Title: Electrical connector assembly
Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (1) comprises a dielectric housing (10), a plurality of pairs of upper and lower signal and grounding contacts (20, 30) alternately retained to the housing, and a circuit board (40). Each pair of upper and lower grounding contacts are detachable from each other and conductively contact with each other after assembled with the housing. The circuit board forms a plurality of solder pads (42) on opposite top and bottom surfaces (44, 46) thereof and each soldered pad is electrically connected to a corresponding signal or grounding contact and a corresponding conductive conductor of an electrical cable at opposite ends thereof.
Patent Number: 6,854,987 Issued on 02/15/2005 to Wu
| Inventors:
|
Wu; Jerry (Irvine, CA)
|
| Assignee:
|
Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., LTD (Taipei Hsien, TW)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
208949 |
| Filed:
|
July 29, 2002 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
439/108 |
| Intern'l Class: |
H01R 004//66 |
| Field of Search: |
439/108,607,608,609,610,939,564,573,660,493,79,83
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Paumen; Gary
Assistant Examiner: Nguyen; Phuongchi
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Chung; Wei Te
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electrical connector assembly comprising: a dielectric housing
defining a plurality of pairs of upper and lower passageways and a
plurality of through slots alternately arranged with the plurality of
pairs of upper and lower passageways;
a plurality of pairs of upper and lower signal contacts received into the
pairs of upper and lower passageways;
a plurality of pairs of upper and lower grounding contacts, each pair of
upper and lower grounding contacts being discrete from each other and
conductively contacting with each other when they are received in a common
through slot;
wherein the electrical connector assembly further comprises a circuit board
which forms a plurality of solder pads on opposite top and bottom surfaces
thereof for conductively contacting corresponding signal contacts and
grounding contacts;
wherein each solder pad of the circuit board has an elongated shape and one
end thereof is soldered to a corresponding signal or grounding contact and
another end thereof is to be soldered to a corresponding conductor of an
electrical cable;
wherein the dielectric housing includes a body portion, a mating block
extending from a front face of the body portion and a pair of side wings
extending from a rear face of the body portion;
wherein each pair of upper and lower passageways extend through the body
portion into upper and lower surfaces of the mating block, respectively,
and an elongated tunnel is defined in an outer surface of the mating block
and locates between the each pair of upper and lower passageways;
wherein each through slot extends through the body portion and through the
upper and lower surfaces of the mating block;
wherein an opening is defined in the outer surface of the mating block and
communicates with each through slot;
wherein a pair of elongated ribs extend from the rear surface of the body
portion and form a plurality of pairs of upper and lower cutouts aligned
with corresponding through slots; and
wherein the pair of side wings extend from opposite ends of the rear
surface of the body portion and each side wing defines a channel in an
inner face thereof for receiving the circuit board.
2. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each
pair of upper and lower grounding contacts have a symmetric structure with
respect to each other and are abutted against with each other after
insertion into the corresponding through slot.
3. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of
the upper and lower grounding contacts has a retaining portion forming
barbs retained to a corresponding through slot in the body portion, a
contact portion and a mating beam extending from opposite ends of the
retaining portion.
4. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the
contact portion of each grounding contact forms an enlarged portion
vertically extending from the retaining portion for being accommodated
into a corresponding one of the pair of upper and lower cutouts and an arc
contact point at a free end thereof for being soldered to a corresponding
solder pad on the circuit board.
5. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
mating beams of the pair of upper and lower grounding contacts extend
slightly beyond the upper and lower surfaces of the mating block,
respectively, for mating with a complementary connector and each mating
beam forms a slim end interferingly retained to a corresponding opening of
the mating block.
6. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
a dielectric housing having a body portion with a mating block extending
therefrom;
a plurality of through slots extending through the body portion and
continuing through both upper and lower surfaces of the mating block; and
plural pairs of grounding contacts each grounding contact has a retaining
portion, a contact portion and a mating beam extending from opposite ends
of the retaining portion; respectively received in the corresponding
slots, each one of said pairs of grounding contacts including a pair of
discrete opposite mirror type grounding contacts, said pair of grounding
contacts including a pair of said mating beams back to back abutting
against each other through the through slots and respectively exposed on
the upper and lower surfaces of the mating block, a pair of said retaining
portions with outer barbs engaged with the body portion to retain said
pair of grounding contacts, and a pair of said contact portions commonly
defining therebetween a space in which a front edge of a printed circuit
board is received.
