PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10658797-B2
Application Number: US-201916428630-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: IO integration with floating connectors in a mesh

Abstract:
Connector receptacles and device enclosures that can provide proper grounding, improved ventilation, and an aesthetically pleasing appearance. An example can include a device enclosure including an enclosure wall and sleeves for a number of connector receptacles. Each sleeve can electrically contact a shield of a corresponding connector receptacle via a conductive structure, such as a conductive gasket, to provide a good ground path. The sleeves can be narrow at the enclosure wall for improved ventilation and an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device comprising:
 a section of a device enclosure for the electronic device, the section of the device enclosure comprising: 
 an enclosure wall having an opening; and 
 a sleeve integrally formed with the enclosure wall, the sleeve having a front aperture aligned with the opening in the enclosure wall, the sleeve extending into the electronic device from the enclosure wall; 
 a board; and 
 a connector receptacle comprising: 
 a tongue located in the sleeve; 
 a plurality of contacts having contacting portions on the tongue and contact tails attached to the board; and 
 a shield around a portion of the connector receptacle and electrically connected to the sleeve. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1  further comprising a compliant structure between the shield and the sleeve and forming an electrical connection. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 1  further comprising a conductive gasket between the shield and the sleeve and forming an electrical connection. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the sleeve is stepped such that it widens in steps away from the enclosure wall. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the sleeve progressively widens in steps away from the enclosure wall. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the sleeve has a front aperture at the opening in the enclosure wall and a rear aperture at an opposing end, the rear aperture wider than the front aperture. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the enclosure wall comprises a plurality of perforations. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the enclosure wall comprises a plurality of holes. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein the enclosure wall is conductive. 
     
     
       10. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein a portion of the enclosure wall is conductive. 
     
     
       11. A computer expansion card for an electronic device, the computer expansion card comprising:
 an enclosure wall having an opening; and 
 a sleeve integrally formed with the enclosure wall, the sleeve having a front aperture aligned with the opening in the enclosure wall, the sleeve extending into the electronic device from the enclosure wall; 
 a board comprising a plurality of pads along a first edge; 
 a connector receptacle comprising: 
 a tongue located in the sleeve; 
 a plurality of contacts having contacting portions on the tongue and contact tails attached to the board; and 
 a shield around a portion of the connector receptacle and electrically connected to the sleeve; and 
 electronic circuitry located on the board and electrically connected to a pad in the plurality of pads on the board and a contact in the plurality of contacts in the connector receptacle. 
 
     
     
       12. The card of  claim 11  further comprising a conductive gasket between the shield and the sleeve and forming an electrical connection. 
     
     
       13. The card of  claim 12  wherein the sleeve has a front aperture at the opening in the enclosure wall and a rear aperture at an opposing end, the rear aperture wider than the front aperture. 
     
     
       14. The card of  claim 13  wherein the sleeve is stepped such that it widens in steps away from the enclosure wall. 
     
     
       15. The card of  claim 13  wherein the enclosure wall comprises a plurality of perforations. 
     
     
       16. The card of  claim 13  wherein the enclosure wall comprises a plurality of holes. 
     
     
       17. The card of  claim 16  wherein the enclosure wall is conductive. 
     
     
       18. The card of  claim 12  wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a graphics processor. 
     
     
       19. The card of  claim 12  wherein the electronic circuitry comprises networking circuitry. 
     
     
       20. The card of  claim 12  wherein the enclosure wall and sleeve are conductive.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/736,360, filed Sep. 25, 2018, which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Power and data can be provided from one electronic device to another over cables that can include one or more wires, fiber optic cables, or other conductors. Connector inserts can be located at each end of these cables and can be inserted into connector receptacles in communicating or power transferring electronic devices. 
     These connector receptacles can be located at a surface of device enclosure of an electronic device. The device enclosure can be conductive and grounded. The connector receptacles can include ground contacts and shielding that can also be grounded. But improper or insufficient grounding of the device enclosure or connector receptacle can generate signal noise. This noise can limit a data rate of signals conveyed by the connector receptacles. This signal noise can also cause electromagnetic interference and data transmission errors. For improved performance, it can be desirable that the device enclosure and connector receptacles be properly grounded. 
