Oculink electronic device having flexible circuit board

An oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board includes an oculink connector, a first rigid circuit board, a second rigid circuit board and the flexible circuit board. The first rigid circuit board is connected with the oculink connector. The flexible circuit board is extended from the first rigid circuit board and the second rigid circuit board and disposed between the first rigid circuit board and the second rigid circuit board. Therefore, not only the assembling steps are reduced, but also the total length is significantly shortened. The rotatable characteristic is provided, and the space requirement of installation is reduced.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Taiwan Patent Application No. 107123210, filed on Jul. 4, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, peripheral component interconnect express (PCI-E or PCIe) interfaces are widely utilized in the computer-relative fields. It has the speed fast enough to replace the internal buses of prior art. Meanwhile, PCI-E interfaces further support the hot swapping technology, and PCI-E interfaces have better portability and modularity potential.

An optical copper link (OCuLink, hereinafter “oculink”) interface based on PCI-e 4.0 utilizes copper wires as the main connection intermedium and provides 8 Gb/s high bandwidth with single one channel. It supports 4 channels, which means that the total bandwidth can achieve 32 Gb/s. The volume is smaller, so that the oculink interface would provide the standard connection in the future for the miniaturization platform to connect with external devices, so that the internal scalability and external diversity can be enhanced.

However, the oculink interface still has some drawbacks. The conventional oculink interface still uses connectors and wires for connection. Not only the cost is high, but also the total length is hard to be shortened. It also causes the difficulty of installation. When a device with worse protection (e.g. an interface card without casing or a hard-disk drive that is sensitive to vibrations) is going to connect to the connector of the oculink interface, it will cause the device to be naked and suspended in the air with only the connector part, and further cause the instability of utilization.

Therefore, there is a need of providing an improved oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board distinct from the prior art in order to solve the above drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments of the present invention are to provide an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board in order to overcome at least one of the above-mentioned drawbacks encountered by the prior arts.

The present invention provides an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board. By extending the flexible circuit board from the first rigid circuit board and the second rigid circuit board, not only the assembling steps are reduced, but also the total length is significantly shortened. The rotatable characteristic is provided, and the space requirement of installation is reduced.

The present invention also provides an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board. By disposing the electronic components on the second rigid circuit board, the versatility of the existing products can be enhanced. Moreover, through the bendable component and the first housing that can be rotated relative to the second housing, the rotational function can be implemented, the internal electronic components can be effectively protected, the stability and protectivity of the product are enhanced, and the interferences between the internal electronic components and the peripheral electronic components can be avoided.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board. The oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board includes an oculink connector, a first rigid circuit board, a second rigid circuit board and the flexible circuit board. The first rigid circuit board is connected with the oculink connector. The flexible circuit board is extended from the first rigid circuit board and the second rigid circuit board and disposed between the first rigid circuit board and the second rigid circuit board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer toFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B.FIG. 1Aschematically illustrates the structure of an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 1Bschematically illustrates the top view of the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board shown inFIG. 1A. As shown inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board1includes an oculink connector11, a first rigid circuit board12, a second rigid circuit board13and the flexible circuit board14. It should be noted that the oculink connector11herein is any one connector meets with the requirements of the oculink specification and protocol. Certainly, the oculink electronice device having a flexible circuit board1is also an electronic device that meets the requirements of the oculink specification and protocol. For example, the oculink connector11can be the Nano-pitch I/O™ produced by Molex, LLC, which has 42 pins, but not limited herein. The first rigid circuit board12is connected with the oculink connector11. The flexible circuit board14is extended from the first rigid circuit board12and the second rigid circuit board13and disposed between the first rigid circuit board12and the second rigid circuit board13.

In some embodiments, the first rigid circuit board12, the second rigid circuit board13and the flexible circuit board14can be manufactured through the same manufacturing process of a printed circuit board (hereinafter “PCB”). Only circuits are printed on the flexible circuit board14. None or only a part of the rigid plate material is stacked on the flexible circuit board14. For example, when the first rigid circuit board12and the second rigid circuit board13are PCBs stacked by 6 layers, only the processes of 2 layers of the 6 layers are executed to implement the flexible circuit board14with the flexible circuits. The flexible circuit board14can also be called as a flexible printed circuit (FPC), but not limited herein. Therefore, since the first rigid circuit board12, the second rigid circuit board13and the flexible circuit board14are formed together, none of an assembling is necessary. Therefore, not only the assembling steps are reduced, but also the total length is significantly shortened. The rotatable characteristic is provided, and the space requirement of installation is reduced.

In some embodiments, the first rigid circuit board12is connected with the oculink connector11through a terminal set121(e.g. connected with the pins of the oculink connector11), but not limited herein.

