Patent Grant
6962511
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to micro-miniature electronic elements and particularly to an improved design and method of manufacturing a single- or multi-connector assembly which may include internal electronic components.
2. Description of Related Technology
Existing modular jack/connector technology commonly utilizes individual discrete components such as choke coils, filters, resistors, capacitors, transformers, and LEDs disposed within the connector to provide the desired functionality. The use of the discrete components causes considerable difficulty in arranging a layout within the connector, especially when considering electrical performance criteria also required by the device. Often, one or more miniature printed circuit boards (PCBs) are used to arrange the components and provide for electrical interconnection there between. Such PCBs consume a significant amount of space in the connector, and hence must be disposed in the connector housing in an efficient fashion which does not compromise electrical performance, and which helps minimize the manufacturing cost of the connector. This is true in both single and multi-row connector configurations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,067 entitled “Shielded Connector” to Scheer (hereinafter “Scheer”) exemplifies a common prior art approach. In this configuration, one or more PCBs are disposed within the connector housing in a vertical planar orientation such that an inner face of the PCB is directed toward an interior of the assembly and an outer face directed toward an exterior of the assembly. This is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of Scheer. The arrangement of Scheer, however, is not optimal from space usage and electrical performance standpoints, in that when the components are disposed on the PCBs on the inner face (see FIG. 6 of Scheer), they are in close proximity to the majority of run of the jack (and to some degree modular plug) conductors, thereby allowing for significant cross-talk and EMI opportunity there between.
Alternatively, if all or the preponderance of the components are disposed on the external or outward side of the vertical PCB (see, e.g., FIG. 4 of Scheer), significant space is wasted in the interior volume of the connector, thereby forcing the designer to either utilize smaller and/or fewer components in their design to fit within a prescribed housing profile, and/or utilize a larger housing or thinner walls to generate more interior volume. Stated differently, the ratio of usable volume to total volume within the connector is not optimized.
Another disability with prior art connector arrangements relates to their visual indication systems. Prior art systems generally use one of two arrangements comprising either LEDs which are directly viewable by the user from the front face of the connector, or optically transmissive conduits (e.g., light pipes) which transfer the light energy from the LED to the front face of the connector. A common problem relates to enclosure of the LED within the connector housing (and hence often the external noise shield). This arrangement increases the level of radiated noise within the housing, and therefore the level of noise and cross-talk present in the signal. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,159 issued Apr. 9, 2002 to Hess, et al. Various schemes have been utilized to place the comparatively “noisy” LEDs outside the external noise shield, but many of these are unwieldy and are not well suited to multi-port connector arrangements. Many prior art solutions also require the LEDs or light sources to be disposed on or near the parent substrate (PCB). See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,239 issued Mar. 2, 1999 to Morin, et al. Furthermore, many arrangements treat each LED individually, thereby necessitating significant amounts of labor in manufacture.
Based on the foregoing, it would be most desirable to provide an improved connector apparatus and method of manufacturing the same. Such improved apparatus would ideally be highly efficient at using the interior volume of the connector as compared to prior art solutions, mitigate cross-talk and EMI to a high degree, and allow for the use of a variety of different components (including light sources) with the connector assembly at once, thereby reducing labor cost. Furthermore, such improved connector apparatus would have an indication arrangement which facilitates low radiated noise and cross-talk, yet is cost-effective to manufacture.
In a first aspect of the invention, an improved connector assembly for use on, inter alia, a printed circuit board or other device is disclosed. The connector includes at least one substrate (e.g., circuit board) disposed in substantially vertical and orthogonal orientation to the front face of the connector. In one exemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a connector housing having a single port pair (i.e., two modular plug recesses), a plurality of conductors disposed within the recesses for contact with the terminals of the modular plug, and at least one component substrate disposed in the rear portion of the housing, the component substrates having at least one electronic component disposed thereon and in the electrical pathway between the conductors and the corresponding circuit board leads. The substantially orthogonal orientation of the board(s) allows maximum space efficiency with minimal noise and cross-talk.
In a second exemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a connector housing having a plurality of connector recesses arranged in port pairs, the recesses arranged in over-under and side-by-side orientation. A plurality of substrates arranged within each of the respective rear portions associated with each connector recess are also provided. The conductors associated with a first recess are disposed at their termination point on a first of the plurality of substrates, while the conductors associated with a second recess formed immediately over (or under) the first are disposed at their termination point on a second of the plurality of substrates, thereby allowing each of the respective recesses to have its own discrete substrate (optionally with electronic components thereon), and providing enhanced electrical separation, use of space within the connector, and ease of connector assembly.
