International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Tony Carl Sass

Paul Andrew Wormsbecher

Brian Michael Kerrigan

Martin Joseph Crippen

Larry G Pymento

Jimmy Grant Foster, Sr

Timothy Andreas Meserth

Derek Ian Schmidt

Edward John McNulty

Gregg Steven Lucas

Dean Frederick Herring

Robert Akira Kubo

Luke David Remis

Jason Aaron Matteson

Justin Potok Bandholz

Gregory David Sellman

Jonathan Randall Hinkle

Shah Mohammad Rezaul Islam

Yoshihiko Terashita

Bret W Lehman

Kenneth Robert Schneebeli

Kevin S D Vernon

Michael D French

Sumanta Kumar Bahali

Joseph Eric Maxwell

Tohru Sumiyoshi

Zachary Benson Durham

Yoshihiro Fujie

Andrew S Heinzmann

Michihiro Okamoto

Robert Mark Lindsay

Kenji Hidaka

Hirokazu Nishimura

William R Duffy, Iii

Koji Nakase

James Alexander Day, Jr

Jean Jidong Xu

Kifumi Numata

Phillip L Weinstein

Pravin Patal

Angela Lopez

Brian Littell

A land grid array (LGA) includes a grid array of metal pads plated directly onto a printed circuit board, and a discrete metal pad soldered to each of the plated metal pads in the grid array. Each discrete metal pad has an exposed contact surface after soldering, and a thickness of each discrete metal pad is selected as a function of location in the grid array so that the discrete pads provide a locus of exposed surfaces having greater flatness than the printed circuit board.

Land grid array interconnect formed with discrete pads

A system, according to one embodiment, includes a first end having several first contacts configured for coupling with a circuit board, a second end oriented about orthogonal to the first end, and a plurality of leads connecting the first and second contacts. The second end has a plurality of second contacts configured for coupling directly with a card edge of an electronic device. The orientation of the second end relative to the first end is fixed. A system, according to another embodiment, includes a circuit board, a plurality of such connectors.

Orthogonal card edge connector

Embodiments of the invention relates to a process and assembly for a dual sided and staggered connector arrangement on a substrate. Surface mount connector technology is employed to enable a flush connection of connector leads to the surface of the substrate. Retaining pins are provided with each connector and are sized to be received by the substrate, but not to extend through the substrate. The retaining pins are sized and configured to hold each connector in a set position, while mitigating interference with an opposing side of the PCB.

Dual side staggered surface mount dual in-line memory module

An apparatus includes a memory module connector assembly physically secured along an edge of a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a first plurality of contacts on a first surface of the printed circuit board and a second plurality of contacts on a second surface of the printed circuit board. The memory module connector assembly includes a first edge connector socket for receiving a first memory module, a second edge connector socket for receiving a second memory module, a first plurality of electrical leads electrically connecting contacts within the first edge connector socket to the first plurality of contacts on the first side of the printed circuit board, and a second plurality of electrical leads electrically connecting contacts within the second edge connector socket to the second plurality of contacts on the second side of the printed circuit board.

Memory module connector assembly

Two system boards may be connected by a blind plug connector assembly. The top system board supports a first connector and has a hole adjacent the first connector that secures a guide bracket. The blind plug connector assembly is selectively received in the guide bracket to position a proximal connector on the assembly for connecting to the first connector on the top system board and position a distal connector on the assembly for connecting to a second connector on the lower system board. A flexible wired connection extends within the assembly between the proximal connector and the distal connector, and may form a scalability cable. The interaction between the assembly and the guide bracket provide alignment of the connectors.

Vertical blindmate scaling of identical system boards

First and second memory module connectors are secured in end-to-end alignment on a circuit board for receiving memory modules along a central plane. Each memory module connector has an ejector latch pivotally coupled to the adjacent ends of the memory module connectors to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the plane. A distal portion of an upper arm of each ejector latch lies on opposite sides of the plane, such that the ejector latches interleave when either ejector latch is pivoted to an open position. The adjacent ends of the first and second memory module connectors are separated by a narrow gap, such that pivoting of the either ejector latch from a closed position to an open position will push the other ejector latch toward a closed position.

Interleaving ejector latches enabling a reduced end-to-end spacing between memory module connectors

A memory module socket and a terminating resistor assembly. The terminating resistor assembly provides an elongate conductive bus bar and a plurality of conductive branches, wherein each conductive branch is in electronic communication with the elongate conductive bus bar through a resistor, wherein each conductive branch has a distal end disposed for contacting a signal pin within a memory module socket installed on a printed circuit board. A distal end of each conductive branch is inserted into a window on the connector shoulder adjacent to the slot of an empty memory module socket and engages a plurality of signal pins within the socket in response to the absence of a memory module in the slot. The plurality of signal pins engage contact pads on the memory module and are pushed out of contact with the conductive branch in response to the presence of a memory module in the slot.

