Connector

Connector

Reference to relevant application

This application claims US Provisional Application No. 61/153,579, filed on February 18, 2009, US Provisional Application No. 61/170,956, filed on April 20, 2009, and US application filed on April 20, 2009 The priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/171,066, filed on Apr. 20, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

New background

The present invention relates to a connector, particularly a vertical connector. The present invention generally relates to connectors suitable for transmitting data, and more particularly to input/output (I/O) connectors suitable for use in dense connector configurations.

One of the more established views in recent communications developments is the need to increase performance. Similarly, there has been a need to make things more dense (eg, increase density). These requirements create problems for I/O connectors used in data communications. Using higher frequencies (helping to increase data speed) requires good electrical separation between the signal terminals in a connector (to reduce, for example, crosstalk), but makes the connector smaller (for example, making the terminal configuration more Dense) will cause the terminals to be closer together and will reduce electrical separation, which can result in signal degradation.

In addition to the need to increase performance, there is also a need to improve manufacturability. For example, as the transmit frequency increases, the tolerances of the terminal locations and their physical characteristics Will become more important. Therefore, it is desirable to improve a connector design that is manufacturable and still provides a dense, high performance connector.

I/O connectors can be used, for example, in "internal" applications in electronic devices such as routers and servers, where an I/O connector and its docking plug connector are completely enclosed in a router, server, etc. , in switches, etc., or they can be used in "external" applications where they are partially enclosed within a component, but the socket portion of the I/O connector is in communication with the exterior of the component such that A plug connector can be used to connect the I/O connector to other components. Most I/O connectors use a horizontal form, which means that their mating faces are perpendicular to the board on which they are mounted. Therefore, they require another I/O connector, and the other I/O connector is close to the point of disengagement of the device in which it is used, which adds cost and limits the designer. Different designs in the inner and outer connectors increase the cost and require an economical high performance connector.

New summary

The present invention relates to a connector, in particular a vertical connector, a vertical connector for mounting on a circuit board comprising a plurality of terminal assemblies in the form of frame sheets and housed in a housing, each frame comprising An insulating frame that supports a plurality of terminals to provide a plurality of terminals that are positioned in at least two edge card receiving slots. The connector uses a plurality of pairs of differential signal terminals that are configured to be coupled from their connector portions to their tails, the board side being coupled within the connector housing. The housing has a base and a nose portion, at least two edge card receiving slots are disposed in the nose portion, and the terminal fitting portions of the signal and the grounding terminal are disposed on opposite sides of each slot Upper to contact corresponding contact pads disposed on both sides of each edge card when an opposing connector is docked to the vertical connector. In one embodiment, the terminals positioned on one of the sides of each slot may terminate in three rows of tails and a plurality of ground terminals are located in the middle row. In an embodiment, the card edges of two adjacent card slot holes will be configured relative to at least one center row terminal.

In one embodiment, the connector can include a guide frame that fits over the nose to assist in guiding an opposing, butt plug connector to the vertical connector. The nose may include one or more bonding members on a surface thereof corresponding to corresponding complementary coupling members on the guiding frame, and the guiding frame may be a hollow frame member having four sides connected to each other to An opening is defined in the frame. The opening is fitted to the nose and the guide frame can have an inner flange adjacent the opening such that a portion of the guide frame fits over the housing and the inner flange abuts the housing Shoulder. In an embodiment, the guiding frame can be connected to the circuit board through one or more fixing clips.

In another embodiment, the connector may include a cover for providing thermal management, a heat sink may be mounted on one side of the cover and in one embodiment, the heat sink may be configured to form at least a portion Cover the three sides of the cover.

Simple illustration

In the course of this detailed description, reference will be made to the drawings, in which 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vertical I/O connector having a guide assembly for an internally guided cable application; Figure 2 is a connector-guided view of Figure 1 taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1 A longitudinal sectional view of the assembly; FIG. 2A is a side view of the first differential signal terminal assembly used in the connector of the assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. 2B is a view of the first terminal assembly of FIG. 2A A side view of the second differential signal terminal assembly used in the connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 2C is a ground terminal associated with the pair of differential signal terminal assemblies used in the connector of FIG. A side view of the assembly; Fig. 2D is a cross-sectional view of the vertical connector of Fig. 1 taken from the side of Fig. 1, showing the 2A and 2B drawings overlapping the sides (front) of the ground terminals The differential signal terminals of the terminal assembly are arranged to show that the three sets of terminals are aligned with each other; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector-guide assembly of FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; Figure 1 is an exploded view of the connector-guide assembly of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view of the right side of the connector guide assembly of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a plan view of the connector-guide assembly of Figure 1. Figure 7 is a plan view of the guide frame of Figure 6, showing another device for joining the vertical connector; Figure 8 is the guide of Figure 7. A bottom view of the frame; Figure 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a guide frame assembly for a vertical connector suitable for use in a group application; Figure 10 is taken from the rear for use with a vertical connector A perspective view of a frame used to guide a frame in combination with a circuit board; Figure 11 is a vertical connector of the present invention associated with an external heat sink A perspective view of another embodiment of the assembly; Fig. 12 is an exploded view of the connector assembly of Fig. 11; and Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of Fig. 11 taken along line 13-13 thereof Intercepting and displaying the connector positioned in the guiding housing and the external heat sink, and further showing two guiding channels defined by the three components; FIG. 14 is used in the connector assembly of FIG. a perspective view of the vertical connector; FIG. 14A is a plan view of the first differential signal terminal assembly used in the connector assembly of FIG. 14; and FIG. 14B is a second use of the connector assembly of FIG. a plan view of the differential signal terminal assembly, and the second differential signal terminal assembly is positioned adjacent to the terminal body of FIG. 14A to form a plurality of board side coupled differential signal terminal pairs in the connector of FIG. 14; 14C Figure is a plan view of the ground terminal assembly used in the connector assembly of Figure 14, the ground terminal assembly being disposed between the pair of differential signal terminals to provide isolation thereof; Figure 14D is the 12th A cross-sectional view of the connector of the figure, and supports 14A and 14B The frame of the differential signal terminals is removed for clear display and their relative positions are displayed, the ground terminals and the card receiving slots of the connector; Figure 15 is a different form disclosed in the present disclosure. An exploded view of another connector assembly to which the heat sink is attached; FIG. 16A is a perspective view of a frame array; and FIG. 16B is a simplified view of the terminal positioned in the array shown in FIG. 16A Partial perspective view; and Fig. 16C is a side view of the cross section of the array shown in Fig. 16A, but with a housing.

