The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 22, 2003
Filed:
Sep. 08, 2000
Stuart D. Downes, Milford, MA (US);
EMC Corporation, Hopkinton, MA (US);
Abstract
The invention is directed to techniques for forming a connection between a pin and a circuit board using a pin having protruding portions and grooved surfaces that extend between the protruding portions. The protruding portions (i) prevent the pin from inadvertently slipping through a via of the circuit board, and (ii) maintains the pin's proper position relative to the circuit board via. The grooved surfaces enable gas to vent from a cavity in the via during the solder process thus enabling solder to flow within the via and form a reliable and robust solder joint between the pin and the circuit board via. In one arrangement, the protruding portions and grooved surfaces are at both ends of the pin enabling the pin to be soldered between two circuit board sections. In one arrangement, the pin is simultaneously soldered to both circuit board sections. In another arrangement, the pin is initially soldered to one circuit board section, and subsequently soldered to another circuit board section. In either arrangement, the protruding portions of the pin, and in some arrangements close tolerances between the pin and the via, facilitate positioning of the pin in its proper location and the additional surface area provided by the grooved surfaces and the protruding portions (i.e., wetted metallic surfaces having a high affinity for solder) retain solder in the via cavities of the circuit board sections in order to form healthy solder joints. Accordingly, the invention is suitable for use in connecting multiple circuit board sections together at opposite ends of a pin.