Cable connector mounts for connector bricks of a cable communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730357-B2
Application number	US-201514661503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A connector brick for a cable communication system includes a header frame including end walls and side walls defining a header opening. The header frame is configured for mating with at least one circuit card. A plurality of cable connectors are received in the header opening. Each cable connector has cables extending therefrom and each cable connector has a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header and configured for mating with a corresponding card connector of the corresponding circuit card. Cable connector mounts are coupled to the end walls and extend into the header opening. The cable connector mounts engage corresponding cable connectors to secure the cable connectors in the header opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector brick for a cable communication system comprising:
a header frame including end walls and side walls defining a header opening, the header frame being configured for mating with at least one circuit card;
a plurality of cable connectors received in the header opening, each cable connector having cables extending therefrom, each cable connector having a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header and configured for mating with a corresponding card connector of the corresponding circuit card, each header having lugs extending therefrom; and
cable connector mounts coupled to the end walls and extending into the header opening, the cable connector mounts being interspersed between successive cable connectors and engaging corresponding cable connectors to secure the cable connectors in the header opening, each cable connector mount comprising a front spacer member at a front end of the header frame and a rear spacer member discrete from the front spacer member and located at a rear end of the header frame, the lugs of corresponding headers being captured between and engaging the front spacer members and the rear spacer members to secure the cable connectors in the header opening.

2. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the cable connector mounts allow a limited amount of floating movement of the cable connectors in the header opening for alignment with the corresponding card connectors during mating.

3. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the cable connector mounts extend across the header opening between the opposite end walls.

4. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the cable connector mounts are spacers interspersed between successive cable connectors, each spacer securing two cable connectors with one cable connector on a first side of the spacer and another cable connector on an opposite second side of the spacer.

5. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the front spacer members include engagement surfaces engaging the corresponding lugs and the rear spacer members include engagement surfaces engaging the corresponding lugs to capture the lugs between the corresponding engagement surfaces of the front spacer members and the corresponding engagement surfaces of the rear spacer members to secure the cable connectors in the header opening.

6. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the cable connector mounts includes pockets being defined between the front spacer members and the rear spacer members, the lugs being received in corresponding pockets to capture the headers between the front spacer members and the rear spacer members.

7. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the rear spacer members include latches, the rear spacer members being coupled to the end walls by the latches after the cable connectors are positioned between corresponding front spacer members.

8. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the rear spacer members include latches, the rear spacer members being coupled to the front spacer members by the latches after the cable connectors are positioned between corresponding front spacer members.

9. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the cable connector mounts comprise deflectable latches coupled to the end walls, the deflectable latches engaging the headers to secure the cable connectors in the header opening.

10. The connector brick of claim 1 , wherein the cable connectors are configured to be loaded into the header opening in any order with the cable connector mounts securing the cable connectors in the header opening irrespective of the order in which the cable connectors are loaded into the header opening.

11. A connector brick for a cable communication system comprising:
a header frame including end walls and side walls defining a header opening, the header frame being configured for mating with at least one circuit card;
a plurality of cable connectors received in the header opening, each cable connector having cables extending therefrom, each cable connector having a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header and configured for mating with a corresponding card connector of the corresponding circuit card; and
cable connector mounts coupled to the end walls and extending into the header opening, the cable connector mounts engaging corresponding cable connectors to secure the cable connectors in the header opening, wherein the cable connector mounts are sleeves having channels receiving corresponding cable connectors such that the sleeves surround the cable connectors, the sleeves being secured to the end walls to secure the cable connectors in the header opening.

12. The connector brick of claim 11 , wherein the end walls comprise deflectable latches configured to engage corresponding sleeves to secure the sleeves in the header opening.

13. A cable communication system comprising:
a chassis having a frame having a plurality of frame members; and
connector bricks coupled to the frame, each connector brick comprising:
a header frame coupled to corresponding frame members, the header frame including end walls and side walls defining a header opening, the header frame being configured for mating with at least one circuit card;
a plurality of cable connectors received in the header opening, each cable connector having cables extending therefrom, each cable connector having a header holding signal contacts at a mating end of the header and configured for mating with a corresponding card connector of the corresponding circuit card; and
cable connector mounts coupled to the end walls and extending into the header opening, the cable connector mounts being interspersed between successive cable connectors and engaging corresponding cable connectors to secure the cable connectors in the header opening, each cable connector mount comprising a front spacer member and a rear spacer member discrete from the front spacer member, the front spacer member being fixedly coupled to the header frame at a front end of the header frame, the rear spacer member being fixedly coupled to the header frame at a rear end of the header frame.

14. The cable communication system of claim 13 , wherein the cable connector mounts extend across the header opening between the opposite end walls.

15. The cable communication system of claim 13 , wherein the headers engage both the front spacer members and the rear spacer members of the corresponding cable connector mounts such that the headers are captured between the front spacer members and the rear spacer members to secure the cable connectors in the header opening.

16. The cable communication system of claim 13 , wherein the headers include lugs extending therefrom, pockets being defined between the front spacer members and the rear spacer members, the lugs being received in corresponding pockets to capture the headers between the front spacer members and the rear spacer members.

17. The cable communication system of claim 13 , wherein the rear spacer members include deflectable latches, the rear spacer members being coupled to the end walls by the latches after the cable connectors are positioned between corresponding front spacer members.

18. The cable communication system of claim 13 , wherein the rear spacer members include latches, the rear spacer members being coupled to the front spacer members by the latches after the cable connectors are positioned between corresponding front spacer members.

19. The cable communication system of claim 13 , wherein the cable connector mounts are sleeves having channels recei

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Simpson Jeffrey Stewart
• Ritter Christopher

Classifications

• H01R13/6315

  allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection (for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/1492 Primary

  having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications · CPC title

• H01R12/91

  allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating or self aligning (for coupling devices not specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R13/6315 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/518 Primary

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title