Patent Application
20240178594
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Patent Application No. 202211492624.0 filed in China on Nov. 25, 2022, and Utility Model Application No. 202223148794.5 filed in China on Nov. 25, 2022, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
The technology disclosed herein relates generally to electrical interconnection systems and more specifically to high-density electrical power connectors and high-density terminals useable in such electrical power connectors.
Electrical connectors are used in many electrical systems. Electronic devices have been provided with assorted types of connectors whose primary purpose is to enable data, commands, power and/or other signals to pass between electronic assemblies. A connector that carries power is sometimes called a power connector. It is generally easier and more cost effective to manufacture an electrical system as separate electronic assemblies that may be joined with electrical connectors. For example, an electronic assembly may be implemented with a printed circuit board (“PCB”), which may be a card supporting at least one electrical component. The PCB may include wiring and/or one or more contact pads to which electrical components may be attached. The terms “card” and “PCB” may both be used herein to refer to such a structure.
In some scenarios, a two-piece connector is used to join two electronic assemblies. One connector may be mounted to each of the assemblies. The connectors may be mated, forming connections between the two assemblies.
In some other scenarios, a PCB may be joined directly to an electronic assembly via a one-piece electrical connector, which may be configured as a card-edge connector. The PCB may have conductive power pads along an edge that is designed to be inserted into the electrical connector, which may be attached to the electronic assembly. Conductive contacts within the electrical connector may contact the power pads of the PCB, thus electrically connecting the PCB to the electronic assembly. Card-edge-type connectors may mate with components other than a PCB, such as bar-type components that similarly have conductive outer surfaces (e.g., a bus bar and the like). The electrical connector may enable electrical power (e.g., electrical current and/or voltage) to be transferred to and from the PCB (or bus bar or similar component) and the electronic assembly. The terms “card connector” and “edge connector” and “card-edge connector” may be used herein to refer to such a connector with a mating interface that receives and mates to a PCB.
According to an aspect of the present technology, an electrical connector is provided. The connector may comprise: an insulative housing comprising a slot configured to receive a removable mating component; and a plurality of conductive terminal assemblies comprising a plurality of contact surfaces and disposed in the housing such that the contact surfaces are exposed in the slot, each terminal assembly comprising a plurality of conductive terminal layers. Each of the terminal layers may comprise a plurality fingers disposed in a plurality of tiers including an outer tier and an inner tier, with contact points of the contact surfaces being disposed on the fingers, with the fingers including at least outer fingers disposed in the outer tier and inner fingers disposed in the inner tier, and with the outer tier and the inner tier being parallel to a row direction (X). The outer fingers of the outer tier may be interspersed such that an outer finger of a first terminal layer may be adjacent an outer finger of another one of the terminal layers. The inner fingers of the inner tier may be interspersed such that an inner finger of the first terminal layer may be adjacent an inner finger of another one of the terminal layers. First outer contact surfaces of the outer fingers of the outer tier of the first terminal layer may be aligned in at least a first row parallel to the row direction. Second outer contact surfaces of the outer fingers of the other terminal layers may be aligned in at least a second row parallel to the row direction. First inner contact surfaces of the inner fingers of the inner tier of the first terminal layer may be aligned in at least a third row parallel to the row direction. Second inner contact surfaces of the inner fingers of the other terminal layers may be aligned in at least a fourth row parallel to the row direction.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first, second, third, and fourth rows may be different from each other.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first row and the second row may be a same row comprising an outer row, and the third row and the fourth row may be a same row comprising an inner row different from the outer row.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the outer fingers and the inner fingers may be arranged in columns. Each column may extend parallel to a column direction (Y) and perpendicular to the row direction, and each column may comprise a finger of the first terminal layer and a finger of another one of the terminal layers.
