Board-to-Board Array Connector

Abstract

Several board-to-board array connectors are described. An exemplary connector includes a receptacle assembly and a plug assembly. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a receptacle interface assembly. The plug assembly includes a plug housing and a plug interface assembly. The plug interface assembly includes a plug contact blade having a cantilevered blade beam. In one embodiment, the cantilevered blade beam may be centered within the plug contact blade. The cantilevered blade beam may be cantilevered toward a contact blade end of the cantilevered blade beam and extend toward a mounting end of the cantilevered blade beam. The receptacle interface assembly includes a receptacle contact portion having a pair of contact beams. The cantilevered blade beam is configured to flex when the pair of contact beams make electrical contact with and slide along a surface of the cantilevered blade beam.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 451,791, filed March 13, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [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 board-to-board array connectors are described. An exemplary connector includes a receptacle assembly and a plug assembly. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a receptacle interface assembly. The plug assembly includes a plug housing and a plug interface assembly. The plug interface assembly includes a plug contact blade having a cantilevered blade beam. In one embodiment, the cantilevered blade beam may be centered within the plug contact blade. The cantilevered blade beam may be cantilevered toward a contact blade end of the cantilevered blade beam and extend toward a mounting end of the cantilevered blade beam. The receptacle interface assembly includes a receptacle contact portion having a pair of contact beams. The cantilevered blade beam is configured to flex when the pair of contact beams make electrical contact with and slide along a surface of the cantilevered blade beam.

[0004] Another exemplary connector includes a receptacle assembly. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a receptacle interface assembly. The receptacle interface assembly includes a receptacle shield body having a compliant extended contact portion. The compliant extended contact portion includes a cantilevered shield arm. The cantilevered shield arm may be cantilevered toward a contact end of the receptacle shield body and extend toward a mounting end of the receptacle shield body. The cantilevered shield arm may include a compliant arm and a shield paddle. The shield paddle is separated from the receptacle shield body by a shield clearance area, and the shield paddle is configured to bend from a position further toward the center of the receptacle shield body to a position further away from the center of the receptacle shield body.

[0005] 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]

[0006] [Figure 1A] 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary board-to-board array connector according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 1B] 1B is a first side view of the exemplary board-to-board array connector shown in FIG. 1A in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1B is a second side view of the exemplary board-to-board array connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 1B is a perspective view of a receptacle assembly of the board-to-board array connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 1B is a top view of a receptacle assembly of the board-to-board array connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1B is a perspective view of a plug assembly of the board-to-board array connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] 1B is a top view of a plug assembly of the board-to-board array connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] 1B is a cross-sectional view of the board-to-board array connector shown at AA in FIG. 1A, with the plug assembly separated from the receptacle assembly, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] 1B is a cross-sectional view of a board-to-board array connector indicated at AA in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1B illustrates a plug interface assembly and a receptacle interface assembly of the connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A] 1B is a perspective view of a receptacle interface assembly of the connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6B] 6B illustrates a contact end of the receptacle interface assembly shown in FIG. 6A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6C] 6B illustrates a mounting end of the receptacle interface assembly shown in FIG. 6A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6D] 6B illustrates the receptacle interface assembly shown in FIG. 6A, with the shield body omitted from the view, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6E] 6B illustrates the receptacle interface assembly shown in FIG. 6A, with the shield body and receptacle contact insulator omitted from the drawing, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] 1B is a perspective view of a plug interface assembly of the connector shown in FIG. 1A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] 7B illustrates a contact end of the plug interface assembly shown in FIG. 7A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7C] 7B illustrates the mounting end of the plug interface assembly shown in FIG. 7A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7D] 7B illustrates the plug interface assembly shown in FIG. 7A, with the shield body omitted from the view, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 6B illustrates an exemplary receptacle contact in the receptacle interface assembly shown in FIG. 6A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 7B illustrates an exemplary plug contact blade in the plug interface assembly shown in FIG. 7A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10]10A and 10B show the receptacle contact portion shown in FIG. 8 and the plug contact blade shown in FIG. 9 in electrical contact with each other according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 6 is a cross-sectional view shown at BB in FIG. 5 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another exemplary receptacle interface assembly that may be used in a board-to-board array connector according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a side view of the receptacle interface assembly shown in FIG. 12A according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Connectors, connector assemblies, and connector housings are important structural and functional components in many computing 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.

[0008] In the context outlined above, several board-to-board array connectors are described. An exemplary connector includes a receptacle assembly and a plug assembly. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a receptacle interface assembly. The plug assembly includes a plug housing and a plug interface assembly. The plug interface assembly includes a plug contact blade having a cantilevered blade beam. In one example, the cantilevered blade beam may be centered within the plug contact blade. The cantilevered blade beam may be cantilevered toward a contact blade end of the cantilevered blade beam and extend toward a mounting end of the cantilevered blade beam. The receptacle interface assembly includes a receptacle contact portion having a pair of contact beams. The cantilevered blade beam is configured to flex when the pair of contact beams make electrical contact with and slide along a surface of the cantilevered blade beam. Another exemplary connector includes a receptacle assembly. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a receptacle interface assembly. The receptacle interface assembly includes a receptacle shield body having a compliant extended contact portion. The compliant extended contact portion includes a cantilevered shield arm. The cantilevered shield arm may be cantilevered toward a contact end of the receptacle shield body and extend toward a mounting end of the receptacle shield body. The cantilevered shield arm may include a compliant arm and a shield paddle. The shield paddle is separated from the receptacle shield body by a shield clearance area, and the shield paddle is configured to bend from a position further toward the center of the receptacle shield body to a position further away from the center of the receptacle shield body.

[0009] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an exemplary board-to-board array connector 10 (also "connector 10") according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B is a first side view of the board-to-board array connector 10, and FIG. 1C is a second side view of the board-to-board array connector 10. The connector 10 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C is representative and not drawn to any particular scale, and is shown to provide context for the board-to-board array connector concepts described herein. The connectors described herein can be formed in a variety of different shapes, styles, and sizes, although certain sizes and shapes are described and illustrated. The connectors described herein can be used in a variety of interconnection applications, although in some examples, board-to-board interface applications are described.

[0010] As described herein, connector 10 may be used, for example, as a type of board-to-board connector for electrically coupling signals, including but not limited to RF signals, between two different PCBs. Connector 10 includes receptacle assembly 100 and plug assembly 200. Connector 10 is positioned between two PCBs. Specifically, receptacle assembly 100 is mechanically and electrically coupled to PCB 12, and plug assembly 200 is mechanically and electrically coupled to PCB 14. Conductive signal paths and traces on PCB 12, which carry RF signals, are electrically coupled to conductive signal paths and traces on PCB 14 through connector 10.