     These electronic devices can include circuits, such as central processing units, graphics processing circuits, and other circuits. These circuits can consume large amounts of power and dissipate a great deal of heat. This heat can compromise device performance. For example, this heat can shorten circuit lifetime and can slow the circuits of the electronic devices. It can therefore be desirable that the device enclosure allow this heat to escape. That is, it can be desirable to provide device enclosures having improved ventilation. 
     The appearance of these device enclosures and connector receptacles can be perceived to reflect upon the quality and value of the electronic devices. A poor appearance can give a user a poor impression. In contrast, an aesthetically pleasing appearance can provide a user with a sense of quality and value. 
     Thus, what is needed are connector receptacles and device enclosures that can provide proper grounding, improved ventilation, and have an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles and device enclosures that provide a proper grounding, improved ventilation, and have an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     An illustrative embodiment of the present invention can provide connector receptacles and device enclosures that are properly grounded. A device enclosure for an electronic device can provide an enclosure wall having openings through which plugs or connector inserts can be inserted into corresponding connector receptacles. The enclosure wall can include sleeves for some or all of the connector receptacles. These sleeves can extend from the enclosure wall into the electronic device. The connector receptacles can have front ends that can each be inserted in a corresponding sleeve. The front ends of the connector receptacles can be at least partially shielded. The shielding can be electrically connected to the sleeve by a conductive structure. The shielding can further be electrically connected to traces or pads of a board or other appropriate substrate on which the connector receptacles are mounted. This ground path from the enclosure wall, through the sleeve, conductive structure, connector receptacle shielding, and board ground plane can provide a proper ground path for the connector receptacles and device enclosures. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the enclosure wall and sleeves can be integrally formed. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the enclosure wall and sleeves can be formed separately. The sleeves can then be attached to the enclosure wall, for example by soldering, laser or spot welding, or other technique. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the conductive structure can be a compliant or pliable structure to provide a good contact force between the sleeve and the connector insert shielding. For example, the conductive structure can be a gasket, O-ring, or other structure. The conductive structure can encircle a front end of the connector receptacle. The conductive structure can instead be formed in sections around the front end of the connector receptacle. The conductive structure can have a sloped leading edge or otherwise be shaped to facilitate the insertion of the conductive structure and connector receptacle front end into a corresponding sleeve. A conductive adhesive can secure the conductive structure in place. The conductive adhesive can be a pressure-sensitive adhesive, heat-activated adhesive, temperature-sensitive adhesive, or other type of adhesive. The conductive structure can be formed of a conductive material or it can have a conductive layer over all or some of its surface. 
     These and other embodiments of the present invention can provide device enclosures having improved ventilation. For example, an enclosure wall can be formed as a mesh or other non-solid surface. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the enclosure wall can be formed to have the appearance of being a mesh. The enclosure wall can include a pattern of perforations or holes to allow the passage of air to improve ventilation. For example, a pattern of holes can be formed in the enclosure wall to give the enclosure wall a mesh-like appearance. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the sleeves can be arranged to help to improve air flow though the mesh of the enclosure wall. For example, the enclosure wall can have an opening for a connector receptacle. A sleeve can have a front opening or front aperture aligned with the enclosure wall opening. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the front aperture can have a minimum width to accept a corresponding connector insert. The sleeve can have a thickness that is limited to at least approximately the thickness of the mesh of the enclosure wall. This limited profile for a connector receptacle front end can improve ventilation through the enclosure wall. 
     The sleeve can act as a shield at the front of the connector receptacle. This can allow a shield around the connector receptacle to be pulled back away from the enclosure wall thereby allowing a narrower sleeve front aperture. This narrow front end to the sleeve can help to further improve ventilation and prevent air flow through the enclosure wall from being blocked by the sleeves and connector receptacles. 
     A sleeve can taper to a rear aperture away from the enclosure wall and inside the electronic device. The rear aperture can be wider or larger than the front aperture and it can be wide enough to accept a front end of a connector receptacle. The sleeve can widen in steps from the front aperture to the rear aperture. The sleeve can instead widen in a line or curve from the front aperture to the rear aperture. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the sleeve can have other widening contours. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, the sleeves can maintain their width, they can have narrowing portions, or they can have other contours. The conductive structure can be located between the connector receptacle front end and the sleeve and away from the enclosure wall. This can allow additional narrowing of the sleeve near the enclosure wall for further improved ventilation. 
