Connector assembly including legacy and extension parts that maintains backward compatibility

• US 6,796,843 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, Sean, Ho, Phong, Loose, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US10/227,472
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 439/638, 439/639, 439/640, 439/59, 439/79, 361/737
• US Class Current: 439/638
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/737 Printed circuits being substantially perpendicular to each other for printed connections H05K3/366
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/04 for network, e.g. LAN connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90

Abstract

A card-receiving connector includes a legacy connector part and an additional connector part that facilitates plugging in cards having improved functionality while also allowing legacy cards to be plugged in. In one embodiment, the legacy part includes signal, power, and supply contacts required by a legacy card and includes power and supply contacts required by an improved card in an extension part. A legacy card can be connected to the legacy part without interference from the extension part to facilitate backward compatibility with the legacy card.

Claims

1. A card receiving connector assembly comprising:

a legacy connector part compatible with a card connector of a legacy card; and

an extension part including contacts for providing additional supply and return contacts for an improved card, with the extension part disposed relative to the legacy connector part so that a connector on the legacy card can be plugged in to the legacy connector part without interference from the extension part and so that a connector on the improved card can be plugged in to both the signal connector part and the extension part to receive extra power supplied from the extension part.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 where:

the extension part comprises a row of posts disposed above the legacy connector part so that extra supply and return contacts can be provided to the improved card without consuming lateral space on a backplane.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1 where:

the extension part comprises a slot for engaging a card edge connector on the improved card to reduce required tolerances.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1 where:

the extension part includes extra pins disposed laterally from the legacy connector part.

5. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein extension part includes contacts for providing additional signal levels.

6. A connector assembly comprising:

a card-receiving connector having a first part being a legacy connector configured to receive a legacy card-side connector and having a second part, disposed above the first part, configured to have contacts for providing additional supply and return to an improved card;

the card-side connector having the first part being the legacy card-side connector and a second part, disposed over the first part, having contacts for contacting the contacts of the second part of the card-receiving connector to provide additional supply and return to an improved card;

with the first and second parts of the card-receiving connector configured so that the legacy card-side connector can be connected to the first part of the card-receiving connector without interference from the second part of the card-receiving connector.

7. A connector assembly comprising:

a card-receiving connector having a first part being a legacy connector configured to receive a legacy card-side connector and having second part, disposed laterally from the first part, configured to have contacts for providing additional supply and return to an improved card and for receiving a card-edge connector;

the card-side connector having the first part being the legacy card-side connector and a second part, disposed laterally the first part, configured as a card-edge connector having contacts for contacting the contacts of the second part of the card-receiving connector to provide additional supply and return to an improved card;

with the first and second parts of the card-receiving connector configured so that the legacy card-side connector can be connected to the first part of the card-receiving connector without interference from the second part of the card-receiving connector.

8. The connector assembly of claim 7 where the second part of the card-side connector comprises:

first and second card edge connectors disposed on either side of the first part of the card-side connector.

9. The connector assembly of claim 8 where said first and second card edge connectors are recessed relative to the first part of the card-side connector and where the second part of the card-receiving connector includes first and second end sections extending outward from the first part of the card-receiving connector and including guiding slots.

10. A connector assembly comprising:

a card-receiving connector having a first part being a legacy connector configured to receive a legacy card-side connector and having a second part, disposed laterally from the first part, configured to have contacts for providing additional supply and return to an improved card;

the card-side connector having the first part being the legacy card-side connector and a second part, disposed laterally from the first part, having contacts for contacting the contacts of the second part of the card-receiving connector to provide additional supply and return to an improved card;

with the first and second parts of the card-receiving connector configured so that the legacy card-side connector can be connected to the first part of the card-receiving connector without interference from the second part of the card-receiving connector.