Patent Grant
7661994
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic components, and particularly to an improved design for, and method of manufacturing a single- or multi-connector assembly which may include internal electronic components.
2. Description of Related Technology
Modular connectors, such as for example those of the “RJ” configuration, are well known in the electronics industry. Such connectors are adapted to receive one or more modular plugs of varying type (e.g., RJ-45 or RJ-11), and communicate signals between the terminals of the modular plug and the parent device with which the connector is associated. Commonly, some form of signal conditioning (e.g., filtering, voltage transformation, or the like) is performed by the connector on the signals passing through it.
Many different considerations are involved with producing an effective and economically viable connector design. Such considerations include, for example: (i) volume and “footprint” available for the connector; (ii) the need for electrical status indicators (e.g., LEDs); (iii) the cost and complexity associated with assembling and manufacturing the device; (iv) the ability to accommodate various electrical components and signal conditioning configurations; (v) the electrical and noise performance of the device; (vi) the reliability of the device; (vii) the ability to modify the design to accommodate complementary technologies; (viii) compatibility with existing terminal and “pin out” standards and applications; (ix) ability to configure the connector as one of a plurality of ports, potentially having individually variant internal component configurations, and (ix) potentially the maintenance or replacement of defective components.
Electrical connectors (including modular jacks) are increasingly used in data networking applications, such as wired or wireless LANs, whether for computers or other electronic devices (such as routers, gateways, hubs, switching centers, digital set-top boxes, etc.). Increasing requirements for data connectivity and capability are driving greater adoption of these connectors across a broader spectrum of applications. Increased data rate requirements, such as those mandated under so-called “gigabit Ethernet” (GBE) standards, are also increasing the performance demands on these connectors. As more capability and components (such as both discrete and integrated circuitry) are disposed within the connector, more efficient use of the available volume within the connector, and more efficient heat dissipation, are also required.
The foregoing factors have resulted in myriad different (and often highly specialized) configurations for modular connectors in the prior art. Many of these designs utilize an internal PCB or substrate for carrying electronic or signal conditioning components internal to the connector housing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,641 to Sakamoto, et al. issued Dec. 3, 1991 and entitled “Modular jack” discloses a modular jack to be mounted on a circuit board, and the modular jack has a printed board containing a noise suppressing electronic element in a housing. The printed board is fitted with contactors for contacting with plugs and terminals to be used for mounting the modular jack on the circuit board. The contactors and the terminals are electrically connected with the noise suppressing electronic element by wires on the printed board.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,612 to Goodall, et al. issued Jul. 2, 1996 entitled “Multi-port modular jack assembly” discloses a modular jack assembly for mounting to a printed circuit board, is shown comprising a plurality of modular jacks assembled to a common integral housing and disposed in back-to-back mirror image symmetry. Shielding, is provided around the connector assembly and shielding between the two rows is also provided for suppressing cross-talk there between. The design is compact, providing for a large number of ports without increasing the length of the connector assembly, whilst also providing good access to the resilient locking latches of complementary modular plugs received by the jacks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,884 to Raman issued Dec. 24, 1996 and entitled “Electrical connector jack with encapsulated signal conditioning components” discloses a modular jack electrical connector assembly suitable for conditioning the signals in unshielded twisted pair wires for use with network components is disclosed. The modular jack comprises a conventional insulative housing and an insert subassembly including insert molded front insert member and rear insert member. Contact terminals for mating with a modular plug extend from the front insert member and into the rear insert member. The rear insert member also includes signal conditioning components such as common mode choke coils, filter circuits and transformers suitable for conditioning the twisted pair signals for used in applications such as for input to and output from IEEE 10 Base-T network components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,767 to Scheer, et al. issued Jul. 15, 1997 and entitled “Electrical connector jack assembly for signal transmission” discloses a modular jack electrical connector assembly for conditioning the signals in unshielded twisted pair wires for use with network components. The modular jack comprises a conventional insulative housing and an insert subassembly including an insert molded front insert member and a rear insert member. Contact terminals for mating with a modular plug extend from the front insert member and into the rear insert member. The rear insert member also includes signal conditioning components such as common mode choke coils, filter circuits and transformers suitable for conditioning the twisted pair signals for used in applications such as for input to and output from IEEE 10 Base-T network components. The rear insert member includes an insert molded body which stabilizes the position of the contact terminals and leads extending from the rear insert member for attachment to external circuits, such as the external printed circuit board containing the interface processor for the specific application.