7. The assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each pair of grounding
contacts is located in a plane perpendicular to the upper and the lower
surfaces of said mating block.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a related to U.S. Patent Application with an unknown
serial number, entitled "ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR", invented by the same
inventor, assigned to the common assignee as the present application. The
disclosure of the co-pending application is wholly incorporated herewith
by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and
particularly to an electrical connector assembly having improved grounding
contacts.
2. Description of Prior Art
Nowadays, high-density electrical connectors are commonly used in computer
industry to meet the high speed and high frequency signal transmission
between two electronic components. The high density connector generally
comprises a plurality of grounding contacts alternately disposed among a
plurality of signal contacts thereof for reducing or minimizing cross-talk
between the signal contacts, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,302,
issued to Osamu Daikuhara et al. on Feb. 6, 2001; and U.S. Pat. No.
5,046,960, issued to James L. Fedder on Sep. 10, 1991. Osamu Daikuhara et
al. discloses a high-density connector which includes a dielectric
housing, a plurality of signal and grounding contacts alternately disposed
in the dielectric housing. Each of the grounding contacts, shaped in a
plate-like, is a single piece and has a contact beam inserted through the
dielectric housing for engaging with a complementary connector. Such a
grounding contact is simple in structure and in assembly, but the contact
beam thereof is easily deformed or damaged during assembly, thereby
adversely affecting the electrical connection with the complementary
connector. Thus, effective grounding function of the grounding contacts
can not ensured.
Hence, an electrical connector assembly with improved grounding contacts is
required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide an electrical
connector assembly having an improved grounding contact which can ensure a
reliable grounding function.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical
connector assembly having an improved circuit board with a relative short
circuit trace.
To fulfill the above-mentioned objects, an electrical connector assembly in
accordance with the present invention comprises a dielectric housing, a
plurality of pairs of upper and lower signal contacts, a plurality of
pairs of upper and lower grounding contacts, and a circuit board. The
dielectric housing defines a plurality of pairs of upper and lower
passageways for receiving the upper and lower signal contacts and a
plurality of through slots alternately arranged with the plurality of
pairs of upper and lower passageways. Each pair of upper and lower
grounding contacts are detachable from each other and received in a common
through slot. The circuit board forms a plurality of solder pads on
opposite top and bottom surfaces thereof and each soldered pad is
electrically connected to a corresponding signal or grounding contact and
a corresponding conductive conductor of an electrical cable at opposite
ends thereof.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become
more apparent from the following detailed description of the present
embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector assembly
in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but from another aspect;
FIG. 3 is an assembled view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is an assembled view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 8; and
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Reference will now be made to drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, an
electrical connector assembly 1 in accordance with the present invention
comprises a dielectric housing 10, a plurality of pairs of signal and
grounding contacts 20, 30 retained to the dielectric housing 10, and a
circuit board 40.
Further referring to FIG. 2, the dielectric housing 10 has a body portion
12, a mating block 14 and a pair of side wings 16 extending from opposite
front and rear faces 120, 122 of the body portion 12, respectively. As
best seen in FIG. 10, the dielectric housing 10 defines a plurality of
pairs of upper and lower passageways 11 and each pair of upper and lower
passageways 11 extends through the body portion 12 and into opposite upper
and lower surfaces 142, 144 of the mating block 14, respectively, for
receiving a corresponding pair of upper and lower signal contacts 20. An
elongated tunnel 15 is defined in an outer face 146 of the mating block 14
and between each pair of upper and lower passageways 11. Further referring
to FIGS. 7 and 9, a plurality of through slots 13 each extend through the
body portion 12 and through the upper and lower surfaces 142, 144 of the
mating block 14, and are alternately arranged with the plurality of pairs
of upper and lower passageways 11, for receiving corresponding pairs of
upper and lower grounding contacts 30. An opening 17 is further defined in
the outer face 146 of the mating block 14 and communicates with each
through slot 13, relative narrower than the through slot 13, thereby
forming a pair of tapered stoppers 148 beside the opening 17. Referring
back to FIG. 1, the body portion 12 further forms a pair of elongated ribs
121 projected on the rear face 122 thereof and the elongated ribs 121
define a plurality of pairs of cutouts 125. Each pair of cutouts 125 is
aligned and communicated with a corresponding through slot 13.
Additionally, each side wing 16 defines a channel 162 in an inner surface
164 thereof for receiving the circuit board 40.
Further referring to FIG. 10, the pair of upper and lower signal contacts
20 have a symmetric structure with respect to each other and each has a
retaining portion 22, a contact portion 24 and a mating beam 26 extending
from opposite ends of the retaining portion 22. The retaining portion 22
forms several barbs 21 on opposite sides thereof for interferingly
retaining to a corresponding one of the upper and lower passageways 11 in
the body portion 12. The contact portion 24 extends vertically and then
horizontally from the retaining portion 22 and forms an arc contact point
244 at a free end thereof for soldering to the circuit board 40.
