PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10847910-B1
Application Number: US-201715803887-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Floating board-to-board connectors

Abstract:
A LIDAR sensor assembly includes a main board, a board-to-board connector assembly, and a sensor component board. The main board has an edge. The board-to-board connector assembly is located on the main board and includes a housing. The housing includes a feature that aligns an angular orientation of the housing relative to the main board by engagement of the feature of the housing with the edge of the main board. The board-to-board connector also includes connector pins that are connected to the main board and are disposed within the housing. The sensor component board is connected to the main board by the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly to allow pivoting of the sensor component board relative to the main board over a limited angular range.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A LIDAR sensor assembly, comprising:
 a main board that has an edge; 
 a board-to-board connector assembly that is located on the main board and includes:
 a housing connected to the main board, wherein the housing includes a feature that aligns an angular orientation of the housing relative to the main board by engagement of the feature of the housing with the edge of the main board, and 
 connector pins that are connected to the main board and are disposed within the housing; and 
 
 a sensor component board that is connected to the main board by engagement of the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly with an upper circuit board surface and a lower circuit board surface of the sensor component board to allow pivoting of the sensor component board relative to the main board over a limited angular range. 
 
     
     
       2. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly are engageable with the housing to limit pivoting of the sensor component board relative to the main board to the limited angular range. 
     
     
       3. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the feature formed on the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly is defined on a portion of the housing that extends outward past the edge of the main board to align the angular orientation of the housing relative to the main board by engagement with the edge of the main board. 
     
     
       4. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly each include a main portion and a laterally extending portion that is connected to the main board such that the main portion of each of the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly is spaced from the main board by the laterally extending portion of the connector pin. 
     
     
       5. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly includes a first wall, 
 the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly includes a second wall, 
 the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly are located between the first wall and the second wall, 
 the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly include a first pin that is positioned adjacent to the first wall, and 
 the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly include a second pin that is positioned adjacent to the second wall. 
 
     
     
       6. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly includes an intermediate wall that is located between the first pin and the second pin to define a spacing between the first pin and the second pin, 
 engagement of the first pin with the first wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly limits deflection of the first pin away from the second pin, and 
 engagement of the second pin with the second wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly limits maximum deflection of the second pin away from the first pin, and 
 engagement of the intermediate wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly with the first pin and the second pin maintains the spacing between the first pin and the second pin. 
 
     
     
       7. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 6 , wherein a rib is formed on the intermediate wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly between the first pin and the second pin and the rib extends toward the main board from the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly. 
     
     
       8. A LIDAR sensor assembly, comprising:
 a main board; 
 a board-to-board connector assembly that is located on the main board and includes:
 a housing that is connected to the main board, wherein an internal bay is defined inside the housing, the internal bay has an upper internal wall, the internal bay has a lower internal wall, and the internal bay has an intermediate wall, and 
 a pin assembly that is connected to the main board and is disposed within the housing, wherein the pin assembly includes upper pins, the pin assembly includes lower pins, the upper pins are positioned adjacent to the upper internal wall, and the lower pins are positioned adjacent to the lower internal wall, and the intermediate wall is positioned between the upper pins and the lower pins so that engagement of the intermediate wall with the upper pins and the lower pins maintains a spacing between the upper pins and the lower pins; and 
 
 a sensor component board that is connected to the main board by the pin assembly of the board-to-board connector assembly, wherein the sensor component board has an upper surface, the sensor component board has a lower surface, the upper pins engage the upper surface of the sensor component board, and the lower pins engage the lower surface of the sensor component board. 
 
     
     
       9. A LIDAR sensor assembly, comprising:
 a main board that has an edge; 
 a board-to-board connector assembly that is located on the main board and includes:
 a housing connected to the main board, wherein an internal bay is defined inside the housing, and 
 connector pins that are connected to the main board and are disposed within the internal bay of the housing; and 
 
 a sensor component board that is connected to the main board by the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly to allow pivoting of the sensor component board relative to the main board over a limited angular range, wherein a slot is formed through the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly to provide access to the internal bay, and the sensor component board extends into the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly through the slot. 
 
     
     
       10. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the sensor component board is engageable with the main board and the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly at the slot to limit lateral motion of the sensor component board relative to the housing. 
 
     
     
       11. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the upper internal wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly limits deflection of the upper pins away from the lower pins, 
 the lower internal wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly limits deflection of the lower pins away from the upper pins, and 
 the intermediate wall separates the upper pins and the lower pins. 
 
