PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9692186-B2
Application Number: US-201514600999-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: High-speed electrical connector

Abstract:
A high-speed electrical connector employs a plurality of electrical contacts held together by a dielectric frame. The contacts are electrically coupled to a substrate within the connector. A gasket may be disposed between the dielectric frame and the substrate and configured to block the flow of an overmold material between the dielectric frame and the substrate such that voids are formed between the contacts. The dielectric frame and the overmold may be made from materials containing silica aerogel. The voids and the aerogel materials result in reduced parasitic capacitance between the contacts enabling higher data transfer speeds.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical connector comprising:
 a plurality of electrical contacts disposed in a dielectric frame having a perimeter encompassing the plurality of electrical contacts; 
 a substrate having a plurality of bonding pads, each bonding pad of the plurality of bonding pads being electrically coupled to a contact in the plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the substrate is positioned parallel and adjacent to the dielectric frame; 
 a gasket along the perimeter of the dielectric frame, disposed between the dielectric frame and the substrate such that an outline of the gasket encompasses the plurality of contacts; 
 an overmold encapsulating the dielectric frame and at least a portion of the substrate; and 
 an air void disposed within the perimeter of the dielectric frame and between the dielectric frame and the substrate. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical connector of  claim 1  further comprising an air void disposed within the perimeter of the dielectric frame and between the dielectric frame and the substrate. 
     
     
       3. The electrical connector of  claim 1  wherein portions of the gasket are disposed between each of the plurality of electrical contacts. 
     
     
       4. The electrical connector of  claim 1  wherein the gasket comprises a low dielectric constant material that is compressible. 
     
     
       5. The electrical connector of  claim 4  wherein the dielectric constant of the gasket is between 1.1-3. 
     
     
       6. The electrical connector of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric frame comprises a low dielectric constant polymer. 
     
     
       7. The electrical connector of  claim 1  wherein the gasket has a portion that extends beyond the perimeter of the dielectric frame. 
     
     
       8. An electrical connector comprising:
 a substrate having a plurality of bonding pads formed in a contact area; 
 a dielectric frame disposed adjacent to the substrate in an oppositional relationship to the contact area; 
 a plurality of electrical contacts disposed in the dielectric frame, each electrical contact in the plurality of electrical contacts being coupled to a bonding pad in the plurality of bonding pads; 
 an overmold encapsulating at least a portion of the substrate and the dielectric frame and at least partially filling space in between upper portions of adjacent electrical contacts in the plurality of electrical contacts; and 
 a gasket disposed between the substrate and the dielectric frame, the gasket forming a seal that surrounds the contact area between the substrate and the dielectric fame. 
 
     
     
       9. The connector set forth in  claim 8  wherein each electrical contact in the plurality of electrical contacts is soldered to a bonding pad in the plurality of bonding pads at a solder joint and the seal forms an air gap between each adjacent solder joint. 
     
     
       10. The connector set forth in  claim 9  wherein the plurality of contacts are spaced apart along a single row and the gasket includes first and second opposing rails that extend along a length of the row and a plurality of connectors extending between the first and second rails forming a plurality of openings, wherein each of the plurality of openings is aligned with a bonding pad from the plurality of bonding pads. 
     
     
       11. An electrical connector comprising:
 a plurality of electrical contacts disposed in a dielectric frame, the dielectric frame comprising a perimeter encompassing the plurality of electrical contacts; 
 a substrate electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical contacts and disposed adjacent and parallel to the dielectric frame; 
 a gasket along the entire perimeter of the dielectric frame, disposed between the dielectric frame and the substrate, the gasket formed from a first compressible layer and a second reinforcement layer; and 
 an overmold encapsulating the dielectric frame and at least a portion of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       12. The electrical connector of  claim 11  wherein the gasket has a third reinforcement layer disposed on an opposite side of the compressible layer. 
     
     
       13. The electrical connector of  claim 11  wherein portions of the gasket are disposed between each of the plurality of electrical contacts. 
     
     
       14. The electrical connector of  claim 13  wherein the second reinforcement layer is disposed only along the perimeter of the dielectric frame. 
     
