112 and the spacer 120 are thus operable in combination with each other to facilitate directional relative movement between at least the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128 . The guide element 112 is preferably configured to direct relative movement between the base 103 of the connector assembly 101 and the bracket 124 in a direction perpendicular to a plane extending along the larger faces of the upper and lower circuit boards. This desirably directs the force applied to the handle 102 to the upper circuit board 126, the lower circuit board 128, and the board-to-board connectors of the upper circuit board 126, the lower circuit board 128, preferably so that they can be rotated in response to the handle 102 to The closed positions (eg, shown in FIG. 1D ) cooperate with each other.

However, a visible wider portion at the base of the spacer 120 directly coupled to the lower circuit board 128 may be wider than a recess in the guide element 112 . Thus, while a narrower upper portion of the spacer 120 can pass through a recess in the guide element 112 to facilitate directional relative movement between at least the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128, the wider base of the spacer 120 defines the upper circuit A minimum spacing value between board 126 and lower circuit board 128 . These wider bases of the spacer 120 are connected to the bottom of the guide element 112 by This relative motion is limited by surface contact, for example, as shown in Figure 1D below.

FIG. 1D depicts details regarding how the various components included in the system 100 interact with each other as the handle 102 is moved from the open position to the closed position. For example, link 108 is in a retracted position as a result of rotating the handle about rotatable mount 110 to the closed position. The gear 104 and the gear lever 106 also remain engaged with each other and help (along with the mount 116 ) transmit the force applied to the handle 102 to the circuit board. Accordingly, the link and guide elements are configured to efficiently transfer external forces rotatably applied to the handle to the upper and lower circuit boards via the base and bracket of the connector assembly, for example, as described by those skilled in the art in reading It will be understood after this description.

FIGS. 2A-2B show detailed perspective views of the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128 , each circuit board having board-to-board connectors 150 , 130 , respectively, according to one embodiment. As an option, this board-to-board connector 150, 130 may be implemented in combination with elements from any of the other embodiments listed herein, such as the embodiments described with reference to the other figures. For example, although upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 are not shown as being coupled to any system or configuration, in some instances it is understood that the detailed perspective view in FIG. 2A corresponds to a connector positioned in an open position. assembly 101 (eg, shown in FIG. 1C ), and FIG. 2B corresponds to a connector assembly 101 (eg, shown in FIG. 1D ) positioned in a closed position.

However, the board-to-board connectors 150, 130, and others provided herein may be used in various applications and/or permutations that may or may not be specifically described in the illustrative embodiments set forth herein. Furthermore, the board-to-board connectors 150, 130 provided herein may be used in any desired environment. Therefore Figures 2A to 2B (with and other drawings) are considered to include any possible permutations.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 2A , the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128 are in a disconnected configuration and separated from each other. Although separated in a first direction perpendicular to the major sides of the upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128, the board-to-board connectors 150, 130 are shown aligned in the first direction (see dashed arrows). As noted above, the connector assembly may include one or more guide elements for directing relative movement between a base of the connector assembly and a bracket. In other words, the guide elements are preferably configured to direct relative movement between the base and the bracket such that the board-to-board connectors 150, 130 of the upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 respond to a force applied to the handle of the connector assembly. A force aligns and cooperates with each other, and this force rotates the handle to the closed position (see, eg, FIG. 1D ).

In some embodiments, the guiding element may interact with one or more complementary elements of the upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 itself. For example, guide elements may engage and move along a narrower upper portion of the spacer 120 . This relative movement between the guide element and the spacer 120 may be further limited (e.g., limited) by a wider lower portion of the spacer 120, which may be in contact with a bottom surface of the guide element when in a closed position ( See, eg, Figure 1D).

Moving to FIG. 2B, the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128 are shown in a connected configuration with the board-to-board connectors 150, 130 mated to each other. As noted above, the relative movement between the guide element and the spacer 120 may be further defined (eg, limited) by the wider lower portion of the spacer 120 . The wider portion can contact a bottom surface of the guide element when the larger connector assembly is in a closed position. Thus, the wider lower portion of the spacer 120 can be sized such that the board-to-board connectors 150, 130 respond The wider portion comes into contact with a bottom surface of the guide element to become cooperating with each other. In other words, the wider lower portion of the spacer 120 can be sized such that the board-to-board connectors 150, 130 become mated with each other in response to a handle of the connector assembly being rotated to a closed position.

The board-to-board connectors 150, 130 connecting the upper circuit board 126 and the lower circuit board 128 may be high force connectors. In other words, the board-to-board connectors can be coupled to each other due to exerting a relatively high physical force on the corresponding circuit boards. As noted above, a "relatively high force" is at least greater than the force associated with coupling two circuit boards together using a fastening mechanism. Due to the application of a relatively high force thereto, these high force connectors can mate with each other and couple the circuit boards together. The board-to-board connectors 150, 130 can thus become physically and electrically coupled to each other without relying on further mechanical coupling. Accordingly, the board-to-board connectors 150, 130 become mated, coupling the upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 together without using any other physical components, such as fasteners. Thus, upper circuit board 126, lower circuit board 128 may be quickly and efficiently coupled to and/or decoupled from each other using the connector assemblies described herein.

According to an example, which is not intended to limit the invention, a pair of board-to-board connectors may have corresponding elements configured to engage each other in response to a relatively high force being applied. For example, the first board-to-board connector may have a plurality of sockets (eg, recesses), and the second board-to-board connector has a plurality of terminals (eg, extension areas) in the same orientation as the sockets. The first and second board-to-board connectors may thus be configured such that the extension region engages the socket, eg due to a relatively high force being applied to the board-to-board connector.

