WO2001022538A1

WO2001022538A1 - A coupling device for a connecting unit

Info

Publication number: WO2001022538A1
Application number: PCT/SE2000/001834
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mats Wallberg
Original assignee: Xtrem Com Aktiebolag
Priority date: 1999-09-20
Filing date: 2000-09-20
Publication date: 2001-03-29
Also published as: SE9903368D0; AU7696700A; SE9903368L

Abstract

The invention refers to a coupling device (1) for a connecting unit, which is intended to be arranged on a circuit board in an electric equipment and which includes a plurality of pins. The pins extend outwardly from the connecting unit and form at least one pair of pins. The pins of said pair of pins are connectable for the achievement of a determined function of the electric equipment. The coupling device (1) includes means (6) arranged to receive at least one of said pair of pins and a switching member (7) by means of which said pair of pins are connectable with each other, wherein said function is achieved.

Description

A coupling device for a connecting unit

THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

The present invention refers to a coupling device for a connecting unit, which is intended to be arranged on a circuit board in an electric equipment and which includes a plurality of pins, wherein the pins extend outwardly from the connecting unit and form at least a pair of pins, wherein the pins of said pair of pins are connectable for the achievement of a determined function of the electric equipment.

In for instance a motherboard of a computer, there are frequently pins which can be short-circuited for the achievement of a certain function of the computer. Said pins are normally provided in two parallel rows, wherein two pins, provided in a respective one of said rows and opposite to each other form a pair of pins. The pins may partly be moulded in a plastic plate, which is provided on a circuit board forming a part of a computer or a computer system and extending outwardly, usually substantially perpendicularly, from one side of said plate, which often is called "header" and which in the following will be called the connecting unit. It may be appropriate to short-circuit two pins of a pair of pins for the achievement of an adaptation between various components in a computer system or influencing the performance of the processor. It is to be noted that the connecting unit also includes pins, which extend outwardly from a second side of the connecting unit. These pins are arranged to permit connection to a circuit board. These pins may be soldered to the circuit board. Furthermore, these pins may extend substantially perpendicularly from the second side of the connecting unit. In addition, it is to be noted that these pins may be straight along their length or angled along their length. In the following, only the pins arranged for being connected to each other for the achievement of a certain function of the electric equipment will be described.

Various solutions are known for short-circuit pins, forming a pin pair of a connecting unit according to the foregoing. One solution consists of arranging said pins of a pair of pins in an angle by means of for example a pair of tweezers in order to short-circuit them. If one desire to interrupt the connection between the pins of said pair of pins, the pins need to be rebent. According to another solution the two pins of a pair of pins are connected by means of a substantially U-shaped device, partly made of metal, which is moved onto the two pins, wherein these are short-circuited. If one desire to interrupt the connection, the substantially U-shaped device, which may be similar to a loop, is removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to obtain a simple coupling device for a connecting unit of the type mentioned above, by means of which a pair of pins of the connecting unit in an easy manner may be connected and by means of which the connection of a pair of pins of the connecting unit in an easy manner may be interrupted without requiring removal of the device. A further object is that the coupling device is to applicable to the connecting unit in an easy manner and also easily removable if so desired.

These objects are obtained by the coupling device initially defined, which is characterised in at that the coupling device includes means arranged to receive at least one of said pair of pins and a switching member by means of which said pair of pins are connectable with each other, wherein said function is achieved. The coupling device may be applied to present circuit boards including a connecting unit of the type mentioned above. Another possibility is that the coupling device is applied when the electric equipment is manufactured. The coupling device may be easily displaced onto the connecting unit, wherein said means receives the pins. If one wishes to short-circuit two pins of a pair of pins, it is thus possible to achieve this by the switching member. Also to interrupt the connection between the pins of said pair of pins is obtained by means of the switch. Consequently, the coupling device does not need to be removed for interrupting the connection between two pins of a pair of pins. The switching member may include a contact member and a manoeuvring member for manoeuvring of the contact member, wherein the manoeuvring member is arranged to take a first position, in which the contact member is arranged to interrupt the connection of said pair of pins, and a second position, in which the contact member is arranged to connect said pair of pins. Preferably, the manoeuvring member is arranged to be displaced between said first position and said second position.

According to a preferred embodiment, said receiving means includes at least two receiving holes, which are provided in a housing, wherein each of said holes is arranged to receive one pin of said pair of pins. Hereby, the coupling device may be moved onto the pins by one receiving hole for each pin. By means of the switching member, the pins of a pair of pins may be connected or the connection may be interrupted, thus short-circuited or opened.

