Electrical connector and interconnection system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an electric connector and an interconnection system. The electric connector comprises a first matching interface, a second matching interface and a third matching interface which extend along the longitudinal direction and are parallel to each other; and a mounting interface extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. According to the electric connector provided by the embodiment of the invention, the first matching interface, the second matching interface, the third matching interface and the mounting interface are arranged, so that the electric connector can be connected with more than or equal to three circuit boards at the same time, and interconnection of a plurality of circuit boards is realized. When the electric connector is applied to an interconnection system, the number of the electric connectors of the interconnection system can be reduced, the space utilization rate of the interconnection system can be improved, and miniaturization of products is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of connector technology, and in particular, to a compact orthogonal electrical connector, by which three or more circuit boards can be interconnected to form an interconnection system. Background Art

[0002] Mid-plane is commonly used in data center network equipment such as switches, routers, and servers. The mid-plane is a physical component located in the middle of the device. It is mainly used to transmit signals between the front-end layer and the back-end layer, and perform corresponding routing and connection management inside the device. The front-end layer can be connected to external devices, and the back-end layer can be connected to internal components such as power converters, processors, and storage devices. In addition, the mid-plane can also provide the power required by the device. This ensures that the device operates normally and supplies power to each component. The mid-plane can include circuit boards. In data center equipment, the use of the mid-plane can simplify design and wiring, and improve the maintainability and scalability of electronic systems. It can also provide high-speed data transmission and low-latency connections to meet the needs of high-performance and high-capacity data center networks.

[0003] Electrical connectors are used in many interconnection systems. It is usually easier and more cost-effective to manufacture the interconnection system on several circuit boards connected to each other by electrical connectors than to manufacture the interconnection system as a single component. Electrical connectors can be used to interconnect the middle layer with the front layer and the back end layer. In addition, the middle layer can also be directly connected with an additional card such as a solid state drive (SSD) and a module card (Module Card) by an electrical connector.

[0004] As electronic devices continue to evolve and develop, the requirements for product size and weight are increasing. Therefore, miniaturization is an important consideration when designing and manufacturing electrical connectors for mid-layers. By reducing the size and density of electrical connectors, more compact circuit board layouts can be achieved, improving the overall performance and efficiency of the equipment. Miniaturization also brings other benefits, such as reduced energy consumption, improved signal integrity, and simplified heat dissipation. In addition, miniaturized mid-layer connectors also help meet the needs of high-density connections, providing more flexible layout and design options for increasingly complex electronic systems. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to at least partially solve the problems existing in the prior art, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector comprises: a first mating interface, a second mating interface and a third mating interface extending in a longitudinal direction and parallel to each other; and a mounting interface extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0006] Exemplarily, the vertical direction includes a first vertical direction and a second vertical direction that are opposite, a portion of the first mating interface, the second mating interface, and the third mating interface faces the first vertical direction, and another portion of the first mating interface, the second mating interface, and the third mating interface faces the second vertical direction.

[0007] Exemplarily, the first mating interface faces the first vertical direction, and the second mating interface and the third mating interface face the second vertical direction.

[0008] Exemplarily, the second mating interface and the third mating interface are arranged along the longitudinal direction.

[0009] Exemplarily, the second mating interface is closer to the mounting interface than the third mating interface, and the second mating interface protrudes beyond the third mating interface along the second vertical direction.

[0010] Exemplarily, the distance from the second mating interface to the first mating interface is not equal to the distance from the third mating interface to the first mating interface.

[0011] Exemplarily, the electrical connector also includes a plurality of first conductive elements, a plurality of second conductive elements and a plurality of third conductive elements, the plurality of first conductive elements extending from the first mating interface to the mounting interface; the plurality of second conductive elements extending from the second mating interface to the mounting interface; and the plurality of third conductive elements extending from the first mating interface to the third mating interface.

[0012] Exemplarily, the electrical connector also includes: a first sheet-like member shell for holding the plurality of first conductive elements; and a second sheet-like member shell for holding the plurality of second conductive elements, wherein the first sheet-like member shell and the second sheet-like member shell are both insulated and parallel to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction, and the first sheet-like member shell and the second sheet-like member shell are stacked along a transverse direction, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

[0013] Exemplarily, there are a plurality of the first sheet-shaped member shells, and the second sheet-shaped member shell is inserted between the plurality of the first sheet-shaped member shells.

[0014] Exemplarily, the plurality of first sheet-shaped member shells enclose a second slot, and the plurality of second conductive elements are bent into the second slot to form the second mating interface.

[0015] Exemplarily, a plurality of second conductive element channels are provided on the side wall of the second slot, and the plurality of second conductive elements pass through the plurality of second conductive element channels in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0016] Exemplarily, the electrical connector also includes a front insulating shell, a first slot is provided on the side of the front insulating shell facing the first vertical direction, the multiple first conductive elements and the multiple third conductive elements are bent into the first slot to form the first mating interface, and the edge of the integral piece formed by stacking the first sheet-like shell and the second sheet-like shell is inserted into the front insulating shell on the side facing the first vertical direction.

[0017] Exemplarily, the electrical connector also includes a rear insulating shell, the front insulating shell and the rear insulating shell are arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, a third slot is provided on the side of the rear insulating shell facing the second vertical direction, the multiple third conductive elements are bent into the third slot to form the third mating interface, and the multiple third conductive elements are installed in the front insulating shell and the rear insulating shell.

[0018] Exemplarily, the rear insulation housing abuts against the first sheet-piece housing along the longitudinal direction.

[0019] Exemplarily, along the second vertical direction, the first sheet-shaped piece shell protrudes from the rear insulating shell, the side of the first sheet-shaped piece shell facing the rear insulating shell has a notch, and one end of the rear insulating shell provided with the third mating interface extends into the notch.

[0020] Exemplarily, there are a plurality of first sheet-shaped member housings, which are spaced apart in the transverse direction to form gaps, and the rear insulating housing is coupled to the gaps.

[0021] Exemplarily, the plurality of third conductive elements include a pair of differential signal conductive elements and a ground conductive element located between the pair of differential signal conductive elements.

[0022] Exemplarily, the electrical connector further comprises a shielding member electrically connected to the ground conductive element, the shielding member being located at a side of the pair of differential signal conductive elements along a transverse direction, wherein the transverse direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

[0023] Exemplarily, the plurality of third conductive elements are arranged into at least one column parallel to the longitudinal direction, each of the at least one column has a corresponding shielding member, the corresponding shielding member includes an inner shielding member and an outer shielding member, and the outer shielding member, the corresponding column and the inner shielding member are sequentially arranged in the transverse direction into the electrical connector.

