International Business Machines Corporation

Raymond J Cosimano

Robert Carl Reinhart

Reinhold E Tomek

William F Ott, Iii

Gerald J Demorat

An electronic cage for housing electronic components (circuit boards and power supplies) therein, wherein the cage includes a box-like component receiving area defined by a plurality of upstanding side walls and a floor member. Part of the floor member projects from the box-like receiving area to thus expose various electronic devices (e.g., modules, connectors) located on a common, large board which may be positioned within the cage. Significantly, the cage is of one-piece construction, preferably of injection molded structural foam.

One-piece electronic cage

A circuit assembly (e.g., printed circuit board) including an insulative substrate having opposed surfaces each defining a walled opening therein. Each walled opening includes a layer of conductive material (e.g., copper) plated thereon, these openings being electrically connected through a common channel or the like, which channel in turn has been plated to include copper material therein. Located within each opening is a compliant contact pin including a compliant end portion designed to provide an interference fit within one of the respective openings and an extending portion designed for extending from the board's outer surfaces to be electrically connected to a designated external component (e.g., printed circuit board, wiring, conductive socket). Utilization of opposed pins, walled openings, and a narrow channel as defined herein allows the greater utilization of board internal volume to thus accommodate higher circuit densities particularly in the areas of the insulative board between the spaced apart, plated openings.

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Endicott, NY, United States of America

Raymond J Cosimano