Patent Application
20180083392
The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors.
Some electrical systems utilize electrical connectors, such as header assemblies and receptacle assemblies, to interconnect two circuit boards, such as a motherboard and daughtercard. The electrical connectors include contacts having pins extending from a mounting end of the electrical connectors. The pins are through-hole mounted to the circuit board by loading the pins into plated vias in the circuit board. A pin spacer is typically provided that holds and positions the pins for press-fitting to the circuit board. The electrical connectors include electrical shielding extending along the signal contacts of the electrical connectors. However, conventional electrical connectors have a gap or space in the electrical shielding at the interface with the circuit board. For example, the shielding typically ends a distance above the top of the circuit board such that the shield does not interfere with or prevent full mounting of the electrical connector to the circuit board. The shielding may end at the bottom of the contact modules with a space being defined by the thickness of the pin spacer between the bottom of the shield and the top of the circuit board. The pins are largely unshielded in the space between the bottom of the contact modules and the top of the circuit board.
A need remains for a contact module having improved shielding, such as between the contact modules and the top of the circuit board.
In one embodiment, a contact module is provided including a dielectric body having a mounting edge extending between first and second sides and signal contacts held by the dielectric body. The signal contacts have mounting portions extending from the mounting edge for termination to a circuit board. Each mounting portion has a base edge and a compliant pin extending below the base edge. The compliant pin is configured to be received in plated vias of the circuit board. A shield is provided at the first side of the dielectric body. The shield has grounding portions at the mounting edge of the dielectric body. Each grounding portion provides electrical shielding for the corresponding signal contacts. Each grounding portion includes a base edge and a compliant pin extending below the base edge. The base edge of the grounding portion is generally coplanar with the base edges of the mounting portions of the corresponding signal contacts. The compliant pin is configured to be received in a corresponding plated via of the circuit board. Each grounding portion includes a surface tab extending below the base edge to at least partially fill a space between the base edge of the grounding portion and a mounting surface of the circuit board such that the surface tab provides electrical shielding for the compliant pins of the signal contacts in the space between the base edge of the signal contact and the mounting surface of the circuit board.
In another embodiment, a contact module is provided including a dielectric body having a mounting edge extending between first and second sides and signal contacts held by the dielectric body. The signal contacts have mounting portions extending from the mounting edge for termination to a circuit board. The mounting portions include compliant pins configured to be received in plated vias of the circuit board. A shield is provided at the first side of the dielectric body. The shield has grounding portions at the mounting edge of the dielectric body. Each grounding portion provides electrical shielding for the corresponding signal contacts. Each grounding portion includes a compliant pin configured to be received in a corresponding plated via of the circuit board. Each grounding portion includes a compliant surface tab configured to face a mounting surface of the circuit board. The compliant surface tab is configured to be deflected against the mounting surface of the circuit board when interfering with the mounting surface as the contact module is press-mounted to the circuit board.
In another embodiment, an electrical connector is provided including a housing having a mating end and a back end opposite the mating end, contact modules arranged in a contact module stack received in and extending from the back end of the housing for termination to a circuit board, and a pin spacer arranged at a mounting end of the contact module stack between the mounting end and the circuit board. Each contact module includes a dielectric body having a mounting edge extending between first and second sides and signal contacts held by the dielectric body. The signal contacts have mounting portions extending from the mounting edge for termination to a circuit board. Each mounting portion has a base edge and a compliant pin extending below the base edge. The compliant pin is configured to be received in plated vias of the circuit board. A shield is provided at the first side of the dielectric body. The shield has grounding portions at the mounting edge of the dielectric body. Each grounding portion provides electrical shielding for the corresponding signal contacts. Each grounding portion includes a base edge and a compliant pin extending below the base edge. The base edge of the grounding portion is generally coplanar with the base edges of the mounting portions of the corresponding signal contacts. The compliant pin is configured to be received in a corresponding plated via of the circuit board. Each grounding portion includes a surface tab extending below the base edge. The pin spacer includes a top and a bottom with signal contact openings receiving the compliant pins of the signal contacts and ground contact openings receiving the compliant pins of the grounding portions. The pin spacer has ground contact pockets receiving corresponding surface tabs. The pin spacer has ledges surrounding the signal contact openings, the ground contact openings and the ground contact pockets. The base edge of each signal contact is supported by a corresponding ledge of the pin spacer. The base edge of each grounding portion is supported by a corresponding ledge of the pin spacer. The surface tabs extend below the ledge into the ground contact pocket to at least partially fill a space between the base edge of the grounding portion and a mounting surface of the circuit board.