[0024] Exemplarily, along the extension direction of the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column, the inner shield abuts against the middle portion of each of the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column, and the outer shield abuts against each of the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column on both sides of the middle portion.

[0025] Exemplarily, the inner shield has a cantilever beam bent toward the corresponding column of ground conductive elements, and the cantilever beam abuts against the corresponding column of ground conductive elements.

[0026] Exemplarily, the outer shield has a corrugated portion raised toward the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column, and the corrugated portion abuts against the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column.

[0027] Exemplarily, a protrusion is provided on the surface of the corrugated portion that abuts against the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column.

[0028] Exemplarily, the portion of the inner shielding member aligned with the differential signal conductive element pair of the corresponding column protrudes toward both ends of the differential signal conductive element pair of the corresponding column to form an inner shielding extension portion; and / or the portion of the outer shielding member aligned with the differential signal conductive element pair of the corresponding column protrudes toward both ends of the differential signal conductive element pair of the corresponding column to form an outer shielding extension portion.

[0029] Exemplarily, the inner shield extension portion is shorter than the outer shield extension portion along the extension direction of the differential signal conductive element pair.

[0030] Exemplarily, the third conductive elements in each of the at least one column are held together by an insulating member, the insulating member is provided with through holes corresponding one to one to the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column, and the inner shielding member passes through the through holes and abuts against the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column.

[0031] Exemplarily, the inner shield and the outer shield are attached to the insulating members of the corresponding column; and / or the width of a middle portion of the ground conductive element corresponding to the through hole is greater than that of other portions.

[0032] Exemplarily, the plurality of first conductive elements include power conductive elements and sideband conductive elements; and / or the plurality of second conductive elements include sideband conductive elements; and / or the plurality of third conductive elements include high-speed signal conductive elements.

[0033] Exemplarily, the first mating interface includes a first interface segment and a second interface segment arranged in sequence along the longitudinal direction, the plurality of first conductive elements extend from the first interface segment to the mounting interface, and the plurality of third conductive elements extend from the second interface segment to the third mating interface.

[0034] Exemplarily, the first mounting tails of the multiple first conductive elements extending to the mounting interface are arranged in a first row, and the second mounting tails of the multiple second conductive elements extending to the mounting interface are arranged in a second row, the second row and the first row are both parallel to the vertical direction, the first row and the second row are arranged side by side along the transverse direction, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

[0035] Exemplarily, the first mounting tail portions in the first row are staggered with the second mounting tail portions in the second row along an extension direction of the rows.

[0036] Exemplarily, the center distance between the first first mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the first row and the first second mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the second row is smaller than the center distance between adjacent first mounting tails in the row, so that the first mounting tail and the second mounting tail are used to connect to the edge of the circuit board.

[0037] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector is also provided. The electrical connector includes: a first mating interface and a second mating interface arranged opposite to each other in a vertical direction; a mounting interface extending in the vertical direction; a first sheet-like member, on which a plurality of first conductive elements insulated from each other are retained, and the plurality of first conductive elements extend from the first mating interface to the mounting interface; and a second sheet-like member, on which a plurality of second conductive elements insulated from each other are retained, and the plurality of second conductive elements extend from the second mating interface to the mounting interface, wherein the first sheet-like member and the second sheet-like member are stacked in a lateral direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0038] Exemplarily, the first mating interface and the second mating interface extend along a longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the transverse direction and the vertical direction.

[0039] Exemplarily, each of the multiple first conductive elements includes a first mating contact portion and a first mounting tail portion respectively located at two ends, the first mating contact portions of the multiple first conductive elements are arranged in a first column parallel to the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the transverse direction and the vertical direction, each of the multiple second conductive elements includes a second mating contact portion and a second mounting tail portion respectively located at two ends, the second mating contact portions of the multiple second conductive elements are arranged in a second column parallel to the longitudinal direction, wherein the first mounting tail portions of the multiple first conductive elements are arranged in a first row, and the second mounting tail portions of the multiple second conductive elements are arranged in a second row, the second row and the first row are both parallel to the vertical direction, and the first row and the second row are arranged side by side along the transverse direction.

[0040] Exemplarily, the first mounting tail portions in the first row are staggered with the second mounting tail portions in the second row along an extension direction of the rows.

[0041] Exemplarily, the center distance between the first first mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the first row and the first second mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the second row is smaller than the center distance between adjacent first mounting tails in the row, so that the first mounting tail and the second mounting tail are used to connect to the edge of the circuit board.

[0042] Exemplarily, there are a plurality of first sheet members, and the second sheet member is inserted between the plurality of first sheet members.

[0043] Exemplarily, the plurality of first sheet-shaped members are combined to form a second slot, and the plurality of second conductive elements are bent into the second slot to form the second mating interface.

[0044] Exemplarily, the electrical connector also includes a front insulating shell, which is provided with a first slot, and the multiple first conductive elements and the multiple third conductive elements are bent into the first slot to form the first mating interface, and the edge of the integral piece formed by stacking the first sheet member and the second sheet member is inserted into the front insulating shell on the side opposite to the first slot.

[0045] Exemplarily, the electrical connector further includes: a third mating interface arranged opposite to the first mating interface in a vertical direction; and a plurality of third conductive elements extending from the first mating interface to the third mating interface.

[0046] Exemplarily, the electrical connector also includes a rear insulating shell, the front insulating shell and the rear insulating shell are arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, a third slot is provided on the side of the rear insulating shell along the vertical direction facing away from the front insulating shell, the multiple third conductive elements are installed in the front insulating shell and the rear insulating shell, and the multiple third conductive elements are bent into the third slot to form the third mating interface.

[0047] Exemplarily, the electrical connector further includes an outer frame, and the front insulating shell, the rear insulating shell, the first sheet-shaped member, and the second sheet-shaped member are retained in the outer frame.

[0048] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an interconnection system is also provided. The interconnection system includes: a first circuit board; a second circuit board; a third circuit board; and an electrical connector, wherein the first circuit board, the second circuit board, and the third circuit board are interconnected through the electrical connector, so that the first circuit board is electrically connected to the second circuit board, the second circuit board is electrically connected to the third circuit board, and the first circuit board is electrically connected to the third circuit board.