Detailed description of the illustrated embodiment

The detailed embodiments are disclosed herein as needed; however, it is understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and are in various embodiments. Therefore, the specific details disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting, but as the basis of the scope of the claims and the invention The representative basis includes various features disclosed herein in combination with those not explicitly disclosed herein.

It has been decided to have an I/O connector with a structure that allows it to be used in a variety of applications to reduce manufacturing costs and to maintain the majority of connector products to meet the needs of most applications. It has also been decided that an I/O connector is required in a backplane connector to allow a cable to be extended directly from the vertical connector to the second device by a motherboard of a first device Connection to a second device. I believe this is particularly advantageous for vertical connectors that can provide data speeds greater than 15 Gpbs, and even more advantageous for data speeds in excess of 20 Gpbs.

1-8 illustrate a connector assembly 400 for vertical application that includes a separate guide member 402 that incorporates a housing 404 of a vertical connector 406 that is mounted to a vertical connector 406 On the printed circuit board 407. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the housing 404 is formed in a vertical configuration and has Most together define a wall 405 of interior space 408. The interior space 408 houses a plurality of terminal assemblies 410 that are shown in the form of a plurality of frame sheets 412 having an insulating frame 414 that supports a plurality of conductive terminals 416. The illustrated frame 412 includes four terminals for a dual card slot configuration provided by the housing 404, and each terminal 416 includes a tail portion 417 at one end thereof that is compliant. Preferably, the pin 418 is in the form of a compliant pin 418 that is received in a plated through hole 419 formed in the circuit board 407. At the opposite end, each terminal 416 includes a joint 420 that is shown as a cantilevered contact rod 422. The plurality of pairs of terminals are disposed on opposite sides of the two slots 424, 426 of the housing 404. The slots 424, 426 (sometimes referred to as edge card receiving slots) are disposed in the nose of the housing 404 On one of the mating faces 429 of the portion 428, as shown in Figures 1 and 2D, the nose portion 428 projects upwardly from a base 430. The frame sheets 412 are inserted into the interior space 408 of the housing 404 in a side-by-side configuration such that the tabs 420 are retained in the respective channels 432 on opposite sides of the slots 424, 426. As discussed in more detail below, this side-by-side configuration allows the signal of the connector to be coupled to the board side. The connector 420 of each terminal can be combined with a card (sometimes called a card (paddle) The contact pad on the card)) is inserted into the slot when the vertical connector 406 is mated with an opposing plug connector.

The joint and the tail portions 420, 417 are interconnected by a body 434, and the insulating frame 414 can be molded on the body 434. The housing 404 as shown has a generally inverted T shape and the base 430 is larger and surrounds and supports the nose 428. As shown, the base 430 has shoulders 462 on the sides of the nose 428, and the shoulders 462 are wide before and at the rear of the connector housing 404 and are narrow along the sides of the connector housing 404. This allows the frame 412 to have There is a wide base 411 extending between the side walls 405 of the housing 404. The frame 412 can also include two upwardly extending vertical portions 413. The vertical portions 413 facilitate the introduction of the pair of terminals 416 into the slots. This helps to ensure the corresponding contact in a vertical cantilever fashion.

Each of the frame pieces 412 can support two pairs of terminals (such as the terminal pair 416a), and each pair is associated with one of the slots 424, 426 and the terminal pair 420 of each terminal pair is disposed in the respective terminal receiving passage 432. On opposite sides of the slots 424, 426. These channels 432 can be wider at the top as shown to provide a full range of bending of the joint when the pair of edge cards are inserted into the slots 424, 426. The slots 424, 426 are at least partially defined by a first and second side wall 427a, 427b that are spaced apart from each other and extend perpendicularly within the nose portion 428. As shown in FIG. 2D, the joint 420 extends inwardly within the slots 424, 426 before an edge card is inserted. The tab 420 moves outwardly within its channel 432 as the edge card is inserted into the slot 424, 426. The terminal 416 of the connector housing 404 is disposed along the slot 424 as detailed below. The opposite sides of the 426 extend in the first and second rows.

