Patent Publication Number: US-11043780-B2

Title: Double density small form-factor plugable connector

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 16/038,326, filed Jul. 18, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,651,618, which in turn claims priority to Chinese Application No. 201710590364.3, filed Jul. 19, 2017, and Chinese Application No. 201820954967.7, filed Jun. 20, 2018, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an electrical connection device, especially relates to an electrical connection device and a plug assembly. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     An existing SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) connector is a small form-factor pluggable interface for data communication and is widely used in switches over Ethernet to implement interconnection between switches and between switches and servers. The SFP connector can also connect optical fiber cables. 
     An SFP-DD (SFP Double Density) connector under development presently has the double density of SFP. The SFP-DD has more two rows (upper and lower rows) of contacts than the SFP, that is, a SFP-DD receptacle has more two rows of terminals than a SFP receptacle in a mating direction and forms a front two rows of contact portions which face in an up-down direction and a back two rows of contact portions which face in the up-down direction in the slot, and a SFP-DD plug has more one row of connection pads (actually, that is more one upper row of connection pads and one lower row of connection pads, because the one upper row of connection pads and the one lower row of connection pads face each other in the up-down direction, the one upper row of connection pads and the one lower row of connection pads are counted as one row of connection pads) than a SFP plug in the mating direction, thus the SFP-DD receptacle and the SFP-DD plug respectively have longer lengths than the SFP receptacle and the SFP plug in the mating direction. However, the SFP connector and the SFP-DD connector are similar in appearance, the SFP receptacle and SFP-DD receptacle have the same port sizes, when the SFP plug is inserted into the SFP-DD receptacle, because the number of the terminals of the SFP-DD receptacle is greater than the number of the connection pads of the SFP plug, the SFP-DD receptacle can also be compatible with the SFP plug. However, when the SFP-DD plug is inserted into the SFP receptacle, a half of the connection pads of the SFP-DD plug do not have corresponding terminals of the SFP receptacle to establish an electrical connection. In other words, the SFP receptacle cannot be compatible with the SFP-DD plug. 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, one object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical connection device having a preventing improper insertion configuration to prevent a plug and a receptacle which are incompatible from being improperly inserted. 
     Therefore, another object of the present disclosure is to provide a plug assembly having a preventing improper insertion configuration to prevent the plug assembly from being improperly inserted into a receptacle which is incompatible with the plug assembly. 
     Accordingly, in some embodiments, an electrical connection device of the present disclosure comprises a receptacle assembly and a plug assembly. The receptacle assembly comprises a cage and a connector, the cage defines a port positioned at a front end and an accommodating space extending backwardly from the port along a mating direction, the connector is positioned in the accommodating space and has a slot, an entrance of the slot is aligned with the port and extends backwardly along the mating direction. The plug assembly comprises an outer housing and a communication module provided in the outer housing, the outer housing has a main body which can be inserted into the cage along the mating direction to be mated with the connector, the communication module has a circuit board positioned in the main body, and the circuit board has a mating end portion used to be inserted into the slot. The receptacle assembly is provided with at least one guide groove extending along the mating direction, and the outer housing of the plug assembly is provided with at least one guide block protruding from the main body to correspond to the at least one guide groove, when the plug assembly is mated with the receptacle assembly, the at least one guide block enters into the corresponding guide groove along the mating direction. 
     In some embodiments, the at least one guide groove is provided to the cage. 
     In some embodiments, the at least one guide groove is an open groove extending backwardly from the port along the mating direction on the cage. 
     In some embodiments, the cage has two guide grooves spaced apart from each other and a leaf spring positioned between the two guide grooves, the leaf spring has a lock opening, the outer housing has two guide blocks protruding from a bottom face of the main body and further has a lock block used to detachably latched to the lock opening. 
     In some embodiments, inner sides of the two guide grooves are respectively defined by two opposite sides of the leaf spring. 
     In some embodiments, the cage comprises a shell, the shell has a top wall, two side walls respectively connected to two sides of the top wall, a rear wall connecting the top wall and the two side walls and facing the port and a bottom wall connected to the two side walls and facing the top wall, the bottom wall, the top wall and the two side walls together define the port, and the two guide grooves are formed to the bottom wall. 