[0011] Among other components described below, the receptacle assembly 100 includes a housing 102. The housing 102 includes a keyway 104 formed in and extending along one side of the housing 102. The housing 102 also includes a housing base 106 that, in the illustrated example, rests on the surface of the PCB 12. In one example, the housing 102 may be formed as a unitary component or piece; however, the housing 102 may also be formed from two or more separate components or pieces in some cases. The housing 102 may be formed from an insulating material, such as a plastic or polymer, a thermoplastic, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a glass fiber epoxy composite, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a polyimide, or other insulating material(s). The housing 102 may, in some examples, be plated with a conductive plating material. Thus, the housing 102 may, in some cases, be embodied as a plated plastic.

[0012] The plug assembly 200 includes a housing 202. The housing 202 also includes a mating bonnet 208 at one end, which allows the housing 102 of the receptacle assembly 100 to be inserted into the plug assembly 200 and guide the alignment of the receptacle assembly 100 and the plug assembly 200. In the illustrated example, one end of the housing 202 rests on the surface of the PCB 14. In one example, the housing 202 may be formed as a single component or part; however, the housing 202 may also be formed from two or more separate components or parts in some cases. The housing 202 may be formed from an insulating material, such as a plastic or polymer, a thermoplastic, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a glass fiber epoxy composite, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a polyimide, or other insulating material(s). The housing 202 may be plated with a conductive plating material in some examples. Thus, the housing 202 may be embodied as plated plastic in some cases.

[0013] 1B and 1C , the housing 102 includes alignment posts 106A and 106B extending from the housing base 106. The alignment posts 106A and 106B extend through openings in the PCB 12 to align the housing 102 with conductive pads, traces, or other features on the PCB 12. In other examples, the positions or locations of the alignment posts 106A and 106B may vary compared to those shown, the housing 102 may include additional alignment posts at other locations, or one or both of the alignment posts 106A and 106B may be omitted. Furthermore, the alignment posts 106A and 106B may vary in size (e.g., diameter, length, width, etc.), shape (e.g., circular, oval, square, rectangular, etc.), or in some cases, both size and shape compared to one another. Such variations between the alignment posts 106A and 106B may provide some kind of polarization or orientation mechanism to ensure the intended orientation of the housing 102 relative to the PCB 12.

[0014] The housing 102 also includes, among other things, ground legs 121A and 121B. The ground legs 121A and 121B extend from a shield body positioned within the housing 102, as described below. The ground legs 121A and 121B extend through openings or vias in the PCB 12. In one embodiment, the ground legs 121A and 121B may be press-fit or interference-fit through the openings, or the ground legs 121A and 121B may extend through the openings with clearance. Also, the openings through the PCB 12 for the ground legs 121A and 121B may be optionally plated, such as plated vias, in one embodiment, and the ground legs 121A and 121B may be soldered or otherwise electrically connected to plated vias or other conductive traces on the PCB 12.

[0015] The housing 202 includes alignment posts 206A and 206B extending therefrom. The alignment posts 206A and 206B extend through openings in the PCB 14 to align the housing 202 with conductive pads, traces, or other features on the PCB 14. In other examples, the positions or locations of the alignment posts 206A and 206B may vary compared to those shown, the housing 202 may include additional alignment posts at other locations, or one or both of the alignment posts 206A and 206B may be omitted. Furthermore, the alignment posts 206A and 206B may vary in size (e.g., diameter, length, width, etc.), shape (e.g., circular, oval, square, rectangular, etc.), or in some cases, both size and shape compared to one another. Such variations between the alignment posts 206A and 206B may provide some kind of polarization or orientation mechanism to ensure the intended orientation of the housing 202 relative to the PCB 14.

[0016] The plug assembly 200 also includes, among other things, ground legs 221A and 221B. The ground legs 221A and 221B extend from a shield body positioned within the housing 202, as described below. The ground legs 221A and 221B extend through openings or vias in the PCB 14. In one embodiment, the ground legs 221A and 221B may be press-fit or interference-fit through the openings, or the ground legs 221A and 221B may extend through the openings with clearance. The openings through the PCB 14 for the ground legs 221A and 221B may be plated, such as plated vias, in one embodiment, and the ground legs 221A and 221B may be soldered or otherwise electrically connected to plated vias or other conductive traces on the PCB 14.

[0017] When connected to each other between PCBs 12 and 14, connector 10 has an overall height "H" between PCBs 12 and 14, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. Receptacle assembly 100 has a length "L1" and a width "W1." Plug assembly 200 has a length "L2" and a width "W2." The "L1" and "W1" dimensions of receptacle assembly 100 are smaller than the "L2" and "W2" dimensions of plug assembly 200, such that receptacle assembly 100 can be fitted and inserted into plug assembly 200, as described below. Connector 10 can be manufactured in a variety of sizes. An exemplary dimension for "H" can range from 10 to 40 mm, although connector 10 can be formed in larger or smaller sizes in some cases. Thus, connector 10 can be adjusted to accommodate a range of board-to-board spacings between PCBs. Exemplary dimensions for "L1" and "W1" may range from 10 to 20 mm, 10 to 30 mm, 10 to 40 mm, 10 to 50 mm, or greater. Similarly, exemplary dimensions for "L2" and "W2" may range from 10 to 20 mm, 10 to 30 mm, 10 to 40 mm, 10 to 50 mm, or greater. Overall, the dimensions of "L1," "L2," "W1," and "W2" may vary depending on the number of RF signals passing through connector 10. While connector 10 is designed to electrically couple six different RF signals with sufficient electromagnetic isolation between them, other connectors may be designed to couple eight, ten, twelve, or more RF signals. Accordingly, the shape and size of connector 10 may vary depending on the design needs of a particular application.

[0018] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of receptacle assembly 100 of connector 10 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. FIG. 2B is a top view of receptacle assembly 100. Plug assembly 200 is omitted from the views of FIGS. 2A and 2B. Housing 102 of receptacle assembly 100 includes receptacle body 103 and housing base 106. Receptacle body 103 extends from top surface 107 of housing base 106 to end face 109 of housing 102. Receptacle assembly 100 may be inserted into plug assembly 200, with end face 109 of housing 102 inserted into plug assembly 200 first. Dimension "H1" of housing 102 may vary depending on the overall design and height "H" of connector 10 (see FIGS. 1B and 1C).

[0019] Keyway 104 is formed in and extends along one side of receptacle body 103. While housing 102 includes one keyway 104 in the illustrated example, housing 102 may include other keyways at other locations. Overall, the number and location of any keyways on housing 102 may vary between embodiments. Keyway 104 polarizes or orients housing 102 relative to housing 202 of plug assembly 200 to ensure a precise mechanical and electrical coupling between housing 102 and housing 202 when they are connected or assembled together.