The connector can be configured for high data speed. Therefore, it can include a group of a first signal frame 410a and a second signal frame 410b, respectively supporting a first signal terminal 416a and a second signal. Terminal 416b. Positioned between the two sets of signal frames is a grounding frame 410c supporting a grounding terminal, the terminals being arranged in the housing 404 in a signal-signal-grounding mode in a repeating order in the width direction, and A ground terminal is disposed between the pair of signal terminals 416a, 416b. 2A and 2B show features of the first and second signal frames 410a, 410b used in the connector housing 404 to transmit differential signal terminals, and FIG. 2C shows the ground frame 410c supporting the ground terminals. The signal terminals 416a, 416b are used to transfer between the circuitry on the board 407 and the pads disposed on the edges of the mating edge cards. The ground terminal can have a body that is wider than the signal terminals and, when disposed between the plurality of pairs of signal terminals 416a, 416b, can help provide electrical isolation between adjacent terminals (thus helping Make sure the crosstalk is low).

The terminals are arranged in the connector to provide board side coupling, which means that the differential signal terminals are formed by signal terminals in adjacent frames, and the signal terminals are in the arrows as in FIG. 1 The connector housing shown by W" is aligned in the width direction. In other words, the plurality of pairs of signal terminals are opposed to each other by their joints 420 to their second leg portions 435b to form a differential pair. In this manner, adjacent signal terminals are coupled to each other in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper appearing on the 2A-2D map. Comparing Figures 2A and 2B, it can be seen that the signal terminals 416a, 416b shown therein have substantially the same configuration except at the bottom end of the body portion 434 where they are mutually enlarged away from each other in the longitudinal direction. The desired via pattern in the board 407 is docked. When the terminals 410a-416c are near the tail 417, their body portions 434 are enlarged away from each other such that their respective tails are also distant from each other. As shown in Fig. 2D, the pairs of signal terminal tails 417a, 417b are The signal terminals are separated from the right and left sides of the associated ground terminal tail 417c. This allows for the patterning of the various ground and signal vias formed on the circuit board 407, which provides sufficient space for the off-line to provide a positive mechanical connection. As such, the illustrated embodiment has a differential pair that is converted from a main board side coupled signal terminal to a coupling that includes more edge coupling. In part, this is because the use of adjacent board side coupling terminals (if the board side coupling is to be maintained in the board) makes it difficult to maintain the via spacing required to maintain the side-by-side structure without causing the board 407 strength Achieved in a situation that may be severely weakened. Therefore, it is advantageous to separate the vias and couple them toward the edges so that there is sufficient space to drill the via patterns and still maintain the integrity of the board 407.

Due to the vertical nature of the housing, the terminals 416 can have a particular configuration and can be considered to have a plurality of different sections or portions. At their very top is a joint 420 that is bonded to the body 434, which connects the joint to the tail. The body 434 can have a plurality of first leg portions 435a. As shown, the first leg portion 435a extends generally vertically downward from the joint portion 420 (Fig. 2D). A second leg portion 435b is partially open and substantially perpendicular to the first leg and they are preferably offset and substantially parallel to the first leg portion 435a. The first and second legs 435a, 435b are joined by a bent portion 440, 441, and the bent portions 440, 441 are at an angle to the first and second legs 435a, 435b extend. Finally, the body 434 further includes a transition section 443 that interconnects the second leg 435b and the tail 417. As shown in FIG. 2D, the transition segments 443 of the signal terminals are enlarged by the relative relationship and extend away from each other to the associated tail portions 417a, 417b, as viewed, as viewed from an angle aligned with a slot width. The tail portions 417a, 417b are positioned on the right and left sides of the ground terminal tails 417c.

It can be seen that the transition section 443 increases in width as it approaches the tail 417. This increases the capacitive coupling at the pair of signal terminals and can help compensate for the reduced capacitive coupling due to the increased spacing between the terminals. As a result, the added material helps to control the impedance discontinuities that will occur through the transition. Therefore, although the signal terminal fittings have a fixed width of the first and second leg portions and the bent portion, the transition portion may have a width that increases as the distance between the terminals increases, so that the impedance of the terminals can be controlled. .

The use of two slots 424, 426 in the connector housing 404 and the resulting density makes it more difficult to maintain a predetermined performance value. It has been determined that the illustrated terminal orientation allows the connector housing 404 to be maintained at a minimum size and can be used to reduce crosstalk and skew. Accordingly, the terminals associated with one of the card receiving slots 424 are disposed in the connector housing such that they are substantially symmetrical with respect to a symmetric vertical line or axis "AS" of the terminal of the other card receiving slot 426. (Fig. 2D).

Further, in order to facilitate the miniaturization of the connector housing 404, the terminal body bent portions 440, 441 are disposed between the first and second leg portions 435a, 435b of the terminal body. As shown in Figures 2A-2D, the bent portion extends outwardly or away from the axis of symmetry AS (and the respective slots 424, 426 associated with each pair of signal terminals). The terminals 416 can be further considered to be disposed in the first and second terminal arrays associated with the respective card slot 424, 426, as will be apparent from the following, one group is considered an "outer" terminal and the other group is viewed. It is the "inside" terminal. The external terminals are included in the first terminal array disposed along the outside of the card receiving slots 424, 426, and the terminals are outwardly enlarged by the card receiving slots and terminate in the vicinity of the frame. The rim and the tail 417 of the side wall 405 of the connector housing base portion 430. The enlargement of these external signal terminals is shown at "D" in Fig. 2D.

Similarly, the inner terminals are included in the second terminal array and are disposed along the interior (or adjacent sides) of the slots 424, 426. The inner terminals have a first leg portion extending vertically further than the first leg portion 435a of the outer terminal, and the inner terminal bent portion 441 extends outward in substantially the same direction as the outer terminal bent portion 440, such as 2D, and outwardly away from the axis of symmetry AS, and preferably less than the outer terminal body bend 440. In order to utilize the space in the direction in which the bent portions of the outer terminals extend in the frame sheets, the inner terminal bent portions extend in a direction in which the outer terminals extend, but the distance is small. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 2D, the distance is preferably such that a portion of the inner terminal body portion 434 is directly below the respective slots 424, 426 at "DE". As shown, these portions are preferably the inner terminal body second leg portion 435b, wherein adjacent terminals forming a pair of differential signal terminals in the connector face each other. In one embodiment, to position the second leg 435b of the inner terminals, one of them may extend an imaginary line, as shown at "ISE" in Figure 2D, the imaginary line ISE and the slots The sidewalls 427a, 427b of the holes 424, 426 are uniform and extend downwardly to the mounting surface of the connector relative to the circuit board 407. These lines correspond to one of the slots 424, 426 and it can be seen that the lower portions of the inner terminals extend into this position. As shown, for example, the second leg 435b and to some extent, the transition section 443 is positioned as such. Therefore, for a card slot, the outer terminal array extends away from the card slot and the inner terminal array is configured such that at least a portion of one of the terminals is at a position at least partially defined by the position of the slot At the office.

Another embodiment of the connector assembly 700 is shown in Figures 11-14 and is suitable for use in a backplane application. One of the vertical connectors 701 has a housing 702 having a mating surface 720 that includes a plurality of slots 725, 726 disposed thereon, and the two slots are shown An intermediate central wall or member 727 is separated. One of the mounting surfaces 721 is opposite to the mating surface for connecting the connector to a circuit board 703, and in the orientation shown in FIG. 12, it is disposed along the bottom surface of the vertical connector 701, but it can be understood The "bottom" used herein is relative to the orientation shown. The housing 702 has a base portion 718 that provides the mounting surface 721, and a nose portion 719 that extends upwardly from the base portion 718 and terminates in abutting surface 720 of the housing. The housing 702 is received in a housing 704 having a hollow interior 705 into which a relatively mating connector (not shown) can be accessed via a pair of openings 706. The cover 704 can further include an auxiliary opening 708 for receiving a heat sink member 710. The heat sink member 710 can also be mounted and positioned by a pair of engaging protrusions 717 and a fastening member such as a clamp 711. The 711 is placed on the heat sink 710 and the cover 704 as shown. The mating opening 706 of the guide housing 704 can be provided with an EMI gasket assembly as shown, which can include resilient tabs 712a, 712b and a conductive compressible gasket 713.

The housing 702 is received in the housing 704, and as can be seen from the figures, the housing 702 can have an asymmetrical shape, which helps to ensure that the housing is assembled in the housing 704 in a suitable orientation. Inside. In this regard, the cover 704 can be provided with a notch 730 along its inner surface that receives a pair of end wall extensions 723 of the connector housing 702. The extensions 723 are separated from one another and, as shown in Figure 14, include an intermediate space therebetween. This space defines a guide channel 734 on one side of the vertical connector 701 that is sized to receive a guide flange relative to the mating connector. The heat sink 710 includes a plurality of separate heat dissipating members extending upwardly from a base portion of the heat sink, the individual members projecting partially into the hollow interior 705 of the outer guide housing 704 and generally opposite the nose portion 719. The bottom surface 715 of the heat sink 710 is spaced apart from the nose 719 to define an intermediate space therebetween as a further guide channel 732. One of the opposing butt connectors guides the flange to protrude into the connector when the two connectors are docked. Guide channel 732. The connector housing 702 is inserted into the outer guiding housing 704 to form the two guiding passages 732, 734.

As in the previous embodiments above, the housing 702 includes a plurality of conductive terminals in the frame. The terminals are arranged in two arrays in each of the card receiving slots 725, 726, and the arrays extend along opposite sides of the slots 725, 726 such that the terminal portions 746 of the terminals are in contact with each other. A portion of the connector (not shown) abuts the circuitry on the opposite side of the edge card. The frame sheets include signal frame pieces 736 and 738 (Figs. 14A and 14B) and a ground frame piece 740. The frame sheets are disposed within the housing such that the two signal frame sheets 736, 738 are adjacent to each other to allow differential signal pairs to be formed and the signal frame strip pairs to be separated by the intermediate ground frame. The terminals of the signals and the ground terminal assembly are held by a support frame 741.

