Direct-attach connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9705273-B2
Application number	US-201414551590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2014
Priority date	Nov 26, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A contact ribbon configured to connect a cable to a substrate includes a plurality of signal contacts, a ground plane, and at least one ground contact extending from the ground plane. The plurality of signal contacts are connected by a support member, and the support member is removable after the plurality of signal contacts are connected to the cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable assembly comprising:
a contact ribbon made of a single stamping including:
a plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts;
a ground plane; and
a plurality of ground contacts extending from the ground plane in a row along a side of the ground plane such that a line extending through the plurality of ground contacts in the row does not intersect with any signal contacts of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts;

a cable including:
a plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors, each pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors is connected to a corresponding pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts;
a plurality of insulators each surrounding a corresponding pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors; and
a shield that surrounds the plurality of insulators and that is connected to the ground plane; wherein

the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts are solderable contacts.

2. The cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts are initially connected to both a ground plane and the support member connecting the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts; and
the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts are disconnected from the ground plane before the signal contacts are connected to the cable.

3. The cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the contact ribbon is included in a housing; and
a support member connecting the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts is removed from the contact ribbon after the contact ribbon is included in the housing.

4. The cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a support member connecting the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts is removed after the contact ribbon is connected to a substrate.

5. The cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts are arranged in at least a first row and a second row; and
the first row and the second row are offset from each other.

6. The cable assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the cable is a twinaxial cable.

7. A method of manufacturing a cable assembly, comprising:
providing a contact ribbon with a plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts and a ground plane with a plurality of ground contacts extending from the ground plane in a row along a side of the ground plane such that a line extending through the plurality of ground contacts in the row does not intersect with any signal contacts of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts;
providing a cable with a plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors, a plurality of insulators each surrounding a corresponding pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors, and a shield that surrounds the plurality of insulators;
connecting each pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts to a corresponding pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors at a first end of the cable; and
connecting the shield to the ground plane at the first end of the cable;
wherein
the plurality of signal contacts are solderable contacts.

8. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 7 , wherein each pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts is connected to the corresponding pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors by crimping or soldering.

9. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the shield is connected to the ground plane by soldering.

10. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising forming a housing for the contact ribbon before a support member connecting the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts is removed.

11. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 10 , wherein:
the housing includes at least one hole; and
the support member is removed by punching or cutting the support member through the at least one hole of the housing.

12. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising attaching the cable assembly to a substrate before a support member connecting the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts is removed.

13. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 12 , wherein each signal contact of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts is connected to a corresponding hole in the substrate by soldering.

14. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising:
forming a housing for the contact ribbon before a support member connecting the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts is removed, the housing including at least one hole; and
inserting a weld tab into the at least one hole of the housing.

15. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 14 , further comprising attaching the cable assembly to a substrate by inserting a leg of the weld tab into a corresponding hole in the substrate.

16. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the support member is a carrier attached to the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts.

17. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 7 , wherein a tie bar is connected between adjacent signal contacts in the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts.

18. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising providing a second contact ribbon connected to a second end of the cable.

19. The method of manufacturing a cable assembly according to claim 18 , wherein:
the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts of the first contact ribbon are arranged in at least a first row and a second row;
the first row and the second row are offset from each other; and
a plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts of the second contact ribbon are respectively arranged in rows corresponding to the first row and the second row in an opposing manner such that an overall signal transmission length for each of the conductors of the cable is the same or substantially the same.

20. A cable assembly comprising:
a contact ribbon made of a single stamping including:
a plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts;
a ground plane; and
a plurality of ground contacts extending from the ground plane in a row along a side of the ground plane such that a line extending through the plurality of ground contacts in the row does not intersect with any signal contacts of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts;

a cable including:
a plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors, each pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors is connected to a corresponding pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts;
a plurality of insulators each surrounding a corresponding pair of the plurality of pairs of first and second center conductors; and
a shield that surrounds the plurality of insulators and that is connected to the ground plane; wherein

the plurality of pairs of first and second signal contacts are press-fit contacts.

21. A method of manufacturin

Assignees

• Samtec Inc

Inventors

• Guetig Keith Richard
• Vicich Brian Richard
• Collingwood Andrew Robert
• Ellis Travis Scott

Classifications

• Y10T29/49174

  Assembling terminal to elongated conductor · CPC title

• H01R43/16 Primary

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H01R12/592

  connections to contact elements · CPC title

• H01R12/594

  for shielded flat cable · CPC title

• H01R9/032

  Electricity · mapped topic