In a second aspect of the invention, the connector assembly further includes a plurality of light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes, or LEDs) adapted for viewing by an operator during operation. The light sources advantageously permit the operator to determine the status of each of the individual connectors simply by viewing the front of the assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single recess (port) having two LEDs disposed relative to the recess and adjacent to the modular plug latch formed therein, such that the LEDs are readily viewable from the front of the connector assembly. The LED conductors (two per LED) are mated with the substrate(s) within the rear of the housing, and ultimately to the circuit board or other external device to which the connector assembly is mounted. In another embodiment, the LED conductors comprise continuous electrodes which terminate directly to the printed circuit board/external device. A multi-port embodiment having a plurality of modular plug recesses arranged in row-and-column fashion, and a pair of LEDs per recess, is also disclosed.
In another exemplary embodiment, the light sources comprise a “light pipe” arrangement wherein an optically conductive medium is used to transmit light of the desired wavelength(s) from a remote light source (e.g., LED) to the desired viewing location on the connector. In one variant, the light source comprises an LED which is disposed substantially on the substrate or device upon which the connector assembly is ultimately mounted, the location of the LED corresponding to a recess formed in the bottom portion of the connector, wherein the optically conductive medium receives light energy directly from the LED. In another exemplary variant, the light pipe arrangement comprises a plurality of light pipes adapted for use in a multi-port connector, the light pipes being aggregated or ganged into a unitary assembly along with the light sources. The assembly is optionally made installable/removable as a whole, and with the exception of portions of the distal portions of the light pipes, is disposed completely outside of the external connector noise shield. In another embodiment, the light sources are removable as a unit from the light pipe assembly while the latter is installed on the connector.
In a third aspect of the invention, an improved electronic assembly utilizing the aforementioned connector assembly is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic assembly comprises the foregoing connector assembly which is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a plurality of conductive traces formed thereon, and bonded thereto using a soldering process, thereby forming a conductive pathway from the traces through the conductors of the respective connectors of the package. In another embodiment, the connector assembly is mounted on an intermediary substrate, the latter being mounted to a PCB or other component using a reduced footprint terminal array. An external noise shield is also optionally applied to mitigate external EMI.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, an improved method of manufacturing the connector assembly of the present invention is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of forming an assembly housing having at least one modular plug receiving recess and a rear cavity disposed therein; providing a plurality of conductors comprising a first set adapted for use within the recess of the housing element so as to mate with corresponding conductors of a modular plug; providing at least one substrate having at least one electrical pathway formed thereon, and adapted for receipt within the rear cavity; terminating one end of the conductors of the set to the substrate; providing a second set of conductors adapted for termination to the substrate and to the external device (e.g., circuit board) to which the connector will be mated; terminating the second set of conductors to the substrate, thereby forming an electrical pathway from the modular plug (when inserted in the recess) through at least one of the conductors of the first set to the distal end of at least one of the conductors of the second set; and inserting the assembled first conductors, substrate, and second conductors into the cavity within the housing. In another embodiment of the method, one or more electronic components are mounted on the substrate(s), thereby providing an electrical pathway from the modular plug terminals through the electronic component(s) to the distal ends of the second terminals.
In a fifth aspect of the invention, an improved method of manufacturing an indicator assembly is disclosed. The method generally comprises: forming a unitary assembly having a plurality of individual conduits, a frame, and a light source recess; forming a light source carrier adapted to receive a plurality of light sources, and fit within the recess; providing a plurality of light sources; inserting the light sources within the carrier; and inserting the carrier within the recess, thereby forming the light conduit assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the method further comprises forming the carrier from an optically opaque material, and the act of inserting comprises sliding the conductors of the light sources into grooves formed in the frame, and then rotating the carrier into the recess. In another exemplary embodiment, the method comprises mating two substantially identical assemblies in side-by-side fashion so as to form a single unitary indicator assembly.
In a sixth aspect of the invention, an improved method of manufacturing a connector with integral indicator assembly is disclosed. The method generally comprises: forming a multi-port connector assembly having a housing, conductors, and at least one internal substrate; providing an external noise shield adapted to fit over at least portions of the housing; installing the noise shield over the housing; forming a unitary assembly having a plurality of individual conduits, a frame, and a light source recess; forming a light source carrier adapted to receive a plurality of light sources, and fit within the recess; providing a plurality of light sources; inserting the light sources within the carrier; inserting the carrier within the recess; and mating the indicator assembly with the connector housing.
