US20080003878A1 - Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector - Google Patents
Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080003878A1 US20080003878A1 US11/480,045 US48004506A US2008003878A1 US 20080003878 A1 US20080003878 A1 US 20080003878A1 US 48004506 A US48004506 A US 48004506A US 2008003878 A1 US2008003878 A1 US 2008003878A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- leadframe
- housing
- contact
- contacts
- connector
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
- H01R13/514—Bases; Cases composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
- H01R13/50—Bases; Cases formed as an integral body
- H01R13/501—Bases; Cases formed as an integral body comprising an integral hinge or a frangible part
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/646—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00 specially adapted for high-frequency, e.g. structures providing an impedance match or phase match
- H01R13/6473—Impedance matching
- H01R13/6477—Impedance matching by variation of dielectric properties
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/648—Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices, e.g. anti-static shielding
- H01R13/658—High frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI [Electro-Magnetic Interference] or EMP [Electro-Magnetic Pulse]
- H01R13/6581—Shield structure
- H01R13/6585—Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts
- H01R13/6586—Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts for separating multiple connector modules
- H01R13/6587—Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts for separating multiple connector modules for mounting on PCBs
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
- H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
- H01R12/70—Coupling devices
- H01R12/71—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures
- H01R12/72—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures
- H01R12/722—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures coupling devices mounted on the edge of the printed circuits
- H01R12/724—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures coupling devices mounted on the edge of the printed circuits containing contact members forming a right angle
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/646—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00 specially adapted for high-frequency, e.g. structures providing an impedance match or phase match
- H01R13/6473—Impedance matching
Definitions
- a typical leadframe assembly includes a dielectric leadframe housing and a leadframe comprising a plurality of electrical contacts extending therethrough.
- An insert-molded leadframe assembly may be manufactured according to a process wherein a leadframe is stamped from a sheet of electrically-conductive material, and a dielectric material is insert-molded over the leadframe.
- the electrical contacts within a leadframe assembly are arranged into a linear array that extends along a direction along which the leadframe housing is elongated.
- the contacts may be arranged edge-to-edge along the direction along which the linear array extends.
- It may be desirable to form differential signal pairs wherein the contacts that form the pair are broadside-coupled (i.e., arranged in different planes such that the broadside of one contact faces the broadside of the other contact with which it forms the pair). Broadside coupling is often desirable as a mechanism to control (e.g., minimize or eliminate) skew between the contacts that form the differential signal pair.
- Such broadside-coupled signal pairs are formed in an electrical connector by placing two IMLAs side by side.
- a first contact in a first IMLA may be positioned adjacent to a first contact in a second IMLA such that respective broadsides of each contact face one another.
- An example of a split-IMLA configuration for broadside-coupled electrical contacts may be found in U.S. patent application No. (FCI-2735), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- a separate leadframe is typically stamped for each IMLA. Respective dielectric housings are then insert-molded separately onto each of the leadframes.
- the leadframe assembly/IMLAs may be connected to one another or separate from one another. The leadframe assemblies are then inserted into a connector housing that holds them in place.
- a leadframe assembly for an electrical connector may include a dielectric leadframe housing, and first and second electrically-conductive contacts extending through the leadframe housing. Each of the contacts may have a respective mating end.
- the leadframe housing may define a hinge between the mating ends of the first and second contacts.
- An electrical connector may include a connector housing and a leadframe assembly received in the connector housing.
- the leadframe assembly may include a dielectric leadframe housing and first and second electrically-conductive contacts extending through the leadframe housing. Each of the contacts may define a respective broadside and a respective mating end.
- the leadframe housing may be folded along a hinge between the mating ends of the first and second contacts such that the broadside of the first contact is positioned along the broadside of the second contact.
- a method for manufacturing an electrical connector may include stamping a leadframe from a sheet of electrically-conductive material.
- the leadframe may include first and second electrically-conductive contacts, each having a respective mating end.
- a dielectric leadframe housing may be overmolded onto the leadframe.
- the leadframe housing may define a hinge between the mating ends of the first and second contacts.
- the leadframe housing may be folded along the hinge such that a face of the first contact is positioned along a face of the second contact.
- the folded leadframe assembly may be inserted into a connector housing such that the leadframe assembly is retained in the connector housing in a folded configuration.
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example connector having hinged leadframe assemblies according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 2A-2C are, respectively, isometric, side, and mating end views of an example hinged leadframe assembly.
- FIG. 3A includes an isometric view of a mating portion of an example hinged leadframe assembly.
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a mating portion of an example hinged leadframe assembly.
- FIGS. 4A and 4B are, respectively, isometric and side views of an example array of electrical contacts arranged as broadside-coupled signal pairs.
- FIGS. 5A-5D depict an example method for manufacturing a hinged lead frame assembly.
- FIG. 6 depicts a second example embodiment of a leadframe carrier strip.
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example connector 100 having a plurality of hinged leadframe assemblies 110 contained by a connector housing 102 .
- the connector housing 102 may be made of a dielectric material, such as a plastic, for example.
- the connector 100 is shown with three leadframe assemblies 110 , it should be understood that the connector may include any number of leadframe assemblies 110 .
