Stacked electrical card connector assembly

Details Stacked electrical card connector assembly Stacked electrical card connector assembly

1999-10-19

2001-02-06

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision

C439S541500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06183273

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical card connector, and particularly to a stacked electrical card connector assembly having a pair of grounding plates securely attached thereto.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
As the computer industry develops, higher quality signal transmission is desired, requiring better shielding. Thus, many electrical card connectors have grounding plates attached thereto for minimizing electromagnetic interference, as disclosed in Taiwan patent application No. 84112508 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,105.
Referring to
FIG. 7
, a conventional electrical card connector assembly
8
is mounted on a PCB
7
(printed circuit board) via a transition connector
85
. The electrical card connector assembly
8
includes a pair of insulative bodies
80
, four rows of contacts
81
retained in the insulative bodies
80
, and a pair of grounding plates
82
attached to corresponding sides of the insulative bodies
80
. A transition connector
85
is mounted on the PCB
7
with a pair of transition circuit boards
84
inserted thereinto. Each insulative body
80
includes a mating surface
802
and a mounting surface
804
opposite the mating surface
802
. Each contact
81
includes a mating end
811
and a mounting end
812
opposite the mating end
811
. The mating ends
811
extending beyond the mating surface
802
are adapted to engage with the terminals of an inserted electrical card (not shown). The mounting ends
812
extending beyond the mounting surface
804
are inserted into the circuit boards
84
and soldered thereto. Each grounding plate
82
includes a plurality of fingers
820
soldered to the circuit boards
84
and a plurality of tabs
822
stamped from a portion thereof opposite the fingers
820
. The tabs
822
are adapted to contact corresponding grounding patterns of an inserted electrical card to eliminate static charges thereon.
However, to promote miniaturization, a height of the electrical card connector assembly
8
above the PCB
7
must be reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector assembly having stacked headers and grounding plates in a low profile configuration, thereby benefiting a reduced height of the connector assembly.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector assembly having excellent shielding capabilities.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electrical card connector assembly comprises top and bottom insulative housings stacked together, four rows of contacts extending through the top and bottom housings, a pair of top and bottom grounding plates respectively attached to the top and bottom housings, and an intermediate device attaching to the housings and holding mounting ends of the contacts in two rows. The top grounding plate includes a plurality of first contact strips adapted to contact a grounding pattern on an electrical card inserted opposite the top housing. A plurality of tails is formed on the top grounding strip opposite the first contact strips. The bottom grounding plate includes a plurality of second contact strips adapted to contact a grounding pattern on an electrical card inserted opposite the bottom housing. A plurality of downwardly extending fingers is formed on the bottom grounding strip opposite the second contact strips. The tails of the top plate electrically contact the bottom plate. An intermediate device is adapted to accept the contacts from the top and bottom housings as well as the fingers of the bottom grounding plate, while mechanically engaging with the top housing. The intermediate device is adapted to mate with a transition socket mounted on a PCB, electrically connecting the contacts and fingers with a set of terminals and grounding strip in the socket soldered to the PCB.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of an electrical card connector assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5364275 (1994-11-01), Ota et al.
patent: 5399105 (1995-03-01), Kaufman et al.
patent: 5775923 (1998-07-01), Tomioka
patent: 5967803 (1999-10-01), Ho

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