Multiport Connector Interface System

Abstract

A connector for interfacing with a circuit board includes a body having first and second opposing face surfaces and defining a plurality of ports extending between the face surfaces. A plurality of center conductors extend between the face surfaces into respective ports. A support element engages the center conductors to secure the center conductors generally centered within their respective ports. Each center conductor includes a pin portion disposed proximate the first face surface and a plunger portion disposed to extend beyond the second face surface. The plunger portion moves longitudinally relative to the second face surface of the connector to vary the distance of an end of the center conductor from the second face surface, thereby enabling adjustment of the connector's interface with a circuit board or other signal-handling component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 078,684, filed October 23, 2020 (pending), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention is directed to a connector interface with an electrical circuit board, and more particularly, to a multi - port RF connector that interfaces between an electrical circuit board and other RF signal - operating components.

Background Art

[0003] Generally, the electrical connection methods available between electrical circuit boards such as printed circuit boards or PCBs are somewhat limited due to the lack of highly reliable connections. This can be the case especially for RF connectors and substrates that require greater signal integrity. Typically, connectors are individually soldered to the substrate and must withstand certain harsh environments. This is not only an important (upfront) design to ensure that the connector can withstand extreme environmental conditions, but also a costly process due to the solder manufacturing and inspection processes.

[0004] Another issue with current RF connector solutions in PCBs is the space availability and the required connector density for board connections. Individual connectors do not meet today's demands for higher signal data transmission and greater density in RF connector packaging.

[0005] Current RF coaxial board connectors require considerable precision in the length tolerances of various components, such as the body and center conductor, as well as the length of the insulator, to minimize tolerance variations. Otherwise, tolerance variations can accumulate to exceed the allowable gap at the interface between the connector's center conductor and the PCB. This is particularly problematic in multiport connectors. Single connectors, including a single solder joint, can have a solder fill of any allowable gap to secure the center conductor. This is generally not possible with multiport connectors.

[0006] Solderless field replaceable connectors can be used to address the drawbacks of soldering. However, generally, the center conductor of a field replaceable connector brings higher contact pressure to the substrate. This can damage fragile PCB signal traces. Over the lifespan of the connector, the center conductor may also slide against the signal traces, thereby reducing the contact pressure. This further degrades RF performance. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Therefore, there is currently a need for an RF connector interface that provides a cost-effective and reliable RF signal connection between PCBs and other RF signal handling components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A connector interfacing with a circuit board includes a body having first and second face surfaces opposite each other and defining a plurality of ports extending between the face surfaces. A plurality of central conductors extend into their respective ports between the face surfaces. Support elements engage with the central conductors to secure the central conductors, which are positioned approximately in the center within their respective ports. Each central conductor includes a pin portion positioned close to the first face surface and a plunger portion positioned to extend beyond the second face surface. The plunger portion moves longitudinally relative to the second face surface of the connector to change the distance of the end of the central conductor from the second face surface, thereby allowing adjustment of the connector's interface to the circuit board or other signal handling components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a multiport connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a multiport connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary port of a multiport connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view of an exemplary port of a multiport connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a plan view of the circuit board signal conduction pattern of a circuit board used with a multiport connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tip of the central conductor element in a multiport connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Figure 1 shows a signal handling system including a multiport connector 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB) 25. The multiport connector 10 includes a connector body 12 defining a plurality of ports 14 extending therethrough. The body is made of a suitable conductive material such as brass alloy and essentially has first and second face surfaces 18, 20 that are opposite to each other. The ports 14 provide an electrical signal path between the face surfaces 18, 20. The face surfaces interface with signal carrier elements or devices. For example, as shown in Figure 2, one face surface 20 may interface with the printed circuit board 25, while the other face surface 18 may include a plurality of sockets 22 that receive suitable connectors or parts of connectors. The ports 14 terminate within their respective sockets 22 (see Figure 2). The sockets 22 are configured to receive suitable mating connectors 24, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The present invention has a specific use as an RF connector for passing RF signals from a PCB 25 or connector 24, but the present invention is not limited to RF frequencies only. The mating connector 24 can be coupled to a connector or adapter 26 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or it may be coupled to a cable (not shown) that directs signals through the connector 24 between the PCB 25 and some other signal manipulation and / or processing component or device.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the connector 10 can be coupled to a signal processing component such as a printed circuit board (PCB) by the use of one or more fasteners 30 passing through a suitable hole or aperture 32 formed through the body 12 of the connector. The printed circuit board 25 may include a aligned aperture (not shown) for mounting the connector. Suitable fasteners 30 such as screws or bolts can be used.