[0049] Exemplarily, the electrical connector includes: a first mating interface, a second mating interface and a third mating interface, the first mating interface is arranged opposite to the second mating interface and the third mating interface in a vertical direction, the first circuit board is electrically connected to the first mating interface, and the second circuit board is electrically connected to the second mating interface and the third mating interface; and an installation interface, the installation interface is parallel to the vertical direction, and the third circuit board is electrically connected to the installation interface.

[0050] Exemplarily, the first mating interface includes a first interface segment and a second interface segment sequentially arranged along the longitudinal direction, the first interface segment is electrically connected to the mounting interface, and the second interface segment is electrically connected to the third mating interface.

[0051] Exemplarily, the second circuit board is connected to the electrical connector via a cable connector.

[0052] Exemplarily, the electrical connector is any one of the electrical connectors mentioned above.

[0053] The electrical connector provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with a first mating interface, a second mating interface, a third mating interface and a mounting interface, so that the electrical connector can simultaneously connect more than or equal to three circuit boards, thereby realizing the interconnection of multiple circuit boards. When the electrical connector is applied to an interconnection system, the number of electrical connectors of the interconnection system can be reduced, the space utilization rate of the interconnection system can be improved, and the miniaturization of the product can be realized.

[0054] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the summary of the invention, which will be further described in detail in the detailed description. The summary of the invention does not mean to attempt to define the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor does it mean to attempt to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0055] The advantages and features of the present disclosure are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The following drawings of the present disclosure are hereby used as part of the present disclosure for understanding the present disclosure. The embodiments of the present disclosure and their description are shown in the drawings to explain the principles of the present disclosure. In the drawings,

[0057] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure being applied to an electronic system;

[0058] Figure 1B FIG. 1 is a top view of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure applied to an electronic system, which is compared to FIG. Figure 1A The cable connector used to connect to the second circuit board is removed;

[0059] Figure 2A is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure at one angle;

[0060] Figure 2B for Figure 2A A perspective view of the electrical connector from another angle shown in FIG.

[0061] Figure 3A for Figure 2A-2B An exploded view of the electrical connector shown in FIG.

[0062] Figure 3B for Figure 3A A schematic diagram of a first sheet member and a second sheet member being assembled together;

[0063] Figure 4 for Figure 2A-2B A perspective view of an electrical connector at one angle shown in FIG. 1 , wherein the outer frame is removed;

[0064] Figure 5A for Figure 4 A perspective view of the electrical connector from another angle shown in FIG.

[0065] Figure 5B for Figure 5A A sectional perspective view of the electrical connector from another angle shown in FIG.

[0066] Figure 6 for Figure 3A A schematic diagram of the assembly process of the first sheet member shown in FIG.

[0067] Figure 7 for Figure 3A A schematic diagram of the assembly process of the second sheet member shown in FIG.

[0068] Fig. 8A for Figure 3A Schematic diagram of the assembly process of the third sheet member shown in FIG.

[0069] Figure 8B for Fig. 8A An exploded view of another angle of the third sheet member shown in FIG.

[0070] Fig. 9is a three-dimensional diagram of the third circuit board shown in FIG1;

[0071] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 A partial exploded view of an interconnection system at one angle shown in FIG.

[0072] Fig.11 for Fig. 9 A partial exploded view of another angle of the interconnection system shown in FIG.

[0073] Fig.12 for Fig.10 A side view of the interconnect system after assembly shown in FIG.

[0074] Fig.13 for Fig.12 A partial enlarged view of the interconnection system shown in FIG.

[0075] Figure 14-17 They are Fig.12 A partial enlarged view of the interconnection system shown in FIG. 1 , in which some components are removed.

[0076] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0077] 100, interconnection system; 110, 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, add-on card; 111, first circuit board; 120, second circuit board; 130, third circuit board; 131, edge area; 132, 132a, first plug-in through hole; 133, 133a, second plug-in through hole; 140, first cable connector; 141, first cable connector first interface; 142, first cable connector second interface; 143, first cable interface; 144, protrusion; 150, second cable connector; 151, second cable interface; 152, second cable connector device interface; 160, connector; 200, 200a, 200b, 200c, 200d, electrical connector; 210, first mating interface; 211, first interface section; 212, second interface section; 220, second mating interface; 230, third mating interface; 240, mounting interface; 310, first conductive element; 310a, first first conductive element; 311, first mating contact portion; 312, first mounting tail; 313, power conductive element; 314, sideband conductive element; 320, second conductive element; 320a, first second conductive element; 321, first mounting tail; 322, second mounting tail; 330, third conductive element; 331, third mating contact; 332, fourth mating contact; 333, differential signal conductive element pair; 334, ground conductive element; 334a, middle portion; 410, first sheet housing; 411, second slot; 412, second conductive element channel; 413, notch; 414, gap; 420, second sheet housing; 430, third sheet housing; 440, front insulating housing; 441, first slot; 442, first conductive element channel; 450, rear insulating housing; 4 51. third slot; 452. third conductive element channel; 453. extension portion; 460. first sheet member; 470. second sheet member; 480. third sheet member; 481. insulating member; 482. through hole; 500. shielding member; 510. inner shielding member; 511. cantilever beam; 512. inner shielding extension portion; 520. outer shielding member; 521. pleated portion; 522. protrusion; 523. outer shielding extension portion; 610. outer frame; 611. pivot fitting portion; 620. U-shaped clamping member; 630. lock; 631. hooking portion; 632. operating portion; 633. pivoting portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0078] In the following description, a large amount of details are provided so that the present disclosure can be thoroughly understood. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the following description only exemplarily illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure can be implemented without one or more such details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion with the present disclosure, some technical features well known in the art are not described in detail.

[0079] The inventors have recognized and appreciated a design technique for a compact electrical connector to provide interconnection between more than or equal to three circuit boards. As interconnection systems become more advanced, more data channels and / or processing functions may be added. For example, the number of circuits and the density of circuits on the circuit board, backplane, or motherboard of the middle layer of the interconnection system may increase. In some cases, although the size of the add-on card can be increased, the size of the circuit board, backplane, or motherboard of the middle layer may be limited (for example, to accommodate standardized server cabinets or other packaging). Internet servers and routers are examples of data processing systems that can support multiple high data rate channels. The data transfer rate of each channel in such an interconnection system can reach or far exceed 10 gigabits per second (Gb / s). In some embodiments, the data transfer rate can be as high as, for example, 150Gb / s. Conventional electrical connectors cannot transmit data for multiple such high-speed data channels while meeting size constraints. Some aspects of the present disclosure enable compact electrical connectors to provide high-speed interconnection.

