Mezzanine receptacle connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9293845-B2
Application number	US-201414283575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	Apr 22, 2014
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A mezzanine receptacle connector includes a housing having a mating end configured to be mated with a mezzanine header connector and a mounting end configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The mating end is opposite the mounting end and includes a plurality of contact cavities configured to receive associated header contacts of the mezzanine header connector. Receptacle contacts are received in corresponding contact cavities of the housing. Each receptacle contact has a main contact and a sub-contact extending from the main contact. The main contact defines a first mating interface and the sub-contact defines a second mating interface. The first and second mating interfaces of each receptacle contact are configured to directly engage the same header contact of the mezzanine header connector at different points of contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mezzanine receptacle connector comprising:
a housing having a mating end configured to be mated with a mezzanine header connector and a mounting end configured to be mounted to a circuit board, the mating end being opposite the mounting end, the mating end having a plurality of contact cavities configured to receive associated header contacts of the mezzanine header connector; and
receptacle contacts received in corresponding contact cavities of the housing, each receptacle contact having a main contact and a sub-contact extending from the main contact, the sub-contact being independent and discrete from the main contact and being mechanically fixed thereto, and the sub-contact is engaging the main contact at two different points;
the main contact defining a first mating interface and the sub-contact defining a second mating interface, the first and second mating interfaces of each receptacle contact configured to directly engage the same header contact of the mezzanine header connector at different points of contact.

2. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the sub-contact includes a stamped and formed body and the main contact includes a stamped and formed body, the stamped and formed body of the sub-contact being stamped and formed independent from the stamped and formed body of the main contact such that the stamped and formed body of the sub-contact is configured to be mechanically fixed to the stamped and formed body of the main contact.

3. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the sub-contact is welded to the main contact.

4. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the sub-contact is crimped to the main contact.

5. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the sub-contact includes a base end and a support end, the base end being fixed to the main contact, the support end supporting the main contact, the base end and the support end defining the two different points of contact between the sub-contact and the main contact.

6. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the main contact comprises a base, a compliant pin extending from the base for termination to the circuit board, and a spring beam extending from the base for connection to the corresponding header contact, the spring beam defining the first mating interface.

7. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 6 , wherein the spring beam is deflectable, the sub-contact being fixed to the base, the sub-contact engaging the spring beam and being deflectable with the spring beam.

8. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 6 , wherein the spring beam extends to a distal end, the spring beam including a hook at the distal end, the hook being curved and defining the first mating interface, the sub-contact engaging the spring beam proximate to the hook.

9. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle contact extends along a contact axis, the main contact and the sub-contact being aligned with each other and with the header contact such that the sub-contact is positioned in line between the header contact and the main contact and with the first and second mating interfaces being offset along the contact axis.

10. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the main contact comprises a planar base and a spring beam extending from the base, the spring beam being bowed outward in a first direction from the base, the sub-contact being coupled to the base and being bowed outward in a second direction from the base, the sub-contact engaging the spring beam remote from the base.

11. A mezzanine receptacle connector comprising:
a housing having a mating end configured to be mated with a mezzanine header connector and a mounting end configured to be mounted to a circuit board, the mating end being opposite the mounting end; and
a receptacle contact held by the housing, the receptacle contact having a main contact and a sub-contact extending from the main contact, the main contact having a base, the main contact extending between a mating end and a terminating end, the terminating end extending from the mounting end of the housing for termination to the circuit board, the mating end having a deflectable spring beam with a first mating interface configured to electrically couple to a corresponding header contact of the mezzanine header connector, the sub-contact extending from the base and having a supporting beam mechanically and electrically connected to the spring beam remote from the base, the sub-contact having a second mating interface configured to electrically couple to a corresponding header contact of the mezzanine header connector remote from the first mating interface.

12. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the sub-contact is discrete from the main contact and mechanically fixed thereto.

13. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 12 , wherein the sub-contact is welded to the main contact.

14. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 12 , wherein the sub-contact is crimped to the main contact.

15. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the sub-contact includes a base end and a support end, the base end being fixed to the main contact, the support end supporting the main contact, the base end and the support end defining two different points of contact between the sub-contact and the main contact.

16. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the sub-contact is fixed to the base, the sub-contact engaging the spring beam and being deflectable with the spring beam.

17. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the receptacle contact extends along a contact axis, the first and second mating interfaces being offset along the contact axis.

18. A mezzanine connector assembly comprising:
a mezzanine header connector having a plurality of contact assemblies, each contact assembly having at least one pair of header contacts arranged on opposite sides of a corresponding dielectric holder; and
a mezzanine receptacle connector coupled to the mezzanine header connector, the mezzanine receptacle connector having a housing having a plurality of contact cavities, each contact cavity receiving an associated dielectric holder and pair of header contacts of the mezzanine header connector, the mezzanine receptacle connector having receptacle contacts arranged in pairs and received in corresponding contact cavities of the housing, each receptacle contact having a main contact and a sub-contact extending from the main contact, the sub-contact being independent and discrete from the main contact and being mechanically fixed thereto, the main contact having a first mating interface and the sub-contact having a second mating interface, the first and second mating interfaces of each receptacle contact directly engaging the same header contact of the mezzanine header connector at different points of contact.

19. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 18 , wherein the sub-contact has at least two points of contact with the main contact.

20. The mezzanine receptacle connector of claim 18 , wherein each receptacle contact extends along a contact axis, the contact axis being oriented vertically, the first and second mating interfaces engaging the corresponding header contact at different, vertically offset points of contact.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Jeon James Myoungsoo
• Morgan Chad W
• Hornung Craig Warren

Classifications

• H01R13/6587

  for mounting on PCBs · CPC title

• H01R12/714 Primary

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

• H01R12/7082

  Coupling device supported only by cooperation with PCB · CPC title

• H01R12/55 Primary

  characterised by the terminals · CPC title