Patent US6074228A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6074228A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Guide rail and CAM system with integrated connector for removable transceiver
Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
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Filing: 1998-12-18
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Granted: 2000-06-13
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Expires: 2018-12-18
Abstract
Abstract An electrical connector includes a body and two or more electrical contacts. The body has a guide member that is elongated between a first end and a second end along a first axis and has a connector block at the first end. The connector has a very low profile (preferably, less than about 10 mm high), and the bottom of the body is surface-mountable on a circuit board. The height of the connector can be defined by a vertical axis perpendicular to the first axis. The connector block retains the contacts, which are spaced from one another in the direction of the first axis. The body also has a camming element that, in response to a force of a mating connector being moved along the first axis, brings the contacts of the connector and mating connector together in a generally vertical direction. The camming element may have two oppositely inclined ramp sections. When a mating connector having complementary contacts is, guided by the guide member, moved into engagement with the camming element, the first ramp lifts the mating connector, including its contacts, above the connector block, and the second ramp lowers the mating connector onto the connector block, with the contacts of the mating connector lowering onto and making contact with the contacts of the electrical connector. The camming motion minimizes wiping between the mating contacts and largely confines the relative motion of the contacts to a vertical direction. The contacts may be arrayed in two or more rows.
Inventors
- 👤 Jerry Berg
- 👤 David Peter Gaio
- 👤 William Kim Hogan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 17:18
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/22; H01R13/24; H01R13/2442; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4274; G02B6/4284; H01R12/00; H01R12/50; H01R12/51; H01R12/55; H01R12/57; H01R13/193; H05; H05K; H05K1/00; H05K1/02; H05K1/11; H05K1/117; G02B6/4246; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/07; H05K2201/073; H05K2201/0746; H05K2201/09; H05K2201/09209; H05K2201/09372; H05K2201/094; H05K2201/09409; H05K2201/09654; H05K2201/09663
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
An electrical connector, comprising: a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and their axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end and having an upper surface and a lower surface oriented in opposed relation along said third axis, and said connector block having a camming element that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis and toward said lower surface; and a plurality of contacts retained in said connector block, each contact having an upper portion and a lower portion oriented generally in opposed relation along said third axis, said upper portion disposed at said upper surface of said body and resiliently deflectable in substantially the direction of said third axis, said lower portion disposed at said lower surface of said body for surface-mounting to contact pads of a printed circuit card.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
An electrical connector, comprising: a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and their axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end and having an upper surface and a lower surface oriented in opposed relation along said third axis, and said connector block having a camming element that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis and toward said lower surface; and a plurality of contacts retained in said connector block, each contact having an upper portion and a lower portion oriented generally in opposed relation along said third axis, said upper portion disposed at said upper surface of said body and resiliently deflectable in substantially the direction of said third axis, said lower portion disposed at said lower surface of said body for surface-mounting to contact pads of a printed circuit card.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 1, wherein said camming element, in response to a force experienced along said first axis, initially redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis and away from said lower surface, and then in response to further force along said first axis redirects said further force in a direction having a component along said third axis and toward said lower surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
110 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 2, wherein said camming element comprises a cam having a first ramp section coupled with a second ramp section, said first ramp section inclined at an angle with respect to said first axis and, in response to said force experienced along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction along said first ramp section and away from said lower surface, said second ramp section inclined at an angle with respect to said first axis and, in response to said further force experienced along said first axis, redirects said further force in a direction along said second ramp section and toward said lower surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 1, wherein said body has a maximum height along said third axis less than about 9.8 millimeters and a maximum width along said second axis less than about 13.5 millimeters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 1, further comprising a clip for engaging a portion of a mating connector, said clip having a resiliently deflectable portion spaced above said upper surface of said body to exert a retaining force in the direction of said third axis upon said portion of said mating connector when deflected by said portion of said mating connector.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 5, wherein said body comprises a plurality of grounding contacts spaced from said connector block, each grounding contact having an upper portion at an upper surface of said guide member and a lower surface at a lower surface of said guide member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 1, wherein said body further comprises a latch portion for engaging a complementary latch portion on a mating connector in response to movement of said mating connector from said second end of said guide member toward said first end of said guide member along said first axis, said latch portion having a portion aligned with and closer to said second end of said body along said first axis than a portion of said complementary latch portion to resist movement of said mating connector away from first end of said body along said first axis when said connectors are mated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of contacts comprises a plurality of rows of contacts, each row spaced from an adjacent row along said first axis, each row having a plurality of contacts arrayed along said second axis and retained in said connector block.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 8, wherein said body has a maximum height along said third axis less than about 9.8 millimeters and a maximum width along said second axis less than about 13.5 millimeters.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 8, further comprising a clip for engaging a portion of a mating connector, said clip having a resiliently deflectable portion spaced above said upper surface of said body to exert a retaining force in the direction of said third axis upon said portion of said mating connector when deflected by said portion of said mating connector.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 10, wherein said body comprises a plurality of secondary contacts spaced from said connector block, each secondary contact having an upper portion at an upper surface of said guide member and a lower surface at a lower surface of said guide member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
