Electrical connector system

• US 4,975,084 A
• Filed: 11/09/1989
• Issued: 12/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMP Limited
• Original Assignee: AMP Limited
• Inventors: Fedder, James L., Sucheski, Matthew M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US07/434,616
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 439/92, 439/108, 439/607, 439/608
• US Class Current: 439/607.4
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/00 Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6585 Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts

Abstract

A high density, high frequency electrical connector system having ground contacts disposed between adjacent columns of signal carrying contacts to provide signal integrity. More particularly, the system includes two mating connectors with the ground contacts in one being blades and the ground contacts in the other being plates with blade engaging cantilever beams thereon so that when the two connectors are mated, the ground contacts complete a ground circuit and the plates provide a shield between adjacent columns of mated signal carrying contacts.

Claims

1. An electrical connector system for use in electrically connecting circuits on a backplane and on a circuit card, said system comprising:

a first connector having columns of conductive signal contacts disposed in passages in a dielectric housing, said signal contacts having leads at one end extending outwardly from one surface of the housing for electrically engaging signal circuits on the backplane on which said first connector may be mounted and pins at another end extending into a cavity opening outwardly on another surface of said housing, and further having conductive other contacts disposed in other passages in said housing, said other contacts having leads at one end extending outwardly from said one surface for engaging other circuits on the backplane and blades at another end located between adjacent columns of said pins in said cavity; and

a second connector having columns of conductive signal contacts disposed in passages in a dielectric housing, said signal contacts having leads at one end extending outwardly from one surface of the housing for electrically engaging signal circuits on the circuit card which may be attached to said second connector and receptacles at another end which are accessible through openings in another surface of said housing, and further having conductive other contacts disposed in slots in said housing with said slots being between adjacent columns of said signal contacts, said other contacts having leads extending outwardly from said one surface for electrically engaging other circuits on the circuit card and plates at another end, said plates carrying blade engaging means thereon which are accessible through slot openings on said another surface, said second connector adapted for being received in said cavity in said first connector with said pins and said receptacles being electrically engaged and said blade and said blade engaging means being electrically engaged.

2. The connector system of claim 1 wherein said other contacts in said first and second connectors provide a ground reference.

3. The connector system of claim 1 wherein some of said other contacts in said first and second connector provide a ground reference and others of said other contacts carry power.

4. The connector system of claim 1 wherein said blades on said other contacts are attached to and extend from strap means.

5. The connector system of claim 4 wherein there are a pair of blades between adjacent columns of pins and a pair of plates between adjacent columns of receptacles.

6. The connector system of claim 5 wherein said strap means attached to said pair of blades are severably joined.

7. The connector system of claim 5 wherein said pair of plates are severably joined.

8. The connector system of claim 5 wherein said strap means attached to said pair of blades are severably joined and said pair of plates are severably joined.

9. The connector system of claim 1 wherein said blade engaging means on said plates include a cantilever beam.

10. An improvement to an electrical connector system of the type having intermatable first and second connectors with both connectors having column and row configurations of electrically engaging signal contacts, said improvement comprising intermatable ground contacts wherein said ground contacts in said first connector include outwardly projecting blade means located between adjacent columns of said signal contacts and said ground contacts in said second connector each include a cantilever beam attached to plate means located between adjacent columns of said signal contacts in said second connector, each said beam adapted to slidingly engage a said blade means and each said plate means adapted to provide shielding between adjacent columns of said signal contacts when mated.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein there are a pair of said blade means between adjacent columns of said signal contacts in the first connector and a pair of said plate means between adjacent columns of said signal contacts in the second connector.

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said blade means are attached to and extend from strap means.

13. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said strap means on said pair of blade means are separably joined.

14. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said pair of plate means are separably joined.

15. The improvement of claim 10 wherein each said plate means include an ear on an edge thereof, said ear extending between adjacent said signal contacts in an adjacent column of said signal contacts.

16. An electrical connector system for use with parallel substrates, said system comprising:

a first connector for being mounted on one said substrate and having an outwardly open cavity at one surface, an opposing surface, and passages extending between said surfaces;

a plurality of first contacts disposed in some of said passages which are arranged in columns extending across the width of said connector, said first contacts having posts extending into said cavity;

a plurality of second contacts disposed in other of said passages and having blades thereon extending into said cavity between adjacent columns of said posts;

said first and second contacts further having leads extending outwardly from said opposing surface for electrically engaging circuits on the one substrate on which the connector may be mounted;

a second connector having a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of second passages arranged in columns extending across the width of said connector and a plurality of slots located between adjacent columns of said second passages, said second passages and slots passing between said front and rear surfaces;

a plurality of third contacts disposed in said second passages and having receptacles positioned to electrically interconnect with respective ones of said posts of said first contacts when said first and second connectors are mated;

a plurality of fourth contacts disposed in said slots and having plate means for shielding said first and third contacts and for electrically engaging said blades when said first and second connectors are mated; and

leads on said third and fourth contacts extending outwardly from said rear surface for electrically engaging circuits on another said substrate on which said second connector may be mounted parallel to said one substrate.

17. The connector system of claim 16 wherein said first and third contacts transmit signals and said second and fourth contacts provide a ground reference.

18. The connector system of claim 16, wherein said first and third contacts transmit signals, some of said second and fourth contacts provide a ground reference and other of said second and fourth contacts transmit power.