Patent Publication Number: US-2023144576-A1

Title: Staggered contact

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/090,335, filed on Nov. 5, 2020, and entitled “STAGGERED CONTACT,” the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosed subject matter relates generally to network and data connectors 
     BACKGROUND 
     Some network architectures utilize power over data line (PoDL) technology to provide both data and power through a single pair of wires (e.g., a twisted pair). Similar to power-over-Ethernet (PoE), PoDL architectures convey power over the same cable conductors used to transport data between endpoint devices that are interfaced with the PoDL network. Power delivered via PoDL can be sourced by a switch or another type of power source. In contrast to PoE, which uses two or more pairs of wires to propagate power and data, PoDL requires only one pair of wires and can therefore be used to convey data and power to and from devices that support single-pair data connectivity, such as single-pair Ethernet devices. 
     When a network connector is disconnected from a port or another network connector while power is present on the connector&#39;s electrical contacts, as in the case of PoDL, electrical arcing can occur between the conductive tines or contacts of the connector and its mating port or connector. Over time, erosion on the tines&#39; surfaces caused by this arcing can degrade the reliability of the electrical connection between the tines or contacts. 
     The above-described deficiencies of PoDL electrical connectors are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of current technology, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art, and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein, may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosed subject matter in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the various embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of the various embodiments. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the various embodiments nor to delineate the scope of the various embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a streamlined form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     Various embodiments described herein relate to a staggered electrical contact for use in PoDL network connectors, or in connectors that support other network protocols in which power is conveyed through the electrical contacts of the connectors. The staggered profile of the electrical contact described herein yields two contact points which make contact with a mating tine of another connector or port while engaged. When the connector is disengaged, one of these two contact points disconnects from the mating tine before the other of the two contact points, ensuring that the first contact point sustains no electrical arcing during disconnect. As a result, the staggered contact maintains at least one contact point that is not affected by electrical erosion and thus ensures reliable electrical contact over time. 
     To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the disclosed subject matter, then, comprises one or more of the features hereinafter more fully described. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects of the subject matter. However, these aspects are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the subject matter can be employed. Other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the disclosed subject matter will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It will also be appreciated that the detailed description may include additional or alternative embodiments beyond those described in this summary. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1   a    is a side view of a staggered electrical contact for use in an electrical connector. 
         FIG.  1   b    is a bottom view of the staggered electrical contact. 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of the staggered electrical contact in alignment with a mating contact. 
         FIG.  3   a    is a perspective view of an example female PoDL connector and a corresponding male PoDL connector in which staggered electrical contacts are used. 
         FIG.  3   b    is another perspective view of the female PoDL connector and male PoDL connector with the housing of the male connector omitted to provide a view of the staggered electrical contacts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The subject disclosure is now described with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the subject disclosure. It may be evident, however, that the subject disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the subject disclosure. 
     Some reference numbers used herein to label illustrated components are suffixed with letters to delineate different instances of a same or similar component. In general, if a reference number without an appended letter is used within this disclosure, the descriptions ascribed to the reference number are to be understood to be applicable to all instances of that reference number with or without an appended letter unless described otherwise. 
     While a network connector is connected to a port or another network connector over which both data and power are conveyed, the conductive tines or contacts within the network connector maintain electrical contact with the corresponding contacts or tines of the mating data port or connector. Since current may be flowing through the tines at the moment the network connector is subsequently disconnected from the mating data port or connector, inductive elements in the conductive channels can cause an electrical arc to discharge at the point of final disconnection between the two conductive tines at the moment when the connectors are disconnected. Over time, this repeated electrical arcing at or near the same locations on the tines can damage the tines&#39; surfaces at the point of disconnect, eroding the conductive surfaces of the tines. This erosion can degrade the reliability of the electrical connection between the two tines or contacts. 
     To address these and other issues, one or more embodiments described herein provide a staggered electrical contact that can be used within a network connector or port. The profile geometry of the staggered electrical contact isolates the location of high-current disconnects while providing a surface that remains free of electrical arcing and erosion. 
