JP2005510850A - High density connector assembly having flexibility - Google Patents

Abstract

The connector uses a plurality of separate terminal assemblies to form a high density connector. All terminal assemblies have an insulating body portion that supports a signal terminal array and a ground terminal array, or an array of ground members. All terminals have an insulative body portion that extends from the front surface of the assembly, i.e., the mating surface, and a body portion relative thereto that is supported by the contacts. The terminal includes a flexible portion formed by being disposed between the contact portion, the terminal main body portion, and the contact portion. The terminal further includes an insulating support member attached to the terminal, the insulating support member serving to define the contact portion and the flexible portion of the terminal. The support member is secured within a carrier, such as a shroud member, and is not attached to any part of the connector. The support member allows the terminal and shroud to move together and flexes in two different directions associated with the insulating body portion supporting the terminal.

Description

  The present invention relates generally to high density connectors, and more particularly to high density connectors used to connect two printed circuit boards at right angles or in other arrangements.

  High density interconnect systems are used in many data communications applications, one such application being network servers and routers. The interconnect system used for many of these applications has male and female connectors that are mounted on different circuit boards in a manner similar to conventional right angle connectors. In this case, the two circuit boards are oriented at 90 ° to each other, and two edges of the circuit boards are in contact with each other. Servers and routers are required to connect two circuit boards to each other. In device systems where multiple pairs of connectors are required to connect two circuit boards together, problems may arise when one or more of the connectors has a misalignment. The position of one or more of the connectors provided on one of the two circuit boards may not match the corresponding mating connector provided on the other of the two circuit boards.

  These connectors cannot move vertically, laterally, or in other directions, i.e. they cannot "flex" and the two circuit boards can be This can lead to significant system complications that make it very difficult if not impossible to connect. Further, when the position of one connector and the mating connector on the other side is not matched, the fitting portions of the terminals of both connectors are not fitted, which adversely affects the performance of the network or router.

  High density connectors typically use pin and box terminals or blade and blade terminal connections. In these types of structures, in order to prevent bending deformation of the contact portion of the terminal, it is necessary to use a fitting portion of the terminal having a highly reliable introduction and alignment function, that is, a contact portion. The bent terminal is a problem in the field of high-density board-to-board connectors.

  Accordingly, there is a need for a high density interconnect system that can move in one direction or two different directions to allow for positional misalignments that may occur between opposing circuit board connectors.

  In addition, a connector assembly having a terminal structure in which the terminal mating portions of the opposing connectors are properly aligned with each other for better mating and improves the reliability of contact between the opposing terminals is included. There is also a need for high density interconnect systems.

  The present invention is directed to an improved interconnect assembly that overcomes the above disadvantages.

  Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an interconnection system utilizing a pair of connectors, each of which is mounted near the edge of the corresponding circuit board, The orientation of each connector on the circuit board is determined so that the connectors mounted on one circuit board can be deflected by a predetermined amount while approaching each other in a separated state. Flexibility is given to a set of connectors to allow misalignment between the sets.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an interconnection system utilizing a plug connector and a receptacle connector, with one of the two connectors having a terminal in a predetermined position within the associated housing. The other connector's terminals are movable a predetermined amount in their associated housings so that they deflect in at least one direction, preferably two different associated directions, thereby eliminating the above-mentioned misalignment problem. Overcome.

  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly having the above flex characteristics, wherein at least one of the connectors is comprised of a plurality of separate subassemblies in the form of a wafer, Are alternately arranged with respect to the connector terminals so as to support the conductive signal terminal sets and the ground terminal sets and to locate the associated signal terminal wafers on both sides of each ground member wafer.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible connector for use in the connector assembly described above, which is assembled in the form of a wafer block to define a connector body or housing unit. A plurality of connector wafers, each connector wafer having a set of conductive terminals supported thereby, each terminal having a tail portion for connection to one of the two circuit boards; A body portion supported by the connector wafer, and a mating portion extending from one edge of the connector wafer for mating with the mating terminal of the mating connector, the terminal mating portion and the body portion Are connected to each other by a flexible portion of varying thickness that allows bending of the terminal fitting portion in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a circuit board connector for connecting two circuit boards to each other, the connector having a fitting end positioned in the vicinity of the edge of the first circuit board. The mating end preferably has a flexure characteristic that allows the mating end to move by a limited amount in two different directions orthogonal to each other, the connector having a body portion that supports a plurality of conductive terminals The contact or mating free end of the terminal is fixed at a predetermined position in the connector housing body at a position where the contact portion protrudes from the connector housing body, and by a hollow shroud surrounding the mating free end The shroud is supported by a support that traverses the group of terminal contacts within the shroud and connects them together, thereby And with the contact portion of the terminal can be moved integrally with the two different directions at least orthogonal, the contact portions of the terminals, the posture facing the mating direction without relative movement between the contact part is maintained.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an outer cover assembly that engages a mating end of a flexible connector, which outer cover assembly engages a block of connector wafers to engage them. A clamping member maintained in the form of a block; and a floating shroud member movably engaged with the clamping member and providing a protective outer cover about the periphery of the terminal mating portion, the terminal mating portion comprising a cover And is held in part by an elongated insulating support rail that is housed within the portion and abuts at least one inner shoulder of the cover portion, the insulating support rail being attached to the exterior of the cover It is held in place against the inner shoulder by one or more key members that penetrate the cover and engage the support rail and press it. It may be.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a high density connector for board-to-board connection in single-ended signal applications, the connector having a plurality of terminal assemblies assembled together, The terminal assembly includes a plurality of conductive terminal arrays including at least two signal terminal arrays and a single ground member terminal array associated therewith, the terminal assemblies supported on an insulating block held together. The signal terminal and the grounding member terminal assembly each include a conductive element having a contact portion protruding from a common first side surface of each signal terminal block, and a plurality of conductive tabs are formed on the grounding member. The conductive tab extends in two different directions from the plane of the grounding member and contacts a selected ground reference terminal of the signal terminal set, the grounding terminal and the grounding base Terminals are located on opposite sides of each signal terminal.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed and high-density connector assembly that uses a plurality of contact pins that project forward from the connector body, the contact pins being flexible. Being movable and arranged in the form of a plurality of vertical linear arrays, each array being spaced from an adjacent array by intermediate insulating spacer elements that intersect the direction of the contact pins and contact Extending along the flexible portion of the pin, it prevents unintentional shorting of the terminals during flexure of the connector and provides a dielectric interface between the terminals.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a high density interconnect connector utilizing a connector in the form of a plug and a slot, the terminal having a terminal when the mating connector component is mated. The terminal has a structure for preventing excessive bending deformation.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a high density connector in which a plurality of conductive terminals are supported on an insulative housing and the terminals are separated into separate signal terminal sets and ground terminal sets; The ground terminal has a flat contact blade that protrudes forward from the connector body, and the signal terminal has a substantially L-shaped contact portion. The signal terminal has a cross pattern and has both sides of the ground blade. Is arranged.

  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector for mating with the above-described high-density connector, wherein the signal terminal of the connector includes a contact portion that is similarly L-shaped, A pair of contact arms extending in a different plane from the L-shaped body portion is provided to provide redundant mating contact with the mating connector.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a high density high speed connector structure utilizing double grounding to provide ground reference for signal terminals and to provide isolation between signal terminal arrays. is there.

  The present invention achieves these and other objectives with a novel and unique structure.

  In a main form of the present invention, a flexible high-density connector assembly is provided which mainly aims to connect two circuit boards arranged at right angles. The assembly includes a plug connector mounted on the first circuit board and a receptacle connector mounted on the second circuit board. One of these connectors, preferably a receptacle connector, is provided with a structure that allows its mating area to be deflected in the horizontal and vertical (“X” and “Y”) directions. This bending enables the use of the connector assembly even when the mounting position on the circuit board corresponding to one of the connectors is shifted.

  In this regard, in another major form of the invention, the receptacle connector is assembled from three different parts and includes two sets of single-ended signal terminal sets provided on opposite sides of the ground terminal set. It has sub-assemblies, ie “tri-wafers”. The terminal set is supported on the dielectric housing and includes a tail portion, a contact portion, and a main body portion. The tail portion extends from one side of the housing and fits with the circuit board, and the contact portion extends from another side of the housing for fitting with the terminal of the mating connector, Are interconnected between the contact portion and the tail portion and supported by the housing.

