Male socket connector and electronic system comprising a male socket connector

Abstract

The present application provides a male socket connector and an electronic system including the same, the male socket connector including a plurality of conductive elements and a housing holding the plurality of conductive elements, the housing including a base portion and a tongue portion protruding from the base portion, each of the plurality of conductive elements including a mating end portion, a contact tail portion, and an intermediate portion between the mating end portion and the contact tail portion, the mating end portion being held by the tongue portion of the housing, the contact tail portion extending away from the housing, a thickness of the tongue portion having the mating end portion being in a range of 1.20 millimeters to 2.65 millimeters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to male connectors and electronic systems including male connectors. Background Technology

[0002] Electrical connectors are used in various ways within electronic systems to connect different electronic systems together. For example, printed circuit boards (PCBs) can be electrically coupled using one or more electrical connectors to allow individual PCBs to be manufactured for a specific purpose and to electrically couple these individual PCBs with connectors to form the desired system. One type of electrical connector is the "edge connector," which is a female connector that directly engages with conductive wiring on or near the edge of the PCB without the need for a separate male connector, as the PCB itself acts as the male connector that engages with the edge connector. In addition to providing electrical connection between a PCB and another electronic system, some edge connectors can also provide mechanical support for the inserted PCB, allowing the PCB to remain in a substantially fixed position relative to the other electronic system.

[0003] Some electrical connectors utilize differential signaling to transmit signals from a first electronic system to a second electronic system. Specifically, a pair of conductors is used to transmit the signal. One conductor in this pair is driven by a first voltage, and the other conductor is driven by a voltage complementary to the first voltage. The voltage difference between the two conductors represents the signal. Electrical connectors may include multiple pairs of conductors to transmit multiple signals. To control the impedance of these conductors and reduce crosstalk between signals, a ground conductor may be included adjacent to each pair of conductors.

[0004] As electronic systems become smaller, faster, and more functionally complex, the number of circuits and operating frequencies in a given area increase. Therefore, there is a demand for electrical connectors used to interconnect these electronic systems to transmit data at higher speeds with high-density electrical contacts (e.g., a pitch of less than 1 mm, where the pitch is the distance between adjacent electrical contacts within the connector) without significantly distorting the data signal (e.g., crosstalk and / or interference). Utility Model Content

[0005] This section provides a general summary of the application, rather than a full disclosure of the entire scope or all features of the application.

[0006] Some embodiments of this application provide a male connector that may include a plurality of conductive elements and a housing for holding the plurality of conductive elements. The housing may include a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion. Each of the plurality of conductive elements may include a mating end, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion located between the mating end and the contact tail. The mating end is held by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, and the contact tail extends away from the housing. The thickness of the tongue-shaped portion having the mating end is in the range of 1.20 mm to 2.65 mm.

[0007] In some exemplary embodiments, the thickness of the tongue-shaped portion having the mating end is in the range of 1.44 mm to 1.7 mm.

[0008] In some exemplary embodiments, the slightly end of the mating end of each of the plurality of conductive elements may be thinned.

[0009] In some exemplary embodiments, the thickness of the slightly thinned end of the mating end of each of the plurality of conductive elements is in the range of 0.10 mm to 0.14 mm.

[0010] In some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of conductive elements may include a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements, wherein the first conductive elements are longer than the second conductive elements by a length in the range of 0.14 mm to 0.66 mm.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments, the upper and lower surfaces of the tongue-shaped portion of the housing may each include a plurality of openings and a plurality of channels, wherein a particular opening of the plurality of openings on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion communicates with a particular opening of the plurality of openings on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion, and the mating ends of some of the plurality of first conductive elements are embedded in the corresponding openings, while the mating ends of the other first conductive elements and the mating ends of the second conductive elements are embedded in the channels.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments, a plurality of conductive elements may be arranged in two parallel rows held by a tongue-shaped portion, each row of conductive elements including a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements; the male connector may further include a shielding member arranged between the plurality of conductive elements in the two rows, the shielding member being an elastic element made of a metallic material, the elastic element passing through an opening on the upper surface and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of a portion of the first conductive element; or, the shielding member may be a conductive plastic element made of a consumable material, the conductive plastic element passing through an opening on the upper surface and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of a portion of the first conductive element; or, the shielding member may include a plate-shaped member made of a metallic material and a plurality of conductive plastic elements molded on the plate-shaped member, the plurality of conductive plastic elements protruding from the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped member and passing through an opening on the upper surface and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of the portion of the first conductive element.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, the conductive plastic part may be made of a consumable material.

[0014] In some exemplary embodiments, the unthinned portion of the mating end of each of the first conductive elements may include a U-shaped groove, and each of the plurality of conductive plastic parts may contact the U-shaped groove.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments, the male connector may have 56 conductive elements, which may be held by the tongue portion of the housing in two parallel rows, each row having 28 conductive elements. Each row of 28 conductive elements includes a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements. The length of the first conductive elements may be greater than the length of the second conductive elements. The width of the tongue portion in the protruding direction may be no less than 6 mm, and the length of the tongue portion in the length direction perpendicular to the protruding direction may be in the range of 18.38 mm to 18.58 mm. The corner portion of the tongue portion away from the base portion has a chamfer.

[0016] In some exemplary embodiments, the male connector may have 84 conductive elements. The tongue-shaped portion of the male connector housing includes a first section and a second section. The 84 conductive elements are held in two parallel rows by the first and second sections of the tongue-shaped portion. The first section holds 56 conductive elements, and the second section holds 28 conductive elements. A notch is provided between the first and second sections. The width of the first and second sections in the protruding direction is not less than 6 mm, and the total length of the first and second sections in the length direction perpendicular to the protruding direction is 30 mm. Within the range of 0.07 mm to 30.27 mm, the distance between the side edges of the notch is within the range of 1.80 mm to 1.90 mm, the distance between the centerline of the conductive element of the first segment away from the notch and the centerline of the notch is within the range of 18.155 mm to 18.255 mm, the distance between the centerline of the conductive element of the second segment adjacent to the notch and the centerline of the notch is within the range of 1.955 mm to 2.055 mm, and the distance between the centerline of the entire tongue portion in the length direction and the centerline of the notch is within the range of 4.15 mm to 4.25 mm.

[0017] In some exemplary embodiments, the male connector may have 140 conductive elements. The tongue-shaped portion of the male connector housing may include a first section, a second section, and a third section. The 140 conductive elements are held by the first, second, and third sections in two parallel rows. The first and third sections each hold 56 conductive elements, and the second section holds 28 conductive elements. A first notch is formed between the first and second sections, and a second notch is formed between the third and second sections. The total length of the first, second, and third sections in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the direction of the tongue-shaped portion is in the range of 51.18 mm to 51.38 mm. The distance between the side edges of the first notch is in the range of 1.8 mm to 1.9 mm. Within the enclosure, the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the centerline of the second notch is in the range of 12.21 mm to 12.31 mm; the distance between the centerline of the conductive element of the first segment away from the first notch and the centerline of the first notch is in the range of 18.155 mm to 18.255 mm; the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the centerline of the conductive element of the second segment adjacent to the first notch is in the range of 1.955 mm to 2.055 mm; the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the centerline of the entire tongue-shaped portion in the length direction is in the range of 6.305 mm to 6.405 mm; and the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the conductive element of the third segment adjacent to the second notch is in the range of 14.665 mm to 14.765 mm.

