Connector configurable for high performance

• US 10,243,304 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Original Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
• Inventors: Kirk, Brian, Si, Jason, Pham, Ba, Kocsis, Sam, Chan, David, Wang, Wonder, Tang, Bob, Li, Martin, Wu, Smith
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khiem
• Application Number:
  US15/683,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20180062323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 439 83, 43960709-60711
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6473 Impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6585 Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6593 the shield being composed of different pieces
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6594 the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6599 Dielectric material made conductive, e.g. plastic material coated with metal

Abstract

An electrical connector for high speed signals. The connector has multiple conductive elements that may serve as signal or ground conductors. A member formed with lossy material and conductive compliant members may be inserted in the connector. The conductive compliant members may be aligned with conductive elements of the connector configured as ground conductors. For a connector configured to carry differential signals, the ground conductors may separate pairs of signal conductors. The member may further include a conductive web, embedded within the lossy material, that interconnects the conductive compliant members. For a receptacle connector, the conductive elements may have mating contact portions aligned along opposing surfaces of a cavity. The conductive elements may have contact tails for attachment to a printed circuit board and intermediate portions connecting the mating contact portions and the contact tails. The conductive compliant members may press against the intermediate portions.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a first subassembly comprising a first plurality of conductive elements disposed in a first row, each conductive element of the first plurality having a mating contact portion, a contact tail and an intermediate portion connecting the mating contact portion and the contact tail;

a second subassembly comprising a second plurality of conductive elements disposed in a second row, each conductive element of the second plurality having a mating contact portion, a contact tail and an intermediate portion connecting the mating contact portion and the contact tail;

a member disposed between the first subassembly and the second subassembly, the member comprising lossy material and a plurality of conductive, compliant members extending from the lossy material,

wherein;

conductive compliant members of the plurality of conductive compliant members make contact with a portion of conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements and a portion of the conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

the conductive compliant members are positioned to contact conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements that are separated by pairs of the conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein:

the conductive compliant members are positioned to contact conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements that are separated by pairs of the conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3, further comprising a housing having a cavity with a first surface, and a second, parallel surface, wherein:

the mating contact portions of the first plurality of conductive elements are adjacent the first surface, and

the mating contact portions of the second plurality of conductive elements are adjacent the second surface.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein:

the first surface and a second surface are spaced apart to receive a paddle card between the first surface and second surface;

the housing comprises a first plurality of channels in the first surface and a second plurality of channels in the second surface;

the mating contact portions of the first plurality of conductive elements are disposed in the first plurality of channels; and

the mating contact portions of the second plurality of conductive elements are disposed in the second plurality of channels.

6. The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein:

the member is disposed within the housing between the first subassembly and the second subassembly.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein:

the first subassembly comprises a first insulative portion;

the second subassembly comprises a second insulative portion; and

the member is held between the first insulative portion and the second insulative portion.

8. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

the lossy material comprises a polymer and conductive fillers;

the conductive compliant members are integrally formed with at least one conductive member;

the lossy material is formed around the at least one conductive member.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein:

the lossy material comprises a polymer and conductive fillers; and

each of the plurality of conductive compliant members making contact with a conductive element of the first plurality of conductive elements is integrally formed with a conductive member making contact with a conductive element of the second plurality of conductive elements.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the bulk conductivity of the conductive compliant members is at least ten times the conductivity of the lossy material.

11. An electrical connector, comprising:

a plurality of conductive elements disposed in at least one row, each conductive element of the plurality having a mating contact portion, a contact tail and an intermediate portion connecting the mating contact portion and the contact tail;

a member comprising;

an electrically lossy body elongated in a direction parallel to the row; and

a plurality of conductive, compliant members extending from the lossy body, wherein;

the conductive compliant members make contact with a portion of the plurality of conductive elements.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of conductive compliant members contact the intermediate portions of conductive elements in the portion, and

the portion of the plurality of conductive elements consists essentially of conductive elements separated from an adjacent conductive element in the portion by at least one other conductive element in the row.

13. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein:

the portion of the plurality of conductive elements consists essentially of conductive elements separated from an adjacent conductive element in the portion by a pair of other conductive elements in the row.

14. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein:

the member comprises a surface that is elongated in a direction parallel to the row; and

each of the plurality of conductive, compliant members comprises a first portion extending through the surface, a bend and a second portion, separated from the first portion by the bend, the second portion extending in a direction transverse to the direction parallel to the row.

15. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein:

the member comprises a metal member elongated in a direction parallel to the row; and

the plurality of conductive, compliant members are integral with the metal member.

16. The electrical connector of claim 14, wherein:

the member comprises a polymer having conductive particulates embedded therein; and

the member comprises a first portion embedded in the polymer, with the conductive, compliant members extending from the first portion.

17. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of conductive, compliant members comprise a plurality of C-shaped elements.

18. The electrical connector of claim 11, further comprising:

an insulative housing comprising a surface, wherein the plurality of conductive elements are supported by the housing; and

a metal latching clip disposed on the surface of the housing.

19. An electrical connector configured as a receptacle for a plug of a cable assembly, the electrical connector comprising:

an insulative housing comprising at least one cavity configured to receive the plug, the cavity comprising a first surface and a second surface, opposing the first surface;

a first plurality of conductive elements, each having a portion disposed along the first surface;

a second plurality of conductive elements, each having a portion disposed along the second surface;

a member disposed within the housing, the member comprising lossy material and a plurality of conductive members extending from the lossy material,

wherein;

conductive members of the plurality of conductive members make contact with a portion of the conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements and a portion of the conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements.

20. The electrical connector of claim 19 in an assembly comprising a printed circuit board, wherein:

the printed circuit board comprises at least one ground plane; and

each conductive element of the portion of conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements and the portion of the conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements is attached to a ground plane of the at least one ground plane.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein

the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of pairs of signal traces;

and

the conductive members are positioned to contact conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements that are separated by pairs of the conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements;

the conductive members are positioned to contact conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements that are separated by pairs of the conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements; and

the pairs of conductive elements of the first and second plurality of conductive elements are each coupled to a pair of the plurality of pairs of signal traces in the printed circuit board.

22. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the member comprises a conductive web interconnecting the plurality of conductive members.

23. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the conductive web is embedded in the lossy material.

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein:

the first plurality of conductive elements comprise a first subassembly, the first subassembly comprising a first insulative portion holding the plurality of conductive elements in a first row; and

the second plurality of conductive elements comprise a second subassembly, the second subassembly comprising a second insulative portion holding the plurality of conductive elements in a second row.

25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein the first insulative portion and the second insulative portion is formed with a plurality of castellations, and the member comprises portions extending between the castellations of the first insulative portion and the second insulative portion.