Electrical connector used for transmitting high frequency signals

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion, the tongue portion defines a first surface and a second surface disposed oppositely. A first terminal module is retained in the insulative housing and exposed on the first surface. And a shielding member is embedded in the tongue portion of the insulative housing and located between the first surface and the second surface. The first terminal module defines at least one grounding contact, the grounding contact defines a connecting portion projecting toward and contacting with the shielding member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector used for transmitting high-frequency signals.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the social development, it is a trend for a high-speed signal transmission and the electrical connectors are being developed with the high-speed signal transmission. However, there are some problems of signal transmission, such as signal interference between the terminals, and these problems will affect the high frequency performance of the electrical connector.

Therefore, an improved electrical connector is highly desired to meet overcome the requirement.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which is conducive to improving high-frequency performance.

In order to achieve above-mentioned object, an electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion, the tongue portion defines a first surface and a second surface disposed oppositely. A first terminal module is retained in the insulative housing and exposed on the first surface. And a shielding member is embedded in the tongue portion of the insulative housing and located between the first surface and the second surface. The first terminal module defines at least one grounding contact, the grounding contact defines a connecting portion projecting toward and contacting with the shielding member.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. Referring toFIG. 1toFIG. 3, an electrical connector100includes an insulative housing1, a first terminal module2and a second terminal module3retained in the insulative housing1, a shielding member4embedded in the insulative housing1and a metallic shell5surrounding the insulative housing1. The insulative housing1defines a base portion11and a tongue portion12extending forwardly from the base portion11, the tongue portion12defines a first surface121and a second surface122disposed oppositely. The first terminal module2is disposed on the first surface121, the second terminal module3is disposed on the second surface122and the shielding member4is disposed in the tongue portion and located between the first and second surfaces, the first terminal module2includes two grounding contacts21and the grounding contact21defines a connecting portion211extending to the shielding member4and contacting the shielding member4.

Referring toFIG. 3toFIG. 6, the electrical connector100further includes a mating plate13and an insulative frame14. The first terminal module2includes a first insulative housing22and a plurality of first terminals20retained in the first insulative housing22, the first insulative housing22defines a blocking portion221in the rear region thereof and a pair of engaging portions222projecting from both sides of the blocking portion221. The first terminals20are integrally molded to the first insulative housing22and include said two grounding contacts21and a plurality of pairs of differential signal terminals23, wherein two pairs of differential signal terminals23are adjacent to each other and the grounding contacts21is located between said two pairs of differential signal terminals23disposed adjacent. The connecting portion211is formed by the grounding contact21bent toward to the shielding member4in order to obtain reliable contacting between the connecting portions211and the shielding member4. The first terminal module2is arranged on the first surface121of the tongue portion12in a longitudinal direction and the grounding contact21defines a free end in the front thereof to form a stopper portion213, a contacting portion212located between the connecting portion211and the stopper portion213and a soldering foot located in rear side of the connecting portion211and extending outside of the insulative housing1. The contacting portion212is located in front of the connecting portion211and the width of the contacting portion212in the longitudinal direction is same as the width of the connecting portion211in the longitudinal direction.

The second terminal module3includes a second insulative housing32and a plurality of second terminals31retained in the second insulative housing32, the second insulative housing32defines a pair of locking portions321extending upwardly from both sides thereof. The shielding member4is integrally molded to the mating plate13and includes body portion41and a soldering portion extending downwardly from the rear region of the body portion41. The first terminal module2and the second terminal module3are mounted on both sides of the mating plate13and assembled forwardly to the insulative frame14to form the insulative housing1. The front end of the mating plate13is running through the frame14and located in front of the frame14to form the tongue portion12, the second terminal module3is exposed to the second surface12of the tongue portion122, the connecting portion211of the ground contact21is located inside of the base portion11of the insulative housing1and not projecting outside of the front face110of the base portion11. The second insulative housing32is locked both sides of the mating plate13by the locking portions321to be fixed to the mating plate13, the blocking portion221of the first insulative housing22is located in rear side of the mating plate13and the first insulative housing22is retained in the insulative frame14by the engaging portions222.

The body portion41of the shielding member4is disposed in the tongue portion12and located between the first surface121and the second surface122, the connecting portion211is running through a through-hole123located in the base portion11and contacting the body portion41of the shielding member4. The stopper portion213of the ground contact21is locked the front end of the tongue portion12to prevent the front end of the grounding contact21upturned, the body portion41defines a notch410corresponding to the stopper portion213in the front thereof and avoid the stopper portion213contacts with the notch410, and thus prevents short-circuiting of the electrical connector. The body portion41of the shielding member4is full plane shape and has a large flat area, and the contact portion211of the ground terminal21is electrically contacting with the shield member4so that it can reduce the signal interference between the differential signal terminals23of the first terminal module2, and also reduce the signal interference between the first terminals20of the first terminal module2and the second terminals31of the second terminal module3. It is conducive to the high-frequency signal transmission between the electrical connector100and the external devices, and thereby helping to improve the high frequency performance of the electrical connector100.

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 board general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.