Extender module for modular connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12199373-B2
Application number	US-202318208729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2023
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A modular electrical connector with modular components suitable for assembly into a right angle connector may also be used in forming an orthogonal connector or connector in other desired configurations. The connector modules may be configured through the user of extender modules. Those connector modules may be held together as a right angle connector with a front housing portion, which, in some embodiments, may be shaped differently depending on whether the connector modules are used to form a right angle connector or an orthogonal connector. When designed to form an orthogonal connector, the extender modules may interlock into subarrays, which may be held to other connector components through the use of an extender shell. The mating contact portions on the extender modules may be such that a right angle connector, similarly made with connector modules, may directly mate with the orthogonal connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extender for an electrical connector, the extender comprising:
a plurality of extender modules, each extender module comprising:
a pair of elongated signal conductors having a first end and a second end, each signal conductor of the pair comprising:
a first contact portion at the first end, the first contact portion configured for engaging with a mating contact portion of the electrical connector;
a second contact portion at the second end, the second contact portion configured for engaging with a mating contact portion of another electrical connector; and
an intermediate portion coupling the first contact portion to the second contact portion; and

a plurality of lossy dividing members each disposed between a respective pair of extender modules of the plurality of extender modules.

2. The extender of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of extender modules are arranged in a plurality of subsets, and the plurality of lossy dividing members are each disposed between subsets of a respective pair of subsets of the plurality of extender modules.

3. The extender of claim 1 , further comprising an extender shell supporting the plurality of extender modules and the plurality of lossy dividing members.

4. The extender of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of subsets comprise rows of extender modules separated by ones of the plurality of lossy dividing members.

5. The extender of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of subsets comprise pairs of extender modules.

6. The extender of claim 5 , wherein extender modules of the pairs of extender modules in each subset are rotated 180 degrees with respect to one another.

7. The extender of claim 5 , wherein the extender modules of the pairs of extender modules in each subset are interlocked.

8. The extender of claim 5 , wherein:
the first contact portions of the plurality of extender modules are arranged in a contact array to form a mating interface; and
the first contact portions of the pairs of extender modules of each subset form square subarrays of the contact array.

9. The extender of claim 1 , wherein each extender module of the plurality of extender modules further comprises insulating material formed as a single portion, with the intermediate portions of the pair of signal conductors disposed within the insulating material of the single portion.

10. An extender for an electrical connector, the extender comprising:
a plurality of extender modules, each extender module comprising:
a pair of elongated signal conductors having a first end and a second end, each signal conductor of the pair comprising:
a first contact portion at the first end;
a second contact portion at the second end; and
an intermediate portion coupling the first contact portion to the second contact portion; and

a plurality of lossy dividing members each disposed between a respective pair of extender modules of the plurality of extender modules,

wherein:
the first contact portions of the pair of elongated signal conductors are positioned along a first line and extend in a first direction;
the second contact portions of the pair of elongated signal conductors are positioned along a second line and extend parallel to the first direction; and
the first line is angularly offset from the second line.

11. The extender of claim 10 , wherein the first line is orthogonal to the second line.

12. An electrical connector system, comprising:
an electrical connector comprising a plurality of connector modules, each connector module comprising a pair of signal conductors, each signal conductor of the pair comprising:
a mating contact portion;
a contact tail; and
an intermediate portion coupling the mating contact portion to the contact tail; and

the extender of claim 1 , with the second portions of the plurality of extender modules received by the mating contact portions of the plurality of connector modules of the electrical connector.

13. An extender module for an electrical connector, the extender module comprising:
a pair of elongated signal conductors having a first end and a second end, each signal conductor of the pair comprising:
a first contact portion at the first end;
a second contact portion at the second end; and
an intermediate portion coupling the first contact portion to the second contact portion and comprising a bend;

wherein:
the pair of elongated signal conductors have different lengths from the first end to the bend, different lengths from the second end to the bend, and equal lengths from the first end to the second end;
the first contact portions of the pair of elongated signal conductors are positioned along a first line and extend in a first direction;
the second contact portions of the pair of elongated signal conductors are positioned along a second line and extend parallel to the first direction; and
the first line is angularly offset from the second line.

14. The extender module of claim 13 , wherein the extender module further comprises insulating material formed as a single portion.

15. The extender module of claim 13 , wherein the first line is orthogonal to the second line.

16. The extender module of claim 13 , further comprising insulating material having a first region and a second region that is orthogonal to the first region, the pair of elongated signal conductors being disposed within the first region of the insulating material at least part of the way from the first end to the bend and disposed within the second region of the insulating material at least part of the way from the second end to the bend.

17. The extender module of claim 16 , further comprising first and second conductive shield elements disposed on opposing sides of the first region of the insulating material, respectively, and on opposing sides of the second region of the insulating material, respectively.

18. The extender module of claim 13 , further comprising first and second conductive shield elements disposed on respective first and second opposing sides of the pair of elongated signal conductors.

19. An electrical connector system configured for mating with a second electrical connector, the electrical connector system comprising:
an electrical connector comprising a plurality of connector modules, each connector module comprising a pair of signal conductors, each signal conductor of the pair comprising:
a mating contact portion;
a contact tail; and
an intermediate portion coupling the mating contact portion to the contact tail; and

an extender module assembly, comprising:
a plurality of extender modules, each extender module comprising a pair of elongated signal conductors having a first end and a second end, each signal conductor of the pair comprising:
a first contact portion at the first end;
a second contact portion at the second end comprising a receptacle; and
an intermediate portion coupling the first contact portion to the second contact portion,

wherein the mating contact portions of the plurality of connector modules are received in the receptacles of the plurality of extender modules and the first contact portions are configured to engage mating contact portions of the second electrical connector.

20. The electrical connector system of claim 19 , wherein the first contact portions of the plurality of extender modules are configured to mate with corresponding contact portions of another electrical connector.

21. The electrical connector system of claim 19 , further comprising:
an extender shell atta

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Astbury Allan
• Dunham John Robert
• Cartier Jr Marc B
• Gailus Mark W
• Provencher Daniel B

Classifications

• H01R43/20

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• H01R13/659

  with plural ports for distinct connectors · CPC title

• H01R13/6474

  by variation of conductive properties, e.g. by dimension variations · CPC title

• H01R13/6471

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

• H01R12/737

  Printed circuits being substantially perpendicular to each other (for printed connections H05K3/366) · CPC title