  A flexible portion is formed on the terminal, and is disposed between the contact portion of the terminal and the main body portion. Like the contact portion of the terminal, the flexible portion is positioned on the outside of the connector housing and has a central portion that is substantially the same width as the main body portion of the terminal. That is, a bending arm is provided. The flexure arm bends as needed, but the thick central portion provides strength and provides electrical performance to the flexible portion of the terminal. The terminals are more preferably aligned with each other by an elongated vertical support member made by molding dielectric material in place on the terminals. These support members are preferably in the form of elongated bars that maintain each terminal set or array supported by the wafer in a fixed spacing and alignment position. The support bar fixes the contact portion of the terminal at a location away from the common surface of the wafer. The support bar at this point is fixed to a movable housing, preferably in the form of a shroud member, so that the mating portion of the terminal and the shroud move integrally with respect to the common surface of the support wafer.

  The contact portions of the connector terminals are arranged in the form of a linear array, preferably a vertical linear array. The present invention also includes a plurality of dielectric spacers interposed between adjacent terminal arrays, and in a preferred embodiment, these spacers are planes extending in a direction intersecting the axis of the contact portion of the terminal. It is a typical comb shape. The spacer element is held in place between adjacent terminal arrays by protrusions formed in the spacer that protrude into the gap between the two terminals. As described above, the spacer element moves up and down or left and right together with the contact portion of the terminal during the fitting engagement. The spacer element may comprise means for engaging one of the terminal arrays located on either side of the spacer element or may be fixed to a support bar. The dielectric material used for the spacer element affects the electrical affinity of the terminals on both sides of the spacer element, thereby reducing the electrical performance, eg, impedance, of the flexible portion of the terminal. It can be adjusted to some extent.

  In order to provide an effective shield for the connector of the assembly, in a second major aspect of the present invention, the inner portion of each connector terminal assembly comprises a ground shield, the ground shield being plastic or A plurality of tabs can be formed by punching by being held by a dielectric frame. These tabs extend laterally from the plane of the shield and are intended to contact a separate ground terminal located within the signal terminal set. The signal terminal set can be formed by stamping, can be made from a conductive material, and preferably comprises a modal molded outer insulating frame or housing over its body portion. A cavity is preferably formed in the frame, and a tab of the ground shield protrudes through the cavity and contacts the associated ground terminal of the adjacent signal terminal set or array.

  According to another main form of the present invention, the signal and ground terminal assembly and the frame are assembled to form a “triple wafer”. These separate triple wafers can be individually removed from the entire connector to facilitate removal and replacement of the triple wafer. In one embodiment of the present invention, each such signal and / or ground terminal assembly is supported on a single wafer and held together to form the triple wafer. The center wafer of each such triple wafer supports a ground terminal assembly, and a ground tab formed on the ground terminal assembly is adjacent to the signal terminal assembly in a pattern within the signal terminal set. In contact with a terminal intended to transmit a ground signal. As a result, the ground terminal is positioned laterally in the horizontal and vertical directions of each signal terminal in the signal terminal array.

  In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a cover assembly is provided that partially surrounds the contact portion of the receptacle connector. The cover assembly has a clamp member that engages the triple wafer as a single block and constitutes a support for the shroud member of the cover assembly. The shroud member is provided to form a housing around the mating portion of the receptacle connector terminal, and includes a terminal flexible portion support, that is, an inner shoulder against which the support bar abuts.

  One or more keys or clips may be provided extending through the shroud to press the terminal support bar against the inner shoulder of the shroud. These keys engage the shroud and press the support bar to maintain contact with the inner shoulder of the shroud. Preferably, the key comprises a plurality of fingers or arms that press the terminal support bar, and one finger presses the end of one terminal support bar. Two such keys are used to hold the support bars and the terminals contained in them in a fixed position within the shroud, spaced from the connector wafer block. These keys firmly support the support bar in place. The shroud is formed with an introduction surface or introduction portion, and guides the mating connector to the connector or guides the shroud onto the mating end of the mating connector. In this way, the shroud can float when mounted on the clamp member and moves integrally with the flexible portion of the terminal.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, slots are provided in the shroud member to align the receptacle connector terminal assemblies and separate them at a desired spacing. The slot includes a cavity that accommodates the engagement key. The key extends into the cavity and into the slot and presses against the support bar of the terminal assembly to apply a holding force.

  In yet another aspect of the invention, power terminals are provided on both the plug connector and the receptacle connector for transferring power between the two circuit boards. The power terminals are large and wide to convey an effective amount of current through the connector. Further, the power terminal is provided with a flexible portion between the main body portion and the contact portion.

  According to yet another aspect of the invention, as illustrated in another embodiment of the invention, the wafer has a terminal assembly that includes separate signal and ground terminal sets. The ground terminal includes a pair of flat contact blades that are aligned in abutment when the connector wafer is positioned vertically to form a double-width ground contact blade array. The signal terminals are arranged in pairs on both sides of the ground terminal blade, and the signal terminals have a substantially L shape. One connector has a plurality of sets of rigid L-shaped contacts arranged as a set of two pairs of contacts forming a cross pattern. The other connector has a bifurcated or dual beam L-shaped contact, and a pair of contact arms (existing and extending in two different planes) project from the terminal body and are rigid L-shaped. Enters and engages the contact portion of the shaped contact and provides redundancy between opposing contacts.

  In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the connector assembly includes a pair of mating connectors, each connector containing a plurality of separate connector components, preferably in the form of a wafer assembly. A holding housing is provided. Each wafer can include first and second signal terminal sets and first and second ground terminal sets. All signal and ground terminals have a conductive contact portion, a tail portion, and a body portion interconnecting the contact portion and the tail portion, and the first and second signal terminal sets are at least partially isolated. Surrounded by a cover. These two insulating covers and the first and second ground terminal sets cooperate to form a single terminal assembly wafer, and all the terminal assembly wafers in the receptacle connector are of the same type. is there.

  The first and second sets of signal terminals and ground terminals include a flat blade portion disposed within each connector component, the blade portions preferably being opposed to each other by the first and second sets of ground terminals. And extends along a vertical line through the center of the wafer. The first and second sets of signal terminals are located on both sides of the first and second sets of ground terminals, and the insulating covers of the first and second sets of signal terminals are between the signal terminals and the ground terminals. Prevent unintended short circuit at Further, the first and second sets of signal terminals are arranged such that the pair of first signal terminals and the pair of second signal terminals are located on both sides of one of the contact portions of the first and second sets of ground terminals. ing. In this arrangement, the L-shaped signal terminal contact portion extends in a direction parallel to and perpendicular to the flat blade portion of the ground terminal, and the first and second signal terminal pairs have their contact ends. When viewed from above, a cross pattern is formed around the associated ground blade.

  The contact portions of the signal terminals in this pattern are preferably spaced closer to the associated ground contact blades than to the signal terminal contact portions of the signal terminals of the adjacent terminal assembly, whereby the connector The signal-to-ground coupling is likely to occur during the operation of the signal, and the signal-to-signal coupling is less likely to occur. In one embodiment, the terminal assemblies are separated from each other by the retainer and the shroud so that capacitive coupling from signal to signal in adjacent terminal assemblies is less likely and capacitive coupling from signal to ground is more likely to occur. And maintain such an interval.

  These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description.

  In the following detailed description, reference will frequently be made to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 illustrates a connector assembly 50 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention that is useful primarily for connecting two circuit boards 51,52. As shown, the circuit boards 51, 52 are arranged in a right angle orientation, and it will be appreciated that only a portion of the circuit boards 51, 52 is shown for clarity. In practice, the horizontal circuit board 52 may extend larger than a horizontal plane (direction intersecting the paper surface as shown), and a plurality of circuit boards 52 may be engaged with the plurality of vertical circuit boards 51. A connector assembly 50 may be included.

  The connector assembly 50 of the present invention has a structure that allows bending to occur between the two connectors 100 and 200 mounted on the circuit boards 51 and 52, respectively. One of the connectors is a “plug” connector and the other is a “receptacle” connector. In this description, it will be appreciated that the connector 100 is referred to as a plug connector because it is housed within the receptacle connector 200.