[0012] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, each connector port generally holds a central conductor 40 extending within the port between the face surfaces 18, 20. The central conductor 40 is held in place within each port by one or more support structures 42, 44. The support structures 42, 44 engage with the central conductor 40, fixing it approximately centered within the port 14. Thus, each socket 22 exhibits a nearly coaxial connector socket that interfaces with the mating connector 24, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. According to one aspect of the present invention, the length of the central conductor 40 is variable so that the connector 10 can be used in various different mounting arrangements where tolerances may vary when coupling the connector 10 to a signal operating component such as a printed circuit board 25. The connector 10 may be used under extreme environmental conditions, such as those with large thermal fluctuations, as well as high vibration forces and shocks. Relying on solder connections between the central conductor 40 and the signal operating component such as a PCB requires precise alignment of the central conductor and the solder joint, but the present invention is more lenient regarding such alignment.

[0013] One embodiment of the present invention provides a multiport connector, as shown in the figure, that can be coupled to a signal handling component such as a PCB, eliminating the need for soldering connections to a printed circuit board, and having a solderless yet robust electrical connection, providing a reliable connection between the PCB and the connector 10 for RF signal paths. The connector 10 eliminates the costly process of soldering by eliminating the need for it, and further provides a connection that will not fail even under extreme environmental conditions. Furthermore, the connector 10 does not require a soldering manufacturing process. The present invention provides a multiport connector 10 that can be configured to meet the demands for high-signal data transmission and high-density packaging for specific markets such as the aerospace market. The multiport connector 10, having a central conductor 40 of varying lengths brought to the face surface 20 of the connector, provides a robust electrical connection despite a variable gap at the interface between the central conductor 40 and the printed circuit board 25, which may encounter various mountings.

[0014] Referring to Figure 3, the central conductor 40 includes a pin portion 46 that is positioned close to the face surface 18 and brought into the socket 22 to result in a coaxial connector arrangement on the face surface 18. The central conductor 40 further includes a plunger portion 48 that is positioned to extend beyond the face surface 20 of the connector body 12. The central conductor 40 is configured such that the plunger portion 48 moves longitudinally relative to the face surface 20 to change the distance of the end or tip portion 50 of the central conductor from the face surface 20. The face surface 20 interfaces with a face 52 of the PCB 25. Face 52 has various conductive traces, including signal traces 60 and ground traces 62, which bring RF signals or other electrical signals to the connector 10 to be passed through, for example, to other signal handling components through the mating connector 24. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the PCB 25 may have a multilayer structure including a number of internal conductive layers (not shown) and patterns that transmit appropriate signal and ground potentials around the substrate, traces 60, 62 and the connector 10, as needed.

[0015] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the central conductor 40 includes a plunger portion 48 that moves longitudinally within the tubular body 66 of the central conductor 40. In the illustrated embodiment, a spring 68 biases the plunger portion 48 to move longitudinally within the tubular body 66. At the end of the central conductor 40 opposite the plunger portion 48, the tubular body 66 is coupled to a pin portion 46 that forms the connector central conductor within the socket 22. Thus, the pin portion 46 of the central conductor 40 is fixed in place relative to the socket 22 as a whole, while the plunger portion 48 extends longitudinally within the port 14 along the entire length of the central conductor 40 to interface with the PCB 25. In the illustrated embodiment, the pin portion is integrated with the tubular body 66. However, the pin portion 46 may be a separate element, or it may not be physically and electrically coupled to the tubular body 66 of the central conductor.

[0016] More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the central conductor tubular body 66 may include a shoulder 70 formed at one end adjacent to the pin portion 46. The pin portion 46 extends into the socket 22 through an opening in the support element 42. The support element 42 is made of an electrically insulating material and is configured to engage with the pin portion 46 of the central conductor 40 to secure the central conductor, which is positioned approximately in the center within the port 14 and the socket 22. The support element 42 is formed from an electrically insulating material, such as a suitable dielectric material like polyetheretherketone (PEEK). To control the insertion depth of the pin portion 46, the shoulder 70 of the central conductor tubular body 66 abuts against the bottom surface 43 of the support element 42. Similarly, the support element 42 includes a shoulder 45, and the port 14 includes a constricted section 15 that brings about a similar shoulder 17 that abuts against the shoulder 45 of the support element 42 to secure the support element within the port 14 and set the position and depth of the pin portion 46 within the socket (see Figure 3).

