Abstract:
An electrical connector includes an insulated housing defining an uninterrupted tongue portion with opposite first surface and second surface, the first surface defining a rib and a plurality of contacts loaded in the tongue portion. The contacts include first contacts with contacting sections loaded in the first surface at one side of the rib, second contacts with contacting section loaded in the first surface at another side of the rib and third contacts with contacting section loading in the second surface opposite to the rib. Each of the first and third contacts is composed of signal contacts and grounding contacts. Two distinct grounding bars are embedded in the tongue section and touch with front ends of grounding contacts of the first and third contacts respectively to reduce cross talk between signal contact of the first and third contacts.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector capable of high speed and backwards compatibility with relative lower high speed. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) is a successor to the parallel SCSI and is also based on serial technology. Besides the advantage of higher speed signal transmission, another most significant advantage is that the SAS interface will also be compatible with SATA drives. In other words, the SATA plug connector can plug directly into a SAS receptacle connector if supported in the system. By this way, the system builders are flexible to integrate either SAS or SATA devices and slash the costs associated with supporting two separate interfaces. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,524 discloses a SAS connector for SAS 2.0 standard transmitting 6.0 Gbps. Higher signal transmission is a tendency in high speed industry. Connectors adapted for speed higher than 6.0 Gbps is developing. Questions of electrical performance, such as cross talk, signal attenuation arises. Particularly, crosstalk is a major issue at 12 Gbps. So, we hope design an electrical connector to overcome said question. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide electrical connectors capable to 12 Gbps. 
         [0007]    In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector comprises an insulated housing defining an uninterrupted tongue portion with opposite first surface and second surface, the first surface defining a rib and a plurality of contacts loaded in the tongue portion. The contacts comprise first contacts with contacting sections loaded in the first surface at one side of the rib, second contacts with contacting section loaded in the first surface at another side of the rib and third contacts with contacting section loading in the second surface opposite to the rib. Each of the first and third contacts is composed of signal contacts and grounding contacts. Two distinct grounding bars are embedded in the tongue section and touch with front ends of grounding contacts of the first and third contacts respectively to reduce cross talk between signal contact of the first and third contacts. 
         [0008]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical assembly in accordance with the present invention, the electrical assembly including a first electrical connector and a second mating electrical connector; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the first electrical connector and a first PCB shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the second electrical connector and a second PCB shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the second electrical connector from another view; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of contacts and grounding bars of the second electrical connector; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross section view of the second electrical connector taken along lines  6 - 6  in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electrical connector assembly  1000  including a first electrical connector  100  vertically mounted on a first circuit board  300  and a second electrical connector  200  right-angle mounted on a second circuit board  400  is illustrated. The electrical connectors  100 ,  200  are used for providing interfaces for a high speed storage device, especially for SAS signal transmission which is capable to 12 Gbps operation. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first electrical connector  100  includes an insulated housing  1  including a base portion  11  and a mating portion  12  projecting from a top face of the base portion, and a plurality of contacts  2  assembled to the insulated housing  1 . The insulated housing  1  defines a longitudinal uninterrupted slot  13  extending in a first direction and a second direction through the front face and surrounded by two parallel first and second sidewalls  14 ,  15 . The first sidewall  14  is divided at an inside surface thereof, to two separated parts by a groove  16  without any conductive contacts and extending through the front face in the second direction. The first part  141  is loaded with seven first conductive contacts  21  in corresponding passageways  171  not through the front face, which is functioned as a signal segment S 1 -S 7  defined in SAS 2.0 Specification. The second part  142  is loaded with fifteen second conductive contacts  22  in the passageways  172  through the front face of the mating portion, which is functioned as a power segment P 1 -P 15  defines in SAS 2.0 Specification. 
         [0018]    The second sidewall  15  defines an expanding portion  18  heighten in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The expanding portion is aligned with the grooves  16 . The expanding portion  18  is loaded with seven conductive contacts  23  in the passageways  181  through the front face and through the second sidewall  15  in the third direction, which is functioned as a signal segment S 8 -S 14  defines in SAS 2.0 Specification. 
         [0019]    The contacts in every segment have a same configure. The first and the third conductive contacts  21 ,  23  have a same shape, arranged mirror to each other. So the same contacts are only introduced one time. The first conductive contact  21  of a vertical type by cutting a metal sheet and includes a board retaining portion  211  with barbs at a top edge thereof, an elastic arm  212  with an inward-converted contacting portion  213  at a freed end thereof and a tail portion  214  extending opposite to the projection direction of the contacting portion  213 . The elastic portion  212  and the tail portion  214  extend from opposite lateral sides of the retaining portion  211 . The third contact  23  further defines an open  235  in a centre thereof which not only adjusts matching impedance but also interlocks with housing for securing (not shown). The first and third conductive contacts  21 ,  23  are formed by cutting in the metal sheet, i.e., the contacting portion  213  is formed at a cutting face of the metal sheet and the barbs extend from the cutting face. The contacting portion  213  defines a mating or elastic enforce orientation which is parallel to the retaining portion  211 . 