     In some embodiments, the cage further comprises a grounding frame, the grounding frame comprises an upper frame portion and a lower frame portion, the upper frame portion and the lower frame portion together surround a periphery of the shell adjacent to the port, and a portion of the lower frame portion overlapped with the bottom wall is formed with a guide portion used to guide the guide blocks. 
     In some embodiments, the cage comprises a shell, the shell has a top wall, two side walls respectively connected to two sides of the top wall, a rear wall connecting the top wall and the two side walls and facing the port and a bottom wall connected to the two side walls and facing the top wall, the bottom wall, the top wall and the two side walls together define the port, the main body of the plug assembly has a top face, the at least one guide block is a boss protruding from the top face, the at least one guide groove extends backwardly from the port along the mating direction and is defined by an avoiding portion, the avoiding portion is formed to the top wall and defines the guide groove extending backwardly from the port along the mating direction to accommodate the guide block correspondingly. 
     In some embodiments, the at least one guide groove is provided to the connector. 
     In some embodiments, the connector further has an insulating body, the insulating body defines the slot and has two outer side faces respectively on left and right sides, at least one of the two outer side faces is provided with the at least one guide groove recessed inwardly, the main body of the plug assembly has two inner side faces facing each other, and at least one of the two inner side faces is provided with the at least one guide block protruding therefrom. 
     In some embodiments, the mating end portion of the circuit board is provided with totally four rows of conductive pads which are respectively arranged in front two rows and back two rows in the mating direction on opposite two board surfaces of the mating end portion, the connector further has a plurality of terminals arranged in four rows and each terminal has an elastic contact portion extending into the slot, the elastic contact portions of the plurality of terminals are arranged in front two rows and back two rows in the mating direction in the slot and the front two rows face each other in the up-down direction and the back two rows face each other in the up-down direction, so that the plurality of elastic contact portions respectively contact the plurality of conductive pads to form an electrical connection when the mating end portion is inserted into the slot. 
     In some embodiments, the receptacle assembly and the plug assembly conform to a SFP-DD specification. 
     Accordingly, in some embodiments, a plug assembly of the present disclosure is adapted to be mated with a receptacle assembly, the receptacle assembly comprises a cage and a connector positioned in the cage, the cage defines a port positioned at a front end and an accommodating space extending backwardly from the port along a mating direction, the receptacle assembly is provided with at least one guide groove extending along the mating direction, the plug assembly comprises an outer housing and a communication module. The outer housing has a main body which can be inserted into the cage along the mating direction to be mated with the connector and at least one guide block protruding from the main body to correspond to the at least one guide groove, when the plug assembly is mated with the receptacle assembly, the at least one guide block enters into the corresponding guide groove along the mating direction. The communication module is provided in the outer housing and has a circuit board positioned in the main body, and the circuit board has a mating end portion. 
     In some embodiments, the mating end portion of the circuit board is provided with totally four rows of conductive pads which are respectively arranged in front two rows and back two rows in the mating direction on opposite two board surfaces of the mating end portion. 
     In some embodiments, the plug assembly conforms to a SFP-DD specification. 