     These and other embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles and device enclosures having an aesthetically pleasing appearance. For example, even though an enclosure wall can have a number of holes or perforations for a mesh appearance, the connector receptacles might only be visible to a limited extent. For example, tapered sleeves can provide a minimal front aperture for an improved appearance. The tapered sleeves can limit the visibility of the connector receptacles and their structures as viewed from outside the electronic device. The tapered sleeves can further effectively hide the conductive structures used to connect the sleeves and connector receptacles. Locating the conductive structures between the connector receptacle front ends and the sleeves and away from the enclosure wall can allow the conductive structures to be set further back into the electronic device, thereby making the connector receptacles less visible. Some or all of the enclosure walls, sleeves, and connector receptacle shields can be darkened to absorb light and reduce reflections. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, portions of connector receptacle tongues or other structures can similarly be darkened to absorb light, reduce reflections, and match an enclosure wall. Some of all of these structures can be darkened using a conductive black PVD (physical vapor deposition) process, cosmetic tape, paint, pad printing, plating, laser darkening, or other process or material. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, a printed circuit board supporting the connector receptacles can be colored to match one or more of the enclosure wall, sleeves, and connector receptacle. For example, these structures can each be colored black, though they can have other colors as well. This can give the connector receptacles at openings in the enclosure wall the appearance that they are floating in the mesh of the enclosure wall. 
     These enclosure walls and sleeves can be formed in various ways in these and other embodiments of the present invention. For example, they can be formed by machining, such as by using computer numerical controlled machines, stamping, forging, metal-injection molding, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. These enclosure walls and sleeves can be formed of various materials. For example, they can be formed of aluminum, steel, stainless steel, copper, bronze, or other material. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, a material having good electrical and thermal conductivity can be chosen. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, contacts, ground pads, enclosure walls, sleeves, shields, and other portions of connector receptacles and device enclosures can be formed by stamping, metal-injection molding, machining, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. These portions can be formed of stainless steel, steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, or other material or combination of materials. They can be plated or coated with nickel, gold, or other material. Other portions, such as connector receptacle housings and other structures can be formed using injection or other molding, 3-D printing, machining, or other manufacturing process. These portions can be formed of silicon or silicone, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs), ceramics, or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. 
     Embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles and device enclosures that can be located in, or can connect to, various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, smart phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, video delivery systems, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices. These connector receptacles can provide interconnect pathways for signals that are compliant with various standards such as one of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standards including USB Type-C, High-Definition Multimedia Interface® (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt™, Lightning™, Joint Test Action Group (JTAG), test-access-port (TAP), Directed Automated Random Testing (DART), universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters (UARTs), clock signals, power signals, and other types of standard, non-standard, and proprietary interfaces and combinations thereof that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. Other embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles that can be used to provide a reduced set of functions for one or more of these standards. In various embodiments of the present invention, interconnect paths provided by these connector receptacles can be used to convey power, ground, signals, test points, and other voltage, current, data, or other information. 
     Various embodiments of the present invention can incorporate one or more of these and the other features described herein. A better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention can be gained by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a portion of a device enclosure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a cutaway side view of a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a more detailed view of a connector receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a connector receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a front view of a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This figure, as with the other included figures, is shown for illustrative purposes and does not limit either the possible embodiments of the present invention or the claims. 
     In this example, an electronic system can include desktop computer  110  that is in communication with monitor  120 . Desktop computer  110  can include a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) card or computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  (shown in  FIG. 10 ) having enclosure wall  112 . Desktop computer  110  can be housed in a device enclosure including case  116  and enclosure wall  112 . Desktop computer  110  can use computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  to provide graphics information over cable  130  to monitor  120 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, computer expansion cards such as computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  can provide graphics, sound, networking, and other functions for desktop computer  110 . 
     Cable  130  can be one of a number of various types of cables. For example, it can be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable such as a USB Type-A cable, USB Type-C cable, HDMI, Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, Lightning, or other type of cable. Cable  130  can include compatible connector inserts  132  that plug into connector receptacle  114  on desktop computer  110  and a connector receptacle (not shown) on monitor  120 . Computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  can include additional connector receptacles, audio jacks, or other connectors along with connector receptacle  114 . 
