Insulating bead for radio frequency connector

Abstract

The radio frequency connector is tuned by determining an impedance profile for the radio frequency connector, determining a structure of the insulating bead providing the impedance profile, and a process of forming the insulating bead by an additive manufacturing process. The additive manufacturing process may be a three-dimensional (3D) printing process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 63 / 359,496, filed on July 8, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention generally relates to radio-frequency (RF) or coaxial board connectors. Background Art

[0003] Typically, known RF connectors include an electrically insulating bead (insulating bead) that electrically insulates the coaxial signal conductor from the metal housing of the RF connector. The insulating bead of the known RF connector is typically manufactured by an insert molding process or an extrusion process. However, the insert molding and extrusion processes can only provide insulating beads with relatively simple physical structures. The known insulating beads typically also include slits or cutouts to enable the insulating beads to snap onto the conductor of the RF connector, but this reduces the structural strength and weakens the electrical properties of the insulating beads.

[0004] Furthermore, impedance tuning of known insulating beads can be difficult due to manufacturing tolerances in insert molding and extrusion processes. Impedance tuning of known insulating beads can also be difficult due to the limited dielectric properties of commonly used materials, such as fluoropolymers. Known insulating beads also generally cannot be configured to filter specific frequencies, such as undesired resonant frequencies.

[0005] Although known RF connectors are provided with holes or voids, these holes or voids are usually provided by machining the known RF connectors using a thread machining lathe or similar equipment. However, this process leaves burrs, which significantly reduces structural integrity, and can only provide limited void space. Therefore, known RF connectors are unable to provide both structural strength and a low effective dielectric constant.

[0006] The portion of the coaxial signal conductor of known RF connectors surrounded by the insulating bead typically includes a step or narrowing in an attempt to match the impedance of the step or narrowing to the impedance of the portion of the coaxial signal conductor surrounded by the non-conductive cable insulator or jacket of the coaxial cable. Summary of the invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention provide insulating beads that can be used in radio frequency connectors, and these insulating beads can have relatively complex physical structures. In particular, the insulating beads can be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, such as using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to manufacture the insulating beads.

[0008] Accordingly, the insulating beads can be provided with a non-solid structure, such as a grid structure, a mesh structure, or the like, and the impedance tuning of the insulating beads can be easily controlled during the manufacturing process. Since the impedance tuning of the insulating beads can be easily controlled, the coaxial signal conductor can achieve impedance matching without including a step or narrowed portion in the coaxial signal conductor.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electrical connector may include: a connector housing; a conductor; and a three-dimensional (3D) printed or non-extruded insulating bead, wherein the insulating bead electrically insulates a portion of the conductor from the connector housing.

[0010] The insulating bead may have a substantially cylindrical shape and have a central hole. The central hole may have a constant diameter throughout the insulating bead. The central hole may have a cone shape and / or may have a stepped shape.

[0011] The insulating beads may be configured to filter at least one frequency or frequency band. The insulating beads may be configured by a modified grid or mesh structure. The insulating beads may at least partially comprise a repeating, ordered structure. The insulating beads may comprise a network of interconnected struts.

[0012] The insulating bead may have a solid shape and have a central hole. The insulating bead may include the central hole and a void space other than the central hole.

[0013] The insulating beads may include an electrically insulating material or an electrically insulating magnetically absorbing material. The insulating beads may include a light-curable photopolymer resin.

[0014] The insulating beads may tune the electrical connector to provide a predetermined impedance characteristic.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for tuning a radio frequency connector may include: determining a structure of an insulating bead that provides at least one of a predetermined impedance characteristic, a predetermined mechanical characteristic, and a predetermined thermal characteristic; and forming the insulating bead by an additive manufacturing process.

[0016] The additive manufacturing process may be a three-dimensional printing process. The process of determining the insulating bead structure may include a process of determining a grid or mesh structure set by a combined structure composed of one or more predetermined units. The process of determining the insulating bead structure may also include a process of modifying or confirming one or more predetermined units to provide a combined structure. The process of determining the structure may include modeling a local field. The process of determining the structure may include iteratively determining the structure until at least one of a predetermined impedance characteristic, a predetermined mechanical characteristic, or a predetermined thermal characteristic is provided.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a radio frequency connector may include a conductive housing, a conductor, and an insulating bead that electrically insulates the conductor from the conductive housing. The insulating bead may include a plurality of void spaces. The insulating bead may be provided with a grid structure.

