阅读说明：本技术 高连接器数的配合兼容性 (High connector count mating compatibility ) 是由 J·弗兰兹 B·T·珀塞尔 P·丹纳 于 2021-04-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了一种方法和系统,其允许在高密度连接器之间更容易的耦接。在一个示例的实施方式中,在计算机上的连接器安装在从计算机板延伸的柔性的凸片上,凸片通过在每个凸片的两侧上的切槽形成。在每个凸片内的铣削部段使凸片更薄,这允许附加的柔性。在另一示例的实施方式中,直通连接器使用为在两个配合的连接器之间的中介。直通连接器具有内部针,所述内部针的公差大于两个配合的连接器之间的公差,这允许更容易对准用于耦接的针。在又另一示例的实施方式中,配合的连接器使用在配合连接器之间的线缆束耦接,其允许多个连接器的每次一个的耦接,这降低或消除了对于同时耦接多个连接器的需求。(A method and system are disclosed that allow for easier coupling between high density connectors. In one exemplary embodiment, the connectors on the computer are mounted on flexible tabs extending from the computer board, the tabs being formed by slots on both sides of each tab. The milled section within each tab makes the tab thinner, which allows for additional flexibility. In another exemplary embodiment, a pass-through connector is used as an intermediary between two mating connectors. The pass-through connector has an internal pin with a tolerance greater than the tolerance between two mating connectors, which allows for easier alignment of the pins for coupling. In yet another example embodiment, the mating connectors use cable bundle coupling between the mating connectors that allows for coupling of multiple connectors one at a time, which reduces or eliminates the need to simultaneously couple multiple connectors.)

1. A computer board, comprising:

a base Printed Circuit Board (PCB) including a plurality of flexible tabs formed within the base PCB, each tab of the plurality of flexible tabs being separated from the base PCB by a slot on either side to allow each tab of the plurality of flexible tabs to be offset relative to the base PCB under connector coupling insertion force; and

a plurality of high-count connectors attached to a plurality of flexible tabs, the high-count connectors being offset with the plurality of flexible tabs to allow simultaneous alignment of pins and receivers of the plurality of connectors with receivers and pins, respectively, of a plurality of mating high-count connectors.

2. The computer board of claim 1, wherein the computer board further comprises a milled portion on each tab of the plurality of flexible tabs for imparting flexibility on each tab of the plurality of flexible tabs.

3. The computer board of claim 2, wherein the milled portion is on the same surface of the base PCB as on which each of the plurality of high-count connectors is attached to the base PCB.

4. The computer board of claim 1, wherein the computer board further comprises a milled portion on each tab of the plurality of flexible tabs for imparting flexibility on the respective tab, the milled portion being on a surface of the base PCB opposite a surface on which each of the plurality of high-count connectors is attached to the base PCB.

5. The computer board of claim 1, wherein the computer board further comprises two milled portions on each tab of the plurality of flexible tabs for imparting flexibility on the respective tab, the two milled portions being located on different surfaces of the base PCB, respectively.

6. The computer board of claim 2, wherein the computer board further comprises power and ground traces and signal traces embedded in the base PCB, the power and ground traces and signal traces routed around milled portions of the plurality of flexible tabs.

7. The computer board of claim 1, wherein the computer board can be used in a computer chassis having a vertical section that is perpendicular to a horizontal section, and the computer board can be used for both the vertical section and the horizontal section.

8. The computer board of claim 1, wherein the plurality of high-count connectors are arranged on the plurality of flexible tabs as alternating male and female connectors.

9. The computer board of claim 1, wherein the computer board comprises a plurality of high-count connectors all on the same surface of the base PCB.

10. The computer board of claim 9, wherein the computer board comprises a flat surface opposite a surface on which the plurality of high-count connectors are disposed, and the computer board is usable with another computer board of the same type in a computer chassis, wherein the respective flat surfaces of the two computer boards are placed adjacently together to increase connector density in the computer chassis.

11. A computer board, comprising:

a base Printed Circuit Board (PCB);

a plurality of high-count connectors attached to a first surface of the base PCB; and

a pass-through flexible connector for coupling each of the high-count connectors to each of a plurality of respective mating connectors and for adding flexibility to allow simultaneous alignment of all of the pins and receptacles of both the each of the plurality of high-count connectors and the each of the plurality of respective mating connectors.