In some embodiments of this aspect, each terminal assembly may comprise a conductive outer member positioned adjacent a first surface of the first terminal layer. The other terminal layers may comprise a second terminal layer positioned adjacent a second surface of the first terminal layer. In some embodiments, the outer member may be a support layer without a finger configured to contact the mating component when the mating component is inserted in the slot. In some embodiments, the outer member may be a third terminal layer comprising at least one finger configured with a contact surface that is exposed in the slot. In some embodiments, for each terminal assembly, the first terminal layer may comprise a first frame that forms at least part of a periphery of the first terminal layer, the second terminal layer may comprise a second frame that forms at least part of a periphery of the second terminal layer, and the first and second frames may be aligned with each other to form an outer frame of the terminal assembly.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first frame may comprise a plurality of first alignment parts, and the second frame may comprise a plurality of second alignment parts configured to engage with the first alignment parts such that the first and second terminal layers are at a fixed position relative to each other. In some embodiments, the outer member may comprise a plurality of alignment parts configured to engage with the first alignment parts and/or the second alignment parts such that the outer member is at a fixed position relative to the first terminal layer and/or the second terminal layer. In some embodiments, the first alignment parts may be holes in the first frame, and the second alignment parts may be protrusions configured to extend into the holes. In some embodiments, the alignment parts of the outer member may be holes, the first alignment parts may be holes in the first frame, and the second alignment parts may be protrusions extending from a first surface of the second frame and configured to extend into the holes of the outer member and the holes of the first terminal layer.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the housing may comprise a plurality of terminal-slot portions configured to hold together the terminal layers of the terminal assemblies.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the housing may comprise a plurality of terminal compartments configured to house at least a portion of each terminal assembly. In some embodiments, each terminal compartment may comprise: an insertion end comprising a portion of the slot, and a tail end comprising a terminal-tail opening through which tail portions of the terminal assembly extend. In some embodiments, the tail portions of the terminal assembly may comprise: a plurality of first projections extending from the first frame, and a plurality of second projections extending from the second frame and configured to combine with the first projections to form a first row of mounting tails configured to be mounted on and electrically connected to a substrate board. The first row of mounting tails may extend from an inner portion of the terminal-tail opening. In some embodiments, the tail portions may comprise a plurality of outer projections extending from the outer member. The outer projections may be configured to form a second row of mounting tails parallel to the first row of mounting tails. The second row of mounting tails may extend from an outer portion of the terminal-tail opening.
According to another aspect of the present technology, an electrical connector is provided. The connector may comprise: an insulative housing comprising a slot configured to receive a removable mating component; a first row (Row A) of conductive terminal assemblies comprising a plurality of contact surfaces and disposed in the housing such that the contact surfaces of the first row are exposed in the slot; and a second row (Row B) of conductive terminal assemblies comprising a plurality of contact surfaces and disposed in the housing such that the contact surfaces of the second row are exposed in the slot. The first and second rows may comprise a plurality of pairs of terminal assemblies, with each pair of terminal assemblies including a terminal assembly of the first row facing a terminal assembly of the second row. Each terminal assembly of the first and second rows may comprise a plurality of fingers disposed in a plurality of tiers including an outer tier and an inner tier, with contact points of the contact surfaces of the first and second rows being disposed on the fingers, with the fingers including at least outer fingers disposed in the outer tier and inner fingers disposed in the inner tier, and with the outer tier and the inner tier being parallel to a row direction (X). The contact surfaces of the outer fingers of the outer tier may be aligned in at least one row parallel to the row direction. The contact surfaces of the inner fingers of the inner tier may be aligned in at least one other row different from and parallel to the at least one row.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the contact surfaces of the outer fingers of the outer tier may be aligned in two or more rows parallel to the row direction.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the contact surfaces of the inner fingers of the inner tier may be aligned in two or more rows parallel to the row direction.
In some embodiments of this aspect, for each pair of terminal assemblies, the terminal assembly of the first row may be a mirror image of the terminal assembly of the second row.
