Patent Grant
9099811
Portable electronic devices, such as portable media players, tablet, netbook, and laptop computers, and cell, media, and smart phones, have become ubiquitous in recent years. These devices may communicate with each other using cables having connector inserts on each end, where the connector inserts are inserted into connector receptacles on the communicating devices.
Conventionally, each device may communicate with a particular device using a specific type of receptacle and cable. For example, a computer may communicate with a display using a Digital Video Interface (DVI) connector and cable and a hard drive using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector and cable. Apple Inc., of Cupertino, Calif., has reduced this complexity by developing the Thunderbolt interface, which can be used to communicate with displays, hard drives, and other devices.
This increased usefulness has increased the need for multiple Thunderbolt connector receptacles on a single device. But placing a number of connectors of any type on a device comes with its own difficulties. For example, a number of connectors may have a number of pins or contacts that may terminate in corresponding holes in a printed circuit board. It may be difficult to align a large number of pins with their corresponding holes. It may also be desirable to align each connector receptacle to an opening in a housing for the electronic device. While an individual connector receptacle may be aligned to an opening in such a housing, aligning several such connector receptacles to several openings may be a more difficult proposition. This task may be further exacerbated if the device openings themselves are located on a curved or otherwise non-planar surface of the device enclosure.
Thus, what is needed are connector receptacles where a multiple of such connector receptacles may be readily aligned to holes in a printed circuit board and openings in an enclosure for an electronic device, particularly where the openings are located on a curved or otherwise non-planar surface of the device enclosure.
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide connector receptacles where a multiple of such connector receptacles may be readily aligned to holes in a printed circuit board and to openings in a device enclosure, particularly where the openings are located on a curved or otherwise non-planar surface of the device enclosure.
An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide connector receptacle assemblies where pins for multiple connector receptacles may be readily aligned to printed circuit board openings and where the connector receptacles themselves may be aligned to openings in a device enclosure. The connector receptacles in a connector assembly may be accurately aligned or registered to each other. The connector assembly may then be accurately aligned to a device enclosure. In this way, pins in the connector assembly may be aligned to openings in a printed circuit board, while the several connector receptacles may be accurately aligned to openings in the device enclosure.
The connector assembly may include a number of modules, for example, two, three, four, or more modules. Each module may include a number of connector receptacles, for example, two, three, four, or more connector receptacles. The connector receptacles in a module may be accurately aligned and registered to each other by using a main insert mold including a registration piece to join two or more connector receptacles. The main insert mold may form at least a part of a base on which a plurality of connector receptacles may be located. By locating multiple connector receptacles on one main insert mold, the alignment and registration between the connector receptacles in a module may be well controlled.
The modules in a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention may be aligned and registered in a first and second direction by using one or more alignment pins that may pass through a registration piece in each module. For example, a connector assembly may include one, two, three, or more than three such alignment pins.
The registration pieces may include features that may contact corresponding features on other registration pieces in order to register the modules in the remaining third direction. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, each registration piece may have a standoff on each of two sides, such that standoffs on adjacent registration pieces in adjacent modules may contact each other, thereby fixing their positions in the third direction relative to each other. In another specific embodiment of the present invention, the alignment pins may be located in passages in each registration piece. The passages may form openings in a top and bottom of the registration pieces. The passages may have raised lips around their openings. The lips of one registration piece may contact the lips around a passage on a registration piece in another module, thereby fixing the relative position of the two modules in the third direction. Additional registration features, such as alignment bumps on shield portions, may also be included.
Another embodiment of the present invention may secure these modules to each other. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a connector assembly may include two or more modules. These modules may be arranged as two outside modules, and zero, one, two, or more than two inside modules may be placed between the two outside modules. The modules may be individually or collectively shielded, such that outside edges of the connector assembly are shielded. A shield portion may be attached to the outside shielded edges to secure the various modules relative to each other. This shield portion may be in the form of a strap or other appropriate structure.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention may align a connector assembly to a device enclosure. An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector assembly having an alignment post. The alignment post may have a first end inserted in a registration piece of one of the plurality of modules forming the connector assembly. The alignment post may be secured in place with a shield portion that also secures the modules in place relative to each other. The alignment post may have a second end inserted in an opening in the device enclosure.
Another illustrative embodiment of the present invention may align the connector receptacles to openings in a curved surface of a device enclosure by providing two or more connector receptacles having openings or faces that are at an oblique angle to each other. These oblique angles may be formed in one or more planes.
