|Publication number||US7578707 B2|
|Application number||US 11/854,231|
|Publication date||Aug 25, 2009|
|Filing date||Sep 12, 2007|
|Priority date||Sep 12, 2007|
|Also published as||CN101431197A, CN101431197B, US20090068855|
|Publication number||11854231, 854231, US 7578707 B2, US 7578707B2, US-B2-7578707, US7578707 B2, US7578707B2|
|Inventors||Philip T. Stokoe, Edward C. Ekstrom|
|Original Assignee||Amphenol Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (18), Non-Patent Citations (1), Classifications (6), Legal Events (2)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to board to board modular connectors. More particularly, the present modular connector invention permits the modular assembly of boards.
2. Background of the Related Art
Electrical connectors are used in many types of electronic systems. For example, in many computerized systems, printed circuit boards are joined together through connectors. One piece of the connector is attached to each board. The connector pieces are mated to complete many signal paths between the boards. In addition, the DC power or ground paths are also completed through the connector. The DC paths allow the printed circuit boards to be powered and, if configured appropriately, shield adjacent signal contacts to improve the integrity of signals passing through the connector. It is generally easier and more cost effective to manufacture a system on several printed circuit boards that are then joined together with electrical connectors.
Each half of the connector contains conducting contacts held in an insulative housing. Each contact has a contact region, which makes electrical contact to a contact in the other half of the connector when the connectors are mated. In addition, each contact has a tail portion which extends from the housing and is attached to a printed circuit board. The tail could be either a solder tail, which is soldered to the printed circuit board, or a press-fit tail, which is held by friction in a hole in a printed circuit board. The contact body carries the signal from the contact region to the tail.
One common type of signal contact simply uses a pin as the contact region. Pin contacts generally mate with receptacle type contacts. The contact area of a receptacle type contact is formed from a pair of parallel-cantilevered beams. The cantilevered beams generate a spring force against the pin, ensuring a good electrical contact. Other types of contacts can also used, such as contacts shaped as plates, blades or forks.
Connector housings are often molded from plastic. Initially, connector housings were molded in one piece. However, it is difficult to maintain the necessary tolerances for large surface mount connectors subject to high temperature gradients such that building large connectors from individual modules is easier.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a modular board to board connector with X and Y scalability. It is a further object of the invention to provide boards connected by a stiffener that provides scalability in both an X and Y directions.
In accordance with these and other objectives, a connector or connector assembly is provided. The connector assembly has a receptacle module and a pin module that interconnect. Stiffener engagement projections are provided along the sides of the receptacle and pin modules. Recesses are also provided along the sides of the receptacle and pin modules. The recesses are sized and shaped to receive the stiffener engagement projections of a respective neighboring module.
Stainless steel stiffener plates removably engage the pin and receptacle modules in both an X-direction and/or a Y-direction. The stiffener plates have rectangular-shaped slots that extend partly through the plates and align with the stiffener engagement projections and receiving recesses of the pin and receptacle modules. The slots receive respective ones of the projections on the sides of the neighboring pin and receptacle modules. In the X-direction, the stiffener plates extend the length of multiple modules to engage the projections of those modules.
In the Y-direction, the projections on one side of each module are offset from the projections on the opposite side of that module, so that the projections do not align with those of a neighboring module. Thus, the stiffener plate receives the projections of neighboring modules in an alternating fashion. Accordingly, the stiffeners are able to engage connectors and their respective boards in a modular fashion in both the X-direction and the Y-direction.
These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
Turning to the drawings,
The housing portion 102 has a first side 110 and a second side 112 opposite the first side. The housing 102 also has a first end 140 and a second end 142 opposite the first end 140. An engagement structure comprising stiffener engagement projections 114, 116 are provided along the first side 110 of the receptacle module 100, and stiffener engagement projections 118, 120 are provided along the second side 112 of the receptacle module 100. Each side 110, 112 of the housing 102 preferably has at least two stiffener engagement projections so that the module 100 connects to neighboring modules 100 toward each end 140, 142 of the module 100. However, only a single projection can be provided on each side, and more than two projections can also be used. In addition, it is possible for a projection to be utilized on only one side of the module 100.
As best shown in
The pin module 200 has an insulated housing 202 that extends around the outer circumference of a contact section 204. The contact section 204 has receptacles fitted with contacts 250, which are shown in the embodiment of
The housing portion 202 has a first side 210 and a second side 212 opposite the first side 210. The housing 202 also has a first end 240 and a second end 242 opposite the first end 240. Stiffener engagement projections 214, 216 are provided along the first side 210 of the pin module 200, and stiffener engagement projections 218, 220 are provided along the second side 212 of the pin module 200. Each side 210, 212 of the housing 202 preferably has at least two stiffener engagement projections so that the module 200 connects to neighboring modules 200 toward each end 240, 242 of the module 200. However, only a single projection can be provided on each side, and more than two projections can also be used. In addition, it is possible for a projection to be utilized on only one side of the module 200.