Referring to FIG. 11, each pair of upper and lower grounding contacts 30 is
substantively similar to the pair of upper and lower signal contacts 20 in
structure. The pair of upper and lower grounding contacts 30 are in
two-pieces and also have a symmetric structure with respect to each other.
Each grounding contact 30 has a wider cross section taken along the length
thereof than that of the signal contact 20 and has a retaining portion 32,
a contact portion 34 and a mating beam 36 extending from opposite ends of
the retaining portion 32. The retaining portion 32 forms several barbs 322
on a lateral side thereof for retaining to a corresponding through slot 13
in the body portion 12 of the dielectric housing 10. The contact portion
34 forms an enlarged portion 342 vertically extending from the retaining
portion 32 for being accommodated into a corresponding cutout 125 of the
dielectric housing 10. An arc contact point 344 is formed at the free end
of the contact portion 34 for soldering to the circuit board 40. The
mating beam 36 is received in a corresponding through slot 13 in the
mating block 14 and forms a slim end 362 received into the opening 17 and
retained by the pair of tapered stoppers 148 associated with the
corresponding through slot 13.
Referring to FIG. 1 again, the circuit board 40 has an elongated shape and
forms a plurality of elongated solder pads 42 on opposite top and bottom
surfaces 44, 46 thereof. One end of each solder pad 42 is adopted for
being soldered to a corresponding contact point 244 or 344 of the signal
or grounding contact 20, 30, and the other end thereof is adopted for
being soldered to a corresponding conductive conductor of an electrical
cable (not shown). Thus, the conductive conductors of the electrical cable
are directly and electrically connected to corresponding signal or
grounding contacts 20, 30 by the solder pads 42, and conventional circuit
traces which are electrically connected between corresponding solder pads
formed on opposite ends of a circuit board are omitted for the circuit
board 40. Therefore, the circuit board 40 is relative narrow with respect
to a conventional circuit board, which remains a relative large space the
electrical cable routing. Additionally, the relative short solder pad 42
with respect to the circuit trace combined with two opposite solder pads
of the conventional circuit board provides a good performance for signal
transmission between the signal contact 20 and a corresponding conductive
conductor of the electrical cable.
In assembly, further referring to FIGS. 3 to 8, the pairs of upper and
lower signal contacts 20 are inserted into corresponding upper and lower
passageways 11 from the back of the dielectric housing 10. The pairs of
upper and lower grounding contacts 30 then pass through corresponding
pairs of upper and lower cutouts 125 of the ribs 121 into the aligned
through slots 13 of the dielectric housing 10 and are thus alternately
arranged among the pairs of upper and lower signal contacts 20. As best
seen in FIG. 6, the mating beams 26/36 the upper and lower
signal/grounding contacts 20/30 slightly project beyond the upper and
lower surfaces 142, 144 of the mating block 14, respectively, for mating
with a complementary connector (not shown). Each pair of upper and lower
grounding contacts 30 are abutted against with each other when they are
retained to a common through slot 13 of the dielectric housing 10 and the
enlarged portions 342 thereof are accommodated into a corresponding pair
of cutouts 125. The barbs 322 of each pair of upper and lower grounding
contacts 30 are interferingly fitted with the corresponding through slot
13 in body portion 12. Meanwhile, the slim ends 362 of each pair of upper
and lower grounding contacts 32 are accommodated into a corresponding
opening 17 associated with the corresponding through slot 13 and retained
by the adjacent tapered stoppers 148 of the dielectric housing 10, thereby
the pair of upper and lower grounding contacts 30 reliably retained in
position. The circuit board 40 is then fitted into the receiving slots 162
of the side wings 16 and is sandwiched between the contact portions 24 and
34 of the pairs of upper and lower signal and grounding contacts 20 and
30. The contact points 244, 344 of the signal and grounding contacts 20,
30 are conductively contacting corresponding solder pads 42 on the top and
bottom faces 44, 46 of the circuit board 40. It is noted that since each
pair of upper and lower grounding contacts 30 is in two-pieces, the
contact portions 34 thereof provides more flexibility with respect to
those of the grounding contact in a single piece, thereby, during the
circuit board 40 coupled to the dielectric housing 10 and the soldering
course, the two contact portions 34 thereof are not easily deformed or
damaged with respect to those of the prior art. Therefore, a reliable
grounding function of the grounding contacts 30 of the present invention
is achieved.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics
and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the
foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function
of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be
made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of
parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated
by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
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