[0018] In some exemplary embodiments, the male connector may have 168 conductive elements. The tongue-shaped portion of the connector housing includes a first segment, a second segment, a third segment, and a fourth segment. The 168 conductive elements are held by the first, second, third, and fourth segments in two parallel rows. The first, second, third, and fourth segments are arranged sequentially along a length direction perpendicular to the protruding direction of the tongue-shaped portion. The first and third segments each hold 56 conductive elements, and the second and fourth segments each hold 28 conductive elements. A first notch is formed between the first and second segments, a second notch between the second and third segments, and a third notch between the third and fourth segments. The total length of the first to fourth segments in the length direction is in the range of 63.357 mm to 63.557 mm. The distance between the side edges of the second notch is in the range of 1.8 mm to 1.9 mm. The centerline of the first notch and the centerline of the second notch are... The distance between the center lines is in the range of 12.21 mm to 12.31 mm; the distance between the center lines of the second and third notches is in the range of 20.35 mm to 20.45 mm; the distance between the center line of the first notch and the center line of the conductive element adjacent to the second notch in the second segment is in the range of 1.955 mm to 2.055 mm; and the distance between the center line of the conductive element adjacent to the first notch in the first segment and the center line of the second notch is in the range of 14.665 mm to 1. Within a range of 4.765 mm, the distance between the centerline of the second notch and the centerline of the entire tongue-shaped portion in the length direction is in the range of 0.208 mm to 0.308 mm; the distance between the centerline of the second notch and the centerline of the conductive element of the third segment adjacent to the third notch is in the range of 18.155 mm to 18.255 mm; and the distance between the centerline of the second notch and the centerline of the conductive element of the fourth segment furthest from the third notch is in the range of 30.35 mm to 30.45 mm.

[0019] In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails of a plurality of conductive elements may be configured to be located on opposite sides of a printed circuit board, such that the contact tail of each conductive element simultaneously engages with a corresponding conductive structure on opposite sides of the printed circuit board.

[0020] In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails of multiple conductive elements may be configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board in a manner perpendicular to the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board.

[0021] In some exemplary embodiments, the male connector can be coupled to the printed circuit board in a manner parallel to the printed circuit board, and the contact tail of each of the plurality of conductive elements is configured to be bent at a 90-degree angle to engage with the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board.

[0022] Another aspect of this application provides a male connector that may include a plurality of conductive elements and a housing for holding the plurality of conductive elements. The housing may include a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion. Each of the plurality of conductive elements may include a mating end, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion located between the mating end and the contact tail. The mating end may be held by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, and the contact tail extends away from the housing. The mating end includes a tip that is embedded in the tongue-shaped portion.

[0023] Another aspect of this application provides an electronic system that may include a male connector according to the above aspect and a printed circuit board mounted to the male connector, wherein the center line of the tongue portion of the male connector along the protruding direction of the tongue portion may be misaligned with the center line of the printed circuit board along the surface direction of the printed circuit board.

[0024] In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails of a plurality of conductive elements are configured to be located on opposite sides of a printed circuit board, and the centerline of the tongue portion of the male connector housing is parallel to the centerline of the printed circuit board and offset from each other in the thickness direction of the tongue portion.

[0025] In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails of multiple conductive elements may be configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board in a manner perpendicular to the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board, and the centerline of the tongue portion of the male connector housing may extend perpendicularly to the centerline of the printed circuit board.

[0026] In some exemplary embodiments, the electronic system may also include a card edge connector, into which the tongue portion of the male connector can be inserted.

[0027] In some exemplary embodiments, the thickness of the printed circuit board can range from 0.80 mm to 4.00 mm. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the specific embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an electronic system according to some embodiments of this application is shown;

[0030] Figure 2A and Figure 2B Front and rear perspective views of a male connector according to some embodiments of this application are shown respectively.

[0031] Figure 3 An exploded view of a male connector according to some embodiments of this application is shown;

[0032] Figure 4A A perspective view of a plurality of conductive elements of a male connector according to some embodiments of the present application is shown;

[0033] Figure 4B It shows Figure 4A Enlarged view of part B in the image;

[0034] Figure 4C It shows Figure 4A A side view of the conductive element shown;

[0035] Figure 5 A perspective view of the housing of a male connector according to some embodiments of this application is shown;

[0036] Figure 6 It shows Figure 2A Enlarged view of part A in the image;

[0037] Figure 7 A perspective view of the shielding member of a male connector according to some embodiments of this application is shown;

[0038] Figure 8 It shows along Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of the tongue-shaped portion cut by line SS in the diagram;

[0039] Figure 9A A plan view of a male connector according to some embodiments of this application is shown;

[0040] Figure 9B It shows Figure 9A Enlarged view of part C in the image;

[0041] Figure 10A and Figure 10B A schematic diagram of a male connector according to some other embodiments of this application is shown;

[0042] Figure 11A and Figure 11B A schematic diagram of a male connector according to some other embodiments of this application is shown;

[0043] Figure 12Aand Figure 12B A schematic diagram of a male connector according to some further embodiments of this application is shown;

[0044] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of an electronic system according to some embodiments of this application is shown;

[0045] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of an electronic system according to some other embodiments of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The inventors recognized that in related technologies, since printed circuit boards (e.g., accelerator interface cards, AICs) are directly inserted into female connectors (e.g., card edge connectors) to achieve electrical connections, the printed circuit boards need to meet the physical and electrical requirements for connecting to the female connectors, which is a limitation for the printed circuit boards. For example, the printed circuit boards need to have a suitable size to connect to the female connectors.

[0047] Furthermore, the inventors recognized that in traditional solid-state drive (SSD) connection methods, the printed circuit board (PCB) needs to be inserted into the SSD and connected to the female connector on the other hand. Since the PCB inserted into the SSD directly connects to the female connector for electrical connection, the SSD's PCB must meet the physical and electrical requirements for connection to the female connector. This is a limitation for the SSD's PCB. For example, the SSD's PCB needs to have a suitable size to connect to the female connector.

[0048] Based on this, the inventors have developed a male connector for connecting printed circuit boards (e.g., accelerator interface cards, AICs) to female connectors, replacing the direct insertion of the printed circuit board into the female connector. This configuration allows the printed circuit board to overcome physical and electrical limitations, enabling it to be available in various thicknesses to meet diverse application requirements. For example, the printed circuit board can be connected to the male connector provided herein, and the male connector can be inserted into the female connector to achieve an electrical connection. In this way, since the male connector acts as a connection intermediary with the female connector, the operator can select a printed circuit board of appropriate thickness according to actual needs, thus enabling printed circuit boards of various thicknesses to be connected to the female connector.

[0049] Furthermore, the inventors recognized that in related technologies where printed circuit boards (PCBs) are directly inserted into female connectors, because the PCB itself is directly connected to the female connector, the PCB can only be connected to the female connector in a single manner or orientation. For example, the PCB can only be connected to the female connector in a straddle manner, that is, the PCB is directly inserted into the female connector, such that the conductive structure of the female connector is arranged on opposite sides of the PCB. This single connection method or orientation is unsuitable in situations where practical space is limited.

[0050] Based on this, the inventors have developed a male connector that enables the connection of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a female connector in multiple orientations. Specifically, the PCB can be directly inserted into the male connector described herein, such that multiple conductive elements of the male connector are arranged on opposite sides of the PCB; that is, multiple conductive elements of the male connector can straddle opposite sides of the PCB. The male connector connected to the PCB in this manner can be inserted into the female connector to achieve an electrical connection. Furthermore, when only a conductive structure on one side of the PCB needs to be connected, the multiple conductive elements of the male connector can contact the conductive structure on one side of the PCB in a manner perpendicular to the conductive structure. Alternatively, the multiple conductive elements of the male connector can be configured to be bent at a 90-degree angle and engage with the conductive structure on one side of the PCB. The male connector connected to the PCB in this manner can be inserted into the female connector to achieve an electrical connection.

[0051] The inventors have recognized and understood that by providing a male connector as a connection intermediary, a printed circuit board of multiple thicknesses can be connected to a female connector, and the printed circuit board can be connected to the female connector in a suitable orientation or manner as needed. These techniques can be used individually, or one or more of these techniques can be used in combination.

[0052] The male connector described herein enables flexible mating configurations between printed circuit boards (PCBs) and female connectors, thus solving the problems of limited PCB thickness and single mounting position and orientation. For example, the male connector provided in this application may include multiple conductive elements and a housing that holds these elements. The housing may include a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion. Each of the multiple conductive elements may include a mating end, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion located between the mating end and the contact tail. The mating end is held by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, and the contact tail extends away from the housing. The thickness of the tongue-shaped portion with the mating end is in the range of 1.44 mm to 1.7 mm. By maintaining the thickness of the tongue-shaped portion with the mating end within the range of 1.44 mm to 1.7 mm, the multiple conductive elements of the male connector can be connected to the PCB in a straddle, vertical, or right-angle manner to connect the PCB to the female connector, thereby solving the problem of limited PCB thickness and inability to mate with various types of female connectors. Furthermore, the thickness of the printed circuit board inserted into the male connector provided in this application can be selected from 0.80 mm to 4.00 mm, thereby better meeting the requirements in terms of space and performance.

