Card edge connector system with busbar connection for high-power applications

Abstract

A connector enables electronic components to be efficiently configured for any of a variety of power requirements. The connector may have multiple interfaces, allowing it to receive power through one interface and distribute it to components on the PCB through another when mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). The connector may also have an interface supporting connection to conductive interconnects, which can distribute power to a second connector mounted on the same PCB. Power can be distributed to components mounted on the PCB without going through the mounting interface of the first connector. As a result, the current density in the PCB adjacent to the first connector is reduced compared to providing the required current density to all components through the mounting interface of the first connector. The number of PCB layers can be reduced compared to conventional PCB assemblies supporting similar functionality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technologies disclosed herein generally relate to electrical interconnect systems, and in particular to edge-type electrical connectors and busbars that can be used in high-power applications. Background Technology

[0002] Electrical connectors are used in many electrical systems. Electronic devices are equipped with various types of connectors, primarily for the purpose of enabling the transmission of data, commands, power, and / or other signals between electronic components. It is often simpler and more cost-effective to manufacture electrical systems as individual electronic components that can be connected via electrical connectors. One type of electronic component is, for example, a printed circuit board (“PCB”). The terms “card” and “PCB” are used interchangeably herein.

[0003] In some cases, two-piece connectors are used to connect two components. Each connector can be installed on one component. These connectors can be mated to form a connection between the two components.

[0004] In other cases, the PCB can be directly connected to another electronic component via a one-piece connector, which can be configured as a card edge connector. The PCB may have pads along its edge, which is designed to insert into an electrical connector attached to another component. Contacts within the electrical connector can engage the pads, thereby connecting the PCB to the other component via the connector.

[0005] In some cases, busbars can be routed through electronic devices to distribute power to electronic components within the equipment. These electronic components can be connected to the busbar via connectors or bolts. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to some aspects of this technology, a card edge connector includes a busbar input. The connector may include: a housing including a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface; and a first interface (interface) on the first surface, a second interface (interface) on the second surface, and a third interface (interface) on the third surface. The connector may also include a plurality of conductive elements held within the housing, the plurality of conductive elements including a first set of mating contacts, a second set of mating contacts, and a set of mounting portions. The mating contacts in the first set of mating contacts are electrically connected to corresponding mating contacts in the second set of mating contacts and corresponding mounting portions in the set of mounting portions. The first set of mating contacts may include the first interface, the second set of mating contacts may include the second interface, and the set of mounting portions may include the third interface.

[0007] The first interface of the card edge connector can be configured to receive the card edge. In some embodiments, the second interface of the card edge connector can be configured to receive at least one busbar and can be configured to receive a current between 60 amps and 100 amps or between 160 amps and 240 amps.

[0008] The first and second interfaces of the card edge connector can be offset by an angle between 70 and 110 degrees. The first and second sets of fingers of the card edge connector can also be offset by an angle between 70 and 110 degrees. The card edge connector can have an angular offset between the first and second interfaces, which is equal to the angular offset between the first and second sets of fingers.

[0009] The card edge connector may have: a first side perpendicular to the second and third sides; and a second side parallel to the third side.

[0010] According to some aspects of this technology, an electronic system may include a printed circuit board (PCB) and a first connector. The first connector may include a first mating interface, a second mating interface, and a first mounting interface. The first mating interface, the second mating interface, and the first mounting interface are electrically connected, and the first connector can be mounted to the PCB at the first mounting interface. A second connector may include a third mating interface, wherein the third mating interface and the second mounting interface are electrically connected. The second connector can be mounted to the PCB at the second mounting interface. Conductive interconnects may be detachably connected to the second mating interface and the third mating interface.

[0011] In some embodiments, the electronic system may have conductive interconnects configured to carry more than 60 amps, or in some embodiments more than 100 amps, and may include at least one busbar or at least one cable interconnect. The electronic system may also include a power supply detachably connected to a first mating interface. The power supply may be configured as a 60-amp power supply or configured to provide a maximum current between 160 amps and 240 amps.

[0012] In electronic systems, conductive interconnects may include busbars that bend at a angle between 70 and 110 degrees in a plane parallel to the PCB.

[0013] According to other aspects of the present technology, an electronic system includes: a printed circuit board (PCB); a first connector mounted to the PCB and including at least one mating interface; a second connector having at least one mating interface mounted to the PCB; and a plurality of electronic components mounted to the PCB, the electronic system being operable according to a method comprising: supplying power through the mating interface of the at least one mating interface of the first connector; distributing a first portion of the supplied power from the first connector through a power layer in the PCB to the plurality of electronic components; distributing a second portion of the supplied power from the first connector through the conductive interconnect to the second connector, and from the second connector through a power layer in the PCB to the plurality of electronic components.

[0014] The method may include distributing a first portion of the supplied power from the first connector to the plurality of electronic components through 15 or fewer power layers.

[0015] According to various embodiments, the first portion of the supplied power and the second portion of the supplied power may together exceed 60 amps, 90 amps, or 180 amps.

[0016] The mating interface may be a first mating interface of a first connector, and the first connector may include a second mating interface. At least one mating interface of the second connector may include the first mating interface, and the method may further include connecting the conductive interconnect between the second mating interface of the first connector and the first mating interface of the second connector.

[0017] The conductive interconnect may include at least two busbars, each busbar having a first end and a second end. The second mating interface of the first connector and the first mating interface of the second connector each include at least one slot. Connecting the conductive interconnect between the second mating interface of the first connector and the first mating interface of the second connector includes: inserting the first ends of the at least two busbars into the at least one slot of the second mating interface of the first connector, and inserting the second ends of the at least two busbars into the at least one slot of the first mating interface of the second connector.

[0018] In some embodiments, supplying power through a mating interface of at least one mating interface of the first connector includes supplying power from a power supply unit, the power supply unit including a card edge inserted into the first mating interface of the first connector. In some embodiments, the supplied power includes supplying a current between 60 amps and 100 amps, and in other embodiments, the supplied power includes supplying a current between 160 amps and 240 amps.