[0017] The plunger portion 48 moves longitudinally within the tubular body 66 and includes a large-diameter section 49 that interfaces with a tapered section 67 of the tubular body 66 to house the plunger portion section 49 within the tubular body and control its extension. A biasing spring 68 extends between the pin portion 46 and the plunger portion 48 within the body 66 and biases the plunger portion 48 of the central conductor toward the face surface 20 of the connector body 12. To fix the central conductor 40 close to the face surface 20, another support element 44 is used, which includes an aperture 80 through which the plunger portion 48 of the central conductor passes. Specifically, the aperture 80 includes a wide section 82 for receiving a section such as the tapered section 67 of the tubular body 66 of the central conductor, and a narrowed section 84 through which the end of the plunger portion 48 passes so that its tip 50 is exposed.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the tip portion 50 of the plunger portion 48 includes a structure for biting into, or more actively engaging with, the conductive signal trace 60 on the PCB 25. Referring to Figure 6, for example, a multipoint tip portion 50, which is a 6-point tip portion, may be implemented having six prongs 51, including pointed ends 53 that actively engage with the signal trace 60 on the PCB 25.

[0019] Figure 3 shows an assembled connector 10 interfaced with the PCB 25, showing the plunger portion 48 and the tip portion 50 that engages with the signal trace. As shown in Figure 2, at one of the ports 14a, the plunger portion 48 is shown extending beyond the face surface 20 of the connector and beyond the signal trace 60 on the PCB 25, to illustrate the variable length of the connector central conductor 40 in the present invention. However, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, when the connector 10 is interfaced with the printed circuit board 25, the plunger portion 48 drives the connector 10 upward so that the tip portion 50 is substantially coplanar with the signal trace 60 on the PCB 25 to achieve proper electrical engagement. A spring 68 biases the plunger portion 48 downward relative to the signal trace 60. The longitudinal adjustability and movement of the tip portion 50 ensure that the connector 10 can provide a secure electrical connection at various spacings or tolerances between the face surface of the connector 10 and the face surface 52 or other surfaces of the circuit board 25 having conductive traces 60, 62.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the spring 68 can provide a biasing force of approximately 20g (intermediate stroke). In this way, the connector of the present invention provides a solid electrical connection without soldering and allows for various tolerances and spacings between the connector 10 and the circuit board 25.

[0021] Referring again to FIG. 2, when the connector 10 is connected to the circuit board 25 and fixed thereto by a suitable fastener 30, it presents a multi-port connector coupled to appropriate signal traces 60 and ground traces 62 on the circuit board, and provides various connector sockets 22 to interface with the mating connector 24 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The present invention increases the signal density in a printed circuit board and ensures a solderless and secure signal connection. When the connector 10 is fixed to the printed circuit board, the plunger portion 48 of the center conductor 40 engages firmly with the appropriate signal trace 60 and the connector body 12 engages with the appropriate ground trace 62 so as to provide a coaxial path for RF signals in various signal operating components. The impact and vibration that may affect the interface between the connector and the circuit board 25 are reduced because the center conductor 40 is longitudinally adjustable to ensure a good electrical connection between the center conductor 40 and the signal trace 60. As will be appreciated, various connector configurations of the socket 22 and the pin portion 46, and the configuration of the mating connector may be used to implement a number of different forms of connectors such as SMP, SMPM, SMPS, 1.85 mm, 2.4 mm, WMP and other connector platforms.

[0022] Next, turning to FIGS. 1 and 5, the connector 10 can include a plurality of alignment apertures 13 that are used to align the connector 10 onto appropriate signal traces of the circuit board 25. The alignment apertures can receive one or more alignment structures, such as support davits, disposed on the circuit board to effect proper alignment. Thereafter, a fastener 30 can be fastened to the apertures to secure the connector 10 to the circuit board. FIG. 5 shows one possible circuit board conductor pattern 90 with which the connector 10 can interface. For this purpose, the pattern 90 includes signal traces or pads 60 corresponding to the various ports 14 of the connector 10 and the connector socket 22. The pads / traces 60 are surrounded by a non-conductive region 61 and then by a ground signal trace or ground plane 62 with which the body 12 of the connector interfaces. The fastener apertures 32 for receiving the fastener 30 are appropriately located, for example, towards the corners of the pattern 90 shown as generally a symmetric square pattern. When the connector 10 is secured thereto, the plunger portion 48 of the center conductor 40 engages the signal trace 60 while the body 12 engages the ground plane 62. For this reason, referring to FIG. 2, the body 12 includes a ground ring structure 92 that surrounds each port and the center conductor to ensure good electrical ground contact, proximate to each of the center conductor 40 and the port 14.

