Cylindrical contacts and high density multi-contact RF connector comprising means for locking each contact in its installation position, easy and quick mounting / dismounting

Abstract

The invention relates to a cylindrical contact (4) designed to allow it to be longitudinally locked by a retaining plate (22) integral with or fixed to a housing (20) of a multi-contact connector and to be rotationally locked by a comb (23) inserted and fixed to said housing.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection assembly comprising a multi-contact connector connected together.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-contact connector (also called a multi-channel connector) of this assembly in which independent wired cylindrical contacts, in particular wired coaxial contacts, are housed. The invention relates to such cylindrical contacts.

[0003] A "wired coaxial contact" is understood to be a coaxial contact connected to a single cable, in particular for the transmission of RF signals.

[0004] Although the invention is described in its preferred application, namely the test and measurement market, the invention can be implemented in any other application dedicated to the commercial market. Thus, the invention can be applied generally to connections in the medical field, the aeronautical or transport field, the space field or even the telecommunication and data center field.

[0005] The preferred application mainly concerns a multi-channel electrical connector for cable-to-board, used for the transmission of RF signals and high-speed signals at rates up to 112 Gbps (Giga bits per second), for example digitally encoded using Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM), in particular PAM4 encoding. When using PAM4 encoding, the data rate can be increased, even beyond 200 Gbps, for example 224 Gbps.

[0006] An "RF connector" is understood to be a connector capable of transmitting signals from the direct current (DC) range to the radio frequency (RF) range, including the high frequency (HF) range, which are high-speed digital signals (High-Speed Data Link, HSDL) or radio frequency (RF) signals. BACKGROUND

[0007] With the development and wide application of chip technology, artificial intelligence, big data, distributed storage and edge computing technology, data centers have an increasing demand for high speed and large bandwidth.

[0008] Therefore, the transmission speed of a single-channel signal has also increased from 56 Gbps to 112 Gbps, and in the future even to 224 Gbps. As a result, single-channel connectors must meet the frequency requirement of 56 GHz and above, in particular up to 67 GHz. With the transmission frequency reaching the millimeter wave range, high requirements are placed on the stability of the cable assembly and the connector for transmitting signals.

[0009] In addition, when a user tests the performance of a chip or a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) using a high-density connector or a multi-channel connector, once a faulty connector or cable assembly is found, it is necessary to quickly replace the faulty connector or cable assembly to reduce the test and debug time.

[0010] In other words, for testing a chip or a PCB, a multi- contact connector with high density of channels has to be quickly connected and disconnected.

[0011] US 10505293 B2 discloses a multi-channel connector configured as a plug which cooperates with a socket fixed on a PCB and comprises a plug housing in which individual wired coaxial contacts are axially mounted and locked by laterally inserting a comb into holes on the side of the plug housing. The comb snaps onto the plug housing and prevents each coaxial contact from being removed backwards from the plug housing. However, if the cable to which the contact is connected is pulled, the wired coaxial contact can slightly move axially in the plug housing. This unwanted movement does not allow a stable connection of the coaxial contact with the socket for the ground signal and the PCB for the center contact signal. Moreover, if a faulty coaxial contact is to be replaced, the snapped comb cannot be easily or quickly detached and the cable tension cannot be released.

[0012] Therefore, there is a need to improve multi-contact or multi-channel connectors, in particular connectors configured as plugs, in order to allow an easy and quick replacement of the wired coaxial contacts in the connector housing with a minimum of operations.

[0013] Moreover, all these components are affected by manufacturing tolerances.

[0014] Then, as mentioned above, the axial positioning of the wired coaxial contacts in the connector housing can slightly vary due to, for example, cable pulling. For example, during a test operation using the multi-contact connector, the other end of the cable is inserted into a vector network analyzer (VNA).

[0015] Finally, this unwanted displacement creates one or the other of the following problems and leads to a loss of stability of the connection with the PCB (printed circuit board):

[0016] - a change of the contact pressure between the RF contacts and the PCB and / or the connector configured as a socket fixed to the PCB;

[0017] - a change of the electrical length of the electrical wire of the RF contact;

[0018] - a possible variation of the electrical length between the channels of the contact due to different cable pulling forces.

