US 11,778,768 B2
High-speed performance electrical connector for modular electronics systems
Richard G. Baldwin, Jr., Austin, TX (US); and Dennis Vance Toth, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to National Instruments Corporation, Austin, TX (US)
Filed by NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/408,312.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/068,789, filed on Aug. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0061181 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. H05K 7/14 (2006.01); G06F 1/18 (2006.01); H01R 12/70 (2011.01)
CPC H05K 7/1424 (2013.01) [G06F 1/183 (2013.01); H01R 12/7005 (2013.01); H05K 7/1454 (2013.01); H05K 7/1488 (2013.01); H05K 2201/044 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mechanism for connecting a module to a chassis, the mechanism comprising:
a plug configured to couple the module to the chassis;
wherein the plug comprises a compressible gap filling material configured to fill an air gap between an end of a connector inserted into the plug and a back surface of the plug to meet signal performance acceptance criteria; and
an element configured to move the module towards a backplane of the chassis to effectively reduce or eliminate a designed-in and/or tolerance-induced gap between the end of the connector of the module and the back surface of the plug when the connector is inserted into the plug,
wherein the element comprises a first spring-loaded plunger assembly configured at a top end of the chassis and a second spring-loaded plunger assembly configured at a bottom end of the chassis.
 
7. A chassis comprising:
one or more plugs, each plug configured to couple a respective module to the chassis;
wherein at least one of the one or more plugs comprises a compressible gap filling material configured to fill an air gap between an end of a connector inserted into the plug and a back surface of the at least one plug to meet signal performance acceptance criteria; and
a respective mechanism for connecting each respective module to the chassis via a corresponding plug of the one or more plugs,
each respective mechanism comprising:
an element configured to move the respective module towards a backplane of the chassis to effectively reduce or eliminate a designed-in and/or tolerance-induced gap between an end of a connector of the respective module and a back surface of the corresponding plug when the connector is inserted into the corresponding plug,
wherein the element comprises a first spring-loaded plunger assembly configured at a top end of the chassis and a second spring-loaded plunger assembly configured at a bottom end of the chassis.
 
13. A mechanism for connecting a module to a chassis, the mechanism comprising:
a plug configured to couple the module to the chassis and comprising gap filling material configured to fill an air gap between an end of a connector inserted into the plug and a back surface of the plug to meet signal performance acceptance criteria; and
one of:
a first element configured to move the module towards a backplane of the chassis to effectively reduce or eliminate a designed-in and/or tolerance-induced gap between the end of the connector of the module and the back surface of the plug when the connector is inserted into the plug; or
a second element configured to move the backplane towards the chassis to effectively reduce or eliminate the designed-in and/or tolerance-induced gap between the end of the connector and the back surface of the plug when the connector is inserted into the plug.