[0020] Several openings, including, among other things, openings 109A and 109B, are formed in end face 109 of housing 102. Openings 109A and 109B extend from end face 109 of housing 102 through housing 102 to and through housing base 106. A receptacle interface assembly is positioned in each of the openings. Exemplary receptacle interface assemblies 110 and 111 are identified in FIGS. 2A and 2B and are positioned within openings 109A and 109B, respectively. Receptacle interface assemblies 110 and 111, among other things, are described in further detail below. Receptacle interface assemblies 110 and 111 are, in the illustrated example, oriented similarly to one another, as are receptacle interface assemblies in other openings of housing 102. However, among other things, one or both of receptacle interface assemblies 110 and 111 may be rotated (e.g., 90°) compared to that shown, and receptacle assembly 100 may include a mix of receptacle interface assemblies having different orientations. Receptacle assembly 100, in the illustrated example, includes a total of six openings in end face 109 of housing 102, although other connectors having receptacle assemblies with more or fewer than six openings are within the scope of the embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of plug assembly 200 of connector 10 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. FIG. 3B is a top view of plug assembly 200. Receptacle assembly 100 is omitted from the views of FIGS. 3A and 3B. Housing 202 of plug assembly 200 includes plug body 203 and mating bonnet 208. Plug body 203 extends from one end of housing 202 to mating bonnet 208. Mating bonnet 208 tapers outward away from the outer surface of plug body 203 until it reaches end face 209 of housing 202. Dimension "H2" of housing 202 can vary depending on the overall design and height "H" of connector 10 (see FIGS. 1B and 1C).

[0022] Housing 202 includes a central opening or cavity 209A. Cavity 209A is sized to allow receptacle body 103 (see FIG. 2) of housing 102 to be inserted into cavity 209A with a nominal clearance for movement therebetween. Receptacle body 103 of housing 102 can be inserted into cavity 209A of housing 202 to various degrees (i.e., various distances). Receptacle contacts of receptacle assembly 100 can form electrical contact with plug contact blades of plug assembly 200 over an insertion range when receptacle assembly 100 is inserted into plug assembly 200, as described below. Thus, connector 10 can facilitate a range of dimensions or spacing between PCBs, such as PCBs 12 and 14, to account for design tolerances, manufacturing tolerances, and other considerations.

[0023] The plug ridge 204 extends along the inner surface within the housing 202, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B . While the housing 202 includes one plug ridge 204 in the illustrated example, the housing 202 may include other ridges at other locations. Overall, the number and location of any ridges on the housing 202 may vary between embodiments. The plug ridge 204 polarizes or orients the housing 202 of the plug assembly 200 relative to the housing 102 of the receptacle assembly 100 to ensure a precise mechanical and electrical coupling between the housing 202 and the housing 102 when they are connected to one another. Specifically, the plug ridge 204 of the housing 202 is designed and sized to slide within the keyway 104 of the housing 102 when the housings 202 and 102 are connected or assembled to one another.

[0024] Plug assembly 200 also includes several plug interface assemblies, such as plug interface assemblies 210 and 211, among others, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Plug interface assemblies 210 and 211, like the other plug interface assemblies, are oriented similarly to one another in the illustrated plug assembly 200. However, among other things, one or both of plug interface assemblies 210 and 211 may be rotated (e.g., 90°) compared to that shown, and plug assembly 200 may include a mix of plug interface assemblies having different orientations. In either case, between receptacle assembly 100 and plug assembly 200, the receptacle interface assemblies and corresponding plug interface assemblies may be oriented relative to one another such that receptacle contacts in the receptacle interface assembly are oriented for insertion into plug contact blades in the plug interface assembly.

[0025] When receptacle assembly 100 is inserted into plug assembly 200, plug interface assemblies 210 and 211 of plug assembly 200 extend into openings 109A and 109B of receptacle assembly 100. Plug interface assemblies 210 and 211 engage and contact receptacle interface assemblies 110 and 111, respectively, when receptacle assembly 100 is inserted into plug assembly 200. One RF signal is electrically coupled between PCBs 12 and 14 through plug interface assembly 210 and receptacle interface assembly 110 via connector 10. Another RF signal is electrically coupled between PCBs 12 and 14 through plug interface assembly 211 and receptacle interface assembly 111 via connector 10. Other RF signals are also coupled between PCBs 12 and 14 through other interface assemblies of connector 10, as described herein.

[0026] 4A is a cross-sectional view of connector 10 indicated by AA in FIG. 1A, with receptacle assembly 100 separated from receptacle assembly 200. As shown, receptacle assembly 100 can be positioned and centered with plug assembly 200, and receptacle body 103 of receptacle assembly 100 can be inserted into cavity 209A of receptacle assembly 100 by moving receptacle assembly 100 generally in the "D" direction. Alternatively, receptacle assembly 100 can be positioned and centered with plug assembly 200, and central cavity 209A of plug assembly 200 can be engaged with receptacle body 103 by moving plug assembly 200 generally in the "D" direction. Receptacle assembly 100 and plug assembly 200 can also be positioned and moved, as appropriate, to connect them to each other.

[0027] It is not necessary for the receptacle assembly 100 and the plug assembly 200 to be perfectly centered or aligned with one another before the mating or connecting process can proceed. The mating bonnet 208 includes, among other things, tapered interior surfaces, such as tapered surfaces 208A and 208B. Thus, even if the receptacle assembly 100 and the plug assembly 200 are not perfectly aligned with one another along the centerline "C," the tapered surfaces 208A and 208B will help guide or feed the receptacle body 103 of the housing 102 into the cavity 209A of the housing 202. Additionally, the keyway 104 of the housing 102 will interconnect with the plug ridge 204 of the housing 202 during the mating or connecting process to ensure proper orientation of the receptacle assembly 100 relative to the plug assembly 200.

[0028] When receptacle assembly 100 and plug assembly 200 are mated, end face 109 of housing 102 will be oriented toward the center of cavity 209A as it approaches insertion point "P1." Inserting receptacle body 103 of housing 102 to point "P1" completes the first, or main, stage of alignment between receptacle assembly 100 and plug assembly 200. At that point (i.e., when end face 109 of housing 102 reaches point "P1" within cavity 209A of housing 202), plug interface assemblies 210 and 211 of receptacle assembly 200, among other things, have not yet been inserted into (and do not extend into) openings 109A and 109B of housing 102, among other things. Connector 10 includes additional features that help further align the plug interface assemblies of receptacle assembly 200 with the receptacle interface assemblies of plug assembly 100, as described below.

