阅读说明：本技术 高密度连接器组件 (High density connector assembly ) 是由 乔云龙 S·班德胡 李国豪 陈伟森 于 2020-03-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种连接器组件,该连接器组件包括外壳、第一电路板和第二电路板以及基本上扁平的电缆。该外壳包括用于与配合连接器配合的配合端和用于接纳电缆的相反的电缆端。该第一电路板和该第二电路板设置在该外壳内侧。每个电路板包括多个导电前焊盘,该多个导电前焊盘被设置成更加接近该外壳的该配合端；和多个导电后焊盘,该多个导电后焊盘被设置成更加接近该外壳的该电缆端并且电连接到该前焊盘。该第一电路板的至少一个前焊盘面向、对准并且电连接到该第二电路板的至少一个后焊盘。该基本上扁平的电缆包括多个导体。该电缆的该导体的未绝缘前端终止于第一电路板的对应后焊盘。(A connector assembly includes a housing, first and second circuit boards, and a substantially flat cable. The housing includes a mating end for mating with a mating connector and an opposite cable end for receiving a cable. The first circuit board and the second circuit board are disposed inside the case. Each circuit board includes a plurality of electrically conductive front pads disposed closer to the mating end of the housing; and a plurality of conductive back pads disposed closer to the cable end of the housing and electrically connected to the front pads. At least one front pad of the first circuit board faces, aligns, and is electrically connected to at least one rear pad of the second circuit board. The substantially flat cable includes a plurality of conductors. The uninsulated front ends of the conductors of the cable terminate in corresponding rear pads of the first circuit board.)

1. A connector assembly, the connector assembly comprising:

a housing including a top housing portion and a bottom housing portion assembled to each other and defining a housing cavity therebetween, the housing including a mating end for mating with a mating connector and opposing cable ends for receiving one or more cables;

a first circuit board and a second circuit board disposed in the housing cavity, each circuit board comprising:

an upper surface and an opposite lower surface; and

a front edge and a rear edge opposite the front edge;

the first circuit board is disposed closer to the cable end and further from the mating end, and the first circuit board includes:

a plurality of conductive front pads disposed on the lower surface adjacent the front edge; and

a plurality of conductive back pads disposed on the upper and lower surfaces adjacent the back edge and electrically connected to the front pads, the back pads forming first and second rows of back pads disposed on the upper surface and third and fourth rows of back pads disposed on the lower surface;

the second circuit board is disposed closer to the mating end and further from the cable end, and the second circuit board includes:

a plurality of conductive front pads disposed on the upper surface and the lower surface adjacent the front edge; and

a plurality of conductive back pads disposed on the upper surface adjacent the back edge and electrically connected to the front pads;

the front pads on the lower surface of the first circuit board face the back pads on the upper surface of the second circuit board, are aligned with the back pads on the upper surface of the second circuit board, and are electrically connected to the back pads on the upper surface of the second circuit board; and

first through fourth substantially flat cables including a plurality of conductors, uninsulated front ends of the conductors of the first through fourth cables terminating at corresponding ones of the respective first through fourth rows of back lands of the first circuit board.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the first through fourth cables comprise a plurality of insulated conductors, each insulated conductor comprising a conductor surrounded by an insulating material, the conductors having a diameter no greater than 20 American Wire Gauge (AWG), and wherein the first through fourth cables comprise a plurality of uninsulated, unloaded conductors.

3. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom housing portions include respective top and bottom interior walls disposed in the housing cavity distal from the cable end and the mating end and oriented orthogonal to a mating direction of the second circuit board and the connector assembly, free ends of the top and bottom interior walls being spaced apart a distance T1 in a direction orthogonal to the second circuit board, the first and second circuit boards having a combined thickness T2, T2 > T1, and wherein the free ends of the top and bottom interior walls generally face each other and are aligned with each other and define an opening therebetween having a height equal to T1.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1, being a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) connector assembly or a quad small form-factor pluggable dual density (QSFP-DD) connector assembly.