[0019] The features described herein may be used individually or in any combination in any of the embodiments discussed herein. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The various aspects and embodiments of the present technology disclosed herein are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Items appearing in multiple drawings may be indicated by the same reference numerals. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every drawing.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a printed circuit board (PCB) configured as part of an edge connector.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a simplified perspective view of two parallel plates connected by a straddle-type card edge connector.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the power distribution supplied via a card edge connector, wherein the supplied power is partially transmitted through conductive interconnects such as busbars and partially through power layers in the PCB.

[0024] Figure 4A This is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an electronic device, wherein a card edge connector is mounted to a PCB connected to a busbar to distribute power to components on the PCB.

[0025] Figure 4B This is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of an electronic device, in which a card edge connector is mounted to a PCB connected to a busbar to distribute power to components on the PCB.

[0026] Figure 5 yes Figure 4A A partial exploded perspective view of a portion of an electronic device, which includes connectors mounted to a PCB and mated to the edge of a power supply unit, as well as a busbar.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary busbar.

[0028] Figure 7A and Figure 7B These are, respectively, a front view of the card receiving side and a right side view of an exemplary embodiment of a card edge connector configured for busbar input.

[0029] Figure 8A and Figure 8B These are perspective and right-side views of exemplary embodiments of the conductive elements within the card edge connector.

[0030] Figure 9A and Figure 9B These are perspective and right-side views of exemplary embodiments of the conductive elements within the card edge connector.

[0031] Figure 10A , Figure 10B and Figure 10C These are perspective views, front views, and right side views of alternative embodiments of the connector. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The inventors have recognized and understood an architecture for high-speed, high-performance electronic components with low lifecycle costs. The component can be implemented via a printed circuit board (PCB) and a first connector having at least two mating interfaces. One mating interface can be configured to connect to a power source. The other mating interface can be configured to receive conductive interconnects, such as busbars, that can be routed to a second connector above the PCB. Even when the conductive interconnects are not in place, power supplied through the first mating interface of the first connector can be distributed to the components on the PCB via the power layer of the PCB.

[0033] With the conductive interconnect in place, a portion of the supplied current can flow through the interconnect to the location of the first connector on the PCB, away from where the current can flow into the power layer of the printed circuit board. In this way, the current density near the first connector is reduced compared to a configuration without the interconnect. Alternatively or additionally, the total current supplied to the PCB can be increased without increasing the current density near the first connector.

[0034] For example, during the lifespan of an electronic component, adding additional or more power-consuming components to the PCB requires increased current. These components can be added in the field or incorporated into a new manufacturing facility using a PCB designed before the upgrade. The ability to add interconnects and increase the total current without increasing the current density allows PCBs to be designed to carry less current than each copy of such a PCB might have to carry over its entire lifespan. Because increasing the current carrying capacity of a PCB typically requires adding more layers, allowing the PCB to be designed to carry less current than it could possibly carry, PCBs can be designed to be thinner and have lower manufacturing costs compared to conventional PCBs of the same capacity.

[0035] In some embodiments, a connector supporting the selective addition of conductive interconnects may have a mounting interface and two mating interfaces that may be orthogonal to each other. The mating interfaces and the mounting interface may be interconnected within the connector such that power supplied through one mating interface may be distributed to components on the PCB via the mounting interface and subsequently through the power layer of the PCB, or via the second mating interface to the conductive interconnect and subsequently to the second connector, at which current may be coupled through the PCB to components attached to the PCB.

[0036] In some embodiments, one of the mating interfaces of the connector may be a card edge connector, which may be configured to receive a card edge or similar-sized structure from a power source. The other mating interface may be similarly configured as a card edge connector, but may receive terminals of similar size from a busbar or cable.

[0037] Figure 1 A printed circuit board (“PCB”) 100 configured to be inserted into a card edge connector is shown. The PCB mechanically supports one or more electronic components and electrically connects them using conductive traces, pads, and other features etched from one or more conductive layers laminated on a non-conductive material layer. Conventionally, the conductive layers are made of copper, and the non-conductive layers are made of braided glass fiber and a flame-retardant epoxy resin binder. PCBs are typically made of distributed conductive layers carrying signal traces and layers that are mostly continuous sheets. The mostly continuous layers serve as ground for the signal traces and can also carry electrical power. These are sometimes referred to as power layers.

[0038] Holes 18 in a PCB can be used to establish connections between conductive inner layers, whether these inner layers are signal layers or power layers. These holes can be plated and / or filled with conductive material to establish connections between the holes and the conductive structures on the inner layers. Components (not shown) Figure 1(As shown in the diagram) Attachments can be made to holes, for example, by soldering. Similarly, pads on the surface of the PCB can be attached to conductive structures on the inner layers of the PCB. Connections to the pads achieve connections to the inner layers of the PCB.

[0039] exist Figure 1 In the PCB, this pad serves as terminal 120, which can be coupled to an electrical connector, allowing PCB 100 to be connected to another PCB or other sub-components of an electronic system. Figure 1 In the example, edge 110 of PCB 100 includes multiple terminals 120 configured for insertion into a card edge connector. Terminals 120 can be signal terminals or power terminals, depending on whether they are connected to a signal or power layer within the PCB. Electrical signals and / or power transmitted or received from terminals 120 are conducted throughout the PCB to individual components via traces 130 and via vias 140.

[0040] exist Figure 1 In some embodiments, the terminals used for both signals and power have substantially the same width. In some embodiments, the power terminals may be wider than the signal terminals to increase the power carrying capacity of the card edge interconnects. Figure 2 A PCB 200 is shown connected to a PCB 240 via a card edge connector 220. In this embodiment, the PCB 200 is illustrated as part of a power supply unit (PSU) configured for insertion into the card edge connector via a parallel (span-mount) arrangement. Other arrangements, such as vertically oriented or right-angled connections, are also possible. The PCB 200 includes two conductive pads 202 configured to supply power and six conductive pads 204 configured to supply signals; however, it should be understood that any number of conductive pads 202 and 204 can be used in alternative embodiments.

