Low Profile Board-to-Board Interface Contactor

Abstract

A low-profile board-to-board interface contactor is described. In one example, the board-to-board interface contactor includes a contactor base body having a peripheral sheet and an aperture, a resilient conductive lid positioned on the peripheral sheet of the contactor base body, and a conductive pin extending through the aperture of the contactor base body. The contactor base body may include one or more mounting legs, and outer surfaces of the peripheral sheet and the mounting legs may be plated with one or more metals and may be conductive. The resilient conductive lid may be embodied as a conductive foam material. The interface contactor may provide a first conductive path between the resilient conductive lid, the peripheral sheet, and the mounting legs, and a second conductive path through the conductive pin.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 446,194, filed February 16, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 455,424, filed March 29, 2023, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Connectors, connector assemblies, and connector housings are important structural and functional components in many computing systems and data interconnection systems. Several different types and styles of connectors are known and used to electrically transfer data and radio frequency signals between interconnected boards and systems. Board-to-board connectors are used to electrically couple data signals, radio frequency signals, and power between various types of printed circuit boards and other electrical and electromechanical assemblies. As the number of features and capabilities of electronic devices and related devices, such as cellular phones, computers, tablets, and other devices, continues to increase, many devices now include several printed circuit boards and related assemblies within a common housing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Several low-profile board-to-board interface contactors are described. In one example, the board-to-board interface contactor includes a contactor base body having a peripheral sheet and an aperture, a resilient conductive lid positioned on the peripheral sheet of the contactor base body, and a conductive pin extending through the aperture of the contactor base body. The contactor base body can include one or more mounting legs, and the outer surfaces of the peripheral sheet and the mounting legs can be plated with one or more metals and can be conductive. The resilient conductive lid can be embodied as a conductive foam material. The interface contactor can provide a first conductive path between the resilient conductive lid, the peripheral sheet, and the mounting legs, and a second conductive path through the conductive pin.

[0004] In another example, a board-to-board interface contactor includes a contactor base housing having a housing seat flange, a resilient conductive lid positioned on the housing seat flange of the contactor base housing, an insulating interposer positioned within the contactor base housing, and a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer. The resilient conductive lid can be embodied as a conductive foam material, and the interface contactor includes a conductive path between the resilient conductive lid and the contactor base housing. The interface contactor includes a second conductive path through the conductive pin. The conductive path between the resilient conductive lid and the contactor base housing is electrically insulated from the second conductive path through the conductive pin.

[0005] In another example, a board-to-board interface contactor includes a contactor base housing having a spring seat flange, a spring positioned on the spring seat flange of the contactor base housing, a contactor shield extending partially between the spring and the contactor base housing, an insulating interposer positioned within the contactor base housing, and a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer. The contactor shield includes an upper rim, a lower barrel, and a central opening extending into the lower barrel. The spring provides a spring bias between the spring seat flange of the contactor base housing and the upper rim of the contactor shield.

[0006] In another example, a board-to-board interface contactor includes a shielding body housing, an insulating interposer positioned within the shielding body housing, a wave spring positioned over the insulating interposer, a shielding lid positioned over the shielding body housing and the wave spring, and a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer. The insulating interposer includes an interlock extension extending beyond an outer cylindrical surface of the insulating interposer, the shielding body housing includes an interlock aperture, and the interlock extension of the shielding body housing is positioned within the interlock aperture of the shielding body housing to maintain the position of the insulating interposer within the shielding body housing. In another aspect, the shielding lid includes an interlock arm, the shielding body housing includes an extension channel, and the interlock arm of the shielding lid is positioned within the extension channel of the shielding body housing.

[0007] Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary substrate-to-substrate interface contactor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 1B illustrates a side view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1C] 1B illustrates a top view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1D] 1B illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1E] 1B illustrates a perspective view of a contactor base body of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1F] 1B illustrates a perspective view of a pin of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1G] 1B shows a cross-sectional view of an interface contactor designated AA in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1H] 1B illustrates an example of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 1A between two printed circuit boards, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1I] 1B illustrates an example of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 1A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates a perspective view of another exemplary substrate-to-substrate interface contactor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 2B illustrates a side view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 2A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C] 2B illustrates a top view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 2A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2D] 2B illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 2A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2E]2B illustrates a perspective view of a contactor base housing, an insulating interposer, and conductive pins of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 2A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2F] 2B shows a perspective view of a contactor base housing of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 2A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2G] 2B illustrates a perspective view of an insulating interposer and conductive pins of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 2A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2H] 2B illustrates an example of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 2A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 illustrates a perspective view of another exemplary substrate-to-substrate interface contactor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] 3B illustrates a side view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] 3B illustrates a top view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3D] 3B illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3E] 3B illustrates a perspective view of a contactor base housing, a contactor shield, and conductive pins of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3F] 3B illustrates a perspective view of a contactor shield of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3G] 3B illustrates a perspective view of a contactor base housing, an insulating interposer, and conductive pins of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3H] 3B illustrates an example of a contactor base housing of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3I]3B illustrates an example of an insulating interposer and conductive pins of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3J] 3B illustrates an example of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 3A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] 1 illustrates a perspective view of another exemplary substrate-to-substrate interface contactor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] 4B illustrates a top view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 4A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4C] 4B illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 4A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4D] 4B illustrates a perspective view of a shield lid of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 4A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4E] 4B illustrates a perspective view of a shield body housing of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 4A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4F] 4B illustrates a perspective view of an insulating interposer and conductive pins of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 4A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4G] 4B illustrates a perspective view of the spring, shield body housing, insulating interposer, and conductive pins of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 4A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4H] 4B illustrates an example of the interface contactor shown in FIG. 4A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Connectors, connector assemblies, and connector housings are important structural and functional components in many computing systems and data interconnection systems. Several different types and styles of connectors are known and used to electrically transfer data and radio frequency (RF) signals between interconnected systems. Board-to-board connectors are used to electrically couple data signals, RF signals, and power between various types of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and other electrical and electromechanical assemblies. With the continued miniaturization of electronic devices and related devices, such as cellular phones, computers, tablets, and other devices, engineers are working to house many different PCBs closely together in a common housing. However, one of the limitations to placing PCBs in close proximity to each other is the size of the board-to-board connectors and other connectors and contactors used to electrically communicate data and RF signals between them.

[0010] In the context outlined above, several low-profile board-to-board interface contactors are described. In one example, the board-to-board interface contactor includes a contactor base body having a peripheral sheet and an aperture, a resilient conductive lid positioned on the peripheral sheet of the contactor base body, and a conductive pin extending through the aperture of the contactor base body. The contactor base body can include one or more mounting legs, and the outer surfaces of the peripheral sheet and the mounting legs can be plated with one or more metals and can be conductive. The resilient conductive lid can be embodied as a conductive foam material. The interface contactor can provide a first conductive path between the resilient conductive lid, the peripheral sheet, and the mounting legs, and a second conductive path through the conductive pin. Another board-to-board interface contactor includes a contactor base housing having a housing seat flange, a resilient conductive lid positioned on the housing seat flange of the contactor base housing, an insulating interposer positioned within the contactor base housing, and a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer. The resilient conductive lid may be embodied as a conductive foam material, and the interface contactor includes a conductive path between the resilient conductive lid and the contactor base housing. The interface contactor includes a second conductive path through the conductive pin. The conductive path between the resilient conductive lid and the contactor base housing is electrically isolated from the second conductive path through the conductive pin.

[0011] Another board-to-board interface contactor includes a contactor base housing having a spring seat flange, a spring positioned on the spring seat flange of the contactor base housing, a contactor shield extending partially between the spring and the contactor base housing, an insulating interposer positioned within the contactor base housing, and a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer. The contactor shield includes an upper rim, a lower barrel, and a central opening extending into the lower barrel. The spring provides a spring bias between the spring seat flange of the contactor base housing and the upper rim of the contactor shield.

[0012] Another board-to-board interface contactor includes a shielding body housing, an insulating interposer positioned within the shielding body housing, a wave spring positioned over the insulating interposer, a shielding lid positioned over the shielding body housing and the wave spring, and a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer. The insulating interposer includes an interlock extension extending beyond an outer cylindrical surface of the insulating interposer, the shielding body housing includes an interlock aperture, and the interlock extension of the shielding body housing is positioned within the interlock aperture of the shielding body housing to maintain the position of the insulating interposer within the shielding body housing. In another aspect, the shielding lid includes an interlock arm, the shielding body housing includes an extension channel, and the interlock arm of the shielding lid is positioned within the extension channel of the shielding body housing.

