Patent Grant
9054470
The present application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201310111077.1, filed on Apr. 1, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The subject matter herein relates generally to an electrical connector that has at least one electrical contact with a plurality of contact beams that engage corresponding contacts of another connector during a mating operation.
Electrical connectors provide communicative interfaces between electrical components where power and/or signals may be transmitted therethrough. Electrical connectors may be used within telecommunication equipment, servers, and data storage or transport devices. For example, in some communication systems, an electrical connector is mounted along a leading edge of a circuit board to form a circuit board assembly. The electrical connector typically includes a plurality of electrical contacts that are capable of transmitting electrical power or data signals from and/or to the circuit board. The electrical connector includes a mating side that faces away from the leading edge and has the electrical contacts arranged therealong. During a mating operation, the electrical contacts engage corresponding contacts of another connector (hereinafter referred to as the mating connector). The mating side may be advanced in an insertion direction toward the mating connector. As the electrical connector and the mating connector begin to mate with each other, the contacts of the electrical connector directly engage the corresponding contacts.
The engagement between two individual contacts typically involves friction and deflection forces that impede movement of the electrical connector in the mating direction. Although the friction and deflection forces that must be overcome when a single contact engages another single contact are typically small, the sum of these forces when many contacts simultaneously engage each other can be quite large and may require application of a substantial mating force to overcome the sum of the friction and deflection forces. Mating operations that require large instantaneous mating forces are generally undesirable because large mating forces result in difficulty in mating the two connectors and increase the likelihood of damaging the contacts of at least one of the connectors.
Typically, electrical connectors are used in environments, such as in offices or homes, where the connectors are not subjected to constant shock, vibration, and/or extreme temperatures. However, in some applications, such as aerospace or military equipment, the electrical connector should be configured to withstand certain conditions and still effectively transmit power and/or data signals. In fact, customers may require that the connectors be able to sustain large amounts of shock even for applications where the environment is typically free from significant vibrations. For example, customers may require that electrical connectors used in isolated server rooms be able to sustain large shocks on rare occasions, such as during an earthquake. However, many electrical connectors have limited capabilities for sustaining shock and vibrations.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electrical connector that is capable of transmitting electric current in a range of environments and has a relatively low mating force requirement.
In one embodiment, an electrical connector is provided that includes a connector housing having a mating side that faces in a mating direction. The mating side configured to engage a mating connector. The electrical connector also includes an electrical contact held by the connector housing. The electrical contact includes a common body section and first, second, and third contact beams that are arranged along the mating side and have respective contact bases coupled to the body section. Each of the first, second, and third contact beams extend in the mating direction from the respective contact base to a respective distal end. Each of the first, second, and third contact beams has a beam length that is measured from the respective contact base to the respective distal end. The beam lengths of the first, second, and third contact beams being different from one another.
Each of the first, second, and third contact beams may be shaped to form a mating interface proximate to the distal end that directly engages the mating connector. The first, second, and third contact beams may have first, second, and third mating lengths, respectively, that are measured from the respective contact base to the respective mating interface. The first, second, and third mating lengths can be different from one another. In some cases, one or more of the contact beams is capable of independently flexing about the respective contact base.
The first, second, and third contact beams and the body section may be substantially aligned along a common contact plane that extends along the mating direction. The body section may be substantially planar. The connector housing may include a mounting side that is configured to engage a circuit board. The planar body section can be orthogonal to the circuit board when electrical connector is mounted thereto.
In some embodiments, the electrical connector includes first and second electrical contacts that have similar features. The first electrical contact may be the electrical contact described above. The second electrical contact may include a respective common body section coupled to fourth and fifth contact beams. Each of the fourth and fifth contact beams may extend in the mating direction from a respective contact base that is coupled to the body section to a respective distal end. The fourth and fifth contact beams may have fourth and fifth beam lengths, respectively, that are measured from the respective contact base to the respective distal end. The fourth and fifth beam lengths can be different from each other. In some embodiments, the body sections of the first and second electrical contacts are substantially planar and either extend parallel to each other or are aligned along a common contact plane.