[0041] The power pad 202 of the PSU 200 may be located on an edge suitable for contact with a card edge connector 220 that can be inserted into a slot 224 containing power terminals 222. In some embodiments, the conductive pad 202 may comprise a highly conductive material capable of conducting current sufficient for applications requiring at least 3000W of power and having sufficient rigidity to withstand repeated mating and disassembly with the connector. For example, the conductive pad 202 may be a surface portion of a cladding layer, such as a copper (Cu) layer having a thickness of at least 0.14 mm, at least 0.5 mm, at least 1 mm, or at least 1.5 mm. The power supply may deliver relatively large currents, such as up to 60A, 80A, 100A, 120A, 180A, 200A, or greater.

[0042] like Figure 2As shown in the example, the power pad 202 can be wider than the signal pad 204. This design allows the power pad 202 to carry a larger current than the signal pad 204 without overheating. The larger cross-sectional area of ​​the power pad 202 provides lower contact resistance, lower bulk resistance, and lower current density, all of which help reduce heat generation within the connector when a relatively large current passes through the power pad 202.

[0043] The power terminal 222 in the card edge connector can be similarly designed to deliver greater power with acceptable heat generation. Current is typically used as an indicator of the power delivered because power and current are correlated, and heat generation is proportional to current. Acceptable heat generation can be expressed as the temperature rise at rated current. As a specific example, the connector or the power terminal within the connector can have a rated current capacity that reflects the magnitude of the current that will raise the temperature from ambient conditions by a set amount, such as 30°C. For example, in some embodiments, the heat generation in the connector can be below this threshold amount when transmitting high currents such as 60A, 80A, 100A, 120A, 180A, 200A, or greater.

[0044] Card edge connector 220 transmits electrical signals and / or power between PCB 200 and PCB 240. For this purpose, card edge connector 220 includes a slot 224 that receives the PSU from PCB 200. The slot can be uniform if the card to be inserted has a consistent thickness along its insertion edge, and non-uniform if the card to be inserted has a varying thickness along its insertion edge. Once inserted, power terminals 202 and signal terminals 204 contact one or more conductive elements 222 that transmit electrical signals and / or power to PCB 240. These elements can be formed of a conductive material and can be robust enough to allow repeated insertion and removal of the card edge, similar to card edges on PCB 200. PCB 204 includes components, of which exemplary components 242, 244, and 246 are numbered, that interact, modulate, or otherwise interact with the electronic signals and / or power transmitted across card edge connector 220.

[0045] In some embodiments, the various functions of these components may require different and incompatible electronic signals and / or power. For example, component 242 may require 5V, while component 244 may require 12V. Therefore, the PCB 200, card edge connector 220, and PCB 240 are designed to provide discrete electronic pathways as needed.

[0046] The inventors have realized that, Figure 2In the illustrated card edge connector embodiment, all current transmitted across the card edge connector 220 to the PCB 240 is distributed across the power layers of the PCB 240, resulting in a high current density in the PCB 240 adjacent to the connector 220. Therefore, the amount of current that can be transmitted is limited by the thickness and number of power layers in the region of the PCB 240 adjacent to the connector 220. Manufacturing thicker layers can undesirably increase the size, cost, and / or manufacturing complexity of the electronic components. Adding additional layers can increase the amount of current that can be transmitted to the PCB 240, but this increases the cost, weight, and thickness of the electronic components made using the PCB. Therefore, the number of layers required to supply large currents (e.g., 60-100 amps, 180-260 amps, etc.) may be undesirable. Similarly, an initial configuration with sufficient power layers to support future high currents may be undesirable in scenarios where the PCB is designed for potential upgrades that would result in high currents.

[0047] In some embodiments described herein, the PCB may be designed with fewer power layers than are required to carry the maximum current of the design. One or more connectors may be mounted to the PCB. When a greater amount of power than the power layers can carry is required, such connectors may be connected to conductive interconnects, such as busbars, which can distribute the power to locations on the PCB away from the one or more connectors. The conductive interconnects may extend in a direction parallel to the PCB.

[0048] One or more connectors may have multiple interfaces, including a first mating interface, which can be configured as a mating interface of a conventional card edge connector. Current can be supplied to the connector through the first mating interface and then distributed directly to the PCB through other interfaces of the connector, or distributed to conductive interconnects that can pass through the PCB. Splitting the current within the connector reduces the current density of adjacent connectors on the PCB.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a PCB 300 having this card edge connector 310. In this example, connector 310 can be configured to receive a PSU ( Figure 3 (Not shown in the image). The card edge connector 310 includes an additional mating interface 312 configured to receive a conductive interconnect, which in this example is a busbar 330.

[0050] Busbar 330 can be implemented as a metallic strip, such as a metal bar. The busbar can be insulating or non-insulating and can have sufficient thickness to require no support, or in some embodiments, the busbar can be supported in the air by insulating posts. These features allow the busbar to be cooled by air. In some embodiments, the busbar is bent at a right angle to form two legs, each of which is between 2" and 24" in length, and in some embodiments between 3" and 10", for example, 3.5" in some embodiments. The busbar can be configured to carry power at a single voltage or can be configured to carry power at multiple voltage levels. In embodiments where the busbar is configured to carry power at multiple voltage levels, the busbar may comprise multiple electrically insulating metallic strips.

[0051] A first end of bus 330 can be inserted into mating interface 312. Mating interface 312 can be configured as a card edge connector having a slot wide enough to receive bus 330. A second end of bus 330 can be coupled to the power layer of PCB 300 at a location remote from connector 310. In the illustrated example, bus 330 is inserted into a second connector 320 to provide coupling to PCB 300. Connector 320 can similarly have a mating interface configured to receive bus 330. Since power is supplied via card edge connector 310, a first portion of the power can pass through the mounting interface of connector 310 to PCB 300 near connector 310. A second portion of the power can be transmitted to PCB 300 via bus 330 and connector 320. Once coupled to the PCB, power can be distributed to components attached to the PCB via the power layer in the PCB.

