Receptacle connector
A receptacle connector includes a receptacle housing having a mounting base at a rear configured to be mounted to a host circuit board. The receptacle connector includes a housing insert received in the receptacle housing. The housing insert includes a slot that receives a pluggable module. A flexible circuit is received in the receptacle housing and has a mating end in the housing insert for mating engagement with the pluggable module and a terminating end extending from the receptacle housing for termination to the host circuit board. A flexible circuit support is used to support the flexible circuit in the receptacle housing with support elements engage the flexible circuit to press the circuit conductors into mating engagement with the contacts of the pluggable module.
1. A receptacle connector comprising:
a receptacle housing having a front cavity and a rear cavity, the receptacle housing having a mounting base at the rear configured to be mounted to a host circuit board;
a housing insert received in the front cavity, the housing insert including a slot configured to receive a mating end of a pluggable module;
a flexible circuit received in the rear cavity, the flexible circuit having a mating end received in the housing insert and extending along the slot for mating engagement with the pluggable module, the flexible circuit including circuit conductors at the mating end for mating engagement with contacts at the mating end of the pluggable module, the flexible circuit including a terminating end extending from the receptacle housing for termination to the host circuit board; and
a flexible circuit support to support the flexible circuit in the receptacle housing, the flexible circuit support including a carrier received in the rear cavity and support elements extending from the carrier into the housing insert, the support elements engaging the flexible circuit to press the circuit conductors into mating engagement with the contacts of the pluggable module.
2. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing insert includes a mounting tab coupled to the receptacle housing.
3. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing insert is removable from the front cavity of the receptacle housing.
4. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the support elements are independently movable relative to each other to engage the flexible circuit.
5. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes a connecting bar connecting each of the support elements to each other at the carrier.
6. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuit includes a stiffener at the terminating end, the stiffener rigidly holding the flexible circuit at the terminating end relative to the housing.
7. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminating end is coupled to the mounting base for connection to the host circuit board.
8. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuit includes a ball grid array of solder balls at the terminating end configured to be soldered to the host circuit board.
9. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the support elements are movable within the receptacle housing during loading of the pluggable module into the slot.
10. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the support elements include spring fingers, the spring fingers being spring biased against the flexible circuit to press the circuit conductors into mating engagement with the contacts of the pluggable module.
11. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the slot is configured to receive the pluggable module in a loading direction, the support elements extending parallel to the loading direction.
12. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing insert including a flexible circuit pocket outward of the slot and a support element pocket outward of the flexible circuit pocket, the mating end of the flexible circuit received in the flexible circuit pocket, the support elements extending from the carrier into the support element pocket.
13. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member coupled between the receptacle housing and the housing insert, wherein the housing insert is movable within the front cavity between an extended position and a retracted position, the biasing member forward biasing the housing insert relative to the receptacle housing in the extended position, the biasing member being compressed when the housing insert is moved from the extended position to the retracted position, wherein the housing insert moves the support elements inward toward the flexible circuit as the housing insert is moved from the extended position to the retracted position to press the circuit conductors into mating engagement with the contacts of the pluggable module.
14. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the circuit conductors include raised bumps extending from the flexible circuit to mate with the contacts of the pluggable module.
15. The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the circuit conductors include compliant tabs extending from the flexible circuit to mate with the contacts of the pluggable module.
16. A receptacle connector comprising:
a receptacle housing having a front cavity and a rear cavity, the receptacle housing having a mounting base at the rear configured to be mounted to a host circuit board;
a housing insert received in the front cavity, the housing insert including a slot configured to receive a mating end of a pluggable module;
a biasing member coupled between the receptacle housing and the housing insert, wherein the housing insert is movable within the front cavity between an extended position and a retracted position, the biasing member forward biasing the housing insert relative to the receptacle housing in the extended position, the biasing member being compressed when the housing insert is moved from the extended position to the retracted position;
a flexible circuit received in the rear cavity, the flexible circuit having a mating end received in the housing insert and extending along the slot for mating engagement with the pluggable module, the flexible circuit including circuit conductors at the mating end for mating engagement with contacts at the mating end of the pluggable module, the flexible circuit including a terminating end extending from the receptacle housing for termination to the host circuit board; and
a flexible circuit support to support the flexible circuit in the receptacle housing, the flexible circuit support including a carrier received in the rear cavity and support elements extending from the carrier into the housing insert;
wherein the housing insert moves the support elements inward toward the flexible circuit as the housing insert is moved from the extended position to the retracted position to press the circuit conductors into mating engagement with the contacts of the pluggable module.
17. The receptacle connector of claim 16 , wherein the slot is configured to receive the pluggable module in a loading direction, the support elements extending parallel to the loading direction, the housing insert being movable parallel to the loading direction, the housing insert pressing against the support elements to move the support elements perpendicular to the loading direction.
18. A receptacle connector comprising:
a receptacle housing having a front cavity and a rear cavity, the receptacle housing having a mounting base at the rear configured to be mounted to a host circuit board;
a housing insert received in the front cavity, the housing insert including a slot configured to receive a mating end of a pluggable module, the housing insert including a flexible circuit pocket outward of the slot and a support element pocket outward of the flexible circuit pocket;
a flexible circuit received in the rear cavity, the flexible circuit having a mating end received in the flexible circuit pocket of the housing insert, the flexible circuit including circuit conductors at the mating end for mating engagement with contacts at the mating end of the pluggable module, the flexible circuit including a terminating end extending from the receptacle housing for termination to the host circuit board; and
a flexible circuit support to support the flexible circuit in the receptacle housing, the flexible circuit support including a carrier received in the rear cavity and support elements extending from the carrier into the support element pocket of the housing insert, the support elements engaging the flexible circuit to press the circuit conductors into mating engagement with the contacts of the pluggable module.
19. The receptacle connector of claim 18 , wherein the support elements are movable within the support element pockets.
20. The receptacle connector of claim 18 , wherein the support elements are independently movable relative to each other to engage the flexible circuit.