In some embodiments of this aspect, each terminal assembly of the first and second rows may comprise a plurality of conductive terminal layers. Each of the terminal layers may comprise a portion of the outer fingers of the outer tier and a portion of the inner fingers of the inner tier. The outer fingers of the outer tier may be interspersed such that an outer finger of a first terminal layer may be adjacent an outer finger of another one of the terminal layers. The inner fingers of the inner tier may be interspersed such that an inner finger of the first terminal layer may be adjacent an inner finger of another one of the terminal layers. In some embodiments, the outer fingers and the inner fingers may be arranged in columns, with each column extending parallel to a column direction (Y) and perpendicular to the row direction, and with each column comprising a finger of the first terminal layer and a finger of another one of the terminal layers.
In some embodiments of this aspect, each terminal assembly of the first and second rows may comprise a conductive outer member positioned adjacent a first surface of the first terminal layer. The other terminal layers may comprise a second terminal layer positioned adjacent a second surface of the first terminal layer. In some embodiments, for each terminal assembly of the first and second rows, the first terminal layer may comprise a first frame that forms at least part of a periphery of the first terminal layer, the second terminal layer may comprise a second frame that forms at least part of a periphery of the second terminal layer, and the first and second frames may be aligned with each other to form an outer frame of the terminal assembly. In some embodiments, the terminal layers of each terminal assembly of the first and second rows may be held together by grooves in the housing.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the housing may comprise first and second rows of terminal compartments configured to house the first and second row of terminal assemblies, respectively. The first and second rows of terminal compartments may comprise a plurality of pairs of terminal compartments housing the pairs of terminal assemblies. For each pair of terminal compartments, the terminal compartment of the first row of terminal compartments may be a mirror image of the terminal compartment of the second row of terminal compartments.
According to another aspect of the present technology, an electrical power terminal is provided. The terminal may comprise: a plurality of conductive terminal layers stacked on each other. Each terminal layer may comprise a plurality of fingers disposed in a plurality of tiers including an outer tier and an inner tier, with contact surfaces being disposed on the fingers, with the fingers including at least first fingers of a first tier and second fingers of a second tier, and with the first tier and the second tier being parallel to a row direction (X). The first fingers of the first tier may be interspersed such that a first finger of a first terminal layer may be adjacent a first finger of another one of the terminal layers. The second fingers of the second tier may be interspersed such that a second finger of the first terminal layer may be adjacent a second finger of another one of the terminal layers. The contact surfaces of the first fingers of the first tier of the first terminal layer may be aligned in at least a first row parallel to the row direction. The contact surfaces of the first fingers of the other terminal layers may be aligned in at least a second row parallel to the row direction. The contact surfaces of the second fingers of the second tier of the first terminal layer may be aligned in at least a third row parallel to the row direction. The contact surfaces of the second fingers of the other terminal layers may be aligned in at least a fourth row parallel to the row direction.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first, second, third, and fourth rows may be different from each other.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first row and the second row may be a same row comprising an outer row, and the third row and the fourth row may be a same row comprising an inner row different from the outer row.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first fingers and the second fingers may be arranged in columns, with each column extending parallel to a column direction (Y) and perpendicular to the row direction, and with each column comprising a finger of the first terminal layer and a finger of another one of the terminal layers.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the terminal may further comprise a conductive member positioned adjacent a first surface of the first terminal layer. The other terminal layers may comprise a second terminal layer positioned adjacent a second surface of the first terminal layer.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first terminal layer may comprise a first frame that forms at least part of a periphery of the first terminal layer, the second terminal layer may comprise a second frame that forms at least part of a periphery of the second terminal layer, and the first and second frames may be aligned with each other to form an outer frame of the power terminal. In some embodiments, the first frame may comprise a plurality of first alignment parts, and the second frame may comprise a plurality of second alignment parts configured to engage with the first alignment parts such that the first and second terminal layers are at a fixed position relative to each other. In some embodiments, the member may comprise a plurality of alignment parts configured to engage with the first alignment parts and/or the second alignment parts such that the member is at a fixed position relative to the first terminal layer and/or the second terminal layer.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first alignment parts may be holes in the first frame, and the second alignment parts may be protrusions configured to extend into the holes. In some embodiments, the alignment parts of the member may be holes, the first alignment parts may be holes in the first frame, and the second alignment parts may be protrusions extending from a first surface of the second frame and configured to extend through the holes of the first terminal layer into the holes of the member. In some embodiments, the terminal may further comprise a connector configured to hold the terminal layers together. The connector may be a metal part or an insulative part. In some embodiments, the terminal may further comprise a plastic part molded around a portion of the terminal layers to hold together the terminal layers.
