Connector apparatus

• US 20010012730A1
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Alexander W. Barr, Johannes Petrus Maria Kusters, Kevin R. Meredith, Samuel C. Ramey
• Inventors: Ramey, Samuel C., Barr, Alexander W., Meredith, Kevin R., Kusters, Johannes Petrus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 6,371,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/608
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/585 Terminals having a press fit or a compliant portion and a shank passing through a hole in the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 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 Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6471 by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6586 for separating multiple connector modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/205 with a panel or printed circuit board

Abstract

An electrical header connector of the present invention includes a header body formed to include a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings. The header body having a front wall and a back wall. A plurality of signal pins are configured for insertion into the plurality of first openings. Each signal pin includes a first end extending from the front wall of the header body to form an array of pin contacts, and a second end spaced apart from the first end and extending from the back wall of the header body. A plurality of shield blades are configured for insertion into the plurality of second openings. Each of the plurality of shield blades has a first end extending from the front wall of the header body adjacent to the first end of a signal pin, a second end extending from the back wall of the header body adjacent to the second end of the signal pin, and a generally right angle shielding portion configured to be disposed adjacent to an intermediate portion of the signal pin. The first and second openings are arranged in the header body such that the generally right angle shielding portions of shield blades substantially surround the signal pins to form a coaxial shield around each of the plurality of signal pins.

Claims

1. An electrical header connector comprising:

a header body formed to include a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings, the header body having a front wall and a back wall,

a plurality of signal pins configured for insertion into the plurality of first openings, each signal pin including a first end extending from the front wall of the header body to form an array of pin contacts, and a second end spaced apart from the first end and extending from the back wall of the header body, and

a plurality of shield blades configured for insertion into the plurality of second openings, each of the plurality of shield blades having a first end extending from the front wall of the header body adjacent to the first end of a signal pin, a second end extending from the back wall of the header body adjacent to the second end of said signal pin and a generally right angle shielding portion configured to be disposed adjacent to an intermediate portion of said signal pin, wherein the first and second openings are arranged in the header body such that the generally right angle shielding portions of shield blades substantially surround the signal pins to form a coaxial shield around each of the plurality of signal pins.

2. The header connector of

claim 1

, wherein the first and second openings in the header body are arranged such that the generally right angle shielding portion of a shield blade is configured to be disposed adjacent to first and second sides of an associated signal pin and the generally right angle shielding portions of adjoining shield blades are configured to be disposed adjacent to remaining sides of the associated signal pin.

3. The header connector of

claim 1

wherein the generally right angle shielding portion of each of the plurality of shield blades includes first and second leg portions, wherein each of the plurality of second openings in the header body has a generally right angle cross-section for receiving the generally right angle shielding portion of a shield blade, wherein each of the plurality of generally right angle second openings includes first and second narrowed throat portions dimensioned to engage the first and second leg portions of the generally right angle shielding portion of a shield blade to hold the shield blade in place.

4. The header connector of

claim 1

, wherein each of a plurality of signal pins includes a pin tail extending from a back wall of the header body to form an array of pin tails for engagement with a printed circuit board, wherein each of the plurality of shield blades includes a shield tail adjacent to a pin tail of a signal pin.

5. The header connector of

claim 1

further including guide means for guiding insertion of a socket connector into the header connector when the socket connector and the header connector are mated to align the array of pin contacts of the header connector with an array of pin-insertion windows of the socket connector prior to insertion of the pin contacts of the header connector in the receptacle contacts of the socket connector.

6. A protective cap for use with a header connector including a header body having a front wall and a back wall and formed to include a plurality of first openings therethrough configured for receiving a plurality of signal pins therein, each signal pin having a first end extending from the front wall of the header body and a second end spaced apart from the first end and extending from the back wall of the header body and configured for insertion into an opening in a printed circuit board, the protective cap including a front wall formed to include a plurality of blind holes configured to receive the first ends of the signal pins when the protective cap is inserted into the header body to protect the signal pins during shipping and handling of the header connector, the protective cap including a surface configured to engage a portion of the header body surrounding the signal pins, and the blind holes including a surface configured to engage a portion of the signal pins to permit the protective cap to be used as a termination tool to install the header connector on the printed circuit board.

7. The protective cap of

claim 6

, wherein the protective cap is inserted into the header body to protect the signal pins during shipping and handling of the header connector to a customer'"'"'s facility, and to further protect the signal pins until a socket connector is inserted into the header connector.

8. The protective cap of

claim 7

, wherein selected ones of the plurality of holes in the protective cap terminate in an end surface which is configured for engaging the first ends of selected ones of the plurality of signal pins inserted therein when the second ends of said selected ones of the signal pins are pushed into the openings in the printed circuit board during installation of the header connector on the printed circuit board to set the heights of said selected ones of the plurality of signal pins in the installed header connector above the front wall thereof.

9. A modular socket connector comprising:

a first socket housing,

a second socket housing configured to be placed alongside the first socket housing,

a plurality of connector modules configured for insertion into the first and second socket housings, each connector module being formed to include a plurality of laterally-extending through passageways,

a plurality of vertical shields configured for insertion into the first and second socket housings, each vertical shield being formed to include a plurality of laterally-extending through passageways in substantial alignment with the laterally-extending through passageways in the connector modules, and

a plurality of horizontal shields configured to be inserted into the plurality of laterally-extending through passageways in the plurality of connector modules and first shields inserted in the first and second socket housings placed in a side-by-side relationship, the horizontal shields extending between the first and second socket housings to couple the first and second socket housings together.