# US 10,312,645 B2 · Compact high speed connector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,645 B2 - Document ID: US10312645B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/550,459 - Filed: 2016-11-07 - Published: 2018-08-16 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-06 - Assignees: Molex Incorporated - Applicants: Molex, LLC - Inventors: Brandon Janowiak; Kent E. Regnier; Jerry Kachlic - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312645B2 ## CPC - H01R 24/60: Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement - H01R 12/724: {containing contact members forming a right angle} - H01R 13/504: different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic welding, or swaged together - H01R 13/629: Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure {electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances (separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26)} - H01R 13/639: Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} - H01R 13/6582: with resilient means for engaging mating connector - H01R 13/6594: the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members - H01R 2107/00: Four or more poles - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract A connector system includes a plug assembly that has a front connector mounted to a circuit board. The connector has two wafers that each support a row of terminals and uses shims and pegs to precisely control the spatial relationship of the two wafers to the circuit board. The wafers need not be directly contacting the circuit board and the terminals can have tails that can be positioned slightly above the circuit board and connector to pads on the circuit board via solder connections. The connector system is optimized so as to enable support of 25 Gbps data rates. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plug connector assembly, comprising: a cover that defines a body portion; a shell that defines a mating portion, the mating portion extending from the cover; a connector positioned in the shell, the connector including a first wafer and a second wafer, each of the first and second wafers having an insulative block that supports a row of terminals, each of the terminals in the row including a contact and a tail on opposite ends of the terminal, the connector including a support column that defines the relative position of the wafers with respect to each, the support column extending between the wafers, the connector further including a housing shell positioned around the wafers, the housing shell defining a card slot, wherein the contacts are positioned in the card slot; a circuit board mated to the tails of the terminals, the circuit board having a cutout that allows the support column to extend transversely to the circuit hoard; and a securing layer positioned on both sides of the circuit board, the securing layer mechanically coupling the circuit board to the wafers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plug connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the shell includes vents on a first and second side of the mating portion, the vents aligned with the contacts and configured to allow air to flow between the first and second sides. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plug connector assembly of claim 1, wherein a spatial relationship between the wafers and the circuit board is not controlled by direct physical contact between the wafers and the circuit board. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The plug connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the shell has opposing fingers that engage the circuit board so as to provide mechanical support between the shell and the circuit board. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The plug connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the circuit board includes a contact pad aligned with the fingers so as to provide a ground connection between the shell and the circuit board. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The plug connector of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a latch arm integrally formed into the shell, the latch arm having a latching projection extending through a latch aperture provided in the shell. ### Claim 7 A plug connector assembly, comprising: a cover that defines a body portion; a cable that extends from the body portion; a shell that defines a mating portion, the mating portion extending from the cover, the shell including a protrusion on two opposing sides; a connector positioned in the shell, the connector including a first wafer and a second wafer, each of the first and second wafers having an insulative block that supports a row of terminals, each of the terminals in the row including a contact and a tail on opposite ends of the terminal, the connector further including a housing shell positioned around the wafers, the housing shell defining a card slot, wherein the contacts are positioned in the card slot, the housing shell including a retention block positioned in the protrusion; a circuit board mated to the tails of the terminals; and a securing layer positioned on both sides of the circuit board, the securing layer mechanically coupling the circuit board to the wafers, wherein the shell, housing shell, insulative block, securing layer and the circuit board form a laminate structure between the two opposing sides of the shell. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The plug connector assembly of claim 7, wherein the housing shell includes a biasing rail positioned in front of the contacts, the biasing rail configured to cause an inserted mating blade to be correctly aligned with the contacts. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The plug connector assembly of claim 8, wherein the biasing rail is supported by a plurality of support arms, wherein the biasing rail is configured to deflect when the mating blade is inserted into the card slot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The plug connector assembly of claim 8, wherein the biasing rail extends past the edge of the contacts so that the biasing rail overlaps the contacts. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The plug connector assembly of claim 7, wherein the securing layer is a curable material that allows the wafers to be adjustably positioned with respect to the circuit board before the securing layer is hardened. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The plug connector assembly of claim 7, wherein one of the wafers has a cutout and the housing shell includes an arm that is positioned in the cutout. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The plug connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the arm has an aperture and the cutout includes a locking member that is positioned in the aperture. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The plug connector assembly of claim 13, wherein the locking member is hot-formed so as to fill the aperture, the aperture having a negative taper. ### Claim 15 A plug connector assembly, comprising: a cover that defines a body portion; a shell that defines a mating portion, the mating portion extending from the cover; a connector positioned in the shell, the connector including a first wafer and a second wafer, each of the first and second wafers supporting a row of terminals, each of the terminals in the row including a contact and a tail on opposite ends of the terminal, a peg provided on one of the wafers, the peg defining a spatial relationship between the first and second wafers, the connector further including a housing shell positioned around the wafers, the housing shell defining a card slot, wherein the contacts are positioned in the card slot; a circuit board mated to the tails of the terminals, the circuit board having a cutout that allows the peg to extend transversely through the circuit board; and a securing layer positioned on both sides of the circuit board, the securing layer mechanically coupling the circuit board to the wafers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The plug connector assembly of claim 15, wherein the peg is a first peg on the first wafer, the connector including a second peg on the second wafer, wherein the first and second pegs are pressed together to define a mating line. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The plug connector assembly of claim 16, wherein the mating line is positioned between a first side and a second side of the circuit board. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The plug connector assembly of claim 15, wherein the cutout is an aperture in the circuit board.