Shielded connector with improved positioning of the shield

The present invention relates to shielded connectors.

In the art of electronics, it is well known to provide connectors with a shield around the connector body for preventing emission and/or pick up of EMI noise to and/or by nearby objects, e.g. signals in other connectors, signals on circuit boards, etc. When mounting the connector to a further object, such as a printed circuit board, the shield may require accurate positioning, e.g. for fitting and/or contacting to the further object such as for providing mechanical stability to the connector and/or for connecting the shield to a ground potential. Such mounting may be done by hand, but preferably it is automated. Automation may generally require very strict tolerances for parts. A further aspect is that connectors of one design may be processed and mounted to further objects by consumers using various types of automated machines, hindering optimisation of the connector with respect to any particular type of machine.

With the ongoing desire for reduced connector sizes and faster production, tolerances tend to be reduced further, which complicates manufacture and enhances the risk of increased rejection percentages.

In order to provide an improved connector which facilitates meeting tolerance requirements, a connector according to claim 1 is provided.

In the connector, the first abutment structure provides a fulcrum or support at a dedicated, predetermined abutment position for the first shield wall. The first position of the first edge portion being fixed with respect to the connector body allows a reliable position of the second edge portion with respect to the connector body. The first position of the first edge portion may be linked to the connector body so as to allow some restricted displacement or movement of the first edge portion relative to the connector. The first and second edge portions may extend along the entire shield wall at an associated side of the shield. The longer the separation between the position of the first edge portion and the position of the first abutment portion, relative to the separation between the position of the second edge and the position of the first abutment portion, the more accurately the second edge is positioned since the position of the second edge then becomes less sensitive to position inaccuracies of the first edge.

The shield may be clamped to the abutment structure, but fixing the shield to the abutment structure may not be required.

The improved positioning accuracy holds in particular for connectors with a shield wall closely following the connector body side wall, in particular a substantially flat or plane connector body side wall and a substantially plane first shield wall. In such a case, any undesired protrusion from the side wall and/or shield wall or any debris particle between the side wall and the shield wall might otherwise form an unintended fulcrum, causing the second edge to become displaced from its intended second position with respect to the (fixed) first position of the first edge and the connector body.

The shield may extend along several side walls of the connector body, e.g. being bent and/or wrapped around at least a portion of the connector body. The first edge portion may be a bent or folded edge between the first shield wall and a further shield portion.

The connector allows for a slight misplacement of the position of the first edge such as a bend or fold in the shield with respect to the connector body, in particular to a corner of the connector body, and/or a relatively large (bending) radius of the shield with respect to a relatively sharp corner of the connector body about which the first edge portion is (to be) arranged. Such misplacement or relatively large radius might otherwise cause an inaccurate positioning of the shield with respect to the corner of the connector body and thus of the connector as a whole, and/or cause a separation between the shield and the connector body side by an unpredictable amount. Such inaccuracies are prevented with the present connector. Thus, the present connector body and shield may be manufactured with less strict overall tolerances with respect to each other, facilitating manufacturing costs.

The connector may comprise a second side wall and a second shield wall, as defined in claim 2 . The first and second side walls and first and second shield walls may be adjacent each other, e.g. being adjacent wall portions. Alternatively they may be substantially parallel to each other or be arranged at an angle to each other, e.g. at a mutual angle of ca. 30, ca. 45, ca. 60 or ca. 90 degrees, etc.

It should be noted that the connector may comprise one or more further side walls and one or more further shield walls corresponding in construction to what is defined in claim 1 and/or 2 .

The first and second shield walls may be part of a generally U-shaped shield. The U-shape may be relatively sharp, rounded, polygonal such as Π-like, it may also have a more complex shape. In the case of a sharp shape, the (first position of the) first edge portion of the first shield wall and the (fourth position of the) first edge portion of the second shield wall may coincide at the apex of a V-shape.

A shape with substantially opposite, substantially parallel first and second shield walls, such as a U- or a Π-like shape, facilitates picking up the shield, or the assembled connector comprising the shield, by their opposite first and second sides. This may be done with automated gripping tools.

The connector of claim 3 provides stability against torsion, rotation and/or generally warping of the first shield wall. This allows implementing a relatively thin shield wall with reduced stiffness, reducing costs for material and/or manufacturing. Advantageously each abutment structure is elongated, with each associated shield wall being parallel to that abutment structure.