[0029] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view indicated by AA in FIG. 1A, with receptacle assembly 100 inserted into plug assembly 200 to the same extent as shown in FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG. 4B, end face 109 of housing 102 is inserted into cavity 209A of housing 202 to point "P2." Notably, plug interface assemblies 210 and 211 of plug assembly 200 are also inserted into (and extend into) openings 109A and 109B of housing 102 of receptacle assembly 100 of FIG. 4B, notably. Thus, plug interface assemblies 210 and 211 of plug assembly 200 also mate with and make electrical contact with receptacle interface assemblies 110 and 111 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) positioned within openings 109A and 109B of receptacle assembly 100. However, it is not necessary for end face 109 of housing 102 to reach point "P2" before electrical contact is made between the plug interface assembly and receptacle interface assembly of receptacle assembly 100 and plug assembly 200. Electrical contact therebetween occurs throughout the insertion range, as described below, before end face 109 of housing 102 reaches point "P2."

[0030] Figure 5 shows the plug and receptacle interface assemblies of the connector 10 shown in Figure 1A. The housings 102 and 202 of the connector 10, as well as the PCB 14, have been omitted from Figure 5, resulting in the interface assemblies being visible. Six plug and receptacle interface assemblies are shown in Figure 5. Among other things, receptacle interface assembly 110 and plug interface assembly 210 are shown in Figure 5 and referenced separately, with additional interface assemblies also shown (but not referenced separately).

[0031] Receptacle interface assembly 110 includes receptacle shield body 120. Plug interface assembly 210 includes plug shield body 220. The other receptacle interface assemblies and plug interface assemblies each include the same or similar shield bodies. In the illustrated configuration, plug shield body 220 is inserted into receptacle shield body 120 and forms electrical contact with receptacle shield body 120. Plug shield body 220 includes ground legs 221A and 221B, and receptacle shield body 120 includes ground legs 121A and 121B (see also FIGS. 1B and 1C). Shield bodies 120 and 220 may be formed from a conductive metallic material such as aluminum, copper, or other conductive metals or alloys thereof. In one embodiment, shield bodies 120 and 220 may be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIG. 5, although shield bodies 120 and 220 may also be formed in other suitable ways.

[0032] Receptacle contacts 150 (see FIG. 8 ), which include contact beams, extend into receptacle interface assembly 110. Plug contact blades 250 (see FIG. 9 ), which include cantilevered blade beams, extend into plug interface assembly 210. Receptacle contacts 150 are electrically insulated from receptacle shield body 120, and plug contact blades 250 are electrically insulated from plug shield body 220. However, receptacle contacts 150 form electrical contact with plug contact blades 250 inside shield bodies 120 and 220, as also described below. Receptacle contacts 150 and plug contact blades 250 provide an electrical path for RF signals, and shield bodies 120 and 220 provide electrical shielding (e.g., electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding) for the RF signals.

[0033] Figure 6A shows the receptacle interface assembly 110 of the connector 10 shown in Figure 1A. Figure 6B shows the contact end of the receptacle interface assembly 110 shown in Figure 6A, and Figure 6C shows the mounting end of the receptacle interface assembly 110 shown in Figure 6A. The components shown in Figures 6A-6C are representative and are not drawn to any particular scale, and are shown to provide context for the board-to-board array connector concepts described herein. The components can be formed in a variety of different shapes, styles, and sizes, although specific sizes and shapes are described and illustrated.

[0034] 6A-6C, receptacle interface assembly 110 includes receptacle shield body 120, receptacle body insulator 130 (see FIG. 6D), receptacle contact insulator 140, and receptacle contact portion 150 (see also FIG. 8). Receptacle body insulator 130 and receptacle contact insulator 140 are described in further detail below with reference to FIG. 6D, and receptacle contact portion 150 is described in further detail below with reference to FIGS. 8 and 10.

[0035] Receptacle shield body 120 may be formed from a conductive metal material, such as aluminum, copper, or other conductive metals or alloys thereof. In one embodiment, receptacle shield body 120 may be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. Receptacle shield body 120 is generally formed as a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with rounded corners. Receptacle shield body 120 includes several housing detents, such as detents 124A and 124B. The number and positions of the detents are shown representatively in FIGS. 6A-6C. In other cases, the number and positions of the detents may vary compared to those shown. Furthermore, the size, shape, and configuration of the detents may vary. For example, the detents may be shaped as teeth, posts, pins, or other types of protrusions. The detents may be used, among other things, to secure receptacle interface assembly 110 within housing 102 of receptacle assembly 100. Thus, receptacle interface assembly 110 may be inserted and secured within housing 102 using, among other things, mechanical interference, friction-based, or related types of fit or connection. The detents may also, in some cases, be used to help secure receptacle body insulator 130 within receptacle shield body 120.

[0036] Receptacle shield body 120 includes ground legs 121A and 121B at the mounting end shown in FIG. 6C. Ground legs 121A and 121B are shown by way of example. In other cases, receptacle shield body 120 may include more or fewer ground legs than those shown in FIGS. 6A and 6C. The location of the ground legs may also vary compared to those shown. Receptacle shield body 120 also includes several compliant extended contact portions 122A-122D at the contact end shown in FIG. 6B. Each of compliant extended contact portions 122A-122D extends from one side of receptacle shield body 120.

[0037] Plug shield body 220 (see FIG. 5) of plug interface assembly 210 may be inserted into receptacle shield body 120 at the contact end, with the inner surfaces of compliant extended contact portions 122A-122D contacting the outer surface of plug shield body 220 and forming electrical contact therebetween. Compliant extended contact portions 122A-122D may bend outward at the contact tips to help align plug shield body 220 with receptacle shield body 120 as plug shield body 220 is inserted into receptacle shield body 120. For example, if plug shield body 220 is offset or off-center with receptacle shield body 120 (e.g., in the range of tenths or hundredths of a millimeter), compliant extended contacts 122A-122D are designed to contact and apply a centering force to plug shield body 220 when plug shield body 220 is inserted into receptacle shield body 120. Shield bodies 120 and 220 provide EMI shielding for RF signals transmitted over receptacle contacts 150.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 6B, receptacle contact portion 150 includes contact small circles 157A and 157B positioned at the distal ends of contact beams 155A and 155B (see FIG. 8), respectively, of receptacle contact portion 150. Contact small circles 157A and 157B are separated with a clearance therebetween and are positioned within grooves formed in receptacle contact insulator 140. Contact groove 160 (see also FIG. 6A) extends between contact small circles 157A and 157B, between contact beams 155A and 155B, and within receptacle contact insulator 140. Plug contact blades 250 (see FIG. 9) of plug interface assembly 210 can be inserted into contact groove 160. As described in further detail below, electrical contact can be made between receptacle contact portion 150 and plug contact blades 250 within contact groove 160. As described above, compliant contact extensions 122A-122D can flex outward and help align plug shield body 220 within receptacle shield body 120. Accordingly, compliant contact extensions 122A-122D can also help align plug contact blade 250 within contact groove 160 and between contact beams 155A and 155B of receptacle contact portion 150.