[0013] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary board-to-board interface contactor 10 (“interface contactor 10”) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, FIG. 1B illustrates a side view, FIG. 1C illustrates a top view, and FIG. 1D illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor 10 illustrated in FIG. 1A. The interface contactor 10 can be utilized as a type of low-profile board-to-board interface contactor for electrically coupling RF signals, for example, between two different PCBs, as described herein. The interface contactor 10 is representative and is not drawn to any particular scale, and is shown to provide context for the concepts of low-profile board-to-board interface contactors or connectors described herein. The interface contactors described herein, while described and illustrated with particular sizes and shapes, can be formed in a variety of different sizes, shapes, and styles. Other types or styles of interface contactors are also described in more detail below. The interface contactors described herein can be used in a variety of interconnection applications, although in some examples, board-to-board interface applications are described.

[0014] 1A-1D, the interface contactor 10 includes a contactor base body 100 (also referred to as "base body 100"), a resilient conductive lid 140 (also referred to as "lid 140") on the base body 100, and conductive pins 170 (also referred to as "pins 170"). FIG. 1E shows a perspective view of the base body 100 and pins 170, with the lid 140 omitted from the drawing. FIG. 1F shows a perspective view of the pins 170, with the base body 100 and lid 140 omitted from the drawing. When electrically coupled as a connector or contactor between PCBs, the lid 140 and base body 100 can be electrically coupled to a conductive ground contact pad, a common contact pad, or a drain contact pad on the PCB, and the pins 170 can be electrically coupled to RF or other conductive signal traces or contact pads on the PCB. The interface contactor 10 may be compressed to some extent in direction "D" when electrically coupled between PCBs, as described below with reference to FIG. 1H.

[0015] The base body 100 can be formed from insulating materials such as liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or other plastics or insulating materials using any suitable additive or subtractive manufacturing technique, including molding, injection molding, printing, and other techniques. Certain surfaces of the base body 100 can be plated with plating metal(s) (e.g., plated for electrical conductivity) as described below. The surfaces can be metallized or plated in a bath, electroless plating, electroplating, sputter plating, ion plating, or other plating techniques, or combinations thereof. The surfaces can be metallized or plated with copper, nickel, tin, gold, or another plating metal, or a combination of plating metals.

[0016] The insulating material forming the base body 100 may optionally include a laser direct structuring (LDS) additive. A laser beam can be used to activate the LDS additive on certain surfaces or surface regions of the base body 100 for metallization. A subsequent metallization step can be performed by immersing the base body 100 in a bath of solution, and a conductive metal plating can be deposited on the activated surfaces or surface regions of the base body 100. Several different metal layers, such as copper, nickel, tin, gold, or other plating metals, or combinations thereof, can be sequentially plated using this technique. Therefore, certain surfaces of the base body 100 are conductive and function as conductive ground, common, or drain paths on the interface contactor 10. The conductive surfaces of the base body 100 are identified and described below. However, the plated surfaces of the base body 100 do not extend to or contact the pins 170 or the surfaces of the base body 100 that contact the pins 170. Thus, the insulating material of the base body 100 electrically insulates the pins 170 from the plated surface of the base body 100. The insulating material of the base body 100 provides a dielectric insulator between the pins 170 and the plated surface of the base body 100.

[0017] The base body 100 is generally circular when viewed from above or below, as best shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D . The base body 100 includes several legs 110-113 for mounting the interface contactor 10 to the bottom end of the base body 100. In the illustrated example, the base body 100 includes four legs 110-113, which are equally spaced around the bottom end of the base body 100. The base body 100 may alternatively include a different number of legs. For example, the base body 100 may alternatively include one, two, three, four, five, six, or more legs. The legs 110-113 are designed for surface-mount coupling to a PCB. However, the base body 100 may include legs for other types or styles of mounting. For example, the base body 100 may optionally include through-hole posts for insertion through apertures in the PCB, such as plated apertures or vias.

[0018] The surfaces of the legs 110-113 may be plated for electrical conductivity, and the bottom surfaces of the legs 110-113 shown in FIG. 1D may be attached to and electrically coupled (e.g., soldered, sintered, etc.) to conductive traces or pads on a PCB. The bottom surface 111A of the leg 111 is identified in FIG. 1D, and the legs 110, 112, and 113 each include a similar bottom surface and all extend in the same plane. The bottom surface 102 of the base body 100 is also identified in FIG. 1D. The bottom surface 102 extends in a plane parallel to the plane in which the bottom surface 111A of the leg 111 and the bottom surfaces of the legs 110, 112, and 113 extend, as also shown in FIG. 1B.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1E, the base body 100 also includes a peripheral sheet 120 and a body base 130. The peripheral sheet 120 extends around the body base 130 and includes an upper sheet surface 122. The upper sheet surface 122 extends in a plane parallel to the plane in which the bottom surfaces of the legs 110-113 extend (see also FIG. 1B). The upper sheet surface 122 is separated from an outer cylindrical surface 133 of the body base 130 by a groove 124 extending circularly therebetween. In other cases, the groove 124 can be omitted, and the upper sheet surface 122 can extend all the way to the outer cylindrical surface 133 of the body base 130. The body base 130 also includes an upper surface 132.

[0020] A central aperture 134 extends through the base body 100, and in particular through the body base 130. The central aperture 134 extends from a first opening in the upper surface 132 of the body base 130, through the body base 130, to a second opening in the lower surface 102 of the base body 100. A pin 170 is positioned within, extends into, and occupies the central aperture 134. As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1E, both ends of the pin 170 are exposed at both the top and bottom of the base body 100. The pin 170 is described in further detail below with reference to FIG. 1F.

[0021] Certain exterior surfaces of the base body 100 are plated with one or more metal layers and are therefore electrically conductive. In particular, in one example, the outer cylindrical surface 133 of the base body 130 is plated, the exterior surface of the base body 100 within the groove 124 is plated, the exterior surface of the peripheral sheet 120 is plated, and the exterior surfaces of the legs 110-113 are plated. The upper surface 132 of the base body 130 is unplated, and the lower surface 102 of the base body 100 is unplated. The surface within the central aperture 134 extending through the base body 130 is also unplated, and the pin 170 is insulated from the plated surfaces of the base body 100 by the dielectric insulator material from which the base body 100 is formed.

[0022] Referring back to FIG. 1A , the lid 140 can be embodied as a conductive foam material. The conductive foam material is resilient and somewhat compressible. By way of example, the lid 140 can be embodied as a polyurethane foam multilayer laminate containing a conductive material, such as copper, nickel, or other conductive metal or material. By way of another example, the lid 140 can be embodied as an acrylic adhesive multilayer laminate containing a conductive material, such as copper, nickel, or other conductive metal or material. By way of example, the lid 140 can be embodied as P-SHIELD® brand PS-1356 or PS-1323 conductive foam manufactured by Polymer Science, Inc. of Monticello, Indiana, although other suitable types of conductive foams can be utilized. The lid 140 can be compressible from a pre-load height to a full travel height over a range, e.g., compressible between 0.5 and 1.5 mm based on an applied force, e.g., a force of 0.5 to 10 Newtons (N).

[0023] The conductive foam material can be cut or otherwise formed into the cylindrical shape of the lid 140 shown in FIG. 1A. The lid 140 includes a central opening 145 cut or otherwise formed therein. The lid 140 includes a bottom surface 141 (see FIG. 1G), a top surface 142, an outer cylindrical surface 143, and an inner cylindrical surface 144. When the interface contactor 10 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1A, the bottom surface 141 of the lid 140 is positioned and rests on the upper sheet surface 122 (see FIG. 1E) of the peripheral sheet 120. In this configuration, the inner cylindrical surface 144 of the lid 140 also contacts a portion of the outer cylindrical surface 133 of the body seat 130. Therefore, based on the contact therebetween, the lid 140 is electrically coupled to the plated conductive surface of the base body 100. In some cases, the lid 140 may also be secured to the upper seat surface 122 and the outer cylindrical surface 133 using a conductive adhesive, such as a conductive epoxy.

[0024] FIG. 1F shows a perspective view of a pin 170 of the interface contactor 10 shown in FIG. 1A. The pin 170 is formed from a conductive material such as copper, brass, nickel, or other metal and is electrically conductive. The pin 170 includes a bottom plunger pin 171, a top plunger pin 172, a bottom barrel rim 173, a top barrel rim 174, and a pin barrel 175. The pin 170 may be spring-loaded and may include a spring or other biasing member, not visible in FIG. 1F, extending within the pin barrel 175 and between the bottom plunger pin 171 and the top plunger pin 172. The spring applies a force to urge the bottom plunger pin 171, the top plunger pin 172, or both the bottom and top plunger pins 171 and 172 to the position shown in FIG. 1F without an external force being applied thereto. However, based on an external force presented to the top plunger pin 172 in direction "D", the top plunger pin 172 can overcome the spring bias and be forced down into the pin barrel 175. In some cases, based on an external force presented to the bottom plunger pin 171 opposite direction "D", the bottom plunger pin 171 can overcome the spring bias and be forced up into the pin barrel 175. In one example, the pins 170 can be embodied as pogo-type pins, although other types and styles of pins can also be relied upon.