  2-3B show the receptacle connector 200. This connector 200 has a main body portion 201, a mounting portion 202 mounted on the circuit board 52, and a fitting portion 203 extending from the main body portion 201 and fitting with a similar fitting portion in the plug connector 100. I understand. The fitting part 203 of the connector 200 has a “Y” direction (upward movement), a “−Y” direction (downward movement), “X” in two different horizontal and vertical planes shown on the left side in FIG. It can move by a predetermined distance in any one of the four directions of the “direction” (leftward movement) and the “−X” direction (rightward movement). The magnitude of this deflection is shown in detail in FIGS. In the course of this description, the movement of the connector of the present invention will be described in terms of the preferred embodiment in a linear term, that is, in the general direction of up / down and left / right. Will be understood to include but not be limited to only four such directions, including radial, diagonal, and other directions. Also, while the bending motion will be described only with respect to the receptacle connector, it will be appreciated that a flexible portion can be formed in the plug connector using the principles of the present invention.

  The plug connector 100 (FIG. 4) is preferably configured to include a cover portion 108 that is secured to the circuit board 51 and that is received within the shroud opening of the receptacle connector 200. Plug connector 100 is comprised of a series of components 101 referred to herein as a “wafer” because of its relatively thin structure. These wafers 101 are assembled in the form of a stack of wafers, i.e., blocks 102, which are integrated by an aligner or retainer 103 that engages a series of recesses 104 formed in the rear surface 105 of the connector block 102. Is maintained as. Further, the cover member 108 is preferably provided so as to fit over the front portion of the connector block 102, that is, the fitting surface 109, and the terminal fitting portion of the plug connector 100, that is, the contact portion. (Not shown) may have a series of holes 110 formed in alignment. The terminal 112 of the plug connector 100 can be terminated by a tail portion such as the illustrated through-hole elastic pin 113, and this tail portion is accommodated in a corresponding mounting hole or via formed in the circuit board 51. Other mounting means such as surface mounting and ball grid array can also be used.

Terminal assembly The connector wafer of the present invention means that one set of three for performing single-ended signal transmission, and a ground wafer or a ground member is provided between each of the two signal wafers. It is preferable to assemble in the order of SGS (signal-ground-signal). Importantly, when the wafer is assembled in a triple wafer system (as shown in FIGS. 6, 9, 10 and 21), the wafer is triple wafer, ie, a single terminal assembly. As a result, maintenance and repair of the connector of the present invention can be facilitated.

  Turning next to FIGS. 7 and 8, two wafers 210, 220 of the receptacle connector 200 are shown. FIG. 7 shows the signal terminal wafer 210, and FIG. 8 shows the signal wafer and the ground wafer aligned in an adjacent relationship. The additional signal wafer 210 on the side of the ground wafer 220 visible in FIG. 8 is omitted, and the terminal assembly of this embodiment of the present invention is shown in an exploded state in FIG. As can be seen, it includes two signal terminal wafers on either side of the central ground terminal wafer.

  The signal terminal wafer 210 supports the terminal set 211. Terminal set 211 includes a terminal intended to carry an electrical signal and a ground reference signal, but does not include a structure intended to serve as a ground, such as a ground shield as a whole. This is called a “signal” terminal set 211. The terminals 211 can be stamped into the shape of a lead frame, and then a housing portion 215, preferably of insulating and / or dielectric material, around it, for example, insert molding, overmolding, or others Formed by the appropriate technique. Each terminal has a tail 213 for mounting on the circuit board 52 and one edge of the housing (or wafer) 215 for mating with a corresponding contact on the plug connector 100, ie a contact that protrudes from the surface 218. 214. The tail portion 213 protrudes along another edge of the housing 215, that is, the surface 600. These two parts, namely the tail part and the contact part, are interconnected by a terminal body part 216 (shown in phantom lines in FIG. 7) that exists between them. And an electrical path through the terminal between the tail portion 213 and the tail portion 213.

  The portion of the connector wafer / housing 215 in the terminal mating area that protrudes from the front surface 218 is considered to define a flexure or flexure 219 between the contact portion 214 and the terminal body portion 216 or the wafer front surface 218. be able to. As can be seen in FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, the flexible portion 219 includes a central body 222 having a thickness and width close to the thickness and width of the terminal body portion 211. On both sides of the body 222 are two narrow necks or flexure arms 223 having a vertical width smaller than the vertical width (or thickness) of the terminal contact, central body or body portion (214, 222, 216). There is. This reduction in size increases the elasticity of the flexible portion 219, while the thick body portion 222 provides strength and affects the electrical properties of the terminal through the flexible portion. This increases the capacitive coupling between the signal terminal flexible portion and the ground terminal flexible portion, resulting in a decrease in impedance in this region of the connector. This also increases the electrical isolation of the signal terminals on both sides of the ground terminal array. Next, the size of the body of the flexible portion can be determined to achieve a desired impedance level in this portion of the connector.

  The flexible portion is not limited to the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 15 and can take other forms. 39 and 39A show two opposing terminal assemblies, one of the assemblies 900 having an alternative flexible structure. The terminal assembly 900 includes a plurality of conductive signal terminals 902 and 904 supported by an insulating housing 901 and the ground terminal 905. The ground terminal 905 is constituted by adjacent ground members having signal terminals 902 and 904 on both sides. The terminal has separate flexible portions 906, 907 spaced from the contact portion by elongated support bars 910 extending over the terminal. Most of the flexible portions 906 are straight and straight, but the lower two flexible portions 907 are shown as having an arcuate shape. This substantially reduces the undesired level of tension or compression that occurs in the flexible portion, particularly the lowermost flexible portion, when moving the connector.

  A terminal support member 225, shown as an elongated vertical bar, may be molded over a portion of the terminal contact 214, the purpose of which will be described in detail later. As used herein, the term “mating portion” or “mating region” refers to a terminal portion that protrudes forward from the front surface 218 of the connector wafer or housing 210, 220. Point to. Both the contact portion and the flexible portion of the terminal are in this fitting region or fitting portion.

  The ground wafer 220 (FIG. 8) is preferably constructed in a similar manner and includes a ground member 230 held or supported by a dielectric frame or plastic frame 238. As shown in this embodiment, the grounding member has a contact portion 232 but no tail portion. The ground member relies on a ground tab 237 that contacts a designated ground terminal in the signal terminal array that itself has a tail for connection to the circuit board.

  The ground member 230 includes a flat plate or main body portion 231 having a terminal contact portion 232 protruding forward. These terminal contact portions 232 are connected to the plate body 231 by an intermediate flexible portion 233 similar in structure to the flexible portion 219 (FIG. 7) of the signal terminal set, and two thin flexible arms 235 are provided on both sides. A thick central body 234 is included. Also, a vertical support bar 236 can be provided to hold the grounding member contact portion 232 in place in the mating area.

  In order to effectively ground the entire connector system, the ground plate 231 is punched or stamped to form a plurality of ground tabs 237 protruding from the plate 231. These tabs 237 are preferably positioned in alignment with specific terminals of a set of signal terminals designated to carry a ground reference signal, and these tabs protrude on either side of the ground plate 231. As best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, these ground tabs protrude beyond the plane in which the ground plate 231 extends. The tab that protrudes to the left of the plate of FIGS. 8 and 9 is designated 237a, while the tab that protrudes to the right of the plate is designated 237b in these figures.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the ground terminal set is held in a plastic frame 238 that extends around the plate 231. In order to obtain contact with a specific terminal of the signal terminal set 211, the frame 215 of the signal wafer is pierced and a hole 240 is formed. These holes 240 are aligned with the terminal body portion 216 such that a portion 216 a of the terminal body portion 216 is exposed from the hole 240. The ground tab 237 of the ground plate 231 extends into these holes 240 and contacts the exposed terminal body portion 216a. As shown in the figure, the ground tabs are arranged in a pattern that passes through the insulative housing that supports the terminal set and follows the spread of the ground reference terminals in the signal terminal set. Thus, the central ground plate 231 of each triple wafer serves as an intervening ground that is “sandwiched” between the two signal wafers. Depending on the structure of the signal terminals, such terminals may be arranged in an alternating order of GSGSGS vertical directions, in which case the ground reference terminals are on both sides (vertical direction) of the signal terminals. To position. Next, the terminals of the respective terminal assemblies are divided into a horizontal column pattern SGS (a column of “genuine” signal terminals) and a horizontal column pattern GGG (a column in which the signal terminals are ground reference terminals). ) Can be easily arranged.

