High speed, high density electrical connector with shielded signal paths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509101-B2
Application number	US-201514603294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A modular electrical connector with separately shielded signal conductor pairs. The connector may be assembled from modules, each containing a pair of signal conductors with surrounding partially or fully conductive material. Modules of different sizes may be assembled into wafers, which are then assembled into a connector. Wafers may include lossy material. In some embodiments, shielding members of two mating connectors may each have compliant members along their distal portions, such that, the shielding members engage at points of contact at multiple locations, some of which are adjacent the mating edge of each of the mating shielding members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a mating contact portion, wherein the mating contact portions are disposed to define a mating interface of the electrical connector;
a plurality of conductive walls adjacent the mating contact portions of the plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conduct walls comprising a forward edge adjacent the mating interface, and the plurality of conductive walls being disposed to define a plurality regions, each of the plurality of regions containing at least one of the mating contact portions and being separated from adjacent regions by walls of the plurality of conductive walls,
a plurality of compliant members attached to the plurality of conductive walls, the plurality of compliant members being positioned adjacent the forward edge,
wherein:
the walls bounding each of the plurality of regions comprise at least two of the plurality of compliant members; and
the walls bounding each of the plurality of regions comprise at least two contact surfaces, the at least two contact surfaces being set back from the forward edge and adapted for making electrical contact with a compliant member from a mating electrical connector.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical connector is a first electrical connector;
the plurality of conductive elements are first conductive elements, the mating contact portions are first mating contact portions, the mating interface is a first mating interface, the plurality of conductive walls is a plurality of first conductive walls, the forward edge is a first forward edge, the plurality of regions is a plurality of first regions, and the contact surfaces are first contact surfaces;
the first electrical connector is in combination with a second electrical connector: and
the second electrical connector comprises:
a plurality of second conductive elements, each of the plurality of second conductive elements comprising a second mating contact portion, wherein the second mating contact portions are disposed to define a second mating interface of the second electrical connector;
a plurality of second conductive walls adjacent the second mating contact portions, each of the plurality of second conductive walls comprising a second forward edge adjacent the second mating interface, and the plurality of second conductive walls being disposed to define a plurality of second regions, each of the plurality of second regions containing at least one of the second mating contact portions and being separated from adjacent second regions by walls of the plurality of second conductive walls; and
a plurality of second compliant members attached to the plurality of second conductive walls, the plurality of second compliant members being positioned adjacent the second forward edge,
wherein:
the walls bounding each of the plurality of second regions comprise at least two of the plurality of second compliant members;
the walls bounding each of the plurality of second regions comprise at least two second contact surfaces, the at least two second contact surfaces being set back from the second forward edge;
when the first electrical connector is mated with the second electrical connector, each of the first regions corresponds to a respective second region; and
for each first region and the corresponding second region, the first compliant members of the first region make contact with the second contact surfaces of the second region and the second compliant members of the second region make contact with the first contact surfaces of the first region.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of compliant members attached to the plurality of conductive walls comprise discrete compliant members joined to the conductive walls.

4. A method for manufacturing an electrical connector, the method comprising acts of:
forming a plurality of modules, each of the plurality of modules comprising an insulative portion and at least one conductive element, wherein at least one module of the plurality of modules comprises at most two conductive elements;
arranging the plurality of modules in a two-dimensional array with electromagnetic shielding material separating adjacent modules of the plurality of modules, wherein:
the two-dimensional array comprises modules of the plurality of modules disposed along a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and
in at least one module of the plurality of modules, the insulative portion separates the at least one conductive element from the electromagnetic shielding material.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the shielding material comprises lossy material, and wherein the method further comprises an act of:
overmolding the lossy material on at least a portion of the modules.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of modules comprises a plurality of modules of a first type, a plurality of modules of a second type, and a plurality of modules of a third type, and wherein the modules of the second type are longer than the modules of the first type, and the modules of the third type are longer than the modules of the second type.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the act of arranging the plurality of modules comprises:
arranging the modules of the first type in a first row;
arranging the modules of the second type in a second row, the second row being parallel to and adjacent the first row; and
arranging the modules of the third type in a third row, the third row being parallel to and adjacent the second row.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising acts of:
assembling the plurality of modules into a plurality of wafers; and
arranging the plurality of wafers side by side, each of the plurality of wafers comprising a module of the first type, a module of the second type, and a module of the third type.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one conductive element comprises a conductive wire and the insulative portion comprises a passageway, and wherein the method further comprises an act of:
threading the conductive wire through the passageway.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising an act of:
prior to threading the conductive wire through the passageway, forming the insulative portion by molding.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the shielding material comprises at least one lossy member, and wherein, for at least one wafer of the plurality of wafers, the act of assembling the plurality of modules into a plurality of wafers comprises:
assembling a module of the first type, a module of the second type, and a module of the third type adjacent the at least one lossy member.

12. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the shielding material comprises at least one lossy member; and
the act of arranging the plurality of modules in a two-dimensional array comprises arranging a first module, a second module, and a third module in a column, wherein the first, second, and third modules are adjacent the at least one lossy member.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first, second, and third modules are adjacent a plurality of lossy members.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one module of the plurality of modules comprises a pair of conductive elements configured to carry a differential signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein intermediate portions of the pair of conductive elements are broadside coupled, while contact tails of the pair of conductive elements are edge coupled.

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Cartier Jr Marc B
• Dunham John Robert
• Gailus Mark W
• Girard Jr Donald A
• Manter David
• Pitten Tom
• Sivarajan Vysakh
• Snyder Michael Joseph

Classifications

• H01R12/737

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

• H01R12/724 Primary

  containing contact members forming a right angle · CPC title

• H01R43/24

  Assembling by moulding on contact members · CPC title

• Y10T29/49222

  forming array of contacts or terminals · CPC title

• H01R13/518

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title