     The present disclosure has the following efforts: the plug assembly can only be mated with the receptacle assembly provided with the corresponding guide groove by means of the guide block, which can prevent the plug assembly from being improperly inserted into the receptacle assembly generally having no corresponding guide groove, so as to achieve the function of preventing improper insertion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics and effects of the present disclosure will be apparent through detailed description of embodiments with referring to the Figures, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a receptacle assembly of a first embodiment of an electrical connection device of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a plug assembly of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a mated state of the receptacle assembly and the plug assembly of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the receptacle assembly of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle assembly of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of a connector of the receptacle assembly of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the plug assembly of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view illustrating a mated state of the receptacle assembly and the plug assembly of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of a partial region in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along a line X-X in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged view of a partial region in  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating that the plug assembly of the first embodiment and a conventional SFP receptacle can not be inserted into each other; 
         FIG. 13  is a bottom view corresponding to  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is an enlarged view of a partial region in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom view illustrating that the receptacle assembly of the first embodiment can be compatible with a conventional SFP plug; 
         FIG. 16  is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a line XVI-XVI in  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 17  is an incomplete perspective view illustrating a varied embodiment of a grounding frame of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 18  is a view of  FIG. 17  from another angle; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the electrical connection device of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view of a receptacle assembly of the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of a plug assembly of the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of a connector of the receptacle assembly of a third embodiment of the electrical connection device of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 23  is a front view corresponding to  FIG. 22 ; 
         FIG. 24  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a mating relationship of the plug assembly and the connector of the third embodiment; 
         FIG. 25  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a mating relationship of the plug assembly and the receptacle assembly of the third embodiment; and 
         FIG. 26  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mated state of the plug assembly and the connector of the receptacle assembly of the third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the present disclosure is described in detail, it should be noted that the similar element is identified by the same reference numeral. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , a first embodiment of an electrical connection device of the present disclosure comprises a receptacle assembly  100  and a plug assembly  200  which can be mated with each other. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 , the receptacle assembly  100  comprises a cage  1  and a connector  2 . The cage  1  defines a port  11  positioned at a front end and an accommodating space  12  extending backwardly from the port  11  along a mating direction D. The receptacle assembly  100  is provided with at least one guide groove  101  extending along the mating direction D. In the first embodiment, the at least one guide groove  101  is provided to the cage  1 , specifically, the cage  1  has two guide grooves  101  spaced apart from each other and a leaf spring  13  which is positioned between the two guide grooves  101  and has a lock opening  131 , that is, each guide groove  101  is an open groove extending backwardly from the port  11  along the mating direction D on the cage  1 , the leaf spring  13  which a free end is adjacent to the port  11  is formed by the two open grooves (that is the two guide grooves  101 ), in other words, inner sides of the two guide grooves  101  are respectively defined by two opposite sides of the leaf spring  13 . Specifically, the cage  1  comprises a shell  14  and a grounding frame  15 . The shell  14  has a top wall  141 , two side walls  142  respectively connected to two sides of the top wall  141 , a rear wall  143  connecting the top wall  141  and the two side walls  142  and facing the port  11 , a bottom wall  144  connected to the two side walls  142  and facing the top wall  141  and a bottom frame plate  145  connected to the two side walls  142  and the rear wall  143 , a front section of bottom frame plate  145  is overlapped with the bottom wall  144 . The bottom wall  144 , the top wall  141  and the two side walls  142  together define the port  11 , and the two guide grooves  101  are formed to the bottom wall  144 . The grounding frame  15  comprises an upper frame portion  151  and a lower frame portion  152 , the upper frame portion  151  and the lower frame portion  152  together surround a periphery of the shell  14  adjacent to the port  11 . 