     In other embodiments of the present invention, either or both desktop computer  110  and monitor  120  can instead be portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, smart phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, video delivery systems, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, or other devices. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a portion of a device enclosure according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, enclosure wall  112  of computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  (shown in  FIG. 10 ) can be located in case  116 . Additional enclosure walls  210  and  212  can also be located in case  116 . Additional enclosure walls  210  and  212  can be standalone covers or they can be enclosure walls for other computer expansion cards or electronic devices. Enclosure walls  112 ,  210 , and  212  can be held in place by horizontal frame portions  117 . Tabs  240  on enclosure walls  112 ,  210 , and  212  can pass through openings  118  in case  116 . 
     These and other embodiments of the present invention can provide device enclosures, such as enclosure wall  112 , having improved ventilation. For example, enclosure wall  112  can be formed as a mesh or other non-solid surface. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, enclosure wall  112  can be formed to have the appearance of being a mesh. Enclosure wall  112  can include a pattern of holes or perforations  250  to allow the passage of air to improve ventilation. For example, a pattern of holes or perforations  250  can be formed in enclosure wall  112  to give enclosure wall  112  a mesh-like appearance. 
     Accordingly, enclosure walls  112 ,  210 , and  212  can have a mesh-like appearance. That is, holes or perforations  250  can be formed in enclosure walls  112 ,  210 , and  212 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, enclosure walls  112 ,  210 , and  212  can instead be formed already having holes or perforations  250 . These holes or perforations  250  can allow improved ventilation for computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  inside case  116 . In this example, enclosure wall  112  can further include openings  220  for one or more connector receptacles  320  (shown in  FIG. 3 .) Openings  220  can have a minimal size or front aperture  260  while still being able to accept a corresponding connector insert (not shown.) Openings  220  can be surrounded by an enclosure opening ring  221  having a thickness that is limited to at least approximately the thickness of the mesh, where the thickness of the mesh is the lateral thickness of the mesh of enclosure wall  112  between adjacent holes or perforations  250 . The reduced size of enclosure opening ring  221  can help to preserve the mesh appearance at the surface of enclosure wall  112 . This reduced size can also help to improve ventilation for computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  by reducing the size of structures that can otherwise block holes or perforations  250  in enclosure wall  112 . Further details of enclosure walls  112 , including their structure, methods of manufacturing, and the materials that can be used, can be found in co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/736,299, titled “HOUSING CONSTRUCTION,” filed Sep. 25, 2018, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/412,240, titled “HOUSING CONSTRUCTION,” filed May 14, 2019, which are incorporated by reference. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, ventilation can be further improved by employing sleeves  310  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) as front openings for connector receptacles  320 . These sleeves  310  can be integrally formed with enclosure wall  112 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, these sleeves  310  can be formed separately from enclosure wall  112  and then attached to enclosure wall  112  by soldering, spot or laser welding, or other method. Sleeves  310  can further help to reduce the size of structures that can otherwise block holes or perforations  250  in enclosure wall  112 . Sleeves  310  can also allow structures to be positioned away from enclosure wall  112  further into the electronic device such that ventilation is further improved. Examples of these sleeves  310  are shown in the following figures. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector receptacle  114  in  FIG. 1  can correspond to a combination of sleeve  310  and connector receptacle  320 . Sleeves  310  can extend from enclosure wall  112 . Sleeves  310  can progressively widen away from enclosure wall  112 . Sleeves  310  can have a front aperture  260  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) that can align with opening  220  (shown in  FIG. 2 .) Sleeves  310  can have a wider, rear aperture  360  away from enclosure wall  112 . In this example, sleeves  310  can progressively widen in steps  311 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, sleeves  310  can be tapered following a straight line, curve, or other contour. An example of this is shown in  FIG. 6 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, sleeves  310  can have other widening contours. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, sleeves  310  can maintain their width, they can have narrowing portions, or they can have other contours. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, sleeves  310  can be arranged to help to improve air flow though the mesh of enclosure wall  112 . For example, enclosure wall  112  can have opening  220  for connector receptacle  320 . Sleeve  310  can have a front opening or front aperture  260  aligned with enclosure wall opening  220 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, front aperture  260  can have a minimum width to accept a corresponding connector insert (not shown.) Sleeve  310  can have a thickness that is limited to at least approximately the thickness of the mesh of enclosure wall  112 . This limited profile for a connector receptacle front end can improve ventilation through the enclosure wall. 
