GB2416933A

GB2416933A - Connector with internal metallised connections and electronic device

Info

Publication number: GB2416933A
Application number: GB0516162A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dolf Campschroer; Ian Aspland
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics Nederland BV
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Nederland BV
Priority date: 2004-08-06
Filing date: 2005-08-05
Publication date: 2006-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 2025-08-05
Also published as: GB0516162D0; GB2416933B

Abstract

A connector 8 has an insulating housing 10 on which terminals 36, contacts 28 and the connections between them 22 are formed by metallisation, the terminals 36 being for external connection and the contacts 28 being connected to an electronic device, for example a pcb for modifying digital or analog audio data, in the housing. The device may directly contact the contacts 28 or may be connected by solder of anisotropic connection. A shielding casing 38 may envelop the housing with the terminals protruding from the casing.

Description

A connector device for an electronic apparatus.

The present invention relates to a connector device for an electrical connection for an electronic apparatus to a plug, and to a method of producing the connector. Preferably, the apparatus is a mobile communication apparatus and the connector is a system connector.

A variety of connectors and connector standards are known in the art, each of them providing particular properties and features optimized for a particular group of applications.

Many connectors are optimized for the transmission of either electrical AC or DC power or digital or analogue data. Some connectors are provided for both electrical power and digital and/or analogue data. The latter connectors are sometimes called system connectors.

Particular examples for system connectors are connectors defined and established by manufacturers of mobile communication apparatus, such as cellular phones.

Conventionally, system connectors are devices separately manufactured and inserted into the apparatus and providing electrical contact pads for the establishment of electrical contacts to a plug. Further, some system connector devices provide locking features for a temporary and unlockable connection of the plug to the connector devices. The mechanical structure of system connector devices provides for the mechanical rigidity necessary for consistent contacts between the connector and the plug, and for reliable transmission of signals via the connector plug interface.

Via the system connector, a battery of the apparatus may be charged and a headset for a hands-free communication may be connected to the apparatus. Furthermore, high-speed data connectivity with USB properties is provided by the system connector and it is possible to control cameras, digital music players, stereo headsets and other devices through the apparatus menu. Audio-devices and functionalities integrated into the apparatus, such as a music player or a radio, may exchange analogue or digital data with other apparatus via the system connector. The system connector may provide power to an accessory connected to the apparatus from the battery of the apparatus, thereby removing the need for a separate battery within the accessory. Attached accessories are digitally identified by the apparatus via the system connector, enabling the setting of optimized parameters in the apparatus.

For all these applications and benefits, the system connector provides the physical interface with fourteen electrical contact pads in a standard geometry and arrangement. The described functionalities further require electronic devices and electronic circuits for controlling the electrical power input and output via the connector, for modifying analogue signals, e.g. adjusting their levels, for conversion of digital data, e.g. transcribing the data from one data transfer protocol to another, for protection against electrostatic discharge and for many other functions. These electronic devices and circuits are positioned next to the connector device on a separate printed circuit board (PCB) or printed wiring board (PWB) connected directly or indirectly to the connector device and most frequently positioned next to it.

It is a general challenge in many technical fields and particularly in the field of mobile communication to miniaturize devices in order to reduce and minimize the costs of production and the overall size of any apparatus, in particular a mobile communication apparatus.

The object of the present invention is to provide a connector device for electrical connection between an electronic apparatus and a plug, an electronic apparatus and a method of producing the connector which facilitate a further downsizing of the apparatus.

This object is achieved by the connector device according to claim 1, an electronic apparatus according to claim 12 and the method according to claim 13.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector device for electrically connecting an electronic apparatus to a plug comprising contact elements, comprising: a housing constructed from an electrically insulating moulded plastic including metallised surface areas, the metallised surface areas forming interconnections and contact pads for contacting the contact elements of the plug; and contact elements for providing a permanent electrical connection to the electrical apparatus; characterized in that an electronic device is provided in the housing, the electronic device being electrically connected to at least one of the contact pads or to at least one of the contact elements.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus including a connector device for electrically connecting an electronic apparatus to a plug comprising contact elements, comprising: a housing constructed from an electrically insulating moulded plastic including metallised surface areas, the metallised surface areas forming interconnections and contact pads for contacting the contact elements of the plug; and contact elements for providing a permanent electrical connection to the electrical apparatus; characterized in that an electronic device is provided in the housing, the electronic device being electrically connected to at least one of the contact pads or to at least one of the contact elements.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of producing a connector device for electrically connecting an electronic apparatus to a plug comprising contact elements, the method comprising the steps of: providing a housing made of electrically insulating moulded plastic with metallised surface areas, the metallised surface areas forming interconnections and contact pads for contacting the contact elements of the plug, the housing further providing contact elements for a permanent electrical connection to the electrical apparatus; placing an electronic device in the housing; and electrically connecting the electronic device to at least one of the contact pads or to at least one of the contact elements.