[0019] Moreover, the prior art uses RF contacts whose external body has a resilient portion in the shape of a petal for radially contacting a connector (socket) fixed to a PCB. During the mating operation of the plug connector into the socket connector, the resilient portion will collide with the cylindrical surface of the PCB socket cavity. In the millimetre wave field, the dimensions of these petals are very small and relatively fragile, so the plug-pull life of the prior art products is not very high, typically 500 times.

[0020] There is therefore a need to increase the robustness of the RF contacts in a multi-channel or multi-contact connector, to improve the stability of the axial positioning of the RF contacts during their service life, and to reduce the potential maintenance time of the connector.

[0021] The present invention aims to meet all or some of these needs. SUMMARY

[0022] Thus, according to one of its aspects, the subject of the present invention is a cylindrical contact having a central axis X1 and comprising:

[0023] - a front portion comprising:

[0024] a central contact,

[0025] a cylindrical external body,

[0026] a solid insulating structure arranged between the central contact and the external body;

[0027] - a rear portion slidingly mounted relative to the front portion along the central axis X1 and comprising:

[0028] a central contact inserted into or surrounding the central contact of the front portion,

[0029] a cylindrical external body comprising, at its periphery:

[0030] at least one protrusion extending radially outwards and intended to cooperate with a portion of a multi-contact connector to form a longitudinal abutment,

[0031] at least one flat surface intended to cooperate with a portion of a multi-contact connector to form a rotational abutment,

[0032] a solid insulating structure arranged between the central contact and the external body of the rear portion,

[0033] - elastic return means for enabling variable length sliding between the front portion and the rear portion under axial compression forces.

[0034] According to an advantageous variant, the outer body of the front portion and the outer body of the rear portion are electrically conductive, thereby forming an outer contact.

[0035] Preferably, the protrusion of the cylindrical outer body of the rear portion is a lug.

[0036] According to an advantageous configuration, the cylindrical outer body of the rear portion comprises two opposite flat surfaces.

[0037] According to another advantageous configuration, the plane of symmetry of the two protrusions is aligned with the planes of symmetry of the two flat surfaces.

[0038] Advantageously, the cylindrical outer body of the rear portion comprises two opposite protrusions.

[0039] According to an advantageous embodiment, the cylindrical outer body of the rear portion comprises a shoulder arranged behind the protrusion.

[0040] According to an advantageous variant, the elastic return means is a helical spring which is wound around the outer body of the rear portion and bears against both the outer body of the rear portion and the outer body of the front portion.

[0041] According to a variant, the cylindrical contact is a coaxial contact.

[0042] Preferably, the central contact of the front portion is a pogo pin contact.

[0043] According to an advantageous embodiment, the cylindrical contact comprises a guiding portion which slides between the rear portion and the front portion.

[0044] The cylindrical contact according to the application is advantageously configured to transmit RF (Radio Frequency) signals or HSDL (High Speed Data Link) signals.

[0045] Another subject of the application is a multi-contact connector, in particular configured as a plug, and comprising:

[0046] - a housing extending along a longitudinal axis (X), the housing comprising:

[0047] - at least two cavities extending within the housing or in an insert housed and fixed to the housing, parallel to the longitudinal axis (X),

[0048] - a through-hole slit extending transversely to the longitudinal axis (X) at the rear of the cavities;

[0049] - a retaining plate integral with or fixed on the rear of the housing and comprising:

[0050] at least two through-holes extending parallel to the longitudinal axis (X), each through-hole having, at its periphery, at least one cut-out facing one of the cavities;

[0051] - at least one comb inserted in the through-hole slit and fixed on the housing and comprising:

[0052] at least two pairs of adjacent teeth separated by notches, each tooth having a flat side.

[0053] According to the invention, the at least one comb is arranged between the retaining plate and the cavities, so that the cylindrical contact, as previously described, is housed in one of the at least two cavities after insertion of the at least one protrusion in the at least one cut-out while the at least one flat surface engages one of the flat sides of the teeth of the comb.

