IP Library Granted Patent US 12,555,937
Granted Patent B2
US 12,555,937 · App. 18/033,811 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Connector holder for bypass connection applications

Inventors: Allan Cantle (Westlake Village, CA); Robert Dillman (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: Molex, LLC
H01R12/722H01R12/716H01R12/75
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,555,937
App. No.
18/033,811
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A connector holder includes a housing (configured to be secured within an aperture in a substrate), a first connector disposed within the housing and configured to provide a mating interface that extends above the support member and a cable that is connected to the connector and extends below the support member. The first connector is used to provide electrical connection with an associated electrical component and can provide for blind mating.

Claims (29)

1 . A connector holder, comprising:

a housing configured to be secured within an aperture formed in a substrate with a top surface and a bottom surface, the housing configured to be inserted into the aperture from the bottom surface;

a first connector disposed within the housing and including a mating interface extending above and away from the top surface in a Z direction among an X direction and a Y direction, the mating interface configured to engage a corresponding second connector and including a plurality of terminals; and

a cable connected to the plurality of terminals and configured to exit the housing so as to extend below the bottom surface.

2 . The connector holder as defined in claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of holding clips for securing the connector holder within the aperture.

3 . The connector holder as defined in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holding clips comprises a plurality of lever arms configured to engage the aperture, the lever arms configured to allow movement of the connector holder within the aperture.

4 . The connector holder as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first connector further comprises a plurality of tapered apertures that are configured to accept a plurality of locating pins from a mating connector.

5 . The connector holder as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member configured to oppose translation of the first connector in a mating direction when the second connector is mated to the first connector.

6 . The connector holder as defined in claim 5 , wherein the biasing member comprises a leaf spring disposed along a bottom surface of the first connector.

7 . The connector holder as defined in claim 5 , wherein the aperture defines an opening in a surface that extends in the X and the Y direction and the housing is configured to translate in the aperture in at least one of the X and the Y direction, and the first connector is configured to translate in the housing in the Z direction, and the biasing member is configured to bias the first connector in a direction extending from the bottom surface to the top surface.

8 . The connector holder as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises a plurality of twinax cables.

9 . A connector system, comprising:

a substrate with a top and bottom surface, the substrate including an aperture;

a connector holder positioned within the aperture, the connector holder comprising:

a housing configured to be secured within the aperture, the housing configured to be inserted into the aperture from the bottom surface;

a first connector disposed within the housing and including a first mating interface extending above and away from the top surface in a Z direction among an X direction and a Y direction, the mating interface including a plurality of terminals; and

a cable connected to the plurality of terminals and configured to exit the housing and extend below the bottom surface; and

a second connector in communication with an integrated circuit (IC), the IC supported, at least in part, by the substrate, the second connector mated to the first connector.

10 . The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the cable is configured to exit the housing substantially parallel with the bottom surface.

11 . The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the first connector is configured to translate in the housing along an axis aligned with a mating direction and the housing is configured to translate in the aperture in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the mating direction.

12 . The connector system of claim 11 , wherein the connector holder includes a biasing element configured to bias the first connector in a direction opposite the mating direction.

13 . The connector system of claim 12 , wherein the biasing element is a leaf spring positioned between the housing and the first connector.

14 . The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the first and second connectors are configured to support a data rate of 25 Gbps.

15 . The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the first connector includes two alignment apertures and the second connector includes two locating pins configured to engage the alignment apertures.

16 . The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the housing includes a plurality of holding clips and the plurality of holding clips are configured to allow the housing to translate in the aperture in the X and the Y direction.

17 . The connector holder of claim 1 , wherein the second connector is in communication with an integrated circuit (IC).

18 . The connector holder of claim 17 , wherein the IC comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

19 . The connector holder of claim 5 , wherein the mating direction corresponds to the Z direction.

20 . The connector system of claim 9 , wherein the IC comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 27, 2023
From: CANTLE, ALLAN; DILLMAN, ROBERT
To: MOLEX, LLC
Reel/Frame 064064/0988 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63108445 · Nov 2, 2020
Related Publication 20230396007A1 · Dec 7, 2023
References Cited (26)
US 4820180A · Mosquera et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4988308A · Toedtman · 1991 [cited by examiner]
US 5514000A · Krause · 1996 [cited by examiner]
US 6736659B1 · Wu · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 7168978B1 · Trout · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 7607930B1 · Wu · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 8932071B2 · Venema · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9173304B2 · French, Jr. · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 10739828B2 · Reed · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11329431B2 · Pao · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20040094328A1 · Fjelstad et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20050075002A1 · Kubo · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20200153135A1 · Rossman · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200274267A1 · Zerebilov · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210126404A1 · Laurx · 2021 [cited by examiner]
DE 7208075U · 1972 [cited by applicant]
JP H05275868A · 1993 [cited by applicant]
JP H06203923A · 1994 [cited by applicant]
JP H09283225A · 1997 [cited by applicant]
JP 2002170635A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 2005093270A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016136492A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019071200A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020013690A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability received for PCT Application No. PCT/IB2021/060084, mailed on May 11, 2023, 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion received for PCT Application No. PCT/IB2021/060084, mailed on Feb. 1, 2022,13 pages. [cited by applicant]