[0018] The insulating beads may include or may be made of a non-extruded photopolymer. The insulating beads may be one or more of flexible, compliant, elastic, and non-plastically deformable insulating beads. The insulating beads may be 3D printed. The insulating beads may have a grid structure, the grid structure being selected to produce an impedance selected from the group consisting of 50±1 ohms, 50±2 ohms, and 50±3 ohms. The conductor may be provided with a cutout or recess having a conductor width, the cutout or recess being configured to receive the insulating beads, and the cutout or recess may have a wider conductor width than a conductor configured with molded insulating beads.

[0019] The above and other features, elements, characteristics, steps and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the RF connector.

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A bottom perspective view of the RF connector is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A cutaway perspective view of an RF connector is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 It is available for Figure 1 A top perspective view of the insulating bead of the RF connector is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Bottom perspective view of the insulating beads shown.

[0025] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an insulating bead is shown.

[0026] 7A to 7F are top perspective views of insulation beads having various structures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Figures 1 to 3 A vertical RF connector is shown as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 675,688, filed on February 18, 2022. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0028] Figures 1 to 3A multi-port, vertical, RF crimp connector 10 is shown. The RF connector 10 may include a housing 12, a first insulating bead 14, a second insulating bead 16, a first conductor 18 including a first conductor end 22 and a second conductor end 24, a second conductor 20 including a third conductor end 26 and a fourth conductor end 28, a pair or at least two adjacent ports 30, 30A, one or more crimp mounting portions 32, a docking block 34, a polarization feature 36, and a recessed area 38. The housing 12 may include a docking end or docking interface that may dock with a corresponding connector, and a mounting end or mounting interface that may be mounted on a suitable substrate (e.g., a test substrate, a PCB, etc.).

[0029] Figure 1 is a top view of the RF connector 10. The housing 12 can be a one-piece, integrated, monolithic or single-piece housing and can be made of a conductive material (e.g., metal). Alternatively, the housing 12 can also be a multi-piece integrated housing. The housing 12 can have a length of approximately 0.45 inches, 0.5 inches, or 0.55 inches, etc., which is measured across the two crimp mounting portions 32. The housing 12 can have a width of approximately 0.15 inches, 0.16 inches, or 0.17 inches, etc. Each first insulating bead 14 and each second insulating bead 16 can be made of an electrically insulating material (e.g., plastic) or an electrically insulating magnetically absorbing material (e.g., ferromagnetic ceramic). The first insulating bead 14 can be placed in a first opening OP set in the housing 10. The second insulating bead 16 can be placed in a second opening OP1 set in the housing 10.

[0030] Each of the first conductor 18 and the second conductor 20 may be made of a conductive material, such as a metal, and may be manufactured by stamping, forming, machining, and the like. The first and second conductors 18, 20 may both have the same size and shape or substantially the same size and shape. The first and second conductors 18, 20 may be spaced apart by a center distance of approximately 0.13 inches, 0.14 inches, etc. The first conductor end 22 of the first conductor 18 may extend into the first opening OP and may extend through or over the first insulating bead 14. The third conductor end 26 of the second conductor 20 may extend into the second opening OP1 and may extend through the second insulating bead 16. The first conductor 18 may be straight or substantially straight, with its entire length extending along a first centerline CL1, which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the third centerline CL3 within manufacturing and / or measurement tolerances, and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the mounting substrate within manufacturing and / or measurement tolerances. The second conductor 20 may be straight or substantially straight, extending its entire length along a second centerline CL2 that is parallel or substantially parallel to the first centerline CL1 within manufacturing and / or measurement tolerances, perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the third centerline CL3 within manufacturing and / or measurement tolerances, and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the mounting substrate within manufacturing and / or measurement tolerances. The first conductor 18 may have no bends or curves. The second conductor 20 may have no bends or curves.