[0054] According to an advantageous variant, the cylindrical contact is housed in one of the at least two cavities while the at least one protrusion of the cylindrical contact bears longitudinally against the inner surface of the retaining plate.

[0055] According to another advantageous variant, the cylindrical contact is housed in one of the at least two cavities while the shoulder of the outer body of the rear portion bears against the outer surface of the retaining plate.

[0056] Preferably, the flat sides of the teeth of the comb are configured to prevent rotation of the cylindrical contact.

[0057] Another subject of the invention is a connection system comprising:

[0058] - a multi-contact connector, in particular configured as a plug, as described above,

[0059] - a complementary multi-contact connector, in particular configured as a socket, and comprising cavities for receiving the multi-contact connector as described above,

[0060] - a PCB having ground terminals and signal tracks, the complementary multi-contact connector being intended to be mounted on the PCB.

[0061] According to an advantageous variant, the multi-contact connector comprises fastening means configured to cooperate with complementary fastening means of the complementary multi-contact connector.

[0062] Preferably, the cavities of the complementary multi-contact connector are configured to laterally center the housing of the multi-contact connector.

[0063] Preferably, said complementary multi-contact connector is welded to said PCB.

[0064] The present invention also relates to a method for assembling a cylindrical contact as described above to a multi-contact connector as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0065] i / axial insertion of said cylindrical contact into the through hole of said retaining plate, aligning at least one protrusion of said external body with at least one cutout of said through hole;

[0066] ii / once said cylindrical contact is inserted into at least one cavity of said housing, and said at least one protrusion is located between said retaining plate and said cavity, rotating said cylindrical contact so that said protrusion cannot be extracted, and preferably so that said retaining plate is clamped between said protrusion and a shoulder of the cylindrical external body of said rear portion;

[0067] iii / insertion of said comb into said through hole slit so that at least one tooth of said comb slides along at least one flat surface of the external body of said cylindrical contact, and the gap between at least one flat side of the tooth and at least one flat surface of the external body of said cylindrical contact prevents said cylindrical contact from rotating backwards and being released from the housing of said multi-contact connector;

[0068] iv / fixing of said comb on the housing of said multi-contact connector.

[0069] In other words, the present invention mainly consists in a cylindrical contact, the design of which allows it to be longitudinally locked by a retaining plate which is integral with or fixed on the housing of a multi-contact connector, and rotationally locked by a comb which is inserted and fixed in said housing.

[0070] The cylindrical contact which is inserted and locked into the housing by the retaining plate and the comb is "wired" before being inserted into the housing. By "wired", it is understood that the contact is connected and attached to a cable which transmits a signal, in particular an RF signal.

[0071] The main advantages obtained with the multi-contact connector or multi-channel connector according to the present invention, by locking the rotation of the wired cylindrical contact by the comb and by longitudinally blocking the contact by the retaining plate, are numerous and can be listed as follows:

[0072] - reliable locking of the wired contact, which means that the wired contact cannot be released even in a vibrating environment, thus preventing interference with RF line measurements related to the contact;

[0073] - quick installation and / or repair of the wired contact: it only consists in disassembling the comb from the housing of the connector to allow the releaseable cylindrical contact;

[0074] - Stable RF circuit characteristics;

[0075] - Robust design at the interface between electrical components (external body, cylindrical contacts) and the PCB: There are no brittle flaps in contact with the PCB or socket. Components in contact with the PCB can have a robust "spring pin" design.

[0076] This invention also has significant advantages in terms of repair / maintenance.

[0077] In fact, multi-contact connector designs can be easily repaired in the event of a fault in a wired cylindrical contact or cable.

[0078] The replacement process for a faulty wired cylindrical contact can be performed as follows:

[0079] - Remove the comb from the connector housing laterally, especially beforehand by loosening or unlocking the comb;

[0080] - Rotate the wired RF contact, especially 1 / 4 turn, to align the protrusion(s) with the cutout(s) of the through-hole in the retaining plate;

[0081] - Pull out the faulty cylindrical contact and remove it from the connector housing.

