Low profile electrical connector

A right-angle electrical connector is disclosed. The right-angle electrical connector may include an electrically conductive contact and a connector housing that contains the electrically conductive contact. The electrically conductive contact may define a mounting end and a mating end. The connector housing may include a mating portion and a guide portion. The mating portion may receive the mating end of the electrically conductive contact. The mating portion may define a mating plane. The guide portion may be connected to the mating portion and may define a guide plane orthogonal to the mating plane. The guide portion may extend beyond the mating portion. The mating portion may also define a mounting plane. The mounting plane may be orthogonal to the mating plane. The guide portion may define a void between the guide plane and the mounting plane, suitable for receiving a header wall of a complementary connector.

BACKGROUND

Electrical devices may be implemented with more than one circuit board. Right angle electrical connectors may be used to establish a conductive connection between circuit boards, as in coplanar and back-panel configurations, for example. Typically, the size and position of the right angle connector may limit the physical arrangement of circuit boards within the device.

In electrical devices where physical space is limited, it may be desirable to limit the height of the right angle connector. For example, in backplane applications within a fixed chassis, a smaller height may minimize the distance between circuit boards and ultimately increase the number of circuit boards included within the chassis.

Typically, the connector housing may be a component of the overall connector height. For example, the thickness and shape of the housing walls may, in part, define the connector height. Generally, the thickness and shape of the housing walls may provide physical guidance when mating electrical connectors. For example, the housing walls may be keyed to allow for mating in only one orientation.

Thus, there is a need for an electrical connector housing that minimizes connector height while still providing guidance for mating.

SUMMARY

A right-angle electrical connector may include an electrically conductive contact and a connector housing that contains the electrically conductive contact. The electrically conductive contact may define a mounting end and a mating end. The connector housing may include a mating portion and a guide portion. The mating portion may receive the mating end of the electrically conductive contact. The mating portion may define a mating plane. The guide portion may be connected to the mating portion and may define a guide plane perpendicular to the mating plane. The guide portion may extend beyond the mating portion.

The mating portion may also define a mounting plane. The mounting plane may be perpendicular to the mating plane. The guide portion may define a void between the guide plane and the mounting plane. The void may be suitable for receiving a header wall of a complementary connector. When the right-angle connector is mounted to an upper surface of a substrate, the guide portion may define a receiving channel between the guide portion and the upper surface of the substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1depicts an isometric view of a right-angle electrical connector100mounted to a substrate108. The right-angle electrical connector100may be mounted to an upper surface109of the substrate108. The substrate108may be a circuit board, for example.

The right-angle electrical connector100may include a connector housing102and one or more electrically conductive contacts101. The connector housing102may be made of a dielectric material, such as plastic for example. The connector housing102may be injection molded.

The connector housing102may define a mating end103. The mating end103may be suitable for mating with a complementary connector (SeeFIG. 3). The mating end103may define a mating plane105and a mounting plane106that is perpendicular to the mating plane105. For example, the mating plane105may be defined by a mating face112of the connector housing102designated for mating with a complementary connector. Also for example, the bottom surface (not shown) of the mating end103may define the mounting plane106. When the right-angle electrical connector is mounted to the substrate108, the mounting plane106may be flush with the upper surface109of the substrate108.

The right-angle electrical connector100may be mounted such that the mating plane105defined by the mating end103of the connector housing102may be flush with the edge110of the substrate108. The substrate108may protect the right-angle electrical connector100from damage during handling.

The mating end103of the connector housing102may have connected thereto a guide portion104. The guide portion104may extend beyond the mating end103of the connector housing102. For example, the guide portion104may extend beyond either side of the mating end103of the connector housing102. The bottom edges113A-B of the guide portion104may be chamfered. When the connector is mounted to the substrate108, the guide portion104may define one or more voids114A-B between the guide portion104and the upper surface109of the substrate108. The guide portion104may define a guide plane107. The voids114A-B may be defined between the guide plane107and the mounting plane106. The connector housing102may contain one or more molded leadframe assemblies, such as insert molded leadframe assemblies (IMLAs)111.

FIGS. 2A and 2Bdepict a plurality of IMLAs111mounted to a substrate108in isometric and side views, respectively. The IMLA may be defined as having an dielectric leadframe housing203through which one or more electrically conductive contacts101extends. The dielectric housing203retains the one or more electrically conductive contacts101. The dielectric housing203may be insert molded over a leadframe of electrically conductive contacts. Each electrically conductive contact101may be made of electrically conductive material, such as metal for example.

Each electrically conductive contact101may include a mounting end201and a mating end202. The mounting end201of the electrically conductive contact101may be in any configuration suitable for mounting to the substrate108. For example, the mounting end201may be an eye-of-the-needle configuration. Also, for example, the mounting end201may include a solder ball connector thereto suitable for a ball grid array mount.

As shown inFIG. 3, the mating end202of electrically conductive contact101may be any configuration suitable for mating with a complementary connector301. For example, the mating end202may be blade shaped or define a receptacle.

Suitable for a right-angle connector, the mating end202of the electrically conductive contact101may extend in a direction perpendicular to the mounting end201of the electrically conductive contact101. For example, when the insert molded leadframe array111is mounted to the substrate108, the mounting end201may be oriented perpendicular to a plane defined by the upper surface109of the substrate108, and the mating end202may extend parallel to the plane defined by the upper surface109of the substrate108.

