Electrical connector having ribbed ground plate

• US 9,048,583 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Original Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Inventors: Johnescu, Douglas M., Buck, Jonathan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HIEN D
• Application Number:
  US13/755,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20130149881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 43960706-60709, 439/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/737 Printed circuits being substantially perpendicular to each other for printed connections H05K3/366
• 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 13/6471 by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6474 by variation of conductive properties, e.g. by dimension variations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/648 Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices , e.g. anti-static shielding coaxially arranged shields H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6586 for separating multiple connector modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6587 for mounting on PCBs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/18 for manufacturing bases or cases for contact members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing, a plurality of electrical signal contacts carried by the dielectric housing, and a ground plate carried by the dielectric housing. The electrical signal contacts are arranged along a first plane, wherein the signal contacts define signal pairs such that a respective gap is disposed between adjacent signal pairs. The signal contacts further define respective mating and mounting ends. The ground plate includes a ground plate body oriented in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane and offset from the first plane. The ground plate body defines first and second opposed surfaces. The ground plate includes at least one rib that defines first and second opposed surfaces, wherein the first surface of the rib projects from the first surface of the ground plate body in a direction toward the gap, and the second surface is recessed into the second surface of the ground plate body. The ground plate further includes a plurality of mating ends and mounting ends extending from the ground plate body and disposed in the first plane so as to be aligned with the respective mating ends and mounting ends of the electrical signal contacts.

Claims

1. A vertical electrical connector comprising:

a dielectric housing defining a mating interface and a mounting interface that is spaced from the mating interface along a longitudinal direction, wherein the mounting interface extends substantially parallel to the mating interface;

a plurality of electrical signal contacts carried by the dielectric housing and arranged along a first plane, wherein the signal contacts define signal pairs such that a respective gap is disposed between adjacent signal pairs, and the electrical signal contacts further define respective mating ends that are positioned along the mating interface and mounting ends that are positioned along the mounting interface;

a ground plate carried by the dielectric housing, the ground plate including a ground plate body oriented in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane and offset from the first plane, the ground plate body defining first and second opposed surfaces, the ground plate including at least one rib that is elongate along the longitudinal direction, the rib defining first and second opposed surfaces, wherein the first surface of the rib projects from the first surface of the ground plate body in a direction toward the gap, and the second surface is recessed into the second surface of the ground plate body, and the ground plate includes respective mating ends and mounting ends that extend from the ground plate body, the mating ends of the ground plate positioned along the mating interface, and the mounting ends of the ground plates positioned along the mounting interface;

wherein the dielectric housing is a leadframe housing that supports the electrical signal contacts.

2. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the leadframe housing is overmolded onto the electrical signal contacts.

3. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground plate is discretely attached to the leadframe housing.

4. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground plate is overmolded by the leadframe housing.

5. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground plate further comprises a plurality of ribs that each first and second opposed surfaces, wherein the first surface of the plurality of ribs rib projects from the first surface of the ground plate body in a direction toward the gap, and the second surface of each of the plurality of ribs is recessed into the second surface of the ground plate body.

6. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 5, wherein the pairs of electrical signal contacts comprise differential signal pairs.

7. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 6, wherein adjacent ones of the differential signal pairs are separated by respective gaps, and a respective one of the plurality of ribs is disposed in the gaps.

8. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 7, wherein the ribs are devoid of sharp edges that are out of plane with respect to the differential signal pairs.

9. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the mating ends and mounting ends of the grounding plate are disposed in the first plane.

10. The vertical electrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the vertical electrical connector has the same overall dimension as a substantially identically constructed electrical connector that does not include the ground plate and instead includes a discrete electrical ground contact disposed in the gap.