[0039] Receptacle body insulator 130 may be formed from an insulating material, such as a plastic or polymer, a thermoplastic, an LCP, a fiberglass epoxy composite, PTFE, a polyimide, or other insulating material(s). Receptacle body insulator 130 electrically insulates and isolates receptacle contact portions 150 from receptacle shield body 120. In one embodiment, receptacle body insulator 130 may be at least partially molded (e.g., injection molded, overmolded, etc.) around receptacle contact portions 150. More specifically, receptacle body insulator 130 may be molded around receptacle contact portions 150, with contact beams 155A and 155B (or at least portions thereof) exposed and extending outward from the contact ends of receptacle body insulator 130, as also described below with reference to FIG. 6E . Also, the mounting contact portions 153 of the receptacle contact portions 150 may be exposed and extend outward from the mounting end of the receptacle body insulator 130, as shown in Figure 6C. After the receptacle body insulator 130 is molded around the receptacle contact portions 150, the molded assembly may be sheared off the larger lead frame, which includes, among other things, the receptacle contact portions 150.

[0040] Receptacle contact insulator 140 may be separately formed from an insulating material such as a plastic or polymer, a thermoplastic, an LCP, a fiberglass epoxy composite, PTFE, a polyimide, or other insulating material(s). Receptacle contact insulator 140 may be placed over contact beams 155A and 155B of receptacle contact portion 150. This assembly, shown in FIG. 6D , may be inserted and fitted into receptacle shield body 120. In other cases, rather than receptacle contact insulator 140 being formed separately from receptacle body insulator 130, receptacle body insulator 130 and receptacle contact insulator 140 may be integrally formed as a single molded piece.

[0041] 6C , mounting contact portions 153 of receptacle contact portion 150 are exposed and extend outward from the mounting end of receptacle interface assembly 110. When receptacle interface assembly 110 is mounted to PCB 12, mounting contact portions 153 may be electrically contacted and connected (e.g., soldered, welded, etc.) to conductive traces or pads on PCB 12. While mounting contact portions 153 are tailored for surface mounting, the connector concepts described herein are not limited to surface mount connections or couplings. Receptacle contact portion 150 may alternatively include through-hole mount connections in place of mounting contact portions 153. Ground legs 121A and 121B extend through openings or vias in PCB 12. The ground legs 121A and 121B, in one embodiment, may be press-fit or interference-fit through the openings, or the ground legs 121A and 121B may extend through the openings with clearance. The openings through the PCB 12 for the ground legs 121A and 121B, in one embodiment, may be plated, such as plated vias, and the ground legs 121A and 121B may be soldered or otherwise electrically connected to the plated vias or other conductive traces on the PCB 12.

[0042] Figure 6D shows the receptacle interface assembly 110 shown in Figure 6A with the shield body 120 omitted from the figure. Figure 6E shows the receptacle interface assembly 110 shown in Figure 6A with the shield body 120 and receptacle contact insulator 140 omitted from the figure. As described above, the receptacle body insulator 130 may be formed from an insulating material and electrically isolates the receptacle contacts 150 from the receptacle shield body 120. The receptacle body insulator 130 also mechanically supports and centers the receptacle contacts 150 within the receptacle shield body 120. 6E, receptacle body insulator 130 may be molded around receptacle contact portions 150, with contact beams 155A and 155B of receptacle contact portions 150 exposed and extending outward from the contact ends of receptacle body insulator 130. After receptacle body insulator 130 is molded around receptacle contact portions 150, receptacle contact portions 150 and receptacle body insulator 130 may be sheared from a larger lead frame that includes, among other things, receptacle contact portions 150.

[0043] The receptacle contact insulator 140 may be separately formed from an insulating material. The receptacle contact insulator 140 includes a base 141, one or more positioning joints, including joint 142, extending from a rear surface of the base 141, and beam covers 144A and 144B. A contact beam groove 146A is formed in the beam cover 144A to provide clearance for the contact beam 155A to extend into the receptacle contact insulator 140. Similarly, a contact beam groove 146B is formed in the beam cover 144B to provide clearance for the contact beam 155B to extend into the receptacle contact insulator 140. The beam cover 144A includes a chamfered or tapered corner 145A at the contact end of the beam cover 144A, and the beam cover 144B includes a chamfered or tapered corner 145B at the contact end of the beam cover 144B. The tapered corners 145A and 145B help guide or direct the plug contact blades 250 into the contact grooves 160 and between the contact beams 155A and 155B of the receptacle contact portion 150.

[0044] Receptacle contact insulator 140 is formed separately and fitted over contact beams 155A and 155B of receptacle contact portion 150 to arrive at the assembly shown in FIG. 6D . Joint 142 of receptacle contact insulator 140 may, for example, be positioned within notch 134 formed in receptacle body insulator 130 to help position receptacle contact insulator 140 and receptacle body insulator 130 relative to each other. The assembly shown in FIG. 6D may then be inserted and fitted into receptacle shield body 120. Receptacle body insulator 130 may also include several positioning extensions, one of which is referenced as positioning extension 132 in FIGS. 6D and 6E . The positioning extension may fit into a body notch formed in the mounting end of receptacle shield body 120. 6C shows an exemplary body notch 126 of receptacle shield body 120, with locating extension 132 seated within body notch 126. These and other mechanical interference or interlocking mechanisms may be used to secure receptacle body insulator 130, receptacle contact insulator 140, and receptacle contact 150 within receptacle shield body 120.