  FIG. 10 shows a triple wafer terminal assembly 120 with a different structure used in the plug connector 100. In the triple wafer terminal assembly 120, two signal terminal sets 121 and one ground shield 122 are used. The ground shield 122 is disposed between the two signal terminal sets 121, and can include a deformation pin 123 and a slotted tab 124 as a tail portion and a contact portion, respectively. The ground shield 122 is held within its own dielectric frame 130, which has a central opening 131. The ground tab 132 of the ground shield 122 protrudes through the central opening 131 and through a hole 135 formed in the dielectric wafer 136 formed on the lead frame of the signal terminal set 121, thereby specifying the signal terminal set 121. Contact with the connected terminals. The contact portion 129 of the signal terminal set 121 shown in FIG. 10 is a female terminal that accommodates the pin-type contact portion 214 of the receptacle connector terminal. Similarly, the ground shield contact 124 houses the thick blade contact of the ground shield 230 in a slot 177 formed between the contact arms.

Connector Terminal Cover Assembly Returning now to FIG. 2, the receptacle connector also preferably includes a cover assembly 250, with a portion of the cover assembly 250 moving integrally with the terminal contacts. The cover assembly 250 includes a clamp member 251, a shroud 252, and a key 253. The clamp member 251 can have an inverted U shape as shown in the figure, and is attached to the block of the connector wafer. The clamp member 251 does not move and assists the wafer aligner 103 in maintaining the connector block as a unit. The clamp member 251 can include legs 256 that project outward and are used to limit movement of the shroud 252 on the connector body 201.

  The shroud 252 has a hollow quadrangular shape as shown in FIG. 6 and has a recess 257 that is complementary to the clamp member leg 256, and two such recesses are shown. Also, the shroud 252 preferably includes an inner shoulder or ridge 258 that protrudes radially inward and is provided to support the support bars 225, 236 of the triple wafer. These support bars 225, 236 are held in contact with the inner shoulder 258 by the cover assembly key 253 through pressure legs 259 extending through holes 261 formed in the shroud 252. Is done. These pressure legs 259 are curved so that the key 253 can be rotated in place. The key 253 also includes a retaining clip or latch 260 that is received in the second set of holes 262 in the shroud 252 and engages the second set of holes 262 in the shroud 252. Thus, the support bars 225, 236 are held against the shroud 252 so that the terminal portion, ground contact, flexible portion and shroud 252 are preferably integral in the up-down, left-right and other directions. Can move on.

  This bending movement, as shown in the drawings, particularly FIGS. 11-12 and FIGS. 14-15, is accomplished by securing the shroud 252 and the terminal mating portion together at the support bar 225. The shroud 252 is not attached to the connector block 201 and is free to move, but the engagement of the shroud 252 and the support bar 225 defines the terminal floating point, and the connector housings 210, 220, particularly along the front surface 218 thereof. To define a fixed point. The shroud 252 is fixed to the terminal at the support bar 225, but the support bar 225 can move relative to the front surface 218 of the connector block 201. Thus, and as illustrated in FIG. 12, the flexible portion of the terminal mimics a mechanical mechanical four-point linkage having four points indicated as B1, B2, B3, and B4. This arrangement allows the desired movement as a group of contacts (and shrouds) while maintaining the contacts 214, 230 in a mating orientation that is preferably parallel to each other.

  11 and 12 show the deflection of the contact portion of the insertion port in the upper direction, that is, the “+ Y” direction (FIG. 11) and in the lower direction, that is, the “−Y” direction. FIG. 13 shows the gap created between the shroud 252 and the circuit board 52. 14 and 15 illustrate the maximum bends that occur in the receptacle connector in two different “−X” (left) and “X” (right) directions in the horizontal plane.

  A gap “C” is provided between the clamp member 251 and the shroud 252 to provide unobstructed movement of the receptacle connector 200 in the shroud and mating area in these directions (FIGS. 1 and 2). Thereby, the clamp member 251 does not disturb the movement of the shroud and its contact. As shown in FIG. 13, the shroud 252 can also include a notch 280 formed along the lower side 281 of the shroud 252, the notch 280 being formed on the shroud and the circuit board on which the connector is mounted. Serves to provide space between the edge 282 (FIGS. 6 and 11-13).

  As shown in the drawings such as FIG. 2, the receptacle connector 200 includes an inclined surface 290 that preferably extends along the inner periphery of the surface 291 of the shroud 252. The inclined surface 290 serves as an introduction surface, and serves to support the introduction of the front surface 292 of the mating plug connector (FIG. 4) into the opening inside the shroud 252 by the inclined surface 293 having a complementary shape.

  FIG. 40 shows another means for aligning the plug connector and the receptacle connector. In this embodiment 650, the receptacle connector 651 includes a hollow holding portion 652 that holds the terminal assembly as a unit 653 in place. A front portion (not shown) of the terminal assembly extends from the holding portion 652, and the shroud member 654 is attached by its support bar (not shown) as will be described later. The shroud member 654 preferably has one or more slots 656 formed in the shroud member 654 and an inclined introduction surface 657. These slots 656 accommodate the corresponding protrusions 670 mounted on the cover or front plate 671 of the mating plug connector 673 mounted on the circuit board 51. Note that in this configuration, the shroud member 654 includes an external notch 660 that provides a gap with the edge 675 of the mating circuit board 51.

  FIG. 45 shows another embodiment 800 of the connector assembly of the present invention that uses different means to hold the support bar in place to obtain the desired flexing motion. In this embodiment, the shroud member 802 includes a plurality of slots 803 formed in its inner surface 804 that are separated by raised ribs 805 therebetween. A series of holes 808, 809 are disposed on two opposing sides of the shroud member 802 and a support bar retaining clip or key 810 engages these holes 808, 809. The slots 803 are preferably aligned with one another to maintain the support bar in the desired orientation within the shroud member 802.

  The first hole 808 accommodates the hook end 812 of the retainer key 810, and the second hole 809 accommodates the raised spring portion 813. The retainer key 810 is preferably formed from a resilient metal sheet to provide the desired spring characteristics and is snapped into a slot 814 that extends transversely to the holes 808, 809. Is preferred. This engagement is best shown in FIGS. The spring portion 813 protrudes through the hole 809 to apply pressure to the end of the terminal support bar, preferably the end of the support bar and shroud the support bar so that the support bar and the terminal supported thereby move together. Hold. These holes communicate with the slot 803 and are aligned in pairs on opposite sides of the shroud member. In addition, the holding part key 810 includes a plurality of holes 815 arranged between adjacent spring portions 813. These holes fit into protrusions 816 formed in the shroud. (FIG. 49).

Connector Terminal Support As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the support bar 225 intersects, i.e., intersects, perpendicular to the direction in which the signal and ground terminal contacts of each terminal assembly extend. This is a vertical member extending in the direction. Thus, the support bar is vertical for connectors using a vertical terminal array and horizontal for connectors using a horizontal terminal array. As such, the support bar maintains the terminal contact portions of each terminal array at a predetermined contact interval. In this embodiment, the support bar is most suitably attached to the terminal by insert molding, overmolding, or any suitable assembly method such as press fitting or bonding. Further, when the terminal assembly is assembled, the support bars contact each other as shown in FIG. Adjacent edges of these support bars can have interengaging means in the form of slots 555 (FIG. 25), adhesives, and the like.

  An alternative embodiment of a support bar is shown in the terminal assembly 700 shown in FIGS. 41-44, where only two connector housings 701, 702 are used to construct the terminal assembly 700, each of which housings 701. , 702 are formed on or around a set of signal terminals 705 such as the following L-shaped terminals. The tail portion of the signal terminal set 705 and the ground member 707 have been removed in FIGS. 41-44 for clarity, and in this embodiment, the ground member 707 contacts the ground reference terminal in the adjacent signal terminal set. In order not to use the aforementioned ground tab. In this particular embodiment, two ground members 707 are utilized to obtain a twice as thick ground that is more electrically preferred for the signal terminals on both sides. In the case of this type of terminal assembly 700, the support bars 708a and 708b are molded or otherwise formed on the signal terminal fitting portion between the flexible portion 709 and the contact portion 710, It is best shown in the lower right part of FIG.

