CABLE ASSEMBLY FOR INTERCONNECTING CARD MODULES IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20130223036A1
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Herring, Michael David, Behziz, Arash
• Granted Patent: US 8,864,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/796
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6471 by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6587 for mounting on PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1451 with connections between circuit boards or units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications

Abstract

A cable assembly including first and second header connectors. The first header connector has mating and loading sides and includes electrical contacts. The mating side is configured to mate with a first module connector. The second header connector has mating and loading sides and includes electrical contacts. The mating side of the second header connector is configured to mate with a second module connector. The cable assembly also has a cable bundle including communication cables that extend between the loading sides of the first and second header connectors and that connect the electrical contacts of the first and second header connectors. The cables are substantially twist-free between the first and second header connectors when the first and second header connectors face in substantially opposite directions and the first and second module connectors have an orthogonal relationship.

Claims

1. A cable assembly comprising:

a first header connector having mating and loading sides and including electrical contacts, the mating side configured to mate with a first module connector;

a second header connector having mating and loading sides and including electrical contacts, the mating side of the second header connector configured to mate with a second module connector; and

a cable bundle including communication cables that extend between the loading sides of the first and second header connectors and that connect the electrical contacts of the first and second header connectors, wherein the cables are substantially twist-free between the first and second header connectors when the first and second header connectors face in substantially opposite directions and when the first and second module connectors have an orthogonal relationship.

2. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cables are generally parallel to a line that extends between respective geometric centers of the loading sides of the first and second header connectors when the first and second module connectors have an orthogonal relationship.

3. The cable assembly of claim 2, wherein the cable bundle does not permit the first header connector to be relatively rotated 90°

or greater about the line without damaging at least one of the cables, the first header connector, or the second header connector.

4. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical contacts of the first header connector are at least one of shaped differently or spaced apart differently than the electrical contacts of the second header connector.

5. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cables have relative locations with respect to one another, the relative locations being substantially the same at the loading side of the first header connector and at the loading side of the second header connector.

6. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cables include at least one of twin-axial cables or twisted-pair cables.

7. The cable assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first header connector includes contact modules that have the electrical contacts of the first header connector, the electrical contacts of each contact module extending within a single module plane; and

the second header connector includes contact modules that have the electrical contacts of the second header connector, the electrical contacts of each contact module of the second header connector extending within a single module plane, wherein the module planes of the first header connector and the module planes of the second header connector extend substantially parallel to one another when the first and second module connectors have an orthogonal relationship.

8. A cable assembly comprising:

a first header connector comprising electrical contacts and including mating and loading sides, the mating side configured to mate with a first module connector;

a second header connector comprising electrical contacts and including mating and loading sides, the mating side of the second header connector configured to mate with a second module connector; and

a cable bundle having communication cables that extend between the loading sides of the first and second header connectors and connect the electrical contacts of the first and second header connectors, wherein the cables extend generally parallel to a line that extends between respective geometric centers of the loading sides of the first and second header connectors, wherein the cable bundle does not permit the first header connector to be rotated 90°

or greater about the line when the mating sides face in substantially opposite directions without damaging at least one of the cables, the first header connector, or the second header connector.

9. The cable assembly of claim 8, wherein the cables have relative locations with respect to one another, the relative locations being substantially the same at the loading side of the first header connector and at the loading side of the second header connector when the first and second header connectors are engaged to the first and second module connectors, respectively.

10. The cable assembly of claim 8, wherein the electrical contacts of the first header connector are at least one of shaped differently or spaced apart differently than the electrical contacts of the second header connector.

11. The cable assembly of claim 8, wherein the cables of said bundle have substantially equal lengths.

12. The cable assembly of claim 8, wherein the cables are at least one of twin-axial cables or twisted-pair cables.

13. The cable assembly of claim 8, wherein:

the first header connector includes contact modules that have the electrical contacts of the first header connector, the electrical contacts of each contact module extending within a single module plane; and

the second header connector includes contact modules that have the electrical contacts of the second header connector, the electrical contacts of each contact module of the second header connector extending within a single module plane, wherein the module planes of the first header connector and the module planes of the second header connector extend substantially parallel to one another when the first and second module connectors have an orthogonal relationship.

14. A communication system comprising:

a system chassis;

a front card module having a circuit board and a module connector mounted to the circuit board;

a rear card module having a circuit board and a module connector mounted to the circuit board, the front and rear card modules are configured to be held by the system chassis so that the module connector of the front card module substantially opposes the module connector of the rear card module with a gap between the module connectors; and

a cable assembly positioned in the gap and comprising first and second header connectors, the first header connector configured to mate with the module connector of the front card module and the second header connector configured to mate with the module connector of the rear card module, the cable assembly also including a cable bundle having communication cables that extend between and connect the first and second header connectors;

wherein the cables extend across the gap in a substantially twist-free manner when the first and second header connectors are mated to the corresponding module connectors and the circuit boards of the front and rear card modules have an orthogonal relationship relative to each other.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the first and second header connectors include respective loading sides, the cables extending generally parallel to a line that extends between respective geometric centers of the loading sides when the front and rear card modules have the orthogonal relationship.

16. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the cable bundle does not permit the first header connector to be rotated 90°

or greater about the line without damaging at least one of the cables, the first header connector, or the second header connector.

17. The communication system of claim 14, wherein:

the first header connector includes contact modules that have the electrical contacts of the first header connector, the electrical contacts of each contact module extending within a single module plane; and

the second header connector includes contact modules that have the electrical contacts of the second header connector, the electrical contacts of each contact module of the second header connector extending within a single module plane, wherein the module planes of the first header connector and the module planes of the second header connector extend substantially parallel to one another when the first and second module connectors have an orthogonal relationship.

18. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the module connector of the first card module and the module connector of the second card module have different mating interfaces.

19. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the cables permit the first and second header connectors to float with respect to the system chassis.

20. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the cables are at least one of twin-axial cables or twisted-pair cables.