Patent ID: 6780058
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A connector for electrically connecting two circuit boards together, comprising:a plug connector for mounting to the first of the two circuit boards, and a receptacle connector for mounting to the second of said two circuit boards, said receptacle connector including an insulative housing having an opening that receives said plug connector when said plug and receptacle connectors are mated together; the receptacle connector housing further including a plurality of male conductive terminals arranged in a grid pattern within said receptacle connector housing, and a plurality of conductive vertical shielding plates disposed in said receptacle connector housing in a spaced apart fashion such that adjacent rows of said male terminals are separated from each other by a single one of said vertical shielding plates; and, the plug connector including an insulative housing cooperatively formed from a plurality of distinct housing modules, each of the housing modules supporting a plurality of female conductive terminals, each of the female terminals including contact portions that make electrical contact with corresponding associated male terminals of said receptacle connector when said plug and receptacle connectors are mated together, said plug connector including: a plurality of conductive horizontal shielding plates are disposed in spaced-apart fashion between adjacent housing modules, the horizontal shielding plates and said housing modules including a plurality of slits aligned with each other to cooperatively form slits that extend vertically between adjacent columns of said plug connector female terminals, said plug connector slits receiving therein said receptacle connector vertical shielding plates in a cruciform manner when said plug and receptacle connectors are mated together.