     
       15. A plug connector comprising:
 a body; 
 a connector tab coupled to and extending away from the body, the connector tab including first and second surfaces; 
 a first plurality of external contacts carried by the tab at the first surface and a second plurality of external contacts carried by the tab at the second surface; 
 a first gasket formed around a perimeter of the first plurality of external contacts and a second gasket formed around a perimeter of the second plurality of external contacts; and 
 an overmold dielectric material comprising an aerogel formed between each of the first plurality and each of the second plurality of external contacts. 
 
     
     
       16. The plug connector of  claim 15  wherein the aerogel comprises a silica aerogel. 
     
     
       17. The plug connector of  claim 15  wherein the first plurality of external contacts is disposed in a first dielectric frame and the second plurality of external contacts is disposed in a second dielectric frame. 
     
     
       18. The plug connector of  claim 17  wherein the first and second dielectric frames comprise an aerogel. 
     
     
       19. A plug connector comprising:
 a body; 
 a plurality of contacts carried by the body and electrically isolated from each other by an overmold dielectric material comprising silica aerogel formed between individual ones of the plurality of contacts; 
 a dielectric frame secured to each contact of the plurality of contacts; and 
 a gasket formed around a perimeter of the plurality of contacts. 
 
     
     
       20. The plug connector of  claim 19  further comprising a tab portion of the body coupled to and extending away from the body, the connector tab including first and second surfaces. 
     
     
       21. An electrical connector comprising:
 a first plurality of electrical contacts disposed in a dielectric frame having a perimeter encompassing the plurality of electrical contacts, each contact in the first plurality of contacts having a first contact surface and a bonding surface opposite the first contact surface; 
 a substrate disposed adjacent and parallel to the dielectric frame, the substrate having a plurality of bonding pads; 
 an overmold encapsulating the dielectric frame and at least a portion of the substrate; and 
 an air void disposed within the perimeter of the dielectric frame and between the dielectric frame and the substrate; 
 wherein the dielectric frame includes a design feature to prevent flow of overmold material into the air void and wherein each of the plurality of bonding pads is electrically coupled to a bonding surface of a contact in the first plurality of electrical contacts within the air void. 
 
     
     
       22. The electrical connector of  claim 21  further comprising a body and connector tab extending away from the body, the connector tab comprising an exterior conductive surface that surrounds the first contact surface of each contact in the first plurality of electrical contacts in a first plane. 
     
     
       23. The electrical connector of  claim 21  wherein each contact in the plurality of contacts includes a first bonding surface and a second bonding surface spaced apart from the first bonding surface. 
     
