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US 2006/0079105 A1Published application
Devices and methods for creating an electrical connection
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorThomas Chintala
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The described embodiments provide devices and methods for creating an electrical connection in an electronic system. The devices and methods include a standoff that connects a circuit element with a circuit board and supports the circuit element at a sufficient height above the circuit board to create an additional layout area. The additional layout area may be utilized to mount additional circuit elements to the circuit board.
Claims20
An electronic system, comprising:
- at least one standoff having a contact pad substantially lying in a first plane and an electrical conductor extending from the contact pad;
- at least one circuit element having a body and at least one compression lead connectable between the body and the contact pad, the body having a footprint corresponding to a two-dimensional area associated with a portion of the body;
- a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area on the surface usable for mounting circuit elements, wherein the at least one standoff is connectable to the circuit board, wherein the surface substantially lies in a second plane spaced apart from and overlying the first plane, and wherein the available layout area includes at least a portion of a projected area of the footprint.
An electronic system, comprising:
- a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces;
- and
- at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate and at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein the standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, and wherein the contact plate is positioned at a predetermined height above the surface and provides a mechanical support for at least one circuit element to be positioned at a sufficient height above the surface to allow additional circuit elements to be mounted to the surface below the at least one circuit element.
An electronic system, comprising:
- a circuit board having a surface with an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements, the available layout area including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces;
- at least one standoff having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein the at least one standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, wherein the contact plate comprises a flat area at a sufficient height to support at least one connectable circuit element away from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area on the surface under the circuit element.
An electronic system, comprising:
- a circuit board having a surface including a pattern of electrically-conductive traces, the surface having an available layout area corresponding to a predetermined area usable for mounting circuit elements;
- a plurality of standoffs each having an electrically-conductive contact plate in electrical communication with at least one electrically-conductive standoff lead, wherein each standoff lead extends from the contact plate and is connectable with a portion of the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, wherein each standoff lead supports a respective contact plate at a predetermined height relative to the surface, wherein each contact plate comprises a flat area;
- at least one circuit element having a body and a pair a compression leads, wherein the pair of compression leads are contactable with the corresponding contact plates of the plurality of standoffs, wherein the body is supportable by at least one of the plurality of standoffs at a sufficient height from the surface such that the available layout area includes at least a portion of an area of the surface facing the body.
A mobile communications device, comprising:
- a circuit board having a surface that includes a pattern of electrically-conductive traces;
- a plurality of standoffs each having a contact pad electrically connected to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces, wherein the contact pad is positioned at a constant predetermined height above the surface of the circuit board;
- a first housing having an internal surface that includes a circuit element housing with a first alignment feature;
- and
- a circuit element having at least one lead and a body with a second alignment feature, the circuit element at least partially positionable within the circuit element housing such that the second alignment feature mates with the first alignment feature to orient the at least one lead with the corresponding one of the plurality of standoffs, each lead connectable between the corresponding standoff and the circuit element, and wherein the circuit element is supportable by the standoffs at a sufficient height above the circuit board surface to create an additional layout area between the surface and the body.
2 more elements
A method of mounting circuit elements on a circuit board, comprising:
- connecting a first lead from a first standoff to a pattern of electrically-conductive traces on a surface of the circuit board, where the first standoff includes a first contact plate spaced a first predetermined constant distance above the surface;
- connecting a second lead from a second standoff to the pattern of electrically-conductive traces on the surface of the circuit board, where the second standoff includes a second contact plate spaced a second predetermined constant distance above the surface;
- connecting at least one circuit element in at least a portion of an area on the surface adjacent to the first standoff and the second standoff that corresponds to a projected area on the surface of a body of an elevated circuit element contactable with and supportable by the first standoff and the second standoff.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.