Electrical connector having enhanced strain relief for signal-sensitive electronic equipment

• US 6,777,619 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Erickson, Bradley, Edwards, William, Vasavda, Samir, Kornprobst, Michael, Badinski, Curt Von
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nino, Adolfo
• Application Number:
  US10/358,744
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 174/135, 439/362
• US Class Current: 174/135
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/58 Means for relieving strain on wire connection, e.g. cord grip , for avoiding loosening of connections between wires and terminals within a coupling device terminating a cable for flat or ribbon cables H01R12/771
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6215 using one or more bolts

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises a housing configured to house an interconnect mechanism, which defines an on-axis plane that is coplanar with the long axis of the interconnect mechanism. The housing includes at least two receptacles for accepting coupling mechanisms for interconnecting the connector to an electronic component. The centerline axis of at least one of the receptacles is parallel to the on-axis plane and offset from the on-axis plane. In one embodiment, the housing further comprises a first lip having a long axis that is parallel with the on-axis plane, such that when the connector is interconnected to an electronic component, the first lip applies an off-axis force to the component. The off-axis force is applied to the component along a first off-axis that is different than the on-axis. Consequently, resistance to deflection of the connector is provided, as is a more reliable contact engagement between the connector and the interconnected electronic component.

Claims

1. An electrical interconnect apparatus, comprising:

a housing that houses an electrical interconnect mechanism that defines an on-axis plane that is substantially coplanar with a long axis of the interconnect mechanism, wherein the electrical interconnect mechanism provides a high rate of data throughput, the housing comprising

a first lip that forms a projecting edge of the housing and that has a long axis that is substantially parallel with the on-axis plane;

wherein when the apparatus is interconnected to an electronic device, the first lip contacts and applies a first off-axis force to the electronic device that is localized near where the first lip contacts the electronic device;

at least two receptacles in the housing, which accept coupling mechanisms that interconnect the apparatus to an electronic device;

wherein an off-axis that intersects a first receptacle of the at least two receptacles is substantially parallel to the on-axis plane and offset from the on-axis plane.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical interconnect mechanism is a Very High Density Cable Interconnect mechanism.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes:

a second lip that forms a projecting edge of the housing and that has a long axis that is substantially parallel with the on-axis plane;

wherein when the apparatus is interconnected to the electronic device, the second lip contacts and applies a second off-axis force to the electronic device that is localized near where the second lip contacts the electronic device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a distance, in a direction perpendicular to the on-axis plane, between the off-axis that intersects the first receptacle and an on-axis that lies in the on-axis plane, divided by a distance between the long axis of the first lip and the long axis of the second lip, is less than 0.41.

5. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein an axis that intersects a second receptacle of the at least two receptacles is substantially coplanar with the on-axis plane, and

wherein the second receptacle is different than the first receptacle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the first receptacle extends outwardly away from a vertical axis that is perpendicular to and intersects the long axis of the interconnect mechanism;

and

wherein the first receptacle is adjacent to a first cut-out from the housing;

wherein the first cut-out is intersected by the long axis of the interconnect mechanism;

wherein the second receptacle extends outwardly away from the vertical axis that is perpendicular to and intersects the long axis of the interconnect mechanism, in an opposing direction to the first receptacle; and

wherein the second receptacle is adjacent to a second cut-out from the housing, the second cut-out being intersected by the off-axis that intersects the first receptacle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises:

a window through which the electrical interconnect mechanism is visible.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interconnect mechanism is a blade connector.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic device chassis having means for receiving the coupling mechanisms for coupling the apparatus to the electronic device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two receptacles comprise only two receptacles.

11. A method for coupling an electrical connector to an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling a first coupler of the connector to a first receptacle of the electronic device, the first coupler intersecting an on-axis associated with the connector; and

coupling a second coupler of the connector to a second receptacle of the electronic device, the second coupler intersecting a first off-axis associated with the connector, the first off-axis being substantially parallel to the on-axis and a distance from the on-axis;

wherein the steps of coupling the first and second couplers comprise applying a first off-axis force to the electronic device that is localized near where a first lip that forms a projecting edge of the connector contacts the electronic device along a second off-axis that is substantially parallel to the on-axis and a distance from the on-axis.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

viewing an interconnect mechanism of the connector through a cut-out of the connector.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of coupling the first and second couplers includes coupling the first and second couplers to a signal-sensitive electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a distance between the first off-axis and the on-axis, divided by a distance between the second off-axis and the third off-axis, is less than 0.41.

15. The method of claim 13,

wherein the steps of coupling the first and second couplers includes applying a second off-axis force to the electronic device along a third off-axis that is substantially parallel to the on-axis and a distance from the on-axis.

16. An apparatus for transmitting non-power electrical signals to a signal-sensitive electronic device, the apparatus comprising:

means for coupling a first coupler to a first receptacle of the electronic device, the first coupler intersecting an on-axis associated with the apparatus; and

means for coupling a second coupler to a second receptacle of the electronic device, the second coupler intersecting a first off-axis of the apparatus, the first off-axis being substantially parallel to the on-axis and a distance from the on-axis;

means for applying a first off-axis force to the electronic device that is localized along a second off-axis that is substantially parallel to the on-axis and a distance from the on-axis.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for coupling a first coupler, the means for coupling a second coupler and the means for applying a first off-axis force to the electronic device includes means for coupling a first coupler, means for coupling a second coupler and means for applying a first off-axis force, respectively, to a signal-sensitive electronic device.