Patent Application
20240145959
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Patent Application No. 202211334897.2 filed in China on Oct. 28, 2022, and Patent Application No. 202222859336.6 filed in China on Oct. 28, 2022, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
The technology disclosed herein relates generally to electrical interconnection systems and more specifically to card-edge-type electrical connectors and terminals therefor useable in high-power applications.
Electrical connectors are used in many electrical systems. Electronic devices have been provided with assorted types of connectors whose primary purpose is to enable data, commands, power and/or other signals to pass between electronic assemblies. A connector that carries power is sometimes called a power connector. It is generally easier and more cost effective to manufacture an electrical system as separate electronic assemblies that may be joined with electrical connectors. For example, one type of electronic assembly is a printed circuit board (“PCB”), which may be a card supporting at least one electrical component (e.g., wiring and/or one or more contact pads and/or electrical circuits, etc.). The terms “card” and “PCB” may be used interchangeably herein. The terms “edge connector” and “card-edge connector” may be used interchangeably herein.
In some scenarios, a two-piece connector is used to join two electronic assemblies. One connector may be mounted to each of the assemblies. The connectors may be mated, forming connections between the two assemblies.
In some other scenarios, a PCB may be joined directly to an electronic assembly via a one-piece electrical connector, which may be configured as a card-edge connector. The PCB may have conductive power pads along an edge that is designed to be inserted into the electrical connector, which may be attached to the electronic assembly. Conductive contacts within the electrical connector may contact the power pads of the PCB, thus electrically connecting the PCB to the electronic assembly. Card-edge-type connectors may mate with components other than a PCB, such as bar-type components that similarly have conductive outer surfaces (e.g., a bus bar and the like). The electrical connector may enable electrical power (e.g., electrical current and/or voltage) to be transferred to and from the PCB (or bus bar or similar component) and the electronic assembly.
Structures of electrical connectors and connector terminals able to carry electrical power are of great importance to electrical systems that may require high-power operation and/or a small size. Miniaturization may present manufacturing challenges, as smaller sizes may be more difficult to handle due an increased difficulty in grasping and properly orienting a miniature component, which may have dimensions on the order of 1 cm or smaller, and may even have dimensions on the order of 1 mm or smaller. Therefore, a reduction in the number of components in an electrical connector and/or or a reduction in the number of manufacturing steps to produce an electrical connector may be advantageous.
According to an aspect of the present technology, a terminal for use in an electrical connector is provided. The terminal may comprise: an electrically conductive first finger plate comprising a first joining plate and a plurality of first fingers extending from the first joining plate, the first fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the first joining plate; and an electrically conductive second finger plate comprising a second joining plate and a plurality of second fingers extending from the second joining plate, the second fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the second joining plate. The first ends of the first fingers may be spaced apart from the first ends of the second fingers. A total number of the second fingers of the second finger plate may be different from a total number of the first fingers of the first finger late. A plurality of first engagement portions disposed on a first side of the first joining plate may be engaged with a plurality second engagement portions disposed on a second side of the second joining plate such that the first and second joining plates are mated together in a fixed position relative to each other. A plurality of protrusions may extend from a first side of the second joining plate, with the first side of the second joining plate being opposite to the second side of the second joining plate.
In some embodiments of this aspect, for at least some of the first fingers, the first end may be separated from the second end by an elongated first beam comprising a thin skiving section having a thickness less than a thickness of a remainder of the first beam. In some embodiments, the thin skiving section of the first beam may be formed of a recess facing in a same direction as the second side of the first joining plate. In some embodiments, the thin skiving section of the first beam may be located in a section proximate the first joining plate, and the thickness of the thin skiving section of the first beam may be between 25% and 35% less than the thickness of the remainder of the first beam. In some embodiments, for at least some of the second fingers, the first end may be separated from the second end by an elongated second beam comprising a thin skiving section having a thickness less than a thickness of a remainder of the second beam. In some embodiments, the thin skiving section of the second beam may be formed of a recess facing towards the first finger plate. In some embodiments, the thin skiving section of the second beam may be located in a section proximate the second joining plate, and the thickness of the thin skiving section of the second beam may be between 25% and 35% less than the thickness of the remainder of the second beam.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first engagement portions may comprise recesses in the first joining plate, and the second engagement portions may comprise protrusions extending from the second joining plate and seated in the recesses in the first joining plate.