[0053] In some exemplary embodiments, the slightly end of the mating end of each of the plurality of conductive elements may be thinned to meet the impedance requirements of the conductive elements.

[0054] In some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of conductive elements may include a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements, wherein the lengths of the first conductive elements differ from the lengths of the second conductive elements, thereby meeting high-speed performance requirements and providing better signal integrity. Specifically, the length of the first conductive element may be greater than the length of the second conductive element. For example, the first conductive element may be longer than the second conductive element by a length ranging from 0.14 mm to 0.66 mm.

[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, the upper and lower surfaces of the tongue-shaped portion of the housing may each include multiple openings and multiple channels. Specific openings on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion communicate with each other, as do specific openings on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion. The mating ends of some of the multiple first conductive elements are embedded in the corresponding openings, while the mating ends of the other first conductive elements and the mating ends of second conductive elements are embedded in the channels. In this manner, the mating ends of the multiple conductive elements are securely fixed in the tongue-shaped portion, providing stable retention of the multiple conductive elements by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing. This avoids the risk of the mating ends of the multiple conductive elements detaching from the tongue-shaped portion due to external factors, thereby improving the reliability of the male connector.

[0056] In some exemplary embodiments, a plurality of conductive elements may be arranged in two parallel rows held by a tongue-shaped portion, each row of conductive elements including a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements; the male connector may further include a shielding member arranged between the plurality of conductive elements in the two rows, the shielding member being an elastic element made of a metallic material, the elastic element passing through an opening on the upper surface and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of a portion of the first conductive element; or, the shielding member may be a conductive plastic element made of a consumable material, the conductive plastic element passing through an opening on the upper surface and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of a portion of the first conductive element; or, the shielding member may include a plate-shaped member made of a metallic material and a plurality of conductive plastic elements molded on the plate-shaped member, the plurality of conductive plastic elements protruding from the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped member and passing through an opening on the upper surface and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of the portion of the first conductive element. In some exemplary embodiments, the conductive plastic components may be made of a lossy material. By arranging shielding members made of both lossy and metallic materials between multiple conductive elements, the anti-crosstalk performance between signals transmitted through the multiple conductive elements of the male connector is improved.

[0057] In some exemplary embodiments, the unthinned portion of the mating end of each of the first conductive elements embedded in the opening may include a U-shaped groove, and each of the plurality of conductive plastic parts may contact the U-shaped groove. In this way, the U-shaped groove increases the contact area between the conductive plastic and the mating end, allowing the plurality of conductive plastic parts to firmly contact the unthinned portion of the mating end of the first conductive element, thereby improving the positional stability of the conductive elements of the male connector.

[0058] In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails of multiple conductive elements can be configured to be located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board (PCB), such that the contact tail of each conductive element simultaneously engages with corresponding conductive structures on opposite sides of the PCB. In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails of the multiple conductive elements can be configured to be mounted to the PCB perpendicular to the corresponding conductive structure of the PCB. In some exemplary embodiments, the male connector engages to the PCB parallel to the PCB, and the contact tail of each of the multiple conductive elements is configured to be bent at a 90-degree angle to engage with the corresponding conductive structure of the PCB. The multiple conductive elements of the male connector can engage to the PCB in a straddle, vertical, or right-angle manner to further connect the PCB to a conventional edge connector, thereby solving the problem of the PCB's thickness and limited mounting position, preventing compatibility with various types of female connectors.

[0059] Another aspect of this application provides a male connector, which may include a plurality of conductive elements and a housing for holding the plurality of conductive elements. The housing may include a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion. Each of the plurality of conductive elements may include a mating end, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion located between the mating end and the contact tail. The mating end may be held by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, and the contact tail extends away from the housing. The mating end includes a tip that is embedded in the tongue-shaped portion. According to the male connector provided by this application, by embedding the tip of the mating end of each of the plurality of conductive elements into the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements can be securely fixed in the tongue-shaped portion of the housing. This provides stable holding of the plurality of conductive elements by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, thereby avoiding the risk that the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements may detach from the tongue-shaped portion due to external factors, and improving the reliability of the male connector.

[0060] Furthermore, the inventors recognized that, traditionally, printed circuit boards (PCBs) need to be inserted into solid-state drives (SSDs) and connected to female connectors. Since the PCB inserted into the SSD is directly connected to the female connector, the PCB needs to be aligned with the centerline of the female connector along its thickness direction. This arrangement effectively restricts the arrangement of electronic components on the PCB and within the SSD housing, making it difficult for users to adjust the structure and size of these components according to their actual usage needs.

[0061] Based on this, the inventors have developed a male connector that allows for a more flexible arrangement of electronic components on a printed circuit board (PCB) inserted into a solid-state drive (SSD). The PCB is inserted into the SSD and connected to the male connector on the other side, thus connecting the PCB inserted into the SSD to the female connector. In this configuration, it is only necessary to align the centerline of the male connector in its thickness direction with the centerline of the female connector in its thickness direction, regardless of the orientation of the PCB relative to the female connector or the thickness of the PCB itself. For example, an operator can select a PCB of suitable thickness according to actual needs, allowing PCBs of various thicknesses to be connected to the female connector; or, the PCB can be connected to the female connector in a suitable orientation or manner as needed; or, the operator can adjust the structure and size of the electronic components on opposite sides of the PCB within the SSD housing as needed, thereby improving the arrangement of the electronic components joined by the PCB.

[0062] In this regard, another aspect of this application provides an electronic system that may include a male connector according to the above-described aspect and a printed circuit board mounted to the male connector, wherein the centerline of the tongue portion of the male connector along the protruding direction of the tongue portion may be misaligned with the centerline of the printed circuit board along the surface direction of the printed circuit board. In this way, the printed circuit board can engage with multiple conductive elements of the male connector in a manner perpendicular or parallel to the base portion of the male connector, thereby better meeting space requirements.

[0063] In some exemplary embodiments, when a printed circuit board is engaged with multiple conductive elements perpendicular to the base portion of the male connector, the contact tails of the multiple conductive elements are configured to be located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board. The centerline of the tongue portion of the male connector housing is parallel to the centerline of the printed circuit board and offset from each other in the thickness direction of the tongue portion. In this way, by adjusting the distance by which the centerlines of the tongue portions and the centerline of the printed circuit board are offset from each other in the thickness direction of the tongue portions, the arrangement space of electronic components on opposite sides of the printed circuit board can be flexibly adjusted, thereby providing greater freedom in the arrangement structure of electronic components on the printed circuit board.

[0064] In some exemplary embodiments, the electronic system may also include a card edge connector, into which the tongue portion of the male connector can be inserted to connect a printed circuit board to the card edge connector and to form an electrical connection with another printed circuit board connected to the card edge connector.

[0065] In some exemplary embodiments, the thickness of the printed circuit board can range from 0.80 mm to 4.00 mm, thereby better meeting space and performance requirements. In particular, when the printed circuit board is coupled to multiple conductive elements in a manner perpendicular to the base portion of the male connector, the space for arranging electronic components on the printed circuit board can be further increased by selecting a smaller value within this range for the thickness of the printed circuit board.

[0066] In this way, users can choose the thickness of the printed circuit board, flexibly arrange the electronic components on the printed circuit board, and set the connection method between the printed circuit board and the connector according to product requirements.

[0067] The technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to exemplary embodiments. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the exemplary embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0068] It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of this application are intended to enable those skilled in the art to readily implement this application. The various embodiments of this application can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth in this application. Accordingly, the following detailed description of this application is merely for illustrative purposes and is by no means a limitation thereof. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used in the various drawings to denote the same parts.

[0069] It should also be noted that, for clarity, not all features of the actual specific embodiments are described and shown in the specification and drawings of this application. Furthermore, in order to avoid unnecessary details obscuring the technical solutions of interest in this application, only the device structures closely related to the technical solutions of this application are described and shown in the drawings and specification, while other details that are not closely related to the technical content of this application and are known to those skilled in the art are omitted.