  These support bars 708 a and 708 b have engagement posts or protrusions 712 that protrude in the lateral direction with respect to the axial extending direction of the contact portion of the terminal set 705. These engagement posts 712 pass through holes 715 formed in the grounding member contact blade 716 and are received in holes or recesses 713 formed in the support bar halves 708a and 708b. Also, the support bar halves 708a, 708b can include a recess 725 that houses the component 731 of the ground contact 716, as shown in FIGS. In this way, a snap-fit assembly of the two support bar halves 708a, 708b can be obtained. Alternatively, the post and hole can be used in ultrasonic welding or plastic welding of the two support bar halves. In addition, other means for forming one support bar from a plurality of parts such as an adhesive can be used.

Terminal Separation and Adjustment Also note that the flex connector can include a dielectric comb or spacer 275 that separates the flexible portion of the signal terminal set from the flexible portion of the ground terminal set within each terminal assembly. I want to be. Two such spacers 275 are preferably used in each terminal set assembly and are shown positioned between the signal terminal wafer 210 and the ground member wafer 220. As shown, the spacer 275 is an elongated, generally rectangular shape with a sloping edge 276 at the bottom, and therefore, as shown, the spacer 275 includes the top and bottom terminals of the signal terminal and ground terminal arrays. It extends completely (across). The spacer is attached to one of the terminal arrays, preferably the signal terminal array, along its inner surface, so that the spacer extends between the flexible portion of the signal member terminal array and the ground member terminal array. To do. Attachment is accomplished by an interference fit in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and the spacer element 275 includes an attachment protrusion 277 defined in the body of the spacer by a U-shaped slot 278. The mounting protrusion 277 preferably includes a widened free end 279 that fits into one of the spaces between the pair of terminal flexible portions in the signal terminal array.

  41-44 show alternative spacer structures. In addition, the spacer 720 has a flat configuration, and has a spread that extends between the upper and lower portions of the terminal flexible portion. Thus, the spacer 720 prevents an inadvertent short circuit between the terminal arrays, and also affects the electrical affinity of the flexible portion of the signal terminal array with respect to the flexible portion of the ground member, thereby allowing flexibility. The impedance of the connector in the sub-region can be “adjusted”. In this embodiment, the spacer 720 includes an engagement tab 726 that is preferably received within a recess 728 formed in the support bar portions 708a, 708b. The engagement tab 726 can include a hole 729 that fits into a post 730 formed on the support bar halves 708a, 708b. The two support bars 708a, 708b hold the spacer element 720 in place between the signal terminal flexible portion and the ground terminal flexible portion when assembled.

Flexible Power Terminal FIGS. 16 and 17 show an alternative embodiment of the present invention that incorporates a power terminal into the connector. The receptacle connector 300 is shown in FIG. 16, and includes many of the components having the same structure as the receptacle connector 200, such as the holding portion 103, the cover assembly 250 including the shroud 252, the clamp member 251, and the holding key 253. It turns out that it has. The receptacle connector 300 also includes a plurality of connector wafers assembled as a triplet of triple wafers, and importantly, this is a portion of the entire power supply terminal set 411 supported by the insulating housing 423. A plurality of power supply terminals 410 (FIG. 18). (FIG. 19).

  Each power terminal 410 includes a mounting portion 415, a body portion 416, a contact portion 417, and a flexible portion 418 disposed between the terminal body portion 416 and the contact portion 417. The flexible portion 418 includes the aforementioned central body 419 in which two thin flexible arms 420 are disposed on both sides. The power terminal flexible portions 419 are interconnected by vertical leads 421 in the manufacturing process, which are stamped and formed with the terminals as shown in FIG. 18, but are removed from the punching of the terminal lead frame. . As shown in FIG. 19, the support bar 422 may be formed on the power terminal, and the wafer body 423 may be formed on all or a part of the power terminal set 411. These power supply terminal wafers may be arranged near the set of signal terminal wafers and ground terminal wafers, or may be arranged along one side of the receptacle connector as shown in FIG. This support bar 422 of this embodiment is used to fix the power terminal contact portion 417 to the movable shroud as described above.

Connector Terminal Fitting Interface FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate a terminal set used with the plug connector 350 of FIG. 17 that mates with the receptacle connector 300 of FIG. The terminal set 351 includes a signal terminal 352 extending alongside a pair of power supply terminals 353. All of these terminals have a mounting portion 360, a main body portion 361, and a contact portion 362, and all of the contact portions 362 provide power supply contact, ground contact, and signal contact of the receptacle connector 300 in each slot. It is preferred to have a slotted contact for receiving. These terminal sets have a molded insulative body and are sandwiched around a ground terminal set, similar to the plug connector of FIG. FIG. 20 shows a set of signal terminals, and FIG. 21 shows a plug connector terminal in which two signal terminal sets are arranged on both sides of a set of ground terminals and each is supported by an insulating housing. The assembly is shown.

  22 and 23 show two different plug ground shield engagement end embodiments that show how the plug connector and receptacle connector of the present invention fit together. This engagement is a sliding engagement, and it can be seen that the ground contact of the receptacle connector is grasped by a pair of contact arms 119 formed by punching the contact portion through the hole 110 of the plug connector cover 108. In FIG. 22, the receptacle connector terminal ground blade 230 extends perpendicularly into a slot 190 formed between two contact arms 119 of the plug connector ground terminal assembly. FIG. 23A shows in detail the “microcross” aspect of the connector of the present invention.

  In FIG. 23, the receptacle connector terminal assembly is shown oriented in the horizontal direction rather than the vertical direction shown in previous figures, and the plug connector terminal assembly 136 is oriented in the vertical direction. For the sake of clarity, the free end of the terminal contact portion 214 is removed. The ground member contact blade 230 is housed in a slot 190 between the paired contact arms 191. Thus, the grounds of both connectors cross each other, extend vertically between the signal terminal arrays, and extend horizontally between the terminal rows. This is schematically shown in FIG. 23A, in which a grounding cross pattern 900 is created in the mating region. In this fitting region, the signal terminal 214 of the receptacle connector is fitted with the mating female contact 129 of the plug connector, and the ground contact portions 124 and 230 of each connector are fitted as shown. This configuration separates the signal terminals by intersecting ground planes and at the same time provides a continuous ground reference through the mating boundary of the two connectors.

Alternative Terminal and Terminal Assembly Structure FIGS. 24-38 illustrate another embodiment of a connector 500 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In FIG. 24, only two opposing connector assemblies 501, 502 are shown for clarity. Multiple assemblies 501, 502 are assembled together in the shroud as described above. The terminal structure of this assembly is such that the two circuit boards 503 and 504 (shown by phantom lines) can be orthogonally connected by using these assemblies. At least one of the assembled bodies 501 and 502 (assembled body 501) is configured to have a terminal structure that can bend in both the X direction and the Y direction, as described above. Similar to the other embodiments described above, the terminal of the assembly 501 has a flexible portion 505 disposed between the contact portion and the body / tail portion, and this flexible portion allows the ground terminal and the signal terminal to be connected. Both contact portions can bend a predetermined distance in a desired direction. Thus, the assembly 501 can be referred to as a “flexible” assembly, while the terminals of the assembly 502 are relatively impossible to perform the same flexing motion as the terminals of the assembly 501, 502 may be referred to as a “fixed” connector assembly.

  Each connector assembly can be thought of as a combination of at least three, usually four, conductive subcomponents. For the flexible connector assembly 501, these conductive subcomponents include a first set or array of ground terminals 510 (as shown in FIGS. 28 and 31), a second set or array of ground terminals 511, A first set or array of signal terminals 512 and a second set or array of signal terminals 513 are included. As best illustrated in FIGS. 28, 31 and 32, the first and second sets of ground terminals are juxtaposed with each other. As a result, they preferably abut one another to form a single common ground reference 520 that is twice as thick. (FIGS. 30, 31 and 32) These two grounds can be considered to cooperate to form or define the central reference or centerline of the flexible connector assembly. A single ground member can also be used in this application.