     Sleeve  310  can also act as a shield at the front of connector receptacle  320 . This can allow shielding for connector receptacle  320 , such as front portion  325  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) of front shield  336  (shown in  FIG. 8 ), to be pulled back away from enclosure wall  112 , thereby allowing a narrower front aperture  260  of sleeve  310 . This further narrowing can help to further improve ventilation and can prevent air flow through enclosure wall  112  from being blocked by sleeves  310  and connector receptacles  320 . 
     Again, these sleeves  310  can taper to a rear aperture  360  away from enclosure wall  112 . Rear aperture  360  can be wider or larger than front aperture  260  and it can be wide enough to accept front end  321  of connector receptacles  320 . Conductive structures  340  can be located between a portion of connector receptacle front end  321  and sleeve  310  and away from enclosure wall  112 . This can allow further narrowing of sleeve  310  near enclosure wall  112  for still further improved ventilation. 
     Connector receptacles  320  can be attached to board  230 . Front ends  321  of connector receptacles  320  can be inserted into sleeves  310 . Connector receptacles  320  can include ground contacts  332 , side ground contacts  333 , or other grounding features. The widening configuration of sleeves  310  can provide room for these ground contacts  332 , side ground contacts  333 , and other grounding features. 
     Connector receptacles  320  can include shields  330 . Shields  330  can be electrically connected to sleeves  310  via conductive structures  340  and front shield  336 . Conductive structures  340  can be compliant or pliable structures such that they provide adequate contacting force between sleeves  310  and front shield  336 . Conductive structures  340  can be conductive gaskets, O-rings, or other structures. Conductive structures  340  can encircle portions of front ends  321  of connector receptacle  320 . Conductive structures  340  can instead be placed in sections around front ends  321  of connector receptacles  320 . Conductive structures  340  can have sloped leading edges or otherwise be shaped to facilitate the insertion of conductive structures  340  and connector receptacle front ends  321  into a corresponding sleeves  310 . A conductive adhesive (not shown) can secure each conductive structure  340  in place. The conductive adhesive can be a pressure sensitive adhesive, heat-activated adhesive, temperature-sensitive adhesive, or other type of adhesive. Conductive structures  340  can be formed of a conductive material or they can have a conductive layer over all or some of their surfaces. Further details of these conductive structures, such as conductive structures  340 , can be found in co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/736,344, titled “FLOATING CONNECTOR SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED EMI GASKET,” filed Sep. 25, 2018, and co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 16/428,603, titled “FLOATING CONNECTOR SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED EMI GASKET,” filed May 31, 2019, which are incorporated by reference. 
     Shields  330  of connector receptacles  320  can include tabs  334 . Tabs  334  can be soldered, for example using wave, reflow, or other solder techniques, in through holes in board  230  to form electrical connections with one or more ground planes (not shown) in board  230 . In this way, a ground path from enclosure wall  112  and sleeve  310 , through conductive structure  340 , front shield  336 , shield  330 , tabs  334 , and a ground plane (not shown) in board  230  can be formed. 
     Specifically, these and other embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles  320  and enclosure walls  112  that are properly grounded. A device enclosure for an electronic device can provide enclosure wall  112  having openings  220  through which connector inserts (not shown) can be inserted into corresponding connector receptacles  320 . Enclosure wall  112  can further include a sleeve  310  for some or all of connector receptacles  320 . These sleeves  310  can extend from the enclosure wall  112  into the electronic device. Connector receptacles  320  can have front ends  321  that can be inserted in the sleeve  310 . Front ends  321  of connector receptacles  320  can be partially shielded by front shields  336 . Shields  330  can be electrically connected to sleeves  310  by conductive structures  340  and front shields  336 . Shields  330  can further be electrically connected to traces or ground planes (not shown) of board  230  or other appropriate substrate on which connector receptacles  320  are mounted. This ground path from the enclosure wall  112 , through the sleeve  310 , conductive structure  340 , front shield  336 , connector receptacle shield  330 , tabs  334 , and board ground planes in board  230  can provide a proper ground path for computer expansion card or other electronic device  300 . 
