Electrical connector having electrically commoned grounds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11245229-B2
Application number	US-202016887874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A ground shield includes a plurality of contact members configured to contact the ground contacts of a column of contacts of an electrical connector, so as to electrically common the grounds to each other.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
an electrically insulative connector housing;
a plurality of electrical signal contacts supported by the connector housing, each of the signal contacts having a mating end and a mounting end;
a plurality of ground contacts supported by the connector housing, each of the ground contacts having a mating end and a mounting end, wherein the electrical connector defines a plurality of columns that are spaced from each other along a lateral direction and each includes the mating ends of respective ones of the plurality of signal contacts and the mating ends of respective ones of the plurality of ground contacts;
an electrically conductive ground member disposed between a first one of the columns and a second one of the columns with respect to the lateral direction, the electrically conductive ground member having a body that has a first side and a second side opposite the first side along the lateral direction,
wherein the electrically conductive ground member includes a plurality of projections that extend out from a first side of the body and extend into a respective plurality of openings in a respective at least two of the ground contacts, respectively, of the first one of the columns, and the first side of the body faces at least one of the signal contacts of the first one of the columns and is spaced along the lateral direction from the at least one of the signal contacts of the first one of the columns so as to define a gap therebetween, with first and second projections of the plurality of projections spaced from one another along a transverse direction perpendicular to the lateral direction;
a first leadframe assembly that includes a first leadframe housing and the mating ends of the plurality of signal contacts and the mating ends of the plurality of ground contacts of the first one of the columns; and
a second leadframe that includes a second leadframe housing and the mating ends of the plurality of signal contacts and the mating ends of the plurality of ground contacts of the second one of the columns.

2. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mating ends of the plurality of signal contacts and the mating ends of the plurality of ground contacts of the first one of the columns are arranged in a pattern in a first transverse direction that is oriented along the transverse direction, and the mating ends of the plurality of signal contacts and the mating ends of the plurality of ground contacts of the second one of the columns are arranged in the pattern in a second transverse direction that is opposite the first transverse direction and oriented along the transverse direction.

3. The electrical connector as recited in claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive ground member is a first electrically conductive ground member supported by the first leadframe housing, the body is a first body, the plurality of projections are a first plurality of projections that extend into a respective first plurality of openings in a respective at least two of the ground contacts of the first leadframe assembly, and the first body faces at least one of the signal contacts of the first leadframe assembly and is spaced along the lateral direction from the at least one of the signal contacts of the first leadframe assembly so as to define a gap therebetween.

4. The electrical connector as recited in claim 3 , wherein the first leadframe housing is a first frame having a first opening that is open to the signal contacts and ground contacts of the first leadframe assembly, and the first electrically conductive ground member is seated in the first frame.

5. The electrical connector as recited in claim 3 , wherein:
the second leadframe assembly comprises the signal contacts of the second one of the columns and the ground contacts of the second one of the columns, all supported by the second leadframe housing; and
the electrical connector further comprises a second electrically conductive ground member supported by the second leadframe housing, the second electrically conductive ground member having a second body that has a first side and a second side opposite the first side along the lateral direction,
wherein the second electrically conductive ground member includes a second plurality of projections that extend out with respect to the second body and extend into respective plurality of openings in a respective at least two of the ground contacts of the second leadframe assembly, and the second body faces at least one of the signal contacts of the second leadframe assembly and is spaced along the lateral direction from the at least one of the signal contacts of the second leadframe assembly so as to define a gap therebetween.

6. The electrical connector as recited in claim 5 , wherein the second electrically conductive ground member is disposed between the second one of the columns and a third one of the columns that is positioned such that the second one of the columns is disposed between the first one of the columns and the third one of the columns, the third one of the columns including respective ones of the plurality of signal contacts and respective ones of the plurality of ground contacts.

7. The electrical connector as recited in claim 5 , wherein the mating ends of the signal contacts and ground contacts of the first leadframe assembly comprise tips that are convex with respect to a first lateral side of the first leadframe assembly, and concave with respect to a second lateral side of the first leadframe assembly that is opposite the first lateral side of the first leadframe assembly, and the first electrically conductive ground member is supported by the first leadframe housing at the first lateral side of the first leadframe assembly.

8. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are round, and the plurality of projections are round.

9. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of electrical cables coupled to the plurality of electrical signal contacts and the plurality of ground contacts of the first one of the columns, each of the plurality of electrical cables comprising:
a pair of signal conductors coupled to a respective pair of the plurality of electrical signal contacts of the first one of the columns; and
a ground conductor coupled to a respective one or more of the plurality of ground contacts of the first one of the columns.

10. The electrical connector as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
the ground conductor of each of the plurality of electrical cables comprises an electrically conductive cable shield,
the respective one or more of the plurality of ground contacts of the first one of the columns are coupled to the electrically conductive cable shield, and
the electrically conductive ground member is coupled to the electrically conductive cable shield via the respective one or more of the plurality of ground contacts of the first one of the columns.

11. An electrical connector comprising:
an electrically insulative connector housing;
a plurality of electrical signal contacts supported by the connector housing, each of the signal contacts having a mating end and a mounting end;
a plurality of ground contacts supported by the connector housing, each of the ground contacts having a mating end and a mounting end, wherein the electrical connector defines a plurality of columns that are spaced from each other along a lateral direction and each includes the mating ends of respective ones of the plurality of signal contacts and the mating ends of respective ones of the plurality of ground contacts;
a first electrically conductive ground member

Assignees

• Fci Usa Llc

Inventors

• Ellison Jason John

Classifications

• H01R13/6586

  for separating multiple connector modules · CPC title

• H01R13/6592

  the conductive member being a shielded cable · CPC title

• H01R13/65914

  Connection of shield to additional grounding conductors · CPC title

• H01R9/2483

  specially adapted for ground connection · CPC title

• H01R24/60

  Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement · CPC title