Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6648688
-
Patent Number
6,648,688
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, May 28, 200223 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 18, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 439 608
- 439 607
- 439 108
- 439 101
- 439 701
- 439 79
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A terminal block for a cable connector comprises a housing of insulating material, a number of signal contacts accommodated in contact cavities of the housing, at least one ground contact arranged between two adjacent signal contacts, and a planar circuit substrate having a ground layer on one side and circuit tracks on the opposite side connected to the signal contacts at one end and having a solder island for connection to a signal wire at the other end. The ground contact comprises a shielding contact blade having a contact lip connected to the ground layer of the circuit substrate and at least one contact lip projecting outwardly to contact the ground layer of a corresponding terminal block.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a terminal block for a cable connector, comprising a housing of insulating material, a number of signal contacts accommodated in contact cavities of the housing, at least one ground contact arranged between two adjacent signal contacts, and a planar circuit substrate having a ground layer on one side and circuit tracks on the opposite side connected to the signal contacts at one end and having a solder island for connection to a signal wire at the other end, and to a cable connector comprising such a terminal block.
EP-A-0 971 451 discloses a terminal block and cable connector of the above-mentioned type. In the known terminal block, a row of five contact cavities is provided in the housing accommodating five contacts. The central contact is used as the ground contact, so that at least one of the contact cavities in the row is used for a ground contact. Further, there are no provisions to connect a ground layer of a terminal block to the ground layer of a next terminal block in one connector having a stack of such terminal blocks.
The invention aims to provide an improved terminal block of the above-mentioned type.
To this end the terminal block according to the invention is characterized in that the ground contact comprises a shielding contact blade having a contact lip connected to the ground layer of the circuit substrate and at least one contact lip projecting outwardly to contact the ground layer of a corresponding terminal block.
In this manner a terminal block is obtained, wherein the ground contact operates as a shielding between adjacent signal contacts and wherein the ground contact further provides an interconnection between two stacked terminal blocks of a cable connector. Moreover, a separate contact cavity in the housing for a ground contact is not required.
The invention further provides a cable connector, comprising a plurality of stacked terminal blocks, wherein the contact lips of the shielding contact blades of one terminal block are contacting the ground layer of the circuit substrate of a next terminal block.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will be further explained by reference to the drawings in which an embodiment of the connector assembly of the invention is shown.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show perspective views of opposite sides of an embodiment of the terminal block of the invention.
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of the planar circuit substrate of the terminal block of
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIGS. 4 and 5
show perspective views of opposite sides of the housing of the terminal block of
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIGS. 6 and 7
show perspective views of a shielding element of the terminal block of
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIG. 8
shows a perspective view of two stacked terminal blocks of
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
FIG. 9
shows a perspective view of a connector to be mated with a connector having the terminal blocks of FIG.
8
.
FIG. 10
is a cross-section of the terminal blocks of FIG.
8
.
FIGS. 11 and 12
show the housing of a second embodiment of the terminal block according to the invention.
FIG. 13
shows a perspective view of the connector to be mated with a connector comprising four of the terminal blocks having the housing according to
FIGS. 11 and 12
.
FIG. 14
shows a perspective view of the terminal block having the housing of
FIGS. 11 and 12
.
FIG. 15
shows a perspective view of a planar circuit substrate of the terminal block of FIG.
14
.
FIGS. 16 and 17
show perspective views of the shielding contact plate of the terminal block of FIG.
14
.
FIG. 18
shows a perspective view of a different embodiment of the terminal block of the invention.
FIG. 19
shows an assembly of two terminal blocks of FIG.
18
.
FIGS. 20 and 21
show perspective views of a further embodiment of the terminal block according to the invention.
FIG. 22
shows a perspective view of the housing with contacts of the terminal block of FIG.
20
.
FIG. 23
shows an alternative embodiment of the shielding element of a terminal block according to the invention.
FIGS. 24 and 25
show a connector assembly, comprising a cable connector with a terminal block having the shielding element of FIG.
24
.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show a terminal block
1
for a cable connector, comprising a housing
2
of insulating material. The housing
2
is shown in more detail in
FIGS. 4 and 5
. The housing
2
comprises a row of contact cavities
3
having an inlet opening
4
for receiving contact pins
5
of a mating connector
6
shown by way of example in FIG.
9
. The terminal block of
FIGS. 1 and 2
comprises four signal contacts
7
accommodated in the contact cavities
3
. A planar circuit substrate
8
, more particularly a printed circuit board, has a ground layer
9
on one side and circuit tracks
10
on the opposite side. At one end the circuit tracks
10
have a solder island
11
for connection to the signal contacts
7
and at the other end the circuit tracks
10
have a solder island
12
for connection to a signal wire of a cable not shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the terminal block
1
comprises a shielding element
13
shown in detail in
FIGS. 6 and 7
. The shielding element
13
comprises a vertical shielding contact blade
14
, which is received in a slot
15
of the housing
2
. At its free end the contact blade
14
has a contact end
16
projecting out of a main surface
17
of the housing
2
to contact a contact lip
18
of a shielding element
18
′ of the mating connector
6
. The vertical shielding contact blade
14
provides an effective vertical shielding between the adjacent signal contacts
7
of the terminal block
1
.
