Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With mating connector which receives panel circuit edge
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-09
2002-03-19
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With mating connector which receives panel circuit edge
C439S515000, C439S637000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06358061
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to high speed connectors utilized in edge connector applications having multiple circuit paths to increase the electrical performance thereof.
Electronic devices being manufactured today are operating at faster performance speeds than past devices. Such devices, especially computing devices, in order to compute in today's technological environment, need to have the capability of performing data transfer at high rates. While electronic devices, such as laptop and other portable computers are being reduced in size, so too, are their electronic components being asked to function at higher speeds and rates, but within smaller spaces. The competitiveness of today's marketplace places pressure on electronic manufacturers to decrease the size of their components, while increasing the efficiency thereof. This effect impacts the suppliers of components to these manufacturers. In particular, there is pressure on connector manufacturers to reduce the size of connectors while increasing the data throughput of the connector. As the size of a connector is decreased, the connector must function at a high rate and with a decrease in the inductance of the connector.
Although short and thick conductive terminals may provide lower inductance, they may not maintain their contact flexibility in a manner that would enhance their ability to mate with circuit boards and to meet the reduced pitch required for high density connectors. Terminals with greater flexibility typically include long and slender contact beams. Although such terminals may function adequately to provide a connection between the edge card contacts and the circuit board contacts, they may possess a high inductance. Inductance for the most part depends on the physical characteristics of the terminal.
Shortening of the circuit path of the terminal improves the performance of the terminal by lowering the inductance. Providing dual contacts on the base portion of the terminals, such as a solder tail on one part of the terminal and a surface mount foot on another part of the terminal, will also reduce the inductance of the terminal. Increasing the length of the terminal contact arms as is often necessary in multi-level edge card connectors for lower insertion force, will result in an increase in the inductance of the terminal that effectively will cancel out the reduction obtained by using dual contacts on the base of the terminal.
A need therefore exists for a high-speed, edge card connector having an improved electrical performance in which the inductance of the connector is reduced, without comprising the mechanical operation of the contact portions of the connector terminals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved edge card connector for use in high speed applications with reduced inductance.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an edge card connector having a plurality of terminals with minimal inductance without diminishing the mechanical performance thereof and further electrically coupled to improve the performance of the terminals.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an edge card connector for high speed applications in which the connector includes a plurality of conductive terminals arranged on opposite sides of a card slot of the connector, the terminals being of at least two distinct types: a signal type and a ground type, the signal and ground-type terminals being alternatingly arranged lengthwise of the connector, the grounding type terminal having a pair of contact beams formed thereon, one of the pair of contact beams being deflectable into contact with the other of the contact beams upon insertion of the circuit card into the card-receiving slot.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a connector having a plurality of terminals arranged on opposite sides of a connector slot, some of the terminals having a dual circuit path defined by a pair of contact beams formed therewith that are cantilevered vertically from a base portion of the terminals, one of the beams being deflectable into contact with the other to provide an additional circuit path for current or ground along the length of the terminal.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an edge card connector suitable for high-speed applications in which the connector includes an elongated insulative connector housing, a card-receiving slot disposed within the connector housing and extending longitudinally therein, a plurality of conductive terminals arranged within the connector housing and disposed in pairs on opposite sides of the card-receiving slot, some of the terminals being signal terminals and other of the terminals being reference or power terminals, the reference or power terminals having a pair of contact arms that are movable into engagement with each to short the terminals in order to provide dual electrical paths upon insertion of a circuit card into the connector card-receiving slot, at least one of the contact arms being deflectable into contact with the other under urging of the circuit card.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed connector having a selected set of conductive terminals that are capable of shorting themselves when a circuit card is inserted into a card slot of the connector, each of the selected terminals having primary and secondary contact members that take the form of cantilevered beams having free ends that are spaced apart from each other a distance that is generally less than the amount of deflection undergone by one of the two contact members when the circuit card is inserted such that when a circuit card is inserted into the card slot of the connector, one of the contact members is urged into sliding engagement with the other of the two contact members, the free ends thereof having cam surfaces that engage and slide along each other in order to define two distinct circuit paths within said terminal extending between the circuit card contacts and contacts on a circuit board.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved circuit card connector particularly suitable for high speed applications having a plurality of signal terminals and a plurality of reference or power terminals arranged on both sides of a circuit card-receiving slot of the connector, the reference or power terminals having a pair of upright contact beams in opposition with each other and aligned for shorting contact with each other, one of the contact beams protruding partially into the card-receiving slot and deflecting into contact with the other contact beam when a circuit card is inserted into the card-receiving slot. The two contact beams have opposing free ends that slidingly engage each other due to urging of the circuit card when it is inserted into the card-receiving slot, the two contact beam free ends deflecting sideways a distance between one-half and one full material thickness of the contact beams, thereby establishing a shorting contact between the two beams without substantially or materially increasing the circuit card insertion force.
The present invention achieves these objects through a unique terminal structure in which selected terminals are provided with a pair of opposing spring arms that are spaced apart from each other at the tops of the terminals. One of the spring arms extends into the card slot and is deflectable rearwardly into its terminal-receiving cavity. The two spring arms are vertically cantilevered and extend up from a body portion of the terminal so that an edge of the circuit card will deflect the one spring arm into sliding contact with the other spring arm in order to define a second circuit path of the terminal through the other spring arm that deflects less than the spring arm that extends into the card slot. These two circuit paths improve the electrical performance of the connector by lowe
Bradley P. Austin
Cohen Charles S.
Hammond Briggitte R.
Molex Incorporated
Paulius Thomas D.
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