Printed circuit board with embedded lateral connector
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorWilliam Mische
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) may include embedded lateral connectors. The embedded lateral connectors may be configured to enable components to quickly couple to or plug into a PCB, thus saving time to form connections. The embedded lateral connectors may also reduce weight and/or size by avoiding need for bulky tradition collections with conventional components (e.g., solders, external pin connectors, etc.). The connectors may include male connectors, female connectors, and/or mounting connectors. The connectors may be configured to connect multiple PCBs together, such as using a stacked configuration, which may enable reducing a volume of space needed in a housing for the PCBs.
Claims20
A method to manufacture a printed circuit board (PCB), the method comprising:
- forming an inner layer of the PCB that includes a first planar side and a second planar side opposite the first planar side;
- coupling a connector to the inner layer, the connector having an aperture with a longitudinal axis that is oriented parallel with the first planar side and having an opening of the aperture aligned with an edge of the inner layer, the connector creating an electrical connection between the inner layer and contacts included in the connector that are configured to engage a corresponding connector, the aperture having a first height relative to the first planar side at a first point along the longitudinal axis and a second height relative to the first planar side that is different than the first height at a second point along the longitudinal axis;
- coupling a first set of layers to the first planar side of the inner layer;
- coupling a second set of layers to the second planar side of the inner layer;
- and
- adhering the inner layer to the first set of layers and to the second set of layers to form the PCB having the connector embedded laterally in the PCB.
A printed circuit board (PCB), comprising:
- a plurality of layers, individual layers of the plurality of layers having a planar side that mates with an adjacent layer of the plurality of layers;
- and
- a connector embedded between at least some of the plurality of layers, the connector oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the connector is parallel with the planar side and a thickness of the connector relative to the planar side varying along the longitudinal axis, the connector configured to receive a corresponding connector to create an electrical connection to at least some of the plurality of layers via the connector.
An electronic device comprising:
- a housing;
- a printed circuit board (PCB) including:
- a plurality of layers, individual layers of the plurality of layers having a planar side that mates with an adjacent layer of the plurality of layers;
- and
- a connector embedded between at least some of the plurality of layers, the connector oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the connector is parallel with the planar side, the connector having a first thickness relative to the planar side at a first point along the longitudinal axis and a second, different thickness relative to the planar side at a second point along the longitudinal axis, the connector configured to receive a corresponding connector to create an electrical connection to at least some of the plurality of layers via the connector;
- and
- a component coupled to the PCB by the connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.