[0070] Accordingly, to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of this application clearer, the various exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details have been presented in the various exemplary embodiments of this application to enable readers to better understand this application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following exemplary embodiments, the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented. The division of the various exemplary embodiments below is for the convenience of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of this application. The technical features of the various exemplary embodiments can be combined with and referenced by each other without contradiction.

[0071] For the purposes of this disclosure, it should be understood that although ordinal terms such as “first” and “second” are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These ordinal terms are used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, and / or section from other elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or relative order. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0072] One aspect of this application provides a male connector 10 for an electronic system 100, with reference to... Figure 1 The electronic system 100 includes a male connector 10, a printed circuit board 20 mounted to the male connector 10, and a card edge connector 30 connected to another printed circuit board.

[0073] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 3The male connector 10 includes a plurality of conductive elements 11 and a housing 12 for holding the plurality of conductive elements 11. The housing 12 includes a base portion 121 and a tongue-shaped portion 122 extending from the base portion 121 and projecting outwards. Each of the plurality of conductive elements 11 includes a mating end 111, a contact tail 112, and an intermediate portion 113 located between the mating end 111 and the contact tail 112. The mating end 111 is held by the tongue-shaped portion 122 of the housing 12, and the contact tail 112 extends away from the housing 12. The thickness T1 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 having the mating end 111 is in the range of 1.20 mm to 2.65 mm. Specifically, the thickness T1 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 having the mating end 111 is in the range of 1.44 mm to 1.7 mm.

[0074] By keeping the thickness of the tongue portion 122 with mating end 111 always within the range of 1.20 mm to 2.65 mm, and selecting the thickness of the printed circuit board within the range of 0.80 mm to 4.00 mm, the plurality of conductive elements 11 of the male connector 10 can be engaged to the printed circuit board 20 in a straddle, vertical, or right-angle manner to further connect the printed circuit board 20 to the female connector (e.g., a card edge connector), thereby solving the problem that the thickness and mounting position of the printed circuit board are limited and cannot be matched with multiple types of female connectors.

[0075] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C Multiple conductive elements are formed into an elongated strip shape. The tip 114 of the mating end 111 of each of the multiple conductive elements 11 is thinned to meet the impedance requirements of the conductive element. The thinning of the tip 114 is achieved through stamping processes such as stamping forming or etching, and the raw material is a profile. It should be understood that stamping is a manufacturing technique that uses stamping equipment (press) and tools (dies) to apply pressure to a sheet metal, causing it to separate or plastically deform, thereby obtaining a product with specific shape, size, and performance requirements. Specifically, in some examples, the thickness Y of the mating end of the conductive element before thinning is in the range of 0.19 mm to 0.21 mm. To better meet the impedance requirements, the tip of the mating end of the conductive element is thinned, and the thickness X after thinning is in the range of 0.10 mm to 0.14 mm.

[0076] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is still made to Figure 4A and Figure 4BThe plurality of conductive elements 11 include a plurality of first conductive elements 115 and a plurality of second conductive elements 116, wherein the first conductive elements 115 are longer than the second conductive elements 116 by a length ranging from 0.14 mm to 0.66 mm. The different lengths of the conductive elements allow the male connector to be configured with specific pin assignments to meet high-speed performance requirements.

[0077] Reference Figure 2B and Figure 4A Multiple conductive elements 11 are arranged in two parallel rows, each row including multiple first conductive elements 115 and multiple second conductive elements 116. In some exemplary embodiments, the lengths of the first conductive elements 115 and the second conductive elements 116 in each row are different to meet high-speed performance requirements. Figure 4A In the example shown, the length of the first conductive element 115 in each row is greater than the length of the second conductive element 116. Alternatively, the length of the first conductive element in each row may be less than the length of the second conductive element. In some conductive elements of a plurality of conductive elements in each row, the first conductive element and the second conductive element are arranged alternately. For example, in Figure 4A and Figure 4B In the example shown, the longer first conductive element 115 is arranged in such a way that it is every other two shorter second conductive elements 116.

[0078] In some examples, such as Figure 4A and Figure 2B As shown, each row of multiple conductive elements includes a receiving portion 117 for accommodating the multiple conductive elements. The middle portion 113 of each of the multiple conductive elements 11 is molded into the receiving portion 117 by injection molding. The receiving portion 117 is inserted into the base portion 121 of the housing 12, such that the mating end 111 of each of the multiple conductive elements 11 is embedded in the upper surface 123 and lower surface 124 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 (see...). Figure 5 and Figure 6 And cause the contact tail 112 of each of the plurality of conductive elements 11 to extend away from the receiving portion 117 to engage with the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board.

[0079] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 8The upper surface 123 and lower surface 124 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 of the housing 12 respectively include a plurality of openings 125 and a plurality of channels 126. Specific openings of the plurality of openings on the upper surface 123 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 communicate with each other, specifically, each opening of the plurality of openings on the upper surface 123 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 communicates with each opening of the plurality of openings on the lower surface 124 of the tongue-shaped portion 122. The mating ends of some of the plurality of first conductive elements 115 are embedded in corresponding openings, and the mating ends of the other first conductive elements 115 and the mating ends of the second conductive element 116 are embedded in corresponding channels. In this manner, the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements are securely fixed in the tongue-shaped portion, providing stable retention of the plurality of conductive elements by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, thereby avoiding the risk of the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements detaching from the tongue-shaped portion due to external factors and improving the positional reliability of the male connector.

[0080] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 3 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 Multiple conductive elements 11 are arranged in two parallel rows and held by tongue-shaped portions 122, each row of multiple conductive elements including multiple first conductive elements 115 and multiple second conductive elements 116. The male connector 10 also includes a shielding member 14 arranged between the multiple conductive elements in the two rows. The shielding member 14 can be an elastic element made of metallic material, which passes through the opening 125 of the upper surface 123 and the opening 125 of the lower surface 124 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 and contacts the unthinned portion of the mating end of a portion of the first conductive element (i.e., the first conductive element 115 embedded in the opening); or, the shielding member 14 can be a conductive plastic element made of a consumable material, which passes through the opening 125 of the upper surface 123 and the opening 125 of the lower surface 124 of the tongue-shaped portion 122 and contacts the unthinned portion of the mating end of a portion of the first conductive element (i.e., the first conductive element 115 embedded in the opening); or, as... Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the shielding member 14 includes a plate-like member 141 made of a metallic material and a plurality of conductive plastic members 142 molded on the plate-like member 141. The plurality of conductive plastic members 142 protrude from the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-like member 141, passing through openings 125 in the upper surface 123 and the lower surface 124 of the tongue-like portion 122, and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of the first conductive element 115 embedded in the opening. In some examples, the shielding member serves as a grounding conductor, thereby controlling the impedance of the plurality of conductive elements and reducing crosstalk between signals transmitted through the plurality of conductive elements.

[0081] In some exemplary embodiments, the conductive plastic part may be made of a consumable material.

[0082] By arranging shielding components made of lossy and metallic materials between multiple conductive elements, the anti-crosstalk performance between signals transmitted through multiple conductive elements of the male connector is improved.

[0083] Such materials can be considered dissipative: they dissipate a sufficient portion of the electromagnetic energy that interacts with the connector and significantly affects its performance. The significant effect is due to attenuation within the frequency range that is critical to the connector. In some configurations, the dissipative material can suppress resonance within the connector's grounding structure, and the critical frequency range may include the inherent frequencies of the resonant structure in the absence of the dissipative material. In other configurations, the critical frequency range may be the entire or a portion of the connector's operating frequency range.

[0084] To test whether a material is lossy, it can be tested within a frequency range: this frequency range can be less than or different from the frequency range that is relevant to connectors using the material. For example, the test frequency range can be from 10 GHz to 25 GHz or from 1 GHz to 5 GHz. Alternatively, lossy materials can be identified from measurements taken at a single frequency such as 10 GHz or 15 GHz.

[0085] Losses can be caused by the interaction between the electric field component of electromagnetic energy and the material; in this case, the material can be called electrically destructive. Alternatively or additionally, losses can be caused by the interaction between the magnetic field component of electromagnetic energy and the material; in this case, the material can be called magnetically destructive.