In some embodiments of this aspect, a length of the first finger plate may be greater than a length of the second finger plate.
In some embodiments of this aspect, for at least some of the first fingers, the first end may comprise a hook and a tip at a distal end of the hook. For at least some of the second fingers, the first end may comprise a tip. Portions of the tips of the first fingers may face towards the tips of the second fingers.
In some embodiments of this aspect, a thickness of the first fingers may be between 25% and 30% greater than a thickness of the second fingers.
In some embodiments of this aspect, for at least some of the first fingers, the first end of the first finger may have a first contact surface configured to contact a first side of a connector card. For at least some of the second fingers, the first end of the second finger may have a second contact surface configured to contact the first side of the connector card. The first contact surface may be different from the second contact surface. In some embodiments, for at least some of the first fingers, an elongate straight first beam may connect the first and second ends of the first finger, and a surface of the first beam may be coplanar with a surface of the first joining plate. In some embodiments, for at least some of the second fingers, an elongate second beam connects the first and second ends of the second finger, and the second beam and the second joining plate are not parallel to each other.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first and second finger plates may be configured to be held together in a insulative housing of the connector without an adhesive and without being fused together by a joining technique. In some embodiments, the protrusions extending from the first side of the second joining plate may be configured to abut against at least one surface of the housing. In some embodiments, the first joining plate may comprise shoulder portions configured to limit an insertion distance of the first and second joining plates in the housing. In some embodiments, the second joining plate may comprise shoulder portions configured to limit an insertion distance of the first and second joining plates in the housing.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the electrical connector may further comprise an insulative housing comprising a terminal compartment in which the first and second finger plates are disposed. The compartment may comprise a slot sized to fit the first and second joining plates therein such that slot endwalls limit an insertion distance of the first and second finger plates into the housing, and such that slot ledges abut the protrusions extending from the first side of the second joining plate. In some embodiments, the housing may comprise a slot wall parallel to the slot ledges, and the slot ledges and the slot wall may exert a compressive force on the first and second joining plates disposed in the slot.
According to another aspect of the present technology, an electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector may comprise: an insulative housing; and a plurality of electrically conductive first terminals disposed in the housing. Each of the first terminals may comprise: an electrically conductive first finger plate comprising a first joining plate and a plurality of first fingers extending from the first joining plate, the first fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the first joining plate; and an electrically conductive second finger plate comprising a second joining plate and a plurality of second fingers extending from the second joining plate, the second fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the second joining plate. For each of the first terminals, the first ends of the first fingers may be spaced apart from the first ends of the second fingers, a total number of the second fingers of the second finger plate may be different from a total number of the first fingers of the first finger late, a plurality of first engagement portions disposed on a first side of the first joining plate may be engaged with a plurality second engagement portions disposed on a second side of the second joining plate such that the first and second joining plates are mated together in a fixed position relative to each other, and a plurality of protrusions may extend from a first side of the second joining plate, the first side of the second joining plate being opposite to the second side of the second joining plate. The housing may comprise a plurality of first compartments in which the first terminals are disposed. Each of the first compartments may comprise a first slot sized to fit the first and second joining plates of a corresponding one of the first terminals therein such that: first slot endwalls of the first slot may limit an insertion distance of the first and second finger plates of the first terminal into the first compartment, and first slot ledges of the first slot may abut the protrusions extending from the first side of the second joining plate of the first terminal.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first and second finger plates of the first terminal may be configured to be held together in the first slot of the first compartment without an adhesive and without being fused together by a joining technique.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the protrusions extending from the first side of the second joining plate of the first terminal may be configured to abut against at least one surface of the housing.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first joining plate of the first terminal may comprise shoulder portions configured to limit an insertion distance of the first and second joining plates of the first terminal in the housing.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the second joining plate of the first terminal may comprise shoulder portions configured to limit an insertion distance of the first and second joining plates of the first terminal in the housing.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the first slot may comprise a first slot wall parallel to the first slot ledges, and the first slot ledges and the first slot wall may exert a compressive force on the first and second joining plates of the first terminal disposed in the first compartment.