Methods and apparatuses for aligning and coupling a circuit board with a chassis and another circuit board

Abstract

A Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) module for a vehicle can include a chassis, a galvanometer driver circuit board and a main circuit board. The main circuit board may be pre-assembled to the chassis resulting in a blind mating of an electrical connector of the main circuit board to an electrical connector of the galvanometer driver circuit board. The LiDAR module may include pins extending from the chassis arranged to extend through holes in the galvanometer driver circuit board in order to align the electrical connector of the galvanometer driver circuit board with the electrical connector of the main circuit board prior to the coupling of the electrical connectors. The pin may include a threaded portion coupled to the chassis, an unthreaded central portion engaging the galvanometer driver circuit board, and another threaded portion used to secure the galvanometer driver circuit board to the chassis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of coupling a first circuit board to a chassis and to a second circuit board, wherein the second circuit board is coupled to the chassis, and wherein a LiDAR assembly comprises the first circuit board, the second circuit and the chassis, the method comprising:
 positioning the first circuit board over the chassis so that a first pin of one or more pins extending from the chassis extends into a first through hole of the first circuit board, wherein:
 the first pin comprises a threaded chassis end threadedly coupled to the chassis, a threaded securing end opposite the threaded chassis end, and a central portion between the threaded securing end and the threaded chassis end; and 
 the central portion comprises at least one flattened surface portion; and 
   contacting and coupling a first electrical connector of the first circuit board to a second electrical connector of the second circuit board, wherein the first pin is received into the first through hole prior to the first electrical connector contacting the second electrical connector in order to cause alignment of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector prior to the coupling of the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one flattened surface portion comprises a first flattened surface portion and a second flattened surface portion that is positioned opposite the first flattened surface portion.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the central portion of the first pin is thicker than the threaded chassis end and the thread securing end along at least one lateral dimension of the first pin.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 positioning the first circuit board over the chassis so that a second pin of the one or more pins extending from the chassis extends into a second through hole of the first circuit board to further cause the alignment of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector prior to the coupling of the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 securing the first circuit board to the chassis with a screw extending through a third through hole of the first circuit board into the chassis, after the first electrical connector is coupled to the second electrical connector.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a lateral dimension of the central portion of the first pin is at least substantially the same as a corresponding lateral dimension the first through hole.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 each of the threaded chassis end and the threaded securing end comprises a male threaded connector.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 threadedly coupling the threaded chassis end of the first pin to the chassis prior to the step of positioning the first circuit board.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 threadedly coupling a first pin cap to the threaded securing end of the first pin to secure the first circuit board between the pin cap and the chassis.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the central portion of the first pin is unthreaded.   
     
     
         11 . A LiDAR assembly comprising:
 a chassis;   a first circuit board comprising a first electrical connector and a first through hole;   a second circuit board coupled to the chassis and comprising a second electrical connector coupled to the first electrical connector; and   a first pin extending from the chassis through the first through hole of the first circuit board, wherein:
 the first pin comprises a threaded chassis end threadedly coupled to the chassis, a threaded securing end opposite the threaded chassis end, and a central portion between the threaded securing end and the threaded chassis end; 
 the central portion comprises at least one flattened surface portion; and 
 the first pin is configured to be received into the first through hole prior to the first electrical connector being coupled to the second electrical connector in order to cause alignment of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector prior to the coupling of the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector. 
   
     
     
         12 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the at least one flattened surface portion comprises a first flattened surface portion and a second flattened surface portion; and   the central portion of the first pin comprises two arced sides disposed between the first flattened surface portion and the second flattened surface portion.   
     
     
         13 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the two arced sides are respectively defined by a first radius corresponding to a second radius of the first through hole of the first circuit board so that when engaged with each other the unthreaded central portion limits movement of the first circuit board relative to the first pin in directions perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first pin.   
     
     
         14 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a second pin extending from the chassis through a second through hole of the first circuit board, wherein the first pin and the second pin are configured to be received into the first through hole and the second through hole, respectively, prior to the first electrical connector being coupled to the second electrical connector in order to cause alignment of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector prior to the coupling of the first electrical connector to the second electrical connector.   
     
     
         15 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a screw extending through a third through hole of the first circuit board into the chassis.   
     
     
         16 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a thread pin cap, wherein the pin cap is threadedly coupled to the threaded securing end of the first pin in order to secure the first circuit board between the pin cap and the chassis.   
     
     
         17 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the thread pin cap defines a threaded receptacle that receives the threaded securing end.   
     
     
         18 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the threaded chassis end and the threaded securing end have different radii.   
     
     
         19 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the at least one flattened surface portion comprises a first flattened surface portion and a second flattened surface portion that is positioned opposite the first flattened surface portion.   
     
     
         20 . The LiDAR assembly of  claim 11  wherein:
 the central portion of the first pin is thicker than the threaded chassis end and the thread securing end along at least one lateral dimension of the first pin.