Patent ID: 9461410
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: H01R,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An electrical connector comprising: a dielectric housing; a plurality of electrical signal contacts that are carried by the dielectric housing, and that are arranged along a first plane that extends along both a first direction, and a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the electrical signal contacts define respective mating ends, respective mounting ends, and electrical signal pairs such that a respective gap is disposed between adjacent electrical signal pairs; a ground plate carried by the dielectric housing, the ground plate including a ground plate body oriented in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane and offset from the first plane, the ground plate body defining first and second opposed surfaces, the ground plate including respective mating ends and respective mounting ends that extend from the ground plate body and are disposed in the first plane, and the ground plate including a plurality of ribs that are fully contained in the ground plate body and that define first and second opposed surfaces, wherein the first surfaces of the ribs project from the first surface of the ground plate body in a direction toward the gap, the second surfaces of the plurality of ribs are recessed into the second surface of the ground plate body, the respective mounting ends extend from the ground plate body along the first direction, and at least one of the mounting ends is in-line with at least one of the plurality of ribs along the first direction; wherein the electrical signal pairs comprise differential pairs and the plurality of ribs function as ground contacts between respective adjacent differential pairs.