Patent Application
20090111304
The present disclosure generally relates to connectors. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a connector for electrical signals.
A hot-swappable, plug and play, single-port SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) module is used in network devices implementing Gigabit over fiber applications. The SFP module offers several significant advantages over its predecessor, the GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter) such as lower cost, lower power consumption, and smaller size. Thus, with the SFP form factor, fiber Gigabit systems may be developed featuring similar port densities as copper-only systems using RJ-45 connectors.
The SFP module is electrically connected to an electronic apparatus by inserting the SFP module into a receptacle connector of the electronic apparatus. The receptacle connector is situated in an opening of the electronic apparatus. The receptacle connector comprises an insulating body and a plurality of pins, in which the pins are respectively disposed in pin channels of the insulating body. Each of the pins has a contact tab extending into a card slot of the insulating body. A solder tab extends from each pin to an external side of the insulating body and is soldered onto a circuit board of the electronic apparatus. When the SFP module is normally or correctly inserted into the opening of the electronic apparatus to interface with the receptacle connector. An edge of a circuit card of the SFP module comprises a plurality of plated traces that are aligned with the pins of the receptacle connector. To achieve an electrical connection, the edge of the circuit card of the SFP module is inserted into the card slot of the receptacle connector.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate at least one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a connector comprising an insulating body defining a slot adapted to receive a pluggable module. A plurality of conductive pins extend into the slot and, at least one extension is coupled to the insulating body such that the extension protects the plurality of pins from being shorted by an incorrectly inserted pluggable module.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a receptacle connector that prevents shorting or grounding of pins during incorrect (e.g., upside-down) insertion of a pluggable module (such as an SFP module) into the receptacle connector.
Referring to
The insulating body 110 may further comprise a plurality of second pin channels 115, and the receptacle connector 100 further comprises a plurality of second pins 130 which are respectively disposed in the second pin channels 115. Each of the second pins 130 comprises a second contact tab 132 extending into the card slot 112 from a second side 154 thereof. Each of the second pins 130 further comprises a second solder tab 134 extending to the external side of the bottom of the insulating body 110 to be soldered onto a surface of the circuit board.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle connector comprises a plurality of alternately arranged insulating spacers 116 between the first pin channels 114 such that one of the insulating spacers 116 is disposed between two adjacent first pin channels 114. Each insulating spacer comprises an insulating rib 116a that substantially protrudes beyond a vertical surface 126 of the first pins 120. A protruding direction of the insulating ribs 116a is substantially parallel and opposite to an inserting direction of the card slot 112. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating ribs 116a may be integrally formed with the insulating spacers 116, and may be simultaneously formed with the insulating spacers 116.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating body 110 comprises a pair of insulating posts 118, which are respectively disposed at two lateral ends thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the two insulating posts 118 are respectively disposed at two lateral ends of a bottom side of the insulating body 110 adjacent to the card slot 112. The insulating posts substantially extend beyond the first solder tabs 124. The extending direction of the insulating posts 118 is substantially parallel and opposite to the inserting direction of the card slot 112.
Referring to
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In one embodiment of the invention, insulating ribs and the insulating posts are placed in positions that do not violate the SFP Transceiver Multi-Source Agreement (MSA), dated Sep. 14, 2000, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and solves the electrical effects of the undefined module insertion mechanical polarity of the MSA specification, while reducing the possibility of shorting between pins and/or grounding of one or more of the pins and/or one or more of the solder tabs during upside-down insertion of a pluggable module.
Additionally, the term “or” as used herein is generally intended to mean “and/or” unless otherwise indicated. Combinations of components or steps will also be considered as being noted, where terminology is foreseen as rendering the ability to separate or combine is unclear.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