[0086] Electrically dissipative materials can be formed from dissipative dielectric materials and / or poorly conductive materials. They can also be formed from materials traditionally considered dielectric materials, such as those with an electric loss tangent greater than approximately 0.01, greater than 0.05, or between 0.01 and 0.2 in the relevant frequency range. The "electric loss tangent" is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the material's complex permittivity.

[0087] Dissipative materials can also be formed from materials that are generally considered conductors but are relatively poor conductors in the relevant frequency range. These materials can conduct electricity in the relevant frequency range, but with some loss, making their conductivity weaker than that of the conductor in an electrical connector, but better than that of the insulator used in that connector. Such materials can contain conductive particles or regions that are sufficiently dispersed to not provide high conductivity, or the conductive particles or regions are otherwise prepared to have the property that results in relatively weak bulk conductivity compared to good conductors such as pure copper in the relevant frequency range. For example, die-cast metals or alloys of poorly conductive metals can provide sufficient loss in certain configurations.

[0088] This type of electrically dissipative material typically has a bulk conductivity of about 1 siemens / meter to about 100,000 siemens / meter, or about 1 siemens / meter to about 30,000 siemens / meter, or about 1 siemens / meter to about 10,000 siemens / meter. In some embodiments, materials with a bulk conductivity between about 1 siemens / meter and about 500 siemens / meter can be used. As a specific example, materials with a conductivity between about 50 siemens / meter and 300 siemens / meter can be used. However, it should be understood that the conductivity of the material can be selected empirically or through electrical simulation using known simulation tools to determine the conductivity that provides suitable signal integrity (SI) characteristics in the connector. For example, the SI characteristics obtained by measurement or simulation can be low crosstalk combined with low signal path attenuation or insertion loss, or low insertion loss deviation as a function of frequency.

[0089] It should also be understood that a lossy component does not need to have uniform properties throughout its entire volume. For example, a lossy component may have, for instance, an insulating skin or a conductive core. A component can be identified as lossy if its properties, when averaged over the region interacting with electromagnetic energy, are sufficient to attenuate that electromagnetic energy.

[0090] In some embodiments, the lossy material is formed by adding a filler containing particles to a binder. In such embodiments, the lossy component can be formed by molding or otherwise shaping the binder with filler into a desired form. The lossy material can be molded onto a conductor and / or molded into a conductor through an opening, which may be a ground conductor or shielding member of a connector. Molding the lossy material onto the conductor or molding it into the conductor through an opening ensures close contact between the lossy material and the conductor, which can reduce the likelihood that the conductor supports resonance at a relevant frequency. This close contact may, but does not necessarily, result in ohmic contact between the lossy material and the conductor.

[0091] Optionally or additionally, the dissipative material can be molded onto or injected into the insulating material, for example, in a secondary injection molding operation, or vice versa. The dissipative material can be positioned against or sufficiently close to a grounding conductor, thus achieving significant coupling with the grounding conductor. Close contact does not require electrical coupling between the dissipative material and the conductor, as sufficient electrical coupling, such as capacitive coupling, between the dissipative component and the conductor can produce the desired results. For example, in some cases, a 100 pF coupling between the dissipative component and the grounding conductor can have a significant effect on suppressing resonance in the grounding conductor. In other examples employing frequencies in the range of approximately 10 GHz or higher, the reduction in electromagnetic energy in the conductor can be provided by sufficient capacitive coupling between the dissipative material and the conductor, having a mutual capacitance of at least about 0.005 pF, such as mutual capacitance in the range of about 0.01 pF to about 100 pF, about 0.01 pF to about 10 pF, or about 0.01 pF to about 1 pF. To determine whether a lossy material is coupled to a conductor, the coupling can be measured at a test frequency such as 15 GHz or within a test range such as 10 GHz to 25 GHz.

[0092] To form electrically dissipative materials, the filler can be conductive particles. Examples of conductive particles that can be used as fillers to form electrically dissipative materials include carbon or graphite formed as fibers, flakes, nanoparticles, or other types of particles. Various forms of fibers can be used, in woven or nonwoven form, coated or uncoated. Nonwoven carbon fibers are a suitable material. Metals in the form of powder, flakes, fibers, or other particles can also be used to provide suitable electrical dissipation characteristics. Alternatively, combinations of fillers can be used. For example, metal-plated carbon particles can be used. Silver and nickel are metal platings suitable for fibers. Coated particles can be used alone or in combination with other fillers such as carbon flakes.

[0093] Preferably, the filler will be present in a volume percentage sufficient to allow the formation of conductive paths from particle to particle. For example, when metal fibers are used, the fibers may be present in a volume percentage of about 3% to 30%. The amount of filler can affect the conductivity of the material, and the volume percentage of filler will be lower within this range to provide sufficient losses.

[0094] The binder or matrix can be any material that solidifies to position the filler, cures to position the filler, or can otherwise be used to position the filler. In some embodiments, the binder can be a thermoplastic material conventionally used in the manufacture of electrical connectors to facilitate the molding of dissipative material into the desired shape and into the desired location as part of the manufacture of the electrical connector. Examples of such materials include liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) and nylon. However, many alternative forms of binder materials can be used. Curable materials such as epoxy resins can be used as binders. Alternatively, materials such as thermosetting resins or adhesives can be used.

[0095] While the aforementioned binder materials can be used to form dissipative materials by forming a binder around conductive particulate fillers, other binders or other methods can also be used to form dissipative materials. In some examples, conductive particles can be impregnated into or coated onto the formed matrix material, for example, by applying a conductive coating to a plastic or metal component. As used herein, the term "binder" includes materials that encapsulate fillers, impregnate fillers, or otherwise act as retaining fillers in a substrate.

[0096] For example, magnetically depleting materials can be formed from materials traditionally considered ferromagnetic, such as those with a magnetic loss tangent greater than approximately 0.05 in the relevant frequency range. The magnetic loss tangent is the ratio of the imaginary to the real part of the material's complex permittivity. Materials with even higher loss tangents can also be used.

[0097] In some embodiments, the magnetic lossy material can be formed from a binder or matrix material filled with particles, wherein the particles provide the magnetic loss characteristics to the layer. The magnetic lossy particles can be in any convenient form, such as sheets or fibers. Ferrites are common magnetic lossy materials. Materials such as magnesium ferrite, nickel ferrite, lithium ferrite, yttrium garnet, or aluminum garnet can be used. Ferrites typically have a magnetic loss tangent greater than 0.1 in the relevant frequency range. Currently preferred ferrite materials have a loss tangent between approximately 0.1 and 1.0 in the frequency range of 1 GHz to 3 GHz, and more preferably a magnetic loss tangent greater than 0.5 in this frequency range.

[0098] Practical magnetically depleting materials, or mixtures containing magnetically depleting materials, can also exhibit dielectric or conductive loss effects of useful magnitude in portions of the relevant frequency range. Similar to the methods described above for forming electrically depleting materials, suitable materials can be formed by adding fillers that generate magnetic losses to the binder.

[0099] The material may be both a lossy dielectric or a lossy conductor and a magnetically lossy material. For example, such a material can be formed by using a partially conductive magnetically lossy filler or by using a combination of magnetically lossy fillers and electrically lossy fillers.

[0100] The lossy portion can also be formed in a variety of ways. In some examples, the binder material and filler can be molded into the desired shape and then fixed in that shape. In other examples, the binder material can be formed into a sheet or other shape from which lossy components with the desired shape can be cut. In some embodiments, the lossy portion can be formed by interleaving layers of lossy and conductive materials, such as metal foil. These layers can be firmly attached to each other, for example, by using epoxy resin or other adhesives, or can be held together in any other suitable manner. The layers have the desired shape before they can be fixed to each other, or can be stamped or otherwise shaped after they are held together. As a further alternative, the lossy portion can be formed by coating a plastic or other insulating material with a lossy coating, such as a diffused metallic coating.

[0101] In some exemplary implementations, such as Figure 4A and Figure 4B Each of the first conductive elements 115 embedded in the opening 125 has a U-shaped groove 118 on its mating end at the unthinned portion, and each of the plurality of conductive plastic parts 132 contacts the U-shaped groove 118. This increases the contact area between the conductive plastic part and the unthinned portion of the mating end of the first conductive element, allowing the conductive plastic part to contact the mating end of the first conductive element more reliably, thus improving the positional stability of the conductive elements in the male connector.

