Dual-Path Circuit Board Connector With Internal Switching

The present invention relates to electrical circuit board connecting devices, and more particularly, to an electrical circuit board connector having two sets of contact pins and a plurality of internal switches which permit conductivity to be selectively established between pairs of contacts or between either contact of a contact pair and an electrical circuit on the circuit board.

In general, a printed circuit board is a device which provides a means of mounting and interconnecting conventional electric circuits on insulating substrates which form the boards. As is known, a printed circuit board consists of an insulating carrier upon which a conductive metal pattern is laid out to make desired connections between circuits which are mounted on the board. The conductive patterns are called lands. Typically, a connector is mounted on a printed circuit board for joining electrical circuits on the board with other circuits which reside in a location off of the board. Such connectors are customarily of the rack-and-panel type, and the circuit boards on which they are mounted are typically slidably held in a chassis.

Most printed circuit board connectors conventionally carry a plurality of contacts of the pin-and-socket type in a connector plug. The plug generally has a rectangular configuration and is attached to an edge of the board in order to mate with a corresponding receptacle mounted in a rack on the supporting chassis.

One drawback of existing printed circuit board connectors is that their contacts are generally capable of being engaged only by one other set of contacts in a receptacle which mates physically with the circuit board connector. Thus, when it is desired to change the circuit connections which a connector provides for electric circuits mounted on a board, one or more pins on the receptacle with which the connector mates must be rewired to provide the desired alternate routings. It is evident that provision of a set of contacts in addition to that already carried by a conventional circuit board connector, together with a means for selectively providing the electric circuits mounted on the circuit board with connections to one or the other of the sets of contacts, would expeditiously and effectively accomplish circuit linkage re-routing without the need for re-wiring. Moreover, if the switching means is also provided with a capability of establishing conductivity between selected ones of the two groups of contacts on the connector, then one or more electrical circuits on the board can be accessed through the connector of an adjacent board having a group of contacts which engage one of the groups of contacts on the first connector.

Heretofore, the design of conventional circuit board connectors has not lent itself well to selectively switching and routing electrical circuit paths between a plurality of adjacent connectors. However, because of the added switching capability which such a function would provide to a system including a plurality of adjacent printed circuit boards, it would be desirable to have a connector with an internal switching apparatus for use in routing signal paths through itself to an adjacent connector.

In the illustrated embodiments of my invention, a printed circuit board connector has a plurality of connector contacts which are engaged by other contacts to form electrical connections, with the contacts carried on a connector body. Mounted internally to the connector body is a switching apparatus which is connected to the connector contacts and to electrical circuits on the printed circuit board for selectively providing connections between pairs of the connector contacts and between electrical circuits carried on the circuit board and the contacts.

Preferably, the switching apparatus has a plurality of individual switches, each having respective connections to a respective electrical circuit, to a first contact, and to a second contact, and includes means for selectively providing conductivity between any two of its connections. Further, the contacts of the connector form two predetermined groups of contacts, with each contact of each group connected to a respective switch. The switch provides the connector with an improved switching and routing capability, enabling respective contacts in one group to form connections with contacts of the other group of contacts or with respective electrical circuits. When the connector is positioned adjacent to another printed circuit board connector also having two sets of contacts, one of which is positioned to engage one group of contacts on the first connector, connections to electrical circuits on either board can be selectively switched and routed through the adjacent connectors as desired.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved printed circuit board connector having two sets of contacts and a switching apparatus which can selectively provide connections between contacts of separate groups or between contacts and electrical circuits on the circuit board.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printed circuit board connector having two or more sets of contacts to afford selectively alternate paths for connection to electrical circuits on a printed circuit board.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printed circuit board connector which can be mounted on a printed circuit board to selectively route connections between its own contacts and contacts carried on another printed circuit board connector or electrical circuits carried on another printed circuit board.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a printed circuit board connector mounted on a printed circuit board having electrical circuits, which can selectively switch connections between those electrical circuits and the contacts of an adjacent printed circuit board connector.

These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the ensuing description of the preferred embodiments when taken together with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded assembly view of a first embodiment of the dual-path connector of the invention which includes internal solid-state switching circuitry.

FIG. 2A is a side sectional view taken along line A--A of the assembled connector of FIG. 1 illustrating the physical interconnection of connector contacts, a conductive land, and a switching circuit.

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram representing the interconnection of a pair of connector contacts and a circuit board land by a switching circuit internal to the connector.

