Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Supporting plural – independent coupling parts
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-10-02
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Supporting plural, independent coupling parts
C439S607070
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296518
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a system for mounting a plurality of stacked connectors on a printed circuit board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical connectors are used in a wide variety of applications ranging from simple connecting interfaces between hard conductor wiring to more sophisticated applications involving such components as printed circuit boards, flat flexible cables and optical fibers. Basically, electrical connectors include some form of contacts, terminals or other conductors which interconnect one electrical device to another electrical device. The electrical connectors may involve systems whereby the connectors provide receiver-transmitter functions which, in addition, can convert high speed signals from solid (copper) cables or fiber optic cables to high speed signals on a system printed circuit board.
For instance, in the telecommunications industry, switching systems or circuitry may be provided on a rather sizable mother board at a particular location. A plurality of high speed electrical converter modules are mounted by appropriate frame structures on the mother board. Mating “plug-in” connector modules are plugged into the converter modules from outside the switching system. The incoming signals from the cables attached to the plug-in modules are at high speed, such as in the gigabit range, and the converter modules transfer and maintain the signals at high speed and transmit them to the circuitry on the mother board. Continuing problems have been encountered in the design and manufacturability of such systems.
In particular, there are applications in which it is desirable or necessary to mount a plurality of electrical connectors on a printed circuit board in a “stacked” array. In other words, one connector is mounted above another connector. With such connector assemblies, some form of frame structure must be provided to support the top or upper connector or connectors above the lower connector or connectors. Leads are provided from the upper connectors to the lower connectors or to the mother board, and the leads often are provided by flat flexible circuits which are relatively expensive. Still further, grounding systems or electrostatic discharge (ESD) systems must be incorporated in such assemblies. These requirements cause design problems because of the multiplicity of components required to provide all of the necessary functions, as described above. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a simple system which is cost effective to manufacture, assemble and use, and a system which includes certain components performing multiple functions to eliminate some of the components of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved system for mounting a plurality of electrical connectors on a printed circuit board in a stacked array, i.e., with one connector mounted above another connector.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the system includes at least a pair of electrical connectors including at least a top connector and a bottom connector for mating with a pair of complementary mating connectors. Each of the top and bottom connectors includes a plurality of terminals for engagement with appropriate terminals of the respective mating connector and for connection to the printed circuit board. At least one dual-function ESD frame member is provided for mounting the top connector to the printed circuit board, with the top connector positioned above the bottom connector. The frame member also is conductive for grounding to the printed circuit board and includes an integral ESD portion for engaging an appropriate ground portion of the respective one of the mating connectors mateable with the top connector. Therefore, the single frame member performs dual functions of both supporting the top connector as well as providing an ESD grounding means therefore.
As disclosed herein, the top connector is elongated, and a pair of the ESD frame members are provided at opposite ends of the top connector. The frame members are stamped and formed of sheet metal material, and the integral ESD portions thereof comprise resilient arms extending in the mating direction of the top connector. The ESD frame members also mount the bottom connector to the printed circuit board and include second integral ESD arms for engaging an appropriate ground portion of a respective one of the mating connectors mateable with the bottom connector.
Another feature of the invention is that each ESD frame member includes at least one tail portion for insertion into a hole in the printed circuit board. The tail portion, itself, performs dual functions of (a) mounting the ESD frame member and the top connector to the circuit board and (b) grounding the frame member to an appropriate location on the circuit board.
Another feature of the invention includes the provision of a lead frame for connecting the terminals of the top connector to the printed circuit board. The lead frame includes a plurality of leads having contact ends engageable with the terminals of the top connector and terminating ends engageable with the printed circuit board. The contact ends of the leads are overmolded by a housing which has a plurality of openings within which the contact ends of the leads are exposed. The terminals of the top connector have portions extending into the openings for engaging, as by soldering, the contact ends of the leads exposed in the openings.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5500788 (1996-03-01), Longueville
patent: 5980320 (1999-11-01), Slack et al.
patent: 6159040 (1999-09-01), Chang et al.
Avery Hazelton P.
Banakis Emanuel G.
Scharping Eric
Molex Incorporated
Prasad Chandrika
Sircus Brian
Tirva A. A.
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