Patent Publication Number: US-11646528-B2

Title: Interface connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Chinese Patent Application Serial Number 202120447680.7 filed on Mar. 2, 2021, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to the technical field of heat dissipation for interface connectors, particularly to an interface connector capable of dissipating heat for a stack-type signal module. 
     Related Art 
     Conventional interface connectors are used for insertion of mating connectors such as optical modules, controlling the laser diode to emit optical signals corresponding to electric signals to convert electric signals into optical signals through a chip based on electric signals. During operation, chips and laser diodes in the mating connector would generate heat. When the temperature of optical modules rises to certain level, the operation of mating connectors would be affected without performing heat dissipation. Considering the signal transmission rate is increasing for conventional interface connectors, to allow optical signals to be transmitted over a long distance in an optical cable, the operating power of chips of mating connectors is increasing accordingly. Thus, heat dissipation for interface connectors is a critical issue. 
     SUMMARY 
     The embodiments of the present disclosure provide an interface connector tended to solve the problem of heat dissipation for conventional interface connectors used for stack-type mating connectors. 
     The present disclosure provides an interface connector disposed at a circuit board, comprising a housing, a first heat dissipating member, a second heat dissipating member, and a second assembling member. A first accommodating space is disposed in the housing. The first accommodating space accommodates a first mating connector. One side of the housing is disposed at the circuit board. The first heat dissipating member is disposed at the outside of the housing. The first heat dissipating member passes through the housing and extends into the first accommodating space to be connected with the first mating connector. The second heat dissipating member is disposed at the circuit board. The second heat dissipating member passes through the circuit board and the housing and extends into the housing. The second assembling member abuts against the second heat dissipating member so that the second heat dissipating member can be positioned on the circuit board. 
     The first heat dissipating member comprises a first heat dissipating member body and a first extending part; the first heat dissipating member body is disposed on an outer surface of the housing; the first extending part extends from the first heat dissipating member body into the first accommodating space through the housing; the first extending part abuts against the first mating connector inserted in the first accommodating space. 
     The interface connector comprises a first assembling member abutting against the first heat dissipating member, allowing the first heat dissipating member body to abut against a first outer surface of the housing. 
     The first assembling member comprises a first abutting part and a first engaging part connected with the first abutting part. The first abutting part abuts against the first heat dissipating member body. The first engaging part is engaged with a second outer surface of the housing. The second outer surface is adjacent to the first outer surface. 
     The first heat dissipating member body comprises a fin-type first heat dissipating component and a first assembling groove disposed in the first heat dissipating component. The first abutting part is disposed in the first assembling groove. 
     The second heat dissipating member comprises a second heat dissipating member body and a second extending part. The second extending part extends from the second heat dissipating member body into the housing through the circuit board and the housing. 
     The second assembling member comprises a second abutting part and a second engaging part connected with the second abutting part. The second abutting part abuts against the second heat dissipating member body. The second engaging part passes through a third opening of the circuit board and engages with an edge of the second opening of the housing. 
     The second heat dissipating member body comprises a fin-type second heat dissipating component and a second assembling groove disposed in the second heat dissipating component. The second abutting part is disposed in the second assembling groove. 
     The housing comprises a partitioning part partitioning an inner space of the housing to form a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space. The second accommodating space accommodates a second mating connector. The second heat dissipating member extends into the second accommodating space and is connected with the second mating connector. 
     The interface connector comprises a third heat dissipating member. The third heat dissipating member is disposed at the partitioning part and extends into the second accommodating space to abut against the second mating connector. 
     In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a first heat dissipating member is disposed at a position at the outside of the housing corresponding to the first accommodating space and passes through the housing to be connected with the first mating connector. The heat emitted by the first mating connector can be transferred to the first heat dissipating member by thermal conduction, and then dissipated into the air through the first heat dissipating member. Through the first heat dissipating member and the second heat dissipating member on the outside of the housing, the heat emitted by the first mating connector can be effectively dissipated to solve the heat dissipation issue of mating connectors equipped with high power chips. 
