Patent Publication Number: US-7708594-B2

Title: Electrical connector with magnetic module

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector having magnetic module for noise-filtering. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Magnetic elements are often used in noise-filtering in the high frequency field. An electrical connector having magnetic modules with more effective noise filtering, smaller size and lower cost is always a focus of the designers of the field. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having magnetic modules with more effective noise filtering smaller size and lower cost. 
   The present invention provides an electrical connector comprising a magnetic module. The magnetic module comprises an interior printed circuit board, a common mode choke and a plurality of transformers mounted on the interior printed circuit board, each of said common mode choke and transformers has a magnetic core and a plurality of magnetic wires winding around the magnetic cores. The magnetic core of the common mode choke defines two holes parallel extending therethrough and forms a center wall therebetween, all the magnetic wires of the common mode choke winding around the center wall and through said two holes in a same direction. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector of a first embodiment according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a magnetic module shown in  FIG. 2 , with the mating module and the terminal module removed; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the magnetic module shown in  FIG. 3  further with the transformers and the common mode choke apart form the interior printed circuit board; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a magnetic module of a second embodiment according to the present invention, with the mating module and the terminal module removed; and 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a magnetic module of a third embodiment according to the present invention, with the mating module and the terminal module removed. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
   An electrical connector  100  according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . The electrical connector  100  defines a network interface under 10/100 based standard. The electrical connector  100  includes an insulative housing  10  defining an opening (not shown) for the standard network interface, a magnetic module  200  received in the insulative housing  10  and a pair of metal shields  12 , 14  covering the housing  10 . The electrical connector  100  can be mounted onto a printed circuit board (not shown) and a mating plug (not shown) connecting a network system can be inserted into the opening. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , the magnetic module  200  includes an interior printed circuit board  21 , a common mode choke (not labeled) and two transformers (not labeled) mounted on the interior printed circuit board  21 , a mating module (not labeled) having a number of contacts  24  for connecting the mating plug and a terminal module (not labeled) having a number of terminals  26  for connecting the printed circuit board. Each of the common mode choke and the two transformers has a magnetic core  20 , 22  and a number of magnetic wires  23  winding around the magnetic core  20 , 22 . The magnetic core  20  of the common mode choke defines two cylindrical holes  203 , 205  mutually parallel to each other and a center wall  201  formed between the two holes  203 , 205 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the interior printed circuit board  21  has a number of conductive pads  212  listed in two rows parallel to each other. Each of the transformers has four magnetic wires  23 , two of magnetic wires  23  being connected to ground and the others being connected to signals. The magnetic wires  23  of the transformers form four input ends  221  for carrying signals from a first row of the pads  212  and four output ends  231 , 233  for sending signals out into a second row of pads  212 . Two of the output ends  231  being connected to ground are connected to a common one of the second row of conductive pads  212 . The other output ends  233  being connected to signals are further wound around the magnetic core  20  of the common mode choke. The out put ends  233  being connected to signals of the two transformers are wound around the magnetic core  20  in a same direction through the hole  203 , 205  and around the center wall  201  in one time. Since the two input ends  221  are connected to a common conductive pad  212  and the output ends  231  are connected to the common conductive pad  212 , material of the pad  212  can be saved. Furthermore, the output ends  233  of the magnetic wire  23  for carrying signals are wound around only one magnetic core  20  in one time, so the number of the magnetic core  20  and the time for winding the wire  23  can be saved. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , a magnetic module  200 ′ of a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The second embodiment is only different from the first embodiment that the two output ends  231 ′ of each transformer are one-one soldered onto two conductive pads (not labeled) of the interior printed circuit board  21 ′. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , a magnetic module  200 ″ of a third embodiment of the present invention is provided. The third embodiment is only different from the first embodiment that two output ends  231 ″ being connected to ground of each transformer  231 ″ are electrically connected to each other and combined to one output end  231 ″, and then, together with the output end  233 ″ being connected to signals, are wound around the magnetic core  20  of the common mode choke in one time. The third embodiment has an advantage that the noise in the ground is filtered as well as the noise in the signals. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.