Electrical connector with improved signal transmitting performance

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector for communication applications.

2. Description of Related Arts

In communication applications, a header mated with a receptacle is widely used for transmitting high speed signal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,730, issued on Jun. 4, 1996, discloses a header. According to the disclosure, the header connector comprises a middle board, a first insulative housing mounted on a surface of the middle board having an U shape, a second insulative housing mounted on a opposite surface of the middle board having an U shape, and a plurality of contacts mounted on the first and the second insulative housings. The first insulative housing defines a first receiving room, and the second insulative housing defines a second receiving room. Each of the contacts comprises a first mating portion received in the first receiving room and a second mating portion received in the second receiving room. Each of the first mating portions and the second mating portions comprising a pair of smooth surfaces and a pair of rough surfaces perpendicular to the smooth surfaces. Each of the contacts has a straight strip shape so that when the smooth surface of the first mating portion is used for mating with a mating connector, the corresponding second mating portion should use the rough surfaces to mate with a mating connector. The rough surfaces are not suitable for mating with a mating connector to transmit signal.

Hence, an improved electrical connector is desired to offer advantages over the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having contacts with improved signal transmitting performance.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector comprises a middle board defining a plurality of receiving holes, a first insulative housing mounted on a first surface of the middle board and defining a first receiving room having a first opening facing to a first direction, a second insulative housing mounted on an opposite surface of the middle board and defining a second receiving room having a second opening facing to a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a plurality of contacts mounted on the first insulative housing, with each comprising a first mating portion received in the first receiving room and a second mating portion received in the second receiving room. The first mating portion comprises a first mating surface for mating with a first mating connector, and the second mating portion comprises a second mating surface for mating with a second mating connector. Each of the contacts comprises a twisted portion between the first mating portion and the second mating portion that make the first mating surface perpendicular to the second mating surface. The twisted portions are received in the receiving holes respectively

According to the present invention, each of the contacts has a twisted portion. Therefore, the smooth surfaces of the first mating portion and the second portion can be used for mating with the first mating connector and the second mating connector at the same time.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the electrical connector as shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the electrical connector as shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a contact of the electrical connector as shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line 5 - 5 of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a partly exploded view of the electrical connector as shown in FIG. 6 showing the second insulative housing separated apart from the middle board;

FIG. 8 is a partly exploded view of the electrical connector as shown in FIG. 7 , further showing the first insulative housing separated apart from the middle board;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the electrical connector as shown in FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a contact as shown in FIG. 6 . and

FIG. 11 is a top view of the electrical connector compared with a bottom view of the electrical connector as shown in FIG. 6 .

Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , an electrical connector 100 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a midplane or middle board 200 , a first insulative housing 10 mounted on a first surface of the middle board 200 , a second insulative housing 20 mounted on an opposite surface of the middle board 200 , and a plurality of contacts 40 mounted on the first insulative housing 10 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , the first insulative housing 10 having a U shape comprises a first mounting wall 11 , a first side wall 12 vertically extending from an edge of the first mounting wall 11 along a first direction, a second side wall 13 vertically extending form an opposite edge of the first mounting wall 11 along the first direction, and a first receiving room 14 defined between the first and the second side walls 12 , 13 for receiving a first mating connector. The first mounting wall 11 comprises a plurality of first mounting holes 15 extending through the first mounting wall 11 .

The second insulative housing 20 having a structure similar to the first insulative housing 10 comprises a second mounting wall 21 parallel to the first mounting wall 11 , a third side wall 22 vertically extending from an edge of the second mounting wall 21 along a second direction opposite to the first direction, a fourth side wall 23 vertically extending from an opposite edge of the second mounting wall 21 along the second direction, and a second receiving room 24 defined between the third side wall 22 and the fourth side wall 23 for receiving a second mating connector. The first receiving room 14 has a first opening facing to the first direction, and the second receiving room 24 has a second opening facing to a second direction. The second mounting wall 21 comprises a plurality of second mounting holes 25 extending through the second mounting wall 21 .

The middle board 200 is disposed between the first mounting wall 11 and the second mounting wall 21 and defines a plurality of receiving hole 210 extending through the middle board 200 for receiving the contacts 40 .

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , each of the contacts 40 having a straight strip shape comprises a first mating portion 41 received in the first receiving room 14 , a second mating portion 44 received in the second receiving room 24 , a twisted portion 43 between the first mating portion 41 and the second mating portion 42 , and a mounting portion 42 connecting between the first mating portion 41 and the twisted portion 43 . The twisted portions 43 are disposed between the first mounting wall 11 and the second mounting wall 21 , and are received in the receiving holes 210 of the middle board 200 , respectively. The mounting portions 42 are received in the first mounting holes 15 of the first mounting wall 11 , respectively, to securely assemble the contacts 40 to the first insulative housing 10 . The first and the second mating portions 41 , 44 have a first width, and the mounting portions 42 have a second width larger than the first width. The first mating portion 41 extends from the mounting portion 42 along the first direction, and the second mating portion 44 extends from the twisted portions 43 along the second direction.