  The first set 512 and the second set 513 of signal terminals are arranged on both sides of the common ground 520. Preferably, the first set 512 and the second set 513 of signal terminals are further horizontally aligned with the terminals of the corresponding second set 513, as shown in FIGS. It is desirable to arrange them so that they are aligned with each other. Furthermore, the signal terminals of both the first set terminal 512 and the second set terminal 513 are separated from each other, and the pair of terminals “P” (FIG. 32) of the first terminal set 512 is one side surface of the common ground 520. The pair of terminals “P2” of the second terminal set 513 is preferably placed on the other side of the common ground 520. Thus, a cross-shaped arrangement or pattern indicated by “CF” is formed (FIG. 31), and the common ground 520 extends along the center of the pattern. Also, the positioning of the signal terminals 512, 513 is such that their top and bottom edges (along line “D” in FIGS. 31 and 32) are aligned with the vertical end 580 of the common ground 520. To be done. In this way, electrical affinity between the signal terminals does not occur as in the case where the tips of the signal terminals 512 and 513 extend beyond the line D, but between the signal terminals and the ground 520. The electrical affinity of is maintained. FIG. 31 shows the tips of the signal terminals 512, 513 maintained at the level of the tip 580 of the ground 520. FIG. 32 shows the tip positioned withdrawn from line D.

  This cross pattern is achieved by the structure and arrangement of the signal terminal contact portion 530 extending in front of the flexible portion 531 of the terminal. As described above, the terminal support bar 532 is preferably formed of an insulating material and fits in a shroud or other support member. The terminal contact portion 530 of the terminal assembly is formed in an approximately L shape, and the two leg portions 533 are joined to each other at a joint portion 534 therebetween. As shown in the drawings, the two legs 533 of each signal terminal contact portion 512 extend along the common ground 520 and extend away from the ground 520 (extend substantially parallel and perpendicularly). To do). Because the two legs are joined together, this description is characterized as a “solid” contact. The contact portion 530 and the flexible portion 531 are joined to the tail portion 535 by a terminal body portion supported by the insulating housing 540. The L-shaped terminal provides strength and redundancy to the signal contact.

  FIG. 33 shows details of a sandwich (or layer) configuration of the flexible connector assembly 501. The first ground terminal set 510 and the second ground terminal set 511 preferably have contact portions in the form of flat contact blades 518. The contact blades are in contact with each other to form a common ground 520. As shown in FIG. 30, the contact blades are bifurcated in the region of the flexible portion 531 (FIG. 30) disposed behind the terminal support bar 532. I know. The first signal terminal set 512 and the second signal terminal set 513 are partially accommodated or surrounded by insulating bodies 540 and 541 (FIGS. 29 and 30). The insulating body supports the body portion of the terminal and at least partially surrounds it. The terminal tail portion 535 protrudes from one side surface of the insulating bodies 540 and 541. On the other hand, the contact portion protrudes from the other surface, preferably from the adjacent one surface.

  In use, the insulative bodies 540, 541 housing the first set of signal terminals 512 and the second set of signal terminals 513 are assembled on both sides of the set to cover the first and second ground terminal sets. And form a wafer-like fixed connector assembly. Additional insulating spacer elements 544, 545 (FIG. 33) to prevent unintentional shorts between the signal and ground terminals in the flexible region 531 and to provide a dielectric material between them if necessary. Can be provided between the first and second terminals 512 and the ground terminals 510 and 511 in this region. These spacer elements may be separate elements, or may be formed as parts or extensions of the insulating bodies 540, 541. As described in the previous embodiment, the entire terminal assembly can be inserted into and removed from the plug or receptacle connector as a single unit. This eliminates the need to disassemble the entire connector for maintenance and / or repair.

  Fixed connector assembly 502 also includes corresponding opposing terminals, as best illustrated in FIGS. These terminals include first and second ground terminals 550, 551 having flat blade contact portions 552. The first ground terminal and the second ground terminal are in contact with each other in the contact area. These ground terminals are combined to form a central common ground 521. The ground extends between the first signal terminal set 560 and the second signal terminal set 561 and preferably extends along the center of the connector assembly 502. Both the first terminal set 560 and the second terminal set 561 are also partially surrounded by insulating bodies 567,568. The main body functions to prevent an unintended short circuit between the signal terminal and the ground terminal. As described with respect to other embodiments of the invention, a portion of the signal terminal or ground terminal can be bent into contact with the opposing ground terminal or signal terminal.

  38, it can be seen that the contact portions 570 of the first and second signal terminals 560 and 561 are also substantially L-shaped. These contact portions include bifurcated or dual contact arms or beams 572, 573, and are "rigid" contacts of the flexible connector assembly in that they are separated by an intervening space 574. Different from part 530. The contact arms 572 and 573 extend forward from the main body portion 575, and one of the contact arms 572 and 573 extends along the ground terminal blade portion, and the other extends in a direction away from the ground terminal blade portion. (Extends substantially parallel and vertically). These contact portions 570 are also arranged along each side of the common ground (FIG. 34). The contacts of the first set of signal terminals are preferably aligned with the contacts of the second set of signal terminals, as shown at P and P2 in FIG. They are also preferably arranged in a cruciform pattern to ensure coupling with the L-shaped contact portion of the flexible connector assembly. The lengths of the dual contact arms are different, and one contact arm is longer than the other. When engaged, the shorter contact arm can be easily bent within the range of the other contact arm.

  This is best illustrated in FIGS. In this figure, the contact arm portion 572 extending in the horizontal direction (when the terminal assembly is assembled upright) has a longer contact length than the contact arm portion 573 extending in the vertical direction. In this regard, the free end 902 of one contact arm 573 bends freely along the path in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 37 and moves freely within the range of the other contact arm or within the “cup”. The free end 903 of the contact arm 572 does not interfere. This difference in length affects the degree to which each contact arm bends, reducing the peak of the force required to insert the connector. This reduction is achieved by bringing half of the pair of contact arms (the longer arm of each pair) into contact with the opposing rigid contact 530 of the receptacle connector and then bringing the shorter contact arm into contact with the opposing rigid contact 530. can get.

  FIG. 24A is an enlarged detail view showing fitting engagement of two L-shaped contact terminal assemblies. As shown in the figure, of the two types of contact arm portions 572 and 573, the horizontal contact arm portion 572 is the first portion that slide-engages with the surface 533 of the L-shaped rigid contact beam 512. The initial peak of force required for insertion includes only the force required to engage the longer contact arm 572 with the rigid contact beam 512 and is required to couple the contact arms 572, 573 simultaneously. Power is not included.

  This embodiment further uses a “micro cross” arrangement as shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. FIG. 24B is a cross-sectional view of the four sets of terminals of the fixed terminal assembly cut along line BB. In this figure, the contact arms 572 and 573 are arranged in an L-shaped orientation as shown, and are separated from the double ground 521. In the fitting region, as shown in FIG. 24C, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 24A, the common ground 520 of the fixed terminal assembly and the common ground 521 of the flexible terminal assembly intersect to form a cross. The signal terminals of the two connector assemblies are arranged as shown. In FIG. 24D, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 24A, the flexible portions are arranged at equal intervals on both sides of the common ground 531 of the fixed terminal assembly. In this arrangement, the signal terminal is maintained a desired distance away from ground so that the coupling between the signal terminal and ground is strengthened.

  Double grounding as shown is advantageous. This is because in the body portion of the connector assembly, the grounds are spaced apart from each other, and each such ground terminal provides a reference to the closest signal terminal and between the signal terminals immediately adjacent to the ground terminal, and Because it provides electrical isolation from the signal terminals remote from it. That is, in FIG. 30, the ground terminal 510 in the main body partial region provides a ground reference and a separation from the signal terminal 513 for the signal terminal 512. 31 to 32, the signal terminals 512 and 513 can be separated from the reference ground 520 by a distance G1 (FIG. 32). This distance G1 is smaller than the distance G2 with the corresponding signal terminal 512A of the adjacent terminal assembly shown by the phantom line in FIG. This distance relationship can be further enhanced by separating the terminal assemblies from each other by the intervening space 850 shown in the embodiment of FIGS. This spatial relationship increases the capacitive coupling between the signal terminals of each terminal assembly and the center ground associated therewith, and causes the signal terminals of each terminal assembly to cause crosstalk and noise during high-frequency data transmission. And capacitive coupling between the adjacent terminal assembly signal terminals.

