Patent Application
20150236437
The subject matter herein relates generally to high-speed electrical connectors.
Various communication or computing systems use electrical connectors for transmitting data signals between different components of the system. For example, computers may use circuit cards, such as processor or memory modules, that interconnect with one another. A circuit card may be installed in a connector assembly that is mounted on a motherboard, or other system board, to interconnect the circuit card to the motherboard.
The various components may have a plug connector that mate with a receptacle connector. For example, the circuit cards often include a plug connector that is received within a socket of the receptacle connector. The plug and receptacle connectors include electrical contacts that mate together when the plug connector is received within the socket of the receptacle connector. The electrical contacts are positioned close to one another to increase the number of electrical connections available. However, the close proximity requires precise alignment of the card edge and the connector assembly.
A need remains to improve the alignment of contacts in an electrical connector assembly.
In an embodiment, a receptacle connector is disclosed. The receptacle connector includes a housing having a socket configured to receive a plug connector. The housing has a bottom configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The housing has a cavity open at the bottom and open to the socket. The housing has datum surfaces in the cavity. The receptacle connector includes a contact assembly received in the cavity and located in a fixed location relative to the datum surfaces. The contact assembly has a plurality of contacts arranged in two rows configured to mate with opposite sides of the plug connector received in the socket. Each contact has a main body, a mating beam extending from the main body, and a tail extending from the main body opposite the mating beam. The mating beams terminate to the plug connector. The tails terminate to the circuit board. The contact assembly has a dielectric base holding the main bodies of the contacts. The dielectric base has datum surfaces. At least one of the housing or the dielectric base comprises crush ribs forcing the datum surfaces of the dielectric base to engage corresponding datum surfaces of the housing.
In an embodiment, a receptacle connector is disclosed. The receptacle connector includes a housing having a socket extending along a longitudinal axis of the connector assembly. The socket is configured to receive a plug connector. The housing has a bottom configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The housing has a cavity open at the bottom and open to the card socket. The housing has datum surfaces in the cavity. The receptacle connector also includes a contact assembly received in the cavity and located in a fixed location relative to the datum surfaces. The contact assembly has a plurality of contacts arranged in two rows configured to mate with opposite sides of the plug connector received in the socket. Each contact has a main body, a mating beam extending from the main body, and a tail extending from the main body opposite the mating beam. The mating beam terminates to the plug connector. The tail terminates to the circuit board. The contact assembly has a dielectric base holding the main bodies of the contacts. The dielectric base has datum surfaces, at least one flange extending along the longitudinal axis, and at least one flange extending along a lateral axis. The lateral axis is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. At least one of the housing or the dielectric base comprises crush ribs forcing the datum surfaces of the dielectric base to engage corresponding datum surfaces of the housing.
In one embodiment, a connector assembly is disclosed. The connector assembly includes a plug connector. The connector assembly includes receptacle connector having a housing having a socket configured to receive the plug connector. The housing has a bottom configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The housing has a cavity open at the bottom and open to the socket. The housing has datum surfaces in the cavity. The receptacle connector includes a contact assembly received in the cavity and located in a fixed location relative to the datum surfaces. The contact assembly has a plurality of contacts arranged in two rows configured to mate with opposite sides of the plug connector received in the socket. Each contact has a main body, a mating beam extending from the main body, and a tail extending from the main body opposite the mating beam. The mating beams terminate to the plug connector and the tails mate with complementary contact pads of the circuit board. The contact assembly has a dielectric base holding the main bodies of the contacts. The dielectric base has datum surfaces. At least one of the housing or the dielectric base comprises crush ribs forcing the datum surfaces of the dielectric base to engage corresponding surfaces of the housing such that the contact pads of the circuit board align with the tails.
In the illustrated embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
Although shown as being a vertical connector wherein the socket 22 extends approximately perpendicular to the circuit board 14, the receptacle connector 18 may be mounted to the circuit board 14 in any other manner, configuration, geometry, and/or the like. For example, the receptacle connector 18 may be a right angle connector that is mounted to the circuit board 14 such that the socket 22 extends approximately parallel to the circuit board 14, the receptacle connector 18 may be a straddle mount connector that is mounted to the circuit board 14 such that the receptacle connector 18 straddles opposite sides 34 and 36 of the circuit board 14, and/or the like.
Moreover, although the circuit card 12 and the circuit board 14 are oriented approximately perpendicular to each other in the illustrated embodiment, the connector assembly 10 may be configured to provide an electrical connection between circuit boards and/or other electrical devices and/or components that extend at any other angle relative to each other, such as, but not limited to, approximately parallel, an oblique angle, and/or the like.
The socket 22 is framed between the first end 48, the second end 50, a first side 54, and the second side 56 of the housing 40. The housing 40 includes a bottom 58 configured to be mounted to the circuit board 14 (shown in
The contact assembly 42 includes a first contact module 60 and a second contact module 62. The first contact module 60 includes a first set of contacts 64 and a first dielectric member 66. The first dielectric member 66 holds the first set of contacts 64 in a first row 68 extending in the longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis 46. Similarly, the second contact module 62 includes a second set of contacts 70 and a second dielectric member 72. The second dielectric member 72 holds the second set of contacts 70 in a second row 74 that is parallel to the first row 68.
