Claims
- 1. An electrical connector, comprising:
a housing having a plurality of contacts arranged in contact rows and columns; first shield members disposed in said housing between said contact rows; and second shield members disposed in said housing between said contact columns, wherein said second shield members engage neighboring ones of said first shield members.
- 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said first and second shield members electrically shield each of said contacts on at least two sides.
- 3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said plurality of contacts includes a plurality of interior and exterior contacts.
- 4. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein each of said interior contacts is electrically shielded on four sides.
- 5. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein each of said interior contacts is shielded from neighboring contacts by a pair of said first shield members and a pair of said the second shield members.
- 6. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said first shield members are comprised of an electrically conductive material.
- 7. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said first shield members comprises a single unit adapted to extend along at least two adjacent rows of contacts.
- 8. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said first shield members are adapted to removably engage a mating electrical connector.
- 9. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said second shield members mechanically engages at least one of said first shield members.
- 10. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said second shield members is adapted to electrically connect to at least one of said first shield members.
- 11. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said second shield member is generally planar in shape.
- 12. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said second shield members has a generally planar main body.
- 13. The electrical connector of claim 12, wherein each of said second shield members has at least one arm extending from said main body.
- 14. The electrical connector of claim 12, wherein each of said second shield members has at least two resilient arms extending from opposing sides of said main body and adapted to be deflected within a plane of said main body.
- 15. The electrical connector of claim 14, wherein said arms and said main body are formed of a same material.
- 16. The electrical connector of claim 14, wherein said arms and said main body are formed of a different material.
- 17. The electrical connector of claim 12, wherein a portion of each said main body is adapted to overlap a portion of at least one contact, thereby electrically shielding said contact.
- 18. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said second shield members engages at least one of said first shield members.
- 19. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of said second shield members is disposed between two first shield members, said second shield members having a pair of arms adapted to engage said first shield members.
- 20. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said first and second shield members are made of a same material.
- 21. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said first and second shield members are made of a different material.
- 22. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said housing defines a plurality of slots, and wherein each of said second shield members is disposed in respective slots.
- 23. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said housing is comprised of an insulating material and having front mating and opposing mounting faces.
- 24. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said contacts includes a mating section adapted for engaging mating portions of a mating electrical connector.
- 25. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said contacts includes a pair of resilient beams adapted to engage mating portions of a plurality of contacts in a mating electrical connector.
- 26. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein each of said contacts includes a mounting section adapted to engage a circuit board.
- 27. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said contacts are arranged in a grid of mutually perpendicular linear arrays.
- 28. An electrical connector for use with a circuit board for carrying high speed data, comprising:
a plurality of electrically conductive members in a housing and arranged in a grid; and means for electrically shielding each of said plurality of conductive members from neighboring conductive members on at least two adjacent sides of said conductive members.
- 29. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein said shielding means electrically shields at least one of said conductive members on four sides from neighboring conductive members.
- 30. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein said conductive members comprises a plurality of interior and exterior contacts, each of said interior contacts electrically shielded from neighboring contacts on four sides.
- 31. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein said shielding means comprises first shield members disposed in contact rows in said grid and second shield members disposed in contact columns in said grid, further wherein said second shield members engage neighboring ones of said first shield members.
- 32. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein said conductive members include a plurality of interior and exterior contacts, each of said interior contacts shielded from neighboring contacts by a pair of said first shield members and a pair of said second shield members.
- 33. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said first shield members comprises a single unit adapted to extend along at least two adjacent contact rows.
- 34. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said second shield members mechanically engages at least one of said first shield members.
- 35. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said second shield members is adapted to electrically connect to at least one of said first shield members.
- 36. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said second shield members is generally planar in shape.
- 37. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said second shield members has a generally planar main body.
- 38. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said second shield member has at least one arm extending from a main body.
- 39. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said second shield member has at least two resilient arms extending from opposing sides of a main body and adapted to deflect within a plane of said main body.
- 40. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein a portion of each said main body is adapted to overlap a portion of respective conductive members.
- 41. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein at least one of said second shield members is disposed between two first shield members, said second shield members having a pair of arms adapted to engage said first shield members.
- 42. The electrical connector of claim 31, wherein each of said conductive members includes a mating section adapted for engaging mating portions of a mating electrical connector.
- 43. The electrical connector of claim 28, wherein each of said conductive members includes a mounting section adapted to engage the circuit board.
- 44. A circuit board for use with high speed data, comprising:
a circuit trace; and a connector adapted to engage said circuit trace, wherein said connector includes a housing having a plurality of contacts arranged in contact rows and columns, first shield members disposed in said housing between said contact rows and second shield members disposed in said housing between said contact columns, wherein said second shield members engage neighboring ones of said first shield members.
- 45. A method of transmitting high speed data signals through an electrical connector having engaging first and second shield members, the data signal carrying data at a predetermined data rate greater than about 2 gigahertz with a predetermined signal to noise ratio.
- 46. The method of claim 44, where said method includes transmitting the high speed data signals with a predetermined jitter signal to noise ratio.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to, and claims priority from, Provisional Application No. 60/206,558 filed May 25, 2000, titled “Electrical Connector Having Contacts Isolated by Shields”, the complete subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60206558 |
May 2000 |
US |