The terminal block
1
shown is intended to be used in a cable connector for twin axial wire pairs. In case of coaxial wires, a vertical shielding blade will be accommodated between each two adjacent signal contacts
7
.
The shielding element
13
further comprises a contact lip
19
connected to a solder island
20
of the printed circuit board
8
. This solder island
20
is part of a ground circuit track
21
connected by means of at least one plated through-hole
22
to the ground layer
9
. In the embodiment shown two plated through-holes
22
are used. Further, the shielding element
13
is provided with two spring-type contact lips
23
projecting outwardly to contact the ground layer
9
of a corresponding terminal block in a cable connector with two or more stacked terminal blocks
1
. An example of two stacked terminal blocks
1
is shown in FIG.
8
.
A cross-section of the two stacked terminal blocks
1
is shown in FIG.
10
. As can be seen in
FIG. 10
, the spring-type contact lip
23
of the upper terminal block
1
projects outwardly and the contact lip
23
of the lower terminal block
1
is pressed against the ground layer
9
of the printed circuit board
8
of the upper terminal block
1
. Further,
FIG. 10
shows that the contact end
16
of the vertical shielding contact blade
14
projects out of the main surface
17
of the housing
2
. In order to allow a connection between this contact end
16
and the ground contact lip
18
of the mating connector
6
, at least the main surface
17
of the housing
2
is provided with a recess
24
for receiving this contact lip
18
. In the embodiment shown the opposite main surface of the housing
2
is also provided with a recess
24
and the two recesses
24
of the stacked terminal blocks
1
provide a cavity for receiving the contact lip
18
.
As will be described shortly hereinafter, the stacked terminal blocks
1
as shown in
FIG. 8
will be received in an outer housing, preferably also providing an outer shielding, wherein the contact lips
23
of the upper terminal block
1
can contact this outer shielding. The stacked terminal blocks
1
are attached to one another by means of a projection
25
of one terminal block received in a recess
26
of a next terminal block. The printed circuit board
8
is attached to the housing
2
by means of openings
27
,
28
receiving a raised part
29
and pegs
30
, respectively.
It will be clear that in a cable connector comprising terminal blocks
1
as shown in
FIGS. 1
,
2
a complete shielding of the signal contacts
7
both in horizontal direction and vertical direction is obtained. Further, the same shielding elements
13
providing the vertical shielding between adjacent signal contacts
7
also provide an interconnection with multiple contact points between the ground layers of stacked terminal blocks
1
. Signal density is maximized as no separate contact cavities with ground contacts are needed.
A second embodiment of the terminal block of the invention will be explained by reference to
FIGS. 11-17
. This second embodiment mainly corresponds with the embodiment of
FIGS. 1-10
.
FIG. 14
shows a terminal block
31
comprising a housing
32
of insulating material and a row of eight contact cavities
33
with inlet openings
34
for contact pins
35
of a mating connector
36
shown in FIG.
13
. The mating connector
36
is described in more detail in a co-pending patent application of the same applicant entitled “Right-angled connector”. Signal contacts
37
are mounted in the contact cavities
33
as shown in FIG.
12
. Between each pair of signal contacts
37
a vertical shielding contact blade
38
is arranged. The shielding contact blade
38
is shown in detail in
FIGS. 16 and 17
. Each shielding contact blade
38
is provided with a contact lip
39
connected to a solder island of a printed circuit board
41
. The solder islands
40
are connected by circuit tracks not shown to plated through-holes
43
connecting the ground solder islands
40
to a ground layer
44
on the other side of the printed circuit board
41
.
Further, each vertical shielding contact blade
38
s provided with one spring-type contact lip
45
projecting outwardly to contact the ground layer
44
of a corresponding terminal block
31
. At one end each shielding contact blade is provided with a contact end
16
also projecting out of a main surface of the housing
32
to contact a contact lip
18
of the mating connector
36
. These contact lips
18
of the mating connector
36
are part of right-angled shielding plates
47
as described in the above-mentioned co-pending patent application. Recesses
24
in the main surfaces of the housing
32
provide cavities for receiving the contact lips
18
.
The shielding contact blades
38
are partly overmoulded with insulating material
48
as shown in
FIGS. 16
,
17
. The overmoulded shielding blades are received in slots
49
of the housing
32
.
It will be understood that the separate shielding contact blades
38
can be part of a shielding element in the same manner as in the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 and 2
. In the same manner as in this embodiment of
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a cable connector with two or more terminal blocks
31
is provided with a complete shielding of the signal contacts
37
both in the horizontal direction and vertical direction. Moreover, the contact blades
38
also provide an interconnection with multiple contact points between the ground layers
44
of stacked terminal blocks
31
in the same manner as shown in
FIG. 10
for the terminal block
1
. Signal density is maximized as no separate contact cavities with ground contacts are needed.