[0082] The installation of the new cylindrical contact can be accomplished using the same steps as the assembly process described below, except that a slight axial force is applied to compress the elastic device before the contact is rotated when inserting the new wired contact into the cavity of the housing. Attached Figure Description

[0083] Other advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent after reading the detailed description of exemplary implementations of the invention, given in a non-limiting manner and with reference to the following figures, wherein:

[0084] - Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a multi-contact connector configured as a plug and a complementary multi-contact connector configured as a socket for mounting to a PCB according to the present invention.

[0085] - Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the multi-contact connector according to the present invention and the wired cylindrical contact accommodated in the connector according to the present invention;

[0086] - Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the housing of the multi-contact connector according to the present invention;

[0087] - Figure 4 It is according to the invention to be fixed in Figure 3 A top view of the retaining plate on the housing;

[0088] - Figure 5 is a perspective view of a comb according to the present application to be fixed on the housing of Figure 3 ;

[0089] - Figure 6 is a top view of a comb according to the present application; Figure 5

[0090] - Figure 7 is a perspective view of a wired cylindrical contact according to the present application;

[0091] - Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a wired cylindrical contact according to the present application; Figure 7

[0092] - Figure 9 is a front view of a wired cylindrical contact according to the present application; Figure 7

[0093] - Figure 10 is a perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view of a rear portion of a wired cylindrical contact according to the present application; Figure 7

[0094] - Figure 11 is a perspective view and a partial longitudinal sectional view of a wired cylindrical contact according to the present application at the leading portions of the rear portion and of the front portion of said contact; Figure 7

[0095] - Figure 12 shows the condition of a wired cylindrical contact according to the present application when it starts to be inserted in the through hole of the retaining portion;

[0096] - Figures 13A to 13D shows the different steps of the assembly method of a wired cylindrical contact according to the present application in a multi-contact connector;

[0097] - Figure 14 shows the assembly (partial longitudinal section) of a plurality of wired cylindrical contacts according to the present application in a multi-contact connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0098] In the present application, the terms "internal" and "external" are understood with respect to the connection assembly according to the present application.

[0099] In the present application, the terms "front", "rear", "top" and "bottom" are to be considered with reference to the connection assembly of the present application having two mutually connected connectors 2, 3. Thus, the front face of the connector 3, which can also be called its "connection" face, is the face which makes the connection with the complementary connector 2.

[0100] Figure 1 ​​​​​A connection assembly according to a first embodiment of the application is shown, globally designated 1. This connection assembly 1 comprises a first multi-contact connector, globally designated 2, and a second multi-contact connector, globally designated 3. The multi-contact connectors 2 and 3 are complementary, for example the first connector 2 can be male, in particular a plug, while the second connector 3 is female, in particular a socket.

[0101] However, in all the described figures, the first connector 2 is a male plug and the second connector 3 is a female socket.

[0102] The multi-contact connectors 2 carry electrical signals or power. In one variant, different types of signals or power can be carried by each multi-contact connector, in which case different sizes and different types of contacts are simultaneously arranged in the connectors.

[0103] As shown, the multi-contact connector 2, which is configured as a plug, houses cylindrical contacts 4.1 to 4.8, each having a wire connected to a cable 5.1 to 5.8 for the transmission of RF or high-speed data signals, the cylindrical contacts 4.1 to 4.8 being hereinafter referred to as wired RF cylindrical contacts. Each wired RF cylindrical contact 4.1 to 4.8 can be a single or multiple contact, for example a coaxial or triaxial contact, a quadaxial contact.

[0104] The first multi-contact connector 2 and the second multi-contact connector 3 each mainly comprise a housing 20, 30 made of a single piece of conductive or insulating material.

[0105] The multi-contact connector 3, which is configured as a socket, receives the multi-contact connector 2, which is configured as a plug, in order to directly connect the wired RF cylindrical contacts with the tracks (ground and signal) of a PCB 6 on which the connector 3 is mounted. Preferably, the housing 30 of the socket 3 can be soldered to the PCB or screwed onto the PCB, in particular by means of an SMT (Surface Mount Technology) process. Preferably, the housing of the socket 3 is made of copper or a copper alloy, with a surface coating, preferably a gold coating, to allow soldering with the PCB. The ground signal can not pass through the socket 3 to the PCB.