[0102] In some examples, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, each of the plurality of conductive plastic parts 142 includes a protrusion 143 projecting from the surface of the conductive plastic part. The shape and size of the protrusion 143 correspond to the shape and size of the U-shaped groove. The protrusion 143 of each of the plurality of conductive plastic parts 142 is embedded in the U-shaped groove of the unthinned portion of the mating end of the first conductive element 115, such that the plurality of conductive plastic parts 142 firmly contact the unthinned portion of the mating end of the first conductive element 115, thereby improving the positional stability of the conductive element of the male connector.

[0103] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 3 and Figure 9A and Figure 9B The male connector has 56 conductive elements 11. In this case, the 56 conductive elements 11 are held by the tongue portion 122 of the housing 12 in two parallel rows, with 28 conductive elements in each row. Each row of 28 conductive elements 11 includes multiple first conductive elements 115 and multiple second conductive elements 116, the lengths of the first conductive elements 115 and the second conductive elements 116 being different. For example, the length of the first conductive elements 115 is greater than the length of the second conductive elements 116. The width W of the tongue portion 122 in the protrusion direction P is not less than 6 mm, the length L of the tongue portion 122 in the length direction Q perpendicular to the protrusion direction P is in the range of 18.38 mm to 18.58 mm, and the corner portion 128 of the tongue portion 122 away from the base portion 121 has a chamfer. In some examples, the distance L14 between the edge 1220 of the tongue portion 122 in the protruding direction and the slightly distal end of the mating end 111 of the first conductive element 115 is in the range of 0.75 mm to 1.01 mm. In some examples, such as Figure 9B As shown, the distance L15 between the edge 1220 of the tongue portion 122 in the protruding direction and the edge of the slightly end portion 1162 of the second conductive element 116 is in the range of 1.15 mm to 1.41 mm.

[0104] In some implementations, refer to Figure 10A and Figure 10BThe male connector 10 has 84 conductive elements. In this case, the tongue portion 122 of the housing 12 of the male connector 10 includes a first section 131 and a second section 132, and the 84 conductive elements are held in two parallel rows by the first section 131 and the second section 132 of the tongue portion 122. The first section 131 holds 56 conductive elements, and the second section 132 holds 28 conductive elements. A notch 133 is provided between the first section 131 and the second section 132. The width W of the first segment 131 and the second segment 132 in the protruding direction P is not less than 6 mm; the total length L1 of the first segment 131 and the second segment 132 in the length direction Q perpendicular to the protruding direction P is in the range of 30.07 mm to 30.27 mm; the distance S between the side edges of the notch 133 is in the range of 1.80 mm to 1.90 mm; and the distance L2 between the centerline of the conductive element of the first segment 131 away from the notch 133 and the centerline of the notch 133 is 18.1 mm. The distance L3 between the centerline of the conductive element adjacent to the notch 133 in the second segment 132 and the centerline of the notch is in the range of 15 mm to 18.255 mm, preferably 18.205 mm. The distance L14 between the centerline of the entire tongue portion in the length direction Q and the centerline of the notch 133 is in the range of 4.15 mm to 4.25 mm, preferably about 4.200 mm.

[0105] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 11A and Figure 11BThe male connector 10 has 140 conductive elements. In this case, the tongue-shaped portion 122 of the housing 12 of the male connector 10 includes a first segment 131, a second segment 132, and a third segment 137. The 140 conductive elements are held in two parallel rows by the first segment 131, the second segment 132, and the third segment 137. The first segment 131 and the third segment 137 each hold 56 conductive elements, and the second segment 132 holds 28 conductive elements. A first notch 134 is provided between the first segment 131 and the second segment 132, and a second notch 135 is provided between the third segment 137 and the second segment 132. The total length L4 of the first segment 131, the second segment 132, and the third segment 137 in the length direction Q perpendicular to the direction of the tongue-shaped portion protrusion is in the range of 51.18 mm to 51.38 mm; the distance S1 between the side edges of the first notch 134 is in the range of 1.8 mm to 1.9 mm; the distance V1 between the center line of the first notch 134 and the center line of the second notch 135 is in the range of 12.21 mm to 12.31 mm, preferably 12.260 mm; the distance L5 between the center line of the conductive element of the first segment 131 away from the first notch 134 and the center line of the first notch 134 is in the range of 18.155 mm to 18.255 mm, preferably 18.155 mm. The distance L6 between the center line of the first notch 134 and the center line of the conductive element of the second segment 132 adjacent to the first notch 134 is in the range of 1.955 mm to 2.055 mm, preferably about 2.005 mm. The distance L7 between the center line of the first notch 134 and the center line of the entire tongue-shaped portion in the length direction Q is in the range of 6.305 mm to 6.405 mm, preferably 6.355 mm. The distance L8 between the center line of the first notch 134 and the center line of the conductive element of the third segment 137 adjacent to the second notch 135 is in the range of 14.665 mm to 14.765 mm, preferably about 14.715 mm.

[0106] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 12A and Figure 12BThe male connector 10 has 168 conductive elements. In this case, the tongue-shaped portion 122 of the housing 12 of the male connector 10 includes a first segment 131, a second segment 132, a third segment 137, and a fourth segment 138. The 168 conductive elements are held in two parallel rows by the first segment 131, the second segment 132, the third segment 137, and the fourth segment 138. The first segment 131, the second segment 132, the third segment 137, and the fourth segment 138 are arranged in this order along a length direction Q perpendicular to the protrusion direction P of the tongue-shaped portion. The first segment 131 and the third segment 137 each hold 56 conductive elements, and the second segment 132 and the fourth segment 138 each hold 28 conductive elements. A first notch 136 is provided between the first segment 131 and the second segment 132; a second notch 139 is provided between the second segment 132 and the third segment 137; and a third notch 140 is provided between the third segment 137 and the fourth segment 138. The total length L9 of the first segment 131 to the fourth segment 138 in the longitudinal direction Q is in the range of 63.357 mm to 63.557 mm. The distance S2 between the side edges of the second notch 139 is in the range of 1.8 mm to 1.9 mm. The first notch 136... The distance V2 between the center line of the second notch 139 and the center line of the third notch 140 is in the range of 12.21 mm to 12.31 mm, preferably about 12.260 mm; the distance V3 between the center line of the second notch 139 and the center line of the third notch 140 is in the range of 20.35 mm to 20.45 mm, preferably about 20.40 mm; and the distance L15 between the center line of the second notch 139 and the center line of the conductive element of the second segment 132 adjacent to the second notch 139 is 1.9 mm. The distance L10 between the centerline of the conductive element adjacent to the first notch 136 in the first segment 131 and the centerline of the second notch 139 is in the range of 14.665 mm to 14.765 mm, preferably 14.715 mm, and the distance L11 between the centerline of the second notch 139 and the centerline of the entire tongue-shaped portion in the length direction Q is in the range of 0.208 mm to 0.308 mm, preferably within the range of 55 mm to 2.055 mm, preferably about 2.005 mm. The distance L12 between the center line of the second notch 139 and the center line of the conductive element of the third segment 137 adjacent to the third notch 140 is in the range of 18.155 mm to 18.255 mm, preferably about 18.205 mm. The distance L13 between the center line of the second notch 139 and the center line of the conductive element of the fourth segment 138 furthest from the third notch 139 is in the range of 30.35 mm to 30.45 mm, preferably about 30.40 mm.

[0107] In alternative implementations, the male connector may have other numbers of conductive elements.

[0108] Therefore, male connectors can be coupled to printed circuit boards with different numbers of conductive structures, thus providing different configurations of male connectors.

[0109] In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails 112 of a plurality of conductive elements 11 are configured to be located on opposite sides of a printed circuit board 20 such that the contact tail of each conductive element simultaneously engages with a corresponding conductive structure on opposite sides of the printed circuit board 20.

[0110] In some exemplary embodiments, the contact tails 112 of a plurality of conductive elements 11 are configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board 20 in a manner perpendicular to the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board 20.

[0111] In some exemplary embodiments, the male connector 10 can be coupled to the printed circuit board 20 in a manner parallel to the printed circuit board 20, and the contact tail of each of the plurality of conductive elements 11 is configured to be bent at a 90-degree angle to engage with the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board 20.

