Compliant shield for very high speed, high density electrical interconnection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10205286-B2
Application number	US-201715788602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2017
Priority date	Oct 19, 2016
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

An interconnection system with a compliant shield between a connector and a substrate such as a PCB. The compliant shield may provide current flow paths between shields internal to the connector and ground structures of the PCB. The connector, compliant shield and PCB may be configured to provide current flow in locations relative to signal conductors that provide desirable signal integrity for signals carried by the signal conductors. In some embodiments, the current flow paths may be adjacent the signal conductors, offset in a transverse direction from an axis of a pair of conductors. Such paths may be created by tabs extending from connector shields. A compliant conductive member of the compliant shield may contact the tabs and a conductive pad on a surface of the PCB. Shadow vias, running from the surface pad to internal ground structures may be positioned adjacent the tip of the tabs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compliant shield for an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a plurality of contact tails for attachment to a printed circuit board, the compliant shield comprising:
a conductive body portion comprising
a plurality of openings sized and positioned for the contact tails from the electrical connector to pass therethrough, and
a layer of lossy material,

wherein the conductive body portion provides current flow paths between shields internal to the electrical connector and ground structures of the printed circuit board.

2. The compliant shield of claim 1 comprising:
a plurality of compliant fingers attached to and extending from the conductive body portion.

3. The compliant shield of claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of compliant fingers comprise elongated beams, each beam having a proximal end integral with the conductive body portion and a free distal end.

4. The compliant shield of claim 2 , wherein:
the compliant shield comprises a second plurality of openings; and
each of the plurality of compliant fingers extends from an edge of a respective one of the second plurality of openings.

5. The compliant shield of claim 4 , wherein:
the second plurality of openings are sized and positioned to receive reference tabs of the electrical connector.

6. The compliant shield of claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of compliant fingers are resilient in a direction, in which the contact tails of the connector insert into the plurality of openings of the conductive body portion of the compliant shield.

7. The compliant shield of claim 2 , wherein:
the compliant shield is made of superelastic material.

8. The compliant shield of claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of openings have a first size for a pair of differential signal contact tails and a second size for reference contact tails.

9. The compliant shield of claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of openings are arranged in a repeating pattern of subpatterns, each subpattern comprising a first size opening and at least two second size openings.

10. A compliant shield for an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a plurality of contact tails for attachment to a printed circuit board, the compliant shield comprising:
a conductive body portion comprising a plurality of openings sized and positioned for the contact tails from the electrical connector to pass therethrough, wherein the conductive body portion provides current flow paths between shields internal to the electrical connector and ground structures of the printed circuit board;
an insulative member comprising:
a plurality of openings sized and positioned for the contact tails from the electrical connector to pass therethrough;
a first portion; and
a plurality of islands extending from the first portion;

wherein the conductive body portion is a compliant, conductive member comprising a plurality of openings sized and shaped to conform to the plurality of islands.

11. The compliant shield of claim 10 , wherein:
the plurality of islands have walls extending from the first portion; and
the walls have channels extending from a plurality of second openings in the first portion.

12. The compliant shield of claim 11 , wherein:
the openings in the compliant, conductive member are further sized and shaped to press against tabs inserted in the channels when the compliant, conductive member is mounted to the insulative member.

13. The compliant shield of claim 10 , wherein:
the compliant, conductive member is filled with conductive particles at a loading providing a lossy conductor.

14. The compliant shield of claim 10 , wherein
each of the plurality of openings of the insulative member is a slot having a ratio between a longer dimension and a shorter dimension of at least 2:1.

15. The compliant shield of claim 14 , wherein
the plurality of openings of the insulative member are arranged in a repeating pattern of subpatterns, each subpattern comprising a pair of slots aligned with longer dimensions disposed in a line and at least two additional slots.

16. The compliant shield of claim 15 , wherein:
the slots of each of the plurality subpatterns extend through a respective island.

17. An electrical connector, comprising:
a board mounting face comprising a plurality of conductive structures extending therefrom;
a plurality of internal shields; and
a compliant shield comprising a conductive body portion, the conductive body portion comprising a plurality of openings sized and positioned for the plurality of conductive structures to pass therethrough, wherein the conductive body portion is in electrical connection with the plurality of internal shields, and the conductive body portion presses against conductive structures of the plurality of conductive structures in a direction parallel to the board mounting face.

18. The electrical connector of claim 17 , wherein:
the contact tails of the plurality of contact tails that the conductive body portion presses against in the direction parallel to the board mounting face are tabs of the plurality of internal shields, and
the compliant shield comprises a plurality of compliant fingers attached to and extending from the conductive body portion.

19. An electronic device comprising:
a printed circuit board comprising a surface;
the connector of claim 17 mounted to the printed circuit board, the connector further comprising:
a plurality of signal conductive elements comprising a first plurality of contact tails, wherein:
the board mounting face is parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board,
the plurality of internal shields comprise a second plurality of contact tails and a plurality of tabs separate from the second plurality of contact tails, and
the conductive body portion of the compliant shield comprises elastomer filled with conductive particles, and contacts the second plurality of contact tails and the plurality of tabs such that the compliant shield provides current flow paths between the plurality of internal shields and ground structures of the printed circuit board.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein:
the printed circuit board has a ground pad on the surface; and
the compliant shield presses against the ground pad.

21. The electronic device of claim 20 , wherein:
the printed circuit board further comprises:
a ground plane at an inner layer of the printed circuit board; and
a plurality of shadow vias connecting the ground pad to the ground plane.

22. The electrical connector of claim 21 , wherein:
a conductive body portion of the compliant shield comprises a plurality of first openings sized and positioned for the contact tails from the plurality of signal conductive elements to pass through in a repeating pattern of first locations, and a plurality of second openings sized and positioned for the contact tails from the plurality of internal shield to pass through in a repeating pattern of second locations;
the shadow vias are located in a repeating pattern of third locations, with each of the third locations having the same positioning relative to a respective first location.

23. An electrical connector, comprising:
a board mounting face comprising a plurality of contact tails extending therefrom;
a plurality of internal shields; and
a compliant shield comprising a conductive body portion, the conductive body portion comprising a plurality of openings sized and posi

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Provencher Daniel B
• Gailus Mark W
• Manter David
• Sivarajan Vysakh

Classifications

• H01R13/6598

  Shield material · CPC title

• H01R43/24

  Assembling by moulding on contact members · CPC title

• H01R12/737

  Printed circuits being substantially perpendicular to each other (for printed connections H05K3/366) · CPC title

• H01R13/6582

  with resilient means for engaging mating connector · CPC title

• H01R13/518

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title