PRESSURE GUIDE FOR PCB

Abstract

The invention proposes a pressure guide for an electric connection between contact decks on a circuit board (1) and electric contacts arranged in an edge connector (6), wherein said pressing device aligns a circuit board (1) guided between two guide bars (10, 11) by means of a spring element (16, 26) arranged in the one of the guide bars, namely in such a way that the electric strip conductors applied on the circuit board exactly conform to the contacts arranged within the edge connector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the figures and described in greater detail below. The figures show:

FIG. 1 shows an aspect of a backplane with an edge connector and a circuit board arranged between the guide bars before the mating process;

FIG. 2 shows a detail of FIG. 1 before the mating process;

FIG. 3 shows a detail of FIG. 1 after the mating process;

FIG. 4 a shows an aspect of a circuit board that is inserted between a bottom plate and a cover plate;

FIG. 4 b shows a detail of the spring element according to FIG. 4a;

FIG. 5 a shows an aspect of a separate spring element in a cover plate, and

FIG. 5 b shows a sectional representation of the spring element with an inserted card.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows an arrangement for directly mating a circuit board 1 with an edge connector 6 that is fixed on a so-called backplane 5.

The circuit board 1 is inserted between two guide bars 10, 14 that are usually mounted on a not-shown cover plate or bottom plate or on corresponding support bars.

In this case, the upper guide bar 10 features a cutout 11 that is illustrated in detail in FIG. 2 in the immediate vicinity of the edge connector 6.

A spring element 16 is arranged within the recess 11 that extends from the base of the U-shaped bar 10 into the lateral limbs 12, wherein the spring arm 17 of the spring element lies on the lateral limbs that are realized in the form of braces 13 in this case with its rounding 18. The recess is realized such that the rounding 18 of the spring arm 17 extends into the U-shaped cutout 11 of the guide bar.

A spring element 16 made of a metallic material is inserted into the upper guide bar 10 that is usually made of a plastic material or the spring element is shaped out of the material of the guide bar.

According to FIG. 3, the circuit board 1 located in the upper guide bar 10 features a step 3 on its mating side, wherein the thusly tapered front section needs to be inserted into the mating slot 7 of the edge connector 6.

The spring arm 17 lies on the lateral braces 13 within the recess 11 until shortly before the circuit board is inserted into the edge connector, wherein the circuit board 1 that could previously be inserted between the guide bars 10, 14 with quite some vertical clearance is pressed against the lower guide bar 14 as soon as the edge 4 of the circuit board 1 reaches the rounding 18 of the spring arm 17.

However, the lower guide bar 14 is adapted to the strict tolerance referred to the lower edge 8′ of the mating slot 7 in the edge connector 6 such that exact conformity between the electric contacts in the connector and the strip conductors arranged on the circuit board is ensured.

An additional improvement in locating the circuit board relative to the edge connector is achieved in that the circuit board is pressed against the lower edge 8′ of the mating slot in the edge connector 6, wherein the lower mating slot edge 8′ of the edge connector 6 is situated in a slightly elevated position referred to the lower guide bar 14 (with consideration of the variations in size of the circuit boards).

FIG. 4 a shows a section of a circuit board housing in which the circuit board is held in guide bars between a cover plate 20 and a bottom plate 24, wherein said guide bars are formed by locating braces 21 that are shaped out of the plate material in a handle-like fashion and point into the interior.

Two adjacent locating braces that are spaced apart from one another and arranged in the front and rear regions respectively form a guide bar for a circuit board 1 to be inserted therein.

A spring element 26 acting upon the circuit board 1 is illustrated in FIG. 4b in the form of an enlarged partial section, wherein said spring element is shaped out of the material of the cover plate 20 and ensures that the circuit board 1 is pressed against the bottom plate 24.

FIG. 5 a shows a separate spring element 30 that can be subsequently installed and therefore is suitable for retrofitting applications in a cover plate that does not feature an integral spring element.

For this purpose, the spring element 30 is integrated into a plastic body 31 that is mounted in two openings 25 in the cover plate 20, wherein said openings consist of already provided standard openings or are produced subsequently.

In this case, a spring arm 32 shaped out of the plastic body 31 penetrates into a cutout 22 that is formed by inwardly bent locating braces 21. This means that the spring arm acts upon the upper narrow side 2 of the circuit board 1 as shown in FIG. 5b.

The plastic body 31 of the separate spring element is snapped into the openings 25 provided or to be provided in the cover plate 20 by means of two integral plunger pins 33.

Claims

1. A pressure guide for a circuit board that can be inserted between a lower and an upper guide bar in a circuit board housing in order to achieve precise contacting of the strip conductors applied to the circuit board with corresponding electric contacts arranged in an edge connector, wherein a spring element acting upon one narrow side of the circuit board is provided within one guide bar.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. The pressure guide according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is arranged near a step of the inserted circuit board such that one of its sides always acts upon one narrow side of the circuit board.

6. The pressure guide according to claim 1, wherein the respective lower guide bar of the edge connector is adjusted to a minimal height tolerance between the lower step of the circuit board and the lower edge of the mating slot.

7. The pressure guide according to claim 1, wherein the lower edge of the mating slot in the edge connector is situated in an elevated position referred to the step of the circuit board.

8. The pressure guide according to claim 1, wherein the guide bars are realized in the form of locating braces that are arranged to both sides of the circuit board in a cover plate and a bottom plate of a circuit board housing surrounding the circuit board, wherein a spring element is arranged within the upper locating brace in the form of an integral element in the mating direction of the circuit board.

9. The pressure guide according to claim 8, wherein the spring element to be inserted separately is arranged within one of the locating braces provided in the cover plate.