12. The computer board of claim 11, wherein the computer board further comprises a plurality of plastic retainers surrounding each of the plurality of pass-through flexible connectors to maintain coupling between each of the plurality of high-count connectors and each of the plurality of corresponding mating connectors.

13. The computer board of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of plastic retainers surrounds every other one of the plurality of high-count connectors and each of the plurality of corresponding mating connectors.

14. The computer board of claim 11, wherein the pass-through flexible connector includes a pin and a receiver with a tolerance that is greater than a tolerance between the pin and the receiver of both each of the plurality of high-count connectors and each of the plurality of corresponding mating connectors.

15. The computer board of claim 11, wherein the base PCB has a second surface to be placed adjacent to a second surface of a base PCB of an adjacent computer board to increase a spatial density of connectors in the computer chassis that houses the computer board and the adjacent computer board.

16. A computer board, comprising:

a base Printed Circuit Board (PCB);

a plurality of high-count connectors attached to a first surface of a base PCB; and

a plurality of cable-based flexible connector assemblies for coupling each of the high-count connectors to each of a plurality of corresponding mating connectors and for increasing flexibility to allow individual alignment of the pins and receivers of both the each of the plurality of high-count connectors and each of the plurality of corresponding mating connectors.

17. The computer board of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of cable-based flexible connector assemblies is permanently attached to the computer board at one end of each of the cable-based flexible connector assemblies and constitutes one of the plurality of high-count connectors.

18. The computer board of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of cable-based flexible connector assemblies is shorter than a cable-based flexible connector assembly that is not attached to the computer board.

19. The computer board of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of cable-based flexible connector assemblies includes a protective sleeve surrounding a cable section of each of the plurality of cable-based flexible connector assemblies to prevent cable sag.

20. The computer board of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of cable-based flexible connector assemblies is attached to every other of each of the plurality of high-count connectors.

Background

With the widespread use of computers in most fields and the corresponding increase in complexity of electronic devices and software, data transmission and communication through electronic systems, servers and boards has also increased accordingly. Most wired data transmission is typically accomplished through a connector. One way to increase the speed of communication is to use parallel signals, which results in a greater number of connectors, each having a relatively greater number and/or higher density of signal pins. This applies in particular to servers which play a central role in serving applications and data files from many client systems. As the number of connectors and their signal density increases, it becomes more difficult to align and couple two mating connectors simultaneously. For example, it is much more difficult to align and plug together two computer server boards at the same time than two connectors per board, each connector having 12 pins (2 x 12 ═ 24 pins per board): each board has eight mating connectors, each connector having 30 pins (8 x 30 ═ 240 pins per board).

Drawings

The disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawing figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a computer chassis into which a plurality of electronic boards are inserted according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2A is a perspective left side view of two sets of directly mated computer boards in a horizontal and vertical orientation in accordance with one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2B is a perspective right side view of two sets of directly mated computer boards in a horizontal and vertical orientation in accordance with one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3A is a schematic view of a computer board including a flexible connector tab according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3B is an enlarged view of a flexible connector tab on the computer board of fig. 3A, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3C illustrates a configuration including a pass-through flexible connector for use with a computer board similar to fig. 3A, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3D illustrates a configuration including a cable-based flexible connector assembly for use with a computer board similar to fig. 3A, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4A illustrates a computer board tab profile including a milled portion of its Printed Circuit Board (PCB) base, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4B illustrates a computer board tab profile that includes a milled portion in a mid-section of its base Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on a side (surface) of the PCB opposite a connector of the computer board, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4C shows a computer board tab profile that includes a milled portion in a mid-section of its base printed circuit board on the same side (surface) of the PCB as the connector of the computer board, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4D illustrates a computer board tab profile of a milled portion in a mid-section of its base printed circuit board, both on the same side (surface) of the PCB as the connector of the computer board and on an opposite side, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5A is an isometric view of two mating computer boards to be coupled by a pass-through flex connector according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5B is an isometric view of a computer board coupled with a pass-through flex connector according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6A is a plan side view of a first connector and its corresponding pin mated with a second connector and its corresponding pin through a pass-through flexible connector according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6B is an enlarged view of a pin of the first connector and a pin of the second connector coupled together by the pass-through flexible connector, and a difference between tolerances of the first and second connectors and tolerances of the pin of the pass-through flexible connector, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6C is an enlarged view of the enlarged tolerance provided by the pass-through flexible connector 603 relative to the first and second connectors according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 shows a configuration in which a first connector is coupled to a second connector via a cable-based flexible connector, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Illustrative examples of the following claimed subject matter will now be disclosed. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort, even if complex and time-consuming, would be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "a" and "an" are intended to have the ordinary meaning in the patent art, i.e., "one or more". As used herein, the terms "about" and "approximately" when applied to a numerical value generally mean within the tolerance or accuracy of the equipment used to generate the value, or in some examples, plus or minus 10% or plus or minus 5%, or plus or minus 1%, unless expressly specified otherwise. Further, the term "substantially" as used herein, for example, means a majority, or almost all, or an amount in the range of about 51% to about 100%. Furthermore, the examples herein are presented for purposes of illustration and discussion only and are not limiting.

