WO2007039039A1

WO2007039039A1 - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: WO2007039039A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/008818
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacobus Nicolaas Tuin
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics Nederland B.V.
Priority date: 2005-09-19
Filing date: 2006-09-11
Publication date: 2007-04-12
Also published as: EP1927162A1

Abstract

The present invention describes an electrical contact element (50) comprising at least one mating contact (106, 106') defining a forward mating edge (52) and at least one mounting contact (86) defining a mounting edge (56), said mating edge contact (106, 106') being electrically connected to a corresponding mounting edge contact (86). In order to provide an electrical connector with a reduced pitch between its contacts and having improved electrical characteristics, the electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a plurality of electrical contact elements, wherein the at least one mating edge contact (106, 106') is arranged on an electrically insulating supporting part (70, 70'), wherein said supporting part (70, 70') has at least one chamfered area (71, 71').

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, in particular, to an electrical connector comprising a plurality of electrical contact elements, wherein an electrical contact element comprises at least one mating contact defining a forward mating edge and at least one mounting contact defining a mounting edge, said mating edge contact being electrically connected to a corresponding mounting edge contact.

With the ongoing trend towards smaller, faster and higher performance electrical components, such as a processor used in computers, routers, switches, etc., it has become increasingly important for the electrical interfaces along the electrical path to also operate at higher frequencies and at higher densities with increased throughput.

In a traditional approach for interconnecting circuit boards, one circuit board serves as a backplane and the other as a daughter board. The backplane typically has a connector, commonly referred to as a header that includes a plurality of signal pins or contacts, which connect to conductive traces on the backplane. The daughter board connector, commonly referred to as a receptacle, also includes a plurality of contacts or pins. Typically, the receptacle is a right angle connector that interconnects the backplane with the daughter board so that signals can be routed between the two. The right angle connector typically includes a mating face that receives the plurality of signal pins from the header on the backplane and a mounting face that connect to the daughter board. Likewise, the header comprises a mating face adapted to mate with the mating face of the right angle connector and a mounting face that connects to the backplane board.

As the transmission frequencies of signals through these connectors increase, it becomes more desirable to maintain a desired impedance through the connector to minimize signal degradation. A ground shield is sometimes provided on the module to reduce interference or crosstalk. In addition, a ground shield may be added to the ground contacts on the header connector. Improving connector performance and increasing contact density to increase signal carrying capacity without increasing the size of the connectors is challenging.

Some older connectors, which are still in use today, operate at speeds of one gigabit per second or less. In contrast, many of today's high performance connectors are capable of operating at speeds of up to 10 gigabits or more per second. As would be expected, the higher performance connector also comes with a higher cost.

When trying to design an electrical connector having a reduced pitch between signal pins, so as to obtain an electrical connector with a reduced size or with an increased pin density, the signal pins are made thinner and are therefore more fragile and likely to be bent or broken. When these electrical connectors are implemented in high speed applications involving high transmission data rates, it is crucial to guarantee a high degree of electrical performance. However, the impedance and other important electrical properties of an electrical connector are dependent on the geometrical arrangement of the signal pins with respect to one another. Hence, it is challenging to design an electrical connector having a smaller pitch between its contacts, while guaranteeing high electrical performance.

Another problem involved when trying to design an electrical connector with higher electrical performance density is due to the electrical distortions created by the lead-in that is usually foreseen at the extremity of each signal pin of an electrical connector. Indeed, so as to ensure a smooth mating between the mating contact of a header and the corresponding mating contact of a receptacle connector, an extra length of the mating contact of the header is foreseen at the extremity of each mating contact to ensure that the mating contact of the header and receptacle can mate smoothly with one another. Unfortunately, this extra length of a mating contact acts as an antenna at high frequencies, which leads to electrical distortions that are particularly problematic in high speed data transmission.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an electrical connector with a reduced pitch between its contacts and having improved electrical characteristics.

This object is solved by an electrical contact element according to independent claim 1 and an electrical connector according to independent claim 13.

