Methods for forming connector assemblies and connector assemblies thereof

Abstract

A method for forming a connector assembly and a connector assembly are described. A biaxial cable including a first conductor and a second conductor is provided, wherein a portion of the first conductor and a portion of the second conductor are exposed. The portions of the first conductor and the second conductor are each flattened, trimmed, and connected to a sheet body assembly having a plurality of terminal pairs. The tail contacts of the terminals of the terminal pairs are generally flat and offset relative to the first and second conductors of the biaxial cable. The tail contacts of each terminal are connected to and generally overlap the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portions of a respective conductor of the biaxial cable.

Description

Method of Forming a Connector Assembly and Its Connector Assembly This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 468,812, entitled "Biaxial Connector Assembly," filed on May 25, 2023, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The present invention relates to the field of connectors and, more particularly, to connectors suitable for use in high data rate applications. The amount of data processed by computers, computing systems, and computing environments continues to increase. For example, a data center can include hundreds of computing systems and network systems interconnected using copper cables, fiber optic cables, and various connectors, cable assemblies, and termination structures therebetween. The throughput of these interconnected data is high and一直在增加. A series of cables and connector assemblies can be employed to facilitate data interconnect applications, such as board-to-board applications, wire-to-wire applications, and wire-to-board applications. An example wire-to-board connector assembly includes a free end connector attached to one or more conductors or cables and a fixed end connector attached to a substrate. For various types of data interconnect applications, depending on the requirements and environment of using cables and connector assemblies, there is a series of suitable designs. For applications that require high data rates and are physically space-constrained, many competing concerns make the design of cables and connector assemblies more challenging. High data rate interconnects often rely on differential coupled signal pairs, in which two conductors are electrically coupled and physically arranged in pairs to transmit a differential signal. Differential signaling provides stronger resistance to parasitic signals and crosstalk, as well as other benefits, and preferably maintains sufficient signal isolation to avoid unintentional signaling modes between adjacent signal pairs. In a connector interface, ground terminals can be added to create a return path to electrically ground and provide shielding between differential pairs. The evolution of system architectures requires a balance of signal density, signal integrity (SI) performance, and cost. By using small cables such as a small gauge biaxial cable, short channels provide low cost and space savings. Long channels require large gauge biaxial cables to minimize signal loss. Connector systems now need to accommodate various wire gauges to optimize the system for cost and performance. Making a consistent connector structure suitable for various wire gauges while maintaining strict performance levels can be challenging and costly. In a first aspect, a method for forming a connector assembly includes: providing a coaxial cable including a first conductor and a second conductor, exposing a portion of the first conductor and a portion of the second conductor, flattening the exposed portions of the first conductor and the second conductor, trimming the flattened portions of the first conductor and the second conductor, and coupling the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portions of the first conductor and the second conductor to a laminate component. The modified (such as exposed, flattened, and trimmed) portions of the first conductor and the second conductor are a flattened and trimmed portion. The first conductor includes an exposed portion separated from the flattened and trimmed portion, wherein the exposed portion has not undergone the flattening and trimming. Similarly, the second conductor includes an exposed portion separated from the flattened and trimmed portion, wherein the exposed portion has not undergone the flattening and trimming. Trimming the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor can include trimming an inner side of the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor, thereby forming a protrusion on each of the first conductor and the second conductor, and the protrusions of the first conductor and the second conductor face each other. Trimming the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor can include trimming both an inner side and an outer side of the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor, thereby forming a protrusion on both the inner side and the outer side of the first conductor and the second conductor. Coupling the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor to the laminate component can include soldering (such as ultrasonic or standard soldering) or welding the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor to the laminate component. The laminate component can include a plurality of terminal pairs, wherein each terminal pair is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a U-shaped shield. Each terminal of the terminal pair can include a head contact portion, a tail contact portion, and a body portion extending between the head contact portion and the tail contact portion. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be substantially straight, and the tail contact portion can be vertically offset relative to the first conductor and the second conductor. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be connected to and substantially overlap the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portion of a respective conductor of the twinaxial cable. The modified first conductor and the second conductor can be vertically positioned relative to the tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a first U-shaped channel of a first U-shaped shield, and the body portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a second U-shaped channel of a second U-shaped shield, wherein the second U-shaped shield and the first U-shaped shield are spaced apart from each other. The laminate assembly can further include a ground shield formed of a conductive material. For example, the ground shield can include the first U-shaped shield and the second U-shaped shield integrally formed with each other. The ground shield can further include a support end configured to hold the body of the twinaxial cable. In a second aspect, a connector assembly includes a laminate assembly and a twinaxial cable. The twinaxial cable includes a first conductor and a second conductor. A first exposed portion of the first conductor and a second exposed portion of the second conductor are each flattened, trimmed, and connected to the laminate assembly. The first exposed portion of the modified first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor can each include a flattened and trimmed portion. The first conductor can include an exposed portion separated from the flattened and trimmed portion, wherein the second conductor includes an exposed portion separated from the flattened and trimmed portion. The first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor can be fusion welded or soldered to the laminate assembly. The laminate assembly can include a plurality of terminal pairs, wherein each terminal pair can be disposed or otherwise located in a U-shaped channel of a U-shaped shield. As described above, each terminal of the terminal pair can include a head contact portion, a tail contact portion, and a body portion extending between the head contact portion and the tail contact portion. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be substantially straight, and the tail contact portion can be vertically offset relative to the first conductor and the second conductor. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be connected to and substantially overlap the modified portion of a respective conductor of the twinaxial cable. The modified first conductor and the second conductor can be vertically positioned relative to the tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a first U-shaped channel of a first U-shaped shield, and the body portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a second U-shaped channel of a second U-shaped shield. The second U-shaped shield can be spaced apart from the first U-shaped shield. To this end, the sheet body assembly can include a ground shield formed of a conductive material, wherein the ground shield includes the first U-shaped shield and the second U-shaped shield integrally formed with each other. The ground shield can further include a support end configured to hold a body of the twinaxial cable. In some aspects, each of the flattened and trimmed portions of the first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor includes: a curved end configured to be embedded in an area of the sheet body assembly; and a protrusion located on an inner sidewall of each of the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the protrusions of the first conductor and the second conductor face each other. In some aspects, each of the flattened and trimmed portions of the first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor includes: a curved end configured to be embedded in an area of the sheet body assembly; and a protrusion located on an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall of each of the first conductor and the second conductor. In some aspects, the twinaxial cable is a 29AWG twinaxial cable, and the tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair is configured to connect to a 26AWG twinaxial cable. However, it is understood that other cable sizes and cable characteristics can be employed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention relates to a connector assembly for implementation in a cable-to-cable connector, a male-female coaxial connector, and similar connector systems. Cables and connector assemblies are typically designed to meet both mechanical requirements and electrical requirements. To achieve the desired mechanical and electrical requirements, such connectors often include multiple sheet body assemblies that support multiple conductive terminals. The sheet body assemblies are typically surrounded and supported by a connector housing, and a series of connector housings of different sizes, shapes, and styles are available for different interconnection applications. In some cases, it is desirable to mate a sheet body assembly to a twinaxial cable. Typically, a twinaxial cable includes signal conductors that are exposed by removing insulation. The signal conductors are then positioned at corresponding connector terminals of a laminate component prior to being fixedly attached. Connector termination characteristics include, but are not limited to, signal terminal width and spacing, shield width and spacing, conductor width and spacing, etc. These connector termination characteristics can change the signal integrity performance of a connector or associated device. For example, varying a standard size of a twinaxial cable affects precise signal-related relationships and subjects the connector to performance degradation and / or component variations. However, transmission channel requirements call for increasing the conductor size of a twinaxial cable to reduce channel loss. Accordingly, various embodiments illustrate techniques for performing material reduction on twinaxial signal conductors to manage the signal integrity performance of a termination and utilize the same connector components for a smaller standard size twinaxial cable. To this end, a connector assembly is illustrated as being capable of being used with multiple standard size (e.g., American Wire Gauge (AWG)) twinaxial cables. For example, the connector assembly can utilize a 26 AWG twinaxial cable, a 28 AWG twinaxial cable, or other sized twinaxial cables. Material reduction can be achieved, for example, such that a larger standard size twinaxial cable is suitable for use in a connector termination designed for a smaller standard size twinaxial cable. Additionally, as described herein, material reduction provides signal integrity crosstalk advantages due to a reduced signal conductor cross-section, thereby allowing for a closer shield wall spacing compared to what is permitted without material reduction. Further, processing and development costs can be reduced