High density sealed electrical connector with grounding contact for improved mechanical connection and shielding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9306333-B2
Application number	US-201414264650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2012
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

An electrical connector system includes mating pin and socket connectors each designed for increased contact density to improve performance of high-speed data transfer. The connectors include features for retaining a plurality of pin or socket contacts in a ganged, co-aligned configuration and for shielding groups of contacts from one another to reduce interference and crosstalk. The connectors further include features for providing strain relief to the internal wires and/or cables. The electrical connectors further include an electrically conductive grounding contact to latch various internal components of the electrical connector together for improved mechanical connection and shielding properties.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical connector, comprising:
an electrically conductive plug insert having a plurality of contact-receiving cavities extending in an axial direction through the plug insert, each of the cavities having a first opening at a first face and a second opening at a second face of the plug insert opposite the first face, the first face further including a first recessed slot and a first stop wall formed at an interior end of the first recessed slot;
a plurality of electrically insulating sheaths, each sheath carrying a pair of electrical contacts in a spaced-apart relation such that each electrical contact is in alignment with one of a pair of contact apertures in a wall of the sheath, each sheath sized for insertion into one of the contact-receiving cavities of the plug insert;
a plurality of electrically conductive shield ferrules each having a front end and an opposite rear end;
an electrically conductive shield housing having a first face and an opposite second face, the shield housing including a plurality of ferrule-receiving cavities extending in the axial direction from the first face of the shield housing toward the second face, wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive shield ferrules is received and retained in a corresponding ferrule-receiving cavity, the second face further including a second recessed slot and a second stop wall formed at an interior end of the second recessed slot;
a catch formed within either or both of the first recessed slot of the plug insert adjacent the first stop wall and the second recessed slot of the shield housing adjacent the second stop wall; and
an electrically conductive grounding contact having a first end including a flexible skirt, and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the flexible skirt is received in one of the first recessed slot or the second recessed slot and the second end of the grounding contact is received in the other of the first or second recessed slot adjacent the first or second stop wall thereof the flexible skirt latching with the catch of the first or second recessed slot when the electrical connector is assembled.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the flexible skirt of the grounding contact further includes cantilever members that flex radially inwardly to constrict the flexible skirt when the flexible skirt latches onto the catch.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein each of the cantilever members include a second catch on a free end thereof, the second catch latching with the catch of the first or second recessed slot when the electrical connector is assembled.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the first recessed slot encircles one of the contact-receiving cavities of the plug insert, and wherein the second recessed slot encircles one of the ferrule-receiving cavities of the shield housing.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of cable shields, wherein each of the cable shields is seated in a corresponding one of the ferrule-receiving cavities, such that each ferule-receiving cavity includes one cable shield and one shield ferrule.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 , wherein each of the ferrule-receiving cavities includes a plurality of circumferential grooves formed therein, the grooves contacting a portion of the cable shield and providing a gripping surface to retain the cable shield in position.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6 , wherein each of the shield ferrules includes an upper rim on the front end and a tubular body extending therefrom toward the rear end, the upper rim contacting the second face of the shield housing when the shield ferrule is inserted into the ferrule-receiving cavity.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7 , wherein the shield ferrule is seated against and covers the braid shield within each of the ferrule-receiving cavities.

9. The electrical connector of claim 5 , wherein the electrically conductive shield housing further includes a plurality of cylindrically-shaped barrels extending in the axial direction from the first face.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9 , wherein each of the cable shields extends through the ferrule-receiving cavity and out of the barrel.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10 , further comprising:
a plurality of circumferential grooves spaced along an exterior surface of each of the barrels; and
an adhesive-lined heat-shrink tube adhered to the circumferential grooves and the cable shields.

12. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein each of the contact-receiving cavities include a conductive central core extending in the axial direction and a plurality of conductive fins radiating outwardly from the core, each of the fins separating adjacent contact-receiving cavities from each other.

13. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the grounding contact is integrally formed as a single, monolithic structure.

14. The electrical connector of claim 1 , the grounding contact further including a waist portion between the first and second ends, the waist portion having a smaller diameter than each of the first and second ends.

Assignees

• Carlisle Interconnect Tech Inc

Inventors

• Dang Phong

Classifications

• H01R13/6586

  for separating multiple connector modules · CPC title

• H01R13/502

  composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/6461 Primary

  Means for preventing cross-talk · CPC title

• H01R13/6277

  comprising annular latching means, e.g. ring snapping in an annular groove · CPC title

• H01R13/582

  the cable being clamped between assembled parts of the housing · CPC title