PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9966677-B2
Application Number: US-201615224397-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Low-profile SSD connector

Abstract:
Connectors that may be used to connect optional or daughter cards or modules to main logic boards or motherboards in electronic devices. These connectors may have a reduced effective height and may be able to support high data rates. Cards in these connectors may be secured in place in an electronic device to avoid being inadvertently dislodged. The connectors may accept a card such as a solid state drive, memory card, subscriber identification module, or other type of card. Examples may also provide cards to be inserted in the connectors and boards to support the connectors.

Claims:
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device comprising:
 a connector comprising: 
 a housing having a front opening; 
 a row of contacts located along the front opening in the housing; 
 a top shield over the housing and having a front edge folded over and into the front opening; and 
 a bottom shield under the housing and having a front edge folded over and into the front opening, 
 wherein the row of contacts comprises pairs of first contacts terminating in first connecting portions and single second contacts terminating in second connecting portions positioned between each pair of first contacts. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the first connecting portions are surface-mount portions and the second connecting portions are through-hole portions. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 2  further comprising a card inserted in the connector, the card comprising:
 a ground pad; and 
 a plurality of contacts on a top surface of the card and between a first edge of the card and the ground pad. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the card is one of a solid-state drive and a subscriber identification module. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the card further comprises a second edge opposite the first edge, the second edge having a first extended portion on a first end and a second extended portion on a second end, the first extended portion having a first opening and the second extended portion having a second opening. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 5  further comprising a board, wherein the connector is mounted partially over an opening on the board such that a bottom of the card is at least approximately in the same plane as a top of the board. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 6  further comprising a first fastener through the first opening in the card and a corresponding opening in the board and a second fastener through the second opening in the card and a corresponding opening in the board. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device of  claim 7  wherein the bottom shield contacts the top shield via a first tab at a first end of the bottom shield, a second tab and a second end of the bottom shield, and a rear tab at a rear of the bottom shield. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the top shield includes a plurality of tabs along a rear, the tabs inserted into openings in the board. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device of  claim 9  wherein the front opening of the housing comprises a keying feature. 
     
     
       11. The electronic device of  claim 10  wherein the board is a printed circuit board. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device of  claim 2  wherein the through-hole portions shield the surface-mount portions. 
     
     
       13. An electronic device comprising:
 a board having first and second parallel edges and a third edge joining the first edge and second edge; and 
 a connector having housing including a rear portion supporting a plurality of contacting portions for a row of contacts, the plurality of contacting portions connected to the board, the housing having a front portion extending away from the board and beyond the third edge, a top shield over the housing and having a front edge folded over and into a front opening, and a bottom shield under the housing and having a front edge folded over and into the front opening. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device of  claim 13  wherein the row of contacts are located along a top of a front opening of the connector,
 wherein the row of contacts comprises pairs of first contacts terminating in surface-mount portions and single second contacts terminating in through-hole portions positioned between each pair of first contacts. 
 
     
     
       15. The electronic device of  claim 13  further comprising a card having a first edge inserted in the connector,
 wherein the card comprises a second edge opposite the first edge, the second edge having a first extended portion on a first end and a second extended portion on a second end, the first extended portion having a first opening and the second extended portion having a second opening, 
 the electronic device further comprising a first fastener through the first opening in the card and a corresponding opening in the board and a second fastener through the second opening in the card and a corresponding opening in the board. 
 
     
     
       16. An electronic device comprising:
 a connector comprising:
 a housing having a front opening; and 
 a row of contacts located along the front opening in the housing, 
 wherein the row of contacts comprises pairs of first contacts terminating in first connecting portions and single second contacts terminating in second connecting portions positioned between each pair of first contacts; 
 
 a card inserted in the connector, the card comprising:
 a first ground pad on a top surface of the card; and 
 a plurality of contacts on a top surface of the card and between a first edge of the card and the first ground pad, 
 wherein the card further comprises a second edge opposite the first edge, the second edge having a first extended portion on a first end and a second extended portion on a second end, the first extended portion having a first opening and the second extended portion having a second opening; and 
 
 a board having first and second facing edges and a third edge joining the first and second edge, wherein the connector has a rear portion supporting a plurality of contacting portions of the contacts, the plurality of contacting portions connected to the board and a front portion extending away from the board and beyond the third edge. 
 
