Abstract:
A connector assembly for printed circuit boards comprises a first and a second connector part. The first connector part has a first housing of insulating material and having a bottom and two opposite side walls and with male contact elements mounted in the bottom of the housing and arranged in rows and columns and having portions projecting from the bottom of the housing adapted to be inserted into holes of the corresponding printed circuit board. The second connector part has a second housing of insulating material adapted to be inserted into the first housing with an insertion side and with female contact elements mounted in the housing and arranged in a corresponding manner in rows and columns and having portions projecting from a lower side of the housing, which projecting portions can be inserted into holes of the corresponding printed circuit board. The second connector part comprises at least one ground contact plate projecting out of said housing at the insertion side along a distance substantially corresponding with the thickness of the bottom of the first housing. At least one slot is provided in the bottom of the first housing for receiving the ground contact plates. The first housing comprises shielding plates provided on the side walls and having contact means for connection with a corresponding conductor of the corresponding printed circuit board and wherein ground contact means each project in a slot in the bottom of the housing for contacting a ground contact plate of the second housing.
Abstract:
A connector assembly for interconnecting optical and/or electrical conductors comprises a first connector part (1) with a first guiding plate (3) with one or more guiding channels (4) for first conductors each terminated by a contact pad and a second connector part (2) to be coupled with the first connector part and having a second guiding plate (11) with one or more guiding channels provided in a corresponding manner for second conductors to be connected with the first conductors and each terminated by a contact pad. The guiding plates (3,11) comprise positioning means for mutually positioning the guiding plates in the coupled position of the connector parts in such a manner that corresponding contact pads of the first and second conductors are interconnected optically and electrically, respectively. These positioning means comprise cooperating straight reference surfaces (18,20) extending in x-direction and cooperating straight reference surfaces (17,13) extending in y-direction, all said reference surfaces being located at a predetermined location with respect to the guiding channels, wherein the second guiding plate is mounted moveably in x-, y- and z-directions in a housing and wherein means are provided for exerting forces for pressing the cooperating reference surfaces and the contact pads towards each other in the x-, y- and z-directions during coupling the connector parts. One connector part can be inserted into the other in the longitudinal direction of the guiding channels, wherein distance elements are adapted to keep the contact pads of the conductors at a distance from each other in z-direction during inserting of the connector part and to enable the movement of the contact pads towards each other in z-direction as soon as the cooperating reference surfaces are substantially abutting.
Abstract:
For manufacturing a connector for optical conductors on a printed circuit board a first printed circuit board part is made and an alignment piece with one or more reference faces and with one or more alignment channels for the conductors is fixed on the first printed circuit board part. The optical conductors are put in the alignment channels and are attached in the alignment piece, whereafter the parts of the optical conductors projecting out of the alignment piece and superfluous attachment material are removed by polishing and optical contact pads are formed in the upper surface of the alignment piece. A protection cover is put on the alignment piece, which protection cover seals the reference faces and the optical contact pads from the environment, whereafter the printed circuit board is completed and finally the protection cover is removed. The protection cover comprises an upper wall adapted to cover at least the surface of the alignment piece, and edges projecting downwardly from the upper wall and determining together with the upper wall a receiving space for at least a part of the alignment piece, which edges join the sides of the alignment piece when the protection cover is placed on the alignment piece.