[0106] The multi-contact connector 2, which is configured as a plug, can have no ground (that is to say, conduct the ground signal from the wired RF contacts 4.1 to 4.8 to the PCB) function.

[0107] The housing 20 can comprise one or more screws 21, in particular two screws, housed in respective through holes 201 on both sides of the housing 20, to cooperate by screwing with one or more threads 31, in particular two threads, arranged on both sides of the housing 30, in order to mutually fasten the two connectors.

[0108] As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the housing 20 extends along a longitudinal axis X and comprises a plurality of parallel cavities 200 arranged in the housing 20 along the axis X, extending from the rear to a front, which can also be called a "connection" face, so as to face the second connector 3 when the connectors 2 and 3 are locked together.

[0109] Each cavity 200 generally receives a portion of a wired RF cylindrical contact 4.1 to 4.8, as explained below.

[0110] The housing 20 also comprises a through-hole slit 203 extending transversely to the longitudinal axis X at the rear of the cavities 200.

[0111] The multi-contact connector 2 also comprises a retaining plate 22 fixed at the rear of the housing. The retaining plate is shown in detail in Figure 4 Alternatively, the retaining plate 22 can be integral with the housing 20, for example manufactured using 3D printing.

[0112] The retaining plate 22 comprises a plurality of through-holes 220 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis X, each of which has, at its periphery, at least one cutout 223 facing one of the cavities 200 of the housing 20. The cutouts 223, in the example shown, two, are positioned angularly around the through-holes 220 so that the spacing between adjacent through-holes 220 can be minimized to increase the contact density, i.e. the number of wired RF cylindrical contacts 4.1 to 4.8 housed in the housing 20.

[0113] The retaining plate 22 also comprises through-holes 221, in particular on either side thereof, to pass the screws 21.

[0114] The retaining plate 22 also comprises a through-hole 222 to cooperate with the screw 24 to fasten the retaining plate 22 to the housing 20.

[0115] The multi-contact connector 2 also comprises a comb 23 inserted into the through-hole slit 203 and fixed on the housing 20, as shown in detail in Figure 5 and Figure 6 .

[0116] The comb 23 comprises a plurality of pairs of adjacent teeth 230 separated by notches 231, each tooth 230 having a flat side 233.

[0117] The comb 23 also comprises through-holes 232, in particular on either side thereof, to pass the screws 25 to fasten the comb 23 to the housing 20.

[0118] As shown in detail in Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 , the cylindrical contact 4 has a central axis X1 and is wired to an RF cable 5.

[0119] The cable 5 comprises an outer sheath 50 of electrically insulating material and an electric conductor 51 insulated from the outside by the outer sheath 50.

[0120] The cable 5 further comprises a metal braid 52 for electromagnetic shielding surrounding the insulated conductor.

[0121] An electrically insulating sheath 53 is interposed between the core 51 of the insulated conductor and the metal braid 52.

[0122] According to the invention, the wired RF cylindrical contact 4 comprises a front portion 40 and a rear portion 41 mounted and guided by sliding onto the front portion.

[0123] The front portion 40 comprises a central contact 400 which is a spring needle contact, a cylindrical outer body 401 which is electrically conductive and forms an outer contact, and a solid insulating structure 402 arranged between the central contact 400 and the outer body 401.

[0124] As Figure 10 As shown in detail, the rear portion 41 comprises a central contact 410 which is inserted or surrounds the central contact 400 of the front portion 40, a cylindrical outer body 411 which is electrically conductive and forms an outer contact, and a solid insulating structure 412 arranged between the central contact 410 and the outer body 411.

[0125] The cylindrical outer body 411 comprises, at its periphery, two opposite flat surfaces 414 for cooperating with a portion of the multi-contact connector 2 to form a rotational abutment as described below, and two opposite protrusions 413, preferably lugs, extending radially outwardly and for cooperating with a portion of the multi-contact connector 2 to form a longitudinal abutment as described below.