  Another embodiment of a terminal assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown in FIGS. In this figure, it can be seen that the terminal assembly 700 is formed from two insulator halves 701 and 702. A signal terminal array 705 is supported on each of these halves. The inner surfaces 730 of these assembly halves 701, 702 include a recess 725 that houses the grounding member 707, particularly its flat body portion, as best shown in FIG. The body portion includes one or more mounting tabs 753 disposed along the edge 755 of the ground member body portion 707. The tab is received in the extension 737 of the recess 725. The grounding member main body portion 707 has a triangular shape as shown in the figure, and corresponds to the range of the signal terminal main body portion in the adjacent insulator halves 701 and 702. The post 740 and the opening 741 serve to hold the grounding member 707 in place before or during assembly. This can be achieved by any suitable means. It can be seen that the grounding member 707 has an inclined trailing edge 760. The length of the rear edge is longer than the length of the outer sides of the insulator halves 701 and 702. Thus, the two engagement tabs 753 can be separated from each other along the edge 760 by a distance sufficient to support the grounding member 707. Thus, these grounding members will not move when in place between the halves 701 and 702.

Holding the Terminal Assembly This type of terminal assembly 700 is illustrated in FIGS. 46-52 as assembled into a connector. Here, three such assemblies 700 are assembled along the left side of the hollow housing-shaped holding portion 875. This terminal assembly is applied to the circuit board 52, and its tail portion 775 engages with a hole in the circuit board 52. The terminal assembly 700 of this embodiment also includes an engaging protrusion 778 as best shown in FIGS. This engaging projection is formed along the front surface of the assembly and has a slot 779. The engaging projection slot 779 engages with an alignment member 780 formed and positioned on the circuit board 52. As best shown in FIG. 53, the alignment member 780 has a plurality of catch portions 781 extending upward. The catch portions 781 are separated from each other by an intermediate slot 782. The catch portion 781 fits between the adjacent assemblies 700 and provides a space therebetween, and also functions to prevent the fitting end portion of the terminal assembly 700 from being inclined toward the connector center. . The catch portion 781 is partially housed within the terminal assembly slot 779 and extends through the space between them. The slot 779 does not completely penetrate the engagement protrusion 778 and, as shown in FIG. 55, preferably includes a central wall 787 that divides into two half slots. A central wall 787 of the slot 779 is received in an intermediate space 782 formed in the alignment bar 780.

  The present invention provides a movable or flexible connector assembly that connects two circuit boards at right angles or in other orientations. Although a square or rectangular connector housing has been described as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, other housing types and types, such as a circular housing, can be used. In that case, a single support bar can be used to support a plurality of terminal contact portions on the housing, thereby obtaining a movable housing. Similarly, the support bars used need not be linear as shown, but can have other configurations for accommodating non-linear terminal arrays.

  While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The spirit of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

1 is a perspective view of a right angle connector assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, showing the assembly having a plug connector and a receptacle connector that fit together. FIG. It is a perspective view of the receptacle connector of the connector assembly of FIG. FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 2, showing a state where the circuit board is omitted. It is a perspective view of the plug connector of the connector assembly of FIG. FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the plug connector of FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of the signal terminal wafer used for the receptacle connector of FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the signal terminal wafer of FIG. 7 assembled to a ground terminal wafer. It is an exploded view of a receptacle connector triple wafer. It is an exploded view of a plug connector triple wafer. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 2, showing a state where the fitting portion is fully bent upward in the “Y” direction. FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11, but showing a state where the fitting portion is completely bent downward in the “Y” direction. It is an enlarged detailed view of the lower part of the flexible part of the receptacle connector. It is a horizontal direction sectional view of a receptacle connector, and shows the state where a fitting part fully bent to one side (one direction) of "X" direction. FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 14 but showing the connector fully deflected in the opposite (right) direction. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a receptacle connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, including a power terminal. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a plug connector that mates with the receptacle connector of FIG. 16. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a power terminal set lead frame used in the receptacle connector of FIG. 15. It is a perspective view of a power terminal set lead frame formed with a frame. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a power / signal / grounding terminal set lead frame used in the plug connector of FIG. 17. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the lead frame of FIG. 20 incorporated in a plug connector triple wafer. FIG. 3 is a detailed side elevational view showing an engagement state between a ground shield contact portion of the plug connector of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 and a ground shield contact portion of the receptacle connector. It is an expansion detailed perspective view which shows the engagement state of the ground shield contact part of the plug connector of the connector assembly of FIG. 1, and the ground shield contact part of the receptacle connector. FIG. 24 is a schematic view of the contact area of FIG. 23, showing a state where two connectors are joined to each other. It is a perspective view shown in the state where a pair of connector wafers constituted according to the principle of another embodiment of the present invention were fitted. FIG. 25 is an enlarged detail view showing the engagement between the two connector wafers of FIG. 24. FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing the rightmost wafer assembly of FIG. 24. FIG. 26 is a top plan view of the wafer assembly of FIG. 25. FIG. 25 is a top plan view of the leftmost wafer assembly of FIG. 24. FIG. 26 is an enlarged detail view of the signal terminal contact portion and the ground terminal contact portion of the wafer assembly of FIG. 25, showing the associated support bar removed for clarity. FIG. 27 is a bottom plan view of the wafer assembly of FIG. 26. FIG. 30 is an enlarged detailed view of a front end portion, that is, a contact end portion of the wafer assembly of FIG. 29. FIG. 27 is a front elevation view of the wafer assembly of FIG. 26. FIG. 32 is an enlarged detail view of a part of FIG. 31. FIG. 26 is an enlarged detail view of the wafer assembly of FIG. 25 showing its sandwich layered structure. FIG. 28 is a front elevation view of the wafer assembly of FIG. 27. FIG. 35 is an enlarged detail view of the top of FIG. 34. FIG. 35 is a bottom plan view of the wafer assembly of FIG. 34. FIG. 37 is an enlarged detail view of the front end portion of FIG. 36. FIG. 28 is an enlarged detail (perspective) view of the wafer assembly of FIG. 27. It is a perspective view which shows the terminal assembly of FIG. 27, this assembly is mutually engaged by the right angle connection, and the state which has the structure of the flexible part of another form in one side of a terminal assembly is shown. FIG. 40 is an enlarged perspective view of a contact portion and a flexible portion of the flexible terminal assembly of FIG. 39. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the receptacle connector of the present invention showing another floating shroud configuration. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of another terminal assembly used in the receptacle connector of the present invention, wherein the inner grounding member is assembled on each side of the terminal assembly half and the signal terminal and the tail of the grounding member are removed for clarity. Indicates the status FIG. 42 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal assembly half on the left (top) of FIG. 41, showing the spacer elements and grounding members of the assembly half. FIG. 43 is a perspective view of the leftmost signal terminal assembly half of FIG. 42 showing the spacer element and grounding member removed for clarity. It is a figure similar to FIG. 43, and shows the state in which the spacer was added. 6 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of a receptacle connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 46 is a view similar to FIG. 45, showing a state where the terminal assembly is disposed at a predetermined position in the holding portion and at a predetermined position on the circuit board. FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional view of the shroud member of FIG. 46 taken along line 47-47. FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional view of the shroud member of FIG. 46 taken along line 48-48. FIG. 48 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of FIG. 47 showing the spring key in place in the shroud member. FIG. 46 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 45 with the shroud removed for clarity and showing the placement of the terminal assembly within the retainer. It is a front elevation view of FIG. FIG. 46 is a top plan view of FIG. 45. FIG. 46 is a perspective view of the connector alignment bar of FIG. 45. It is an enlarged perspective detail drawing which shows the engagement state between an alignment bar and a terminal assembly. FIG. 56 is a front elevation view of FIG. 50, taken from line 55-55, showing one terminal assembly in engagement with the alignment bar. FIG. 55 is a bottom plan view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 54, showing a slot for receiving an alignment bar.