[0031] Each of the ports 30, 30A may be set by the housing 12 or a docking block 34 of the housing 12. Each port 30, 30A may include a respective opening OP, OP1 set by the housing 12, a respective one of the first insulating bead 14 or the second insulating bead 16 placed in the respective opening OP or OP1, and a respective one of the first conductor 18 or the second conductor 20 placed in the respective opening OP or OP1. The ports 30, 30A may have no internal threads, no external threads, or neither internal threads nor external threads. The docking block 34 may have no internal threads, no external threads, or neither internal threads nor external threads.

[0032] The housing 12 or the docking block 34 of the housing 12 may be provided with at least two consecutive ports 30, 30A, such as Figure 1 As shown. The ports 30, 30A can be oriented to be parallel or substantially parallel to each other within manufacturing and / or measurement tolerances. The first and second ports 30, 30A and / or the first and second center lines CL1, CL2 can form an angle of about 30° to 90° relative to the third center line CL3 and the plane MP in which most of the crimp mounting portion 32 is located, where 90° is suitable for many vertical RF connector 10 applications. Each crimp mounting portion 32 can have a main crimp mounting surface CMS that is substantially located in the plane MP.

[0033] The housing 12 may further include a crimping mounting portion 32, or two or more spaced apart crimping mounting portions 32. Each crimping mounting portion 32 may be disposed on opposite ends of the housing 12 along the third centerline CL3, and the ports 30, 30A and the docking block 34 may be disposed between two spaced apart or opposite crimping mounting portions 32. Each crimping mounting portion 32 may be internally threaded and configured to receive a respective externally threaded fastener (not shown). Each crimping mounting portion 32, the first conductor 18, and the second conductor 20 may be located on the third centerline CL3.

[0034] The docking block 34 can be defined by a combination of the first wall 40, the second wall 40A, the third wall 40B, and the fourth wall 40C. The docking block 34 can have at least three corners or at least three rounded corners, can be elevated above or extend from the crimping mounting portion 32, and can have at least one or only one polarization feature 36. The polarization feature 36 can be a chamfer defined at a corner or a rounded corner of the docking block 34 portion of the housing 12. A recessed area 38 of the housing 12 can be defined below the docking block 34 of the housing 12. No respective portion of the first conductor 18 or the second conductor 20 may extend beyond the first, second, third, or fourth walls 40-40C. As described herein with respect to Figure 6 -9, the first end of the docking cable can be friction fit over the first, second, third and fourth walls 40-40C of the docking block 34.

[0035] Figure 2 yes Figure 11 is a bottom perspective view of the RF connector 10 shown. The second conductor end 24 of the first conductor 18 and the fourth conductor end 28 of the second conductor 20 can terminate in a recessed area 38 of the housing 12, between the crimping mounting portions 32, and below the docking block 34. The second conductor end 24 and the fourth conductor end 28 can both be crimped mounted on a mounting substrate (not shown). The second conductor end 24, the fourth conductor end 28, or both the second conductor end 24 and the fourth conductor end 28 can be docked and coupled with corresponding, respective pads on the mounting substrate. Each pad can include a point on the mounting substrate that coincides with an arc, circle, or curve of the mounting substrate, thereby ensuring that at least two or at least three continuous traces extending from the center of each pad are equal in physical length, electrical length, or both physical length and electrical length. The recessed area 38 can be provided with a first recess 42 and a second recess 44. The first recess 42 may have a first width W1 along the longitudinal direction L, which is less than a second outer wall-to-wall width W2 between the second wall of the docking block 34 and the fourth wall 40A, 40C of the housing 12 measured along the longitudinal direction L. The second recess 44 may have a third width W3 along the longitudinal direction L, which is less than a second outer wall-to-wall width W2 between the second wall of the docking block 34 and the fourth wall 40A, 40C of the housing 12 measured along the longitudinal direction L. The second recess 44 may have a third width W3 along the longitudinal direction L, which is greater than the first width W1 along the longitudinal direction L. The second width W2 may be greater than either the first width W1 or the third width W3. The first recess 42 and the second recess 44 may each be open adjacent to the first wall 40 of the docking block 34, or extend all the way to the outer surface of the first wall 40. The first recess 42 and the second recess 44 may each be closed adjacent to the third wall 40B of the docking block 34, or may not extend all the way to the outer surface of the third wall 40B of the docking block 34. The first conductor end 22 and the fourth conductor end 28 may both terminate in the recessed area 38, the first recess 42, or the second recess 44, and may neither terminate outside the recessed area 38. The first conductor end 22 and the fourth conductor end 28 may both terminate to corresponding pads or traces on a mounting substrate (not shown) by a butt coupling manner.

