Microcircuit module and connector

Claim 2

A microcircuit assembly for establishing connections of external circuits to circuits of a circuit board comprising, in combination, a microcircuit module the circuits of which are linked to a plurality of exposed connector areas about the periphery of said module, a socket member secured to said circuit board and including flexible flanges projecting therefrom, said module setting within said flanges when engaged with said socket, said flanges having connector areas on the inner surfaces spaced for alignment with said module connector areas when the module is engaged with the socket, pressure means carried by said module and normally forcibly engaged with said module connector areas, means for disengaging said pressure means to permit said module to be freely inserted into said socket said pressure means overlying the outer surfaces of said flanges, and means for releasing said pressure means after said module is inserted into the socket member, said pressure means forcing said flanges into engagement with said module periphery to maintain positive electrical contact between said module and flange connector areas to electrically connect the module circuits with the circuit board.

Claim 3

An assembly according to claim 1 characterized in that said microcircuit module comprises a support and heat sink body member and a multilayered circuit laminate including monolithic circuit devices bonded to the outer surface of said body.

Claim 4

An assembly according to claim 2 characterized in that said socket member comprises a multilayered circuit laminate having a base area engaging and overlaying a pin array of said circuit board, said flanges being integral with said base area, electrical circuit patterns on said socket interconnecting said flange connector areas to said circuIt board pin array.

Claim 5

A connector according to claim 2 characterized in that said multilayered circuit laminate covers only part of the surface of the heat sink, said uncovered areas having communicating passages through the heat sink to permit a cooling medium to pass therethrough.

Claim 6

An assembly according to claim 2 characterized by a projecting guide member carried by said socket member, said guide member engaging a guide opening in said heat sink to guide said module into mating position with said socket, said guide member being electrically conductive and providing ground potential to said heat sink when the module is engaged with the socket.

Claim 7

An assembly according to claim 2 characterized in that said module multilayered circuit laminate has an exposed power plane on an area thereof, said plane having connections through said laminate to desired circuits thereof, said socket member carrying power members which engage said exposed plane when said module is engaged with said socket to thus provide power to said module.

Claim 8

A microcircuit assembly comprising, in combination, a rectangular heat sink and body member having a central cavity therein which communicates with the outside surface of two opposed faces of said heat sink so that a cooling medium can pass through said cavity, said body including cooling fins that extend from the main portion of said body into said central cavity, a multilayered circuit laminate having external and internal circuit pattern planes and an external ground plane, said external and said internal circuit patterns being connected at desired points by connections through required layers of said laminate, said laminate being bonded to said heat sink body with the ground plane abutting the heat sink, said laminate including lines of connector areas arranged on opposed sides of said heat sink and body member, said laminate circuit patterns being connected as required to said lines of connector areas to permit external connections to be made thereto, a plurality of monolithic circuit devices supported within window areas cut in said laminate, and including circuit leads which are bonded to said laminate circuit patterns, each circuit device being thermally bonded to said heat sink and body member, pressure cap means secured to said body member and including tensioned sections normally urged toward engagement with said connector areas, a circuit board including an area array of connection pins supported thereby, a laminate socket member having a base member and two flexible end flanges projecting therefrom, said flanges having connector areas on inner surfaces and adapted for engagement with said body member circuit laminate connector areas, said socket base member being secured to said circuit board and overlying said pins and including circuit patterns linking said socket connector areas to said area pins, said socket member including a continuous ground plane on an outer surface thereof and spaced from said flange connector areas and base circuit patterns by an intervening insulating layer, flexible spring members secured to said circuit board adjacent each of said flanges and including a flexible planar section that abuts each of said flanges, means for deflecting said pressure cap tensioned sections clear of contact with said body connector areas to permit said body member to be inserted within said socket member with said flange connector areas overlying said connector areas of said body laminate, and means for releasing said tensioned sections after said body is engaged with said socket, said tensioned means engaging an outer surface of said flexible spring members and flexing said members and the adjacent socket flanges so as to forcibly maintain said flange connector areas and said body laminate connector areas in positive electrical engagement.