FIG. 2C is a schematic diagram illustrating one implementation of the circuit of FIG. 2B using transistorized circuitry.

FIG. 2D is a partial plan view of two semiconductor carriers utilized to implement a plurality of switch circuits in the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded assembly drawing of a second embodiment of the connector of the invention wherein the internal switching is provided by sliding contact pads.

FIG. 4A is a sectional side view taken along line A--A of the assembled connector of FIG. 3 illlustrating the physical interconnection of contacts and the mechanical switching assembly.

FIG. 4B is a partially cut-away top view of the assembled connector of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the connector of the invention mounted on a printed circuit board.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of three adjacent connectors illustrating how the connector of the invention is used to form a bus.

FIG. 7A is a functional block diagram illustrating a normal operation mode for a plurality of adjacent dual-path connectors.

FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating a first alternate operating mode for a plurality of adjacent dual-path connectors.

FIG. 7C is functional block diagram illustrating another alternative operating mode for a plurality of adjacent dual-path connectors.

A first embodiment of the connector of the invention is illustrated at FIG. 1 wherein a conventional printed circuit board 10 has a plurality of conventional circuit lands, one of which is indicated by 12, which are connected to respective electrical circuits on the board. As is known in the art, such a printed circuit board typically has a rectangular connector of the rack-and-panel type mounted adjacent one of its edges, which provides electrical linkage between circuits on the circuit board and a rack of contacts with which the connector is brought into electrical contact. However, conventional circuit board connectors generally provide only a single array of contacts which are oriented in the direction necessary to engage corresponding contacts in the rack connector.

In the connector of the invention, however, two sets of contacts are provided so that circuits on a printed circuit board can be selectively connected to more than one set of circuit connections. The connector of the invention includes a connector rear block 14 which supports a plurality of circuit connection pins 16 which are connected to respective lands on the circuit board 10. The rear block has a rectangular configuration and is mounted on the circuit board 10 along and in parallel alignment with one of its edges 17.

A rectangularly-shaped connector front block 19 carries a plurality of conventionally mounted paddle contacts 21 which are disposed in a linear array for engagement with corresponding contacts in a rack connector (not shown) when the circuit board 10 is supported in a chassis assembly (not shown). Also carried on the front block 19 are a plurality of spring-loaded contacts 23 which are disposed on a block surface 24 oriented in a direction which is generally perpendicular to the direction in which the paddle contacts face. A plurality of contact pads are mounted on the surface of the connector block 19 which opposes the surface 24 on which the spring-loaded contacts 23 are mounted; each of the contact pads is associated with a respective spring-loaded contact 23. These pads are not shown in FIG. 1, but their disposition and spatial relationship to the paddle and spring-loaded contacts can be understood with reference to FIG. 2A, where one such contact pad, indicated by 25, is mounted on the front block surface 26 which opposes the surface 24. Two rows of spring-loaded contacts 27 are mounted on the back surface 28 of the front block 19 in a direction opposite that of the paddle contacts 21.

FIG. 2A illustrates the interconnections which are provided in the dual-path connector to electrically link the contacts described above and the circuit lands on the circuit board 10. Although only one set of contacts, pads, and interconnections are shown in the Figure, it is to be understood that a plurality of other sets are identically linked. In FIG. 2A, a paddle contact 21a is connected to one of the rear spring-loaded contacts 27a by an electrical lead 29 which is internal to the connector front block 19. A spring-loaded contact 23a which is associated with a the contact pad 25 and the spring-loaded contact 27b is connected to them by an electrical connection 31 which is also internal to the front block.

With the arrangement of parts illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2A, it is evident that the connector front block 19 possesses a dual-path capability, with one path including the paddle contacts 21 and another path, oriented perpendicularly to the paddle contact path, including the spring-loaded contacts 23 and their respective associated contact pads 25. To emphasize this feature, the spring-loaded contacts 23 are referred to hereinafter as 90.degree. contacts. A spring-loaded contact 23 and its associated contact pad 25 is referred to as a 90.degree. contact pair.