     
     
       12. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 a rib is formed on the intermediate wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly, and 
 the rib extends laterally outward from the intermediate wall of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly toward the main board. 
 
     
     
       13. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly is a one-piece structure, and 
 the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly is formed from an insulating material. 
 
     
     
       14. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the pin assembly of the board-to-board connector assembly includes a base part that interconnects the upper pins and the lower pins, and 
 the base part of the pin assembly is formed from an insulating material. 
 
     
     
       15. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the main board has an edge, 
 a notch is formed on the edge of the main board, 
 a feature is formed on the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly, and 
 engagement of the feature with the notch aligns the housing with respect to the main board. 
 
     
     
       16. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the main board has an edge, 
 a notch is formed on the edge of the main board, 
 a feature is formed on the sensor component board, and 
 engagement of the feature with the notch aligns the sensor component board with respect to the main board. 
 
     
     
       17. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor component board is a first sensor component board from a group of sensor component boards that are connected to the main board by the board-to-board connector assembly. 
     
     
       18. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor component board includes at least one of an emitter or a receiver. 
     
     
       19. A LIDAR sensor assembly, comprising:
 a main board; 
 a board-to-board connector assembly that is located on the main board and includes:
 a housing that is connected to the main board, wherein internal bays are defined inside the housing, each of the internal bays has an upper internal wall, and each of the internal bays has a lower internal wall, and 
 pin assemblies that are connected to the main board and are each disposed within the housing in a respective one of the internal bays, wherein each of the pin assemblies includes upper pins, each of the pin assemblies includes lower pins, the upper pins are positioned adjacent to the upper internal wall of the respective one of the internal bays so that engagement with the upper internal wall limits deflection of the upper pins away from the lower pins, and the lower pins are positioned adjacent to the lower internal wall of the respective one of the internal bays so that engagement with the lower internal wall limits deflection of the lower pins away from the upper pins; and 
 sensor component boards that are each connected to the main board by a respective one of the pin assemblies of the board-to-board connector assembly. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 19 , wherein:
 slots are formed through the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly to provide access to the internal bays, 
 the sensor component boards each extend into the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly through a respective one of the slots, 
 the sensor component boards are engageable with the main board and the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly at the slots to limit lateral motion of the sensor component boards relative to the housing, 
 the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly is a one-piece structure, and 
 the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly is formed from an insulating material. 
 
     
     
       21. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 19 , wherein:
 each of the internal bays of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly has an intermediate wall that separates the upper pins of the respective one of the pin assemblies and the lower pins of the respective one of the pin assemblies, 
 ribs are formed on a respective intermediate wall of each of the internal bays of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly, 
 the ribs each extend laterally outward from the respective intermediate wall of each of the internal bays of the housing of the board-to-board connector assembly toward the main board, 
 the pin assemblies of the board-to-board connector assembly each include a base part that interconnects the upper pins and the lower pins, and 
 the base parts of the pin assemblies are each formed from an insulating material. 
 
     
     
       22. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the sensor component boards each include at least one of an emitter or a receiver. 
     