The present invention is based on the fact that connectors such as a system connector require a particular size in order to provide sufficient mechanical stability and rigidity. It is therefore desirable to use a standard size connector and to integrate electronic devices or circuitry into the connector device. The electronic device or the electronic circuit is placed onto a PCB in a housing of the connector device. The electronic device or circuit is connected to the contact pads provided for contacting the contact elements of the plug and to the contact elements provided for permanent electrical connection to the electrical apparatus via wiring conductors of the PCB and interconnects formed on the housing. Alternatively, the electronic device or circuitry is placed directly into the housing and connected directly to interconnects formed on the surfaces of the housing. In this latter case, the costs of production are further reduced since no PCB is required.

The present invention provides the advantage that within the volume conventionally occupied by the connector alone, the electronic device or circuit is also accommodated. Therefore, the additional PCB required with a conventional connector device is avoided. Thus, further miniaturization of the apparatus, in which the connector device is built, is easily achieved. Furthermore, the costs of assembly of the apparatus are reduced since external interconnections between a conventional connector device and a PCB external to the connector device are omitted.

The application of the present invention to a system connector and a mobile communication apparatus, particularly to a cellular phone, is particularly advantageous. However, the present invention is applicable to other connectors, as well, in particular to all kinds of system connectors.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become clear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a connector device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is another schematic perspective view of the connector device according to the first embodiment; Figure 3 is another schematic perspective view of the connector device according to the first embodiment) Figure 4 is another schematic perspective view of the connector device according to the first embodiment; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a connector device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the components of the connector device according to the second embodiment; Figure 7 is another schematic perspective view of the components of the connector device according to the second embodiment; Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a connector device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 10 is a schematic flow chart of a method according a further embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a connector device 8 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The connector device 8 comprises a housing 10 made of an electrically insulating moulded plastic with metallised surface areas 12. The housing 10 has approximately the shape of a parallelepiped with two sides open. It is produced by moulding, e.g. by injection moulding. Two different kinds of surfaces of the moulded plastic are produced. These two kinds of surfaces can be produced in two subsequent moulding steps.

In a first step, one or more plastic parts with the first kind of surface are moulded in a first mould. These moulded plastic parts are then inserted into a second mould where the second kind of surface is formed by a second kind of plastic between the first plastic parts. Alternatively, one plastic part is moulded, the surface of which is subsequently treated selectively in order to produce the first and second kinds of surfaces.

The first and second kinds of surfaces differ in their ability to be metallised in a subsequent electroplating or electro-less plating step. For example, a metallised surface is formed on the first kind of surfaces, whereas it is not on the second kind of surfaces. In this manner, laterally structured metallised surface areas are produced on the surface of the moulded plastic housing 10. These metallised surface areas form contact pads for contacting the contact elements of a plug connected to the connector device 8 as well as interconnections connecting the contact pads to other contact pads, solder points or contact elements, wherein the contact elements are provided for permanent electrical connection of the connector device 8 to an electric or electronic apparatus.

Inside the housing 10, a PCB 14 is placed. Preferably, the shape of this PCB 14 is such that the free space in the housing 10 is almost completely occupied and can be used for electronic circuits and electronic devices 16, 18 thereon.

The electronic devices 16, 18 are connected to each other and to via-hole conductors 20 by wiring conductors 22. Via the wiring conductors 22, the via-hole conductors 20 and further wiring conductors on the backside of the PCB 14, the electronic devices 16, 18 and the electronic circuits formed by the electronic devices 16, 18 and the wiring conductors 22 are connected to metallised surface areas 12 on the housing 10. Electrically conductive connections between wiring conductors on the backside of the PCB 14 and the metallised surface areas 12 on the housing 10 are formed by solder joints or by an anisotropically conductive film or by other techniques. An anisotropically conductive film is a film, the electrical conductivity of which, is larger in the direction parallel to its thickness than in the lateral directions.

