CN115117655A

CN115117655A - Connector, photoelectric device and network equipment

Info

Publication number: CN115117655A
Application number: CN202110289020.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李晓辉; 张辉; 张�杰; 陈宗训
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-18
Filing date: 2021-03-18
Publication date: 2022-09-27
Also published as: WO2022193996A1

Abstract

The application relates to a connector for realizing the fixation and signal transmission of an optical module on a circuit board. The optical module comprises a plurality of signal contacts, and a plurality of bonding pads are arranged on the outer surface of the circuit board. The connector comprises a transmission part and fixing parts fixed on two sides of the transmission part. The transmission portion comprises a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other, a plurality of welding feet and a plurality of contact elastic sheets are respectively arranged in a protruding mode, and each contact elastic sheet is communicated with one welding foot. The fixing portion includes opposite first and second ends, and the first end is fixed in on the surface, makes every leg and a pad contact conduction simultaneously. The second end is fixedly connected with the optical module, and each contact elastic sheet is in contact conduction with one contact. This application connector table is pasted on the surface of circuit board, compares in prior art adoption bolt or jack connection's mode, and it occupies littleer to the area of circuit board, is favorable to integrating of circuit board. The application also relates to an optoelectronic device and a network device comprising such a connector.

Description

Connector, photoelectric device and network equipment

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of network devices, and in particular to a connector, an optoelectronic device comprising the connector, and a network device comprising the connector or the optoelectronic device.

Background

The capacity of current switch products is gradually increased, and switch products with 51.2T, 102.4T and larger capacity appear. Large capacity switches are accompanied by a need for high transmission rates, and copper wires used for transmitting signals cause large losses of the transmitted signals when the transmission rate reaches 112Gb/s or more.

Therefore, the optical module for realizing photoelectric conversion in the switch is gradually integrated on the circuit board or directly integrated on the photoelectric device, so as to shorten the transmission distance and reduce the loss of signals in the transmission process. In the manufacturing process of circuit boards or optoelectronic devices, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is often used, wherein Reflow Soldering (Reflow Soldering) and other processes may be used, and the temperature in the processes is high. Because the optical module has low heat resistance, the optical module is inconvenient to enter the processes of reflow soldering and the like together with a circuit board or a photoelectric device, and the optical module can only be assembled on the circuit board or the photoelectric device through a connector at the later stage. In the context of a high degree of integration of both circuit boards and optoelectronic devices, there is a need to further control the area overhead of the connector on the circuit board or optoelectronic device.

Disclosure of Invention

The connector is attached to the outer surface of the circuit board and used for fixing the optical module on the circuit board and transmitting signals. Meanwhile, the application also relates to an optoelectronic device comprising the connector and a network device comprising the connector or the optoelectronic device.

In a first aspect, the present application relates to a connector for fixing an optical module on a circuit board and transmitting signals, the optical module is provided with a plurality of signal contacts, the outer surface of the circuit board is provided with a plurality of bonding pads, the connector includes a transmission portion and two fixing portions, the two fixing portions are respectively fixed on two opposite sides of the transmission portion;

the transmission part comprises a first surface connected between the two fixing parts and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a plurality of welding feet are convexly arranged on the first surface; a plurality of contact elastic sheets are convexly arranged on the second surface, and each contact elastic sheet is respectively communicated with one corresponding welding leg;

the fixing part comprises a first end and a second end which are opposite to each other along the direction from the first surface to the second surface, and the first end is closer to the circuit board relative to the second end and is fixed on the outer surface so that the plurality of welding feet are in contact conduction with the plurality of welding pads; the second end is used for fixing the optical module and enabling the contact elastic sheets to be in contact conduction with the contacts.

The connector is conducted with the signal contacts of the optical module one by one through the contact elastic pieces on the contact part, conducted with the welding pads of the circuit board one by one through the welding pins, and then conducted between each contact elastic piece and the corresponding welding pin respectively, so that the data transmission function of the optical module towards the circuit board is achieved.

The connector is further fixedly connected with the circuit board and the optical module respectively through the fixing parts which are fixed on the two opposite sides of the contact part respectively. The first end of the fixing part close to the circuit board can be fixed on the circuit board in a welding mode and the like, and the second end of the fixing part far away from the circuit board is used for fixing the optical module. Because the first end of fixed part and the external surface of circuit board are fixed, compare in the mode of adopting connection such as bolt or jack among the prior art, the area overhead of this application connector on the circuit board is littleer, and then is favorable to improving the integrated level of circuit board, reduces its whole volume.

In a possible implementation, the number of solder tails is the same as the number of solder pads, and/or the number of contact domes is the same as the number of contacts.

In the implementation mode, the number of the signal contacts is the same as that of the contact spring pieces, so that the area of the second surface can be saved; and the quantity of the welding feet is the same as that of the welding pads, so that the area of the first surface is saved. The area of the first face and/or the second face is smaller, the volume of the transmission part can be reduced, and the total volume control of the connector is facilitated.

In one possible implementation, the first end is arranged flush with the solder tail.

In this implementation, first terminal surface pastes on the surface of circuit board, and it flushes the setting with the leg and can guarantees that the leg also takes place the contact with the surface, and then guarantees the reliable switch-on between leg and the pad.

In a possible implementation manner, the plurality of contact spring pieces are arranged on the second surface in an array, the plurality of solder tails are also arranged on the first surface in an array, and the position of each solder tail corresponds to the position of one contact spring piece.

In this implementation manner, the signal contacts of the optical module are mostly arranged in an array manner, so as to improve the density of the signal contacts. Consequently, set up the contact shell fragment and also be array mode and arrange, can make the position of each contact shell fragment form the matching with a signal contact's position, and then also promoted contact shell fragment density and leg density in the connector, further reduce the volume of connector.

In a possible implementation, the fixing portion further includes a leg, the leg is located at the first end and extends in a direction parallel to the first face, and the fixing portion is fixed to the outer surface by welding through the leg.

In this implementation, the fixed part sets up the stabilizer blade in first end department to through the surface welded fastening of stabilizer blade and circuit board, can widen the area of contact between first end and the surface, and then guarantee that the connection between connector and the circuit board is reliable.