In some embodiments of this aspect, a plurality of first projections may extend from the first frame, a plurality of second projections may extend from the second frame, and the plurality of first projections may combine with the plurality of second projections to form a first row of mounting tails. In some embodiments, a plurality of third projections may extend from the member and may form a second row of mounting tails parallel to the first row of mounting tails. In some embodiments, the member may comprise: a bar portion from which the third projections extend, a base portion comprising an external side and an internal side, with the internal side being configured to contact a first surface of the first terminal layer, and a sloped portion connecting the base portion and the bar portion, such that the base portion extends in a first plane, and such that at least a portion of each of the third projections extends in a second plane different from the first plane.
In some embodiments of this aspect, each of the first fingers of the first terminal layer may comprise: a first elongated portion attached to and coplanar with the first frame, and a first free end extending from the first elongated portion, the first free end being curved and having a convex side bearing one of the contact surfaces of the first fingers. Each of the second fingers of the second terminal layer may comprise: a second elongated portion attached to and coplanar with the second frame, and a second free end extending from the second elongated portion, the second free end being curved and having a convex side bearing one of the contact surfaces of the second fingers.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the member may comprise a third terminal layer of the other terminal layers. The member may comprise at least one third finger having contact a surface. The at least one third finger may comprise: a third elongated portion attached to and coplanar with the base portion, and a third free end extending from the third elongated portion, the third free end being curved and having a convex side bearing the contact surface of the at least one third finger.
Features described herein may be used, separately or together in any combination, in any of the embodiments discussed herein. For example, a feature described for an embodiment may be incorporated in another embodiment even though the feature may not be explicitly described for the other embodiment.
Various aspects and embodiments of the present technology disclosed herein are described below with reference to the accompanying figures. It should be appreciated that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Items appearing in multiple figures may be indicated by the same reference numeral. For the purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure.
Structures of electrical connectors and connector terminals able to carry electrical power are of great importance to electrical systems that may require high-power operation and/or a small size. Many electrical systems may be complex and may require power to be provided to a large number of components. However, some electrical systems have been miniaturized, getting smaller and smaller in size due to, e.g., consumer demand for portable electronics and/or electronics that do not take up much space in, e.g., a small apartment or a small office. Miniaturization can present difficulties in providing a same number of power connections as a conventional-sized connector, but in smaller and smaller amounts of space. That is, as the size of a connector is reduced to fit in a smaller electronic assembly, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain the same number of power connections or contacts in the connector.
The inventors have recognized and appreciated the challenges associated with miniaturization of electrical connectors and have developed techniques to provide a connector with terminals configured to provide contacts on one side or both sides of a card (e.g., a PCB) inserted in the connector. In some examples, these terminals may include multiple tiers of contacts with each tier extending parallel to an insertion edge of the card when the card is inserted in the connector. As described herein, various embodiments of the connector may include terminals arranged to provide a plurality of contacts for contacting a first side of the card. These contacts may include a row of contacts in a first tier, a row of contacts in a second tier parallel to the first tier, etc. The connector also may include terminals arranged to provide a plurality of contacts for contacting a second side of the card. These terminals also may include a row of contacts in a first tier, a row of contacts in a second tier parallel to the first tier, etc. As will be appreciated, the terminals on either or both sides of card may have more than two tiers of contacts.
The techniques described herein may be used advantageously to increase the density of contacts of a connector without increasing the width of the connector's card-insertion opening. by providing contacts in multiple tiers that extend parallel to an insertion edge of a card inserted in the connector.