Please refer toFIG. 2AandFIG. 2B.FIG. 2Aschematically illustrates the structure of an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board according to another embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2Bschematically illustrates the top view of the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board shown inFIG. 2A. As shown inFIG. 2AandFIG. 2B, an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board2includes an oculink connector21, a first rigid circuit board22, a second rigid circuit board23and the flexible circuit board24. The oculink connector21, the first rigid circuit board22and the flexible circuit board24are similar with the oculink connector11, the first rigid circuit board12and the flexible circuit board14of the embodiments mentioned above, and are not redundantly described herein. In this embodiment, the second rigid circuit board23includes an adapter component231. The adapter component231is disposed on the second rigid circuit board23and connected with the oculink connector21through the flexible circuit board24and the first rigid circuit board22. In other words, when the oculink connector21is connected to an apparatus to turn on the circuits, the oculink connector21is electrically connected with the first rigid circuit board22, the flexible circuit board24, the second rigid circuit board23and the adapter component231through the terminal set221. On the other hand, the adapter component is utilized for providing the installation to an expansion device3. The expansion device3is removably connected with the adapter component231, and the expansion device3is removably disposed on the second rigid circuit board23and parallel to the second rigid circuit board23, but not limited herein. The expansion device3includes but not limited to a storage unit such as a memory or a solid-state disk, or an interface card having different and special functions.

Please refer toFIG. 3AandFIG. 3B.FIG. 3Aschematically illustrates the structure of an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board according to another embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 3Bschematically illustrates the top view of the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board shown inFIG. 3A. As shown inFIG. 3AandFIG. 3B, an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board4includes an oculink connector41, a first rigid circuit board42, a second rigid circuit board43and the flexible circuit board44. The oculink connector41, the first rigid circuit board42, the second rigid circuit board43and the flexible circuit board44are similar with the oculink connector11, the first rigid circuit board12, the second rigid circuit board13and the flexible circuit board14of the embodiments mentioned above, and are not redundantly described herein. In this embodiment, the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board4further includes a bendable component5. The bendable component5has a first connection portion51, a second connection portion52and a bendable portion53. The first connection portion51is connected with the first rigid circuit board42. The second connection portion52is connected with the second rigid circuit board43. The bendable portion53is connected with the first connection portion51and the second connection portion52. In some embodiments, the bendable component5is a metal plate (e.g. an iron plate). The bendable portion53is wavy-shaped (e.g. a wavy-shaped iron plate), but not limited herein.

In some embodiments, the first rigid circuit board42of the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board4has a plurality of first openings420, the second rigid circuit board43has a plurality of second openings430, and the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board4may further include a plurality of fixing components6. In some embodiments, the fixing components6are respectively penetrated through the first openings420and the second openings430for fixing the first rigid circuit board42with the first connection portion51and fixing the second rigid circuit board43with the second connection portion52. The first connection portion51and the second connection portion52also can have holes corresponded to the first openings420and the second openings430, but not limited thereto. In addition, the fixing components6can be screw components, locking components, tight components or adhesive components, but not limited thereto.

Please refer toFIG. 1A,FIG. 4,FIG. 5AandFIG. 5B.FIG. 4schematically illustrates the structure of an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board and the first housing and the second housing thereof.FIG. 5Aschematically illustrates the structure after the first housing of the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board shown inFIG. 4is rotated counter-clockwise relative to the second housing.FIG. 5Bschematically illustrates the structure after the first housing of the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board shown inFIG. 4is rotated clockwise relative to the second housing. As shown inFIG. 1andFIGS. 4-5B, the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board1of the present invention may further include a first housing7and a second housing8. The first housing7covers the first rigid circuit board12and the flexible circuit board14. The oculink connector11is protruded from a side, which is away from the second rigid circuit board13, of the first housing7. The second housing8covers the second rigid circuit board13, and the first housing7is rotatably connected with the second housing8. In some embodiments, the second housing8includes a top housing81and a bottom housing82. The second rigid circuit board13is disposed between the top housing81and the bottom housing82. In other words, when the second housing8is going to be used to cover the second rigid circuit board13, the top housing81and the bottom housing82are aligned and assembled to each other from the two sides (i.e. the top side and the bottom side) of the second rigid circuit board13, so that the second rigid circuit board13and the electronic components or expansion device supported by the second rigid circuit board13are protected.

In some embodiments, the first openings120of the first rigid circuit board12and the second openings130of the second rigid circuit board13of the oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board1may respectively be used to assembled and fixed with the first housing7and the second housing8, or may be firstly assembled and fixed with a bendable component and then be installed in the first housing7and the second housing8, but not limited herein.

In some embodiments, the first housing7is rotatably connected with the second housing8. The connection position of the first housing7and the second housing8can be utilized as a rotational axle. The oculink connector11can be driven by the first housing7to rotate counter-clockwise (as shown inFIG. 5A) from the position where the first housing7is parallel to the second housing8towards the direction of the top housing81, or can be driven by the first housing7to rotate clockwise (as shown inFIG. 5B) from the position where the first housing7is parallel to the second housing8towards the direction of the bottom housing82. The maximum rotational angle in a single direction is 90 degrees. That is, the first housing7can be totally rotated between 180 degrees.

From the above discussion, the present invention provides an oculink electronic device having a flexible circuit board. By extending the flexible circuit board from the first rigid circuit board and the second rigid circuit board, not only the assembling steps are reduced, but also the total length is significantly shortened. The rotatable characteristic is provided, and the space requirement of installation is reduced. Meanwhile, by disposing the electronic components on the second rigid circuit board, the versatility of the existing products can be enhanced. Moreover, through the bendable component and the first housing that can be rotated relative to the second housing, the rotational function can be implemented, the internal electronic components can be effectively protected, the stability and protectivity of the product are enhanced, and the interferences between the internal electronic components and the peripheral electronic components can be avoided.