In a possible implementation, the number of the legs is two, two legs are provided at the first end at an interval, and both the legs extend towards the transmission portion, or both the legs extend away from the transmission portion.

In this implementation, the stabilizer blade of each fixed part sets up to two, and two stabilizer blade interval arrangements, can promote the stabilizer blade to the bearing structure stability of fixed part under the condition that reduces single stabilizer blade area of contact. And when two stabilizer blades simultaneously extend towards the transmission part, or simultaneously extend away from the transmission part, the processing and manufacturing of the fixed part are facilitated.

In a possible implementation manner, the optical module is further provided with two rows of grounding contacts, the two rows of grounding contacts are respectively arranged at two opposite sides of the plurality of signal contacts, the circuit board is provided with two grounding areas, and the two grounding areas are also respectively arranged at two opposite sides of the plurality of bonding pads;

the connector further comprises two grounding parts, wherein the two grounding parts are in a long strip shape and are fixed on two opposite sides of the transmission part, at least one grounding elastic sheet and at least one grounding welding pin are arranged on two opposite sides of each grounding part in a protruding mode respectively, each grounding elastic sheet is conducted with at least one grounding welding pin, each grounding elastic sheet is used for being conducted with one grounding contact, and each grounding welding pin is used for being conducted with one grounding area.

In this implementation, two rows of ground contacts on the optical module can be used to eliminate signal crosstalk. Correspondingly, two grounding parts are arranged to be connected between the grounding contact of the optical module and the grounding area of the circuit board, so that the grounding function of the grounding contact can be realized. Meanwhile, the arrangement of the grounding part also avoids the area consumption when the grounding elastic sheet is additionally arranged on the second surface.

In a possible implementation manner, the number of the grounding elastic pieces on the grounding portion is the same as the number of the grounding contacts on the optical module, and the number of the corresponding grounding welding pins is also the same as the number of the grounding elastic pieces. Therefore, each grounding contact on the optical module can be conducted to the grounding area through a grounding elastic sheet and a grounding welding leg in sequence, and the grounding reliability of the optical module is improved.

In one possible implementation, the plurality of grounding springs and the plurality of contact springs are arranged flush.

In this implementation manner, when the optical module is fixed on the connector, the magnitudes of the supporting forces of the contact spring and the grounding spring on the signal contact and the grounding contact tend to be consistent, so that the uniform stress of the optical module is ensured.

In one possible implementation, the grounding portion is entirely made of a conductive material.

In this implementation manner, the plurality of grounding elastic sheets and the plurality of grounding welding pins are all in a mutual conduction state, so that the conduction reliability of the grounding portion is further improved.

In one possible implementation, the ground leg further includes an extension section extending parallel to the leg.

In this implementation, the extension section of the ground solder leg can increase the contact area between the extension section and the ground area, thereby improving the connection reliability between the ground solder leg and the ground area, and also improving the contact area between the fixing portion and the outer surface.

In one possible implementation manner, the arrangement direction of the fixed portion relative to the transmission portion is the same as the arrangement direction of the two grounding portions relative to the contact spring piece.

In this implementation manner, each grounding portion is sandwiched between the transmission portion and one fixing portion, and the grounding portions can be fixedly connected in the connector by the cooperation of the fixing portions and the transmission portion, thereby simplifying the structure of the connector.

In one possible implementation, each grounding portion is located between two legs.

In this embodiment, the ground portion is generally elongated because it engages with a row of ground contacts. At this time, the two sides of the two support leg row grounding parts are arranged, so that the span between the two support legs is larger, and the support stability of the support legs to the fixing part is improved.

In one possible implementation manner, the transmission part and the fixing part are of an integrally formed structure.

In this implementation, the transmission part and the fixing part are integrally formed, so that the necessity of providing a connecting structure between the transmission part and the fixing part is avoided, and the overall size of the connector can be reduced.

In a possible implementation manner, the two grounding portions are respectively fixed on the fixing portions located on the same side thereof, or both the two grounding portions are fixedly connected with the transmission portion.

In the implementation mode, the transmission part and the fixing part are of a split structure, the process for manufacturing the transmission part and the fixing part separately is simplified, and the cost of the connector can be reduced. Furthermore, the grounding part is arranged and fixed on the fixing part positioned on the same side of the grounding part, so that the grounding part is convenient to process, manufacture and assemble.

In a possible implementation manner, the transmission part comprises an insulating body and a plurality of transmission pieces arranged in the insulating body at intervals, the first surface and the second surface are both positioned on the insulating body, one end of each transmission piece is configured as a welding leg, and the other end of each transmission piece is configured as a contact elastic piece.

In this implementation manner, the contact elastic sheet and the solder leg which are conducted with each other are disposed on the same component, i.e., the transmission member, so that the position of the contact elastic sheet relative to the second surface and the position of the solder leg relative to the first surface can be controlled by controlling the position of the transmission member in the insulation body. Furthermore, the relative position and the connection reliability between the contact elastic sheet and the welding leg which are positioned on the transmission piece are also ensured.

In a possible implementation manner, in the arrangement direction of the fixing portions relative to the transmission portion, the two opposite sides of the insulating body are respectively provided with a protruding clamping portion, the fixing portions are provided with a fixing groove corresponding to the clamping portions, and the transmission portion extends into the fixing groove through the clamping portions and is fixedly connected with the circuit board through clamping of the two fixing portions.

In this implementation, the insulation body is clamped with the single fixing part in a manner that the clamping part extends into the fixing groove. And two fixed parts are respectively clamped with the insulating body from two opposite sides of the insulating body in a matching way, and the transmission part is clamped between the two fixed parts.

In a possible implementation manner, a clamping groove is arranged at the second end, and the second end clamps the optical module through the clamping groove to realize the fixed connection between the fixing part and the optical module.

In this implementation manner, the second end of the fixing portion is provided with the clamping groove, and the optical module is clamped by the clamping groove, so that the optical module can be reliably fixed, and meanwhile, the optical module can be conveniently mounted or dismounted relative to the connector.