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,067 entitled “Shielded Connector” to Scheer exemplifies a common prior art approach. In this configuration, one or more PCBs are disposed within the connector housing in a vertical planar orientation such that an inner face of the PCB is directed toward an interior of the assembly and an outer face directed toward an exterior of the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,152 to Kunz issued Jan. 9, 2001 entitled “Standard footprint and form factor RJ-45 connector with integrated signal conditioning for high speed networks” discloses an RJ-45 style modular connector having a plastic rectangular housing with an open front end to receive a matching RJ-45 style modular jack, and an opposite open back end. A contact spring assembly of a plurality of wires in separate circuits passes forward through said open back end into the back of said open front end of the housing. The contact assembly also includes a plastic block that supports the plurality of wires by a right angle turn and is vertically oriented with respect to the plurality of wires, and the plastic block inserts and locks into the open back end of the housing. A set of mounting pins is disposed at a bottom edge of the plastic block for connection to a printed motherboard. A signal conditioning part is disposed in the plastic block for providing signal conditioning of signals passing from said set of mounting pins to the contact spring assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540 to Gutierrez, et al. issued Jul. 1, 2003 and entitled “Shielded microelectronic connector assembly and method of manufacturing” discloses a multi-connector electronic assembly incorporating different noise shield elements which reduce noise interference and increase performance. In one embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a plurality of connectors with associated electronic components arranged in two parallel rows, one disposed atop the other. The assembly utilizes a substrate shield which mitigates noise transmission through the bottom surface of the assembly, as well as an external “wrap-around shield to mitigate noise transmission through the remaining external surfaces. In a second embodiment the connector assembly further includes a top-to-bottom shield interposed between the top and bottom rows of connectors to reduce noise transmission between the rows of connectors, and a plurality of front-to-back shield elements disposed between the electronic components of respective top and bottom row connectors to limit transmission between the electronic components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,936 to Gutierrez, et al. issued Aug. 3, 2004 entitled “Connector with insert assembly and method of manufacturing” discloses a modular plug connector assembly incorporating a substantially planar, low profile removable insert assembly with associated substrate disposed in the rear portion of the connector housing, the substrate adapted to optionally receive one or more electronic components. In one embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single port with a single insert assembly. The conductors and terminals of the connector are retained within respective molded carriers which are received within the insert assembly. A plurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) are also received within the housing, the conductors of the LEDs mated with conductive traces on the substrate of the insert assembly. In another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a multi-port “1×N” device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,302 to Gutierrez, et al. issued Aug. 10, 2004 entitled “Advanced microelectronic connector assembly and method of manufacturing” discloses a modular plug connector assembly incorporating a substrate disposed in the rear portion of the connector housing, the substrate adapted to receive one or more electronic components such as choke coils, transformers, or other signal conditioning elements or magnetics. In one embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single port pair with a single substrate disposed in the rear portion of the housing. In another embodiment, the assembly comprises a multi-port “row-and-column” housing with multiple substrates (one per port) received within the rear of the housing, each substrate having signal conditioning electronics which condition the input signal received from the corresponding modular plug before egress from the connector assembly. In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a plurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) received within the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,943 to Machado, et al. issued Feb. 1, 2005 entitled “Shielded connector assembly and method of manufacturing” discloses a shielded modular plug connector assembly incorporating a removable insert assembly disposed in the connector housing, the insert assembly adapted to optionally receive one or more electronic components. In one exemplary embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single port connector with integral shielded housing and dual-substrate insert assembly. The housing is advantageously formed using a metal casting process which inherently shields the connector (and exterior environment) from EMI and other noise while allowing for a reduced housing profile.
The foregoing citations are merely exemplary of a much larger number of substantially different approaches to filtered (and unfiltered) modular jacks, such as those used in Ethernet (10/100) or GBE LAN or other data networking applications. However, the foregoing prior art configurations are not optimized in terms of application flexibility, as well as their other required attributes. Specifically, each of the foregoing solutions is limited to one particular configuration selected at the time of manufacture. This generally necessitates manufacturing, distributing, and selling multiple different variants of the same basic connector design, each such variant having the particular attributes desired for a given application. For example, a traditional 10/100 Ethernet jack utilizes a given set of magnetics (filtration) and other electrical circuitry, as well as a particular pin-out and footprint for mating to a motherboard or other device. Similarly, a connector for use in a GBE application may have a different magnetics configuration and different pin-out/footprint. Hence, two distinct products would be required to fill these two needs. This situation is less than optimal, since it requires at least some separation of manufacturing process, distribution, stocking, and sale (e.g., different manufacturing lines, labeling, cataloging, part numbers, etc.).