According to a further embodiment, each receiving hole includes an attachment member, which is arranged to hold one of said pins in the position in said receiving hole. In addition, each receiving hole has a length in said housing, which substantially corresponds to the extension of said pin from the connecting unit. Furthermore, the receiving holes extend in a longitudinal direction substantially in parallel to an axis, which extends through the respective pin when the coupling device is provided on the connecting unit. Hereby, a receiving hole will enclose a pin along its hole length when the coupling device is applied to the connecting unit at the same time as the one end of the housing, i.e. the base of the housing will rest against the connecting unit. The coupling device will thereby be provided in a stable manner on the connecting unit. According to a further embodiment, the attachment member includes at least one leg, which extends in the longitudinal direction of said receiving hole and which is arranged to abut a pin. Said leg may in addition be resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal direction. Hereby, it is ensured that the leg abuts a pin.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the leg includes a portion, which extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the leg. Both the leg and said portion are according to a preferred embodiment made in a material which is electrically conductive. In addition, said leg and said portion may be made in one piece.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, said manoeuvring member and contact member are provided in said housing in such a way that the manoeuvring member is located in said first position when the contact member is arranged to be connected to a pin of said pair of pins, and, when the manoeuvring member is located in said second position, the contact member is arranged to connect the two pins of said pair of pins.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, said contact member connects said pair of pins via said portion of each of the legs. This in connection with the resiliency of the legs ensures that the respective leg abuts a pin, and the fact that the legs and said portion are made in a material which is electrically conductive ensures the maintaining of a proper contact when the pins of a pair of pins are connected to each other.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, said contact member is connected to one of said portions of a leg. Hereby, a simple construction including few separate parts is obtained.

As mentioned above, the connecting unit includes a plurality of pairs of pins and according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said means is arranged to receive at least some of said pair of pins, wherein the coupling device includes one switching member for each pair of pins. By means of the switching member, the pins of each pair of pins may be short-circuited or opened.

The connecting unit, on which the coupling device is intended to be provided, includes normally two parallel rows of pins, wherein two pins, provided in a respective one of said rows and opposite to each other, forms a pair of pins. The coupling device may easily be moved onto present connecting units of said type, which connecting units are provided on a circuit board in an electric equipment, such as a computer or a computer system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is now to be explained by means of an embodiment described as an example and with reference to the drawings attached, in which

Fig 1 discloses schematically a coupling device according to a first embodiment of the invention, Fig 2 discloses a circuit board with a connecting unit to which coupling devices according to the invention are intended to be applied,

Fig 3 discloses schematically a coupling device according to a second embodiment of the invention, and Fig 4 discloses parts of the coupling device according to Fig 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Details having a substantially similar function have been provided with the same reference signs in the different figures.

Fig 1 discloses schematically a coupling device 1 for a connecting unit 2, which is intended to be provided on a circuit board 3 in an electric equipment (not disclosed), for instance a computer or a computer system. The connecting unit 2 is disclosed in Fig 2 provided on a circuit board 3. The connecting unit 2 includes a body 4 and a plurality of pins 5. The pins 5 extend outwardly substantially perpendicularly from the connecting unit 2, i.e. the body 4, and form pairs of pins. By means of the coupling device 1 , the pins 5 of a pair of pins may be connected to each other, thus be short-circuited, wherein a certain function of the electric equipment is achieved. The connecting unit 2 normally includes two parallel rows of pins 5, wherein two pins 5, provided in a respective row and opposite to each other, form a pair of pins.

From Fig 1 it appears that the coupling device 1 includes receiving means 6 arranged to receive at least one pair of pins and a switching member 7 by means of which said pair of pins are connectable with each other. The receiving means 6 of the coupling device 1 may be arranged to receive all of the pair of pins, wherein the coupling device 1 includes a switching member 7 for each pair of pins.

As appears from Fig 1 and Fig 3, each switching member 7 includes a contact member 8 made of a material which is electrically conductive, for instance metal, and a manoeuvring member 9, preferably of any plastic material, for manoeuvring of the contact member 8. The receiving means 6 include an equal number of receiving holes 10, two receiving holes 10 for each pair of pins, wherein each of said holes 10 is arranged to receive one pin 5 of a pair of pins. The receiving holes 10 are arranged in a housing 1 1 , which has a first end surface 12, wherein the receiving holes 10 extend from the first end surface 12 of the housing 1 1 a distance, which substantially corresponds to the length of a pin 5. The receiving holes 10 extend in a longitudinal direction x substantially perpendicular in relation to a plane, which extends in parallel with the first end surface 12 of the housing 1 1. During application of coupling devices 1 onto the connecting unit 2, the housing 1 1 , with its first end surface 12 facing the connecting unit, is moved onto the connecting unit 2 in such a way that each receiving hole 10 receives a pin 5 of the connecting unit 2. When the housing 1 1 is applied to the connecting unit 2, each receiving hole encloses a pin and the first end surface 12 of the housing 11 rests against the body 4. Also the contact member 8 and the manoeuvring member 9 are provided in the housing 1 1. The housing 1 1 also has a second end surface 13, wherein the manoeuvring member 9 extends through the second end surface 13 of the housing 11.