[0036] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 21. A cross-sectional view of the RF connector 10 shown. The first conductor 18 and the second conductor 20 may both be electrically insulated from the housing 12. The housing 12 may be provided with one or more crimp mounting portions 32. Each respective opening OP, OP1 may be provided with a first opening 46 having a first radius R1, a perimeter or an area and a second opening 48 having a second radius R2, a perimeter or an area. The first radius R1, a perimeter or an area of ​​the first opening 46 is greater than the second radius R2, a perimeter or an area of ​​the second opening 48. The respective first insulating bead 14 and the second insulating bead 16 may be placed adjacent to the respective second opening 48 of each respective port 30, 30A. One or both of the first insulating bead 14 and / or the second insulating bead 16 may include one or more recesses on its circumferential surface, and the one or more recesses may be docked with the corresponding one or more protrusions of the housing 12 to help retain the first insulating bead 14 and / or the second insulating bead 16 in the housing 12. Alternatively, the first insulating bead 14 and / or the second insulating bead 16 may include one or more protrusions on the circumferential surface thereof, and the one or more protrusions may be docked with the corresponding one or more recesses of the housing 12 .

[0037] exist Figure 3 , for clarity, the first insulating bead 14 and the second insulating bead 16 are shown as transparent, but they may actually be opaque and need not be transparent. The first conductor 18 and the second conductor 20 may each have a respective first conductor width W4 inside a respective one of the first insulating bead 14 or the second insulating bead 16. The first conductor 18 and the second conductor 20 may each have a respective second conductor width W5 outside a respective one of the first insulating bead 14 or the second insulating bead 16, wherein the second conductor width W5 is greater in length than the first conductor width W4. The overall width OW of the housing 12 along the longitudinal direction L may be less in width than two single-port, crimp-type, vertical RF connectors each placed end-to-end along a common line.

[0038] The housing 12 may have a first footprint that is smaller than a second combined footprint of two single-port, crimp-style, vertical RF connectors.

[0039] The first conductor 18, the second conductor 20, the second conductor end 24, and the fourth conductor end 28 may each be spaced apart from the respective first inner wall 50 or second inner wall 52 of the housing 12 and isolated from the housing 12 by an air gap AG or other electrically insulating beads. The first conductor end 22 of the first conductor 18 and the third conductor end 26 of the second conductor 20 may each extend into the respective openings OP, OP1. The first conductor end 22 of the first conductor 18 and the third conductor end 26 of the second conductor 20 may each extend into the respective second openings 48 of the respective ports 30, 30A. Alternatively, the respective first and third conductor ends 22, 26 may each extend into both the first and second openings 46, 48 defined by the housing 12 or the docking block 34 of the housing 12.

[0040] Although Figure 1-3 The RF connector 10 shown includes two ports, but Figure 4-7F The insulating beads shown may be used in RF connectors that include only a single port or include more than two ports.

[0041] Figure 4-6 The third insulating bead 100 shown can be used for Figure 1-3 The first insulating beads 14 or the second insulating beads 16 are shown.

[0042] like Figure 4-6 As shown, the third insulating bead 100 may have a substantially cylindrical shape and may include a central hole 110, a first recess 120, and a second recess 130. The central hole 110 may receive an electrical conductor, such as Figure 1-3 The first conductor 18 or the second conductor 20 shown. The central hole 110 may have a constant diameter, a cone shape, or a stepped shape. The first recess 120 and the second recess 130 may facilitate the third insulating bead 100 to be connected to a radio frequency connector, such as Figure 1-3 The RF connector 10 is shown mated.

[0043] The third insulating bead 100 may be made of an electrically insulating material, such as plastic or resin, or may be made of an electrically insulating magnetically absorbing material, such as ferromagnetic ceramic. In addition, the third insulating bead 100 may include a non-solid material in the cross section of the insulating bead 100, including a structure set as a grid or mesh structure, as described below with respect to the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700.

