Patent Publication Number: US-7220151-B2

Title: Power connector

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The application relates to a power connector utilizing electrically conductive pins with first and second compliant end portions. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Electrical backplanes generally have multiple daughter-cards connected to the backplane that utilize both signal and power connectors to make electrical connections between the backplane and the daughter-cards. 
   An electrical power connector is operably coupled to an electrical backplane utilizing conductive pins that are fixedly attached to the power connector. The conductive pins have a non-compliant portion that is soldered to the power connector and another portion that is soldered to the electrical backplane. However, if one or more conductive pins are degraded or need to be replaced, the conductive pins cannot be easily replaced since they are soldered to the power connector. Instead, the entire power connector is removed and a new power connector is utilized. 
   Thus, there exists a need for a power connector that has conductive pins that can be easily removed from the power connector and allows the power connector to be easily removed from an electrical backplane. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   A power connector for receiving a circuit board in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is provided. The power connector includes first and second walls operably disposed on a first side of a base portion for receiving at least a portion of a circuit board therebetween. The base portion has a second side opposite the first side and a first aperture extending from the second side into the base portion. The first aperture has a first diameter. The power connector further includes at least one electrically conductive pin having both first and second compliant end portions. The first compliant end portion has a second diameter when the first compliant end portion has a non-compressed state, and a third diameter smaller than the second diameter when the first compliant end portion has a compressed state. The second diameter of the first compliant end portion is larger than the first diameter of the first aperture. The first compliant end portion is disposed within the first aperture to compressively load the first compliant end portion within the first aperture for affixing the pin to the base portion. 
   A power connector for receiving a circuit board in accordance with another exemplary embodiment is provided. The power connector includes first and second walls operably disposed on a first side of a base portion for receiving at least a portion of a circuit board therebetween. The base portion has a second side opposite the first side and a first aperture extending from the second side into the base portion. The first aperture has a first diameter. The power connector further includes at least one electrically conductive pin having both first and second compliant end portions. The first compliant end portion has a second diameter when the first compliant end portion has a non-compressed state, and a third diameter smaller than the second diameter when the first compliant end portion has a compressed state. The second diameter of the first compliant end portion is larger than the first diameter of the first aperture. The first compliant end portion is disposed within the first aperture to compressively load the first compliant end portion within the first aperture for affixing the pin to the base portion. The second compliant end portion has a fourth diameter when the second compliant end portion has a non-compressed state, and a fifth diameter when the second compliant end portion has a compressed state smaller than the fourth diameter. 
   A method for coupling a power connector to an electrical backplane in accordance with another exemplary embodiment is provided. The power connector is coupled to the electrical backplane utilizing at least one electrically conductive pin having both first and second compliant end portions. The first compliant end portion has a first diameter when the first compliant end portion has a non-compressed state, and a second diameter smaller than the first diameter when the first compliant end portion has a compressed state. The first diameter of the first compliant end portion is larger than a third diameter of a first aperture extending into the power connector. The electrical backplane has a second aperture extending therein. The method includes inserting the first compliant end portion of the electrically conductive pin within the first aperture of the power connector to compressively load the first compliant end portion within the first aperture for retaining the first compliant end portion within the first aperture. Finally, the method includes inserting the second compliant end portion of the electrically conductive pin within the second aperture of the electrical backplane to compressively load the second compliant end portion within the second aperture for retaining the second compliant end portion within the second aperture. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a power connector in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of an electrical backplane configured to receive the power connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  as a top plan view of the power connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the power connector of  FIG. 1  prior to placement of electrically conductive compliant pins within the power connector; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of an insertion tool for inserting electrically conductive compliant pins within apertures in the power connector of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the insertion tool of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of a first electrically conductive compliant pin in a non-compressed state that can be utilized with the power connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the first electrically conducting compliant pin of  FIG. 7  in a compressed state; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a second electrically conductive compliant pin in a non-compressed state that can be utilized with the power connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  are cross-sectional views of the second electrically conductive compliant pin of  FIG. 9  in a non-compressed state and a compressed state, respectively; and 
       FIG. 12  is a flowchart of a method for coupling a power connector to an electrical backplane. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , a power connector  10  for electrically coupling a circuit board to an electrical backplane  13  is provided. The power connector  10  includes walls  12 ,  14 , a base portion  16 , compliant pins  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 , and electrical contacts  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58 ,  60 . The power connector  10  can be utilized as a positive terminal to supply a positive voltage to a circuit board  11 . It should be noted that another power connector  10  (not shown) could be utilized as a negative terminal to supply a negative or ground voltage to the circuit board  11 . 