In certain embodiments, the distal ends of the first, second, and third contact beams have different axial locations with respect to an engagement axis that extends along the mating direction. In various embodiments, the first contact beam may be adjacent to the second contact beam and the third contact beam may be adjacent to at least one of the first contact beam or the third contact beam. Also, the electrical contact may include a plurality of at least one of the first contact beam, the second contact beam, or the third contact beam. For example, there may be two first contact beams, two second contact beams, and two third contact beams.
In another embodiment, an electrical connector is provided that includes a connector housing having a mating side that faces in a mating direction along an engagement axis. The mating side is configured to engage a mating connector. The electrical connector may also include an electrical contact held by the connector housing. The electrical contact may include a common body section and first, second, and third contact beams that are arranged along the mating side and configured to engage the mating connector. Each of the first, second, and third contact beams extends parallel to the engagement axis from a respective contact base that is coupled to the body section to a respective distal end. The distal ends of the first, second, and third contact beams have different axial locations with respect to the engagement axis.
In some cases, the first, second, and third contact beams may have first, second, and third beam lengths, respectively, that are measured from the respective contact base to the respective distal end. The first, second, and third beam lengths may be different from one another.
In another embodiment, an electrical connector is provided that includes a connector housing having a mating side that faces in a mating direction. The mating side is configured to engage a mating connector. The electrical connector also includes separate first and second electrical contacts held by the connector housing. Each of the first and second electrical contacts includes a common body section and a plurality of contact beams that are positioned along the mating side and configured to engage the mating connector. Each of the contact beams of said plurality extends in the mating direction along an engagement axis from a respective contact base that is coupled to the body section to a respective distal end. The distal ends have corresponding axial locations with respect to the engagement axis, wherein the contact beams of said plurality have at least one of (a) different beam lengths measured from the respective contact base to the respective distal end or (b) different axial locations of the distal ends. The first and second electrical contacts are substantially aligned such that the body sections and the contact beams of the first and second electrical contacts are substantially aligned along a common contact plane that extends along the mating direction.
In some embodiments, the contact beams of the first electrical contact include more than two contact beams. In certain embodiments, the first and second electrical contacts are substantially aligned such that the body sections and the contact beams of the first and second electrical contacts are aligned along a common contact plane that extends along the mating direction.
Embodiments described herein include electrical connectors having a mating side that is configured to engage another connector (hereinafter referred to as a mating connector). The electrical connector includes at least one electrical contact having a plurality of contact beams arranged along the mating side that are configured to engage corresponding contacts of the mating connector. In certain embodiments, the contact beams of one electrical contact have different dimensions, which may include different shapes or geometries. In some cases, the contact beams may be dimensioned differently with respect to one another to effectively reduce or control a mating force that is required to engage the electrical connector and the mating connector. Alternatively, or in addition to reducing the mating force, the contact beams may be dimensioned differently so that the contact beams vibrate or oscillate in different manners (e.g., different frequencies) when the electrical connector is experiencing shock or vibration. In particular embodiments, the contact beams have different lengths with respect to each other and/or have distal ends that have different axial locations with respect to a common reference axis.
In some embodiments, the electrical connectors may be positioned along a leading edge of a circuit board and face in a direction that is parallel to a plane defined by the circuit board. Such electrical connectors may be referred to as right-angle receptacle assemblies or right-angle header assemblies. In other embodiments, the electrical connectors may face away from a board surface such that the electrical connector faces in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the circuit board. Such electrical connectors may be referred to as vertical receptacle assemblies or vertical header assemblies. However, the above are merely examples and embodiments set forth herein may be implemented in other assemblies or systems.
The circuit board assembly 100 may be used in various applications. By way of example, the circuit board assembly 100 may be used in telecom and computer applications, routers, servers, supercomputers, and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. In one embodiment, the circuit board assembly 100 is part of a backplane system or assembly that includes a backplane circuit board (not shown) that extends orthogonal to the circuit board 102 during operation. In such embodiments, the circuit board assembly 100 may be described as a daughter card assembly. In another embodiment, the circuit board assembly 100 may be configured to mate with a complementary circuit board assembly (not shown) that has a mating connector. The circuit boards may be substantially edge-to-edge after the mating operation and have the connectors extending between the opposing edges. Thus, the two circuit boards may be electrically coupled to each other through the mated electrical connectors. In such embodiments, the electrical connectors may be described as board-to-board or coplanar connectors.