Each receiving hole 10 includes an attachment member 14, which is arranged to hold a pin 5 in the position in the respective receiving hole 10 when the coupling device 1 is applied to the connecting unit 2.

As appears from Fig 1 , the attachment member 14 includes two legs 15, which extend in the longitudinal direction x of said receiving holes 10. Thus, the legs have a longitudinal direction which corresponds to the longitudinal direction x of the receiving holes 10. A portion 16 connects the two legs 15 at their one end, thereby crossing the longitudinal direction of the legs 15. The legs

15 are resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the legs 15 for ensuring that the legs 15 abuts a pin 5 when the coupling device 1 is applied to the connecting unit 2.

The attachment member 14 including the legs 15 and the portion 16 is made of a material which is electrically conductive and made in one piece. Advantageously, the attachment member 14 is manufactured by punching a blank of a sheet material, which blank thereafter is bent for forming the attachment member 14.

The manoeuvring member 9 and the contact member 8 are provided in the housing 1 1 in such a way that when the manoeuvring member 9 is located in a first position, the contact member 8 is arranged to be connected with one of the pins 5 of a pair of pins via the portion

16 connecting the legs 15 enclosing said pins 5. By moving the manoeuvring member 9 in a direction y to a second position, the two pins of a pair of pins are connected by means of the contact member 8 via the portions 16 connecting the respective legs 15, which abut a respective pin 5 of the pair of pins. As appears from Fig 1 , the contact member 8 includes an elongated sheet band, which includes a first end 17 and a second end 18 and which extends from the portion 16, connecting the legs 15 of a first pin 5 of a pairs of pins, to the portion 16 connecting the legs 15 of a second pin 5 of said pair of pins. The band includes a first outward bending 19, which is provided in an area between said first end 17 and said second end 18 of the sheet band and which faces or is outwardly bent towards the manoeuvring member 9. The sheet band is at its first end 17 connected with the portion 16, which connects the legs 15 abutting the first pin 5 of said pair of pins. At the second end 18 of the sheet band, a second outward bending 20 is provided, which faces or is bent outwardly towards the portion 16, which connects the legs 15 abutting the second pin 5 of said pair of pins. The second outward bending 20 is not in contact with said portion 16 in the first position. When the manoeuvring member 9 is moved in the direction y to the second position, the manoeuvring member 9 engages the first outward bending 19, wherein the second outward bending 20 is moved to contact with the portion 16, which connects the legs 15 abutting the second pin 5 of said pair of pins.

Fig 3 discloses a second embodiment of the coupling device 1 according to the invention. The attachment member 14 according to this embodiment includes, as the attachment member 14 according to the first embodiment, two legs 15, which extend in the longitudinal direction x of the receiving holes 10. As the attachment member 14 in Fig 1 , a portion 16 connects the two legs 15 at their one end. As appears more clearly from Fig 4, the portion 16 connects the legs 15 according to this embodiment along the longitudinal direction x of the legs 15 instead of in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction x of the legs 15 as in Fig 1 . The first end 17 of the contact member 18 is connected with the portion 16, which connects the legs 15 of the first pin 5 of a pair of pins and extends to the portion 16, connecting the legs 15 of the second pin 5 of said pair of pins. The portion 16, which connects the legs 15 of the second pin 5 of said pair of pins, includes a contact plate 21. The contact plate 21 is arranged to abut the contact member 8 in the second position. The manoeuvring member 9 according to Fig 3 differs somewhat from the manoeuvring member 9 according to Fig 1. According to Fig 3, the manoeuvring member 9 includes a part 22, which encloses a contact member at its second end in the first position and which in this position ensures that the outward bending 20, provided at the second end 18 of the contact member 8, does not abut the contact plate 21 of the portion 16 connecting the legs 15 of the second pin 5 of said pair of pins. When the manoeuvring member 9 is moved in the direction y from the first position to the second position, the second end 18 of the contact member 8 is uncovered, wherein the outward bending 20 abuts the contact plate 21.

