Tap power connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12021341-B2
Application number	US-202217688865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2022
Priority date	Mar 7, 2022
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A power connector assembly transferring power between a supply connector assembly and a tap connector assembly includes a front interface module mated with the supply connector assembly and a rear interface module mounted to a host circuit board. The power connector assembly includes a power tap module between the front interface module and the rear interface module having power tap contacts each electrically connected to corresponding front and rear power contacts. Each power tap contact includes a tap interface exterior of the front housing and exterior of the rear housing configured to be terminated to the tap connector assembly. The power tap contact electrically connecting the front power contact and the tap connector assembly to transfer power from the supply connector assembly to the tap connector assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power connector assembly configured to transfer power between a supply connector assembly and a tap connector assembly, the power connector assembly comprising:
a front interface module configured to be mated with the supply connector assembly, the front interface module including a front housing having a front receptacle and front power contacts in the front receptacle configured to be mated with the supply connector assembly;
a rear interface module configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the rear interface module including a rear housing having a rear receptacle and rear power contacts in the rear receptacle configured to be terminated to the host circuit board; and
a power tap module between the front interface module and the rear interface module, the power tap module including power tap contacts, each power tap contact being electrically connected to the corresponding front power contact and the corresponding rear power contact, each power tap contact including a tap interface exterior of the front housing and exterior of the rear housing, the tap interface configured to be terminated to the tap connector assembly, the power tap contact electrically connecting the front power contact and the tap connector assembly to transfer power from the supply connector assembly to the tap connector assembly.

2. The power connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power tap module separates the front interface module from the rear interface module.

3. The power connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the power tap module includes a power tap circuit board having power tap circuits on a substrate, the power tap circuits defining the power tap contacts, the power tap circuit board having a card edge configured to be plugged into the tap connector assembly.

4. The power connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the power tap circuit board includes a front surface and a rear surface, the power tap circuits including front circuits and rear circuits, the front circuits being electrically connected to the rear circuits through the substrate, the front power contacts being terminated to the front circuits, the rear power contacts being terminated to the rear circuits.

5. The power connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein each front power contact includes a mating end and a terminating end, the terminating end being terminated to the corresponding power tap contact, the mating end including a spring beam configured to be coupled to the supply connector assembly, and wherein each rear power contact includes a mating end and a terminating end, the mating end being coupled to the corresponding power tap contact, the terminating end configured to be terminated to the host circuit board.

6. The power connector assembly of claim 5 , wherein the terminating ends of the front power contacts are soldered to the power tap contacts and the mating ends of the rear power contacts are soldered to the power tap contacts.

7. The power connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the front power contacts include an upper array of upper front power contacts and a lower array of lower front power contacts, the upper front power contacts facing the lower front power contacts across a receptacle slot at a mating end of the front housing configured to receive a plug element of the supply connector assembly, each power tap contact being electrically connected to the corresponding upper front power contact and being electrically connected to the corresponding lower front power contact.

8. The power connector assembly of claim 7 , wherein the rear power contacts include an upper array of upper rear power contacts and a lower array of lower rear power contacts, each power tap contact being electrically connected to the corresponding upper rear power contact and being electrically connected to corresponding lower rear power contact.

9. The power connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rear power contacts are right-angle contacts having mating ends oriented perpendicular to terminating ends.

10. The power connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the front interface module is a card edge connector mounted to a front surface of the power tap module.

11. A power connector assembly configured to transfer power between a supply connector assembly and a tap connector assembly, the power connector assembly comprising:
a power connector housing extending between a front and a rear, the power connector housing having a mating end at the front configured to be mated with the supply connector assembly, the power connector housing having a mounting end at the rear configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the power connector housing having an internal chamber;
power contacts received in the internal chamber of the power connector housing, the power contacts including an upper array or upper power contacts and a lower array of lower power contacts, the upper power contacts facing the lower power contacts across a receptacle slot at the mating end, the upper power contacts provided at the mating end for electrical connection with the supply connector assembly, the upper power contacts provided at the mounting end for electrical connection with the host circuit board, the lower power contacts provided at the mating end for electrical connection with the supply connector assembly, the lower power contacts provided at the mounting end for electrical connection with the host circuit board; and
a power tap module coupled to the power connector housing, the power tap module including power tap contacts, each power tap contact being electrically connected to the corresponding upper power contact and the corresponding lower power contact, each power tap contact including a tap interface exterior of the power connector housing, the tap interface configured to be terminated to the tap connector assembly, the power tap contacts electrically connecting the upper and lower power contacts with the tap connector assembly to transfer power from the supply connector assembly to the tap connector assembly.

12. The power connector assembly of claim 11 , wherein the power connector housing includes a front housing at the front and a rear housing at the rear, the internal chamber having a front receptacle along the front housing and a rear receptacle along the rear housing, the power contacts including front power contacts in the front receptacle configured to be mated with the supply connector assembly and rear power contacts in the rear receptacle configured to be terminated to the host circuit board, each power tap contact being electrically connected to the corresponding front power contact and the corresponding rear power contact.

13. The power connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the front housing is separate and discrete from the rear housing, the power tap module including a power tap circuit board located between and separating the front housing from the rear housing, the front power contacts being terminated to a front surface of the power tap circuit board, the rear power contacts being terminated to a rear surface of the power tap circuit board.

14. The power connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the power tap circuit board includes power tap circuits defining the power tap contacts, the power tap circuit board having a card edge configured to be plugged into the tap connector assembly.

15. The power connector assembly of claim 11 , wherein the power tap contacts are stamped and formed contacts, each power tap contact including a base and a mating tab extending from the base, the base being coupled to at least one of the upper power contact or the lower

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Solutions Gmbh

Inventors

• Costello Brian Patrick
• Horning Michael James
• Guduru Harshita

Classifications

• H01R12/732

  Printed circuits being in the same plane · CPC title

• H01R12/7041

  Gluing or taping · CPC title

• H01R2201/04

  for network, e.g. LAN connectors · CPC title

• H01R12/79

  connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R12/73

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