5. A connector, the connector comprising:

a housing including a mating end for mating with a mating connector and an opposite cable end for receiving a cable; and

a first circuit board and a second circuit board, the first circuit board and the second circuit board disposed inside the housing, each circuit board including: a plurality of electrically conductive front pads and a plurality of electrically conductive rear pads, the front pads being disposed closer to the mating end of the housing; the rear pads are disposed closer to the cable end of the housing and electrically connected to the front pads, at least one front pad of the first circuit board facing, aligned with, and electrically connected to at least one rear pad of the second circuit board.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the first circuit board and the second circuit board define a step therebetween, the step being located at a front edge of the first circuit board adjacent the front pad of the first circuit board.

7. The connector of claim 5, wherein the front pads of the first circuit board face, align with, and are electrically connected to the back pads of the second circuit board.

8. A connector comprising a housing and a plurality of circuit boards disposed inside the housing, the housing defining an elongated opening therein, the opening having a smaller height and a larger width, at least one of the plurality of circuit boards extending through the opening, the plurality of circuit boards having a combined thickness greater than the height of the opening.

9. The connector of claim 8, wherein the plurality of circuit boards includes a first circuit board and a second circuit board, each circuit board having a plurality of conductive pads, at least one pad of the first circuit board facing, aligned with, and electrically connected to at least one pad of the second circuit board.

10. The connector of claim 8, wherein the plurality of circuit boards are stacked in a thickness direction of the circuit boards, and the circuit boards of at least one pair of adjacent circuit boards are offset with respect to each other in a mating direction of the connector.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to connector assemblies, and in particular to high density connector assemblies.

Background

A quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) is an interface widely used for data center external IO connection applications. As the industry is moving towards faster data transfer per cable, quad small form-factor pluggable dual density (QSFP-DD) interfaces have been introduced to carry twice the data capacity of QSFP cable assemblies.

Disclosure of Invention

In some cases, it may be desirable to increase the data carrying capacity of the connector assembly by fitting more cables into the limited space available in the cable assembly. Since the overall size of the cable assembly interface is generally standardized, it is desirable to place higher density cables within the available cross-sectional space without changing the dimensions of the metal housing in which the QSFP or QSFP-DD interface is located.

Various aspects and embodiments described herein relate to connector assemblies and connectors.

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a connector assembly including a housing having a top housing portion and a bottom housing portion assembled to one another and defining a housing cavity therebetween. The housing includes a mating end for mating with a mating connector and an opposite cable end for receiving one or more cables. The connector assembly includes a first circuit board and a second circuit board disposed in the housing cavity. Each circuit board includes an upper surface and an opposing lower surface, and a front edge and a rear edge opposite the front edge.

The first circuit board is disposed closer to the cable end and further from the mating end. The first circuit board includes a plurality of conductive front pads disposed on the lower surface adjacent the front edge. The first circuit board also includes a plurality of conductive back pads disposed on the upper and lower surfaces adjacent the back edge and electrically connected to the front pads. The rear pads form a first row of rear pads and a second row of rear pads disposed on the upper surface, and a third row of rear pads and a fourth row of rear pads disposed on the lower surface. The second circuit board is disposed closer to the mating end and further away from the cable end. The second circuit board includes a plurality of conductive front pads disposed on the upper and lower surfaces adjacent the front edge. The second circuit board also includes a plurality of conductive back pads disposed on the upper surface adjacent the back edge and electrically connected to the front pads. The front pads on the lower surface of the first circuit board face, align and electrically connect to the back pads on the upper surface of the second circuit board. The connector assembly also includes first through fourth substantially flat cables having a plurality of conductors. The uninsulated front ends of the conductors of the first through fourth cables terminate at corresponding ones of the respective first through fourth rows of back pads of the first circuit board.

Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a connector including a housing having a mating end for mating with a mating connector and an opposite cable end for receiving a cable. The connector also includes a first circuit board and a second circuit board disposed inside the housing. Each circuit board includes a plurality of electrically conductive front pads disposed closer to the mating end of the housing; and a plurality of conductive back pads disposed closer to the cable end of the housing and electrically connected to the front pads. At least one front pad of the first circuit board faces, aligns, and is electrically connected to at least one rear pad of the second circuit board.

Some other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a connector including a housing and a plurality of circuit boards disposed inside the housing. The housing defines an elongated opening therein having a smaller height and a larger width. At least one of the circuit boards extends through the opening. The combined thickness of the circuit boards is greater than the height of the opening.

These and other aspects of the present application will be apparent from the detailed description below. In no event, however, should the above summaries be construed as limitations on the claimed subject matter, which subject matter is defined solely by the attached claims.

Drawings

Various aspects of the disclosure will be discussed in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

fig. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate different views of a connector assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 schematically illustrates a mating connector for mating with a connector assembly according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

fig. 5 schematically illustrates an exploded view of a connector assembly according to some aspects of the present disclosure;

fig. 6-9 schematically illustrate different views of a circuit board of a connector assembly according to some aspects of the present disclosure;

10-11 schematically illustrate different views of circuit boards aligned with one another, in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure;

fig. 12 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly according to certain aspects of the present disclosure;

fig. 13-14 schematically illustrate a cable assembled to a circuit board according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 schematically illustrates a detailed view of a cable assembled to a circuit board, according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

fig. 16-17 schematically illustrate different cross-sectional views of a connector assembly according to certain aspects of the present disclosure;

figure 18 schematically illustrates a side view of a connector assembly having a pull ring assembled to a housing portion of the connector assembly; and is

FIG. 19 schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of a connector according to another aspect of the present disclosure;

the figures are not necessarily to scale. Like numbers used in the figures refer to like parts. It should be understood, however, that the use of a number to refer to a component in a given figure is not intended to limit the component in another figure labeled with the same number.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration several specific embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments are contemplated and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure.

A connector assembly according to the present disclosure may be a quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) connector assembly. In other embodiments, the connector assembly may be a quad small form-factor pluggable dual density (QSFP-DD) connector assembly.

A connector assembly according to some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-9, includes a housing (10) having a top housing portion (11) and a bottom housing portion (12) assembled to each other. As shown in fig. 12, the top housing portion (11) and the bottom housing portion (12) combine to define a housing cavity (13) therebetween. The top housing part (11) and the bottom housing part (12) may be made of, for example, metal.

The housing (10) has a mating end (14) for mating with a mating connector (300) and an opposite cable end (15) for receiving one or more cables (50-53). As best shown in fig. 5 and 12, a first circuit board (30) and a second circuit board (40) are disposed in the housing cavity (13) to electrically couple to one or more conductors of the cables (50-53), as will be described further below. The mating connector (300) is typically connected to a PCB, for example to a second circuit board (40). In some aspects, the connector assembly (200) may include a pull ring (60) for separating the connector assembly from a mating connector. Pulling of the operating portion of the pull ring (60) unlocks the mating connector from the connector assembly (200). The tab (60) may comprise a first part (61) attached to the top housing part (11) and a different second part (62) attached to the bottom housing part (12), as best shown in fig. 18.

Each circuit board (30, 40) has an upper surface (31, 41) and an opposite lower surface (32, 42), and a front edge (33, 43) and a rear edge (34, 44) opposite the front edge, as best shown in fig. 6 and 7. The first circuit board (30) is disposed closer to the cable end (15) and further away from the mating end (14). According to certain aspects as best shown in fig. 9, the first circuit board (30) includes a plurality of conductive front pads (35) disposed on the lower surface (32) adjacent the front edge (33). As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the first circuit board (30) includes a plurality of conductive back pads (36) disposed on the upper surface (31) and the lower surface (32) adjacent the back edge (34). The plurality of conductive back pads (36) are electrically connected to the front pads (35), for example, via one or more conductive vias or traces defined in the first circuit board (30). The rear pads (36) of the first circuit board (30) include a plurality of rows of rear pads disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the first circuit board. In some embodiments as best shown in fig. 8 and 9, the back pads (36) are formed in a first row of back pads (36a) and a second row of back pads (36b) disposed on the upper surface (31), and a third row of back pads (36c) and a fourth row of back pads (36d) disposed on the lower surface (32) of the first circuit board (30).

The second circuit board (40) is disposed closer to the mating end (14) and further away from the cable end (15). The second circuit board (40) includes a plurality of conductive front pads (45) disposed on the upper surface (41) and the lower surface (42) adjacent the front edge (43). The front pads (45) are configured to engage terminals of a mating connector (300). The second circuit board also includes a plurality of conductive back pads (46) disposed on the upper surface (41) adjacent the back edge (44). The plurality of conductive back pads (46) are electrically connected to the front pads (45), for example, via one or more conductive vias or traces defined in the second circuit board (40). In some aspects of the disclosure, front pads (35) on the lower surface (32) of the first circuit board (30) face, align, and electrically connect to rear pads (46) on the upper surface (41) of the second circuit board (40).

