The invention relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to a connector assembly that mechanically and electrically connects substrates.
Known connectors include a differential signal contact pattern in which contacts in the connectors are arranged in a noise cancelling signal pattern. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,807 describes a noise cancelling differential connector and footprint of the contacts in the connector. The footprint, or arrangement, of the contacts reduces noise in signals communicated using the contacts. Known connectors that include the noise cancelling contact pattern described in the '807 patent do not maintain the spacing of the contacts relative to one another throughout the connector. For example, the connectors do not maintain the arrangement of the contacts in the noise cancelling pattern throughout the connectors, or between mating and mounting ends of the connectors. The connectors employ jogs, bends, or additional components that change the arrangement of the contacts between the mating and mounting ends of the connectors. For example, the contacts may be arranged in the noise cancelling pattern at a mounting end of the connector, but the arrangement of the contacts with respect to one another differs at the mating end of the connector. If the mating end of the connector is to mate with a mating connector having mating contacts in the noise cancelling contact pattern, one or more jogs, bends or additional components must be added to one of the connectors to align the contacts with the mating contacts.
A need thus exists for a connector that interconnects substrates with contacts in a noise-reducing contact pattern while maintaining the arrangement of the contacts through the connector.
In one embodiment, a connector assembly includes a housing and contacts. The housing extends between mating and mounting interfaces. The mating and mounting interfaces have contact openings in a noise-reducing contact pattern. The contact openings in the pattern are arranged in pairs along respective contact lines. The contact lines of adjacent pairs are transverse to one another. The contacts extend through the contact openings and are arranged in the noise-reducing contact pattern through the housing between the mating and mounting interfaces to reduce at least one of electric noise and cross-talk in signals communicated by the contacts.
In another embodiment, a connector assembly includes a header assembly and a mating connector. The header assembly includes a housing and mezzanine contacts. The housing extends between mating and mounting interfaces. The mounting interface is configured to be mounted to one of the substrates. The mating and mounting interfaces have contact openings in a noise-reducing contact pattern. The contact openings in the pattern are arranged in pairs having contact lines. The contact lines of adjacent pairs are transverse to one another. The mezzanine contacts extend through the contact openings and are arranged in the noise-reducing contact pattern through the header assembly between the mating and mounting interfaces to reduce at least one of electric noise and cross-talk in signals communicated by the mezzanine contacts. The mating connector is configured to be mounted to another one of the substrates and to mate with the mating interface of the header assembly. The mating connector includes mating contacts that are arranged in the noise-reducing contact pattern to mate with the mezzanine contacts. The header assembly and the mating connector mate with one another to electrically connect the substrates.
A mating connector 108 is mounted to the daughter board 106 in the illustrated embodiment. The header assembly 102 is mounted to the motherboard 104 and engages the mating connector 108 to electrically and mechanically couple the daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104. Optionally, the mating connector 108 may be mounted to the motherboard 104. Alternatively, the header assembly 102 may directly mount to each of the daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104 to electrically and mechanically couple the daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104. The daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104 may include electrical components (not shown) to enable the connector assembly 100 to perform certain functions. For purposes of illustration only, the connector assembly 100 may be a blade for use in a blade server. It is to be understood, however, that other applications of the inventive concepts disclosed herein also are contemplated.
The header assembly 102 separates the daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104 by a stack height 110. The stack height 110 may be approximately constant over an outer length 112 of the header assembly 102. The outer length 112 extends between opposite ends 114, 116 of the header assembly 102. Alternatively, the stack height 110 may differ or change along the outer length 112 of the header assembly 102. For example, the header assembly 102 may be shaped such that the daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104 are disposed transverse to one another. The stack height 110 may be varied by connecting daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104 using different header assemblies 102 and/or mating connectors 108. The sizes of the header assemblies 102 and/or the mating connectors 108 may vary so that the stack height 110 may be selected by an operator. For example, an operator may select one header assembly 102 and/or mating connector 108 to separate the daughter board 106 and the motherboard 104 by a desired stack height 110.
The sidewalls 210 include latches 214 in the illustrated embodiment. The latches 214 engage the contact organizer 226 to mechanically secure the contact organizer 226 in the header assembly 102 between the end walls 212 and the sidewalls 210. Alternatively, one or more of the end walls 212 may include one or more latches 214. The end walls 212 include polarization features 216, 218 in the illustrated embodiment. The polarization features 216, 218 are shown as columnar protrusions that extend inward from the end walls 212. The polarization features 216, 218 are received in corresponding polarization slots 510, 512 (shown in
The spacer body 204 separates the mating and mounting bodies 202, 206 by a separation gap 220. The spacer body 204 extends between the mating and mounting bodies 202, 206 in a direction transverse to the mating and mounting bodies 202, 206. For example, the spacer body 204 may be perpendicular to the mating and mounting bodies 202, 206. In the illustrated embodiment, the spacer body 204 has a saw tooth shape with a plurality of openings 222 disposed therein. Alternatively, the spacer body 204 includes a different shape and/or a different number of openings 222. The openings 222 permit air to flow through the header assembly 102 between the mating and mounting bodies 202, 200. For example, air can enter the header assembly 102 through the openings 222 in the spacer body 204. The air can pass through the header assembly 102 between the mating and mounting bodies 202, 200 and exit the header assembly 102 through the openings 222. Permitting air to flow through the header assembly 102 provides an additional channel of air flow between the motherboard 104 and daughter board 106. Additional components (not shown) on the motherboard 104 and daughter board 106 can produce thermal energy, or heat. The air flow between the upper motherboard 104 and daughter board 106 may reduce this heat by cooling the components. The openings 222 though the header assembly 102 permit the air to flow through the header assembly 102 and prevent the header assembly 102 from overly restricting the air flow between the motherboard 104 and daughter board 106.