Preferred embodiments are subject matter of the dependent claims.

When the at least one mating edge contact of an electrical contact element is arranged on an electrically insulating supporting part, the mating edge contact is securely supported and a particularly robust electrical contact element can be produced. This is particularly advantageous in comparison to an electrical contact element having individual mating contacts that are loose, since the mating contacts in the electrical contact element according to the present invention are not exposed to deformation or damages, thus guaranteeing a very stable geometry. Further, this electrically insulating supporting part allows for keeping a constant pitch between the mating contacts thus also guaranteeing a fixed geometry and uniform electrical properties.

Furthermore, when said supporting part has at least one chamfered area, the lead-in that is usually foreseen at the extremity of a mating contact in the form of an extra length of the mating contact itself, is therefore directly integrated in the electrically insulating supporting part, according to the present invention. Hence, an additional length of the metallic mating contact is no longer required, thus suppressing potential electrical distortions due to the presence of this metallic extra length in the electrical connectors according to the prior art. Consequently, the electrical performance of the electrical connector according to the present invention can be improved.

According to a preferred embodiment of the electrical contact element according to the present invention, the electrically insulating supporting part is foreseen in the form of a plastic part. This allows to provide an electrical contact element that is particularly inexpensive and can also easily be manufactured, especially when using an injection molding process.

When the supporting part comprises at least one keying bar having a chamfered extremity, the supporting part not only allows to increase the robustness of the electrical contact element according to the present invention, but also makes it possible to integrate the keying function. Further, since the keying bar is chamfered, a smoother mating with the corresponding connector may be achieved.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the electrical contact element comprises a first row of mating contacts and a second row of mounting contacts that are arranged essentially parallel to each other, wherein the electrically insulating supporting part is overmolded over the first row of mating contacts and the second row of mounting contacts. The first row of mating contacts and second row of mounting contacts, which are arranged essentially parallel to each other, form a lead frame, on which the electrically insulating supporting part, preferentially made out of plastic, is overmolded, preferentially using an injection molding process. Such an electrical connector can be produced very easily and cost-efficiently.

Alternatively, the electrically insulating supporting part of the electrical contact element may be foreseen as an assembled part on which the mating contacts are arranged.

It is particularly advantageous to foresee an electrical contact element comprising at least two supporting parts, each supporting at least one mating contact. Indeed, by foreseeing two electrically insulating supporting parts that each support at least one mating contact, a particularly stable arrangement of the mating contacts may be achieved, wherein the mating contacts are held in a fixed position with a constant pitch separating them. Hence, a particularly stable geometry may be guaranteed. In addition thereto, an electrical contact element comprising at least two supporting parts supporting the mating contacts can be inserted into a housing element comprising at least two corresponding slots in which the at least two supporting parts of the electrical contact element are arranged. A particularly stable arrangement of the electrical contact element can thus be guaranteed. Further, when a plurality of electrical contact elements according to the present invention are arranged in the housing element, an electrical connector can be produced that is particularly robust and also provides a high degree of flexibility, since the plurality of electrical contact elements can be introduced into the housing element using an arbitrary combination, depending on the targeted application.

When the mating contacts are at least partly insulated from one another by the electrically insulating supporting part, the supporting part thus has two functions. Indeed, it not only allows for achieving an increased robustness of the electrical connector, but also allows for electrically insulating the mating contacts from one another. Further, an electrically insulating supporting part can be formed in such a way that the spacing between the mating contacts is reduced while guaranteeing an electrical isolation between them.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided, which comprises a housing element, in which a plurality of electrical contact elements is arranged. Preferentially, a plurality of electrical contact elements are arranged essentially parallel to each other. In this way, the electrical connector may be assembled in an easier and more flexible manner by using a plurality of electrical contact elements. In comparison to an electrical connector comprising a plurality of loose pins, a more resistant electrical connector may be provided, according to the present invention, and the assembly costs of such an electrical connector can be reduced.