[0052] exist Figure 3 In the example, a first portion of the power is supplied to section 300a of PCB 300, and a second portion of the power is supplied to section 300b of PCB 300. Figure 3 In the schematic diagram shown, segments 300a and 300b are on the same PCB but are not electrically connected. However, segments 300a and 300b do not necessarily need to be electrically decoupled. In some embodiments, PCB 300 can be implemented as a conventional PCB with a power layer that extends substantially continuously across the entire PCB. Even in this configuration, the current can be split based on the power consumption of the components and the electrical characteristics of PCB 300. Therefore, even though these segments are not physically separated, the current flow through each segment 300a and 300b is less than the total power supplied, resulting in a lower maximum power density in the PCB than in the case without busbar 330.

[0053] Although this embodiment illustrates a single busbar 330 and traces from each connector 310 and 320 to the corresponding segment of the PCB, it should be understood that... Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of current splitting. (Provided) Figure 3 To illustrate, a lower maximum current density results in a lower maximum heat generation per unit area of ​​the PCB, which enables components with PCB 300 to operate at higher power levels than without busbar 330.

[0054] Figures 4A to 4B It shows Figure 3 Two possible configurations of the busbar connector are schematically shown in both views. In both views, the PCB and card edge connection remain the same, but in alternative embodiments, the PCB and card edge connection can differ. In both views, a power supply (shown here as PSU 470) is inserted into slot 412, forming a first horizontal mating interface 410 of the L-shaped card edge connector 400. Electrical signals and a first portion of the supplied current are coupled to the PCB 480 via the L-shaped card edge connector 400, which can have a board mount interface similar to that in conventional connectors.

[0055] Furthermore, a portion of the supplied current can pass through the second vertical mating interface 420 of the connector 400. In this example, the vertical mating interface 420 includes a second slot 422, in which... Figure 4A In the case that the busbar 430 is inserted into the second slot 422, or Figure 4B In this case, busbar 440 is inserted into the second slot 422. The second portion of the supplied current can be transmitted via... Figure 4A The busbar 430 transmits the signal to the connector 450, which includes a third mating interface 452 and a second mounting interface 454, or via... Figure 4B Busbar 440 transmits current to connector 460, which includes a third mating interface 462 and a second mounting interface 464. From the remote connector, a second portion of the current can enter PCB 480 adjacent to connector 450 or 460, enabling this second portion to be distributed to components mounted on PCB 480 without increasing the current density near connector 400.

[0056] In the illustrated embodiment, busbars 430 and 440 are configured to have two electrically separate paths. To support this functionality, in Figure 4A In the middle, the bus bar 430 includes a first part 431 and a second part 432, and in Figure 4B In the diagram, busbar 440 comprises a first portion 441 and a second portion 442. In both views, these portions are separated by an insulating sheet, which... Figure 4AThe middle is an insulating sheet 433 and in Figure 4B The middle section is an insulating sheet 443. These first and second sections can be configured to transmit electricity with different characteristics, such as different polarities to provide supply and return, different voltages, or different frequencies. In other embodiments, the sections of the busbar can be electrically coupled and can transmit electricity of the same characteristics with a higher current-carrying capacity than a single section.

[0057] In some embodiments, insulating supports can provide additional structural support for busbars 430 and 440; examples of insulating supports are... Figure 4A Column 434 and Figure 4B The column 444 in the example. In this example, the column keeps busbars 430 and 440 parallel to PCB 480. In this example, busbars 430 and 440 are bent at approximately a 90-degree angle, and the column provides support at the bend.

[0058] Figure 4B The busbar 440 in the middle is configured to have the same characteristics as... Figure 4A Busbar 430 has a different size. Busbar 440 has a reduced cross-sectional area compared to busbar 430. For example, busbar 440 can be used in applications with lower power requirements than busbar 430. For example, busbar 430 can be configured to carry a maximum current between 180-260 amps, such as 220 amps, while busbar 440 can be configured to carry a maximum current between 60-100 amps, such as 80 amps. The reduced cross-section of busbar 440 also means that it contacts fewer terminals within the second mating interface 420 of connector 400.

[0059] Figure 4A and Figure 4B The system configuration shown can be achieved using a PCB 480 with a connector 400 attached. The connector 400 has a mating interface that mates with a PSU or other components through which current can be supplied. The connector 400 also includes a mounting interface through which terminals inside the connector connect to the PCB 480, coupling current received through the mating interface into power layers within the PCB 480. In some embodiments, the PCB 480 may have a sufficient number of power layers to allow current to pass through the mounting interface of the connector 400 without exceeding the current rating of any portion of the PCB 480.

[0060] In this configuration, conductive interconnects cannot be inserted into the second mating interface 420 of connector 400. In this configuration, second connectors such as connectors 450 and 460 may be present, but these second connectors are not connected to connector 400 via conductive interconnects separate from PCB 480. Alternatively or additionally, the second connectors may be omitted.

[0061] Nevertheless, PCB 480 can be manufactured with a vacancy area for a second connector, which can be used when the power consumption of all components mounted on PCB 480 would cause the current density near connector 400 to exceed the current carrying capacity of the power layer within PCB 480. In that case, a second connector, such as connector 450 or 460, can be mounted in the vacancy area and connected to connector 400 via a conductive interconnect capable of transferring a portion of the current supplied from connector 400 to the second connector without passing through PCB 480.

