# US 12,621,931 B2 · Guided pad structures formed in circuit board > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,621,931 B2 - Document ID: US12621931B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/486,009 - Filed: 2023-10-12 - Published: 2025-04-17 - Granted: 2026-05-05 - Earliest claimed: 2023-10-12 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products L.P. - Inventors: James L. Petivan; Bhyrav M. Mutnury; Sandor T. Farkas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12621931B2 ## CPC - H05K 1/117: {Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors} - H05K 2201/09036: Recesses or grooves in insulating substrate - H05K 2201/09709: Staggered pads, lands or terminals; Parallel conductors in different planes - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract A circuit board may include a plurality of electrically-conductive layers separated and supported by a plurality of dielectric layers of insulating material laminated together and a channel formed at an edge of the circuit board through at least one dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers within which an electrically-conductive pad is formed from an internal electrically-conductive layer of one of the plurality of electrically-conductive layers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A circuit board, comprising: a plurality of electrically-conductive layers separated and supported by a plurality of dielectric layers of insulating material laminated together; and a channel formed at an edge of the circuit board through at least one dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers within which an electrically-conductive pad is formed from an internal electrically-conductive layer of one of the plurality of electrically-conductive layers, wherein the at least one dielectric layer forms a first wall of the channel and a second wall of the channel opposite to the first wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circuit board of claim 1, wherein the internal electrically-conductive layer is a layer immediately below a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The circuit board of claim 1, wherein the internal electrically-conductive layer is a layer internal to the circuit board other than a layer immediately below a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The circuit board of claim 1, further comprising a second electrically-conductive pad formed upon a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The circuit board of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive pad is configured to engage with a pin of a connector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The circuit board of claim 5, wherein the connector is a straddle-mount connector configured to couple to the circuit board. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The circuit board of claim 5, wherein the connector is a receptacle connector configured to couple to the circuit board. ### Claim 8 An information handling system comprising: a processor; and a circuit board, comprising: a plurality of electrically-conductive layers separated and supported by a plurality of dielectric layers of insulating material laminated together; and a channel formed at an edge of the circuit board through at least one dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers within which an electrically-conductive pad is formed from an internal electrically-conductive layer of one of the plurality of electrically-conductive layers, wherein the at least one dielectric layer forms a first wall of the channel and a second wall of the channel opposite to the first wall. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the internal electrically-conductive layer is a layer immediately below a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the internal electrically-conductive layer is a layer internal to the circuit board other than a layer immediately below a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The information handling system of claim 8, the circuit board further comprising a second electrically-conductive pad formed upon a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the electrically-conductive pad is configured to engage with a pin of a connector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the connector is a straddle-mount connector configured to couple to the circuit board. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the connector is a receptacle connector configured to couple to the circuit board. ### Claim 15 A method comprising, in a circuit board having a plurality of electrically-conductive layers separated and supported by a plurality of dielectric layers of insulating material laminated together: forming a channel at an edge of the circuit board through at least one dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers, wherein the at least one dielectric layer forms a first wall of the channel and a second wall of the channel opposite to the first wall; and forming within the channel an electrically-conductive pad from an internal electrically-conductive layer of one of the plurality of electrically-conductive layers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the internal electrically-conductive layer is a layer immediately below a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the internal electrically-conductive layer is a layer internal to the circuit board other than a layer immediately below a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a second electrically-conductive pad upon a surface dielectric layer of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the electrically-conductive pad is configured to engage with a pin of a connector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the connector is a straddle-mount connector configured to couple to the circuit board. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the connector is a receptacle connector configured to couple to the circuit board.