In a possible implementation manner, the connector further includes a cover plate, the cover plate is located between the two fixing portions and has a protruding block capable of extending into the clamping groove, the cover plate further includes a supporting surface facing the transmission portion, and when the cover plate is fixed to the two fixing portions through the cooperation of the protruding block and the clamping groove, the cover plate supports and fixes the optical module through the supporting surface.

In this implementation manner, the cover plate can be fixed in the connector by matching the bump and the slot, and the optical module is fixed by the cover plate, so as to fix the optical module on the connector. The cover plate can also play a role in protecting the optical module.

In a possible implementation manner, the cover plate is further provided with an opening for allowing the optical interface to pass through the cover plate and be connected to the optical module, so as to implement the optical communication function of the optical module.

In a second aspect, the present application also relates to an optoelectronic device comprising a circuit board, an optical module and a connector as provided in the first aspect of the present application. The optical module is provided with a plurality of signal contacts, the outer surface of the circuit board is provided with a plurality of bonding pads, the optical module is fixed on the circuit board through a connector, and each signal contact is respectively conducted with one bonding pad through the connector.

In the optoelectronic device provided by the second aspect of the present application, the on-board integration of the optical module is directly realized through the connector of the first aspect of the present application, and the signal transmission distance of the optical module is shortened. Meanwhile, the area expense of the connector on the circuit board is small, so that the integration level of the photoelectric device related to the connector is higher.

In a possible implementation manner, the optoelectronic device further includes a processing chip, and the processing chip is also attached to the circuit board and is conducted with the connector of the present application through the circuit board. The processing chip can realize data exchange with the optical module through the connector and process the exchanged data.

In a third aspect, the present application relates to a network device comprising a circuit board, an optical module and a connector as provided in the first aspect of the present application, or comprising an optoelectronic device as provided in the second aspect of the present application.

In the network device provided by the third aspect of the present application, the optical module can be formed into a substrate by the connector of the first aspect of the present application, so that the optical module can be integrated on a circuit board of the network device, and the effects of shortening the signal transmission distance of the optical module and reducing signal loss are also achieved. Correspondingly, the integration level of the circuit board of the network equipment is improved, and the control of the whole volume of the network equipment is facilitated; when the network device is equipped with the optoelectronic device provided in the second aspect of the present application, the integration level of the network device is indirectly increased due to the increase of the integration level of the optoelectronic device, and the overall volume of the network device is controlled.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a network device provided in the present application;

FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic view of the internal structure of the network device provided in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the connector and optical module mating in the network device provided in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a light module in the network device provided in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of an outer surface of a circuit board in the network device provided in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a prior art connector;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a signal layout in one embodiment of the light module provided in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an exploded schematic view of one embodiment of a connector in the network device provided in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is an exploded schematic view of another embodiment of a connector in the network device provided in FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connector of FIG. 9 in which the grounding portion is engaged with the circuit board and the optical module;

fig. 11 is a schematic view of the structure of the connector provided in fig. 8, in which the transmission part is engaged with the circuit board;

fig. 12 is a schematic view of the structure of the connector provided in fig. 9, in which the transmission part is engaged with the circuit board;

fig. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the connector provided in fig. 3 and the optical module.

Detailed Description

Technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Please refer to fig. 1, which is a schematic diagram of an internal structure of a network device 500 according to an embodiment of the present application. The network device 500 includes a circuit board 200, and the connector 100, the optical module 300, and the optical interface 400 fixed to the circuit board 200. The connector 100 is a connector according to the present application, the connector 100 is directly attached to the outer surface 201 of the circuit board 200, and the optical module 300 is fixed to the connector 100 to achieve the fixed connection and signal transmission functions with the circuit board 200. The optical interface 400 is located on a side of the optical module 300 away from the circuit board 200, and is fixedly connected to the optical module 300 to implement signal transmission. In other embodiments, the optical interface 400 may also extend from a side of the optical module 300 along a direction parallel to the circuit board 200, and connect with the optical module 300 to implement signal transmission.

The optical interface 400 and the optical module 300 may be fixed to each other in such a manner that the optical interface 400 is directly fixed to the optical module 300. In other embodiments, since the optical module 300 is fixedly connected to the connector 100, the optical interface 400 can also be fixedly connected to the optical module 300 by being fixedly connected to the connector 100. The optical interface 400 includes an optical fiber 410, and the optical interface 400 is connected to an external optical device through the optical fiber 410 to implement a data interaction function between the network device 500 and the external optical device (not shown in the figure).

The network device 500 may be a server, a router, a switch, a network card, or the like, and is a network device that needs to implement photoelectric conversion. Wherein the optical module 300 is used for converting transmission signals between optical signals and electrical signals. That is, the optical signal inputted by the optical interface 400 is converted by the optical module 300, and can be formed into an electrical signal to be transmitted to the circuit board 200 through the connector 100. The circuit board 200 further carries a processing unit (not shown), and the electrical signal can be transmitted to the corresponding processing unit through the circuit board 200; the electrical signal sent by the processing unit may also be transmitted to the optical module 300 through the circuit board 200 and the connector 100, and the optical module 300 converts the electrical signal into an optical signal and sends the optical signal to an external optical device through the optical interface 400.

