Connector with monolithic multi-contact array
US5451169A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 23, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 19, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 23, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49179
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Connectors for attachment to cables including a large number of very small flexible conductors (26) or coaxial conductor pairs (74). In a first embodiment very small contacts (36) are arrayed on a flat mating surface (28) of the connector body (22). Contacts (36) are raised slightly above the mating surface by plating conductive metal to form raised bumps (42) on one of a pair of connectors (14, 16). Insulated individual conductors (26) are placed through apertures (48) defined in a substrate acting as a template, and are fastened in place by potting material (50) before shaping the mating surface (28) of the connector body (22) or (24) is shaped. Pin and socket combinations (30, 32) are used to align mating connectors with each other. In other connectors (176, 178) contact bases (198, 200) to be plated may be defined precisely by photoresist lithography on a cover layer (192) attached to the template substrate (180, 182), and an elastomeric layer (190 ) may be provided between the cover layer and the template substrate. In other connectors (90, 146, 240, 460) shields of coaxial conductor pairs and shields of flex circuits are connected electrically to conductive common layers (98,…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.