[0080] The electrical connector may include a mounting interface and a plurality of mating interfaces. Specifically, the mounting interface may be mounted on a mounting circuit board. Exemplarily, the mounting circuit board may be a circuit board, a backplane or a mainboard of an intermediate layer. And a plurality of mating interfaces may be electrically connected to a plurality of matching circuit boards. Optionally, the matching circuit board may be directly connected to the mating interface, or may be connected to the mating interface through an adapting electrical connector adapted to the electrical connector. Optionally, a portion of the matching circuit board may be directly connected to a portion of the mating interface, while another portion of the matching circuit board may be connected to the mating interface through an adapting electrical connector. The electrical connector may also include a conductive element. The conductive element may extend between interfaces that are desired to be connected to each other, thereby forming transmission lanes between the corresponding interfaces.

[0081] For the mounting circuit board, the use of a card edge connector mounted to the edge area of ​​the mounting circuit board to connect multiple matching circuit boards can be more conducive to saving space on the mounting circuit board. For example, at least a portion of the matching circuit board can be directly connected to the side of the mounting circuit board orthogonally to the mounting circuit board through an electrical connector. Therefore, the electrical connector provided according to one aspect of the present application can be an orthogonal card edge connector, and the extension direction of multiple mating interfaces can be perpendicular to the extension direction of the mounting interface. In this way, multiple orthogonal card edge connectors are allowed to be arranged side by side along the edge area of ​​the mounting circuit board, thereby saving space on the matching circuit board and providing scalability for the interconnection system. These matching circuit boards directly connected to the side of the mounting circuit board through an electrical connector can be used as additional cards, such as solid-state hard drives. Another part of the matching circuit board can be connected to the adapter electrical connector of the electrical connector, for example, through a cable, to achieve interconnection with the mounting circuit board. In this way, this part of the matching circuit board is allowed to be arranged remotely relative to the mounting circuit board, so as to provide greater convenience for the design of the interconnection system. Typically, the first type of mating interface on the electrical connector for directly orthogonally connecting the mating circuit board can face the outside of the mounting circuit board, while the second type of mating interface on the electrical connector for connecting the adapting electrical connector can face the outside or inside of the mounting circuit board. According to an embodiment of the present application, the second type of mating interface faces the inside of the mounting circuit board to reduce the height of the electrical connector.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present application, the mating interface of the first part can be electrically connected to the mounting interface through a conductive element, and the mating interface of the second part can be directly electrically connected to the mating interface of the first part. For example, when the mounting circuit board is used as an intermediate layer, a high-speed channel (high speedlanes) can be formed between the directly connected mating interfaces for transmitting high-speed signals. The high-speed channel does not pass through the intermediate layer, so that the system board inside the device can be directly interconnected with the external device to improve signal integrity. And a power channel and / or a sideband channel (side band lanes) can be formed between the mounting interface and the mating interface of the first part. Optionally, when the mating interface of the second part is multiple, they can also be directly connected.

[0083] Shielding members may be provided around the high-speed channel, and these shielding members may selectively be in electrical contact with the ground structure in the electrical connector. Exemplarily, the high-speed channel may be constructed to include a plurality of differential signal conductive element pairs and ground conductive elements that space the differential signal conductive element pairs apart. The shielding member may selectively be in electrical contact with the ground conductive element. Exemplarily, the shielding member may include an inner shielding member and an outer shielding member that are relatively arranged on both sides of the high-speed channel. For each differential signal conductive element pair, the inner shielding member and the outer shielding member form a shielding frame together with the ground conductive element that spaces the differential signal conductive element pair from the adjacent differential signal conductive element pair. Thus, crosstalk can be reduced and high-frequency signal integrity can be improved. Further, at the position corresponding to the differential signal conductive element pair, the shielding member may have an extended length along the length direction of the conductive element to enhance the shielding effect.

[0084] According to the position and orientation of the two interfaces electrically connected to each other, the conductive elements forming the transmission channel between the two interfaces can have different structures. Exemplarily, the conductive elements used to form the transmission channel between the mating interface and the mounting interface can be generally L-shaped, and along the extension direction of the conductive elements, these L-shaped conductive elements can have different lengths. Exemplarily, the conductive elements used to form the transmission channel between different mating interfaces can be generally linear, and these linear conductive elements can have almost the same length. These linear conductive elements can be used as differential signal conductive element pairs, because they have almost the same length, so that each conductive element pair has a balanced impedance, and it can also avoid causing a conductive element in the conductive element pair to have a propagation delay relative to another conductive element.

[0085] The electrical connector itself can also have an economical design. In some embodiments, the electrical connector can be implemented with multiple types of sheet members. For example, those conductive elements that electrically connect the same two interfaces can be formed on the same sheet member. In some embodiments, the electrical connector can include a first mating, a second mating interface, a third mating interface, and a mounting interface. The first mating interface, the second mating interface, and the third mating interface can extend in a longitudinal direction and parallel to each other. The mounting interface can extend in a vertical direction. A plurality of first conductive elements extending from the first mating interface to the mounting interface can be formed on the first sheet member. A plurality of second conductive elements extending from the second mating interface to the mounting interface can be formed on the second sheet member. A plurality of third conductive elements extending from the first mating interface to the third mating interface can be formed on the third sheet member. The first conductive element and the second conductive element can include sideband conductive elements and / or power conductive elements. The third conductive element can include a high-speed signal conductive element. Thus, the first sheet member and the second sheet member can be stacked on each other along their lateral direction, which can be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction. And the third sheet member can be arranged side by side with the stacked first sheet member and the second sheet member in the longitudinal direction. The sum of the number of the first sheet-shaped member and the second sheet-shaped member can be greater than the number of the third sheet-shaped member. Thus, a sufficiently large space can be reserved on the side of the third sheet-shaped member to arrange the shielding member without increasing the overall thickness of the electrical connector.

