Patent Grant
11088481
In some aspects of the present description, a retainer assembly configured to be inserted into a plug housing to form a plug connector is provided. The retainer assembly includes a retainer housing including a top housing portion and a bottom housing portion, a circuit board partially disposed between the top and bottom housing portions, at least one substantially flat top cable including a plurality of conductors, at least one substantially flat bottom cable including a plurality of conductors, and an adhesive for bonding the conductors to the circuit board. The top housing portion of the retainer housing defines at least one top through opening therein and includes at least one top latching member. The bottom housing portion of the retainer housing defines at least one bottom through opening therein and includes at least one bottom latching member engaging the at least one top latching member. The circuit board includes opposing major top and bottom surfaces, a front mating end disposed outside the retainer housing and configured to mate with a mating connector, and a rear cable end disposed inside the retainer housing, a plurality of conductive top and bottom front pads disposed on the respective top and bottom surfaces near the front mating end; and a plurality of conductive top and bottom rear pads disposed on the respective top and bottom surfaces near the rear cable end and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive top and bottom front pads. The plurality of conductors of the at least one substantially flat top cable includes uninsulated front ends terminated at the top rear pads in at least one top termination region, each top termination region aligned with and exposed through a corresponding top through opening in the at least one top through opening. The plurality of conductors of the at least one substantially flat bottom cable includes uninsulated front ends terminated at the bottom rear pads in at least one bottom termination region, each bottom termination region aligned with and exposed through a corresponding bottom through opening in the at least one bottom through opening. The adhesive at least partially fills each through opening in the at least one top and bottom through openings and bonds the uninsulated front ends of the conductors in the corresponding exposed termination region to the circuit board.
In some aspects of the present description, a retainer assembly is configured to house a circuit board and a cable terminated at the circuit board. The retainer assembly is configured to be inserted into a plug housing along an insertion direction, orthogonal to a thickness direction of the retainer assembly, to form a plug connector. The retainer assembly includes a first retainer and a second retainer. The first retainer includes a first base elongated along a length direction orthogonal to the insertion and thickness directions, and opposing first lateral sides extending from opposite edges of the first base along the thickness direction and orthogonal to the first base, where each first lateral side includes a first latching member and defining a cutout therein. The second retainer is assembled to the first retainer and includes a second base elongated along the length direction substantially parallel to the first base, and opposing second lateral sides extending from opposite edges of the second base along the thickness direction and orthogonal to the second base, where each second lateral side includes a second latching member and defining a protrusion. The second retainer is assembled to the first retainer by first partially inserting the protrusion of each second lateral side in the cutout of the corresponding first lateral side while the second base makes an oblique angle with the first base, and then rotating the second retainer substantially about an axis connecting the cutouts of the first lateral sides to reduce the oblique angle while at the same time further inserting the protrusions in the cutouts until the first and second latching members latch onto each other.
In some aspects of the present description, a plug housing assembly configured to receive a retainer assembly is provided, the retainer assembly including a circuit board and at least one cable terminated at the circuit board, along an insertion direction, orthogonal to a thickness direction of the plug housing assembly, to form a plug connector. The plug housing assembly includes a plug housing, and a latching member. The plug housing includes a rear opening for insertion of the retainer assembly, an opposing front opening, a middle wall separating the front opening from the rear opening, such that when the retainer assembly is inserted into the plug housing through the rear opening of the plug housing, rear and front portions of the circuit board of the retainer assembly are disposed in the respective rear and front openings of the plug housing, and a middle portion of the circuit board is disposed in an opening of the middle wall, and a top side of the housing including spaced apart front and rear walls defining a recess therebetween. The latching member is disposed in the recess, and includes a base disposed on a bottom wall of the recess between the front and rear walls, a first support arm, a latching arm, and a second support arm. The first support arm extends rearwardly from the base along the insertion direction toward the rear wall and includes an end portion disposed in an opening defined in the rear wall, and a joining portion joining base to the end portion, the end portion comprising a free end portion bent toward the bottom wall of the recess. The latching arm extends forwardly from the base along the insertion direction toward and past the front wall and comprising an end portion and terminates in a latch for latching onto a latching member of a mating connector of the plug connector, and a joining portion connecting the end portion to the base and disposed in an opening defined in the front wall. The second support arm is cut out from the base and bent away from the base toward the bottom wall of the recess, the second support arm including a bent portion in contact with the bottom wall of the recess.
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof and in which various embodiments are shown by way of illustration. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. It is to be understood that other embodiments are contemplated and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present description. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The data center industry has created several data center consortiums in recent years to offer standardized data products and to encourage data/computer sever suppliers to build servers with higher data rates. Common printed circuit board (PCB) materials available today do not perform well as the data rates continue to increase. As a result, special, high-performance materials are being developed, but these materials are costly. For some applications, a costly repeater/retimer component may be necessary when using common PCB materials to improve signal quality over long circuit traces, connectors, and cables. Twinaxial cables, or “Twinax”, may be used to eliminate or minimize the need for costly PCB materials and repeater/retimers. The Gen-Z Consortium has set out to develop a high-volume universal connector, which has been adopted by several industry standards organizations (e.g., the Open Compute Project, the Gen-Z Consortium) to be the interconnect of choice to replace the PCB traces with cable assemblies to transmit the high-speed data.
