Shielding structure for a card edge connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12542402-B2
Application number	US-202318156425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2023
Priority date	Jan 19, 2023
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

A card edge connector includes a connector housing having a cavity and a card slot at a front configured to receive a module circuit board of the pluggable module. The card edge connector includes a contact assembly received in the cavity having a contact positioner holding contacts in a contact array. The contacts are arranged in pairs. Each contact includes a mating end, a terminating end, and an intermediate portion held by the contact positioner. The mating ends extend into the card slot for mating to corresponding signal pads on the module circuit board. The card edge connector includes a shield structure having ground shields located between the pairs of the contacts. The ground shields include ground beams that extend into the card slot for mating to corresponding ground pads on the module circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A card edge connector for mating with a pluggable module, the card edge connector comprising:
a connector housing including a top and a bottom, the connector housing having a front and a rear, the connector housing having a first side and a second side, the connector housing including a cavity extending between the front and the rear, the connector housing including a card slot at the front configured to receive a module circuit board of the pluggable module; a contact assembly received in the cavity, the contact assembly having a contact positioner holding contacts in a contact array, the contacts being arranged in pairs in the contact array, each contact including a mating end, a terminating end, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the terminating end, the intermediate portion held by the contact positioner, the mating ends extending into the card slot for mating to corresponding signal pads on the module circuit board, wherein the contacts include upper contacts arranged in an upper row to interface with the signal pads on an upper surface of the module circuit board and lower contacts arranged in a lower row to interface with the signal pads on a lower surface of the module circuit board; and a shield structure coupled to the contact assembly, the shield structure including ground shields located between the pairs of the contacts, the ground shields including ground beams extending into the card slot for mating to corresponding ground pads on the module circuit board, the shield structure including a connecting plate held by the contact positioner electrically connected to each of the ground shields to electrically common each of the ground shields, the connecting plate located between the upper and lower rows to provide shielding between the upper contacts and the lower contacts.

2 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the ground shields include ground plates, the ground beams extending from the ground plates, the ground plates being held by the contact positioner.

3 . The card edge connector of claim 2 , wherein each ground shield includes a pair of the ground beams extending from the corresponding ground plate.

4 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the ground beams including upper ground beams to interface with the ground pads on the upper surface of the module circuit board and lower ground beams to interface with the ground pads on the lower surface of the module circuit board.

5 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the ground shields are coupled to the connecting plate, the ground shields being oriented perpendicular to the connecting plate.

6 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the ground shields include ground plates, the ground beams extending from the ground plates, the ground plates including ground plate slots receiving the connecting plate.

7 . The card edge connector of claim 6 , wherein the connecting plate includes connecting plate slots, the ground plates being received in the connecting plate slots.

8 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the connecting plate includes openings, the contact positioner passing through the openings.

9 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the contact positioner includes a plurality of contact holders, each contact holder holding a pair of the contacts, the contact holders being separated by gaps, the ground shields being received in the corresponding gaps to position the ground shields between the pairs of the contacts.

10 . The card edge connector of claim 9 , wherein the contact holders including upper contact holders holding the upper contacts and lower contact holders holding the lower contacts, the connecting plate located between the upper eentaets holders and the lower contact holders.

11 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminating ends of the contacts include compliant pins configured to be press-fit to a host circuit board, the ground shields including compliant pins configured to be press-fit to the host circuit board.

12 . The card edge connector of claim 1 , wherein the ground shields include shield panels extending along the ground beams.

13 . The card edge connector of claim 12 , wherein the shield panels are positioned between the ground beams and the adjacent contacts.

14 . The card edge connector of claim 12 , wherein each shield panel includes a support arm and a shield arm extending from the support arm, the support arm being coplanar with the ground beam, the shield arm being offset from the ground beam and the support arm and extending an entire length of the ground beam.

15 . A card edge connector for mating with a pluggable module, the card edge connector comprising:
a connector housing including a top and a bottom, the connector housing having a front and a rear, the connector housing having a first side and a second side, the connector housing including a cavity extending between the front and the rear, the connector housing including a card slot at the front configured to receive a module circuit board of the pluggable module; a contact assembly received in the cavity, the contact assembly having a contact positioner holding contacts in a contact array, the contacts being arranged in pairs in the contact array, each contact including a mating end, a terminating end, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the terminating end, the intermediate portion held by the contact positioner, the mating ends extending into the card slot for mating to corresponding signal pads on the module circuit board; and a shield structure coupled to the contact assembly, the shield structure including ground shields located between the pairs of the contacts, the ground shields including ground beams extending into the card slot for mating to corresponding ground pads on the module circuit board, the ground shields including shield panels extending along the ground beams, wherein the shield panels are positioned between the ground beams and the adjacent contacts.

16 . The card edge connector of claim 15 , wherein each shield panel includes a support arm and a shield arm extending from the support arm, the support arm being coplanar with the ground beam, the shield arm being offset from the ground beam and the support arm and extending an entire length of the ground beam.

17 . The card edge connector of claim 15 , wherein the shield structure includes a connecting plate held by the contact positioner, the ground shields being coupled to the connecting plate, the ground shields being oriented perpendicular to the connecting plate, the connecting plate electrically connecting each of the ground shields.

18 . The card edge connector of claim 15 , wherein the contact positioner includes a plurality of contact holders, each contact holder holding a pair of the contacts, the contact holders being separated by gaps, the ground shields being received in the corresponding gaps to position the ground shields between the pairs of the contacts.

19 . A communication system comprising:
a pluggable module including a module circuit board having contact pads at a card edge; and a card edge connector receiving the pluggable module, the card edge connector including a connector housing holding a contact assembly and a shield structure, the connector housing including a top and a bottom, the connector housing having a front and a rear, the connector housing having a first side and a second side, the connector housing including a cavity extendin

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Solutions Gmbh

Inventors

• Henry Randall Robert
• Costello Brian Patrick
• Matthews Brandon Michael

Classifications

• H01R13/6594

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

• H01R12/737

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

• H01R13/6585 Primary

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

• H01R12/585

  Terminals having a press fit or a compliant portion and a shank passing through a hole in the printed circuit board · CPC title

• H01R12/716

  Coupling device provided on the PCB · CPC title