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the connector may further comprise a plurality of electrically conductive second terminals disposed in the housing, The second terminals may have a same structure as the first terminals. The housing may comprise a plurality of second compartments in which the second terminals are disposed. Each of the second compartments may comprise a second slot sized to fit first and second joining plates of a corresponding one of the second terminals therein such that: second slot endwalls of the second slot may limit an insertion distance of first and second finger plates of the second terminal into the second compartment, and second slot ledges may abut the protrusions extending from the first side of the second joining plate of the second terminal. In some embodiments, for each of the first terminals: the first ends of the first fingers may have first contact surfaces configured to contact a first side of a card when the card is inserted in the housing, and the first ends of the second fingers may have second contact surfaces configured to contact the first side of the card when the card is inserted in the housing, the first contact surfaces being different from the second contact surfaces. The first and second contact surfaces of the first terminals may form a first side of a card-insertion opening in the housing. In some embodiments, for each of the second terminals, first and second contact surfaces may be configured to contact second side of the card when the card is inserted in the housing, and the first and second contact surfaces of the second terminals may form a second side of the card-insertion opening in the housing. In some embodiments, when a card is not inserted in the card-insertion opening, the first and second contact surfaces of the first terminals may face the first and second contact surfaces of the second terminals. In some embodiment, the first compartments may be arranged in a first row of the housing, the first terminals may be disposed in the first compartments in a first terminal row, the second compartments may be arranged in a second row of the housing, the second terminals may be disposed in the second compartments in a second terminal row, a card-insertion slot may be formed between the first and second terminal rows, and the second finger plates of the first and second terminals may be closer to the card-insertion slot than the first finger plates of the first and second terminals. In some embodiments, the first terminal row may be a mirror image of the second terminal row. In some embodiments, the first and second fingers of the first terminals of the first terminal row may be configured to contact a first side of a card when the card is inserted in the card-insertion opening, and first and second fingers of the second terminals of the second terminal row may be configured to contact a second side of the card when the card is inserted in the card-insertion opening.
According to another aspect of the present technology, a method of manufacturing an electrical connector is provided. The method may comprise: (a) inserting a first end of an electrically conductive first terminal into a first compartment of an insulative housing, the first end of the first terminal comprising a plurality of first fingers and a plurality of second fingers; (b) after the inserting of the first end of the first terminal, inserting first and second joining plates of the first terminal into a first slot of the first compartment; and (c) seating the first and second joining plates of the first terminal in the first slot such that portions of lateral edges of the first and second joining plates of the first terminal abut first slot endwalls and such that opposite surfaces of the first slot prevent the first and second joining plates of the first terminal from separating from each other.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the seating of the first and second joining plates may comprise sliding the first and second joining plates into the first slot such that first slot ledges of the first slot may abut a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface of the joining plates of the first terminal. In some embodiments, after the seating of the first and second joining plates, the first slot ledges and a first slot wall of the housing may exert a compressive force on the first and second joining plates, the first slot wall being parallel to the first slot ledges. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise joining a first finger plate to a second finger plate to form the first terminal. The first finger plate may comprise the first joining plate, and the first fingers may extend from the first joining plate. The second finger plate may comprise the second joining plate, and the second fingers may extend from the second joining plate. In some embodiments, the joining of the first and second finger plates may comprise engaging a plurality of first engagement portions disposed on a first side of the first joining plate with a plurality second engagement portions disposed on a first side of the second joining plate such that the first and second joining plates are in a fixed position relative to each other. The protrusions may be located on a second side of the second joining plate and may abut the first slot ledges of the first slot.
In some embodiments of this aspect, the method may further comprise: (d) inserting a first end of an electrically conductive second terminal into a second compartment of the housing, the first end of the second terminal comprising a plurality of first fingers and a plurality of second fingers; (e) after the inserting of the first end of the second terminal, inserting first and second joining plates of the second terminal into a second slot of the second compartment; and (f) seating the first and second joining plates of the second terminal in the second slot such that portions of lateral edges of the first and second joining plates of the second terminal abut second slot endwalls and such that opposite surfaces of the second slot prevent the first and second joining plates of the second terminal from separating from each other. In some embodiments, the method may further comprise: performing (a), (b), and (c) a plurality of times for a plurality of electrically conductive first terminals to produce a first row of terminals disposed in a first row of compartments; and performing (d), (e), and (f) a plurality of times for a plurality of electrically conductive second terminals to produce a second row of terminals disposed in a second row of compartments. The first row of terminals may be parallel to second row of terminals such that a card-insertion opening may be formed between contact surfaces of the first row of terminals and contact surfaces of the second terminal row of terminals.
Features described herein may be used, separately or together in any combination, in any of the embodiments discussed herein. For example, a feature described for an embodiment may be incorporated in another embodiment even though the feature may not be explicitly described for the other embodiment.