     In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first heat dissipating member is disposed at the outside of the housing and is connected to the first mating connector, and the second heat dissipating member is disposed inside the housing and is connected to the second mating connector. The second heat dissipating member is connected to the first heat dissipating member. The heat from the first mating connector is transferred to the first heat dissipating member by heat conduction and then is dissipated to the air through the first heat dissipating member. The heat from the second mating connector stacked with the first mating connector is transferred to the second heat dissipating member by heat conduction, then is transferred from the second heat dissipating member to the first heat dissipating member by heat conduction, and finally escapes to the air through the first heat dissipating member. By disposing the first heat dissipating member and the second heat dissipating member at the outside and the inside of the housing, and by connecting the first heat dissipating member with the second heat dissipating member, the heat emitted by the first mating connector and the second mating connector can be effectively dissipated through the connected first heat dissipating member and the second heat dissipating member. The heat dissipation issue of optical modules equipped with high power chips can be well handled. 
     It should be understood, however, that this summary may not contain all aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure, that this summary is not meant to be limiting or restrictive in any manner, and that the disclosure as disclosed herein will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to encompass obvious improvements and modifications thereto. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features of the exemplary embodiments believed to be novel and the elements and/or the steps characteristic of the exemplary embodiments are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The Figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The exemplary embodiments, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of connection between an interface connector with a mating connector of an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the interface connector and the mating connector of  FIG.  1    of the present disclosure: 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded view of the interface connector of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is an exploded view in a different angle of the interface connector of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a side view of the connection of the interface connector with the mating connector of  FIG.  1   : 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the connection of the interface connector with the mating connector of  FIG.  5   ; and 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of the connection of the interface connector with the mating connector of  FIG.  5   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown. This present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. 
     Certain terms are used throughout the description and following claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, manufacturers may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but function. In the following description and in the claims, the terms “include/including” and “comprise/comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted as “including but not limited to”. “Substantial/substantially” means, within an acceptable error range, the person skilled in the art may solve the technical problem in a certain error range to achieve the basic technical effect. 
     The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the disclosure. This description is made for the purpose of illustration of the general principles of the disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the disclosure is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
     Moreover, the terms “include”, “contain”, and any variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. Therefore, a process, method, object, or device that includes a series of elements not only includes these elements, but also includes other elements not specified expressly, or may include inherent elements of the process, method, object, or device. If no more limitations are made, an element limited by “include a/an . . . ” does not exclude other same elements existing in the process, the method, the article, or the device which includes the element. 
       FIG.  1    is a perspective view of connection between an interface connector with a mating connector of an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the interface connector and the mating connector of  FIG.  1    of the present disclosure.  FIG.  3    is an exploded view of the interface connector of  FIG.  1   .  FIG.  4    is an exploded view in a different angle of the interface connector of  FIG.  1   . As shown in the figures, in this embodiment, an interface connector  1  is provided, comprising a housing  10 , a first heat dissipating member  20 , and a second heat dissipating member  30 . In this embodiment, the housing  10  comprises a top wall  11 , a bottom wall  12 , and two opposite sidewalls  13  and  14  connecting with the top wall  11  and the bottom wall  12 . The bottom wall  12  of the housing  10  is disposed on the circuit board B. 
     As shown in  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3   , in this embodiment, the housing  10  further comprises a partitioning part  15  partitioning the inner space of the housing  10  to form a first accommodating space S 1  and a second accommodating space S 2 . In this embodiment, the partitioning part  15  is a plate and is connected with the sidewalls  13  and  14 . The partitioning part  15 , the top wall  11 , and the sidewalls  13  and  14  form the first accommodating space S 1 . The partitioning part  15 , the bottom wall  12 , and the sidewalls  13  and  14  form the second accommodating space S 2 . Since the bottom wall  12  is disposed on the circuit board B, the circuit board B corresponds to the second accommodating space S 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   ,  FIG.  3   , and  FIG.  4   , the first heat dissipating member  20  is disposed at the outside of the housing  10  and extends into the first accommodating space S 1  through the housing  10  to be connected with the first mating connector L 1 . The second heat dissipating member  30  is disposed on the circuit board B and extends into the second accommodating space S 2  to be connected with the second mating connector L 2 . The first mating connector L and the second mating connector L 2  could be, for example, an optical module. 
     Although the housing  10  of this embodiment comprises the first accommodating space S 1  and the second accommodating space S 2  to form a stack-type component, it is not limited to the present disclosure. In another embodiment, the housing does not have a partitioning part, so in the housing there is only one accommodating space in which one mating connector is disposed. The first heat dissipating member disposed on the top of the housing and the second heat dissipating member disposed on the circuit board respectively pass through the housing to be connected with the mating connector disposed in the accommodating space for heat dissipation. 
