Very high speed, high density electrical interconnection system with impedance control in mating region

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9685736-B2
Application number	US-201514940049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2015
Priority date	Nov 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A modular electrical connector with separately shielded signal conductor pairs. In some embodiments, the connector is assembled from modules, each containing a pair of signal conductors with surrounding partially or fully conductive material. In some embodiments, the modules have projecting portions, of conductive and/or dielectric material, that are shaped and positioned to reduce changes in impedance along the signal paths as a function of separation of conductive elements, when the connectors are separated by less than the functional mating range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interconnection system, comprising:
a plurality of signal conductors, each signal conductor of the plurality of signal conductors comprising a contact tail adapted to be attached to a printed circuit board, a mating contact portion, and an intermediate portion electrically coupling the contact tail and the mating contact portion; and
a housing portion holding the plurality of signal conductors, the housing portion comprising a plurality of mating regions, wherein:
a first mating contact portion of the at least one signal conductor is disposed in a mating region of the plurality of mating regions;
the housing portion comprises a mating interface surface having an opening therein, wherein the opening is sized and positioned to receive a second mating contact portion from a mating component for mating with the first mating contact portion; and
wherein each mating region of the plurality of mating regions comprises at least one projecting member, the at least one projecting member extending along a mating direction beyond the mating interface surface and beyond a distal end of the first mating contact portion of the at least one signal conductor.

2. The interconnection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one projecting member comprises a dielectric material having a dielectric constant higher than a dielectric constant of air.

3. The interconnection system of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one signal conductor is a first signal conductor;
the second mating contact portion is a pin-shaped mating contact portion of a second signal conductor; and
the first mating contact portion of the first signal conductor comprises a tube adapted to receive the second mating contact portion.

4. The interconnection system of claim 3 , wherein the tube comprises at least two opposing beams adapted to receive the pin-shaped mating contact portion therebetween.

5. The interconnection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one projecting member of the housing portion comprises a tapered distal end.

6. The interconnection system of claim 5 , wherein:
the mating component is a second mating component;
the housing portion is a first housing portion and comprises a housing of a first mating component adapted to mate with the second mating component;
the interconnection system further comprises the second mating component;
the second mating component comprises a second housing portion having a tapered surface, the tapered surface of the second housing portion being complementary to the tapered distal end of the at least one projecting member of the first housing portion such that, when the first and second connectors are in a mated configuration, the tapered distal end of the at least one projecting member conforms to and abuts the tapered surface of the second housing portion.

7. The interconnection system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second mating components are in the mated configuration.

8. The interconnection system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one reference conductor surrounding the housing portion on at least two sides.

9. The interconnection system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one reference conductor comprises at least a first reference conductor and a second reference conductor adapted to engage with the first reference conductor to capture the housing portion therebetween.

10. An interconnection system, comprising:
a plurality of signal conductors, each signal conductor of the plurality of signal conductors comprising a contact tail adapted to be attached to a printed circuit board, a mating contact portion, and an intermediate portion electrically coupling the contact tail and the mating contact portion; and
a housing portion holding at least one signal conductor of the plurality of signal conductors, the housing portion comprising a mating region, wherein:
a first mating contact portion of the at least one signal conductor is disposed in the mating region of the housing portion;
the housing portion comprises a mating interface surface having an opening therein, wherein the opening is sized and positioned to receive a second mating contact portion from a mating component for mating with the first mating contact portion; and
the mating region of the housing portion comprises at least one projecting member, the at least one projecting member extending along a mating direction beyond the mating interface surface and beyond a distal end of the first mating contact portion of the at least one signal conductor, wherein:

the at least one signal conductor is a first signal conductor and the housing portion is a first housing portion;
the mating component comprises a second signal conductor and a second housing portion;
the second mating contact portion is a mating contact portion of the second signal conductor and extends from the second housing portion;
the first mating contact portion of the first signal conductor is adapted to form an electrical connection with the second mating contact portion;
the mating region of the first housing portion comprises a cavity adapted to receive the second housing portion of the mating component; and
the at least one projecting member of the first housing portion is adjacent the cavity.

11. The interconnection system of claim 10 , further comprising the mating component, wherein the at least one projecting member has a length along the mating direction that is greater than or equal to a length of the second mating contact portion of the second signal conductor.

12. The interconnection system of claim 10 , further comprising the mating component, wherein:
the first mating contact portion of the first signal conductor comprises at least first and second contact regions, the first contact region being closer to the distal end of the first mating contact portion of the first signal conductor than the second contact region; and
when the second mating contact portion of the second signal conductor makes electrical contact with the first mating contact portion of the first signal conductor at the first contact region but not at the second contact region, the at least one projecting member of the first housing portion is adjacent a proximal end of the second mating contact portion of the second signal conductor.

13. The interconnection system of claim 10 , further comprising:
at least one reference conductor surrounding, on at least two sides, the mating contact portion of at least one signal conductor of the plurality of signal conductors, wherein;
the at least one reference conductor extends along a mating direction beyond a distal end of the mating contact portion of the at least one signal conductor such that the at least one reference conductor has a first region adjacent the mating contact portion and a second region extending beyond the distal end of the mating contact portion; and
the at least one reference conductor has a first separation from the mating contact portion in the first region and a second separation from the mating contact portion in the second region.

14. The interconnection system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one reference conductor comprises at least first reference conductor and second reference conductor adapted to engage with the first reference conductor to capture the at least one signal conductor therebetween.

15. The interconnection system of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one signal conductor is a first signal conductor of a first mating component of the interconnection system;
the interconnection system further comprises a second mating component, wherein the first mating component

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Gailus Mark W
• Dunham John Robert
• Cartier Jr Marc B
• Girard Jr Donald A

Classifications

• H01R13/6473

  Impedance matching · CPC title

• H01R13/6461

  Means for preventing cross-talk · CPC title

• H01R13/6474

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

• H01R12/585

  Terminals having a press fit or a compliant portion and a shank passing through a hole in the printed circuit board · CPC title

• H01R12/7076

  for connection between PCB and component, e.g. display · CPC title