     
     
       17. The electronic device of  claim 16  wherein the first connecting portions are surface-mount portions, the second connecting portions are through-hole portions, and the through-hole portions shield the surface-mount portions.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The number and types of electronic devices available to consumers have increased tremendously the past few years and this increase shows no signs of abating. Electronic devices, such as portable media players, storage devices, tablets, netbooks, laptops, desktops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, cell, media, and smart phones, televisions, monitors, and other display devices, navigation systems, and other devices have become ubiquitous. 
     Moreover, options for some particular devices have also proliferated. For example, for a particular device, the size of an internal memory may be an option. Other functionalities, such as video or graphics cards, network or cellular connections, and others, may also be made available as options or as possible upgrades. This may allow a manufacturer to offer products at several price points, and may allow customers to buy only the amount of functionality that is required to suit their needs and to possibly upgrade at a later time. 
     In these devices, various options may be added by including an optional or daughter card or module inside a housing of the electronic device. These optional or daughter cards or modules may be attached to a main logic board or motherboard. Specifically, these optional or daughter cards or modules may be attached to a board inside the electronic device housing using a connector. 
     Unfortunately, these connectors consume space inside the electronic device. This consumed space may increase the size of the electronic device or reduce the functionality that could otherwise be included in the electronic device. Also, data rates among devices in these electronic devices have increased tremendously. Using a connector may degrade signal quality and reduce the data rates to a lower frequency that may otherwise be achievable. Further, these optional or daughter cards or modules may inadvertently become dislodged when a force is applied to the electronic device. 
     Thus, what is needed are connectors that can be used to connect optional or daughter cards or modules to main logic board or motherboards in electronic devices. It may also be desirable for these connectors to have a reduced effective height and be able to support high data rates. It may also be desirable that they may be secured in place in an electronic device to avoid being inadvertently dislodged. The cards themselves and supporting boards are needed as well. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide connectors that may be used to connect optional or daughter cards or modules (referred to as cards herein) to main logic boards or motherboards (referred to as main logic boards herein) in electronic devices. These connectors may have a reduced effective height and may be able to support high data rates. Cards in these connectors may be secured in place in an electronic device to avoid being inadvertently dislodged. Embodiments of the present invention may also provide the cards and supporting boards, or some combination of boards, cards, and connectors. 
     An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector having a reduced effective height by positioning at least a portion of the connector in an opening or over an edge a board that the connector is mounted on. This positioning may reduce an effective height of a connector from the combined height of the connector and board to the height of the connector alone. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a connector may have a rear portion having connecting portions for contacts, where the connecting portions are fixed or soldered to the board. The connector may have a front portion extending either beyond an edge of the board or into an opening in the board. A card may be inserted into an opening in a front of the connector. This may position the card such that a bottom surface of the card is at least approximately in a plane with a top surface of the board. In other embodiments of the present invention, this may position the card such that a top surface of the card is at least approximately in a plane with a top surface of the board. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the connector may include a housing having a front opening. A row of contacts may be located along a top of the front opening in the housing, along a bottom of the opening, or both. The top row of contacts may include pairs of first contacts terminating in first connecting portions and single second contacts terminating in second connecting portions positioned between or adjacent to each pair of first contacts. The first connecting portions may be surface-mount portions and the second connecting portions may be through-hole portions, though this arrangement may be reversed or other arrangements may be used. The pairs of first contacts may convey differential signals, while the intervening single second contacts may convey ground or an AC ground, such as a power supply. This may electrically isolate the differential signals on the pairs of first contacts from each other and from external noise and other electromagnetic interference. This isolation may improve signal quality and increase the data rates that may be conveyed using this connector. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the connector may include a top shield over the housing and having a front edge folded over and into the front opening to form a top row of ground contacts. The connector may further include a bottom shield under the housing and having a front edge folded over and into the front opening to form a bottom row of ground contacts. The bottom shield may contact the top shield via a first tab at a first end of the bottom shield, a second tab and a second end of the bottom shield, and a rear tab at a rear of the bottom shield. The top shield may include a plurality of tabs along a rear. These tabs may be inserted into openings in the board. The front opening of the housing may further comprise a keying feature. The keying feature may prevent a user from inserting a card in a reversed or rotated manner in the connector. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, a card may be inserted in a front opening of the connector. The card may include ground pads and a plurality of contacts on a top surface of the card and between a first edge of the card and the ground pads, where the first edge is inserted into the opening in the connector. The ground pads may form electrical connections with the top and bottom rows of ground pads formed by the top and bottom shields of the connector. Contacts on a top surface of the card may form electrical connections for signals and power with the top row of contacts of the connector. 
     The card may further comprise a second edge opposite the first edge. The second edge may have a first extended portion on a first end and a second extended portion on a second end. The first extended portion may a first opening and the second extended portion may have a second opening. A first fastener may be placed through the first opening in the card and a corresponding opening in the board and a second fastener may be placed through the second opening in the card and a corresponding opening in the board in order to secure the card in place. The card may further comprise a plurality of memory or other electronic devices on the top surface of the card, the bottom surface of the card, or both. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, the components of the connectors may be formed in various ways of various materials. For example, contacts, shields, and other conductive portions of the connectors may be formed by stamping, metal-injection molding, machining, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. The conductive portions may be formed of stainless steel, steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, or other material or combination of materials. They may be plated or coated with nickel, gold, or other material. The nonconductive portions, such as housing and other portions, may be formed using injection or other molding, 3-D printing, machining, or other manufacturing process. The nonconductive portions may be formed of silicon or silicone, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, elastomers, liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), ceramics, or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. 
     Embodiments of the present invention may provide connectors, boards, and cards that may be located in various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, cell phones, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices. These connectors may provide pathways for signals and power for cards or other modules, such as solid state drives (SSDs), memory cards, subscriber identification modules (SIMs), Secure Digital cards, Secure Digital High Capacity cards, Secure Digital Extended Capacity cards, Secure Digital Ultra-High-Capacity I cards, Secure Digital Ultra-High-Capacity II cards, memory sticks, compact flash cards, communication modules, and other devices and modules that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. These connectors may provide pathways for signals that are compliant with various standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), High-Definition Multimedia Interface® (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt™, Lightning™, Joint Test Action Group (JTAG), test-access-port (TAP), Directed Automated Random Testing (DART), universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters (UARTs), clock signals, power signals, and other types of standard, non-standard, and proprietary interfaces and combinations thereof that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. Embodiments of the present invention may provide these cards, supporting boards, and combinations of these cards, boards, and connectors. 
     Various embodiments of the present invention may incorporate one or more of these and the other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be gained by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a portion of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a top view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a rear view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of a connector attached to a board according to embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a bottom side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a cut-away side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a cut-away side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a portion of a board according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a connector and a board according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a card according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a portion of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This figure, as with the other included figures, is shown for illustrative purposes and does not limit either the possible embodiments of the present invention or the claims. 
     This figure includes a connector  100 , card  200 , and board  300 . Connector  100  may include a front portion  102  for accepting a first edge  210  of card  200 , and a rear portion  104  for mounting on board  300 . Front portion  102  of connector  100  may be located in an opening  310  in board  300 , or it may be located beyond an edge (not shown) of board  300 . This may allow connector  100  to have a low profile, thereby saving space inside an electronic device. 