Various aspects and embodiments of the present technology disclosed herein are described below with reference to the accompanying figures. It should be appreciated that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Items appearing in multiple figures may be indicated by the same reference numeral. For the purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure.
The inventors have recognized and appreciated designs for interconnection of electronic assemblies to enable compact, less expensive, and more easily assembled electronic systems. Such systems require power to be delivered to or from assemblies in relatively small spaces. These designs include adaptations to card-edge connectors that support large power flow through small spaces without undesired effects (e.g., without a large increase in heat generation) and that are relatively simple to manufacture compared with some conventional edge connectors. In some embodiments of the present technology, electrically conductive terminals may be configured to be assembled with fewer components and fewer manufacturing steps than conventional terminals used in conventional edge connectors. In some embodiments, the terminals may have a flexible configuration that may allow for manufacturing modifications to be easily adopted, as discussed below. In some embodiments, an edge connector may incorporate the terminals without requiring gluing or welding or fusing or other bonding techniques to be used to keep the terminals in place in the edge connector. In some embodiments, an edge connector may comprise at least one pair of conductive terminals configured to contact both sides of a PCB (or like structure, such as a bus bar) simultaneously. In some embodiments, the terminals of the pair may be structured to be mounted in an insulative housing of the edge connector by insertion of the terminal into corresponding compartments of the housing. Each of the terminals may be retained in its corresponding compartment by a friction fit of protrusions on the terminal against one or more surfaces of the compartment. In some embodiments, the friction fit may be sufficient to retain the terminal in the compartment without requiring further bonding, although additional bonding may be employed as an option, and without requiring a retaining device to prevent the terminal from dislodging from the compartment, although a retaining object may be employed as an option. That is, without the need for gluing, or brazing, or spot welding or another type of welding, or soldering, or another joining technique to be performed, the pair of terminals may remain in place in their corresponding compartments of the housing by friction alone. Similarly, the pair of terminals may remain in place in their corresponding compartments without the use of molded plastic, or clips, or pins, or retainers of other types. Joining techniques and/or retaining objects may be used optionally.
Although the techniques of the present technology disclosed herein may refer to the transfer of power between the PCB 2 and the connector 1, it should be understood that the disclosed techniques are not limited to conduction of power but may, in some embodiments, be used for signal communication. For example, the contact pads 2a of the PCB 2 may comprise signal pads configured to transfer electrical signals to and/or from the terminals 10 of the connector 1.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, a user may readily know an orientation of the connector 1 by noticing an asymmetry in the connector 1. In some embodiments, when seen from a top view (e.g.,
Prior to discussing how the terminals 10 may be arranged in the terminal openings 304 (304a, 304b) of the housing 300 of the connector 1, an understanding of how the terminals 10 (10a, 10b) may be structured may be beneficial.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, a plurality of first fingers 104 may extend from the first joining plate 102 of the first finger plate 100. The first fingers 104 may comprise first ends 104a that are spaced apart from each other and may comprise second ends 104b that are connected to the first joining plate 102. Similarly, a plurality of second fingers 204 may extend from the second joining plate 202 of the second finger plate 200. The second fingers 204 may comprise first ends 204a that are spaced apart from each other, and may comprise second ends 204b that are connected to the second joining plate 202. In some embodiments, for at least some of the first and second fingers 104, 204, tips 104t of the first ends 104a of the first fingers 104 may be spaced apart from tips 204t of the first ends 204a of the second fingers 204, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, for at least some of the terminals 10, a total number of the first fingers 104 of the first finger plate 100 may be different from a total number of second fingers 204 of the second finger plate 200. In some embodiments, the total number of the second fingers 204 may be greater than the total number of the first fingers 104. In some embodiments, the first fingers 104 may extend parallel to or be coplanar with the first joining plate 102 except at the first end 104a, which may be shaped as a hook, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first joining plate 102 may comprise a plurality of first engagement portions 106 provided on a first side 102a of the first joining plate 102, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, each of the first fingers 104 of the first finger plate 100 may comprise an elongated first beam 110 separating the first end 104a from the second end 104b. In some embodiments, some of or all of the first beams 110 may comprise a recess forming a thin skiving section 110a of the first beam 110. The thin skiving section 110a may having a thickness less than a thickness of a remainder of the first beam 110, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, each of the second fingers 204 of the second finger plate 200 may comprise an elongated second beam 210 separating the first end 204a from the second end 204b. In some embodiments, some of or all of the second beams 210 may comprise a recess forming a thin skiving section 210a of the second beam 210. The thin skiving section 210a may having a thickness less than a thickness of a remainder of the second beam 210, as depicted in