[0045] FIG. 7A illustrates a plug interface assembly 210 of the connector 10 shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 7B illustrates the contact end of the plug interface assembly 210 shown in FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C illustrates the mounting end of the plug interface assembly 210 shown in FIG. 7A. The components shown in FIGS. 7A-7C are representative and not drawn to any particular scale, but are shown to provide context for the board-to-board array connector concepts described herein. The components may be formed in a variety of different shapes, styles, and sizes, although specific sizes and shapes are described and illustrated. With reference to FIGS. 7A-7C, the plug interface assembly 210 includes a plug shield body 220, a plug body insulator 230 (see FIG. 7D), and plug contact blades 250 (see also FIG. 9). The plug body insulator 230 is described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 7D, and the plug contact blades 250 are described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0046] Plug shield body 220 may be formed from a conductive metal material, such as aluminum, copper, or other conductive metals or alloys thereof. In one embodiment, plug shield body 220 may be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIGS. 7A-7C . Plug shield body 220 is generally formed as a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with rounded corners. Plug shield body 220 includes several housing detents, such as detents 224A and 224B. The number and location of the detents are shown representatively in FIGS. 7A-7C . In other cases, the number and location of the detents may vary compared to those shown. Furthermore, the size, shape, and configuration of the detents may vary. For example, the detents may be shaped as teeth, posts, pins, or other types of protrusions. The detents may be used, among other things, to secure plug interface assembly 210 within housing 202 of plug assembly 200. Thus, plug interface assembly 210 may be inserted and secured within housing 202 using mechanical interference, friction-based, or related types of fit or connection, among others.

[0047] Plug shield body 220 includes ground legs 221A and 221B at the mounting end shown in FIG. 7C. Ground legs 221A and 221B are shown by way of example. In other cases, plug shield body 220 may include more or fewer ground legs than those shown in FIGS. 7A and 7C. The location of the ground legs may also vary compared to those shown. The contact end (see FIG. 7B) of plug shield body 220 may be inserted into the contact end (see FIG. 6B) of receptacle shield body 120. In that arrangement, the outer surface of plug shield body 220 may contact the inner surfaces of compliant extended contact portions 122A-122D of receptacle shield body 120, forming electrical contact therebetween. Shield bodies 120 and 220 provide EMI shielding for RF signals transmitted over receptacle contact portion 150 and plug contact blades 250.

[0048] 7B, the blade end 255 of the plug contact blade 250 is positioned within the plug shield body 220, around which the plug shield body 220 extends. The leading edge of the blade end 255 may optionally be recessed within the plug shield body 220. When the contact end of the plug shield body 220 (see FIG. 7B) is inserted into the contact end of the receptacle shield body 120 (see FIG. 6B), the blade end 255 of the plug contact blade 250 may be inserted into the contact groove 160. The blade end 255 extends between the contact small circles 157A and 157B of the receptacle contact portion 150 and the contact beams 155A and 155B, as also shown in FIG. 10. The small circles 157A and 157B contact opposite sides of the plug contact blade 250. Thus, electrical contact is made between the receptacle contact portion 150 and the plug contact blade 250 within the contact groove 160, as will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIG.

[0049] 7C , the mounting contacts 253 of the plug contact blades 250 are exposed and extend outward from the mounting end of the plug interface assembly 210. When the plug interface assembly 210 is mounted to the PCB 14, the mounting contacts 253 may be electrically contacted and connected (e.g., soldered, welded, etc.) to conductive traces or pads on the PCB 14. However, the connector concepts described herein are not limited to surface mount connections or couplings, and the plug contact blades 250 may alternatively include through-hole mount connections in place of the mounting contacts 253. The ground legs 221A and 221B extend through openings or vias in the PCB 14. In one embodiment, the ground legs 221A and 221B may be press-fit or interference-fit through the openings, or the ground legs 221A and 221B may extend through the openings with clearance. Additionally, the openings through PCB 14 for ground legs 221A and 221B may optionally be plated, such as plated vias, in one embodiment, and ground legs 221A and 221B may be soldered or otherwise electrically connected to plated vias or other conductive traces on PCB 14.

[0050] FIG. 7D illustrates the plug interface assembly 210 shown in FIG. 7A with the shield body 220 omitted from the illustration. The plug body insulator 230 may be formed from an insulating material, such as a plastic or polymer, a thermoplastic, an LCP, a glass fiber epoxy composite, PTFE, a polyimide, or other insulating material(s). The plug body insulator 230 electrically insulates and isolates the plug contact blades 250 from the plug shield body 220. The plug body insulator 230 also mechanically supports and centers the plug contact blades 250 within the plug shield body 220. In one embodiment, the plug body insulator 230 may be at least partially molded around the plug contact blades 250. More specifically, the plug body insulator 230 may be molded around the plug contact blades 250, with the blade ends 255 (or at least a portion thereof) exposed and extending outward from the contact end of the plug body insulator 230. Also, the mounting contact portions 253 of the plug contact blades 250 can be exposed and extend from the mounting end of the plug body insulator 230, as shown in Figure 6C. After the plug body insulator 230 is molded around the plug blade contact portions 250, the molded assembly can be sheared from the larger lead frame, including, among other things, the plug blade contact portions 250.

[0051] Additionally, the plug body insulator 230 may include several insulating finger extensions, as shown in the example, two of which are referenced as insulating finger extensions 234A and 234B in FIG. 7D. The insulating finger extensions 234A and 234B extend from the plug body insulator 230 at the contact end of the plug body insulator 230. The insulating finger extensions 234A and 234B are separated from each other with a space between them. When the plug shield body 220 is inserted into the receptacle shield body 120, the beam covers 144A and 144B (see FIG. 6D) of the receptacle contact insulator 140 fit between the insulating finger extensions 234A and 234B.

[0052] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a receptacle contact 150 within the receptacle interface assembly 110 shown in FIG. 6A. The receptacle contact 150 is representative and not drawn to any particular scale. The receptacle contact 150 may vary in length, width, or other aspects compared to that shown. The receptacle contact 150 may be formed from a conductive metal material, such as aluminum, copper, or other conductive metal or alloy thereof. In one embodiment, several receptacle contacts, including the receptacle contact 150, may be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material to form a receptacle contact leadframe assembly. Several receptacle body insulators, including the receptacle body insulator 130, may be molded around the receptacle contact leadframe assembly. After molding, the individual contact and body insulator assemblies may be sheared from the leadframe; FIG. 6E illustrates an example of one such assembly.

[0053] The receptacle contact 150 includes a mounting contact 153 at the mounting end 152, a contact beam 154, and a contact head 158. The contact head 158 extends to the contact end 151 of the receptacle contact 150. The contact beam 154 extends between the mounting contact 153 and the contact head 158. The contact beam 154 includes leadframe extensions 154A and 154B, which are formed when the contact and body insulator assembly is sheared from the larger leadframe, as described above. The contact beam 154 also includes a flow-through opening 154C. When the receptacle body insulator 130 is molded around the receptacle contact 150, the insulating material of the receptacle body insulator 130 is allowed to flow through the flow-through opening 154C and harden, thereby securing the receptacle body insulator 130 to the receptacle contact 150.