     In this example, enclosure wall  112  is shown as being solid, that is, without holes or perforations  250  (shown in  FIG. 2 .) In these and other embodiments, enclosure wall  112  can be solid, it can have a mesh like appearance, or it can have other forms. 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  can be a computer expansion card or a portion of an electronic device. Enclosure wall  112  can be a portion of an enclosure for a computer expansion card, or it can be a portion of a device enclosure housing an electronic device. Board  230  can be a board for a computer expansion card, a main logic board, or other type of board. It can be a printed circuit board or other appropriate substrate. Board  230  can be formed of FR4 or other material. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, sleeves  310  can extend from enclosure wall  112  in computer expansion card or other electronic device  300 . Front ends  321  of connector receptacles  320  can be inserted into sleeves  310 . Conductive structures  340  can electrically connect sleeves  310  to shields  330  of connector receptacles  320  via front shields  336  (shown in  FIG. 8 .) Tabs  334  can extend from shields  330  and can be inserted into through holes in board  230  to form electrical connections with one or more ground planes (not shown) in board  230 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, connector receptacles  320  have been mated with sleeves  310 , which can extend from enclosure wall  112 . Connector receptacles  320  can be mounted on board  230  in computer expansion card or other electronic device  300 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cutaway side view of a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, connector receptacle  320  can include tongue  337 . Tongue  337  can include contacting portions  610  of a number of contacts (not shown) on its top and bottom sides. These contacts can terminate in through-hole tails  612 , which can be through-hole contacting portions that can be inserted into through holes (not shown) in board  230 . Through-hole tails  612  can be soldered in the through holes in board  230 , for example using wave, reflow, or other solder techniques. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, through-hole tails  612  can be replaced by surface-mount contacting portions. 
     Tongue  337  can be located in opening  220  in enclosure wall  112 . Sleeve  310  can be integrally formed with, and extend from, enclosure wall  112 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, sleeve  310  can be formed separately from enclosure wall  112  and then attached to enclosure wall  112 , for example by soldering or spot or laser welding. Sleeve  310  can be contoured such that it is wider away from enclosure wall  112 . Enclosure wall  112  can further include holes or perforations  250  to give enclosure wall  112  a mesh-like appearance. Front end  321  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) of connector receptacle  320  can be inserted into sleeve  310 . Front end  321  of connector receptacle  320  can include nonconductive housing  322  and front portion  325  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) of front shield  336  (shown in  FIG. 8 .) Shield  330  can be electrically connected to sleeve  310  via conductive structure  340  and front shield  336 . Front shield  336  can be pulled back from enclosure wall  112 . This can allow sleeve  310  to be narrower, thereby improving ventilation as well as device appearance. Shield  330  can further connect to center ground plane  338  in connector receptacle  320 . Tabs  334  can extend from shield  330  and can be soldered in a through hole in board  230 . 
     In this example, a connector receptacle having a tongue, such as a USB Type-C connector receptacle, is shown. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, other types of connector receptacles, such as USB Type-A, High-Definition Multimedia Interface, Digital Visual Interface, Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, Lightning, and other connector receptacles, can be included on computer expansion card or other electronic device  300 . 
       FIG. 7  is a more detailed view of a connector receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Connector receptacle  320  can include front end  321 , which can further include housing  322  and front portion  325  (shown in  FIG. 8 ) of front shield  336  (shown in  FIG. 8 .) Housing  322  can include front opening  712  for tongue  337 . Tongue  337  can support contacting portions  610  of contacts (not shown) on a top and bottom side. These contacts can terminate in through-hole tails  612 . Through-hole tails  612  can be inserted into through holes (not shown) in printed circuit board  230  (shown in  FIG. 2 .) Housing  322  can include slot  323  that supports side ground contacts  333 . Side ground contacts  333  can include center tab  327 , which can electrically connect to front shield  336 . Conductive structure  340  can encircle front portion  325  of front shield  336 . Connector receptacle  320  can be shielded by shield  330 , which can be spot or laser-welded to front shield  336 , though shield  330  and front shield  336  can be formed as a single piece in these and other embodiments of the present invention. Shield  330  can include tabs  334 . Tabs  334  can be inserted into openings in board  230 . Tabs  334  and through-hole tails  612  can be soldered, for example using wave, reflow, or other solder techniques, in corresponding through holes (not shown) in board  230  to form electrical connections with one or more ground or power planes, signal traces, or other conductive paths (not shown) in board  230 . Posts  710  can provide alignment to board  230  for connector receptacle  320 . Posts  710  can be inserted into openings (not shown) in board  230 . 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a connector receptacle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Nonconductive housing  322  can include slot  323  for supporting side ground contacts  333 . Side ground contacts  333  can include center tab  327 . Center tab can be joined to contacting portions  329  by arms that can include looped portions  328 . Contacting portions  329  can physically and electrically connect to a shield of a corresponding connector insert (not shown) when the connector insert is mated with connector receptacle  114  (shown in  FIG. 1 .) Conductive structure  340  can wrap around or encircle front portion  325  of front shield  336 . Front shield  336  can shield at least a portion of front end  321 . Front shield  336  can include tabs  335 , which can be inserted and soldered into openings in board  230  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) using wave, reflow, or other solder techniques. Tongue  337  can be supported by tongue attachment portion  830 . Central ground plane  338  can be located between top housing portion  840  and bottom housing portion  850 . Central ground plane  338  can include tabs  339 , which can be inserted and soldered into openings in board  230 , using wave, reflow, or other solder techniques. Top housing portion  840  can support contacts (not shown) that can include contacting portions  610  and through-hole tails  612 . Bottom housing portion  850  can support contacts having contacting portions  610  and through-hole tails  612 . Posts  710  can extend from a bottom housing portion  850 . Shield  330  can be spot or laser welded to front shield  336 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, shield  330  and front shield  336  can be formed as a single piece. Shield  330  can include tabs  334 . Tongue attachment portion  830  can include tabs (not shown) that can fit into notch  842  on top housing portion  840  and a corresponding notch (not shown) on bottom housing portion  850 . 