     Conventionally, an effective height of a connector may be a combined height of the connector and the board on which it resides. By arranging a connector in this manner, the effective height of the connector may be reduced to be approximately the height of the connector itself. In this particular example, card  200  may be positioned such that a bottom surface of card  200  is approximately in a plane with a top surface of board  300 . This may be particularly useful when fastening card  200  to board  300 , as shown here. In other embodiments of the present invention, card  200  may be positioned such that a top surface of card  200  is approximately in a plane with a top surface of board  300 , though other arrangements are possible. 
     Traditionally, cards inserted into connectors may be jostled or inadvertently disconnected by forces applied to the electronic device that houses the card and connector. Accordingly, card  200  may be fixed in place relative to connector  100  and board  300  in order to prevent such dislocations. Specifically, a first edge  210  of card  200  may be inserted into connector  100 . A second edge  220  of card  200  may include lateral extensions  230  and  240 . Lateral extensions  230  and  240  may include openings  232  and  242 . Openings  232  and  242  may align with corresponding openings (not shown) in board  300 . Fasteners (not shown) may be inserted into openings  232 ,  242 , and their corresponding openings in board  300 , thereby fixing card  200  in place relative to connector  100  and board  300 . This arrangement may fix both ends of the card  200  to board  300 , thereby making an inadvertent disconnection between card  200  and connector  100  less likely. An example of a connector that may be used as connector  100  is shown in the following figure. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector  100  may include an opening  106  for accepting a card  200  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Connector  100  may further include a front portion  102  and a rear portion  104 . Connector  100  may include a housing  110 , which may include posts  112  on rear portion  104 . Post  112  may be inserted into corresponding holes in board  300 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Housing  110  may further include one or more keying features  114 . Keying features  114  may prevent a reversed or rotated insertion of a card into connector  100 . That is, keying features  114  may prevent a card that is incorrectly oriented by 180 degrees from being inserted into connector  100 . 
     Connector  100  may include a top shield  120 . Top shield  120  may be folded over into opening  106  to form ground contacts  122 . Ground contacts  122  may form electrical connections with ground pads on a card (not shown) when the card is inserted into opening  106  in connector  100 . Contacts  122  may form an improved connection with these ground pads when they are split by divisions  124  as shown. Connector  100  may further include bottom shield  130 . Bottom shield  130  may include ground contacts  132  formed by bottom shield  130 , which may be folded over back into opening  106 . Ground contacts  132  may be separated by divisions  134  to improve an electrical connection to the ground pads on the card  200  (not shown). Further details of connector  100  are shown in the following figures. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a top view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector  100  may include top shield  120  over a top of housing  110 . Housing  110  may include one or more keying features  114 . Shield  120  may be folded to form ground contacts  122 . Ground contacts  122  may be separated by divisions  124  to improve electrical connections with ground pads on a card (not shown) inserted into connector  100 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector  100  may include housing  110 . Housing  110  may include a front opening  106  of the connector. Ground contacts  122  and  132  may be located at the top and bottom of the opening  106  of connector  100 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a rear view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector  100  may include housing  110 , which may be shielded by a top shield  120  and a bottom shield  130 . Top shield  120  may include a number of tabs  128 . These tabs  128  may be inserted into openings in board  300  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Housing  110  may also include posts  112 . Posts  112  may be inserted into openings in board  300  for mechanical stability and alignment. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of a connector and a board according to embodiments of the present invention. Connector  100  may include opening  106  to accept a card  200  (not shown). Front portion  102  of connector  100  may be located beyond edge  320  of board  300 . Specifically, board  300  may include an edge  320 , which may define an end of board  300 , or edge  320  may be an edge of an opening  310  in board  300 . Rear portion  104  of connector  100  may be mounted on board  300 . Rear portion  104  of connector  100  may include tabs  126  and other structures shown below which may be inserted into openings in board  300  or attached to contacts on a surface of the board  300 . Examples are shown in the following figure. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a bottom side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector  100  may include a front portion  102  for accepting a card  200  (not shown) and a rear portion  104  for attaching to a board  300  (not shown). Front portion  120  may include narrow portions  116 , each having a raised portion  118 . Narrow portions  116  may be located over tabs or extensions on board  300  to provide mechanical support for connector  100 , as shown below in  FIG. 11 . 