- Each leadframe assembly 110 may include a hinged leadframe housing 112 that defines a hinge 121 .
- the hinged leadframe housing 112 may be made of a dielectric material, such as a plastic, for example.
- a plurality of electrical contacts 114 A, 114 B may extend through the leadframe housing 112 .
- the electrical contacts 114 A, 114 B may be made of an electrically-conductive material, such as phosphor bronze, for example.
- Each leadframe assembly 110 may include a first linear array of electrical contacts 114 A extending along a first imaginary plane, and a second linear array of electrical contacts 114 B extending along a second imaginary plane that is parallel to the first imaginary plane.
- the contacts 114 A, 114 B may be arranged into differential signal pairs. Each pair may be positioned along an imaginary plane that is generally perpendicular to the imaginary planes along which the first and second linear arrays of electrical contacts extend.
- Each linear array may be referred to herein as a contact column.
- a contact row may be said to extend perpendicular to the contact columns.
- the connector 100 depicted in FIG. 1 may be said to include six columns and three rows of electrical contacts. Though each leadframe 110 is shown to include three pairs of electrical contacts 114 A, 114 B, it should be understood that each leadframe assembly 110 may include any number of electrical contacts.
- Each of the electrical contacts 114 A, 114 B may define a respective mounting end 116 A, 116 B and a respective mating end 118 A, 118 B.
- the mounting ends 116 A, 116 B may be compliant ends, as shown, though it should be understood that the mounting ends may be any press-fit, through-mount, or surface-mount tail end.
- Each of the mounting ends may include a respective fusible mounting element (not shown), such as a solder ball, for example.
- the mating ends 118 A, 118 B may be gold-plated.
- the connector 100 may define a mounting side 106 and a mating side 108 .
- the connector 100 may be a right-angle connector, as shown, wherein the plane define by the mounting side 106 is generally perpendicular to the plane defined by the mating side 108 . It should be understood, however, that the principles of the invention could be applied to a mezzanine-style connector, wherein the plane defined by the mounting side 106 is generally parallel to the plane defined by the mating side 108 .
- FIGS. 2A-2C are, respectively, isometric, side, and mating end views of an example hinged leadframe assembly 110 .
- the leadframe housing 112 may include a first portion 112 A and a second portion 112 B.
- a first column of electrical contacts 114 A may extend through the first portion 112 A of the leadframe housing 112 .
- a second column of electrical contacts 114 B may extend through the second portion 112 B of the leadframe housing 112 .
- the first portion 112 A and the second portion 112 B of the leadframe housing 112 may be connected via a hinge 121 defined by a hinged portion 120 of the leadframe housing 112 .
- the first portion 112 A and the second portion 112 B may be otherwise unconnected.
- the hinged portion 120 may define a mating end of the leadframe housing 112 .
- the leadframe housing 112 may include a dovetail 122 .
- the dovetail 122 may be a split dovetail. That is, the first portion 112 A of the leadframe housing 112 may include a first portion 122 A (preferably half) of the dovetail 122 .
- the second portion 112 B of the leadframe housing 112 may include a second portion 122 B (also preferably half) of the dovetail 122 .
- the leadframe housing 120 may include a first dovetail 122 proximate a first (e.g., upper) end of the leadframe assembly 110 , and a second dovetail 122 proximate a second, opposite (e.g., lower) end of the leadframe assembly 110 .
- the connector housing 102 may define one or more dovetail receptacles 104 that are complementary to the one or more dovetails 122 . That is, the dovetail receptacles 104 may be positioned, sized, and shaped to receive a corresponding dovetail 122 .
- the dovetail receptacles 104 may be sized and shaped such that, with the dovetails 122 received into the dovetail receptacles 104 , the leadframe assembly 110 is contained in the non-inserting directions. Walls defined by the connector housing 102 tend to contain the leadframe assemblies 110 in the directions along which the contact rows and columns extend (i.e., the ⁇ x and ⁇ z directions shown in FIG. 1 ).
- the leadframe housing 112 may also define a stop 126 that, when the leadframe housing 112 is fully seated in the connector housing 102 (see FIG. 1 ), the stop 126 abuts a surface (not shown) defined by the connector housing 102 .
- the leadframe assembly 110 may be contained in the mating direction (i.e., the +y direction shown in FIG. 1 ). Interference fits between the dovetails 122 and dovetail receptacles 104 tend to further contain the leadframe assemblies in the mating direction and the direction opposite the mating direction (i.e., the ⁇ y direction shown in FIG. 1 ).
- Each dovetail 122 may include one or more protrusions 124 .
- Such protrusions 124 allow for some flexibility in the size and shape of the dovetail receptacles 104 .
- the dovetail receptacles 104 do not have to be exact complements of the dovetails 122 .
- FIG. 3A includes a detailed isometric view of a mating portion 120 of an example hinged leadframe assembly 110 .
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the mating portion 120 taken transverse to the direction along which the mating portion 120 is elongated.
- Each contact 114 A, 114 B may have a respective mating portion having a broadside 119 A, 119 B, and respective edges 117 A, 117 B that extend from the broadsides 119 A, 119 B, perpendicular thereto.
