Cable terminal with air-enhanced contact pins

• US 20050079772A1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision Interconnect Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Ludlow Company LP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: DeLessert, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,371,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/700
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0416 Connectors, terminals G01R1/0425 and G01R1/0433 take precedence; with measurement function for battery poles G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06722 Spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06772 High frequency probes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/18 End pieces terminating in a probe
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/592 connections to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/598 Each conductor being individually surrounded by shield, e.g. multiple coaxial cables in flat structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/61 connecting to flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/512 assembled by screw or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/66 Structural association with built-in electrical component coupling devices having concentrically or coaxially-arranged contacts H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6616 with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6625 with capacitive component
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/44 comprising impedance matching means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0515 Connection to a rigid planar substrate, e.g. printed circuit board

Abstract

An electrical connector has a body with a number of probes. Each probe has a spring biased pin with a contact tip, and includes a sleeve receiving the pin. Each sleeve has a first end connected to an incoming conductor, a second end connected to the body and from which the pin protrudes, and an intermediate portion suspended out of contact with the body. The sleeve may be spaced apart from adjacent sleeves, and suspended in air except at their ends. The probes may each be connected to coaxial cables, with alternating probes connected in alternating fashion to coaxial cable shields and signal conductors.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a body;

a plurality of probes connected to the body;

each probe having a spring biased pin with a contact tip; and

each pin including a sleeve portion receiving the pin; and

each sleeve portion having a first end connected to an incoming conductor, a second end connected to the body and from which the pin protrudes, and an intermediate portion suspended out of contact with the body.

2. The connector of claim 1 wherein each sleeve is spaced apart from adjacent sleeves without intervening material.

3. The connector of claim 1 wherein the sleeves are suspended in air except at their ends and are each spaced apart from adjacent sleeves.

4. The connector of claim 1 including a plurality of coaxial cables connected to the body, each cable having a signal conductor surrounded by a conductive shield, the probes being arranged in an array with every other probe connected to a respective signal conductor, and the remaining probes connected to the shields.

5. The connector of claim 4 wherein the second ends of the sleeves that are connected to the shields are interdigitated with the shields in an alternating pattern.

6. The connector of claim 4 wherein the first ends of the sleeves are each connected to respective metallized pads of a first array of pads.

7. The connector of claim 1 wherein the body has a peripheral edge and wherein the pins extend beyond the body.

8. The connector of claim 1 wherein each probe provides a generally linear conductive path from the tip of the probe, through the length of the probe to an opposite end of the probe in contact with a spring, through the spring to a contacting portion of the sleeve, and through a remaining sleeve portion to the incoming conductor, such that the conductive path does not rely on possible lateral contact between an intermediate portion of the pin and the first portion of the sleeve

9. The connector of claim 1 wherein the body is a circuit element having a first linear portion supporting the sleeves at their first ends, and a second linear portion spaced apart from the first portion supporting at least some of the sleeves at their second ends.

10. The connector of claim 1 wherein the body is a frame supporting the ends of the sleeves, and having an opening registered with the intermediate portion of the sleeves.

11. The connector of claim 1 wherein the body includes metallized surface portions to which the ends of the sleeves are soldered.

12. The connector of claim 8 wherein the metallized surface portions include a first array of pads, each positioned between adjacent incoming conductors.

13. The connector of claim 10 wherein the incoming conductors include surrounding shields, and wherein the shields are connected to the adjacent pads of the first array.

14. The connector of claim 11 wherein the shields are connected to each other at the first array.

15. The connector of claim 1 wherein the sleeves comprise two subsets, the members of each subset alternating with each other, and wherein the first ends of the sleeves of the members of one of the subsets extend beyond the first ends of the members of the other subset.

17. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the cable includes a plurality of coaxial wires each having a signal conductor and an outer shield, and a first subset of sleeves including every other sleeve are each connected to a respective signal conductor, and the others of the sleeves are connected to the shields.

16. A cable assembly comprising:

a circuit element having a pattern of conductive surface portions;

a plurality of sleeves connected to the board;

each sleeve containing a spring pin extending beyond a first peripheral edge portion of the circuit element; and

a cable having a plurality of conductors electrically connected to the sleeves.

18. The assembly of claim 16 wherein end portions of the sleeves of the first subset are interspersed in alternative arrangement with end portions of the shields.

19. The assembly of claim 16 wherein each sleeve has opposed ends and an intermediate portion, and wherein the circuit element has an open portion underlying the intermediate portions.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein the intermediate portions of the sleeves are spaced apart from each other.