because fewer unique components are required for twinaxial cable conversion. In the foregoing context, a method for forming a connector assembly is illustrated as including: providing a twinaxial cable including a first conductor and a second conductor, exposing portions of the first conductor and the second conductor, flattening the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor, trimming the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor, and coupling the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portions of the first conductor and the second conductor to a laminate component. Trimming can include trimming one or more sides of the first conductor and / or the second conductor. Connecting the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor to the sheet body assembly can include welding (such as ultrasonic or standard welding) or soldering the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor to the sheet body assembly. The sheet body assembly can include a plurality of terminal pairs, wherein each terminal pair is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a U-shaped shield. Each terminal of the terminal pair can include a head contact portion, a tail contact portion, and a body portion extending between the head contact portion and the tail contact portion. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be generally flat, and the tail contact portion can be vertically offset relative to the first conductor and the second conductor. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be connected to and generally overlap the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portions of a respective conductor of the coaxial cable. The modified first conductor and the second conductor can be vertically positioned relative to the tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a first U-shaped channel of a first U-shaped shield, and the body portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a second U-shaped channel of a second U-shaped shield, wherein the second U-shaped shield and the first U-shaped shield are spaced apart from each other. The sheet body assembly can further include a ground shield formed of a conductive material. For example, the ground shield can include a first U-shaped shield portion and a second U-shaped shield portion integrally formed with each other. The ground shield can further include a support end configured to hold the body of the coaxial cable. Additionally, in some embodiments, a connector assembly is described as including a sheet body assembly and a coaxial cable. The coaxial cable includes a first conductor and a second conductor. A first exposed portion of the first conductor and a second exposed portion of the second conductor are each flattened, trimmed, and connected to the sheet body assembly. The first exposed portion of the modified first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor can each include a flattened and trimmed portion. The first conductor can include an exposed portion separated from the flattened and trimmed portion, wherein the second conductor can include an exposed portion separated from the flattened and trimmed portion. The first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor can be welded or soldered to the sheet body assembly. The sheet body assembly can include a plurality of terminal pairs, wherein each terminal pair can be disposed or otherwise located in a U-shaped channel of a U-shaped shield. As described above, each terminal of the terminal pair can include a head contact portion, a tail contact portion, and a body portion extending between the head contact portion and the tail contact portion. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be generally straight, and the tail contact portion can be located with a vertical offset relative to the first conductor and the second conductor. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be connected to and generally overlap a modified portion of a respective conductor of the twinaxial cable. The modified first conductor and the second conductor can be vertically positioned relative to the tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair. The tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a U-shaped channel of a first U-shaped shield portion, and the body portion of each terminal of the terminal pair can be disposed in a U-shaped channel of a second U-shaped shield portion. The second U-shaped shield portion can be spaced apart from the first U-shaped shield portion. To this end, the sheet body assembly can include a ground shield formed of a conductive material, wherein the ground shield includes the first U-shaped shield portion and the second U-shaped shield portion that can be integrally formed with each other. The ground shield can further include a support end configured to hold a body of the twinaxial cable. In some embodiments, the twinaxial cable is a 29AWG twinaxial cable, and the tail contact portion of each terminal of the terminal pair is configured to engage a 26AWG twinaxial cable. However, it is understood that other cable sizes and cable characteristics can be employed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a connector assembly 100 and FIG. 2 shows a bottom perspective view of the connector assembly 100 according to various embodiments. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 together, the connector assembly 100 can include a plurality of twinaxial cables 103 terminated to a sheet body assembly 106, wherein the sheet body assembly 106 includes a plurality of terminal pairs 109. As can be appreciated, only representative portions of the twinaxial cables 103 are shown. The connector assembly 100 further includes a shroud 112 that protects and holds the terminal pairs 109 and other components of the connector assembly 100 in a compact arrangement. The shroud 112 can be formed of a non-conductive material such as a polymer or plastic. The connector assembly 100 is an example of a male-female coaxial cable-to-cable connector, but the concepts described herein are not limited to cable-to-cable connector systems or any particular type or style of interconnect system. For applications that require high data rates and are physically space-constrained, many competing concerns make the design of the connector assembly 100 more challenging. High data rate interconnects often rely on differential coupled signal pairs 109, in which two conductors