The first and second contacts 64, 70 include first and second tails 76, 78, respectively. The first and second contacts 64, 70 include first and second main bodies 80, 82, respectively. The first and second contacts 64, 70 include first and second mating beams 86, 88. The main bodies 80, 82 extend generally in the direction of a mating axis 84. The first main body 80 extends between the tail 76 and the mating beam 86. The second main body 82 extends between the tail 78 and the mating beam 88. The first dielectric member 66 is overmolded over a portion of the first main body 80. Similarly, the second dielectric member 72 is overmolded over a portion the second main body 82. Once overmolded, the contacts 64, 70 are held in position with respect to each other, such as at predetermined spacings.
A first mating beam 86 extends from the first main body 80 and a second mating beam 88 extends from the second main body 82. The mating beams 86, 88 extend toward the socket 22. For example, the first mating beam 86 may extend from the first main body 80 toward the top 38. When the plug 20 of the plug connector 16 is received within the socket 22 (for example, when the plug 20 is mated with the receptacle connector 18), the first mating beams 86 and the second mating beams 88 mate with the electrical contacts 24 of the plug connector 16. The first and second mating beams 86, 88 may be selectively sized and shaped to encourage electrical contact with the corresponding electrical contacts 24. For example, the first and second mating beams 86, 88 may include a raked S-shaped segment to form a spring-loaded connection with the electrical contacts 24.
The contacts 64, 70 include tails 76, 78 extending from their respective main bodies 80, 82. The tails 76, 78 extend generally from the first and second main bodies 80, 82 at an end opposite from the first and second mating beams 86, 88. The tails 76, 78 are configured to electrically terminate to the circuit board 14 (shown in
The dielectric base 92 includes a first longitudinal flange 106 on the second end 104. The first longitudinal flange 106 extends generally along the direction of the longitudinal axis 46. The dielectric base 92 includes a first lateral flange 108 and a second lateral flange 110 (also shown in
The flanges 106-112 are received within corresponding slots within the cavity 44. The slots are selectively dimensioned (for example, sized and shaped) to receive the flanges 106-112. In an exemplary embodiment, a first longitudinal slot 114 receives the first longitudinal flange 106. A first lateral slot 116 receives the first lateral flange 108. A second lateral slot 118 receives the second lateral flange 110. A second longitudinal slot 120 receives the second longitudinal flange 112.
In the illustrated embodiment, a first lateral datum surface 122 of the housing 40 extends along one side of the first longitudinal slot 114. The first lateral datum surface 122 engages a corresponding first lateral datum surface 130 on one surface of the first longitudinal flange 106. A first longitudinal datum surface 124 of the housing 40 extends along one side of the first lateral slot 116. The first longitudinal datum surface 124 engages a corresponding first longitudinal datum surface 132 on one surface of the first lateral flange 108. A second longitudinal datum surface 126 of the housing 40 extends along one side of the second lateral slot 118. The second longitudinal datum surface 126 engages a corresponding second longitudinal datum surface 134 on one surface of the second lateral flange 110. Similarly, a second lateral datum surface 128 of the housing 40 extends along one side of the second longitudinal slot 120. The second lateral datum surface 128 engages a corresponding second lateral datum surface 136 on the second longitudinal flange 112. The lateral datum surfaces 122, 128, 130, 136 limit the movement of the dielectric base 92 in a lateral direction along the lateral axis 52. The longitudinal datum surfaces 124, 126, 132, 134 limit the movement of the dielectric base 92 in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis 46.
In the illustrated embodiment, the slots 114-120 include crush ribs opposite the datum surfaces 122-128. The first longitudinal slot 114 includes a lateral crush rib 138 on the side opposite the datum surface 122. Optionally, the second longitudinal slot 120 includes a lateral crush rib 140 on the side opposite the datum surface 128. The lateral crush ribs 138, 140 force the lateral datum surfaces 122, 128 on the housing 40 to engage the lateral datum surfaces 130, 136 on the dielectric base 92. As such, the lateral crush ribs 138, 140 force the dielectric base 92 in a lateral direction along the lateral axis 52. For example, the lateral crush ribs 138, 140 may exert a compressive force on the longitudinal flanges 106, 112 when the dielectric base 92 is loaded into the housing 40.
The first and second lateral slots 116, 118, include longitudinal crush ribs 142, 144 respectively on the sides opposite the datum surfaces 124, 126. The longitudinal crush ribs 142, 144 force the datum surfaces 124, 126 on the housing 40 to engage the longitudinal datum surfaces 132, 134 on the dielectric base 92. As such, the longitudinal crush ribs 142, 144 force the dielectric base 92 in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 46 toward the second end 50 of the housing 40. For example, the longitudinal crush ribs 142, 144 may exert a compressive force on the lateral flanges 108, 110 when the dielectric base 92 is loaded into the housing 40. In various embodiments, other crush ribs may be provided on the flanges 106-112 instead of, or in addition to, the crush ribs 138-144 on the housing 40.
The cavity 44 is oversized relative to the dielectric base 92 to allow the dielectric base 92 to have a limited amount of floating movement within the cavity 44. The cavity 44 is oversized to form gaps 146, 148, 150, and 152 within the slots 114-120. The first longitudinal slot 114 extends beyond the first longitudinal flange 106 forming the gap 146 therebetween. The first lateral slot 116 extends beyond the first lateral flange 108 forming the gap 148 therebetween. The second lateral slot 118 extends beyond the second lateral flange 110 forming the gap 150 therebetween. The second longitudinal slot 120 extends beyond the second longitudinal flange 112 forming the gap 152 therebetween.
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. 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.