The features, objectives, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
a is a side cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment (single port pair) of the connector assembly according to the present invention, taken along a line running front-to-back on the connector body.
b is a rear plan view of the connector assembly according to
c is a perspective view of the primary substrate assemblies (less electronic components and/or conductive traces) used in the embodiment of
d is a top plan view of the first conductors of the connector assembly of
a is a side cross-sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment (multi-port pairs) of the connector assembly according to the present invention.
b is a rear plan view of the connector assembly according to
c is a perspective view of the primary substrate assemblies (less electronic components and/or conductive traces) used in the embodiment of
d-2f are various perspective views of the embodiment of
g is a perspective view of one embodiment of the conductor carrier optionally used in conjunction with the upper conductors of the connector of
h is side cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the connector of the invention with contour elements.
a is a side cross-sectional view of a third exemplary embodiment (including light sources) of the connector assembly according to the present invention.
b is a rear plan view of a multi-port, two row connector assembly according to the present invention including a variety of alternate configurations of light source conductor routing.
c is a rear perspective view of the primary substrate assemblies with light sources (less other electronic components and/or conductive traces) used in the embodiments of
d-e illustrate another embodiment of the light source mounting which may be used consistent with the invention.
a is a rear perspective view of yet another embodiment of the connector of the invention, the connector including an integrated light pipe assembly with external noise shield.
b is a rear perspective view of the internal portions of the connector of
c is a rear perspective view of the integrated light pipe assembly of the embodiment of
d is a rear perspective view of the exemplary light pipe assembly of
e is rear perspective view of the optical isolator (and one light source used therewith) of the embodiment of
f is a rear perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the indicator assembly (frame) of the present invention, having only two light pipes and adapted to receive two light sources.
g is a rear perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the connector housing of the connector assembly of
h is a front perspective cutaway view of the connector of
a is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the connector assembly of the present invention, including optional noise shield elements.
Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
It is noted that while the following description is cast primarily in terms of a plurality of RJ-type connectors and associated modular plugs of the type well known in the art, the present invention may be used in conjunction with any number of different connector types. Accordingly, the following discussion of the RJ connectors and plugs is merely exemplary of the broader concepts.
As used herein, the terms “electrical component” and “electronic component” are used interchangeably and refer to components adapted to provide some electrical function, including without limitation inductive reactors (“choke coils”), transformers, filters, gapped core toroids, inductors, capacitors, resistors, operational amplifiers, and diodes, whether discrete components or integrated circuits, whether alone or in combination, as well as more sophisticated integrated circuits such as SoC devices, ASICs, FPGAs, DSPs, etc. For example, the improved toroidal device disclosed in Assignee's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/661,628 entitled “Advanced Electronic Microminiature Coil and Method of Manufacturing” filed Sep. 13, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be used in conjunction with the invention disclosed herein.
As used herein, the term “signal conditioning” or “conditioning” shall be understood to include, but not be limited to, signal voltage transformation, filtering, current limiting, sampling, processing, and time delay.
As used herein, the term “port pair” refers to an upper and lower modular connector (port) which are in a substantially over-under arrangement; i.e., one port disposed substantially atop the other port.
Single Port Pair Embodiment
Referring now to
Also formed generally within each recess 112 in the housing element 102 are a plurality of grooves 122 which are disposed generally parallel and oriented substantially horizontally within the housing 102. The grooves 122 are spaced and adapted to guide and receive the aforementioned conductors 120 used to mate with the conductors of the respective modular plug. The conductors 120 are formed in a predetermined shape and held within an electronic component substrate assembly 130 (see
One advantageous feature of the arrangement of the first conductors 120a of the respective substrates is that a significant portion of each first conductor is not in proximity and does not “overlap” with the corresponding first conductor of the other substrate in the port pair, as shown in
It will be recognized that while the embodiment of
Multi-Port Embodiment
Referring now to
As in the embodiment of
The substrate assemblies 230, 232 are retained within their cavities 234 substantially by way of friction with the housing element 202 and the capture of the second (lower) conductors 220b by the secondary substrate (described below), although other methods and arrangements may be substituted with equal success. The illustrated approach allows for easy insertion of the completed substrate assemblies 230, 232 into the housing 202, and subsequent selective removal if desired.
It will also be recognized that positioning or retaining elements (e.g., “contour” elements, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,963 entitled “Two Piece Microelectronic Connector and Method” issued Sep. 12, 2000, assigned to the Assignee hereof), and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may optionally be utilized as part of the housing element 202 of the present invention. These positioning or retaining elements are used, inter alia, to position the individual first conductors 220a with respect to the modular plug(s) received within the recess(es), and thereby provide a mechanical pivot point or fulcrum for the first conductors 220a. Additionally or in the alternative, these elements may act as retaining devices for the conductors 220a and its associated primary substrate 231 thereby providing a frictional retaining force which opposes removal of the substrate 231 and conductors from the housing 202.
In the illustrated embodiment of
Also in the illustrated embodiment, the first (upper) conductors 220a of each substrate assembly 230, 232 are displaced away from each other after egress from the separator element 223 to minimize electrical coupling and “cross-talk” there between. Specifically, as the length of the upper conductors 220a grows longer, the associated capacitance also increases, and hence the opportunity for cross-talk. The displacement of the first conductors 220a from each other in the present invention adds more distance between the conductors of that port pair, thereby reducing the field strength and accordingly the cross-talk there between.