As shown in Figures 14A, 14B and 14D, and as previously explained for the embodiments of Figures 1-3, the signal terminal of this connector 701 passes its joint 746 through its first leg 752 to its bent portion 754. Opposite each other. Finally, at the second leg 753, the signal terminals are extended by their board-side coupling relationship to an edge coupling relationship and extend away from each other until they reach a transition section 755, and the board 703 is contacted Tail 748, which is shown as a compliant pin 749 in the figure. The signal terminal transition section 755 of this embodiment has a smaller size than the signal terminal body transition section 443 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3. It should be noted that the transition section occurs in the signal terminals, but the size is larger than the There is no benefit in the ground terminal of the signal terminal. The transitions are used at the signal terminals to control the capacitance and the resulting impedance and therefore do not have to be present in the ground terminals.

As shown in FIG. 14D, the arrays 742 outside the terminals have a first leg portion 752a extending away from the associated card slot, a bent portion 754a, a second leg portion 753a, a transition portion 755a, and a tail portion 748a. And the inner array has a first leg portion 752b extending along one side of one of the imaginary extension lines of the card slot, a bent portion 754b, a second leg portion 753b, and extending into the position (for example, At least a portion of the transition portion 755b of the space below the slot of the card, as defined by the imaginary line "ISE". Another embodiment of the connector of the present invention is shown in Figure 15, in which all internal components are still the same, i.e., the outer guiding housing 802 and the internal vertical connector 804, but the external heat dissipation The 806 has a different configuration with two sets of heat dissipating members 808, 809 disposed on opposite sides of the heat sink 806. A separate dilator or contact plate 810 can be used to ensure thermal conductivity between the heat sink 806 and an opposing plug connector that is inserted into the guide housing 802 and abuts the vertical connector 804.

Referring now to Figures 4-10, the connector housing 404 is provided with a pair of coupling members shown as slots 436, 437 disposed on opposite sides of the nose 428 (Fig. 6), but if space permits They can also be placed on adjacent sides. Preferably, the coupling slots 436, 437 are formed with an annular configuration to provide a dovetail when mated with the complementary coupling members 458, 459 of the circumferential guiding member 402. Although the coupling slots 436, 437 are shown protruding from the nose 428 and along the side of the nose 428, terminate in the engagement slots 436, 437 of the shoulder 462, however, it should be understood herein The coupling slots 436, 437 may take the form of protrusions such as posts or bumps. The only bonding device between the illustrated I/O connector 406 and the circuit board 407 typically utilizes the tail 417.

To facilitate the connection of a cable/plug connector (not shown) to the connector 404, an inner guiding member 402 is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the guiding member 402 is a separate member formed of a dielectric material such as plastic, and is formed with four sides 451-454, which are connected to each other to form a single unit. The member defines a generally central opening 456 within the guiding member 402 that receives and receives its nose 428.

As shown in FIG. 4, the guiding member 402 has two coupling members 458, 459 disposed thereon, and the coupling members 458, 459 are configured to complement the coupling slots 436, 437 of the connector housing 404. Also preferably, the dome-shaped projections serve as a reliable means of joining the two components. One of the dovetail engagements of the coupling members 458, 459 ensures a secure bond between the guiding member 402 and the connector housing 404 and prevents excessive horizontal movement between the two members.

The guiding member 402 has a hollow interior 460 extending along a side of the opening 456 and having a size larger than the opening and defining an inner projection or recess 461 in the guiding member 402 (preferably having a flat bottom surface such that it Abut and abut against the connector housing outer shoulder 462). The recess 461 is defined by a skirt 463 that extends completely around the opening 456, as shown, to fit the length of the shoulder 462 that extends around the opening 456. The base 430 can also include a plurality of vertical recesses 464 disposed at the apex of an imaginary quadrilateral "FS", the imaginary quadrilateral "FS" surrounding the opening 456, as shown in FIG. In the illustrated embodiment, the quadrilateral is in the form of a rectangle. The recesses 464 receive similar protrusions 466 disposed along the inner projections 461 of the guide member 402, although the bond between the connector housing 404 and the guide member 402 is reliable, but the connector is The tail 417 of its terminal 416 is only fixedly coupled to the circuit board 407. Thus, the insertion and separation forces generated by connecting and disconnecting a cable/plug connector relative to the connector housing 404 are transmitted to the terminal tails 417 and cause them to gradually loosen. In addition, if the opposing docking connectors are tilted when connected or disengaged, a torque is applied to the terminal tails 417.

Accordingly, the guiding member 402 can be provided with means for directly bonding the circuit board 407, which reduces the likelihood of damage to the terminal tails 417 of the connector 406. This is shown in the figures as a pair of U-shaped snap-on retaining clips 468 that extend downwardly through the sides 452, 454 of the guide member 402 and within the guide frame projections 466. Here, it can be seen that the fixing plate 468 has a trunk 468a and two arm portions 468b joined thereto, and the trunk 468a is received in one of the channels 472 of the guiding frame 450 and the free end of the arm portion 468b includes a tail portion. 473, the tail portion 473 is received in one of the holes 474 of the circuit board 407. Similarly, the arm portion 468b of the latching retaining clip 468 is received and extends through a slot 475 formed in the guiding member 402. The tails 473 of the fastening clips 468 can be soldered or otherwise connected to the circuit board 407.

