Filter insert for connectors and cable

Abstract: A filter insert (40) includes filters (43) having electrodes (48,60) and contacts (54,64) which mechanically engage contact post members (28) of a connector (20) to provide filtering extending between signal and ground conductors in the form of connector contacts to filter unwanted signal frequencies. An alternative insert (68) includes filters (69) having slotted beam elements (78) that engage post members (28) from a side thereof with a common ground bus (90) tying the filters to ground. A further alternative insert (108) provides contact elements (116) connecting filters (103) to signal and ground conductors in the form of the wires (104) of a cable (102). The contact elements (54,64,78,116) of the inserts (40,68,108) bite into the signal and ground conductors or contacts of a connector or a cable to provide a solderless interconnection of the insert. Filters, including dielectric elements (56,86,126) and inductive elements (44) are contemplated to provide C, LC, and pi-filters.

Description: This invention relates to a filter assembly according to the preamble of claim 1. It is a device for filtering out unwanted frequency components of signals using an insert having contacts and filter elements that are attached to the signal and ground conductors of connectors or cable. Proliferation of electronic devices utilized to transmit, receive, and manipulate data has led to problems caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) wherein radiaticn from voltages induced by the proximity of signals interferes with the transmission and reception of data signals, typically in the form of digital pulses. Additionally, a need has developed to protect the solid state and other circuit devices from electrostatic discharge (ESD), that can damage or destroy the sensitive and fragile elements of solid state devices. A filter assembly is disclosed in US-A-4,804,332 which provides for filtering of undesirable signals or power surges. The known device provides for an external filtering device to be soldered onto contact pcsts of an electrical connector prior to placing the electrical connector on a printed circuit board or panel assembly. The filtering device of the above construction has the following advantages. The device will filter undesirable signals and power surges and protect integrated circuits, fcr example. The filtering device of the above construction has the following disadvantages. The filtering device cannot be readily retrofit to existing circuit assemblies and it requires soldering. Further, the known filtering device may not be an altogether compact one as it extends along the top (or bottom) edge of its respective connector. A filter assembly having the features of the pre-characterizing part of claim 1 is known from US-A-3,447,104. The spring-biased contacts are eyelet type springs formed with a plurality of arcuately extending fingers for engaging the posts. The object of the invention is to provide an add-on or retro-fit type filter insert that may be utilized with existing connector and cable designs, or installed during assembly of an electrical connector, but which reduces or eliminates the use of solder. The invention provides a filter assembly as defined in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The present invention achieves the foregoing object through the provision of a filter insert attached to signal or ground conductors of connectors or cable to electrically insert filters therebetween, allowing unwanted signal components to be shorted to ground. The invention provides for a filter assembly for use with ground and signal contact posts of an electrical connector, wherein the posts pass through apertures in electrodes, the filter assembly characterized in that the apertures are spring-biased contacts which resiliently bite into the signal or ground posts upon insertion of the posts through the apertures, and wherein the electrodes are separated by a dielectric material thereby forming a capacitive electrical filter element, The invention also provides for an insertable filter assembly for use with electrical posts or cable for filtering undesirable signals or voltage surges, characterized in that the assembly has slotted beam elements which fit around signal or ground wires or posts, a dielectric material enclosed between electrodes and a ground bus member for electrical continuity between the electrodes. The electrodes of the filter element, typically the electrodes of a capacitor or a structure including an inductor and capacitor, are arranged so that assembly of the insert onto a connector effectively inserts the filter element between signal and ground conductors of the connector. Both capacitive and inductive filter elements are contemplated. In the embodiment of the invention for use with cables, more specifically, the contacts are formed into a slotted beam structure, including surfaces adapted to strip away the insulation of the cable and the filter insert may be used with cables having signal conductors and ground conductors interconnected by the contacts of the insert to provide an effective filtering to the signals carried by the cable. In this embodiment, the housing is made to include apertures allowing the designation of ground and signal contacts with a shunt member being positioned on such housing to effect such selection. In this way, a filter insert may be incorporated into a connector or a cable without the use of solder and may be added to many designs of existing connectors and cable having signal and ground conductors on close centers. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector of a type utilizing the present invention showing one connector half attached to a circuit board and another half displaced therefrom preparatory to engagement; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a connector similar to that shown in Figure 1, the left half portion thereof, showing a filter insert installed therein with the posts removed for clarity relative to such insert; Figure 3 is an exploded view, showing in perspective, the elements forming the insert shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side, sectional view taken from lines 4-4 through the insert shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a side, sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a portion of the insert of the invention; Figure 6 is an equivalent circuit of the filter structure represented in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a side sectional view of a portion of an insert of yet a further embodiment; Figure 8 is an equivalent circuit of the structure of the filter shown in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a side, sectional view of yet a further alternative embodiment of the insert and filter of the invention; and Figure 10 is an equivalent circuit of the filter represented in Figure 9. Referring now to Figure 1, a connector assembly 10 is shown to include a connector half 12 having a housing 14 with a cable 16 comprised of wires connected to an array of contacts 18. A fastener 19 mechanically holds connector half 14 to mating half 20 that includes an array of pin contacts that mate with the contacts 18 of half 14, the contacts of half 20, not shown, being recessed within a shroud 24. Half 20 includes a rear portion 26 with an array of contacts including post members 28 that extend from the forward face of connector half 20 in right angle bends down through a floor 34, apertured as at 35, of the rear portion 26. The forward portion of half 14 is drawn within the shroud 24 of half 20 by the fastener to interconnect contacts of the two halves. As can be seen in Figure 1, a bracket 32 extends out over a circuit board 36 to hold the connector half to such board, at least during assembly and soldering operations. The board 36 may be understood to include circuit traces on top and bottom surfaces and therewithin, in the form of lamination, such traces leading to and from components carried by such board. The ends of the contact post members 28 are to be understood to extend down through holes in board 36 to be joined to the traces selectively to define input/output functions, the connector 10 being understood to be I/O connector. In accordance with practice consistent with specifications and regulations, imposed upon electronic circuits regarding EMI and ESD, it is frequently necessary to filter out unwanted signal components carried by the wires of cable 16 through the contacts 18 and posts 28 to the traces on board 36, or the reverse in terms of signal propagation from the board out through the I/O connector. In Figure 1, most of the posts, including post members 28, are shown removed to reveal the interior of the connector half 20. The representation in Figure 1 is typical of applications wherein filtering of unwanted signals in or proximate to an I/O connector is required. With respect to the prior art patents mentioned, the filtering structures would be fitted within the connector half 20. These would typically include filters having a capacitance C, filters having an inductance L and a capacitor C to define an LC or a pi-LC network. In such cases, the capacitors C would be inserted between certain of the posts 28 connected to signal contacts, contacts that carry the signals from cable 16, and others of the post members 28 would be connected to ground contacts in turn connected to grounding circuits carried by board 36 or grounding wires of cable 16 through the contacts of the mating half 14. Alternatively, grounding circuits may be carried by the housing of the connectors if such are made of metallic material which is in turn grounded to grounding circuits carried by the mating half or by the circuit board 36. Typically, it is these filter elements that take the unwanted signal components to ground and thus preclude their transmission on the signal contacts. With respect to the description hereinafter to follow, it is to be understood that the conductive paths, signal and ground, include the wires of the cable 16, selectively one or the other, as well as the various contacts and post members and traces within board 36. The invention also contemplates an application with filters of the type that are termed absorptive filters that operate to convert unwanted frequencies to heat rather than shunting such frequencies or the components thereof to ground. The invention also contemplates the employment of a wide range of other filters and/or transient protectors installed in inserts fitted to connectors or cable. Referring now to Figure 2, a portion of the connector half 20 including the post members 28 may be seen in two rows extending down through the floor 34, through apertures 35 in such connector. Just adjacent the array of post members 28 is filter insert 40 shown resting on floor 34, without post members extending therethrough, the insert 40 being understood to be applied to posts not here shown. In practice, insert 40 would be fitted over post members 28 prior to the application of the base member 34 with the post members inserted through the apertures 41 in housing 42 of insert 40. Contained within selected apertures 41 are filter elements 43 that are connected to the contacts through the post members 28 to provide a filtering action for signals transmitted by such post members. The left-hand apertures 42 of insert 40 are, in this embodiment, made to receive post members 28 inserted therethrough designated as ground circuits, the left-hand apertures including interconnections to such posts to provide a grounding for the insert and filter elements 43 contained therein. Referring now to Figure 3, the insert 40 is shown with the plastic housing material removed and with the elements therein exploded to show detail. There is included on the bottom a plate 44, preferably of a ferrite material having an inductance L and including apertures 46 through which the post members 28 extend to be included by the inductance of plate 44. Above plate 44 is an electrode formed of a thin conductive layer which, in the embodiment represented, is made to include spring characteristics. Apertures 50 are provided, through which post members 28 pass, and, on the left, apertures 52 are included with contacts 54 extending within the apertures. Above electrode 48 is a dielectric member 56 having capacitive characteristics and including a series of apertures 58 disposed in the surface thereof. Adjacent member 56 are further electrodes 60 each including an aperture 62 with contacts 54 protruding into such aperture. It is to be noted that no electrodes 60 are provided for the left-hand apertures that serve to provide access to a grounding function. Referring to Figure 4, the elements shown in Figure 3 are represented assembled in housing 42 through a section taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 