       FIG.  5    is a side view of the connection of the interface connector with the mating connector of  FIG.  1   .  FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the connection of the interface connector with the mating connector of  FIG.  5   .  FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of the connection of the interface connector with the mating connector of  FIG.  5   . Referring to  FIG.  3   .  FIG.  6   , and  FIG.  7   , the first heat dissipating member  20  comprises a first heat dissipating member body  21  and a first extending part  22 . The first heat dissipating member body  21  is disposed on a first outer surface  17  of the top wall  11  of the housing  10 . The first extending part  22  extends from the first heat dissipating member body  21  into the first accommodating space S 1  through the top wall  11  of the housing  10 . When the first mating connector L 1  is inserted into the first accommodating space S 1 , the first extending part  22  would abut against the first mating connector L 1 . The first heat dissipating member body  21  comprises a plurality of fin-type first heat dissipating components  211 . The first extending part  22  is a boss protruding from the bottom of the first heat dissipating member body  21 . As shown in  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  6   , a first opening  111  is disposed on the top wall  11  of the housing  10 . When the first heat dissipating member body  21  is installed to the first outer surface  17  of the top wall  11  of the casing  10 , the first extending part  22  would extend through the first opening  111  into the first accommodating space S 1 . When the first mating connector L 1  is inserted into the first accommodating space S 1 , the first extending part  22  would abut against a top end of the first mating connector L 1 . The heat generated by the first mating connector L 1  is conducted to the first heat dissipating member body  21  through the first extending part  22  by heat conducting, and is dissipated by the fin-type first heat dissipating component  211  of the first heat dissipating member body  21  along with external airflow by heat convection. In this embodiment, the first heat dissipating member  20  is made of materials with excellent heat conductivity, such as metallic copper. 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   ,  FIG.  4   , and  FIG.  7   , in this embodiment, the interface connector  1  further comprises a first assembling member  40  abutting against the first heat dissipating member body  21  to allow the first heat dissipating member body  21  to abut against the first outer surface  17  of the housing  10 . The first assembling member  40  comprises a first abutting part  41  and a first engaging part  42 . The first engaging part  42  is connected with the first abutting part  41 , and the first abutting part  41  abuts against the first heat dissipating member body  21 . The first engaging part  42  is engaged with a second outer surface  18  of the housing  10 . The second outer surface  18  is an outer surface of the sidewalls  13  and  14  and is adjacent to the first outer surface  17 . The first assembling member  40  is U-shaped. The first abutting part  41  crosses the first heat dissipating member body  21 . The first engaging part  42  is orthogonal to the first abutting part  41  and extends along the second outer surface  18 . The first engaging part  42  comprises an engaging hole  421 , and the second outer surface  18  of the housing  10  is provided with an engaging bump  181 . By engaging the engaging bump  181  with the engaging hole  421 , the first engaging part  42  can be engaged with the sidewalls  13  and  14  of the housing  10 . 
     The first heat dissipating member body  21  comprises a first assembling groove  212 . The first assembling groove  212  is disposed on the fin-type first heat dissipating component  211 . The first abutting part  41  is disposed in the first assembling groove  212 . When the first engaging part  42  is engaged with the second outer surface  18  of the sidewalls  13  and  14  of the housing  10 , the first abutting part  41  would abut against a surface of the first heat dissipating member body  21  forming the bottom of the first assembling groove  212 , allowing the first heat dissipating member body  21  to abut against the first outer surface  17  of the top wall  11  of the housing  10 , and also allowing the first extending part  22  of the first heat dissipating member  20  to firmly press the first mating connector L 1  downward. In this way, the thermal resistance of heat conduction can be reduced, the heat flow of heat conduction can be increased, and the heat dissipation of the first mating connector L 1  can be improved. 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   ,  FIG.  4   ,  FIG.  6   , and  FIG.  7   , the second heat dissipating member  30  comprises a second heat dissipating member body  31  and a second extending part  32 . The second extending part  32  extends from the second heat dissipating member body  31  into the second accommodating space S 2  through the circuit board B and the bottom wall  12  of the housing  10  and abuts against the second mating connector L 2  inserted in the second accommodating space S 2 . As shown in  FIG.  3   , the second extending part  32  is a boss protruding from the bottom surface of the second heat dissipating member body  31 . The bottom wall  12  of the housing  10  comprises a second opening  121 , and the circuit board B comprises a third opening B 1 . The third opening B 1  corresponds to the second opening  121 . The second extending part  32  extends through the second opening  121  and the third opening B 1  into the second accommodating space S 2 . The heat generated by the second mating connector L 2  is conducted to the second heat dissipating member body  31  through the second extending part  32  by heat conducting, and is dissipated by the fin-type heat dissipating component of the second heat dissipating member body  31  along with external air flow by heat convection. 