     
       23. The LIDAR sensor assembly of  claim 19 , wherein each of the sensor component boards has an upper circuit board surface, each of the sensor component boards has a lower circuit board surface, the upper pins of each of the pin assemblies engage the upper circuit board surface of the respective one of the sensor component boards, and the lower pins of each of the pin assemblies engage the lower circuit board surface of the respective one of the sensor component boards.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/456,851, filed on Feb. 9, 2017, and entitled “Floating Board-to-Board Connectors.” This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/518,174, filed on Jun. 12, 2017, and entitled “Floating Board-to-Board Connectors.” The contents of the foregoing applications are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The application relates generally to board-to-board connector assemblies. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electrical components often include multiple interconnected circuit boards, such as printed circuit boards (PCB). A circuit board may be referred to herein as a “board.” One method for connecting two circuit boards is to connect them with a wire harness. Another method for connecting two circuit boards is to connect them with a board-to-board connector, which directly connects two circuit boards without an intervening wire harness. 
     One example of a board-to-board connector assembly includes a first connector part having pin connectors on a first board and a second connecting part having receptacles on a second board, where the pins are received in the receptacles to define electrical connections between the first and second boards. Another example of a board-to-board connector assembly includes an edge connector defined by traces on an edge of a first board and a receptacle formed on a second board including sockets or spring fingers that engage the traces on the first board to define electrical connections between the first and second boards. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect of the disclosed embodiments is a LIDAR sensor assembly that includes a main board, a board-to-board connector assembly, and a sensor component board. The main board has an edge. The board-to-board connector assembly is located on the main board and includes a housing. The housing includes a feature that aligns an angular orientation of housing relative to the main board by engagement of the feature of the housing with the edge of the main board. The board-to-board connector also includes connector pins that are connected to the main board and are disposed within the housing. The sensor component board is connected to the main board by the connector pins of the board-to-board connector assembly to allow pivoting of the sensor component board relative to the main board over a limited angular range. 
     Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments is a LIDAR sensor assembly that includes a main board, a board-to-board connector assembly, and a sensor component board. The board to board connector assembly is located on the main board and includes a housing and a pin assembly. The housing is connected to the main board. An internal bay is defined inside the housing, the internal bay has an upper internal wall, the internal bay has a lower internal wall, and the internal bay has an intermediate wall. The pin assembly is connected to the main board and is disposed within the housing. The pin assembly includes upper pins, the pin assembly includes lower pins, the upper pins are positioned adjacent to the upper internal wall, and the lower pins are positioned adjacent to the lower internal wall. The sensor component board is connected to the main board by the pin assembly of the board-to-board connector assembly. The sensor component board has an upper surface, the sensor component board has a lower surface, the upper pins engage the upper surface of the sensor component board, and the lower pins engage the lower surface of the sensor component board. 
     Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments is a LIDAR sensor assembly that includes a main board, a board-to-board connector assembly, and sensor component boards. The board-to-board connector assembly is located on the main board and includes a housing and pin assemblies. The housing is connected to the main board. Internal bays are defined inside the housing. Each of the internal bays has an upper internal wall, each of the internal bays has a lower internal wall, and each of the internal bay has an intermediate wall. Pin assemblies are connected to the main board and are each disposed in within the housing in a respective one of the internal bays. Each of the pin assemblies includes upper pins and each of the pin assemblies includes lower pins. The upper pins are positioned adjacent to the upper internal wall of the respective one of the internal bays, and the lower pins are positioned adjacent to the lower internal wall of the respective one of the internal bays. The sensor component boards are each connected to the main board by a respective one of the pin assemblies of the board-to-board connector assembly. Each of the sensor component boards has an upper surface and each of the sensor component boards has a lower surface. The upper pins of each of the pin assemblies engage the upper surface of the respective sensor component board and the lower pins of each pin assembly engage the lower surface of the respective sensor component board. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration that shows a sensor unit. 
         FIG. 2  is an illustration that shows a sensor assembly that can be incorporated in a sensor array of the sensor unit. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view that shows a connector assembly of the sensor assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the housing of the connector assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view that shows the connector assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross section view of the connector assembly along a longitudinal direction toward the second end of the housing from the first end of the housing. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing part of the sensor assembly with a housing omitted from one of the connector assemblies to show connection of the first pin and the second pin to the main board of the sensor assembly. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a first connector assembly and a second connector assembly. 
