(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/0192988A1
`Droesbeke et al.
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Dec. 19, 2002
`
`US 2002O192988A1
`
`(54) RIGHT-ANGLED CONNECTOR
`(75) Inventors: Gert Droesbeke, Nijlen (BE); Ivan
`Joachim Grek, Katrineholm (SE)
`Correspondence Address:
`HARRINGTON & SMITH, LLP
`4 RESEARCH DRIVE
`SHELTON, CT 06484-6212 (US)
`
`(73) Assignee: FCI
`(21) Appl. No.:
`10/160,316
`(22) Filed:
`May 30, 2002
`(30)
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`May 30, 2001 (NL).............................................. 10181.76
`
`Publication Classification
`(51) Int. Cl." ....................................................... H05K 1100
`(52) U.S. Cl. ................................................................ 439/79
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`A connector comprises a housing of insulating material and
`a number of right-angled contact elements arranged in rows
`and columns. A right-angled shielding plate is arranged
`between all adjacent rows or adjacent groups of rows of
`contact elements. Further, adjacent columns or adjacent
`groups of columns of contact elements are separated by a
`Vertical Shielding plate. The right-angled and Vertical Shield
`ing plates are provided with slots receiving the vertical and
`right-angled shielding plates, respectively. Contact parts are
`provided for interconnecting the right-angled and Vertical
`Shielding plates.
`
`
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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 19, 2002 Sheet 1 of 3
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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 19, 2002 Sheet 2 of 3
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`US 2002/0192988A1
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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 19, 2002 Sheet 3 of 3
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`US 2002/0192988 A1
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`Dec. 19, 2002
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`RIGHT ANGLED CONNECTOR
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`0001. The invention relates to a connector, comprising a
`housing of insulating material having a front wall and a
`bottom wall, a number of right-angled contact elements
`arranged in rows and columns, and at least one right-angled
`Shielding plate arranged between two adjacent rows of
`contact elements.
`0002 GB-A-2027290 discloses a connector of this type,
`having three rows of right-angled contact elements, wherein
`the central row is a row of ground contact elements. The
`right-angled Shielding plate is arranged between the central
`and Outer rows of contact elements and interconnects the
`ground contact elements of the central row. This known
`connector requires a number of ground contact elements
`thereby reducing the density of Signal contact elements.
`There is no shielding between columns of contact elements.
`0003) EP-A-0446980 discloses a connector, comprising
`a housing of insulating material, and a number of right
`angled contact elements arranged in rows and columns,
`wherein Signal contacts are enclosed by outer conductors
`and Shielding plates are provided to improve Shielding. The
`connector requires a number of ground contact elements for
`Shielding thereby reducing Signal contact density.
`0004 U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,867 discloses a connector,
`comprising a housing of insulating material, a number of
`Straight contact elements arranged in rows and columns and
`a matrix of Shielding plates. The connector is made as a
`coaxial multicore receptacle. A number of ground contact
`pins is required to contact the shielding plates.
`0005 U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,727 discloses a connector,
`comprising a housing of insulating material, a number of
`right-angled contact elements arranged in rows and columns
`and a number of Shielding plates arranged between adjacent
`columns of contact elements. There is no Shielding between
`rows of contact elements.
`0006 The invention aims to provide an improved con
`nector of the above-mentioned type.
`0007 To this end the connector according to the inven
`tion is characterized in that a right-angled Shielding plate is
`arranged between all adjacent rows or adjacent groups of
`rows of contact elements, and wherein adjacent columns or
`adjacent groups of columns of contact elements are Sepa
`rated by a vertical Shielding plate, wherein the right-angled
`and vertical shielding plates are provided with slots receiv
`ing the vertical and right-angled Shielding plates, respec
`tively, wherein contact parts are provided for interconnect
`ing the right-angled and Vertical Shielding plates.
`0008. In this manner a right-angled connector with a
`complete Shielding of contact elements both in row and
`column direction is obtained.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
`0009. The invention will be further explained by refer
`ence to the drawings in which an embodiment of the
`connector assembly of the invention is shown.
`0010 FIGS. 1 and 2 show perspective views of an
`embodiment of the connector according to the invention.
`
`FIGS. 3-6 show perspective views of some steps in
`0011
`a method of the invention for manufacturing the connector
`of FIGS. 1 and 2.