The application also relates to an optoelectronic device whose internal structure is similar to the schematic of fig. 1. The optoelectronic device of the present application is different from the network device 500 in that the circuit board 200 in the optoelectronic device related to the present application is used as a substrate of the optoelectronic device, and the processing unit can be used as a processing chip of the optoelectronic device. In this case, the optoelectronic device includes a substrate, a processing chip and a connector 100 attached to the substrate, and an optical module 300 fixed to the substrate via the connector 100. That is, in the photoelectric device according to the present application, the optical module 300 is formed as a substrate, and is packaged and integrated on the substrate together with the processing chip. The signal in the optical interface 400 can reach the processing chip through a shorter transmission path, thereby further avoiding the loss of the electrical signal. It is understood that the optoelectronic devices involved in the present application can also be used in the network devices 500 such as servers, routers, switches, network cards, etc. That is, the present application may also relate to a network device that is equipped with an optoelectronic device according to the present application and that realizes an optoelectronic conversion function by the optoelectronic device.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the connector 100, the optical module 300, and the optical connector 400 in fig. 1. The connector 100 includes a transmission portion 10, two fixing portions 20, and a cover 30. The two fixing portions 20 are respectively arranged at two sides of the transmission portion 10 along the first direction 001 and fixedly connected with the transmission portion 10. In some embodiments, the two fixing portions 20 may be fixed to the transmission portion 10 by an integral molding method, so that a connection structure between the transmission portion 10 and the fixing portions 20 may be omitted, and the overall volume of the connector 100 may be reduced. The cover plate 30 is also located between the two fixing portions 20 and on the side of the optical module 300 away from the transmission portion 10. The cover plate 30 is engaged with the connector 100 and fixed to the transmission unit 10 at a distance.

A receiving space is formed between the cover plate 30 and the transmission part 10, and the optical module 300 is received in the receiving space and is fixedly connected to the connector 100. The cover plate 30 is further provided with a side plate 31 at a periphery thereof, and the side plate 31 extends toward the transmission part 10 to cover a side surface of the optical module 300, so that the optical module 300 can be better protected. The cover plate 30 is further provided with an opening 32, the shape of the opening 32 is matched with the shape of the optical interface 400, and the optical interface 400 can penetrate through the opening 32 of the cover plate 30 and is connected with the optical module 300, so that the optical communication function of the optical module 300 is realized.

In the illustration of fig. 2, the transmitting portion 10 further comprises a second face 12, the second face 12 being connected between the two fixing portions 20 along the first direction 001. The second surface 12 is a surface of the transmission unit 10 facing the optical module 300, and a plurality of contact spring pieces 121 are protruded from the second surface 12. Please refer to fig. 3 for understanding. Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded structure of another observation direction between the connector 100 and the optical module 300. The transmission part 10 further includes a first surface 11 opposite to the second surface 12, and the first surface 11 is also connected between the two fixing parts 20. The first surface 11 is located on the side of the transmission part 10 facing the circuit board 200. In the illustration of fig. 3, a plurality of solder fillets 111 are convexly provided on the first surface 11.

In the transmission part 10, each contact spring 121 is conducted with one solder leg 111. The contact elastic sheet 121 is convexly arranged on the second surface 12, and can be used for being conducted with the optical module 300 and transmitting signals; the solder legs 111 are protruded from the first surface 11, and can be used to conduct with the circuit board 200 and transmit signals.

Please refer to fig. 4 for a schematic plan structure of the optical module 300. The optical module 300 of the network device 500 of the present application is provided with a plurality of signal contacts 310, and each signal contact 310 is arranged at an interval and is respectively used for transmitting one path of electrical signal. The signal contacts 310 are located on the surface of the optical module 300 facing the second face 12, and the number of the contact springs 121 of the connector 100 may be the same as the number of the signal contacts 310. And the position of each contact spring 121 corresponds to the position of one signal contact 310. When the optical module 300 is fixed on the connector 100, the plurality of contact spring pieces 121 protruding from the second surface 12 can form a one-to-one abutting fit with the signal contacts 310 on the optical module 300, and achieve the effect of signal conduction with the optical module 300. In the illustration of fig. 4, the plurality of signal contacts 310 are arranged in a matrix manner, so that the density of the signal contacts 310 can be increased, and the area of the optical module 300 can be reduced. Correspondingly, the plurality of contact spring pieces 121 on the second surface 12 are also correspondingly arranged in a matrix arrangement shape. In some embodiments, the contact domes 121 are also aligned in first 001 and second 002 directions perpendicular to each other. Since the fixing portions 20 are arranged at opposite sides of the transmission portion 10 along the first direction 001, the arrangement direction of the contact spring pieces 121 coincides with the arrangement direction of the fixing portions 20.

It can be understood that, because each contact spring 121 is in conduction with one solder leg 111, the plurality of solder legs 111 on the first surface 11 may also be arranged in a matrix shape along with the plurality of contact springs 121. That is, each solder leg 111 corresponds to one contact spring 121, and is conducted to the signal contact 310 of the optical module 300 through the contact spring 121.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the outer surface 201 of the circuit board 200 corresponding to the area of the connector 100. The circuit board 200 is provided with a plurality of pads 210. The pads 210 are also spaced apart and are used for transmitting an electrical signal. When the fixing portion 20 is fixedly connected to the outer surface 210 of the circuit board 200, each solder leg 111 is conducted to one solder pad 210, so that signals on the optical module 300 are sequentially conducted to one solder pad 210 through the contact spring 121 and the solder leg 111, and a signal transmission function between the optical module 300 and the circuit board 200 is further achieved. It is understood that when the plurality of solder tails 111 are also arranged in a matrix shape, the plurality of solder pads 210 are also arranged in a matrix shape, which also reduces the area overhead of the solder pads 210 on the circuit board 200. Meanwhile, the number of the pads 210 may also be the same as the number of the solder tails 111, thereby reducing the area of the first surface 11 and the area overhead of the pads 210 on the outer surface 210.

Referring back to fig. 2 and 3, the fixing portion 20 has opposite first and second ends 21 and 22. Wherein the first end 21 and the second end 22 are oriented in parallel to the arrangement direction of the first face 11 and the second face 12 in the transmission part 10, i.e. the fixing part 20 comprises a first end 21 and a second end 22 opposite to each other in the direction from the first face 11 to the second face 12. The first end 21 is closer to the transmission portion 10 than the second end 22, that is, the second end 22 is located in the extending direction of the first end 21 toward the second surface 12. The first end 21 is fixedly connected to the outer surface 210 to fix the connector 100 to the circuit board 200. In one embodiment, the first end 21 is fixedly connected to the outer surface 210 of the circuit board 200 by welding, such as soldering. In some embodiments, first end 21 may also be disposed flush with plurality of fillets 111. The first end 21 may be fixed on the outer surface of the circuit board 200 by soldering or the like, and each of the solder tails 111 is electrically connected to its corresponding pad 210.