         FIG. 9  is an illustration that shows sensor assemblies according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing a connector assembly from the sensor assemblies of  FIG. 9  including a housing and pin assemblies, with one of the pin assemblies removed from the housing to show internal details of the housing. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross section view of the one of the sensor assemblies of  FIG. 9  taken through the housing of the connector assembly and showing a sensor component board that is connected to the connector assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In some applications, board-to-board connector assemblies are subject to size constraints, such as when multiple daughter boards are connected to a single main board and must be located within a small area. At the same time structural constraints, such as strength and alignment, pose challenges in small package sizes. Clearance and creepage constraints must also be considered, especially when high voltages are present and components are closely spaced. Clearance refers to the shortest distance between two electrical components. Creepage refers to the shortest path between two electrical components across the surface of an insulator. 
     Sensor applications can impose an additional need to align sensor components subsequent to connection of the sensor components to another portion of the system. For example, sensor alignment considerations may dictate a need to adjust a sensing component by, for example, one degree in each of multiple linear and rotational directions. 
     The systems and methods described herein relate to board-to-board connector assemblies that perform well in small package sizes while allowing adjustment of sensor components. For example, the connectors can include housings that are able to pivot slightly relative to a main board, and may also allow adjustment of the individual sensor components relative to the housings. The board-to-board connector assemblies described herein are well-suited to sensor applications in which components are located on daughter boards that are connected to one or more main boards. 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration that shows a sensor unit  100 . In the illustrated example, the sensor unit  100  is a LIDAR sensor unit that emits rapid pulses of laser light, senses reflected laser light, and determines distances by measuring the amount of time elapsed between emission and return of the laser light. The sensor unit  100  includes a housing  102 , control electronics  104 , and a sensor array  106 . At least part of the housing  102  is transparent to electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths that correspond to laser light to allow laser light pulses to exit the housing  102  and return to the housing  102 . The control electronics  104  can include components that supply power to the sensor array  106 , receive sensor output signals from the sensor array  106 , process the sensor output signals and transmit the sensor output signals to another system by a wired or wireless communications connection, and rotate the sensor array  106  within the housing  102 . By rotating the sensor array  106  within the housing  102 , a small number of sensor components can generate a large number of measurements that are disposed in an array that corresponds to a field of view of the sensor unit  100 . In some implementations, the control electronics  104  rotate the sensor array  106  continuously around an axis to define a three hundred and sixty-degree field of view for the sensor unit  100 . 
     The sensor array  106  can include a plurality of sensor assemblies. The sensor assemblies can be positioned in an upstanding fashion and can be oriented at an equal angular spacing, with their sensing components facing radially outward relative to the housing  102 . In the illustrated example, the sensor array  106  includes four sensor assemblies that are connected together with their sensing components oriented at a ninety-degree angular spacing. 
       FIG. 2  is an illustration that shows a sensor assembly  208  that can be incorporated in the sensor array  106  of the sensor unit  100 . The sensor assembly  208  includes a main board  210  and multiple sensor component boards  212 . The main board  210  is a printed circuit board that includes components that connect the sensor component boards  212  to the control electronics  104  of the sensor unit  100 . The main board  210  can also include devices that supply power to the sensor component boards  212  and/or receive and handle sensor output signals that are provided by the sensor component boards  212 . 
     The sensor component boards  212  are circuit boards, such as printed circuit boards. The sensor component boards  212  each include electrical components that are electrically connected to the main board  210  using contact pads  215  that are formed on the sensor component boards  212 . In the illustrated example, the sensor component boards  212  each include one of an emitter  214  or a receiver  216 . The emitter  214  can be, for example, a laser. The receiver  216  can be, for example, a laser detector. In the illustrated example, four of the sensor component boards  212  are connected to the main board  210 . Thus, in the context of the sensor unit  100  being a LIDAR sensor unit, the emitter  214  can be configured to emit a beam of laser light, and the receiver  216  can be configured to detect a reflected portion of the laser light, and output a signal that can be utilized to determine a distance by a time-of-flight calculation, and to determine an intensity based on the strength of the reflected laser light that is detected by the receiver  216 . 
     The sensor component boards  212  each have a notched configuration or a Y-shaped configuration that is defined by two portions  213  that are spaced from one another by a slot. In the illustrated example, one of the contact pads  215  on the top surface of the sensor component boards  212  is located on each of the portions  213 . Additional contact pads (not shown) may be formed on the bottom surface of each of the sensor component boards  212  on each of the portions  213 . 
     The portions  213  of each of the sensor component boards  212  are located on opposite sides of the main board  210  with the main board  210  extending into the slot of each sensor component board  212  when the sensor component board  212  is connected to the main board  210 . The notched configuration or the Y-shaped configuration of the sensor component boards  212  that is defined by the portions  213  can serve as a lateral alignment feature in that proper alignment is achieved for the sensor component boards  212  by restraining lateral motion of the sensor component boards  212  by engagement with both sides of the main board  210 . 