Accordingly, it would be most desirable to provide an improved electrical connector (e.g., modular jack) design that would provide reliable and superior electrical and noise performance, while also providing application flexibility. Such a connector design would ideally allow for the ready use of a variety of different electronic signal conditioning components in the connector signal path(s), as well as status indicators if desired, without affecting connector profile or overall footprint, or requiring changes to the housing. The improved connector design would also facilitate easy assembly, as well as removal of the internal components of the device if required. The design would further be amenable to integration into a multi-port connector assembly, including the ability to vary the configuration of the internal components associated with individual port pairs of the assembly.
The present invention satisfies the foregoing needs by providing an improved electrical connector assembly which is substantially flexible in its application and configuration.
In a first aspect of the invention, an improved connector assembly for use on, inter alia, a printed circuit board or other device is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a connector housing having a single port pair (i.e., two modular plug recesses), a plurality of conductors disposed within the recesses for contact with the terminals of the modular plug, and at least one component substrate disposed in the rear portion of the housing, the component substrate (and its traces) forming part the electrical pathway between the conductors and the corresponding circuit board leads. The substrate mates with terminals of an insert assembly, the latter optionally having a plurality of signal conditioning components disposed in the signal path between the aforementioned conductors and those mating with the parent device (e.g., motherboard or PCB). The insert assembly can be adapted to any number of lead (and electronics) configurations and applications. For example, in one variant, the insert assembly is adapted for use in Gigabit Ethernet (GBE) applications, while in another it is adapted for Ethernet 10/100 applications.
In a second exemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a connector housing having a plurality of connector recesses arranged in port pairs, the recesses arranged in substantially over-under and side-by-side orientation.
In a second aspect of the invention, the connector assembly further includes a plurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) adapted for direct or indirect viewing by an operator during operation. The light sources advantageously permit the operator to determine the status of each of the individual connectors simply by viewing the front of the assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single port pair having LEDs disposed relative to the recesses and adjacent to the modular plug latch formed therein, such that the LEDs are readily viewable from the front of the connector assembly. The LED conductors (two per LED) are mated with the upper substrates within the rear of the housing. In another embodiment, the LED conductors comprise continuous electrodes which terminate directly to the printed circuit board/external device. A multi-port embodiment having a plurality of modular plug recesses arranged in row-and-column fashion, and a pair of LEDs per recess, is also disclosed.
In another exemplary embodiment, the light sources comprise a “light pipe” arrangement wherein an optically conductive medium is used to transmit light of the desired wavelength(s) from a remote light source (e.g., LED) to the desired viewing location on the connector. In one variant, the light source comprises an LED which is disposed substantially on the PCB or device upon which the connector assembly is ultimately mounted, wherein the optically conductive medium receives light energy directly from the LED.
In a third aspect of the invention, an improved electronic assembly utilizing the aforementioned connector assembly is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic assembly comprises the foregoing connector assembly which is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a plurality of conductive traces formed thereon, and bonded thereto using a soldering process, thereby forming a conductive pathway from the traces through the conductors of the respective connectors of the package. In another embodiment, the connector assembly is mounted on an intermediary substrate, the latter being mounted to a PCB or other component using a reduced footprint terminal array.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, an improved method of manufacturing the connector assembly of the present invention is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method generally comprises the steps of forming an assembly housing having at least two modular plug receiving recesses and at least one rear cavity disposed therein; providing a plurality of conductors comprising a first set adapted for use within the first recess of the housing element so as to mate with corresponding conductors of a modular plug; providing another plurality of conductors comprising a second set adapted for use within the second recess of the housing element so as to mate with corresponding conductors of a second modular plug; providing at least one substrate having electrical pathways formed thereon, and adapted for receipt within the rear cavity; terminating one end of the conductors of the first set to the substrate; terminating one end of the conductors of the second set to the substrate; providing a third set of conductors adapted for termination to the substrate and which form at least a portion of an electrical pathway to an external device (e.g., circuit board) to which the connector will be mated; and terminating the third set of conductors to the substrate. The termination of the third set to the substrate thereby forms an electrical pathway from the modular plugs (when inserted in the recess) through at least one of the conductors of the first and second set to the distal end of at least one of the conductors of the third set. A fourth set of conductors may optionally be used to route signals from the third set of conductors to the external device.
