Circuit board apparatus with pin connectors

Abstract

A method allowing for the inexpensive automated construction of interconnections between circuit boards is provided. According to the present invention, printed circuit pins are inserted in a circuit board from the top (component side). Provided the heads of the pins are thin enough to lie beneath a solder stencil, the pins may be pre-installed on the circuit board and solder applied to the pins at the same time solder is applied to other regions of the board. Thus, known surface mount techniques may be employed to form solder connections between the pins and conductive traces on the circuit board, which facilitates the automation of the previously manual operation of soldering the printed circuit pins separately.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for forming a pin on a circuit board, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a circuit board having at least one first component-side surface including at least one electrically conductive trace and at least one bore therethrough;    providing at least one pin having a shaft portion, a friction segment and a head portion;    inserting said at least one pin into said at least one bore in said first circuit board from the direction of said first component-side surface whereby said shaft portion passes through said bore and said friction segment frictionally engages said bore;    applying solder paste to the head portion of said at least one pin; and    heating the solder paste to melt temperature to form a soldered electrical connection between the pin and said electrically conductive trace of the circuit board.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of applying solder paste further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a solder stencil having apertures corresponding to the location of said at least one pin;    placing the solder stencil over the first component-side surface; and    applying solder paste to the stencil whereby said at least one pin is coated with solder paste.    
     
     
         3 . A method for forming an electrical connection between two circuit boards comprising the steps of: 
 providing a first circuit board having at least one first component-side surface including at least one first electrically conductive trace and at least one first bore therethrough it;    providing a second circuit board having at least one second component-side surface including at least one second electrically conductive trace and at least one second bore therethrough it;    providing at least one pin having a shaft portion, a friction segment and a head portion;    providing at least one socket contact having a cavity defined therein;    inserting said at least one pin into said at least one first bore in said first circuit board from the direction of said first component-side surface whereby said shaft portion passes through said bore and said friction segment frictionally engages said bore;    applying solder paste to the head portion of said at least one pin and adjacent portions of said socket contact;    applying solder paste to the region adjacent said at least one second bore;    inserting said at least one socket contact into said at least one second bore in said second circuit board from the direction of said second component-side surface;    heating the solder paste to melt temperature to form a soldered electrical connection between the pin and said at least one first electrically conductive trace of the first circuit board, and between the socket contact and said at least one second electrically conductive trace of the second circuit board;    positioning the first circuit board and the second circuit board in proximity so that there is substantial alignment between said at least one pin and the cavity in said at least one socket contact; and    inserting the shaft portions of said at least one pin in the cavity in said at least one socket contact.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said steps of applying solder paste applying step further comprises the steps of: 
 providing a first solder stencil having apertures corresponding to the location of said at least one pin;    placing the first stencil over the first component-side surface; and    applying solder paste to the first stencil whereby said at least one pin is coated with solder paste;    providing a second solder stencil having apertures corresponding to the region adjacent said at least one second bore;    placing the second stencil over the second component-side surface of the second circuit board; and    applying solder paste to the second stencil whereby the region adjacent said at least one second bore is coated with solder paste.    
     
     
         5 . A circuit board having pins, comprising: 
 a circuit board having at least one first component-side surface including at least one electrically conductive trace and at least one bore therethrough;    at least one pin having a shaft portion, a friction segment and a head portion, said at least one pin being connected to said circuit board by: 
 inserting said at least one pin into said at least one bore in said first circuit board from the direction of said first component-side surface whereby said shaft portion passes through said bore and said friction segment frictionally engages said bore;  
 providing a first solder stencil having apertures corresponding to the location of said at least one pin;  
 placing the stencil over said first component-side surface;  
 applying solder paste to the stencil whereby said at least one pin is coated with solder paste; and  
 heating the solder paste to melt temperature to form a soldered electrical connection between said at least one pin and said electrically conductive trace of the first circuit board.  
   
     
     
         6 . The circuit board of  claim 5 , wherein the friction segment of said at least one pin has a hexagonal cross-section.  
     
     
         7 . The assembly of circuit boards of  claim 5 , wherein the friction segment of said at least one pin has a knurled cross-section.  
     
     
         8 . The assembly of circuit boards of  claim 5 , wherein the head portion of said at least one pin is between substantially 0.004 and substantially 0.010 inches thick.  
     
     
         9 . An electrical interconnection between a first circuit board having at least one first component-side surface, at least one first electrically conductive trace, and at least one first bore therethrough it, and second circuit board having at least one second component-side surface, at least one second electrically conductive trace, and at least one second bore therethrough it, said electrical interconnection comprising: 
 at least one pin having a shaft portion, a friction segment, and a head portion;    and at least one socket contact having a cavity defined therein;    said at least one pin being connected to said first circuit board by: 
 inserting said at least one pin into said at least one bore in said first circuit board from the direction of said first component-side surface whereby said shaft portion passes through said bore and said friction segment frictionally engages said bore;  
 providing a first solder stencil having apertures corresponding to the location of said at least one pin;  
 placing the stencil over said first component-side surface;  
 applying solder paste to the stencil whereby said at least one pin is coated with solder paste; and  
 heating the solder paste to melt temperature to form a soldered electrical connection between said at least one pin and said electrically conductive trace of the first circuit board; and  
   said at least one socket contact being connected to said second circuit board by: 
 providing a second solder stencil having apertures corresponding to the location of said at least one pin;  
 placing the second stencil over the second component-side surface of the second circuit board, wherein the solder stencil has apertures corresponding to the region adjacent said at least one second bore; and  
 applying solder paste to the second stencil whereby the region adjacent said at least one second bore is coated with solder paste;  
 inserting said at least one socket contact into said at least one second bore in said second circuit board from the direction of said second component-side surface;  
 heating the solder paste to melt temperature to form a soldered electrical connection between said at least one socket contact and said at least one second electrically conductive trace of the second circuit board;  
   said at least one pin and said at least one socket contact being joined by: 
 positioning the first circuit board and the second circuit board in proximity so that there is substantial alignment between said at least one pin and the cavity in said at least one socket contact; and  
 inserting the shaft portions of said at least one pin in the cavity in said at least one socket contact.  
   
     
     
         10 . The interconnection of  claim 9 , wherein the friction segment of said at least one pin has a hexagonal cross-section.  
     
     
         11 . The interconnection of  claim 9 , wherein the friction segment of said at least one pin has a knurled cross-section.  
     
     
         12 . The interconnection of  claim 9 , wherein the head portion of said at least one pin is between substantially 0.004 and substantially 0.010 inches thick.