     Each of the sensor component boards  212  is connected to the main board  210  by two connector assemblies  218 , which are arranged in pairs on opposed sides of the main board  210 . In the illustrated example, four of the connector assemblies  218  are shown, and an additional four of the connector assemblies  218  are obscured from view by the main board  210 . As will be described herein, the connector assemblies  218  allow a small degree of angular adjustment of the sensor component boards  212  relative to the connector assemblies  218 , which may be referred to herein as a “floating” connection. When the sensor component boards  212  are aligned as desired relative to the connector assemblies  218 , the positions of the sensor component boards  212  can be fixed by conventional means such as by glue applied to the sensors component boards  212  and the connector assemblies  218 . 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of one of the connector assemblies  218  of the sensor assembly  208 . The connector assembly  218  includes a housing  320 , a first pin  322  and a second pin  324 . The first pin  322  and the second pin  324  are electrical connector pins that are connected to the main board  210  and are disposed within the housing  320 . 
     The first pin  322  and the second pin  324  are resilient, spring-like, flexible fingers that are configured to engage the sensor component boards  212  to define electrical connections to the main board  210 . The first pin  322  may be referred to as an upper pin and the second pin  324  may be referred to as a lower pin. A laterally extending portion  325   a  of each of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  is connected to the main board  210 , such as by soldering. The laterally extending portion  325   a  of each of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  can be the only portion of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  that defines a fixed connection to the main board  210 . As an example, the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  can be free from other connections to the main board  210  and can also lack fixed connections to the housing  320 . Each of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  also include a main portion  325   b  that extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing  320 . The first pin  322  and the second pin  324  are connected to the main board  210  such that the laterally extending portions  325   a  space the main portions  325   b  of each of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  from the main board  210 . The main portion  325   b  of each of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  extends from the laterally extending portion  325   a  to a tip portion  325   c  that is engageable with one of the contact pads  215  of one of the sensor component boards  212 . 
     A tip portion of each of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  can engage the sensor component boards  212  to secure the sensor component boards  212  relative to the connector assembly  218  by spring-loaded engagement of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  with top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of the sensor component boards  212 . The first pin  322  and the second pin  324  connect the sensor component boards  212  to the main board  210  in a manner that allows pivoting of the sensor component boards  212  relative to the main board  210  over a limited angular range. For example, an angular orientation of the sensor component boards  212  can be adjusted by deflection of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 , and can then be fixed using an adhesive or other structure that is able to restrain motion of the sensor component boards  212  relative to the main board  210 . As will be described further herein, deflection of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  can be limited, such as by engagement of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  with the housing  320  such that the housing  320  limits pivoting of the sensor component board relative  212  to the main board  320  to the limited angular range. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the housing  320 . The housing  320  is made from a nonconductive material that can be rigid or slightly flexible. The housing  320  extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end  326  that defines an opening to a second end  328 . The second end  328  is closed and interconnects an upper wall  330 , a lower wall  332 , and an intermediate wall  334 . The upper wall  330  and the lower wall  332  may be referred to herein as an upper wall and a lower wall. 
     A mount  336 , which can be a cylindrical post, extends laterally relative to the lower wall  332  near the second end  328  for connection to the main board  210  in a manner that allows angular alignment of the housing  320  relative to the main board  210  subject to constraints resulting from connection of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  to the main board  210  as well as interaction of parts of the housing  320  with the main board  210 . A first lateral projection  339  (upper lateral projection) and a second lateral projection  340  (lower lateral projection) are formed at the first end  326  and are engageable with features of an edge of the main board  210 , such as notches formed on the edge of the main board  210 , to align an angular orientation of the housing  320  relative to the main board  210  and to limit deflection of the upper wall  330  and the lower wall  332  of the housing  320 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , which is a perspective view of the connector assembly  218 , the first pin  322  is located in the housing  320  between the upper wall  330  and the intermediate wall  334 , and the second pin  324  is located in the housing  320  between the lower wall  332  and the intermediate wall  334 . An interior surface of the upper wall  330  serves as a datum surface for the first pin  322  to define a desired orientation for the first pin  322  relative to the housing  320 . An interior surface of the lower wall  332  serves as a datum surface for the second pin  324  to define a desired orientation for the second pin  324  relative to the housing  320 . Thus, the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  are located between the upper wall  330  and the lower wall  332 , the first pin  322  is positioned adjacent to the upper wall  330 , and the second pin  324  is positioned adjacent to the lower wall  332 . Engagement of the first pin  322  with the upper wall  330  of the housing  320  limits deflection of the first pin  322  away from the second pin  324 . Engagement of the second pin  324  with the lower wall  332  of the housing  320  limits maximum deflection of the second pin  324  away from the first pin  322 . 
