초록 ▼

A two-piece mezzanine connector for high speed, high density signals. One piece of the connector may have conductive elements with beam-shaped mating contacts. The beams may include openings to control mechanical properties while allowing edge to edge spacing between adjacent beams to be selected to

A two-piece mezzanine connector for high speed, high density signals. One piece of the connector may have conductive elements with beam-shaped mating contacts. The beams may include openings to control mechanical properties while allowing edge to edge spacing between adjacent beams to be selected to provide desired electrical properties. The openings may be teardrop shaped, with a larger width at a distal end of the beams. Beams associated with signal conductors may have openings that are shaped differently from openings of beams associated with ground conductors. For a first connector piece, mating contact regions of signal conductors may be wider than mating contact regions of ground conductors. For a second connector piece adapted to mate with the first connector piece, mating contact regions of signal conductors may be narrower than mating contact regions of ground conductors. These contact shapes may provide float while maintaining a high contact density.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A connector, comprising: an insulative portion and a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a beam extending from the insulative portion, the beams being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising a first beam, a second beam, and

1. A connector, comprising: an insulative portion and a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a beam extending from the insulative portion, the beams being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising a first beam, a second beam, and a third beam, wherein: the second beam is disposed between the first and third beams along the column;the first beam is associated with a first conductive element configured as a ground conductor;the first beam comprises a first contact region near a distal end of the first beam, the first contact region having a first width;the second beam is associated with a second conductive element configured as a signal conductor; andthe second beam comprises a second contact region near a distal end of the second beam, the second contact region having a second width larger than the first width. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein: the first and second beams are adjacent;the connector further comprises a fourth beam, the first, second, third, and fourth beams being arranged in a sequence;the third beam is associated with a third conductive element configured as a signal conductor;the third beam comprises a third contact region near a distal end of the third beam, the third contact region having the second width;the fourth beam is associated with a fourth conductive element configured as a ground conductor; andthe fourth beam comprises a fourth contact region near a distal end of the fourth beam, the fourth contact region having the first width. 3. The connector of claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of conductive elements further comprises an attachment end; andthe connector further comprises a plurality of solder balls, each solder ball of the plurality of solder balls being attached to an attachment end of a respective conductive element of the plurality of conductive elements. 4. The connector of claim 3, wherein: the attachment end of each of the plurality of conductive elements narrows at a tip to form a narrowed region, and the respective solder ball is attached to the narrowed region. 5. The connector of claim 1, wherein: the second beam further comprises: a tab portion at the distal end, the tab portion being adjacent to the second contact region, the tab portion having a tab width smaller than the second width; anda neck portion adjacent to the second contact region, the neck portion being opposite from the tab portion, the neck portion having a neck width smaller than the second width. 6. The connector of claim 5, wherein: a distance between the tab portion and the neck portion is between 0.2 mm and 1 mm. 7. The connector of claim 5, wherein: a ratio between the second width and the neck width is between 2:1 and 2.5:1. 8. A connector comprising a first mating connector and a second mating connector adapted to mate with the first mating connector, wherein: the first mating connector comprises: a first insulative portion and a first plurality of conductive elements, each of the first plurality of conductive elements comprising a beam extending from the first insulative portion, the beams being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising a first beam and a second beam, wherein: the first beam is associated with a first conductive element configured as a ground conductor;the first beam comprises a first contact region near a distal end of the first beam, the first contact region having a first width;the second beam is associated with a second conductive element configured as a signal conductor; andthe second beam comprises a second contact region near a distal end of the second beam, the second contact region having a second width larger than the first width; andthe second mating connector comprises: a second insulative portion and a second plurality of conductive elements, each of the second plurality of conductive elements comprising a pad extending from the second insulative portion, the pads being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising a first pad and a second pad, wherein: the first pad is associated with a third conductive element configured as a ground conductor;the first pad comprises a third contact region adapted to make electrical contact with the first contact region of the first beam, the third contact region having a third width;the second pad is associated with a fourth conductive element configured as a signal conductor; andthe second pad comprises a fourth contact region adapted to make electrical contact with the second contact region of the second beam, the fourth contact region having a fourth width smaller than the third width. 9. The connector of claim 8, wherein, for each column, a first distance in a first direction along the column between a first center line of the first beam and a first edge of the first pad matches a second distance in a second direction along the column, between a second centerline of the second pad and a second edge of second beam. 10. A wafer for an electrical connector, the wafer comprising: a plurality of conductive elements, each of the conductive elements comprising a beam-shaped contact portion, the contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements being disposed in a column, and each contact portion comprising an opening in the beam-shaped contact portion, the opening having a closed perimeter and being wider near a distal end of the contact portion and narrower near a proximal end of the contact portion. 11. The wafer of claim 10, wherein: the plurality of conductive elements comprises a plurality of pairs of conductive elements, and for each pair of conductive elements a first contact portion and a second contact portion have an edge to edge spacing, the edge to edge spacing being uniform over a region of each of the first contact portion and the second contact portion; andthe opening in the first contact portion and the second contact portion is disposed in the region. 12. The wafer of claim 10, wherein: each of the plurality of conductive elements has a uniform width over a region of the beam-shaped contact portion; andthe opening in each of the plurality of conductive elements is disposed in the region. 13. The wafer of claim 10, wherein: for each of the plurality of conductive elements, the opening is teardrop shaped. 14. The wafer of claim 10, wherein: the wafer further comprises an insulative portion holding the plurality of conductive elements; andfor each of the plurality of conductive elements, the beam-shaped contact portion extends from the insulative portion. 15. The wafer of claim 10, wherein: the opening in each contact portion is shaped to distribute force uniformly along the length of the contact portion when the beam-shaped contact portion is deflected. 16. An electrical connector comprising: an insulative portion; and a plurality of conductive elements, each of the conductive elements comprising a beam extending from the insulative portion, the beams being disposed in a plurality of columns, each column comprising a pair of adjacent beams, the beams of the pair each comprising an opening, each opening being wider near a distal end of a respective beam and narrower near a proximal end of the respective beam, wherein the distal end of the respective beam comprises a single contact region. 17. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein, for each pair of adjacent beams in each of the plurality of columns, an edge to edge spacing between the adjacent beams is uniform over a region enclosing the openings in the adjacent beams. 18. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein: for each pair in each of the plurality of columns, the beams and the openings of the pair are configured to provide uniform impedance and to distribute force uniformly along the beams upon deflection of the beams. 19. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein the beams each have a unitary structure. 20. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein: each column of the plurality of conductive elements further comprises a third beam adjacent to the pair of adjacent beams; the openings of the pair of adjacent beams have a first shape; andthe third beam has a third opening of a second shape different from the first shape. 21. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein the third opening has a uniform width along at least a portion of the third beam.