`0012 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a
`right-angled connector or header, comprising a housing 1 of
`insulating material having a front wall 2 and a bottom wall
`3. A number of right-angled contact elements 4 are arranged
`in rows and columns. Arrows R and C in FIG. 1 schemati
`cally show the row or horizontal direction and column or
`Vertical direction. Each contact element 4 comprises a
`contact end or pin 5 adapted to contact a contact element of
`a mating connector, an intermediate right-angled Section 6,
`and a terminal end 7 adapted to be inserted into a plated
`through-hole of a printed circuit board. It will be understood
`that the configuration of the contact elements 4 is shown by
`way of example only and different configurations are pos
`sible.
`0013 A right-angled shielding plate 8 is arranged
`between each two adjacent rows of contact elements 4 So
`that the rows of contact elements 4 are completely shielded
`with respect to each other. Each right-angled shielding plate
`is provided with contact lips 9 projecting out of the front
`wall 2 and with terminal ends 9' projecting out of the bottom
`wall 3. Further, adjacent pairs of columns of contact ele
`ments 4 are separated by a vertical shielding plate 10. As will
`be described hereinafter, the vertical shielding plates 10 are
`interconnected with the right-angled Shielding plates 8. In
`this manner a complete Shielding of each pair of contact
`elements 4 is obtained. In the embodiment shown each row
`comprises eight contact elements and with four rows this
`results in Sixteen completely Shielded pairs of contact ele
`ments 4. It will be understood that different arrangements of
`the right-angled and Vertical Shielding plates are possible.
`For example, the Vertical Shielding plates can be provided
`between each two adjacent columns of contact elements 4 to
`obtain individually shielded contact elements 4. In a differ
`ent layout, a right-angled Shielding plate 8 could be arranged
`between adjacent groups of rows of contact elements.
`
`DETAILED DESCRITPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`0014) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vertical shielding
`plates 10 are part of a vertical shielding element 11 over
`moulded with an insulating material 12. This vertical shield
`ing element 11 comprises an upper wall 13 from which the
`vertical shielding plates 10 extend downwards. If desired, a
`metal plate interconnected with the Vertical Shielding plates
`10 can be accommodated within the upper wall 13. The
`upper wall 13 is provided with two locking projections 14
`engaging in locking recesses 15 of the front wall 2 of the
`housing 1. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the overmoulded
`Vertical shielding plates are provided with coupling pins 16
`and these coupling pins 16 are received in holes 17 of the
`bottom wall 3 of the housing 1. In this manner a rigid
`construction of the connector is obtained. It will be under
`stood that the connector of FIGS. 1 and 2 can be provided
`with outer Shielding plates in a usual manner.
`0015 For a further detailed description of the construc
`tion of the connector and the method for manufacturing the
`connector reference is now made to FIGS. 3-6. The front
`wall 2 of the housing comprises for front wall parts 18,
`which are interconnected by projections 19 received in
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`US 2002/0192988 A1
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`Dec. 19, 2002
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`recesses not shown. The contact elements 4 are inserted into
`holes in the front wall parts 18 as Straight contact elements
`and are bent to obtain the right-angled contact elements 4.
`Thereafter, a first right-angled Shielding plate 8 is mounted
`on top of the front wall part 18 as shown in FIG. 3. A next
`front wall part 18 with inserted and bent contact elements 4
`is mounted on top of the first front wall part 18 with
`Shielding plate 8 and locked onto the Same So that the
`assembly as shown in FIG. 4 is obtained. Further right
`angled shielding plates 8 and front wall parts 18 with
`inserted contact elements 4 are mounted on top of the
`previous front wall parts 18 to obtain the assembly as shown
`in FIG. 5.
`0016. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the lower front wall part
`18 is provided with a locking recess 20 to receive a locking
`projection 21 of the bottom wall 3. This bottom wall 3 is
`provided with holes 22 to receive and position the terminal
`ends 7 of the contact elements 4 and with holes 23 to receive
`and position the terminal ends 9" of the right-angled shield
`ing plates 8. When the bottom wall 3 is provided, the vertical
`shielding element 11 can be mounted as shown in FIG. 6.
`The coupling pins 16 are received in the holes 17 of the
`bottom wall 3 and the locking projections 14 are received in
`the locking recesses 15.