As shown, the guide frame 450 does not extend downwardly along the side of the connector housing 404 and is in contact with the circuit board 407. Conversely, the bottom of the guide frame skirt 463 is away from the circuit board 407. And above it. This maintains the footprint of the housing 404 and allows the circuit board 407 to remain open for areas of circuit circuitry and other components. The retaining clips 468 extend generally into the corresponding side recesses 464 of the connector housing 404 as are the retaining clip tails 473. The tail portion 473 is preferably soldered to the circuit board 407 to provide a second means for holding the entire assembly 400 in position on the circuit board. As can be seen, this configuration results in much less board space than another method of using mounting screws or other such fasteners.

The guiding member 402 includes a latching wall 478 to which a latching element of an opposing connector can be coupled. The latch wall 478 has a slot 479 formed therein that is adjacent the top edge 484 of the wall 478. The latch wall has a two end wall 480 extending in a manner offset therefrom such that when viewed from above, as shown in Fig. 4, it has a slightly flat U-shaped configuration. These end walls 480 cooperate with the latch wall 478 to form a passageway having the intermediate space 482 that is created between the latch wall 478 and the connector nose 428. This space 482 receives an outer guiding flange or housing that is one of the opposing docking connectors.

Figure 9 shows another embodiment of a guide frame 500 suitable for use in a group application, wherein the guide frame 500 is placed on a plurality of vertical connectors. The guide frame has four sides 502, 503, 504, 505 and a plurality of openings 506 formed in the body portion thereof that are configured to slide over a plurality of vertical connectors similar to the connector 406. The openings 506 are angled relative to the guide frame 500 such that they can receive their angled mounts of the associated connectors 406 on the circuit board 407 or cooperate with the guide frame 500 relative to the connectors 406. An angular orientation. Although in the previous embodiment, the sides of the guiding member 402 are aligned with the sides of the connector 406, in this embodiment, the connectors are not aligned with the sides of the guiding frame 500. Instead, they are oriented at an angle to each other.

As shown, the guide frame 500 has a plurality of recesses 510, each of which is associated with a recess 510. These recesses 510 extend around each opening 506 and are larger than the openings such that the entire guide frame 500 acts as a single skirt that contacts the opposite shoulders of the connectors and surrounds the nose of the connectors. The guide frame 500 includes coupling members 512, 513 disposed on the inner surface 514 of the openings 506. A retaining jaw 514 is provided and includes legs 516 extending through the body of the guide frame 500 and outside the periphery of the openings 506, and as described above, the retaining clips 514 terminate in openings that are received in the circuit board The tail 518 in the middle. The retaining clips 514 can also be received in recesses 517 formed in the guide frame adjacent the openings 506.

Each opening 506 is provided with a latching wall 520, and the latching wall 520 rises above the plane of the guiding frame body and is separated from the opening 506 to define a channel, abutting or guiding convex of one of the opposing butting connectors The edge can extend into the channel. A plurality of end walls 521 can be disposed at opposite ends of the latch wall 520.

Another embodiment of the vertical connector guide frame is shown generally at 600 in FIG. 10, wherein a separate guide frame 600 is shown including four sides 601a-c and a periphery of the guide frame body portion 603. Opening 604 inside. As shown in the figure, the guiding frame 600 does not rely on the fastening clip, but uses a plurality of independent holding members 610. The holding members 610 are received in the slots 602, and the slots 602 are formed in the body. The portion 603 is outside the periphery of the opening 604. The latching members 610 have a generally L-shaped configuration with one end of an elongate leg 606 terminating in a tab portion 607 and the other end terminating in a tail portion 608. The tail portions 608 are received in the corresponding slots 609, and each slot 609 has a small recess 612 communicating therewith such that the latching member legs 606 extend through the slots 609 and the tongue portions The portion 607 is housed in the recesses 612. The retaining members 610 are preferably further configured such that two such members are disposed on each side of the guide frame 600, and they can be aligned within the boundaries of the particular side as shown, and The catch members on the side opposite the opening of the guide frame are aligned.

The guide frame 600 also includes an inner recess 614 that is adjacent to and communicates with the opening 604, which helps define the skirt of the guide frame and contacts the opposite shoulders of the vertical connector 404. The inner recess 614 extends adjacent to the fastening members 610, and the four leg portions 606 of the fastening members extend through the left and right sides 601b, 601d of the guide frame 600 and extend along the plurality of openings. The inside extends into the projection 616 of the opening. The projections define an opening 618 extending vertically therethrough for pushing the catch members 610 into and through them. The other four latching members 610 are arranged in an array along the front and rear sides of the opening 604 and can be received in a vertical channel 620 formed in the inner surface of the guide frame, in this embodiment, the latching The member 610 is moved closer to the front and rear sides 601a, 601c than the holding clip shown in Fig. 4 (the other is away from the opening 604).

Although an embodiment similar to that disclosed in Figures 1-8 is shown, Figures 16A-16C are also used to show other features that can be placed in a vertical connector. Thus, although the symbols used in Figures 16A-16C are different from the above, such features should be considered as possible features of the above embodiments.

