High speed electronic system with midboard cable connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735852-B2
Application number	US-202017024337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2020
Priority date	Sep 19, 2019
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

Connector assemblies for making connections to a subassembly, such as a processor card, may include signal contact tips formed of a material different than that of an associated cable conductor. The signal contact tips may be formed of a super elastic material, such as nickel titanium. The connector assembly may include ground contact tips that similarly make a pressure contact to the electrical component may be electrically connected to a shield of the cable shield Housing modules that interlock or interface with a support member may be employed to manufacture connectors with any desired quantity of signal and ground contact tips in any suitable number of columns and rows. Each module may terminate a cable and provide pressure mount connections between signal conductors and the shield of the cable and conductive pads on the subassembly, and conductive or lossy grounded structures around the conductive elements carrying signals through the module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector assembly having at least one cable comprising at least a first cable conductor and an electrical connector, the connector assembly comprising:
a first contact tip comprising a superelastic conductive material, wherein the first contact tip includes a first side configured to mate with a first signal contact of a circuit board; and
a first conductive coupler mechanically and electrically coupling a second side of the first contact tip to a first side of the first cable conductor, wherein the first conductive coupler at least partially surrounds a circumference of the second side of the first contact tip and a circumference of the first side of the first cable conductor.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a housing comprising an opening therethrough,
wherein:
the opening comprises a first end and a second end,
the first contact tip passes through the first end,
the first cable conductor passes through the second end, and
the first conductive coupler is disposed in the opening.

3. The connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first conductive coupler is retained within the opening such that interference between the first conductive coupler and the first end or the second end of the opening inhibits movement, in at least one direction relative to the housing, of the first contact tip and the first cable conductor.

4. The connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the movement of the first contact tip and the first cable conductor is inhibited in a length direction of the first cable conductor.

5. The connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the opening is bounded by interior surfaces of the housing and the interior surfaces are at least partially coated with a conductor, wherein the interior surfaces are separated from the first conductive coupler by a distance that provides an impedance through the first conductive coupler that matches an impedance of the first cable conductor within a cable of the at least one cable, and wherein the interior surfaces are at least partially coated with metal.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first ground conductor and a first housing module, wherein:
the first housing module mechanically couples the first ground conductor to the first contact tip and the first cable conductor, and
the first housing module at least partially surrounds a circumference of the first ground conductor.

7. The connector assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first housing module includes a contact surface from which the first ground conductor and first contact tip project, wherein the first ground conductor projects, in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface, further from the contact surface than the first contact tip.

8. The connector assembly of claim 6 , wherein:
the at least one cable further comprises a second cable conductor; and
the connector assembly further comprises:
a second contact tip comprising a superelastic conductive material configured to mate with a second signal contact of the circuit board, wherein the second cable conductor is in electrical communication with the second contact tip; and
a second conductive coupler mechanically coupling the second contact tip to the second cable conductor, wherein the second conductive coupler at least partially surrounds a circumference of the second contact tip and a circumference of the second cable conductor.

9. The connector assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a second ground conductor, wherein:
the first housing module mechanically couples the second ground conductor to the second contact tip and the second cable conductor, and
the first housing module at least partially surrounds a circumference of the second ground conductor.

10. The connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first ground conductor is configured to mate with a first ground contact of the circuit board before the first contact tip mates with the first signal contact, wherein the second ground conductor is configured to mate with a second ground contact of the circuit board before the second contact tip mates with the second signal contact, and wherein the second ground conductor projects, in a direction perpendicular to a contact surface, further from the contact surface than the second contact tip.

11. The connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first contact tip, the second contact tip, the first cable conductor, the second cable conductor, the first ground conductor, and the second ground conductor are mechanically supported by the first housing module.

12. The connector assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a second housing module in which the second conductive coupler is disposed, and wherein the first conductive coupler is disposed in the first housing module.

13. The connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein:
the electrical connector comprises a plurality of housing modules comprising the first housing module and the second housing module,
the first housing module and the second housing module mechanically couple the first ground conductor to the second ground conductor,
the plurality of housing modules are disposed in at least one row comprising at least a first row,
the first housing module is in the first row, and
the first ground conductor is separated from the second ground conductor in a direction perpendicular to the first row.

14. The connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one row comprises at least a second row, and
the second housing module is in the second row separated from the first housing module in the direction perpendicular to the first row.

15. The connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first signal contact is disposed in a first signal contact row, wherein the second signal contact is disposed in a second signal contact row, and wherein the second signal contact is separated from the first signal contact in a direction perpendicular to the first signal contact row by a distance between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

16. The connector assembly of claim 15 , wherein the second signal contact is separated from the first signal contact in a direction parallel to the first signal contact row by a distance between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm.

17. The connector assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a metal sheet mechanically coupling the first housing module to the second housing module and to electrically coupling the first ground conductor to the second ground conductor.

18. The connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first cable conductor and the second cable conductor are disposed in a first cable, and wherein the first cable conductor and the second cable conductor are surrounded by a first shield, and wherein the first shield is electrically coupled with the first ground conductor and the second ground conductor.

19. The connector assembly of claim 18 , further comprising:
a third contact tip composed of a shape-memory alloy conductive material configured to mate with a third signal contact of the circuit board;
a third cable conductor;
a third conductive coupler mechanically coupling the third contact tip to the third cable conductor, wherein the third conductive coupler at least partially surrounds a circumference of the third contact tip and a circumference of the third cable conductor and the third cable conductor is electrically coupled to the third contact tip;
a third ground conductor;
a fourth contact tip composed of a shape-memory alloy conductive material configured to mate with a fourth signal contact of the circuit board;
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Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Cartier Jr Marc B
• Girard Jr Donald A
• Leo Eric

Classifications

• H01R13/65918 Primary

  wherein each conductor is individually surrounded by shield · CPC title

• H01R12/79 Primary

  connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R13/6471

  by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal] · CPC title

• H01R13/6477

  by variation of dielectric properties · CPC title

• H01R12/714

  with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit · CPC title