In another embodiment of the method, one or more electronic components are mounted on the substrate(s), thereby providing an electrical pathway from the modular plug terminals through the electronic component(s) to the distal ends of the third terminals.
The features, objectives, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
a is a rear perspective view of the connector assembly of
b is a rear perspective view of the connector assembly of
c shows side perspective cutaway views of the connector assembly according to
d is a rear perspective view of the connector assembly of
e is a rear perspective view of the housing element of the connector assembly of
f is a rear perspective view of an insert assembly of the connector assembly of
g is a front perspective view of the insert assemblies of the connector assembly of
h is a rear perspective view of an insert assembly of the connector assembly of
i is a rear perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the insert assembly of the connector (with lower and upper substrates removed), showing adaptation for a typical 10/100 Ethernet application.
j is a rear perspective view of the insert assembly body of
k is a rear perspective view of the insert assembly body of
l is a rear perspective exploded view of a terminal insert assembly of the connector assembly of
m is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of
n is a plan view of the terminal arrangement of the connector assembly of
o is a plan view of the terminal arrangement of the connector assembly of
p is a top plan view of the terminal arrangement of yet another embodiment of the electronics insert assembly, showing multiple upper terminal arrays.
q is a bottom plan view of the insert assembly of
r is a top plan view of an exemplary upper substrate configuration useful with the insert assembly of
s is a rear perspective view of another exemplary embodiment (2×1, for Gigabit Ethernet) of the connector assembly according to the present invention.
a-3d are various rear perspective views of another exemplary embodiment (2×4) of the connector assembly according to the present invention, including one configuration of indicating means.
Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
It is noted that while the following description is cast primarily in terms of a plurality of RJ-type connectors and associated modular plugs of the type well known in the art, the present invention may be used in conjunction with any number of different connector types. Accordingly, the following discussion of the RJ connectors and plugs is merely exemplary of the broader concepts.
As used herein, the terms “electrical component” and “electronic component” are used interchangeably and refer to components adapted to provide some electrical function, including without limitation inductive reactors (“choke coils”), transformers, filters, gapped core toroids, inductors, capacitors, resistors, operational amplifiers, and diodes, whether discrete components or integrated circuits, whether alone or in combination. For example, the improved toroidal device disclosed in Assignee's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/661,628 entitled “Advanced Electronic Microminiature Coil and Method of Manufacturing” filed Sep. 13, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be used in conjunction with the invention disclosed herein.
As used herein, the term “signal conditioning” or “conditioning” shall be understood to include, but not be limited to, signal voltage transformation, filtering, current limiting, sampling, processing, and time delay.
As used herein, the term “port pair” refers to an upper and lower modular connector (port) which are in a substantially over-under arrangement; i.e., one port disposed substantially atop the other port, whether directly or offset in a given direction.
As used herein, the term “interlock base” refers generally to, without limitation, a structure such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,981 to Lint, et al. issued May 14, 1991 entitled “Electronic microminiature packaging and method”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,894 to Lint, et al. issued Nov. 16, 1999 entitled “Microelectronic component carrier and method of its manufacture”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,463 to Lint, et al. issued Dec. 21, 1999 entitled “Through-hole interconnect device with isolated wire-leads and component barriers”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,983 to Gutierrez issued May 28, 2002 entitled “Electronic packaging device and method”, or U.S. Pat. No. 6,593,840 to Morrison, et al. issued Jul. 15, 2003 entitled “Electronic packaging device with insertable leads and method of manufacturing”, each of the foregoing incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Multi-Port Embodiment
Referring now to
The rows 108, 110 of the embodiment of
The connector housing element 102 is in the illustrated embodiment electrically non-conductive and is formed from a thermoplastic (e.g. PCT Thermex, IR compatible, UL94V-0), although it will recognized that other materials, polymer or otherwise, may conceivably be used. An injection molding process is used to form the housing element 102, although other processes may be used, depending on the material chosen. The selection and manufacture of the housing element is well understood in the art, and accordingly will not be described further herein.