The present invention will be described in detail in the following based on the figures enclosed with the application.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrical contact element according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an overview of the electrical contact element shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the electrical contact element according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an electrical contact element according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a receptacle connector and a header connector comprising an electrical contact element according to the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a header connector comprising the electrical contact element according to the present invention.

Figure 1 and Figure 2 illustrate an electrical contact element 50 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The electrical contact element 50 comprises two supporting parts 70, 70' separated from one another, on which mating contacts 106, 106' are arranged. Each supporting part 70, 70' is made out of an electrically insulating material, preferentially plastic, that is preferentially foreseen as an assembled part or overmolded on the mating contacts 106, 106', using e.g. an injection molding process. The mating contacts 106, 106' are made out of a conductive material, preferably metal.

The mating contacts 106, 106' are preferentially arranged parallel to each other and are separated from one another. Each mating contact 106, 106' is electrically connected to a corresponding mounting contact 86 so that the mating contacts 106, 106' define a forward mating edge 52 and the mounting contacts 86 define a mounting edge 56. The mounting contacts 86 are adapted to be mounted on a printed circuit board, e.g. a backplane, which is not represented in the figures. The mating contacts 106, 106' are adapted to mate with the corresponding mating contacts of an electrical connector, e.g. receptacle connector.

Even though the electrical contact element 50, described in Figure 1 as well as in Figures 2 to 6, comprises preferentially at least two electrically insulating supporting parts 70, 70', the electrical contact element 50, according to the present invention, may also comprise only one electrically insulating supporting part 70, on which at least one mating contact 106 is arranged. Further, more than two electrically insulating supporting parts 70 may also be foreseen within the electrical contact element 50, wherein each electrically insulating supporting part 70 supports at least one mating contact 106.

In Figures 1 and 2, the extremity 71 , 71' of the electrically insulating supporting parts 70, 70' supports the extremity 82, 82' of the mating edge contacts 106, 106'. According to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the extremity 71 , 71' of the electrically insulating supporting parts 70, 70' and the extremity 82, 82' of the mating edge contacts 106, 106" are chamfered and arranged in a common plane. A slope having a predetermined chamfer angle is formed at the extremity 71 , 71' of the electrically insulating supporting parts 70, 70' and at the extremity 82, 82" of the mating edge contacts 106, 106'.

Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the mating contacts 106, 106' comprised on each supporting part 70, 70' have different lengths. In particular, the length of the mating contact 106, 106' located at the outer extremity of each supporting part 70, 70' is greater than the length of a mating contact 106, 106' located in the inner parts of each supporting part 70, 70'. The supporting part 70, 70' has chamfered areas at each extremity 71 , 71' that is arranged at different lengths along the electrical contact element 50. Hence, keying bars 73, 73' are formed between the mating contacts 106, 106', wherein the extremity 75, 75' of the keying bars 73, 73' is chamfered.

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the electrical contact element 50 according to the present invention, wherein the mating contacts 106, 106" all have a uniform length. Similarly to the embodiment described in Figures 1 and 2, both the extremity 71 , 71' of the electrically insulating supporting parts 70, 70' and the extremity 82, 82' of the mating edge contacts 106, 106' are chamfered and are arranged in a common plane. Figure 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the electrical contact element 50 according to the present invention. Similarly to the embodiment described in Figure 3, the mating contacts 106, 106¹ all have a uniform length. However, contrary to the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 3, only the extremity 71 , 71' of the electrically insulating supporting parts 70, 70' is chamfered. The extremity 82, 82' of the mating edge contacts 106, 106' is not chamfered.

In fact, according to this preferred embodiment of the electrical contact element 50 shown in Figure 4, the mating edge contacts 106, 106' are designed without an extra metal length that is usually required in the electrical connectors according to the prior art. The lead-in of the electrical contact element 50 is thus formed only out of electrically insulating material 70, 70'. Due to the absence of the extra metal length of the mating edge contacts 106, 106' on the lead-in, the electrical contact element 50 according to the present invention has therefore better electrical performance.

It will now be explained how an electrical connector 10 according to the present invention is produced by assembling a plurality of electrical contact elements 50 according to the present invention based on figures 5 and 6.

