Connector assembly having an adapter to connect two circuit boards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10973124-B2
Application number	US-201715802847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2017
Priority date	Nov 3, 2016
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An adapter for mating with a receptacle comprises a cylindrical outer conductor, a columnar center conductor disposed in the outer conductor, and an insulator disposed between the outer conductor and the center conductor. The outer conductor has a recess in an inner wall at a first end of the outer conductor. The insulator electrically isolates the outer conductor from the center conductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector assembly, comprising:
an adapter including:
(a) a cylindrical outer conductor having an inner wall;
(b) a columnar center conductor disposed in the outer conductor; and
(c) an insulator disposed between the outer conductor and the center conductor to electrically isolate the outer conductor from the center conductor, the insulator having a cylindrical extending portion and an annular protrusion disposed on the cylindrical extending portion; and

a first receptacle adapted to be assembled onto a first end of the adapter and locked onto the first end of the adapter including:
(a) a cylindrical first outer terminal having a first annular protrusion on an outer wall of a first end thereof and an annular recess in an inner wall of the first end of the first outer terminal, the annular protrusion of the insulator elastically snap-fitting into the annular recess of the first outer terminal portion, and the first outer terminal and the outer conductor only in electrical contact through the first annular protrusion electrically contacting the inner wall of the outer conductor;
(b) a columnar first center terminal disposed in the first outer terminal; and
(c) a first insulation body disposed between the first outer terminal and the first center terminal to electrically isolate the first outer terminal from the first center terminal.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer conductor of the adapter has a recess in the inner wall at the first end of the adapter, the first annular protrusion is elastically snap-fitted into the recess.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first annular protrusion of the first outer terminal is opposite the annular recess of the first outer terminal in a radial direction of the first outer terminal and the first annular protrusion and the annular recess are simultaneously formed through stamping.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first outer terminal includes a plurality of axial slits dividing the first end of the first outer terminal and forming a resilient finger with a plurality of petal structures.

5. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the first outer terminal has an end surface abutting the insulator, the insulator preventing the end surface of the first outer terminal from electrically contacting the inner wall of the outer conductor.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first receptacle has a first insulation housing in which the first outer terminal, the first center terminal, and the first insulation body are held.

7. The connector assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first insulation housing is disposed at a first end of the outer conductor and is spaced apart from the first end of the outer conductor by a predetermined gap, the predetermined gap permitting the outer conductor to deflect with respect to an axial direction of the connector assembly by a predetermined angle.

8. The connector assembly of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined angle is greater than 0 degrees and less than 15 degrees.

9. The connector assembly of claim 7 , wherein the outer conductor has a conical inner end surface tapered inwardly at the first end of the outer conductor, the first insulation housing has a conical outer end surface tapered toward the outer conductor, and the conical inner end surface faces the conical outer end surface and is spaced apart therefrom by the predetermined gap.

10. The connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein when the outer conductor is deflected with respect to the axial direction of the connector assembly by a permissible maximum deflection angle, the conical inner end surface of the outer conductor abuts the conical outer end surface of the first insulation housing and prevents the first end of the outer conductor from electrically contacting the first outer terminal.

11. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the center conductor has a cylindrical shape and a first end of the first center terminal is inserted into the first end of the center conductor by sliding.

12. The connector assembly of claim 11 , wherein the center conductor includes a plurality of axial slits dividing the first end of the center conductor and forming as a resilient finger with a plurality of petal structures.

13. The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second receptacle adapted to be assembled onto a second end of the adapter opposite the first end of the adapter in a sliding fit manner.

14. The connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second receptacle includes:
(a) a cylindrical second outer terminal having a second annular protrusion on an outer wall of a first end thereof, the second outer terminal and the outer conductor only in electrical contact through the second annular protrusion electrically contacting the inner wall of the outer conductor;
(b) a columnar second center terminal disposed in the second outer terminal; and
(c) a second insulation body disposed between the second outer terminal and the second center terminal to electrically isolate the second outer terminal from the second center terminal.

15. The connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first receptacle is identical to the second receptacle.

16. The connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the connector assembly is a radio frequency coaxial connector assembly.

17. An adapter for mating with a receptacle having an annular protrusion, comprising:
a cylindrical outer conductor having a recess in an inner wall at a first end of the outer conductor to receive the annular protrusion formed from a plurality of petals having a free end arc protrusion, and thereby forming the only electrical contact between the cylindrical outer conductor and said receptacle;
a columnar center conductor disposed in the outer conductor;
a first insulator supporting a first end of the cylindrical outer conductor and disposed between the cylindrical outer conductor and the columnar center conductor to electrically isolate the cylindrical outer conductor from the columnar center conductor, the first insulator defining an annular protrusion for engaging with an inner surface of the plurality of petals;
a second insulator supporting a second end of the cylindrical outer conductor and disposed between the cylindrical outer conductor and the columnar center conductor to electrically isolate the cylindrical outer conductor from the columnar center conductor, the second insulator spaced apart from first insulator.

18. A receptacle for mating with an adapter, comprising:
a cylindrical outer terminal having an annular protrusion formed from a plurality of petals having a free end arc protrusion on an outer wall of a first end thereof and an annular recess on an inner wall of the first end thereof opposite the arc protrusion, the annular protrusion elastically snap-fitting into a recess formed in an inner wall of an outer conductor of the adapter, and thereby forming the only electrical contact between the cylindrical outer terminal and the outer conductor of the adapter;
a columnar center terminal disposed in the outer terminal; and
an insulation body receiving, and electrically isolating the outer terminal and the center terminal.

19. An adapter for mating with a receptacle, comprising:
a cylindrical outer conductor;
a columnar center conductor disposed in the outer conductor; and
an insulator disposed between the outer conductor and the center conductor to electrically isolate the outer conductor from the center

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Zhigang
• Ni Lin
• Chen Jlahui
• Wang Yunhe
• Liu Songhua

Classifications

• H01R13/11 Primary

  Resilient sockets (carrying separate resilient parts H01R13/15) · CPC title

• H01R12/62

  connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H05K1/148 Primary

  Arrangements of two or more hingeably connected rigid printed circuit boards, i.e. connected by flexible means · CPC title

• H01R13/6658

  on printed circuit board (H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/20

  Pins, blades, or sockets shaped, or provided with separate member, to retain co-operating parts together · CPC title