Electrical contact pad for electrically contacting a connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10263352-B2
Application number	US-201715617767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2017
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

An electrical contact pad for electrically contacting a connector includes a first region having a first length in a longitudinal direction, and a second region having a second length in the longitudinal direction that is greater than the first length. The first region is arranged to contact a first arm of the connector and the second region is arranged to contact a second arm of the connector. The first length being smaller than the second length results in a beneficial increases the impedance of the electrical contact pad. A chamfered edge of the contact pad results in an additional beneficial increase in the impedance of the electrical contact pad.

First claim

We claim:

1. A circuit board wafer disposed within a first portion of a connector for communicating signals to resilient contact members disposed within a second portion of the connector, the circuit board wafer comprising:
a plurality of electrical contact pads arranged side-by-side, wherein each contact pad includes:
a first region having a first length in a longitudinal direction; and
a second region having a second length in the longitudinal direction that is greater than the first length, wherein
the first and second regions are centered longitudinally with one another,
the first region is arranged to contact a first arm of a contact member and the second region is arranged to contact a second arm of the contact member, and
the first length is smaller than the second length to thereby increase an impedance of the electrical contact pad, and

wherein the first region of a first electrical contact pad is disposed adjacent to the second region of a second electrical contact pad.

2. The electrical contact pad according to claim 1 , wherein the first length is selected to facilitate contact with two points of the first arm, which are separated by a first distance, and the second length is selected to facilitate contact with two points of the second arm, which are separated by a second distance that is greater than the first distance.

3. The electrical contact pad according to claim 2 , wherein the first length of the first region is greater than the first distance, and the second length of the second region is greater than the second distance.

4. A circuit board wafer disposed within a first portion of a connector for communicating signals to resilient contact members disposed within a second portion of the connector, the circuit board wafer comprising:
a plurality of electrical contact pads arranged side-by-side, wherein each contact pad includes:
a first edge connected to a trace;
a second edge opposite the first edge at an end of the contact pad;
first and second side edges extending between the first and second edges, wherein a corner between the second edge and one of the side edges is chamfered to thereby increase of an impedance of the electrical contact pad.

5. The circuit board wafer according to claim 4 , wherein a radius of the chamfered corner is about 1.6 mm and a radii of other corners of the electrical pad are less than about 0.4 mm.

6. The circuit board wafer according to claim 4 , wherein a corner of the first edge region of a first electrical contact pad is chamfered on a side nearest the second electrical contact pad.

7. An electrical connector comprising:
a bottom housing;
a plurality of circuit wafers disposed within the bottom housing; and
a shroud that forms a top of the electrical connector that is configured to engage the bottom housing to secure the plurality of circuit wafers between the bottom housing and the shroud,
wherein the plurality of circuit wafers include one or more contact pads, wherein at least one contact pad includes:
a first region having a first length in a longitudinal direction; and
a second region having a second length in the longitudinal direction that is greater than the first length,
wherein the first region is arranged to contact a first arm of the connector and the second region is arranged to contact a second arm of the connector, and
wherein the first length being smaller than the second length increases an impedance of the electrical contact pad.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7 , wherein the first length is selected to facilitate contact with two points of the first arm, which are separated by a first distance, and the second length is selected to facilitate contact with two points of the second arm, which are separated by a second distance that is greater than the first distance.

9. The electrical connector pad according to claim 8 , wherein the first length of the first region is greater than the first distance, and the second length of the second region is greater than the second distance.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Smith Jr Graham Harry
• Walton Scott Eric
• Cina Michael Frank

Classifications

• H05K3/403

  Edge contacts; Windows or holes in the substrate having plural connections on the walls thereof (H05K3/4092 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K2201/09418

  Special orientation of pads, lands or terminals of component, e.g. radial or polygonal orientation · CPC title

• H05K2201/09427

  Special relation between the location or dimension of a pad or land and the location or dimension of a terminal · CPC title

• H05K2201/09381

  Shape of non-curved single flat metallic pad, land or exposed part thereof; Shape of electrode of leadless component · CPC title

• H05K1/117

  Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors · CPC title