Claim 9

A microcircuit assembly comprising, in combination, a rectangular heat sink and body member having a central cavity therein which communicates with the outside surface of two opposed faces of said heat sink so that a cooling medium can pass through said cavity, said body including cooling fins that extend from the main portion of said body into said central cavity, a multilayered circuit laminate having external and internal circuit pattern planes and an external ground plane, said external and said internal circuit patterns being connected at desired points by connections through required layers of said laminate, said laminate being bonded to said heat sink body with the ground plane abutting the heat sink, said laminate including lines of connector areas arranged on opposed sides of said heat sink and body member, said laminate circuit patterns being connected as required to said lines of connector areas to permit external connections to be made thereto, a plurality of monolithic circuit devices supported within window areas cut in said laminate, and including circuit leads which are bonded to said laminate circuit patterns, each circuit device being thermally bonded to said heat sink and body member, pressure cap means secured to said body member and including tensioned sections normally urged toward engagement with said connector areas, a circuit board including an area array of connection pins supported thereby, a laminate socket member having a base member and two flexible end flanges projecting therefrom, said flanges having connector areas on inner surfaces and adapted for engagement with said body member circuit laminate connector areas, said socket base member being secured to said circuit board and overlying said pins and including circuit patterns linking said socket connector areas to said area pins, said socket member including a continuous ground plane on an outer surface thereof and spaced from said flange connector areas and base circuit patterns by an intervening insulating layer, flexible spring members secured to said circuit board adjacent each of said flanges and including a flexible planar section that abuts each of said flanges, means for deflecting said pressure cap tensioned sections clear of contact with said body connector areas to permit said body member to be inserted within said socket member with said flange connector areas overlying said connector areas of said body laminate, and means for releasing said tensioned sections after said body is engaged with said socket, said tensioned means engaging an outer surface of said flexible spring members and flexing said members and the adjacent socket flanges so as to forcibly maintain said flange connector areas and said body laminate connector areas in positive electrical engagement.

Claim 10

A microcircuit assembly according to claim 7 characterized further by a ground channel member secured to said socket member and dIsposed between the flanges thereof, an extension of said ground channel engaging a slot in the undersurface of said heat sink as it is inserted into the socket to not only guide the heat sink into mating position but to apply ground to said heat sink, said ground channel also carrying power bus bars thereon but insulated therefrom which include deflectable spring members which electrically engage an exposed power plane of said body circuit laminate to supply power from said board to said monolithic circuits.

Claim 11

A microcircuit assembly comprising, in combination, a body member of heat-conductive material, a multilayered circuit laminate bonded to said body, said laminate including external and internal circuit planes and carrying microelectronic circuit devices thereon having connections to said circuit planes, said external plane including lines of spaced connector areas at predetermined sections thereof, pressure cap means secured to said body and including tensioned sections normally urged toward engagement with said connector areas, a circuit board having an area array of connection pins extending therethrough, a socket structure having spaced lines of connector areas adapted for engagement with said body connector areas, said socket being secured to said circuit board and overlying said area pins and including circuit patterns thereon linking said socket connector areas to said area pins, means for deflecting said pressure cap tensioned sections free of contact with said body connector areas to permit said body to be inserted into said socket with the connector areas of the body and socket being engaged, and means for releasing said tensioned sections after insertion, said tensioned sections engaging said socket member adjacent said socket connector areas to forcibly maintain said socket connector areas electrically engaged with said body connector areas.

Claim 12

A microcircuit assembly comprising, in combination, a body member of heat-conductive material, a multilayered circuit laminate bonded to said body, said laminate including external and internal circuit planes and carrying microelectronic circuit devices thereon having connections to said circuit planes, said external plane including lines of spaced connector areas at predetermined sections thereof, pressure cap means secured to said body and including tensioned sections normally urged toward engagement with said connector areas, a circuit board having an area array of connection pins extending therethrough, a socket structure having spaced lines of connector areas adapted for engagement with said body connector areas, said socket being secured to said circuit board and overlying said area pins and including circuit patterns thereon linking said socket connector areas to said area pins, means for deflecting said pressure cap tensioned sections free of contact with said body connector areas to permit said body to be inserted into said socket with the connector areas of the body and socket being engaged, and means for releasing said tensioned sections after insertion, said tensioned sections engaging said socket member adjacent said socket connector areas to forcibly maintain said socket connector areas electrically engaged with said body connector areas.