- adjacent contacts 114 A, 114 B within the mating portion 120 may be aligned broadside 119 A to broadside 119 B.
- Adjacent contacts 114 A, 114 B within the mating portion 120 may form a broadside-coupled differential signal pair. It should be understood that adjacent contacts within the mating portion 120 may be aligned edge-to-edge, and may form an edge-coupled differential signal pair.
- the mating portion 120 of the leadframe assembly 110 may include a mating portion 140 of the leadframe housing 112 .
- the mating end 142 of leadframe housing 112 may extend farther in the mating direction (i.e., the direction along which the contacts 114 A, 114 B extend to be received into complementary receptacle contacts) than the mating ends 118 A, 118 B of the contacts 114 A, 114 B.
- the mating portion 140 of the leadframe housing 112 may be recessed such that the mating ends 118 A, 118 B of the contacts 114 A, 114 B extend out of the dielectric material.
- the outer broadsides 115 A, 115 B of the contacts 114 A, 114 B may extend beyond the outer faces 120 A, 120 B of the mating portion 120 of the leadframe housing 112 , as shown.
- the outer broadsides 115 A, 115 B of the contacts 114 A, 114 B may be flush with the outer faces 120 A, 120 B of the mating portion 120 of the leadframe housing 112 .
- the dielectric material that forms the mating portion 120 of the leadframe housing 112 may extend over the inner broadsides 119 A, 119 B of the electrical contacts 114 A, 114 B, as shown, or over the outer broadsides 115 A, 115 B of the electrical contacts 114 A, 114 B (not shown).
- the mating ends 118 A, 118 B of the contacts 114 A, 114 B may have one or more angled surfaces 113 A, 113 B that provide for lead-in to complementary receptacle contacts.
- the mating end 142 of the leadframe housing 112 may also have one or more angled surfaces 143 A, 143 B that provide for lead-in to complementary receptacles in the receptacle connector.
- the lead portions of the adjacent contacts 114 A, 114 B in the mating portion 120 of the leadframe assembly 110 define a gap G between them.
- the gap G has a gap width that, preferably, is as small as possible.
- the gap width may be about 0.2-0.6 mm in air, with 0.4 mm preferred for a 0.3 mm wide contact. In plastic, the gap width will be greater.
- the contact width decreases, the gap width decreases.
- Each contact 114 A, 114 B may have a single-ended impedance. Connectors having single-ended impedance of about 50 ohms are contemplated.
- the pair of contacts 114 A, 114 B may have a differential impedance.
- Connectors having differential impedances of 85 ⁇ 10% ohms, and 100 ⁇ 10% ohms are contemplated. Differential impedance may be affected by how well the contacts are aligned relative to one another. Gap width may also affect differential impedance. Conductor width and dielectric also affect differential impedance.
- FIGS. 4A and 4B are, respectively, isometric and side views of an example array of electrical contacts arranged as broadside-coupled differential signal pairs.
- each contact 114 A, 114 B may have a respective mating end 118 A, 118 B, a respective first lead portion 152 A, 152 B extending from the mating end 118 A, 118 B, a respective mounting portion 154 A, 154 B, and a respective second lead portion 156 A, 156 B extending from the mounting portion 154 A, 154 B.
- the first lead portion 152 A, 152 B may form a right angle with the second lead portion 156 A, 156 B.
- Each first lead portion 152 A, 152 B, and each second lead portion 156 A, 156 B may be rectanguloidal in shape, having a broadside and an edge in transverse cross-section.
- the broadside may have a length that is about twice the length of the edge, though the ratio of broadside length to edge length may be any desired ratio.
- the transverse cross-section of each lead portion may be square, with each side having the same length.
- the mounting ends 116 A, 116 B of adjacent contacts 114 A, 114 B may be separated by a sufficient amount such that the receiving members (e.g., throughholes, pads, plated vias, etc.) on the printed circuit board need not be too close together.
- the receiving members e.g., throughholes, pads, plated vias, etc.
- the contacts 114 A, 114 B that form a pair may be kept the same length (from mating end to mounting end) to avoid skew between them.
- the mounting portion 154 A of a first contact 114 A may extend a first distance in a first direction perpendicular to the first lead portion 152 A of the first contact 114 A.
- the mounting portion 154 B of a second, adjacent contact 114 B may extend perpendicular to the first lead portion 152 B of the second contact 114 B the same distance in a direction opposite the first direction.
- FIGS. 5A-5D depict an example method for manufacturing a hinged lead frame assembly.
- FIG. 5A depicts a carrier strip 500 comprising a first leadframe 510 A comprising three electrical contacts 512 A and a second leadframe 510 B comprising three electrical contacts 512 B.
- Each leadframe 510 A, 510 B will form a respective contact column within a respective leadframe assembly.
- the contacts 512 A, 512 B may be connected to one another via a carrier frame 502 .
- Connectors 504 may be provided to connect the lead portions of the contacts to one another.
- the carrier strip 500 may be stamped from a sheet of electrically-conductive material via well-known techniques. The sheet may have a thickness of about 0.1-0.4 mm, with 0.2 mm preferred.
