Vertical mount connector

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) comprises: a conductive contact 6 connected to a circuit board mounting terminal (17), an insulative body (3) surrounding the contact (6), a conductive shell (2) surrounding the insulative body (3), a base 11 surrounding the shell (2), and conductive circuit board mounting posts (13) on the base (11), the shell (2) being insulated from the base (11), and an electrical capacitor comprised of a dielectric element (26) being disposed between the shell (2) and the base (11).

Description: The invention relates to a connector that is vertically mounted to a circuit board and incorporates an electrical filter. A known connector described in US-A-4,684,200 comprises, a conductive shell surrounding an insulative body, a conductive contact surrounded by the insulative body, a mounting terminal on the contact, a base surrounding the shell, and mounting posts projecting from the base. A mating portion of the shell projects from the base. The mating portion is for mated coupling with an electrical connector that is terminated to an electrical cable. The terminal and the mounting posts connect to a circuit board. The mounting posts connect the base of the connector to a conductive ground path of the circuit board. One of the drawbacks of the known connector is that radio frequency interference, RFI, can induce a voltage in a signal contact of the connector. A connector described in US-A-5,062,811 comprises, a conductive shell, capacitor elements against the shell, and a conductive clip engaging the capacitor elements and extending to mounting posts projecting from a housing surrounding the shell. Voltages induced by RFI are transmitted through the capacitor elements to a ground path of a circuit board to which the mounting posts are connected. It is desirable to shorten the conductive path between the capacitor elements and the ground path of the circuit board, thereby to reduce the electrical resistance in the circuit path, and to reduce the transmission time of the induced voltages to the circuit board. The present invention consists in an electrical connector comprising a conductive contact connected to a circuit board mounting terminal, an insulative body surrounding the contact, a conductive shell surrounding the insulative body, a conductive base surrounding the shell, and conductive circuit board mounting posts on the base, characterized in that electrical contact between the shell and the base is established by an electrical capacitor element positioned therebetween. Insulative material may be positioned between the shell and the base with the capacitor element in the form of a ring disposed in electrical engagement with the shell and the base between members of the insulating material, which may be ring members disposed between the shell and the base. 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 elevational view in section of a connector comprising, a dielectric element between a shell and a base; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the connector shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connector shown in Figure 1 with parts separated from one another; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the connector shown in Figure 3 with the parts assembled and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the connector shown in Figure 4. With reference to Figure 1, a coaxial electrical connector 1 includes a hollow conductive shell 2 surrounding an insulative body 3, comprised of a first cylindrical portion 4 and a second cylindrical portion 5 surrounding a conductive electrical contact 6 concentric within the shell 2. The axis of the connector 1 is the concentric axis of the shell 2 and the contact 6. A top mating end 7 of the shell 2 provides a coupling for mated connection with another, complementary connector, not shown. An electrical receptacle portion 8 of the contact 6 is for mated connection with the complementary connector, not shown. The contact 6 has a radial flange 9 against which the portions 4, 5 of the insulative body 3 are seated. The shell 2 has an internal lip 10 against which the portion 4 seats to prevent movement of the insulative body 3 relative to the shell 2. A corner edge of the shell is indented inward radially at various points to provide protrusions 10a overlapping the portion 5 to prevent movement of the insulative body 3. A broad base 11 surrounds a bottom 12 of the shell 2. The base 11 is conductive. Conductive circuit board mounting posts 13 extend beyond a mounting surface 14 of the base 11 and are adapted with compliant portions 15 to be connected to a circuit board, not shown. The posts 13 are connected to the base 11 with enlarged heads 16. Other fasteners 13' (Figs. 3-5) mechanically mount the base 11 to the circuit board, not shown. A conductive, circuit board mounting, electrical terminal 17 of the contact 6 has a compliant portion 15 and extends beyond the mounting surface 14 to be connected to a circuit board, not shown. Further details of the connector 1 are described in US-A-4,684,200. With reference to Figure 2, the bottom 12 of the shell 2 has a stepped exterior having an annular groove 18 recessed in the exterior, an enlarged diameter portion 19 defining an exterior, circular flange 20 next to the groove 18, and a tapered, frustoconical end 21. The base 11 has a stepped interior passage 22 surrounding the stepped exterior of the shell 2. Insulative material 23 in the form of a first ring 24 which can be constructed of two segments butted together, is retained in the groove 18, Figure 3. A second ring 25 is a separate cylindrical part assembled around and on the bottom 12, or is a part that is molded directly around and on the bottom 12. A semiconductive capacitor element 26 comprising a relatively thin washer of material, such as barium titinate, surrounds the shell 2 and is placed against the flange 20. The base 11 is passed over the shell, Figure 3, until the element 26 registers against an interior transverse surface 27 of the shell that extends transverse to the axis of the coaxial connector 1. An electrical capacitor is established by intimate contact of the element 26 between the shell 2 and the base 11. If a voltage across the shell 2 is induced by RFI, the voltage across the element 26 will be transmitted through the base 11, through the posts 13 and into a ground plane of a circuit board, not shown, to which the posts 13 are connected, thereby advantageously protecting the contact 6 from RFI. To insure intimate contact, the base 11 has a thin rim 28 that is radially inwardly formed toward the frustoconical portion 21 of the shell 2 to assume a frustoconical shape. The ring 25 is also deformed radially to conform to the shape of the portion 21. A clearance surrounds the rim 28 to permit receipt of a forming tool, not shown, against the rim 28. The rim 28 is deformed radially and in a direction axially, due to the frustoconical shape. The rim 28 when deformed axially will urge the shell 2 axially against the element 26, and will urge both of them axially toward the transverse surface 27, clamping the element 26 between the shell 2 and the base 11 and establishing the intimate contact. The element 26 is in a relatively small space or clearance between the shell 2 and the base 11. To insure that the shell 2 is insulated from the base 11, the insulative material of the insulative material 23 fills relatively large, radial spaces or clearances between the shell 2 and the base 11. The insulative material 23 encloses the element 26.

Claims: An electrical connector (1) comprising a conductive contact (6) connected to a circuit board mounting terminal (17), an insulative body (3) surrounding the contact (6), a conductive shell (2) surrounding the insulative body (3), a conductive base 11) surrounding the shell (2), and conductive circuit board mounting posts (13) on the base (11), characterized in that electrical contact between the shell (2) and the base (11) is established by an electrical capacitor element (26) positioned therebetween. An electrical connector (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that insulative material (23) is positioned between said shell (2) and said base (11) with the capacitor element (26) in the form of a ring disposed in electrical engagement with said shell (2) and said base (11) between members (24,25) of said insulative material (23). An electrical connector (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said members (24,25) are ring members disposed between said shell (2) and said base (11).

Inventors: DUNBAR JAMES GRANT, GABANY ANDREW JOSEPH, DUNBAR, JAMES GRANT, GABANY, ANDREW JOSEPH
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H01R17
IPC codes: H01R13, H01R24, H01R4