     The connector  2  is positioned in the accommodating space  12  and has an insulating body  23  and a slot  21  defined by the insulating body  23 , an entrance of the slot  21  is aligned with the port  11  and extends backwardly along the mating direction D. The connector  2  also has a plurality of terminals  22  provided to the insulating body  23  and arranged in four rows, each terminal  22  has an elastic contact portion  221  extending into the slot  21 , the elastic contact portions  221  of the plurality of terminals  22  are arranged in front two rows and back two rows in the mating direction D in the slot  21 , the front two rows face each other in the up-down direction and the back two rows face each other in the up-down direction (referring to  FIG. 11 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 11 , the plug assembly  200  comprises an outer housing  3  and a communication module  4  provided in the outer housing  3 . The communication module  4  can be an electronic module transmitting an electrical signal or a photoelectric module transmitting a photoelectric signal. The outer housing  3  has a main body  31  which can be inserted into the cage  1  along the mating direction D to be mated with the connector  2  and a cable connection portion  32  which is used to retain a cable  5 . The communication module  4  has a circuit board  41  positioned in the main body  31 , and the circuit board  41  has a mating end portion  411  used to be inserted into the slot  21 , the mating end portion  411  is provided with totally four rows of conductive pads  412  which are respectively arranged in front two rows and back two rows in the mating direction D on opposite two board surfaces of the mating end portion  411 , so as to respectively correspond to the elastic contact portions  221  of the four rows of terminals of the connector  2 . The outer housing  3  further has two guide blocks  33  which protrude from a bottom face  311  of the main body  31  and respectively correspond to the two guide grooves  101  and a lock block  34  which is used to be detachably latched to the lock opening  131 . When the plug assembly  200  is mated with the receptacle assembly  100 , the two guide blocks  33  respectively enter into the two guide grooves  101  (see  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 ), and the lock block  34  is latched to the lock opening  131  to make the plug assembly  200  and the receptacle assembly  100  fixed relative to each other in the mating direction D. That is, a width of each guide block  33  is smaller than a width of each guide groove  101 , and the two guide blocks  33  are respectively aligned with the two guide grooves  101  in the mating direction D, in the process that the plug assembly  200  is mated with the receptacle assembly  100 , the two guide blocks  33  respectively enter into the two guide grooves  101  and moves from front to back, until the plug assembly  200  and the receptacle assembly  100  are positioned relative to each other, at this time the mating end portion  411  is inserted into the slot  21  such that the plurality of elastic contact portions  221  respectively contact the plurality of conductive pads  412  to form an electrical connection, and the lock block  34  is latched to the lock opening  131  to make the plug assembly  200  and the receptacle assembly  100  locked relative to each other. Specifically, the outer housing  3  comprises an upper housing piece  35 , a lower housing piece  36 , a grounding piece  37  and a release mechanism  38 . The upper housing piece  35  and the lower housing piece  36  are combined to together form the main body  31  and the cable connection portion  32 . The grounding piece  37  is sheathed on the main body  31 , the grounding piece  37  can contact the grounding frame  15  of the receptacle assembly  100  when the plug assembly  200  is mated with the receptacle assembly  100 . The release mechanism  38  is connected with the lock block  34  and has a pull tab  381 , when the pull tab  381  is pulled, and the lock block  34  can be moved into the outer housing  3  by using the seesaw lever principle, so that the lock block  34  can be detached from the lock opening  131  to be released. 
     In the first embodiment, the receptacle assembly  100  is described as an example receptacle conforming to a SFP-DD specification, and the plug assembly  200  is described as an example plug conforming to the SFP-DD specification. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12  to  FIG. 14 , when the plug assembly  200  of the first embodiment is to be inserted into a conventional SFP receptacle  6 , since the conventional SFP receptacle  6  has no corresponding guide groove, the two guide blocks  33  may be stopped by a front edge of a bottom wall  61  of the SFP receptacle  6 , such that the plug assembly  200  cannot be inserted into the SFP receptacle  6 , so as to achieve the function of preventing improper insertion. That is, although two sides of a leaf spring  62  of the conventional SFP receptacle  6  respectively have two torn seams  63 , positions and widths of the two torn seams  63  do not correspond to the two guide blocks  33 , thus the two torn seams  63  cannot respectively accommodate the two guide blocks  33 , such that the two guide blocks  33  cannot pass through a port of the SFP receptacle  6 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 15  and  FIG. 16 , the receptacle assembly  100  of the first embodiment can also be compatible with the conventional SFP plug  7 , since the conventional SFP plug  7  has no guide block, the SFP plug  7  can be inserted into the receptacle assembly  100 , such that the elastic contact portions  221  in the front two rows in the receptacle assembly  100  and a mating end portion  71  of the SFP plug  7  form an electrical connection. And a position of the leaf spring  13  of the first embodiment is the same as a position of the leaf spring  62  of the conventional SFP receptacle  6  (see  FIG. 12 ), and thus the leaf spring  13  of the first embodiment can be locked and fixed with a lock block  72  of the SFP plug  7 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 17  and  FIG. 18 , a varied embodiment of the grounding frame  15  is illustrated, in which a portion of the lower frame portion  152  overlapped with the bottom wall  144  is formed with a guide portion  153  used to guide the two guide blocks  33  (see  FIG. 3 ). After the two guide blocks  33  respectively enter into the corresponding guide grooves  131 , the two guide blocks  33  can pass through a front edge of the lower frame portion  152  by means of guiding from the guide portion  153 , preventing the two guide blocks  33  striking the front edge of the lower frame portion  152 , and the guide block  33  can move smoothly. 