- Respective gaps 519 may be defined between the mating ends 518 A of the contacts 512 A in leadframe 510 A and the mating ends 518 B of corresponding contacts 512 B in leadframe 510 B.
- the gaps 519 may be similar to the sheet thickness or greater.
- each contact 512 A, 512 B may have a respective mating end 518 A, 518 B, a respective first lead portion 522 A, 522 B extending from the mating end 518 A, 518 B, a respective mounting portion 516 A, 516 B, and a respective second lead portion 521 A, 521 B extending from the mounting portion 516 A, 516 B.
- the first lead portion 522 A, 522 B may form a first angle (e.g., 135°) with the second lead portion 521 A, 521 B.
- the mounting portions 516 A of the contacts 512 A may extend in a first direction (e.g., to the left as shown in FIG.
- the mounting portions 516 B of the contacts 512 B may extend in the same direction (e.g., to the left as shown in FIG. 5A ) at a third angle (e.g., 45°) with respect to the respective lead portions 521 B of the contacts 512 B.
- the mounting portions 512 A, 512 B will extend in opposite directions relative to one another.
- a dielectric leadframe housing 530 comprising two half-portions 530 A, 530 B connected by one or more hinges 534 , may be molded onto the leadframes 510 A, 510 B using well-known injection molding techniques.
- FIG. 5B depicts a molded leadframe assembly with the carrier frame 502 still attached thereto. As shown, the contact mating ends 518 A, 518 B need not be surrounded by plastic, though they could be.
- the leadframe housing 530 may define notches 532 in the dielectric material proximate the contact mating ends 518 A, 518 B.
- the outer broadsides of the contacts 512 A, 512 B may extend beyond the outer face of the mating portion of the leadframe housing 530 (e.g., out of the page as depicted in FIG. 5B ). Some dielectric housing material may be allowed to wrap around the contact edges to prevent the contact from falling out of its channel.
- the contacts may be held by so-called “pinch pins” during the molding process so the contacts may held in a desired position between the front and back surfaces of the leadframe housing.
- the distance between the back broadside of the contact and the back surface of the leadframe housing may be half of the gap between the contact pair in the folded leadframe assembly.
- the hinged portion may be defined as a notch 532 in the dielectric housing.
- the width of the notch 532 may be approximately equal to the thickness of the material used to form the mating portion of the leadframe housing. As shown, the notch 532 may be angled at about 45° on each side of the hinge. It should be understood that the wider the angle the more gradual the lead-in will be.
- the resiliency of the hinge is expected to be a function of the type of material used and of the thickness of the material at the hinge.
- FIGS. 5C and 5D depict the molded leadframe assembly with the carrier strip removed.
- FIG. 5C depicts the top side of the molded leadframe assembly (which, when folded about the hinge, becomes the outer sides of the folded leadframe assembly).
- the mating portions of the contacts 512 A, 512 B may extend above the top face of the dielectric housing 530 (e.g., out of the page as shown in FIG. 5C ).
- FIG. 6 depicts a hinged leadframe assembly 600 comprising a first column of electrical contacts 612 A extending through a first portion 630 A of a hinged leadframe housing 630 , and a second column of electrical contacts 612 B extending through a second portion 630 B of the hinged leadframe housing 630 .
- Each contact 612 A, 612 B has a mating end 620 A, 620 B, a first lead portion 622 A, 622 B extending from the mating end 620 A, 620 B, a mounting portion 616 A, 616 B, and a second lead portion 618 A, 618 B extending from the mounting portion 616 A, 616 B.
- the mounting portions 616 A of the contacts 612 A may extend in a first direction (e.g., to the right as shown in FIG. 6 ) perpendicular to the respective lead portions 618 A of the contacts 612 A.
- the mounting portions 616 B of the contacts 612 B may extend perpendicular to the respective lead portions 618 B of the contacts 612 B, in the same direction (e.g., to the right as shown in FIG. 6 ).
- the second lead portions 618 A, 618 B may extend at right angles (e.g., 90°) from the corresponding first lead portions 622 A, 622 B.
- each contact may have a mating end, a first lead portion extending from the mating end, a mounting portion, a second lead portion extending from the mounting portion, and a third lead portion extending between the second lead portion and the first lead portion.
- the third lead portion may make a first angle with the first lead portion and a second angle with second lead portion.
- the leadframe assembly may be folded about the hinge and inserted into the connector housing such that the dovetail is received into the dovetail receptacle.
- the dovetail contains the leadframe assembly in the connector housing, and causes the halves of the leadframe assembly to be pressed, and remain pressed, tightly against each other after assembly into the connector housing.
- Additional than dovetails may also hold the leadframe assemblies before insertion into the housing.
- a leadframe assembly thus folded onto itself is expected to provide better tolerance in terms of the positional relationship between the contacts that form a differential signal pair.
- the contacts may be aligned with as much broadside facing each other as possible, and the gap width between the contacts may be made substantially constant along the lead portions of the contacts. Consequently, the contact pair may have a substantially uniform differential impedance profile from the mating ends of the contacts to the mounting ends thereof.