[0126] As Figures 7 to 9 shown, the symmetry planes of the two protrusions 413 are aligned with the symmetry planes of the two flat surfaces 414.

[0127] The cylindrical outer body 411 of the rear portion further comprises a shoulder 415 arranged rearward of the protrusions 413, which shoulder 415 allows to stop the insertion of the wired RF contact 4 into the housing 20 of the connector 2.

[0128] Furthermore, the rear portion 41 has a sleeve-like portion 416 for protecting the cable and a soldering point 417. Thus, the metal braid 52 of the cable 5 is soldered to the rear portion 41 through this soldering point 417. The sleeve 416 is pressed against the rear portion 41 rearward of a shoulder 418, thus protecting both the cable and the soldering point.

[0129] Finally, the outer body comprises a shoulder 418.

[0130] The cylindrical contact 4 also comprises a resilient return means to enable a variable length sliding between the front portion 40 and the rear portion 41 under an axial compression force. As shown in the illustrated example, the resilient return means is a helical spring 42 which is wound around the exterior body 411 of the rear portion 41 and bears against the shoulder 418 of the rear portion 41 and the exterior body 401 of the front portion 40.

[0131] As mentioned above, the front portion 40 and the rear portion 41 of the wired RF contact 4 can slide relative to each other under the compression force of the helical spring 42 and when the connector 2 is mated with the connector 3 mounted on the PCB 6.

[0132] According to a preferred embodiment of the application, as Figure 11 shown, the exterior body 401 of the front portion slides within the exterior body 411 of the rear portion, with the guide regions of the two exterior bodies being in the form of solid cylinders. Due to the possible long length L of the guide regions, the angle of inclination between the front portion 40 and the rear portion 41 is limited. This helps to correctly position the front tip 400 of the wired RF contact 4 when it is pressed against the traces of the PCB on which the connector 3 is mounted.

[0133] According to the application, the comb 23 of the connector 2 is arranged between the retaining plate 22 and the cavity 200, so that the cylindrical contact 4 is housed in one of the cavities 200 while the two flat surfaces 414 engage with the two flat sides 233 of the teeth 230 of the comb 23, after the insertion of the cylindrical contact 4 in one of the through holes 220 of the retaining plate 22 while the two protrusions 413 are each inserted in one of the two cutouts 223 (. Figure 12 ).

[0134] Reference will now be made to Figures 13A to 13D describe a method for assembling the cylindrical contact 4 to the multi-contact connector 2 as described above.

[0135] In advance, the housing 20 of the connector 2 can be pre-assembled with the retaining plate 22 and the fastening screw 21 screwed to the housing 20 by the screw 24.

[0136] The wired RF contact 4 and the comb 23, as well as its fixing screw 25, can be provided separately.

[0137] Step i / : the cylindrical contact 4 is inserted axially through the through hole 220 of the retaining plate 22, aligning the two protrusions 413 of the exterior body 411 with the two cutouts 223 of the through hole 220 (. Figure 13A ). When fully inserted, the shoulder 415 on the exterior body 411 bears against the outer surface of the retaining plate 22.

[0138] Step ii / : Once the cylindrical contact 4 is inserted in the cavity 200 of the housing 20, and the two protrusions 413 are located between the retaining plate 22 and said cavity 200 while the shoulder 415 is resting on the retaining plate 22, the cylindrical contact 4 is rotated so that said protrusions 413 cannot be extracted and the retaining plate 22 is clamped between said protrusions 413 and the shoulder 415 of the outer body 411 Figure 13B ). As an example, the rotation of the cylindrical contact 4 can be about ¼ turn.

[0139] In this mounted position, the wired RF contact 4 is elastically loaded by the helical spring 42.

[0140] These steps i / and ii / are repeated for each wired RF cylindrical contact 4.1 to 4.8 that must be housed in a cavity of the housing 20. Of course, one or more cavities 200 can remain empty.

[0141] Step iii / : The comb 23 is inserted in the through-hole slit 203 of the housing 20 so that the teeth 230 of the comb 23 slide along the two flat surfaces 414 of the outer body 411, the gap between the two flat sides 233 of the teeth and the two flat surfaces 414 of the outer body 411 then preventing the cylindrical contact 4 from rotating backwards and being released from the housing 20 Figure 13C and 13D ).

