Fluid pressure actuated electrical connector
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsAlan D. Knight, James R. Petrozello
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector which utilizes fluid pressure to interconnect two electrical circuit members (e.g., a circuit module and a printed circuit board) in a sound and effective manner. In one embodiment, two flexible circuits are brought together using two expandable bladders which are located within a housing located between the circuit members. When expanded, the bladders engage the flexible circuits and cause these to move toward each other such that arrays of contacts become engaged. In another embodiment, a singular flexible circuit and operatively connected bladder are used such that expansion of the bladder causes separate arrays of contacts on the flexible circuit to move toward and engage respective circuitry on the circuit members.
Claims32
An electrical connector for electrically interconnecting first and second electrical circuit members, said connector comprising:
- a housing adapted for being positioned substantially between said first and second electrical circuit members;
- first and second flexible circuits, each including an array of contacts thereon and adapted for being electrically coupled to said first and second electrical circuit members, respectively, said flexible circuits adapted for extending within said housing from substantially opposing directions such that said arrays of said contacts are aligned relative to each other in a facing, spaced-apart manner;
- first and second expandable bladders located substantially within said housing relative to said first and second flexible circuits, respectively, said first and second expandable bladders exerting force against said first and second flexible circuits, respectively, to cause said arrays of contacts to move toward each other and engage in a predetermined manner;
- and
- fluid pressure means operatively coupled to said expandable bladders for expanding said bladders to effect said engagement between said arrays of said contacts.
An electrical connector for electrically interconnecting first and second separate electrical circuit members, said connector comprising:
- a housing adapted for being positioned substantially between said first and second electrical circuit members;
- at least one flexible circuit located substantially within said housing and including first and second separate, spaced-apart arrays of contacts thereon, said first array adapted for being electrically coupled to said first electrical circuit member and said second array adapted for being electrically coupled to said second electrical circuit member;
- at least one expandable bladder located substantially within said housing relative to said first and second arrays of contacts, said bladder exerting force against said first and second arrays of contacts of said flexible circuit to cause said arrays to move toward said respective first and second electrical circuit members and become electrically coupled thereto;
- and
- fluid pressure means operatively coupled to said expandable bladder for expanding said bladder to effect said electrical coupling between said arrays of contacts and said first and second electrical circuit members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.