Electrical connector having externally mounted ground plates

Abstract: For securing an externally mounted ground plate (50,70) to electrical connector (12), the ground plate (50,70) is secured along one of the sides of the connector (10) and has a leading edge (54,74) thereof exposed at the mating face (14) of the connector (10) and adapted to be received within the housing of a complementary connector (84) upon the connector (10) being mated thereto. Means for securing the ground plate (50,70) to the electrical connector (10) includes a pair of tabs (60,80) extending from the ground plate (50,70) proximate the leading edge (54,74) thereof and engageable with and latchingly securable in cooperating slots (34) on end walls of the connector housing (12) and an inwardly directed rolled portion (56,76) extending substantially along the entire length of the leading edge of the ground plate (50,70), the rolled portion (56,76) being received within a cooperating recess (2) of the associated housing side wall. The recess (20) is configured to receive the rolled edge of the ground plate (50,70) such that the ground plate lies securely against the side wall and the overall dimensions of the mating face (14) are not substantially increased thereby.

Description: .This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly and more particularly to connector assemblies having externally mounted ground or shield plates. Most electronic equipment uses a plurality of board-to-board connectors to interconnect circuitry plurality of daughter boards to a mother board or back plane. The circuit boards may be mounted in a vertical or horizontal relationship depending upon the configuration of the mating connector members. The demand for connectors that solve problems such as noise, ground inductance, and cross talk has increased with the density and speed of the electronic circuity. It is desirable, therefore, that high density electrical connectors include means to provide low inductance and a low resistance ground connection from the connector to the circuit board to which it is attached. It is further desirable that the ground connection be of a type that mates first and breaks last. US-A-5 035 631 discloses a grounding shield for a card edge connector. The ground shield is secured to the connector housing by a plurality of fingers that engage apertures along the mating face of the connector. US-A-4 655 518 and US-A-4 869 677 disclose a two-piece connector assembly that provides grounding contacts within the dielectric walls of the pin header and includes a plurality of ground plates secured by a plurality of tabs to the exterior wall adjacent the mating face of the receptacle member. EP-A-0 476 883 which is comprised in the state of the art according to Article 54(3) EPC, discloses an electrical connector assembly having a plurality of ground pins in a pin header and ground plates mounted along the exterior walls of the mating receptacle member. When mounting plates along the exterior walls, particularly along the mating face, it is important that the ground plate lie against the dielectric housing material along the full length to assure proper mating of the connectors without stubbing the contacts in the mating connectors. The problem of separation between the ground plate and housing wall is exacerbated if the dielectric member is at all bowed and tends to separate even slightly from the outer metal wall. It is desirable therefore to provide a means to secure these two layers approximate the mating face such that the overall dimension of the mating face of the connector is not increased. Furthermore, it is desirable that the means for securing be one that minimizes the need for extra parts, one that does not greatly increase the assembly steps and furthermore be one that is cost effective. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an electrical connector having externally mounted ground plates that eliminates the problems and disadvantages of the prior art. For purposes of illustrating the invention, the ground plates are being shown attached to the elongate sides of a connector known as a "pin header". The present invention consists in a right angle electrical connector as defined in claim 1. The connector described herein includes a housing having opposed elongate sides and opposed ends, which together define a mating face, and a plurality of electrical terminal members disposed within the housing and exposed at the mating face for electrical connection to corresponding terminals of a mating connector. The connector further includes at least one ground plate secured along one of the elongate sides and having a leading edge thereof exposed at the connector mating face, the mating face of the connector being adapted to be received within a complimentary housing. The improved means for securing the ground plate to the connector includes a pair of tabs extending from the side edges of the ground plate proximate the leading edges thereof and engagable with cooperating slots on the end walls of the housing. The tabs further include locking lances that cooperate with the housing wall slots to lockingly secure the tabs of the ground plate to the housing end walls. The leading edge of the ground plate further includes an inwardly directed rolled portion extending substantially along the entire length thereof. The rolled portion is received within a recessed portion of the elongate side wall of the housing. The recess is configured to receive the rolled edge such that the ground plate lies securely against the elongate side wall and the overall dimensions of the mating face are not substantially increased thereby. When the ground plate is secured to the housing, the pair of locking tabs