     Rear portion  104  may include posts  112 , as well as tabs  126  and  128 , to be inserted into openings in board  300 . Rear portion  104  may also include first connecting portions, shown here as through-hole portions  142 , and second connecting portions, shown here as surface-mount portions  152 , of contacts of connector  100 . These contacts are shown in more detail in the following figures. 
     Again, it may be desirable for connector  100  to support high frequency data rates. Accordingly, surface-mount portions  152  may be used to convey differential signal pairs. These differential signal pairs on surface-mount portions  152  may be isolated from each other by through-hole portions  142  of ground contacts. Through-hole portions  142  of the ground contacts may provide electrical isolation between differential pair signals conveyed using surface-mount portions  152 . In this way, each differential pair conveyed on surface-mount portions  152  may have adjacent ground (or AC ground or other low-impedance path) contacts on each side and may be shielded by top shield  120  and bottom shield  130 , as shown above. Through-hole portions  142 , together with tabs  126  and  128 , also form a shield or Faraday cage around the surface-mount portions  152 , preventing electromagnetic interference from and to adjacent electronic components or devices. 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector  100  may include housing  110 . Housing  110  may include an opening  106  to accept card  200  (not shown). Housing  110  may include keying features  114 . Keying features  114  may help to prevent a rotated insertion of card  200 . Housing  110  may include posts  112 , which may be inserted into openings in board  300  for mechanical support and alignment. Housing  110  may include slots  119  along the top side. Contacts  140  and  150  may be located in slots  119 . 
     Connector  100  may include a top row of contacts  140  and  150 . Contacts  140  may include a beam and contacting portion  144  and a through-hole portion  142 . Similarly, contacts  150  may include a beam and contacting portion  154  and a surface-mount portion  152 . Contacting portions  144  and  154  may form electrical connections with contacts on card  200 . As described above, contacts  140  may be used to convey ground and to provide electromagnetic isolation for pairs of contacts  150 . In practical applications, at least some of the contacts  140  may be used to convey power supplies, which may be considered to be AC grounds, as opposed to ground itself. 
     Connector  100  may include top shield  120 . The front edge of top shield  120  may be folded back into opening  106  of housing  110  to form ground contacts  122 . Top shield  120  may include tabs  126 , which may be inserted into openings in board  300  (not shown). 
     Connector  100  may include bottom shield  130 . Bottom shield  130  may include a front edge which may be folded back into opening  106  in housing  110  to form ground contacts  132 . Bottom shield  130  may include tab  136  to meet with a tab (not shown) on top shield  120 . Bottom shield  130  may further include side portions  138  including tabs  139 . Tabs  139  may meet with tabs  129  on sides of top shield  120 . Tabs  129  and  139  may be aligned with notches  118  in housing  110 . Shield  120  may be soldered, or laser spot welded, to bottom shield  130 . Bottom shield  130  may be grounded to top shield  120  via side portions  138  and tab  136 . Top shield  120  may be grounded to board  130  via tabs  126  and  128 , as shown above. Top shield  120  and bottom shield  130  may be grounded to card  200  through ground contacts  122  and  132 . 
     Connector  100  may also include tape or other isolating feature  160 . Tape or other isolating feature  160  may prevent contacts  140  and  150  from electrically contacting an inside surface of shield  120 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a cut-away side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector  100  may include top shield having ground contacts  122 , and bottom shield  130  having ground contacts  132 . Housing  110  may include an opening for receiving card  200  (not shown). 
     Connector  100  may include a top row of contacts  140  and  150 . In this example, a side view of a contact  150  is shown. Contact  150  may include a beam contact portion  154  and a surface-mount portion  152 . A through-hole portion  142  of a nearby contact is also shown. Isolating feature  160  may prevent contact  150  from electrically connecting to top shield  120 . 
     In this example, opening  106  may have a greater vertical height than may be necessary for card  200 . This additional vertical clearance may allow a user to remove card  200  by tilting card  200  in an upward direction and then pulling card  200  away from connector  100 . In various embodiments of the present invention, this extra vertical clearance does not allow undesirable movement by card  200 , since card  200  may be attached to board  300  at lateral extensions, as shown below and in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a cut-away side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. As before, connector  100  may include a top shield having ground contacts  122  and a bottom shield  130  having ground contacts  132 . Housing  110  may include an opening  106  for accepting card  200  (not shown). Connector  100  may include a top row of contacts including a contact  140  shown here. Contact  140  may include through-hole portion  142  and contacting portion  144 . Contacts  140  may further include a tail portion  146  for additional stability and isolation. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a portion of a board according to an embodiment of the present invention. Board  300  may be a printed circuit board, flexible circuit board, or other type of board or other appropriate substrate. Board  300  may include a first edge  320 . A front portion  102  of a connector  100  (not shown) may be located beyond edge  320 . Board  300  may further include facing or parallel edges  340  and  350 . Edges  340  and  350  may include extensions  342  and  352 . Extension  342  and  352  may be used to support narrow portions  118  of housing  110  as shown in  FIG. 7 . Board  300  may further include openings  370  and  372  for accepting posts  112  on connector  100 . Opening  370  may be approximately a size to accept a post  112 . Opening  372  may be slightly larger in a lateral direction to allow for minor variations in a size of housing  110  of connector  100 . 