[0062] The configuration of the second connector, and the configuration of the conductive interconnects connecting the first and second connectors, can depend on the amount by which the current required for the operation of the components on PCB 480 exceeds the current carrying capacity of the power layer near connector 400. For example, when the required current exceeds the current capacity by a larger amount, the size of the second connector can be designed to receive a wider busbar. As a specific example, PCB 480 can be designed with 18 layers or fewer, but still carry up to 60 amps of current. If the required current is between 60 and 100 amps, additional layers can be added, such as... Figure 4B The busbar shown is designed to carry an additional 40 amps of current. If a current between 100 and 200 amps is required, additional busbars can be added as shown. Figure 4A The busbar shown is designed to carry additional current, for example, up to 140 amps.

[0063] In this example, the connectors mounted to PCB 480 can be configured based on the amount of current to be delivered from the first connector to the second connector. Optionally or additionally, the conductive interconnects between the connectors can be configured based on the amount of current to be delivered. Figure 4B As shown in the second mating interface on connector 400, the busbar can be inserted only into a portion of the slot forming the mating interface. This technique is suitable for larger connectors, such as connector 450, which can be mounted on PCB 480 to deliver relatively large currents. If the system is configured to deliver a current smaller than this large current, a smaller busbar can be used without occupying a portion of the mating interface of the larger connector 450.

[0064] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4A The connector, in which the busbar is disconnected from the PSU. Multiple conductive elements (e.g., within the L-shaped card edge connector 400) Figures 8A to 8B The 800 in the middle is configured to electrically connect portions of at least three non-coplanar surfaces. Figure 5 In the embodiments shown, these surfaces are:

[0065] Power terminal 436 of busbars 431 and 432;

[0066] The PSU 470's power supply terminal 471 and signal terminal 472; and

[0067] PCB 480.

[0068] exist Figure 5 In one embodiment, the busbar 430 includes two electrically isolated portions 431 and 432 stacked on top of each other. Each portion may have a terminal portion forming a power terminal 436. Figure 6 An exemplary cross-section of an embodiment of a busbar is shown. In this embodiment, the busbar is a stacked assembly 40b', including an insulating layer L1 having a first surface L2 and a second surface L3, a first blade L4 disposed on the first surface L2, and a second blade L5 disposed on the second surface L3. The first surface L2 and the second surface L3 may be parallel to a segment in a vertical insertion slot of the busbar, the slot forming a mating interface on an L-shaped card edge connector 40. The first blade L4 may have a first insertion edge L6 recessed from the insertion edge L7 of the stacked assembly 40b' by a first distance DL4, and the second blade L5 may have a second insertion edge L8 recessed from the insertion edge L7 of the stacked assembly 40b' by a second distance DL5, the second distance DL5 being different from the first distance DL4. The first distance DL4 may be in the range of 1 mm to 8 mm. The second distance DL5 may be in the range of 1 mm to 6 mm. As a specific example, the difference in recess may be in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm. This configuration can be used in busbars where one of blades L4 and L5 is connected to the supply line of the power supply circuit and the other of blades L4 and L5 is connected to the return line for that circuit. When the stacked assembly 40b' is inserted into the connector slot, this configuration allows for pre-fitting of the supply or return line by using the second blade L5 to engage that portion of the circuit first.

[0069] The insulating layer L1 may include a rigid plastic layer, which may include an end cap L9 extending above the first insertion edge L6 and the second insertion edge L8 of the first blade L4 and the second blade L5. Alternatively, the insulating layer L1 may include an insulating film. For example, the insulating film may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm, and the conductive blades L4 and L5 may be copper sheets with a thickness of about 1 mm.

[0070] In this embodiment, component 40b' can extend from a recessed portion of the insulating housing of the power busbar. The first conductive blade L4 can be a current input blade capable of providing 3000 watts of power at 48V, and the second conductive blade L5 can be a current output blade.

[0071] The laminated assembly 40b' can have a total thickness Y ranging from 1 mm to 6.5 mm. The thickness of each of the first conductive blade L4 and the second conductive blade L5 can range from 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm.

[0072] Although shown as a laminated assembly 40b' in this embodiment, it should be understood that the busbar can be a laminate consisting of additional layers or a single solid member. Furthermore, although Figure 6 Described as a busbar connecting the first connector and the second connector, but as Figure 6 The structure shown can be part of a power supply and can be inserted into the first mating interface of connector 400.

[0073] Figure 7A and Figure 7B Front and side views of the L-shaped card edge connector 400 are shown respectively. The connector 400 has an L-shaped housing 402. The housing 402 may be made of a rigid insulating material capable of withstanding the high heat generated by high-voltage electrical transmission. For example, the housing 402 may be molded from a high-temperature plastic with glass fiber filler.

[0074] The L-shaped housing 402 provides a first mating interface 410, a second mating interface 420, and a mounting interface 782. Figure 7A and Figure 7B In the example, housing 402 has a horizontal section 404 that is parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board to which connector 400 is attached. A first mating interface 410 is formed in the horizontal section. Housing 402 also has a vertical section 406. A second mating interface 420 is formed in the vertical section.

[0075] In the illustrated embodiment, mounting interface 782 is formed at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical sections. The illustrated configuration supports parallel board connections between a PCB with attached connector 400 and a board inserted into the first mating interface 410, as shown. Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown. However, other system configurations can also be supported by coordinating other relative positions of the interface and installation interface.

[0076] In some embodiments, the horizontal and vertical segments may have the same length. In other embodiments, for example... Figure 7A and Figure 7BIn the illustrated embodiment, these segments can have different lengths. In the illustrated embodiment, the first mating interface 410 has a power portion 415 and a signal portion 416. In this example, the second mating interface only supports power connections and is approximately the same length as the power portion 415 of the mating interface. However, in some configurations, only a portion of the power supplied through the first mating interface is delivered to the components of the PCB to which the connector 400 is attached, and the second mating interface may even be shorter than the power portion 415 of the first mating interface 410.