105 words
The electrical connector claimed in claim 8, wherein said body further comprises a latch portion for engaging a complementary latch portion on a mating connector in response to movement of said mating connector from said second end of said guide member toward said first end of said guide member along said first axis, said latch portion having a portion aligned with and closer to said second end of said body along said first axis than a portion of said complementary latch portion to resist movement of said mating connector away from first end of said body along said first axis when said connectors are mated.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
169 words
An electrical connector system, comprising: a first electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes, said body having a connector block, said connector block retaining a plurality of rows of contacts, each row spaced from an adjacent row along said first axis, each row having a plurality of contacts arrayed along said second axis and retained in said connector block; a second electrical connector having a body slideably engageable with said first electrical connector in a direction along said first axis, said second electrical connector having a plurality of contacts; and a camming element integral to one of said first and second electrical connectors that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis to move said contacts of one of said first and second electrical connectors into electrical contact with said contacts of the other of said first and second electrical connectors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
169 words
An electrical connector system, comprising: a first electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes, said body having a connector block, said connector block retaining a plurality of rows of contacts, each row spaced from an adjacent row along said first axis, each row having a plurality of contacts arrayed along said second axis and retained in said connector block; a second electrical connector having a body slideably engageable with said first electrical connector in a direction along said first axis, said second electrical connector having a plurality of contacts; and a camming element integral to one of said first and second electrical connectors that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis to move said contacts of one of said first and second electrical connectors into electrical contact with said contacts of the other of said first and second electrical connectors.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The electrical connector system claimed in claim 13, wherein said camming element is integral to said first electrical connector.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
The electrical connector system claimed in claim 14, wherein said first electrical connector further comprises a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end of said body, and said connector block is at said first end of said body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The electrical connector system claimed in claim 15, wherein said second electrical connector is included in an optical transceiver module.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
72 words
The electrical connector system claimed in claim 16, wherein said camming element, in response to a force experienced along said first axis, initially redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis and away from said lower surface, and then in response to further force along said first axis redirects said further force in a direction having a component along said third axis and toward said lower surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
111 words
The electrical connector system claimed in claim 17, wherein said camming element comprises a cam having a first ramp section coupled with a second ramp section, said first ramp section inclined at an angle with respect to said first axis and, in response to said force experienced along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction along said first ramp section and away from said lower surface, said second ramp section inclined at an angle with respect to said first axis and, in response to said further force experienced along said first axis, redirects said further force in a direction along said second ramp section and toward said lower surface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
96 words
An optoelectronic module, comprising: an enclosure having a guide flange slideably engageable with an elongated guide member along an axis; a circuit card at least partially within said enclosure and defining a face of said enclosure; a plurality of electrical contacts on said circuit card at a first end of said enclosure arranged in a plane parallel to said axis; an optical coupling at a second end of said enclosure mechanically and optically mateable with a mating optical cable coupling; and optoelectronics for communicating data signals between said plurality of electrical contacts and said optical coupling.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
96 words
An optoelectronic module, comprising: an enclosure having a guide flange slideably engageable with an elongated guide member along an axis; a circuit card at least partially within said enclosure and defining a face of said enclosure; a plurality of electrical contacts on said circuit card at a first end of said enclosure arranged in a plane parallel to said axis; an optical coupling at a second end of said enclosure mechanically and optically mateable with a mating optical cable coupling; and optoelectronics for communicating data signals between said plurality of electrical contacts and said optical coupling.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The optoelectronic module claimed in claim 19, wherein said plurality of electrical contacts are pads on a planar circuit card parallel to said axis.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The optoelectronic module claimed in claim 20, wherein said pads are elongated and have non-uniform lengths.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
288 words
A method for connecting an electrical connector to a mating connector of a connector system, the electrical connector comprising a body and a plurality of contacts, said body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end and having an upper surface and a lower surface oriented in opposed relation along said third axis, each contact retained in said connector block and having an upper portion and a lower portion oriented generally in opposed relation along said third axis, said upper portion disposed at said upper surface of said body and resiliently deflectable in substantially the direction of said third axis, said lower portion disposed at said lower surface of said body and surface-mounted to contact pads of a printed circuit card, said connector system including a camming element that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis, the method comprising the steps of: engaging a complementary guide portion of said mating connector with said guide portion of said body; and moving said mating connector from said second end of said guide member toward said first end of said guide member along said first axis until said camming element redirects one of said mating connector and said electrical connector with respect to the other in a direction along said third axis and said plurality of complementary contacts of said mating connector make electrical contact with and deflect said upper portions of said plurality of contacts of said electrical connector.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
288 words