[0025] FIG. 1G shows a cross-sectional view of the interface contactor 10 designated as AA in FIG. 1A. As shown, the bottom surface 141 of the lid portion 140 is positioned on and rests on the upper seating surface 122 of the peripheral seat 120 of the base body 100. The inner cylindrical surface 144 of the lid portion 140 also contacts a portion of the outer cylindrical surface 133 of the body seat 130. Therefore, based on the contact therebetween, the lid portion 140 is electrically coupled to the plated conductive surface of the base body 100. Furthermore, the pin 170 is positioned within and extends into the central aperture 134. In particular, the pin 170 is positioned and extends through the body seat 130 of the base body 100. The lower barrel rim 173 and the upper barrel rim 174 are seated against an inner surface or ledge within the central aperture 134, securing the pin 170 in place within the central aperture 134.

[0026] Because the top surface 132 and bottom surface 102 of the base body 100 are unplated (not conductive), neither the lid portion 140, which is conductive, nor the plated surfaces of the base body 100 are electrically coupled to the pins 170. Instead, the pins 170 are electrically isolated from the plated surfaces of the lid portion 140 and the base body 100. In this manner, the interface contactor 10 provides two separate conductive paths for electrical interfacing purposes. The interface contactor 10 provides a first conductive ground, common, or drain path between the top surface 142 of the lid portion 140 and the bottom surfaces of the legs 110-113 of the base body 100. The interface contactor 10 also provides a second conductive path, such as for RF signals, through the pins 170.

[0027] The overall height "H" of the interface contactor 10 may vary in various embodiments. An exemplary range for "H" may be 2.5 mm to 7.5 mm, although the interface contactor 10 may be designed to facilitate other spacing between PCBs. By way of example, the interface contactor 10 may be designed or sized to facilitate spacing (e.g., dimension "H") of 2.5 mm, 3.0 mm, 3.5 mm, 4.0 mm, 5.0 mm, 6.0 mm, 6.5 mm, 7.0 mm, or 7.5 mm, although the interface contactor 10 is not limited to one or more of these sizes. In any case, it should be understood that the interface contactor 10 may be compressed over a range of "H," and thus may accommodate a range of dimension "H." The width "W" (e.g., circumference) of the interface contactor 10 may also vary in various embodiments. An exemplary range for "W" may be 4 mm to 15 mm, although the interface contactor 10 is not limited to any width.

[0028] The height "H1" of the lid 140, measured between the bottom surface 141 and the top surface 142 of the lid 140, may also vary in various embodiments. An exemplary range for "H1" may be 2 mm to 6 mm, although the lid 140 may be designed to other dimensions. The lid 140 is compressible as described above. Therefore, the height "H1" may vary, for example, between approximately 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm, from the pre-load height (i.e., no externally applied force) to the full displacement height (i.e., with an externally applied force), based on the compressive force applied between the bottom surface 141 and the top surface 142 of the lid 140. Additionally, the distance "H2," measured between the bottom surface 111A of the leg 111 and the upper seat surface 122 of the peripheral seat 120, may vary. An exemplary range for "H2" may be 2 mm to 4 mm, although it may also depend on other dimensions. Other dimensions of the interface contactor 10 may also vary compared to those shown and described.

[0029] FIG. 1H illustrates an example of the interface contactor 10 shown in FIG. 1A between two PCBs 190 and 192, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. PCBs 190 and 192 can be placed together within a device housing and separately secured therein, with interface contactor 10 positioned between them. The illustration in FIG. 1H is representative and provided to convey the concepts of the low-profile board-to-board interface contactors or connectors described herein. While only one interface contactor is shown in FIG. 1H, according to embodiments, any number of interface contactors can be positioned between PCBs 190 and 192, or between other PCBs, thereby coupling any number of different signals therebetween.

[0030] The interface contactor 10 can be utilized, among other possibilities, to electrically couple signals between the PCBs 190 and 192. To that end, the interface contactor 10 can be positioned between the outer planar surfaces of the PCBs 190 and 192 to form electrical couplings between the conductive pads or traces exposed thereon. In one example, the bottom surfaces of the legs 110-113 can be contacted and electrically coupled to one or more conductive traces or pads on the top surface 192A of the PCB 192 to form common or drain couplings between the PCB 192 and the interface contactor 10. That is, the bottom surface 111A of the leg 111 and the bottom surfaces of the other legs 110, 112, and 113 can be contacted and electrically coupled to one or more conductive traces or pads on the top surface 192A of the PCB 192. In some cases, the bottom surfaces of legs 110-113 may be soldered, sintered, or otherwise electrically coupled to a conductive trace or pad on top surface 192A of PCB 192 for a common or ground connection. Additionally, bottom plunger pin 171 of pin 170 may also be electrically coupled (e.g., via contact, soldered, sintered, etc.) to another conductive trace or pad on top surface 192A of PCB 192 for electrical signal coupling between PCB 192 and pin 170.

[0031] The PCB 190 can be placed in position and brought into contact with the top surface 142 of the lid 140, such that the bottom surface 190A of the PCB 190 contacts the top surface 142. One or more conductive traces or pads of the PCB 190 can be in electrical contact with the top surface 142 of the lid 140 for a common or ground connection. Another conductive trace or pad of the PCB 190 can be in electrical contact with the top plunger pin 172 of the pin 170 for electrical signal coupling. Depending on the arrangement of the PCBs 190 and 192 (i.e., how closely they are mounted relative to one another), the PCB 190 can also exert a downward pressure or force in direction "D" against the top surface 142 of the lid 140, forcing the lid 140 down in direction "D". As mentioned above, the lid 140 is resilient and compressible to some extent, and the lid 140 can be compressed between the PCBs 190 and 192. The PCB 190 can also exert a downward pressure or force in direction "D" on the upper plunger pin 172 of the pin 170, depressing the upper plunger pin 172 in direction "D".

[0032] The interface contactor 10 facilitates electrical connection between the PCBs 190 and 192 even when the PCBs 190 and 192 are not positioned parallel to one another. For example, if the surfaces 190A and 192A of the PCBs 190 and 192 do not extend parallel to one another, the lid 140 of the interface contactor 10 can pivot or tilt to some extent. The angle φ in FIG. 1H represents the angle between the bottom surface 190A of the PCB 190 and the top surface 192A of the PCB 192, both of which are assumed to be planar. The interface contactor 10 can accommodate a non-zero angle φ. For example, if the angle φ is 1 degree, 2 degrees, or more, the lid 140 of the interface contactor 10 can be compressed somewhat to accommodate the angle φ. In various designs, the interface contactor 10 can accommodate an angle φ of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 degrees, or more, although in some cases, it can accommodate larger angles.

[0033] In the configuration shown in FIG. 1H, the height "H" of the interface contactor 10 is shown between the bottom surface 190A of the PCB 190 and the top surface 192A of the PCB 192, although this dimension may vary based on the compression of the lid 140 and pins 170 between the PCBs 190 and 192. Because the lid 140 is resilient and somewhat compressible, the interface contactor 10 may be designed or sized to facilitate various spacings between the PCBs 190 and 192. The pins 170 are also somewhat compressible. FIG. 1I shows an example of an interface contactor 10 in a compressed configuration.

[0034] Interface contactor 10 is generally designed to facilitate a reduced "H" dimension compared to other currently available contactors or connectors. In the example shown in FIG. 1H, interface contactor 10 is positioned between PCBs 190 and 192 with no additional components interposed or installed therebetween. However, in some cases, interface contactor 10 can be positioned between the PCBs along with other low-profile interface contactor or connector components, such as contact buttons or other contactor interfaces.

[0035] FIG. 1I illustrates an example of the interface contactor 10 shown in FIG. 1A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1I is a representative example, and the interface contactor 10 may be compressed to a lesser extent in some cases. The interface contactor 10 may be compressed between PCBs, such as PCBs 190 and 192 shown in FIG. 1H, for example, to facilitate various spacings between the PCBs. The height "H3" of the lid 140 shown in FIG. 1I is less than the height "H1" of the lid 140 shown in FIG. 1G due to the compression of the lid 140. Although not shown in FIG. 1I, the lid 140 may bulge or expand outward to some extent when compressed. FIG. 1I also illustrates the upper plunger pin 172 of the pin 170 being depressed due to the compression of the pin 170.

