Patent Publication Number: US-7708603-B1

Title: Electrical connector with improved crosstalk features

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with improved crosstalk features. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,405 issued to ITT Industry on Aug. 20, 1996 discloses a low cost modular jack for minimizing crosstalk. The modular jack comprises pairs of electrical contacts. One electrical contact of one pair is electrically connected with a capacitive plate disposed closer to one electrical contact of another pair so that crosstalk is minimized. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with improved crosstalk features. 
   In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector for mating with a complementary electrical connector comprising a plurality of conductive contacts, a first capacitive plate and an insulator fixing the plurality of conductive contacts and the first capacitive plate. The plurality of conductive contacts further comprise a first pair of conductive contacts to form a first signal channel and a second pair of conductive contacts to form a second signal channel. The first capacitive plate is electrically connected to one conductive contact of the second pair. The first capacitive plate is disposed closer to one conductive contact of the first pair than the conductive contact which the first capacitive plate is connected to. The insulator is partially hollowed out between the first capacitive plate and the corresponding conductive contact of the first pair to improve the crosstalk between the first and the second signal channels. 
   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 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with 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 contact module shown in  FIG. 2  from another aspect; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the contact module shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the capacitive plates and the conductive contacts in place. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an electrical connector  100  according to the present invention is designed to meet CAT 5E Specification. The electrical connector  100  is used for mating with a complementary electrical connector (not shown), such as an RJ  45  plug. The electrical connector  100  comprises eight conductive contacts  20  and four capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38 , an insulator  40  fixing the conductive contacts  20  and the capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  together to form a contact module  423 , an insulated housing  10  receiving the contact module  423 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3-5  the conductive contacts  20  are arrayed in a first line and are named in turn the first to eighth conductive contacts  21 - 28 . The first and the second conductive contacts  21 ,  22  compose a first pair of conductive contacts, the third and the sixth  23 ,  26  compose a second pair, the forth and the fifth  24 ,  25  compose a third pair, and the seventh and the eight  27 ,  28  composing a forth pair. Each pair of conductive contacts  21 - 28  is used to form a signal channels for transferring signal pairs to the complementary connector. The first to the eighth conductive contacts  21 - 28  are stamped from a flat metal plate (not shown) and each forms a fastening portion  206  for fastening the conductive contact to the insulator  40 , a contacting portion  204  for contacting the complementary connector and a tail portion  208  for mounting on a printed circuit board (not shown). Each fastening portions  206  of the third to the sixth conductive contacts  23 - 26  defines a through hole  202 . 
   The four capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  are lined in a second line parallel to the first line and are named in turn the first to the forth capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38 . The first to forth capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  are stamped from another metal plate (not shown) and each formed with a pin  301  bent from a plane the capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  lies on. When the conductive contacts  21 - 28  and the capacitive plate  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  are assembled to the insulator  40  to form a contact module  423 , the pins  301  fit into the through the holes  202  to establish electrical connection, thereby the first capacitive plate  31  is electrically connected to the third conductive contact  23 , the second capacitive plate  33  is electrically connected to the fifth conductive contact  25 , the third capacitive plate  36  is electrically connected to the forth conductive contact  24 , the forth capacitive plate  38  is electrically connected to the sixth conductive contact  26 . In order to achieve the required crosstalk, each of the capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  is respectively aligned to the fastening portion  206  of each the conductive contacts  21 ,  23 ,  26 ,  28 , so that each of the capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  is disposed closer to corresponding conductive contacts  21 ,  23 ,  26 ,  28  than the conductive contact  23 - 26  which the capacitive plate  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  is electrically connected with. That is to say that the first capacitive plate  31  is closer to the first conductive contact  21  than the third conductive contact  23 , the second capacitive plate  33  is closer to the third contact  23  than the fifth conductive contact  25 , the third capacitive plate  36  is closer to the six contact  26  than the forth conductive contact  24 , and the forth capacitive plate  38  disposed closer to the eighth conductive contact  28  than the sixth conductive contact  26 . 
   The insulator  40  defines a first and a second outer side faces  41 ,  42  opposite to each other and a plurality of slots  410 ,  420  in the first and the second outer side faces  41 , 42 . The eight conductive contacts  21 - 28  are respectively received in the slots  410  in the first outer side face  41  and the four capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  are respectively received in the slots  420  in the second outer side face  42 . The insulator  40  further defines a plurality of holes  400  respectively aligning with the four capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  in a direction perpendicular to the first outer side face  41 . The holes  400  extend from the first outer side face  41  to the second outer side face  42 , so that the insulator  40  are partially hollowed out and air is filled therein between respective capacitive plate  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  and corresponding conductive contacts  21 ,  23 ,  26 ,  28 . In principle, the air filled portions are not necessary to be defined in shape of through holes, they can be any concaves hollowed out to control the impedance between the capacitive plates  31 ,  33 ,  36 ,  38  and corresponding conductive contacts  21 ,  23 ,  26 ,  28  and thereby to control the crosstalk between the signal channels thereof. 
   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.