Electrical connectors – Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield – Multi-part shield body
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-02
2004-10-26
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield
Multi-part shield body
Reexamination Certificate
active
06808421
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to so-called two piece type connector apparatuses that electrically connect two circuit boards, for example, and more particularly, to shield structures of contacts that are electrically connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Connectors are widely used as apparatuses that electrically connect electronic devices, such as computers, servers, switching equipment, and large computers.
When transmitting electronic signals at a high speed in the electronic apparatuses, there are problems such as crosstalk noise. Especially, in a back plane such as each module of a computer, a logic module and a memory module, for example, and a circuit board used for performing necessary connections among other circuit boards plugged therein at right angles, it is important to positively match transmission characteristics of high-speed electronic signals.
Hence, for connectors used for connections of the back plane, a balanced transmission technique that performs differential signal transmission capable of canceling out noise that might be generated in transmission of high frequency signals is adopted. Additionally, in order to positively reduce crosstalk noise, a coaxial structure that covers, for example, the outsides of a plurality of signal lines with shield members is adopted, and shield terminals and ground terminals are provided between adjacent signal contact points.
A description will be given of an example of such conventional connectors, with reference to
FIGS. 1 through 9
.
This conventional connector is a so-called two piece type connector used by connecting a pair of connectors and includes a plug connector shown in
FIGS. 1 through 3
and a jack connector shown in
FIGS. 4 through 7
. The two piece type connector (connector apparatus) is used for balanced transmission.
First, a description will be given of the plug connector.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the plug connector,
FIG. 2
is a diagram of the plug connector seen from the direction indicated by “a” in
FIG. 1
, and
FIG. 3
is a diagram of the plug connector seen from the direction indicated by “b” in FIG.
1
.
In a plug connector
1
, a housing
2
is formed into a shape including a vertical wall
2
a
and horizontal walls
2
b
and
2
c
. The horizontal walls
2
b
and
2
c
are provided at opposing up and down sides of the vertical wall
2
a
so as to interpose the vertical wall
2
a
therebetween. In addition, a plurality of plug contacts
3
having substantially bar shapes and passing through the vertical wall
2
a
are arranged in a matrix-like manner when seen from an end face of the vertical wall
2
a
. Two plug contacts
3
(denoted by reference numerals
3
A and
3
B in
FIG. 3
) arranged side-by-side up and down, that is, in the same column, transmit in pairs signals having symmetrical positive and negative waveforms.
Each of the contacts
3
includes contact points
3
a
and
3
b
at opposing ends. The contact point
3
a
is for making contact with and electrically connecting to a contact point of the jack connector, which will be described later. The contact point
3
b
is for engaging with and electrically connecting to a throughhole in a board (not shown).
Considering the two contact points
3
a
of a pair of plug contacts
3
(
3
A and
3
B) as one unit, an angle-like (L-shaped at cross section) shield plate
4
is provided for each unit by covering two sides thereof.
Next, a description will be given of the jack connector.
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of the jack connector,
FIG. 5
is a diagram of the jack connector as seen from the direction indicated by “c” in
FIG. 4
,
FIG. 6
is a diagram showing contacts removed from the jack connector in
FIG. 5
, and
FIG. 7
is a diagram of the jack connector seen from the direction indicated by “d” in FIG.
4
.
In a jack connector
5
, a housing
6
is formed into a shape where horizontal walls
6
b
and
6
c
are extending from opposing up and down sides of a vertical wall-like main body
6
a.
A jack contact
7
is formed into an angle-like shape and includes contact points
7
a
and
7
b
at the opposing ends. The contact point
7
a
is for making contact with and electrically connecting to the contact point
3
a
of the plug connector
1
and is formed to be biforked. On the other hand, the contact point
7
b
is for engaging with and electrically connecting to a throughhole in a board (not shown) and is formed into a press fit-like shape. Four pairs of contacts
7
A and
7
B having different shapes are arranged in a column direction and integrally molded into a resin part
7
c
. A plurality of the jack contacts
7
are arranged in a matrix-like manner when seen from an end face of the main body
6
a
. The jack contacts
7
are used for transmitting signals having symmetrical positive and negative waveforms by pairing two adjacent up and down (in the same column) jack contacts
7
(denoted by reference numerals
7
A and
7
B in FIG.
7
).
Considering the two contact points
7
a
of a pair of the jack contacts (
7
A and
7
B) as one unit, a shield plate
8
having a tongue-shaped part
8
a
on one side is provided for each unit. The shield plate
8
is arranged in parallel with the jack contacts
7
in the column direction (vertical direction). Pin parts
8
b
located on the opposite side of the tongue-shaped parts
8
a
protrude from a bottom-side end face of the resin part
7
c
in FIG.
4
.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, the plug connector
1
and the jack connector
5
are in contact with and electrically connected to each other such that the contacts
3
a
of the plug contacts
3
are supported by the biforked contact points
7
a
of the jack contacts
7
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, in a state where the contact points
3
a
and the contact points
7
a
are in contact, three sides of a pair of contact parts (one unit)
9
in each of which the contact point
3
a
and the contact point
7
a
are in contact are covered with the shield plate
4
and the tongue-shaped part
8
a
of the shield plate
8
. In addition, one side (the lower side in
FIG. 9
) that is not covered with the shield plates
4
and
8
is shielded by the adjacent shield plate
4
from the downside adjacent pair of the contact parts (one unit)
9
in the column. Hence, each of the pairs of the contact parts (one unit)
9
arranged in a matrix-like manner is shielded by the shield plates
4
and
8
from adjacent pairs of the contact parts (one unit)
9
in each direction of the matrix. Accordingly, crosstalk generated between adjacent pairs of the contact parts (one unit)
9
arranged closely is reduced.
However, in the above-described conventional connector, the angle-shaped shield plate
4
of the plug connector
1
is provided for each pair of the contact parts (one unit)
9
. For this reason, the number of components is large, thus resulting in a lot of assembly processes and high assembly cost.
Also, in the conventional connector, because of its structure, the surroundings (four sides) of one pair of the contact parts (one unit)
9
are not always shielded sufficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful connector apparatus in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
It is another and more specific object of the present invention to provide a connector apparatus that can preferably realize a shield structure capable of reducing crosstalk with a small number of components, and thus with a small number of assembly processes, and also with low assembly cost.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector apparatus that includes: a first connector; and a second connector connected to the first connector, the first connector including: a first connector body; a plurality of first contacts provided in an end face of the first connector body in a matrix-like manner, each of the first contacts having a first contact point; and a plurality of
Miyazawa Hideo
Moriyama Satoshi
Okada Akira
Shimizu Manabu
Fujitsu Component Limited
Paumen Gary
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