[0142] Step iv / : Finally, the comb 23 is fixed on the housing 20 by screwing each screw 25 in the thread 202 of the housing.

[0143] The assembly process between the two connectors 2, 3 is as follows.

[0144] As Figure 14 illustrated, the connector 2 equipped with the wired RF contacts 4.1 to 4.8 is fixed to the connector 3, which has been fixed to the PCB 6, preferably by soldering, by screwing the screws 21 in the threads 31. The housing 30 centers the housing 20 so that the RF contacts 4.1 to 4.8 are aligned and connected with the traces of the PCB.

[0145] When the connector 2 is screwed on the connector 3, the spring 42 of each wired RF contact 4.1 to 4.8 is slightly compressed and then pushes the protrusions 413 against the inner surface of the retaining plate 22.

[0146] Due to the slight contact pressure involved with the springs, the final pulling force exerted on the cables 5.1 to 5.8 does not change the contact force of the front outer body 401 and the center contact 400 against the PCB. The pulling force on the cables does not change the electrical length of each wired RF contact 4.1 to 4.8, because due to the protrusions 413, the wired RF contacts 4.1 to 4.8 are always resting against the holding plate 22.

[0147] Thus, the connection becomes more stable than the prior art, and the phase delay related to the electrical length of the RF line is similar for all channels 4.1 to 4.8.

[0148] Furthermore, the comb 23 prevents the accidental release and disconnection of the wired RF contacts 4.1 to 4.8 by locking the rotation of each wired RF contact 4.1 to 4.8.

[0149] Other variants and improvements can be provided without in any way departing from the framework of the application.

[0150] For example, the housing 20 can be made of two parts, one part being the surrounding wall and the other part being an insert with cavities. Both parts will be assembled before inserting the contacts.

[0151] For example, if the illustrated embodiment shows RF coaxial contacts as cylindrical contacts, any kind of known cylindrical contact can be implemented, such as bi-axial contacts, tri-axial contacts, quad-axial contacts, octa-axial contacts.

[0152] The number of wired RF contacts can typically be eight, as shown in the illustrated example, but it can vary from two to thirty-two or more, depending on the application. There can be two rows of eight or more parallel contacts to increase the number of channels while using one or two oppositely mounted combs.

[0153] The word "comprising" is to be understood in the same sense as "including" unless otherwise indicated.

[0154] In the framework of the application, one or more cavities of the housing of the multi-contact connector can remain empty. In other words, each cavity of the multi-contact connector can or can not accommodate a cylindrical contact.

Claims

1. A cylindrical contact (4) having a central axis (XI) and comprising: - a front portion (40) comprising: a central contact (400), a cylindrical outer body (401), a solid insulation structure (402) arranged between the central contact and the outer body; - a rear portion (41) slidingly mounted relative to the front portion along the central axis (XI) and comprising: a central contact (410) inserted in or around the central contact (400) of the front portion, a cylindrical outer body (411) comprising at its periphery: at least one protrusion (413) extending radially outwardly and intended to cooperate with a portion of a multi-contact connector to form a longitudinal abutment, at least one flat surface (414) intended to cooperate with a portion of a multi-contact connector to form a rotational abutment, a solid insulation structure (412) arranged between the central contact (410) and the outer body (411) of the rear portion, - a resilient return means (42) for enabling a variable length sliding between the front portion and the rear portion under an axial compression force.

2. The cylindrical contact of claim 1, wherein, The outer body of the front portion and the outer body of the rear portion are electrically conductive, thereby forming an outer contact.

3. The cylindrical contact of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The protrusion of the cylindrical outer body of the rear portion is a lug.

4. The cylindrical contact of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The cylindrical outer body of the rear portion comprises two opposite protrusions.

5. The cylindrical contact of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The cylindrical outer body of the rear portion comprises two opposite flat surfaces.

6. The cylindrical contact according to claims 4 and 5, wherein, The symmetry planes of the two protrusions are aligned with the symmetry planes of the two flat surfaces.