Each of the first mating portions 41 comprises a first mating surface 411 for electrically connecting with the first mating connector and a pair of first cut surfaces 412 perpendicular to the first mating surface 411 . Each of the second mating portions 44 comprises a second mating surface 441 for electrically connecting with the second mating connector and a pair of second cut surfaces 442 perpendicular to the second mating surface 441 . The first mating surface 411 comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite and parallel to the first surface, and the pair of first cut surfaces 412 connecting between the first surface and the second surface. The second mating surface 441 comprises a third surface and a fourth surface opposite and parallel to the third surface, and the pair of second cut surfaces 442 connecting between the third surface and the fourth surface. Each of the twisted portions 43 is turned 90 degree to make the first mating surface 411 perpendicular to the second mating surface 441 . The first mating surface 411 and the second surface 441 are disposed in a common planar plane before the twisted portion 43 formed in a contact strip. The first and the second mating surfaces 411 , 441 are formed by smooth surfaces of the contact strip having a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the first and the second cut surfaces 412 , 442 of the contact strip. The electrical connection performance is improved between the connector 100 and the first and the second mating connectors.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , an electrical connector 300 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention comprises a midplane or middle board 400 , a first insulative housing 50 mounted on a first surface of the middle board 400 , and a second insulative housing 60 mounted on an opposite surface of the middle board 400 , and a plurality of contacts 70 mounted on the first insulative housing 50 and the second insulative housing 60 .

The first insulative housing 50 having a U shape comprises a first mounting wall 51 , a pair of first side walls 52 vertically extending form an opposite ends of the first mounting wall 51 respectively along a first direction, and a first receiving room 53 defined between the pair of the first side walls 52 . The first mounting wall 51 defines a plurality of first mounting holes 511 extending through the first mounting wall 51 . The first side walls 52 are parallel to each other.

The second insulative housing 60 having a structure similar to the first insulative housing 50 , comprises a second mounting wall 61 parallel to the first mounting wall 51 , a pair of second side walls 62 vertically extending from opposite ends of the second mounting wall 61 respectively along a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a second receiving room 63 defined between the pair of the second side walls 62 for receiving a second mating connector. The second mounting wall 61 comprises a plurality of second mounting holes 611 . The pair of second side walls 62 are parallel to each other.

The middle board 400 is disposed between the first mounting wall 51 and the second mounting wall 61 . The middle board 400 comprises a plurality of receiving holes 410 , 420 . Some of the receiving holes 410 have an insulative inner surface, and the others of the receiving holes 120 have a conductive inner surface. The contacts 70 can extend through the receiving holes 410 , 420 .

Each of the contacts 70 comprises a first mating portion 71 received in the first receiving room 53 , a second mating portion 72 received in the second receiving room 63 , a twisted portion 73 disposed between the first mating portion 71 and the second mating portion 72 . The twisted portion 73 is turned 90 degree. The first mating portions 71 extend through the corresponding first mounting holes 510 to be received in the first receiving room 53 , and the second mating portions 72 extend through the corresponding second mounting holes 610 to be received in the second receiving room 63 . The twisted portions 73 are disposed between the first mounting wall 51 and the second mounting wall 61 , and extend beyond the first and the second mounting walls 51 , 61 . The twisted portions 73 are received in the receiving holes 410 , 420 of the middle board 400 .

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 11 , the contacts 70 being arranged in matrix comprise a plurality of signal contacts S and a plurality of grounding contacts G. All of the signal contacts S are arranged in a plurality of rows along a L-L direction, and the all of the grounding contacts G are arranged in a plurality of rows along the L-L direction. The signal contacts S and the grounding contacts G are arranged in SSGSSGSSG in a C-C direction perpendicular to the L-L direction.

Referring to FIG. 11 ( a ), the signal contacts S have a structure similar to the grounding contacts G. Each of the first mating portions 71 comprises a pair of first edges 711 parallel to the L-L direction, and a pair of first broad sides 712 perpendicular to the first edges 711 . The first broad sides 712 have a width larger than a width of the first edges 711 . Referring to FIG. 11 ( b ), each of the second mating portions 72 comprises a pair of second broad sides 721 parallel to the L-L direction, and a pair of second edges 722 perpendicular to the second broad sides 721 . The second broad sides 721 have a width larger than a width of the second edges 722 .

When the electrical connector 300 is mated with the first and the second mating connectors, the first edges 711 of the first mating portions 71 are used as contact surfaces for mating with the first mating connector to make an edge coupled between the first mating portion 51 and the first mating connector, and the second broad sides 721 of the second mating portions 72 are used as a contact surface for mating with the second mating connector to make a broadside coupled between the second mating portions 61 and the second mating connector.

Referring to FIGS. 11 ( a ) and 11 ( b ), the first mating portions 71 of one row of the signal contacts S have a first imaginary central line M 1 parallel to the L-L direction, and the second mating portions 72 of the row of the signal contacts S have a second imaginary central line M 2 parallel to the L-L direction and offset to the first imaginary central line M 1 along the C-C direction. A first distance between the first imaginary central lines M 1 , M 3 of adjacent first mating portions 71 of the signal contacts S along the C-C direction is not equal to a second distance between the second imaginary central lines M 2 , M 4 of adjacent second mating portions 72 of the signal contacts S. The edge couple and the broad side couple have a different impact on the system. Therefore, the first and the second distances can be changed to keep the signal contacts S have continuity impendence. In this embodiment, the first distance is larger than the second distance.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the mounting holes 410 for receiving the signal contacts S don't coat any conductive material. Therefore, the signal contacts S could have continuity impendence. The mounting holes 420 for receiving the grounding contacts G have conductive layer 421 coated on the inner surface. Therefore, the grounding contacts G could have an improved grounding performance.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.