Electrical contact pre-load structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10468798-B2
Application number	US-201816050935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A card edge connector with an improved manner of creating a preload force on conductive elements held by a housing. The housing may include a member and an opening at a mating end. Each conductive element may have a contact portion curving inwardly relative to the opening and a tip extending from the contact portion towards the mating end. Each contact portion may form an electrical connection with an edge pad of a card to be inserted into the opening. The conductive elements may be configured to have a rest state in order to create a proper force to be exerted on the edge pads. The member may preload the conductive elements by contacting the conductive elements from a location farther from the mating end than the contact portion, which may avoid damage upon insertion of a card into the connector without the need for long tips of the conductive elements. As a result, the connector may operate at high frequencies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector comprising:
a housing comprising an opening at an end and a member; and
at least one compliant, conductive element comprising a contact portion curving inwardly relative to the opening, a tip extending from the contact portion towards a mating end, a mounting end opposite the mating end, and an intermediate portion that extends between the mounting end and the contact portion,
wherein:
the at least one compliant, conductive element has a rest state;
the member contacts the at least one compliant, conductive element from a location farther from the end than the contact portion, and presses against an elongate surface of the intermediate portion of the at least one compliant, conductive element, the elongate surface facing the opening; and
the contact between the at least one compliant, conductive element and the member deflects the at least one compliant, conductive member from its rest state.

2. A connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
a distance from the of the at least one compliant, conductive element to the contact portion of the at least one compliant, conductive element is less than one half wavelength (in air) at an operating frequency of the connector.

3. A connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the member comprises a first arm, a second arm, and a bridge connecting the first and second arms.

4. A connector as recited in claim 3 , wherein:
the at least one compliant, conductive element is at least one first type compliant, conductive element;
the connector comprises at least one second type compliant, conductive element comprising a contact portion curving inwardly into the opening;
the at least one first type compliant, conductive element and the at least one second type compliant, conductive element are on opposite sides of the opening;
the first arm of the member contacts the at least one first type compliant, conductive element from a location farther from the end than the contact portion of the at least one first type compliant, conductive element; and
the second arm of the member contacts the at least one second type compliant, conductive element from a location farther from the end than the contact portion of the at least one second type compliant, conductive element.

5. A connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one compliant, conductive elements comprises a plurality of compliant, conductive elements, and
the plurality of compliant, conductive elements are configured into groups comprising two differential signals and corresponding reference signals.

6. A connector as recited in claim 5 , wherein:
the member is a first member,
the connector comprises a plurality of like members, the first member is one of the plurality of members, and
each member of the plurality of members contacts a group of compliant, conductive elements from a location farther from the end than the contact portions of the group of compliant, conductive elements.

7. A connector as recited in claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of members comprises a first arm, a second arm, and a bridge connecting the first and second arms.

8. A connector as recited in claim 7 , wherein:
the plurality of the at least one compliant, conductive elements are a plurality of first type compliant, conductive elements;
the connector comprises a plurality of second type compliant, conductive elements, each of the plurality of second type compliant, conductive elements comprising a contact portion curving inwardly into the opening;
the plurality of first type compliant, conductive elements and the plurality of second type compliant, conductive elements are on opposite sides of the opening;
the first arm of each of the plurality of members contacts a group of first type compliant, conductive elements from a location farther from the end than the contact portions of the group of first type compliant, conductive elements; and
the second arm of each member contacts a group of second type compliant, conductive elements that are on the side of the opening opposite to the location of the group of first type compliant, conductive elements from a location farther from the end than the contact portions of the group of second type compliant, conductive elements.

9. A connector as recited in claim 5 , wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of leadframe assembly housings, each of the plurality of leadframe assembly housings holding at least one group of the at least one compliant, conductive elements.

10. A connector as recited in claim 9 , wherein the housing further comprises a front housing comprising walls and chambers separated by the walls, each chamber holding one of the plurality of the at least one compliant, conductive elements.

11. A connector as recited in claim 10 , wherein the housing further comprises a center housing having notches sized to receive cables.

12. An electrical assembly comprising:
a card; and
a connector comprising:
a housing comprising an opening at an end a member, and a notch sized to receive a cable;
at least one conductive element comprising a mating end, a mounting end opposite the mating end, a contact portion curving inwardly relative to the opening, and an intermediate portion that extends between the mounting end and the contact portion;

wherein:
the contact portion of the at least one conductive element of the connector engages with the card,
the member is positioned farther from the end than the contact portion of the at least one conductive element along a lateral direction,
at least a portion of the member is positioned between the card and the intermediate portion of the at least one conductive element along a transverse direction perpendicular to the lateral direction, and
a portion of the mounting end of the at least one conductive element extends parallel to the notch.

13. An electrical assembly as recited in claim 12 , wherein the member comprises a first arm, a second arm and a bridge connecting the first and second arms.

14. An electrical assembly as recited in claim 13 , wherein
the at least one conductive element is at least one first type conductive element;
the connector comprises at least one second type conductive element comprising a contact portion curving inwardly into the opening;
the at least one first type conductive element and the at least one second type conductive element are on opposite sides of the opening;
the first arm of the member contacts the at least one first type conductive element from a location farther from the end than the contact portion of the at least one first type conductive element along the lateral direction, and the first arm is positioned between the card and the intermediate portion of the at least one first type conductive element along the transverse direction; and
the second arm of the member contacts the at least one second type conductive element from a location farther from the end than the contact portion of the at least one second type conductive element along the lateral direction, and the second arm is positioned between the card and the intermediate portion of the at least one second type conductive element along the transverse direction.

15. A method of manufacturing a connector comprising a plurality of conductive elements having mating ends, mounting ends opposite the mating ends, contact portions curving inwardly, tips extending from the contact portions towards the mating ends, and intermediate portions that extend between the mounting ends and the contact portions, the method comprising:
positioning an insulative member between a first plura

Assignees

• Fci Usa Llc

Inventors

• Kolivoski Christopher J
• Fogg Michael
• Copper Charles
• Tanis William
• Bruening Mark Blaine

Classifications

• H01R43/20

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• H05K2201/10863

  Adaptations of leads or holes for facilitating insertion · CPC title

• H01R12/73

  connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R12/721 Primary

  cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits · CPC title

• H05K1/117

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