The electrical connector 102 includes a housing 120 that holds a plurality of contact modules 122. The contact modules 122 are held in a stacked configuration generally parallel to one another. The contact modules 122 may be loaded into the housing 120 side-by-side in the stacked configuration as a unit or group. Any number of contact modules 122 may be provided in the electrical connector 102. The contact modules 122 each include a plurality of signal contacts 124 (shown in further detail in
The electrical connector 102 includes a front 128 defining a mating end and a bottom 130 defining a mounting end. Optionally, the mounting end may be oriented substantially perpendicular to the mating end. The mating and mounting ends may be at different locations other than the front 128 and bottom 130 in alternative embodiments. The signal contacts 124 are received in the housing 120 and held therein at the mating end 128 for electrical termination to the mating electrical connector. The signal contacts 124 are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns. The signal contacts 124 within each column are provided within a respective same contact module 122. The signal contacts 124 within each row are provided in multiple, different contact modules 122. Other orientations are possible in alternative embodiments. Any number of signal contacts 124 may be provided in the rows and columns. Optionally, the signal contacts 124 may be arranged in pairs carrying differential signals; however other signal arrangements are possible in alternative embodiments, such as single ended applications. The signal contacts 124 extend through the electrical connector 102 from the mating end to the mounting end for mounting to the circuit board 104.
In an exemplary embodiment, each contact module 122 has a shield structure 126 for providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts 124. For example, the shield structure 126 may provide shielding from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and/or radio frequency interference (RFI), and may provide shielding from other types of interference as well to better control electrical characteristics, such as impedance, cross-talk, and the like, of the signal contacts 124. The contact modules 122 may provide shielding for each pair of signal contacts 124 along substantially the entire length of the signal contacts 124 between the mounting end and the mating end. In an exemplary embodiment, the shield structure 126 is configured to be electrically connected to the mating electrical connector and/or the circuit board 104. The shield structure 126 may be electrically connected to the circuit board 104 by features, such as grounding pins and/or surface tabs.
The housing 120 includes a plurality of signal contact openings 132 and a plurality of ground contact openings 134 at the mating end 128. The signal contacts 124 are received in corresponding signal contact openings 132. Optionally, a single signal contact 124 is received in each signal contact opening 132. The signal contact openings 132 may also receive corresponding mating signal contacts (for example, pins or blade contacts) of the mating electrical connector. The ground contact openings 134 receive mating ground contacts (for example, C-shaped ground shields) of the mating electrical connector therein. The ground contact openings 134 also receive portions of the shield structure 126 (for example, beams and/or fingers) of the contact modules 122 that mate with the mating ground contacts to electrically common the shield structure 126 with the mating electrical connector.
The housing 120 is manufactured from a dielectric material, such as a plastic material, and provides isolation between the signal contact openings 132 and the ground contact openings 134. The housing 120 isolates the signal contacts 124 from the shield structure 126. The housing 120 isolates each set (for example, differential pair) of signal contacts 124 from other sets of signal contacts 124.
The electrical connector 102 includes a pin spacer 136 provided at the bottom 130 of the electrical connector 102. The pin spacer 136 is used to hold the relative positions of the signal pins and ground pins for mounting to the circuit board 104. The pin spacer 136 includes pin openings 138 (shown in
The conductive holder 154 has a front 156 configured to be loaded into the housing 120 (shown in
The conductive holder 154 is fabricated from a conductive material which provides electrical shielding for the contact module 122. For example, the conductive holder 154 may be die-cast, or alternatively stamped and formed, from a metal material. In other alternative embodiments, the holder 154 may be fabricated from a plastic material that has been metalized or coated with a metallic layer. In other embodiments, rather than a conductive holder, the holder 154 may be non-conductive. In other embodiments, the contact module 122 may be provided without the conductive holder 154 altogether.