FIGS. 18-26
show some alternative embodiments of the terminal block of the invention, wherein corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals as in
FIGS. 1-10
.
FIGS. 18 and 19
show a terminal block
50
wherein a shielding element
51
is used having the contact lip
19
connected to the ground layer of the printed circuit board
8
and two spring-type contact lips
23
to contact the ground layer of a further terminal block
50
when two terminal blocks
50
are stacked as shown in FIG.
19
. In this embodiment the shielding element
51
is provided with a further contact spring
52
at a front end of the terminal block
50
and this contact spring
52
is adapted to contact a contact lip of a mating connector. In the same manner as in the above-described embodiments, the shielding element
51
provides both for an interconnection of the shieldings of the cable connector having the terminal blocks
50
and a mating connector, and for interconnecting the ground layers of the stacked terminal blocks
50
.
In
FIGS. 20-22
a terminal block
53
is shown having a shielding element
54
mainly made in the same manner as the shielding element
51
. The shielding element
54
comprises the contact lip
19
connected to the ground layer of the printed circuit board
8
and the spring-type contact lips
23
for contacting the ground layer of a further terminal block
53
. Further, the shielding element
54
is provided with a contact spring
55
for contacting a contact lip of a mating connector. In this embodiment the housing
2
is provided with a fifth central contact cavity accommodating a central contact
56
. This central contact
56
can be used as further ground contact for contacting a ground contact of a mating connector.
FIG. 23
shows a further embodiment of a shielding element
57
mainly made in the same manner as the shielding element
51
, wherein the contact spring
52
is omitted. A terminal block
58
mainly made in the same manner as the terminal block
53
, is provided with the shielding element
57
and with a printed circuit board
8
. A mating connector
59
is provided with two extended contact lips
60
contacting the spring-type contact lips
23
of the shielding element
57
. The shielding element
57
also has a contact lip
19
connected to the ground layer of the printed circuit board
8
. In the mated position as schematically shown in
FIG. 24
, the extended contact lips
60
are connected to the spring-type contact lips
23
of the shielding element
57
and these extended contact lips
60
are further connected to the ground layer of the printed circuit board
8
of a next terminal block
58
not shown in FIG.
24
.
FIG. 25
shows a perspective view of a partially mated connector assembly showing a cable connector
61
having two terminal blocks
58
mounted in an outer housing
62
. The mating connector
59
is received in a housing
63
, which can be mounted on a printed circuit board not shown.
The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments, which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the attached claims.
Claims
- 1. Terminal block for a cable connector, comprising a housing of insulating material, a number of signal contacts accommodated in contact cavities of the housing, at least one ground contact arranged between two adjacent signal contacts, and a planar circuit substrate having a ground layer on one side and circuit tracks on the opposite side connected to the signal contacts at one end and having a solder island for connection to a signal wire at the other end, characterized in that the ground contact comprises a shielding contact blade having a contact lip connected to the ground layer of the circuit substrate and at least one contact lip projecting outwardly to contact the ground layer of a corresponding terminal block.
- 2. Terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the shielding contact blade is part of a shielding element comprising the contact lips and one or more shielding contact blades.
- 3. Terminal block according to claim 1, wherein each shielding contact blade comprises a contact end projecting out of the housing to contact a contact lip of a mating connector.
- 4. Terminal block according to claim 3, wherein the housing is provided with at least one recess for receiving a contact lip of a mating connector in both main surfaces, the contact end of each shielding contact blade projecting into a corresponding recess.
- 5. Terminal block according to claim 1, wherein each shielding contact blade is accommodated in a slot of the housing and/or is provided with an overmoulding of insulating material.
- 6. Terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the contact lip of the shielding contact blade is soldered to a solder island on the circuit track side of the circuit substrate, wherein this solder island is connected to the ground layer through a plated through hole.
- 7. Terminal block according to claim 1, wherein a shielding contact blade is arranged between each two adjacent signal contacts or adjacent groups of signal contacts.
- 8. Terminal block for a cable connector according to the preamble of claim 1, wherein the ground contact comprises a shielding element having a contact lip connected to the ground layer of the circuit substrate and at least one contact lip projecting outwardly to contact the ground layer of a corresponding terminal block.
- 9. Terminal block according to claim 8, wherein the shielding element is provided with at least one contact spring for contacting a contact lip of a mating connector.
- 10. Terminal block according to claim 9, wherein each contact spring is received in a recess in a main surface of the housing, wherein a signal contact is located in a contact cavity below said recess.
- 11. Cable connector, comprising a plurality of stacked terminal blocks according to claim 1, wherein the contact lips of the shielding contact blades or elements, respectively, of one terminal block are contacting the ground layer of the circuit substrate of a next terminal block.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
1018175 |
May 2001 |
NL |
|
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0852414 |
Jul 1998 |
EP |
0939456 |
Sep 1999 |
EP |
0971451 |
Jan 2000 |
EP |