A thin rectangular switching assembly 33 is sandwiched between the rear block 14 and the front block 19 and carries a plurality of switching circuits, each of which is connected to a respective paddle contact, a respective 90.degree. contact pair, and a respective circuit board land. A typical switching circuit 34, illustrated in FIG. 2B, includes three independently controlled switches 35, 36 and 37, which are operated to selectively connect conductive paths 39, 40 and 41. As indicated, the path 39 is connected to a paddle contact, the path 40 to a 90.degree. contact, and the path 41 to a circuit board pin. In operation, the switch 35 can be closed while switches 36 and 37 remain open which provides conductivity between the paddle contact and, through its associated circuit connection pin, a circuit board land (and; through the land, an electrical circuit). Alternatively, the switch 36 can be closed while the switches 35 and 37 remain open, which provides conductivity between the paddle contact and the 90.degree. contact pair. Finally, the switch 37 can be closed while switches 35 and 36 are open which will establish conductivity between the 90.degree. contact pair and the circuit board land.

One exemplary electronic implementation of the switch 34 is illustrated in FIG. 2C. In the circuit of FIG. 2C, a pair of optically-activated field effect transistors (FET's) 43 and 45 are connected in series between a paddle contact connection and a circuit board land connection, with the connection to the 90.degree. contact pair connected between them. The FET's 43 and 45 are conventionally controlled by light-emitting diodes (LED's) 50 and 52, with either FET being activated when its associated LED is switched on. A third optically-controlled FET 47, controlled by LED 53, is connected in shunt across the FET's 43 and 45 and between the paddle contact connection and the circuit board land connection. In this circuit, when a selected FET is operated alone, conductivity can be selectively provided between the paddle and the 90.degree. contacts or between the circuit board land and either the paddle contact of the 90.degree. contacts.

One possible configuration for the semiconductor switching assembly 33 can be understood with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2D. The assembly 33 can include a pair of semiconductor carriers 54 and 55, with the FET's placed on the carrier 54, and LED's for controlling the FET's, on the carrier 55. The carriers 54 and 55 can comprise, for example, semiconductor substrates with the appropriate devices formed on their surfaces by conventional procedures. As illustrated in FIG. 2D, the FET's are arranged in a plurality of aligned columns, with each column providing the complement of three FET's necessary to form the switching circuit illustrated in FIG. 2C. Similarly, the LED's are formed in the substrate 55 in an equal number of columns, with each column providing the three LED's necessary to control three FET's in the manner described hereinabove. The carriers 54 and 55 are fastened together by conventional means, with the surfaces which carry the active devices disposed in a spaced, opposing .pa arrangement in which the columns of elements are aligned to provide the structure illustrated in FIG. 2A.

As presented in FIG. 2A, the column containing the LED's 50, 52 and 53 is arranged in an aligned, spaced relationship with the column containing the FET's 43, 45, and 47. The FET's are electrically connected as illustrated in FIG. 2C. In addition, the FET's 43, 45, and 47 are connected to the paddle contact 21a and 90.degree. contacts 23a and 25a by means of conductive spacers 56 and 57 which establish conductivity between the spring-loaded contacts mounted on the back surface 28 which connect to the paddle and 90.degree. contacts. The circuit pin 16a is connected by conventional means directly to the FET's 45 and 47 through the carrier 54.

Preferably, the switch circuits on the switching assembly 33 are operated in parallel so that each of the plurality of switches on the assembly 33 assumes the same operational configuration as every other switch. This limits the total amount of switching control hardware which is required to operate the switches. For example, the LED's which control similarly situated FET's in the circuits represented by FIG. 2C can be linked together so that, in all of the circuits, the same FET is activated at any one time. This will require only four control leads, three for the anodes of corresponding LED's, and one for the cathodes of all LED's. These control leads can be brought out to four of the paddle contacts on a connector and controlled by means external to the connector. It should be evident that the switching circuits on the switching assembly 33 can also be controlled individually so that the conductivity configuration between the three connections of any one switching circuit can be established independent of the configuration of any of the other circuits. This, however, would result in a proliferation of switch control leads and a concommitant decrease in the number of contacts available for transfer of signals between electrical circuits on the circuit board and their associated paddle and 90.degree. contacts.