are electrically coupled and physically arranged in pairs to transmit a differential signal. Differential signal transmission provides stronger resistance to parasitic signals and crosstalk, as well as other benefits, and preferably maintains sufficient signal isolation to avoid unintentional signal transfer patterns between adjacent signal pairs. As will be described, in a connector interface, ground terminals can be added to create a return path to electrically ground and provide shielding between differential pairs. Evolving system and connector architectures require a balance of signal density, signal integrity performance, and cost. By adopting, for example, short channels can take advantage of the low cost and space of a small standard size twinaxial cable 103, while long channels will require a large standard size twinaxial cable 103 to minimize signal loss. It is desirable for the connector assembly 100 to accommodate various standard size twinaxial cables 103 to optimize the system for cost and performance. Making a consistent connector structure suitable for various wire standard sizes while maintaining strict performance levels can be challenging and costly. Thus, as will be described, the connector assembly 100 can include a termination area where the signal conductors of the twinaxial cable 103 are attached (e.g., welded) to the connector terminals. Each of the plurality of twinaxial cables 103 can include a cable having a plurality of conductors, such as a single conductor, two conductors, three or more conductors, etc., where each conductor can be employed in accordance with an embodiment of the material reduction described herein. The shape, size, proportions, and other characteristics of the twinaxial cable 103 can vary relative to those shown. For example, the standard size of the conductors in the twinaxial cable 103 and other characteristics of the twinaxial cable 103 can vary. As an example, the twinaxial cable 103 can be a 24 AWG cable, 26 AWG cable, 28 AWG cable, 30 AWG cable, etc., and can have varying characteristics and can be formed of varying materials. The twinaxial cable 103 can include two conductors, as shown in the examples of FIGS. 1-13. As will be shown and described, a first conductor can be terminated and electrically connected to a first terminal of a terminal pair 109, and a second conductor can be terminated and electrically connected to a second terminal of the terminal pair 109. Each terminal pair 109 can be formed from a flat metallic sheet such as a lead frame (e.g., formed by stamping, shearing, or other means). In some cases, the metallic sheet or lead frame can be plated with one or more plating metals. The plating metals can be selectively plated such that a highly conductive material (such as silver or copper) can be applied to only a selected portion of a terminal or other component of the lead frame to reduce an overall cost of the connector assembly 100 or its individual components. The shroud 112 can be formed from a plastic such as liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluoropolymer, or other plastic or insulating material. FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively show a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of the sheet body assembly 106, where, for purposes of explanation, the shroud 112 of the connector assembly 100 is not shown. With the shroud 112 omitted, the terminal pairs 109 of each column and row are shown. For example, in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the sheet body assembly 106 includes an 8×4 matrix of terminal pairs 109. However, it is understood that other layouts of the terminal pairs 109 can also be employed. Further, the sheet body assembly 106 includes a plurality of individual sheet bodies or cable alignment blocks 115 that each hold and support a row of terminal pairs 109, the biaxial cable 103, and associated components. Each cable alignment block 115 can be formed from a non-conductive polymer material, but other types of materials can also be employed. Although the cable alignment block 115 of FIG. 3 is shown supporting four terminal pairs 109, it is understood that the cable alignment block 115 can support other quantities of terminal pairs 109. To support the sheet body assembly 106, each cable alignment block 115 can include a plurality of through holes extending from a front face 118 of the cable alignment block 115 to a rear face 121 of the cable alignment block 115, thereby securing a portion of the terminal pairs 109 and the biaxial cable 103 therein. The biaxial cable 103 can be terminated to the terminal pairs 109 within the cable alignment block 115 by inserting through the through holes. Additionally, as will be described, the cable alignment block 115 can enclose and protect a termination region. This can protect the connector assembly 100 and its components during docking of the connector assembly 100 with another connector (not shown). Referring to FIG. 4, the cable alignment block 115 of the laminate body assembly 106 includes a ground shield 124 for each terminal pair 109. The ground shield 124 defines a channel, such as a U-shaped channel 127. The ground shield 124 can include a U-shaped shield as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the terminal pairs 109 can be disposed in respective U-shaped channels 127 such that the ground shield 124 reduces signal interference and improves signal integrity. The ground shield 124 thus provides broadside coupling with the terminal pairs 109, provides a return path for grounding, and helps shield the terminal pairs 109 from adjacent terminal pairs in the same or an adjacent laminate body. In some embodiments, the ground shield 124 includes ground terminals 130a, 130b (collectively "ground terminals 130") formed integrally with the ground shield 124. Due to the tendency for the terminals of the terminal pairs 109 to be relatively close to each other, the terminal pairs 109 can be isolated from the differential signal terminals of adjacent pairs by one or more ground terminals 130 and / or a ground shield 124. Turning now to FIG. 5, a rear perspective view of the laminate body assembly 106 is shown, where, for purposes of explanation, the shroud 112 and the cable alignment block 115 of the connector assembly 100 are omitted. The laminate body assembly 106 can also include a plurality of organizers 133. The organizers 133 can be located within or below the cable alignment block 115. Like