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   ,  FIG.  4   , and  FIG.  6   , in this embodiment, the interface connector  1  further comprises a second assembling member  50  abutting against the second heat dissipating member body  31  to allow the second heat dissipating member body  31  to abut against the circuit board B. The second assembling member  50  comprises a second abutting part  51  and a second engaging part  52  connected with the second abutting part  51 . The second abutting part  51  abuts against the second heat dissipating member body  31 . The second engaging part  52  passes through the third opening B 1  to engage with an edge of the second opening  121  of the housing  10 . The second assembling member  50  is U-shaped. The second abutting part  51  crosses the second heat dissipating member body  31 , and the second engaging part  52  extends from the second abutting part  51  into the third opening B 1 . As shown in  FIG.  4    and  FIG.  6   , a plurality of extending engaging parts  122  extending into the third opening B 1  of the circuit board B are disposed on the edge of the second opening  121  of the housing  10 . An engagement bump  123  is disposed at the extending engaging parts  122 . An engaging hole  521  is disposed at the second engaging part  52 . By engaging the engaging hole  521  with the engaging bump  123 , the second assembling member  50  can be engaged with the housing  10 . The second heat dissipating member body  31  comprises a fin-type second heat dissipating component  311  and a second assembling groove  312  disposed in the second heat dissipating component  311 . The second abutting part  51  is disposed in the second assembling groove  312  and abuts against a surface of the second heat dissipating member body  31  forming the bottom surface of the second assembling groove  312 . In this way, the second heat dissipating member body  31  could abut against the circuit board B, and the second extending part  32  of the second heat dissipating member  30  can be pressed downward to press against the second mating connector L 2  to reduce the thermal resistance of heat conduction, to increase the heat flow of heat conduction, and to improve heat dissipation of the second mating connector L 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , the interface connector  1  of this embodiment further comprises a third heat dissipating member  70 . The third heat dissipating member  70  is disposed at the partitioning part  15  and extends into the second accommodating space S 2  to abut against the second mating connector L 2 . The heat generated by the second mating connector L 2  is conducted to the third heat dissipating member  70  by heat conduction and is dissipated by the fin-type heat dissipating component of the third heat dissipating member  70  along with external airflow flowing into the housing  10  by heat convection. 
     In this embodiment, a first heat dissipating member is disposed at a position at the outside the housing corresponding to the first accommodating space and passes through the housing to be connected with the first mating connector. A second heat dissipating member is disposed at a position on the circuit board corresponding to the second accommodating space and passes through the circuit board and the housing to be connected with the second mating connector. The heat generated by the first mating connector can be conducted to the first heat dissipating member by heat conduction and is dissipated to the air by the first heat dissipating member, and the heat generated by the second mating connector stacked with the first mating connector is conducted to the second heat dissipating member by heat conduction and is dissipated to the air by the second heat dissipating member. By respectively disposing the first heat dissipating member and the second heat dissipating member at positions at the outside of the housing corresponding to the first accommodating space and to the second accommodating space, heat emitted by the first mating connector and the second mating connector can be effectively dissipated through the components connecting with the first heat dissipating member and the second heat dissipating member. Thus, the heat dissipation issue of mating connectors equipped with high power chips can be well handled. 
     It is to be understood that the term “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variants thereof, is intended to encompass a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device of a series of elements not only comprise those elements but further comprises other elements that are not explicitly listed, or elements that are inherent to such a process, method, article, or device. An element defined by the phrase “comprising a . . . ” does not exclude the presence of the same element in the process, method, article, or device that comprises the element. 
     Although the present disclosure has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it does not intend to limit the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having regard to this present disclosure that other modifications of the exemplary embodiments beyond those embodiments specifically described here may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are considered within the scope of the disclosure as limited solely by the appended claims.