[0077] In this embodiment, both mating interfaces 410 and 420 are configured as card edge connectors. The housing 402 includes a first slot 412 forming part of the first mating interface 410 and a second slot 422 forming part of the second mating interface 420. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, slots 412 and 422 are offset by 90 degrees to form an L-shape, but it should be understood that other angular offsets are also possible to support different system configurations. In this embodiment, housing 402 is configured to receive a PCB configured for edge connections (e.g., PSU) in the first slot 412 and to receive conductive interconnects such as busbars in the second slot 422.

[0078] Located within housing 402 are two sets of multiple conductive elements. A first set of conductive elements 416 transmits electrical power, and a second set of conductive elements 418 transmits electrical signals. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical conductive elements are configured to establish an electrical connection between a first mating interface 410, a second mating interface 420, and a mounting interface 782. The signal conductive elements can be shaped as in conventional connectors or shaped to otherwise provide connectivity. The tails of conductive elements 415 and 417 are exposed at mounting interface 782, where they can be attached to a printed circuit board. Figure 7B In the example, the tail protrudes from the underside of the card edge connector 400. The tail is configured to electrically connect the card edge connector 400 to a PCB for power and signal transmission purposes. The tail can be shaped to attach to the PCB by soldering, press-fitting, or any other attachment technique. In some embodiments, different tail configurations can be used for signal and power connections. For example, power connections can be made by postinhole soldering, and signal connections can be made by surface mount soldering or press-fitting.

[0079] Figure 8A and Figure 8BPerspective and side views of an embodiment of a power conductive element 415 that may be located within an L-shaped card edge connector 400 are shown. In some embodiments, the group of power conductive elements 415 may be configured to carry a large current, such as a maximum current between 60 amps and 260 amps. Each power conductive element 800 may be formed of one or more components that collectively provide multiple interfaces to each portion. For example, these components may each be stamped from a sheet of metal and subsequently formed to provide mating interfaces and mounting interfaces. In this example, each power conductive element has a first mating contact 810 and a second mating contact 820, and a tail 880, the first mating contact 810 and the second mating contact 820 being positioned to form part of each of the two mating interfaces 410 and 420, and the tail 880 being positioned to form a mounting interface 782.

[0080] In the illustrated embodiment, the mating contact portion is formed as a contact surface on the spring finger. Each electrically conductive element 800 may have a first set of horizontally extending spacer fingers 812 and a second set of vertically extending spacer fingers 822. Each electrically conductive element 800 may have a set of vertically downward extending tail portions 882. Therefore, the first set of fingers 812 and the second set of fingers 822 may be offset relative to each other by 90 degrees, and the second set of fingers 822 and the tail portions 882 may be offset relative to each other by 180 degrees.

[0081] In the illustrated embodiment, each mating interface is shown as having three spring fingers of similar size. In other embodiments, some or all mating interfaces may have more or fewer than three spring fingers. Furthermore, in some embodiments, different mating interfaces may have different numbers of spring fingers. Additionally, some or all spring fingers may have a different size than the other spring fingers. Optionally or additionally, some or all mating and / or mounting interfaces may have shapes different from those shown.

[0082] In the illustrated embodiment, the electrically conductive element is held together within a sub-assembly inserted into the connector housing. The electrically conductive element can, for example, be held together by… Figure 9A and Figure 9B The sub-assembly housing 910 is held together and may be plastic molded around the middle portion of the conductive element 800, exposing the mating and mounting portions of the conductive element. Some or all of the electrical conductive elements may be held in the same housing, and the connector may have one or more sub-assemblies. The sub-assemblies may be inserted into a housing such as housing 402 to form a connector.

[0083] In some embodiments, electrically conductive elements can be positioned in pairs. The contact surface of the fingers on one conductive element in a pair can face the contact surface of the other conductive element in the pair. Figure 9A and Figure 9B In the illustrated embodiment, the two conductive elements in a pair are held in the same housing 910, which establishes the required spacing between the mating contact surfaces of the paired conductive elements.

[0084] Conductive elements can be positioned such that pairs of contact surfaces are arranged on opposite sides of a slot, which forms a mating interface to receive an edge of a PCB or a conductive interconnect such as a busbar. For example, spring fingers 940 and 970 are spring fingers on each of a pair of electrically conductive elements having opposing contact surfaces. Similarly, spring fingers 950 and 980 have opposing contact surfaces. In both cases, the spring fingers can bend toward each other, thereby generating a spring-like force against a component such as a PCB or busbar inserted into the slot between them.

[0085] In this example, spring fingers 940 and 950 can be integrally formed from a metal sheet from which electrically conductive elements are stamped. Similarly, spring fingers 970 and 980 can be integrally formed from a metal sheet from which electrically conductive elements are stamped. Each such metal sheet can be stamped with multiple fingers. Furthermore, each such sheet can be stamped with a tail, such as tail 960 and tail 990. For example, tail 960 can be stamped from the same sheet as spring fingers 940 and 950, and tail 990 can be stamped from the same sheet as spring fingers 970 and 980. Thus, in some embodiments, spring fingers 940, 950 and tail 960 can be electrically connected. Similarly, in some embodiments, spring fingers 970, 980 and tail 990 can be electrically connected.

[0086] Figure 10A , Figure 10B and Figure 10C An exemplary embodiment of a connector configured for use in such a system is shown, in which a first portion of the power supplied via the connector can be delivered to a PCB via a mounting interface of the connector, and a second portion can be delivered to a remote location on the PCB via conductive interconnects. Connector 1000 is shown here having a first mating interface 1012 and a mounting interface 1082, which can be configured to have the first mating interface and mounting interface as described above. For example, the first mating interface 1012 can be formed by a slot in a housing portion 1050 lined with spring fingers of conductive elements. The mounting interface 1082 can be formed with tails of those conductive elements extending from the housing portion 1050.

[0087] A second mating interface 1020 may also be provided for mating with a conductive interconnect that distributes a portion of the power supplied through the first mating interface 1012 to a distal location on the PCB where the connector 1000 is mounted. As described above in conjunction with the second mating interface 420, the second mating interface 1020 may have a slot formed in the housing portion 1052. The slot may be lined with one or more rows of contact portions of conductive elements. These conductive elements may be integral with the contact portions of the conductive elements forming the first mating interface 1012.

[0088] Unlike the second mating interface 420, where the slot has a vertical orientation, the slot of the second mating interface has a horizontal orientation. Therefore, conductive interconnects, such as busbars or cable assemblies, are inserted into the second mating interface 1020 in a horizontal direction. The conductive elements are formed to position the contact portion within the horizontal slot.

[0089] Furthermore, the housing connector 1000 is shaped to provide two slots with this orientation. In the illustrated embodiment, housing portions 1050 and 1052 are both elongated in the horizontal direction. The housing portions are shown as elongated in the offset plane, but embodiments with additional vertical spacing between the elongated portions and thus having a first mating interface and a second mating interface can be constructed.

[0090] exist Figure 10B and Figure 10C The dimensions (in millimeters) are specified. These dimensions are illustrative and not limiting. Other embodiments may have any one or more dimensions that differ from the stated dimensions by 10%, 20%, 50%, or more.

[0091] Several embodiments have been described thus; it should be understood that various changes, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing description and figures are merely examples.

[0092] Various modifications can be made to the illustrative structures shown and described herein. As an example of a possible variation, an embodiment of an electronic system is described in which a printed circuit board 300 is designed to mate with a power supply unit via a connector 310. In this configuration, power can be derived from the power supply unit and used by various components on the printed circuit board 300. However, it should be understood that the techniques described herein are applicable to systems in which power flows through the connector 310 in either direction, and that the techniques can be used in systems where power is coupled in any direction.

[0093] As another example of a variation, the power supply section 471 of the PCB may include blades of conductive material. For example, the power supply section 471 may include any of the following: a solid part of a single metal (e.g., copper, aluminum) with high conductivity; a solid part of a metal alloy (e.g., copper alloy); or a solid plate or core clad with a high conductivity metal (e.g., a copper plate clad with gold, a steel plate clad with copper, a resin plate clad with copper); or a laminate having a layer of high conductivity material with a low conductivity material dispersed thereon.

[0094] Optional construction techniques for the busbar can also be used. For example, the busbar can be: a solid copper component; a core coated with a thick copper layer; a core coated with a thick copper layer and a gold outer layer; a core coated with a thick copper layer, a silver layer, and a gold outer layer; a laminated structure having a thin insulating layer separating two thicker conductive layers; and so on. As will be understood, the highly conductive material can be a metal alloy. The core can be made of any material that allows it to be formed into a leaf-like shape and can be coated with another material without adversely reacting with the other (coating) material. For example, the core can be made of aluminum.

[0095] Furthermore, a busbar with two sections supporting two electrically disconnected paths is illustrated to provide an exemplary busbar. For example, such a busbar can be used in an electronic device with a high-current power supply circuit. Some electronic devices may have more than one high-current power supply circuit and therefore may have busbars with more than two sections (e.g., four, six, or more sections). Each section of the busbar may have a mating portion, such as an exposed surface that can be inserted into a card edge connector, as shown in the figure above.

[0096] Furthermore, the conductive interconnect is not required to be a busbar. In some embodiments, one or more cables may form the conductive interconnect. The number of cables may depend on the number of high-current circuits in the electronic device. Each cable may terminate with a mating part, which may be a separate element, such as a connector terminal, or may be formed by fusing the conductor strands of the cable into the connector. This configuration can be used in conjunction with card edge connectors. When the conductive interconnect mates with connectors in different configurations, in some embodiments a mating part with spring fingers or other structures may be used.

[0097] Manufacturing techniques can also vary. For example, in one described embodiment, the electrically conductive element is formed as a terminal subassembly and then inserted into the connector housing. In some embodiments, the electrically conductive element may be inserted into the connector housing separately.

[0098] Connector manufacturing techniques are described using specific connector configurations as examples. A parallel-plate right-angle connector that mates with the card edge is described as an example of a first connector. A second connector is shown as a vertical card edge connector. Any one or both of these connectors can have other forms, including, for example, backplane connectors, cable connectors, stacked connectors, mezzanine connectors, I / O connectors, chip sockets, etc.

[0099] In some embodiments, the contact tail is shown as a post suitable for pins in a retainer soldering attachment. However, other configurations, such as surface mount elements, press-fit parts, etc., may also be used, as aspects of this disclosure are not limited to any particular mechanism for attaching a connector to a printed circuit board.

[0100] The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” are used to distinguish the interfaces of L-shaped connectors. The horizontal and vertical directions can be determined relative to the surface of the printed circuit board on which the connector is mounted, or, when the connector is not mounted on the board, relative to the plane that the printed circuit board will occupy. However, these terms indicate relative directions and the horizontal and / or vertical directions can be determined relative to other reference planes.

[0101] This disclosure is not limited to the construction details or component arrangements set forth in the foregoing description and / or drawings. Various embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the concepts described herein can be practiced or performed in other ways. Furthermore, the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. The terms “comprising,” “containing,” “having,” “including,” or “involving” as used herein, and variations thereof, are intended to cover the items listed thereafter (or their equivalents) and / or as additional items.

Claims

1. A connector having a busbar input, the connector comprising: A housing, the housing comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface; The first interface at the first surface; The second interface at the second surface; The third interface at the third surface; as well as A plurality of conductive elements are held within the housing, the plurality of conductive elements including a first set of mating contacts, a second set of mating contacts, and a set of mounting portions; in: The mating contact portion in the first set of mating contact portions is electrically connected to the corresponding mating contact portion in the second set of mating contact portions and the corresponding mounting portion in the set of mounting portions; The first set of mating contact portions includes the first interface; The second set of mating contact portions includes the second interface; The set of mounting parts includes the third interface; Each of the conductive elements includes a first mating contact portion for forming the first set of mating contacts and a second mating contact portion for forming the second set of mating contacts; and The plurality of conductive elements are positioned in pairs in the housing, wherein the first mating contact and the second mating contact of one conductive element in each pair face the first mating contact and the second mating contact of the other conductive element in the pair, respectively.