the cable alignment block 115, each organizer 133 can include a plurality of through-holes extending from a front face 136 of the organizer 133 to a rear face 139 of the organizer 133, and in some embodiments, the organizers 133 can be formed of a polymeric material. The twinaxial cable 103 can be terminated to the terminal pairs 109 at the inner ends of the organizers 133 by inserting through the through-holes. Thus, as will be described, the organizers 133 can also enclose and protect a termination region. This can protect the connector assembly 100 and its components during docking of the connector assembly 100 with another connector (not shown). Additionally, the organizers 133 can prevent lateral movement that can affect the connection between the twinaxial cable 103 and the terminal pairs 109, thereby causing signal attenuation and connector failure. Next, referring to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, a top view, a perspective view, and an enlarged end view of the laminate body assembly 106 according to various embodiments are shown, respectively. Note that the shroud 112, the cable alignment block 115, and the organizers 133 are omitted from these figures, thereby exposing a termination region 142 where the twinaxial cable 103 is terminated or otherwise coupled to the terminal pairs 109. Referring together to FIGS. 6 to 8, each terminal pair 109 of the sheet body assembly 106 can include two terminals 144 or more specifically a first terminal 144a and a second terminal 144b. As can be appreciated, the first terminal 144a and the second terminal 144b can each include a head contact portion 147, a tail contact portion 151, and a body portion 154 extending between the head contact portion 147 and the tail contact portion 151. The tail contact portion 151 can be exposed or uncovered in the termination region 142 so that the conductors of the twinaxial cable 103 can be terminated to the tail contact portion 151 of a respective terminal 144 of the terminal pair 109. Each terminal 144 of the terminal pair 109 can be formed from a flat metallic sheet such as a lead frame (e.g., formed by stamping, shearing, or other means). In some cases, the metallic sheet or lead frame can be plated with one or more plating metals. The conditioning member 133, the cable alignment block 115, and other sheet body molded parts can be formed from a plastic such as LCP, PE, PTFE, fluoropolymer, or other plastic or insulating material and can be molded around the terminal pair 109. In one example, the conditioning member 133 and / or the cable alignment block 115 can be molded around the terminal pair 109 before the terminal pair 109 is cut or sheared from a large lead frame. The terminals 144 of the terminal pair 109 can be physically and electrically isolated from each other in the sheet body assembly 106. In embodiments where the twinaxial cable 103 includes two conductors 145, the twinaxial cable 103 can include a braided insulating dielectric material of an outer sheath and the conductors 145 or more specifically a first conductor 145a and a second conductor 145b. The first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b can each include an exposed portion 148 where the braided insulating dielectric and / or other materials of the outer sheath of the twinaxial cable 103 are absent or have been removed. The exposed portion 148 can be connected to the tail contact portion 151 by connection such as welding, soldering, etc. since it is formed of a conductive material. As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, as will be described, the exposed portion 148 of the first conductor 145a and the exposed portion 148 of the second conductor 145b are each coined, trimmed, and connected to the sheet body assembly 106 via the tail contact portion 151. In this example, the 26AWG signal conductor 145 is coined and trimmed to be compatible with a 29AWG twinaxial connection. Since the 26AWG signal conductor 145 has approximately twice the conductor volume of the 29AWG conductor 145, it would be difficult to maintain appropriate impedance and equivalent crosstalk in the same form factor without material reduction. In the case of material reduction, crosstalk and impedance can be effectively managed and require minimal modification to the basic connector components. Specifically referring to FIG. 7, the sheet body assembly 106 can further include a ground shield 124. For example, the ground shield 124 can include a first U-shaped shield portion 125 and a second U-shaped shield portion 126 that are integrally formed with each other. For instance, the first U-shaped shield portion 125 and the second U-shaped shield portion 126 can be formed by bending to create two side walls. The ground shield 124 can further include a support end 128 configured to hold a body of the coaxial cable 103. The first U-shaped shield portion 125 and the second U-shaped shield portion 126 can together define a U-shaped channel 127 as side walls. The tail contact portion 151 of each terminal 144 of the terminal pair 109 can be disposed in the U-shaped channel 127 of the second U-shaped shield portion 126, and the body portion 154 of each terminal 144 of the terminal pair 109 can be disposed in the U-shaped channel 127 of the first U-shaped shield portion 125. The second U-shaped shield portion 126 and the first U-shaped shield portion 125 can be spaced apart from each other. For example, a notch 155, such as a U-shaped notch, can be located between the first U-shaped shield portion 125 and the second U-shaped shield portion 126 and can be sheared or cut out during manufacturing. Referring to FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 together, the tail contact portion 151 of each terminal 144 of the terminal pair 109 can be generally planar or flat, and the tail contact portion 151 can have a vertical offset relative to the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b. The tail contact portion 151 and the conductor 145 can be oriented parallel to each other. Further, the tail contact portion 151 of each terminal 144 of the terminal pair 109 can be connected to and generally overlap an exposed, flattened, and trimmed portion of a respective conductor 145 of the coaxial cable 103. The modified first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b can be vertically positioned relative to the tail contact portion 151 of each terminal 144 of the terminal pair 109. In some embodiments, a pairlet