     The intermediate wall  334  is disposed between the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 , and to separate the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 , to define a desired spacing between the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  when no board is connected between them, to hold the first pin  322  against the interior surface of the upper wall  330 , and to hold the second pin  324  against the interior surface of the lower wall  332 . Ribs can be formed on the intermediate wall  334  and extend upward and downward from the intermediate wall for contacting the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 . Engagement of the intermediate wall  334  of the housing  320 , inclusive of the ribs, with the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  maintains the desired spacing between the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cross section view of the connector assembly  218  along the longitudinal direction toward the second end  328  of the housing  320  from the first end  326  of the housing  320 . A rib  635  is formed on the housing  320  and extends longitudinally along the intermediate wall  334 . When the housing  320  is installed with respect to the main board  210 , the rib  635  extends outward from the intermediate wall  334  toward the main board  210 , and the rib  635  is positioned adjacent to the main board  210  but spaced slightly from the main board  210  such that the rib  635  does not touch the main board  210 . By forming the rib  635  on the housing  320 , the overall size of the connector assembly  218  can be reduced. In particular, the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  are designed to accommodate a certain voltage, which implies a certain minimum creepage distance between the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 , which may be a larger distance than the required clearance distance. As an example, higher voltage applications require larger creepage distances relative to lower voltage applications, and the emitter  214  may require high voltage in implementations where the emitter is a laser, such as in implementations where the sensor assembly  100  is a LIDAR sensor assembly. 
     To place the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  close together, such that a straight-line distance between them is less than the creepage distance, the rib  635  is formed between them and extends laterally outward toward the main board  210  to define a creepage path  638  across the surface of the rib  635  that is longer than the straight-line distance between the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 . In one example, the clearance (straight line) distance between the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  is less than one millimeter, and the required creepage distance is equal to or greater than one millimeter. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing part of the sensor assembly  208  with a housing omitted from one of the connector assemblies  218  to show connection of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  of to the main board  210 . Notches  742  are formed on an edge of the main board  210  such that the first lateral projection  339  and the second lateral projection  340  of the housing  320  are disposed in the notches  742  and interaction of the first lateral projection  339  and the second lateral projection  340  of the housing  320  with the notches  742  limits rotation of the housing  320  relative to the main board  210 . Thus, the notches  742  serve as features that are formed on the edge of the main board  210  for interaction with features formed on the housing  320  outward from the edge of the main board  210 , such as the first lateral projection  339  and the second lateral projection  340 , where the features of the housing  320  are engageable with the features of the main board  210  to align the angular orientation of the housing  320  relative to the main board  210 . 
     Holes  744  are formed in the main board  210  for receiving the laterally extending portions  325   a  of the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 , which are soldered in place with respect to the main board  210  to fix the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  with respect to the main board  210  and to connect the first pin  322  and the second pin  324  to electrical circuits that are located on the main board  210 . In the illustrated example, four of the holes  744  are formed in the main board  210  and each is used to connect a different pin, including the first pin  322  and the second pin  324 , to the main board  210 . 
     An aperture  746  is formed through the main board  210  for receiving the mount  336  of the housing  320  to connect the housing  320  to the main board  210 . The connection of the housing  320  to the main board  210  may allow for some degree of compliance during installation, such as a small degree of pivoting of the housing  320  relative to the main board  210  to allow alignment of the angular orientation of the housing  320  to be defined by interaction of features of the housing  320  with features of the main board  210 . 
     To allow angular alignment of the housing  320  relative to the main board  210 , in implementations where the mount  336  is a cylindrical post, the aperture  746  can be a circular aperture. The mount  336  can be disposed in the aperture  746  such that it can pivot relative to the main board  210  by rotation of the mount  336  within the aperture  746 . In an alternative implementation, a cylindrical post can be formed on the main board  210 , and a circular aperture can be formed in the housing  320 , with the cylindrical post received in the circular aperture to allow pivoting of the housing  320  on the circular post relative to the main board  210 . 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a first connector assembly  818   a  and a second connector assembly  818   b . The first connector assembly  818   a  and the second connector assembly  818   b  are analogous to the connector assembly  218 . The first connector assembly  818   a  and the second connector assembly  818   b  are located on opposite sides of the main board  210  and are intended to be connected to a single one of the sensor component boards  212 . The first lateral projection  339  and the second lateral projection  340  of the housing  320  of each of the first connector assembly  818   a  and the second connector assembly  818   b  are disposed in one of the notches  742  that is formed on the edge of the main board  210  to align the angular orientation of the first connector assembly  818   a  and the second connector assembly  818   b  and to limit deflections of portions of the housing  320  of each of the first connector assembly  818   a  and the second connector assembly  818   b.    