It will be appreciated that even though the term "computer board" is used in this disclosure, the concepts, systems and methods described may be equally applied to other related fields, such as other digital and analog electronic boards, optical devices, and the like. It will be further appreciated that even in the relevant figures, the disclosed structures and techniques, such as the structure of the connectors and the mating methods of the connectors, are shown for one or a few connectors only for simplicity and clarity, and such structures and techniques apply to all connectors on a computer board in a given configuration. For example, a pass-through flexible connector may be shown for one connector on a computer board (see fig. 3C), but all connectors on the computer board include a pass-through flexible connector.

In short, the methods and systems of the present disclosure allow for easier and more reliable coupling between high density connectors with a large number of pins or receptacles relative to not using these methods and systems. In one embodiment, the connectors on the computer board are mounted on flexible tabs extending from the computer board. On both sides of each tab, the tabs may be formed by cut slots in the plate, for example using a milling machine, to separate each tab from the plate on its side, thereby providing flexibility of the tab relative to the plate. Furthermore, the milled section in each tab makes the tab thinner, thereby increasing flexibility.

In another embodiment, the through-connectors act as an intermediary component between two mating connectors on two mating boards. The addition of the pass-through connector components increases the tolerance (e.g., doubles the tolerance) as compared to the two original mating connectors, making it easier to align the needles for coupling.

In yet another embodiment, the mating connectors are coupled by a cable bundle between the mating connectors that allows for the coupling of multiple connectors one at a time, thereby reducing or eliminating the need to couple multiple connectors simultaneously. In fact, the margin in terms of tolerances increases due to the independent compatibility of each connector interface. In this configuration, eventually all of the connectors on one board mate with their corresponding or mating connectors on the mating board, but the process of mating the connectors together is performed by: the connectors are mated one at a time because the connectors attached to the cables are not held in a rigid position relative to each other and their respective mating connectors and cannot be mated at the same time.

FIG. 1 illustrates a computer chassis 100 housing a plurality of computer boards 101 and 104 inserted therein according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In an example embodiment, computer boards 101 and 104 are plugged into or coupled with other boards to transfer data between different computing modules. The computer board 101 may be engaged or guided in position by rails 102 and 103 on a vertical portion of the computer chassis 100 (see figures). Similarly, the computer board 104 may be joined or guided in position by rails 105 and 106 on a horizontal portion of the computer chassis 100 (see the figures).

In some embodiments, the backplane may be used as a data communication or transmission path, such as a bus like Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), PCI industrial computer manufacturer organization (PICMG), PCI extensions (PCIX), etc., in various computing platforms. Typically, a backplane is a board that includes a connector on one side into which other computer boards are inserted. A midplane is a board that includes connectors on both sides into which other computer boards are inserted. In the embodiments illustrated herein, no backplane or midplane is required for the computer board to be inserted. Alternatively, the boards are directly coupled together for data exchange without an intervening backplane or midplane. Direct connections often reduce the number of system components and the number of indirect or intermediate contacts in the data transmission path, thereby improving reliability and performance. Reliability is generally improved because fewer components and contacts may fail. Performance may be improved due to the shorter length of the data transmission path and, therefore, impedance and delay will be lower. Although most backplane and midplane boards have long slot connectors into which the board is inserted, in some embodiments, the backplane or midplane board may be adjusted to obtain the benefits of the systems and methods of the present disclosure.