Additionally, the first board-to-board connector may include tabs configured to engage corresponding tabs of the second board-to-board connector. The tabs preferably comprise a conductive material (eg, one or more metals) such that the board-to-board connectors are electrically coupled to each other as well as mechanically. This desirably allows the board-to-board connectors to facilitate communication between respective circuit boards when mated with each other.

The first board-to-board connector can be coupled (eg, removably coupled) to a bottom surface of an upper circuit board, and the bottom surface is coupled (eg, removably coupled) to the lower circuit board. Accordingly, the second board-to-board connector can be coupled to the top surface of a lower circuit board that has been coupled to a server chassis. Therefore, by mating the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector together, the corresponding circuit boards can be physically and functionally (eg, electrically) coupled to each other. Additionally, the circuit boards may remain physically and functionally coupled to each other until an identical, similar, or different connector assembly is removably coupled to the circuit board and used to selectively Break away from the board-to-board connector.

Accordingly, the various embodiments included herein desirably enable two or more circuit boards to be removably coupled to each other. This coupling of the circuit boards is achieved due to the use of a connector assembly to safely exert a large amount of force on the circuit boards. For example, by coupling a connector assembly to the circuit board itself, and having a mechanical system that efficiently transfers external user-applied forces to the mating circuit board, embodiments herein can desirably Inconsistencies in the forces applied to mate the circuit boards to each other relative to the forces associated with successfully mating the board-to-board connectors to each other are avoided.

As mentioned above, despite the application of a large amount of force, this is still desirable Avoid causing damage to the circuit board and/or the substrate to which the circuit board may be coupled. Not only does this improve the reliability with which the boards can mate to each other, but it also allows the use of high force board-to-board connectors without relying on mechanical parts such as fasteners to actually mate the boards to each other. Also, previous systems that relied on the use of multiple fasteners to couple circuit boards and similar types of components together suffered from inefficiencies and errors associated with actually inserting and removing the individual fasteners.

The method of mating the upper circuit board with the lower circuit board may include any of the embodiments included herein. According to an illustrative example, an upper circuit board is removably coupled to a base of a connector assembly, and the base of the connector assembly is also removably coupled to a bracket having the lower circuit board. By rotating a handle of the connector assembly to a closed position, at least one guide member and at least one link of the connector assembly direct relative movement between the base of the connector assembly and the bracket. As a result, a first board-to-board connector of the upper circuit board becomes mated with a second board-to-board connector of the lower circuit board in response to rotation of the handle to the closed position. In addition, the link and the guide member are preferably configured to transmit the external force applied to the handle to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board via the base and the bracket of the connector assembly.

It should be noted that while various aspects of this embodiment have been described as including specific designs, orientations, number of components, etc., this is by no means intended to limit the invention. Rather, this embodiment is presented for exemplary purposes only and may vary in design, orientation, number of components, etc., depending on the desired approach. It should also be noted that use of the terms "bottom," "lower," "top," "upper," etc. is in no way intended to be limiting. Any frame of reference used to describe the various embodiments herein is for illustration only Sexual purpose selection and can be adjusted as needed.

While examples of the present disclosure have been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. Additionally, while a particular feature of the present disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more of the other embodiments as may be desirable and advantageous for any given or particular application. combination of other features.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Various changes may be made in accordance with the disclosed embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments. Instead, the scope of the disclosure should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

100: system

101:Connector assembly

102: handle

103: Base

104: gear

106: gear lever

108: Connecting rod

110:Fixer

112: Guidance element

114,116: Fixing parts

118,120: spacer

122: Concave

124: Bracket

126: upper circuit board

128: Lower circuit board

130: board-to-board connector

Claims (10)

A connector assembly for connecting an upper circuit board to a lower circuit board, the connector assembly includes: a base; a bracket mechanically fastened to the base; a handle rotatably coupled to the base; a linkage movably coupling the handle to the base; and a guide element mechanically coupled between the base and the frame, the guide element configured to guide relative movement between the base and the frame; Wherein the connecting rod and the guiding element are configured to transmit an external force applied to the handle, and the external force is transmitted to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board through the base and the bracket. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the bracket is removably coupled to the base. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the bracket is removably coupled to the base via one or more fasteners. A connection system comprising: One on the circuit board; look at the circuit board; and A connector assembly for connecting the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board, the connector assembly includes: a base; a bracket mechanically fastened to the base; a handle rotatably coupled to the base; a linkage movably coupling the handle to the base; and a guide element mechanically coupled between the base and the frame, the guide element configured to guide relative movement between the base and the frame; Wherein the connecting rod and the guiding element are configured to transmit an external force applied to the handle, and the external force is transmitted to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board through the base and the bracket. Such as the connection system of claim 4, further including: at least one gear rod coupled to the base; Wherein the handle includes at least one gear configured to fit the at least one gear rod. The connection system of claim 5, wherein the handle is removably coupled to the base via two linkages, the linkage being optionally one of the two linkages, wherein two gear levers are coupled to The base, the handle has two gears configured to be respectively coupled to the two gear rods. The connection system of claim 4, further comprising a first board-to-board connector and a second board-to-board connector, the first board-to-board connector is coupled to the upper circuit board, the second board-to-board Connectors are coupled to the lower circuit board, the first board-to-board connector and the second board-to-board connector are configured to mate the upper circuit board to the lower circuit board. The connection system of claim 4, wherein the handle is rotatable between an open position and a closed position. The connection system of claim 8, further comprising a first board-to-board connector and a second board-to-board connector, the first board-to-board connector is coupled to the upper circuit board, and the second board-to-board A connector is coupled to the lower circuit board, and rotating the handle from the open position to the closed position causes the first board-to-board connector to become mated with the second board-to-board connector. The connecting system according to claim 4, wherein the guide element is configured to guide the relative movement between the base and the bracket in a direction perpendicular to the upper circuit board and the lower circuit board.

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