For the connector 100 of the present application, the fixed connection between the first end 21 and the outer surface 210 can be interpreted as that the first end 21 directly engages with the outer surface 210 and forms a contact surface to realize the fixed connection therebetween; or in other embodiments, the first end 21 of the fixing portion 20 is provided with a structure for fitting with the outer surface 210, and the connector 100 fits with the outer surface 210 and forms a contact surface to realize the fixed connection of the two. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the fixing portion 20 may further include a leg 23, and the leg 23 is located at one side of the first end 21 and extends in a direction parallel to the first surface 11. The legs 23 can be understood as the structure of the fixing portion 20 provided at the first end 21 for abutting against the outer surface 210, and by the legs 23 being in abutting contact with the outer surface 210 alone, the effect of fixing connection is achieved; alternatively, in other embodiments, the legs 23 may also cooperate with the structure inherent at the first end 21, and both engage the outer surface 210 and form a contact surface, so as to achieve the effect of fixing the connector 100 to the circuit board 200. In this implementation, the leg 23 can enlarge the contact area between the first end 21 and the outer surface 210, and make the first end 21 more reliably fixed on the outer surface 210.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the number of the legs 23 may also be two, and two legs 23 are spaced apart from each other at the first end 21. The fixing portion 20 is fixedly connected to the outer surface 210 by two spaced legs 23, which provides a more stable structure and requires a smaller area for the individual legs 23. In the illustration of fig. 2 and 3, both legs 23 extend from the first end 21 in a direction away from the transmission 10. In other embodiments, the two legs 23 may extend from the first end 21 toward the interior of the transmission part 10 (as shown in fig. 9). The two legs 23 extending in the same direction can simplify the structure of the fixing portion 20, facilitating manufacturing.

In some embodiments, each solder leg 111 and the pad 210 may also be fixedly connected and electrically connected by soldering. The solder fixation between the solder leg 111 and the solder pad 210 can improve the connection stability between the connector 100 and the circuit board 200. The solder legs 111 may be in the form of solder balls that are soldered to the pads 210 through a reflow process.

As mentioned above, the circuit board 200 or the optoelectronic device mostly adopts the surface mounting technology in the manufacturing process, wherein a high temperature process such as reflow soldering may be used. The optical module 300 has low heat resistance, and if the optical module 300 is directly fixed on the outer surface 210 of the circuit board 200, the optical module 300 may be damaged by high temperature heat in a subsequent high temperature process such as reflow soldering. Therefore, the connector 100 of the present application is fixed on the outer surface 210 of the circuit board 200, after the circuit board 200 completes the high temperature process, the optical module 300 is assembled in the connector 100, and the optical module 300 is fixed and signal transmission is realized between the circuit board 200 and the circuit board 300 through the adapter of the connector 100, so that the phenomenon that the optical module 300 is damaged can be avoided.

Fig. 6 illustrates a structural schematic of one of the other embodiments of the connector 100 a. The connector 100a according to another embodiment includes a fixing portion 20a and a transmission portion 10a, and functions thereof are substantially the same as those of the present application. In the connector 100a, in order to achieve reliable connection of the fixing portion 20a to the circuit board, a fixing post 23a is provided at the first end 21a of the fixing portion 20 a. The fixing posts 23a are inserted into corresponding openings of the circuit board and fixed to the circuit board by soldering. The structure occupies a large area of the circuit board, and particularly when the circuit board in other schemes is of a multilayer structure, the penetrating fixing column 23a has a large influence on the arrangement of circuits and devices of each layer, which is not beneficial to the miniaturization of network equipment or photoelectric devices in other schemes. In other solutions, the connector 100a may also be fixed to the circuit board by a fastener such as a bolt, which also occupies a large area of the circuit board. Through the above structure arrangement, the connector 100 of the present application enables the fixing portion 20 to be welded and fixed on the outer surface 210 of the circuit board 200, and the area overhead of the fixing portion to the outer surface 210 is relatively small, which is beneficial to improving the integration level of the circuit board 200, and further correspondingly improving the integration level of the network device 500 or the optoelectronic device of the present application, and reducing the overall volume of the network device 500 or the optoelectronic device.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of signal contacts 310 of optical module 300 in network device 500 of the present application. The signal contact 310 includes a plurality of high-speed pins N and high-speed pins P, where one of the high-speed pins N is configured in pair corresponding to one of the high-speed pins P, that is, one of the high-speed pins N is adjacent to another high-speed pin P, and the two pins are matched together to transmit a high-speed signal in the optical module 300. Meanwhile, in order to prevent crosstalk that may be generated during high-speed signal transmission, a ground pin VSS is further provided in the signal contact 310. The ground pin VSS surrounds the paired high-speed pins P and N to ensure that the pairs of high-speed pins P and N do not interfere with each other. In some embodiments, signal contact 310 further includes pin S and pin P for transmitting ac signals.

It is understood that, corresponding to the connector 100 and the circuit board 200, the respective contact domes 121, the respective solder tails 111, and the plurality of solder pads 210 are also used for transmitting high-speed signals, performing a grounding function, and transmitting ac signals. One path of contact spring 121, solder leg 111 and solder pad 210 corresponding to the positions are used for transmitting the same path of signal after the connection is conducted.

The edge positions of the plurality of signal contacts 310 also have the problem of signal crosstalk. For this reason, in the illustration of fig. 7, two rows of ground contacts 320 are further provided on both sides of the plurality of signal contacts 310 of the optical module 300. In the process that the optical module 300 is connected to the circuit board 200 through the connector 100, a conductive structure for connecting two rows of ground contacts 320 may also be provided, so as to implement a grounding function at the edge positions of the signal contacts 310 and prevent signal crosstalk.

In other solutions, the conductive structure for grounding is also usually implemented in the form of contact spring and solder leg. The edge grounding effect of the optical module is achieved by expanding the number of the welding feet and the number of the contact elastic sheets. However, the expanded solder leg and the contact spring piece can increase the area of the connector, and the area overhead of the connector to the circuit board is too large by combining the mode of fastening structures such as jacks or bolts, so that the miniaturization of network equipment or photoelectric devices is hindered.