The electronic devices 16, 18 and the wiring conductors 22 on the PCB 14 form one electronic circuit or several electronic circuits more or less electrically separated from each other and providing different functionalities. For example, the electronic devices 16 are part of audioelectronics, or an electronic circuit for the conditioning or modifying of analogue or digital audio data, whereas the electronic devices 18 are part of a power electronics, or an electronic circuit for conditioning or modifying electrical power. In order to provide short wiring conductors 22 and low losses, each circuit on the PCB 14 is preferably placed next to contact pads of the connector device 8 transmitting or receiving the electrical signals belonging to the respective circuit.

Beyond the particular features of the present embodiment, the electronic devices 16, 18 and the electronic circuits comprising these devices on the PCB 14 provide all the functionalities conventionally provided by electronic circuits on a PCB located outside the connector device. These functionalities are the modification of analogue signals, e.g. adjusting their levels, the conversion of digital data, e.g. transcription of the data from one protocol to another, the protection against electrostatic discharge and many others. In this way, the electronic circuits on the PCB 14 provide for the very general and broadband functionality of the system connector concepts established by mobile communication manufacturers, as described in the introductory portion of the present application.

Figure 2 is another schematic perspective view of the connector device 8 according to the first embodiment. In this view, the open size of the housing 10 and the PCB 14 with the electronic devices 16, 18 are invisible. Instead, the contact pad side 24 is visible which is the rear side in the view of Figure 1. Furthermore, the bottom side 26 of the housing 10 is visible. At the contact pad side 24 of the housing 10 further metallised surface areas 28 are provided which serve as contact pads for contacting respective contact elements of a plug connected to the connector device. In the first embodiment, there are 14 parallel rectangular contact pads 28, thirteen thereof in a periodic array with small bar- shaped insulating parts 30 of the housing 10 in between. At both ends of the array of thirteen contact pads 28, notches 32 are cut deeply into the otherwise essentially rectangular shape of the housing 10. A fourteenth contact pad 28 is separated from the thirteenth contact pad array by one of these notches 32.

The metallised surface areas forming five of the contact pads 28 extend to the bottom side 26 of the housing 10 where each of them is connected to a first contact element 34 protruding from the bottom side 26.

Second contact elements 36 are provided on the bottom side 26 of the housing 10 and aligned with an edge of the housing 10 spaced apart form the contact pad side 24 of the housing 10.

Each of the second contact elements 36 is aligned with one of the contact pads 28. As can be seen from Figure 1, the contact elements 36 are connected to metallised surface areas 12 extending to an inside surface of the housing 10 under the PCB 14.

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the connector device 8 according to the first embodiment, corresponding to the view of Figure 2. Figure 3 differs from Figure 2 in that the housing 10 is positioned inside a casing 38. The casing 38 is preferably made of a bent metal plate and provides electrical shielding to the connector device 8 and further improves its mechanical rigidity. For applications without the need for the shielding and additional rigidity properties provided by the casing 38, the casing 38 may be omitted.

The housing 10 is fixed inside the casing 38 by the general shape and by clips 40 of the casing 38. The contact elements 34, 36 protrude through openings 42 of the casing 38. In this manner, the contact elements 34, 36 can be electrically connected to a cable or an external PCB via solder joints or such like.

The whole contact pad side 24 of the housing 10 with all the contact pads 28 and the notches 32 are exposed via an aperture 44 of the casing 38. Via the aperture 44, a plug can be engaged with the connector device 8 and the contact pads 28 can be contacted by corresponding contact elements of the plug.

Figure 4 is another schematic perspective view of the connector device 8 according to the first embodiment. This view differs from the view shown in Figure 3 in that the connector device 8 is rotated around a vertical axis by 180 .

The openings 42 through which the contact elements 36 protrude are here completely visible.

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a connector device 8 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. According to the first embodiment, the protruding contact elements 34 and 36 are tapered. According to the second embodiment, no first contact elements 34 are provided.

Furthermore, the remaining protruding contact elements 36 show a parallelepiped shape.

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the main components of the connector device 8 according to the second embodiment. The bottom side 26 of the housing 10 is rather similar to that of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2. A bottom side or backside of the PCB 14, with additional wiring conductors 46 connected to wiring conductors 22 on the upper side of the PCB 14 by-via hole conductors 20, are visible.