hold the ground plate securely along the end walls of the housing. The rolled portion strengthens the leading edge of the ground plate and provides a gradually tapered surface at the connector mating face thereby minimizing stubbing of the ground plate when the connector mating face is received in the complimentary connector. In the preferred embodiment the plate member is also provided with a plurality of inwardly directed stop portions rearwardly of the leading edge, which locate and align the leading edge of the plate with respect to the forward edge of the associated elongate housing wall. It is an object of the invention to provide a means for securing the ground plate to an external surface of an electrical connector. It is an additional object to provide a connector having a ground plate mounted externally thereto that minimizes stubbing at the mating face when the mating face is received in a complimentary connector housing. It is another object of the invention to provide a means for securing a ground plate to an external housing wall in a manner to minimize interruption of the electrical paths. It is a further object of the invention to provide a means for securing a ground plate to a connector in a manner that does not increase the overall dimensions of the mating face of the connector. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a means for securing a ground plate to a housing wall in a manner that minimizes separation of the grounc plate and the associated wall at the mating face of the connector. Another object of the invention is to provide a means for securing a ground plate to a connector to ensure that the ground shield mates first and breaks last. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a connector having ground plate members secured to upper and lower surfaces in accordance with the embodiment of the invention. FIGURE 2 is a flat plan view of front of the connector of Figure 1. FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of the assembled connector being received by the mating portion of a complimentary connector. FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the connector of the present embodiment with the ground plates exploded therefrom, and FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate the interlocking features of the ground plate tabs and housing end walls. Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a pin header connector 10 made in accordance with the embodiment. Connector 10 includes a housing 12 and upper and lower ground plates 50,70 respectively. Housing 12 includes a mating face 14, mounting face 16 and opposed upper and lower elongate side walls 18,22, opposed end walls 26 and rear wall 38. The opposed elongate side walls 18,22 and opposed end walls 26 define the mating face 14. As best seen in Figure 1, the upper and lower side walls 18,22 further include recessed portions 20,24 respectively. These portions 20,24 are adapted to cooperate with the respective upper and lower ground plate members 50,70 as more fully described below. A plurality of electrical terminal members 42 are disposed within respective terminal receiving passageways 40 and include first and second connecting portions 44,46 as best seen in Figure 3. Referring now to Figures 1 and 3, first terminal connecting portions 44 are exposed at the mounting face for electrical connection to corresponding terminal members 86 of a mating connector 84. Housing end walls 26 further include outwardly extending first and second flange portions 28,36. First flange portion 28 extends outwardly from the end wall and includes oppositely directed wall portions 30 spaced from wall 26 and defining ground tab receiving cavities therebetween, as best seen in Figures 5 and 6. The inner wall portion of 30 further includes a stop ledge 32 at the end thereof for lockingly engaging the ground plate tabs as described more fully below. Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the upper ground plate 50 includes a top or plate portion 52 having a forward or leading edge 54 that extends to the mating face 14 of connector housing 12 and opposed side edges 57. The leading edge 54 includes a rolled portion 56 which extends substantially along the entire leading edge thereof and is adapted to be received within the cooperating recess 20 of the elongate housing wall 18. Recess 20 is configured to receive rolled edge 56 such that the ground plate 50 lies securely against side wall 18 and the overall dimensions of the mating face 14 are not substantially increased as best seen by Figures 2 and 3. Upper ground plate 50 further includes a pair of tabs 58 extending from the side 57 thereof and proximate the leading edge 54. Tabs 58 include outwardly directed locking lances 60 which cooperate with locking surfaces 32 within the tab receiving slots 34 proximate end wall 26 as best seen in Figures 5 and 6. Tabs 58 are preferably located as close to the mating face as possible to minimize the problem of separation of the housing side wall and plate member 50. As best seen in Figures 1 and 3 ground plate 50 further includes a rear wall 64 having a plurality of terminal portions 66 for engaging the ground conductors within a circuit board (not shown) when connector 10 is mounted thereto. It is to be understood that the ground plate construction disclosed herein is not limited to right angle pin header connectors only. The connector shown herein is merely representative of various connectors with which the ground plate may be used. US-A-5 137 472, discloses another method for securing a ground plate to a connector housing, in which the leading edges of the wall and ground plate are interlocked at a plurality of locations. Referring again to Figures 1 and 