High speed electronic system with midboard cable connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12166304-B2
Application number	US-202318347820-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2023
Priority date	Sep 19, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

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. An electrical connector, comprising:
a housing comprising a first surface, and a first side transverse to the first surface;
an electrical contact tip projecting from the housing and exposed at the first surface; and
at least one member configured as a receptacle sized to receive the housing therein, wherein the receptacle is bounded by a second side,
wherein:
the first side comprises a first portion with a second surface making an angle of greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to the first surface; and
the second side comprises a second portion with a third surface, parallel to the second surface and positioned to engage the second surface when the housing is received in the receptacle.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 in combination with a printed circuit board, wherein:
the receptacle is disposed on the circuit board;
the first portion comprises a wedge-shaped projection from the first surface; and
the second portion comprises a projection receptacle configured to receive the wedge-shaped projection when the housing is received in the receptacle.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 in combination with a circuit board, wherein:
the circuit board comprises a signal contact disposed on the circuit board,
when the housing is received in the receptacle, the electrical contact tip is brought into electrical communication w-ith the signal contact.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3 , wherein, as the second surface is engaged by the third surface, the housing is moved closer to the circuit board.

5. The electrical connector of claim 3 , wherein, as the housing is received in the receptacle, the electrical contact tip wipes the signal contact.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle includes a spring latch configured to releasably secure the housing in the receptacle.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6 , wherein the spring latch applies a force to the housing urging the housing into the receptacle.

8. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a first section and a second section, wherein the first section is angled relative to the second section by an angle between 15 and 60 degrees.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8 , wherein a thickness of the first section of the housing is between 3.5 and 4.5 mm.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the housing is between 3.5 and 4.5 mm.

11. The electrical connector of claim 1 , further comprising a metal stabilization plate disposed on a front face of the housing, wherein the metal stabilization plate increases the stiffness of the housing.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11 , wherein the metal stabilization plate is perpendicular to the first surface.

13. The electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the receptacle comprises a fourth surface comprising features engaging the metal stabilization plate.

14. The electrical connector of claim 3 , further comprising:
a ground contact tip projecting from the housing;
a ground contact disposed on the circuit board,
wherein, as the housing is moved into the receptacle and the second surface is in contact with the third surface, the ground contact tip is brought into electrical communication with the ground contact.

15. The electrical connector of claim 14 , wherein, the housing and the receptacle are configured such that, as the housing moves into the receptacle and the second surface is in contact with the third surface, the ground contact tip is brought into electrical communication with the ground contact before the electrical contact tip is brought into electrical communication with a signal contact.

16. The electrical connector of claim 14 , further comprising a cable having a cable conductor in electrical communication with the electrical contact tip and shield in electrical communication with the ground contact tip.

17. The electrical connector of claim 16 , wherein the shield surrounds the cable conductor.

18. The electrical connector of claim 16 , further comprising a second electrical contact tip, wherein the cable includes a second cable conductor in electrical communication with the second electrical contact tip, and wherein the shield surrounds the cable conductor and second cable conductor.

19. The electrical connector of claim 16 , further comprising a compliant conductive member which at least partially surrounds the shield and the ground contact tip, wherein the conductive member electrically couples the ground contact tip to the shield.

20. A method of connecting a cable to a substrate, comprising:
positioning a housing with a first surface of the housing facing a surface of the substrate;
applying a first force to the housing in a first direction, wherein the first direction is parallel to the surface of the substrate;
engaging a second surface on the housing with a third surface attached to the substrate, such that a second force in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, is generated on the housing; and
urging, with the second force, at least one contact tip extending through the first surface against at least one contact disposed on the surface of the substrate.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising inhibiting bowing of the housing about a transverse axis of the housing with a metal stabilization plate.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising rotating a spring latch into engagement with a tab formed on the housing to secure the housing in a receptacle.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising applying a force to the housing in the first direction with the spring latch.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising wiping the contact with the at least one contact tip as the housing is moved in the first direction.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the at least one contact tip comprises a plurality of signal contact tips and a plurality of ground contact tips;
the at least one contact disposed on the surface of the substrate comprises a plurality of signal contacts and a plurality of ground contacts;
the method further comprises:
wiping the signal contacts with the signal contact tips as the housing is moved in the first direction; and
wiping the ground contacts with the ground contact tips as the housing is moved in the first direction.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second surface and/or the third surface are angled relative to the surface of the substrate by an angle of greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees such that the second force is generated by camming the second surface against the third surface.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
urging the at least one contact tip against the at least one contact comprises deflecting a first electrical contact tip from a resting position by at least 0.1 mm with a force that varies by less than 10% over the range of deflections from 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein elastically deflecting the first electrical contact tip comprises transitioning the first electrical contact tip from an austenite to a martensite phase.

29. The method of claim 20 , further comprising electrically connecting a second electrical contact tip to a second signal contact disposed in a receptacle.

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01R13/6473

  Impedance matching · CPC title

• H01R12/775 Primary

  Ground or shield arrangements · CPC title

• H01R13/518

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title

• H01R12/714

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

• H01R13/6477

  by variation of dielectric properties · CPC title