Electrical connectors – Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield – Multi-part shield body
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-29
2004-10-19
Gilman, Alex (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield
Multi-part shield body
C439S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805587
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to high density connectors and, more particularly, to high density connectors that are used to connect two printed circuit boards together in orthogonal and other arrangements.
High-density interconnect systems are used in numerous data communication applications, one such application being in network servers and routers. In many of these applications, the interconnect systems include male and female connectors that are mounted to different circuit boards, such as in the manner of conventional right-angle connectors, in which the two circuit boards are oriented at 90° with respect to each other, so that two edges of the circuit boards abut each other. Servers and routers require that the two circuit boards be joined together. In instances where the device system requires the use of multiple pairs of connectors to join the two circuit boards together, problems may occur when one or more of the connectors are misaligned. One, or more, of the connectors on one of the two circuit boards may be misaligned with their corresponding opposing connector on the other of the two circuit boards.
These connectors are not able to move, or “flex” either up or down, side to side or in other directions, which can lead to serious system complications in that misalignment renders the connecting together of the two circuit boards very difficult, if not impossible. Also, if one connector is misaligned with its opposing mating connector, the mating portions of the connectors' terminals may not mate, thereby deleteriously affecting the performance of the network or router.
High-density connectors typically use pin and box terminal or blade to blade terminal mating arrangements. With these type structures, it is necessary to utilize terminal mating, or contact, portions with reliable lead-ins and alignment features in order to prevent the bending of the terminal contact portions. Bent terminals are a problem in the field of high-density, board to board connectors.
A need therefore exists for a high-density interconnection system that has the capability to move in one and/or two different directions so as to tolerate potential misalignment between opposing circuit board connectors.
A need further exists for a high-density interconnection system including connector assemblies in which the terminal mating portions of the opposing connectors are properly aligned with each other for better mating and have a terminal structure that promotes reliable contact between the opposing terminals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved interconnection assembly that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an interconnection system that utilizes a pair of connectors, each mounted near an edge of a respective circuit board and each oriented thereon so that the circuit boards may be spaced near each other and the connector mounted on one of the circuit boards are able to flex a preselected amount, thereby giving to one set of connectors, a measure of flexibility so as to tolerate misalignment between sets of mating connectors.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an interconnection system that utilizes plug and receptacle connectors, the terminals of one of the two connectors being held in place within their associated housings and terminals of the other connector being movable within their associated housing to a preselected extent so as to flex in at least one, and preferably, two different and relevant directions so as to overcome the aforementioned misalignment problems.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly with the aforementioned flexure characteristics wherein at least one of the connectors is formed from a plurality of individual subassemblies in the form of wafers support sets of conductive signal and ground terminals and which are arranged in an alternating fashion with respect to the connector terminals such that every grounding member wafer is flanked on opposing sides thereof by an associated signal terminal wafer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible connector for use in the aforementioned connector assembly, wherein the connector includes a plurality of connector wafers assembled together to define a connector body, or housing unit, in the form of a block of wafers, each connector wafer including a set of conductive terminals supported thereby, each of the terminals having a tail portion for connecting to one of the two circuit boards, a body portion supported by the connector wafer, a mating portion extending from one edge of the connector wafer for mating with an opposing terminal of an opposing connector, the mating and body portions, the terminals being interconnected by intervening flexural portions of variable thickness that permits flexing of the terminal mating portions in both vertical and horizontal directions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a circuit board connector for joining together two circuit boards, wherein the connector has a mating end positioned near an edge of a first circuit board, the mating end having flexural properties that permit the mating end to move in a limited amount in two different directions, preferably orthogonal to each other, the connector having a body portion that supports a plurality of conductive terminals, the terminals having contact or mating free ends that are fixed in place within the connector housing body at the point where their contact portions project from the connector housing body, and which are enclosed by a hollow shroud that encircles the contact free ends, the shroud being supported by supports which cross and link together groups of the terminal contact portions within the shroud so that the shroud and the terminal contact portions can move together as a single unit in at least two different, orthogonal directions, while keeping the terminal contact portions in a mating orientation without relative movement between the contact portions.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an outer cover assembly that engages the mating end of the flexural connector, the cover assembly including a clamp member that engages the block of connector wafers and serves to keep them together in a block configuration and a floating shroud member that movably engages the clamp member and provides a protective outer cover around the perimeter of the terminal mating portions, the terminal mating portions being partially held in their orientation by elongated dielectric support rails that are received within the cover portion and abut against at least one interior shoulder of the cover portion and which may be held in place there against by one or more key members that are applied to the exterior of the cover and which penetrate the cover to engage and press against the support rails.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a high-density connector for board to board connections in single-ended signal applications, wherein the connector includes a plurality of terminal assemblies assembled together into a single unit, each terminal assembly including a plurality of arrays of conductive terminals, the terminal arrays including at least two signal terminal arrays and an associated single array of ground member terminals, the terminal assemblies being supported on insulative blocks that are held together, the signal terminal and ground member assemblies each including conductive elements with contact portions projecting from a common first side of the respective signal terminal blocks, the ground member having a plurality of conductive tabs formed therein that extend out from the plane of the grounding member in two different directions into contact with selected ground reference terminals of the signal terminal sets, the ground terminals and ground reference terminals flanking individual signal terminals.
Still another object of the present
Galen Fromm F.
Hazelton Avery P.
Gilman Alex
Molex Incorporated
Paulius Thomas D.
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