According to some aspects of the present description, a high speed electrical cable assembly that mates with Gen-Z scalable connectors is described. In some embodiments, a retainer assembly configured to be inserted into a plug housing to form a plug connector is provided. In some embodiments, the retainer assembly includes a retainer housing including a top housing portion and a bottom housing portion, a printed circuit board (PCB) partially disposed between the top and bottom housing portions, at least one substantially flat top cable including a plurality of conductors, at least one substantially flat bottom cable including a plurality of conductors, and an adhesive for bonding the conductors to the circuit board. In some embodiments, the retainer assembly may be configured to define a straight cable exit option. In some embodiments, the retainer assembly may be configured to define a right-angle cable exit option.
In some embodiments, the top housing portion of the retainer housing defines at least one top “through” opening therein (i.e., an opening or hole through which portions of the PCB and/or conductors may be accessed) and includes at least one top latching member. In some embodiments, the bottom housing portion of the retainer housing defines at least one bottom through opening therein and includes at least one bottom latching member configured to engage the at least one top latching member.
The PCB includes opposing major top and bottom surfaces, a front mating end disposed outside the retainer housing and configured to mate with a mating connector, and a rear cable end disposed inside the retainer housing. In some embodiments, a plurality of conductive top and bottom front pads may be disposed on the respective top and bottom surfaces near the front mating end of the PCB, and a plurality of conductive top and bottom rear pads disposed on the respective top and bottom surfaces near the rear cable end and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive top and bottom front pads. In some embodiments, the plurality of conductors of the at least one substantially flat top cable may include uninsulated front ends terminated at the top rear pads in at least one top termination region, each top termination region aligned with and exposed through a corresponding top through opening in the at least one top through opening. Similarly, the plurality of conductors of the at least one substantially flat bottom cable may include uninsulated front ends terminated at the bottom rear pads in at least one bottom termination region, each bottom termination region aligned with and exposed through a corresponding bottom through opening in the at least one bottom through opening. In some embodiments, the adhesive at least partially fills each through opening in the at least one top and bottom through openings, and bonds the uninsulated front ends of the conductors in the corresponding exposed termination region to the PCB.
According to some aspects of the present description, a retainer assembly is configured to house a circuit board and a cable terminated at the circuit board. The retainer assembly is configured to be inserted into a plug housing along an insertion direction, orthogonal to a thickness direction of the retainer assembly, to form a plug connector. The retainer assembly includes a first retainer and a second retainer. The first retainer includes a first base elongated along a length direction orthogonal to the insertion and thickness directions, and opposing first lateral sides extending from opposite edges of the first base along the thickness direction and orthogonal to the first base, where each first lateral side includes a first latching member and defining a cutout therein. The second retainer is assembled to the first retainer and includes a second base elongated along the length direction substantially parallel to the first base, and opposing second lateral sides extending from opposite edges of the second base along the thickness direction and orthogonal to the second base, where each second lateral side includes a second latching member and defining a protrusion. The second retainer is assembled to the first retainer by first partially inserting the protrusion of each second lateral side in the cutout of the corresponding first lateral side while the second base makes an oblique angle with the first base, and then rotating the second retainer substantially about an axis connecting the cutouts of the first lateral sides to reduce the oblique angle while at the same time further inserting the protrusions in the cutouts until the first and second latching members latch onto each other. In some embodiments, the retainer assembly may be configured to define either a straight cable exit option or a right-angle cable exit option, depending on the configuration of at least one of the top housing portion or the bottom housing portion (i.e., at least one of the housing portions may be interchanged to switch configurations between a straight cable exit option and a right-angle cable exit option.)
In some aspects of the present description, a plug housing assembly configured to receive a retainer assembly is provided, the retainer assembly including a circuit board and at least one cable terminated at the circuit board, along an insertion direction, orthogonal to a thickness direction of the plug housing assembly, to form a plug connector. In some embodiments, the plug housing assembly includes a plug housing, and a latching member. In some embodiments, the plug housing includes a rear opening for insertion of the retainer assembly, an opposing front opening, a middle wall separating the front opening from the rear opening, and a top side of the housing including spaced apart front and rear walls defining a recess therebetween. In some embodiments, the plug housing may be configured such that, when the retainer assembly is inserted into the plug housing through the rear opening of the plug housing, rear and front portions of the circuit board of the retainer assembly are disposed in the respective rear and front openings of the plug housing, and a middle portion of the circuit board is disposed in an opening of the middle wall.
In some embodiments, the latching member may be disposed in the recess between the front and rear walls, and may include a base disposed on a bottom wall of the recess between the front and rear walls, a first support arm, a latching arm, and a second support arm. In some embodiments, the first support arm may extend rearwardly from the base along the insertion direction toward the rear wall and may include an end portion disposed in an opening defined in the rear wall, and a joining portion joining base to the end portion, the end portion comprising a free end portion bent toward the bottom wall of the recess.