   The sidewalls  12  and  14  define a region  15  therebetween for receiving the circuit board  11 . The side walls  12 ,  14  are integrally connected to the base portion  16  and are disposed opposite one another. The side walls  12 ,  14  and the base portion  16  are constructed from an electrically conductive material, such as brass, copper, silver, aluminum, or a copper-alloy material, for example. The sidewall  12  includes grooves  64 ,  66 , and  68  for receiving and holding electrical contacts  50 ,  52 , and  54 , respectively. Similarly, the sidewall  14  includes grooves  70 ,  72 ,  74  for receiving and holding electrical contacts  56 ,  58 ,  60 , respectively. 
   The base portion  16  is integrally connected to the walls  12 ,  14  and includes a plurality of apertures for receiving a plurality of electrically conductive compliant pins. In particular, base portion  16  includes apertures  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  94 ,  96 ,  98 ,  100 ,  102  for receiving electrically conductive compliant pins  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 , respectively. It should be noted that although only one row of electrically conductive pins is illustrated in the power connector  10 , a plurality of additional rows of conductive pins can be utilized with the power connector  10 . Accordingly, the number of electrically conductive compliant pins and the position of the pins can vary based on a desired operating configuration. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  7  and  8 , a side view of the electrically conductive pin  18  that can be utilized with the power connector  10  is illustrated. The electrically conductive compliant pins  20 – 40  have a substantially identical structure as electrically conductive compliant pin  18 . The pin  18  includes a compliant end portion  110 , a compliant end portion  112 , and a flange  114 . The compliant end portions  110 ,  112  are coupled together via the flange  114 . Further, the compliant end portions  110 ,  112  both have a non-compressed outer diameter (D 2 ) and have a substantially identical axial length. The compliant end portion  110  has an aperture  116  extending therethrough and the compliant end portion  112  has an aperture  118  extending therethrough. The apertures  116 ,  118  allow compliant end portions  110 ,  112 , respectively, to deform inwardly in response to a compressive force being applied thereto. Thus, by inserting the compliant end portions  110 ,  112  into apertures smaller than the diameter (D 2 ), the compliant end portions  110 ,  112  can be retained within respective apertures via corresponding compressive forces. In particular, when the compliant end portion  110  is inserted into an aperture  80  of the base portion  16 , the compliant end portion  110  is compressed such that the diameter of portion  110  is reduced from diameter (D 2 ) to a smaller diameter (D 3 ) for retaining portion  110  in the aperture  80 . Similarly, when compliant end portion  112  is inserted into an aperture  184  of the electrical backplane  180 , the compliant end portion  112  is compressed such that the diameter of portion  112  is reduced from the diameter (D 2 ) to the diameter (D 7 ) for retaining portion  112  in the aperture  184 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , an insertion tool  130  for inserting a plurality of compliant pins into the base portion  16  of the power connector  10  is illustrated. The insertion tool  130  includes a plate  132  having a plurality of apertures disposed of therethrough for receiving a plurality of compliant pins  18 . In particular, the plate  132  includes apertures  134 ,  136 ,  138 ,  140 ,  142 ,  144 ,  146 ,  148 ,  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156  for receiving and holding compliant pins  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40 , respectively. Each of the apertures of insertion tool  130  has a diameter (D 8 ) which is larger then the diameter (D 2 ) of the compliant end portion  112  of the pins to allow each end portion  112  to easily slide within a respective aperture without damaging the end portion  112 . As shown, the flange  114  of each pin is larger than the apertures in the insertion tool  130 . Thus, when the compliant pins are disposed within the apertures of the insertion tool, each flange associated with each pin rests against a top surface  131  of the insertion tool  130 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , a plurality of additional apertures can extend through the plate  132 , within each aperture is configured to hold a compliant pin for inserting the pin within the base portion  16 . The insertion tool  130  is operably coupled to a movable member (not shown) that can move the plate  132  holding the compliant pins towards the base portion  16  to insert the compliant pins within respective apertures in the base portion  16 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 9–11 , an alternate embodiment of a power connector  10  utilizes a plurality of pins having an identical structure as the electrically conductive compliant pin  170 . As shown, the pin  170  includes a compliant end portion  172 , a compliant end portion  174 , and a flange  176 . The compliant end portions  172 ,  174  are coupled together via the flange  176 . The end portions  172 ,  174  both have a non-compressed outer diameter (D 5 ) and a substantially identical axial length. The compliant end portion  172  has a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional profile defining the non-compressed outer diameter (D 5 ). Similarly, the compliant portion  174  has a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional profile. 
