Electrical connectors – With vitreous-type envelope – Having bayonet-coupling contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2001-07-17
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With vitreous-type envelope
Having bayonet-coupling contact
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261127
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to cable assemblies used in high speed data transmission, and more particularly to a cable assembly having an improved shielding structure.
In the field of high speed data transmission, the data signals must travel over their associated signal paths with a measure of assurance. This assurance often depends on the impedance of the signal path. While the impedance of electrical cables may be maintained to almost a constant value, drops and rises in impedance often occur at connector points on the cables, for example, where the cable is terminated to a connector and that connector is in turn engaged with another connector. The impedance of a connector that is terminated to a cable may differ significantly from the impedance of the cable as well as the impedance of an opposing connector. Adding shielding to the terminating connector assists in moderating any impedance mismatch, but the effectiveness of shielding such a connector depends largely on the physical structure of the connector. Certain connector structures are made with difficult configurations so that shielding all of the effective portions of the connectors is an expensive task. In other connectors, the structure of the connector prevents the establishment of reliable connections when the desired shielding is added to them.
The present invention is directed to a cable connector construction that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a cable connector in high speed cable assemblies with a reliable connector structure and improved impedance values.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector in a cable assembly having a shielded enclosure that provides a shielding member in contact with ground members of the connector throughout the length of the connector, and which mechanically contacts the ground pins of the connector.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shielded cable connector for termination to high speed cable assemblies, the connector having an insulative housing that houses at least two signal contacts and one ground contact, the connector having a shielding member that extends over substantially the entire exterior surface of the connector to thereby enclose the connector housing, the shielding member having at least one tang portion that defines the ground contact of the connector and extending from one end thereof, the shielding member being in contact with a cable ground contact at an opposite end of the connector housing.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved cable connector in high speed applications, the connector having a housing formed from a body portion and an extension portion, the connector housing enclosing a pair of signal contacts which are terminated to associated signal wires of the cable, a shield that encloses the connector housing, the connector housing having at least one ground contact disposed thereon proximate to a rear end of the housing, the ground contact abuttingly engaging the shield, the shield having a tab member extending therefrom and into the interior of the connector housing at the extension portion thereof, the tab member projecting into the connector housing interior in a manner so as to engage a corresponding grounding pin of a pin header, the shield providing beneficial shielding for substantially the entire length of the connector.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved cable connector having a connector housing, the connector housing having a body portion that is molded over tail portions of signal and ground terminals of the connector which are terminated to corresponding signal and ground wire leads of a multi-wire cable, the connector housing having an extension portion that extends forward from the body portion and enclosing the contact portions of the connector, while separating the contact portions with an intervening space, the connector having a shield member disposed on an exterior surface of the connector housing, the shield member extending over the connector housing body and extension portions, and wherein the shield member has a grounding contact portion that extends therefrom into the intervening space and aligned with the signal contact portions so as to engage a ground terminal of an opposing connector.
The present invention accomplishes these objects by way of its unique structure. In one principal aspect of the present invention, and as exemplified by the preferred embodiment thereof, a pair of signal leads of two signal wires of the cable are terminated to a pair of corresponding signal terminals of the connector, while the shielding wire of the cable is terminated to a ground terminal. These terminations all occur at tail portions of the signal and ground terminals and these terminations are enclosed within a first housing portion of the connector. This first housing portion is applied to the cable ends and the termination portions of the terminals by insert molding, for example, and this first housing portion provides a strain relief for the cable.
The ground terminal extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the connector housing to one or more sides of the first housing portion, while the signal terminals extend lengthwise of the connector and extend out from the first housing portion to present their contact portions in opposition to an opposing connector. These signal terminal contact portions are enclosed within a second housing portion that extends from the body portion. the signal terminal contact portions are spaced apart from each other within the connector, as are enclosures of the second housing portion so that an intervening space is defined between both the signal terminal contact portions and their second housing enclosures.
A conductive shielding member is provided that, in effect, electrically encloses the connector by extending over both the first and second housing portions. In this regard, the shielding member extends over the exterior surfaces of the first and second housing portions so that it covers and provides shielding to the cable wire termination points to the signal terminal contact portions. The shielding member takes the form of a hollow, metal sleeve, in the preferred embodiment and it contacts the ground terminal of the connector near the rear of the connector. The leading edge of the shielding member may be slotted to provide one or more legs, or tangs that extend from opposite sides into the intervening space between the two signal terminal contact portions and their enclosures. Ground shielding is therefore effected over the entire length of the connector.
In another aspect of the present invention, the shielding member will include a pair of grounding legs that extend inwardly in order to engage a ground pin of an opposing connector, such as a pin header in order to provide a reliable mechanical grounding contact with the grounding pin. This connection ensures shielding along the entire length of the connector housing. This provides approximately 150 ohms impedance with a variance of about +/−10 ohms at 250 ps rise times.
These, and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings.
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Ahmad Munawar
Lloyd Brian Keith
Magajne Michael F.
Miskin Michael
Le Thanh-Tam
Molex Incorporated
Sircus Brian
Tirva A. A.
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