Insulative support for very high speed electrical interconnection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11699883-B2
Application number	US-202117216442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2018
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

An electrical connector module with openings in an insulative support selectively positioned to limit dielectric loss in a signal. The connector may include a first and second conductor including first and second sides between first and second edges. An insulative support holds the first conductor adjacent the second conductor and may have at least five pedestal portions, wherein the first pedestal portion contacts the first side of the first conductor, the second pedestal portion contacts the second side of the first conductor, the third pedestal portion contacts the first side of the second conductor, the fourth pedestal portion contacts the second side of the second conductor, and at least a portion of the fifth pedestal portion is disposed between two edges of the first and second conductors. The pedestal portions may have widths less than the widths of the first and second sides of the first and second conductors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a subassembly comprising:
a central insulative portion, the central insulative portion having openings;
cover portions disposed over the openings on opposite sides of the central insulative portion; and
at least one pair of conductors disposed in the openings and supported by the central insulative portion;
wherein the openings are configured to provide clearances around edges of conductors of the at least one pair of conductors.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the conductors of the at least one pair of conductors comprise:
a first end and a second end; and
an intermediate portion connecting the first end and the second end, the intermediate portion comprising a first edge and a second edge and a first side and a second side between the first edge and the second edge, the first and second sides being wider than the first and second edges.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the central insulative portion is configured to provide clearances around the first and second edges of the conductors of the at least one pair of conductors.

4. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the central insulative portion is configured to at least partially expose the first and second sides of the conductors within the clearances.

5. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the central insulative portion is configured to support a first conductor of the at least one pair of conductors and a second conductor of the at least one pair of conductors such that the first and second sides of the first conductor are parallel to the first and second sides of the second conductor.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 , wherein:
the first ends of the first and second conductors comprise mating contact portions;
the second ends of the first and second conductors comprise contact tails; and
the mating contact portions and the contact tails extend from the central insulative portion.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the cover portions comprise lossy or insulative material.

8. An electrical connector comprising:
a subassembly comprising:
an insulative portion, the insulative portion having openings; and
a pair of conductors disposed in the openings and supported by the insulative portion;

wherein:
the openings are configured to provide clearances around edges of conductors of the at least one pair of conductors,
the insulative portion comprises:
a first member; and
a second member, and

the pair of conductors is disposed between the first member and the second member.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8 , wherein:
the first member comprises a first pedestal portion and a second pedestal portion,
the second member comprises a third pedestal portion and a fourth pedestal portion,
the pair of conductors comprises a first conductor and a second conductor, and
the first pedestal portion contacts a first side of the first conductor, the second pedestal portion contacts a first side of the second conductor, the third pedestal portion contacts a second side of the first conductor, and the fourth pedestal portion contacts a second side of the second conductor.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9 , wherein the second edge of the first conductor is held adjacent the first edge of the second conductor.

11. The electrical connector of claim 8 , wherein the insulative portion further comprises a third member, the third member disposed between conductors of the pair of conductors.

12. The electrical connector of claim 8 , further comprising reference conductors, the reference conductors disposed at least partially around the insulative portion and configured to press the first member towards the second member such that conductors of the pair of conductors are pinched between the first member and the second member.

13. The electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the reference conductors comprise two joined metal members that collectively encircle the first member and the second member of the insulative portion.

14. The electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the pair of conductors are an edge side coupled pair of signal conductors and the reference conductors form a shield around the edge side coupled pair of signal conductors.

15. An electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of wafers aligned in parallel, each of the wafers comprising:
a plurality of pairs of conductors;
central insulative portions configured to support a pair of conductors of the plurality of pairs of conductors, the central insulative portions having openings on opposite ends and being configured to provide clearances around edges of conductors of the pair of conductors; and
cover portions disposed on each side of the central insulative portions.

16. The electrical connector of claim 15 , wherein the conductors of the plurality of pairs of conductors each comprise:
a first end and a second end; and
an intermediate portion connecting the first end and the second end, the intermediate portion comprising a first edge and a second edge and a first side and a second side between the first edge and the second edge, the first and second sides being wider than the first and second edges, wherein
the central insulative portions are configured to provide clearances around the first and second edges of conductors of the plurality of pairs of conductors.

17. The electrical connector of claim 16 , wherein the central insulative portions comprise:
a first member; and
a second member,
wherein a pair of conductors of the plurality of pairs of conductors is disposed between the first member and the second member.

18. The electrical connector of claim 17 , wherein:
the first member comprises a first pedestal portion and a second pedestal portion,
the second member comprises a third pedestal portion and a fourth pedestal portion,
the pair of conductors comprises a first conductor and a second conductor,
the first pedestal portion contacts the first side of the first conductor, the second pedestal portion contacts the first side of the second conductor, the third pedestal portion contacts the second side of the first conductor, and the fourth pedestal portion contacts the second side of the second conductor, and
the second edge of the first conductor is held adjacent the first edge of the second conductor.

19. The electrical connector of claim 17 , wherein the central insulative portions further comprise a third member, the third member disposed between conductors of the pair of conductors.

20. The electrical connector of claim 17 , wherein wafers of the plurality of wafers further comprise reference conductors, the reference conductors disposed at least partially around the central insulative portions and configured to press the first member towards the second member such that conductors of the pair of conductors are pinched between the first member and the second member.

21. An electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of wafers aligned in parallel, each of the wafers comprising:
a plurality of pairs of conductors;
an insulative portion configured to support a pair of conductors of the plurality of pairs of conductors; and
cover portions disposed on each side of the insulative portion, wherein:
the conductors of the plurality of pairs of conductors each comprise:
a first end and a second end; and
an intermediate portion connecting the first end and the second end, the intermediate portion com

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Cartier Jr Marc B
• Dunham John Robert
• Sivarajan Vysakh
• Gailus Mark W
• Levine David
• Snyder Michael Joseph

Classifications

• H01R13/6582 Primary

  with resilient means for engaging mating connector · CPC title

• H05K1/145

  Arrangements wherein electric components are disposed between and simultaneously connected to two planar printed circuit boards, e.g. Cordwood modules · CPC title

• H01R13/6587 Primary

  for mounting on PCBs · CPC title

• H01R12/722

  coupling devices mounted on the edge of the printed circuits · CPC title

• H01R13/02 Primary

  Contact members · CPC title