Moreover, the terminals may be configured to carry a relatively large amount of current without a large temperature increase. In some examples, each of the terminals may be formed with layers, such as may result from forming each layer from a sheet of metal. The contacts forming each of the multiple tiers may be stamped in such a sheet of metal. The contacts for each layer may be stamped in a staggered fashion such that, when the layers are stacked one on top of another, at each tier contacts from one layer are interleaved with contacts of another layer.
Two or more layers may be formed with projections that align when the layers are stacked one on top of the other. Each projection may have a thickness that is less than the thickness of a mounting pin or other tail for attaching the terminal to a PCB. The aligned projections may combine to form tails for the terminals, such as mounting pins which may be inserted into holes in a PCB for mounting the connector.
Optionally, a terminal may include a layer that provides an additional current flow path into a PCB. Such an additional layer, for example, may have a portion that attaches to other layers with contacts and a portion that bends away from the layers with contacts and includes tails for mounting to a PCB. Such a configuration creates separation in mounting locations for the tails.
As a specific example, a first layer and a second layer of a terminal may each have rows of contacts that are interleaved in two or more tiers. Projections of the first and second layers may combine to form tails for mounting to a PCB. Each of the first and second layers may be made from a sheet of metal with a thickness half the width of the tail. A third layer, which may be made from a sheet of metal approximately twice the thickness of the first or second layer, may including mounting tails that are offset in a direction perpendicular to the rows of contacts from the tails for the first and second layers.
The inventors have recognized and appreciated designs for a high-density electrical power connector able to interconnect electronic assemblies with a same number of contacts in a smaller amount of space than a conventional connector or with a larger number of contacts in the same amount of space as a conventional connector. Various connector designs disclosed herein may be suitable for miniaturized electronic systems in which power is required by a large number of electronic components in relatively small spaces. These designs include adaptations to card connectors that support large power-flow through small spaces without undesired effects (e.g., without an increase in heat generation).
In some embodiments of the present technology, an electrical connector may be provided for connecting multiple rows of contact pads on a card (e.g., a PCB or another type of component with conductive outer surfaces) with conductive wiring of a circuit-board substrate on which the connector may be mounted. In some embodiments, a connector may comprise contact portions configured to contact multiple rows of contact pads located on one side of the card, when the card is inserted in the connector. In some embodiments, a connector may comprise contact portions configured to contact both sides of the card, with multiple rows of contact pads being located one each side of the card.
In some embodiments of the present technology, an electrical connector may include a plurality of conductive terminals. Each terminal may be configured to provide a plurality contacts arrayed in tiers, with each tier including a plurality of contacts and with the tiers being arranged parallel to each other. In some embodiments, the tiers may be parallel to an insertion edge of a card inserted in the connector. With such an arrangement, the connector may contact not merely a row of contacts pads arranged in a line along an outer edge on one side or on both sides of the card, but may contact a two-dimensional array of contact pads on one side or on both sides of the card.
In some embodiments of the present technology, a card connector having a length (X direction in
In some embodiments of the present technology, each terminal of the connector may comprise an assembly of multiple conductive terminal layers. In some embodiments, the terminal layers may be held together by molded plastic or by a metal holder or by another type of holder. In some embodiments, the terminal layers may be held together only by surfaces of an insulative housing of the connector, without the need for a plastic molding or other holding means to hold the terminals together. In some embodiments, the terminals may be arranged in pairs of first and second terminals configured to electrically contact both sides of a card inserted in the connector. In some embodiments, the first terminal may be a mirror image of the second terminal, and each of the first and second terminals may include multiple tiers of contacts for contacting arrays of contact pads on the card simultaneously.