An illustrative embodiment of the present invention may provide a connector assembly having a number of modules each having a number of connector receptacles. Connector receptacles within a module may be accurately positioned relative to each other by mounting them on a common main insert mold. Connector receptacles among modules may be accurately positioned relative to each other in a first and second direction by using alignment pins that may be inserted through the modules, and in a third direction by registration features, such as lips or standoffs on front and back sides of the main insert mold in each module. In these examples, the third direction may be along the length of an alignment pin and the first and second directions may be orthogonal to the third direction and in a plane between modules. Through-hole contacting portions for pins in these connectors may be accurately positioned relative to each other by forming insert molds around the pins and using alignment features, such as posts, to position the molds and their pins relative to each other within a module. Pins among modules may be positioned relative to each other by the use of alignment pins and registration features, such as lips or standoffs.
While various embodiments of the present invention are particularly well-suited to use in providing a plurality of Thunderbolt connector receptacles, other embodiments of the present invention may provide a plurality of Thunderbolt, MagSafe, DisplayPort, one or more of the various Universal Serial Bus interfaces and standards, including USB, USB2, and USB3, as well as High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Ethernet, and other types of interfaces and standards, or other connector receptacles, or combinations thereof.
While various embodiments of the present invention are particularly well-suited to use in providing a plurality of connector receptacles for a computer, other embodiments of the present invention may provide a plurality of connector receptacles for other devices, such as portable media players, tablet, netbook, and laptop computers, and cell, media, and smart phones, navigation systems, monitors, and others, may be improved by the inclusion of embodiments of the present invention.
Various portions of connector assemblies provided by embodiments of the present invention may be made using various techniques. For example, insert molds and other portions of connector assemblies consistent with embodiments of the present invention may be formed by insert molding, stamping, lathing, metal insert molding, 3-D printing, by using computer numerical control (CNC) machines, or by other techniques.
Portions of these connector assemblies may be formed of various materials. For example, pins, shields, alignments posts, alignments pins, and other portions of connector assemblies consistent with embodiments of the present invention may be formed of stainless steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, nickel, or other appropriate material, and they may be plated with copper, nickel, palladium, gold, or other appropriate material. Other portions of these connector assemblies may be formed of plastic, polymers, rubber, or other conductive or non-conductive material.
Various embodiments of the present invention may incorporate one or more of these and the other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be gained by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Again, it may be desirable for computer 110 to communicate with several devices. These devices may be able to communicate with computer 110 using the same interface standard. Accordingly, several connector receptacles of the same type may be provided as a unit or group of connector receptacle 112, which may be referred to as a connector assembly. Connector assembly 112 may include a number of connector receptacles, each having a number of contacts or pins, which may terminate in through-hole portions that are soldered to traces connected to openings in a printed circuit board.
Unfortunately, when several connector receptacles are provided as a unit, it may be very difficult to align through-hole portions for all the necessary pins of the receptacles to openings in a printed circuit board. It may also be difficult to align the connector receptacle openings to corresponding openings in a device enclosure of computer 110. This is particularly true if a surface of the enclosure for computer 110 is curved at these openings.
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide connector assemblies where a number of connector receptacles are accurately aligned and registered to each other. Moreover, through-hole contacting portions for pins or contacts in a number of connector receptacles may also be accurately aligned and registered to each other. An example of one such connector assembly is shown in the following figure.
A shield 240 may surround each module 210. Shield portion 250 may attach to a top of modules 210 and a bottom of module 212 to secure modules 210, 211, and 212 together. Alignment post 260 may be inserted into a corresponding opening in a device enclosure to align connector assembly 112 to openings in the device enclosure.
In this example, shield 240 may be formed around each module in a way that creates seam 271. In other embodiments of the present invention, seam 271 may be hidden from view. For example, it may be located on a surface of shield 240 that is located between adjacent modules. Tabs 272 may be used to secure shield 240 relative to an internal housing. In other embodiments of the present invention, tabs 272 may be omitted for cosmetic reasons.
Similarly, registration bumps 273 may be included to help determine the spacing among modules 210, 211, and 212. For example, registration bumps 273 may be located on a bottom of modules 210, 211, and 212. A registration bump 273 may encounter a flat surface of a shield 240. Registration bumps 273 may be included on each module such that each module may be formed in an identical manner. In other embodiments of the present invention, registration bumps 273 may be omitted from a bottom module 212 for cosmetic reasons. In this way, each registration bump 273 is located and in contact with a surface between two of the modules 210, 211, and 212.
Again, embodiments of the present invention are well-suited for use in devices where a device enclosure housing includes a curved surface. Accordingly, connector receptacle 220 and connector receptacle 221 may have faces that are at an oblique angle to each other in at least one plane. In other embodiments of the present invention, connector receptacle 220 and 221 may have faces that are parallel to each other, or their faces may be oblique or orthogonal to each other in one or more different planes.
