This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a shielded electrical connector assembly.
Various electrical connector assemblies have been provided with one connector mounted on and terminated to a printed circuit board and a second, mating connector terminated to a plurality of discrete electrical conductors. For instance, a female or receptacle connector may be mounted on the circuit board, and a male or plug connector may be terminated to the electrical conductors.
Some systems, including electrical connector assemblies as described above, are shielded systems to provide EMI and RFI protection for the entire connecting interface. For instance, the one connector mounted to the circuit board includes an enclosing metal shell or shield which is connected to a ground trace on the circuit board. The electrical conductors are cores of shielded electrical cables which include shielding braids, and the second or mating connector includes a second metal shell mounted in engagement with the shielding braids of the cables. Therefore, when the connectors are mated, the two metal shells of the two connectors are interengaged to ground the shielding braids of the electrical cables to the ground trace on the circuit board, while the two metal shells provide EMI and RFI protection for the entire mating interface of the connectors.
A problem with such connector assemblies as described above is that the two metal shells of the two mating connectors increase the number of parts of the assembly, resulting in increased manufacturing and assembly costs. Another problem is that the metal shell of the connector which is terminated to the electrical cables has a tendency to damage the cables, particularly the shielding braids of the cables, during assembly, shipping, handling and repeated usage. The present invention is directed to solving these problems.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved shielded electrical connector assembly of the character described.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the connector assembly includes a receptacle connector having a first dielectric housing for mounting on a printed circuit board and including a mating receptacle. A plurality of board terminals are mounted on the first housing and have tail portions for connection to appropriate circuit traces on the circuit board and contact portions extending into the mating receptacle. A plug connector has a second dielectric housing including a mating plug portion for insertion into the mating receptacle of the receptacle connector. A plurality of signal terminals are mounted on the second housing and have contact portions on the mating plug portion thereof for engaging the contact portions in the mating receptacle when the connectors are mated. The signal terminals include terminating portions for termination to a plurality of discrete signal conductors. A single metal shell is mounted on the second housing of the plug connector and projects therefrom over the first housing of the receptacle connector to shield the mating interface between the board terminals and the signal terminals when the connectors are mated.
According to one aspect of the invention, the receptacle connector includes at least one ground terminal having a tail portion for connection to an appropriate ground trace on the circuit board. A contact portion of the ground terminal engages the metal shell when the connectors are mated to ground the metal shell on the plug connector to the circuit board on which the receptacle connector is mounted.
According to another aspect of the invention, the signal conductors comprise conductive cores of a plurality of shielded electrical cables having ground components, such as shielding braids or sheaths, coupled to the metal shell. In the exemplary embodiment, at least one conductive ground bar extends across and in engagement with the shielding sheaths. The metal shell has an engagement portion in engagement with the ground bar. The engagement portion comprises an inwardly folded flange along a rear end of the shell. The shell includes a top wall and opposite side walls for covering respective top and side walls of the dielectric housing of the receptacle connector, and the flange is folded inwardly under a rear edge of the top wall of the shell and spaced therefrom.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the invention is embodied in a shielded electrical connector assembly, generally designated 20, which includes a plug connector, generally designated 22, mateable with a receptacle connector, generally designated 24. The plug connector is terminated to the discrete conductors of a plurality of electrical cables 26, and the receptacle connector is mounted on top of a printed circuit board 28.
Referring to
Still referring to
Plug connector 22 further includes a shield in the form of a metal shell, generally designated 42. The shell includes a front end 44 which extends slightly forwardly of plug portion 30b of the housing and slightly forwardly of the forward distal ends of signal terminals 32, as can be seen clearly in
As best seen in
Referring to
Each board terminal 52 of receptacle connector 24 is generally U-shaped and includes a base section 56 and a pair of upper and lower legs 58 and 60 which project forwardly of the base section into mating receptacle 54. A tail portion 62 of each board terminal projects outwardly of the rear of housing 51 and is connected, as by soldering, to an appropriate circuit trace on circuit board 28. Leg 60 of each board terminal 52 is a mounting leg and is fixed within a mounting groove 64 in housing 51. Upper leg 58 of each board terminal comprises a flexible contact arm which projects into mating receptacle 54. The contact arm can flex in the direction of double-headed arrow “G”. An inwardly or downwardly projecting contact point 58a is formed near the distal end of the flexible contact arm for engaging the top surface 32b (
This subassembly then is placed in a base jig 80 as shown in
The subassembly formed by the process described above in relation to
Cable retainer 38 then is forced into retainer hole 40 of the housing in the direction of arrow “J” in
The next step is to place the subassembly (with cable retainer 38) between a clamping apparatus 90 shown in
The final step in assembling plug connector 22 is to position the U-shaped metal shell 42 over cables 26 and slide the metal shell forwardly in the direction of arrow “L” in
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2003-374398 | Nov 2003 | JP | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20050106931 A1 | May 2005 | US |