Turning now to the figures,
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the connector 1 may comprise a card-insertion opening 104, which may be an elongated slot configured to receive and accommodate a portion of the card 3 when the card 3 and the connector 1 are mated together. On a first side of the card-insertion opening 104 may be arranged a row, Row A, of connector segments 1A. Each connector segment 1A may comprise a terminal 300 (designated 300A for Row A) housed in a terminal compartment 108 (designated 108A for Row A) of the housing 100. The terminals 300A may be configured to contact and transmit power to/from contact pads on a first side of the card 3. In some embodiments, a second row, Row B, of connector segments 1B may be arranged on a second side of the card-insertion opening 104 may opposite to the first side. Each connector segment 1B may comprise a terminal 300B housed in a terminal compartment 108B of the housing 100. The terminals 300B may be configured to contact and transmit power to/from contact pads on a second side of the card 3. As depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the connector 1 may have a modular construction such that each of the connector segments 1A, 1B may be a module of the connector 1. In some embodiments, the modules of the connector segments 1A may be joined together to form Row A, the modules of the connector segments 1B may be joined together to form Row B, and the end portions 106 may be end modules joined to the ends of Row A and Row B to form the connector 1.
In some embodiments of the present technology, the connector 1 may be configured as a plurality of pairs 1P of connector modules, with each pair 1P including a module of the connector segment 1A and a module of the connector segment 1B, as depicted in the perspective view of
Although the third layer 310 is depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the outer-tier fingers 321 may have a staggered or interspersed relationship relative to the inner-tier fingers 322 such that, when the first terminal layer 320 is seen from an end view from the bottom side (
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the outer-tier fingers 331 may have a staggered or interspersed relationship relative to the inner-tier fingers 332 such that, when the second terminal layer 330 is seen from an end view from the bottom side (
According to some embodiments of the present technology, when the first terminal layer 320 and the second terminal layer 330 are assembled together to form the terminal 300, the outer-tier fingers 321 of the first terminal layer 320 may alternate with the outer-tier fingers 331 of the second terminal layer 330 such that the fingers 321, 331 are staggered or interspersed, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the terminal 300 may comprise at least eight outer-tier fingers 321, 331 and at least eight inner-tier fingers 322, 332 and therefore may provide at least sixteen contact surfaces 321c. 331c, 322c. 332c. In some embodiments, the terminal 300 may have more than eight fingers per layer, and/or more than two tiers of fingers per layer, and/or more than two terminal layers of fingers. In some embodiments, the terminal 300 may have twenty to forty contact surfaces provided in two to three tiers of two to three terminal layers.
According to some embodiments, the first terminal layer 320 may comprise a plurality of alignment portions 325 configured to engage with a plurality of alignment portions 335 of the second terminal layer 330, such that when the alignment portions 325, 335 are engaged with each other the first and second terminal portions are in a fixed position relative to each other. In some embodiments, the alignment portions 325 may be alignment holes in the frame 323 of the first terminal layer 320, and the alignment portions 335 may be alignment protrusions extending from the first surface 330a of the second terminal layer 330 and configured to be received in the alignment holes of the first terminal layer 320.
As noted above, the third layer 310 may be a third terminal layer. In some embodiments of the present technology, the third terminal layer 310 may comprise at least one finger (not shown) extending from the base portion 316, such that an elongated portion of the at least one finger is attached at one end to the base portion 316 and is free at an opposite end. The at least one finger of the third terminal layer 310 may otherwise be similar in structure to the fingers 321, 331, 322, 332 of the first and second terminal layers 320, 330. For example, the free end of the at least one finger of the third terminal layer 310 may comprise a convex portion configured to contact a card, or a bus bar, or the like.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the mounting pins 314 may comprise some of the mounting tails 304 of the terminal 300. That is, each mounting pin 314 may be configured to be received in its own terminal-tail hole 2b of the substrate 2. In some embodiments, the third layer 310 may serve to provide support and structuring sturdiness to the terminal 300 when the terminal 300 is mounted on the substrate 2. For example, because the terminal 300 includes multiple rows of mounting tails 304, some of which extend from the third layer 310 and some of which are comprised of mounting pins 324, 334 of the first and second terminal layers 320, 330, the terminal 300 may be less prone to mechanical distorting (e.g., twisting caused by a shear force) in which the first terminal layer 320 may be displaced relative to the second terminal layer 330, because the third layer 310 may clamp the first terminal layer 320 to the second terminal layer 330.