       FIG. 9  is an illustration that shows sensor assemblies  908  according to another embodiment. The sensor assemblies  908  can be incorporated in the sensor array  106  of the sensor unit  100 , which may be a LIDAR sensor assembly as previously described. A first main board  910   a  and a second main board  910   b  are similar to the main board  210 , as previously described. Each board from of a group of first sensor component boards  912   a  is connected to the first main board  910   a , and each board from of a group of second sensor component boards  912   b  is connected to the second main board  910   b . The first sensor component boards  912   a  and the second sensor component boards  912   b  can each include a sensor component, such as an emitter or a receiver as previously described. 
     A single connector assembly is provided on each of the first main board  910   a  and the second main board  910   b . In the illustrated example, a first connector assembly  918   a  is connected to the first main board  910   a  and connects the first sensor component boards  912   a  to the first main board  910   a , and a second connector assembly  918   b  is connected to the second main board  910   b  and connects the second sensor component boards  912   b  to the second main board  910   b . Notches  942 , which are similar to the notches  742 , are formed on the first main board  910   a  and the second main board  910   b  to interact with features on the first connector assembly  918   a , the second connector assembly  918   b , the first sensor component boards  912   a , and/or the second sensor component boards  912   b  in order to facilitate alignment of these components with respect to the first main board  910   a  and the second main board  910   b.    
     The sensor component boards from of the group of the first sensor component boards  912   a  can each be oriented at a different angle relative to the first main board  910   a . The angles of the first sensor component boards  912   a  can be determined by geometric features of portions of the first connector assembly  918   a . In the illustrated example, the first sensor component boards  912   a  are disposed in a converging arrangement relative to one another. In the converging arrangement, for example, if the first sensor component boards  912   a  each include an emitter, the signals or beams (e.g., laser beams) generated by each first sensor component boards  912   a  would converge until reaching a crossing point and would then diverge. Alternatively, the first sensor component boards  912   a  could be disposed in a diverging arrangement. The sensor component boards from of the group of the second sensor component boards  912   b  can each be oriented at a different angle relative to the second main board  910   b  in a manner identical to that described for the first sensor component boards  912   a.    
       FIG. 10  is a perspective exploded view showing the first connector assembly  918   a  including a housing  1020  and pin assemblies  1050 , with one of the pin assemblies  1050  removed from the housing  1020  to show internal details of the housing  1020 . The description made herein with respect to the first connector assembly  918   a  is also applicable to the second connector assembly  918   b . The first connector assembly  918   a  is depicted without the first main board  910   a  of  FIG. 9 , but is connectable to the first main board  910   a  of  FIG. 9 , and certain features will be described relative to the first main board  910   a.    
     The housing  1020  is a one-piece structure in the illustrated example, and can be formed from an insulating material such as plastic. The housing  1020  has a first end  1026  and a second end  1028 . Slots  1027  are formed at the first end  1026  to allow insertion of the first sensor component boards  912   a . The first sensor component boards  912   a  are engageable with the first main board  910   a  and the surfaces of the housing  1020  at the peripheries the slots  1027  to limit lateral motion of the first sensor component boards  912   a  relative to the housing, 
     Lateral projections  1039  are formed on the housing  1020  near some or all of the slots  1027 . The lateral projections  1039  function as standoffs to maintain a minimum distance between features located at the first end  1027  of the housing  1020  and the first main board  910   a . The housing  1020  also includes mount posts  1036  that allow mounting to the first main board  910   a  and align the housing  1020  relative to the first main board  910   a.    
     Internal bays  1052  are formed in the housing  1020 . In the illustrated example, five of the internal bays  1052  are formed in the housing  1020 . Each of the internal bays  1052  is configured to house one of the pin assemblies  1050  within it, and the internal bays  1052  include features that are adapted to support and align the pin assemblies  1050 . 
     The slots  1027  are formed through the housing  1020  in equal number to the internal bays  1052  in order to provide access to the internal bays  1052  from outside of the housing  1020 , such that the first sensor component boards  912   a  can extend into the housing  1020  through the slots  1027 . 
     The internal bays  1052  may be angled differently than one another to define differing angles for sensor component boards, such as the first sensor component boards  912   a . Thus, for example, the internal bays  1052  can be oriented to define the converging arrangement or the diverging arrangement, as previously described. 
     Each internal bay  1052  has an upper internal wall  1030 , a lower internal wall  1032  and an intermediate wall  1034 . These components function according to the descriptions of analogous components of the housing  320 , namely the upper wall  330 , the lower wall  332 , and the intermediate wall  334 . A rib  1035  is formed on and extends laterally outward from the intermediate wall  1034  toward the first main board  910   a . The rib  1035  functions to increase creepage distance, as described with respect to the rib  635 . 