[0044] like Figures 7A-7F As shown, the fourth insulating bead 200, the fifth insulating bead 300, the sixth insulating bead 400, the seventh insulating bead 500, the eighth insulating bead 600 and the ninth insulating bead 700 may each include a central hole, which is similar to Figure 4-6 The center hole 110 is shown. In addition, similar to Figure 4-6 The recesses of the first recess 120 and the second recess 130 shown may also be in Figures 7A-7F The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200 , 300 , 400 , 500 , 600 and 700 are provided as shown.

[0045] like Figures 7A-7FAs shown, the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may be formed of a grid or mesh structure. That is, the structure may have a repeated, regularly arranged structure such as an adjusted grid (e.g., point symmetry or radial symmetry in a cross-sectional view), a random structure such as a mesh structure, or a combination of an adjusted grid and a mesh structure. In addition, each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may include a non-solid material in the cross section of the insulating beads, including a structure set by the adjusted grid or mesh structure. That is, each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 may include a void space or a plurality of void spaces in addition to the central hole and in addition to the recess provided by the outer surface of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700. The void space may include air or a dielectric material having a different dielectric constant from the dielectric material of the solid portion of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700. The number of void spaces may be at least two, more than two, three or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 6 or more, 7 or more, 8 or more, 9 or more, 10 or more, more than 10, more than 20, more than 30, more than 40, more than 50, 50 or more, or 100 or more. For a grid having a repeating, ordered structure, the number of void spaces in one half of its cross section is equal to the number of void spaces in the other half of the cross section. By including an adjusted grid or mesh structure, each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 provides structural rigidity in a relatively compact size while reducing the dielectric constant to help provide a higher cutoff frequency. The grid or mesh structure can also accurately and precisely locate the center hole in each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700. Each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may be configured as a porous structure or a solid foam having an open cell network, a closed cell network, or both.

[0046] Each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, such as a three-dimensional (3D) printing process. The additive manufacturing process may provide a network of interconnected struts. Figures 7A-7F In the illustrated structure, the pillar has a diameter of about 17 microns. However, other additive manufacturing processes may also be implemented, such as additive manufacturing processes that provide pillars having a diameter of about 5 microns or less. Each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 need not be extruded.

[0047] Each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may be made of an electrically insulating material (e.g., plastic), or may be made of an electrically insulating magnetically absorbing material (e.g., ferromagnetic ceramic). In other applications, each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may include a conductive material, such as carbon nanotubes or silver particles. In addition, each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may be made of a material that can be deposited by a 3D printing process.

[0048] In particular, each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 can be a photocurable photopolymer resin, which can be used for stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP) processes. The photocurable photopolymer resin is a thermosetting polymer having cross-linking induced by exposure to light of a specific frequency. The photocurable photopolymer resin may include a photoinitiator that forms free radicals to induce cross-linking, or may include a thermoplastic polymer that does not have cross-linking. The additive manufacturing process can be implemented by a high-resolution 3D printer with a resolution of about 2 microns, such as the MICROARCH S230 of BOSTONMICRO FABRICATION. However, 3D printers with other resolutions, such as printers with a resolution of about 200 nanometers, may also be used.

[0049] By providing each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 with a grid or mesh structure including the above-mentioned material, impedance tuning and predetermined characteristics can be easily achieved, especially when compared with known materials (such as fluoropolymers). In addition, insulating beads with reduced size can also be obtained.

[0050] In other examples, the material of each of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 200 , 300 , 400 , 500 , 600 , and 700 may include an additive, such as a particle additive or a fiber additive.