Claims (36)

A board-to-board connector for connecting a circuit on a first circuit board to a mating connector mounted on a second circuit board,
An insulating connector body;
A plurality of conductive terminals, the terminals mating with a tail portion disposed at a first end of the terminal for coupling to a first printed circuit board and a terminal of the mating connector A contact portion disposed at a second end of the terminal and a body portion for supporting the terminal on the connector body, wherein the terminal tail portion protrudes from the first side surface of the connector body. And the contact portion projects from the second side surface of the connector body, and the terminal further includes a separate flexible portion disposed between the terminal contact portion and the second side surface of the connector body. The board-to-board connector, wherein the flexible portion allows movement of the terminal contact portion to achieve a mating engagement with the mating connector.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal flexible portion allows the terminal to move in at least two different directions.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal flexible portion allows the terminal to move in at least four different directions.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal flexible portion allows the terminal to move in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal contact portion moves integrally.   The terminal is supported by the connector body portion of a separate terminal array, the connector body portion including a plurality of insulative housing members, each housing member supporting a separate terminal array. Connector.   A plurality of insulative support bars are further included, with one support bar supporting a single individual terminal array in a spaced state, thereby defining a predetermined space between the terminal contacts of the single individual terminal array. The connector according to claim 6.   The terminals are disposed in the connector body in the form of individual terminal assemblies, each terminal assembly including at least three terminal arrays, two of the terminal arrays being signal terminal arrays. The connector of claim 1, wherein the third terminal array is a ground terminal array.   9. The connector of claim 8, wherein each of the terminal assemblies includes three insulative terminal housings assembled side by side, each housing supporting a single terminal array.   Each of the terminal assemblies includes a pair of insulating terminal housings that are assembled together, each terminal housing supporting a signal terminal array, and the ground terminal array being held between the pair of terminal housings. The connector according to claim 8.   A mating shroud that at least partially surrounds the terminal contact portion, the connector further comprising means for supporting the terminal in the mating shroud, the terminal support means comprising the terminal contact portion and the terminal The terminal contact portion engages with the terminal between the flexible portion and the fitting cover, thereby fitting the terminal contact portion so that the fitting shroud and the terminal contact portion can move integrally. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is fixed at a predetermined position in the mating cover.   The terminal support means includes a plurality of separate support bars, the mating shroud includes a shoulder, and the connector further includes means for holding the support bar in contact with the mating shroud; The connector according to claim 11, wherein the support bar holds the fitting shroud at a predetermined position around the terminal contact portion.   13. The connector of claim 12, wherein the terminals are supported in the connector body in the form of a separate terminal array, and a single support bar supports a single terminal array.   14. The connector of claim 13, wherein the support bars are elongated bars formed of a dielectric material, and each of the support bars supports a terminal array associated therewith in the form of a linear array.   The terminals are arranged in the connector body in the form of individual terminal assemblies, each connector assembly supporting at least three individual terminal arrays, and the terminal support means comprises a plurality of individual supports. And at least one of the support bars includes two interengaging halves that engage each other to form a single support bar, each of the support bar halves including the terminal assembly. 12. The connector of claim 11 supporting at least one associated individual array of the three terminal arrays of the body.   The connector according to claim 15, wherein the support bar half is formed so as to cover a part of the terminal array at a position between a contact portion and a flexible portion of each terminal of the terminal array.   Each of the three terminal arrays includes a first and a second signal terminal array, and a third ground disposed between the first signal terminal array and the second signal terminal array in the terminal assembly. The connector of claim 15, comprising a terminal array.   The connector according to claim 12, wherein the mating shroud includes a plurality of side walls that cooperate to define a hollow slot, and the shoulder is disposed on the inner surface of a pair of opposing side walls.   The connector of claim 18, wherein the support bar includes a free end that abuts a shoulder of the mating shroud when the mating shroud is disposed around the terminal contact portion.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminal flexible portion includes a wide body portion in which two thin neck portions are arranged on both sides.   The terminal contact portions are arranged to form a separate array of signal terminal contact portions and ground reference contact portions, the ground reference contact portions include contact blades wider than the signal terminal contact portions, 21. The signal terminal contact portion array is arranged in two rows on both sides of each reference contact portion array, and a pair of signal terminal contact portions is arranged on both sides of each ground reference contact blade. connector. Position mismatch with the mating connector for connecting the circuit on the first circuit board and the circuit on the second circuit board by fitting with the mating connector mounted on the second circuit board A high density connector with the ability to compensate for,
Having a connector body formed from a plurality of insulating terminal housings;
Each terminal housing supports a plurality of conductive terminals, and the terminals are disposed along the first side surface of the connector main body, the tail portion for coupling to the first printed circuit board, and the connector A contact portion disposed along the second end portion of the main body for fitting with a terminal of the mating connector, wherein the terminal includes the terminal contact portion and a second side surface of the connector main body. And further comprising a flexible portion disposed between
A fitting cover that at least partially covers the terminal contact portion;
A means for supporting the terminal in the fitting shroud and for movably supporting the fitting cover on the connector body, wherein the terminal support means is spaced from the second side surface of the connector body. The terminal contact portion can be moved in order to engage with the terminal and achieve a fitting engagement with the fitting connector by a terminal flexible portion, and the terminal support means can move the terminal contact portion to the terminal contact portion. A high-density connector having means for fixing at a predetermined position in the fitting cover, whereby the fitting cover and the terminal contact portion move together.   The terminal contact portions are arranged in a separate array, and the terminal support means includes a plurality of support bars, each support bar being located at a position on the terminal between the contact portion and the flexible portion of the terminal. The high-density connector according to claim 22, wherein one of the terminal contact portion arrays is supported by a predetermined gap.   The high-density connector according to claim 23, wherein the fitting cover includes a front surface, and the terminal support bar is engaged with an inner surface of the fitting cover at a position spaced from the front surface of the fitting cover.   The high-density connector according to claim 22, wherein the terminal support bar is formed on the terminal as an integral part.   The high density connector of claim 22, wherein the terminal support bar is formed of two interengaging halves.   The terminal contact portions are arranged in the form of individual arrays, each of the terminal housings contains a plurality of terminal arrays, the terminal support means includes a plurality of support bars, and the support bars are connected to the contact portions of the terminals. 23. The high-density connector according to claim 22, wherein the high-density connector is engaged with the terminal array at a predetermined gap at a position on the terminal between the flexible portion.   Each of the terminal housings includes a pair of half housings, each support bar includes a pair of support bar halves, each half housing and support bar half supporting a single signal terminal array, and the terminals 28. The high density connector of claim 27, wherein the housing further comprises at least one ground terminal array held between the half housings.   27. The high density connector of claim 26, wherein the support bar halves are formed of a dielectric material and include complementary posts and recesses that interengage to form a single support bar.   23. The high-density connector according to claim 22, wherein the terminal flexible portion includes a wide body portion in which two thin neck portions are arranged on both sides.   The clamp body further includes a clamp member that integrally holds the terminal housings in the connector body, the clamp member includes a pair of movement restriction arms extending from the clamp member, and the fitting cover moves the clamp member 23. The high density connector of claim 22, including a pair of cutouts for receiving limiting arms, wherein the movement limiting arm provides a stop to prevent excessive movement of the mating cover on the connector body. . A connector having a flexible fitting portion for allowing misalignment of the position of the mating connector,
A plurality of terminal assemblies that cooperate to define a connector body, each terminal assembly including at least one set of terminal sets with contact portions extending outwardly from a mating surface of the terminal assembly. An assembly,
A mating shroud that partially surrounds the terminal contact portion;
Means for integrally fixing the terminal contact portion to the mating shroud, the mating shroud being spaced from the terminal assembly, whereby the mating shroud moves to move the terminal shroud. A connector in which the terminal contact moves together.   A plurality of flexible portions formed integrally with the terminal, wherein the terminal flexible portion is positioned in the terminal between the contact portion and the terminal assembly fitting surface. Item 33. The connector according to Item 32.   The terminal includes a main body portion held by the terminal assembly, and the flexible portion includes a wide main body portion having narrow neck portions arranged on both sides, and the neck portion includes the flexible body wide body portion. 34. The connector according to claim 33, wherein each of the connectors is connected to a main body portion and a contact portion of the terminal.   The terminals are arranged in a separate array on the terminal assembly, and the terminal contact fixing means includes a plurality of separate support bars, each support bar supporting a single terminal array. Item 33. The connector according to Item 32. 33. The connector of claim 32, further comprising a power terminal set that also includes a flexible portion.

Images