Figure 7 is another perspective view of the components of the connector device 8 according to the second embodiment. This view differs from the view of Figure 6 by a rotation of the assembly by 180 around a horizontal axis. As shown, some of the contact pads 28 are directly connected to contact elements 36 by continuous metallised surface areas while others are not. From Figures 6 and 7 it can be seen that the electronic devices 16 form circuits which are connected between contact pads 28 and contact elements 36. In this way, signals received via contact pads 28 are processed or manipulated before they are transmitted via contact elements 36 and signals received via contact elements 36 are processed or manipulated by electronic devices 16 before they are transmitted via contact pads 28.

Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a connector device 8 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. This connector device 8 differs from the connector devices according to the first and second embodiments in that no PCB is provided, but the electronic devices 16, 18 are directly connected to metallised surface areas 12 of the housing 10. In this manner, the manufacturing costs are reduced since no PCB is produced and no electrical connections between a PCB and the metallised surface areas 12 of the housing 10 need to be established.

Furthermore, the casing 38 of the third embodiment is smaller and lighter in weight than the casings of the first and second embodiment.

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of a mobile communication apparatus 50 with a display 52, keys 54 and a connector device 8 according to the present invention.

Figure 10 is a schematic flow chart of a method according to a further embodiment of the present invention. In a first step 60, a housing 10 as described above is provided. In a second step 62, an electronic device 16, 18 is placed into the housing 10. In a third step 64, the electronic device 16, 18 is electrically connected to at least one of the contact pads 28 and to at least one of the contact elements 36. These connections are either direct connections via metallised surface areas 12 as in the third embodiment or connections via wiring conductors 22, 46, via-hole conductors 20 and metallised surface areas 12, as in the first and second embodiment.

Claims

Claims 1. A connector device (8) for electrically connecting an electronic

apparatus (50) to a plug comprising contact elements, comprising: a housing (10) constructed from an electrically insulating moulded plastic including metallised surface areas (12), the metallised surface areas (12) forming interconnections and contact pads (28) for contacting the contact elements of the plug; and contact elements (36) for providing a permanent electrical connection to the electrical apparatus (50); characterized in that an electronic device (16, 18) is provided in the housing (10), the electronic device (16, 18) being electrically connected to at least one of the contact pads (28) or to at least one of the contact elements (34, 36).
2. A connector device (8) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (10) is a moulded interconnect device or a metallised interconnect device (MID) .
3. A connector device (8) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electronic device (16, 18) is part of an electronic circuit positioned in the housing (10).
4. A connector device (8) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic device (16, 18) is directly connected to one of the metallised surface areas (12).
5. A connector device (8) according to any claim 1 to 3, including a printed circuit board (14) disposed within the housing (10), and wherein the electronic device (16, 18) is connected to the printed circuit board (14).
6. A connector device (8) according to claim 5, wherein the printed circuit board (14) is electrically connected to metallised surface areas (12) of the housing (10) by solder joints or by an anisotropically conductive film.
7. A connector device (8) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic device (16, 18) is, or is part of, a circuit serving as protection against electrostatic discharge or for controlling electrical power or for digital data conversion or for modifying analogue signals.
8. A connector device (8) according to any one of the preceding claims, including a casing (38) providing electrodynamic shielding and/or mechanical stability for the connector device (8), the housing (10) being positioned inside the casing (38).
9. A connector device (8) according to claim 8, wherein one of the contact elements (34, 35) protrudes through an opening (42) in the casing (38).
10. A connector device (8) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communication apparatus (50).
11. A connector device (8) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector (8) device is a system connector.
12. An electronic apparatus (50) including a connector device (8) according to any one of the preceding claims.
13. A method of producing a connector device (8) for electrically connecting an electronic apparatus (50) to a plug comprising contact elements, the method comprising the steps of: providing (60) a housing (10) made of electrically insulating moulded plastic with metallised surface areas (12), the metallised surface areas (12) forming interconnections and contact pads (28) for contacting the contact elements of the plug, the housing (10) further providing contact elements (34, 36) for a permanent electrical connection to the electrical apparatus (50); placing (62) an electronic device (16, 18) in the housing (10); and electrically connecting (64) the electronic device (16, 18) to at least one of the contact pads (28) or to at least one of the contact elements (34, 36).