[0023] The illustrated embodiment shows a 16-port connector, but those skilled in the art will understand that other connectors incorporating the present invention can include fewer or greater numbers of connection ports and sockets. Thus, the number of ports of the connector is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0024] The present invention is illustrated by the description of various embodiments, which are described in considerable detail, but it is not the inventors' intention to restrict or limit the scope of the appended claims in any way to such detail. Therefore, additional advantages and modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The various features of the present invention can be used individually or in any combination, depending on the user's needs and preferences. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0025] 10 Multiport Connectors 12 Connector body 13 Aperture 14 ports 14a port 15. Stenotic Section 17 Shoulder 18 Face 20 Face 22 sockets 24 Mating Connectors 25 Printed circuit boards 26 adapters 30 Fasteners 32 Aperture 40 Central conductor 42 Support structure 43 Bottom 44 Support structure 45 Shoulder 46 Pin section 48 Plunger section 49 Large Diameter Section 50 Tip 51 Prong 52 sides 53 End 60 Signal Trace 61 Non-conductive area 62 Ground trace 66 Tubular body 67 Tapered Sections 68 springs 70 Shoulder 80 Aperture 82 Wide section 84 Constricted Section 90 patterns 92 Grounding ring structure

Claims

1. A connector that interfaces with a circuit board, A body having first and second face surfaces opposite to each other, and defining a plurality of ports extending between the face surfaces, The main body is integrally formed from a conductive material, the plurality of ports provide an electrical signal path between the first face surface and the second face surface, and the main body includes a plurality of conductive sockets formed within the first face surface and interface with each of the ports, Multiple central conductors, each extending into its respective port between the face surfaces, At least one central conductor includes a pin portion positioned in close proximity to the first face surface, extending into each conductive socket and fixedly attached to each conductive socket and the first face surface to form a coaxial conductive socket. The at least one central conductor includes a plunger portion configured to move relative to the pin portion so as to change the length of the central conductor on the second face surface, The plunger portion is biased to move longitudinally so as to change the distance of one end of the central conductor relative to the second face surface, and comprises a plurality of central conductors. A connector equipped with the following features.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the plunger portion and the pin portion of the at least one central conductor are coupled together by a spring that biases the plunger portion away from the pin portion so as to change the length of the central conductor.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein each socket terminates within the first face plane of the main body.

4. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a support element made of an electrical insulating material, configured to engage with each central conductor and secure the central conductor which is positioned substantially in the center within each port.

5. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of support elements configured to engage with the at least one central conductor, wherein at least one support element is positioned to secure the pin portion within the port, and the other support elements are positioned to secure the plunger portion within the port.

6. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the at least one support element, which is positioned to fix the pin portion, fixes the pin portion within each of the conductive sockets.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive sockets is configured to provide a socket for at least one of SMP, SMPM, SMPS, 1.85 mm, 2.4 mm, or WMP connectors.

8. A signal manipulation system, A circuit board having a conductive pattern on its surface including signal traces and ground traces, The circuit board comprises a connector that interfaces with the conductive pattern on the circuit board, and the connector is A body having a first face surface and a second face surface that are opposite to each other, defining a plurality of ports extending between the face surfaces, wherein the second face surface is coupled to the surface of the circuit board, The main body is integrally formed from a conductive material, the plurality of ports provide an electrical signal path between the first face surface and the second face surface, and the main body includes a plurality of sockets formed within the first face surface and interface with each of the ports, Multiple central conductors, each extending into its respective port between the face surfaces, At least one central conductor includes a pin portion positioned in close proximity to the first face surface, extending into each conductive socket and fixedly attached to each conductive socket and the first face surface to form a coaxial conductive socket. The at least one central conductor includes a plunger portion configured to move relative to the pin portion such that the length of the central conductor is changed on the second face surface with respect to the conductive pattern on the circuit board, The plunger portion is biased to move longitudinally so as to contact the signal trace on the circuit board, and comprises a plurality of central conductors, A signal control system equipped with the following features.

9. The signal manipulation system according to claim 8, wherein the plunger portion and pin portion of the at least one central conductor are coupled together by a spring that biases the plunger portion with respect to the signal trace on the circuit board.

10. The signal manipulation system according to claim 8, wherein each socket terminates within the first face plane of the main body.

11. The signal manipulation system according to claim 8, further comprising support elements made of an electrical insulating material, configured to engage with each central conductor and fix the central conductor which is positioned substantially in the center within each port.

12. The signal manipulation system according to claim 8, further comprising a plurality of support elements configured to engage with the at least one central conductor, wherein at least one support element is positioned to secure the pin portion within the port, and the other support elements are positioned to secure the plunger portion within the port.

13. The signal manipulation system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one support element, which is positioned to fix the pin portion, fixes the pin portion within each of the conductive sockets.

14. The signal manipulation system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the conductive sockets is configured to bring a socket for at least one of SMP, SMPM, SMPS, 1.85 mm, 2.4 mm, or WMP connectors.

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