The elongated abutment structure may be a single elongated object, e.g. a rib-like protrusion. The abutment structure may also comprise a plurality of objects, e.g. two or more protrusions or bumps, each such object in itself possibly being an elongated object. This may reduce material consumption with respect to a single elongated object. The abutment structure or objects comprised in the abutment structure may be attached to the connector body in any suitable manner or be an integral whole with the connector body. In a shield wall, an abutment structure may further be provided by deforming a portion of the shield wall such as by folding, bending or coining.

The first and/or second edge portions may also run substantially parallel to the first abutment structure, equalizing the separations between the first edge portion and the abutment structure and between the second edge portion and the abutment structure along their respective lengths and further improving their relative positional accuracy. The same holds for (the first and/or second edge portions of) the second and/or further shield walls and second and/or further abutment portions

The connector of claim 4 increases determining and/or maintaining positional accuracy of the second edge of at least the first shield wall with respect to the fourth side. The third and fourth sides of the connector body may be an upper side and a lower side of the connector (body) when in operational position, e.g. as identifiable with respect to a mounted position onto a further object. E.g., the lower side may be a board-mounting side.

The connector of claim 5 facilitates connecting the shield to a further object, e.g. a printed circuit board, and contacting the shield such as for grounding it.

The connector of claim 6 allows an air space between the connector and an object to which the connector is mounted. The space may be configured for facilitating mounting, e.g. accommodating mounting structures such as solder balls and/or for venting fumes and/or heat from a soldering process. The space may also serve for cooling the connector when in operation.

The connector of claim 7 facilitates ventilation of the connector. It may further assist cooling and/or venting the connector during a soldering process. The apertures may advantageously be arranged at or near a lower side of the connector (body), by which the shielding efficiency of the shield may be substantially unaffected.

Additional aspects are defined in claim 8 .

These and other aspects and benefits will be more fully explained hereafter with reference to the drawings showing an exemplary embodiment.

In the drawings,

FIGS. 1A-1C are schematic cross-section views of a connector without an abutment structure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-section view of an improved connector comprising an abutment structure;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an embodiment of an improved connector comprising an abutment structure, indicating the plane of the cross section of FIG. 2 at II-II and a detail IIIB shown enlarged in FIG. 3B ;

FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the detail 111 B indicated in FIG. 3A ;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the connector body of the connector of FIG. 3A ;

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the detail IVB indicated in FIG. 4A ;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the shield of the connector of FIG. 3A ;

FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the detail VB indicated in FIG. 5A ;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-section view of another embodiment of an improved connector.

In the Figures, like objects and elements are indicated with like reference signs.

FIGS. 1A-C are schematic cross-sectional views of a connector 1 comprising a connector body 2 and a shield 3 . The connector body 2 comprises opposite first and second side walls 4 A and 4 B, a top wall 4 C and a bottom wall 4 D. The shield 3 comprises opposite first and second shield walls 5 A and 5 B. The shield walls 5 A and 5 B extend along the connector body side walls 4 A and 4 B, respectively. In FIG. 1A a reference coordinate system is indicated.

The shield walls 5 A and 5 B each extend between a first edge portion 6 A and 6 B, respectively, and a second edge portion 7 A and 7 B, respectively. Here, the first edge portions 6 A and 6 B are formed by a folded edge between the shield walls 5 A and 5 B and a further shield portion 5 C, here being a top shield wall 5 C.

In FIG. 1A is shown in the dashed circle that the inherent radius of curvature of the folded first edge portion 6 A comes into contact with the connector body 2 and prevents the shield 3 to closely follow both the top and side walls 4 C and 4 A ( 4 B, respectively) of the connector body 2 . Consequently, the position of the first edge portion 6 A with respect to the connector body 2 is not accurately defined in at least the y- and z-directions. The position of the second edge portion 7 A depends on the position of the first edge portion 6 A and is therefore neither accurately determined with respect to the connector body 2 in at least the y- and z-directions. The position of the second edge portion 7 A is even less accurately defined than that of the first edge portion 6 A since a small angular deviation off the intended position of the shield wall 5 A about the indicated corner of the connector body 2 results in a relatively large deviation of the second edge portion 7 A.