A method for connecting an electrical connector to a mating connector of a connector system, the electrical connector comprising a body and a plurality of contacts, said body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end and having an upper surface and a lower surface oriented in opposed relation along said third axis, each contact retained in said connector block and having an upper portion and a lower portion oriented generally in opposed relation along said third axis, said upper portion disposed at said upper surface of said body and resiliently deflectable in substantially the direction of said third axis, said lower portion disposed at said lower surface of said body and surface-mounted to contact pads of a printed circuit card, said connector system including a camming element that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis, the method comprising the steps of: engaging a complementary guide portion of said mating connector with said guide portion of said body; and moving said mating connector from said second end of said guide member toward said first end of said guide member along said first axis until said camming element redirects one of said mating connector and said electrical connector with respect to the other in a direction along said third axis and said plurality of complementary contacts of said mating connector make electrical contact with and deflect said upper portions of said plurality of contacts of said electrical connector.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
102 words
The method claimed in claim 22, wherein said moving step comprises the step of moving said mating connector from said second end of said guide member toward said first end of said guide member along said first axis until said camming element, in response to a force experienced along said first axis, initially redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis and away from said lower surface, and then in response to further force along said first axis redirects said further force in a direction having a component along said third axis and toward said lower surface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method claimed in claim 22, wherein said moving step comprises the step of moving an enclosure of said mating connector having a maximum height less than about 9.8 millimeters and a maximum width less than about 13.5 millimeters.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method claimed in claim 22, wherein said moving step comprises the step of moving said enclosure through a transceiver port opening in an electronic assembly enclosure.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method claimed in claim 22, wherein said moving step comprises the step of moving said mating connector from said second end of said guide member toward said first end of said guide member along said first axis until a portion of said mating connector resiliently deflects a clip of said electrical connector and exerts a retaining force in the direction of said third axis upon said portion of said mating connector.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
99 words
The method claimed in claim 22, wherein said moving step comprises the step of moving said mating connector from said second end of said guide member toward said first end of said guide member along said first axis until a latch portion of said electrical connector engages a complementary latch portion of said mating connector and said engagement resists relative movement of said electrical connector and said mating connector in a direction along said first axis until said latch portion of said electrical connector and said complementary latch portion of said mating connector are operated to release the engagement.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electrical connector system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said contacts of said second electrical connector are pads on a planar circuit card.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
18 words
The electrical connector system as claimed in claim 28, wherein said pads are elongated and have non-uniform lengths.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
186 words
A computer system, comprising: a computer enclosure; a circuit board mounted within said enclosure; and an electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end and having an upper surface and a lower surface oriented in opposed relation along said third axis, said connector block having a plurality of contacts retained therein, each contact having an upper portion and a lower portion oriented generally in opposed relation along said third axis, said upper portion disposed at said upper surface of said body and resiliently deflectable in substantially the direction of said third axis, said lower portion disposed at said lower surface of said body and surface-mounted to said computer circuit board, said connector block having a camming element that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis and toward said lower surface.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
186 words
A computer system, comprising: a computer enclosure; a circuit board mounted within said enclosure; and an electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end and having an upper surface and a lower surface oriented in opposed relation along said third axis, said connector block having a plurality of contacts retained therein, each contact having an upper portion and a lower portion oriented generally in opposed relation along said third axis, said upper portion disposed at said upper surface of said body and resiliently deflectable in substantially the direction of said third axis, said lower portion disposed at said lower surface of said body and surface-mounted to said computer circuit board, said connector block having a camming element that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis and toward said lower surface.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
182 words
A computer system, comprising: a computer enclosure; a circuit board within said enclosure; An electrical connector system, comprising: a first electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes, said body having a connector block, said connector block retaining a plurality of rows of contacts, each row spaced from an adjacent row along said first axis, each row having a plurality of contacts arrayed along said second axis and retained in said connector block; a second electrical connector having a body slideably engageable with said first electrical connector in a direction along said first axis, said second electrical connector having a plurality of contacts; and a camming element integral to one of said first and second electrical connectors that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis to move said contacts of one of said first and second electrical connectors into electrical contact with said contacts of the other of said first and second electrical connectors.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
182 words
A computer system, comprising: a computer enclosure; a circuit board within said enclosure; An electrical connector system, comprising: a first electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes, said body having a connector block, said connector block retaining a plurality of rows of contacts, each row spaced from an adjacent row along said first axis, each row having a plurality of contacts arrayed along said second axis and retained in said connector block; a second electrical connector having a body slideably engageable with said first electrical connector in a direction along said first axis, said second electrical connector having a plurality of contacts; and a camming element integral to one of said first and second electrical connectors that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis to move said contacts of one of said first and second electrical connectors into electrical contact with said contacts of the other of said first and second electrical connectors.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-06-13 | 2003-12-13 | 2004-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-06-13 | 2007-12-13 | 2008-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-06-13 | 2011-12-13 | 2012-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |