Molex Corporation

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Other

Molex Incorproated

Hazelton P Avery

Richard A Nelson

Kent E Regnier

Patrick R Casher

Galen F Fromm

Kathleen A Sweeney

Daniel B McGowan

Li Zhuang

Pu Xie

Emanuel G Banakis

David E Dunham

Michael J Gardner

Scott D Sommers

Dennis Lee Doye

Andrew Kolak

Timothy E Purkis

David G Mead

Gary Humbert

Richard A Faje

Gene Whetstone

Charles S Galauner

Dominic Steier

Chia Hung Mou

Gregory Menn

Jerry Shubert

Daniel Wenzel

Jeannette H Legge

Emanual G Banakis

David L Brunker

Jay H Neer

Martin J Wensley

Philip J Dambach

Jerry D Kachlic

Michael J Miskin

Donald J Brinkman

Ryan Timmons

Christopher P Dirkers

Eric Scharping

Daniel B McGowen

Andrew Jg Kelly

William A Russell, Jr

A receptacle is depicted. The receptacle can provide two rows of terminals to increase the density of the interface. If desired, a connector positioned in the receptacle can omit the use of a housing, even if the receptacle provides a stacked connector configuration. With the use of various airflow features it is possible to cool inserted plug modules that use more than 6 watts and potentially more than 8 watts of power.

High density receptacle

High-speed connectors and connector assemblies that include structures for alignment and/or improved thermal performance. In one example, a connector assembly, comprising: a housing comprising a port; a wafer assembly with contacts positioned in the port of the housing, the wafer assembly comprising a row of conductors, the row of conductors comprising a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors arranged in the row of conductors, wherein each communication signal conductor is positioned next to a ground conductor among the plurality of ground conductors in the row of conductors; and a ground path assembly comprising the plurality of ground conductors, a conductive ground shield, and a metal ground shield insert that is stitch mated with the conductive ground shield.

Shielded connector assemblies with temperature and alignment controls

Examples of connectors, connector assemblies, and wafer assemblies for improved shielding and thermal performance are described. In one example, a wafer assembly includes a ground path assembly and a row of conductors. The ground path assembly includes a first ground shield and a second ground shield. The row of conductors includes a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors arranged in the row of conductors. The first ground shield extends along a first pair of communication signal conductors among the plurality of communication signal conductors and the second ground shield extends along a second pair of the communication signal conductors among the plurality of communication signal conductors.

A connector is disclosed that includes a set of wafers formed of terminals supported by an insulative frame. The set of wafers can be positioned in a cage without a housing. Card slot members are aligned with contacts of the terminals. In an embodiment a connector can include a wafer that supports two rows of terminals on both sides of a card slot. At least some of the terminals () include a contact () at one end which is over molded with an insulative material. These contacts are over molded except for the end () of the terminal which is left exposed.

A connector assembly is provided, which includes a cage that defines a port and a card slot positioned in the port. Also included is a wafer set aligned with the card slot, the wafer set including a plurality of wafers that each support at least four terminals. The terminals are arranged so that two rows of contacts are provided, one row on a first side and one row on a second side of the card slot. Each wafer of the plurality of wafers includes an insulative frame, each terminal includes a beam portion cantilevered from the insulative frame supporting that terminal, and the cantilevered beam portion of at least one terminal of the at least four terminals has a molded material thereon.

A socket includes a housing that supports terminal bricks that can contain one or more terminals. The terminal bricks are inserted into apertures in the housing. The location of the terminal bricks can be adjusted separate from a side of the housing, thus providing the potential to improve coplanarity of the terminals in the socket.

Socket with insert-molded terminal

Stacked receptacles in a connector that each provide side-by-side differential signal contacts, are attached to a circuit board without additional width to accommodate multiple layers of differential signals by using connector wafer inserts that rotate the side-by-side positioned differential signal contacts to front-to-back contacts, the circuit board including a substrate having a plurality of openings to make electrical contact with conductive terminal tail portion inserted therein, the openings being divided into first and second groups of openings, the first group of openings receiving differential signal terminal tails therein and the second group of openings receiving ground terminal tail therein, when a connector is mounted to said circuit board.

Circuit board via arrangement for differential signal connector

Stacked receptacles in a connector that each provide side-by-side differential signal contacts, are attached to a circuit board without additional width to accommodate multiple layers of differential signals by using connector wafer inserts that rotate the side-by-side positioned differential signal contacts to front-to-back contacts.

Differential signal connector with wafer-style construction

An improved heating element connector assembly includes an insulative, rectangular frame with a central opening, and a plurality of conductive terminals which are press fit into openings in the frame. The terminals are spaced apart from each other lengthwise of two opposing sidewalls of the frame, and pairs of terminals are aligned with each other between the two sidewalls. A plurality of conductive strips are held together in an assembly and the ends of the strips are interconnected along two spaced apart lines by carrier members that may be molded over the ends of the conductive strips. The carrier members extend down into cavities on the frame and terminals are pushed into the cavities to bear against the ends of the strips and effect an electrical connection between the terminals and the strips.

Heating element connector assembly with insert molded strips

An improved heating element connector assembly includes an insulative, rectangular frame with a central opening and a plurality of conductive terminals which are press fit into openings in the frame. The terminals are spaced apart from each other lengthwise of two opposing sidewalls of the frame, and pairs of terminals are aligned with each other between the two sidewalls. A plurality of conductive strips extend across the frame opening to interconnect the pairs of terminals together. The terminals include compliant pin tail portions for receipt by corresponding holes formed in a circuit board of the assembly and deformable head portions for crimping onto the conductive strips.

Heating element connector assembly with press-fit terminals

A connector uses a plurality of individual terminal assemblies to form a high-density connector. The terminal assemblies all have insulative body portions that support arrays of signal terminals and ground terminals or ground members. The terminals all have their own associated body portions which are supported by the insulative body portions and contact portions that extend out from a front, or mating face, of the assemblies. The terminal contact portions and include flexing portions formed therewith which are disposed between the terminal body and contact portions. The terminals further include insulative support members that are applied to the terminals and which serve to define the contact and flexing portions of the terminals. The support members are fixed within a carrier, such as a shroud member, which is not attached to any one portion of the connector. The support members permit the terminals and shroud to move as a single unit and flex in different directions, relative to the insulative body portions that support the terminals.

High-density connector assembly with flexural capabilities

A connector assembly is suitable for connecting circuit boards together. The connector assembly includes a series of ground and signal terminal sets assembled in composite wafers that may be held within a housing. The ground terminals include pairs of flat contact blades that are aligned together in abutting contact to form a column of ground contacts blades of double width, and the signal terminals are arranged in sets on opposite sides of the ground terminal blades and the signal terminals have general L-shapes that are arranged in sets of two pairs of contacts to form a cruciform pattern. One of the two connectors has solid L-shaped contacts, while the other of the two connectors has a pair of split contact arms that lie and extend in two different planes project from an associated terminal body in a manner so as to mate with the contact portions of the solid L-shaped contacts. The use of L-shaped contacts provides a redundant contact mating arrangement.

High-density connector assembly with improved mating capability

Growing community of inventors

Batavia, IL, United States of America

Hazelton P Avery