- a folded leadframe assembly as described herein may provide for excellent control of gap tolerances compared to assembling two separate pieces, which may tend to provide for better control of differential impedance.
- the molded hinge at the mating end of the leadframe housing, and the dielectric material surrounding the mating ends of the contacts provide for a very robust header mating interface that will be strong compared to bare contacts.
Abstract
Description
- Leadframe assemblies for electrical connectors are well-known. A typical leadframe assembly includes a dielectric leadframe housing and a leadframe comprising a plurality of electrical contacts extending therethrough. An insert-molded leadframe assembly (IMLA) may be manufactured according to a process wherein a leadframe is stamped from a sheet of electrically-conductive material, and a dielectric material is insert-molded over the leadframe.
- Typically, the electrical contacts within a leadframe assembly are arranged into a linear array that extends along a direction along which the leadframe housing is elongated. The contacts may be arranged edge-to-edge along the direction along which the linear array extends. It may be desirable to form differential signal pairs wherein the contacts that form the pair are broadside-coupled (i.e., arranged in different planes such that the broadside of one contact faces the broadside of the other contact with which it forms the pair). Broadside coupling is often desirable as a mechanism to control (e.g., minimize or eliminate) skew between the contacts that form the differential signal pair.
- Typically, such broadside-coupled signal pairs are formed in an electrical connector by placing two IMLAs side by side. Thus, a first contact in a first IMLA may be positioned adjacent to a first contact in a second IMLA such that respective broadsides of each contact face one another. An example of a split-IMLA configuration for broadside-coupled electrical contacts may be found in U.S. patent application No. (FCI-2735), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- To manufacture such an electrical connector, a separate leadframe is typically stamped for each IMLA. Respective dielectric housings are then insert-molded separately onto each of the leadframes. The leadframe assembly/IMLAs may be connected to one another or separate from one another. The leadframe assemblies are then inserted into a connector housing that holds them in place.
- It is usually desirable to maintain a desired impedance between the contacts the form a pair, and to maintain a constant differential impedance profile along the lengths of the contacts from their mating ends to their mounting ends. Accordingly, it is usually desirable to align the broadsides of the contacts as nearly as possible with one another, and to maintain the distance between the broadsides of the contacts to within as small a tolerance as possible. It would be desirable to increase the efficiency of such manufacturing process, thereby reducing cost, while improving tolerance control to improve signal integrity.
- A leadframe assembly for an electrical connector may include a dielectric leadframe housing, and first and second electrically-conductive contacts extending through the leadframe housing. Each of the contacts may have a respective mating end. The leadframe housing may define a hinge between the mating ends of the first and second contacts.
- An electrical connector according to the invention may include a connector housing and a leadframe assembly received in the connector housing. The leadframe assembly may include a dielectric leadframe housing and first and second electrically-conductive contacts extending through the leadframe housing. Each of the contacts may define a respective broadside and a respective mating end. The leadframe housing may be folded along a hinge between the mating ends of the first and second contacts such that the broadside of the first contact is positioned along the broadside of the second contact.
- A method for manufacturing an electrical connector may include stamping a leadframe from a sheet of electrically-conductive material. The leadframe may include first and second electrically-conductive contacts, each having a respective mating end. A dielectric leadframe housing may be overmolded onto the leadframe. The leadframe housing may define a hinge between the mating ends of the first and second contacts. The leadframe housing may be folded along the hinge such that a face of the first contact is positioned along a face of the second contact. The folded leadframe assembly may be inserted into a connector housing such that the leadframe assembly is retained in the connector housing in a folded configuration.
-
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example connector having hinged leadframe assemblies according to one embodiment of the present invention. -
FIGS. 2A-2C are, respectively, isometric, side, and mating end views of an example hinged leadframe assembly. -
FIG. 3A includes an isometric view of a mating portion of an example hinged leadframe assembly. -
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a mating portion of an example hinged leadframe assembly. -
FIGS. 4A and 4B are, respectively, isometric and side views of an example array of electrical contacts arranged as broadside-coupled signal pairs. -
FIGS. 5A-5D depict an example method for manufacturing a hinged lead frame assembly. -
FIG. 6 depicts a second example embodiment of a leadframe carrier strip. -
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of anexample connector 100 having a plurality of hingedleadframe assemblies 110 contained by aconnector housing 102. Theconnector housing 102 may be made of a dielectric material, such as a plastic, for example. Though theconnector 100 is shown with threeleadframe assemblies 110, it should be understood that the connector may include any number ofleadframe assemblies 110. - Each