     The pin assembly  1050  includes multiple spring finger contact pins, such as upper pins  1054  and lower pins  1056 . In the illustrated example, there are three of the upper pins  1054  and there are two of the lower pins  1056 . The first sensor component boards  912   a  are mechanically and electrically connected to the first main board  910  by the pin assemblies  1050 , by engagement of opposed pairs of pins with the first sensor component boards  912   a . In particular, the first sensor component boards  912   a  are each connected to the first main board  910   a  by a respective one of the pin assemblies  1050 . Each of the first sensor component boards  912   a  has an upper surface, and each of the first sensor component boards  912   a  has a lower surface. Connection of the first sensor component boards  912   a  to the main board  910  is established by engagement of the upper pins  1054  of each of the pin assemblies  1050  with an upper surface of a respective one of the first sensor component boards  912   a , and by engagement of the lower pins  1056  of each of the pin assemblies  1050  with a lower surface of the respective one of the first sensor component boards  912   a.    
     In one implementation, the upper pins  1054  and the lower pints  1056  supply power to the first sensor component boards  912   a  and allow for transmission of signals and/or data. In another implementation, the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  are used to secure each of the first sensor component boards  912   a , but not all of the pins are used as power and/or signal connectors for each of the first sensor component boards  912   a . Thus, for instance, the upper pins  1054  can be used to receive signals from the first sensor component boards  912   a  that include receivers by electrical connection of the upper pins  1054  to circuits on the first main board  910   a , while the lower pins  1056  serve only to hold the first sensor component board  912   a  in place. With respect to the first sensor component boards  912   a  that include an emitter, a high voltage power connection from the first main board  910   a  to the first sensor component boards  912   a  can be made using the lower pins  1056 , while the upper pins  1054  serve only to hold the first sensor component board  912   a  in place. 
     The pin assembly  1050  includes a base part  1058  that joins the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  together in a single unit. The base part  1058  is formed of an insulating material to resist inadvertent electrical contacts between the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056 . Interconnecting the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  using the base part  1058  allows, for example, installation of the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  with respect to the first main board  910   a  together, with the relative alignments of the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  being previously fixed in place by installation of the base part  1058  with respect to the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056 . 
     When the pin assemblies  1050  are installed in respective ones of the internal bays  1052  of the housing  1020 , an upper internal wall  1030  and a lower internal wall  1032  are engageable with the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  to limit deflection of the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  from respective neutral positions. The intermediate wall  1034  separates the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056  when they are in a disconnected position relative to the first sensor component boards  912   a . The intermediate wall also holds the upper pins  1054  in engagement with the upper internal wall  1030  and holds the lower pins  1056  in engagement with the lower internal wall 
       FIG. 11  is a cross section view of one of the sensor assemblies  908  looking downward through the first main board  910   a  and the housing  1020  of the first connector assembly  918   a  and showing one of the first sensor component boards  912   a  that is connected to the first connector assembly  918   a . The first sensor component board  912   a  includes upper contact pads  915   a  that are located on the upper surface of the first sensor component board  912   a  for engagement with and electrical connection to the upper pins  1054 . The first sensor component board  912   a  includes lower contact pads  915   b  that are located on the lower surface of the first sensor component board  912   a  for engagement with and electrical connection to the lower pins  1056 . In the illustrated example, the first sensor component board  912   a  includes three of the upper contact pads  915   a  and two of the lower contact pads  915   b , to match the numbers of the upper pins  1054  and the lower pins  1056 . 
     Lateral positioning of the first sensor component board  912   a  is achieved by a small lateral tolerance for the slots  1027 , which restrains the lateral position of the first sensor component board  912   a  by engagement with surfaces of the housing  1020  around the slots  1027  and opposite the first main board  910   a , and by engagement with the first main board  910   a  opposite the housing  1020 .

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20171106
Publication Date: 20201124
Grant Date: 20201124
Priority Date: 20170209
Inventors: AMINI, MAHMOUD R.
Harper, James E.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H05K3/368", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K3/366", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K1/144", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K2201/10121", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K2201/049", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K2201/10189", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K2201/10151", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K2201/042", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/91", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/732", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/721", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/716", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/58", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01S7/4813", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/737", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/91", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01S7/481", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0217", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0217", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01S7/481", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/737", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/91", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 73462041