Low-cost SMT printed circuit board connector

A system of interconnected printed circuit boards comprising:

• a first printed circuit board (PCB) having a respective first longitudinal surface and a respective second longitudinal surface, the first PCB having a respective thickness between the respective first longitudinal surface and the respective second longitudinal surface, the first PCB having a respective end surface, the first PCB having at least a respective first mounting pad on the respective first longitudinal surface;
• a second PCB having a respective first longitudinal surface and a respective second longitudinal surface, the second PCB having a respective thickness between the respective first longitudinal surface and the respective second longitudinal surface, the second PCB having a respective end surface, the second PCB having at least a respective first mounting pad on the respective first longitudinal surface;
• and
• an interconnection device comprising:
• a support platform having a first longitudinal engagement surface positioned to engage the respective second surface of the first PCB and having a second engagement surface positioned to engage the respective second surface of the second PCB;
• a separator extending from the first engagement surface and from the second engagement surface, the separator having a first separator surface perpendicular to the first engagement surface and having a second separator surface perpendicular to the second engagement surface, the first separator surface and the second separator surface spaced apart by a separation distance, the first separator surface positioned to engage the respective end surface of the first PCB, the second separator surface positioned to engage the respective end surface of the second PCB;
• and
• at least a first contact pin extending longitudinally through the separator, a first portion of the first contact pin extending from the first separator surface, a second portion of the first contact pin extending from the second separator surface, the first portion of the first contact pin spaced apart from the first engagement surface by a first gap distance selected to correspond to the respective thickness of the first PCB, the second portion of the first contact pin spaced apart from the second engagement surface by a second gap distance selected to correspond to the respective thickness of the second PCB, the first portion of the first contact pin secured to the respective first mounting pad of the first PCB, the second portion of the first contact pin secured to the respective first mounting pad of the second PCB.

A method of interconnecting a first printed circuit board (PCB) and a second PCB, each PCB having a respective first surface, a respective second surface and a respective thickness between the respective first surface and the respective second surface, the method comprising:

• positioning a separator of an interconnection device between the first PCB and the second PCB, the separator having a longitudinal thickness selected to space the first PCB and the second PCB apart longitudinally by a selected spacing distance, the separator extending perpendicularly from a first longitudinal engagement surface and a second longitudinal engagement surface, the separator supporting at least a first contact pin extending longitudinally through the separator, the first contact pin having a respective first portion spaced apart from the first longitudinal engagement surface by a first gap distance selected to correspond to the respective thickness of the first PCB and having a respective second portion spaced apart from the second longitudinal engagement surface by a second gap distance selected to correspond to the respective thickness of the second PCB;
• positioning the first longitudinal engagement surface against the respective second surface of the first PCB with a respective portion of the first PCB positioned between the respective first portion of the first contact pin and the first longitudinal engagement surface of the separator;
• positioning the second longitudinal engagement surface against the respective second surface of the second PCB with a respective portion of the second PCB positioned between the respective second portion of the first contact pin and the second longitudinal engagement surface of the separator;
• securing the respective first portion of the first contact pin to a respective first mounting pad on the respective first surface of the first PCB;
• and
• securing the respective second portion of the first contact pin to a respective first mounting pad on the respective first surface of the second PCB.