As shown in
A plurality of grooves 122 which are disposed generally parallel and oriented vertically within the housing 102 are formed generally within the recess 112 of each connector 104 in the housing element 102. The grooves 122 are spaced and adapted to guide and receive the aforementioned conductors 120 used to mate with the conductors of the modular plug. The conductors 120 are formed in a predetermined shape and held within one of a plurality of conductor or terminal insert assemblies 129 each formed of two sub-assemblies 130, 132 (
Each cavity is further adapted to receive an electronics insert assembly 150 of the type generally shown in
Referring now to
The exemplary terminals shown in
The upper substrate 140 includes a plurality of apertures 144 to receive the upper terminals 152, and may be populated on one or both surfaces with any manner of electronic components (whether discrete components such as resistors, capacitors, etc. or integrated circuits), conductive traces, etc. The upper substrate 140 also includes a distal portion 145 which has a series (e.g., eight) conductive traces 146 disposed on its surfaces (both upper and lower) so as to cooperate with corresponding ones of the rear-most ends of the conductors 120a, 120b of the terminal insert assembly 129, as shown best in
When assembled, each individual insert assembly 150 is “ganged” with its adjacent port-pair neighbor (if any) as shown in
The lower substrate(s) 170 are disposed in the illustrated embodiment on the bottom face of the connector assembly 100 adjacent to the PCB or external device to which the assembly 100 is ultimately mounted. Each substrate 170 comprises in the illustrated embodiment, at least one layer of fiberglass, although other arrangements and materials may be used. The substrate 170 further includes a plurality of conductor perforation arrays formed at predetermined locations on the substrate 170 with respect to the lower conductors 154 of each insert assembly 150 such that when the connector assembly 100 is fully assembled, the conductors 154 penetrate the substrate 170 via respective ones of the aperture arrays. This arrangement advantageously provide mechanical stability and registration for the lower conductors 154, as well as stability for the insert assemblies 150.
One salient attribute of the present invention relates to its ability to be used in a number of different configurations and/or applications. Specifically, as shown in
Notably, the illustrated embodiments previously described also use a common configuration for the upper terminals 152 of the insert assemblies 150, so that the upper substrate 140 which is disposed atop the insert assembly 150 need not be changed for each different insert assembly configuration. Hence, the exemplary connector assembly 100 can be configured as either a GBE device, a 10/100 device, or otherwise simply by inserting a different configuration of the insert assembly 150 within the housing 102. This simplifies manufacturing, since the housings 104, terminal inserts 129, upper substrates 140, noise shields, etc. are identical for each different variant; the only change relates to the insert assembly 150 and the lower substrate(s) 170.
In fact, the lower substrates 170 may be either (i) completely obviated in certain embodiments or applications, or (ii) made also to be “universal” by having perforations for both GBE and 10/100 pin-outs such that the same lower substrate 170 can be used with either insert element 150. This can be accomplished for example by aligning the various components including the lower terminals and insert bodies 156, 158 to meet the pin-out requirements, and then placing the perforations in the lower substrate 170 such that they both meet both of the pin-outs, and utilize at least some of the same perforations for either application.
It will also be recognized that a given insert assembly 150 can itself be made “universal”. In one embodiment of the invention (
It is noted also that the electronics package utilized within the insert assembly 150 can be made to accommodate both variants (i.e., GBE or 10/100) by the use of additional or extra electronic components (e.g., magnetics) to account for either use, and/or by making the electronics serve a dual-purpose where possible. Alternatively, individual ones of the insert assemblies 150 designed for GBE applications can be wired/equipped one way, and those destined for 10/100 applications wired/equipped another, since even the use of “universal” insert assembly body elements 156, 158 reduces manufacturing costs since only one type of insert assembly (albeit wired and equipped differently) is needed.
In the illustrated embodiments, one or more types of electronic components are disposed within the interior cavity 180 formed within each insert assembly 150, including e.g., choke coils, transformers, etc. (see
In another embodiment, an interlock base or comparable component is used inside of the cavity 180 for, inter alia, additional electrical separation.
In yet another embodiment (not shown), the insert assembly 150 can be split top-and-bottom, such that the two body elements 156, 158 are disposed in substantially over/under arrangement. The upper terminals 152 are hence insert molded or otherwise disposed within the upper body element, while the lower terminals 154 are formed or disposed in the lower body element.
