Connector with bifurcated conductor
View Patent ↗A connector block is provided with a plurality of channels. Separating the channels are ribs and conductors are mounted in the channels. The conductors may each include a soldering region for joining with a surface conductor and a contact region for joining with conductors on a mating connector block. The contact region may include a conductor that is bifurcated. The rib positioned between adjacent channels acts as a shield and may extend below the soldering region of the conductors so as to prevent solder from adjacent conductors from inadvertently forming a short.
1. A connector for mounting to a surface, comprising:
a block having a first side, a second side, a third side, a thickness and a shaped perimeter, whereby a mating connector can only be mounted to the connector block in one orientation;
a plurality of channels extending into the third side of the block and spanning the thickness of the block between the first and second side;
a plurality of ribs, wherein each of the plurality of channels is separated from an adjacent channel by one of the plurality of ribs, wherein each of the plurality of ribs is configured to be substantially flush with the second side and to act as a shield for the adjacent channel; and
a plurality of conductors positioned in the plurality of channels between the first and second sides, wherein each of the plurality of conductors includes a soldering region proximal the second side and a contact region that is closer to the first side than the soldering region, wherein the soldering region does not extend below the second side nor beyond the third side, and wherein the contact region is split into at least two separate conductors.
2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the soldering region of the conductors is substantially linear and closer to the second side of the block than the remainder of the conductor.
3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the rib extends the thickness of the block and the soldering region of the conductors is positioned a distance from the second surface.
4. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels is at least three channels and the plurality of conductors is at least three conductors and the contact region of each conductor is bifurcated into two separate conductors.
5. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising an alignment feature for controlling, in operation, alignment of the block with the mounting surface.
6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the alignment feature comprises at least one peg extending from the second surface of the block.
7. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductors each includes a first and second retaining feature configured to provide an interference fit between the conductors and an inner surface of the channel and the soldering region is positioned between first and second retaining feature.
8. The connector of claim 7 , wherein the solder region is substantially linear and forms a first plane that is substantially parallel to a second plane formed by the first and second retaining feature.
9. A connector system, comprising:
a mounting surface with two surface conductors;
a connector block having a first side, a second side, a third side and a shaped perimeter, whereby a mating connector can only be mounted to the connector block in one orientation, the first side supported by the mounting surface, the block including a first and second channel extending between the first and second side;
a first and second conductor positioned in the first and second channels, the first and second conductors each including a depression region soldered to the one of the two surface conductors and a bifurcated contact region extending from the second side of the block; and
a shield extending from the block and positioned between the soldered regions of the first and second conductors, wherein the soldered regions do not extend below the second side nor beyond the third side, and wherein the shield is configured so that, during assembly, the shield and the position of the soldered regions relative to the second and third sides prevent solder from the first conductor from mixing with solder from the second conductor during the soldering of the first and second conductors to the surface conductors.
10. The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the connector block includes an alignment feature configured to orient the block with a corresponding alignment feature on the mounting surface.
11. The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the mounting surface is a printed circuit board further comprising electrical components in communication with the surface conductors.
12. The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the mounting surface includes five surface connectors, the mounting block further includes a third, fourth and fifth channel and a third, fourth and fifth conductor are positioned in the respective channels, wherein each of the five conductors includes the features of the first and second conductor and a shield is provided between each adjacent channel.