       FIG.  1   a    is a side view of a staggered electrical contact  102  for use in an electrical connector, such as a PoDL connector or another type of network connector used in networking applications in which both power and data are conveyed over the same cable wires.  FIG.  1   b    is a bottom view of the staggered electrical contact  102 . Staggered electrical contact  102  has a geometry comprising an electrically conductive base  106  and two electrically conductive arms  104   a  and  104   b  that extend laterally from the base  106 . Arms  104   a  and  104   b  extend in the same direction from the base  106  and define a gap  114  between the two arms  104   a  and  104   b . The gap  114  is configured to receive a corresponding electrical contact or tine of a mating connector or port. In some embodiments, a notch  110  or another type of structure can be formed on the side of the base  106  opposite the arms  104   a ,  104   b . This notch  110  can be used to electrically interface the contact  102  with a corresponding wire within the connector in which the contact  102  resides (e.g., by soldering the wire within the notch  110 ). 
     In the illustrated example, each arm  104   a ,  104   b  also comprises a raised section  108   a ,  108   b  formed on the end of its corresponding arm  104   a ,  104   b . These raised sections  108   a  and  108   b  are formed on the inside edges  112   a  and  112   b  of their respective arms  104   a  and  104   b  (e.g., the facing edges of the arms  104   b  and  104   b ), such that the raised sections  108   a  and  108   b  face each other across the gap  114 . Raised sections  108   a  and  108   b  act as respective two points of contact between electrical contact  102  and a mating electrical contact or tine. 
     Arms  104   a  and  104   b  are formed to have two different lengths, yielding a staggered contact profile. That is, a length dl of the first arm  104   a  is greater than the length d 2  of the second arm  104   b . This causes the raised sections  108   a  and  108   b  to be laterally offset from one another, or staggered. This staggering of the raised sections  108   a  and  108   b  ensures that one of the two points of contact will not be exposed to electrical arcing upon disconnect from the mating contact, thereby maintaining at least one point of contact that remains free of arc-induced erosion and pitting. 
       FIG.  2    is a side view of the staggered electrical contact  102  in alignment with a mating contact  202 . In an example scenario, staggered electrical contact  102  can be one of two or more contacts of a first network connector (omitted from  FIG.  2    for clarity) that supports PoDL or another networking protocol, while mating contact  202  can be one of two or more corresponding contacts of a data port or a second network connector (also omitted from  FIG.  2   ) with which the first network connector interfaces. As shown in  FIG.  2   , the mating contact  202  comprises a single flat tine. When the staggered electrical contact  102  is engaged with the mating contact  202  (e.g., when the first network connector is plugged into the data port or second network connector), the mating contact  202  resides within gap  114  between the two arms  104   a  and  104   b  of the staggered electrical contact  102 , and the staggered electrical contact  102  makes contact with the mating contact  202  at two points corresponding to the inner edges of raised sections  108   a  and  108   b . Since mating contact  202  resides in the gap  114  between the two arms  104   a  and  104   b , one raised section  108   a  contacts a first side  206   a  of mating contact  202 , while the other raised section  108   b  contacts a second side  206   b  of mating contact  202  opposite the first side  206   a . Power and data can thus pass across the mated contacts  102  and  202  via these two points of contact. 
     When the contacts  102  and  202  are disengaged by displacing the staggered electrical contact  102  in the direction of the arrow depicted in  FIG.  2    (e.g., when the first network connector is unplugged from the data port or second network connector), the lateral staggering of arms  104   a  and  104   b  causes the two points of contact corresponding to raised sections  108   a  and  108   b  to separate from the mating contact  202  at two different times. Specifically, as the staggered electrical contact  102  is being disengaged from the mating contact  202 , the raised section  108   b  of the shorter arm  104   b  separates from the mating contact  202  before the raised section  108   a  of the longer arm  104   a . Since raised section  108   a  maintains contact with the mating contact  202  at the moment raised section  108   b  separates from the mating contact  202 , electrical connectivity between the staggered electrical contact  102  and the mating contact  202  is maintained. Consequently, even if current is flowing through the contacts  102  and  202  at the moment raised section  108   b  separates from mating contact  202 , there is no electrical discharge or arcing between raised section  108   b  and the mating contact  202 . 
