Electrical connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10714850-B2
Application number	US-201615748055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2016
Priority date	Jul 27, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2020
Grant date	Jul 14, 2020

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, first and second electrical connectors are configured as vertical electrical connectors that are configured to mate to each other so as to define a right angle electrical connector assembly. Ground shields and electrical contacts of various embodiments are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a dielectric connector housing that defines a first end and a second end;
a plurality of electrical contacts arranged in rows including a first row and a second row, the plurality of electrical contacts being supported by the connector housing, wherein each electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts defines a mounting end that extends out from the first end of the connector housing and is configured to be mounted to a substrate, each electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts further comprises mating ends, opposite the mounting ends, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are arranged in pairs of differential signal contacts; and
a plurality of ground shields supported by the connector housing, each of the plurality of ground shields comprising a plurality of walls, each of the plurality of ground shields enclosing, at least partially, a respective pair of differential signal contacts,
wherein the mounting ends of the plurality of electrical contacts are disposed along a first surface of the housing so as to form a mounting interface and the mating ends of the plurality of electrical contacts in the first row are offset in a direction parallel to the mounting interface relative to the mating ends of the plurality of electrical contacts in the second row.

2. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mating ends of the plurality of electrical contacts in the first row are disposed along a second surface so as to form a mating interface, wherein the second surface and the first surface are oriented substantially perpendicular to each other.

3. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein each ground shield comprises a lower wall, an upper wall opposite the lower wall, and a side wall connecting the lower wall to the upper wall, wherein the respective pair of differential signal pairs is disposed between the lower wall and the upper wall.

4. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of dielectric members supported by the connector housing, each of the plurality of dielectric members being in contact with a respective pair of differential signals contacts.

5. The electrical connector as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of ground shields surrounds the respective pair of differential signals contacts on three sides.

6. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the connector housing includes a housing body that defines the first and second ends, and the connector housing further comprises at least one stop member that extends out from the housing body and is configured to abut a complementary electrical connector when the electrical connector is mated with the complementary electrical connector.

7. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of electrical contacts comprises a bent region disposed outside the connector housing.

8. An electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of electrical contacts arranged in pairs of differential signal contacts, wherein each of the plurality of electrical contacts are elongated along a first direction from a mounting end to a mating end, wherein the mounting end is configured to be mounted to a substrate, and the mating end is configured to mate with a complementary electrical contact of a complementary electrical connector in a forward direction that is along the first direction;
a dielectric connector housing that supports the plurality of electrical contacts and defines a first end and a second end opposite the first end along the first direction, wherein the mounting end extends out from the first end of the connector housing; and
a plurality of ground shields supported by the connector housing, each of the plurality of ground shields comprising a plurality of walls, each of the plurality of ground shields enclosing, at least partially, a respective pair of differential signal contacts,
wherein the second end of the connector housing includes a plurality of flats and risers that extend between adjacent ones of the flats, the mating ends extend out from respective ones of the risers, and adjacent ones of the risers are offset from each other along the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein adjacent ones of the risers are equidistantly offset from each other along the first direction.

10. The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein adjacent ones of the risers are equidistantly offset from each other along the second direction.

11. The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein sequentially adjacent ones of the risers are offset from each other in the forward direction.

12. The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein the electrical contacts define blades that are substantially linear from the mounting ends to the mating ends.

13. The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein the connector housing includes a housing body that defines the first and second ends, and the connector housing further comprises at least one stop member that extends out from a respective at least one of the flats, the at least one stop member configured to abut the complementary electrical connector when the electrical connector is mated with the complementary electrical connector.

14. The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein the connector housing defines a respective external surface at the first end, and respective external surfaces at the second end, the at mating end of each of the electrical contacts extends out the connector housing through respective ones of the respective external surfaces at the second end, the mounting end of each of the electrical contacts extends out the connector housing through the respective external surface at the first end, and the respective external surfaces at the second end are oriented substantially parallel to the respective external surface at the first end.

15. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
a first electrical connector including a dielectric first connector housing and a plurality of first electrical contacts supported by the first connector housing, wherein the plurality of first electrical contacts define a first mounting end that is configured to be mounted to a first substrate, the plurality of first electrical contacts further define a first mating end, and each of the plurality of first electrical contacts comprises a twisted beam; and
a second electrical connector including a dielectric second connector housing and a plurality of second electrical contacts supported by the second connector housing, wherein the plurality of second electrical contacts define a second mounting end, the plurality of second electrical contacts further define a second mating end, wherein each of the plurality of second electrical contacts comprises a receptacle positioned to receive therein a respective twisted beam of the plurality of first electrical contacts.

16. The electrical connector assembly as recited in claim 15 , wherein the twisted beam comprises a leading portion and a trailing portion, the leading portion being twisted relative to the trailing portion.

17. The electrical connector assembly as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of ground shields supported by the first connector housing, each of the plurality of ground shields comprising a plurality of walls, each of the plurality of ground shields enclosing, at least

Assignees

• Fci Usa Llc

Inventors

• Minich Steven E
• Copper Charles

Classifications

• H01R12/737 Primary

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

• H01R13/6585

  Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts · CPC title

• H01R12/70 Primary

  Coupling devices · CPC title