The signal contacts 124 have mating portions 164 extending forward from the front 156 of the conductive holder 154. The mating portions 164 are configured to be electrically terminated to corresponding mating signal contacts (not shown) when the electrical connector 102 is mated to the mating electrical connector (not shown). In an exemplary embodiment, the signal contacts 124 have mounting portions 165 at opposite ends from the mating portions 164 that extend downward below the bottom 158 of the conductive holder 154. In an exemplary embodiment, the signal contacts 124 in each contact module 122 are arranged as contact pairs 168 configured to transmit differential signals through the contact module 122.
In an exemplary embodiment, the mounting portions 165 include compliant pins 166, which may be referred to as signal pins 166, such as to differentiate from ground pins. In the illustrated embodiment, the compliant pins 166 are eye-of-the-needle pins. The signal pins 166 electrically connect the contact module 122 to the circuit board 104 (shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, each contact module 122 includes first and second ground shields 176, 178, which define at least a portion of the shield structure 126. The ground shields 176, 178 may be positioned along the interior sides of the conductive holder 154, such as between the conductive holder 154 and the dielectric body 152. For example, the first ground shield 176 may be positioned along the right side 160 of the conductive holder 154 (when viewed from the front), and as such, may be hereinafter referred to as the right ground shield 176. When attached to the conductive holder 154, the right ground shield 176 electrically connects to the conductive holder 154. The second ground shield 178 may be positioned along the left side 162 of the conductive holder 154, and may be hereinafter referred to as the left ground shield 178. When attached to the conductive holder 154, the left ground shield 178 electrically connects to the conductive holder 154. The ground shields 176, 178 are configured to provide electrical shielding for the signal contacts 124. The ground shields 176, 178 electrically connect the contact module 122 to the mating electrical connector, such as to ground shields thereof, thereby electrically commoning the connection between the electrical connector 102 and the mating electrical connector. Optionally, a single ground shield may be used rather than two ground shields. The ground shields 176, 178 may be similar and include similar features and components. As such, the description below may include description of either ground shield, which may be relevant to the other ground shield and like components may be identified with like reference numerals.
The main body 180 may include a plurality of strips 182 separated by gaps, which may be interconnected by tie bars between the strips 182. Alternatively, the main body 180 may be a solid sheet without the gaps and strips 182. In other various embodiments, the main body 180 may include tabs bent inward configured to be received in and extend at least partially through the dielectric body 152 (shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, each grounding portion 188 includes a surface tab 192 configured to face the circuit board 104 and which may engage and be electrically connected to the mounting face of the circuit board 104. Each grounding portion 188 includes a compliant pin 194, which may be referred to as a ground pin 194, such as to differentiate from the signal pins 166 (shown in
The surface tab 192 is an extension from the main body 180 extending downward therefrom for providing additional shielding below the bottom 190 of the main body 180. The surface tab 192 provides shielding in the space between the main body 180 and the circuit board 104 for shielding portions of the signal contacts 124 otherwise unshielded without the provision of the surface tab 192. For example, the grounding portion 188 includes a base edge 196 defining the bottom 190 of the main body 180. The surface tab 192 extends below the base edge 196 and thus provides shielding below the base edge 196 of the main body 180.