     
       24. The electrical connector of  claim 21  wherein the dielectric frame is insert molded around the plurality of contacts and comprises a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
       25. The electrical connector of  claim 21  wherein the dielectric frame comprises a liquid crystal polymer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/036,873, filed Aug. 13, 2014, titled “HIGH SPEED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and in particular to electrical connectors employed in applications requiring high-speed data transmission. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A wide variety of electronic devices are available for consumers today. Many of these devices have connectors that facilitate communication with and/or charging of a corresponding device. These connectors often interface with other connectors through cables that are used to connect devices to one another. Sometimes, connectors are used without a cable to directly connect the device to another device, such as a charging station or a sound system. 
     As smart-phones, media players and other electronic devices become more sophisticated, a limiting factor on the performance of a particular device may be the rate at which data can be transferred to and from the device. As an example, data transfer cables having connectors at either end are sometimes used to exchange data with portable media devices. The usefulness of such portable media devices may be limited by the rate at which data, such as a file containing a movie, may be transferred to the device. More sophisticated electronic devices may be able to hold numerous movie files and the more expedient the file transfer the more convenient the device may be for the user. 
     New connectors such as the connector employed in the data transfer cable just described as well as other connectors, may require new features and/or changes to commonly used connector components to support increased data transfer rates. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the invention pertain to high-speed electrical connectors for use with a variety of electronic devices. In some embodiments, the electrical connectors are configured to be attached to a cable while in other embodiments they may be mounted in a docking station or other device. The increased speed enables faster data transfer between electronic devices and an improved user experience. 
     Some embodiments of the present invention relate to high-speed electrical connectors that have one or more contact assemblies integrated within the connector. Each contact assembly has a plurality of electrical contacts disposed in a dielectric frame. The dielectric frame may be defined by a perimeter that encompasses the plurality of contacts. The contacts may be electrically coupled to a substrate also integrated within the connector and the substrate may be electrically coupled to the cable or docking station. A gasket may be disposed along the perimeter of the dielectric frame and compressed between the dielectric frame and the substrate. The gasket may be made from a compressible material and configured to form a seal between the dielectric frame and the substrate. An overmold may encapsulate the dielectric frame, the contacts and the substrate. In one embodiment the gasket may prevent the overmold from flowing between the substrate and the dielectric frame between the plurality of electrical contacts. As a result, voids “air pockets” may be formed between the plurality of electrical contacts resulting in reduced parasitic capacitance and higher data transfer speed. 
     In further embodiments, portions of the gasket “fingers” may be disposed between each of the plurality of electrical contacts. The gasket may be made from a relatively low dielectric constant material such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), resulting in reduced parasitic capacitance and a higher data transfer speed for the connector. 
     In other embodiments, the dielectric frame and/or the overmold material may be made from a plastic that includes silica aerogel. The silica aerogel may be primarily composed of air and may reduce the dielectric constant of the dielectric frame and/or the overmold. The reduced dielectric constant may result in reduced parasitic capacitance and a higher data transfer speed for the connector. 
     To better understand the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the following description and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present invention. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evident to the contrary from the description, where elements in different figures use identical reference numbers, the elements are generally either identical or at least similar in function or purpose. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a high-speed electrical connector according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2A  is an exploded view of components within the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is an assembled view of components within the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a partial cross-sectional view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of a gasket with reinforcement layers that may be used in the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a method for manufacturing a high-speed electrical connector according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of a contact assembly that may be used in the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of an electrical contact assembly that may be used in the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of a partially assembled electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the fully assembled electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of a high-speed connector in a partially assembled condition according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of the high-speed connector shown in  FIG. 9  in a fully assembled condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to electrical connectors. While the present invention can be useful for a wide variety of electrical connectors, some embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for electrical connectors that can be used in high-speed data transmission, as described in more detail below. 
       FIG. 1  is a simplified perspective view of an exemplary plug connector  100  that may benefit from embodiments of the invention. Plug connector  100  may be employed in a data transfer cable or in a device such as a docking station. Plug connector  100  includes a connector tab  105  that is sized to be inserted into a cavity in a corresponding receptacle connector (not shown). Tab  105  includes a metal ground ring  110  that surrounds a contact region  111 . A contact assembly  115  is disposed within contact region  111  and may contain a first plurality of external elongated electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) retained in a dielectric frame (illustrated in greater detail below). This particular embodiment has eight electrical contacts, however other embodiments may have more or less electrical contacts. Contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) need not be external and may have a variety of shapes such as, but not limited to square, round, leaf springs or cantilevered beams. Connector  100  further comprises a connector body  125  having tab  105  coupled to and extending out of a first end of the body and a cable bundle  130  extending out of a second, opposite, end of the body. In some embodiments connector tab  105  may be double sided, including first and second surfaces  135 ,  140 , respectively where each surface has one or more electrical contacts, as discussed in more detail below. 
       FIG. 2A  is an exploded view of the internal construction of connector  100 . In this illustration metal ground ring  110 , body  125  and cable bundle  130  have been removed for clarity. Contact assembly  115  and gasket  218  are shown above substrate  215  in a preassembled position. Contact assembly  115  includes plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) that are retained in a first dielectric frame  205 , as will be shown in greater detail below. First dielectric frame  205  has a perimeter  210  that encompasses first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). Electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) may each have one or more lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) that protrude below dielectric frame  205 . Gasket  218  may have a perimeter portion  220  and some embodiments may have one or more fingers  225  that create one or more openings  221  aligned with the one or more lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). The one or more openings  221  in gasket  218  may also be aligned with a plurality of bonding pads  222 ( 1 ) . . .  222 ( 8 ) on substrate  215 . 
     During assembly, gasket  218  may be disposed on substrate  215  such that the one or more openings  221  are aligned with the plurality of bonding pads  222 ( 1 ) . . .  222 ( 8 ) on substrate  215 . Contact assembly  115  may then be disposed on gasket  218  such that the one or more lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) extend through the one or more openings  221  in gasket  218  and are electrically coupled to the plurality of bonding pads  222 ( 1 ) . . .  222 ( 8 ) on substrate  215 . 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates gasket  218  and contact assembly  115  in the assembled position on substrate  215 . More specifically, perimeter portion  220  of gasket  218  may be compressed between dielectric frame  205  of contact assembly  115  and substrate  215 . Similarly, one or more fingers  225  (see  FIG. 2A ) of gasket  218  may extend between the one or more lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) (see  FIG. 2A ) of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) and be compressed between dielectric frame  205  of contact assembly  115  and substrate  215 . Gasket  218  may be made from a compliant material such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), as discussed in more detail below. Compressed gasket  218  may prevent the flow of overmold material between contact assembly  115  and substrate  215  during subsequent manufacturing processes, as illustrated in greater detail below. 
       FIG. 2C  is a partial cross-section of the fully assembled connector  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , denoted by section A-A. First dielectric frame  205  retains first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). Lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) protrude below dielectric frame  205  and are in electrical contact with plurality of bonding pads  222 ( 1 ) . . .  222 ( 8 ) on substrate  215 . Substrate  215  may retain one or more electronic components (not shown). Gasket  218  may be compressed between first dielectric frame  205  and substrate  215 . More specifically, gasket  218  may have a perimeter portion  220  and some embodiments may have one or more fingers  225  that are compressed between first dielectric frame  205  and substrate  215 . An overmold  230  may encapsulate an upper portion  217  of first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ), first dielectric frame  205 , substrate  215  as well as other portions of connector  100  as described in more detail below. Gasket  218  may preclude overmold  230  from flowing between first dielectric frame  205  and substrate  215 , creating one or more voids in the region of gasket  218  openings  221 , as discussed in more detail below. 
     In some embodiments, overmold  230  may be formed by injecting molten plastic within metal ground ring  110 . Gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may prevent overmold  230  from flowing between dielectric frame  205  and substrate  215  such that one or more “voids”  250  are formed adjacent to and/or in-between each of first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) in the region of openings  221 . As used herein, a void shall mean an area that is substantially vacant of materials such as gasket  218 , gasket fingers  225  and/or overmold  230 . Further, a void may or may not be filled with a gas such as air and in some cases may contain moderate amounts of other materials such as solder flux residue. In some embodiments, voids  250 , gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may be used to improve the data transmission rate of connector  100 , as described in more detail below. 
     Most electrical connectors, such as connector  100  (see  FIG. 1 ), have insulating dielectrics (e.g., overmold  230  and first dielectric frame  205 ) to separate the electrical conductors (e.g., first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 )) from one another. The insulating dielectrics provide electrical isolation to prevent the conductors from shorting together as well as mechanical support to hold the conductors in place. In some embodiments, the conductors may be close to one another and may be used to transmit high-speed data using a differential pair architecture where the two conductors transmit data by rapidly changing their relative voltage potential. 
     When two conductors (e.g., each of first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 )) at different voltage potentials are close to one another, they are affected by each other&#39;s electric field and store opposite electric charges like a capacitor. The result is the generation of parasitic capacitance. Changing the voltage potential between the conductors requires a current into or out of the conductors to charge or discharge them resulting in reduced voltage potential switching speed and increased energy losses. Capacitance can be calculated if the geometry of the conductors and the dielectric properties of the dielectric between the conductors are known. For example, the capacitance of a parallel-plate capacitor constructed of two parallel plates both of area A separated by a distance d is approximately equal to the following: 
             C   =       ε   r     ⁢     ε   0     ⁢     A   d             
Where:
 
     C is the capacitance, in Farads; 
     A is the area of overlap of the two plates, in square meters; 
     ∈ r  is the relative static permittivity (sometimes called the dielectric constant) of the dielectric between the plates (for a vacuum, ∈ r =1); 
     ∈ 0  is the electric constant (∈ 0 ≈8.854×10 −12  F m −1 ); and 
     d is the separation between the plates, in meters. 
     Therefore, replacing one or more of the insulating dielectrics (e.g., overmold  230  and first dielectric frame  205 ) disposed between electrical contacts (e.g., first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 )) with a material or medium having a reduced dielectric constant will reduce the parasitic capacitance. As discussed above, the reduction parasitic capacitance enables faster data transmission speeds and lower energy losses. Since the dielectric constant of a vacuum and air are by definition the lowest possible dielectric constant mediums available, at approximately 1, the more space between the conductors (e.g., first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 )) filled by air or by a lower dielectric constant material, the higher the potential data transmission speed of connector  100 . 
     In some embodiments the area between each of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) may be filled with more than one material and/or medium. In these embodiments the effective dielectric constant may be the aggregate of the dielectric constants of the constituent materials. Thus, changing the dielectric constant of one or more of the constituent materials may effect the effective dielectric constant and the related data transmission rate of connector  100 . 
     Referring still to  FIG. 2C , in further embodiments, the effective dielectric constant of the material between each of first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) may be reduced by fabricating gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  from a material having a reduced dielectric constant as compared to overmold  230 . That is, by filling a portion of the space between lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) with gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  instead of overmold  230 , the effective dielectric constant may be reduced. In some embodiments gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may be manufactured from a low dielectric constant material such as expanded PTFE known as “Teflon® foam”. In other embodiments a different material may be used such as an elastomer or silicone material, either of which may be a foam having substantial air pockets. Myriad materials may be used to reduce the effective dielectric constant of the area between each of first electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). In one embodiment the dielectric constant of overmold  230  is between 4-8. In another embodiment the dielectric constant of overmold  230  is between 5-7. In further embodiments the dielectric constant of overmold  230  is approximately 6. In one embodiment the dielectric constant of gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  is between 1.1-3. In another embodiment the dielectric constant of gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  is between 1.1-2. In further embodiments the dielectric constant of gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  is approximately 1.3. 
     In other embodiments the area between each of lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) may be filled with a combination of gasket material and voids. For example, in one embodiment, gasket fingers  225  may fill the entire width between lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of each of plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) and very small voids  250  may be created. In further embodiments gasket fingers  225  may fill only a small portion of the width between lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of each of plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) and large voids may be created. More specifically, in some embodiments gasket fingers  225  may fill less than half of the area between lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of each of first plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) while in other embodiments the gasket fingers may fill more than half of the area. In further embodiments gasket fingers  225  may be disposed between some of lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of first plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ), while in other embodiments gasket fingers may be disposed between all of lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of first plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). For example, in some embodiments only two contacts (e.g.,  120 ( 2 ) and  120 ( 3 )) may be used for high-speed data transmission so a single gasket finger  225  may be disposed only between those two contacts. 
     In some embodiments the percent compression of gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may be optimized to have as low a dielectric constant as possible, while still providing an adequate seal to keep out the relatively higher dielectric constant overmold  230 . This may be beneficial for compressible gasket materials that are filled with air pockets since when under compression the size and/or quantity of air pockets within the material may be reduced, which commensurately increases the dielectric constant of the material. Thus, the compression of gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may be minimized so that an adequate seal is formed at a minimal compression. 