Memory module socket with terminating apparatus

A universal press-fit connection allows a component having a connector pin to be connected to a compatible plated through hole of a circuit board regardless of circuit board thickness. The connector pin includes a proximate end adjacent the component, a distal end with a fork lock, and a compliant portion between the proximate and distal ends. A multi-width through hole includes a first portion partially extending through the circuit board and a second, wider portion extending beyond the first portion. The fork lock initially moves radially inward upon insertion into the first portion via flexing of the compliant portion, and re-expands when entering the second portion. The compliant portion engages the through hole and the fork lock secures the connector pin in the through hole.

Universal press-fit connection for printed circuit boards

A memory module includes persistent-storage memory chips and an auxiliary voltage connector for powering the persistent-storage memory chips. An auxiliary power cable has a first end coupled to an electronic power source on the system board and has a second end having connector that plugs in to the auxiliary voltage connector on the memory module to provide power to the persistent-storage memory chips. The auxiliary power cable also resists movement of a latch lever to require disconnecting the auxiliary power cable before ejecting the memory module.

Memory module connector with auxiliary power cable

A land grid array (LGA) and a method of forming the LGA are disclosed. The method comprises plating a printed circuit board to form a grid array of copper pads, and soldering a discrete pad over each of the plated copper pads in the grid array. The discrete pad is a solid object that can be handled and positioned independent of other discrete pads. Optionally, the method may further comprise measuring variations in flatness of the printed circuit board as a function of location in the grid array, and selecting individual discrete pads that each have a thickness selected for use at a particular location in the grid array so that the discrete pads provide a locus of exposed surfaces having greater flatness than the printed circuit board.

Method of forming a land grid array with discrete pads

An apparatus includes a socket that receives a memory module that includes a card having card edge voltage pads along the lower card edge, auxiliary voltage pads along at least one of the vertical card edges, and one or more persistent, solid-state memory chips on one or both card faces. A latch pivotally coupled to the socket is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch includes electrical latch contacts positioned for being engaged with the auxiliary voltage pads when that latch is in the latched position and being disengaged from the auxiliary voltage pads when the latch is in the unlatched position. The electrical latch contacts may provide a different voltage to the auxiliary voltage pads than the socket provides to the card edge voltage pads along the lower card edge.

Memory module connector with auxiliary power

A memory module connector includes a dynamically-assisted latch that facilitates connecting and releasing a memory module. The latch includes a lever pivotably coupled to the connector for urging the memory module into and out of a fully seated position within the connector. The lever provides a mechanical advantage for lowering and raising the memory module. A latch assist member urges the latch into engagement with the memory module in response to an insertion of the memory module, and dynamically positions the lever in response to movement of the memory module within the connector.

Memory module connector with latch assist

A pin and a method of establishing contact between a pin and plating of a circuit board hole is provided. Embodiments include a pin comprising a pair of outwardly biased flexible beams that each extend from a body of the pin, the flexible beams connected at one end to one another at the body of the pin and separated from each other at an end opposite the end connected to the body, the separation between the pair of flexible beams forming an open slot, each flexible beam including a contact point that contacts the plating of the hole when the pin is inserted into the circuit board hole.

Pin that inserts into a circuit board hole

An edge connector is provided that accommodates printed circuit boards (PCB) of varying thickness. Embodiments include a body; a set of card connector engagement pins coupled to the body, the set of card connector engagement pins coupling with a circuit card connector; and the set of PCB engagement pins coupled to the body, the set of PCB engagement pins receiving contact pads of the PCB, wherein each PCB engagement pin includes a contact point that slopes away from the body of the edge connector, wherein the contact point of each PCB engagement pin slopes in an opposite direction from the contact point of the other PCB engagement pin in the set, wherein each PCB engagement pin is flexible inward toward the body of the edge connector.

Edge connector that accommodates printed circuit boards of varying thickness

A socket receptive to insertion of an integrated circuit (IC) printed circuit board (PCB) includes a housing, conductors, and vents. The housing has first and second sides corresponding to a length of the IC PCB. The conductors are mounted within the housing to mate with corresponding conductors of the IC PCB upon insertion of the IC PCB into the housing, and have leads adapted to being soldered to corresponding conductors of a host PCB. The vents are within the housing and are adapted to dissipate heat resulting from soldering the leads to the host PCB to minimize warping of the housing during soldering. The vents are further adapted to compensate for a mismatch between a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the housing and a CTE of the host PCB during soldering, regardless of the CTE of the host PCB.

Growing community of inventors

Fuquay Varina, NC, United States of America

Tony Carl Sass