Electrical connector assembly and system using the same

An electrical cable connector assembly comprises a receptacle connector mated with a plug/cable connector. The receptacle connector mounted upon an external printed circuit board and includes an insulative housing forming a mating cavity, and a terminal module assembly received within the housing with contacting sections exposed in the mating cavity. The cable connector includes an internal printed circuit board with a contact module fixed at a front end region and a cable having a plurality of wires fixed at a rear end region in a multilevel manner. A die-casting cover encloses the internal printed circuit board with heat dissipation fin structure on an exterior surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector assembly and system using the same, more particularly to the system with an internal printed circuit board having a contact module at a front end region and a multilevel wires connected at a rear end region. Furthermore, such electrical connector assembly is used on an add-on card which is further connected with a jumper cable in a connection system on a main printed circuit board.

2. Description of Related Arts

The electrical cable connector approaches 25 G now. A new structure that endures the high frequency and high speed while promptly removing the corresponding heat is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An electrical cable connector assembly comprises a receptacle connector mated with a plug/cable connector. The receptacle connector mounted upon an external printed circuit board and includes an insulative housing forming a mating cavity, and a terminal module assembly received within the housing with contacting sections exposed in the mating cavity. The cable connector includes an internal printed circuit board with a contact module fixed at a front end region and a cable having a plurality of wires fixed at a rear end region in a multilevel manner. A die-casting cover encloses the internal printed circuit board with heat dissipation fin structure on an exterior surface. A thermal interface material is sandwiched between an electronic component, which is mounted upon the internal printed circuit board, and an interior surface of the cover for heat dissipation. A latch and a pull tape is disposed around a rear end of the cover for disengaging the cable connector from a correspond cage. Moreover, a main board includes a CPU side region on which a CPU is mounted, and an add-on card region on which an add-on card is mounted. A connection system includes a jumper cable having connectors on two opposite ends respectively connected to the CPU and the add-on card. The receptacle connector is mounted around the add-on card to mate with the cable connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1-21(B), an electrical connector assembly1includes a receptacle connector100and a plug connector200, i.e., 25 Gb/s SMP9 connector, adapted to mated with each other. The receptacle connector100adapted to be mounted upon a printed circuit board300, includes an insulative housing102forming a front mating cavity104and a rear receiving space106therein. A terminal module assembly108is inserted into the receiving space106from a rear side of the housing. The terminal module assembly108includes an upper terminal module110and a lower terminal module120stacked with each other. The upper terminal module110includes a plurality of upper contacts111retained by an upper insulator112and a tail insulator113via an insert-molding process wherein the contacting sections of the upper contacts111extend into the front mating cavity104. The lower terminal module120includes a plurality of lower contacts121retained by a lower insulator122via another insert-molding process wherein the contacting sections of the lower contacts211extend into the front mating cavity104opposite to the contacting sections of the upper contacts111in the vertical direction. The upper insulator112forms an upper protrusion114received in the corresponding recess103in an upper interior face of the housing102, and a lower protrusion115received in the corresponding recess123in the lower insulator122. The lower insulator122forms a lower protrusion124received in the corresponding recess104in a lower interior face of the housing102. A pair of lateral projections125are formed on two opposite lateral sides of the lower insulator122for receipt within the corresponding grooves105in the housing102. A spacer130is located between the upper terminal module110and the lower terminal module120to have the upper contacts111and the lower contacts121spaced from each other. The housing102forms a pair of channels107in the housing102.

The plug connector200includes an internal printed circuit board210, a contact module220disposed upon a front region of the printed circuit board210to form a mating tongue thereof for insertion into the front mating cavity104of the receptacle connector100, and cables250mechanically and electrically connected to a rear region of the printed circuit board210. A plurality of electronic components290mounted upon a middle region of the printed circuit board210, and a thermal interface material292seated thereupon. A die-casting cover includes a top cover230and a bottom cover232are assembled together to form therebetween an space receiving the printed circuit board210therein. A latch structure234is attached to the cover and a pull tape236is linked on the rear end of the latch structure224for pulling the latch structure during unlatching the plug connector from the corresponding cage (not shown) in which the receptacle connector100is received.

The contact module220includes a plurality of contacts221embedded within an insulator223via an insert-molding process wherein the contact tail225of the contacts221are soldered upon the corresponding pads of the printed circuit board210. A fin structure231is formed on the top cover230. The thermal interface material292contacts an inner surface of the cover and sandwiched between the cover and the corresponding electronic components290in the vertical direction.

Each of the cables250includes a plurality of TX differential pairs252arranged in front and rear rows and soldered upon the upper surface2101of the printed circuit board210, and a plurality of RX differential pairs254arranged in front and rear rows and soldered upon the bottom surface2102of the printed circuit board210. The TX differential pairs252arranged in front row are offset with the TX differential pairs252arranged in the rear row along transverse direction. The RX differential pairs254arranged in front row are offset with the RX differential pairs254arranged in the rear row along transverse direction. A wire organizer assembly260includes a middle part262with upper and lower rows of holes264, an upper part266with one row of holes267, and a lower part268with one row of holes269. The TX differential pairs252in the front row extend through the corresponding holes267, and the TX differential pairs252in the rear row extend through the corresponding holes264in the upper row; the RX differential pairs254in the front row extend through the corresponding holes269, and the RX differential pairs254in the rear row extend through the corresponding holes264in the lower row. The middle part262forms retaining holes270,272to receive the corresponding retaining posts274,276on the upper part266and the lower part268. The middle part262further includes differently sized protrusions inside of the channel structures278,280for compliance with the differently sized cutouts214,213in the printed circuit board210. Each of the upper part266, the middle part262and the lower part258further forms a groove282for receiving glue therein.