`0.017. The vertical shielding plates 10 are provided with
`Slots 24 to receive the vertical parts of the right-angled
`Shielding plates 8. Further, the right-angled Shielding plates
`8 are provided with slots 25 (see FIG. 3) to receive the
`vertical shielding plates 10. These slots 25 of the right
`angled shielding plates 8 are provided with contact fingers
`26 to contact the vertical shielding plates 10. To provide
`these contact fingers 26 with access to the vertical Shielding
`plates 10, the insulating material Overmoulded on the Ver
`tical shielding plates 10 is provided with slots 27.
`0.018. It is noted that the interconnection between the
`shielding plates 8, 10 by means of the contact fingers 26 is
`given by way of example only. AS an alternative, the slots 24
`in the vertical shielding plates 10 can be provided with
`contact fingers contacting the vertical parts of the right
`angled shielding plates 8. Further, different embodiments of
`the contact fingers are possible.
`0019. It will be understood that the connector of the
`invention allows a complete Shielding both in Vertical and
`horizontal direction of one or a group of contact elements 4.
`In this manner the connector is Suitable for high-speed
`Signals. Manufacturing of the connector is possible in an
`efficient way and results in a rigid construction.
`0020. The invention is not restricted to the above-de
`scribed embodiments, which can be varied in a number of
`ways within the Scope of the attached claims.
`1. Connector, comprising a housing of insulating material
`having a front wall and a bottom wall, a number of right
`angled contact elements arranged in rows and columns, and
`at least one right-angled shielding plate arranged between
`two adjacent rows of contact elements, characterized in that
`a right-angled Shielding plate is arranged between all adja
`cent rows or adjacent groups of rows of contact elements,
`and wherein adjacent columns or adjacent groups of col
`umns of contact elements are separated by a vertical Shield
`
`ing plate, wherein the right-angled and vertical Shielding
`plates are provided with slots receiving the Vertical and
`right-angled Shielding plates, respectively, wherein contact
`parts are provided for interconnecting the right-angled and
`Vertical shielding plates.
`2. Connector according to claim 1, wherein the vertical
`Shielding plates are part of a vertical Shielding element
`Overmoulded with an insulating material.
`3. Connector according to claim 2, wherein the slots of the
`right-angled Shielding plates are provided with contact fin
`gers and the insulating material of the vertical Shielding
`plates have slots for providing the contact fingers of a
`right-angled Shielding plate access to the Vertical Shielding
`plates.
`4. Connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the
`Vertical Shielding element is provided with a insulating
`coupling pin aligned with each vertical Shielding plate,
`wherein each coupling pin is received in a hole of the bottom
`wall of the housing.
`5. Connector according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the
`Vertical Shielding element comprises an upper wall from
`which the overmoulded vertical Shielding plates extend
`downwards, Said upper wall having one or more locking
`projections engaging locking recesses provided in the front
`wall of the housing.
`6. Connector according to any one of the preceding
`claims, wherein each right-angled Shielding plate is pro
`Vided with at least one contact lip projecting out of the front
`wall of the housing for contacting a mating connector and at
`least one ground terminal projecting out of the bottom wall
`for contacting a printed circuit board.
`7. Connector according to any one of the preceding
`claims, wherein the front wall of the housing is an assembly
`of front wall parts, each front wall part carrying one row of
`contact elements, wherein each right-angled Shielding plate
`is received between the front wall parts of two adjacent rows
`of contact elements.
`8. Connector according to claim 7, wherein front wall
`parts of adjacent rows of contact elements are interlocked by
`co-operating locking means.
`9. Connector according to any one of the preceding
`claims, wherein the bottom wall of the housing is provided
`with a locking projection engaging in a receSS provided in
`the front wall of the housing.
`10. Connector according to any one of the preceding
`claims, wherein each row of contact elements is a row of
`Signal contact elements only.
`11. Method for manufacturing a connector according to
`any one of the preceding claims, characterized by inserting
`contact elements in one or more front wall part of insulating
`material, mounting a right-angled Shielding plate to a front
`wall part, mounting a next front wall part with contact
`elements on the front wall part having the right-angled
`Shielding, and after having assembled all front wall parts,
`mounting a bottom wall having an array of holes for
`receiving and positioning one end of each contact element.
`12. Method according to claim 8, wherein the contact
`elements are inserted as Straight elements, wherein the
`contact elements are bent to obtain right-angled contact
`elements before mounting the right-angled shielding plate.
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