Patent Application
20240170878
Servers in data centers require ever-increasing data rates. Improved and standardized connectors offer superior mechanical performance, electrical performance, and cost characteristics over current connector assemblies.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, a connector assembly is disclosed. The connector assembly can include a base extending along a Y-axis and a channel extending through the base along an X-axis. A contact can be disposed at least partially within the channel, and the contact can define a securement portion and at least one additional portion. The securement portion and the additional portion can be defined at different points along the contact as measured along the X-axis, and the securement portion can secure to the base at the channel. When the securement portion is at least partially disposed within the channel and secured to the base at the channel, the additional portion can be disposed lower than the securement portion as measured along the Z-axis.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, a contact is disclosed. The contact can include a forward portion defining a first width as measured along a Y-axis, a first angled portion defining a second width as measured along the Y-axis, a securement portion defining a third width as measured along the Y-axis, a second angled portion defining a fourth width as measured along the Y-axis, and a rear portion defining a fifth width as measured along the Y-axis, the forward portion, the first angled portion, the securement portion, the second angled portion and the rear portion being arranged sequentially as measured along an X-axis. Each of the second width and the fourth width can be less than each of the first width and the third width.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, a connector assembly is disclosed. The connector assembly can include a base extending along a Y-axis, a channel extending through the base along an X-axis, and a first contact disposed at least partially within the channel. The first contact can define a securement portion having an engagement portion and an extension portion, and the engagement portion can be disposed forward of the extension portion along the X-axis. The engagement portion can secure to the base at the channel A second contact can define a second contact rear portion, and at least a portion of the second contact rear portion can be disposed below, as measured along a Z-axis, the extension portion at a location P, and the second contact rear portion can define a width as measured along a Y-axis at the location P. A distance between the second contact rear portion and the extension portion at the location P, as measured along the Z axis, can be at least as great as the width of the second contact rear portion as measured along the Y-axis at the location P.
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof and in which various embodiments are shown by way of illustration. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. It is to be understood that other embodiments are contemplated and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present description. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense.
All scientific and technical terms used herein have meanings commonly used in the art unless otherwise specified. The definitions provided herein are to facilitate understanding of certain terms used frequently herein and are not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing feature sizes, amounts, and physical properties used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing the teachings disclosed herein.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” encompass embodiments having plural referents, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
Spatially related terms, including but not limited to, “lower,” “upper,” “beneath,” “below,” “above,” and “on top,” if used herein, are utilized for ease of description to describe spatial relationships of an element(s) to another. Such spatially related terms encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the particular orientations depicted in the figures and described herein. For example, if an object depicted in the figures is turned over or flipped over, portions previously described as below or beneath other elements would then be above those other elements.
As used herein, when an element, component or layer for example is described as forming a “coincident interface” with, or being “on” “connected to,” “coupled with” or “in contact with” another element, component or layer, it can be directly on, directly connected to, directly coupled with, in direct contact with, or intervening elements, components or layers may be on, connected, coupled or in contact with the particular element, component or layer, for example. When an element, component or layer for example is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” “directly coupled with,” or “directly in contact with” another element, there are no intervening elements, components or layers for example.
As used herein, “have”, “having”, “include”, “including”, “comprise”, “comprising” or the like are used in their open-ended sense, and generally mean “including, but not limited to.” It will be understood that the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” are subsumed in the term “comprising,” and the like.
Electrical connectors are used in many applications, such as to interconnect hard disk drives or solid state drives (SSD) to a motherboard of a computer. Serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connectors and serial attachment small computer systems interface (SAS) connectors are common types of connectors used in hard disk drive interfaces. According to the Small Form Factor (SFF) specifications, SATA connectors have 22 contacts of which 15 contacts are used for power transmission and 7 contacts (primary signal contacts) are used for data signal transmission. Peripheral component internet express (PCIe) SAS connector is an interface based on the SATA/SAS form factor but utilizing a PCIe signal. In some examples, a connector seat height (a Z or ZH height, as described below in further detail) can be reduced or eliminated. The present disclosure provides for such lower Z height connectors, as well as features that enable improvements in manufacturing processes and component performance for various connectors, such as those with lower Z heights. Further, disclosed embodiments can be used in a PCIe 68P Gen4 connector, which can be suitable for PCIe Gen4 SSD drives.
