Connector configurable for high performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12341301-B2
Application number	US-202218085093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2022
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

An electrical connector for high speed signals. The connector has multiple conductive elements that may serve as signal or ground conductors. A member formed with lossy material and conductive compliant members may be inserted in the connector. The conductive compliant members may be aligned with conductive elements of the connector configured as ground conductors. For a connector configured to carry differential signals, the ground conductors may separate pairs of signal conductors. The member may further include a conductive web, embedded within the lossy material, that interconnects the conductive compliant members. For a receptacle connector, the conductive elements may have mating contact portions aligned along opposing surfaces of a cavity. The conductive elements may have contact tails for attachment to a printed circuit board and intermediate portions connecting the mating contact portions and the contact tails. The conductive compliant members may press against the intermediate portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector configured to attach to a printed circuit board, the electrical connector comprising:
a subassembly comprising a plurality of conductive elements disposed in a row, conductive elements of the plurality of conductive elements comprising intermediate portions having segments configured to extend over a surface of the printed circuit board when the electrical connector is attached to the printed circuit board; and
a shorting member disposed adjacent the subassembly, the shorting member comprising a conductive sheet, the conductive sheet comprising:
first portions making contact with the segments of a subset of conductive elements of the plurality of conductive elements; and
second portions interconnecting the first portions.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the first portions of the shorting member are a plurality of conductive members; and
the second portions of the shorting member comprise a conductive bar interconnecting conductive members of the plurality of conductive members.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein conductive members of the plurality of conductive members have a curved shape.

4. The electrical connector of claim 2 , wherein the second portions comprise a first conductive bar and a second conductive bar.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4 , wherein the first conductive bar is disposed parallel to the second conductive bar.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 , wherein the first conductive bar and the second conductive bar both make electrical contact with the subset of conductive elements of the plurality of conductive elements.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements comprises a first plurality of conductive elements and a second plurality of conductive elements, wherein conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements are arranged opposite respective conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements along the row.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7 , wherein conductive elements of the first plurality of conductive elements and of the second plurality of conductive elements comprise a mating contact portion and a contact tail, and the intermediate portions connect the mating contact portion and the contact tail.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8 , further comprising a housing having a cavity with a first surface and a second, parallel surface, wherein:
the mating contact portions of the first plurality of conductive elements are adjacent to the first surface; and
the mating contact portions of the second plurality of conductive elements are adjacent to the second surface.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are spaced apart to receive a paddle card between the first surface and the second surface.

11. An electrical connector configured to attach to a printed circuit board, the electrical connector comprising:
a subassembly comprising a plurality of conductive elements disposed in a row, conductive elements of the plurality of conductive elements comprising intermediate portions having segments configured to extend over a surface of the printed circuit board when the electrical connector is attached to the printed circuit board; and
a shorting member disposed adjacent the subassembly, the shorting member comprising:
a web extending along the row; and
a plurality of conductive members extending from the web and making contact with the segments of a subset of conductive elements of the plurality of conductive elements.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11 , further comprising lossy material positioned adjacent the shorting member such that resonances are reduced.

13. The electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the lossy material comprises a polymer and conductive fillers.

14. The electrical connector of claim 11 , wherein the subassembly comprises an insulative portion supporting the plurality of conductive elements.

15. The electrical connector of claim 14 , wherein conductive members of the plurality of conductive members extend to make contact with the subset of conductive elements through openings in the insulative portion.

16. The electrical connector of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements comprises ground contacts and signal contacts.

17. The electrical connector of claim 16 , wherein a first ground contact is separated from a second ground contact along the row by a pair of signal contacts.

18. The electrical connector of claim 11 , wherein the subset of conductive elements comprises ground contacts.

19. The electrical connector of claim 11 , wherein the electrical connector is attached to the printed circuit board, and wherein:
the printed circuit board comprises at least one ground plane; and
each electrically conductive element of the subset of electrically conductive elements is electrically coupled to the at least one ground plane.

20. The electrical connector of claim 19 , wherein:
the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of pairs of signal traces; and

pairs of electrically conductive elements of the plurality of electrically conductive elements are each electrically coupled to a pair of the plurality of pairs of signal traces in the printed circuit board.

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Kirk Brian
• Si Jason
• Pham Ba
• Kocsis Sam
• Chan David
• Wang Wonder
• Tang Bob
• Li Martin
• Wu Smith

Classifications

• H01R13/6473

  Impedance matching · CPC title

• H01R12/721

  cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits · CPC title

• H01R13/6599

  Dielectric material made conductive, e.g. plastic material coated with metal · CPC title

• H01R13/6594

  the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members · CPC title

• H01R13/6593 Primary

  the shield being composed of different pieces · CPC title