US 2002/0177332 A1Published application

Solder-less printed circuit board edge connector having a common ground contact for a plurality of transmission lines

AssigneeMolex Incorporated

InventorsGeorge M. Hubbard, David Brearley JR.

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Abstract

A solder-less printed circuit board edge connector (10) translates construction and impedance characteristics associated with a coaxial cable (20) to construction and impedance characteristics associated with a micro-strip transmission line formed on a printed circuit board (22). The solder-less printed circuit board edge connector (10) comprises a first edge connector (16), a second edge connector (16), and a “C-shaped” ground contact (30). The first edge connector (16) receives a first coaxial cable (20) having a first signal potential and a first ground potential, and has a first slot formed therein having the first ground potential. The second edge connector (16) receives a second coaxial cable (20) having a second signal potential and a second ground potential. The second edge connector (16) has a second slot formed therein having the second ground potential. The “C-shaped” ground contact (30) is electrically and mechanically coupled to the first slot having the first ground potential and the second slot having the second ground potential. The “C-shaped” ground contact (30) has multiple “V-shaped” spring members (32) for contacting multiple ground contacts (28) on a printed circuit board (22, 24) when the printed circuit board (22, 24) is positioned in the first slot and the second slot. Multiple “C-shaped” ground contacts (30) may be electrically and mechanically coupled together using an extension member (52), integrally formed as a unitary unit with the multiple “C-shaped” ground contacts (30). The extension member (52) has a notch (54) formed therein to permit the extension member (52) to bypass a signal contact (38) carrying the second signal potential.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A solder-less printed circuit board edge connector comprising:

a first edge connector adapted to provide a first transmission line having a first signal potential and a first ground potential, wherein the first edge connector is adapted to receive a fourth transmission line having a fourth signal potential and a fourth ground potential, and adapted to receive a fifth transmission line, formed on a first printed circuit board, having a fifth signal potential and a fifth ground potential, and wherein the first edge connector is adapted to electrically couple the fourth signal potential to the fifth signal potential via the first signal potential, and adapted to electrically coupled the fourth ground potential to the fifth ground potential via the first ground potential;
a second edge connector adapted to provide a second transmission line having a second signal potential and a second ground potential, wherein the second edge connector is adapted to receive a sixth transmission line having a sixth signal potential and a sixth ground potential, and adapted to receive a seventh transmission line, formed on a second printed circuit board, having a seventh signal potential and a seventh ground potential, and wherein the second edge connector is adapted to electrically couple the sixth signal potential to the seventh signal potential via the second signal potential, and adapted to electrically coupled the sixth ground potential to the seventh ground potential via the second ground potential;
and
a first ground contact adapted to electrically couple the first ground potential to the second ground potential when the first edge connector and the second edge connector are not connected to the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board, respectively, and adapted to electrically couple the first ground potential, the second ground potential, the fifth ground potential and the seventh ground potential to each other when the first edge connector and the second edge connector are connected to the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board, respectively.

1 more element

A solder-less printed circuit board edge connector comprising:

a first edge connector adapted to provide a first transmission line having a first signal potential and a first ground potential, wherein the first edge connector is adapted to receive a fourth transmission line, formed as a first coaxial cable, having a fourth signal potential and a fourth ground potential, and adapted to receive a fifth transmission line, formed on a first printed circuit board, having a fifth signal potential and a fifth ground potential, wherein the first edge connector is adapted to electrically couple the fourth signal potential to the fifth signal potential via the first signal potential, and adapted to electrically coupled the fourth ground potential to the fifth ground potential via the first ground potential, and wherein the first edge connector has a first slot formed therein and having the first ground potential;
a second edge connector adapted to provide a second transmission line having a second signal potential and a second ground potential, wherein the second edge connector is adapted to receive a sixth transmission line, formed as a second coaxial cable, having a sixth signal potential and a sixth ground potential, and adapted to receive a seventh transmission line, formed on a second printed circuit board, having a seventh signal potential and a seventh ground potential, wherein the second edge connector is adapted to electrically couple the sixth signal potential to the seventh signal potential via the second signal potential, and adapted to electrically coupled the sixth ground potential to the seventh ground potential via the second ground potential, and wherein the second edge connector has a second slot formed therein and having the second ground potential;
and
a first ground contact adapted to be electrically coupled to the first slot and the second slot to electrically couple the first ground potential to the second ground potential when the first edge connector and the second edge connector are not connected to the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board, respectively, and adapted to electrically couple the first ground potential, the second ground potential, the fifth ground potential and the seventh ground potential to each other when the first edge connector and the second edge connector are connected to the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board, respectively, wherein the first ground contact further comprises:
at least one spring member adapted to be electrically coupled to at least one of the fifth ground potential and the seventh ground potential.

2 more elements

An electronic assembly comprising:

a fourth transmission line having a fourth signal potential and a fourth ground potential;
a sixth transmission line having a sixth signal potential and a sixth ground potential;
a fifth transmission line, formed on a first printed circuit board, having a fifth signal potential and a fifth ground potential;
a seventh transmission line, formed on a second printed circuit board, having a seventh signal potential and a seventh ground potential;
and
a solder-less printed circuit board edge connector including:
a first edge connector adapted to provide a first transmission line having a first signal potential and a first ground potential, wherein the first edge connector is adapted to electrically couple the fourth signal potential to the fifth signal potential via the first signal potential, and adapted to electrically coupled the fourth ground potential to the fifth ground potential via the first ground potential;
a second edge connector adapted to provide a second transmission line having a second signal potential and a second ground potential, wherein the second edge connector is adapted to electrically couple the sixth signal potential to the seventh signal potential via the second signal potential, and adapted to electrically coupled the sixth ground potential to the seventh ground potential via the second ground potential;
and
a first ground contact adapted to electrically couple the first ground potential to the second ground potential when the first edge connector and the second edge connector are not connected to the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board, respectively, and adapted to electrically couple the first ground potential, the second ground potential, the fifth ground potential and the seventh ground potential to each other when the first edge connector and the second edge connector are connected to the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board, respectively.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/839,501Filed 20 Apr 2001
Published: 28 Nov 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H01R 24/50
Specially adapted for high frequency: mounted on a PCB [Printed Circuit Board]
H01R 13/658
Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices , e.g. anti-static shielding: high frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI…
H01R 12/721
Coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures: cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
H01R 2103/00
Two poles