[0036] Referring to another example, FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of another exemplary board-to-board interface contactor 20 (“interface contactor 20”) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, FIG. 2B illustrates a side view, FIG. 2C illustrates a top view, and FIG. 2D illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor 20 illustrated in FIG. 2A . The interface contactor 20 can be utilized as a type of low-profile board-to-board interface contactor for electrically coupling RF signals, for example, between two different PCBs, as described herein. The interface contactor 20 can be compressed to some extent in direction “D” shown in FIG. 2A when electrically coupled between the PCBs, as described below with reference to FIG. 2H . The interface contactor 20 is representative and not drawn to any particular scale, and is shown to provide context for the concepts of low-profile board-to-board interface contactors or connectors described herein.

[0037] 2A to 2D, the interface contactor 20 includes a contactor base housing 200 (also referred to as "housing 200"), a resilient conductive lid 240 (also referred to as "lid 240") on the housing 200, an insulating interposer 230 (also referred to as "interposer 230"), and conductive pins 270 (also referred to as "pins 270"). FIG. 2E shows a perspective view of the housing 200, insulating interposer 230, and conductive pins 270 of the interface contactor 20 shown in FIG. 2A, with the lid 240 omitted from the drawing. FIG. 2F shows a perspective view of the housing 200 of the interface contactor 20 shown in FIG. 2A, with the lid 240, interposer 230, and pins 270 omitted from the drawing. FIG. 2G shows a perspective view of the interposer 230 and pins 270 of the interface contactor 20 shown in FIG. 2A. When electrically coupled as a PCB-to-PCB connector or contactor, housing 200 and lid 240 can be electrically coupled to a conductive ground, common, or drain contact pad on the PCB, and pin 270 can be electrically coupled to an RF or other conductive signal trace or contact pad on the PCB.

[0038] Housing 200 can be formed from a conductive metallic material, such as brass, copper, gold, silver, or other conductive metals or alloys thereof. In one example, housing 200 can be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metallic material and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIG. 2A . Interposer 230 can be formed from an insulating material, such as a dielectric insulator. Interposer 230 can be formed from LCP, PE, PTFE, or other plastic or insulating materials using any suitable additive or subtractive manufacturing techniques, including molding, injection molding, printing, and other techniques.

[0039] The housing 200 is generally circular when viewed from above or below, as best shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D, and includes an outer surface 203 and an inner surface 204 (see FIG. 2F). The outer surface 203 is cylindrical in the illustrated example. The housing 200 includes several legs 210-213 for mounting the interface contactor 20 to the lower end of the housing 200. In the illustrated example, the housing 200 includes four legs 210-213, which are spaced around the lower end of the housing 200. The housing 200 may alternatively include a different number of legs. For example, the housing 200 may alternatively include one, two, three, four, five, six, or more legs. In the illustrated example, the legs 210-213 are designed for surface-mount coupling to a PCB. However, the housing 200 may include legs or lead configurations for other types or styles of mounting. For example, each of the legs 210-213 can be designed with a toe that extends radially outward beyond the outer surface 203 of the housing 200. In another example, the housing 200 can optionally include through-hole posts for insertion through apertures in a PCB, such as plated apertures or vias.

[0040] 2E and 2F, the housing 200 also includes several housing seat flanges 214-217. In the illustrated example, the housing 200 includes four housing seat flanges 214-217, which are spaced apart around the housing 200. The housing seat flanges 214-217 are formed of the same material as the rest of the housing 200 and are electrically conductive. The housing seat flanges 214-217 may be formed by cutting the flanges 214-217 from the rest of the cylindrical body of the housing 200 and bending them downward. The housing 200 may alternatively include a different number of flanges. For example, the housing 200 may alternatively include two, three, four, five, six, or more flanges. Additionally, each of the housing seat flanges 214-217 may be wider or narrower than shown.

[0041] Each of the housing seat flanges 214-217 extends radially away from the outer surface 203 of the housing 200, as shown in FIG. 2D. In the illustrated example, the housing seat flanges 214-217 extend to the outer cylindrical surface 243 of the lid 240, and each housing seat flange 214-217 includes a semicircular edge. In other cases, the housing seat flanges 214-217 may extend radially away from the outer surface 203 of the housing 200 to a position short of (i.e., not contacting) the outer cylindrical surface 243 of the lid 240. Each of the housing seat flanges 214-217 includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface 215A and the lower surface 215B of the housing seat flange 215 are referenced in FIGS. 2E and 2F, and the housing seat flanges 214, 216, and 217 also include upper and lower surfaces.

[0042] The lid 240 may be embodied as a conductive foam material. The conductive foam material is resilient and somewhat compressible. By way of example, the lid 240 may be embodied as a polyurethane foam multilayer laminate containing a conductive material, such as copper, nickel, or other conductive metal or material. By way of another example, the lid 240 may be embodied as an acrylic adhesive multilayer laminate containing a conductive material, such as copper, nickel, or other conductive metal or material. By way of example, the lid 240 may be embodied as P-SHIELD® brand PS-1356 or PS-1323 conductive foam manufactured by Polymer Science, Inc. of Monticello, Indiana, although other suitable types of conductive foam may be utilized. The lid 240 is resilient and compressible from a pre-load height to a full travel height over a range, such as 0.5 to 1.5 mm, based on an applied force, such as 0.5 to 10 N.

[0043] The conductive foam material can be cut or otherwise formed into the cylindrical shape of the lid 240 shown in FIG. 2A. The lid 240 includes a central opening 245 cut or otherwise formed in the lid 240, as shown in FIG. 2A. The lid 240 includes a bottom surface 241 (see FIG. 2D), a top surface 242, an outer cylindrical surface 243, and an inner cylindrical surface 244. When the interface contactor 20 is assembled as shown in FIG. 2A, the bottom surface 241 of the lid 240 is positioned above and rests on the upper surfaces of the housing seat flanges 214-217 of the housing 200. In this arrangement, the inner cylindrical surface 144 of the lid 140 also contacts the upper portion of the outer cylindrical surface 203 of the housing 200. Thus, based on the contact therebetween, the lid 240 is electrically coupled to the housing 200. Optionally, the lid 240 may be secured to the top surfaces of the housing seat flanges 214-217 and the outer cylindrical surface 203 of the housing 200 using a conductive adhesive, such as a conductive epoxy.

[0044] The pins 270 of the interface contactor 20 are electrically conductive and formed from a conductive material such as copper, brass, nickel, or other metal. The pins 270 may be similar or identical to the pins 170 described above in FIG. 1F. The pins 270 may include a bottom plunger pin, an top plunger pin, a bottom barrel rim, an top barrel rim, and a pin barrel. The pins 270 may be spring-loaded and may include a spring or other biasing member, not visible, extending within the pin barrel and between the top and bottom pin plungers. The spring applies a force to the top and bottom plunger pins. However, upon external force, the top plunger pin may overcome the spring bias and be pushed down into the pin barrel of the pin 270. In some cases, upon external force, the bottom plunger pin may overcome the spring bias and be pushed up into the pin barrel of the pin 270. In one example, pins 270 may be embodied as pogo-style pins, although other types and styles of pins may also be relied upon.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 2F , the housing 200 also includes interlock apertures 225A-225D. The interlock apertures 225A-225D are formed through the housing 200, extending through the outer surface 203 of the housing 200 to the inner surface 204. The interlock apertures 225A-225D are formed to aid in locating and interlocking the insulating interposer 230 within the housing 200, as will be described in further detail below. The housing 200 also includes interlock cutouts 226A and 226B. The interlock cutouts 226A and 226B are formed as notches from the bottom edge of the housing 200. The interlock cutouts 226A and 226B are also formed to aid in locating and interlocking the insulating interposer 230 within the housing 200, as will be described in further detail below. In other examples, the number, size, shape, and location of interlocking apertures 225A-225D and interlocking cutouts 226A and 226B can vary compared to those shown.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 2G, interposer 230 includes, among other edges and surfaces, a bottom surface 231, a top surface 232, and an outer surface 233. Outer surface 233 of interposer 230 is at least partially cylindrical in the illustrated example. A central aperture 234 extends through interposer 230, and pin 270 extends through central aperture 234. Central aperture 234 extends from a first opening in top surface 232 through interposer 230 to a second opening in bottom surface 231 of interposer 230. Pin 270 is positioned within, extends into, and occupies central aperture 234. As shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D, both ends of pin 270 are exposed at both the top and bottom of interposer 230.

