Patent Publication Number: US-9431769-B2

Title: Electrical connector having improved shielding

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector and especially relates to a shielding structure thereof. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     U.S. Publication No. 2012/0196478 discloses an electrical connector comprising an outer shielding shell, an insulative housing, and a number of conductive members or foams. The insulative housing defines a number of stacked upper and lower mating ports and a number of receiving slots between the upper and lower ports for receiving the conductive foams. The electrical connector further includes a number of mating modules each having a horizontal ground plate, an upper mating module, and a lower mating module. The upper mating module includes an upper PCB and an upper set of contacts. The lower mating module includes a lower PCB and a lower set of contacts. The ground plate connects with the upper PCB and the lower PCB by another vertical ground plate. The horizontal ground plate extends forward to connect with the conductive foam. This design has two mating modules, which increases the high of the whole electrical connector. Using the horizontal ground plate to connect with the conductive foam also complicates the structure. 
     An electrical connector having a simple shielding structure is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a simple shielding structure. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, the invention provides an electrical connector including: a shielding shell; an insulative housing received in the shielding shell, the insulative housing having two rows of mating ports in a vertical direction and a receiving slot between the two rows of mating ports; a contact module mounted in the insulative housing, the contact modules comprising an inner circuit board and a plurality of mating contacts mounted on an upper surface and a lower surface of the inner circuit board, the inner circuit board comprising a conductive area at a front end thereof; and a conductive foam received in the receiving slot and compressed between the conductive area of the inner circuit board and the shielding shell. 
     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 according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partly exploded view of the electrical connector as shown in the  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a further exploded view of the electrical connector as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of one of the contact modules of the electrical connector as shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an another exploded view of the one contact module of the connector as shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of the circle in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a 2×N-ports electrical connector  100  according to the present invention is to be mounted on an outer circuit board. The electrical connector  100  includes a shielding shell  10 , an insulative housing  20  received in the shielding shell  10 . The shielding shell  10  is used for shielding electrical magnetic interference (EMI) from exterior environment. Both the shielding shell  10  and the insulative housing  20  have two rows of mating ports  30  in a vertical direction for receiving plug connectors. The shielding shell  10  comprises a number of contact sections  11  disposed between the two rows of mating ports  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the electrical connector  100  further includes a number of contact modules  40  received in the insulative housing  20 . The insulative housing  20  includes a mating face  21  having a number of receiving slots  22  between the two rows of mating ports  30 . For reducing EMI and crosstalk of the adjacent mating ports  30 , the electrical connector  100  comprises a number of conductive foams  50  received in the receiving slots  22 . The conductive foam  50  is elastic, soft, and/or can be flexibly squeezed. The conductive foam  50  extends beyond the insulative housing  20  before the insulative housing  20  is mounted in the shielding shell  10 . When the insulative housing  20  is mounted in the shielding shell  10 , the conductive foams  50  are squeezed by the contact sections  11  of the shielding shell  10 . 
     The shielding shell  10  has a shell body  12  and a back cover  13  mounted on the rear end of the shell body  12 . The edge of the bottom of the shielding shell  10  defines a number of mounting tails  14  for mounting on the outer circuit board. The electrical connector  100  further includes a number of light pipes  31  extending along the front-to-back direction. Each of the shielding shell  10  and the insulative housing  20  defines a number of small holes  15 . The light pipes  31  extend into the holes  15 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-5 , each contact module  40  includes a first base  411 , a second base  412 , a number of transfer terminals  42  fixed by the first base  411  and the second base  412 , an inner circuit board  43  mounted on the two bases  411 , 412 , and a shielding blade  413  electrically connecting with the inner circuit board  43  between the first base  411  and a second base  412 . Both of the bases  411 , 412  has a cavity for receiving a number of magnetic coils. The inner circuit boards  43  defines a number of mounting holes  430  for the transfer terminals  42  to pass through to achieve electrical connection with an outer circuit board. The inner circuit board  43  includes an upper surface  431 , a lower surface  432 , and a front end  434  extending to the mating face  21  of the insulative housing  20 . The front end  434  has a conductive area  435  for electrically connecting with the conductive foam  50 . The conductive area  435  extends from the front end  434  to the upper surface  431  and the lower surface  432 . The conductive area  435  is structured as copper foil. The conductive area  435  connects with a ground layer inside the inner circuit board  43 . 
     The contact module  40  further includes a number of mating contacts  44  mounted on the inner circuit boards  43 , a first holding block  441  mounted on the upper surface  431 , and a second holding block  442  mounted on the lower surface  432 . The inner circuit board  44  includes a number of conductive pads  433  on the upper surfaces  431  and the lower surface  432 . The mating contacts  44  electrically connect with the conductive pads  433  on the same surface. The mating contacts  44  are fixed by the first holding blocks  441  on the upper surfaces  431 . The other mating contacts  44  are fixed by the second holding block  442  on the lower surface  432 . The electrical connector  100  further includes a number of shielding wafers  45 . The shielding wafer  45  is vertically mounted between the adjacent mating ports  30  in a transverse direction. The shielding wafer  45  includes an insulative body  450  and a metal plate  451  held in the insulative body  450 . The insulative body  450  comprises a groove  452 . An edge of the inner circuit board  43  is mounted in the groove  452  for holding the inner circuit board  44 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-7 , when the insulative housing  20  is mounted in the shielding shell  10 , the conductive foam  50  contacts with the conductive area  435  in the front end  434  of the inner circuit board  43  and the contact section  11  of the shielding shell  10 . The shielding shell  10  is to be electrically connected with the ground pole of the outer circuit board. Since the conductive foam  50  is compressed between the inner circuit board  43  and the shielding shell  10 , edge portions  52  of the conductive foams  50  beyond the upper and lower surfaces of the inner circuit boards  43  are so deformed as to contact with the conductive area  435  on the upper surface  431  and the lower surface  432  of the inner circuit board  43 . 
     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 illustrative 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 members in which the appended claims are expressed.