Patent Application
20140113493
The number and types of electronic devices available to consumers have increased tremendously the past few years, and this increase shows no signs of abating. Devices such as portable computing devices, tablets, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, cell phone, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors and other devices have become ubiquitous.
These devices often receive power and share data using various cables. These cables may have connector inserts, or plugs, on each end. The connector inserts may plug into connector receptacles on electronic devices, thereby forming one or more conductive paths for signals and power.
Devices typically have openings that allow access to connector receptacles. These openings may provide access to one or more contacts in the receptacles, which may mate with corresponding contacts in connector inserts. The connector receptacles often are located on a printed circuit board, such as a main or mother board. The one or more contacts in the connector receptacle may connect to corresponding traces on the printed circuit board.
These various electronic devices are continually becoming thinner and more sleek. That is, the trend is away from thicker, bulkier devices. But stacking a connector insert on a printed circuit board in this way limits the possible height or thickness of a device. That is, a device has to be high or thick enough to encase both the height of a printed circuit board and a connector receptacle.
The portion of a printed circuit board where a connector receptacle resides is not typically used for any purpose other than to provide mechanical support for the connector receptacle and to provide traces for connection to the contacts in the connector receptacle such that signals and power supplies may be conveyed to and from other circuits on the printed circuit board. This means that some printed circuit board area is wasted, which wastes space inside the electronic device.
Thus, what is needed are connector receptacles that have a reduced height when mated with a printed circuit board and reduce wasted printed circuit board area.
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide connector receptacles that may have a reduced height when combined with a printed circuit board and reduce wasted space inside an electronic device. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector receptacle that fits in an opening in a printed circuit board. The connector receptacle may also be angled at an oblique angle relative to the printed circuit board such that its face may be flush with a highly stylized device enclosure.
An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector receptacle arranged to fit in an opening in a printed circuit board. To enable this arrangement, the connector may include contacts that are bent and angled generally upward such that they can be attached to a top surface of the printed circuit board. In one specific embodiment of the present invention, some of the contacts may have a first portion to make electrical contact with a corresponding contact on a connector insert, a second lateral portion at a right angle to the first portion, a third portion angled upward, a fourth lateral portion, and a fifth downward portion. The fifth downward portion may form a through-hole contact, though surface mount contacts or other types of contacts may also be formed. In this and other embodiments of the present invention, other contacts may have a first portion to make electrical contact with a corresponding contact on a connector insert, a second lateral portion, a third portion angled upward, a fourth lateral portion, and a fifth downward portion. Again, the fifth downward portion may form a through-hole contact, though surface mount contacts or other types of contacts may also be formed.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector receptacle where a top portion of the connector receptacle is above a printed circuit board and a bottom portion of the connector receptacle is below the printed circuit board. This connector may be shielded by a bottom shell portion covering at least a portion of a bottom of the housing, and a top shell portion covering at least a portion of a top of the housing.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector receptacle is arranged to provide an opening flush with a highly stylized or curved device enclosure. These connector receptacles may be tilted or angled relative to a printed circuit board in one or more axes.
In specific embodiment of the present invention, a face of the connector may have a longitudinal axis in a first direction and a transverse axis in a second direction, the first direction orthogonal to the second direction. The connector may be arranged such that the longitudinal axis is not parallel to or orthogonal to a printed circuit board supporting the connector and the transverse axis is not parallel to or orthogonal to the printed circuit board. That is, the connector may be arranged such that the longitudinal axis forms an oblique angle to a printed circuit board supporting the connector and the transverse axis forms an oblique angle to the printed circuit board.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a method of assembling a connector receptacle. This method may include inserting a plurality of first contacts into a first housing portion, forming a second housing around a plurality of second contacts, fitting the second housing to the first housing, inserting the second housing into a third housing, attaching ground contacts to a top and a bottom of the third housing, attaching a bottom shell portion substantially around a bottom portion of the third housing, and attaching a top shell portion around sides of a top portion of the third housing.
Embodiments of the present invention may provide connector receptacles for various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablets, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, cell phone, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors and other devices. These connector receptacles may provide pathways for signals and power compliant with various standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), power, Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, Lightning and other types of interfaces.
While embodiments of the present invention are particularly suited to connector receptacles that accept connector inserts, embodiments of the present invention may be used to form other connections. For example, board-to-board, wire-to-board, and other types of connections may be improved by employing embodiments of the present invention.
Various embodiments of the present invention may incorporate one or more of these and the other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be gained by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Connector receptacle 100 may include tongue 110, top shell portion 120, side shell portion 130, and bottom shell portion 140. Top shell portion 120 may include tabs 122. Side shell portion 130 may be formed as part of, or attached to, top shell portion 120. Side shell portion 130 may include tabs 132. Tabs 122 and 132 may be soldered or otherwise fixed to openings in a printed circuit board, such as a motherboard, main logic board, or other appropriate substrate.
Again, some device enclosures are becoming so narrow that it may be difficult to fit a connector receptacle and main logic board in its width. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide connector receptacles that reside in an opening in a printed circuit board. In this way, the thickness of the combination of the connector and printed circuit board is reduced to the depth of the printed circuit board.
In this example, an opening in a printed circuit board may be formed to allow the insertion of bottom shell portion 140. Connector receptacle 110 may then rest on top of the printed circuit board. Again, tabs 122 and 132, as well as contacts (not shown) may be inserted into openings on a top side of the printed circuit board. In such a configuration, a bottom portion, roughly corresponding to bottom shell 140, may reside below the printed circuit board, while a top portion, roughly corresponding to top shell portion 120, may reside above the printed circuit board.
Again, these connector receptacles may reside in a device enclosure that is highly stylized and that may have various curves and shapes. It may be desirable for an opening of connector receptacle 100 to be flush against an opening in such a stylized device enclosure. Accordingly, connector receptacle 100 may be angle or tilted in one or more axes.
Embodiments of the present invention may provide connector receptacles for various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablets, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, cell phone, smart phones, media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors and other devices. These connector receptacles may provide pathways for signals and power compliance with various standards, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), power, Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, Lightning, and other types of interfaces. An example of one such USB connector is shown in the following figures.
To enable connector receptacle 100 to resign partially below a printed circuit board, contacts in connector receptacle 100 may include upwardly bent portions such that these contacts may reach a top surface of a printed circuit board. Examples of these contacts, as well as a method of manufacturing connector receptacles according to an embodiment of the present invention, are shown in the following figures.
Again, embodiments of the present invention may provide connector receptacles that are angled or tilted such that they may provide an opening flush against a highly stylized device enclosure. An example is shown in the following figure.
Various portions of connector receptacle 100 may be formed of various materials. For example, the housings may be formed of silicon or silicone, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. The contacts and terminals may be formed of copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, or other material. They may be plated or coated with nickel, gold, or other material.
The above description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.
