# US 12,184,001 B2 · Ultra slim module form factor and connector architecture for inline connection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,001 B2 - Document ID: US12184001B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/134,098 - Filed: 2020-12-24 - Published: 2021-04-22 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-24 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Richard S. Perry; Robert Schum - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184001B2 ## CPC - H01R 12/714: {with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit} - H05K 1/142: {Arrangements of planar printed circuit boards in the same plane, e.g. auxiliary printed circuit insert mounted in a main printed circuit} - G06F 1/184: Mounting of motherboards - G06F 1/185: Mounting of expansion boards - G06F 1/186: Securing of expansion boards in correspondence to slots provided at the computer enclosure - H01R 12/52: connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures - H01R 12/7047: {with a fastener through a screw hole in the coupling device} - H01R 12/7052: {characterised by the locating members} - H01R 12/7082: {Coupling device supported only by cooperation with PCB} - H01R 13/6581: Shield structure - H01R 13/6595: with separate members fixing the shield to the PCB - H05K 1/111: {Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out} - H05K 3/368: {parallel to each other (H05K3/361 takes precedence)} - H05K 2201/10189: Non-printed connector - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A board-to-board connector includes electrical leads to bridge from one board to another board, to interconnect pads on one surface of the boards. The boards can interconnect while aligned in substantially the same plane with an inline connector. The connector includes a lead frame having the electrical leads and the connector includes an alignment frame to hold the lead frame. The connector includes a conductive case to secure over the alignment frame. The connector includes screw holes to allow screws to secure the connector in place against the boards and ensure electrical connection between the pads on the two boards through the electrical leads of the connector. The alignment frame includes posts to mate with alignment holes in the boards. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A board-to-board connector, comprising: a lead frame including electrical leads to bridge from first pads on a surface of a first printed circuit board (PCB) to second pads on a surface of a second PCB when the surface of the first PCB and the surface of the second PCB are substantially co-planar; an alignment frame to hold the lead frame, including posts to mate with first alignment holes of the first PCB and with second alignment holes of the second PCB; and an electrically conductive cover to secure over the alignment frame, the cover including openings to receive screws to secure the cover to first screw holes in the first PCB and second screw holes in the second PCB, the cover to electrically couple via the screws to a first ground plane of the first PCB and to a second ground plane of the second PCB. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, wherein the electrical leads comprise arch-shaped springs, wherein the electrical leads are to flex to push contact points against the first pads and the second pads when the cover receives the screws. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, wherein the lead frame is to bridge from the first pads on the surface of the first PCB to the second pads on the surface of the second PCB, and where the connector does not connect to pads on an opposite surface of the second PCB. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, wherein the posts include a first pair of posts to mate with a pair of first alignment holes of the first PCB and a second pair of posts to mate with a pair of second alignment holes of the second PCB, wherein the first pair of posts and the second pair of posts are offset relative to a center of the lead frame. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, wherein the cover includes corrugation features orthogonal to the electrical leads. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, wherein the cover is to rest against threaded standoffs that fit to first through-hole openings in the first PCB and second through-hole openings in the second PCB to receive the screws. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, wherein the cover is to rest against threaded spacers that align with first through-hole openings in the first PCB and with second through-hole openings in the second PCB to receive the screws and allow the screws to secure to threads in a system chassis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, further comprising: a ground bar to selectively contact electrical leads to be connected to ground pads, the ground bar to physically contact the cover. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The connector of claim 8, wherein the alignment frame comprises a plastic frame having gaps for the ground bar to extend through the plastic frame to physically contact the cover. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The connector of claim 1, wherein the first PCB comprises a system motherboard and wherein the second PCB comprises an add-in board to provide functionality to a host system of the motherboard. ### Claim 11 A computer system comprising: a system board including first pads on a surface of the system board; an add-in board including second pads on a surface of the add-in board, wherein the surface of the add-in board is substantially co-planar with the surface of the system board; a connector to couple the first pads on the surface of the system board to the second pads on the surface of the add-in board, the connector including: a lead frame including electrical leads to bridge from the first pads to the second pads; an alignment frame to hold the lead frame, including posts to mate with first alignment holes of the system board and with second alignment holes of the add-in board; and an electrically conductive cover to secure over the alignment frame; and screws to secure the cover to first screw holes in the system board and second screw holes in the add-in board, the screws to electrically couple the cover to a first ground plane of the system board and to a second ground plane of the add-in board. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the electrical leads comprise arch-shaped springs, wherein the electrical leads are to flex to push contact points against the first pads and the second pads when the cover receives the screws. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the posts include a first pair of posts to mate with a pair of first alignment holes of the system board and a second pair of posts to mate with a pair of second alignment holes of the add-in board, wherein the first pair of posts and the second pair of posts are offset relative to a center of the lead frame. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the cover includes corrugation features orthogonal to the electrical leads. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the cover is to rest against threaded standoffs that fit to first through-hole openings in the system board and second through-hole openings in the add-in board. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, the connector further comprising: a ground bar to selectively contact electrical leads to be connected to ground pads, the ground bar to physically contact the cover. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer system of claim 16, wherein the alignment frame comprises a plastic frame having gaps for the ground bar to extend through the plastic frame to physically contact the cover. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, further comprising: a chassis, wherein the system board is secured to the chassis; and wherein the cover is to rest against spacers that align with first through-hole openings in the system board and with second through-hole openings in the add-in board; wherein screws extend through the cover and though the system board and screws extend through the cover and the add-in board, to secure the cover to the system board and to the add-in board, and secure the system board and the add-in board to the chassis. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the add-in board comprises a wireless communication board. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the add-in board comprises a solid state drive (SSD) board. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the second screw holes in the add-in board comprise screw holes proximate an edge of the add-in board closest to the system board (a “close end”), and further comprising third screw holes on a far end of the add-in board opposite the close end, for screws to secure the far end of the add-in board to a chassis, wherein the system board is secured to the chassis. ### Claim 22 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the connector has a generally rectangular outline with the electrical leads aligned in a row extending along a long length of the rectangular outline and each electrical lead bridging across a short length of the rectangular outline, with a first pair of screw holes at one end of the row and a second pair of screw holes at the other end of the row. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The computer system of claim 22, wherein the row comprises two groups of electrical leads, with a third pair of screw holes in a middle of the connector, between the two groups of electrical leads. ### Claim 24 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the add-in board comprises a first add-in board and the connector comprises a first connector, and further comprising: the first add-in board including third pads on the surface of the first add-in board; a second add-in board including fourth pads on a surface of the second add-in board, wherein the surface of the second add-in board is substantially co-planar with the surface of the first add-in board; and a second connector to couple the third pads on the surface of the first add-in board to the fourth pads on the surface of the second add-in board. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The computer system of claim 24, wherein the third pads and fourth pads include fewer pads than the first pads and second pads, and wherein the second connector includes fewer electrical leads than the first connector. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The computer system of claim 25, wherein the first connector has a first rectangular outline with 2N electrical leads organized as two groups of electrical leads aligned in a row extending along a long length of the first rectangular outline and each electrical lead bridging across a short length of the first rectangular outline, with screw holes on opposite ends of the row and between the two groups; and wherein the second connector has a second rectangular outline with N electrical leads aligned in a row extending along a long length of the second rectangular outline and each electrical lead bridging across a short length of the second rectangular outline, with screw holes on opposite ends of the row. ### Claim 27 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the system board further includes third pads on the surface of the system board and third alignment holes, wherein the first alignment holes correspond to the first pads and the third alignment holes correspond to the third pads; wherein the add-in board further includes fourth pads on the surface of the add-in board and fourth alignment holes, wherein the second alignment holes correspond to the second pads and the fourth alignment holes correspond to the fourth pads; wherein the connector is reversible between a first orientation and a second orientation, wherein in the first orientation, the electrical leads are to bridge from the first pads to the second pads and the posts are to mate with the first alignment holes and with the second alignment holes, and wherein in the second orientation, the electrical leads are to bridge from the third pads to the fourth pads and the posts are to mate with the second alignment holes and with the fourth alignment holes; and wherein the screws align with the first screw holes in the system board and the second screw holes in the add-in board for both orientations. ### Claim 28 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the add-in board comprises an inline add-in board, the connector comprises an inline connector, and further comprising: the system board including third pads on the first surface of the system board; a top-mount add-on board including fourth pads on a surface of the top-mount add-on board, wherein the surface of the top-mount add-on board does not face the first surface of the system board, and wherein the surface of the top-mount add-on board is not co-planar with the first surface of the system board; and a top-mount connector to couple the fourth pads to the third pads. ### Claim 29 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, further comprising one or more of: a host processor device mounted on the system board; a display communicatively coupled to a host processor of the system board; a network interface communicatively coupled to a host processor of the system board; or a battery to power the computer system. ### Claim 30 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the system board comprises a computer motherboard. ### Claim 31 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the system board comprises a ruler board.