However, as described above, direct connection between a plurality of "high-count connectors" (each having pins or receptacles on the order of tens or hundreds) on the computer boards 101 and 104 involves simultaneous contact between many pins (pins on the order of hundreds) and corresponding receptacles. The simultaneous alignment of the pin and the receiver may become challenging due to the tight tolerances required to establish good electrical contact and stable mechanical contact between the pin and the receiver. The physical force required to mount the boards in the computer chassis 100 by inserting the pins into the corresponding receptacles may also be substantial, which increases the difficulty of direct connection between the mating boards. The alignment and insertion force mounting problems will be further explained below. The present disclosure proposes a technical solution that helps solve these problems. In a practical and practical system, the mating boards may have hundreds (e.g., 300 to 500) of connectors, each with hundreds (e.g., 150 to 300) of pins, respectively, since precise pin alignment requirements would make it difficult to connect tens of thousands of pins simultaneously.

Fig. 2A is a left side view 200 of two sets of directly mated computer boards 201, 202, and 205 in a horizontal and vertical orientation, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the arrangement of the computer boards 201, 202, and 205 and the placement of their respective high-count connectors 203, 204, 206, 207 allows for a spatial density concentration of connectors and thus density and high data transfer rates, which is generally desirable in computing systems. The figure shows a simplified example of an overall computer system showing the orientation of the main components and circuit boards and how they fit together. Real and practical systems may have hundreds of connectors that mate simultaneously.

In this arrangement, the computer boards 201 and 202 have their respective connectors on one surface of the board. As shown in fig. 2A, the opposing (without the connector mounted thereon) planar surfaces of the circuit boards face and contact each other, and their respective connectors are backed off on the opposing surfaces. Thus, referring to the orientation shown in the figures, the computer boards 201 and 202 are placed adjacent to each other and have their connectors on the top and bottom.

The high-count connectors 203, 204, 206 and 207 alternate on the computer board, with every other connector being a male connector (with pins) and a female connector (with receivers), shown in dark and light shading and in different orientations in the drawings. This alternating configuration of male and female connectors provides symmetric connectivity, which allows the same board to be used in either the front (or horizontal) or rear (or vertical) portions of the computer chassis 100 (see fig. 1). This arrangement allows the same board to be used in any configuration, rather than using different computer boards for different chassis or server configurations. In such an arrangement, the computer board may be flipped or rotated about any of its axes and still be able to be connected to an otherwise similar board. In other example embodiments, the male and female connectors may be arranged differently while still providing symmetric connectivity. For example, there may be two male connectors with two female connectors, or four male connectors with four female connectors, or other arrangements that result in symmetric connectivity.

The computer boards 201, 202 and 205 are interchangeable in terms of connectivity (but not necessarily interchangeable in terms of board functionality). Computer boards 201 and 202 are shown in a horizontal orientation (as shown in fig. 2A), while mating computer board 205 (and other boards) are shown in a vertical orientation. Alternatively, the positions of the computer boards 201, 202, and 205 may be designated to be perpendicular to the respective mating boards. Thus, in each horizontal and vertical portion of computer chassis 100, there is a horizontally mounted board and a vertically mounted board, respectively.

The horizontally oriented computer boards 201 and 202 may face upward or downward, with the upward/downward orientation also being relative to the other computer boards. For example, the computer board 201 faces upward (the surface on which the connector is mounted), and the computer board 202 faces downward with respect to the computer board 201. Both computer boards 201 and 202 are oriented horizontally with respect to the (vertically oriented) computer board 205. Similarly, the vertically oriented computer board 205 faces to the right, while some other vertically oriented computer boards (e.g., vertical computer boards including the high-count connector 206) face to the left with respect to the computer board 205.

Fig. 2B is a perspective right side view 250 of two sets of directly mated computer boards in a horizontal and vertical orientation in accordance with one or more examples of the present disclosure. This perspective right view 250 shows the same computer board arrangement as in FIG. 2A from a different perspective to more clearly show the relationship between the horizontal and vertical rows of boards and how they are spatially and geometrically related to each other, as has been described in detail with reference to FIG. 2A.

Fig. 3A illustrates a computer board 300 including a flexible connector tab 302 according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In an example embodiment, the computer board 300 includes a PCB substrate 301, flexible connector tabs 302, connectors 303, slots 304, and milled portions 305.

In some example embodiments, the connector 303 is mounted on one face of the PCB substrate 301. The flexible connector tabs 302 are partially separated from the PCB substrate 301 by slots 304 formed on either side thereof. The flexible connector tab 302 is more flexible by separation from the PCB substrate 301 due to the partial separation from the PCB substrate 301. In this way, the flexible connector tabs 302 may flex or bend up and down relative to the plane of the remainder of the PCB substrate 301, allowing the connector 303 mounted thereon to be more easily repositioned for alignment with a mating connector.