         [0020]    The second conductive contacts  22  is of a horizontal type which is made by cutting and bending a metal sheet, which includes a retaining portion  221  with barbs at opposite lateral sides of the retaining portion, an elastic arm  222  with an inward-converted contacting portion  223  at a freed end thereof and the tail portion  224 . The elastic arm  222  and the tail portion  224  extend from opposite ends of the retaining portion  221 . The contacting portions  223  also define a mating orientation parallel to the mating orientation of the first and the third contacts. Since the contacts  2  are mated with the second connector  200  through the slot  13 , the mating orientation of all contacts is common defined along the same mating orientation. The retaining portions  221  of the second conductive contacts  22  are perpendicular to the mating orientation and the contacting portions  223  are formed in metal sheet plane, not the cutting face. The tail portions of the fist and the third conductive contacts are soldered to conductive pads  301  of the PCB by SMT while the tail portions of the second conductive contacts are by through holes  302 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the second electrical connector  200  intended to mate with the first electrical connector  100 , include a base portion  31  and a mating portion  32  which is formed by an uninterrupted tongue portion  321  and a pair of guiding portions  322  of an inverted U shape commonly extending from the base portion  31 . The tongue portion  321  defines a rib  34  at a first surface  351  thereof unitarily extending forwards from the base portion  31  to a front face  353 , the rib  34  divides the first surface  351  to two sections, one being larger than the other section. The rib  34  and said two sections incorporate with the groove  16  and the two parts of the first electrical connector  100 . The contacts  41 ,  42 ,  43  loaded in the first and second surface of the tongue portions  321  are defined same to arrangement and designation of the contacts  21 ,  22 ,  23  of the first electrical connector  100 , so description of the functions of the contacts of the second connector  200  is omitted. 
         [0022]    Seven pieces of first contacts  41  located in left section of the first surface  351  are intend to mate with the first contacts of the first electrical connector  100 , which is named as signal segment, while power pieces of second contacts  42  located in the right section of the first surface  351  intend to mate with the second contacts of the first electrical connector, which is named as a power segment. Seven pieces of third contacts  43  loaded in the second surface  352  of the tongue portion. Said contacts of three rows are of plane shape, each substantially includes a plate section retained in the insulating housing and a leg section  413  perpendicularly bending from the plate section and then bending rearward to press against conductive pads  401  on the second PCB. The plate section include a retaining portion  411  with barb at lateral sides thereof and a contacting portion  412  extending from the retaining portion  411  which is received in the passageways  36  defined on the first and second surface of the tongue portion  321  and expose to an exterior in a direction perpendicular to the surfaces of the tongue portion  321 . Please notes, the first and second contacts  41 ,  42  are wider than the third contacts  43 . Each of all of the second contacts  42  further includes a bending tip  424  at the front distal end of the contacting portion  424  which slants toward the second surface  352  and forward so as to receive in an open  37  defined at the front face  353  of the tongue portion  321 . Each of three of the seven first contacts  41  also defines a bending tip  414  at the front distal end of the contacting portion  412  which slants toward the second surface  352  and forward. Three of the seven third contacts  43  also each define a bending tip  434  similar to said bending tip. Please note, either of the first and the second contacts is arranged in a pattern with G-S(+)-S(−)-G-S(+)-S(−)-G-S(+)-S(−). So said three contacts are of grounding contacts. 
         [0023]    Combination with  FIG. 4 , the tongue portion defines two slots  381 ,  382  recessed rearwards from the front face  353  thereof aligned with said two signal segments. The first slot  381  further comprises three notches  383  at one side thereof near to the first surface  351  opposite to the second surface  352  and the three notches are aligned with and communication with corresponding passageways  36  which are used to receive the grounding contacts. A metal grounding bar  51  is received in the first slot  381 , which has three arc convexes  511  projecting in the notches  383  so the bending tips  434  mechanically touch the arc convexes  511  as best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . A second metal grounding bar  52  is received and retained in the second slot  382 , arc convexes of the second grounding bar bend to the second surface since  352  where the third contacts are loaded. The ground bars are barred in the tongue portion  321  and do not effect mating and un-mating function. The ground bars between ground contacts of the two signal segments add short pass between signal return pass which will reduces the crosstalk. Therefore, the electrical connector assembly  1000  can be used to transport high speed up to 12 Gbps. Moreover, the first and second electrical connector is same to the designation of the connectors in SAS 2.0 Specification in dimension and pin arrangement which has a high speed capable to 6 Gbps except the addition of the grounding bars. Using a same interface, the connectors of this present invention speed signal transmission up to 12 Gbps. 
         [0024]    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 illustrated 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 broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.