overmold 169 can be provided to wrap or partially wrap the termination area 142. For example, a polymer or other insulating material can be overmolded onto the termination area 142. The pairlet overmold 169 can protect the respective terminal pairs 109 and ensure the integrity of differential signal transmission. The first U-shaped shield portion 125 and the second U-shaped shield portion 126 are integrally formed with each other but are spaced apart by the notch 155. Additionally, the second U-shaped shield portion 126 has a width greater than a width of the first U-shaped shield portion 125, which can be set by different bending or other deformations of the ground shield 124 during manufacturing. The size, orientation, and / or positioning of the first U-shaped shield portion 125 and the second U-shaped shield portion 126 can provide signal integrity improvement for the connector assembly 100. Turning now to FIG. 10, a flowchart 900 illustrates an example method for forming a connector assembly 100 in accordance with various embodiments. First, at 903, a coaxial cable 103 can be provided. The coaxial cable 103 can include, for example, a cable having two conductors 145, but it is understood that other cables having a single conductor or more conductors can be employed. Next, at 906, a portion of the conductors 145 can be exposed to provide an exposed portion 148. This can include cutting, stripping, or otherwise removing insulating or other material, particularly non-conductive material, of a sheath that would surround the conductors 145 in the coaxial cable 103. Alternatively, the conductors 145 can be formed to have an exposed portion 148 during formation. At 909, the exposed portion 148 of the coaxial cable 103 can be flattened. Flattening can include positioning the exposed portion 148 in a press that applies pressure to flatten the exposed portion 148 such that the exposed portion 148 has a width wider than a remaining unflattened portion of the conductors 145. In other embodiments, the exposed portion 148 can be heated to soften or melt the exposed portion 148 such that the exposed portion 148 has a width wider than a remaining unflattened portion of the conductors 145. In other embodiments, a combination of processes such as pressure, heat, etc. can be employed to flatten the exposed portion 148. Next, at 912, the flattened exposed portions 148 of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b can be trimmed. Returning to FIG. 8, trimming can include removing a portion of an inner wall 157 of the exposed portion 148. In some embodiments, the removed portion is a J-shaped or L-shaped portion such that the trimmed conductor 145 includes a protrusion 160. Since the inner wall 157 is removed from the respective conductors 145, each conductor 145 can include a protrusion 160 facing each other, as shown in FIG. 8. In other embodiments, as will be described, both the inner wall 157 and the outer wall 177 of the conductors 145 can be trimmed, creating multiple protrusions 160 on each conductor 145. As shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion 160 can include a generally sharp protrusion in the form of a right angle, equilateral or isosceles triangle, or other desired protrusion shape. The bodies of the conductors 145a, 145b are thus L-shaped or J-shaped. Since the two protrusions 160 are located close to each other and since other portions of the bodies of the conductors 145a, 145b are further away, improved signal integrity can be provided. Returning to FIG. 10, at 915, the process can further include connecting the flattened and trimmed exposed portions 148 of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b to a laminate component 106. The process can include welding (such as ultrasonic welding), soldering, or performing a similar connection to connect the exposed portion 148 of a conductor 105 to a tail contact 151 in the laminate component 106. Thereafter, the process can proceed to an end. Continuing along FIGS. 11 through 14, various perspective views of a twinaxial cable 103 are shown in accordance with various embodiments. Specifically, the above description of FIG. 10 is shown in the order in which an exposed portion 148 of a conductor 145 of a twinaxial cable 103 is flattened, trimmed, and connected. FIG. 11 shows the exposed portion 148 of the conductor 145 of the twinaxial cable 103, where the exposed portion 148 protrudes in a cantilever arrangement from a sheath or other housing 163. FIG. 12 shows the exposed portion next undergoing a flattening process, FIG. 13 shows the exposed portion next undergoing a trimming process, and FIG. 14 shows the exposed portion connected to a laminate component 106 (not shown). As can be seen from FIGS. 11 through 14, the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b each include an exposed portion 166 separate from the exposed (and flattened and trimmed) portion 148, where the exposed portion 166 does not undergo flattening and trimming. In some embodiments, the conductor 145 can be bent before or after modification to adjust an angle of the two conductors 145 relative to each other. Specifically, for FIG. 14, a stepped region 172 can be formed by welding or other connection processes, whereby the exposed portion 148 of the conductor 145 is secured to a terminal or other device. Although the embodiments of FIGS. 13 and 14 show a trimming process in which the facing inner walls 157 of the two conductors 145 are trimmed or otherwise deformed and removed, in some embodiments, both the inner wall 157 and an outer wall 177 of the conductor 145 can be trimmed or otherwise deformed or removed. Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, examples of the conductors 145a, 145b are shown in which both the inner wall 157 and the outer wall 177 are trimmed and removed, such that protrusions 160 are formed on the bases of both the inner wall 157 and the outer wall 177. Due to a shearing process, the protrusions 160 can be triangular in shape, but other shapes or orientations can be employed. Thus, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the flattened and trimmed portions of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b can include a curved end 180 configured to nest in an area of the sheet body assembly 106 or the small pair overmolding 169. The protrusions 160 can be located on an inner wall 157 of each of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b, where the protrusions 160 of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b face each other. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the flattened and trimmed portions of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b can each include a curved end 180 configured to nest in an area of the sheet body assembly 106 or the small pair overmolding 169. Additionally, the flattened and trimmed portions of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b can each include protrusions 160 located on an inner wall 157 and an outer wall 177 of each of the first conductor 145a and the second conductor 145b. The features, structures, or characteristics described above can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, and if possible, the features discussed in various embodiments can be interchanged. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to fully understand the various embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the many specific details, or other methods, components, materials, etc. can be employed. In other cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the present invention. Although relative terms such as "on," "below," "upper," and "lower" are used in the specification to describe the relative relationship of one component to another, these terms are used in the specification only for convenience, such as the directions in the examples shown in the drawings. It should be understood that if the device is inverted, the above-mentioned "upper" component will become the "lower" component. When a structure is "on" another structure, it may be integrally formed on the other structure, or the structure is "directly" disposed on the other structure, or the structure is "indirectly" disposed on the other structure through other structures. In this specification, terms such as "a" in the indefinite article form of a consonant, "an" in the indefinite article form of a vowel, "the" in the definite article form, and "said" are used to denote the presence of one or more elements and components. The terms "comprise", "include", "have", "contain" and their variants are used in an open-ended manner and mean that other elements, components, etc. are included in addition to the listed elements, components, etc., unless otherwise specified in the appended claims. The terms "first", "second", etc. are used only as labels and not as limitations on a number of objects. It is understood that if multiple components are given, within the applicable scope, these components may be referred to as "first" components, "second" components, etc. The above embodiments of the present invention are merely possible examples of the embodiments described for the purpose of clearly understanding the principles of the present invention. Many variations and modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and principles of the present invention in essence. All such modifications and variations are included within the scope of the present invention herein and are protected by the following claims. 100: Connector assembly 103: Twinaxial cable 106: Laminate assembly 109: Terminal pair 112: Shield 115: Cable alignment block 118: Front 121: Rear 124: Ground shield 125: First U-shaped shield part 126: Second U-shaped shield part 127: U-shaped channel 128: Support end 130: Ground terminal 130a: Ground terminal 130b: Ground terminal 133: Arranger 136: Front 139: Rear 142: Termination area 144: Terminal 144a: First terminal 144b: Second terminal 145: Conductor 145a: First conductor 145b: Second conductor 147: Head contact 148: Exposed portion 151: Tail contact 154: Body portion 155: Notch 157: Inner wall 160: Protrusion 163: Housing 166: Exposed portion 169: Overmolding 172: Step area 177: Outer wall 180: Curved end 900: Flow chart 903: Step 906: Step 909: Step 912: Step 915: Step Many aspects of the present invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, but rather the emphasis is on clearly showing the principles of the invention. Further, in the drawings, like reference numerals throughout the several views represent corresponding parts: FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a connector assembly having a variable-size twinaxial cable and terminal pairs in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein one of the shields is omitted from the figure; FIG. 4 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the shield is hidden from the figure; FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the shield and one of the terminal blocks are omitted from the figure; FIG. 6 is a top view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the shield, the terminal block, and a wire support are hidden from the figure; FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the shield, the terminal block, and a wire support are hidden from the figure; FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a terminal area of a laminate assembly in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a connector assembly in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, showing a small pair of overmolds encapsulating the terminal area; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method of forming a terminal area of a laminate assembly in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a twinaxial cable having multiple conductors in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the conductors have exposed portions; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the twinaxial cable of FIG. 11 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the portions of the conductors have been flattened or compressed; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the twinaxial cable of FIG. 12 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the portions of the conductors have been trimmed; FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the twinaxial cable of FIG. 13 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the portions of the conductors are shown for connection to a terminal pair; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a twinaxial cable in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, wherein the portions of the conductors are shown for connection to a terminal pair; and FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a terminal area of a laminate assembly including the twinaxial cable of FIG. 15 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 900: Flowchart 903: Step 906: Step 909: Step 912: Step 915: Step