In particular embodiments, the electrical connector 104 may be similar to connectors in the MINIPAK HD power connector product line or the MULTI-BEAM XL/XLE connector product line developed by TE Connectivity that are capable of transmitting electrical power and data. On the other hand, the electrical connector 106 may be exclusively dedicated or primarily dedicated to transmitting data. For example, the electrical connector 106 may be similar to connectors in the STRADA Whisper or Z-PACK TinMan product lines also developed by TE Connectivity. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 106 is capable of transmitting data signals at high speeds, such as 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, or more.
Although the electrical connector 104 is described and shown as being part of the circuit board assembly 100 in some embodiments, the electrical connector 104 is not required to be configured for mounting to a circuit board. For example, in other embodiments, the electrical connector 104 may be part of an electrical device or a pluggable connector.
As shown in
As used herein, spatially relative terms, such as “front”, “back”, “top,” “above,” “below,” and the like, are used herein for ease of description to distinguish one element or feature from another. Such terms are used with reference to the electrical connector 104 having an orientation as shown in
As shown, the connector housing 114 may have a contact cavity 130 that opens to the mating side 112. More specifically, the contact cavity 130 may be accessed through the mating side 112. The electrical connector 104 may include electrical contacts 131-135 that are disposed within the contact cavity 130. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical contacts 131-134 are dimensioned for transmitting electrical power and, thus, may be referred to as power contacts. The electrical contacts 135 are dimensioned for transmitting data signals and, thus, may be referred to as signal contacts. More specifically, the electrical contacts 131-134 may be sized and shaped to be larger than the electrical contacts 135.
The contact cavity 130 may include a plurality of spatial regions where the electrical contacts 131-135 are located. For example, the contact cavity 130 includes signal regions 136, 138 that are located proximate to the end sides 122, 124, respectively, and power regions 140-142 that are positioned between the signal regions 136, 138. In the illustrated embodiment, the power regions 140, 141 are adjacent to each other and separated by an interior wall 144, and the power regions 141, 142 are adjacent to each other and separated by an interior wall 146. The signal regions 136, 138 include the electrical contacts 135. The electrical contacts 131, 132 are arranged side-by-side in pairs and each of the power regions 140, 142 includes two of the pairs, The power region 141 includes the electrical contacts 133, 134, which are stacked with respect to each other along the orientation axis 193 in the power region 141.
The connector housing 114 may include first and second guide features 150, 152. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide features are guide modules having cavities that extend along the engagement axis 191 and, as such, will hereinafter be referred to as guide modules. The guide modules 150, 152 define cavities 151, 153, respectively, that are sized and shaped to receive and direct a complementary guide projection from the mating connector (not shown). The cavities 151, 153 open to the mating side 112 and also to the contact cavity 130 within the connector housing 114. In alternative embodiments, the first and second guide features 150, 152 may be projections or posts that are shaped to be received by a guide module.
The mating side 112 extends along the lateral axis 192 and the orientation axis 193 and faces in the mating direction M1 along the engagement axis 191. The mating side 112 is configured to engage the mating connector during the mating operation. The mating connector may include features that complement the features of the electrical connector 104. For example, the mating connector may have socket cavities for receiving the electrical contacts 135 and larger cavities for receiving the pairs of electrical contacts 131, 132. During the mating operation, the electrical connector 104 may be moved toward the mating connector and/or the mating connector may be moved toward the electrical connector 104.
Also shown in
The electrical connector 104 may have a plurality of contact tails 166, 168 that project from the interface portion 162 in a mounting direction M2 along the orientation axis 193. The contact tails 166 are extensions of the electrical contacts 135 (
As shown, the electrical contact 131 substantially resides in a contact plane P1, the electrical contact 132 substantially resides in a contact plane P2, and the electrical contacts 133, 134 substantially reside within a contact plane P3. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact planes P1-P3 extend parallel to a plane defined by the engagement axis 191 and the orientation axis 193.