Fig 3 discloses an embodiment of a coupling device 1 , which is suitable for an automatic mounting method , wherein the housing 1 1 includes a lower part 23 and an upper part 24. In a first step at the mounting of the coupling device 1 , the lower part of the housing with its first end surface 12 is placed on an even substrate. In a second step, all attachment members 14, which each includes a contact plate 21 , is moved into its respective receiving hole 10. In a third step, all attachment members 14, which are connected to the contact member 8, i.e. the contact member 8 is integrated with said attachment members 14, preferably the contact member 8 and said attachment member 14 are manufactured by bending of one and the same blank punched from a sheet material, are moved into its respective receiving hole 10. In a fourth step, the manoeuvring member 9 is mounted, whereafter, in a last, fifth step, the upper part 24 of the housing is applied. As appears from Fig 3, the upper part 24 of the housing 1 1 includes, at the second end surface 13 of the housing, openings 25 arranged to receive a projecting part 26 of the manoeuvring member 9.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed but may be varied and modified within the scope of the following claims. It is to be noted that the attachment devices 14 only are possible embodiments of attachment devices. In addition, with regard to the disclosed attachment devices 14, a leg 15 of the attachment devices 14 could be dispensed with, wherein a portion, corresponding to the connecting portion 16, the function of which is to connect the two pins 5 of a pair of pins by means of the contact member 8, could extend in a direction forming an angle to the longitudinal direction of the leg.

Claims

1. A coupling device ( 1 ) for a connecting unit (2), which is intended to be arranged on a circuit board (3) in an electric equipment and which includes a plurality of pins (5), wherein the pins (5) extend outwardly from the connecting unit (2) and form at least a pair of pins, wherein the pins (5) of said pair of pins are connectable for the achievement of a determined function of the electric equipment, characterised in that the coupling device (1 ) includes means (6) arranged to receive at least one of said pair of pins and a switching member (7) by means of which said pair of pins are connectable with each other, wherein said function is achieved.

2. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the switching member (7) includes a contact member (8) and a manoeuvring member (9) for manoeuvring of the contact member (8), wherein the manoeuvring member (9) is arranged to take a first position, in which the contact member (8) is arranged to interrupt the connection of said pair of pins, and a second position, in which the contact member (8) is arranged to connect said pair of pins.

3. A coupling device ( 1 ) according to claim 2, characterised in that the manoeuvring member (9) is arranged to be displaced between said first position and said second position.

4. A coupling device (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said receiving means (6) includes at least two receiving holes (10), which are provided in a housing (11 ), wherein each of said holes (10) is arranged to receive a pin (5) of said pair of pins.

5. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 4, characterised in that each receiving hole (10) includes an attachment member ( 14), which is arranged to hold one of said pins (5) in the position in said receiving hole (10).

6. A coupling device (6) according to any one of claims 4 and 5, characterised in that each receiving hole (10) has a length in said housing ( 1 1 ), which substantially corresponds to the extension of said pin (5) from the connecting unit (2) and that the receiving holes (10) extend in a longitudinal direction (x), which is substantially parallel with an axis extending through the respective pin (5), when the coupling device ( 1 ) is provided on the connecting unit (2).

7. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 6, characterised in that the attachment member (14) includes at least one leg ( 15), which extends in the longitudinal direction (x) of said receiving hole ( 10) and which is arranged to abut a pin (5).

8. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 7, characterised in said leg ( 15) is resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal direction (x).

9. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 8, characterised in that said leg (15) includes a portion (16), which extends in a direction forming an angle to the longitudinal direction of the leg (15).

10. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 9, characterised in that said leg ( 15) and said portion ( 16) are made in a material which is electrically conductive.

11. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 10, characterised in that said leg (15) and said portion ( 16) are made in one piece.

12. A coupling device (1 ) according to claims 2 and 10, characterised in that said manoeuvring member (9) and contact member (8) are provided in said housing (11 ) in such a way that when the manoeuvring member (9) is located in said first position, the contact member (8) is arranged to be connected to a pin (5) of said pair of pins, and, when the manoeuvring member (9) is located in said second position, the contact member (8) is arranged to connect the two pins (5) of said pair of pins.

13. A coupling device (1 ) according to claim 12, characterised in that said contact member (8) connects said pair of pins via said portion (16) of each of the legs.

14. A coupling device ( 1 ) according to claim 13, characterised in that said contact member (8) is connected to one of said portions (16) of one leg (15).

15. A coupling device (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said connecting unit (2) includes a plurality of pairs of pins, characterised in that said means (6) is arranged to receive at least one of said pair of pins, wherein the coupling device ( 1 ) includes a switching member (7) for each pair of pins.

16. A coupling device (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the connecting unit (2) includes two parallel rows of pins (5), wherein two pins (5), provided in a respective one of said rows and opposite to each other, form a pair of pins.