2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first interface is configured to receive the edge of the card.

3. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second interface is configured to receive at least one busbar.

4. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second interface is configured to carry a current between 60 amperes and 100 amperes.

5. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second interface is configured to carry a current between 160 amperes and 240 amperes.

6. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first interface and the second interface are offset by an angle between 70 and 110 degrees.

7. The connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first set of mating contact portions includes a first set of fingers, and the second set of mating contact portions includes a second set of fingers, and the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers are offset by an angle between 70 degrees and 110 degrees.

8. The connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first set of mating contact portions includes a first set of fingers, and the second set of mating contact portions includes a second set of fingers, and the angular offset between the first interface and the second interface is equal to the angular offset between the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers.

9. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first surface is perpendicular to the second surface and the third surface; and The second surface is parallel to the third surface.

10. An electronic system, the electronic system comprising: Printed circuit boards; A first connector, comprising a first mating interface, a second mating interface, and a first mounting interface, wherein: The first mating interface, the second mating interface, and the first mounting interface are electrically connected, and The first connector is mounted to the printed circuit board at the first mounting interface; The second connector includes a third mating interface and a second mounting interface, wherein: The third mating interface and the second mounting interface are electrically connected, and The second connector is mounted to the printed circuit board at the second mounting interface; and A conductive interconnect is detachably connected to a second mating interface and a third mating interface to establish an electrical connection between the second mating interface and the third mating interface.

11. The electronic system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The conductive interconnects are configured to carry a current exceeding 60 amperes.

12. The electronic system according to claim 11, characterized in that, The conductive interconnects are configured to carry currents exceeding 100 amperes.

13. The electronic system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The conductive interconnect includes at least one busbar.

14. The electronic system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The conductive interconnect includes at least one cable interconnect.

15. The electronic system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The electronic system also includes: The power supply is detachably connected to the first mating interface.

16. The electronic system according to claim 15, characterized in that: The power supply is configured to provide at least 60 amps.

17. The electronic system according to claim 15, characterized in that, The power supply is configured to supply a maximum current between 160 amps and 240 amps.

18. The electronic system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The conductive interconnect includes a busbar; The busbar turns through a bend in a plane parallel to the printed circuit board; and The bending angle is between 70 and 110 degrees.

19. A method of operating an electronic system, the electronic system comprising a printed circuit board, a first connector mounted to the printed circuit board and including at least one mating interface, a second connector mounted to the printed circuit board and having at least one mating interface, and a plurality of electronic components mounted to the printed circuit board, the method comprising: Power is supplied through a mating interface in at least one of the mating interfaces of the first connector; A first portion of the supplied power is distributed from the first connector to the plurality of electronic components through the power layer in the printed circuit board; A second portion of the supplied power is distributed from the first connector to the second connector via conductive interconnects, and from the second connector to the plurality of electronic components via a power layer in the printed circuit board.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, Distributing the first portion of the supplied power from the first connector to the plurality of electronic components via power layers in the printed circuit board includes distributing the first portion via 15 or fewer power layers.

21. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The first portion of the supplied power and the second portion of the supplied power together exceed 60 amperes.

22. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The first portion of the supplied power and the second portion of the supplied power together exceed 90 amperes.

23. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The first portion of the supplied power and the second portion of the supplied power together exceed 180 amperes.

24. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that: The mating interface is the first mating interface of the first connector; The first connector includes a second mating interface; The at least one mating interface of the second connector includes a first mating interface; and The method further includes connecting the conductive interconnect between the second mating interface of the first connector and the first mating interface of the second connector.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that: The conductive interconnect includes at least two busbars, each busbar having a first end and a second end; The second mating interface of the first connector and the first mating interface of the second connector each include at least one slot; as well as Connecting the conductive interconnect between the second mating interface of the first connector and the first mating interface of the second connector includes: inserting the first ends of the at least two busbars into at least one slot of the second mating interface of the first connector, and inserting the second ends of the at least two busbars into at least one slot of the first mating interface of the second connector.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that: Supplying power through at least one mating interface of the first connector includes supplying power from a power supply unit, the power supply unit including a card edge inserted into the first mating interface of the first connector.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that, Supplying electricity includes supplying current between 60 amps and 100 amps.

28. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that, The power supply includes supplying current between 160 amps and 240 amps.

29. An electrical connector, comprising: A housing, the housing comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface, wherein a first interface is provided on the first surface, a second interface is provided on the second surface, and a third interface is provided on the third surface; and Multiple conductive structures are held within the housing, the multiple conductive structures including a first set of mating contacts, a second set of mating contacts, and a set of mounting portions; in: For each of the plurality of conductive structures, the mating contact portion in the first set of mating contact portions is electrically connected to the corresponding mating contact portion in the second set of mating contact portions and the corresponding mounting portion in the set of mounting portions; The first set of mating contact portions includes the first interface; The second set of mating contact portions includes the second interface; The set of mounting parts includes the third interface; and The mating direction of the first set of mating contact parts is transverse to the mating direction of the second set of mating contact parts.

30. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that, The mounting portion of the plurality of conductive structures includes a tail portion.

31. The electrical connector according to claim 30, characterized in that, The tail extends from the housing along a first direction.

32. The electrical connector according to claim 31, characterized in that, At least one of the first set of mating contacts and the second set of mating contacts includes a conductive finger extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

33. The electrical connector of claim 29, wherein the electrical connector is combined with a cable assembly. in, The cable assembly mates with the electrical connector at the second interface.

34. The electrical connector according to claim 33, characterized in that, The electrical connector also includes a power source that mates with the electrical connector at the first interface.

35. The electrical connector according to claim 29, characterized in that, The first interface is configured to mate with another electrical connector.

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