Referring to fig. 8 and 9, the connector 100 of the present invention further includes two grounding portions 40. The two ground portions 40 are also arranged on opposite sides of the transmission portion 10 in the first direction 001. Each land portion 40 has an elongated shape and has a first surface 41 and a second surface 42 opposite to each other. The first surface 41 is a surface of the ground portion 40 facing the optical module 300, and the second surface 42 is a surface of the ground portion 40 facing the circuit board 200. The first surface 41 is provided with at least one grounding elastic sheet 43 in a protruding mode, and the second surface 42 is provided with at least one grounding welding foot 44 in a protruding mode. Each grounding elastic sheet 43 corresponds to a grounding contact 320 on the optical module 300, and is conducted with a grounding solder leg 44.

Two grounding areas (not shown) are formed on the circuit board 200. It will be appreciated that both grounding regions are located on the outer surface 201 of the circuit board 200, and that both grounding regions are also split on opposite sides of the plurality of pads 210 along the first direction 001. The position of each grounding area corresponds to the grounding portion 40 located on the same side, and each grounding leg 44 on the grounding portion 40 is conducted with the grounding area, thereby realizing the grounding function of the two rows of grounding contacts 320 on the optical module 300. In the network device 500 or optoelectronic device of the present application, the arrangement of the docking area is not particularly limited. The grounding area can be a plurality of grounding pad structures which are mutually spaced, and can also be arranged in the form of a whole-surface metal pad. Because the electric potentials of all positions of the grounding area are the same, the implementation mode can effectively ensure the grounding effect of the circuit board 200.

In the structure illustrated in fig. 8 and 9, the transmission part 10 and the fixing part 20 are detachable structures independent of each other. When the transmission part 10 and the fixing part 20 are separate structures, the process of separately manufacturing the transmission part 10 and the fixing part 20 is simpler, and the overall manufacturing cost of the connector 100 can be reduced. Since the arrangement direction of the fixing portions 20 is also set along the first direction 001, the grounding portion 40 may be fixed between the transmission portion 10 and the fixing portion 20 located at the same side thereof. In other embodiments, the grounding portions 40 may be fixed to two opposite sides of the transmission portion 10 along a direction (the second direction 002) perpendicular to the first direction 001. The arrangement of the ground portions 40 corresponds to the direction of the two rows of ground contacts 320 in the optical module 300.

When the grounding part 40 is fixed between the transmission part 10 and the fixing part 20 located on the same side, the grounding part 40 may be separately provided on the transmission part 10 or the fixing part 20. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the grounding portion 40 is provided as a separate component, which is interposed between the transmission portion 10 and the fixing portion 20. A protrusion structure or a groove, etc. may be provided between the transmission part 10 and/or the fixing part 20 to be engaged with the grounding part 40, for preventing the grounding part 40 from moving when the transmission part 10 and the fixing part 20 clamp the grounding part 40. Such a securing may simplify the internal structure of the connector 100.

In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 8, the grounding portions 40 are disposed on the fixing portion 20, that is, two grounding portions 40 are respectively fixed on the fixing portion 20 located on the same side. Because the structure of the transmission part 10 is relatively complicated, and the structure of the fixing part 20 is relatively simple, it is easy to process. The ground connection portion 40 is provided on the fixing portion 20 to facilitate manufacturing and assembly. Further, the grounding part 40 may be provided integrally with the fixing part 20, thereby eliminating the necessity of providing a connecting structure between the grounding part 40 and the fixing part 20 and reducing the volume of a single fixing part 20.

In the illustration of fig. 8, a plurality of grounding elastic pieces 43 are disposed on the first surface 41 of the grounding portion 40, and the plurality of grounding elastic pieces 43 are arranged at intervals. The plurality of ground spring pieces 43 may form a plurality of contact points with the plurality of ground contacts 320 of the optical module 300, thereby improving the connection reliability between the ground connection part 40 and the optical module 300. It is understood that, in some embodiments, the number of the grounding elastic pieces 43 on the grounding portion 40 is the same as the number of the row of the grounding contacts 320 in the optical module 300. At this time, each grounding elastic sheet 43 correspondingly conducts one grounding contact 320.

In one embodiment, the plurality of grounding spring pieces 43 are also disposed flush with the plurality of contact spring pieces 121. Because the plurality of signal contacts 310 and the two rows of ground contacts 320 in the optical module 300 are arranged in a flush manner, the ground elastic pieces and the plurality of contact elastic pieces 121 are synchronously arranged in a flush manner, so that the conduction between the ground elastic pieces 43 and the contact elastic pieces 121 and the optical module 300 can be respectively ensured. Meanwhile, when the optical module 300 is fixed to the connector 100, the magnitudes of the abutting forces of the signal contacts 310 and the ground contacts 320 from the contact spring pieces 121 and the ground spring pieces 43 tend to be consistent, so that the stress of the optical module 300 is more uniform.

On the side of the ground pad 44, see the schematic of fig. 10. A plurality of ground members 45 may be provided in the ground portion 40. The plurality of ground contacts 45 are spaced apart and arranged in a row. Each grounding piece 45 comprises a first extending end and a second extending end which are opposite, wherein the first extending end extends out of the first surface 41 of the grounding part 40 and is constructed as a grounding elastic sheet 43; the second protruding end protrudes from the second surface 42 of the grounding portion 40 and is configured as a grounding pad 44. Therefore, the main structure of the grounding portion 40 can be made of an insulating material, the grounding members 45 fixed in the grounding portion 40 at intervals are made of a conductive material, and each grounding member 45 is used for realizing the function of independently conducting one grounding welding foot 44 and one grounding elastic sheet 43 in the grounding portion 40.