7. The cylindrical contact of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The cylindrical outer body of the rear portion comprises a shoulder (415) arranged rearward of the protrusion.

8. The cylindrical contact of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The resilient return means is a coil spring (42) wound around the outer body of the rear portion and bearing against both the outer body of the rear portion and the outer body of the front portion.

9. The cylindrical contact of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The cylindrical contact is a coaxial contact.

10. The cylindrical contact of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The central contact of the front portion is a pogo pin contact.

11. The cylindrical contact according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a guide portion (L) sliding between the rear portion and the front portion.

12. The cylindrical contact of any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The cylindrical contact is configured to transmit radio frequency signals or high speed data link signals.

13. A multi-contact connector (2), in particular configured as a plug, and comprising: - a housing (20) extending along a longitudinal axis (X), the housing comprising: at least two cavities (200) extending within the housing or in an insert housed and fixed to the housing parallel to the longitudinal axis (X), a through-hole slit (203) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis (X) at the rear of the cavities. - a retaining plate (22) integral with or fixed on the rear part of the housing and comprising: - at least two through holes (220) extending parallel to the longitudinal axis (X), each through hole having at its periphery at least one cutout (223) facing one of the cavities; - at least one comb (23) inserted in the through hole slit and fixed on the housing and comprising: - at least two pairs of adjacent teeth (230) separated by notches (231), each tooth having a flat side (233); wherein the at least one comb is arranged between the retaining plate and the cavities, so that the cylindrical contact according to any one of claims 1 to 12, after insertion of the at least one protrusion in the at least one cutout while the at least one protrusion is inserted in one of the at least two through holes of the retaining plate, is housed in one of the at least two cavities while the at least one flat surface engages one of the flat sides of the teeth of the comb.

14. The multi-contact connector (2) of claim 13, wherein, the cylindrical contact is housed in one of the at least two cavities while the at least one protrusion of the cylindrical contact is longitudinally resting on an inner surface of the retaining plate.

15. The multi -contact connector (2) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the cylindrical contact is housed in one of the at least two cavities while the shoulder (415) of the outer body of the rear part is resting on an outer surface of the retaining plate.

16. The multi -contact connector (2) according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the flat sides (233) of the teeth of the comb are configured to prevent rotation of the cylindrical contact.

17. A connection system (1) comprising: - a multi-contact connector (2) according to any one of claims 13 to 16, in particular configured as a plug, - a complementary multi-contact connector (3) in particular configured as a socket and comprising cavities for receiving the multi-contact connector (2) according to any one of claims 13 to 16, - a printed circuit board (6) having ground terminals and signal tracks, the complementary multi-contact connector being intended to be mounted on the printed circuit board.

18. The connection system of claim 17, wherein, the multi-contact connector (2) comprises fastening means (21) configured to cooperate with complementary fastening means (31) of the complementary multi-contact connector.

19. The connection system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, the cavities of the complementary multi-contact connector are configured to laterally center the housing of the multi-contact connector.

20. The connection system according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein, the complementary multi-contact connector is soldered to the printed circuit board.

21. A method for assembling a cylindrical contact according to any one of claims 1 to 12 to a multi-contact connector according to any one of claims 13 to 16, comprising the steps of: i / axially inserting the cylindrical contact in a through hole of the retaining plate, aligning the at least one protrusion of the outer body with the at least one cutout of the through hole; ii / once the cylindrical contact is inserted into the at least one cavity of the housing, and the at least one protrusion is located between the retaining plate and the cavity, rotating the cylindrical contact so that the protrusion cannot be extracted, and preferably so that the retaining plate is clamped between the protrusion and a shoulder of the cylindrical outer body of the rear portion; iii / inserting the comb into the through-hole slot so that at least one tooth of the comb slides along at least one flat surface of the outer body of the cylindrical contact, and a gap between at least one flat side of the tooth and at least one flat surface of the outer body of the cylindrical contact prevents the cylindrical contact from rotating back and being released from the housing of the multi-contact connector; iv / securing the comb on the housing of the multi-contact connector.

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