In some embodiments, the latching arm may extend forwardly from the base along the insertion direction toward and past the front wall and comprising an end portion, and terminating in a latch for latching onto a latching member of a mating connector of the plug connector, and a joining portion connecting the end portion to the base and disposed in an opening defined in the front wall. In some embodiments, the second support arm is cut out from the base and bent away from the base toward the bottom wall of the recess, the second support arm including a bent portion in contact with the bottom wall of the recess.
Turning now to the figures,
In the embodiment of
The PCB 60 includes a front mating end 63 which may be disposed outside of the retainer housing and configured to mate with a mating connector, and a rear cable end 64 which may be disposed inside the retainer housing. In some embodiments, a top major surface 61 of the PCB 60 may define a plurality of conductive top front pads 65 near front mating end 63. In some embodiments, a bottom major surface 62 of the PCB 60 may define a plurality of conductive bottom front pads 66 near front mating end 63.
In some embodiments, top housing portion 20 (i.e., first retainer 20) which includes a first base 24 elongated along a length direction X orthogonal to an insertion direction Y and a thickness direction Z, and opposing first lateral sides 25 and 26 extending from opposite edges 27 and 28 of the first base 24 along a thickness direction Z and orthogonal to first base 24. Each first lateral side 25 and 26 includes a first latching member 22 and 23, respectively, and defining cutouts 29 and 30 respectively.
In some embodiments, bottom housing portion 40 (i.e., second retainer 40) which includes a second base 44 elongated along length direction substantially parallel to first base 24, and opposing second lateral sides 45 and 46 extending from opposite edges 47 and 48 of the second base 44 along the thickness direction Z and orthogonal to second base 44. Each second lateral side 45 and 46 includes a second latching member 42 and 43, respectively, and defining protrusions 49 and 50 respectively.
In some embodiments, circuit board 60 includes a major top surface 61, a major bottom surface 62, a front mating end 63, a rear cable end 64, a plurality of conductive top front pads 65, a plurality of conductive bottom front pads 66, a plurality of conductive top rear pads 67, and a plurality of conductive bottom rear pads 68. At least one substantially flat top cable (e.g., substantially flat top cables 81, 82, and 83 as shown in
In some embodiments, the first retainer 20 includes a first base 24 elongated along a length direction X orthogonal to an insertion direction Y and a thickness direction Z, and opposing first lateral sides 25 and 26 extending from opposite edges 27 and 28 of the first base along the thickness direction Z and orthogonal to the first base, each first lateral side 25 and 26 includes first latching members 22 and 23, respectively, and defining cutouts 29 and 30, respectively, therein. In some embodiments, the second retainer 40 is assembled to the first retainer 20 and includes a second base 44 elongated along the length direction X substantially parallel to the first base 24, and opposing second lateral sides 45 and 46, extending from opposite edges 47 and 48, respectively, of the second base 44 along the thickness direction Z and orthogonal to the second base 44, each second lateral side 45 and 46 including second latching members 42 and 43, respectively, and defining protrusions 49 and 50, respectively.
Turning to
Turning to
In
In some embodiments, latching member 330 may include a protrusion 380 extending substantially orthogonally from the base and inserted in an opening 381 defined in the bottom wall 319 of recess 318. In some embodiments, the first support arm 332 and protrusion 380 cooperate to secure the latching member 330 to plug housing 310.
Finally,
Terms such as “about” will be understood in the context in which they are used and described in the present description by one of ordinary skill in the art. If the use of “about” as applied to quantities expressing feature sizes, amounts, and physical properties is not otherwise clear to one of ordinary skill in the art in the context in which it is used and described in the present description, “about” will be understood to mean within 10 percent of the specified value. A quantity given as about a specified value can be precisely the specified value. For example, if it is not otherwise clear to one of ordinary skill in the art in the context in which it is used and described in the present description, a quantity having a value of about 1, means that the quantity has a value between 0.9 and 1.1, and that the value could be 1.
Terms such as “substantially” will be understood in the context in which they are used and described in the present description by one of ordinary skill in the art. If the use of “substantially equal” is not otherwise clear to one of ordinary skill in the art in the context in which it is used and described in the present description, “substantially equal” will mean about equal where about is as described above. If the use of “substantially parallel” is not otherwise clear to one of ordinary skill in the art in the context in which it is used and described in the present description, “substantially parallel” will mean within 30 degrees of parallel. Directions or surfaces described as substantially parallel to one another may, in some embodiments, be within 20 degrees, or within 10 degrees of parallel, or may be parallel or nominally parallel. If the use of “substantially aligned” is not otherwise clear to one of ordinary skill in the art in the context in which it is used and described in the present description, “substantially aligned” will mean aligned to within 20% of a width of the objects being aligned. Objects described as substantially aligned may, in some embodiments, be aligned to within 10% or to within 5% of a width of the objects being aligned.
All references, patents, and patent applications referenced in the foregoing are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in a consistent manner. In the event of inconsistencies or contradictions between portions of the incorporated references and this application, the information in the preceding description shall control.
Descriptions for elements in figures should be understood to apply equally to corresponding elements in other figures, unless indicated otherwise. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
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