The terminal insert assemblies 129 are retained within their cavities 134 substantially by way of friction with the housing element 102, although other methods and arrangements may be substituted with equal success. The illustrated approach allows for easy insertion of the completed terminal assemblies 129 into the housing 102, and subsequent selective removal if desired.
l best shows the construction of the terminal assemblies 129, comprising the two sub-assemblies 130, 132. In the illustrated embodiment, the two sub-assemblies are held together by at least a friction locating pin 133 or heat stake arrangement although other arrangements readily apparent to those of ordinary skill can be used (such as adhesives). Alternatively, the two sub-assemblies can be formed as one unitary component if desired.
The embodiment of
It will also be recognized that separators or EMI shields can be disposed between the conductor sets of any given terminal insert assembly 129 (or between adjacent ones of the juxtaposed assemblies 129) so as to minimize electrical noise and cross-talk between the conductor sets 120a, 120b and/or between other components. For example, the multi-dimensional shielding apparatus and techniques described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540 to Gutierrez, et al. issued Jul. 1, 2003 entitled “Shielded microelectronic connector assembly and method of manufacturing” and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety may be used consistent with the present invention, with proper adaptation. Other shielding configurations may also be used, the foregoing being but one option. Furthermore, other techniques well known in the electronic arts for minimizing EMI and/or cross-talk may be used consistent with the invention if desired.
The inserts 129 are also provided with optional locking mechanisms 135 to lock them into their channels within the housing 102, although this can also be accomplished using friction, heat staking, or another means.
In the illustrated embodiment, the two sets of conductors 120a, 120b for each terminal insert 129 are disposed relative to one another in substantially mirror image, although this is by no means a requirement. Use of mirror-image sets of conductors can significantly simplify the manufacturing process, since formation and handling of heterogeneous conductor configurations are obviated. However, there are applications where it may be desirable to use such heterogeneous configurations, such as where the two connectors in the port-pair are heterogeneous, or where the internal structure of the assembly 100 dictates such a configuration.
It is further noted that while the embodiment of
As yet another alternative, the connector configurations within the connector housing may be heterogeneous or hybridized. For example, one or more of the upper/lower row port pairs may utilize configurations which are different from those used for other port pairs, such as where the electronics package for one port-pair is different than that for another port-pair within the same connector assembly 100. Alternatively, individual ports within a pair can have heterogeneous configuration. As yet another alternative, port-pairs can be intermixed, such as where two of the four insert assemblies 150 used in the 2×4 configuration of
Many other permutations are possible consistent with the invention; hence, the embodiments shown herein are merely illustrative of the broader concept.
Single Port Embodiment
Referring now to
Referring now to
As shown in
It is noted that the aforementioned shield can also be adapted to accommodate various component packages disposed at the rear of the connector assembly, for example the illuminating means shown in
Connector Assembly with Light Sources
Referring now to
As shown in
Note that the LED recesses 333 within the carrier 314 may also be coated internally with a reflective coating of the type well known in the art to enhance the reflection of light energy radiated by the LED during operation into the interior face of the optical medium 304. The optically conductive medium may comprise a single unitary light path from the interior face 316 to the viewing face 318, or alternatively a plurality of abutted or joined optically transmissive segments. As yet another approach, one or more “ganged” optical fibers (e.g., single mode or multimode fibers of the type well known in the optical networking arts) may be used as the optical medium. As yet another alternative, a substantially prismatic device may be used as the optical medium 304, especially if substantial chromatic dispersion is desired. The optical medium may be removably retained within the connector assembly housing, or alternatively fixed in place (such as by being molded within the housing, or retained using an adhesive or friction), or any combination of the foregoing as desired.
The light pipe assembly 310 is disposed within the upper portion of the connector housing within a channel formed therein. It will be noted that due to the longer optical “run” and greater optical losses associated with this second optical medium, the size/intensity of the LED 312, and/or the optical properties or dimensions of the medium 304, may optionally be adjusted so as to produce a luminosity substantially equivalent to that associated with the LEDs for the bottom row.
Also, the LEDs for the bottom row can be used with a lens, prism, or optical medium (albeit much shorter in length than that for the upper row of connectors) if desired in order to provide a homogeneous appearance for the indicators of the top and bottom rows of connectors.
It will also be appreciated that while the embodiment of
It can also be appreciated that while the foregoing embodiment is described in terms of a two-row connector device, the light pipe assemblies of the invention may also be implemented in devices having other numbers of rows, such as for example with a 1×N device.
In another variant, the light pipe configuration of the type shown in co-owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/246,840 filed Sep. 18, 2002 entitled “Advanced Microelectronic Connector Assembly and Method of Manufacturing”, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, can be used consistent with the invention in order to provide indication functionality.
In the alternate embodiment of
Similarly, a set of complementary grooves are provided, such grooves terminating on the bottom face of the housing 402 coincident with the conductors 411 for the LEDs of the bottom row of connectors. These allow the LED conductors to be received within their respective recesses 444, and upon emergence from the rear end of the recess 444, be deformed downward to be frictionally received within their respective grooves.
The recesses 444 formed within the housing element 402 each encompass their respective LED when the latter is inserted therein, and securely hold the LED in place via friction between the LED 403 and the inner walls of the recess (not shown). Alternatively, a looser fit and adhesive may be used, or both friction and adhesive. As yet another alternative, the recess 444 may comprise only two walls, with the LEDs being retained in place primarily by their conductors 411, which are frictionally received within grooves formed in the adjacent surfaces of the connector housing. As yet another alternative, the external shield element 107 may be used to provide support and retention of the LEDs within the recesses 444, the latter comprising three-sided channels into which the LEDs 403 fit. Many other configurations for locating and retaining the LEDs in position with respect to the housing element 402 may be used, such configurations being well known in the relevant art.
The two LEDs 403 used for each connector 404 radiate visible light of the desired wavelength(s), such as green light from one LED and red light from the other, although multi-chromatic devices (such as a “white light” LED), or even other types of light sources, may be substituted if desired. For example, a light pipe arrangement such as that using an optical fiber or pipe to transmit light from a remote source to the front face of the connector assembly 400 may be employed. Many other alternatives such as incandescent lights or even liquid crystal (LCD) or thin film transistor (TFT) devices are possible, all being well known in the electronic arts.
The connector assembly 400 with LEDs 403 may further be configured to include noise shielding for the individual LEDs if desired. Note that in the embodiment of
Method of Manufacture
Referring now to
In the embodiment of
Next, two conductor sets (120a, 120b) are provided in step 504. As previously described, the conductor sets comprise metallic (e.g., copper or aluminum alloy) strips having a substantially square or rectangular cross-section and sized to fit within the slots of the connectors in the housing 102.
In step 506, the conductors are partitioned into sets; a first set 120a for use with a first connector recess of each port-pair (i.e., within the housing 102, and mating with the modular plug terminals), and a second set 120b for the other port in the port-pair. The conductors are formed to the desired shape(s) using a forming die or machine of the type well known in the art. Specifically, for the embodiment of
In step 508, the first and second conductor sets 120a, 120b are insert-molded within the respective portions of the terminal insert assembly 129, thereby forming the components shown in
In step 512, the upper and lower terminals 152, 154 are formed using similar methods to those used for the conductors 120a, 120b, although in the illustrated embodiment the upper and lower terminals 152, 154 need not be deformed (i.e., can remain straight) if desired.
Note also that either or both of the aforementioned conductor sets may also be notched (not shown) at their distal ends such that electrical leads associated with the electronic components (e.g., fine-gauge wire wrapped around the magnetic toroid element) may be wrapped around the distal end notch to provide a secure electrical connection.
In step 514, the first and second body elements 156, 158 of the (electronics) insert assembly 150 are formed, such as via injection or transfer molding. In one embodiment, a high-temperature polymer of the type ubiquitous in the art is used to form the body elements 156, 158, although this is not required, and other materials (even non-polymers) may be used.
Next, the upper substrate 140 is formed and perforated through its thickness with a number of apertures of predetermined size in step 516. Methods for forming substrates are well known in the electronic arts, and accordingly are not described further herein. Any conductive traces on the substrate required by the particular design are also added, such that necessary ones of the conductors, when received within the apertures, are in electrical communication with the traces.
The apertures within the primary substrate are arranged in two arrays of juxtaposed perforations, one at each end of the substrate, and with spacing (i.e., pitch) such that their position corresponds to the desired pattern, although other arrangements may be used. Any number of different methods of perforating the substrate may be used, including a rotating drill bit, punch, heated probe, or even laser energy. Alternatively, the apertures may be formed at the time of formation of the substrate itself, thereby obviating a separate manufacturing step.
Next, the lower substrate 170 is formed and is perforated through its thickness with a number of apertures of predetermined size in step 518. The apertures are arranged in an array of bi-planar perforations which receive corresponding ones of the lower conductors 154 therein, the apertures of the lower substrate acting to register and add mechanical stability to the lower set of conductors. Alternatively, the apertures may be formed at the time of formation of the substrate itself.