An alternate embodiment to that illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 3 and includes a connector rear block 60 and front block 61. The rear and front blocks 60 and 61 correspond substantially to the rear and front blocks 14 and 19 described hereinabove, and the front block 61 carries a plurality of paddle contacts 63 and a row of spring-loaded contacts 64 mounted and connected in substantially the same fashion as the contacts 21 and 23 of the FIG. 1 connector. Another row of contacts below the contacts 64 is associated with a row of paddle contacts, not shown, mounted below the paddle contacts 63. Similarly, the rear block 60 carries a plurality of circuit connector pins 65 mounted in its lower surface, each of which is connected to a spring-loaded contact, not shown, on the front surface of the rear block. The alternate embodiment also includes a plurality of spring-loaded contacts 66 mounted on the upper surface of a connector midblock 70, which is sandwiched between a pair of contact pad strips 72 and 74, which are slidably held between the rear and front blocks while enclosing the midblock 70. The rear and front blocks can be attached together by any conventional means with the sliding contact pad strips 72 and 74 and midblock 70 held therebetween. The contact pad strips can be held in sliding disposition within channels 75 formed in opposite sides of midblock 70. The contact strips can be reciprocally driven by any conventional means, for example, miniature solenoids or high-torque stepper motors. The midblock also carries on its lower surface a plurality of contact pads, not shown, each of which is connected to a respective one of the spring-loaded contacts 66 to form a 90.degree. contact pair.

Each contact pad strip 72 and 74 carries a longitudinal row of conductive pads which comprise individual zones of electrically conductive material. The pads extend through the strip and are electrically insulated from one another. The numeral 76 indicates one row of contact pads on the strip 72, while the numeral 78 represents one row of pads on the strip 74.

The structure of an individual switch in the FIG. 3 embodiment of the connector of the invention can be understood with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, which illustrate the association and interconnections between one set of 90.degree. contacts, one paddle contact, and one circuit connection pin, it being understood that these figures are representative of a plurality of such interconnections in the connector. The 90.degree. contacts comprise a spring-loaded contact 66a and an associated contact pad 68, and are mounted on opposing surfaces of the midblock 70 in electrical connection therethrough. As shown in FIG. 3, the midblock 70 also carries two rows of spring-loaded contacts perpendicularly to the 90.degree. contacts; one row is indicated by 80; two other rows, not shown, of spring-loaded contacts are carried on the opposte face of the midblock 70. Each contact 80 is connected to a contact on the opposite face to form a set therewith; the plurality of contact sets are associated in pairs. This is exemplified in FIGS. 4A and 4B where contacts 80a and 81a are paired with contacts 80b and 81b. Further, one of the paired sets of contacts is connected to a set of 90.degree. contacts; this is shown, for example, in FIG. 4B where the contact 66a is connected to the contact set including contacts 80b and 81b. The contacts, 80a and b, and the contacts 81a and i b, are spaced apart at a distance which is greater than the length of a conductive pad. The contact 64a on the rear of the front block 61 which is connected to the paddle contact 63a is located opposite contacts 80a and 81a and midway therebetween. Similarly, a spring-loaded contact 84 which is mounted in the front surface of the rear block 60 and in electrical contact with the circuit connector pin 64a is positioned opposite and midway between the contacts 80b and 81b.

When the connector of FIG. 3 is assembled, the contacts 80a, 81a and 65a physically touch the sliding contact strip 72 while the contacts 80b, 81b and 84 contact the sliding contact pad strip 74. In operation, each of the sliding strips 72 and 74 can be independently placed in one of two positions. In the first position of the strip 72, the conductive pad 76a is positioned to be in contact with the contacts 80a and 64a to provide electrical connection between them. In the second position of the contact pad strip 72, the conductive pad 76a is positioned to provide conductivity between the contacts 81a and 64a. Similarly, in the first position of the contact strip 74, the contact pad 78a is positioned to connect the contact 80b and 84a while in the second position of the strip 74 the contact pad 78a establishes electrical contact between the contacts 81b and 84. Thus, with both sliding strips in their first position, conductivity is provided between the paddle contact 63a and the circuit connector pin 65a. With the sliding strip 72 in its second position and the sliding strip 74 in its first position, conductivity exists between the paddle contact 63a and the 90.degree. contacts 66a and 68. Finally, with the sliding strip 72 in its first position and the sliding strip 74 in its second position, there is conductivity between circuit connector pin 65a and the 90.degree. contacts 66b and 68.

Both embodiments of the dual-path connector are assembled by conventional means, for example, machine screws and threaded plugs. Either embodiment is then conventionally secured to a circuit board so that the paddle contacts are substantially aligned with an edge of the board and parallel to its surface. The circuit connection pins are soldered to corresponding respective conductive lands on the board.