[0086] Exemplarily, the electrical connector may include an insulating housing. A slot may be provided on the insulating housing. The mating contact portion of the conductive element may extend into the slot to form a portion of the mating interface. Further, in the first sheet and the second sheet stacked on each other, the sheet located outside the electrical connector in the lateral direction may be used to form a slot, and the end of the conductive element of the sheet located inside may be bent into the slot to form another portion of the mating interface. Thus, the number of insulating housings may be reduced, making the electrical connector more compact. In some embodiments, the electrical connector may include a pair of first sheet members, and the two first sheet members in the pair are spaced apart along the lateral direction to form a gap between the two. The second sheet member may be arranged in the gap. These first sheet members may be combined to form a slot. The mating contact portions of the plurality of second conductive elements on the second sheet member may be bent into the slot to form a second mating interface. Of course, the first sheet member and the insulating housing may also be combined to form a slot, which can also ensure the compactness of the electrical connector to a certain extent.

[0087] Furthermore, since the pair of first sheet-shaped members are closer to the outside of the electrical connector, if desired, the mating contact portions of the conductive elements on the pair of first sheet-shaped members can be arranged to have sufficient spacing to allow a thicker circuit board to be inserted therebetween.

[0088] The inventors have recognized and understood that various techniques can be used individually or in any suitable combination to improve the signal integrity of the electrical connector. The techniques provided by the present disclosure are particularly advantageous in orthogonal electrical connectors applied to the middle layer. The electrical connector using these techniques can provide a mounting interface and three mating interfaces, and can provide one or more of power supply, high-speed interconnection and low-speed interconnection between more than or equal to three circuit boards. In addition, the electrical connector has a compact structure, so that when the electrical connector is installed on the circuit board, backplane or mainboard of the middle layer through the mounting interface, the board area on these circuit boards will not be increased. Moreover, even if three mating interfaces are provided, the height of the electrical connector will not be significantly increased. Of course, the techniques provided by the present disclosure can also be used for other types of electrical connectors, which will not be repeated here.

[0089] Figure 1A An example interconnection system 100 in which such an electrical connector can be used is depicted. For example, the illustrated interconnection system 100 can be part of a data center network device, such as a switch, a router, and a server. The interconnection system 100 may include a first circuit board 111, a second circuit board 120, and a third circuit board 130. The first circuit board 111 may be a circuit board on an add-on card 110. The add-on card 110 may be, for example, one or more of a module card (MODULE CARD) and a non-volatile memory chip. The non-volatile memory chip can be used as a solid state drive (SSD) in the interconnection system. The second circuit board 120 (a portion of which is shown) can be a mainboard of a data center network device and can include circuits and patterned conductors on one or more planes of the circuit board. The third circuit board 130 (a portion of which is shown) can be configured as an intermediate layer of a data center network device.

[0090] The interconnection system 100 may further include an electrical connector 200 for interconnecting the three circuit boards. The electrical connector 200 may be mounted on an edge region of the third circuit board 130. Figure 1AIn the construction shown, the electrical connector 200 can be referred to as an "orthogonal" electrical connector because the circuit plane or board surface of the first circuit board 111 of the connected additional card 110 is oriented orthogonally to the circuit plane of the third circuit board 130. The second circuit board 120 can be connected to the electrical connector 200 via a cable connector. The cable connector may include a first cable connector 140 that is adapted to be connected to the electrical connector 200, a second cable connector 150 that is adapted to be connected to the second circuit board 120, and a cable (not shown) connected between the first cable connector 140 and the second cable connector 150. Thus, the second circuit board 120 can be arranged remotely relative to the third circuit board 130. The first cable connector 140 and the additional card 110 can be connected on opposite sides of the electrical connector 200 to avoid mutual interference. The figure only shows an example of the third circuit board 130 being connected to one electrical connector 200. In actual applications, along Figure 1A In the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, multiple electrical connectors 200 can be arranged.

[0091] Figure 1B It shows that a plurality of electrical connectors 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d provided by the embodiments of the present application are connected. Figure 1A The electrical connector 200 in each of the figures to be described later may be any one of the electrical connectors 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d. However, it should be noted that the electrical connectors 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d may have different structures and functions from each other, but for the improvements provided by the present disclosure, these electrical connectors may be similar. The electrical connectors 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d may be installed in the edge area 131 of the third circuit board 130 along the edge. One side of the electrical connectors 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d may be connected to the additional cards 110a, 110b, 110c and 110d, respectively. The additional cards 110a, 110b, 110c and 110d may be arranged side by side. The other sides of the electrical connectors 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d may be connected to the corresponding second circuit board (not shown) through a cable connector, respectively. According to some implementations, the third circuit board 130, add-in cards 110a, 110b, 110c and 110d, electrical connectors 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d, and a first cable connector (not shown) can be assembled in a support frame or housing to fit into one standard unit (1U) of an information technology (IT) equipment rack (approximately 1.75 inches high for a 19-inch wide or 23-inch wide equipment rack).

[0092] In some implementations, such electrical connector 200 can meet industrial standards or specifications in some cases, such as small form factor (SFF) specifications. As just one example, electrical connector 200 can receive a card that meets the SFF-TA-1007 specification. The specification can specify the number, arrangement and spacing of the contact pads that are electrically connected to the contacts on the multi-row electrical connector on the add-on card. In some embodiments, the center-to-center spacing between the contact pads on the add-on card 110 can be substantially or accurately 0.6 millimeters (mm), but other spacings can be used in other embodiments. For the SFF-TA-1007 specification, there may be between 56 and 84 contact pads (or roughly between those endpoint values) distributed between the two sides of the add-on card. In some cases, there may be more contact pads on the card that the connector must provide mating contacts for.

[0093] According to some embodiments, the specification may also specify spacing between add-in cards 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d, which may be used for air flow between the add-in cards. In some implementations, there may be a fan on the third circuit board 130 that moves air between the add-in cards 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d. In some embodiments, more than one spacing may be specified between 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d. For example, the fan may be oriented to move air between the add-in cards 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d. Figure 1A-1B Different spacing can be used for different power levels drawn by different add-in cards (e.g., at least 9.5 mm center-to-center spacing for 25 watts, and at least 18 mm center-to-center spacing for 40 watts).

[0094] The inventors have further recognized and appreciated that it would be advantageous to make the electrical connector compatible with different types of add-in cards, such as different versions of add-in cards 110 having more or fewer contact pads that connect to mating contacts in the electrical connector 200 when the add-in card 110 is inserted into the corresponding electrical connector 200. In addition, it would be advantageous if the length of the electrical connector 200 did not exceed the maximum length of the previous version of the electrical connector (in a direction perpendicular to the edge of the third circuit board 130 to which the electrical connector 200 is mounted), so that the electrical connector 200 can be mounted to the same edge region 131 of the third circuit board 130 as the previous version of the electrical connector.