[0047] Interposer 230 includes, among other things, interlock extensions 235A and 235B that extend outwardly and beyond outer surface 233 of interposer 230. When interposer 230 is positioned within housing 200, interlock extensions 235A and 235B are seated and positioned within interlock apertures 225A and 225B of housing 200. Mechanical interference between the edges of interlock extensions 235A and 235B and interlock apertures 225A and 225B of housing 200 maintains the position of interposer 230 within housing 200. The mechanical interference prevents interposer 230 from moving or rotating relative to housing 200 when interface contactor 20 is assembled. Interposer 230 also includes interlock extensions 236A and 236B. When interposer 230 is positioned within housing 200, interlock extensions 236A and 236B are seated and positioned within interlock cutouts 226A and 226B of housing 200. Mechanical interference between the edges of interlock extensions 236A and 236B and interlock cutouts 226A and 226B of housing 200 maintains the position of interposer 230.

[0048] The interface contactor 20 provides a first conductive ground, common, or drain path between the top surface 242 of the lid 240 and the bottom surfaces of the legs 210-213 of the housing 200. The interface contactor 20 also provides a second conductive path, such as for RF signals, through pins 270. The pins 270 are electrically isolated from the lid 240 and the housing 200 by the insulating interposer 230. In this manner, the interface contactor 20 provides two separate conductive paths for electrical interfacing purposes.

[0049] The overall height of the interface contactor 20 (i.e., measured from the top to the bottom of the page in FIG. 2B ) can range from 2.5 mm to 7.5 mm, for example, in various embodiments, although the interface contactor 20 can be designed to other sizes. In any case, it should be understood that the interface contactor 20 can provide an electrical interface over a range of spacings or dimensions between two PCBs. In that context, the interface contactor 20 can be positioned between two PCBs, similar to PCBs 190 and 192 shown in FIG. 1H . When electrically coupled between the PCBs, the interface contactor 20 can be compressed to some extent in direction “D” shown in FIG. 2A . The interface contactor 20 can also accommodate a tilt angle φ between the PCBs due to the elastic and compressible nature of the lid 240.

[0050] FIG. 2H illustrates an example of the interface contactor 20 shown in FIG. 2A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2H is a representative example; the interface contactor 20 may be compressed to a lesser extent in some cases. The interface contactor 20 may be compressed between PCBs, such as PCBs 190 and 192 shown in FIG. 1H, for example, to facilitate various spacings between the PCBs. Although not shown in FIG. 2H, the lid portion 240 may bulge or expand outward to some extent when compressed. FIG. 2H also illustrates the upper plunger pin of the pin 270 being depressed due to the compression of the pin 270.

[0051] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary board-to-board interface contactor 30 (“interface contactor 30”) in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, FIG. 3B illustrates a side view, FIG. 3C illustrates a top view, and FIG. 3D illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor 30 illustrated in FIG. 3A . The interface contactor 30 can be utilized as a type of low-profile board-to-board interface contactor for electrically coupling RF signals, for example, between two different PCBs, as described herein. The interface contactor 30 can be compressed to some extent in direction “D” shown in FIG. 3A when electrically coupled between the PCBs, as described below with reference to FIG. 3J . The interface contactor 30 is representative and not drawn to any particular scale, and is shown to provide context for the low-profile board-to-board interface contactor or connector concepts described herein.

[0052] 3A-3D, the interface contactor 30 includes a contactor base housing 300 (also referred to as "housing 300"), a spring 320 positioned around the housing 300, a contactor shield 340 positioned around and on the housing 300, an insulating interposer 330 (also referred to as "interposer 330"), and conductive pins 370 (also referred to as "pins 370"). FIG. 3E shows a perspective view of the housing 300, contactor shield 340, and conductive pins 370 of the interface contactor 30 shown in FIG. 3A, with the spring 320 omitted from the illustration. FIG. 3F shows a perspective view of the contactor shield 340 of the interface contactor 30 shown in FIG. 3A, with the remaining components omitted from the illustration. FIG. 3G shows a perspective view of the housing 300, interposer 330 and pins 370 of the interface contactor 30 shown in FIG. 3A, with the spring 320 and contactor shield 340 omitted from the view.

[0053] Figure 3H shows a perspective view of the housing 300 of the interface contactor 30 shown in Figure 3A, with the remaining components omitted from the figure. Figure 31 shows a perspective view of the interposer 330 and pins 370 of the interface contactor 30 shown in Figure 3A, with the remaining components omitted from the figure. When electrically coupled as a PCB-to-PCB connector or contactor, the housing 300 and contactor shield 340 can be electrically coupled to a conductive ground contact pad, common contact pad, or drain contact pad on the PCB, and the pins 370 can be electrically coupled to RF or other conductive signal traces or contact pads on the PCB.

[0054] The housing 300 can be formed from a conductive metallic material, such as brass, copper, gold, silver, or other conductive metal, or alloy thereof. In one example, the housing 300 can be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metallic material and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIG. 3A . The contactor shield 340 can also be formed from a conductive metallic material, such as brass, copper, gold, silver, or other conductive metal, or alloy thereof. In one example, the contactor shield 340 can be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metallic material and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIG. 3A . The interposer 330 can be formed from an insulating material, such as a dielectric insulator. The interposer 330 can be formed from LCP, PE, PTFE, or other plastic or insulating materials using any suitable additive or subtractive manufacturing technique, including molding, injection molding, printing, and other techniques.

[0055] Spring 320 may be embodied as a helical coil spring formed from resilient steel, stainless steel, or other suitable material capable of storing potential energy based on compression. Spring 320 may optionally be plated with one or more metals, such as copper, nickel, tin, gold, or another plating metal, or a combination of plating metals. Spring 320 is sized to fit (e.g., helically wrap) around contactor shield 340 and housing 300. Referring to FIG. 3B , spring 320 includes upper flat extension 321 and lower flat extension 322, with the remaining turns of the helical coil spring extending between them. While spring 320 includes three to four complete helical turns in the illustrated example, spring 320 may alternatively be formed with additional or fewer turns. The spring 320 is elastic and compressible from a pre-load height to a full travel height over a range such as 0.5-1.5 mm based on an applied force such as 0.5-10 N of force.

[0056] The housing 300 is generally circular when viewed from above or below, as best shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, and includes an outer surface 303 and an inner surface 304 (see FIG. 3H). The outer surface 203 is cylindrical in the illustrated example. The housing 300 includes several legs 310-313 for mounting the interface contactor 30 to the lower end of the housing 300. In the illustrated example, the housing 300 includes four legs 310-313, which are spaced around the lower end of the housing 300. The housing 300 may alternatively include a different number of legs. For example, the housing 300 may alternatively include one, two, three, four, five, six, or more legs. In the illustrated example, the legs 310-313 are designed for surface-mount coupling to a PCB. However, the housing 300 may include legs or lead configurations for other types or styles of mounting. For example, each of the legs 310-313 can be designed with a toe that extends radially outward beyond the outer surface 303 of the housing 300. In other examples, the housing 300 can optionally include through-hole posts for insertion through apertures in a PCB, such as plated apertures or vias.

[0057] 3E, 3G, and 3H, the housing 300 also includes several spring seat flanges 314-317. The housing 300 includes four spring seat flanges 314-317 in the illustrated example, with the spring seat flanges 314-317 spaced apart around the housing 300. The spring seat flanges 314-317 may be formed by cutting and bending the flanges 314-317 downward from the remainder of the cylindrical body of the housing 300. The housing 300 may alternatively include a different number of flanges. For example, the housing 300 may alternatively include two, three, four, five, six, or more flanges. Furthermore, each of the spring seat flanges 314-317 may be wider or narrower than shown. Each of the spring seat flanges 314-317 extends radially away from the outer surface 303 of the housing 300. Each of the spring seat flanges 314-317 includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface 315A and the lower surface 315B of the spring seat flange 315 are referenced in Figures 3E and 3G, and the spring seat flanges 314, 316, and 317 also include upper and lower surfaces.

[0058] The contactor shield 340 is generally circular when viewed from above or below, as best shown in Figures 3C and 3D. Referring between Figures 3E and 3F, the contactor shield 340 includes an upper rim 341A, a lower barrel 341B, a central opening 345 extending into the upper rim 341A and the lower barrel 341B, an outer surface 343 of the lower barrel 341B, and an inner surface 344 of the lower barrel 341B. The upper rim 341A extends radially away from the outer surface 343. The upper rim 341A includes, among other things, several contact bumps, including contact bumps 342A-342C referenced in Figure 3E. The contact bumps 342A-342C are raised bumps extending upward from the top surface of the upper rim 341A. The contact bumps 342A-342C may be evenly spaced in a concentric arrangement as shown, although the contact bumps 342A-342C may be spaced or positioned in other ways. The contact bumps 342A-342C may be electrically coupled to conductive ground, common, or drain contact pads on the PCB.