Turning to the figures,
The PCB 20 can include silicon, or any other material known to those skilled in the art, and the longest two sides (or dimensions) of the PCB 20 can extend along the X and Y axes. The PCB upper surface 24 can be substantially co-planar with the X and Y directions, and further can be substantially perpendicular to the Z direction. The tongue 36 and secondary tongue 42 can extend forwardly along the X axis from the base 28 and/or from the PCB 20. The upper surface 38 of the tongue 36 can be disposed above the lower surface 40 of the tongue 36 as measured along the Z axis. Portions of each of the upper surface 38 and lower surface 40 can be perpendicular to the Z axis and parallel to the X and Y axes. Further, portions of the lower surface 40 and the upper surface 38 can be, or can substantially be, parallel with one another. The upper surface 38 can define one or more receiving slots 39 (as indicated in
A securement assembly 34 can secure the base 28, end walls 32a, 32b, tongue 36, secondary tongue 42 and/or other elements of the connector assembly 10 to the PCB 20, and the securement assembly 34 can include any securement technology known to those skilled in the art including, but not limited to, mechanical fasteners, adhesives, magnets and interference fits. The base 28 can extend, along its longest axis or direction, along the Y axis, and further can extend between the end walls 32a, 32b.
Additional features of the present disclosure can be exemplary seen in
The channel 44 can pass through the base 28 along an X direction, such that the channel can open at two opposed sides of the base 28 spaced apart along the X direction. In various embodiments, a cross-sectional shape of the channel 44 can be, or can be substantially, different shapes, including square, rectangular, ovular, circular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, or any shape known to those skilled in the art.
A channel securement feature 48 can be disposed within, partially within, or proximate a channel 44. Further, portions of the channel securement feature 48 can protrude into the channel 44. As will be described below, the channel securement feature 48 can help secure the first contact 60 within the channel 44 and/or along the X, Y, or Z axes.
The PCB 20 can include one or more first contact pads 52. The first contact pad 52 can be in electrical communication with the first contact 60. The PCB 20 can also include one or more second contact pads 54. The second contact pad 54 can be in electrical communication with a second contact 110, as will be described below in further detail. In various embodiments, the first contact pads 52 can be disposed in a row, which can be along the Y axis, and the second contact pads 54 can also be disposed in a row, which can be along the Y axis.
As exemplarily shown in
Turning to
In various embodiments, W2 is less than one or more of W1, W3, W4, and W5. In various embodiments, W4 is less than one or more of W1, W2, W3, and W5. In various embodiments, W5 is less than one or more of W1, W2, W3 and W4. In various embodiments, W1 is less than one or more of W2, W3, W4, and W5. Further, in various embodiments, W3 is less than one or more of W1, W2, W4, and W5.
The second contact 110 can define a plurality of portions as exemplarily shown in
As described, the first contact 60 (initially separate from the base 28 and PCB 20 (as shown in
As can be exemplarily seen in
In some embodiments, the securement portion 80 can be partially disposed within the channel 44 and secured to the base 28 at the channel 44 and/or the channel securement feature 48 while an additional portion of the first contact 60 can be disposed below the securement portion 80 as measured along the Z axis. The additional portion can be one or more of the forward portion 64, the first angled portion 72, the second angled portion 94 and the rear portion 98. In various embodiments, the securement portion 80 can be partially disposed within the channel 44 and secured to the base 28 at the channel 44 and/or the channel securement feature 48 while the additional portion of the first contact 60 can be disposed forward or rearward of the securement portion 80 as measured along the X axis.
Turning to
The disclosed embodiments provide numerous benefits and mechanisms for the efficient, secure and stable operation of a connector assembly 10.
In some embodiments, one or more of the PCB 20, base 28, first contact pad 52, second contact pad 54, first contact 60, second contact 110, or any constituent element thereof, can be cast, molded, machined or otherwise formed as a single, integral component. In some embodiments, the PCB 20, base 28, first contact pad 52, second contact pad 54, first contact 60, second contact 110, or any constituent element thereof, can be formed of or can include a metal, metal alloy, polymer, composite material, ceramic, organic material, electrically-conductive material, electrical insulator, or any other material known to those skilled in the art.
The terms and expressions that have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, it should be understood that although the present disclosure has been specifically disclosed by specific embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those of ordinary skill in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. The complete disclosures of the patents, patent documents, and publications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each were individually incorporated. To the extent that there is any conflict or discrepancy between this specification as written and the disclosure in any document that is incorporated by reference herein, this specification as written will control.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2022/052605 | 3/22/2022 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63168459 | Mar 2021 | US |