   By inserting the compliant end portions  110 ,  112  in apertures smaller than the non-compressed diameter (D 5 ), the end portions  110 ,  112  can be retained within respective apertures via corresponding compressive forces. Thus, when the compliant end portion  172  is inserted into an aperture  80  of the base portion  16 , the portion  172  is compressed such that the diameter of portion  172  is reduced from diameter (D 5 ) to a smaller diameter (D 6 ) for retaining portion  172  in the aperture  80  wherein (D 6 ) is equal to (D 1 ). Similarly, when the compliant end portion  174  is inserted into an aperture  184  of the electrical backplane  180 , the portion  174  is compressed such that the diameter of the portion  174  is reduced from the diameter (D 5 ) to the diameter (D 7 ) for retaining portion  174  in the aperture  184 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 12 , a method for coupling the power connector  10  to the electrical backplane  180  will now be described. It should be noted that although only one electrically conductive compliant pin will be explained in the method for purposes of simplicity, a plurality of additional electrically conductive compliant pins can be utilized to couple the power connector  10  to the electrical backplane  180 . Further, although an electrically conductive compliant pin having a structure identical to pin  18  will be utilized in the following method, it should be understood that any electrically conductive compliant pin, that is compliant on both ends, may be utilized in the following method. 
   At step  190 , a compliant end portion  112  of the electrically conductive compliant pin  18  is inserted within an aperture  134  of the insertion tool  130 . 
   At step  192 , the insertion tool  130  is moved toward the base portion  16  of the power connector  10  to insert the compliant end portion  110  of the pin  180  within the aperture  80  of the power connector  10  to compressively load the compliant end portion  110  within the aperture  80 . 
   At step  194 , the insertion tool  130  is moved away from the base portion  16  wherein the compliant end portion  110  is retained within the aperture  80  of the base portion  16  by a compressive force applied thereto. 
   At step  196 , the power connector  10  is moved towards the electrical backplane  180  to insert the compliant end portion  112  of the electrically conductive compliant pin  10  within an aperture  184  of the electrical backplane  180  to compressively load the compliant end portion  112  within the aperture  184  for retaining the portion  112  within the aperture  184  and affixing the power connector  10  to the electrical backplane  180 . 
   The power connector and the method for coupling a power connector to an electrical backplane represents a substantial advantage over other systems and methods. In particular, by utilizing an electrically conductive compliant pin having first and second compliant end portions, the pins attached to the power connector can be easily removed from the power connector if the pins become degraded, without having to replace the entire power connector. Further, by allowing the easy insertion of the pins within the power connector, the configuration or placement of the pins on the power connector can be easily changed if needed, without having to replace the entire power connector. Still further, by allowing easy insertion and removal of the pins in the power connector the number of pins in the power connector can be easily increased or decreased to obtain a desired ampacity and impedance. 
   While the invention is described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalence may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to the teachings of the invention to adapt to a particular situation without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, is intended that the invention not be limited to the embodiment disclosed for carrying out this invention, but that the invention includes all embodiments falling with the scope of the intended claims. Moreover, the use of the term&#39;s first, second, etc. does not denote any order of importance, but rather the term&#39;s first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.