When the first and second finger plates 100, 200 are joined together, the recess forming the thin skiving section 210a of the second beam 210 of the second finger plate 200 may face in a same direction as the recess forming the thin skiving section 110a of the first beam 110 of the first finger plate 100, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, an overall length L1 of the first finger plate 100 may be greater than an overall length L2 of the second finger plate 200. In some embodiments, the tip 104t at a distal end of the hook at the first end 104a of the first finger 104 may face the tip 204t at the first end 204a of the second finger 204, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, one or more of the terminals 10 may be incorporated in the connector 1 via a friction fit, without the need to use glue or cement or another adhesive to keep the first and second joining plates 102, 202 together and without the need to perform welding or bonding or another joining technique to keep the first and second joining plates 102, 202 together. As noted above, the first and second joining plates 102, 202 may be joined together via mating of the first engagement portion 106 with the second engagement portion 206, to form the terminal 10. The first and second joining plates 102, 202 of the terminal 10 may be held together by surfaces of the housing 300.
As noted above, the housing 300 may comprise the left wall 300L, the right wall 300R, the front wall 300F, and the rear wall 300B, which may serve as boundary walls of a cavity of the connector 1, according to some embodiments of the present technology. A PCB may be inserted into the cavity of the connector 1 via the card-insertion opening 302 located at a top side of the housing 300 (see
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the connector 1 may be manufactured by inserting the terminals 10 into the compartments 304 of the housing 300 through a bottom side of the housing 300, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, one or more of the compartments 304a of the first row S1 may each comprise a slot 306a configured to support and hold together the first and second joining plates 102, 202 of a terminal 10a. In some embodiments, the slot 306a may comprise a pair of slot endwalls 308a located on opposite sides of the slot 306a and configured to limit an insertion distance of the terminal 10a into the slot 306a. For example, one of the slot endwalls 308a may be located on a left side of the slot 306a, and the other of the slot endwalls 308a may be located on a right side of the slot 306a. The slot endwalls 308a may be configured to engage with shoulders 25 on one of or both of the first and second joining plates 102, 202 of the terminal 10a, to prevent the terminal 10a from being inserted beyond the position set by the slot endwalls 308a. In some embodiments, the slot 306a may comprise a first slot wall 312a configured to face the first finger plate 100 of the terminal 10a, and may comprise a pair of slot ledges 310a configured to face the second finger plate 200 of the terminal 10a, when the terminal 10a is positioned in the slot 306a. In some embodiments, one of the slot ledges 310a may be contiguous with the slot endwall 308a on the left side of the slot 306a, and the other of the slot ledges 310a may be contiguous with the slot endwall 308a on the right side of the slot 306a. In some embodiments, recesses in the lateral portions 320a of the separation wall 320 may form the slot endwalls 308a and the slot ledges 310a. In some embodiments, the first slot wall 312a and the slot ledges 310a may exert a compressive force on the first and second joining plates 102, 202 such that the first and second joining plates 102, 202 may be held together and pushed against each other without the need for welding or fusing or another joining technique to be performed and without the need for glue or tape or another adhesive to be applied. In some embodiments, the protrusions 208 on the second joining plate 202 may press against and form a friction fit with the ledges 310a. In some embodiments, when the terminal 10a is positioned in the slot 306a, a portion of the second joining plate 202 may be exposed in the compartment 304a, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, one or more of the compartments 304b of the first row S2 may each comprise a slot 306b configured to support and hold together the first and second joining plates 102, 202 of a terminal 10b. In some embodiments, the slot 306b may be a mirror image of the slot 306a. In some embodiments, the slot 306b may comprise a pair of slot endwalls 308b located on opposite sides of the slot 306b and configured to limit an insertion distance of the terminal 10b into the slot 306b. For example, one of the slot endwalls 308b may be located on a left side of the slot 306b, and the other of the slot endwalls 308b may be located on a right side of the slot 306b. The slot endwalls 308b may be configured to engage with shoulders 25 on one of or both of the first and second joining plates 102, 202 of the terminal 10b, to prevent the terminal 10b from being inserted beyond the position set by the slot endwalls 308b. In some embodiments, the slot 306b may comprise a second slot wall 312b configured to face the first finger plate 