Electrical connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308296-A1
Application number	US-201615098498-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments related to electrical connectors including superelastic components are described. The high elastic limit of superelastic materials compared to conventional connector materials may allow for designs which provide reliable connections and high frequency operation. Superelastic components also may enable connector designs with higher densities of connections. In some embodiments, a connector includes one or more superelastic elongated members forming the mating contacts of the connector. The superelastic elongated members deform within one or more conductive receptacles to generate a suitable contact force. The conductive receptacles may include a plurality of protrusions arranged to deflect the superelastic elongated members during mating. A superelastic component may also be provided in a receiving portion of a connector, and may form a portion of a conductive receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrical interconnection system, comprising:
a first connector comprising one or more mating contacts; and a second, mating connector comprising one or more conductive receptacles, wherein the one or more mating contacts are misaligned with the one or more conductive receptacles when the interconnection system is in an unmated configuration, wherein moving the interconnection to a mated configuration causes the one or more mating contacts to deform to create one or more contact points with the conductive receptacles.

2 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mating contacts comprise a superelastic material.

3 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 1 , wherein an opening of each receptacle of the one or more conductive receptacles includes a countersink.

4 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 3 , wherein for each countersink, a center of the countersink is offset relative to a center of the opening of the conductive receptacle in which the countersink is formed.

5 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductive receptacles comprise at least one projection extending from a surface of the conductive receptacles.

6 . An electrical connector comprising:
a housing; and a plurality of contact elements disposed in an array, each of the plurality of contact elements comprising a contact tail and a mating contact portion, wherein: the mating contact portion comprises opposing conductive surfaces held within the housing; and the mating contact portion comprises at least one projection extending from the at least one of the opposing conductive surfaces.

7 . The electrical connector of claim 6 , wherein the at least one projection is at least one of a peg, a bump, and an angled wall.

8 . The electrical connector of claim 6 , wherein the conductive surfaces of the mating contact portion is fixedly held within the housing.

9 . The electrical connector of claim 6 , wherein the mating contact portion comprises one or more compliant members.

10 . An electrical interconnection system, comprising:
a first connector comprising one or more superelastic components; and a second, mating connector comprising one or more conductive receptacles, wherein the one or more superelastic components deform without yielding within the one or more conductive receptacles when the connector is in a mated configuration.

11 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , wherein the deformation of the one or more superelastic components is in the superelastic regime, such that the deformation results in at least a partial phase change of the superelastic component.

12 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conductive receptacles comprise passages including one or more protrusions positioned such that the one or more superelastic components deflect at the protrusions when the connector is in a mated configuration.

13 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more protrusions are at least one of pegs, bumps, or angled walls.

14 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more protrusions are arranged along a helical path on the one or more receptacles, such that the one or more superelastic components are deflected along a helical path when the connector is in a mated configuration.

15 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more superelastic components deform in a first direction in the one or more conductive receptacles.

16 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more superelastic components deform in a second direction in the one or more conductive receptacles.

17 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conductive receptacles are substantially rigid.

18 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conductive receptacles include one or more compliant members.

19 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , wherein the deformation of the one or more superelastic components provides a substantially constant impedance between the superelastic components.

20 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , further comprising one or more non-superelastic components, wherein the one or more superelastic components are attached to the one or more non-superelastic components.

21 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conductive receptacles comprise one or more vias in a printed circuit board.

22 . An electrical connector comprising:
a receiving portion including a housing and constructed and arranged to a receive a connector blade; and at least one superelastic component disposed in the housing, wherein the superelastic component deforms within the housing to create a contact force against the connector blade when the connector blade is inserted into the receiving portion.

23 . The electrical connector of claim 22 , wherein the superelastic component is a wire.

24 . The electrical connector of claim 23 , wherein the superelastic wire is preloaded.

25 . The electrical connector of claim 22 , wherein the deformation of the superelastic component is in the superelastic regime, such that the deformation results in at least a partial phase change of the superelastic component.

26 . An electrical connector comprising:
one or more superelastic portions having a wave shape, wherein the one or more superelastic portions are constructed and arranged such that the wave shape is flattened during mating to generate a contact force.

27 . The electrical connector of claim 26 , further comprising a non-superelastic portion, wherein the superelastic portion is attached to the non-superelastic portion.

28 . The electrical connector of claim 27 , wherein the superelastic portion is attached to the non-superelastic portion by at least one of a weld or a rivet.

29 . The electrical connector of claim 26 , wherein the wave shape is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the superelastic portion.

30 . The electrical connector of claim 26 , wherein when the wave shape of the one or more superelastic portions is flattened, the superelastic portions deform and the deformation is in the superelastic regime, such that the deformation results in at least a partial phase change of the superelastic portion.

31 . An electrical interconnection system comprising:
one or more shape memory components having a first shape below a transition temperature, and a second shape above the transition temperature; and one or more receptacles constructed and arranged to receive the one or more shape memory components.

32 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 31 , wherein the one or more shape memory components do not contact the one or more receptacles when in the first shape below the transition temperature.

33 . The electrical interconnection system of claim 32 , wherein the one or more shape memory components contact the receptacles at at least one contact point when in the second shape above the transition temperature.

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Pitten Tom
• Gailus Mark W
• Cartier Jr Marc B
• Levine David
• Girard Jr Donald A

Classifications

• H10W72/20

  Bump connectors, e.g. solder bumps or copper pillars; Dummy bumps; Thermal bumps · CPC title

• H10W70/461

  specially adapted for cooling · CPC title

• H10W70/417

  Bonding materials between chips and die pads · CPC title

• H10W40/258

  Metallic materials (H10W40/254, H10W40/257, H10W40/255, H10W40/251, H10W40/253 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10W40/228

  the projecting parts being wire-shaped or pin-shaped · CPC title