The flexibility of the flexible connector tab 302 may be enhanced by milling a portion (e.g., the milled portion 305 of the flexible connector tab 302) to make the flexible connector tab thinner and more easily bendable. A small amount of flexing or bending through the flexible connector tab 302 and the attached connector 303 can have a significant effect in aligning the connector pin and the corresponding receiver to insert them into each other.

Fig. 3B is an enlarged view 320 of the flexible connector tab 302 of the computer board 300 of fig. 3A, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, the milled portion 305 is similar to a shallow channel cut into the PCB substrate 301, which is also part of the flexible connector tab 302. The A-A section will be described in further detail below. As described above with reference to fig. 3A, the milled section 305 forms a thinner section in the PCB substrate 301 and the flexible connector tab 302, allowing greater flexibility of the flexible connector tab 302 to be obtained with less applied force, because the thinner section of material will deflect (bend) more than a thicker section (e.g., rectangular in this case) of the same material having the same geometric cross-section for applying the same amount of bending force. In some example embodiments, the milled portion 305 may be omitted.

A thinner milled section 305 is typically cut at the base of the flexible connector tab 302 to allow for offset of the flexible connector tab 302 and the connector mounted thereon to make alignment of the pin and receiver with the mating connector easier.

Fig. 3C illustrates a configuration 340 of pass-through flexible connectors 344a and 344b for use with a computer board 341 similar to fig. 3A, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. This configuration includes connectors 342 and 343 attached to computer board 341 and pass-through flexible connector 344a to be coupled with connector 343. The pass-through flexible connector 344b is similar to the pass-through flexible connector 344a, but the pass-through flexible connector 344b is shown in a mated position. It also includes plastic retainers 345a and 345b with plastic clips 346 to establish and maintain a rigid coupling between two directly engaged connectors (e.g., connector 343 and pass-through flexible connector 344 a).

In an example embodiment, the connector 343 may be indirectly coupled with a corresponding mating connector on a corresponding computer board via a pass-through flexible connector 344 a. Indeed, the pass-through flexible connector 344a increases the tolerance between the pin or receiver of the connector 343 and the pin or receiver of a corresponding mating connector on a corresponding computer, as will be further described below with reference to fig. 6A-6C.

In an exemplary embodiment, the connector 343 is surrounded by a plastic retainer that maintains the coupling between the pass-through flexible connector 344a and the connector. The plastic retainer may use a flexible plastic clip 346 to maintain position relative to the two connectors. This arrangement allows the mating connectors to remain in place without being anchored to the computer chassis 100 (see fig. 1) for rigidity and stability (e.g., to a wall or other structural member of the computer chassis 100). In one exemplary embodiment, a plastic retainer may be applied to every other connector 343 on the computer board 341. In this way, all connectors 343 are secured by corresponding plastic retainers. Having plastic retainers on every other connector of each mating computer board with two mating boards allows the connectors 343 to be assembled closer to each other, increases space density and reduces the size of the mating computer boards. This arrangement also creates configuration symmetry that allows a single board type and configuration to be used in each slot of computer chassis 100 regardless of the orientation of up, down, left, or right with respect to other adjacent or mating computer boards. This is because half of the plastic holders are placed on every other connector 343 on each mating computer board 361 and 362, and all of the connectors on all of the mating computer boards are coupled with the plastic holders.

Fig. 3D illustrates a configuration 360 including a cable-based flexible connector assembly for use with a computer board 361 similar to fig. 3A, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In one example implementation, the configuration 360 includes a connector 363 that attaches to a computer board 361 to be coupled with a cable-based flexible connector assembly (having a first connector 365 attached to a cable bundle 367) that in turn attaches to a second connector 366 to be coupled with a mating connector 364 attached to a corresponding computer board 362. The bundle of cables may be bundled in a protective piece or sleeve 369. In another example embodiment, a cable-based flexible connector is integrated with the computer board 361, replacing both the connector 363 and the first connector 365 with an integrated connector 368.

In this integrated configuration, the length of the cable-based flexible connector assembly is reduced by the same length as the length of the first connector 365, also increasing the connection reliability between the computer boards 361 and 362. This configuration is described further below with reference to fig. 7.