Thermal energy, or heat, may be generated inside the header assembly 102 as the header assembly 102 communicates signals between the motherboard 104 and the daughter board 106 (shown in
The header assembly 102 includes a plurality of contacts 224. The contacts 224 protrude from the mating interface 208 to mate with the mating connector 108 (shown in
The contacts 224 may be arranged in a noise-reducing contact pattern 400 (shown in
The mounting body 206 extends between the mounting interface 228 and a loading interface 304. The mounting and loading interfaces 228, 304 include mounting body openings 306 that extend through the mounting body 206. The contacts 224 are loaded into the mounting body openings 306 through the loading interface 304. Alternatively, the contacts 224 are loaded into the mounting body openings 306 through the mounting interface 228. The contacts 224 protrude from the mounting interface 228 in the illustrated embodiment. The spacer body 204 includes two body sections 308, 310. Alternatively, the spacer body 204 may include a different number of sections or be formed as a unitary body.
The mating body 202 includes mating body contact openings 312 that extend through the mating body 202. The contacts 224 are loaded through the mating body 202 through the mating body contact openings 312. The contact organizer 226 extends between a loading side 318 and the mating interface 208. Organizer contact openings 322 extend through the contact organizer 226 between the loading side 318 and the mating interface 208. The contacts 224 are loaded through the organizer contact openings 322 such that the contacts 224 at least partially protrude from the mating interface 208. Each of the mating body openings 312 and the organizer contact openings 322 include an inside dimension 316, 324. For example, as shown in the magnified views 314, 320, the inside dimensions 316, 324 extend across the insides of the mating body openings 312 and the organizer contact openings 322. The inside dimension 316 of the mating body opening 312 is larger than the inside dimension 324 of the organizer contact opening 322. The inside dimension 316 may be larger than the inside dimension 324 to permit greater tolerances in loading the contacts 224 through the mating body 202 prior to loading the contacts 224 through the contact organizer 226. Alternatively, the inside dimension 316 may be the same size as, or smaller than, the inside dimension 324.
In the illustrated embodiment, the noise-reducing contact pattern 400 includes a subset of the contacts 224 arranged in grounding rings 402 which are indicated by rings of dashed lines in
Another subset of the contacts 224 may be arranged in pairs 404, 406. The pairs 404 of contacts 224 are arranged in a horizontal direction 408 and the pairs 406 of contacts 224 are arranged in a transverse direction 410. In one embodiment, the transverse and horizontal directions 410, 408 are perpendicular to one another. The pairs 404, 406 each include contacts 224 arranged on a respective contact line 412, 414. The contact lines 412 for the pairs 404 may be transverse to the contact lines 414 for adjacent pairs 406. In one embodiment, the contact lines 412, 414 for adjacent pairs 404, 406 of contacts 224 are perpendicular to one another. The contacts 224 in the pairs 404, 406 are located on opposite sides of bisector axes 426, 428 in the pairs 404, 406. The bisector axis 426 is transverse to the contact line 412 in the pairs 404 and the bisector axis 428 is transverse to the contact line 414 in the pairs 406. For example, the bisector axis 426 may be perpendicular to the contact line 412 and the bisector axis 428 may be perpendicular to the contact line 416. In the illustrated embodiment, the bisector axis 426 of the pairs 404 is collinear with the contact line 414 of one or more adjacent pairs 406 and the bisector axis 428 of the pairs 406 is collinear with the contact line 412 of one or more adjacent pairs 404. As a result, a contact 416 in one of the pairs 404 may be equidistant from contacts 420, 424 in one of the pairs 406.
The contacts 224 in the pairs 404, 406 in the noise-reducing pattern 400 communicate differential pair signals in one embodiment. For example, the contacts 224 in the pairs 404, 406 may communicate differential pair signals in each pair 404, 406. Alternatively, the contacts 224 in the pairs 404, 406 may communicate a signal other than a differential pair signal. As described above, the contacts 224 extend through the organizer contact openings 322, the mating body contact openings 312 (shown in
The arrangement of the contacts 224 in the pattern 400 throughout the header assembly 102 may reduce noise and/or cross-talk between the contacts 224. Differential signals passing through the contacts 224 in the pairs 404, 406 may form electromagnetic fields (EMF). For example, one contact 416 in a pair 404 may be in the presence of an EMF+ 418 that is generated by another contact 420 in another pair 406. The contact 416 also is in the presence of an EMF− 422 that is generated by the contact 424 in the pair 406 with the contact 420. Because the contacts 420, 424 in the pair 406 may communicate a differential pair signal with equal and opposite, or inverse, signals and because the contact 416 may be equidistant from the contacts 420, 424, the EMF 418 may cancel or reduce the EMF 422 at the contact 416. The net effect of the EMF 418 and the EMF 422 at the contact 416 may be reduced. For example, the net effect of the EMF 418, 422 may be zero. Similarly, the net effect of the EMF 418, 422 at another contact 434 in the pair 404 with the contact 416 may be reduced or eliminated. The noise and/or cross-talk generated at the contacts 416, 434 due to the EMF 418, 422 created by the contacts 420, 424 may be sell reducing or canceling with the net effect on the signal component carried at the contacts 416, 434 being reduced or eliminated. In a similar manner, EMF 436, 430 generated by the contacts 416, 434 in the pair 404 may be self-reducing or self-canceling at a contact 432 in a pair 406.
The body 500 includes contact cavities 506 that receive the contacts 224 (shown in
The body 500 includes polarization slots 510, 512. The polarization slots 510 are shaped and disposed in the body 500 to receive the polarization features 216 (shown in
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments and are by no means limiting and merely are example embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means—plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
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