Flex circuit blind attachment apparatus and system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRobert R. Genest, John J. Loparco, John G. Torok, Wade White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flex circuit blind attachment apparatus is provided and includes a plate, a fastening member affixable to the plate and configured to draw the plate toward and away from a circuit board and jaws supportively disposed on the plate. The jaws are configured to be opened with the plate being drawn toward the circuit board such that a pin of a flex connector to be connected to the circuit board is released by the jaws following disconnection of the flex connector and the circuit board. The jaws are also configured to capture the pin with the plate being drawn away from the circuit board prior to connection of the flex connector and the circuit board.
Claims20
A flex circuit blind attachment apparatus, comprising:
- a plate;
- a fastening member affixable to the plate and configured to draw the plate toward and away from a circuit board;
- and
- jaws supportively disposed on the plate,
- the jaws being configured to be opened with the plate being drawn toward the circuit board such that a pin of a flex connector to be connected to the circuit board is released by the jaws following disconnection of the flex connector and the circuit board, and
- the jaws being configured to capture the pin with the plate being drawn away from the circuit board prior to connection of the flex connector and the circuit board.
An apparatus for use with a flex circuit including a connector and a pin and a circuit board including a kicker shaft and a connector, the apparatus comprising:
- a plate;
- a fastening member including a head affixable to the plate and a threaded shaft coupled to the head, the threaded shaft being configured to rotatably register with a threaded through-hole of the circuit board to draw the plate toward and away from the circuit board such that the connectors connect and disconnect;
- and
- jaws supportively disposed on the plate and configured to be opened by the kicker shaft with the plate being drawn toward the circuit board such that the pin is released by the jaws following disconnection of the connectors and to capture the pin with the plate being drawn away from the circuit board prior to connection of the connectors.
A flex circuit blind attachment system, comprising:
- a flex circuit including a connector and a pin;
- a circuit board including kicker shaft and a connector;
- and
- an attachment apparatus comprising a plate, a fastening member affixable to the plate and configured to draw the plate toward and away from a circuit board and jaws supportively disposed on the plate,
- the jaws being configured to be opened by the kicker shaft with the plate being drawn toward the circuit board such that the pin of the flex circuit is released by the jaws following disconnection of the flex circuit and circuit board connectors, and
- the jaws being configured to capture the pin with the plate being drawn away from the circuit board prior to connection of the flex circuit and circuit board connectors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.