Registration piece 510 may further include passages 620, which may be used for alignment pins, as shown below. Registration piece 510 may include one or more other registration or alignment features. In this example, passage 620 may include a lip 622. Lip 622 may extend above shield 240. Lip 622 on adjoining modules may be in contact with each other, thereby accurately registering the position of the modules to each other.
As can be seen, each connector receptacle may have a large number of corresponding through-hole contacting portions and ground tabs forming array 610. This large number of through-hole contacting portions and ground tabs may be difficult to align to corresponding openings and holes in a printed circuit board. By accurately registering connector receptacles in a connector assembly, connector assemblies according to an embodiment of the present invention may provide through-hole arrays 610 that may be reliably inserted into holes or openings on a printed circuit board.
During assembly, when the modules of connector assembly 112 are joined together, they may initially be overstressed in a direction that compresses the modules together. This force may then be relaxed, and strap 250 may be attached to align and fix the positions of the modules together. By relaxing the force on the modules, connector assembly 112 may have a reduced change due to settling of the completed assembly after manufacturing.
Again, each module may include one or more registration features for accurately registering the modules to each other. In the above examples, lips 622 provided this feature. In another embodiment of the present invention, a standoff or other feature may be used. This feature may be located near a base of the registration piece to more accurately position through-hole contacting portions for insertion into holes in a printed circuit board. An example is show in the following figure.
Again, in various embodiments of the present invention, one or more registration features may be used to align modules to each other. In this example, registration piece 916 may include standoff 918. Standoff 918 may come in contact with a corresponding standoff on a back of registration piece 916 in another module. In this way, the registration between modules of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention may be dictated by the size of main insert mold 910. This size may be well-controlled, thereby providing connector assemblies having accurate alignment and spacing.
Ground planes 920 may be attached to right and left sides of a back of main insert mold 910. Specifically, openings 923 in ground planes 920 may fit over posts 913 on main insert mold 910, while opening 921 may align with feature 911. Side tabs 924 may be side ground contacts on a tongue in a connector receptacle.
Second insert mold 930 and third insert mold 932 may be formed around pins 934 and 936. Insert molds 930 and 932 may include openings for receiving posts 913 and features 911. As before, insert mold portions 930 and 932 may include one or more openings where pins 934 and 936 may be held during formation of the molds.
Shield 940 may be fitted around a portion of registration piece 916. Specifically, tabs 942 may be inserted through slots 917 of registration piece 916 in main insert mold 910. Shield portion 950 may be placed over a front of registration piece 916. Shield 950 may include openings 952 for standoff portion 918 and opening 954 for passage 620. Tab 956 may be located in openings 957 in order to align shield portion 950 to registration piece 916.
As outlined above, embodiments of the present invention may provide a connector assembly having a number of modules 210 each having a number of connector receptacles 220 and 221. Connector receptacles 220 and 221 within a module 210 may be accurately positioned relative to each other by mounting them on a common main insert mold 910. Connector receptacles 220 and 221 among modules 210, 211, and 212, may be accurately positioned relative to each other in a first and second direction (in a plane of a backside of module 210) by using alignment pins 710 that may be inserted through the modules 210, 211, and 212, and in a third direction (along a length of alignment pins 710) by registration features such as lips 622 or standoffs 918 on front and back sides of the main insert mold 910 in each module 210, 211, and 212. Through-hole contacting portions for pins in these connectors may be accurately positioned relative to each other by forming insert molds 910, 930, and 932 around the pins and using alignment features, such as posts 913 and alignment feature 911, to position molds 910, 930, and 932, and their pins relative to each other in a module 210. Through-hole portions of pins, and tabs for shields, among modules may be positioned relative to each other by the use of alignment pins 710 and registration features, such as lips 622 or standoffs 918.
Embodiments of the present invention may support various high-speed signaling interfaces. One such device may be the Thunderbolt interface. Thunderbolt interfaces may include a number of differential pairs of signals having ground or power supply lines on each side. Surrounding these high-speed differential pairs with grounds or power supplies helps shield the signals on the differential pairs from each other.
This isolation may be both in lateral and depth dimensions.
The above description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6600865 | Hwang | Jul 2003 | B2 |
| 7621780 | Magnusson | Nov 2009 | B2 |
| 7695314 | Okuyama et al. | Apr 2010 | B2 |
| 7963799 | Lee et al. | Jun 2011 | B1 |
| 8353722 | Lan et al. | Jan 2013 | B1 |
| 20100267282 | Tsai | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 337 010 | Aug 2003 | EP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority mailed on Nov. 4, 2014 for PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2014/040301, 17 pages. |
| Invitation to Pay Additional Fees and, Where Applicable, Protest Fee mailed on Aug. 1, 2014 for PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2014/040301, 7 pages. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140364008 A1 | Dec 2014 | US |