In another variant of the embodiment of
It is further noted that while the embodiment of
As yet another alternative, the connector configurations within the connector housing may be heterogeneous or hybridized. For example, one or more of the upper/lower row port pairs may utilize configurations which are different, such as the use of the substantially vertical complementary primary substrate pairs as described above with respect to
Many other permutations are possible consistent with the invention; hence, the embodiments shown herein are merely illustrative of the broader concept.
The rows 208, 210 of the embodiment of
The connector assembly 200 of the invention further comprises a single secondary substrate 260 which is disposed in the illustrated embodiment on the bottom face of the connector assembly 200 adjacent to the PCB or external device to which the assembly 100 is ultimately mounted (FIG. 4). The substrate comprises, in the illustrated embodiment, at least one layer of fiberglass 262, although other arrangements and materials may be used. The substrate 260 further includes a plurality of conductor perforation arrays 268 formed at predetermined locations on the substrate 260 with respect to the second (lower) conductors 220b of each primary substrate assembly 230 such that when the connector assembly 100 is fully assembled, the second conductors 220b penetrate the substrate 260 via respective ones of the aperture arrays 268. This arrangement advantageously provides mechanical stability and registration for the lower conductors 220b.
d-2f illustrates various aspects of the connector of
Referring now to
The carrier of
It will be further recognized that the substantially planar configuration of the carrier 280 lends itself to being received within corresponding recesses or apertures (not shown) formed within the housing element 202. For example, a recess or aperture may be formed in the housing and shaped to receive the carrier 280 when the latter is clipped onto the first conductors 220a, thereby adding additional rigidity.
Lastly, it will be recognized that while the embodiment of
Connector Assembly with Light Sources
Referring now to
Similarly, a set of complementary grooves (not shown) may be formed if desired, such grooves terminating on the bottom face of the housing 302 coincident with the conductors 311 for the LEDs of the bottom row of connectors. These allow the LED conductors to be received within their respective recesses 344, and upon emergence from the rear end of the recess 344, be deformed downward to be frictionally received within their respective grooves.
The recesses 344 formed within the housing element 302 each encompass their respective LED when the latter is inserted therein, and securely hold the LED in place via friction between the LED 303 and the inner walls of the recess (not shown). Alternatively, a looser fit and adhesive may be used, or both friction and adhesive.
As yet another alternative, the recess 344 may comprise only two walls, with the LEDs being retained in place primarily by their conductors 311, which are frictionally received within grooves formed in the adjacent surfaces of the connector housing. This latter arrangement is illustrated most clearly in U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,664 entitled “Shielded Microelectronic Connector with Indicators and Method of Manufacturing” issued Dec. 4, 2001, and assigned to the Assignee hereof, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
It will be noted that while channels 32, 33, grooves 36, 38, and lands 39 are described above, other types of forms and/or retaining devices, as well as locations therefore, may be used with the present invention. For example, the aforementioned indicating devices 14 can be mounted on the bottom surface of the connector using only adhesive and the grooves 36, 38 to retain the leads 40 and align the devices 14. Alternatively, the channels and grooves can be placed laterally across the bottom surface of the connector body 12 such that the indicating devices 14 are visible primarily from the side of the connector, or from the top of the connector. Many such permutations are possible and considered to be within the scope of the invention described herein.
As yet another alternative, the external shield element 272 may be used to provide support and retention of the LEDs within the recesses 344, the latter comprising three-sided channels into which the LEDs 303 fit. Many other configurations for locating and retaining the LEDs in position with respect to the housing element 302 may be used, such configurations being well known in the relevant art.
The two LEDs 303 used for each connector 304 radiate visible light of the desired wavelength(s), such as green light from one LED and red light from the other, although multi-chromatic devices (such as a “white light” LED), or even other types of light sources, may be substituted if desired. For example, a light pipe arrangement such as that using an optical fiber or pipe to transmit light from a remote source to the front face of the connector assembly 300 may be employed. Many other alternatives such as incandescent lights or even liquid crystal (LCD) or thin film transistor (TFT) devices are possible, all being well known in the electronic arts.
The connector assembly 300 with LEDs 303 may further be configured to include noise shielding for the individual LEDs if desired. Note that in the embodiment of
Similarly, while the light sources 412 of the embodiment of
The second light pipe assembly 410b is disposed within the upper portion of the connector housing within a channel formed therein. It will be noted that due to the longer optical “run” and greater optical losses associated with this second optical medium 405, the size/intensity of the LED 413, and/or the optical properties or dimensions of the medium 405, may optionally be adjusted so as to produce a luminosity substantially equivalent to that associated with the first light pipe assembly 410a if desired.