[0054] Contact head 158 of receptacle contact portion 150 includes contact beams 155A and 155B and contact dowels 157A and 157B at the ends of contact beams 155A and 155B, respectively. Beam groove 156 extends between and separates contact beams 155A and 155B along their lengths. Contact head 158 also includes barbs 159A and 159B. Receptacle contact insulator 140 (see FIG. 6D) can engage (e.g., snap or fit) with barbs 159A and 159B to help hold receptacle contact insulator 140 in place on contact head 158.

[0055] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a plug contact blade 250 within the plug interface assembly 210 shown in FIG. 7A. The plug contact blade 250 is representative and not drawn to any particular scale. The plug contact blade 250 may vary in length, width, or other aspects compared to that shown. The plug contact blade 250 may be formed from a conductive metal material, such as aluminum, copper, or other conductive metal or alloy thereof. In one embodiment, several plug contact blades, including the plug contact blade 250, may be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material to form a plug contact blade leadframe assembly. Several plug body insulators, including the plug body insulator 230, may be molded around the plug blade contact leadframe assembly. After molding, individual contact and body insulator assemblies may be sheared from the leadframe; FIG. 7D illustrates an example of one such assembly.

[0056] Plug contact blade 250 includes a mounting contact portion 253 at mounting end 252, a contact beam 254, and a blade end 255. Blade end 255 extends to contact end 251 of plug contact blade 250. Contact beam 254 extends between mounting contact portion 253 and blade end 255. Contact beam 254 includes leadframe extensions 254A and 254B, which are formed when the contact blade and body insulator assembly is sheared from a larger leadframe, as described above. Contact beam 254 also includes flow-through openings 254C. When plug body insulator 230 is molded around plug contact blade 250, insulating material of plug body insulator 230 can flow through flow-through openings 254C, thereby securing plug body insulator 230 to plug contact blade 250.

[0057] The blade end 255 of the plug contact blade 250 includes a cantilevered blade beam 257. The cantilevered blade beam 257 is cantilevered within the blade end 255 and separated from the remainder of the blade end 255 by a beam clearance region 256. In the illustrated example, the cantilevered blade beam 257 is centered within the blade end 255 of the plug contact blade 250 and positioned along the longitudinal axis of the plug contact blade 250. The cantilevered blade beam 257 begins cantilevered from a position facing the contact end 251 of the plug contact blade 250 and extends toward the attachment end 252 of the plug contact blade 250.

[0058] FIG. 10 shows the receptacle contact 150 shown in FIG. 8 and the plug contact blade 250 shown in FIG. 9 in electrical contact with each other. The arrangement shown in FIG. 10 represents how the receptacle contact 150 and the plug contact blade 250 are connected to each other when the connector 10 is positioned as shown in FIG. 1A. As shown, the contact circles 157A and 157B contact opposing surfaces of the cantilevered blade beam 257. The blade end 255 of the plug contact blade 250 extends into the beam groove 156 between the contact beams 155A and 155B. While FIG. 10 shows the contact circles 157A and 157B in one position on the cantilevered blade beam 257, the contact circles 157A and 157B can also contact the cantilevered blade beam 257 in other positions. For example, depending on how far receptacle assembly 100 is inserted into plug assembly 200, contact circles 157A and 157B may contact cantilevered blade beam 257 at other locations.

[0059] The cantilevered blade beam 257 is flexible and can bend to some extent based on the force applied by the contact small circles 157A and 157B. Thus, the cantilevered blade beam 257 can help mitigate misalignment, manufacturing tolerances, and other conditions that may result in the contact small circles 157A and 157B applying force to the plug contact blade 250. Overall, the cantilevered blade beam 257 is configured to bend to some extent resiliently as needed when the pair of contact small circles 157A and 157B make electrical contact with and slide along the surface of the cantilevered blade beam 257.

[0060] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view indicated as BB in Figure 5, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of receptacle interface assembly 110 and plug interface assembly 210 when they are mated together. The arrangement shown in Figure 11 represents how receptacle interface assembly 110 and plug interface assembly 210 are connected to each other when connector 10 is positioned as shown in Figure 1A.

[0061] Turning to other aspects of the embodiment, FIG. 12A is a perspective view of another exemplary receptacle interface assembly 310 that may be used in a board-to-board array connector according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 12B is a side view of the receptacle interface assembly 310 shown in FIG. 12A. The receptacle interface assembly 310 is not drawn to any particular scale and is shown to provide context for the board-to-board array connector concepts described herein. The receptacle interface assembly 310 may be formed in a variety of different shapes, styles, and sizes, although a specific size and shape is described and illustrated. The receptacle interface assembly 310 shown in FIG. 12A is similar to the receptacle interface assembly 110 shown in FIG. 6A, except that the receptacle interface assembly 310 includes a cantilevered shield arm, among other features described below. Additionally, the receptacle interface assembly 310 is relatively shorter than the receptacle interface assembly 110, since the board-to-board array connector may vary in size depending on the embodiment.

[0062] Receptacle interface assembly 310 includes a receptacle shield body 320, a receptacle body insulator positioned within receptacle shield body 320, a receptacle contact insulator 340, and a receptacle contact portion 350 extending within receptacle shield body 320. Receptacle body insulator and receptacle contact portion 150 are similar to receptacle body insulator 130 and receptacle contact portion 150 described above.

[0063] Receptacle shield body 320 may be formed from a conductive metal material such as aluminum, copper, or other conductive metals or alloys thereof. In one embodiment, receptacle shield body 320 may be stamped or sheared from a sheet of conductive metal material and then bent or otherwise formed into the shape shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B . Receptacle shield body 320 is generally formed as a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with rounded corners. Receptacle shield body 320 includes ground legs 321A and 321B at the mounting end. Receptacle shield body 320 also includes several compliant extended contact portions 322A-322D at the contact end. Each of compliant extended contact portions 322A-322D extends from one side of receptacle shield body 320.

[0064] For example, plug shield body 220 (or a similar plug interface assembly) of plug interface assembly 210 (see FIG. 5) can be inserted into receptacle shield body 320 at the contact end, with the inner surfaces of compliant extended contact portions 322A-322D contacting the outer surface of plug shield body 220 and forming electrical contact therebetween. Shield bodies 320 and 220 provide EMI shielding for RF signals transmitted over the contact portions therein.

[0065] Receptacle shield body 320 also includes several cantilevered shield arms. For example, cantilevered shield arms 325B and 325C of receptacle shield body 320 are shown in FIG. 12A. Although not visible in FIGS. 12A or 12B, receptacle shield body 320 includes a cantilevered shield arm corresponding to each of compliant extended contact portions 322A-322D. Cantilevered shield arm 325B includes compliant arm 323B and shield paddle 324B. Cantilevered shield arm 325B is cantilevered at a position within compliant extended contact portion 322B and extends toward the mounting end of receptacle shield body 320. Similarly, cantilevered shield arm 325C includes compliant arm 323C and shield paddle 324C. Cantilevered shield arm 325C is cantilevered at a location within compliant contact extension 322C and extends toward the mounting end of receptacle shield body 320.

