IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,620,739
Granted Patent B2
US 12,620,739 · App. 18/308,745 · Granted May 5, 2026

Highly repairable, non-soldered USB connector

Inventors: Richard Eddings (Cedar Park, TX); Ernesto Ramirez (Austin, TX); Michael David (Austin, TX); Junji Oosaka (Tokyo, JP); Akihiro Matsunaga (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H01R12/75H01R13/24H01R43/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,620,739
App. No.
18/308,745
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of a highly-repairable, non-soldered Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector are described. In some non-limiting embodiments, a USB connector assembly comprises: a mounting bracket configured to removably attach to a printed circuit board (PCB); and a plurality of spring contacts disposed at least in part within the mounting bracket, wherein the spring contacts are configured to electrically connect to corresponding ones of a plurality of electrical contact pads of the PCB, and wherein an individual spring contact of the plurality of spring contacts applies a contact force to a corresponding one of the electrical contact pads of the PCB upon assembly of the mounting bracket onto the PCB.

Claims (24)

1 . A Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector assembly, comprising:

a mounting bracket configured to removably attach to a printed circuit board (PCB);

a plurality of spring contacts disposed at least in part within the mounting bracket, wherein the spring contacts are configured to electrically connect to corresponding ones of a plurality of electrical contact pads of the PCB, and wherein an individual spring contact of the plurality of spring contacts applies a contact force to a corresponding one of the electrical contact pads of the PCB upon assembly of the mounting bracket onto the PCB; and

a host USB connector port coupled to the mounting bracket and configured to accept a peripheral USB connector plug.

2 . The USB connector assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

an interposer connector comprising the plurality of spring contacts configured to electrically connect the host USB connector port to the PCB.

3 . The USB connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the mounting bracket is further configured to secure the host USB connector port and the interposer to the PCB by compression.

4 . The USB connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the host USB connector port is mechanically secured within the mounting bracket.

5 . A Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector assembly, comprising:

a mounting bracket configured to removably attach to a printed circuit board (PCB); and

a plurality of spring contacts disposed at least in part within the mounting bracket, wherein the spring contacts are configured to electrically connect to corresponding ones of a plurality of electrical contact pads of the PCB, and wherein an individual spring contact of the plurality of spring contacts applies a contact force to a corresponding one of the electrical contact pads of the PCB upon assembly of the mounting bracket onto the PCB;

wherein the USB connector assembly is configured to removably attach to the PCB without the use of any solder joints.

6 . The USB connector assembly of claim 5 , wherein the mounting bracket comprises one or more screw holes to allow one or more screws to removably attach the USB connector assembly to the PCB.

7 . The USB connector assembly of claim 6 , further comprising:

a support bracket configured to removably attach to an opposite side of the PCB than the mounting bracket by the same one or more screws that removably attach the USB connector assembly to the PCB.

8 . The USB connector assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:

a locater component configured to self-register the USB connector assembly on the PCB.

9 . The USB connector assembly of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of spring contacts are configured to conduct at least 240 Watts (W) of power when electrically connected to the corresponding ones of the electrical contact pads of the PCB.

10 . The USB connector assembly of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of spring contacts are configured to communicate greater than 40 Gigabits per second of data transfer when electrically connected to the corresponding ones of the electrical contact pads of the PCB.

11 . A printed circuit board (PCB), comprising:

a plurality of electrical contact pads on the surface of the PCB for connection to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector; and

the USB connector removably attached to the PCB, wherein the USB connector comprises a plurality of spring contacts to electrically connect to corresponding ones of the plurality of electrical contact pads, wherein an individual spring contact of the plurality of spring contacts applies a contact force to a corresponding one of the electrical contact pads, and wherein the USB connector further comprises a host USB connector port configured to accept a peripheral USB connector plug.

12 . The PCB of claim 11 further comprising one or more screw holes, wherein the USB connector further comprises one or more different screw holes, and wherein the USB connector is removably attached to the PCB using one or more screws that extend through the one or more different screw holes of the USB connector and the one or more screw holes of the PCB.

13 . The PCB of claim 12 , wherein the one or more screws are removably attached to a support bracket on the opposite side of the PCB than the USB connector.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2024
From: OOSAKA, JUNJI; MATSUNAGA, AKIHIRO
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 067186/0277 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: EDDINGS, RICHARD; RAMIREZ, ERNESTO; DAVID, MICHAEL
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 063475/0199 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240364030A1 · Oct 31, 2024
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