[0051] As compared to Figure 3 As described, the first conductor 18 and the second conductor 20 may each have a respective first conductor width W4 inside a respective one of the first insulating bead 14 or the second insulating bead 16 , and the first conductor 18 and the second conductor 20 may each have a respective second conductor width W5 outside a respective one of the first insulating bead 14 or the second insulating bead 16 . Figures 7A-7FEach of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 shown may be configured to match the impedance of the conductor outside the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 by tuning the internal impedance of the corresponding fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700. Therefore, the RF connector including one or more of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may include one or more conductors having a constant width. That is, the conductor provided with one of the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may have a respective first conductor width W4, which may be equal to or substantially equal to the second conductor width W5 within manufacturing and / or measurement tolerances. Alternatively, the first and / or second conductors 18, 20 may be provided with a first conductor width W4 that is smaller than the second conductor width W5, but when compared to the respective first and / or second conductors 18, 20 provided with an extruded or solid first or second dielectric insulating bead 14, 16 instead of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700, the first and / or second conductors 18, 20 have a larger or wider first conductor width W4. In other words, the first conductor 18 may be provided with a first cutout or a first recess having the first conductor width W4. The first conductor width W4 may be less than the second conductor width W5. The first cutout or first recess may be configured to receive any one of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700. The first cutout or first recess may be wider or have a larger first conductor width W4 than the first conductor width W4 of the first conductor 18 configured with the molded or extruded first insulating bead 14.

[0052] The RF connector may be provided with an insulating bead tuned to a predetermined impedance characteristic. For example, the predetermined impedance characteristic of the insulating bead may be determined, and the insulating bead may then be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process that is controlled to provide the predetermined impedance characteristic in the insulating bead. The RF connector may not include any solid dielectric material or any foam dielectric material having irregularly shaped, non-repeating voids.

[0053] The method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the step of tuning the impedance of the electrical connector by tuning the impedance of the insulating beads carried by the electrical connector. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the step of tuning the impedance of the electrical signal conductor by tuning the impedance of the corresponding insulating beads that at least partially surround or surround the electrical signal conductor. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the step of determining the required, target, or predetermined impedance of the electrical connector or the electrical signal conductor, and designing the insulating beads that meet the required, target, or predetermined impedance within an error margin of + / -10 ohms, + / -5 ohms, + / -1 ohm, or + / -0.1 ohm. The required, target, system, or predetermined impedance can be, for example, 50 ohms, 60 ohms, 70 ohms, 75 ohms, 77 ohms, 85 ohms, or 100 ohms.

[0054] The process of tuning an RF connector includes first determining the impedance profile of the RF connector, determining the structure of the insulating bead that provides the impedance profile, and then forming the insulating bead through an additive manufacturing process. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention address the long-standing need for tuning the impedance profile of an electrical connector by only changing the insulating bead included in the electrical connector. In addition, the impedance tuning insulating bead including the void space can occupy the same space or volume within the electrical connector as a solid insulating bead, so that the electrical connector can be modified for applications with different impedances simply by determining a new design for the insulating bead and then printing the insulating bead, thereby reducing tooling costs and design time.

[0055] The process of determining the structure of the insulating beads may include a process of determining a grid or mesh set by a combined structure of one or more predetermined units. In addition, the process of determining the structure of the insulating beads may further include a process of modifying or confirming one or more predetermined units to provide a combined structure. The shape and size of the gaps in the combined structure may be determined by modeling the local field or by an iterative process until the predetermined characteristics are obtained. The structure of the insulating beads can be adjusted to adjust one or more of the mechanical properties, electrical properties (e.g., a predetermined dielectric constant), and thermal properties separately or together. In one example, in applications where high mechanical performance is not required, a fine structure may be included to precisely adjust the electrical properties and / or thermal properties. The combined structure may also be determined so that a specific frequency or frequency band (e.g., an unwanted resonant frequency) is filtered out or to provide broadband filtering. Accordingly, since the insulating beads can filter out specific frequencies or frequency bands, a separate circuit (e.g., an RLC circuit) used with known RF connectors and insulating beads can be omitted.

[0056] At least a portion of the RF connector tuning process may be implemented using computer-aided design (CAD) software. The additive manufacturing process may be a three-dimensional printing process.

[0057] In partial summary, the RF connector may include a conductive housing 12, a first conductor 18, and any one of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 for electrically insulating the first conductor 18 from the conductive housing 12. Any one of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 may be provided with a grid structure. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 may be made of a non-extruded photopolymer. Any one of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 may be provided with a grid structure. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may be one or more of flexible, compliant, elastic and non-plastically deformable insulating beads. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may be 3D printed. One or more of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 may have or be provided with a grid structure selected to generate an impedance selected from the group consisting of 50±1 ohms, 50±2 ohms and 50±3 ohms. The first conductor 18 may be provided with a first cutout or a first recess having a first conductor width W4, and the first cutout or the first recess may be configured to receive any one of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth insulating beads 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700. Compared with the first conductor 18 configured with the molded first insulating bead 14, the first cutout or the first recess may have a wider first conductor width W4.