As shown in
Similarly, it will be recognized that the placement of the light sources within the connector housing 406 may be varied. For example, the LEDs could be placed in a more central location on the bottom face 440 of the connector (not shown), in tandem or front-back arrangement, with the respective optical media being routed to the desired viewing face location. As yet another alternative, the top (rear) light sources could be placed remote from the PCB/parent device, such that it is disposed within the top rear wall area 442 of the connector housing, thereby allowing the use of a “straight run” of optical medium (not shown).
It can also be appreciated that while the foregoing embodiment is described in terms of a two-row connector device, the light pipe assemblies of the invention may also be implemented in devices having greater or lesser numbers of rows.
Referring now to
The indicator assemblies 454 are comprised of the aforementioned conduits 456 and a frame element 460, all of which in the present embodiment are collectively joined into a unitary component 461 through molding as one common piece, although other approaches (i.e., multi-part assemblies, and/or use of other formation processes) may be used. The unitary molded arrangement of the present embodiment advantageously reduces the cost of manufacturing the connector due to (i) low cost of injection or transfer molding processes, and (ii) obviating hand or machine labor associated with assembling a plurality of components. This arrangement also provides the assembly 454 with substantial rigidity and alignment for both the assembly 454 as a whole and the internal components of the assembly 454 (including the optical isolator/carrier and light sources), described in greater detail subsequently herein.
The unitary component 461 is fabricated from a polymer which is substantially transmissive to light (i.e., transparent), at least in the desired direction of light flow from the terminal end of the conduit 456 to the distal end thereof. This mitigates optical losses resulting from the light propagation in the material, and helps maintain the maximal luminosity at the distal end (connector mating face) for ease of user recognition. It will be recognized, however, that other optically transmissive media (such as single- or multi-mode optical fiber and the like) may be used to provide optical transmission of light energy from the source 470 to the distal face. Molded transparent polymer has the distinct benefit of low cost and ease of manufacturing, however.
The unitary light pipe/frame component 461 of the illustrated embodiment further includes a recess 462 adapted to receive a plurality of light sources 470 disposed within a light source carrier 468 (see
Referring now specifically to
The carrier 468 is in the present embodiment also formed from an opaque material (in contrast to the substantially transparent material of the conduits/frame) so as to optically isolate the light from one LED 470 from an adjacent conduit 456. Specifically, it is undesirable to have the light from one LED bleed into an adjacent light conduit, since this may either provide an erroneous indication to the user at the face of the connector, and/or generate constructive or destructive interference with the light generated by the LED associated with that adjacent conduit, thereby providing unpredictable and potentially deleterious effects. As another alternative, the interior and/or exterior surfaces of the carrier 468 may be coated with an optically opaque material (such as paint) to prevent light transmission. The side surfaces of the LED 470 may also be coated in this manner so as to permit light transmission only from the forward face 475 of the LED during operation. Myriad different ways of optically isolating the light sources 470 from unwanted transmission into adjacent conduits 456 may be used consistent with the invention as recognized by those of ordinary skill.
The carrier 468 of the present embodiment is also advantageously configured to permit easy assembly and removal with respect to the frame 460. Specifically, the assembly process involves simply inserting the head portion of each light source into it's respective recess 469 of the carrier 468, and then inserting the carrier with light sources into its recess within the frame 460 as a unit such that the LED conductors are routed through the guides 472 within the frame. Alternatively, the LED conductors can be routed into their guides 472 by hand, and then the carrier fitted over top of the LED head portions and then subsequently rotated as an assembly into the frame 460. Several possible methods of assembly are possible. It is noted that the carrier 468 of the illustrated embodiment is configured such that it can rotate and/or translate out of the plane of the indicator assembly frame 460 away from the back of the connector, thereby allowing installation/removal of the carrier while the indicator assembly 454 is mounted onto the back of the connector (assuming the LED leads are not tightly registered in the secondary or horizontal substrate 260). Note that use of registration of the LED conductors within the secondary substrate 260 aids in alignment of these conductors during PCB mating, but is in no means necessary to practice the invention, and may be undesirable in circumstances where the easy removability of the indicator assembly is desired.