In an exemplary embodiment, the surface tab 192 is a compliant surface tab 192 configured to be deflected, such as against the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104. For example, when the contact module 122 is press mounted to the circuit board 104 with the electrical connector 102, the surface tab 192 may interfere with the mounting surface 106 and be pressed upward by the circuit board 104. The grounding portion 188 includes a gap 198 above the surface tab 192. The surface tab 192 is deflectable into the gap 198. The surface tab 192, in the illustrated embodiment, is supported at a first fixed end 200 and a second fixed end 202. The surface tab 192 is a curved or arched beam between the ends 200, 202 below the gap 198. However, in alternative embodiments, the surface tab 192 may be supported at only one of the ends 200 or 202, with the other end 200 or 202 being a free end, such as an embodiment being separated at the dashed line 204 (
Returning to
The dielectric body 152 has a mounting edge 214, which may be recessed relative to the bottom 158 of the conductive holder 154 (for example, elevated above the bottom 158), flush with the bottom 158, or extend below the bottom 158. The grounding portions 188, including the compliant pins 194 and the surface tabs 192, extend below the mounting edge 214, such as for mounting to the circuit board 104. The mounting portions 165, including the compliant pins 166, extend below the mounting edge 214 for mounting to the circuit board 104 (shown in
The ground shields 176, 178 may be coupled to posts extending from the dielectric body 152 or to other securing features to position and secure the ground shields 176, 178 to the dielectric body 152. The strips 182 extend along corresponding portions of the dielectric body 152 to cover and provide shielding for the pair of signal contacts 124 passing through such portions of the dielectric body 152. The dielectric body 152 includes slots 220 at the mounting edge 214 that receive corresponding lateral tabs 195 of the ground shields 176, 178. The slots 220 allow positioning of the lateral tabs 195 and the compliant pins 194 in the dielectric body 152 such that the compliant pins 194 of the ground shields 176, 178 are aligned with the compliant pins 166 of the signal contacts 124 along a compliant pin axis 222.
In an exemplary embodiment, the compliant pin 194 associated with the first ground shield 176 is arranged at a forward end 224 of the corresponding pair of signal contacts 124 while the compliant pin 194 associated with the second ground shield 178 is arranged at a rearward end 226 of the corresponding pair of signal contacts 124. Both complaint pins 166 of the signal contacts 124 are positioned between the complaint pins 194 of the first and second ground shields 176, 178. As such, the compliant pins 194 provide electrical shielding forward and rearward of the compliant pins 166. The surface tab 192 associated with the first ground shield 176 is arranged at a first side of the corresponding pair of signal contacts 124 while the surface tab 192 associated with the second ground shield 178 is arranged at an opposite second side of the corresponding pair of signal contacts 124. Both surface tabs 192 span across both signal contacts 124 of the corresponding pair of signal contacts 124. For example, the fixed ends 200, 202 are located outside of (for example, forward of or rearward of) the compliant pins 166. Both complaint pins 166 are positioned between the surface tabs 192 of the first and second ground shields 176, 178. As such, the surface tabs 192 provide electrical shielding along opposite sides of the compliant pins 166.
The surface tabs 192 do not require plated vias in the circuit board 104, and thus there is more room in the circuit board 104 for routing traces between rows of signal vias. As such, the number of layers of the circuit board 104 may be reduced as compared to electrical connectors that have ground shields with ground pins located between rows of signal contacts. Because the compliant pins 194 are in line with the signal contacts 124 and not along the sides of the signal contacts 124 (for example, not in a parallel row), there is additional space in the circuit board 104 for routing the signal traces, such as along both sides of the signal vias as opposed to just one side of the signal vias. The surface tabs 192 are provided to provide shielding along the sides of the signal contacts 124 without needing ground vias in the circuit board 104. The surface tabs 192 provide a similar level of signal integrity performance and shielding as electrical connectors having ground shields with compliant ground pins along the sides of the signal contacts, but without the need for offset ground vias in the circuit board 104.
The pin spacer 136 includes a plate 300 having a top 302 and a bottom 304. The pin spacer 136 includes a plurality of ground contact pockets 306 (
In an exemplary embodiment, the surface tabs 192 of the grounding portions 188 extend below the base edges 196 and below the ledges 308. For example, the ground contact pockets 306 may have channels 310 extending toward the bottom 304 that receive the surface tabs 192. The channels 310 are provided in a space 312 (
By extending the surface tabs 192 below the base edges 196, the surface tabs 192 provide electrical shielding in the space 312. As such, the surface tabs 192 provide electrical shielding between pairs of the signal contacts 124 in the space 312, an area otherwise devoid of shielding material. For example, compared to a grounding portion extending straight across the ledges 308 (for example, without the surface tab 192), the grounding portion 188 with the surface tab 192 provides improved shielding, such as along the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104. While the compliant pins 194 also extend through the space 312, the compliant pins 194 only provide shielding between pairs of the signal contacts 124 within the same row. The surface tabs 192 provide shielding between the pairs of the signal contacts 124 in different rows. The surface tabs 192 do not have pins that need to be received in plated vias in the circuit board 104, and thus there is more room in the circuit board 104 for routing traces between rows of signal vias. The surface tabs 192 provide signal integrity performance and shielding along the sides of the signal contacts 124 without the need for offset ground vias in the circuit board. Optionally, two surface tabs 192 are provided between the rows of signal contacts 124 (for example, one from each contact module).