Turning now to the housing 100, as noted above, the housing 100 may comprise a plurality of terminal compartments 108 (108A, 108B) located between two end portions 106, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, The terminal compartments 108 (108A, 108B) may comprise a terminal-tail opening 110 (110A, 110B) at the bottom side, through which the terminal 300 may be inserted during manufacturing of the connector 1.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, each terminal compartment 108 may comprise an outer opening portion 110a and an inner opening portion 110b. The outer opening portion 110a may comprise left and right grooves having ledges that form an outer slot configured to accommodate left and right edge portions of the base portion 316 of the third layer 310 of the terminal 300. The inner opening portion 110b may comprise left and right grooves having ledges that form an inner slot configured to accommodate left and right edge portions of the frames 323, 333 of the first and second terminal layers 320, 330. In some embodiments, the left and right grooves of the inner opening portions 110b may extend into an interior region of the terminal compartment 108 and may be configured to accommodate some or all of the left and right edges of the frames 323, 333 as well as top edges of the frames 323, 333. The left and right grooves of the inner opening portion 110b may serve to hold the frames 323, 333 against each other in the terminal compartment 108. In some embodiments, the first and second terminal layers 320, 330 may be held together at a fixed position relative to each other and relative to the terminal compartment 108 by the alignment portions 325, 335 and by confinement of the edges of the frames 323, 333 in the left and right grooves of the inner opening portion 110b. In some embodiments, the terminal 300 may be assembled and incorporated in the terminal compartment 108 without the use of a fastener (e.g., glue, plastic molding, metal clip, insulative clip, etc.) to hold the layers 310, 320, 330 together. It should be appreciated that even though a fastener need not be used, some embodiments of the present technology may use a fastener to hold the layers 310, 320, 330 together.
As discussed above, the end portions 106 of the housing 100 may join an end of Row A of the connector segments 1A and an end of Row B of connector segments 1B, according to some embodiments of the present technology. An external side 106a of each of the end portions 106 may be an external side of the connector 1. An internal side 106a of each of the end portions 106 may comprise an end of the card-insertion opening 104, as shown in
Variations to the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed techniques. For example, although Row A of the connector 1 may be described to be a mirror image of Row B, it should be understood that the present technology does not require Row A and Row B to be mirror images of each other. In some embodiments. the connector segments 1A may be visibly different from the connector segments 1B to enable a user to discern a front side from a back side. In another example, although the alignment portions 335 may be described to be protrusions while the alignment portions 315, 325 may be described to be holes, it should be understood that the alignment portions 335 may be holes while the alignment portions 315 or the alignment portions 325 may be protrusions.
The foregoing features may be used, separately or together in any combination, in any of the embodiments discussed herein.
Further, although advantages of the present technology disclosed herein may be indicated, it should be appreciated that not every embodiment of the disclosed technology will include every described advantage. Some embodiments may not implement any features described as advantageous herein. Accordingly, the foregoing description and attached drawings are by way of example only.
Variations of the disclosed embodiments are possible and are within the scope of the present disclosure.
Various aspects of the present technology disclosed herein may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the description and the claims to modify an element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one element or act having a certain name from another element or act having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the elements or acts.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “equal” or “the same” in reference to two values (e.g., distances, widths, etc.) means that two values are the same within manufacturing tolerances. Thus, two values being equal, or the same, may mean that the two values are different from one another by +5%.
The phrase “and/or.” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of.” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either.” “one of.” “only one of.” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of terms such as “including,” “comprising,” “comprised of,” “having,” “containing,” and “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
The terms “approximately” and “about” if used herein may be construed to mean within +20% of a target value in some embodiments, within +10% of a target value in some embodiments, within +5% of a target value in some embodiments, and within +2% of a target value in some embodiments. The terms “approximately” and “about” may equal the target value.
The term “substantially” if used herein may be construed to mean within 95% of a target value in some embodiments, within 98% of a target value in some embodiments, within 99% of a target value in some embodiments, and within 99.5% of a target value in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the term “substantially” may equal 100% of the target value.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202211492624.0 | Nov 2022 | CN | national |
| 202223148794.5 | Nov 2022 | CN | national |