As indicated above, the indicator assemblies 454 are in the illustrated embodiment dove-tailed or contoured to each other such that two adjacent assemblies 454 can mate to one another in side-by-side configuration and in a space-efficient manner. The indicator assemblies 454 (including light sources and light conduits) are aggregated in groups of four per assembly 454, thereby allowing the user to add light sources/conduits in groups of four, such as in the case of a 2×8 connector, wherein four (2) assemblies 454 (with four light sources each would be used to provide one indicator for each port of the connector. It will be recognized, however, that the indicator assemblies of the present invention may be configured with any number of light sources. For example, in a 2×2 connector, a single indicator assembly having four light sources and conduits could be used, or alternatively two assemblies each having only two sources and conduits (see
Referring now to
Furthermore, the disposition of the distal portions of the conduits 456 along one row (e.g., top) of ports in the illustrated embodiment provides significant space efficiency, since the connector housing dimensions may be accordingly reduced to avoid the additional thickness need for an additional row of indicators as is common with prior art multi-port, multi-row modular connectors. Hence, it will be appreciated that the embodiment of the housing 453 shown in
Similarly, it will be recognized that the arrangement of conduits 456 in the indicator assembly 454 can optionally be made such that adjacent ones of the conduits are mated or “ganged” together at their distal ends. This approach allows the connector housing 453 to be formed with a fewer number of separate channels 488, since two mated conduits 456 can share one channel. Based on the design of the conduits 456 (including the shape and materials chosen), optical cross-talk or contamination between the two mated conduits is effectively non-existent, unlike electrical analogs (e.g., electrical signal-carrying conductors running in parallel).
It will be appreciated that while the illustrated embodiment utilizes a pin/aperture arrangement for frictional coupling of the indicator frame 460 to the housing 453, other means of attachment between the two components, whether moveable or permanent, may be used. For example, if no subsequent removal of the indicator assembly 454 is required, permanent connections such as heat-stakes or adhesive joints may be used to affix the indicator assembly 454 to the housing. Alternatively, snap-fit frictional couplings may be used if it is desired to be able to remove the indicator assembly 454 from the housing one or more times.
Additionally, in an alternate embodiment (not shown), the indicator assembly 454 may be mated to the internal substrates 231, 260 of the connector assembly and/or the insert assembly 494 so as to make the inserts 494, substrates 231, 260, and indicator assembly 454 into one unitary assembly. This approach is useful where no external noise shield (or alternatively one which does not impede insertion of the foregoing unitary insert/indicator assembly into the housing) is used.
h is a front perspective view of the connector of
It will be recognized that while described primarily in the context of the multi-port connector assembly of the present disclosure, the indicator assemblies 454 described herein may be used with other configurations of multi-port connector. Stated differently, the disposition and orientation of components internal to the connector (e.g., the vertical substrates 231, etc.) are not determinative of the use of the indicator assembly, the latter being able to be adapted to many different connector configurations given the present disclosure and the skill of the ordinary artisan.
It will be further noted that each of the foregoing embodiments of the connector assembly of the invention may be outfitted with one or more internal noise/EMI shields in order to provide enhanced electrical separation and reduced noise between conductors and electronic components. For example, the shielding arrangement(s) described in applicants co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/732,098 entitled “Shielded Microelectronic Connector Assembly and Method of Manufacturing”, filed Dec. 6, 2000, and assigned to the Assignee hereof, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, may be used, whether alone or in conjunction with other such shielding methods.
a illustrates one such exemplary embodiment of a shielded connector assembly, wherein a “top-to-bottom” shield element 550 disposed between the first conductors of the upper and lower connector ports of each port pair is used. Additionally, transverse shield elements 554 (i.e., having a substantially similar orientation as the substrates) may be used, both (i) between the substrates 231 of a given pore pair to help mitigate cross-talk and EMI between the components on the two substrates; and (ii) between adjacent substrates of two contiguous port pairs, thereby mitigating “cross-port pair” cross-talk and radiated EMI. Furthermore, a substrate shield 556 such as that shown in
It is noted that the terms “top-to-bottom” and “transverse” as used herein are also meant to include orientations which are not purely horizontal or vertical, respectively, with reference to the plane of the connector assembly. For example, one embodiment of the connector assembly of the invention (not shown) may comprise a plurality of individual connectors arranged in an array which is curved or non-linear with reference to a planar surface, such that the top-to-bottom noise shield would also be curved or non-linear to provide shielding between successive rows of connectors. Similarly, the transverse shield elements could be disposed in an orientation which is angled with respect to the vertical. Hence, the foregoing terms are in no way limiting of the orientations and/or shapes which the disclosed shield elements 550, 554, 556 may take.
Similarly, while such shield elements are described herein in terms of a single, unitary component, it will be appreciated that the shield elements may comprise two or more sub-components that may be physically separable from each other. Hence, the present invention anticipates the use of “multi-part” shields.
