Pseudo-coaxial wafer assembly for connector
First Claim
1. A high-density connector assembly comprising:
- a plurality of individual terminal assemblies, each terminal assembly having a plurality of signal terminal disposed therein in a signal terminal array;
each of the signal terminals including a contact portion for mating with an opposing connector, a tail portion for connecting to a circuit board and a body portion interconnecting the contact and tail portions together, the terminal body portions being supported within an insulative frame; and
, a conductive ground structure that encompasses said signal terminals and which supports the frame, the ground structure including at least a pair of interengaging housing halves having a plurality of grooves formed in opposing faces thereof, the grooves supporting said frame in place between said housing halves such that each of the grooves receives a single terminal therein.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A high-density connector utilizes a plurality of terminal assemblies that are assembled together into a block, or single unit, to form a connector. Each terminal assembly of the connector utilizes a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions for mating with an opposing connector, tail portions for mounting to a circuit substrate and body portions held within an insulative body portion of the assembly. The body portions are supported within a housing in the form of a wafer which is plated with a conductive material so as to provide an all encompassing ground structure that surrounds the terminals and their insulative supporting terminal assemblies. In this manner a reference ground is provided around each signal terminal between its contact and tail portions that emulates a coaxial cable. The tails of the terminals and the ground structure have wide body portions with narrow contact portions to promote wicking of solder onto the tails for establishing a reliable solder mounting of the connector to a circuit board.
142 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A high-density connector assembly comprising:
-
a plurality of individual terminal assemblies, each terminal assembly having a plurality of signal terminal disposed therein in a signal terminal array;
each of the signal terminals including a contact portion for mating with an opposing connector, a tail portion for connecting to a circuit board and a body portion interconnecting the contact and tail portions together, the terminal body portions being supported within an insulative frame; and
,a conductive ground structure that encompasses said signal terminals and which supports the frame, the ground structure including at least a pair of interengaging housing halves having a plurality of grooves formed in opposing faces thereof, the grooves supporting said frame in place between said housing halves such that each of the grooves receives a single terminal therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A connector, comprising:
-
a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions for mating with terminals of an opposing connector and tail portions for mounting to a circuit board;
an insulative shell member supporting the terminals, the shell member including a body portion having a plurality of walls formed thereon, the walls and body portion cooperatively forming a plurality of insulative terminal-receiving channels formed therein, each of the channels receiving a single terminal therein, each of said channels further including an opening at one end for receiving a contact portion of a terminal from the opposing connector, said shell member further including a plurality of spaced-apart slots disposed therein, the slots partially separating adjacent channels; and
,a conductive shield member that is engageable with said shell member, the shield member including a base with a plurality of spaced-apart walls disposed thereon, the walls being received within said shell member slots such that said shield member base and walls define at least three conductive members that are located on three distinct sides of said channel in order to partially surround channels that extend along at least three sides of said terminals within said body channels. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. A connector comprising:
-
a plurality of individual terminal assemblies, each terminal assembly having a plurality of signal terminal disposed therein in a signal terminal array, each signal terminal including a contact portion for mating with an opposing connector, a tail portion for connecting to a circuit board and a body portion interconnecting the contact and tail portions together, the terminal body portions being supported within an insulative frame;
the terminal tail portions including wide body portions for surface mounting said terminals to a circuit board, the tail wide body portion including narrow contact portions that extend out therefrom into contact with solder on a circuit board when said connector is mounted to the circuit board, the difference in dimensions between said wide body and narrow contact portions defining notches that promote wicking of solder onto said tail wide body portions; and
,a conductive ground structure that encompasses said signal terminals and which supports the frame, the ground structure including at least a pair of interengaging housing halves having said frame and terminals in place therebetween, the ground structure including a plurality of surface mount tail portions arranged along opposing edges of a mounting face of said ground structure, the ground structure surface mount tail portions also including having wide body portions and narrow contact portions extending therefrom, the difference in size between said narrow contact portions and the wide body portions promoting wicking of solder onto the ground structure surface mount tail portions. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification