Electrical power connector configured for high current density

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10958002-B2
Application number	US-202016745235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2020
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

An electrical power interconnection system is described. The electrical interconnection system may comprise an electrical power connector and a substrate, such as a printed circuit board. The electrical power connector may comprise a housing and a plurality of electrical power contacts supported by the housing. The electrical power contacts may comprise a mounting end, a mating end, and a contact body disposed between the mounting end and the mating end. The electrical power contacts may have planar portions. The mating ends may comprise opposing first second beams defining a slot. The slot may be configured to receive the substrate therein, such that the first beam contacts the first side of the substrate and the second beam contacts the second side of the substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical interconnection system comprising:
an electrically insulative connector housing; and
a plurality of electrical power contacts supported by the connector housing and spaced along a longitudinal direction, each of the electrical power contacts comprises a mating end,
wherein each of the mating ends comprises a first beam and an opposing second beam,
wherein the first beams and the second beams of the plurality of electrical power contacts are aligned with respect to a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction so as to define opposed sides of a slot, such that when a member is inserted in the slot along a lateral direction that is perpendicular to each of the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction, the first beam electrically contacts a first conductive surface of the member and the second beam electrically contacts a second conductive surface of the member, and
wherein at least six corresponding first beams are configured to electrically contact the first conductive surface in a continuous region and at least six corresponding second beams are configured to electrically contact the second conductive surface in a continuous region.

2. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical power contacts comprises a planar body in a plane with the first beam and the second beam extending from the body in the plane.

3. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the planar body portions of the plurality of electrical power contacts are disposed in parallel planes.

4. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical power contacts comprises a mounting end extending from the respective body in the plane of the body opposite the first beam and the second beam.

5. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of electrical power contacts are configured to carry power of one circuit such that multiple points of contact on the circuit are formed.

6. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the member defines a plane extending along the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction.

7. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical power contacts are spaced, along the longitudinal direction, by a distance that is between approximately 0.7 mm and approximately 2 mm.

8. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the electrical interconnection system is configured to carry 96 amperes of electrical current at less than or equal to a 30 degree Celsius temperature rise.

9. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical power contacts are spaced equidistantly along the longitudinal direction.

10. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first beam has a width that is between approximately 0.3 mm and approximately 0.7 mm.

11. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first beam has a length that is between approximately 2 mm and approximately 4 mm.

12. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a length of the first beam and a width of the first beam is between 0.3 and 0.55.

13. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein, when the electrical power contacts contact the member, the electrical power contacts have a resistance of between approximately 0.02 milliohm and 0.025 milliohm.

14. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first conductive region has a width, along the longitudinal direction, that is between 8 mm and 12 mm.

15. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second beams are flexible along the transverse direction.

16. An electrical interconnection system comprising:
a first component configured for making a separable power connection to a second component comprising a first member having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface having a first continuous conductive region and the second surface having a second continuous conductive region,
wherein the first component comprises:
a connector housing; and
a plurality of planar conductive members supported by the connector housing and disposed side-by-side along a longitudinal direction, each of the plurality of planar conductive members comprising a planar body disposed in a plane and a mating end extending from the body in the plane, wherein the planes of the plurality of planar conductive members are parallel, and wherein each of the mating ends comprises a first beam and a second beam spaced from the first beam along a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,
wherein the plurality of planar conductive members are configured such that, when the member is inserted between the first beams and the second beams of the planar conductive members, for at least six adjacent ones of the planar conductive members, the first beams electrically contact the first continuous conductive region and the second beams electrically contact the second continuous conductive region, and
wherein the at least six planar conductive members are configured to carry power of one circuit in order to form multiple points of contact to a common power circuit.

17. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the planar conductive members are spaced, along the longitudinal direction, by a distance that is between approximately 0.7 mm and approximately 2 mm.

18. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the electrical interconnection system is configured to carry 96 amperes of electrical current at less than or equal to a 30 degree Celsius temperature rise through the at least six adjacent ones of the plurality of planar conductive members.

19. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the plurality of planar conductive members are spaced equidistantly along the longitudinal direction.

20. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of planar conductive members is configured to form a contact resistance with the member between approximately 0.02 milliohm and 0.025 milliohm.

21. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the first conductive region has a width, along the longitudinal direction, that is between 8 mm and 12 mm.

22. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the first and second beams are flexible along the transverse direction.

23. The electrical interconnection system as recited in claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of planar conductive members comprises a mounting end extending from the respective body in the plane of the body opposite the first beam and the second beam.

24. A method of operating an electrical interconnection system comprising:
making a power connection by mating a first component to a second component, wherein:
the second component comprises a first member having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface the first surface having a first continuous conductive region and the second surface hav

Assignees

• Fci Usa Llc

Inventors

• Copper Charles
• Kolivoski Christopher J
• Ngo Hung Viet
• Brungard Thomas A

Classifications

• H01R13/502

  composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/02 Primary

  Contact members · CPC title

• H01R12/721

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

• H01R12/724 Primary

  containing contact members forming a right angle · CPC title

• H01R12/7088

  Arrangements for power supply · CPC title