100 of the terminal 10b, and may comprise a pair of slot ledges 310b configured to face the second finger plate 200 of the terminal 10b, when the terminal 10b is positioned in the slot 306b. In some embodiments, one of the slot ledges 310b may be contiguous with the slot endwall 308b on the left side of the slot 306b, and the other of the slot ledges 310b may be contiguous with the slot endwall 308b on the right side of the slot 306b. In some embodiments, recesses in the lateral portions 320a of the separation wall 320 may form the slot endwalls 308b and the slot ledges 310b. In some embodiments, the second slot wall 312b and the slot ledges 310b may exert a compressive force on the first and second joining plates 102, 202 such that the first and second joining plates 102, 202 may be held together and pushed against each other without the need for welding or fusing or another joining technique to be performed and without the need for glue or tape or another adhesive to be applied. In some embodiments, the protrusions 208 on the second joining plate 202 may press against and form a friction fit with the ledges 310b. In some embodiments, when the terminal 10b is positioned in the slot 306b, a portion of the second joining plate 202 may be exposed in the compartment 304b, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the terminal 10 comprises two parts, i.e., the first finger plate 100 and the second finger plate 200, but advantageously may be assembled into a unit and incorporated into the housing 300 without the need for adhesives to hold the two parts together and without the need for joining techniques to be performed to hold the two parts together. As noted above, the first finger plate 100 may comprise the first engagement portions 106 structured to mate with the second engagement portions 206 of the second finger plate 200. For example, the second engagement portions 206 may be protrusions 206 and the first engagement portions 106 may be recesses 106 sized and shaped to fit the protrusions 206 therein snugly, to fix a position of the first finger plate 100 relative to the second finger plate 100. The connector 1 may be manufactured by inserting one or more of the terminals 10, each formed of the first and second finger plates 100, 200 mated together, into one or more of the compartments 304, respectively.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, a first terminal 10a may be incorporated in a compartment 304a of the housing 300 by holding the first and second joining plates 102, 202 together while inserting the fingers 104, 204 of the terminal 10a into the compartment 304a, with the terminal 10a being oriented such that the first finger plate 100 faces the first slot wall 312a, and then sliding the first and second joining plates 102, 202 into a slot 306a of the compartment 304a until shoulders 25 on opposite sides of the terminal 10a contact slot endwalls 308a on opposite sides of the slot 306a. During the sliding, slot ledges 310a on opposite sides of the slot 306a may engage with and support edge portions on opposite sides of the second joining plate 202. Protrusions 208 on the second joining plate 202 may contact and slide along the slot ledges 310a during the sliding. In a fully inserted position, the shoulders 25 of the terminal 10a may abut the slot endwalls 308a, the protrusions 208 of the terminal 10a may abut the slot ledges 310a, and one or more portions of the first joining plate 102 may abut the first slot wall 312a. In the fully inserted position, the contact surfaces 11a, 21a of the terminal 10a may be positioned to form part of a first side of the card-insertion opening 302 of the connector 1. A plurality of terminals 10a may be incorporated in a plurality of compartments 304a of the housing 300 in a similar manner to form the first row R1 of terminals 10a, with the contact surfaces 11a, 21a of the terminals 10a being positioned to form the first side of the card-insertion opening 302 of the connector 1.
The above technique for incorporating the first terminal 10a in the housing 300 may be used to incorporate a second terminal 10b in the housing 300. More specifically, the terminal 10b may be incorporated in a compartment 304b of the housing 300 by holding the first and second joining plates 102, 202 together while inserting the fingers 104, 204 of the terminal 10b into the compartment 304b, with the terminal 10b being oriented such that the first finger plate 100 faces the second slot wall 312b, and then sliding the first and second joining plates 102, 202 into a slot 306b of the compartment 304b until shoulders 25 on opposite sides of the terminal 10b contact slot endwalls 308b on opposite sides of the slot 306b. During the sliding, slot ledges 310b on opposite sides of the slot 306b may engage with and support edge portions on opposite sides of the second joining plate 202. Protrusions 208 on the second joining plate 202 may contact and slide along the slot ledges 310b during the sliding. In a fully inserted position, the shoulders 25 of the terminal 10b may abut the slot endwalls 308b, the protrusions 208 of the terminal 10b may abut the slot ledges 310b, and one or more portions of the first joining plate 102 may abut the second slot wall 312b. In the fully inserted position, the contact surfaces 11b, 21b of the terminal 10b may be positioned to form part of a second side of the card-insertion opening 302 of the connector 1. A plurality of terminals 10b may be incorporated in a plurality of compartments 304b of the housing 300 in a similar manner to form the second row R2 of terminals 10b, with the contact surfaces 11b, 21b of the terminals 10b being positioned to form the second side of the card-insertion opening 302 of the connector 1, opposite to the first side formed of the contact surfaces 11a, 21a of the terminals 10a.
