Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2001-05-15
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231352
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a coaxial coupling for interconnecting two printed circuit cards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to establish a coaxial link between two printed circuit cards that are parallel and adjacent, coaxial connectors are known which are devices of the type constituted by two elements to be connected together, each of which elements is soldered to a respective printed circuit card and is capable of coupling with the other element when the two printed circuit cards are moved close to each other.
Such coaxial connectors give satisfaction so far as their electrical properties are concerned.
However, they raise certain difficulties when there is a need to place a plurality of them between two printed circuit cards, since the way in which their connector elements couple together requires each of them to be positioned very accurately on the corresponding card.
Each connector element must be exactly in line with the connector element with which it is to couple, and that is possible only if the relative positions between the connector elements on one card are accurately identical to the relative positions between the corresponding connector elements on the other card.
In addition, the coupling interface must have exactly the same axial travel from one connector to another, and that is not easy to obtain even if all of the connectors are identical since two connector elements on a given card are not necessarily accurately in the same plane, in particular because they are soldered to the card.
In addition, known coaxial connectors are of relatively large height in the connected state, which determines a lower limit on how close the two printed circuit cards connected in this way can be brought together.
Finally, each of the connector elements of a coaxial connector presents a degree of structural complexity which makes such connectors relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide a coaxial coupling between two printed circuit cards which does not present the drawbacks outlined above and which also provides other advantages that appear in the description below.
The present invention provides a coaxial coupling for interconnecting two printed circuit cards, the coupling comprising:
a cylindrical outer conductor provided at a first one of its bases with at least one assembly tab for coming into electrical contact with a conductive track of a first printed circuit card, and at its second base with at least one contact tab designed to come into electrical contact with a conductive track of a second printed circuit card;
tubular insulation received in said outer conductor and in which there is provided a through passage extending from one base to the other of said outer conductor; and
an inner conductor received in the through passage of the tubular insulation and having an assembly tab projecting from the tubular insulation at its end corresponding to the first base of the outer conductor, said tab being designed to come into electrical contact with a conductive track of the first printed circuit card, and having a contact tab projecting from the tubular insulation at its end corresponding to the second base of the outer conductor, said contact tab being designed to come into electrical contact with a conductive track of the second printed circuit card.
The assembly tabs and/or contact tabs may be secured to the tracks of the cards or they may be put into pressure thereagainst.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the contact tabs are shaped as elastically deformable tongues extending from the conductor in respective directions that slope relative to the planes of the two printed circuit cards and terminated by respective bearing zones substantially parallel to the planes of the printed circuit cards, with said contact tabs coming to bear against the second printed circuit card via said bearing zones.
In this embodiment, electrical contact between the contact tabs and the conductive tracks of the second printed circuit card is established by putting the contact tabs under pressure against the tracks of the second card at the moment when said second card is brought close to the first card.
This embodiment presents the advantage of accommodating differences in positioning between the two printed circuit cards, particularly when both printed circuit cards are interconnected via a plurality of coaxial couplings of the invention.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, each bearing zone comes into contact with a conductive track of the second printed circuit card by sliding a little against said track due to the deformation of the tongue, thereby giving rise to automatic cleaning of the contact surfaces and guaranteeing good electrical connection between the contact tabs and the conductive tracks.
In this embodiment, the two printed circuit cards can be separated from each other without subjecting the coupling to any traction, thereby saving the assembly tabs from any mechanical extraction forces.
In accordance with the invention, the assembly tabs can be secured to the first printed circuit card by being soldered to the surface of the printed circuit card or by being soldered in plated-through holes therein.
They can also be secured by using press-fit type pins which are inserted as a force-fit in plated-through holes.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer conductor is made as a single piece by being cut out from a metal sheet and being rolled up.
In another embodiment of the invention, compatible with the preceding embodiment, the inner conductor is formed by a metal strip that is curved at each of its ends, said curved portions constituting the contact tab and the assembly tab of the inner conductor.
In which case, the passage through the tubular insulation can advantageously be offset from the axis of the outer conductor so as to lengthen the contact tabs and the assembly tabs of the inner conductor without increasing the overall size of the coupling on the card.
In a particular variant of this embodiment, the strip constituting the inner conductor has a middle portion between its contact tab and its assembly tab which is rolled up so as to constitute an inner conductor that is tubular that is more rigid.
In another embodiment of the invention, the contact tabs and/or the assembly tabs are curved towards the inside of the cylinder constituting the outer conductor so as to reduce the footprint of the coupling on the card.
In a first particular embodiment of the invention, the tubular insulation is made merely by molding, and it is assembled with both the inner conductor and the outer conductor.
To this end, the insulation may include a lateral slot connecting its through passage to one of its generator lines and enabling the inner conductor to be inserted therein by radial translation. Such a slot is particularly useful when the contact and assembly tabs of the inner conductor have already been curved and no longer lie on the axis of its middle portion.
When the assembly and contact tabs are in line with the middle portion of the inner conductor, the inner conductor can be inserted into the through passage of the insulation by axial translation.
In a second particular embodiment of the invention, the tubular insulation is made by being overmolded around the inner conductor.
In both of the preceding embodiments, the tubular insulation, with or without the inner conductor, is inserted into the outer conductor where it is held by snap-fastening.
In a third particular embodiment of the invention, the tubular insulation is made by being overmolded on the inner conductor and on the outer conductor which are suitably positioned relative to each other in the mold, thereby enabling the coupling of the invention to be obtained in a single molding operation without any mounting or assembly operation between the various component parts of the coupling being necessary.
In this embodiment, the overmolding of the inner and outer conductors may be accompanied by the formation of an
Patel Tulsidas
Radiall
Schweitzer Cornman Gross & Bondell LLP
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