Electrical connector having a ground shield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016359277-A1
Application number	US-201514728269-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A contact module is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module includes a carrier and a leadframe held by the carrier. The leadframe includes signal contacts that extend outward from the carrier for mating with corresponding mating signal contacts. A ground shield is mounted to the carrier. The ground shield includes a body configured to extend over at least a portion of the leadframe. The ground shield includes ground contacts configured to mate with corresponding mating ground shields. The ground contacts include groups of spring beams. Each group of spring beams includes at least first and second spring beams that extend from the body of the ground shield in respective different directions.

First claim

In the claims:

1 . A contact module for an electrical connector, the contact module comprising:
a carrier; a leadframe held by the carrier, the leadframe comprising signal contacts that extend outward from the carrier for mating with corresponding mating signal contacts; and a ground shield mounted to the carrier, the ground shield comprising a body configured to extend over at least a portion of the leadframe, the ground shield comprising ground contacts configured to mate with corresponding mating ground shields, the ground contacts comprising groups of spring beams, wherein each group of spring beams includes at least first and second spring beams that extend from the body of the ground shield in respective different directions, the first and second spring beams being vertically staggered such that the first spring beam is vertically offset from the second spring beam.

2 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the respective different directions are respective opposite directions.

3 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the respective different directions are approximately parallel to each other.

4 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second spring beams extend from respective edges of the body, and the respective edges oppose each other.

5 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second spring beams are arranged side-by-side.

6 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the first spring beam extends from a first edge of the body of the ground shield, the second spring beam extending from a second edge of the body that faces the first edge.

7 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the body of the ground shield extends a length along a mating axis, the first and second spring beams comprising respective first and second mating interfaces at which the first and second spring beams, respectively, mate with the corresponding mating ground shield, the first and second mating interfaces being offset from each other along the mating axis of the body of the ground shield such that the first and second spring beams are configured to mate with the corresponding mating ground shield at different locations along a length of the corresponding mating ground shield.

8 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the first spring beam is configured to mate with the corresponding mating ground shield proximate a base of the corresponding mating ground shield, and the second spring beam is configured to mate with the corresponding mating ground shield proximate a tip of the corresponding mating ground shield.

9 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the body of the ground shield comprises a gap segment that extends within a gap between the groups of spring beams of adjacent ground contacts, the gap segment at least partially closing the gap such that the gap segment extends over at least a portion of at least one signal contact that is at least partially aligned with the gap.

10 . An electrical connector comprising:
a housing; and contact modules held by the housing, the contact modules comprising carriers and leadframes held by the carriers, the leadframes comprising signal contacts that extend outward from the carriers for mating with corresponding mating signal contacts, at least one of the contact modules comprising a ground shield mounted to the carrier of the contact module, the ground shield comprising a body configured to extend over at least a portion of the leadframe of the contact module, the body extends between a top end and a bottom end along a vertical axis, the ground shield comprising ground contacts configured to mate with corresponding mating ground shields, the ground contacts comprising groups of spring beams, wherein each group of spring beams includes a first spring beam that extends from the body of the ground shield in a first direction and a second spring beam that extends from the body of the ground shield in a second direction that is different from the first direction, the first and second spring beams being vertically staggered such that the first spring beam is vertically offset from the second spring beam along the vertical axis.

11 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first and second directions are respective opposite directions.

12 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first and second directions are approximately parallel.

13 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first and second spring beams extend from respective edges of the body, and the respective edges oppose each other.

14 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first and second spring beams are arranged side-by-side.

15 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first spring beam extends outward from a first edge of the body of the ground shield, the second spring beam extending outward from a second edge of the body that faces the first edge.

16 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the body of the ground shield extends a length along a mating axis, the first and second spring beams comprising respective first and second mating interfaces at which the first and second spring beams, respectively, mate with the corresponding mating ground shield, the first and second mating interfaces being offset from each other along the mating axis of the body of the ground shield such that the first and second spring beams are configured to mate with the corresponding mating ground shield at different locations along a length of the corresponding mating ground shield.

17 . The electrical connector of claim 10 , wherein the first spring beam is configured to mate with the corresponding mating ground shield proximate a base of the corresponding mating ground shield, the second spring beam being configured to mate with the corresponding mating ground shield proximate a tip of the corresponding mating ground shield.

18 . A contact module for an electrical connector, the contact module comprising:
a carrier; a leadframe held by the carrier, the leadframe comprising signal contacts that extend outward from the carrier for mating with corresponding mating signal contacts along a mating axis; and a ground shield mounted to the carrier, the ground shield comprising a body configured to extend over at least a portion of the leadframe, the body extends between a top end and a bottom end along a vertical axis generally perpendicular to the mating axis, the ground shield comprising vertically staggered ground contacts along the vertical axis configured to mate with corresponding mating ground shields, the body of the ground shield comprising a gap segment that extends within a gap between adjacent ground contacts along the vertical axis, wherein the gap segment at least partially closes the gap between the adjacent ground contacts such that the gap segment extends over at least a portion of at least one signal contact that is at least partially aligned with the gap.

19 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one signal contact that is at least partially aligned with the gap between adjacent ground contacts extends a length along an axis that lies within a plane that extends approximately perpendicular to the gap, the gap segment extending over the at least one signal contact such that the gap segment is intersected by the plane.

20 . The contact module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one signal contact that is at least partially aligned with the gap between adjacent ground contacts extends a length

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Horning Michael James
• Davis Wayne Samuel
• Zhou Xingling

Classifications

• H01R13/514

  composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them · CPC title

• H01R13/6581 Primary

  Shield structure · CPC title

• H01R13/245

  by stamped-out resilient contact arm · CPC title

• H01R13/5045

  different pieces being assembled by press-fit · CPC title

• H01R13/6591

  Specific features or arrangements of connection of shield to conductive members · CPC title