     Edges  320 ,  340 , and  350  may define an end of board  300 . Alternatively, edges  320 ,  340 , and  350  may define sides of an opening  310  in board  300 . 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a connector and a board according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, connector  100  may be mounted on board  300 . As described above, narrowed portion  118  may be placed on extensions  342  and  352  of edges  340  and  354  mechanical support. The card may be inserted into opening  106  of connector  100 . An example of such a card is shown in the following figure. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a card according to an embodiment of the present invention. Card  200  may be a solid-state drive (SSD), a subscriber interface module (SIM), or other type of card or module. Card  200  may include a first edge  210  and a second opposing edge  220 . Contacts  250  may be located along first edge  210 . First edge  210  may include notches  212  to mate with keying features  114  on connector  100  (not shown). Ground pads  260  may be located behind contacts  250  away from first edge  210 . To ensure that ground contacts are formed before power is applied to card  200 , power contacts  252  may have a leading edge pulled back away from first edge  210  of card  200 . 
     Second edge  220  of card  200  may include lateral extensions  230  and  240 . Lateral extensions  230  and  240  may include openings  232  and  242 . Fasteners (not shown) may be placed in openings  232  and  242  and corresponding openings in board  300  (not shown) to secure card  200  in place. Card  200  may include one or more electronic devices, such as memories, interface chips, or other devices  270  on either of both top and bottom surfaces of card  200 . Card  200  may include ground pads similar to ground pads  260  on a bottom side of card  200 . In this example, connector  100  includes a top row of contacts. Accordingly, contacts  250  are located on the top side of card  200 , as shown. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, the components of the connectors may be formed in various ways of various materials. For example, contacts, shields, and other conductive portions of the connectors may be formed by stamping, metal-injection molding, machining, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. The conductive portions may be formed of stainless steel, steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, or other material or combination of materials. They may be plated or coated with nickel, gold, or other material. The nonconductive portions, such as housing and other portions, may be formed using injection or other molding, 3-D printing, machining, or other manufacturing process. The nonconductive portions may be formed of silicon or silicone, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, elastomers, liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), ceramics, or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. 
     Embodiments of the present invention may provide connectors, boards, and cards that may be located in various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, cell phones, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices. These connectors may provide pathways for signals and power for cards or other modules, such as solid state drives (SSDs), memory cards, subscriber identification modules (SIMs), Secure Digital cards, Secure Digital High Capacity cards, Secure Digital Extended Capacity cards, Secure Digital Ultra-High-Capacity I cards, Secure Digital Ultra-High-Capacity II cards, memory sticks, compact flash cards, communication modules, and other devices and modules that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. These connectors may provide pathways for signals that are compliant with various standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), High-Definition Multimedia Interface® (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt™, Lightning™, Joint Test Action Group (JTAG), test-access-port (TAP), Directed Automated Random Testing (DART), universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters (UARTs), clock signals, power signals, and other types of standard, non-standard, and proprietary interfaces and combinations thereof that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. Embodiments of the present invention may provide these cards, supporting boards, and combinations of these cards, boards, and connectors. 
     The above description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20160729
Publication Date: 20180508
Grant Date: 20180508
Priority Date: 20160729
Inventors: TZIVISKOS, GEORGE
MILETICH, AARON N.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01R12/72", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/658", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/26", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6583", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6583", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/721", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6594", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6594", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/721", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/658", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/72", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/26", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 61010543