[0059] The contactor shield 340 is concentrically positioned above and around the top end of the housing 300, as best shown in FIG. 3E. The lower barrel 341B of the contactor shield 340 is nominally larger than the housing 300, allowing clearance for movement therebetween. The contactor shield 340 is positioned above and interlocked with the housing 300 in a spring-biased arrangement based on spring 320, as described in further detail below. The contactor shield 340 can be depressed in direction "D" (see FIG. 3A) against the spring bias provided by spring 320. In that case, the contactor shield 340 will be pushed further down above the housing 300, so that the contactor shield 340 will cover more of the housing 300 than shown in FIG. 3A. Thus, the interface contactor 30 is compressible to some extent.

[0060] The contactor shield 340 also includes contact tabs 345A-345D formed on the bottom edge of the lower barrel 341B. Each of the contact tabs 345A-345D includes a contact bump 346A-346D, respectively. The contact tabs 345A-345D are capable of some flexibility or bending, and the inner surfaces of the contact bumps 346A-346D are configured to contact the outer surface 303 of the housing 300 when the interface contactor 30 is assembled. The contact tabs 345A-345D provide an electrical coupling between the contactor shield 340 and the housing 300.

[0061] Contactor shield 340 also includes interlock arms 347A and 347B. Interlock arms 347A and 347B fit into extension channels 327A and 327B (see FIG. 3H) in housing 300. The ends of interlock arms 347A and 347B are curved or bent toward the center of contactor shield 340, as best shown in FIG. 3F. When contactor shield 340 is positioned on housing 300, mechanical interference between the edges of the curved ends of interlock arms 347A and 347B and the edges of extension channels 327A and 327B maintains contactor shield 340 in place on housing 300. That is, the mechanical interference prevents contactor shield 340 from rotating relative to housing 300 beyond the nominal clearance between interlock arms 347A and 347B and extension channels 327A and 327B. However, contactor shield 340 can still move in direction "D" shown in Figure 3A because interlock arms 347A and 347B can shift or slide along the length of extension channels 327A and 327B. The lengths of interlock arms 347A and 347B and extension channels 327A and 327B can be varied compared to that shown to determine or set the range of movement or travel between contactor shield 340 and housing 300.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 3H, the housing 300 also includes interlock apertures 325A-325D. The interlock apertures 325A-325D are formed through the housing 300, extending through the outer surface 303 of the housing 300 to the inner surface 304. The interlock apertures 325A-325D are formed to aid in positioning and interlocking the insulating interposer 330 within the housing 300. The housing 300 also includes interlock cutouts 326A and 326B. The interlock cutouts 326A and 326B are formed as cutouts from the bottom edge of the housing 300. The interlock cutouts 326A and 326B are also formed to aid in positioning and interlocking the insulating interposer 330 within the housing 300. The housing 300 also includes catch hooks 328A and 328B. Catch hooks 328A and 328B can wrap around and contact the top edge of insulating interposer 230, helping to secure insulating interposer 330 in place with housing 300. In other examples, the number, size, shape, and location of interlock apertures 325A-325D, interlock cutouts 326A and 326B, and catch hooks 328A and 328B of housing 300 can vary compared to those shown.

[0063] When the interface contactor 30 is assembled, the spring 320 is positioned (e.g., spirally wrapped) around the lower barrel 341B of the contactor shield 340 and the top of the housing 300, above the spring seat flanges 314-317. The lower end of the spring 320, including the lower flat extension 322, rests on one or more of the spring seat flanges 314-317 of the housing 300. The upper end of the spring 320, including the upper flat extension 321, presses up against the bottom surface of the upper rim 341A of the contactor shield 340. The spring 320 maintains the interface contactor 30 in the extended configuration shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B when no external force is applied to the interface contactor 30. An external force applied downward in direction "D" against the top of the contactor shield 340 can overcome the spring bias of the spring 320 and compress the interface contactor 30, as shown in FIG. 3J.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 3I, interposer 330 includes, among other edges and surfaces, a bottom surface 331, a top surface 332, and an outer surface 333. Outer surface 333 of interposer 330 is at least partially cylindrical in the illustrated example. A central aperture 334 extends through interposer 330, and pin 370 extends through central aperture 334. Central aperture 334 extends from a first opening in top surface 332 through interposer 330 to a second opening in bottom surface 331 of interposer 230. Pin 370 is positioned within, extends into, and occupies central aperture 334. As shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, both ends of pin 370 are exposed at both the top and bottom of interposer 330.

[0065] Interposer 330 includes, among other things, interlock extensions 335A and 335B that extend outwardly and beyond outer surface 333 of interposer 330. As shown in FIG. 3G , when interposer 330 is positioned within housing 300, interlock extensions 335A and 335B are seated and positioned within interlock apertures 325A and 325B of housing 300. Mechanical interference between the edges of interlock extensions 335A and 335B and interlock apertures 325A and 325B of housing 300 maintains the position of interposer 330 within housing 300. That is, the mechanical interference prevents interposer 330 from moving or rotating relative to housing 300 when interface contactor 30 is assembled. Interposer 330 also includes interlock extensions 336A and 336B. When interposer 330 is positioned within housing 300, interlock extensions 336A and 336B seat and are positioned within interlock cutouts 326A and 326B of housing 300. Mechanical interference between the edges of interlock extensions 336A and 336B and interlock cutouts 326A and 326B of housing 300 maintains the position of interposer 330.

[0066] The pins 370 of the interface contactor 30 are electrically conductive and formed from a conductive material such as copper, brass, nickel, or other metal. The pins 370 may be similar or identical to the pins 170 described above in FIG. 1F. The pins 370 may include a bottom plunger pin, an top plunger pin, a bottom barrel rim, an top barrel rim, and a pin barrel. The pins 370 may be spring-loaded and may include a spring or other biasing member, not visible, extending within the pin barrel and between the top and bottom pin plungers. The spring applies a force to the top and bottom plunger pins. However, upon external force, the top plunger pin may overcome the spring bias and be pushed down into the pin barrel of the pin 370. In some cases, upon external force, the bottom plunger pin may overcome the spring bias and be pushed up into the pin barrel of the pin 370. In one example, pins 370 may be embodied as pogo-style pins, although other types and styles of pins may also be relied upon.

[0067] The interface contactor 30 provides a first conductive ground, common, or drain path between the upper rim 341A of the contactor shield 340 and the bottom surfaces of the legs 310-313 of the housing 300. The interface contactor 30 also provides a second conductive path, such as for RF signals, through pin 370. The pin 370 is electrically isolated from the contactor shield 340 and the housing 300 by the insulating interposer 330. In this manner, the interface contactor 30 provides two separate conductive paths for electrical interfacing purposes.

[0068] The overall height of the interface contactor 30 (i.e., measured from the top to the bottom of the page in FIG. 3B ) can range from 2.5 mm to 7.5 mm, for example, in various embodiments, although the interface contactor 30 can be designed to other sizes. In any case, it should be understood that the interface contactor 30 can provide an electrical interface over a range of spacings or dimensions between two PCBs. In that context, the interface contactor 30 can be positioned between two PCBs, similar to PCBs 190 and 192 shown in FIG. 1H . When electrically coupled between the PCBs, the interface contactor 30 can be compressed to some extent in the direction “D” shown in FIG. 3A . The interface contactor 30 can also accommodate a tilt angle φ between the PCBs.

[0069] FIG. 3J illustrates an example of the interface contactor 30 shown in FIG. 3A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3J is a representative example; the interface contactor 30 may be compressed to a lesser extent in some cases. The interface contactor 30 may be compressed between PCBs, such as PCBs 190 and 192 shown in FIG. 1H, for example, to facilitate various spacings between the PCBs. FIG. 3J also illustrates the upper plunger pin of pin 370 being depressed due to the compression of pin 370.

[0070] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary board-to-board interface contactor 40 ("interface contactor 40") according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, FIG. 4B illustrates a top view, and FIG. 4C illustrates a bottom view of the interface contactor 40 illustrated in FIG. 4A. The interface contactor 40 can be utilized as a type of low-profile board-to-board interface contactor for electrically coupling RF signals, for example, between two different PCBs, as described herein. The interface contactor 40 can be compressed to some extent in direction "D" shown in FIG. 4A when electrically coupled between the PCBs, as described below with reference to FIG. 4H. The interface contactor 40 is representative and not drawn to any particular scale, and is shown to provide context for the low-profile board-to-board interface contactor or connector concepts described herein.