FIGS. 1B and 1C indicate that such angular deviation of the intended orientation of the shield wall 5 A may also be brought about by an unintended object 8 positioned in between the connector body side wall 4 A and the shield wall 5 A, see the dashed circles. In FIGS. 1B and 1C the intended position of the shield wall 5 A and thus of the second edge 7 A is indicated with thin dashed lines. The object 8 causes the position of the second edge 7 A to deviate by an amount d 1 or d 2 in the y-direction, dependent on the size and the position in the z-direction of the object 8 . A similar effect may occur also for the opposite shield wall 5 B (not shown), resulting in a relatively large deviation from the intended separation of the respective second edges 7 A, and 7 B.

The object 8 may be any type of object such as a debris particle or other foreign object, a burr on the shield 3 , a protrusion of the connector body 2 , e.g. due to an egress of connector body material from an inadequate seal of a mould, or an artefact of an uneven setting or curing of moulding or cast material of the connector body 2 , for example.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view similar to FIGS. 1A-1C of an improved connector 9 , an embodiment of which is shown in perspective and in more detail in FIGS. 3A-5B . The location of the cross sectional plane of FIG. 2 is indicated in FIG. 3A with the line II-II.

The connector 9 comprises an improved connector body 10 which in turn comprises abutment structures 11 A and 11 B. The abutment structures 11 A and 11 B are arranged on the side walls 4 A and 4 B, respectively, between the top and bottom walls 4 C and 4 D. In the connector 9 , the first and second shield walls 5 A and 5 B extend along the side walls 4 A and 4 B of the connector body, being spaced therefrom by a space 12 A, 12 B, respectively, and the shield walls 5 A and 5 B abut the abutment structures 11 A, 11 B.

It will be appreciated from a comparison of FIGS. 1A-1C on the one hand and FIG. 2 on the other hand, that the shield walls 5 A and 5 B only abut the connector body 10 at the abutment structures 11 A, 11 B, respectively, being substantially free from contact with (the side walls 4 A, 4 B of) the connector body 10 . Inaccuracies in the position of the first edge portions 6 A, 6 B are absorbed by the spaces 12 A, 12 B. Also, an unintended object 8 happening to be positioned between the shield wall 5 A, 5 B and the side wall 4 A, 4 B, will have little to no effect on the position of the second edge portions 7 A or 7 B.

FIGS. 3A-5B are different views of (portions of) the connector 9 . The shown connector 9 is a right-angle connector, the bottom wall 4 D of the connector 9 being configured for mounting to a printed circuit board (not shown) with board mounting pegs 13 and stand-offs 14 . However, the concepts disclosed here are not limited to such type connectors and are applicable to many different types of connectors. The connector body 10 of the connector 9 is substantially enveloped by the folded shield 3 . The first and second shield walls 5 A (not visible) and 5 B are arranged substantially opposite each other. In FIG. 3A the second shield wall 5 B is visible. The abutment structures 11 A, 11 B extend substantially along the entire length of the side walls 5 A, 5 B of the connector body 10 (see FIGS. 4A , 4 B).

The second edge portions 7 A and 7 B of the shield walls 5 A, 5 B comprise contact portions 15 A, 15 B which extend beyond (a part of) the fourth side 4 D of the connector body 10 for contacting the printed circuit board. The second edge portions 7 A, 7 B further comprise optional fingers 16 A, 16 B. The contact portions 15 A, 15 B and the fingers 16 A, 16 B, abut the abutment structures 11 A, 11 B. The contact portions 15 A, 15 B and the fingers 16 A, 16 B, are separated by optional indentations 17 A, 17 B. The indentations 17 A, 17 B allow deflection of a first contact portion 15 A, 15 B relatively independent of an adjacent finger 16 A, 16 B and/or an adjacent second contact portion 15 A, 15 B, improving the positional accuracy of (the finger 16 A, 16 B and/or the second contact portion 15 A, 15 B of) the edge portion 7 A, 7 B with respect to the abutment structure 11 A, 11 B and therewith respect to the first edge portion 6 A, 6 B and the connector body 10 as a whole, compared to a second edge portion 7 A, 7 B without indentations 17 A, 17 B.