Figure 5 shows a receptacle connector 20 and a header connector 10 according to the present invention. An electrical contact element 50 according to the present invention may be inserted into a housing element 90 that comprises a plurality of slots for accommodating a plurality of electrical contact elements 50. The plurality of slots are preferentially arranged parallel to each other, and as can be seen in Figure 5, each one of the plurality of slots is divided preferentially into two slots, which are arranged parallel to each other and along the same longitudinal axis so that they can accommodate an electrical contact element 50, which comprises two supporting parts 70, 70' separated from each other.

Even though the housing element 90 is described as comprising a plurality of slots parallel to each other, each one of said plurality of slots being divided into two slots that are parallel to each other and arranged along the same longitudinal axis, the housing element 90 may also comprise a plurality of slots parallel to each other, wherein each slot is divided into a number of slots that are parallel to each other and are arranged along the same longitudinal axis, which is chosen depending on the number of electrically insulating supporting parts 70, 70' of the electrical contact element 50. It is also possible to design a housing element 90 comprising a plurality of slots parallel to each other, wherein each slot is adapted to accommodate an electrical contact element 50 comprising a single electrically insulating supporting part 70.

Figure 6 shows a receptacle connector 20 and a header connector 10 according to the present invention. The two supporting parts 70, 70' of the electrical contact element 50 of the present invention are inserted in two corresponding parallel slots of the housing element 90. Further electrical contact elements 50 according to the present invention may be inserted in further slots of the housing element 90, thus forming an electrical connector 10.

The electrical connector 10 according to the present invention is adapted to mate with the receptacle connector 20. The mating contacts 106, 106' of the electrical contact elements 50 of the electrical connector 10 are adapted to mate with the mating contacts of the receptacle connector 20. This allows for connecting a backplane board, on which the electrical connector 10 is mounted through the mounting contacts 86, with a daughter board, on which the receptacle connector 20 is mounted.

Claims

1. An electrical contact element (50) comprising:

at least one mating contact (106, 106') defining a forward mating edge (52), and

at least one mounting contact (86) defining a mounting edge (56),

said mating edge contact (106, 106') being electrically connected to a corresponding mounting edge contact (86),

wherein said at least one mating edge contact (106, 106') is arranged on an electrically insulating supporting part (70, 70'), wherein said supporting part (70, 70') has at least one chamfered area (71 , 71').

2. The electrical contact element (50) according to claim 1 , wherein said supporting part (70, 70') is a plastic part.

3. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein an extremity (71 , 71') of said supporting part (70, 70') that supports the at least one mating edge contact (82, 82') is chamfered.

4. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said supporting part (70, 70') comprises a second chamfered area which defines a common plane with an extremity (82, 82') of said at least one mating edge contact (106, 106').

5. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said supporting part (70, 70') comprises at least one keying bar (73, 73') having a chamfered extremity (75, 75').

6. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 1 to 5 comprising a first row of mating contacts (106, 106') and a second row of mounting contacts (86).

7. The electrical contact element (50) according to claim 6, wherein said first row of mating contacts (106, 106') and second row of mounting contacts (86) are arranged essentially parallel to each other.

8. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 6 or 7, wherein said supporting part (70, 70') is overmolded over said first row of mating contacts (106, 106') and second row of mounting contacts (86).

9. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said supporting part (70, 70') is an assembled part.

10. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 1 to 9 comprising at least two supporting parts (70, 70') each supporting at least one mating contact (106, 106').

11. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 6 to 10, wherein said mating contacts (106, 106') are at least partly insulated from one another by said electrically insulating supporting part (70, 70').

12. The electrical contact element (50) according to one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein said mating edge (52) and said mounting edge (56) are substantially parallel to each other.

13. An electrical connector (10) comprising a housing element (90) wherein a plurality of electrical contact elements (50) according to one of claims 1 to 12 is arranged.

14. The electrical connector (10) according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of electrical contact elements (50) are arranged essentially parallel to each other.