[0058] Although the first conductor 18 and the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth insulating bead 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 or 700 are described, the second conductor 20 can also be and is configured to have or carry the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth insulating bead 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 or 700. Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made thereto and that elements thereof may be substituted with equivalent elements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular system, device or component thereof to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its basic scope. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all embodiments within the scope of the appended claims.

[0059] The terms used herein are intended to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to be limitations of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that when the terms "include" and / or "comprise" are used herein, the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components is specified, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof is not excluded.

[0060] The description of the present disclosure is for illustration and explanation and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the disclosed form. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The described embodiments are selected and described in order to best explain the principles and practical applications of the present disclosure and to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications suitable for the specific purposes contemplated.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising: Connector housing; conductor; as well as A 3D printed or non-extruded insulating bead, wherein the insulating bead electrically insulates a portion of the conductor from the connector housing.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the insulating bead has a substantially cylindrical shape and has a central hole. 3 . The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the central hole has a constant diameter throughout the insulating bead. The electrical connector according to claim 2 , wherein the central hole has a cone shape. The electrical connector according to claim 2 , wherein the central hole has a stepped shape.

6. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the insulating beads are arranged to filter at least one frequency or frequency band.

7. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the insulating beads are set by a tuned grid or mesh structure.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the insulating beads at least partially comprise a repeating, ordered structure.

9. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the insulating bead comprises a network of interconnected struts.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the insulating bead has a solid shape and has a central hole.

11. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the insulating bead comprises a central hole and a void space outside the central hole.

12. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the insulating bead comprises an electrically insulating material or an electrically insulating magnetically absorbing material.

13. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the insulating beads comprise a light-curable photopolymer resin.

14. The electrical connector of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the insulating bead tunes the electrical connector to provide a predetermined impedance characteristic.

15. A method for tuning a radio frequency connector, comprising: determining a structure of the insulating bead that provides at least one of a predetermined impedance characteristic, a predetermined mechanical characteristic, and a predetermined thermal characteristic; as well as The insulating beads are formed by an additive manufacturing process.

16. The method of tuning the radio frequency connector of claim 15, wherein the additive manufacturing process is a three-dimensional printing process.

17. The method for tuning the radio frequency connector according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the process of determining the structure of the insulating bead comprises the process of determining a grid or mesh structure set by a combined structure composed of one or more predetermined units.

18. The method of tuning the RF connector according to claim 17, wherein the process of determining the structure of the insulating bead further comprises the process of modifying or confirming one or more of the predetermined units to provide the combined structure.

19. The method of tuning the radio frequency connector according to any of claims 16-18, wherein the process of determining the structure comprises modeling local fields.

20. The method of tuning the RF connector according to any one of claims 16-18, wherein the process of determining the structure comprises iteratively determining the structure until the at least one of a predetermined impedance characteristic, a predetermined mechanical characteristic, and a predetermined thermal characteristic is provided.

21. A radio frequency connector, comprising: Conductive housing; conductor; as well as An insulating bead electrically insulates the conductor from the conductive housing, wherein the insulating bead includes a plurality of void spaces.

22. The radio frequency connector of claim 21, wherein the insulating bead comprises a non-extruded photopolymer.

23. The radio frequency connector according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the insulating beads are provided with a grid structure.

24. The radio frequency connector according to any one of claims 21-23, wherein the insulating bead is one or more of a flexible, compliant, elastic, and non-plastically deformable insulating bead.

25. The radio frequency connector of any one of claims 21-24, wherein the insulating bead is three-dimensionally printed.

26. The radio frequency connector of any one of claims 21-25, wherein the insulating bead has a grid structure selected to produce an impedance selected from the group consisting of 50±1 ohms, 50±2 ohms, and 50±3 ohms.

27. The radio frequency connector according to any one of claims 21 to 26, wherein: The conductor is provided with a cutout or recess having the width of the conductor; The cutout or recess is configured to receive the insulating bead; and The cutouts or recesses have a wider conductor width than would be the case if the conductor were provided with a molded insulating bead.

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