To assemble the cable250to the printed circuit board210is as follows. The TX differential pairs252and the RX differential pairs252extend through the corresponding holes264and fixed therein by the glue applied into the middle part262via the groove282. The middle part262is aligned and assembles to the printed circuit board210via the channel structures278,280. with the TX and RX differential pairs respectively soldered upon the upper surface2101and the lower surface2102of the printed circuit board210. The upper part266and the lower part268are assembled upon the middle part262. The remaining TX differential pair252and RX differential pairs254extend through the corresponding holes267,269. The rear glue protection286is applied upon the printed circuit board210to protectively fasten the TX and RX differential pairs252,254and cover the soldering area of the TX and RX differential pairs252,254in the rear row. The TX and RX differential pairs252,254in the front row are soldered upon the printed circuit board210. The front glue protection288is applied upon the printed circuit board210to protectively fasten the TX and RX differential pairs252,254in the front row and the corresponding soldering area. It is noted that in this embodiment, the holes264are staggered with the holes267,269.

Referring toFIGS. 22(A)-44, the connection system500includes a main printed circuit board510with a CPU (Central Processing Unit)520mounted on one region, and a card edge connector550mounted on the opposite region. An electrical connector540is mounted upon the main printed circuit board510beside the CPU520, and a keep-out-zone structure530is located beside the connector520.

A jumper cable assembly includes a cable640with a first electrical connector620at a first end to connect to the connector540, and a second electrical connector650at a second end to connect to a module card660. Specifically referring toFIGS. 26-29, the first connector620includes an insulative housing625forming a receiving slot627, and a pair of alignment slots628and the keyed structure630on two opposite ends. A metallic shell622encloses the housing625and forms a plurality of spring tangs624and a pair of alignment slits623corresponding to the alignment slots628. A plurality of terminals626are disposed in the housing625with contacting sections extending into the receiving slot627. A main body621is essentially located behind the housing625to form an internal room with therein a paddle card629on which the cable640is mounted via assistance of the wire organizer (not labeled) as shown in36(A) and36(B). Correspondingly, the connector540adapted to be mated with the first connector620, includes an insulative housing542forming a receiving cavity543with a mating tongue544therein for reception within the receiving slot627during mating, and a pair of keyed structures545at two opposite ends for coupling to the corresponding key structures630during mating. A metallic shell548encloses the housing542with a pair of alignment tabs547received within the corresponding alignment slots/slits628and623during mating. A plurality of terminals546are disposed in the housing542with contacting sections exposed upon the mating tongue544. A main body549is essentially located behind the housing542and seated upon the main printed circuit board510.

The second connector650is essentially a wire organizer to have the corresponding wires of the cable640extend therethrough at the different levels and positions for properly soldering to the module card660as shown inFIG. 40.

An add-on card700stands above the main printed circuit board510with a bottom mating edge702received within the card edge connector550and with a front edge connected to a metallic bracket710via screws712wherein the bracket710is assembled to a back panel of a computer case as what the conventional add-on card is located. Specifically referring toFIG. 33, the card edge connector550includes an insulative housing552forming a receiving slot554, and a plurality of terminals556with contacting section extending into the receiving slot554. The module card660is assembled to the add-on card700via rivets662in a parallel manner with a plurality of spacers661sandwiched therebetween. An connector device is sandwiched between the add-on card700and the module card660. Such connector device can be a first BGA connector670on the module card660, and a second BGA connector720mounted upon the add-on card700to mate with each other for establishing electrical connection between the module card660and the add-on card700, as shown inFIGS. 25-25(A),FIG. 38andFIG. 43. Alternately, an LGA interposer connector670′ as shown inFIGS. 41(A)-41(B)may replace the BGA connectors670and720. In this embodiment, the receptacle connector100is mounted upon the module card660, and the add-on card700forms a cutout730to receive the receptacle connector100and the corresponding plug connector200therein as shown inFIGS. 22(A)-24(B),34-35(A) and43-44.

FIGS. 30(A)-32(B)and39show another embodiment in which the module card660is omitted and the jumper cable640is directly mounted upon the add-on card800via the connector650′ at the end of the jumper cable640and another connector810on the add-on card800. On the other hand, no cutout is formed in the main printed circuit board800so the receptacle connector100is directly mounted upon the main printed circuit board800and the corresponding plug connector200extends in a spaced manner with the plane defined by the main printed circuit board800. The corresponding bracket710′ forms a notch to allow the corresponding cable250to extend therethrough. Similar to the previous embodiment, the add-on card800forms a bottom mating edge820received within the card edge connector550.FIG. 40shows the RX differential pairs in the front row and the TX differential pairs in the rear row are commonly soldered upon each surface of the module card660. Understandably, such arrangement may be applied to the internal printed circuit board210.