The electrical contacts 131, 132 are each disposed within the receiving cavity 170 and have a separation distance SD therebetween. In particular embodiments, the electrical contacts 131, 132 are plural parts of a single conductive pathway such that electrical power may flow through multiple parallel paths in the same direction. Each of the electrical contacts 131, 132 is configured to engage one or more corresponding contacts of the mating connector (not shown), such as the busbar 280 shown in
The electrical contact 131 may be stamped and formed from conductive sheet material (e.g., metal) to form the body section 202 and the contact beams 204. More specifically, the electrical contact 131 may be a single piece of metal, such as a copper alloy. Accordingly, a shape of the electrical contact 131 may be defined by the stamped edges that are created from the stamp-and-form process. As shown, the electrical contact 131 includes a first side surface 206 and a second side surface 208 (
In the illustrated embodiment, a single stamped edge 215 extends continuously around a perimeter of the electrical contact 131 to substantially form the edge portions 211-214. The stamped edge 215 may also form the contact beams 204 that project from the leading edge portion 211. As shown, the loading and body-engaging edge portions 212, 214 are opposite each other, and the leading and side edge portions 211, 213 are opposite each other. However, in other embodiments, the edge portions 211-214 may have different configurations. For example, the leading edge portion and the loading edge portion may be opposite each other. The contact beams 204 extend in a common direction (i.e., the mating direction M1) along the engagement axis 191.
Embodiments set forth herein may include an electrical contact that has multiple contact beams extending from a common body section (i.e., the same body section) in which at least some of the contact beams have different dimensions and/or have distal ends with different axial locations with respect to a reference axis. For example, the contact beams 204 include a first contact beam 221, a second contact beam 222, and a third contact beam 223. The contact beams 221-223 have contact bases 231-233, respectively, that are each coupled to the body section 202. Each of the contact beams 221-223 extends to a respective distal end 241-243 from the respective contact base 231-233. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact bases 231-233 extend directly from the leading edge portion 211. As shown, a spacing or gap 250 may separate adjacent contact beams 204 and a notch portion 252 of the spacing 250 may separate adjacent contact bases. In some embodiments, the contact bases 231-233 are aligned with respect to each other along the orientation axis 193 as shown in
Although the contact beams 204 may have different dimensions, in some embodiments, the contact beams 204 may also include two or more contact beams 204 that have the same dimensions. For example, the electrical contact 131 also includes a fourth contact beam 224, which may generally have the same dimensions as the third contact beam 223; a fifth contact beam 225, which may have the same dimensions as the second contact beam 222; and a sixth contact beam 226, which may have the same dimensions as the first contact beam 221. As such, the fourth contact beam 224 may be referred to as another third contact beam, the fifth contact beam 225 may be referred to as another second contact beam, and the sixth contact beam 226 may be referred to as another first contact beam.
As shown, the contact beams 223, 224 are joined at and share the distal end 243. In the case of the joined contact beams 223, 224, the spacing 250 is a slot that extends lengthwise along the contact beams 223, 224 between the body section 202 and the distal end 243.
Nevertheless, other embodiments may not have multiple contact beams with the same dimensions. Embodiments may include at least two contact beams in which each contact beam has a different beam length than the other contact beams. For example, each of the electrical contacts 133, 134 (
With respect to
The contact beam 221 may be capable of independently flexing about the respective contact base 231. Likewise, the contact beams 222, 223 may also be capable of independently flexing about the respective contact bases 232, 233 (
In some embodiments, the mating interfaces 261-263 directly engage and slide along a common busbar, such as the busbar 280 (shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the mating interfaces 261-263 are the areas of the contact beams 221-223, respectively, that are furthest from the contact plane P1 on one side of the contact plane P1. The mating interfaces 261-263 may be the areas that represent an apex between different segments of the corresponding contact beam. For example, with respect to the contact beam 221, the contact beam 221 has an engagement surface 290 and includes a base segment 266 and an end segment 268. The engagement surface 290 may be a portion of the side surface 206 and extends along each of the base and end segments 266, 268. Each of the base and end segments 266, 268 may extend in a non-orthogonal direction with respect to the contact plane P1. For example, as the contact beam 221 extends from the contact base 231 to the distal end 241, the engagement surface 290 along the base segment 266 extends away from the contact plane P1, and the engagement surface 290 along the end segment 268 extends toward the contact plane P1. As shown, the base segment 266 and the end segment 268 join each other at the mating interface 261 or, in other words, the engagement surface 290 curves and changes direction at the mating interface 261.