The connector assembly (200) includes first to fourth substantially flat cables (50, 51, 52, 53). Each cable (50, 51, 52, 53) includes a plurality of conductors (54) terminating in corresponding back pads (36) of the first circuit board (30). As best shown in fig. 13 and 14, the uninsulated front ends (55) of the conductors (54) of the first through fourth cables (50, 51, 52, 53) terminate at corresponding ones (36) of the rear pads of the respective first through fourth rows (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d) of the first circuit board (30).

In some aspects, as best shown in fig. 15, the first through fourth cables (50, 51, 52, 53) include a plurality of insulated conductors (56). Each insulated conductor includes a conductor (57) surrounded by an insulating material (58). In some aspects, the first through fourth cables (50, 51, 52, 53) may include a plurality of uninsulated, non-load carrying conductors (59).

In some cases, the conductor (57) may have a diameter no greater than 24 American Wire Gauge (AWG). In some other cases, the conductor may have a diameter no greater than 22AWG, and in some other cases, the conductor may have a diameter no greater than 20 AWG.

In some aspects of the present disclosure as shown in fig. 16 and 17, the top housing portion (11) includes a top interior wall (16) and the bottom housing portion (12) includes a bottom interior wall (17). A top interior wall (16) and a bottom interior wall (17) are disposed in the housing cavity away from the cable end (15) and the mating end (14) and are oriented orthogonal to a mating direction (y) of the second circuit board (40) and the connector assembly.

In some embodiments, the free ends (18, 19) of the top inner wall (16) and the bottom inner wall (17) are spaced apart a distance T1 in a direction orthogonal to the second circuit board (40). The first and second circuit boards (30, 40) may have a combined thickness T2, where T2 > T1. In some other aspects, the free ends (18, 19) of the top inner wall (16) and the bottom inner wall (17) generally face each other and are aligned with each other. The free ends (18, 19) define an opening (20) therebetween having a height equal to T1.

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a connector (400) including a housing (10) and a plurality of circuit boards (30, 40) disposed inside the housing (10). In some embodiments, the housing may be made of metal. The housing (10) defines an elongated opening (20) having a smaller height (T1) and a larger width (W1), as best shown in fig. 19. In some embodiments as shown in fig. 17, at least one of the plurality of circuit boards (40) extends through the opening (20). The combined thickness (T2) of the plurality of circuit boards is greater than the height (T1) of the opening.

In some aspects, a plurality of circuit boards are stacked in a thickness direction (z) of the circuit board. The circuit boards of at least one pair of adjacent circuit boards (30, 40) are offset with respect to each other in a mating direction (y) of the connector. In one aspect as shown in fig. 6, the first and second circuit boards (30, 40) define a step (70) therebetween adjacent a front pad (35) of the first circuit board (30) at a front edge (37) of the first circuit board. The step (70) may be formed as a result of a stacked arrangement of the first and second circuit boards (30, 40).

In some aspects, the plurality of circuit boards includes a first circuit board (30) and a second circuit board (40) each having a plurality of conductive pads (35, 36, 45, 46). As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the at least one pad (35) of the first circuit board (30) faces, aligns, and is electrically connected to the at least one pad (46) of the second circuit board (40).

The housing (10) of the connector (400) has a mating end (14) for mating with the mating connector (300) and an opposite cable end (15) for receiving the cable (50). Each circuit board (30, 40) has a plurality of electrically conductive front pads (35, 45) disposed closer to the mating end (14) of the housing (10) and a plurality of electrically conductive rear pads (36, 46) disposed closer to the cable end (15) of the housing (10). The conductive back pads (36, 46) are electrically connected to the front pads (35, 45), for example, via one or more conductive vias or traces defined in the circuit board (30, 40). In some aspects, at least one front pad of the first circuit board (30) faces, aligns, and is electrically connected to at least one rear pad of the second circuit board (40). In some other aspects, the front pads of the first circuit board (30) face, align, and electrically connect to the back pads of the second circuit board (40).

Unless otherwise indicated, descriptions with respect to elements in the figures should be understood to apply equally to corresponding elements in other figures. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Accordingly, the disclosure is intended to be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.