[0071] 4A to 4C, the interface contactor 40 includes a shielded body housing 400 (also referred to as "housing 100"), a shielded lid 440, a spring 420, an insulating interposer 430 (also referred to as "interposer 430"), and conductive pins 470 (also referred to as "pins 470"). 4D shows a perspective view of the shielded lid 440 of the interface contactor 40 shown in FIG. 4A. 4E shows a perspective view of the housing 400 of the interface contactor 40 shown in FIG. 4A. 4F shows a perspective view of the insulating interposer 430 and pins 470 of the interface contactor 40 shown in FIG. 4A. 4G shows a perspective view of the spring 420, housing 400, interposer 430, and pins 470 of the interface contactor 40 shown in FIG. 4A. When electrically coupled as a PCB-to-PCB connector or contactor, housing 400 and shield lid 440 can be electrically coupled to a conductive ground, common, or drain contact pad on the PCB, and pin 470 can be electrically coupled to an RF or other conductive signal trace or contact pad on the PCB.

[0072] The housing 400 can be formed from a conductive metal material, such as brass, copper, gold, silver, or other conductive metal, or alloy thereof. In one example, the housing 400 can be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material, and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIG. 4A . The shield lid 440 can also be formed from a conductive metal material, such as brass, copper, gold, silver, or other conductive metal, or alloy thereof. In one example, the shield lid 440 can be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material, and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIG. 4A . The interposer 430 can be formed from an insulating material, such as a dielectric insulator. The interposer 430 can be formed from LCP, PE, PTFE, or other plastic or insulating materials using any suitable additive or subtractive manufacturing technique, including molding, injection molding, printing, and other techniques.

[0073] Spring 420 may be embodied as a wave washer spring formed from resilient steel, stainless steel, or other suitable material capable of storing potential energy based on compression. Spring 420 may optionally be plated with one or more metals, such as copper, nickel, tin, gold, or another plating metal or combination of plating metals. Spring 420 is sized to fit within housing 400, as described in further detail below. Other aspects of spring 420 are described below with reference to FIG. 4G.

[0074] The housing 400 is generally circular when viewed from above or below, as best shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, and includes an outer surface 403 and an inner surface 404 (see FIG. 4E). The outer surface 403 is cylindrical in the illustrated example. The housing 400 includes several legs 410-413 for mounting the interface contactor 40 to the lower end of the housing 400. In the illustrated example, the housing 400 includes four legs 410-413, which are spaced around the lower end of the housing 400. The housing 400 may alternatively include a different number of legs. For example, the housing 400 may alternatively include one, two, three, four, five, six, or more legs. In the illustrated example, the legs 410-413 are designed for surface-mount coupling to a PCB. However, the housing 400 may include legs or lead configurations for other types or styles of mounting. For example, each of the legs 410-413 can be designed with a toe that extends radially outward beyond the outer surface 403 of the housing 400. In other examples, the housing 400 can optionally include through-hole posts for insertion through apertures in a PCB, such as plated apertures or vias.

[0075] The shield lid 440 is also generally circular when viewed from above or below, as best shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, and includes an outer surface 443 and an inner surface 444 (see FIG. 4D). Referring to FIG. 4D, the shield lid 440 includes an upper rim 441A, a lower barrel 441B, a central opening 445, an outer surface 443 of the lower barrel 441B, and an inner surface 444 of the lower barrel 441B. The upper rim 441A extends radially inward from the outer surface 443 toward the center of the shield lid 440. The upper rim 441A includes, among other things, several contact bumps, including contact bumps 442A-442C (see FIG. 4A). The contact bumps 442A-442C are raised bumps that extend upward from the top surface of the upper rim 441A. The contact bumps 442A-442C may be evenly spaced in a concentric arrangement as shown, although the contact bumps 442A-442C may be spaced or positioned in other ways. The contact bumps 442A-442C may be electrically coupled to conductive ground, common, or drain contact pads on the PCB.

[0076] The upper rim 441A also includes an orientation aperture 442P. The orientation aperture 442P is an opening through the upper rim 441A that can be used as a reference point for automated pick-and-place operations and other purposes. The location of the orientation aperture 442P can vary compared to that shown, and the shield lid 440 can optionally include additional orientation apertures. Additionally, other interface contactors described herein can include orientation apertures. For example, the interface contactor 30 can include one or more orientation apertures in the upper rim 341A.

[0077] The shield lid 440 is concentrically positioned above and around the top end of the housing 400, as best shown in FIG. 4A. The lower barrel 441B of the shield lid 440 is nominally larger than the housing 400, allowing clearance for movement therebetween. The shield lid 440 is positioned above and interlocked with the housing 400 in a spring-biased arrangement based on spring 420, as described in further detail below. The shield lid 440 can be pushed down in direction "D" against the spring bias provided by spring 420. In that case, the shield lid 440 will be pushed further down above the housing 400, so that the shield lid 440 will cover more of the housing 400 than shown in FIG. 4A. Thus, the interface contactor 40 is compressible to some extent.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 4D, the shield lid 440 includes interlock arms 447A-447D. The interlock arms 447A-447D fit into the extension channels 427A-427D (see FIG. 4E) of the housing 400. The ends of the interlock arms 447A-447D are curved or bent toward the center of the shield lid 440. When the shield lid 440 is positioned on the housing 400, mechanical interference between the edges of the curved ends of the interlock arms 447A-447D and the edges of the extension channels 427A-427D maintains the shield lid 440 in place on the housing 400. That is, the mechanical interference prevents the shield lid 440 from rotating relative to the housing 400 beyond the nominal clearance between the interlock arms 447A-447D and the extension channels 427A-427D. However, the shield lid 440 can still move in the direction "D" shown in Figure 4A because the interlock arms 447A-447D can shift or slide along the length of the extension channels 427A-427D. The lengths of the interlock arms 447A-447D and extension channels 427A-427D can be varied compared to that shown to determine or set the range of movement or travel between the shield lid 440 and the housing 400.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 4E, the housing 400 also includes interlock apertures 425A-425D. The interlock apertures 425A-425D are formed through the housing 400, extending through the outer surface 403 of the housing 400 to the inner surface 404. The interlock apertures 425A-425D are formed to assist in positioning and interlocking the insulating interposer 430 within the housing 400. The housing 400 also includes interlock cutouts 426A and 426B. The interlock cutouts 426A and 426B are formed as cutouts from the bottom edge of the housing 400. The interlock cutouts 426A and 426B are formed to assist in positioning and interlocking the insulating interposer 430 within the housing 400. The housing 400 also includes catch hooks 428A-428D. Catch hooks 428A-428D can wrap around and contact the top edge of insulating interposer 430, helping to secure insulating interposer 430 in place with housing 400. In other examples, the number, size, shape, and location of interlock apertures 425A-425D, interlock cutouts 426A and 426B, and catch hooks 428A-428D on housing 400 can vary compared to those shown.

[0080] 4F , interposer 430 includes, among other edges and surfaces, a bottom surface 431, an upper platform surface 432A, a lower platform surface 432B, and an outer surface 433. The outer surface 433 of interposer 430 is cylindrical in the illustrated example. A central aperture 434 extends through interposer 430, and pin 470 extends through central aperture 434. Central aperture 434 extends from a first opening in upper platform surface 432A through interposer 430 to a second opening in bottom surface 431 of interposer 430. Pin 470 is positioned within, extends into, and occupies central aperture 434. As shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, both ends of pin 470 are exposed at both the top of interposer 430 and the bottom of interposer 430 .

[0081] The interposer 430 includes, among other things, interlock extensions 435A and 435B that extend outwardly and beyond the outer surface 433 of the interposer 430. As shown in FIG. 4G , when the interposer 430 is positioned within the housing 400, the interlock extensions 435A and 435B are seated and positioned within the interlock apertures 425A and 425B of the housing 400. Mechanical interference between the edges of the interlock extensions 435A and 435B and the interlock apertures 425A and 425B of the housing 400 maintains the position of the interposer 430 within the housing 400. That is, the mechanical interference prevents the interposer 430 from moving or rotating relative to the housing 400 when the interface contactor 40 is assembled. The interposer 430 also includes interlock extensions 436A and 436B. When interposer 430 is positioned within housing 400, interlock extensions 436A and 436B seat and are positioned within interlock cutouts 426A and 426B of housing 400. Mechanical interference between the edges of interlock extensions 436A and 436B and interlock cutouts 426A and 426B of housing 400 maintains the position of interposer 430.