Claims

1. A method for forming a connector assembly, comprising: Provides a biaxial cable comprising a first conductor and a second conductor; Exposing a portion of the first conductor and a portion of the second conductor: Flattening the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor; Trimming the edges of the portions of the first conductor and the second conductor; The exposed, flattened, and trimmed portions of the first conductor and the second conductor are connected to a sheet body assembly; each of the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portions of the first conductor and the second conductor includes a flattened and trimmed portion; the first conductor includes an exposed portion separate from the flattened and trimmed portion, the exposed portion not subjected to the flattening and trimming; and the second conductor includes an exposed portion separate from the flattened and trimmed portion, the exposed portion not subjected to the flattening and trimming.

2. The method according to request item 1, wherein, Connecting the portion of the first conductor and the portion of the second conductor to the sheet body assembly includes: fusion soldering or soldering the portion of the first conductor and the portion of the second conductor to the sheet body assembly.

3. The method according to request item 1, wherein, The sheet assembly includes multiple terminal pairs, each of which is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a U-shaped shield.

4. The method according to request item 3, wherein, Each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs includes a head contact portion, a tail contact portion, and a body portion extending between the head contact portion and the tail contact portion.

5. The method according to request item 4, wherein, The tail contact portion of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is generally flat, and the tail contact portion is located with a vertical offset relative to the first conductor and the second conductor.

6. The method according to request item 5, wherein, The tail contact of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is connected to and substantially overlaps the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portion of a respective conductor of the biaxial cable.

7. The method according to request item 6, wherein, The exposed, flattened, and trimmed portions of the first conductor and the second conductor are vertically positioned relative to the tail contacts of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs.

8. The method according to request item 4, wherein, The tail contact portion of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a first U-shaped shielding portion, and the body portion of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a second U-shaped shielding portion, wherein the second U-shaped shielding portion is spaced apart from the first U-shaped shielding portion.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The sheet assembly further includes a grounding shield formed of a conductive material, the grounding shield including a first U-shaped shield portion and a second U-shaped shield portion integrally formed with each other; and the grounding shield also includes a support end of a body configured to hold the biaxial cable.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Trimming the portion of the first conductor and the portion of the second conductor includes trimming an inner sidewall of the portion of the first conductor and the second conductor, thereby forming a protrusion on each of the first conductor and the second conductor, the protrusions of the first conductor and the second conductor facing each other.

11. The method according to request item 1, wherein, Trimming the portion of the first conductor and the portion of the second conductor includes trimming both an inner wall and an outer wall of the portion of the first conductor and the second conductor, thereby forming a protrusion on both the inner wall and the outer wall of the first conductor and the second conductor.

12. A connector assembly, comprising: A thin-film assembly; And a biaxial cable including a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein a first exposed portion of the first conductor and a second exposed portion of the second conductor are each flattened, trimmed, and connected to the sheet body assembly; the exposed, flattened, and trimmed first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor each include a flattened and trimmed portion; and the first conductor includes an exposed portion separate from the flattened and trimmed portion, and the second conductor includes an exposed portion separate from the flattened and trimmed portion.

13. The connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein, The first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor are fused or soldered to the sheet body assembly.

14. The connector assembly according to claim 13, wherein, The sheet assembly includes multiple terminal pairs, each of which is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a U-shaped shield.

15. The connector assembly according to claim 14, wherein, Each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs includes a head contact portion, a tail contact portion, and a body portion extending between the head contact portion and the tail contact portion.

16. The connector assembly according to claim 15, wherein, The tail contact portion of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is generally straight, and the tail contact portion is located with a vertical offset relative to the first conductor and the second conductor. The tail contact of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is connected to and substantially overlaps the exposed, flattened, and trimmed portion of a respective conductor of the biaxial cable.

17. The connector assembly according to claim 16, wherein, The exposed, flattened, and trimmed first and second conductors are vertically positioned relative to the tail contacts of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs.

18. The connector assembly according to claim 17, wherein, The tail contact portion of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a first U-shaped shielding portion, and the body portion of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs is disposed in a U-shaped channel of a second U-shaped shielding portion, the second U-shaped shielding portion being spaced apart from the first U-shaped shielding portion.

19. The connector assembly according to claim 17, wherein, The sheet assembly further includes a grounding shield formed of a conductive material, the grounding shield including a first U-shaped shield portion and a second U-shaped shield portion integrally formed with each other; and the grounding shield also includes a support end of a body configured to hold the biaxial cable.

20. The connector assembly according to claim 18, wherein, The biaxial cable is a 29AWG biaxial cable, and the tail contacts of each terminal in the plurality of terminal pairs are configured to engage a 26AWG biaxial cable.

21. The connector assembly according to claim 12, further comprising: Multiple small overmolded parts, formed of an insulating material, protect one end-connection area of ​​the multiple terminal pairs.

22. The connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein, The flattened and trimmed portions of the first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor each include: a curved end configured to be embedded in a region of the sheet body assembly; and a protrusion located on an inner sidewall of each of the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the protrusions of the first conductor and the second conductor face each other.

23. The connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein, The flattened and trimmed portions of the first exposed portion of the first conductor and the second exposed portion of the second conductor each include: a curved end configured to be embedded in a region of the sheet body assembly; and a protrusion located on an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall of each of the first conductor and the second conductor.

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