     In these and other embodiments of the present invention, portions of connector receptacle  320  can be visible through holes or perforations  250  in enclosure wall  112  (shown in  FIG. 9 .) For example, portions of front shield  336  and tongue attachment portion  830  can be metallic and as a result, can be noticeable. To further the appearance that connector receptacles  320  are floating in the mesh formed by holes or perforations  250 , these surfaces can be covered or colored to have a reduced visibility. In this example, cosmetic tape  810  can be attached to front shield  336  and cosmetic tape  820  can be attached around tongue  337  and front of tongue attachment portion  830 . Cosmetic tape  810  and  820  can have a color that is similar to a color of enclosure wall  112 . Cosmetic tape  810  and  820  can have a dark color, such as black, to provide a less noticeable appearance. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, a conductive black PVD process can be used to give these and other surfaces a less noticeable appearance. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, these and other surfaces can be painted, pad printed, plated, laser darkened, or other colored in other ways to be less noticeable. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a front view of a portion of a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Enclosure wall  112  can include a number of holes or perforations  250 . Enclosure wall  112  can further include a number of openings  220  for connector receptacles  320 . In this example, each connector receptacle  320  can include tongue  337 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, one or more connector receptacle  320  might not have a tongue  337 . For example, one or more connector receptacle  320  can be Lightning connector. Connector receptacles  320  can be mounted on board  230 . 
     These and other embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles  320  and enclosure walls  112  having an aesthetically pleasing appearance. For example, even though enclosure wall  112  can have a number of holes or perforations  250  for a mesh appearance, connector receptacles  320  might only be visible to a limited extent. For example, tapered sleeves  310  can provide a minimal front aperture  260  for an improved appearance. Tapered sleeves  310  can limit the visibility of connector receptacles  320  and their structures as viewed from outside the electronic device. Tapered sleeves  310  can further effectively hide conductive structures  340  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) used to connect sleeves  310  and connector receptacles  320 . Locating conductive structures  340  between connector receptacle front ends  321  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) and sleeves  310  and away from the enclosure wall  112  can allow conductive structures  340  to be set further back into the electronic device, thereby making the connector receptacles  320  less visible. Some or all of enclosure walls  112 , sleeves  310 , connector receptacle shields  330 , front shields  336 , and tongue attachment portion  830  can be darkened to absorb light and reduce reflections. For example, cosmetic tape  810  can be used to darken or change the appearance of front shield  336  while cosmetic tape  820  can be used to darken or change the appearance of tongue attachment portion  830 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, portions of connector receptacle tongues  337  or other structures can similarly be darkened to absorb light, reduce reflections, and match an enclosure wall. Some of all of these structures can be darkened using a conductive black PVD process, cosmetic tape, paint, pad printing, plating, laser darkening, or other process or material. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, printed circuit board  230  can be colored to match one or more of enclosure wall  112 , sleeves  310 , and connector receptacle  320 . For example, these structures can each be colored black, though they can have other colors as well. This can give connector receptacle openings  220  in enclosure wall  112  the appearance that they are floating in the mesh. 