[0095] Figure 2A-2B The structure of the electrical connector 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown from different angles. Figure 2A-2BAs shown, the electrical connector 200 may include a first mating interface 210, a second mating interface 220, a third mating interface 230 and a mounting interface 240. For the sake of clarity and simplicity of description, the longitudinal direction X1-X2, the transverse direction Y1-Y2 and the vertical direction Z1-Z2 are defined. Any two of the longitudinal direction X1-X2, the transverse direction Y1-Y2 and the vertical direction Z1-Z2 may be perpendicular to each other. The longitudinal direction X1-X2 may be understood as the height direction of the electrical connector 200. The vertical direction Z1-Z2 may be understood as the length direction of the electrical connector 200. The transverse direction Y1-Y2 may be understood as the width direction of the electrical connector 200. The dimension in the width direction may also be referred to as the thickness of the electrical connector 200. Among them, the longitudinal direction X1-X2 may include opposite first longitudinal directions X1 and second longitudinal directions X2. The vertical direction Z1-Z2 may include opposite first vertical directions Z1 and second vertical directions Z2.

[0096] The first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 can extend along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. Exemplarily, the first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 can be in the shape of an elongated strip extending along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. It should be noted that the first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 can be independent mating interfaces, rather than three segments of a mating interface. The first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 can be parallel to each other. Any two of the first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 are not located on the same plane. The first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 can be used to electrically connect different circuits, respectively. Optionally, the different circuits can be located on different circuit boards. Optionally, the different circuits can also be located on the same circuit board. Depending on the architecture of the interconnection system to which the electrical connector is applied, the circuit board can be directly plugged into the corresponding mating interface or connected to the corresponding mating interface through an adapting electrical connector.

[0097] The mounting interface 240 may extend along the vertical direction Z1-Z2. The mounting interface 240 may be in the shape of an elongated strip extending along the vertical direction Z1-Z2. The mounting interface 240 may face the third circuit board 130 to be installed, and the third circuit board 130 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The vertical direction Z1-Z2 is perpendicular to the edge of the third circuit board 130 on which the electrical connector 200 is installed. The vertical direction Z1-Z2 and the longitudinal direction X1-X2 define a plane perpendicular to the edge of the third circuit board 130 on which the electrical connector 200 is installed, and the plane is parallel to the additional card 110. The area of ​​the mounting interface 240 is positively correlated with the area of ​​the board area formed by the electrical connector 200 on the third circuit board 130. It is particularly desirable to control the vertical dimension of the mounting interface 240 to avoid the electrical connector 200 occupying the area of ​​the middle area of ​​the third circuit board 130 surrounded by the edge area 131. The mounting interface 240 may be connected to the third circuit board 130 by any suitable means such as welding, so as to achieve electrical connection between the electrical connector 200 and the third circuit board 130 .

[0098] The electrical connector 200 itself may also have an economical design. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 200 may be implemented using sheet-like pieces. Each sheet-like piece may include a plurality of conductive elements. Specifically, Figure 3A As shown, the electrical connector 200 may further include a first sheet member 460 , a second sheet member 470 and a third sheet member 480 .

[0099] like Figure 3A and 6 As shown, a plurality of first conductive elements 310 may be retained on the first sheet 460. Adjacent first conductive elements 310 may be spaced apart to ensure that the plurality of first conductive elements 310 may be insulated from each other. The first conductive elements 310 may be made of a conductive material such as metal. Each first conductive element 310 may generally be an elongated integral piece. The plurality of first conductive elements 310 may extend from the first mating interface 210 to the mounting interface 240. To facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, Figure 3A210, 220, 230 and 240 respectively show the positions of the first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 formed after the first sheet member 460, the second sheet member 470 and the third sheet member 480 are installed on the front insulating shell 440 and the rear insulating shell 450. A, B, C and D on the outer frame 610 respectively show the positions of the first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 after the aforementioned three sheet members and the two insulating shells are assembled to the outer frame 610. Each first conductive element 310 may include a first mating contact portion 311 and a first mounting tail portion 312. The first mating contact portion 311 and the first mounting tail portion 312 may be arranged at both ends of the first conductive element 310. The first mating contact portion 311 may extend to the first mating interface 210. The first circuit board 111 on the additional card 110 (see Figure 1A ) can be connected to the first mating interface 210, for example, the first circuit board 111 can be inserted into the first mating interface 210. In this way, the contact pad on the first circuit board 111 can be electrically contacted with the corresponding first mating contact portion 311. The first mounting tail 312 can extend to the mounting interface 240. The first mounting tail 312 can be mounted to the third circuit board 130 (see Figure 1A ), so that the circuit electrical connection with the third circuit board 130 can be achieved. Depending on the installation technology, the first mounting tail 312 may include a through-hole pin, an SMT end or a press-fit pin, etc. Conductive through holes may be provided on the third circuit board 130. The pattern arranged in these conductive through holes may correspond to the pattern arranged in the first mounting tail 312 on the electrical connector 200 to be connected. Optionally, a metal conductive layer may be electroplated on the side wall of each conductive through hole. The first mounting tail 312 is inserted into the corresponding conductive through hole and can be in electrical contact with the metal conductive layer. The metal conductive layer of these conductive through holes can be electrically connected to different conductive traces in the third circuit board 130 to form a desired circuit. In this way, by providing the first conductive element 310, the interconnection of the first circuit board 111 and the third circuit board 130 can be achieved.

[0100] For example, Figure 6 , 14As shown in Figure 17, the first conductive element 310 may include a power conductive element 313. In the case where the third circuit board 130 is used in the middle layer, the third circuit board 130 can generally be connected to a power module or a power distribution unit, and the power conductive element 313 can transmit power between the third circuit board 130 and the additional card 110. Optionally, the first conductive element 310 may include a sideband conductive element 314 for forming a sideband channel. A sideband channel refers to a communication channel for transmitting auxiliary information and / or control signals. The sideband channel does not usually directly transmit the main data, but is responsible for supporting and managing additional signals for data transmission. The control signal may include one or more of control commands, status information, error detection and correction, etc. The auxiliary information may include one or more of checksums, flow control, and clock synchronization, etc. The transmission of auxiliary information helps to ensure the integrity, reliability, and synchronization of the data. Optionally, the sideband channel can also be used to manage various configurations and functions of the device. For example, the host system can send management commands to the device through the sideband channel to modify configuration parameters, query device status, identify device information, etc. Thus, the sideband conductive element 314 and the signal transmission path connected thereto can be adaptively made of materials and / or structures that only support low-speed signals, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. In some embodiments, the sideband conductive element 314 can transmit low-frequency signals (e.g., frequencies less than 500 MHz), signals with lower data rates (e.g., less than 100 Mb / s), logic control signals, and the like.