As best shown in
As shown in
As the receptacle module 100 and pin module 200 come closer and the housings 102, 202 contact one another, the narrowed inner portion 246 of the pin module 200 receives the recessed portion 146 of the receptacle module 100, as also shown in
Further to the preferred embodiment, the receptacle module 100 and the pin module 200 each have a length of about 27.3 mm and a width of about 18.4 mm. And, there are 20 rows and 13 columns of contacts 150, 250. However, the dimensions and number of contacts are not intended to limit the invention. The modules 100, 200 can have any suitable dimensions and number of rows and columns, either greater or less than the preferred embodiment, while still falling within the scope of the invention.
In the embodiment shown, the modules 100 are connected in a single in-line configuration to have X-direction scalability. The stiffener plates 300, 302 have rectangular-shaped slots 310, 312, 314, 316 that extend partly through the plates 300, 302 and align with the stiffener engagement projections and receiving recesses of the modules 100, 200. The slots 312, 316 receive respective ones of the projections 114, 116 on the first side 110 of the modules 100. The slots 310-316 are slightly wider than the thickness of the base portions 132, 232 but narrower than the width of the top portions 134, 234 of the projections 114, 116. Accordingly, the base portions 132 of the projections 114, 116 are slidably received in a respective slot 316, 312 of the stiffener 300. The stiffener 302 is likewise removably connected to the projections 118, 120 on the second side 112 of the receptacle module 100. Since the slots of the stiffener are narrower than the top portions 134, the projections cannot pull free from the stiffener if the stiffener is pulled in a direction away from the module 100.
Because the modules 100, 200 are made from plastic and the PCB materials have a different coefficient of expansion than the modules 100, 200, the modules 100, 200 and the PCBs would create an unacceptable SMT lead alignment, especially as the connector/modules become larger in size. The stiffeners 300-306 have substantially similar coefficients of expansion as the PCB. Thus, the modules 100, 200 are sized to minimize the thermal expansion in the X and Y axis and are assembled to stiffeners 300, 302, 304, 306. The expansion of the connector under various thermal conditions are controlled by stiffeners 300, 302, 304, 306 in the X axis. When multiple modules 100, 200 are assembled with stiffeners 300, 302, 303, 304, 306 in the Y axis (
In addition, the stiffeners 300, 302 of the receptacle modules 100 are inverted with respect to the stiffeners 304, 306 of the pin modules 200. Thus, the slots 310, 312, 314, 316 of all the stiffeners 300, 302, 304, 306 face outward, i.e., in the embodiments shown, the slots on the top open upwardly and the slots on the bottom open downwardly. In that manner, the stiffeners 300, 302, 304, 306 cannot be removed from the modules 100, 200 while the receptacle modules 100 are connected to the pin modules 200. Yet, the individual modules 100, 200 can be separately added to or removed from the stiffeners and repaired or replaced, if necessary.
It should be appreciated, however, that the stiffeners, engagement projections and their receiving recesses could be readily configured so that the individual modules 100, 200 cannot be removed unless the entire stiffener connecting all the modules is removed. It should further be noted that the stiffeners 300, 302 are identical to each other. Namely, the slots in each of the stiffeners 300, 302 are at the same position along the stiffeners. Thus, the stiffeners are interchangeable with one another, which reduces cost of manufacturing and ease of use.
The invention can also be used to connect modules having smaller dimensions than the receptacle and pin modules 100, 200 of
As illustrated in the embodiment shown, the combined power modules 400, 450 are positioned adjacent to the modules 100, 200 so that the power module projections 402, 452 are aligned with the projections 118, 218 of the modules 100, 200. A stiffener (not shown) can then be connected to the power modules 400, 450 and to the receptacle and pin modules 100, 200. The power modules 400, 450 can connect to one of the standard slots located in the stiffener. Or, an additional slot(s) can be provided in the stiffener to accommodate one or more modules that may have different spacing requirements for the slots, such as the power modules 400, 450 of the present embodiment. One or more sets of power modules 400, 450 may be provided for one or more receptacle and pin modules 100, 200. For instance, the quad configurations of
As has been shown, the invention provides X and Y scalability for flexibility in expanding module connections, replacing or repairing damaged modules, and is configurable to meet signal density needs. The stiffeners also reduces coefficient of expansion mismatch between PCBs and pin and receptacle modules. This is especially important during re-flow where the heating and cooling at different rates than solder creates stress due to the mismatch in the coefficient of expansion. Additionally the design of hook like lead having a level of compliancy further reduces the stress transferred to the solder joint. Though the invention is illustrated in the figures with single ended contacts, it can also be utilized for differential contacts.
Further to the preferred embodiment, the modules 100, 200 are each approximately 24 mm long by about 15 mm wide, and the stiffeners 300-306 are each about 44 mm long, 2 mm wide, and about 0.5 mm thick. However, any suitable size and shape modules and stiffeners can be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
The foregoing description and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Numerous applications of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
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|1||CIN::APSE "Proven in Land Grid Array (LGA) Applications" (c) 2003 Cinch Connectors, Inc., www.cinch.com, 2 pgs.|
|International Classification||H01R12/71, H01R13/502|
|Cooperative Classification||H01R13/518, H01R12/52|
|Nov 26, 2007||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: AMPHENOL CORPORATION, CONNECTICUT
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:STOKOE, PHILIP T.;EKSTROM, EDWARD C.;REEL/FRAME:020157/0391;SIGNING DATES FROM 20071116 TO 20071119
|Nov 26, 2012||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4