leadframe assembly 110 may include a hingedleadframe housing 112 that defines ahinge 121. The hingedleadframe housing 112 may be made of a dielectric material, such as a plastic, for example. A plurality ofelectrical contacts leadframe housing 112. Theelectrical contacts - Each
leadframe assembly 110 may include a first linear array ofelectrical contacts 114A extending along a first imaginary plane, and a second linear array ofelectrical contacts 114B extending along a second imaginary plane that is parallel to the first imaginary plane. Thecontacts connector 100 depicted inFIG. 1 may be said to include six columns and three rows of electrical contacts. Though eachleadframe 110 is shown to include three pairs ofelectrical contacts leadframe assembly 110 may include any number of electrical contacts. - Each of the
electrical contacts respective mounting end respective mating end mounting ends mating ends - The
connector 100 may define a mountingside 106 and amating side 108. Theconnector 100 may be a right-angle connector, as shown, wherein the plane define by the mountingside 106 is generally perpendicular to the plane defined by themating side 108. It should be understood, however, that the principles of the invention could be applied to a mezzanine-style connector, wherein the plane defined by the mountingside 106 is generally parallel to the plane defined by themating side 108. -
FIGS. 2A-2C are, respectively, isometric, side, and mating end views of an example hingedleadframe assembly 110. As shown, theleadframe housing 112 may include afirst portion 112A and asecond portion 112B. A first column ofelectrical contacts 114A may extend through thefirst portion 112A of theleadframe housing 112. A second column ofelectrical contacts 114B may extend through thesecond portion 112B of theleadframe housing 112. Thefirst portion 112A and thesecond portion 112B of theleadframe housing 112 may be connected via ahinge 121 defined by a hingedportion 120 of theleadframe housing 112. Thefirst portion 112A and thesecond portion 112B may be otherwise unconnected. The hingedportion 120 may define a mating end of theleadframe housing 112. - The
leadframe housing 112 may include adovetail 122. Thedovetail 122 may be a split dovetail. That is, thefirst portion 112A of theleadframe housing 112 may include afirst portion 122A (preferably half) of thedovetail 122. Thesecond portion 112B of theleadframe housing 112 may include asecond portion 122B (also preferably half) of thedovetail 122. Theleadframe housing 120 may include afirst dovetail 122 proximate a first (e.g., upper) end of theleadframe assembly 110, and asecond dovetail 122 proximate a second, opposite (e.g., lower) end of theleadframe assembly 110. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , theconnector housing 102 may define one ormore dovetail receptacles 104 that are complementary to the one or more dovetails 122. That is, thedovetail receptacles 104 may be positioned, sized, and shaped to receive acorresponding dovetail 122. The dovetail receptacles 104 may be sized and shaped such that, with the dovetails 122 received into thedovetail receptacles 104, theleadframe assembly 110 is contained in the non-inserting directions. Walls defined by theconnector housing 102 tend to contain theleadframe assemblies 110 in the directions along which the contact rows and columns extend (i.e., the ±x and ±z directions shown inFIG. 1 ). - As shown in
FIG. 2B , theleadframe housing 112 may also define astop 126 that, when theleadframe housing 112 is fully seated in the connector housing 102 (seeFIG. 1 ), thestop 126 abuts a surface (not shown) defined by theconnector housing 102. Thus, theleadframe assembly 110 may be contained in the mating direction (i.e., the +y direction shown inFIG. 1 ). Interference fits between the dovetails 122 and dovetailreceptacles 104 tend to further contain the leadframe assemblies in the mating direction and the direction opposite the mating direction (i.e., the −y direction shown inFIG. 1 ). - Each
dovetail 122 may include one ormore protrusions 124.Such protrusions 124 allow for some flexibility in the size and shape of thedovetail receptacles 104. Thus, thedovetail receptacles 104 do not have to be exact complements of the dovetails 122. -
FIG. 3A includes a detailed isometric view of amating portion 120 of an example hingedleadframe assembly 110.FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of themating portion 120 taken transverse to the direction along which themating portion 120 is elongated. Eachcontact broadside respective edges broadsides - As shown,
adjacent contacts mating portion 120 may be alignedbroadside 119A to broadside 119B.Adjacent contacts mating portion 120 may form a broadside-coupled differential signal pair. It should be understood that adjacent contacts within themating portion 120 may be aligned edge-to-edge, and may form an edge-coupled differential signal pair. - The
mating portion 120 of theleadframe assembly 110 may include amating portion 140 of theleadframe housing 112. Themating end 142 ofleadframe housing 112 may extend farther in the mating direction (i.e., the direction along which thecontacts contacts mating portion 140 of theleadframe housing 112 may be recessed such that the mating ends 118A, 118B of thecontacts outer broadsides contacts mating portion 120 of theleadframe housing 112, as shown. Alternatively, theouter broadsides contacts mating portion 120 of theleadframe housing 112. The dielectric material that forms themating portion 120 of theleadframe housing 112 may extend over theinner broadsides electrical contacts outer broadsides electrical contacts contacts angled surfaces mating end 142 of theleadframe housing 112 may also have one or moreangled surfaces - The lead portions of the
adjacent contacts mating portion 120 of theleadframe assembly 110 define a gap G between them. The gap G has a gap width that, preferably, is as small as possible. For example, the gap width may be about 0.2-0.6 mm in air, with 0.4 mm preferred for a 0.3 mm wide contact. In plastic, the gap width will be greater. Moreover, if the contact width decreases, the gap width decreases. Eachcontact contacts -