[0101] The first conductive element 310 may extend between the first mating interface 210 and the mounting interface 240 which are perpendicular to each other, and the first conductive element 310 may be substantially L-shaped. The first conductive element 310 may be divided into two groups, and the two groups may be spaced apart along the transverse direction Y1-Y2. Each group of first conductive elements 310 may be held together by the first sheet member housing 410 to form a first sheet member 460. The first mating contact portions 311 of each group of first conductive elements 310 may be arranged in a first column parallel to the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The two columns of first mating contact portions 311 may be arranged opposite to each other in the first mating interface 210, and respectively electrically contact the contact pads on both sides of the first circuit board 111. The first mounting tails 312 of each group of first conductive elements 310 may be arranged in a first row parallel to the vertical direction Z1-Z2. Optionally, the first mounting tails 312 of the two groups of first conductive elements 310 may be arranged in two rows, and the two rows may be substantially aligned along the vertical direction Z1-Z2 to avoid causing the edge region 131 of the third circuit board 130 to be too wide. Of course, if necessary, the first mounting tails 312 of the two groups of first conductive elements 310 may be arranged in a row.

[0102] like Figure 3A and 7As shown, a plurality of second conductive elements 320 may be retained on the second sheet-like member 470. Adjacent second conductive elements 320 may be spaced apart to ensure that the plurality of second conductive elements 320 may be insulated from each other. The second conductive elements 320 may be made of a conductive material such as metal. Each second conductive element 320 may generally be an elongated integral piece. The plurality of second conductive elements 320 may extend from the second mating interface 220 to the mounting interface 240. Specifically, each second conductive element 320 may include a second mating contact portion 321 and a second mounting tail portion 322. The second mating contact portion 321 and the second mounting tail portion 322 may be disposed at both ends of the second conductive element 320. The second mating contact portion 321 may extend to the second mating interface 220. Connected to the second circuit board 120 (such as Figure 1A The first cable connector 140 (shown in FIG. 1 ) can be connected to the second mating interface 220. The second mounting tail 322 can extend to the mounting interface 240. The second mounting tail 322 can be mounted to the third circuit board 130 (see FIG. 1 ) by surface mount technology (SMT) and / or through hole technology (THT). Figure 1A ), so that the circuit electrical connection with the third circuit board 130 can be achieved. Depending on the installation technology, the second mounting tail 322 may include a through-hole pin, an SMT end or a press-fit pin, etc. Optionally, conductive through holes may be provided on the third circuit board 130, and the pattern arranged by these conductive through holes may correspond to the pattern arranged by the second mounting tail 322 on the electrical connector 200 to be connected. Optionally, a metal conductive layer may be electroplated on the side wall of each conductive through hole. The second mounting tail 322 is inserted into the corresponding conductive through hole and can be in electrical contact with the metal conductive layer. The metal conductive layers of these conductive through holes can be electrically connected to different conductive traces in the third circuit board 130 to form a desired circuit. In this way, by providing the second conductive element 320, the interconnection of the second circuit board 120 and the third circuit board 130 can be achieved.

[0103] For example, Figure 7 , 14As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the second conductive element 320 may include a sideband conductive element for forming a sideband channel. The role of the sideband channel has been clearly described above and will not be repeated here. The second conductive element 320 may extend between the second mating interface 220 and the mounting interface 240, which are perpendicular to each other. The second conductive element 320 may be substantially L-shaped. The second conductive element 320 may be divided into two groups, which may be spaced apart along the transverse direction Y1-Y2. Each group of second conductive elements 320 may be held together by a second sheet member housing 420 to form a second sheet member 470. The second mating contact portion 321 of each group of second conductive elements 320 may be arranged in a second column parallel to the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The two columns of second mating contact portions 321 may be arranged opposite to each other in the second mating interface 220 and electrically contact the contact pads on both sides of the first cable connector 140, respectively. The second mounting tail 322 of each group of second conductive elements 320 may be arranged in a second row parallel to the vertical direction Z1-Z2. Optionally, the second mounting tails 322 of the two groups of second conductive elements 320 can be arranged in two rows, and the two rows can be substantially aligned along the vertical direction Z1-Z2 to avoid causing the edge area 131 of the third circuit board 130 to be too wide. Of course, if necessary, the second mounting tails 322 of the two groups of second conductive elements 320 can be arranged in a row.

[0104] For example, Figure 4 and 5A -5B, the first mounting tail 312 of the first row and the second mounting tail 322 of the second row can be parallel to the vertical direction Z1-Z2. The first row and the second row can be arranged side by side along the transverse direction Y1-Y2. Therefore, the vertical dimension of the mounting interface 240 is mainly determined by the longer one of the first row and the second row. In this way, the vertical dimension of the board area occupied by the improved electrical connector 200 in the edge area 131 of the third circuit board 130 will not be significantly increased. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of the first mounting tails 312 in the first row is greater than the number of the second mounting tails 322 in the second row. Therefore, the length of the first row is greater than the length of the second row, and the vertical dimension of the mounting interface 240 depends on the length of the first row. In the illustrated embodiment, the second sheet member 470 is located between the first sheet members 460, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and 5A As shown in FIG. 5B , the first mounting tail 312 in the first row is adjacent to the second mounting tail 322 in the second row, and the two adjacent rows are staggered along the extending direction of the rows (ie, the vertical direction Z1-Z2). Fig. 9As shown, on the third circuit board 130, the first insertion through hole 132 for connecting with the first mounting tail 312 and the second insertion through hole 133 for connecting with the second mounting tail 322 can have a larger center distance. In this way, the first insertion through hole 132 and the second insertion through hole 133 can have a sufficiently large diameter and a sufficiently large gap needs to be left between adjacent insertion through holes. In other embodiments, the first mounting tail 312 and the second mounting tail 322 are connected to the third circuit board 130 in other ways, and staggering to increase the gap between adjacent mounting tails is also beneficial for connecting the electrical connector 200 to the third circuit board 130.