The top-to-bottom shield element 550 in the illustrated embodiment (
The top-to-bottom shield element 550 is in one embodiment received within a groove or slot (not shown) formed in the front face of the connector housing element 202 to a depth such that shielding between the top row of first conductors 220a and bottom row of first conductors is accomplished. In the illustrated embodiment, the shield element 550 includes a retainer tab 560 which is formed by bending the outward edge of the shield element 550 at an angle with respect to the plane of the shield element 550 at the desired location. This arrangement allows the shield element 550 to be inserted within the slot to a predetermined depth, thereby reducing the potential for variation in the depth to which the shield element penetrates from assembly to assembly during manufacturing. It will be recognized, however, that other arrangements for positioning the top-to-bottom shield element 550 may be utilized, such as pins, detents, adhesives, etc., all of which are well known in the art.
The connector assembly 200 of the
In the illustrated embodiment, the metallic shield layer 556 is etched or removed from the area 572 immediately adjacent and surrounding the terminal pin arrays 570, thereby removing any potential for undesirable electrical shorting or conductance in that area. Hence, the lower conductors 220b of each connector penetrate the substrate and only contact the non-conductive fiberglass layer of the substrate 556, the latter advantageously providing mechanical support and positional registration for the lower conductors 220b. It will be recognized that other constructions of the substrate shield 556 may be used, however, such as two layers of fiberglass with the metallic shield layer “sandwiched” between, or even other approaches.
The metallic shield layer of the substrate 556 acts to shield the bottom face of the connector assembly 200 against electronic noise transmission. This obviates the need for an external metallic shield encompassing this portion of the connector assembly 200, which can be very difficult to execute from a practical standpoint since the conductors 220b occupy this region as well. Rather, the substrate 556 of the present invention provides shielding of the bottom portion of the connector assembly 200 with no risk of shorting from the lower conductors 220b to an external shield, while also providing mechanical stability and registration for the lower conductors 220b.
In an alternate embodiment, the shielded substrate 556 may comprise a single layer of metallic shielding material (such as copper alloy; approximately 0.005 in. thick), which has been formed to cover substantially all of the bottom surface of the connector assembly. As with the shield substrate previously described, the portion of the single metallic layer immediately adjacent the lower conductors 220b has been removed to eliminate the possibility of electrical shorting to the shield. The shield of this alternative embodiment is also soldered or otherwise conductively joined to the external noise shield (if provided) to provide grounding for the former. This alternative embodiment has the advantage of simplicity of construction and lower manufacturing cost, since the fabrication of the single layer metallic is much simpler than its multi-layer counterpart of the embodiment shown in
Method of Manufacture
Referring now to
In the embodiment of
Next, two conductor sets are provided in step 604. As previously described, the conductor sets comprise metallic (e.g., copper or aluminum alloy) strips having a substantially square or rectangular cross-section and sized to fit within the slots of the connectors in the housing 102.
In step 606, the conductors are partitioned into sets; a first set 120a for use with the connector recess (i.e., within the housing 102, and mating with the modular plug terminals), and a second set 120b for mating with the PCB or other external device to which the connector assembly is mated. The conductors are formed to the desired shape(s) using a forming die or machine of the type well known in the art. Specifically, for the embodiment of
Note also that either or both of the aforementioned conductor sets may also be notched (not shown) at their distal ends such that electrical leads associated with the electronic components (e.g., fine-gauge wire wrapped around the magnetic toroid element) may be wrapped around the distal end notch to provide a secure electrical connection.
Next, the primary substrate is formed and perforated through its thickness with a number of apertures of predetermined size in step 608. Methods for forming substrates are well known in the electronic arts, and accordingly are not described further herein. Any conductive traces on the substrate required by the particular design are also added, such that necessary ones of the conductors, when received within the apertures, are in electrical communication with the traces.
The apertures within the primary substrate are arranged in two arrays of juxtaposed perforations, one at each end of the substrate, and with spacing (i.e., pitch) such that their position corresponds to the desired pattern, although other arrangements may be used. Any number of different methods of perforating the substrate may be used, including a rotating drill bit, punch, heated probe, or even laser energy. Alternatively, the apertures may be formed at the time of formation of the substrate itself, thereby obviating a separate manufacturing step.
Next, the secondary substrate formed and is perforated through its thickness with a number of apertures of predetermined size in step 610. The apertures are arranged in an array of bi-planar perforations which receive corresponding ones of the second conductors 120b therein, the apertures of the second substrate acting to register and add mechanical stability to the second set of conductors. Alternatively, the apertures may be formed at the time of formation of the substrate itself.