[0082] The pins 470 of the interface contactor 40 are electrically conductive and formed from a conductive material such as copper, brass, nickel, or other metal. The pins 470 may be similar or identical to the pins 170 described above in FIG. 1F. The pins 470 may include a bottom plunger pin, an top plunger pin, a bottom barrel rim, an top barrel rim, and a pin barrel. The pins 470 may be spring-loaded and may include a spring or other biasing member, not visible, extending within the pin barrel and between the top and bottom pin plungers. The spring applies a force to the top and bottom plunger pins. However, upon external force, the top plunger pin may overcome the spring bias and be pushed down into the pin barrel of the pin 470. In some cases, upon external force, the bottom plunger pin may overcome the spring bias and be pushed up into the pin barrel of the pin 470. In one example, pins 470 may be embodied as pogo-style pins, although other types and styles of pins may also be relied upon.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 4G, the spring 420 is shown above the housing 400 and the interposer 430. The spring 420 includes multiple wave washers 422A-422D stacked and secured together. When the interface contactor 40 is assembled, the lower end or underside of the spring 420 is positioned and rests on the lower platform surface 432B of the interposer 430 within the housing 400. The upper end of the spring 420 presses up against the bottom surface of the upper rim 441A of the shield lid 440. The spring 420 maintains the interface contactor 40 in the extended configuration shown in FIG. 4A when no external force is applied to the interface contactor 40. An external force applied downward in direction "D" against the top of the shield lid 440 can overcome the spring bias of the spring 420 and compress the interface contactor 40, as shown in FIG. 4H.

[0084] The interface contactor 40 provides a first conductive ground, common, or drain path between the upper rim 441A of the shield lid 440 and the bottom surfaces of the legs 410-413 of the housing 400. The interface contactor 40 also provides a second conductive path, such as for RF signals, through pin 470. The pin 470 is electrically isolated from the shield lid 440 and the housing 400 by the insulating interposer 430. In this manner, the interface contactor 40 provides two separate conductive paths for electrical interfacing purposes.

[0085] The overall height of the interface contactor 40 (i.e., measured from the top to the bottom of the page in FIG. 4A ) can range from 2.5 mm to 7.5 mm, for example, in various embodiments, although the interface contactor 40 can be designed to other sizes. In any case, it should be understood that the interface contactor 40 can provide an electrical interface over a range of spacings or dimensions between two PCBs. In that context, the interface contactor 40 can be positioned between two PCBs, similar to PCBs 190 and 192 shown in FIG. 1H . When electrically coupled between the PCBs, the interface contactor 40 can be compressed to some extent in the direction “D” shown in FIG. 4A . The interface contactor 40 can also accommodate a tilt angle φ between the PCBs.

[0086] FIG. 4H illustrates an example of the interface contactor 40 shown in FIG. 4A in a compressed state, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 4H is a representative example; the interface contactor 30 may be compressed to a lesser extent in some cases. The interface contactor 40 may be compressed between PCBs, such as PCBs 190 and 192 shown in FIG. 1H, for example, to facilitate various spacings between the PCBs. FIG. 4H also illustrates the upper plunger pin of pin 470 being depressed by the compression of pin 370.

[0087] Terms such as "top," "bottom," "side," "front," "back," "right," and "left" are not intended to provide an absolute frame of reference. Rather, these terms are relative and are intended to distinguish particular features relative to one another as the orientation of structures described herein may vary. Terms such as "comprising," "including," and "having" are synonymous and are used open-endedly and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, etc. Additionally, the term "or" is used in an inclusive rather than exclusive sense; thus, for example, when used to connect elements in a list, the term "or" may refer to one, some, or all of the elements in the list.

[0088] Combination language such as "at least one of X, Y, and Z" or "at least one of X, Y, or Z," unless otherwise indicated, is generally used to specify one, any two, or all three (or more if a larger group is identified), such as X and X only, Y and Y only, and Z and Z only, a combination of X and Y, a combination of X and Z, and a combination of Y and Z, and all of X, Y, and Z. Such combination language is not generally intended to require specifying or including at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z, unless otherwise indicated.

[0089] The terms "about" and "substantially," unless otherwise defined herein as associated with a specific range, percentage, or related measure of deviation, account for at least some manufacturing tolerances between a theoretical design and a manufactured product or assembly, such as the geometric dimensioning and tolerance criteria set forth in American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME®) Y14.5 and related International Organization for Standardization (ISO®) standards. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, even in connection with the use of theoretical terms such as geometric "perpendicular," "orthogonal," "vertex," "collinear," "coplanar," and other terms, "about," "substantially," or related terms, such manufacturing tolerances are still assumed even if not explicitly referenced.

[0090] The above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely examples of implementations intended to provide a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Many changes and modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. In addition, components and features described with respect to one embodiment may be included in another embodiment. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A board-to-board interface contactor, comprising: a contactor base body having a peripheral seat and an aperture; a resilient conductive lid portion positioned on the peripheral sheet of the contactor base body; a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the contactor base body.

2. the contactor base body further comprises a mounting leg; 10. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 1, wherein the outer surfaces of the perimeter sheet and mounting legs are plated and conductive.

3. the resilient conductive lid comprises a conductive foam material; 3. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 2, wherein the interface contactor comprises conductive paths between the resilient conductive lid, a perimeter sheet, and mounting legs.

4. the interface contactor includes a second conductive path through the conductive pin; 4. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 3, wherein the conductive path between the resilient conductive lid, peripheral sheet and mounting legs is electrically isolated from a second conductive path through the conductive pin.

5. the contactor base body further comprises a body seat having an outer cylindrical surface; The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 1 , wherein the aperture extends through the body seat.

6. the resilient conductive lid has a bottom surface, a central opening, and an inner cylindrical surface within the central opening; the bottom surface of the elastic conductive lid contacts the upper sheet surface of the peripheral sheet; 6. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 5, wherein an inner cylindrical surface of the resilient conductive lid contacts an outer cylindrical surface of the body base.

7. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive pin comprises a compressible plunger pin.

8. 1. A board-to-board interface contactor, comprising: a contactor base housing having a housing seat flange; a resilient conductive lid portion positioned on a housing seat flange of the contactor base housing; an insulating interposer positioned within the contactor base housing; a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer.

9. the resilient conductive lid comprises a conductive foam material; 9. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 8, wherein the interface contactor comprises a conductive path between the resilient conductive lid and a contactor base housing.

10. the interface contactor includes a second conductive path through the conductive pin; 10. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 9, wherein the conductive path between the resilient conductive lid and the contactor base housing is electrically isolated from a second conductive path through the conductive pin.

11. the resilient conductive lid has a bottom surface, a central opening, and an inner cylindrical surface within the central opening; a bottom surface of the elastic conductive lid portion contacting an upper surface of a housing seat flange of the contactor base housing; 9. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 8, wherein an inner cylindrical surface of the resilient conductive lid contacts an outer cylindrical surface of the contactor base housing.

12. the insulating interposer comprising an interlocking extension extending beyond an outer cylindrical surface of the insulating interposer; the contactor base housing further comprising an interlock aperture; 9. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 8, wherein an interlocking extension of the insulating interposer is positioned within an interlocking aperture of the contactor base housing to maintain the position of the insulating interposer within the contactor base housing.

13. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 8 , wherein the conductive pin comprises a compressible plunger pin.

14. 1. A board-to-board interface contactor, comprising: a contactor base housing with a spring seat flange; a spring positioned on a spring seat flange of the contactor base housing; a contactor shield extending partially between the spring and the contactor base housing; an insulating interposer positioned within the contactor base housing; a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer.

15. 15. The substrate-to-substrate interface contactor of claim 14, wherein the contactor shield comprises an upper rim, a lower barrel, and a central opening extending into the lower barrel.

16. 16. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 15, wherein the spring provides a spring bias between a spring seat flange of the contactor base housing and an upper rim of the contactor shield.

17. the insulating interposer comprising an interlocking extension extending beyond an outer cylindrical surface of the insulating interposer; the contactor base housing further comprising an interlock aperture; 15. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 14, wherein an interlocking extension of the insulating interposer is positioned within an interlocking aperture of the contactor base housing to maintain the position of the insulating interposer within the contactor base housing.

18. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 14 , wherein the conductive pin comprises a compressible plunger pin.

19. 1. A board-to-board interface contactor, comprising: a shield body housing; an insulating interposer positioned within the shield body housing; a wave spring positioned above the insulating interposer; a shield lid positioned on the shield body housing and the wave spring; a conductive pin extending through an aperture in the insulating interposer.

20. the insulating interposer comprising an interlocking extension extending beyond an outer cylindrical surface of the insulating interposer; the shield body housing further comprises an interlock aperture; 20. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 19, wherein an interlocking extension of the insulating interposer is positioned within an interlocking aperture of the shielding body housing to maintain the position of the insulating interposer within the shielding body housing.

21. the shield lid further includes an interlock arm, the shield body housing further comprising an extension channel; 20. The board-to-board interface contactor of claim 19, wherein an interlocking arm of the shield lid is positioned within an extension channel of the shield body housing.

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