In step 520, one or more electronic components, such as the aforementioned toroidal coils and surface mount devices, are next formed and prepared (if used in the design). The manufacture and preparation of such electronic components is well known in the art, and accordingly is not described further herein.
The relevant electronic components are then mated to the upper substrate 140 in step 522. Note that if no components are used, the conductive traces formed on/within the primary substrate will form the conductive pathway between the first and second sets of conductors 120 and respective ones of the upper conductors 152. The components may optionally be (i) received within corresponding apertures designed to receive portions of the component (e.g., for mechanical stability), (ii) bonded to the substrate such as through the use of an adhesive or encapsulant, (iii) mounted in “free space” (i.e., held in place through tension generated on the electrical leads of the component when the latter are terminated to the substrate conductive traces and/or conductor distal ends, or (iv) maintained in position by other means. In one embodiment, the surface mount components are first positioned on the primary substrate, and the magnetics (e.g., toroids) positioned thereafter, although other sequences may be used. The components are electrically coupled to the PCB using a eutectic solder re-flow process as is well known in the art.
In step 524, the remaining electrical components are disposed within the cavity of the insert assembly 150 and wired electrically to the appropriate ones of the upper and lower terminals 152, 154. This wiring may comprise wrapping, soldering, welding, or any other suitable process to form the desired electrical connections.
In step 526, the two completed body elements 156, 158 are mated (e.g., snap-fit, bonded, etc.) so as to form the body 151 of the insert assembly 150. The electronic components of the assembly 150 are then optionally secured with silicone or other encapsulant (step 528), although other materials may be used. This completes the insert assembly sub-structure 153.
In step 530, the assembled upper substrate with SMT/magnetics is then mated with the insert assembly sub-structure 153 and its components, specifically such that the upper terminals 152 are disposed in their corresponding apertures of the substrate 140. The terminals 152 are then bonded to the substrate contacts such as via soldering or welding to ensure a rigid electrical connection for each. The completed insert assembly may be electrically tested to ensure proper operation if desired.
In step 532, two of the completed insert assemblies 150 are mated to a common lower substrate 170 and bonded thereto if desired to as to form a substantially rigid insert structure.
In step 534, the terminal insert assemblies 129 previously formed are inserted within their grooves formed in the cavities 134 of the housing 102, and snapped into place.
Next, the completed insert structures of step 532 are inserted into the housing and snapped into place, thereby completing the (unshielded) connector assembly 100 (step 536).
Alternatively, in step 534, the terminal insert assemblies 129 can be mated directly to the upper substrate; e.g., by inserting the appropriate end of the upper substrate 140 between the conductor ends 120a, 120b and bonding the latter to their corresponding conductive pads/traces on the surface of the substrate 140, such as via a soldering or welding process. The assembled components (i.e. insert assemblies 150 with attached lower substrate 170 and terminal insert assembly 129) can then be inserted as a unit into the housing per step 536.
Lastly, in step 538, the external noise shield (if used) is fitted onto the assembled connector 100, and the various ground straps and clips as previously described positioned so as to provide grounding of the noise shield.
With respect to the other embodiments described herein (i.e., single connector housing, connector assembly with LEDs or light pipes, etc.), the foregoing method may be modified as necessary to accommodate the additional components. Such modifications and alterations will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill, given the disclosure provided herein.
It will be recognized that while certain aspects of the invention are described in terms of a specific sequence of steps of a method, these descriptions are only illustrative of the broader methods of the invention, and may be modified as required by the particular application. Certain steps may be rendered unnecessary or optional under certain circumstances. Additionally, certain steps or functionality may be added to the disclosed embodiments, or the order of performance of two or more steps permuted. All such variations are considered to be encompassed within the invention disclosed and claimed herein.
While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. The foregoing description is of the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. This description is in no way meant to be limiting, but rather should be taken as illustrative of the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.
This application is a continuation of co-owned Appl. No. 11/827074, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,851 of the same title filed Jul. 9, 2007, which is a continuation of co-owned Appl. No. 11/170583, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,241,181 of the same title filed Jun. 28, 2005, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/583,989 filed Jun. 29, 2004 of the same title, each of the foregoing incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11827074 | Jul 2007 | US |
| Child | 12151343 | US | |
| Parent | 11170583 | Jun 2005 | US |
| Child | 11827074 | US |