     In further embodiments gasket  218  may be used only around periphery  210  of first dielectric frame  205 . That is, in some embodiments there may be no gasket fingers  225  disposed between lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of first plurality electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). In such embodiments perimeter portion  220  of gasket  218  may prevent overmold  230  from flowing between first dielectric frame  205  and substrate  215 , thereby creating voids  250  composed primarily of air between lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of each of first plurality electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). In these embodiments, because gasket  218  is not disposed between electrical contacts, its dielectric constant may have little effect on the electrical performance of connector  100  (see  FIG. 1 ). Instead, air separates lower portions  219 ( 1 ) . . .  219 ( 8 ) of each of first plurality electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) which has a dielectric constant of 1. Therefore, in such embodiments, the dielectric constant of gasket  218  may have a negligible impact on the data transmission speed of connector  100  (see  FIG. 1 ) and materials having a relatively high dielectric constant may be used for gasket  218 . Thus, in these embodiments any compliant material may be used for gasket  218 , such as, but not limited to an elastomer or a silicone. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of gasket material  300  that may be used to make gasket  218  and/or gasket finger  225 . Gasket material  300  is composed of a compressible material  305  with one or more support layers  310  disposed on one or more faying surfaces. Compressible material  305  may be any material, such as expanded PTFE, as discussed above, to provide a low dielectric constant between electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). In other embodiments, compressible material  305  may be only used around perimeter portion  220  of gasket  218  and used to prevent overmold  230  from flowing between dielectric frame  205  and substrate  215 .  FIG. 3  illustrates support layers  310  on both faying surfaces of gasket  300 , however in some embodiments the support layer may be disposed on only one surface. Support layers  310  may include a material that is relatively rigid, such as a fiber reinforcement, so it provides mechanical support for fabrication, transportation, placement and processing of gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225 . 
     In further embodiments, support layer  310  may only be disposed around perimeter of gasket  218 , and gasket fingers  225  may have no support layer. In other embodiments one or more support layers  310  may be configured to be removable after gasket and/or gasket fingers  225  are placed on substrate  215  or first dielectric frame  205 . That is, in some embodiments one or more support layers  310  may be used as a temporary manufacturing and assembly aids and removed before final assembly and overmolding. In other embodiments one or both faying surfaces of gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may have an adhesive to aid placement and retention to substrate  215  during assembly. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 2B , in further embodiments, gasket  218  may be replaced by an epoxy or other material that is disposed around perimeter  210  of first dielectric frame  205 . As an example, a bead of epoxy may be dispensed on substrate  215  such that perimeter  210  of first dielectric frame  205  is sealed, preventing overmold  230  from flowing between the first dielectric frame and the substrate. In other embodiments first dielectric frame  205  may be formed such that it has a lip disposed around perimeter  210  where the lip is positioned close enough to substrate  215  to prevent overmold  230  (see  FIG. 2C ) from flowing between first dielectric frame  205  and the substrate. Myriad methods may be used to prevent overmold  230  from flowing between first dielectric frame  205  and substrate  215 . 
     Further embodiments may employ materials for first dielectric frame  205  and/or overmold  230  that have reduced dielectric constants to reduce the effective dielectric constant between each of plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). In one embodiment, dielectric frame  205  and/or overmold  230  may employ a filled plastic material where the filler comprises an aerogel. The aerogel may be a porous material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with a gas. The result may be a solid with extremely low density composed predominantly of air. In some embodiments the filler may comprise a silica aerogel. In further embodiments particulates of aerogel may be dispersed within the plastic material used for first dielectric frame  205  and/or overmold  230 . In one embodiment first dielectric frame  205  is manufactured from a liquid crystal polymer that is filled with particulates of aerogel, however in other embodiments other plastic materials may be employed, and are within the scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments the percentage of aerogel filler reduces the dielectric constant of first dielectric frame  205  to a value between 1-4. In other embodiments it reduces the dielectric constant to a value between 1-3. In further embodiments it reduces the dielectric constant to a value between 1-2. 
     In one embodiment overmold  230  may be manufactured from a nylon or polyoxymethylene (POM) that is filled with particulates of aerogel, however in other embodiments other plastic materials may be employed and are within the scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments the percentage of aerogel filler reduces the dielectric constant of overmold  230  to a value between 1-6. In other embodiments it reduces the dielectric constant to a value between 1-4. In further embodiments it reduces the dielectric constant to a value between 1-2. 