3, lower ground plate 70 includes a plate portion 72 having a leading edge 74 and side edges 77. Lower ground plate 70 further includes a rolled portion 76 extending substantially along the entire length thereof, the rolled portion being adapted to be received within the corresponding recess portion 24 of lower housing wall 22. Recess 24 is configured to receive rolled edge 76 such that the ground plate 70 lies securely against side wall 22 and the overall dimensions of the mating face 14 are not substantially increased as best seen by Figures 2 and 3. Lower ground plate 70 also includes tabs 78 extending from the side 77 of plate 72 proximate the leading edge 74 thereof. Tabs 78 include locking lances 80 which are secured in the corresponding lower tab receiving cavity 34 of housing 12 in the same manner as previously described and as best seen in Figures 5 and 6. As shown in Figure 3 the lower ground plate 70 includes terminal members 82 extending downwardly therefrom for being received in a ground plane of the circuit board. In the preferred embodiment ground plate members 50, 70 further include at least one locating or positioning stops formed in the plate portion 52, 72 rearwardly of the connector mating face 14 to keep the respective leading edges 54, 74 of the ground plate members 50, 70 aligned with the housing walls 18, 22 at the mating face 14. Alternatively, the positioning means may comprise an elongate groove extending along the entire width of the ground plate, or the ground plate may be shaped to conform to the actual shape of the housings. In assembling the connector of the present invention, the terminal members 42 are inserted into the housing prior to attaching the ground plates 50, 70. The ground plates are then positioned so that the stop means abut the shoulder of the housing 12 and the respective leading edges 54,74 are received in the associated wall recesses 20, 24. The ground plate tabs 58, 78 are inserted into the tab receiving cavities 34 and are locked within the cavities by lances 60, 80 engaging corresponding locking ledges 32. The ground plates 50,70 are preferably stamped from a formable, electrically conductive metal, such as copper alloys, or the like. Suitable dielectric materials for the connector housing include glass filled polyesters and other similar materials, as known in the art. The respective rolled portions 56,76 at the forward or leading edge 54,74 of the respective ground plates 50,70 strengthens the leading edge of the assembled connector. Furthermore by providing a recess in the leading wall edges of the housing member and filling that recess with the respective rolled portions 56,76 there is less chance that stubbing will occur when connector 10 is mated to another connector, since there is a continuous surface along the bulk of the mating face of the connector. Stubbing is thereby minimized and insertion force is reduced by the gradual tapered rolled surface of the plate members 50,70.

Claims: A right angle electrical connector (10) for providing multiple shielded circuit paths to a printed circuit board from a mating connector including a plastic housing (12) having a cavity defined by top (18), bottom (22), and end walls (26) with the said end walls (26) including latching surfaces contained therein, an array of terminal members (42) extending through said housing with contact ends positioned in said cavity and terminal ends extending from the rear face (38) of the housing at right angles to interconnect to a printed circuit board to be terminated thereto, comprising a pair of thin shielding members (50, 70) forming a shielding structure including portions extending over the top (18) and bottom walls (22) of the housing (12) and over the terminal ends to shield said terminal members (42), the ends (58) of the said shielding members extending around the end walls of the housing to engage the housing end surfaces and including latching tabs (60,80) latching said shielding member to said latching surfaces on said housing, each of the pair of shielding members (50,70) having a leading edge (54, 74) rolled inwardly relative to recesses formed in the top (18) and bottom walls (22) to strengthen said shielding member with the leading edge extending forwardly of the terminal members to engage the shielding of the mating connector prior to an engagement of the contacts of the mating connector and the right angle connector during intermating of the connectors. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the said latching surfaces (60,80) are defined by apertures (34) in the ends of the housing and each of the pair of the shielding members (50,70) include lances (60,80) that fit into the apertures (34) to lock the members to the housing. A connector, according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of shielding members (50, 70) includes at least one tab (66) adapted to fit into the printed circuit board and ground the shielding structure to the grounding circuit of a printed circuit board. A connector, according to claim 1, wherein the said cavity is dimensioned and terminal contacts are positioned to receive the end of the mating connector inserted within said cavity with the mating connector contacts engaging the terminal contacts of the right angle connector. A connector, according to claim 1, wherein a pair of shielding members (50, 70) of the right angle connector (10) are positioned to fit within the outer shielding shell (84) of the mating connector.

Inventors: BURGIT RICHARD ALLEN, HILLBISH WARREN CHRISTIAN, KAUFMAN JOHN WILSON, VOGL BRIAN J, BURGIT, RICHARD ALLEN, HILLBISH, WARREN CHRISTIAN, KAUFMAN, JOHN WILSON, VOGL, BRIAN J.
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H01R23
IPC codes: H01R13