     As the staggered electrical contact  202  continues to disengage from the mating contact  202 , the point of contact  204  corresponding to raised section  108   a  is the last point on the staggered electrical contact  202  to separate from the mating contact  202 . While there may an electrical discharge or arc at this point of contact  204  if current is flowing through the contacts  102  and  202  at the moment of separation, any surface damage to the staggered electrical contact  202  as a result of this arcing is limited to this raised section  108   a , leaving the other raised section  108   b  free of arc-related damage. As a result, the point of contact  204  corresponding to the raised section  108   a  of the longer arm  104   a  sustains all arc-related damage, while the other point of contact corresponding to the raised section  108   b  of the shorter arm  104   b  remains undamaged. This ensures that staggered electrical contact  102  maintains at least one reliable point of contact that sustains no surface damage or pitting due to electrical discharge on disconnect. 
     Staggered electrical contacts  102  can be used in substantially any type of data or network connector, and offer particular benefits for applications in which both power and data are conveyed over the same electrical conductors (e.g., PoDL).  FIG.  3   a    is a perspective view of an example female PoDL connector  304  and a corresponding male PoDL connector  302  in which staggered electrical contacts  102  are used.  FIG.  3   b    is another perspective view of the female PoDL connector  304  and male PoDL connector  103  in which the housing of the male connector  302  is omitted to provide a view of the staggered electrical contacts  102 . Since the illustrated PoDL example uses only a single pair of conductors (e.g., a twisted pair) to convey data and power, connectors  302  and  304  each comprise a single pair of contacts. Specifically, a pair of staggered electrical contacts  102  are housed within the male PoDL connector  302 , while a corresponding pair of flat mating contacts  202  are housed within the female PoDL connector  304 . When the male PoDL connector  302  is plugged into the female PoDL connector  304 , the pair of staggered electrical contacts  102  engage with the corresponding pair of mating contacts  202  in the manner described above in connection with  FIG.  2   . If connector  302  is unplugged from connector  304  while current is flowing through the contacts  102  and  202 , the offset arrangement of the raised sections  108   a ,  108   b  on each of the staggered electrical contacts  102  ensures that any electrical discharge or arcing is directed only to one of the raised sections ( 108   a ) of each contact, while the other raised section ( 108   b ) is not exposed to arcing and thus incurs no surface damage. 
     Although the staggered electrical contact  102  has been described above as being used within example PoDL applications, it is to be appreciated that the staggered electrical contacts  102  can also be used in other types of networking applications and protocols, including but not limited to power-over-Ethernet (PoE). 
     By isolating one of the two points of contact from the electrical arcing that is sometimes induced when the contact  102  is disconnected while under power, the staggered design of electrical contact  102  ensures that the contact  102  maintains at least one point of contact that is free of arc-related surface damage and thus maintains reliable electrical connectivity. 
     The above description of illustrated embodiments of the subject disclosure, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible that are considered within the scope of such embodiments and examples, as those skilled in the relevant art can recognize. 
     In this regard, while the disclosed subject matter has been described in connection with various embodiments and corresponding figures, where applicable, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments can be used or modifications and additions can be made to the described embodiments for performing the same, similar, alternative, or substitute function of the disclosed subject matter without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims below. 
     In addition, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. Moreover, articles “a” and “an” as used in the subject specification and annexed drawings should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. 
     What has been described above includes examples of systems and methods illustrative of the disclosed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every combination of components or methodologies here. One of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “possesses,” and the like are used in the detailed description, claims, appendices and drawings such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.