     Referring to  FIG. 19  to  FIG. 21 , a second embodiment of the electrical connection device of the present disclosure differs from the first embodiment in that, in the second embodiment, the receptacle assembly  100  has only one guide groove  101 , the plug assembly  200  has only one guide block  33 , and the guide groove  101  extends backwardly from the port  11  along the mating direction D and is defined by an avoiding portion  146 . Specifically, the main body  31  of the plug assembly  200  has a top face  312 , the guide block  33  is a boss protruding from the top face  312 , the avoiding portion  146  is formed to the top wall  141  of the shell  14  and defines the guide groove  101  extending backwardly from the port  11  along the mating direction D to accommodate the guide block  33  correspondingly. That is, the avoiding portion  146  expands the accommodating space  12  outwardly at the side walls  142  to add a space for accommodating the guide block  33  (boss), therefore the plug assembly  200  can enter the port  11  to be mated with the connector  2  (see  FIG. 5 ) when the plug assembly  200  is mated with the receptacle assembly  100 . Similarly, in the second embodiment, the plug assembly  200  cannot be inserted into the SFP receptacle generally having no corresponding guide groove, when the plug assembly  200  is to be inserted into the conventional SFP receptacle, the guide block  33  is stopped by the front edge of the top wall of the SFP receptacle, so that the plug assembly  200  cannot be inserted into the SFP receptacle so as to achieve the function of preventing improper insertion. 
     Referring to  FIG. 22  to  FIG. 26 , a third embodiment of the electrical connection device of the present disclosure differs from the first embodiment in that, in the third embodiment, the at least one guide groove  101  of the receptacle assembly  100  is provided to the connector  2 , and a position of the guide block  33  of the plug assembly  200  is adjusted corresponding to the guide groove  101 . Specifically, in the third embodiment, the insulating body  23  has two outer side faces  231  respectively on left and right sides, the two outer side faces  231  each are provided with the guide groove  101  recessed inwardly, that is, the two guide grooves  101  are respectively provided to the two outer side faces  231  of the insulating body  23 . The main body  31  of the plug assembly  200  has two inner side faces  313  facing each other, and the two guide blocks  33  respectively protrudes from the two inner side faces  313  and respectively correspond to the two guide grooves  101 . When the plug assembly  200  is mated with the receptacle assembly  100 , the two guide blocks  33  respectively enter into the two guide grooves  101  along the mating direction D, such that the mating end portion  411  of the plug assembly  200  can enter into the slot  21  of the connector  2 . Similarly, in the third embodiment, the plug assembly  200  cannot be inserted into the SFP receptacle generally having no corresponding guide groove, when the plug assembly  200  is to be inserted into the conventional SFP receptacle, the guide block  33  is stopped by a front edge of the connector of the SFP receptacle, such that the mating end portion  411  of the plug assembly  200  cannot be inserted into the slot of the connector of the SFP receptacle so as to achieve the function of preventing improper insertion. In a varied embodiment, it can also be implemented that only one of the outer side faces  231  of the insulating body  23  is provided with a guide groove  101 , certainly, the guide block  33  is provided corresponding to the guide groove  101 . 
     In conclusion, the plug assembly  200  can only be mated with the receptacle assembly  100  provided with the corresponding guide groove  101  by means of the guide block  33 , which can prevent the plug assembly  200  from being improperly inserted into the receptacle assembly generally having no corresponding guide groove, so as to achieve the function of preventing improper insertion. 
     The above described contents are only the embodiments of the present disclosure, which cannot limit the scope of the implementation of the present disclosure, namely simple equivalent variations and modifications made according to the claims and the content of the present disclosure are still fallen within the scope of the present disclosure.