     Myriad combinations of materials and design features may be employed to reduce the effective dielectric constant between plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). In some embodiments gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may be used alone. In other embodiments they may be used with first dielectric frame  205  manufactured from a plastic having aerogel particulates. In some embodiments gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225  may be used with overmold  230  manufactured from a plastic having aerogel particulates. In further embodiments first dielectric frame  205  manufactured from a plastic with aerogel particulates may be used by itself. In other embodiments overmold  230  manufactured from a plastic with aerogel particulates may be used by itself. In yet further embodiments first dielectric frame  205  manufactured from a plastic having aerogel particulates may be used with overmold  230  also having aerogel particulates. In yet further embodiments first dielectric frame  205  manufactured from a plastic having aerogel particulates may be used with overmold  230  also having aerogel particulates along with gasket  218  and/or gasket fingers  225 . Myriad combinations of materials may be used to reduce the effective dielectric constant between plurality of contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) and are within the scope of this disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2C , as discussed above, some embodiments of connector  100  may be double sided and have second surface  140  having second plurality of contacts  235 ( 1 ) . . .  235 ( 8 ), also attached to substrate  215 . Overmold  230  may encapsulate a portion of first plurality of electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ), first dielectric frame  205 , substrate  215 , second dielectric frame  240  and a portion of second plurality of contacts  235 ( 1 ) . . .  235 ( 8 ). Similar features may be employed as described herein to reduce the dielectric constant of the area between each of second plurality of contacts  235 ( 1 ) . . .  235 ( 8 ). 
     Plug connector  100  (see  FIG. 1 ) may be manufactured with myriad processes, one of which is illustrated in  FIG. 4  and  FIGS. 5-8 .  FIG. 4  is a flow chart that illustrates the general steps associated with the manufacture and assembly of high-speed connector  100  (see  FIG. 1 ) according to one embodiment of the invention. The process steps may be performed in any order and one or more steps may be eliminated.  FIGS. 5-8  depict plug connector  100  (see  FIG. 1 ) at the various stages of manufacture set forth in  FIG. 4 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 5 , the manufacture of connector  100  may be initiated with the fabrication of electrical contacts  120  ( FIG. 4 , step  410 ). In step  410 , electrical contact  120  (see  FIG. 5 ) may be fabricated using a variety of techniques such as, for example, stamping, molding, forming, cutting or casting. Electrical contact  120  may also have one or more layers of metallic plating, such as, for example, nickel, gold, palladium, tin, copper or silver. An example manufacturing process for one embodiment of contact may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/607,554 filed on Sep. 7, 2012 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. 
     The next step of assembly may involve insert-molding a dielectric plastic frame  205  around one or more contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) ( FIG. 4 , step  420 ;  FIG. 6 ) to form contact assembly  115 . One embodiment has eight contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) that are insert-molded and secured by dielectric frame  205 . Insert-molding may be accomplished with a reel-to-reel system or any other type of molding machine. An example manufacturing process for one embodiment of dielectric plastic frame may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/607,554 filed on Sep. 7, 2012 which was incorporated by reference above. In one embodiment, one molding die is stationary and another die travels in up and down cycles repeatedly. With each down cycle, the system may perform an insert-molding operation around contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) ( FIG. 6 ). With each up cycle, additional contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) may be advanced into the system for the next molding operation. This cycle may repeat several times per minute. In some embodiments, dielectric frame  205  may be manufactured with a plastic filled with aerogel particulates. 
     The next step of assembly may involve manufacturing gasket  705   a  or  705   b , ( FIG. 4 , step  430 ;  FIG. 7 ). Referring now to  FIG. 7 , there may be two alternative gasket designs that may be used while in other embodiments no gasket may be used. One gasket design, gasket  705   a , may have an perimeter portion  710  with one or more fingers  715  disposed within the perimeter portion. Fingers  715  may be aligned between contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ), as discussed above. In alternative embodiments, a second gasket design, gasket  705   b , may be used having only a perimeter portion  710  that seals periphery of dielectric frame  205  to substrate  215 . As discussed above, gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may be manufactured from a compressible material having a low dielectric constant such as expanded PTFE. In further embodiments other compressible materials may be used. Gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may be manufactured by stamping, die cutting, laser cutting, molding, forming or any other process. In some embodiments, gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may be manufactured in an arrayed format and adhered with an adhesive to an arrayed panel of substrates  215 . Substrates  215  and gaskets  705   a ,  705   b  may then be simultaneously singulated into individual units that are inserted into metal ground ring  110 . In some embodiments, gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may be adhered to substrate  215  with an adhesive. 
     In yet further embodiments, gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may have a support layer disposed on one or both faying surfaces. In some embodiments, the support layer may only be disposed around perimeter of the gasket, and the gasket fingers may have no support layer. In other embodiments the one or more support layers may be configured to be removable after the gasket and/or gasket fingers are placed on or adhered to substrate  215  or dielectric frame  205 . 
     In further embodiments an epoxy seal or design feature of dielectric frame  205  may be employed to prevent the flow of overmolding material between electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ), as discussed above. In such embodiments, gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may not be used. In yet further embodiments, no seal may be used and overmold  230  may be allowed to flow between electrical contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ), as discussed in more detail below. 