Each electrically conductive contact101may be contained within the connector housing102. The mating ends202of the contacts101may be received in a mating end103of the connector housing102. The mounting ends201of the contacts101may be flush with the mounting plane106.

FIG. 3depicts a right-angle electrical connector300mounted to a first substrate310and a complementary connector301mounted to a second substrate311that is perpendicular to the first substrate310. In one embodiment, the right-angle electrical connector300may be suitable for backplane applications. For example, the first substrate310may be a daughter board, and the second substrate311may be a backplane. In another embodiment, the complementary connector301may also be a right angle connector. For example, the complementary connector301may be a right-angle connector in a coplanar application.

In one embodiment, the right-angle electrical connector300may include a connector housing302. The connector housing302may include a top portion303and a bottom portion304. The bottom portion304may define a bottom surface (not shown) that abuts the upper surface312of the first substrate310. Thus, the right-angle electrical connector300may define one or more receiving channels306between the top portion303and the upper surface312of the first substrate310. The receiving channels306may be defined on opposite sides of the bottom portion304. The right-angle electrical connector300may be oriented at an edge305of the first substrate310, suitably oriented to receive the complementary connector301.

The complementary connector301may be any connector suitable to mate with the right-angle electrical connector300. The complementary connector301may include one or more electrically conductive contacts307. Each electrically conductive contact307of the complementary connector301may be suitable for mating with the corresponding electrically conductive contact308of the right-angle electrical connector300. For example, if the electrically conductive contact308of the right-angle electrical connector300includes a male lead, the corresponding electrically conductive contact307of the complementary connector301may include a female receptacle.

The complementary connector301may include one or more header walls309A-B. The header walls309A-B may be any feature or features of the complementary connector301adapted to provide guidance for mating the right-angle electrical connector300with the complementary connector301. For example, the header walls309A-B may be adapted to be received between the top portion303of the right-angle electrical connector300and the upper surface312of the first substrate310.

In one embodiment, each header wall309A-B may include a top edge313A-B, a leading edge314A-B, and a bottom edge315A-B, for example. In one embodiment, the leading edge314A-B and the top edge313A-B may be chamfered to provide lead-in guidance when mating with the right-angle electrical connector300. The leading edge314A-B may include one or more horizontal chamfers and one or more vertical chamfers. The top edge313A-B may be chamfered to correspond to the top portion303of the right-angle electrical connector300, additionally providing polarization. Such polarization may ensure that the electrically conductive contacts308of the right-angle electrical connector300and the electrically conductive contacts307of the complementary connector301are mated properly. The bottom edge315A-B may include a flat surface corresponding to the flat upper surface312of the first substrate310. The flat surface at the bottom edge315A-B may also prevent incorrect mating.

The complementary connector301may include a base portion316. In a back panel application, the base portion316may define the spacing between the first substrate310and the upper surface317of the second substrate311when the right-angle electrical connector300mates with the complementary connector301. Changing the thickness of the base portion316may allow for alternate back panel to daughter card spacing. For example, the thickness may be changed to provide FutureBus standard or hard metric standard spacing.

FIGS. 4A and 4Bdepict the mating of the right-angle electrical connectors shown inFIG. 3. When the right-angle electrical connector300and the complementary connector301are mated, each header wall309A-B of the complementary connector301may be received between the top portion303of the right-angle electrical connector300and the upper surface312of the first substrate310.

The top edge313A-B of the header walls309A-B may abut the top portion303, and the bottom edge315A-B of the header walls309A-B may abut the upper surface312of the first substrate310. Where the top portion303and the top edge313A-B of the header walls309A-B may be chamfered, the chamfer of the top edge313A-B may engage the chamfers of the top portion303. In one embodiment, the header walls309A-B may be received by a receiving channel306. When mating, the electrically conductive contacts308of the right-angle electrical connector300may be aligned with the electrically conductive contacts307of the complementary connector301.

FIG. 5depicts, in isometric view, a right-angle electrical connector500mounted to a substrate108. In one embodiment, the right-angle electrical connector500may include an electrically conductive contact101that defines a mounting end201and a mating end202.

The right-angle electrical connector500may include a connector housing502including a mating portion503and a first guide portion504. The mating portion503may receive the mating end202of the electrically conductive contact101. The mating portion503may define a mating plane according to the face of the right-angle electrical connector500at which it mates with a complementary connector301, as shown inFIG. 3. The mating portion503may also define a mounting plane. The mounting plane may be defined according to the face of the right-angle electrical connector500at which it mounts to the upper surface109of the substrate108. The mounting plane may be perpendicular to the mating plane.

The first guide portion504may be connected to the mating portion503. The first guide portion504may define a guide plane perpendicular to the mating plane. The first guide portion504may extend beyond the mating portion503. The first guide portion504may define one or more voids514A-B between the guide plane and the mounting plane. The voids514A may be suitable for receiving a header walls309A-B of a complementary connector301such as the connector301shown inFIG. 3.

In one embodiment, the mating portion may extend beyond the edge110of the substrate108. The mating portion503may define a second guide portion505. The second guide portion505may extend below the upper surface109of the substrate108. The mating portion503may define a second guide portion505. The second guide portion505may define an upper surface506A-B flush with upper surface109of the substrate108. The upper surface506A-B of the second guide portion505may be flush with the mounting plane.