In other embodiments, the grounding portion 40 may be made of a conductive material as a whole. In this case, the grounding member 45 is not required to be provided, and each grounding elastic sheet 43 is protruded on the first surface 41, and each grounding leg 44 is also protruded on the second surface 42. Since the grounding portion 40 is entirely made of a conductive material, the potential is the same between the respective portions within the entire grounding portion 40. At this time, the plurality of grounding elastic pieces 43 and the plurality of grounding welding feet 44 are in a mutual conduction state, so that the conduction reliability of the grounding part 40 can be further improved.

Turning back to fig. 8 and 9, in some embodiments, the grounding portion 40 is located between the two legs 23. Since the leg 23 is located at the first end 21, that is, the plurality of ground pads 44 of the ground connection portion 40 are located between the two legs 23 in the second direction 002. As mentioned above, the grounding portion 40 needs to be engaged with one row of the grounding contacts 320, and therefore the grounding portion 40 is generally shaped like a long bar. By providing the two legs 23 on both sides of the grounding part 40, the span between the two legs 23 can be increased, and the stability of the legs 23 in supporting the fixing part 20 can be improved.

In one embodiment, the ground leg 44 further includes an extension segment 441, the extension segment 441 extending parallel to the leg 23. It is assumed that the legs 23 extend in a direction parallel to the first face 21, i.e. the plurality of extensions 441 also extend in a direction parallel to the first face 21. The extension segment 441 is disposed to enlarge the contact area between the ground pad 44 and the ground region, so that the contact conduction between the ground pad 44 and the ground region is more reliable. Meanwhile, the extension segment 441 may also be used to assist the fixing connection between the first end 21 and the outer surface 201, so as to improve the structural stability between the fixing portion 20 and the outer surface 201.

In the illustration of fig. 8, a plurality of extension segments 441 each extend away from the transmission portion 10 in the first direction 001. Whereas in the illustration of fig. 9, a plurality of extension sections 441 each extend in the first direction toward the transmission portion 10. It is understood that, in other embodiments, the extending directions of the extending sections 441 and the supporting legs 23 may be different, so that the supporting legs 23 and the extending sections 441 can be respectively fixed to the outer surface 201 from two opposite sides of the fixing portion 20, and the structural stability between the fixing portion 20 and the outer surface 201 is further improved.

It should be noted that, by the arrangement of the grounding portion 40, the region attached to the outer surface 201 is located in the region where the outer surface 201 corresponds to the transmission portion 10, or the region where the outer surface 201 corresponds to the fixing portion 20. I.e. the area of the ground area of the outer surface 201 at least partially coincides with the projected area of the connector 100 on the outer surface 201. The structure of the grounding portion 40 saves the area overhead of the connector 100 on the outer surface 201, and is also beneficial to improve the integration level of the network device 500 or the optoelectronic device of the present application.

Please refer to fig. 11 and 12 for an illustration of the fixing of the connector 100 of the present application to the circuit board 200. In the schematic diagrams of fig. 11 and 12, the internal structure of the transmission section 10 is shown. The transmission part 10 of the present application includes an insulating body 13 and a plurality of transmission members 14. The number of the transmission members 14 is plural, and the plurality of transmission members 14 are disposed in the insulating body 13 at intervals. The first surface 11 and the second surface 12 are both located on the insulating body 13, and a flange 131 is further disposed on the periphery of the insulating body 13, where the flange 131 is used to cooperate with the optical module 300 to limit the displacement of the optical module 300 relative to the transmission part 10 along the first direction 001 and/or the second direction 002. Further, in the extension direction of the first face 11 towards the second face 12, the transmission member 14 comprises a first end and a second end opposite to each other. The first end is located on the side of the transmission member 14 facing the first face 11 and protrudes from the first face 11 to be configured as a solder leg 111; the second end is located on the side of the transmission member 14 facing the second surface 12, and protrudes from the second surface 12 to form a contact spring 121.

It can be understood that the transmission members 14 are configured similarly to the structure of the grounding member 45, and opposite ends of each transmission member 14 protrude from the exterior of the insulation body 13 and are used for forming one contact spring 121 and one solder leg 111 of the transmission portion 10, and meanwhile, the conduction between the contact spring 121 and the solder leg 111 is also realized. The plurality of transmission members 14 may be arranged in the insulating body 13 at intervals in an array manner, so as to ensure the conduction between the contact spring pieces 121 and the solder tails 111, and facilitate controlling the relative position accuracy between the contact spring pieces 121 and between the solder tails 111.

Please see the schematic of fig. 8 and 9. The insulating body 13 is further provided with a clamping portion 132. The clamping portions 132 are respectively disposed on two sides of the insulating body 13 along the first direction 001, and extend toward a direction away from the insulating body 13. Correspondingly, each fixing portion 20 is also provided with a fixing groove 24. The position and shape of the holding groove 24 are too small and are set corresponding to the clamping portion 132 of the insulating housing 13, so that the clamping portion 132 can extend into the holding groove 24. After the clamping portions 132 of the insulating body 13 respectively extend into the holding grooves 24 of the fixing portions 20 on the corresponding side along the first direction 001, the two fixing portions 20 can form a clamping posture for the insulating body 13, and simultaneously, the movement of the insulating body 13 relative to the fixing portions 20 is limited by the matching of the holding grooves 24 and the clamping portions 132. Then, the two fixing portions 20 are fixed to the outer surface 201 by soldering, so that the transmission portion 10 can be reliably fixed to the circuit board 200.

In the illustration of fig. 8 and 9, two clamping portions 132 are provided on each side of the insulating body 13, and the two clamping portions 132 are provided at intervals from each other. The holding grooves 24 on the corresponding fixing portion 20 are also provided in two. The clamping portion 132 arranged at an interval is beneficial to improving the stability of the connecting structure between the insulating body 13 and the fixing portion 20. It is understood that in other embodiments, only one clamping portion 132 may be provided or a plurality of clamping portions 132 may be provided on one side of the insulating body 13, and the advantageous effects similar to those of the structures shown in fig. 8 and 9 can be achieved.