     The next step of assembly may involve providing connector subassembly  700  ( FIG. 4 , step  440 ;  FIG. 7 ). An example manufacturing process for one embodiment of connector subassembly  700  may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/607,366 filed on Sep. 7, 2012 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. Connector subassembly  700  may include connector body  125  having tab  105  coupled to and extending away from one end of the body. Tab  105  may include metal ground ring  110  that may carry substrate  215 . Substrate  215  may be electrically coupled to cable bundle  130 . Metal ground ring  110  may have a window  705  through which a portion of substrate  215  is accessible and is configured to receive contact assembly  115 . 
     The next step of assembly may involve integrating contact assembly  115  and gasket  705   a ,  705   b  into connector subassembly  700 , ( FIG. 4 , step  450 ;  FIG. 7 ). An example manufacturing process for one embodiment may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/607,554 filed on Sep. 7, 2012 which was incorporated by reference above. Referring now to  FIG. 7 , one or more contact assemblies  115  and gaskets  705   a ,  705   b  may be integrated into electrical connector  100 . Contact assembly  115  may be affixed to substrate  215  residing in window  705 , and gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may be compressed between the contact assembly and the substrate. In some embodiments a hot bar soldering process may be employed to precisely position contact assembly  115  in window  705  of ground ring  110  and attach it to substrate  215  bonding pads  222 ( 1 ) . . .  222 ( 8 ) (see  FIG. 2A ). In other embodiments gasket  705   a ,  705   b  may not be used and an alternative seal may be formed with an epoxy or other material. In further embodiments, no seal may be formed between contact assembly  115  and substrate  215 . 
     The next step of assembly may involve overmolding contact assembly  115 , gasket  705   a ,  705   b  and substrate  215  ( FIG. 4 , step  460 ;  FIG. 8 ). An example manufacturing process for one embodiment may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/607,554 filed on Sep. 7, 2012 which was incorporated by reference above. A thermoplastic or similar dielectric overmold  230  may be formed around contact assembly  115  and within window  705  of ground ring  110 . As depicted in  FIG. 8 , this process may provide a smooth and substantially flat mating surface  805  in a contact region of ground ring  110 . In some embodiments, overmold  230  may be polyoxymethylene (POM). In other embodiments, overmold  230  may be a nylon-based polymer or other material. As discussed above, in some embodiments overmold  230  may be precluded from flowing between contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ) by gasket  705   a ,  705   b  or other material. In further embodiments, overmold  230  may be filled with an aerogel and allowed to flow between contacts  120 ( 1 ) . . .  120 ( 8 ). 
     It will be appreciated that the high-speed connector described herein is illustrative and that variations and modifications are possible. For instance, an alternative high-speed connector  900  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . One or more leadframes  905  are insert-molded with plastic forming one or more contact assemblies  910 . One or more contact assemblies  910  are disposed within a U-shaped frame  915 .  FIG. 10  shows the completed connector with overmold  1005  encapsulating one or more contact assemblies  910 . 
     In some embodiments a compressible low dielectric constant gasket material may be disposed between portions of leadframes  905 . In other embodiments the insert-molded plastic material may be filled with a silica aerogel or other material to create a low dielectric constant overmold. In further embodiments, overmold  1005  may be filled with a silica aerogel or other material to create a low dielectric constant overmold. One or more of these features may be used together to create a high-speed connector having low parasitic capacitance between electronic contacts. Other connector designs and variations are within the scope of this disclosure. 
     In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the invention, and what is intended by the applicants to be the scope of the invention, is the literal and equivalent scope of the set of claims that issue from this application, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20150120
Publication Date: 20170627
Grant Date: 20170627
Priority Date: 20140813
Inventors: SOOHOO ERIC T.
JOL ERIC S.
KAMEI IBUKI
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01R13/52", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6658", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/665", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/57", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/60", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6477", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/405", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R4/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/57", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6658", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6658", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6477", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R4/02", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6477", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/405", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/405", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/52", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/665", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/60", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R24/60", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/57", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 55302843