[0066] Compliant arm 323B includes bend 326B. Starting at the end of receptacle shield body 320 closest to the contact end, compliant arm 323B extends generally parallel to (or in the same plane as) compliant extended contact portion 322B until it reaches bend 326B. After bend 326B, compliant arm 323B angles to extend further toward the center of receptacle shield body 320. Shield paddle 324B is joined to compliant arm 323B at its distal end. Shield clearance area 327B separates cantilevered shield arm 325B from the rest of receptacle shield body 320, allowing cantilevered shield arm 325B to bend. Cantilevered shield arm 325B and the other cantilevered shield arms of receptacle shield body 320 are similarly shaped.

[0067] Shield paddle 324B is cut out (i.e., separated) from side 320A of receptacle shield body 320. Shield paddle 324C is also cut out from the other side of receptacle shield body 320. Shield paddles 324B and 324C are positioned around, among other things, receptacle contact insulator 340, which is positioned within receptacle shield body 320. Generally, shield paddle 324B is located closer to the center of receptacle shield body 320 than side 320A of receptacle shield body 320, and shield paddle 324C is also located closer to the center of receptacle shield body 320. Overall, cantilevered shield arm shield paddles can help provide improved return loss performance in some cases compared to other designs.

[0068] For example, plug shield body 220 (or a similar plug interface assembly) of plug interface assembly 210 (see FIG. 5) may be inserted into receptacle shield body 320 at the contact end. In that case, the inner surfaces of compliant extended contact portions 322A-322D of receptacle shield body 320 will contact the outer surface of plug shield body 220, forming electrical contact therebetween. Furthermore, depending on the extent (e.g., distance) to which plug shield body 220 is inserted into receptacle shield body 320, the outer surface of plug shield body 220 will contact the inner surfaces of cantilevered shield arms 325B and 325C, among other inner surfaces of the other cantilevered shield arms. Cantilevered shield arms 325B and 325C are flexible and can bend to some extent based on the force imparted by the outer surface of plug shield body 220. Shield paddles 324B and 324C, among other things, may then move from the position shown in FIG. 12A . Specifically, if plug shield body 220 is inserted deep enough into receptacle shield body 320 , shield paddles 324 B and 324 C may be pushed further from the center of receptacle shield body 320 .

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] The terms "about" and "substantially," unless otherwise defined herein as associated with a specific range, percentage, or related measure of deviation, describe 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 understand, 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.

[0072] 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 array connector, comprising: a receptacle assembly including a receptacle housing and a plurality of receptacle interface assemblies; A board-to-board array connector comprising: a plug assembly including a plug housing and a plurality of plug interface assemblies, each of the plug interface assemblies including a plug contact blade having a cantilever blade beam.

2. 2. The board-to-board array connector of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered blade beam of the plug contact blade is centered within the plug contact blade.

3. 2. The board-to-board array connector of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered blade beam of the plug contact blade is cantilevered toward a contact blade end of the cantilevered blade beam and extends toward a mounting end of the cantilevered blade beam.

4. a receptacle interface assembly among the plurality of receptacle interface assemblies includes a receptacle contact; 2. The board-to-board array connector of claim 1, wherein the receptacle contact portion includes a pair of contact beams.

5. 5. The board-to-board array connector of claim 4, wherein when the receptacle assembly is mated with a plug assembly, each contact beam of the pair of contact beams makes electrical contact with a respective side of the cantilever blade beam.

6. 5. The board-to-board array connector of claim 4, wherein the cantilevered blade beam is configured to bend when the pair of contact beams make electrical contact with and slide along a surface of the cantilevered blade beam.

7. A receptacle interface assembly among the plurality of receptacle interface assemblies comprises: A receptacle shield body; a receptacle body insulator; 2. The board-to-board array connector of claim 1, further comprising: a receptacle contact portion including a contact beam; and the receptacle body insulator electrically isolates the receptacle contact portion from the receptacle shield body.

8. 8. The board-to-board array connector of claim 7, wherein said receptacle body insulator has chamfered corners.

9. The plug interface assembly includes: A plug shield body, 10. The board-to-board array connector of claim 1, further comprising: a plug body insulator, said plug body insulator electrically isolating said plug contact blades from said plug shield body.

10. a receptacle interface assembly among the plurality of receptacle interface assemblies further comprising a receptacle shield body; the receptacle shield body includes a plurality of compliant extended contact portions at a contact end of the receptacle shield body; 10. The board-to-board array connector of claim 1, wherein a compliant extension contact in the plurality of compliant extension contacts comprises a cantilevered shield arm.

11. 11. The board-to-board array connector of claim 10, wherein the cantilevered shield arms are cantilevered toward a contact end of the receptacle shield body and extend toward a mounting end of the receptacle shield body.

12. The board-to-board array connector of claim 10, wherein the cantilevered shield arm includes a compliant arm and a shield paddle.

13. The board-to-board array connector of claim 12 , wherein the shield paddle is separated from the receptacle shield body by a shield clearance area.

14. 13. The board-to-board array connector of claim 12, wherein the shield paddle is configured to bend from a position further toward the center of the receptacle shield body to a position further away from the center of the receptacle shield body.

15. 1. A board-to-board array connector, comprising: a receptacle assembly including a receptacle housing and a plurality of receptacle interface assemblies; a receptacle interface assembly in the plurality of receptacle interface assemblies includes a receptacle shield body having a compliant extended contact portion; The board-to-board array connector, wherein the compliant extension contact includes a cantilevered shield arm.

16. 16. The board-to-board array connector of claim 15, wherein the cantilevered shield arms are cantilevered toward a contact end of the receptacle shield body and extend toward a mounting end of the receptacle shield body.

17. 16. The board-to-board array connector of claim 15, wherein the cantilevered shield arm includes a compliant arm and a shield paddle.

18. 20. The board-to-board array connector of claim 17, wherein the shield paddle is separated from the receptacle shield body by a shield clearance area.

19. 20. The board-to-board array connector of claim 17, wherein the shield paddle is configured to bend from a position further toward the center of the receptacle shield body to a position further away from the center of the receptacle shield body.

20. 16. The board-to-board array connector of claim 15, further comprising: a plug assembly including a plug housing and a plurality of plug interface assemblies, wherein a plug interface assembly in the plurality of plug interface assemblies includes a plug contact blade having a cantilever blade beam.

Images