Integrated connector apparatus and methods

• US 20080233803A1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Renteria, Victor H., Gutierrez, Aurelio J., Machado, Russell L., Hurd, Gary L., Mahlerbe, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,147,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/620.15
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/70 Coupling devices
• 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 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/719 specially adapted for high frequency, e.g. with filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7193 with ferrite filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0233 Filters, inductors or a magnetic substance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1003 Non-printed inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1006 Non-printed filter
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10515 Stacked components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10537 Attached components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10568 Integral adaptations of a component or an auxiliary PCB for mounting, e.g. integral spacer element
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2036 Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly pattern for applying drops or paste H05K2203/0545

Abstract

An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the electrical connector comprises an insulative housing comprising one or more electronic components, a plurality of electrical conductors in signal communication with the electronic components and adapted to interface with a plug and a plurality of terminals in signal communication with the one or more electronic components. In one aspect, the plurality of terminals are adapted to interface with one or more externally mounted electronic components on the printed circuit board thereby filtering signals passing between the electrical conductors and the printed circuit board, with the externally mounted electronic components mounted within the footprint of the electrical connector. Methods of manufacture for the aforementioned electrical connector and business methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electrical connector mountable on a printed circuit board in a telecommunications apparatus and having a footprint associated therewith, comprising:

an insulative housing;

one or more electronic components disposed at least partly in said housing;

a plurality of electrical conductors in signal communication with said one or more electronic components and adapted to interface with a plug; and

a plurality of terminals in signal communication with said one or more electronic components;

wherein said plurality of terminals are adapted to interface with one or more externally mounted electronic components on said printed circuit board thereby filtering signals passing between said plurality of electrical conductors and said printed circuit board, said externally mounted electronic components mounted within the footprint of said electrical connector.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising an organizer, said organizer comprising an insulative insert, said plurality of electrical conductors residing at least partly within said insulative insert and in signal communication with said one or more electronic components.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein:

said insulative housing comprises at least one port cavity and at least one electronic component cavity; and

individual ones of said at least one port cavity are adapted to receive said organizer such that individual ones of said at least one port cavity are inaccessible from said at least one electronic component cavity when said organizer is received within its respective port cavity.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said electrical connector comprises a vertically mounted electrical connector comprising a connector port and an interface surface to said printed circuit board;

wherein said one or more electronic components are positioned within said insulative housing so as to not reside between said connector port and said interface surface.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said plurality of terminals in signal communication with said one or more electronic components are distributed throughout said insulative housing so that individual ones of said one or more electronic components are substantially equidistant from its respective terminal.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said insulative housing is adapted to accommodate said one or more externally mounted electronic components substantially between said insulative housing and said printed circuit board.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein said one or more externally mounted electronic components comprise chip-like electronic components and said one or more electronic components comprise toroidal inductive devices.

8. A method of supplying a functional filtered connector assembly adapted for mounting on a circuit board, comprising:

forming a connector housing;

winding one or more coil assemblies;

inserting said one or more coil assemblies into said connector housing; and

specifying one or more electronic components to be mounted on said circuit board underneath said connector housing.

9. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more electronic components comprise chip-like electronic components.

10. The method of claim 10, further comprising forming an organizer assembly;

and

inserting said organizer assembly into said connector housing.

11. A low-profile connector assembly, comprising:

a connector housing comprising a vertically oriented connector port and an interface surface, said connector housing comprising a plurality of terminals extending below said interface surface;

a plurality of electronic components in signal communication with at least a portion of said plurality of terminals;

wherein said plurality of electronic components are disposed within said connector housing such that they do not reside between said connector port and said interface surface.

12. The connector assembly of claim 11, further comprising an organizer, said organizer comprising:

an insulative insert; and

a plurality of electrical conductors in signal communication with said one or more electronic components.

13. The connector assembly of claim 12, further comprising an electronic component cavity, wherein said connector port is adapted to receive said organizer such that said connector port is inaccessible from said electronic component cavity when said organizer is received within said connector port.

14. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein said plurality of terminals in signal communication with said plurality of electronic components are distributed throughout said connector housing so that individual ones of said plurality of electronic components are substantially equidistant from its respective terminal.

15. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein said connector housing comprises an external electronic component cavity adapted to accommodate one or more externally mounted electronic components substantially between said connector housing and an external printed circuit board.

16. The connector assembly of claim 15, wherein said one or more externally mounted electronic components comprise chip-like electronic components and said plurality of electronic components comprise toroidal inductive devices.

17. The connector assembly of claim 12, wherein said connector housing comprises a substantially L-shape.

18. The connector assembly of claim 17, wherein said insulative insert comprises one or more locking features, said one or more locking features adapted to interface with one or more receiving elements on said connector housing.

19. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein said insulative insert is shaped so as to separate said connector port from an electronic component cavity when said one or more locking features is engaged with said one or more receiving elements.

20. The connector assembly of claim 12, wherein said connector housing comprises an electronic component cavity adapted to house said plurality of electronic components and said plurality of electrical conductors in signal communication with said one or more electronic components each comprise a termination end;

wherein said electronic component cavity has a depth sufficient to permit the mass termination of said termination end of said electrical conductors without damaging said plurality of electronic components housed within said electronic component cavity.

21. A connector assembly, comprising:

a connector housing comprising a plug receiving recess and an electronic component receiving recess;

a conductor insert, said conductor insert comprising a plurality of conductors residing at least partly within said plug receiving recess and said electronic component recess; and

an electronic component residing within said electronic component receiving recess, said electronic component comprising a plurality of leads, at least one of said plurality of leads connected directly to one of said plurality of conductors.

22. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein:

said connector housing comprises a vertically mounted connector housing;

said conductor insert comprises an insulating header portion having a bottom surface; and

wherein said electronic component is disposed substantially above said bottom surface.

23. The connector assembly of claim 22, wherein said electronic component comprises a wound toroid said one of said plurality of conductors comprises a notched end adapted to receive said at least one of said plurality of leads.

24. The connector assembly of claim 23, wherein said electronic component receiving recess comprises a depth, said depth permitting said electronic component to be mass terminated to said one of said plurality of conductors without damaging said electronic component.

25. A connector assembly, comprising:

a connector housing comprising a plug receiving recess defined by a plug receiving surface and an electronic component receiving recess;

a terminal insert, said terminal insert comprising a plurality of terminals residing at least partly within said plug receiving recess and said electronic component recess and further comprising an insulative portion comprising a bottom surface, said bottom surface; and

a plurality of electronic components residing within said electronic component receiving recess, said plurality of electronic components residing in a substantially coplanar fashion and further residing substantially between the level of said plug receiving surface and the level of said bottom surface.

26. The connector assembly of claim 25, wherein said plug receiving surface and said bottom surface are substantially parallel in orientation with respect to one another.

27. The connector assembly of claim 25, wherein said plug receiving recess is adapted to receive said terminal insert such that said plug receiving recess is inaccessible from said electronic component receiving recess when said terminal insert is received within said connector housing.

28. The connector assembly of claim 27, wherein said connector housing comprises a vertical mounted connector housing that comprises a substantially L-shape.

29. The connector assembly of claim 27, wherein said terminal insert comprises one or more locking features, said one or more locking features adapted to interface with one or more receiving elements on said connector housing.

30. The connector assembly of claim 29, wherein said terminal insert is shaped so as to separate said plug receiving recess from said electronic component receiving recess when said one or more locking features is engaged with said one or more receiving elements.