One possible application environment of either embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5 where a circuit board 84 has mounted on it a connector 90 having a plurality of switches which operate as described above to selectively provide .pa conductivity between a plurality of paddle contacts 91, a plurality of 90.degree. contacts 92, and a plurality of circuit connections 93. In the illustrated example, each circuit connection 93 is connected to a respective land combining the output of a line driver 95 and a line receiver 97. Operation of the switches to provide conductivity between the paddle contacts 91 and the circuit connections 93 can enable all of the line drivers 95, for example, to simultaneously provide signals to the paddle contacts 91. This configuration can be used to read the output of a multi-bit data buffer, not shown. Operation of the switching circuits to provide conductivity between the 90.degree. contacts 92 and the circuit connection pins 93 can be used, for example, to read a plurality of data bits in parallel into the multi-bit buffer, through the line receivers 97, from a location separate from the data output destination.

FIG. 6 illustrates another operative example of the connector of the invention. A plurality of printed circuit boards 100a, b, and c, with dual-path connectors 102a, b, and c, respectively, mounted thereto, are disposed in an aligned, abutting relationship so that spring-loaded 90.degree. contacts of one connector contact 90.degree. contact pads of an adjacent connector, thus forming an electrical bus to which a plurality of electrical circuits 106a, b, and c may be connected by the simultaneous operation of the switches in the dual-path connectors 102a, b, and c. The different operational modes which are made possible by the aligned, abutting relationship illustrated in FIG. 6 can be understood with reference to FIGS. 7A-7C.

In FIG. 7A, each of a plurality of dual-path connector switches 110a, b, and c in respective dual-path connectors mounted on circuit cards 1, 2, and 3, respectively, are connected to a respective one of the active circuits 112a, b, and c, a respective one of the paddle contacts 114a, b, and c, and a respective one of the 90.degree. contact pairs consisting of spring-loaded contacts 116a, b, and c, and contact pads 118a, b, and c. The circuit cards upon which the dual-path connectors are mounted are aligned as illustrated in FIG. 6 so that the spring-loaded 90.degree. contacts of each dual-path connector contact the 90.degree. contact pads of an adjacent connector. This provides a busing arrangement linking the aligned 90.degree. contact pairs of the plurality of circuit cards. FIG. 7A illustrates what may be termed a "normal" operation mode wherein all of the switches 110a, b, and c are operated to connect their respective associated active circuits with their respective associated paddle contacts. This provides a direct path between the active circuits 112a, b, and c, and its associated paddle contact, and permits each electrical circuit to be independently connected to a different location.

A "busing" mode is illustrated in FIG. 7B. A single-path bus consisting of the aligned 90.degree. contact pairs of the adjacent connectors enables all of the electrical circuits 112a, b, and c to be connected through their respective 90.degree. contact pairs to a single, common point. This mode of operation can be used, for example, for conventional bussing, for mutual communication between the electrical circuits 112a, b, and c, or for the establishment of a common testing mode for the circuits without the need for an external testing adaptor.

Finally, FIG. 7C illustrates what may be termed a "circuit substitution" mode of operation. In this mode, the switch 110a in the dual-path connector of circuit card 1 is operated to connect the paddle contact 114a through its associated 90.degree. contacts 116a and 118a to the common bus which is formed by the aligned juxtaposition of the 90.degree. contacts of the adjacent circuit cards. In this configuration, the switch 110a effectively removes the electrical circuit 112a from any external contact through either the 90.degree. contacts or the paddle contact 114a. At the same time, the switch 110c in the dual-path connector of circuit card 3 is operated to connect the electrical circuit 112c to the 90.degree. contacts 116c and 118c. All of the switches on the dual-path connectors of circuit card 6 located between the circuit cards 1 and 3 are operated to connect their respective associated electrical circuits with their respective associated paddle contacts. Thus, the paddle contact 114a can access the electrical circuit 112c directly through the common bus established through the aligned 90.degree. contact pairs of the juxtaposed dual-path connectors. This permits the circuit 112c to be substituted for the circuit 112 a when, for example, the circuit 112a malfunctions.

It is to be understood that although the bussing arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7A-7C is presented in terms of only a single bus which accesses a single sequence of circuits through a plurality of aligned 90.degree. contact pairs, a plurality of similarly constructed busses can be operated in parallel through the dual-path connectors.

Further, it should be evident that a multi-path connector may be constructed having internal switching means which selectively provides conductivity through or between more than two groups of contacts.

Thus, the foregoing description provides a disclosure of a dual-path connector having a plurality of groups of electrical contacts and an internal switching apparatus which permits electrical circuits on a printed circuit card to be selectively connected to respective contacts in either group of contacts, thereby affording the connector the ability to selectively route electrical paths between those circuits and other locations connected to the groups of contacts.

Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, and it is therefore understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.