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 3A and 5A the shield 3 is clamped on the connector body 10 by folded shield portions 18 , gripping a corresponding recess in the bottom wall 4 D of the connector body 10 . The relative positions of the shield 3 and the connector body 10 are further defined by recesses 19 in the shield fitting protrusions 20 on the connector body 10 . The protrusions 20 extend from the side walls 4 A, 4 B with an undercut closest to the side walls 4 A, 4 B providing a general T-shape perpendicular to the side walls 4 A, 4 B for further holding the shield walls 5 A, 5 B. The T-shape of the protrusions 20 may further reduce or prevent the shield walls 5 A, 5 B from getting out of shape in case a folded angle of the first edge portions 6 A, 6 B happens to be inaccurate. The shield walls 5 A, 5 B are further prevented from getting out of shape or from getting off by gripping portions 21 from a rear shield wall 5 E. In this way the shield 3 and in particular the edge portions 6 A, 6 B are substantially fixed in position relative to the connector body 10 . Additional attachment means may be provided, e.g. glue, soldering, one or more snapping or riveting structures, etc.

Since folding a metal sheet may be less accurate than moulding a material, the abutment structures 11 A, 11 B improve the positional accuracy of (the contact portions 15 A, 15 B of) the second edge portions 7 A, 7 B and facilitate mounting the connector 9 to the printed circuit board.

In sum, the connector 9 may be seen as a right-angle connector having a parallelepiped shape with a six sides; a front side, a rear side (cf. 5 E), a top side (cf. 4 C, 5 C), a bottom side (cf. 4 C), opposite left and right sides (cf. 4 A, 5 A and 4 B, 5 B, respectively). The shield walls at the left side ( 5 A), the right side ( 5 B) and the rear sides ( 5 E) are each connected to the top side ( 5 C) with respective first edges ( 6 A, 6 B) and each having respective second edges ( 7 A, 7 B) towards a bottom side (cf. 4 D). And the position accuracy of the shield 3 , and in particular each second edge portion 7 A, 7 B of the shield, with respect to the connector body 10 is primarily determined by the position of the first edge 6 A, 6 B with respect to the connector body 10 and the position of the abutment portion, which is determined by the abutment structure 11 A, 11 B and the shield wall 5 A, 5 B. The rear side of the connector 9 may also be provided with an abutment structure for improving the positional accuracy of the lower edge portion of the shield wall 5 E.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an improved connector 9 ′, similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2 . In the connector 9 ′ of FIG. 6 the shield 3 ′ comprises first and second abutment structures 11 A′ and 11 B′, which are formed as deformations of the shield walls 5 A, 5 B. The first abutment structure 11 A′ is formed as an indentation in the first shield wall 5 A for abutting the connector body 2 . The second abutment structure 11 B′ is formed as a cantilevered portion cut out of the second shield wall 5 B and bent inward for abutting the connector body 2 .

The connector 9 , 9 ′ may be gripped with a vacuum suction tool on the top wall 4 C, by a pinch-grip on the opposite side walls 5 A, 5 B or other suitable means, and be placed on the printed circuit board. The board mounting pegs 13 may be used for fixing the connector 9 , 9 ′ to the board. The stand-offs 14 create a small space between the bottom wall 4 D of the connector body and the board. Contact terminals of the connector (not shown) may be contacted to corresponding contacts on the printed circuit board by a soldering step. Gases or fumes may be vented from the solder spots through the space between the bottom wall portion 4 D of the connector body 10 and the board. The space may also allow visual inspection of the soldered contacts. In contrast to the shown embodiment, the fingers 16 A, 16 B may extend beyond the bottom wall 4 D of the connector body 10 and may also abut the board. In such case apertures formed by indentations 17 A, 17 B may serve for venting soldering fumes and possibly for visual inspection.

The invention is not restricted to the above described embodiments which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims. For instance, the connector may be configured for mounting to other objects than a printed circuit board. Further, contact portions of the shield may be contact pins, eye-of-the-needle contacts or comprise one or more other contact terminal designs. One or more contact portions may be bent parallel or perpendicular to the corresponding shield wall for adapting to a contact position on a further object.

Features and aspects described with respect to one embodiment may be suitably combined with features and aspects described with respect to another embodiment.