As shown, a circuit board 903 supports a frame array 910 that can be positioned in a housing 940 that includes a base 944 and a nose 942. Each of the frame pieces 912, 914, and 916 supports a pair of terminals positioned in a slot 950A, 950B. Thus, the frame array 910 provides a terminal block 911A and a terminal block 911B in the slot 950A, and is in the slot. Terminal block 911C and terminal block 911D are provided in 950B. To provide the required line and electrical performance, the tails can also be placed on one of the tail rows 920A, 920B, 920C, 920D on the board.

It can be seen that the tail rows 920A-920D are respectively composed of terminals 931A, 932A, 933A-931D, 932D, 933D. Thus, as shown, the terminals used in the frame are arranged in accordance with a signal, signal, and ground pattern. As can be seen, the illustrated embodiment can have high density and high data speed. In particular, the frame sheets 912, 914 are configured to provide signal terminals that form a differential pair and the frame 916 is configured to provide a ground terminal between adjacent differential pairs. This mode can be repeated such that a large number of differential pairs can be placed in a predetermined space. Alternatively, certain terminals may be used for other purposes (eg, power or low data speed signaling) and may have a different shape. However, the illustrated terminal and frame configuration provides a differential coupled signal pair that can be known for crosstalk and return loss values of data speeds greater than 10 Gbps (e.g., acceptable channel performance at channel data speeds greater than 10 Gbps). However, if the ground terminals are pinned, as shown above, the configuration shown will allow for data speeds greater than 20 Gbps. For example, in a simulated manner, the illustrated design with pins provides far-end crosstalk below 40 dB and outputting values in excess of 15 GHz. Furthermore, the insertion loss is fairly linear and less than 1.5 dB and output to approximately 15 GHz with a return loss of less than 10 dB and beyond to approximately 13 GHz.

Since the two slots 950A and 950B are adjacent, the slots 950A, 950B also have adjacent tail rows 920B, 920C. As previously mentioned, each slot can be aligned with one of the tail rows (950A aligned 920B and 950B aligned 920C). In an embodiment, the slot and the tail row may be configured such that two adjacent tail rows have at least one terminal positioned in a space WS, wherein the space WS is formed by two opposing walls 951A, 952A of the slots 951B, 952B are defined. It has been determined here that if a tail row of three tail positions is used (eg, the first tail is at a first position 961, the second tail is at a second position 962 and the third tail is at a third position 963), And if the third position 963 is aligned with the space WS, then more benefits can be obtained from a system level perspective. In detail, this allows for an acceptable line layout on the board and provides a dense configuration that does not use too much board space.

It should be understood that various modifications of the foregoing illustrated embodiments can be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, such as many variations and modifications of the compression connector assembly and/or components, including Combinations of the features disclosed herein, individually or as claimed in the claims, are obviously included in a further combination of these features, or other types of contact array connectors. Also, there are many possible variations on materials and configurations. These modifications and/or combinations are within the skill of the art and are within the scope of the following claims. Therefore, it is not specifically stated that the scope of the patent application is not limited to the combination of the features shown. It is to be noted that, as is conventional in the art, a single element is intended to cover one or more of such elements.