FIGS. 4A and 4B are, respectively, isometric and side views of an example array of electrical contacts arranged as broadside-coupled differential signal pairs. As shown, eachcontact respective mating end lead portion mating end portion lead portion portion first lead portion second lead portion - Each
first lead portion second lead portion - In order to optimize the connector footprint, it may be desirable to separate the mounting ends 116A, 116B of
adjacent contacts portions contacts contacts portion 154A of afirst contact 114A may extend a first distance in a first direction perpendicular to thefirst lead portion 152A of thefirst contact 114A. The mountingportion 154B of a second,adjacent contact 114B may extend perpendicular to thefirst lead portion 152B of thesecond contact 114B the same distance in a direction opposite the first direction. -
FIGS. 5A-5D depict an example method for manufacturing a hinged lead frame assembly.FIG. 5A depicts acarrier strip 500 comprising afirst leadframe 510A comprising threeelectrical contacts 512A and asecond leadframe 510B comprising threeelectrical contacts 512B. Eachleadframe contacts carrier frame 502.Connectors 504 may be provided to connect the lead portions of the contacts to one another. Thecarrier strip 500 may be stamped from a sheet of electrically-conductive material via well-known techniques. The sheet may have a thickness of about 0.1-0.4 mm, with 0.2 mm preferred.Respective gaps 519 may be defined between the mating ends 518A of thecontacts 512A inleadframe 510A and the mating ends 518B ofcorresponding contacts 512B inleadframe 510B. Thegaps 519 may be similar to the sheet thickness or greater. - As shown, each
contact respective mating end lead portion mating end portion lead portion portion first lead portion second lead portion portions 516A of thecontacts 512A may extend in a first direction (e.g., to the left as shown inFIG. 5A ), at a second angle (e.g., 135°) with respect to therespective lead portions 521A of thecontacts 512A. The mountingportions 516B of thecontacts 512B may extend in the same direction (e.g., to the left as shown inFIG. 5A ) at a third angle (e.g., 45°) with respect to therespective lead portions 521B of thecontacts 512B. Thus, when the leadframe housing is folded onto itself, the mountingportions - A
dielectric leadframe housing 530, comprising two half-portions FIG. 5B depicts a molded leadframe assembly with thecarrier frame 502 still attached thereto. As shown, the contact mating ends 518A, 518B need not be surrounded by plastic, though they could be. Theleadframe housing 530 may definenotches 532 in the dielectric material proximate the contact mating ends 518A, 518B. The outer broadsides of thecontacts FIG. 5B ). Some dielectric housing material may be allowed to wrap around the contact edges to prevent the contact from falling out of its channel. - The contacts may be held by so-called “pinch pins” during the molding process so the contacts may held in a desired position between the front and back surfaces of the leadframe housing. The distance between the back broadside of the contact and the back surface of the leadframe housing may be half of the gap between the contact pair in the folded leadframe assembly.
- The hinged portion may be defined as a
notch 532 in the dielectric housing. The width of thenotch 532 may be approximately equal to the thickness of the material used to form the mating portion of the leadframe housing. As shown, thenotch 532 may be angled at about 45° on each side of the hinge. It should be understood that the wider the angle the more gradual the lead-in will be. The resiliency of the hinge is expected to be a function of the type of material used and of the thickness of the material at the hinge. -
FIGS. 5C and 5D depict the molded leadframe assembly with the carrier strip removed.FIG. 5C depicts the top side of the molded leadframe assembly (which, when folded about the hinge, becomes the outer sides of the folded leadframe assembly). The mating portions of thecontacts FIG. 5C ). -
FIG. 6 depicts a hingedleadframe assembly 600 comprising a first column ofelectrical contacts 612A extending through afirst portion 630A of a hingedleadframe housing 630, and a second column ofelectrical contacts 612B extending through asecond portion 630B of the hingedleadframe housing 630. Eachcontact mating end first lead portion mating end portion second lead portion portion portions 616A of thecontacts 612A may extend in a first direction (e.g., to the right as shown inFIG. 6 ) perpendicular to therespective lead portions 618A of thecontacts 612A. The mountingportions 616B of thecontacts 612B may extend perpendicular to therespective lead portions 618B of thecontacts 612B, in the same direction (e.g., to the right as shown inFIG. 6 ). Thus, when theleadframe housing 630 is folded onto itself, the mountingportions second lead portions first lead portions - It should be understood that any number of other contact configurations are possible. For example, each contact may have a mating end, a first lead portion extending from the mating end, a mounting portion, a second lead portion extending from the mounting portion, and a third lead portion extending between the second lead portion and the first lead portion. The third lead portion may make a first angle with the first lead portion and a second angle with second lead portion.
- The leadframe assembly may be folded about the hinge and inserted into the connector housing such that the dovetail is received into the dovetail receptacle. As described in detail above, the dovetail contains the leadframe assembly in the connector housing, and causes the halves of the leadframe assembly to be pressed, and remain pressed, tightly against each other after assembly into the connector housing. Features other than dovetails may also hold the leadframe assemblies before insertion into the housing.