[0112] Therefore, the multiple conductive elements 11 of the male connector 10 can be coupled to the printed circuit board 20 in a straddle, vertical, or right-angle manner to further connect the printed circuit board 20 to the card edge connector 30, thereby solving the problem that the thickness and mounting position of the printed circuit board are limited and cannot be matched with various types of female connectors.

[0113] The inventors recognize and understand that connecting a printed circuit board (e.g., an accelerator interface card, AIC) to a female connector via the male connector provided herein replaces the direct insertion of the printed circuit board into the female connector. In other words, the male connector provided herein acts as a connection intermediary to connect the printed circuit board and the female connector, thereby freeing the printed circuit board from the physical and electrical requirements that must be met when connecting to the female connector. Specifically, multiple conductive structures of the printed circuit board 20 are connected to multiple conductive elements of the male connector 10. Because the thickness T1 of the tongue portion 122 with mating end 111 of the male connector 10 provided herein is maintained within a specified range, the male connector 10 can be connected to female connectors of various configurations. Furthermore, this male connector 10 can engage with printed circuit boards 20 of various thicknesses, allowing printed circuit boards 20 of various thicknesses to be connected to female connectors of various configurations. Therefore, operators can select a printed circuit board of appropriate thickness according to actual needs.

[0114] Furthermore, the inventors recognize and understand that, when the male connector 10 provided in this application serves as a connection intermediary, the plurality of conductive elements 11 of the male connector 10 can contact the conductive structure perpendicular to one side of the printed circuit board 20; or, the plurality of conductive elements 11 of the male connector 10 can be arranged on opposite sides of the printed circuit board; or, the contact tail of each conductive element of the plurality of conductive elements 11 of the male connector 10 is configured to be bent at a 90-degree angle to engage with the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board 20. Since the thickness T1 of the tongue portion 122 of the male connector 10 with the mating end 111 is kept within a specified range, the male connector 10 can be connected to the female connector regardless of how the printed circuit board 20 is connected to the male connector 10. In other words, the male connector 10 provided in this application can be connected to the printed circuit board in different ways or orientations, thereby providing a flexible fit between the printed circuit board and the female connector.

[0115] Furthermore, the inventors also recognize and understand that by setting the lengths of the plurality of conductive elements 11 of the male connector 10 to be different, the requirements for the transmission speed and impedance of the signal transmitted via the conductive elements can be met.

[0116] Another aspect of this application provides a male connector 10 for an electronic system 100. (See reference...) Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 3 , Figure 4B and Figure 6 The male connector 10 includes a plurality of conductive elements 11 and a housing 12 for holding the plurality of conductive elements 11. The housing 12 includes a base portion 121 and a tongue-shaped portion 122 extending from the base portion 121. Each of the plurality of conductive elements 11 includes a mating end 111, a contact tail 112, and an intermediate portion 113 located between the mating end 111 and the contact tail 112. The mating end 111 is held by the tongue-shaped portion 122 of the housing 12. The contact tail 112 extends away from the housing 12. The mating end 111 includes a tip 114 that is embedded in the tongue-shaped portion 122.

[0117] In addition, the inventors recognized that in the conventional case where a printed circuit board inserted into a solid-state drive (e.g., an SSD) needs to be connected to a female connector, the arrangement of electronic components located on the printed circuit board and in the SSD housing is actually fixed because the printed circuit board needs to be aligned with the female connector. This limits the size and structure of the electronic components arranged on the printed circuit board and makes it difficult for users to adjust the electronic components according to actual usage needs.

[0118] In response, the inventors developed an electronic system 100, referring to... Figure 1 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 The electronic system 100 includes a male connector 10 as described above and a printed circuit board 20 mounted to the male connector 10. The centerline 127 of the tongue portion 122 of the male connector 10 along the protruding direction P of the tongue portion 122 is not aligned with the centerline 21 of the printed circuit board 20 along the surface direction of the printed circuit board 20. The contact tails 112 of a plurality of conductive elements 11 are configured to be located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board 20, and the centerline 127 of the tongue portion 122 of the housing 12 of the male connector 10 is parallel to the centerline 21 of the printed circuit board 20 and offset from each other by a distance D in the thickness direction of the tongue portion 122. By adjusting the distance D, the distances A and B between the opposite sides of the printed circuit board 20 and the first side edge 129 and the second side edge 130 in the thickness direction of the base portion 121 of the male connector 10 can be flexibly adjusted. When the printed circuit board 20 is inserted into a solid-state drive (e.g., an SSD), distances A and B correspond to the distances between opposite sides of the printed circuit board 20 and the relevant edges of the SSD housing. In other words, by adjusting distance D, the arrangement space of electronic components arranged on the printed circuit board 20 and located within the SSD housing can be adjusted as needed, thereby providing greater freedom in the arrangement structure of electronic components on the printed circuit board 20 and improving the arrangement structure of the electronic components joined to the printed circuit board 20.

[0119] This misaligned configuration of the electronic system allows the printed circuit board 20 to be coupled to multiple conductive elements 11 in a manner perpendicular or parallel to the base portion 121 of the male connector 10, thereby better meeting space requirements.

[0120] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 13 The contact tails 112 of multiple conductive elements 11 are configured to be located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board 20, and the center line 127 of the tongue portion 122 of the male connector 10 housing 12 is parallel to the center line 21 of the printed circuit board 20 and is offset from each other by a distance D in the thickness direction of the tongue portion 122.

[0121] exist Figure 13In the example shown, by adjusting distance D, the distances A and B between the first side edge 129 and the second side edge 130 in the thickness direction of the base portion 121 of the male connector 10 on opposite sides of the printed circuit board 20 can be flexibly adjusted, thereby adjusting the arrangement space of electronic components arranged on the printed circuit board 20 as needed, providing greater freedom for the arrangement structure of electronic components on the printed circuit board 20. In some exemplary embodiments, the thickness T2 of the printed circuit board is in the range of 0.80 mm to 4.00 mm. In this case, by selecting a smaller value within this range for the thickness of the printed circuit board 20, the arrangement space of electronic components on the printed circuit board 20 can be further increased.

[0122] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 14 When the printed circuit board 20 is engaged with a plurality of conductive elements 11 in a manner parallel to the base portion 121 of the male connector 10, the contact tails 112 of the plurality of conductive elements 11 are configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board 20 in a manner perpendicular to the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board 20, and the center line 127 of the tongue portion 122 of the housing 12 of the male connector 10 extends perpendicularly to the center line 21 of the printed circuit board 20.

[0123] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 13 The electronic system 100 also includes a card edge connector 30, into which the tongue portion 122 of the male connector 10 is inserted to connect the printed circuit board 20 to the card edge connector 30 and to form an electrical connection with another printed circuit board connected to the card edge connector 30. In some examples, the specific configuration of the card edge connector 30 may be as described in previous U.S. applications US20200395698A1 and US20240322465A1. However, this application is not limited thereto. Depending on the actual use of the product, the card edge connector 30 may have any other suitable structure, as long as it can mate with the male connector of this application and meet the electrical and mechanical reliability requirements.

[0124] In some exemplary embodiments, reference is made to Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 3 The male connector 10 also includes a locking member 15, which is inserted into a corresponding recess in the base portion 121 of the male connector 10.

[0125] Although this application has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described and shown herein. Various changes can be made to the exemplary embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope defined by the claims of this application.

[0126] The features mentioned and / or shown in the above description of exemplary embodiments of this application may be combined in the same or similar manner with one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for corresponding features in other embodiments. Such combinations or substitutions should also be considered as including within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A male connector, characterized in that, The male connector includes a plurality of conductive elements and a housing for holding the plurality of conductive elements. The housing includes a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion. Each of the plurality of conductive elements includes a mating end, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion located between the mating end and the contact tail. The mating end is held by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing, and the contact tail extends away from the housing. The thickness of the tongue-shaped portion having the mating end is in the range of 1.20 mm to 2.65 mm.

2. The male connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the tongue-shaped portion having the mating end is in the range of 1.44 mm to 1.7 mm.

3. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The slightly end of the mating end of each of the plurality of conductive elements is thinned.

