High speed, direct path, stair-step, electronic connectors with improved signal integrity characteristics and methods for their manufacture

• US 20050239300A1
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Interconnect Portfollo LLC
• Inventors: Segaram, Para K., Grundy, Kevin P., Yasumura, Gary, Fjelstad, Joseph C., Wiedemann, William F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,278,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/65
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/523 by an interconnection through aligned holes in the boards or multilayer board
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6587 for mounting on PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/142 Arrangements of planar printed circuit boards in the same plane, e.g. auxiliary printed circuit insert mounted in a main printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09445 Pads for connections not located at the edge of the PCB, e.g. for flexible circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09472 Recessed pad for surface mounting recess in pad H05K2201/09745; Recessed electrode of component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09709 Staggered pads, lands or terminals; Parallel conductors in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09845 Stepped hole, via, edge, bump or conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/167 Using mechanical means for positioning, alignment or registration, e.g. using rod-in-hole alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/366 substantially perpendicularly to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/368 parallel to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence

Abstract

An electrical connector comprised of a plurality of electrical contacts arranged in a stair-step configuration designed to mate with electrical components having electrical contacts arranged in a stair-step configuration. A direct connect signaling system comprised of stair-step electrical connectors mated to stair-step printed circuit boards, other stair-step electrical components, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

one or more dielectric and conductive elements having a plurality of electrical contacts arranged in a stair-step configuration on at least one surface; and

wherein in the stair-step configuration, the plurality of electrical contacts are disposed to mate with corresponding electrical contacts of one or more electrical components.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts arranged in the stair-step configuration are disposed to mate with corresponding electrical contacts on a printed circuit board, and wherein the corresponding electrical contacts are arranged in a corresponding stair-step configuration.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrical contacts form a plurality of stacked electrical contact assemblies;

a. wherein each assembly has a one or more conductive elements and a dielectric element;

b. wherein the one or more conductive elements of each assembly extend beyond the dielectric element of that assembly to expose a plurality of electrical contact points, the plurality of electrical contact points being provided on a common plane;

c. and wherein the plurality of electrical contact assemblies are disposed relative to each other to form a stepped structure, so that the electrical contact points of a given assembly in the plurality of assemblies extend a distance that is different than a the plurality of electrical contact points of an adjacent assembly in the plurality of assemblies.

4. The electrical connector in claim 3, wherein the one or more dielectric and conductive elements include ground planes.

5. The electrical connector in claim 3, wherein individual assemblies in the plurality of assemblies include dielectric material that aligns the plurality of electrical contacts of that assembly.

6. An electrical connector system comprising:

a. an electrical component having arrays of electrical contact pads arranged in a first stair-step configuration;

b. a connector interconnectable to the electrical component, the connector comprising one or more dielectric and conductive elements having a plurality of electrical contacts arranged in a second stair-step configuration on at least one surface.

7. An electrical connector for mating electrical components, wherein the electrical components are set at an angle to each other, and wherein the electrical connector comprises:

a plurality of conductive elements wherein at least one of the conductive elements is comprised of a cantilever-beam, fixed at its mid-point, wherein the cantilever beam ends are arranged to protrude through openings in an insulating body assembly for creating electrical contact points.

8. The electrical connector in claim 7, further comprising a plurality of cantilever beam conductors, wherein the cantilever beam ends protrude through openings at different levels in a stair-step structure, creating electrical contact surfaces in a stair-step configuration.

9. The electrical connector in claim 7, wherein the ends of the cantilever beam conductor are bent to create an angle of approach for mating to electrical contact surfaces on electrical components.

10. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the electrical connector'"'"'s cantilever-beam signal conductors are mated on both sides with electrical components having stair-step electrical contact structures.

11. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein at least one of the cantilever beam ends makes electrical contact with a conductive wire.

12. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein at least one of the cantilever beam ends makes electrical contact with a signal trace in a flexible circuit.

13. An electrical interposer comprising:

a. a plurality of cantilever beam electrical conductors;

b. an insulating body assembly that captures the plurality of the cantilever-beam electrical conductors;

c. the plurality of cantilever-beam electrical conductors, bent and fixed at their mid-points and having contacts protruding through openings in the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating body assembly and having differing lengths, are disposed in an array whose arrays are on different surfaces of the insulating body assembly in a stair-step configuration.

14. An electrical connector comprising:

a. an insulating connector body containing channels with slots at the midpoints of either of the left and right side walls of the channels, the slots being perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the channels;

b. a plurality of rigid, insulating beams with a pivot rod extending from both sides of the beam at its midpoint, the pivot rod inserted into the slots in the insulating body channels;

c. a plurality of conductive beams integral with and extending along the bottom of the plurality of rigid, insulating beams;

d. a plurality of leaf springs, each one above an aforementioned rigid, insulating beam, urging the plurality of conductive beams downward through openings at either end of the insulating body'"'"'s channels to create electrical contact points.

15. The electrical connector in claim 14 wherein the concave side of the leaf springs faces the rigid, insulating beams and its convex side faces upward.

16. The electrical connector in claim 14 wherein each leaf spring is replaced by two or more leaf springs laying one atop another in series configuration to reduce the leaf springs'"'"' outer fiber mechanical stress and maintain electrical contact force.

17. The electrical connector in claim 14 wherein the leaf springs are replaced by other force mechanisms.

18. An electrical connector comprising:

a. a plurality of cantilever-beam signal conductors;

b. a plurality of push pins disposed and in electrical contact with the ends of the plurality of cantilever-beam signal conductors;

c. an insulating body with channels that fix or capture the centers of the plurality of cantilever-beam signal conductors and allow either end of the conductors to freely bend;

d. a location plates angularly disposed to each other, fixed to the sides of the insulating body, and containing, locating and guiding the push pins;

e. electrical components disposed at an angle to each other, whose electrical contact pads mate with and push on the push pins, which bend the cantilevered ends of the plurality of cantilever-beam signal conductors upward, which provide contact force between the ends of the push pins and the electrical components'"'"' electrical contact pads, and provide contact force between the contact ends of the plurality of cantilever-beam signal conductors and the tops of the push pins thus providing electrical connection between the electrical components.

19. The electrical connector in claim 18 wherein the conductive collar on the push pin is changed into a dielectric or insulating material.

20. The electrical connector in claim 18 wherein projecting tabs are added to the sides of the push pin, said projecting tabs sliding up and down inside twisted slots in the location plates'"'"' guiding holes thus twisting the push pin about its axis which provides contact wipe on the electrical contact pads of the mating electrical components and the ends of the cantilever-beam signal conductors.