In an exemplary embodiment, the surface tabs 192 are compliant surface tabs. The compliant surface tabs 192 are deflectable. For example, the complaint surface tabs 192 may be deflected against the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104 when interfering with the mounting surface 106 as the electrical connector 102 is press-mounted to the circuit board 104. The surface tabs 192 do not extend into the circuit board 104 and the circuit board 104 does not need plated vias that receive the surface tabs 192. Rather, the surface tabs 192 face or abut against the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104. The compliant surface tab 192 may interfere with the mounting surface 106 when the electrical connector 102 is over-pressed against the circuit board 104. For example, the pin spacer 136 may compress during mounting to the circuit board 104 or the base edges 196 may dig into the pin spacer 136 causing the compliant surface tabs 192 to physically engage the mounting surface 106, which would cause deflection of the surface tab 192. In other various embodiments, the compliant surface tabs 192 may be designed to engage the circuit board 104 upon normal loading forces. For example, the compliant surface tabs 192 may be flush with the bottom 304 or may extend beyond the bottom 304 to ensure that the bottom edges 314 interfere with and engage the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104, thus filling the entire height of the space 312. The surface tabs 192 may be cantilevered beams configured to engage and deflect against the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104.
The surface tab 192 is an extension from the main body 180 extending downward therefrom for providing additional shielding below the bottom 190 of the main body 180. The surface tab 192 provides shielding in the space between the main body 180 and the circuit board 104 for shielding portions of the signal contacts 124 otherwise unshielded without the provision of the surface tab 192. For example, the surface tab 192 may extend below the base edge 196 and thus provides shielding below the base edge 196 of the main body 180.
The surface tab 192 spans across both signal contacts 124 of the corresponding pair of signal contacts 124. For example, the surface tab 192 is generally aligned with and/or extends beyond the forward signal contact 124 and is aligned with and/or extends beyond the rearward signal contact 124. As such, the surface tabs 192 provide electrical shielding along the side of the compliant pins 166.
The ground contact pockets 306 of the pin spacer 136 receive corresponding grounding portions 188. The base edges 196 of the grounding portions 188 rest on the ledges 308. For example, the pin spacer 136 is pressed onto the bottom 130 of the electrical connector 102 until the pin spacer 136 bottoms out against the base edges 196. The surface tabs 192 of the grounding portions 188 extend below the base edges 196 and below the ledges 308, such as in the channels 310 in the bottom half of the pin spacer 136. The channels 310 may be open at the bottom 304, which may allow the surface tabs 192 to extend entirely through the pin spacer 136. In the illustrated embodiment, the surface tabs 192 are curved and protrude downward into the channels 310 such that the bottom edges 314 of the surface tabs 192 are substantially flush with the bottom 304 of the pin spacer 136. As such, the bottom edges 314 may engage or almost engage the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104.
By extending the surface tabs 192 below the base edges 196, the surface tabs 192 provide electrical shielding in the space 312. As such, the surface tabs 192 provide electrical shielding between pairs of the signal contacts 124 in the space 312, an area otherwise devoid of shielding material. For example, compared to a grounding portion extending straight across the ledges 308 (for example, without the surface tab 192), the grounding portion 188 with the surface tab 192 provides improved shielding, such as along the mounting surface 106 of the circuit board 104. While the compliant pins 194 also extend through the space 312, the compliant pins 194 only provide shielding between pairs of the signal contacts 124 within the same row. The surface tabs 192 provide shielding between the pairs of the signal contacts 124 in different rows.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Dimensions, types of materials, orientations of the various components, and the number and positions of the various components described herein are intended to define parameters of certain embodiments, and are by no means limiting and are merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments and modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects. Further, the limitations of the following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