2 with the addition of post members 28 extended through the apertures 41 shown in Figure 4. As can be discerned, the plastic housing material 42 extends across the upper and lower surface of the insert, and also extends over the sides and ends of such insert as shown in Figure 2. Housing 42 may be formed by insert molding around the structure contained there within in a well-known matter. The various elements shown in Figure 3 can be seen in Figure 4 with the contacts 64 of the upper electrode shown engaging the sides of signal post member 28 in the left-hand side of Figure 4 to interconnect electrode 48 to a grounding circuit, namely, the grounding post member 28 inserted through to engage such contacts. The contacts are preferably made to have sufficient spring characteristics to be deflected to drive end edge surfaces 55 and 65 into the surfaces of post members 28. As can be appreciated, the contacts that are assigned signal carrying functions, including the post members 28 thereof, are interconnected to the grounding path of contacts including post members 28; to thus insert a capacitance in each signal contact and signal path. The presence of plate 44 serves to provide an inductance L for each signal path. Each signal path of insert 40 thus is made to include an LC network operable to filter out unwanted components of signal frequencies transmitted by the signal bearing contacts of the connector. An equivalent circuit of such filter is shown in Figure 10 where the inductance L and capacitance C can be visualized in relation to contact member 28 and a ground circuit. Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of an insert, reference being had to proportions of the post members 28, the housing material 42, dielectric 56 and the various electrodes and contacts associated with the electrodes 48 and 60. This alternative embodiment of insert 40 includes no inductance 44, housing material 42 occupying such volume. Figure 6 represents an equivalent circuit for the filter arrangement shown in Figure 5 with a capacitance C shown in relation to a contact member 28 of a signal path and ground. Figure 7 shows a further alternative embodiment including two capacitive elements 56 and 56', each having appropriate electrodes including contacts 54 and 64 and contacts 54' and 64' as shown. There is provided a single, common inductive plate 44' between the capacitors and the filter element provides a pi-network of a configuration shown in Figure 8. Figure 9 shows an embodiment of the invention with a common numbering of elements to include the housing 42 and a much thicker dielectric element 56' with there being provided a ferrite sleeve encircling post member 28, the sleeve being shown as 44''. With respect to the filter element of Figure 9, the grounding circuit is not shown but would be essentially like that previously described with respect to Figure 4. The equivalent circuit of the filter element shown in Figure 9 is shown in Figure 10 to include an inductance L and capacitance C relative to the post member 28 and ground. With respect to the foregoing, the invention contemplates that by providing appropriate dielectric materials with appropriate thicknesses, and inductive materials with appropriate characteristics and thickness, the invention may be utilized to define filters having characteristics appropriate to a particular use and compatible with different cost restraints, both for inserts designed to fit existing connectors, to be retrofitted therein, or with respect to newly designed connectors. While the invention is shown with contacts in the embodiment of Figures 2-10 formed integrally with the electrodes as for example, the contacts 54 formed from electrodes 48 for the contacts 64 formed from electrode 60, the invention also contemplates that such electrodes may be formed of thin foil or silk screened thick film material, suitably fired, on inductive or capacitive materials with the contacts, such as 54 and 60, formed separately of spring grade material having tabs electrically and mechanically connected to the electrodes and held therein by the material of housing such as 42. In all events, the contacts should be made to provide sufficient normal forces engaging the post members 28 to provide low resistance, stable electrical interfaces, and should have mechanical characteristics accomplishing this end without unduly stressing either the electrodes to which they are attached or the components, capacitive or inductive, which they serve. Although the connector assembly described provides an electrical connection between two printed circuit boards, the principal of the invention can be utilized in other types of connector assemblies, i.e a cable to board connector assembly.

Claims: A filter assembly (40) for use with ground and signal contact posts (28) of an electrical connector (12, 20), wherein the posts (28) pass through apertures (50, 62) in electrodes (48, 60), wherein the apertures (50, 62) include spring-biased contacts (54, 64) which resiliently engage the signal or ground posts (28) upon insertion of the posts (28) through the apertures (50, 62); and wherein the electrodes (48, 60) are separated by a dielectric material (56) thereby forming a capacitive electrical filter element (C), characterized in that said spring-biased contacts (54, 64) are integrally formed with said electrodes and extend from the perimeter of each aperture (50, 62) towards the center thereof. The filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrodes (48, 60) and the dielectric material (56) are plate-like in shape and are encased in a housing (42). The filter assembly of claims 1 or 2, wherein an inductor (44, 44') abuts one of the electrodes (48, 60) to form a inductor-capacitor (LC) electrical filter element. The filter assembly of claim 3, wherein a pair of further electrodes is included in the filter assembly (40) which have contacts (54', 64') engaging the posts (28), and with a further capacitive element (56') disposed between the electrodes, thereby forming a capacitor-inductor-capacitor (pi-network) filter element. The filter assembly of claims 3 or 4, wherein the inductor is a cylindrical element (44'').

Inventors: CRAVENS DAVID MARTIN, DENLINGER KEITH ROBERT, HOPKINS JOHN ROOT, MYER JOHN MARK, CRAVENS, DAVID MARTIN, DENLINGER, KEITH ROBERT, HOPKINS, JOHN ROOT, MYER, JOHN MARK
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: H01R13, H04B15, H05K3