US5031073A — Fault-isolating apparatus and method for connecti…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 118 words

An apparatus for connecting electrical circuitry comprising, a circuit board having a major surface with first and second signal-isolated regions, said first signal-isolated region having a first array of conductive surface contacts and said second signal-isolated region having a second array of conductive surface contacts spaced apart from said first array, and a connector member selectively coupled to said circuit board surface, said connector member having a fixed connecting array of closely spaced contacts disposed such that a plurality of surface contacts of said first array are in electrical communication with a plurality of surface contacts of said second array by mutual contact with said connecting array when said connector member is coupled to said circuit board surface.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 118 words

An apparatus for connecting electrical circuitry comprising, a circuit board having a major surface with first and second signal-isolated regions, said first signal-isolated region having a first array of conductive surface contacts and said second signal-isolated region having a second array of conductive surface contacts spaced apart from said first array, and a connector member selectively coupled to said circuit board surface, said connector member having a fixed connecting array of closely spaced contacts disposed such that a plurality of surface contacts of said first array are in electrical communication with a plurality of surface contacts of said second array by mutual contact with said connecting array when said connector member is coupled to said circuit board surface.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 39 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connector member includes a substrate and means for selectively mounting said substrate to said circuit board surface, said connecting array of contacts being conductive traces fixed to a surface of said substrate.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 76 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second arrays of surface contacts are arrays of circuit board traces and wherein said connecting array is an array of parallel bars, each bar having a first end in physical contact with a circuit board trace of said first array and having a second end inn physical contact with a circuit board trace of said second array when said connector member is coupled to said circuit board.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 38 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said connector member includes ann elastomeric material captured between said substrate and a cap, said elastomeric material being attached to said substrate on a side opposite to said connecting array of contacts.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 20 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connector member is selectively coupled to said circuit board surface by fastening screws.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second arrays are each an array of closely spaced traces having an alignment corresponding to the alignment of the other of said arrays.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 136 words

An apparatus for electrically connecting circuitry on a printed circuit board comprising, a printed circuit board having a plurality of regions on a major surface thereof, each region having circuitry operatively associated with input and output signal lines, said signal lines being closely spaced conductors on said region in electrical isolation with the signal lines of ann adjacent region, a connector member having closely spaced parallel conductive bars, said conductive bars being exposed to contact said major surface of said printed circuit board and having a length and pitch such that said conductive bars are in physical contact with and provide electrical communication between signal lines of adjacent regions when said connector member is mounted to said major surface, and means for releasably mounting said connector member to said major surface of said printed circuit board.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 136 words

An apparatus for electrically connecting circuitry on a printed circuit board comprising, a printed circuit board having a plurality of regions on a major surface thereof, each region having circuitry operatively associated with input and output signal lines, said signal lines being closely spaced conductors on said region in electrical isolation with the signal lines of ann adjacent region, a connector member having closely spaced parallel conductive bars, said conductive bars being exposed to contact said major surface of said printed circuit board and having a length and pitch such that said conductive bars are in physical contact with and provide electrical communication between signal lines of adjacent regions when said connector member is mounted to said major surface, and means for releasably mounting said connector member to said major surface of said printed circuit board.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said mounting means is a screw fastening means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 17 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said conductive bars are gold-coated nickel on an underlayer of copper.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 60 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said connector member is a first connector member, said apparatus further comprising a second connector member releasably mounted to said printed circuit board, said second connector member having conductive bars having opposed ends in physical contact with signal lines of adjacent circuit regions other than those signal lines contacted by said first connector member.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 13 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said signal lines are circuit board traces.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 16 words

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said traces are gold-coated nickel on a layer of copper.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 11 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said dielectric material is polyimide.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 14 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein two of said regions have functionally identical circuitry.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 163 words

An apparatus for electrically connecting circuitry on a printed circuit board comprising, a printed circuit board having a plurality of regions on a major surface thereof, each region having circuitry operatively associated with input and output signal lines, said signal lines being closely spaced conductors on said region in electrical isolation with the signal lines of an adjacent region, a connector member having closely spaced conductive bars, said conductive bars being exposed to contact said major surface of said printed circuit board and having a length and pitch such that said conductive bars are in physical contact with and provide electrical communication between signal lines of adjacent regions when said connector member is mounted to said major surface, said conductive bars fixed to a substrate of dielectric material, said connector member having a cap coupled to said substrate on a side opposite to said conductive bars, and means for releasably mounting said connector member to said major surface of said printed circuit board.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 163 words

An apparatus for electrically connecting circuitry on a printed circuit board comprising, a printed circuit board having a plurality of regions on a major surface thereof, each region having circuitry operatively associated with input and output signal lines, said signal lines being closely spaced conductors on said region in electrical isolation with the signal lines of an adjacent region, a connector member having closely spaced conductive bars, said conductive bars being exposed to contact said major surface of said printed circuit board and having a length and pitch such that said conductive bars are in physical contact with and provide electrical communication between signal lines of adjacent regions when said connector member is mounted to said major surface, said conductive bars fixed to a substrate of dielectric material, said connector member having a cap coupled to said substrate on a side opposite to said conductive bars, and means for releasably mounting said connector member to said major surface of said printed circuit board.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 19 words

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said connector member includes an elastomer between said dielectric material and said cap.

Claim 20

Independent Claim 137 words

A method for isolating potential faults comprising, producing a printed circuit board having first and second circuit regions and patterns of signal lines in each of said circuit regions, said signal lines of said first circuit region being spaced apart from said signal lines of said second circuit region, mounting electronic components in said circuit regions, each component being operatively associated with said signal lines of the circuit region in which the component resides and being signal-isolated from components residing in the other circuit region, and selectively coupling a connector member having an array of connecting contacts to sad printed circuit board in a position such that a plurality of said connecting contacts each physically contact said signal lines of both of said first and said second circuit regions, thereby providing signal communication between said circuit regions.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 137 words

A method for isolating potential faults comprising, producing a printed circuit board having first and second circuit regions and patterns of signal lines in each of said circuit regions, said signal lines of said first circuit region being spaced apart from said signal lines of said second circuit region, mounting electronic components in said circuit regions, each component being operatively associated with said signal lines of the circuit region in which the component resides and being signal-isolated from components residing in the other circuit region, and selectively coupling a connector member having an array of connecting contacts to sad printed circuit board in a position such that a plurality of said connecting contacts each physically contact said signal lines of both of said first and said second circuit regions, thereby providing signal communication between said circuit regions.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 17 wherein said coupling of said connector member to said printed circuit board includes a screw fastening.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 70 words

The method of claim 19 wherein said producing of said printed circuit board includes designing said printed circuit board to include a third circuit region having a pattern of signal lines adjacent to but spaced apart from a corresponding pattern of said second circuit region, said method further comprising selectively coupling a connector member to said printed circuit board to provide signal communication between said second and third circuit regions.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 19 wherein said mounting of said electronic components includes providing redundant circuits in said first and third circuit regions.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-07-08	1995-01-07	1995-07-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-07-08	1999-01-07	1999-07-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-07-08	2003-01-07	2003-07-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fault-isolating apparatus and method for connecting circuitry

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