4. The male connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the slightly thinned end of the mating end of each of the plurality of conductive elements is in the range of 0.10 mm to 0.14 mm.

5. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The plurality of conductive elements includes a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements, wherein the first conductive elements are longer than the second conductive elements by a length in the range of 0.14 mm to 0.66 mm.

6. The male connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper and lower surfaces of the tongue-shaped portion of the housing each include a plurality of openings and a plurality of channels. A specific opening among the plurality of openings on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion communicates with a specific opening among the plurality of openings on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion. The mating ends of some of the plurality of first conductive elements are embedded in the corresponding openings, and the mating ends of the other first conductive elements and the mating ends of the second conductive elements are embedded in the channels.

7. The male connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The plurality of conductive elements are arranged in two parallel rows and held by the tongue-shaped portion, each row of conductive elements including a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements; The male connector also includes a shielding member arranged between two rows of multiple conductive elements. The shielding member is an elastic element made of metal material that passes through an opening on the upper surface of the tongue portion and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue portion and contacts the unthinned portion of the mating end of the partial first conductive element. Alternatively, the shielding member is a conductive plastic part made of a lossy material, which passes through an opening on the upper surface of the tongue portion and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue portion and contacts the unthinned portion of the mating end of the partial first conductive element. Alternatively, the shielding member may include a plate-shaped member made of a metallic material and a plurality of conductive plastic members molded on the plate-shaped member, the plurality of conductive plastic members protruding from the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped member and passing through an opening on the upper surface of the tongue-shaped portion and an opening on the lower surface of the tongue-shaped portion, and contacting the unthinned portion of the mating end of the partial first conductive element.

8. The male connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The conductive plastic component is made of a consumable material.

9. The male connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The unthinned portion of the mating end of each of the first conductive elements includes a U-shaped groove, and each of the plurality of conductive plastic parts is in contact with the U-shaped groove.

10. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The male connector has 56 conductive elements, which are held by the tongue portion of the housing in two parallel rows. Each row has 28 conductive elements, and each of the 28 conductive elements in each row includes a plurality of first conductive elements and a plurality of second conductive elements. The length of the first conductive elements is greater than the length of the second conductive elements. The width of the tongue portion in the protruding direction is not less than 6 mm, and the length of the tongue portion in the length direction perpendicular to the protruding direction is in the range of 18.38 mm to 18.58 mm. The corner portion of the tongue portion away from the base portion has a chamfer.

11. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The male connector has 84 conductive elements. The tongue-shaped portion of the housing of the male connector includes a first section and a second section. The 84 conductive elements are held in two parallel rows by the first and second sections of the tongue-shaped portion. The first section holds 56 conductive elements, and the second section holds 28 conductive elements. A notch is provided between the first and second sections. The width of the first and second sections in the protruding direction is not less than 6 mm, and the total length of the first and second sections in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the protruding direction is 3 mm. Within the range of 0.07 mm to 30.27 mm, the distance between the side edges of the notch is within the range of 1.80 mm to 1.90 mm; the distance between the centerline of the conductive element of the first segment away from the notch and the centerline of the notch is within the range of 18.155 mm to 18.255 mm; the distance between the centerline of the conductive element of the second segment adjacent to the notch and the centerline of the notch is within the range of 1.955 mm to 2.055 mm; and the distance between the centerline of the entire tongue portion in the length direction and the centerline of the notch is within the range of 4.15 mm to 4.25 mm.

12. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The male connector has 140 conductive elements. The tongue-shaped portion of the housing of the male connector includes a first section, a second section, and a third section. The 140 conductive elements are held in two parallel rows by the first section, the second section, and the third section. The first section and the third section each hold 56 conductive elements, and the second section holds 28 conductive elements. A first notch is formed between the first section and the second section, and a second notch is formed between the third section and the second section. The total length of the first section, the second section, and the third section in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the tongue-shaped portion is between 51.18 mm and 51.38 mm. The distance between the side edges of the first notch is between 1.8 mm and 1.9 mm. Within the specified range, the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the centerline of the second notch is between 12.21 mm and 12.31 mm; the distance between the centerline of the conductive element of the first segment away from the first notch and the centerline of the first notch is between 18.155 mm and 18.255 mm; the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the centerline of the conductive element of the second segment adjacent to the first notch is between 1.955 mm and 2.055 mm; the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the centerline of the entire tongue portion in the length direction is between 6.305 mm and 6.405 mm; and the distance between the centerline of the first notch and the conductive element of the third segment adjacent to the second notch is between 14.665 mm and 14.765 mm.

13. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The male connector has 168 conductive elements. The tongue-shaped portion of the housing of the male connector includes a first section, a second section, a third section, and a fourth section. The 168 conductive elements are held in two parallel rows by the first section, the second section, the third section, and the fourth section. The first section, the second section, the third section, and the fourth section are arranged sequentially along a length direction perpendicular to the protruding direction of the tongue-shaped portion. The first section and the third section each support 56 of the conductive elements. The conductive elements are held together, with the second and fourth sections each holding 28 of the conductive elements. A first notch is formed between the first and second sections, a second notch between the second and third sections, and a third notch between the third and fourth sections. The total length of the first to fourth sections in the longitudinal direction is between 63.357 mm and 63.557 mm. The distance between the side edges of the second notch is between 1.8 mm and 1.9 mm. The center of the first notch... The distance between the line and the center line of the second notch is in the range of 12.21 mm to 12.31 mm; the distance between the center line of the second notch and the center line of the third notch is in the range of 20.35 mm to 20.45 mm; the distance between the center line of the second notch and the center line of the conductive element adjacent to the second notch in the second segment is in the range of 1.955 mm to 2.055 mm; and the distance between the center line of the conductive element adjacent to the first notch in the first segment and the center line of the second notch is 14.6 mm. Within the range of 65 mm to 14.765 mm, the distance between the centerline of the second notch and the centerline of the entire tongue portion in the length direction is within the range of 0.208 mm to 0.308 mm; the distance between the centerline of the second notch and the centerline of the conductive element of the third segment adjacent to the third notch is within the range of 18.155 mm to 18.255 mm; and the distance between the centerline of the second notch and the centerline of the conductive element of the fourth segment furthest from the third notch is within the range of 30.35 mm to 30.45 mm.

14. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The contact tails of the plurality of conductive elements are configured to be located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board, such that the contact tail of each conductive element simultaneously engages with a corresponding conductive structure on opposite sides of the printed circuit board.

15. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The contact tails of the plurality of conductive elements are configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board in a manner perpendicular to the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board.

16. The male connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The male connector is coupled to the printed circuit board in a manner parallel to the printed circuit board, and the contact tail of each of the plurality of conductive elements is configured to be bent at a 90-degree angle to engage with the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board.

17. A male connector, characterized in that, The male connector includes a plurality of conductive elements and a housing for holding the plurality of conductive elements. The housing includes a base portion and a tongue-shaped portion extending from the base portion. Each of the plurality of conductive elements includes a mating end, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion located between the mating end and the contact tail. The mating end is held by the tongue-shaped portion of the housing. The contact tail extends away from the housing. The mating end includes a slightly end portion that is embedded in the tongue-shaped portion.

18. An electronic system, characterized in that, The electronic system includes a male connector according to any one of claims 1 to 17 and a printed circuit board mounted to the male connector, wherein the center line of the tongue portion of the male connector along the protruding direction of the tongue portion is not aligned with the center line of the printed circuit board along the surface direction of the printed circuit board.

19. The electronic system according to claim 18, characterized in that, When the contact tails of the plurality of conductive elements are configured to be located on opposite sides of the printed circuit board, the centerline of the tongue portion of the male connector is parallel to the centerline of the printed circuit board and offset from each other in the thickness direction of the tongue portion.

20. The electronic system according to claim 18, characterized in that, When the contact tails of the plurality of conductive elements are configured to be mounted to the printed circuit board in a manner perpendicular to the corresponding conductive structure of the printed circuit board, the centerline of the tongue portion of the male connector extends perpendicularly to the centerline of the printed circuit board.

21. The electronic system according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that, The electronic system also includes a card edge connector, into which the tongue portion of the male connector is inserted.

22. The electronic system according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that, The thickness of the printed circuit board is in the range of 0.80 mm to 4.00 mm.

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