Referring to fig. 13, for the embodiment where the connector 100 further includes a cover 30, a slot 221 is further disposed at the second end 22 of the fixing portion 20. The cover plate 30 is provided with a projection 33 on both side plates 31 that mate with the second end 22. The position of the bump 33 is aligned with the position of the slot 221, and the shape and size are the same, and the bump 33 can extend into the slot 221 to realize the fixed connection between the fixing portion 20 and the cover plate 30. Similar to the fixing manner of the transmission part 10, after the protrusions 33 of the cover plate 30 respectively extend into the slots 221 of the fixing parts 20 on the corresponding sides along the first direction 001, the two fixing parts 20 can also form a clamping posture on the cover plate 30, and simultaneously limit the movement of the cover plate 30 relative to the fixing parts 20 through the matching of the slots 221 and the protrusions 33.

The cover plate 30 also comprises an abutment surface (not shown) facing the transfer portion 10. After the cover plate 30 is positioned, the abutting surface of the connector 100 is attached to the optical module 300, and the optical module 300 can be fixed in the connector 100. Specifically, the abutting of the abutting surface can limit the movement of the optical module 300 along the first surface 11 of the transmission unit 10 toward the second surface 12, and the side plate 31 of the cover plate 30 can limit the movement of the optical module 300 along the first direction 001 and the second direction 002, so as to ensure the reliable connection between the optical module 300 and each contact spring 121 of the transmission unit 10.

In other embodiments, a structure similar to the bump 33 may be disposed directly on the optical module 300, and the structure is extended into the card slot 221 on the second end 22, so as to achieve the effect of directly fixing the optical module 300 on the connector 100. In this case, the flange 131 of the insulating body 13 of the transmission unit 10 may play a role of restricting the movement of the optical module 300, and the structure of the cover plate 30 may be omitted, thereby simplifying and controlling the volume of the connector 100. Alternatively, in other embodiments, other fixing structures similar to the cover plate 30 may be disposed on the second end 22 for fixing the light module 300. Because the second end 22 is located in a direction in which the connector 100 is away from the circuit board 200, the connection structure of the second end 22 does not occupy an area of the outer surface 201 of the circuit board 200. The fixing structure of the optical module 300 of the connector 100 of the present application is not particularly limited, and the fixing structure can be used as a scheme for fixing the second end 22 of the connector 100 of the present application and the optical module 300 as long as the connector 100 can achieve an effect of facilitating the mounting or dismounting of the optical module 300 after being fixed on the outer surface 201.

The above description is only for the specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of the changes or substitutions, such as the reduction or addition of structural elements, the change of shape of structural elements, etc., within the technical scope of the present application, and shall be covered by the scope of the present application; the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other without conflict. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A connector is characterized in that the connector is used for fixing an optical module on a circuit board and transmitting signals, a plurality of signal contacts are arranged on the optical module, a plurality of bonding pads are arranged on the outer surface of the circuit board, the connector comprises a transmission part and two fixing parts, and the two fixing parts are respectively fixed on two opposite sides of the transmission part;

the transmission part comprises a first surface connected between the two fixing parts and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface is convexly provided with a plurality of welding feet, the second surface is convexly provided with a plurality of contact elastic sheets, and each contact elastic sheet is respectively communicated with one corresponding welding foot;

the fixing part comprises a first end and a second end which are opposite along the direction from the first surface to the second surface, the first end is closer to the circuit board relative to the second end and is fixed on the outer surface, so that the plurality of welding feet are in contact conduction with the plurality of welding pads; the second end is used for fixing the optical module so that the contact spring pieces are in contact conduction with the contacts.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the retainer portion further comprises a leg at the first end and extending in a direction parallel to the first face, the retainer portion being secured to the outer surface by welding the leg.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein the number of legs is two, two of the legs are spaced apart at the first end and both of the legs extend toward the transmission portion or both of the legs extend away from the transmission portion.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein said optical module is further provided with two rows of ground contacts, said two rows of ground contacts being arranged on opposite sides of said plurality of signal contacts, said circuit board being provided with two ground areas, said two ground areas also being arranged on opposite sides of said plurality of pads;

the connector also comprises two grounding parts, wherein the two grounding parts are in a long strip shape and are fixed on two opposite sides of the transmission part, at least one grounding elastic sheet and at least one grounding welding pin are respectively and convexly arranged on two opposite sides of each grounding part, each grounding elastic sheet is communicated with at least one grounding welding pin, each grounding elastic sheet is used for being communicated with one grounding contact, and each grounding welding pin is used for being communicated with one grounding area.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein an arrangement direction of the fixing portion with respect to the transmission portion is the same as an arrangement direction of the two grounding portions with respect to the contact spring.

6. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the two grounding portions are fixed to the fixing portions on the same side thereof, respectively, or both of the grounding portions are fixedly connected to the transmission portion.

7. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the transmission portion includes an insulating body, and a plurality of transmission members arranged at intervals in the insulating body, the first face and the second face are both located on the insulating body, one end of each transmission member is configured as the solder tail, and the other end is configured as the contact spring.

8. The connector of claim 7, wherein in the arrangement direction of the fixing portion relative to the transmission portion, the opposite sides of the insulating housing are respectively protruded with a clamping portion, the fixing portion is formed with a holding groove corresponding to the clamping portion, and the transmission portion extends into the holding groove through the clamping portion and is fixedly connected to the circuit board by being clamped between the two fixing portions.

9. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a slot is disposed at the second end, and the second end is configured to hold the optical module through the slot, so as to fixedly connect the fixing portion and the optical module.

10. The connector of claim 9, further comprising a cover plate, wherein the cover plate is disposed between the two fixing portions and has a protrusion extending into the slot, and the cover plate further comprises a supporting surface facing the transmission portion, and when the cover plate is fixed to the two fixing portions by the protrusion engaging with the slot, the cover plate supports and fixes the optical module via the supporting surface.

11. An optoelectronic device comprising a circuit board, an optical module and the connector of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the optical module has a plurality of signal contacts, the circuit board has a plurality of pads on an outer surface thereof, and the optical module is fixed to the circuit board via the connector such that each of the signal contacts is electrically connected to one of the pads via the connector.

12. A network device comprising a circuit board, an optical module and a connector according to any of claims 1-10, or comprising an optoelectronic device according to claim 11.