The contact beams 221-223 have mating lengths ML1, ML2, and ML3, respectively. The mating lengths ML1, ML2, ML3 represent the distance between the respective contact base 231-233 and the respective mating interface 261-263. As shown in
The distal ends 241-243 and the mating interfaces 261-263 have respective axial locations along the engagement axis 191. In particular, as shown in
For example, during the mating operation, a busbar 280 of the mating connector may initially engage the contact beam 223 before the busbar 280 engages the contact beams 221 and 222. When the contact beam 223 is initially engaged, the busbar 280 may contact a leading area 275 that is located immediately in front of the mating interface 263 along the engagement surface 290. The leading area 275 may at least partially face in the mating direction M1, whereas the mating interface 263 may face in a direction that is substantially perpendicular or orthogonal to the mating direction M1. The frictional forces created when the leading area 275 initially engages the busbar 280 may be greater than the frictional forces created when the mating interface 263 slides along the busbar 280.
When the contact beam 223 is deflected, the busbar 280 may clear the leading area 275 such that the mating interface 263 slides along an engagement surface 281 of the busbar 280. As the mating interface 263 slides along the busbar 280, the busbar 280 may engage the contact beam 222 in a similar manner as the busbar 280 engaged the contact beam 223. Accordingly, the deflection and frictional forces that occur when the busbar 280 initially engages the contact beams 221-223 are not generated simultaneously. As such, the magnitude of the mating force may be reduced relative to other known connectors.
In addition to the above, the dimensions of the contact beams 221-223 may cause the contact beams 221-223 to vibrate in different manners when the contact beams 221-223 are exposed to environments that cause such vibrations. When a contact beam vibrates, the contact beam may repeatedly move to and from the corresponding contact (e.g., the busbar) thereby intermittently breaking the electrical connection between the contact beam and the corresponding contact or changing the impedance along the conductive pathway. In contact beams having the same dimensions (e.g., same beam length, mating length, and geometry), the contact beams may vibrate harmonically at a common frequency. Under such circumstances, moments may occur in which each of the contact beams loses its electrical connection with the bus bar at the same time as the other contact beams. Such situations are undesirable.
Embodiments described herein include contact beams having different beam lengths, different mating lengths, and/or other structural differences that may cause the contact beams to vibrate at different frequencies. As such, the likelihood that the contact beams will simultaneously lose their respective electrical connections is reduced. For example, at least one contact beam may be electrically connected to the busbar when at least one other contact beam is not.
Similar to the electrical contact 131 (
Each of the contact beams 304 is configured to engage a busbar (not shown) of the mating connector, and each of the contact beams 354 may be configured to engage a different busbar (not shown) of the mating connector. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrical contacts 133, 134 are oriented to be substantially aligned along the contact plane P3 (
The contact beams 304, 354 may have similar dimensions as the contact beams 204 (
The contact beams 354 include a first contact beam 371, a second contact beam 372, and a third contact beam 373. Each of the contact beams 371-373 has a respective contact base 381-383 that is coupled to the body section 352 and extends to a respective distal end 391-393. In some embodiments, the contact bases 331-333 and 381-383 are aligned with respect to each other as shown in
The dimensions of the contact beams 304, 354 may be similar to the contact beams 204 and, in some embodiments, identical. For example, with respect to
In the illustrated embodiment, the beam lengths BL4-BL6 are identical to the beam lengths BL1-BL3, respectively. Moreover, the contact beams 321-323 and 371-373 may have mating lengths that are identical to the mating lengths of the contact beams 204 (
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional elements not having that property.
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 are merely exemplary 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. In addition, in the following claims, the term “plurality” does not include each and every element that an object may have. For example, if the claims recite an electrical contact having “a plurality of contact beams,” the plurality of contact beams may not include each and every contact beam that the electrical contact may have. There may be additional contact beams that do not have the features recited in the claims with respect to the plurality. 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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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140295680 A1 | Oct 2014 | US |