In step 612, one or more electronic components, such as the aforementioned toroidal coils and surface mount devices, are next formed and prepared (if used in the design). The manufacture and preparation of such electronic components is well known in the art, and accordingly is not described further herein. The electronic components are then mated to the primary substrate in step 613. Note that if no components are used, the conductive traces formed on/within the primary substrate will form the conductive pathway between the first set of conductors and respective ones of the second set of conductors. The components may optionally be (i) received within corresponding apertures designed to receive portions of the component (e.g., for mechanical stability), (ii) bonded to the substrate such as through the use of an adhesive or encapsulant, (iii) mounted in “free space” (i.e., held in place through tension generated on the electrical leads of the component when the latter are terminated to the substrate conductive traces and/or conductor distal ends, or (iv) maintained in position by other means. In one embodiment, the surface mount components are first positioned on the primary substrate, and the magnetics (e.g., toroids) positioned thereafter, although other sequences may be used. The components are electrically coupled to the PCB using a eutectic solder re-flow process as is well known in the art. The assembled primary substrate with electronic components is then optionally secured with a silicon encapsulant (step 614), although other materials may be used.
In step 616, the assembled primary substrate with SMT/magnetics is electrically tested to ensure proper operation.
The first and second sets of conductors are next disposed within respective ones of the apertures in the primary substrate such that two arrays of conductors, each terminated generally to one end of the substrate, are formed (step 618). As previously described, the first set of conductors 120a forms a co-planar juxtaposed array for mating with the terminals of the modular plug, while the second set of conductors forms a juxtaposed, bi-planar terminal array which is received within, for example, the PCB to which the assembly is ultimately mated. The conductor ends are sunk within the apertures to the desired depth within the primary substrate, and optionally bonded thereto (such as by using eutectic solder bonded to the conductor and surrounding substrate terminal pad, or adhesive) in addition to being frictionally received within their respective apertures, the latter being slightly undersized so as to create the aforementioned frictional relationship. As yet another alternative, the distal ends of the conductors may be tapered such that a progressive frictional fit occurs, the taper adjusted to allow the conductor penetration within the board to the extent (e.g., depth) desired.
As yet another alternative to the foregoing, the conductors of each set may be “molded” within the primary substrate at the desired location at the time of formation of the latter. This approach has the advantage of obviating subsequent steps of insertion/bonding of the conductors, but also somewhat complicates the substrate manufacturing process.
The finished insert assembly is then inserted into the housing element 102 in step 620, such that the assembly is received into the cavity 134, and the first conductors received into respective ones of the grooves 122 formed in the assembly housing 102.
Next, in step 622, the secondary substrate is mated to the primary substrate such that the second set of conductors protrude through the bi-planar aperture array, the former ultimately being terminated to the target PCB/external device. The secondary substrate may by simply fitted onto the second set of conductors and held in place by friction between the two components, or alternatively physically bonded to the primary substrate and/or second conductors if desired, such as using eutectic solder. Other means of positioning/engagement may also be used, such as attachment of the secondary substrate to the walls of the housing element alone. This step 622 completes the formation of the connector assembly.
With respect to the other embodiments described herein (i.e., multi-port “row and column” connector housing, connector assembly with LEDs, etc.), the foregoing method may be modified as necessary to accommodate the additional components. For example, where a multi-port connector is used, a single common secondary substrate may be fabricated, and the second conductors of the respective primary electronic component assemblies inserted into the common secondary substrate to produce a single assembly for the connector as a whole. Such modifications and alterations will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill, given the disclosure provided herein.
It will be recognized that while certain aspects of the invention are described in terms of a specific sequence of steps of a method, these descriptions are only illustrative of the broader methods of the invention, and may be modified as required by the particular application. Certain steps may be rendered unnecessary or optional under certain circumstances. Additionally, certain steps or functionality may be added to the disclosed embodiments, or the order of performance of two or more steps permuted. All such variations are considered to be encompassed within the invention disclosed and claimed herein.
While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. The foregoing description is of the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. This description is in no way meant to be limiting, but rather should be taken as illustrative of the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/099,645 of the same title filed Mar. 14, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,302, which claims priority benefit to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/276,376 filed Mar. 16, 2001 entitled “Advanced Microelectronic Connector Assembly and Method of Manufacturing”, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5069641 | Sakamoto et al. | Dec 1991 | A |
| 5613873 | Bell, Jr. | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5741152 | Boutros | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5759067 | Scheer | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5876239 | Morin et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5885100 | Talend et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 6132260 | Wu | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6174194 | Bleicher et al. | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6196879 | Hess et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6325664 | Someda et al. | Dec 2001 | B1 |
| 6361357 | Stillwell et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6368159 | Hess et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6428361 | Imschweiler et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6483712 | Oliphant et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6554638 | Hess et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 20010027055 | Laity et al. | Oct 2001 | A1 |
| 20020009910 | Posey et al. | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20020058432 | Chen et al. | May 2002 | A1 |
| 20020081901 | Ma et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20020146940 | Colantuono et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20030207622 | Gutierrez et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040005820 A1 | Jan 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60276376 | Mar 2001 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10099645 | Mar 2002 | US |
| Child | 10246840 | US |