Fig. 4A illustrates a computer board tab profile 400 including a milled portion 402 of its base printed circuit board 401 according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In an example embodiment, the base PCB 401 includes a connector 403 attached to a first surface 408 of the base PCB 401, power and ground traces 404, signal traces 405 embedded within the base PCB 401, and lateral channels 406 and 407. A milled portion 402 may be formed in the second surface 409 of the base PCB 401.

In an example embodiment, the computer board tab profile 400 shows a cross-section a-a of fig. 3B, which is a side view of the thickness of the base PCB 401. As previously described, the milled portion 402 increases the flexibility of the tab on which the connector 403 is mounted.

The milled portion 402 is similar to a channel dug into the thickness of the base PCB 401. The depth of the channel is about 10% -35% of the thickness of the PCB board. In order not to interfere with or damage one or more layers of power and ground traces 404 and signal traces 405 embedded within the base PCB 401, the milled out portion 402 must avoid such electrical traces, e.g., power and ground traces 404 and signal traces 405. Thus, power and ground traces 404 and signal traces 405 may be routed around milled portion 402 by passing power and ground traces 404 and signal traces 405 up and down around milled portion 402 using lateral channels 406 and 407 (also referred to in the art as "vias").

Fig. 4B shows a computer board tab profile 420 that includes a milled portion 421 in a middle section of its base printed circuit board 422 on the side (surface) of the PCB opposite the connector of the computer board, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. This configuration is similar to the general configuration shown in fig. 4A, with the milled portion 421 located specifically on the surface of the base PCB 422 opposite the connector 403.

Fig. 4C shows a computer board tab profile 440 that includes a milled portion 441 in a middle section of its base printed circuit board 442 on the same side (surface) of the PCB as the connector of the computer board, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. This configuration is similar to the general configuration shown in fig. 4A, with the milled portion 441 being specifically located on the same surface of the base PCB 422 as the connector 403.

Fig. 4D shows a computer board tab profile 460 of two milled portions 461 and 462 in a middle section of its base printed circuit board 463, both on the same side (surface) of the PCB as the connector of the computer board and on the opposite side, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. This configuration is similar to the general configuration shown in fig. 4A, with milled portions 461 and 462 specifically located on the same surface and opposite surface of the base PCB 463 as the connector. This configuration provides greater flexibility and greater symmetrical flexibility of the tab-mounted connector.

Fig. 5A is an isometric view 500 of two mating computer boards 501 and 503 to be coupled by a pass-through flexible connector 502 according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In one exemplary embodiment, mating computer boards 501 and 502 have corresponding mating connectors 504 and 505, respectively, that are coupled together by pass-through flexible connector 502. Indeed, the pass-through flexible connector 502 increases the tolerance between the pin and the receptacle of the mating connectors 504 and 505, as will be described further below with reference to fig. 6A-6C. In this configuration, the computer boards 501 and 503 are in a vertical position relative to each other, similar to the configuration described with reference to fig. 2A-2B.

Fig. 5B is an isometric view 550 of a computer board 551 coupled with pass-through flexible connectors 554a and 554B, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. The configuration includes connectors 552 and 553 by which the computer board 551 is coupled with another mating computer board via a pass-through flexible connector 554a by way of the connectors 552 and 553. The pass-through flexible connector 544b is similar to the pass-through flexible connector 544a, but is shown in a mated position. Plastic retainers 555a and 555b facilitate maintaining a rigid coupling between connectors that are directly coupled together. The retainer reduces or eliminates the need to anchor or attach the connector to rigid structural members of the computer chassis (e.g., chassis walls). The pass-through flexible connector 554a has two sides, one side facing one mating connector and the other side facing the other mating connector. The pass-through flexible connector 554a is first coupled with one of the mating connectors and then the computer board 551 so configured is pressed into the other mating computer board (not shown in this figure, similar to the computer board 501 in fig. 5A). This allows for easier alignment of the pin and the receptor of the mating connector (as compared to not using the pass-through flexible connector 554 a) by the flexible connector 554 a.

Fig. 6A is a planar side view 600 of a first connector 601 and its corresponding pin mated with a second connector 605 and its corresponding pin through a pass-through flexible connector according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, the first connector 601 is inserted into the through connector 603 on one side. On the other side, the through connector 603 is inserted into the second connector 605, the first connector 601 and the second connector 605 being mating connectors with respect to each other. As previously described, the through-connector 603 effectively increases the tolerance (allowable deviation) between the first connector 601 and the second connector 605. This increased tolerance is further described below with reference to enlarged views 602 and 604.

