Patent Abstract:
A connector comprising an insulating body defining a slot that is adapted to receive a pluggable module. A plurality of conductive pins extend into the slot and at least one extension, coupled to the insulating body, protects the plurality of pins from being shorted by an incorrectly inserted pluggable module.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure generally relates to connectors. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a connector for electrical signals. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A hot-swappable, plug and play, single-port SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) module is used in network devices implementing Gigabit over fiber applications. The SFP module offers several significant advantages over its predecessor, the GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter) such as lower cost, lower power consumption, and smaller size. Thus, with the SFP form factor, fiber Gigabit systems may be developed featuring similar port densities as copper-only systems using RJ-45 connectors. 
         [0003]    The SFP module is electrically connected to an electronic apparatus by inserting the SFP module into a receptacle connector of the electronic apparatus. The receptacle connector is situated in an opening of the electronic apparatus. The receptacle connector comprises an insulating body and a plurality of pins, in which the pins are respectively disposed in pin channels of the insulating body. Each of the pins has a contact tab extending into a card slot of the insulating body. A solder tab extends from each pin to an external side of the insulating body and is soldered onto a circuit board of the electronic apparatus. When the SFP module is normally or correctly inserted into the opening of the electronic apparatus to interface with the receptacle connector. An edge of a circuit card of the SFP module comprises a plurality of plated traces that are aligned with the pins of the receptacle connector. To achieve an electrical connection, the edge of the circuit card of the SFP module is inserted into the card slot of the receptacle connector. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate at least one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates an isometric view of an example receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of the example receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of the example receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of the example receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  illustrates while a pluggable module is being correctly inserted into the example receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  illustrates while the pluggable module is being inserted upside-down into the example receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     Overview 
       [0011]    One embodiment of the present invention comprises a connector comprising an insulating body defining a slot adapted to receive a pluggable module. A plurality of conductive pins extend into the slot and, at least one extension is coupled to the insulating body such that the extension protects the plurality of pins from being shorted by an incorrectly inserted pluggable module. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Embodiments of the present invention provide a receptacle connector that prevents shorting or grounding of pins during incorrect (e.g., upside-down) insertion of a pluggable module (such as an SFP module) into the receptacle connector. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example of an isometric view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a top view of the receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of the receptacle connector shown in  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 4  illustrates a sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of the receptacle connector of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1-4 , the receptacle connector  100 , according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises an insulating body  110 . The insulating body  110  comprises a card slot  112  and a plurality of first pin channels  114 . In addition, the receptacle connector  100  comprises a plurality of first pins  120 , which are respectively disposed in the first pin channels  114 . Each of the first pins  120  comprises a first contact tab  122  extending into the card slot  112  from a first side  152  thereof. Each of the first pins  120  further comprises a first solder tab  124  extending beyond a vertical side of the insulating body  110  to be soldered onto a surface of a circuit board when mounting the connector  100 . In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the first pins  120  are protected from shorting when a pluggable module is incorrectly inserted into the connector through use of an extension  150  that comprises at least one of ribs  116  or posts  118  as described in detail below. 
         [0015]    The insulating body  110  may further comprise a plurality of second pin channels  115 , and the receptacle connector  100  further comprises a plurality of second pins  130  which are respectively disposed in the second pin channels  115 . Each of the second pins  130  comprises a second contact tab  132  extending into the card slot  112  from a second side  154  thereof. Each of the second pins  130  further comprises a second solder tab  134  extending to the external side of the bottom of the insulating body  110  to be soldered onto a surface of the circuit board. 
         [0016]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle connector comprises a plurality of alternately arranged insulating spacers  116  between the first pin channels  114  such that one of the insulating spacers  116  is disposed between two adjacent first pin channels  114 . Each insulating spacer comprises an insulating rib  116   a  that substantially protrudes beyond a vertical surface  126  of the first pins  120 . A protruding direction of the insulating ribs  116   a  is substantially parallel and opposite to an inserting direction of the card slot  112 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating ribs  116   a  may be integrally formed with the insulating spacers  116 , and may be simultaneously formed with the insulating spacers  116 . 
         [0017]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating body  110  comprises a pair of insulating posts  118 , which are respectively disposed at two lateral ends thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the two insulating posts  118  are respectively disposed at two lateral ends of a bottom side of the insulating body  110  adjacent to the card slot  112 . The insulating posts substantially extend beyond the first solder tabs  124 . The extending direction of the insulating posts  118  is substantially parallel and opposite to the inserting direction of the card slot  112 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the receptacle connector  100  is mounted on a circuit board  10  by soldering the solder tabs  124  and  134  to traces on the circuit board  10 . A pluggable module  20  is normally or correctly inserted into an opening  32  of a housing  30  and is electrically connected to a circuit board  10  through the receptacle connector  100 . When the pluggable module  20  is normally or correctly inserted into the opening  32  of the housing  30 , the card  24  of the pluggable module  20  is inserted into the card slot  112 . The first contact tab  122  and/or second contact tab  132  slideably and conductively couples to the card  24 . The surface  22   a  of the conductive body  22  of the pluggable module  20  is positioned above the receptacle connector  100  and does not come in direct contact with the first solder tabs  124  or the first pins  120 . The pluggable module  20  is, for example, a SFP module. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the pluggable module  20  is incorrectly inserted or inserted upside-down into the opening  32  of the housing  30 , the insulating ribs  116   a  prevent the surface  22   a  of the pluggable module  20  from simultaneously contacting the vertical surface  126  of one or more adjacent first pins  120  and thereby prevent a short circuit. According to an embodiment of the present invention, during the upside-down insertion of the pluggable module  20 , the pair of insulating posts  118  prevent the surface  22   a  of the pluggable module  20  from simultaneously contacting two or more adjacent first solder contacts  124  of the first pins  120  and/or grounding one or more of the first solder tabs  124  and/or one or more of the first pins  120 . Thus, the insulating ribs  116   a  and/or the insulating posts  118  prevent shorting contact during upside-down insertion of the pluggable module  20 . Thus, the possibility of service interruption due to a short circuit resulting from upside-down insertion of the pluggable module may be effectively reduced. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment of the invention, insulating ribs and the insulating posts are placed in positions that do not violate the SFP Transceiver Multi-Source Agreement (MSA), dated Sep. 14, 2000, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and solves the electrical effects of the undefined module insertion mechanical polarity of the MSA specification, while reducing the possibility of shorting between pins and/or grounding of one or more of the pins and/or one or more of the solder tabs during upside-down insertion of a pluggable module. 
         [0021]    Additionally, the term “or” as used herein is generally intended to mean “and/or” unless otherwise indicated. Combinations of components or steps will also be considered as being noted, where terminology is foreseen as rendering the ability to separate or combine is unclear. 
         [0022]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7