- A leadframe assembly thus folded onto itself is expected to provide better tolerance in terms of the positional relationship between the contacts that form a differential signal pair. For example, the contacts may be aligned with as much broadside facing each other as possible, and the gap width between the contacts may be made substantially constant along the lead portions of the contacts. Consequently, the contact pair may have a substantially uniform differential impedance profile from the mating ends of the contacts to the mounting ends thereof. Thus, a folded leadframe assembly as described herein may provide for excellent control of gap tolerances compared to assembling two separate pieces, which may tend to provide for better control of differential impedance. Also, the molded hinge at the mating end of the leadframe housing, and the dielectric material surrounding the mating ends of the contacts, provide for a very robust header mating interface that will be strong compared to bare contacts.
Claims (11)
Priority Applications (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/480,045 US7309257B1 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2006-06-30 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
US11/612,976 US7387535B2 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2006-12-19 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
PCT/US2007/012432 WO2008005122A2 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2007-05-26 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
CN2007800245647A CN101479847B (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2007-05-26 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
TW096120138A TWI361522B (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2007-06-05 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector,an electrical connector and method for manufacturing the same |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/480,045 US7309257B1 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2006-06-30 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/612,976 Continuation US7387535B2 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2006-12-19 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US7309257B1 US7309257B1 (en) | 2007-12-18 |
US20080003878A1 true US20080003878A1 (en) | 2008-01-03 |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/480,045 Active 2026-08-02 US7309257B1 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2006-06-30 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
US11/612,976 Active US7387535B2 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2006-12-19 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
Family Applications After (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/612,976 Active US7387535B2 (en) | 2006-06-30 | 2006-12-19 | Hinged leadframe assembly for an electrical connector |
Country Status (3)
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US (2) | US7309257B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101479847B (en) |
TW (1) | TWI361522B (en) |
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US7862344B2 (en) * | 2008-08-08 | 2011-01-04 | Tyco Electronics Corporation | Electrical connector having reversed differential pairs |
US7927143B2 (en) * | 2008-12-05 | 2011-04-19 | Tyco Electronics Corporation | Electrical connector system |
CN102725919B (en) * | 2009-12-30 | 2015-07-08 | Fci公司 | Electrical connector having impedence tuning ribs |
WO2011140438A2 (en) | 2010-05-07 | 2011-11-10 | Amphenol Corporation | High performance cable connector |
DE102010039314B4 (en) * | 2010-08-13 | 2019-10-10 | Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh | Electrical connector |
US9136634B2 (en) | 2010-09-03 | 2015-09-15 | Fci Americas Technology Llc | Low-cross-talk electrical connector |
DE102010041451B4 (en) | 2010-09-27 | 2021-06-02 | Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh | Contact housings for electrical contact devices, electrical connectors and assembled electrical cables |
WO2014031851A1 (en) | 2012-08-22 | 2014-02-27 | Amphenol Corporation | High-frequency electrical connector |
US9509101B2 (en) * | 2014-01-22 | 2016-11-29 | Amphenol Corporation | High speed, high density electrical connector with shielded signal paths |
US9490597B2 (en) * | 2014-09-04 | 2016-11-08 | Amphenol Corporation | Rail mounted electrical connector |
US9543688B2 (en) * | 2015-06-01 | 2017-01-10 | Chief Land Electronic Co., Ltd. | Electrical connector having terminals embedded in a packaging body |
TWI793945B (en) | 2015-07-23 | 2023-02-21 | 美商安芬諾Tcs公司 | Connector, method of manufacturing connector, extender module for connector, and electric system |
CN111755867B (en) | 2016-08-23 | 2022-09-20 | 安费诺有限公司 | Configurable high performance connector |
TW202324860A (en) | 2016-10-19 | 2023-06-16 | 美商安芬諾股份有限公司 | Compliant shield for very high speed, high density electrical interconnection |
US10665973B2 (en) | 2018-03-22 | 2020-05-26 | Amphenol Corporation | High density electrical connector |
US10931062B2 (en) | 2018-11-21 | 2021-02-23 | Amphenol Corporation | High-frequency electrical connector |
US11289830B2 (en) | 2019-05-20 | 2022-03-29 | Amphenol Corporation | High density, high speed electrical connector |
WO2021154779A1 (en) | 2020-01-27 | 2021-08-05 | Fci Usa Llc | High speed, high density connector |
TW202147716A (en) | 2020-01-27 | 2021-12-16 | 美商Fci美國有限責任公司 | High speed, high density direct mate orthogonal connector |
WO2021154702A1 (en) | 2020-01-27 | 2021-08-05 | Fci Usa Llc | High speed connector |
CN215816516U (en) | 2020-09-22 | 2022-02-11 | 安费诺商用电子产品(成都)有限公司 | Electrical connector |
CN213636403U (en) | 2020-09-25 | 2021-07-06 | 安费诺商用电子产品(成都)有限公司 | Electrical connector |
USD1002553S1 (en) | 2021-11-03 | 2023-10-24 | Amphenol Corporation | Gasket for connector |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
TW200814452A (en) | 2008-03-16 |
US7387535B2 (en) | 2008-06-17 |
US20080003879A1 (en) | 2008-01-03 |
US7309257B1 (en) | 2007-12-18 |
CN101479847A (en) | 2009-07-08 |
CN101479847B (en) | 2011-05-18 |
TWI361522B (en) | 2012-04-01 |
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