US 9,028,281 B2 · High performance, small form factor connector

Abstract

Techniques for improving electrical performance of a connector. The techniques are compatible with the form factor of a standardized connector, such as an SFP connector or stacked SFP. The resulting connector has reduced insertion loss for high speed signals. Such techniques, which can be used separately or together, include shaping of conductive elements within the connector while still retaining the same mating contact arrangement. Changes may be made at the contact tail portions or in the intermediate portions where engagement to a connector housing occurs. The techniques also include the incorporation of lossy bridging members between conductive elements designated to be ground conductors. For connectors according to the stacked SFP configuration, multiple bridging members may be incorporated at multiple locations within the connector.

Claims37

Dependent claims

An electrical connector, comprising:

a housing comprising:
a front face;
a rear face;
a cavity with an opening in the front face shaped to receive a mating connector;
and
a plurality of slots in the rear face, each of the plurality of slots opening into the cavity;
a plurality of conductive contact elements, each contact element comprising:
a contact tail,
a mating portion and
an intermediate portion connecting the contact tail and the mating portion,
each of the plurality of contact elements being positioned within the housing with the intermediate portion disposed within a slot of the plurality of slots and the mating portion projecting into the cavity;
a bridging member disposed external to the housing, the bridging member being fully or partially conductive and having a first portion contacting the intermediate portion of a first contact element of the plurality of contact elements and a second portion contacting the intermediate portion of a second contact element of the plurality of contact elements, the first contact element and the second contact element being separated by at least one other contact element of the plurality of contact elements, the at least one other contact element not contacting the bridging member.

9 more elements

An electronic assembly, comprising:

a printed circuit board;
an electrical connector mounted to the printed circuit board, the electrical connector comprising:
a housing comprising:
a lower surface;
a front face and a rear face;
and
a cavity with an opening in the front face shaped to receive a mating connector, the connector being mounted to the printed circuit board with the lower surface of the housing adjacent the printed circuit board and the front face and the rear face extending perpendicular to the printed circuit board,
a plurality of conductive contact elements, each contact element comprising:
a contact tail connected to the printed circuit board;
a mating portion;
and
an intermediate portion connecting the contact tail and the mating portion, each of the plurality of contact elements being positioned within the housing with the contact tail adjacent the lower surface and the mating portion projecting into the cavity;
a bridging member disposed adjacent the rear face, the bridging member comprising a lossy material and having a first portion contacting the intermediate portion of a first contact element of the plurality of contact elements and a second portion contacting the intermediate portion of a second contact element of the plurality of contact elements, the first contact element and the second contact element being separated by at least one other contact element of the plurality of contact elements, the at least one other contact element not contacting the bridging member, wherein:
the first contact element and the second contact element each have first elongated portion extending in a first direction and a second elongated portion extending in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction;
the bridging member is a first bridging member and is connected to the first portion of each of the first contact element and second contact element;
and
the electrical connector further comprises a second bridging member connected to the second portion of each of the first contact element and second contact element.

14 more elements

An electrical connector adapted for mounting to a planar substrate, the electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity therein, the cavity being bounded by a lower surface and an upper surface, the lower surface being disposed to be closer to the substrate than the upper surface when the electrical connector is mounted to the substrate;
a first plurality of conductive contact elements, each of the first plurality of conductive contact elements comprising:
a contact tail adapted for attachment to the planar substrate;
a mating portion extending through the lower surface of the cavity;
and
an intermediate portion connecting the contact tail and the mating portion;
and
a second plurality of conductive contact elements, each of the second plurality of conductive contact elements comprising:
a contact tail adapted for attachment to the planar substrate;
a mating portion extending through the upper surface of the cavity;
and
an intermediate portion connecting the contact tail and the mating portion, the intermediate portion comprising:
a first segment connected to the contact tail and extending perpendicularly to the planar substrate and
a second segment connected to the mating portion extending parallel to the planar substrate;
and
a bridging member interconnecting multiple ones of the second plurality of conductive contact elements, the bridging member being formed of a lossy conductor and connected to the intermediate portion of each of the interconnected ones of the second plurality of contact elements.

13 more elements

An electrical connector, comprising:

a housing comprising:
a front face;
a rear face;
a lower face;
a cavity with an opening in the front face shaped to receive a mating connector;
and
a plurality of slots in the rear face, each of the plurality of slots opening into the cavity;
a plurality of conductive contact elements, each contact element comprising:
a contact tail extending through the lower face,
a mating portion and
an intermediate portion connecting the contact tail and the mating portion,
each of the plurality of contact elements being positioned within the housing with the intermediate portion disposed within a slot of the plurality of slots and the mating portion projecting into the cavity,
wherein:
the intermediate portion of each contact element comprises a retention segment, the retention segment comprising a plurality of sub-segments, wherein a first sub-segment of the retention segment extends from the intermediate portion at a first acute angle with respect to a centerline of the intermediate portion and a second sub-segment of the retention segment extends from the intermediate portion at a second acute angle with respect to the centerline of the intermediate portion;
each of the plurality of slots comprising a feature with a shape complementary to the retention segment of a contact element of the plurality of contact elements;
and
each of the plurality of contact elements is positioned in a slot of the plurality of slots with the retention segment disposed in the feature of the slot.

14 more elements

An electronic assembly, comprising:

a printed circuit board;
and
a connector mounted to the printed circuit board, the connector comprising:
a housing comprising:
a front face;
a rear face;
a lower face;
a cavity with an opening in the front face shaped to receive a mating connector;
and
a plurality of conductive contact elements, each contact element comprising:
a contact tail extending through the lower face, the contact tail being attached to the printed circuit board,
a mating portion and
an intermediate portion connecting the contact tail and the mating portion,
each of the plurality of contact elements being positioned within the housing with the mating portion projecting into the cavity,
wherein, for each of the plurality of contact elements:
the intermediate portion comprises a first portion and a second portion, transverse to the first portion, the second portion being adjacent the mating portion, and the width of the contact element being uniform over the first portion;
and
the contact element comprises a transition region between the first portion and the contact tail, the transition region comprising a first region over which the width of the contact element is less than the width in the first portion and a second region over which the width of the contact element increases, the second region over which the width increases being adjacent the contact tail;
and
a bridging member disposed external to the housing, the bridging member being at least partially conductive and having a first portion contacting the intermediate portion of a first contact element of the plurality of contact elements and a second portion contacting the intermediate portion of a second contact element of the plurality of contact elements, the first contact element and the second contact element being separated by at least one other contact element of the plurality of contact elements, the at least one other contact element not contacting the bridging member.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High performance, small form factor connector

Life of this patent

High performance, small form factor connector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims37