Edgecard circuit board

Claim 2

A printed circuit board for use with an edgecard connector, said printed circuit board comprising: a connection edge for insertion into an edgecard connector in an insertion direction; a first row of metal conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction; a second row of metal conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said first row of metal conductive pads and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction, the metal conductive pads of sa id second row being staggered with respect to the metal conductive pads of said first row; and a row of solder mask regions disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction, the solder mask regions being discrete regions interposed between the metal conductive pads of the first row so that each of the solder mask regions are in line with one of the metal conductive pads of said second row in the direction opposite the insertion direction, and the solder mask regions having a substantially uniform height a long the direction opposite the insertion direction.

Claim 3

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 1, wherein the solder mask regions have a convex cross-section.

Claim 4

A printed circuit board a s recited in claim 2, wherein the convex cross-section of solder mask regions operate to direct contacts of the edgecard connector to the corresponding conductive pads of said first row.

Claim 5

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 1, wherein the solder mask regions have a concave cross-section.

Claim 6

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 4, wherein the concave cross- section of the solder mask regions operate to channel contacts of the edgecard connector to the corresponding metal conductive pads of said second row.

Claim 7

A printed circuit board for use with an edgecard connector, said printed circuit board comprising: a connection edge for insertion into an edgecard connector in an insertion direction; a first row of metal conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction; a second row of metal conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said first row of metal conductive pads and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction, the metal conductive pads of said second row being staggered and isolated from the metal conductive pads of said first row; and a row of electrically isolated conductive regions disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction, the electrically isolated conductive regions being discrete regions interposed between the metal conductive pads of the first row so that each of the electrically isolated conductive regions are in line with one of the metal conductive pads of said second row in the direction opposite the insertion direction, the electrically isolated conductive regions also being electrically isolated from the metal conductive pads of the first and second rows, and the electrically isolated conductive regions having a substantially uniform height along the direction opposite the insertion direction.

Claim 8

A printed circuit board for use with an edgecard connector, said printed circuit board comprising: a connection edge for insertion into an edgecard connector in an insertion direction; a first row of metal conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction; a second row of metal conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said first row of metal conductive pads and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction, the metal conductive pads of said second row being staggered and isolated from the metal conductive pads of said first row; and a row of electrically isolated conductive regions disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board adjacent to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a direction opposite the insertion direction, the electrically isolated conductive regions being discrete regions interposed between the metal conductive pads of the first row so that each of the electrically isolated conductive regions are in line with one of the metal conductive pads of said second row in the direction opposite the insertion direction, the electrically isolated conductive regions also being electrically isolated from the metal conductive pads of the first and second rows, and the electrically isolated conductive regions having a substantially uniform height along the direction opposite the insertion direction.

Claim 9

A printed circuit board for use with a connector, said printed circuit board comprising: a connection edge for insertion into the connector; a first row of conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board proximate to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a predetermined direction; a second row of conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board proximate to said first row of conductive pads and extending away therefrom in the predetermined direction; and a row of discrete slider regions disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board proximate to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in the predetermined direction, said slider regions being interposed between the conductive pads of said first row, wherein the connector includes a plurality of contacts, wherein the conductive pads of said second row are staggered with respect to the conductive pads of said first row, and each of the conductive pads of said second row is above, in the predetermined direction, one of said slider regions, and wherein said discrete slider regions am individually formed and provide low abrasive, non-conductive surfaces that are traversed, during insertion of said printed circuit board into the connector, by a plurality of the contacts of the connector that are to electrically connect to the conductive pads of said second row, and said discrete slider regions have a substantially uniform height along the predetermined direction.

Claim 10

A printed circuit board for use with a connector, said printed circuit board comprising: a connection edge for insertion into the connector; a first row of conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board proximate to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in a predetermined direction; a second row of conductive pads disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board proximate to said first row of conductive pads and extending away therefrom in the predetermined direction; and a row of discrete slider regions disposed on one or both sides of said printed circuit board proximate to said connection edge and extending away therefrom in the predetermined direction, said slider regions being interposed between the conductive pads of said first row, wherein the connector includes a plurality of contacts, wherein the conductive pads of said second row are staggered with respect to the conductive pads of said first row, and each of the conductive pads of said second row is above, in the predetermined direction, one of said slider regions, and wherein said discrete slider regions am individually formed and provide low abrasive, non-conductive surfaces that are traversed, during insertion of said printed circuit board into the connector, by a plurality of the contacts of the connector that are to electrically connect to the conductive pads of said second row, and said discrete slider regions have a substantially uniform height along the predetermined direction.

Claim 11

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 7, wherein, during insertion of said printed circuit board into the connector, no ramping action is provided as the low abrasive, nonconductive surfaces are traversed.

Claim 12

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 7, wherein said slider regions comprise solder mask.

Claim 13

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 9, wherein the conductive pads of said first and second rows comprise a layer of gold.

Claim 14

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 9, wherein said slider regions have a convex cross-section which serves to direct contacts of the connector to the corresponding conductive pads of said first row.

Claim 15

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 9, wherein said slider regions have a concave cross-section which serves to channel contacts of the connector to the corresponding conductive pads of said second row.

Claim 16

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 7, wherein the height of said discrete slider regions is substantially the same height as the height of the conductive pads of said second row.

Claim 17

A printed circuit board as recited in claim 13, wherein the height of said discrete slider regions is about 1/2 to 3 mils and the height of the conductive pads of said second row is about 4 to 6 mils.

Claim 20

A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the printed circuit board is a high density edgecard circuit board, and wherein said fabricating (c) places the slider regions on the printed circuit board with a separation gap between the conductive pads of the first row adjacent thereto.

Claim 21

A method as recited in claim 15, wherein, during insertion of said printed circuit board into the connector, no ramping action is provided as the low abrasive, nonconductive surfaces of the slider regions are traversed.

Claim 22

A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the height of the slider regions is substantially the same height as the height of the conductive pads of the second row.

Claim 23

A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the height of the slider regions is about 1/2 to 3 mils and the height of the conductive pads of the second row is about 4 to 6 mils.