The terminals 10 (10a, 10b) may have tail portions for connection of the terminal to a printed circuit board, a cable, or another type of substrate. The tail portions, for example, may be shaped as posts extending from a surface 102c or a surface 202c, or from both of the surfaces 102c, 202c. For example, the posts may be straight and may be configured to be press-fit or to extend through through-holes, or may have an angled (e.g., right-angle) foot and may be configured to be press-fit or to extend through through-holes. Such tail portions are not expressly shown for simplicity of illustration. The tail portions alternatively or additionally may have other shapes to facilitate other mounting techniques to a PCB or for mounting to other types of substrates. For example, flat or blunt bottom surfaces 102c, 202c of the first and second joining plates 102, 202, may serve as tail portions. In such a configuration, the connector 1 may be mounted on a support board (not shown) comprised of a plurality of conductors arranged to electrically contact the bottom surfaces 102c, 202c of the terminals 10. For example, the conductors of the support board may be configured to be soldered to the bottom surfaces 102c, 202c. As will be appreciated, other configurations for the tail portions are possible (e.g., straddle-mount configurations) and may be used with the present technology. In some embodiments, the compartments 304 (304a, 304b) of the connector 1 may comprise spaces 304c not occupied by the first and joining plates 102, 202. The spaces 304c may be configured to receive conductors (not shown) sized to fit into the spaces 304c and electrically contact the second joining plates 202.
As will be appreciated, the tail portions of the terminals 10 need not be configured as blunt ends of the first and second joining plates 102, 202 but may have another configuration. For example, the tail portions of the terminals 10 may comprise at least one tail extension extending from the first joining plate 102 and/or the second joining plate 202 and configured to extend into a hole of a support board (not shown) or configured to be attached to conductors on a surface of a support board (not shown). In some implementations of this example, the tail portions may have a shape and/or a curvature suitable for mounting in holes or on conductor surfaces.
The foregoing features may be used, separately or together in any combination, in any of the embodiments discussed herein.
Further, although advantages of the present invention are indicated, it should be appreciated that not every embodiment of the invention will include every described advantage. Some embodiments may not implement any features described as advantageous herein. Accordingly, the foregoing description and attached drawings are by way of example only.
Variations on the disclosed embodiments are possible and are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, although the terminals 10 are shown in the drawings to have blunt tail portions, the terminals 10 may be provided with other types of tail portions without departing from the scope of the disclosed technology, including posts or pressfits. In another example, although mechanical friction alone may be sufficient to retain a terminal 10 in a compartment 304, the terminal 10 may be retained in the compartment 304 by friction in conjunction with one or more joining techniques, such as, e.g., a spot weld, a solder joint, and the like, without departing from the scope of the disclosed technology.
Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the description and the claims to modify an element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one element or act having a certain name from another element or act having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the elements or acts.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “equal” or “the same” in reference to two values (e.g., distances, widths, etc.) means that two values are the same within manufacturing tolerances. Thus, two values being equal, or the same, may mean that the two values are different from one another by ±5%.
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of” “only one of” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of terms such as “including,” “comprising,” “comprised of,” “having,” “containing,” and “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
The terms “approximately” and “about” if used herein may be construed to mean within ±20% of a target value in some embodiments, within ±10% of a target value in some embodiments, within ±5% of a target value in some embodiments, and within ±2% of a target value in some embodiments. The terms “approximately” and “about” may equal the target value.
The term “substantially” if used herein may be construed to mean within 95% of a target value in some embodiments, within 98% of a target value in some embodiments, within 99% of a target value in some embodiments, and within 99.5% of a target value in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the term “substantially” may equal 100% of the target value.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202211334897.2 | Oct 2022 | CN | national |
| 202222859336.6 | Oct 2022 | CN | national |