Claim 13

An assembly according to claim 9 characterized in that said socket connector areas are carried on sections of said socket which project upwardly from said circuit board and with said tensioned sections of said pressure cap applying the connector area engaging force in a plane parallel to the circuit board.

Claim 14

An assembly according to claim 10 further characterized in that said body circuit laminate includes a ground plane bonded to said body member to provide an electrical and heat path to said body member, said socket structure also being formed of a laminate with said associated socket connector areas and circuits linked thereto being arranged on the one surface of said laminate, while a continuous ground plane is arranged on the other surface of said socket laminate.

Claim 15

A microcircuit module-connector for connecting microcircuits to a circuit board comprising a support and heat sink body, a multilayered circuit laminate bonded to external surfaces of said body, said laminate including integral microcircuit elements having electrical connections to exposed lines of connector areas on an outer surface of said laminate, pressure cap means secured to said body and including tensioned members normally urged towards engagement with said connector areas, a socket member secured to said circuit board and including flexible sections carrying lines of connector areas adapted for engagement with said laminate connector areas to establish electrical connection between said laminate and said circuit board, means for deflecting said pressure cap tensioned means free of contact with said laminate connector areas to permit said body to be inserted into said socket with the connector areas of the body and socket being engaged, and means for releasing said tensioned sections after insertion, said tensioned sections engaging said flexible socket sections to forcibly maintain said socket contact areas engaged with said laminate contact areas.

Claim 16

A microcircuit module-connector for connecting microcircuits to a circuit board comprising a support and heat sink body, a multilayered circuit laminate bonded to external surfaces of said body, said laminate including integral microcircuit elements having electrical connections to exposed lines of connector areas on an outer surface of said laminate, pressure cap means secured to said body and including tensioned members normally urged towards engagement with said connector areas, a socket member secured to said circuit board and including flexible sections carrying lines of connector areas adapted for engagement with said laminate connector areas to establish electrical connection between said laminate and said circuit board, means for deflecting said pressure cap tensioned means free of contact with said laminate connector areas to permit said body to be inserted into said socket with the connector areas of the body and socket being engaged, and means for releasing said tensioned sections after insertion, said tensioned sections engaging said flexible socket sections to forcibly maintain said socket contact areas engaged with said laminate contact areas.

Claim 17

A microcircuit assembly for establishing connections of external circuits to circuits of a circuit Board comprising, in combination, a microcircuit module, the circuits of which are linked to line of exposed connector areas along sidewalls of said module, a socket member secured to said circuit board and having electrical connection to said circuit board, said socket member including flexible flanges extending upwardly from said board, said flanges between adapted to accommodate the circuit module therein, said flanges including lines of connector areas on their inner sides and aligned with said module connector areas when said module is engaged with said socket, pressure members carried by said module and normally urged towards engagement with said module contact areas, means for releasing said pressure members clear of said module connector areas wherein said module may be freely inserted into said socket with said pressure members applying the outer surface of said flanges, and means for applying said pressure member wherein they engage the outer surface of said flanges and forcibly maintain the connector areas therein in engagement with the connector areas of the module to establish connection of said module circuit to said circuit board.

Claim 18

A microcircuit assembly for establishing connections of external circuits to circuits of a circuit Board comprising, in combination, a microcircuit module, the circuits of which are linked to line of exposed connector areas along sidewalls of said module, a socket member secured to said circuit board and having electrical connection to said circuit board, said socket member including flexible flanges extending upwardly from said board, said flanges between adapted to accommodate the circuit module therein, said flanges including lines of connector areas on their inner sides and aligned with said module connector areas when said module is engaged with said socket, pressure members carried by said module and normally urged towards engagement with said module contact areas, means for releasing said pressure members clear of said module connector areas wherein said module may be freely inserted into said socket with said pressure members applying the outer surface of said flanges, and means for applying said pressure member wherein they engage the outer surface of said flanges and forcibly maintain the connector areas therein in engagement with the connector areas of the module to establish connection of said module circuit to said circuit board.