Fig. 6B is an enlarged view 602 of the pin of the first connector 601 and the pin of the second connector 605 coupled together by the pass-through flexible connector 605, and the difference between the tolerance of the first and second connectors and the tolerance of the pin of the pass-through flexible connector, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. The enlarged view 602 shows some details of the pass-through flex connector 603. In particular, the figure shows that the pins and/or receptacles 606 on both sides of the straight-through flexible connector 603 have a larger fit tolerance as shown in dashed lines. This will be further described with the aid of the enlarged view in fig. 6C.

Fig. 6C is an enlarged view 604 of the tolerances 610, 611, and 612 provided by the pass-through flexible connector 603 relative to the superposition of the first connector and the second connector, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In this view, a first (or upper) tolerance boundary 607, a centerline 608, and a second (or lower) tolerance boundary 609 are shown. Mechanical tolerances refer to the difference in size between two mating mechanical parts, such as a pin and a socket in a connector or a piston in an engine and its surrounding cylinder. Dimensional differences between these mating parts can create gaps. The gap depends on its spatial boundaries. Tolerance boundaries 607 and 609 refer to the extent of the gap between the pin and the receiver of the coupled connector.

In an exemplary embodiment, tolerance boundaries 607 and 609 are a predetermined distance, such as 0.003 inches, in opposite directions from centerline 608. The predetermined distance may be a tolerance between the pin and the receiver of the two mating connectors 601 and 605 without the use of the pass-through flexible connector 603. As shown, a first tolerance boundary 607 is on one side of the centerline 608 and a second tolerance boundary 609 is on the other side of the centerline 608. As such, the overall expanded tolerance 611 between the first and second tolerance boundaries 607 and 609 is effectively twice the tolerance between the pin and the receiver of the two mating connectors 601 and 605 without the use of the pass-through flexible connector 603. This increased tolerance provided by the pass-through flexible connector 603 makes it easier to align the pin and receiver of the two mating connectors 601 and 605.

Fig. 7 shows a configuration 700 in which a first connector 703 is coupled to a second connector 704 via a cable-based flexible connector assembly, according to one or more examples of the present disclosure. In such a configuration, the cable-based connector assembly may have a first connector 705 attached to the computer board 701, a second connector 706 attached to the mating computer board 702, and a cable harness 707 connecting the first connector 705 and the second connector 706, respectively.

In one example embodiment, the cable-based flex connector assembly introduces connection flexibility in the connection between mating computer boards using the flex cable harness 707. This also allows the mating connector pairs 705 and 706 on each mating computer board 701 and 702, respectively, to be coupled individually, rather than coupling all of the connector pairs at once. This reduces the need to align multiple connector pairs simultaneously between mating boards. As shown in fig. 3D, the bundle of cables may be wrapped in a protective cover or sheath 369 to protect the cables from physical wear, slack, or entanglement. The boot may further provide a degree of stiffness to avoid excessive movement caused by loose cables during coupling.

In another exemplary embodiment, the integrated connector 708 replaces the connectors 703 and 704, thereby reducing the overall length of the cable-based flexible connector assembly and saving space, improving signal integrity due to reduced signal path length and reduced contacts (which typically reduce the quality of the electrical signal), and increasing the reliability of the coupling between the two mating connectors 703 and 704. In this configuration, the cable-based flexible connector assembly is permanently attached to one computer board 701, and the other end is available for flexible coupling with a mating connector on a mating computer board 702.

In one example implementation, a cable-based flexible connector assembly may be permanently attached to every other connector 708 on the computer board 701. In this way, two mating computer boards have a cable-based flexible connector assembly on every other connector 708 of each mating computer board that allows the connectors 708 to be assembled closer to each other, increases space density, and reduces the size of the mating computer boards. This arrangement also creates configuration symmetry that allows a single board type and configuration to be used in each slot of computer chassis 100 regardless of the orientation of up, down, left, or right with respect to other adjacent or mating computer boards. This is because half of the cable-based flexible connector assembly is placed on every other connector 708 on each mating computer board and all of the connectors on all of the mating computer boards are coupled together with the cable-based flexible connector assembly.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the systems and methods described herein may be practiced without the specific details. The foregoing descriptions of specific examples have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms described. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The examples are shown and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure and various examples with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.