<p>400Connector assembly</p><p>402Guiding components</p><p>404Shell</p><p>405 wall (side wall)</p><p>406Vertical connector</p><p>407Printed circuit board</p><p>408Internal space</p><p>410 terminal assembly</p><p>410aFirst signal frame</p><p>410bsecond signal frame</p><p>410c Grounding frame</p><p>411wide base</p><p>412 Frames</p><p>413Vertical part</p><p>414Insulation frame</p><p>416 terminals</p><p>416aFirst signal terminal</p><p>416bsecond signal terminal</p><p>417 tail</p><p>417a, 417b signal terminal tail</p><p>417cTerminal terminal tail</p><p>418Flexible sales</p><p>419 Plated through holes</p><p>420Connector (joint part)</p><p>422Cantilever contact rod</p><p>424,426 slots</p><p>427aFirst side wall</p><p>427bsecond side wall</p><p>428Nose</p><p>429 docking surface</p><p>430Base (base part)</p><p>432 channel</p><p>434 body (body part)</p><p>435aFirst leg</p><p>435bSecond leg</p><p>436,437 combined slot</p><p>440,441Bending</p><p>443Transition</p><p>450Guide frame</p><p>451-454 side</p><p>456 openings</p><p>458, 459 combined components</p><p>460 hollow interior</p><p>461Inside projections or recesses</p><p>462 shoulder</p><p>463 skirt</p><p>464 recess</p><p>466 bumps</p><p>468Fixed splint</p><p>468aMain trunk</p><p>468barm</p><p>472 channel</p><p>473 tail</p><p>474 hole</p><p>475 slots</p><p>478Latch wall</p><p>479Slots</p><p>480End wall</p><p>482 Space</p><p>484Top edge</p><p>500Guide frame</p><p>502, 503, 504, 505 four sides</p><p>506 openings</p><p>510 recess</p><p>512, 513 combined components</p><p>514Fixed splint; inner surface</p><p>516 legs</p><p>517 recess</p><p>518 tail</p><p>520Latch wall</p><p>521End wall</p><p>600Guide frame</p><p>601a-c four sides</p><p>602 slots</p><p>603 body part</p><p>604 openings</p><p>606 legs</p><p>607 tongue part</p><p>608 tail</p><p>609Slots</p><p>610Bucking components</p><p>612 recess</p><p>614 Inside recess</p><p>616 bumps</p><p>618 openings</p><p>620Vertical channel</p><p>700Connector assembly</p><p>701Vertical connector</p><p>702Shell</p><p>703 circuit board</p><p>704cover; guide housing</p><p>705 hollow interior</p><p>706 docking opening</p><p>708Auxiliary opening</p><p>710heat radiator components</p><p>711 fixture</p><p>712a, 712bFlexible joints</p><p>713Electrically compressible gasket</p><p>715 bottom surface</p><p>717Binding bumps</p><p>718Base part</p><p>719Nose</p><p>720 docking</p><p>721Installation surface</p><p>723Extension</p><p>725,726 slots</p><p>727Intermediate central wall or component</p><p>730 gap</p><p>732,734 Guide channel</p><p>736,738Signal frame</p><p>740ground frame</p><p>742External terminal array</p><p>746Connector (joint part)</p><p>748, 748a tail</p><p>749Flexible sales</p><p>752, 752a, 752b first leg</p><p>753, 753a, 753b second leg</p><p>754,754a,754bBending</p><p>755,755a,755bTransition</p><p>802Guide housing</p><p>804Vertical connector</p><p>806 radiator</p><p>808, 809 Heat-dissipating components</p><p>810Expander or contact plate</p><p>903Circuit board</p><p>910 Frame Array</p><p>911A, 911B, 911C, 911D terminal block</p><p>912,914,916frame pieces</p><p>920A-920D tail row</p><p>931A, 932A, 933A-931D, 932D, 933D Terminal</p><p>940shell</p><p>942Nose</p><p>944Base</p><p>950A, 950B slots</p><p>951A, 952A, 951B, 952B opposite wall</p><p>961 first position</p><p>962second position</p><p>963 third position</p><p>AS symmetry axis</p><p>FSImaginary quadrilateral</p><p>ISE imaginary line</p><p>WS space</p>

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vertical I/O connector having a guide assembly for an internally guided cable application; FIG. 2 is a line along line 1 of FIG. -2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector-guide assembly of Fig. 1 taken; and Fig. 2A is a side view of the first differential signal terminal assembly used in the connector of the assembly of Fig. 1; Figure 2 is a side view of the second differential signal terminal assembly paired with the first terminal assembly of Figure 2A and used in the connector of Figure 1; Figure 2C is a view of the connector of Figure 1 A side view of a ground terminal assembly associated with a pair of differential signal terminal assemblies; FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view of the vertical connector of FIG. 1 taken along the side of FIG. 1 showing the ground terminals along the ground terminal The differential signal terminals of the terminal assemblies of the 2A and 2B drawings overlapped on the side (front) to show that the three sets of terminals are aligned with each other; FIG. 3 is the first figure taken along line 3-3 of FIG. Cross-sectional view of the connector-guide assembly; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the connector-guide assembly of Figure 1; Figure 5 is the total guide of the connector of Figure 1. A plan view of the right side; FIG. 6 is the connector of FIG. 1 - a plan view of the guide of the cartridge; FIG. 7 is a plan view of the guide of FIG. 6 of the frame, in combination with another display apparatus to which the vertical connector; Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the guide frame of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a guide frame assembly for a vertical connector suitable for group applications; Figure 10 is taken from the rear thereof A perspective view of a vertical connector assembly for use with a vertical connector for guiding a frame in conjunction with a circuit board; and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the novel vertical connector assembly associated with an external heat sink Figure 12 is an exploded view of the connector assembly of Figure 11; Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of Figure 11 taken along line 13-13 and shown positioned in the guide housing a connector in the body and the external heat sink, and further showing two guiding passages defined by the three components; Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the vertical connector used in the connector assembly of Fig. 11; Fig. 14A Is a plan view of the first differential signal terminal assembly used in the connector assembly of FIG. 14; FIG. 14B is a plan view of the second differential signal terminal assembly used in the connector assembly of FIG. The second differential signal terminal assembly is positioned near the 14A The terminal body is formed with a plurality of board-side coupled differential signal terminal pairs for use in the connector of FIG. 14; and FIG. 14C is a plan view of the ground terminal assembly used in the connector assembly of FIG. 14, the grounding The terminal assembly is disposed between the pair of differential signal terminals to provide isolation thereof; FIG. 14D is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 12, and the frame of the differential signal terminal supporting the 14A and 14B diagrams is Removed for clear display and display Showing the positions of the connectors, the grounding terminals, and the card receiving slots of the connector; FIG. 15 is a further connector assembly of the present invention having a different form of heat sink connected thereto Exploded view; Fig. 16A is a perspective view of a frame array; Fig. 16B is a simplified partial perspective view of the terminal positioned in the array shown in Fig. 16A; and Fig. 16C is a horizontal view of the array shown in Fig. 16A Side view of the section, but joined to a housing.