     These enclosure walls  112  and sleeves  310  can be formed in various ways in these and other embodiments of the present invention. For example, they can be formed by machining, such as by using computer numerical controlled machines, stamping, forging, metal-injection molding, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. Enclosure wall  112  and sleeves  310  can be integrally formed, or they can be formed separately and then attached. Enclosure walls  112  can be formed of plastic, for example by injection molding, while sleeves  310  can be formed of metal, for example using a deep-drawn process. These enclosure walls  112  and sleeves  310  can be formed of various materials. For example, they can be formed of aluminum, steel, stainless steel, copper, bronze, or other material. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, a material having good electrical and thermal conductivity can be chosen. 
     Boards  230  in computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  can be a printed circuit board, which can be made of FR4, flexible circuit board, or other appropriate substrate. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a computer expansion card or other electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In these and other embodiments of the present invention, computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  can be a PCIe card. Connector receptacles  320  can have front ends  321  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) inserted into sleeves  310 . Sleeves  310  can extend from enclosure wall  112 . Board  230  can include one, two, three, or more tabs  1010  to fit in a socket on a second board (not shown), such as a main logic board for a computer system. A number of contacts  1012  can be electrically connected to electronic circuits  1020  and connector receptacles  320 . In these and other embodiments of the present invention, tabs  1010  and contacts  1012  can be omitted, for example where computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  is not a computer expansion card but is instead another type of electronic device. 
     Embodiments of the present invention can be employed in computer expansion cards, such as computer expansion card or other electronic device  300 . These and other embodiments of the present invention can be employed in other electronic devices or as other parts of electronic devices. For example, enclosure wall  112  can be a cover for computer expansion card or other electronic device  300  while board  230  can be a board for computer expansion card or other electronic device  300 . In other embodiments of the present invention, enclosure wall  112  can be a different portion of a device enclosure for an electronic device. For example, enclosure wall  112  can be a device enclosure that substantially houses an electronic device. Board  230  can be a main logic board or other board in the electronic device. 
     In various embodiments of the present invention, contacts, ground pads, enclosure walls, sleeves, shields, and other portions of connector receptacle and device enclosures can be formed by stamping, metal-injection molding, machining, micro-machining, 3-D printing, or other manufacturing process. These portions can be formed of stainless steel, steel, copper, copper titanium, phosphor bronze, or other material or combination of materials. They can be plated or coated with nickel, gold, or other material. Other portions, such as connector receptacle housings, and other structures can be formed using injection or other molding, 3-D printing, machining, or other manufacturing process. These portions can be formed of silicon or silicone, rubber, hard rubber, plastic, nylon, liquid-crystal polymers, ceramics, or other nonconductive material or combination of materials. 
     Embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles and device enclosures that can be located in, or can connect to, various types of devices, such as portable computing devices, tablet computers, desktop computers, laptops, all-in-one computers, wearable computing devices, smart phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors, power supplies, video delivery systems, adapters, remote control devices, chargers, and other devices. These connector receptacles can provide interconnect pathways for signals that are compliant with various standards such as one of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standards including USB Type-C, High-Definition Multimedia Interface®, Digital Visual Interface, Ethernet, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt™, Lightning™, Joint Test Action Group, test-access-port, Directed Automated Random Testing, universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters, clock signals, power signals, and other types of standard, non-standard, and proprietary interfaces and combinations thereof that have been developed, are being developed, or will be developed in the future. Other embodiments of the present invention can provide connector receptacles that can be used to provide a reduced set of functions for one or more of these standards. In various embodiments of the present invention, these interconnect paths provided by these connector receptacles can be used to convey power, ground, signals, test points, and other voltage, current, data, or other information. 
     The above description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20190531
Publication Date: 20200519
Grant Date: 20200519
Priority Date: 20180925
Inventors: ANDRE, BARTLEY K.
AMINI, MAHMOUD R.
ZHOU, RUI
Harper, James E.
FARAHANI, HOUTAN R.
TAN, SUNG-HO
LANAS, MARIEL L.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H05K9/0018", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6594", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R2201/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/186", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6596", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/185", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/60", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/184", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6588", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/182", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6584", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6594", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/514", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6587", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6592", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6592", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6587", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6594", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6588", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6584", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/182", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/514", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/60", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6581", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/716", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2213/0042", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R2201/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R27/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/648", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/502", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F13/4068", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 66685429