[0105] For example, Figure 4 and 6 As shown in FIG. 7 , the plurality of first conductive elements 310 may include a first first conductive element 310a. The first first conductive element 310a may be adjacent to the first mating interface 210. The plurality of second conductive elements 320 may include a first second conductive element 320a. The first second conductive element 320a may be adjacent to the first mating interface 210. The first first conductive element 310a may be inserted into the first first insertion through hole 132a (e.g., Fig. 9 The first second conductive element 320a can be inserted into the first second insertion through hole 133a (as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 The center distance between the first first conductive element 310a and the first second conductive element 320a may be less than the center distance between the adjacent first mounting tails 312 in the row. The center distance between the adjacent first mounting tails 312 in the row is substantially the same as the center distance between the adjacent second mounting tails 322 in the row. By arranging the first mounting tails 312 of the first row and the second mounting tails 322 of the second row from positions close to the first mating interface 210, the first mounting tails 312 and the second mounting tails 322 can be connected to the edge area 131 of the third circuit board 130, so that there is a sufficiently large wiring space in the third circuit board 130. The first first conductive element 310a and the first second conductive element 320a are staggered along the extension direction of the row (i.e., the vertical direction Z1-Z2), which can be achieved by staggering the first mounting tail 312 of the first row and the second mounting tail 322 of the second row as a whole. Of course, the first first conductive element 310a and the first second conductive element 320a can also be aligned along the extension direction of the row.

[0106] like Figure 3A and 8AAs shown in Figure 8B, a plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be retained on the third sheet member 480. Adjacent third conductive elements 330 may be spaced apart to ensure that the plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be insulated from each other. The third conductive element 330 may be made of a conductive material such as metal. Each third conductive element 330 may generally be an elongated integral piece. The plurality of third conductive elements 330 may extend from the first mating interface 210 to the third mating interface 230. Specifically, each third conductive element 330 may include a third mating contact portion 331 and a fourth mating contact portion 332. The third mating contact portion 331 and the fourth mating contact portion 332 may be disposed at both ends of the third conductive element 330. The third mating contact portion 331 may extend to the first mating interface 210. The third mating contact portion 331 is in electrical contact with a corresponding contact pad on the first circuit board 111. The fourth mating contact portion 332 may extend to the third mating interface 230. The second circuit board 120 may also be connected to the third mating interface 230 through a cable connector. In this way, the third conductive element 330 can directly transmit high-speed data and / or high-frequency signals between the second circuit board 120 and the first circuit board 111 without passing through the third circuit board 130. In this way, by setting the third conductive element 330, direct interconnection between the first circuit board 111 and the second circuit board 120 can be achieved. The add-on card 110 can be a storage device such as a solid-state hard disk, which uses flash memory chips instead of traditional mechanical disks and therefore has a higher data access speed and response performance. This makes them very suitable for applications that require fast reading and writing of data, such as operating systems, applications, multimedia files, etc. They can quickly transmit data and communicate with computer systems or other devices through various interfaces and protocols, such as SATA, PCIe, etc. Exemplarily, the plurality of third conductive elements 330 may include high-speed signal conductive elements such as a plurality of pairs of differential signal conductive elements. The differential signal conductive elements can be configured to transmit high data rate signals (e.g., signals with a data rate exceeding 25Gb / sec in the case of PAM4 encoding) or high-frequency signals (e.g., exceeding 56 or 112Gb / sec). Directly transmitting high-speed data between the second circuit board 120 as the system mainboard and the add-on card 110 such as a solid state drive is beneficial to maintaining signal integrity and has higher data access speed and system response performance.

[0107] The first mating interface 210 and the third mating interface 230 may be arranged opposite to each other along the vertical direction Z1-Z2, and the third conductive element 330 may extend along a straight line between the first mating interface 210 and the third mating interface 230, such as Fig.15As shown. The third conductive element 330 may have a similar length. Thus, when multiple pairs of differential signal conductive elements are used to transmit high-speed data and / or high-frequency signals, there will be no imbalance within the differential signal pair and between the differential signal pairs, so that the longer conductive element is delayed relative to the shorter conductive element. The plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be divided into two groups, and the two groups may be arranged at intervals along the transverse direction Y1-Y2. Each group of third conductive elements 330 is arranged along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. Each group of third conductive elements 330 may be held together by an insulating member 481 to form a third sheet member 480. The third mating contact portion 331 of each group of third conductive elements 330 may be arranged in the first column with the first mating contact portion 311 of the first conductive element 310. The two columns of third mating contact portions 331 may be arranged opposite to each other in the first mating interface 210, and respectively electrically contact the contact pads on both sides of the first circuit board 111. The fourth mating contact portion 332 of each group of third conductive elements 330 may be arranged in the third column, and the third column is parallel to the first column. The two rows of fourth mating contact portions 332 can be arranged opposite to each other in the third mating interface 230 and respectively electrically contact the contact pads on the cable connector. Optionally, the two groups of third conductive elements 330 can be aligned with each other along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. Optionally, the two groups of third conductive elements 330 can be staggered along the longitudinal direction X1-X2 to increase the spacing between the third conductive elements 330, thereby reducing crosstalk. Of course, if necessary, only one group of third conductive elements 330 can be provided.

[0108] For example, Figure 2A and 4As shown, the first mating interface 210 may include a first interface section 211 and a second interface section 212. The first interface section 211 and the second interface section 212 may be arranged in sequence along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The first interface section 211 may be electrically connected to the mounting interface 240. The second interface section 212 may be electrically connected to the third mating interface 230. In this way, the first mating contact portion 311 of the first conductive element 310 may extend to the first interface section 211. The third mating contact portion 331 of the third conductive element 320 may extend to the second interface section 212. The circuits independent of each other on the first circuit board 111 may be connected to the first interface section 211 and the second interface section 212, respectively. Although the first mating interface 210 is divided into two sections, there may be no obvious boundary from the appearance. Of course, a partition rib may also be provided in the first mating interface 210 so that the first interface section 211 and the second interface section 212 can be clearly distinguished. In this case, it may be necessary to provide a notch on the portion of the first circuit board 111 inserted into the first mating interface 210 to accommodate the partition rib. Alternatively, the first interface section 211 and the second interface section 212 may be separated along the longitudinal direction X1 - X2 . The first interface section 211 and the second interface section 212 are configured to match the portion of the first circuit board 111 that is inserted into the first mating interface 210 .

[0109] Exemplarily, the second circuit board 120 may be directly connected to the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230. Exemplarily, as Figure 1AAs shown, the second circuit board 120 can be connected to the electrical connector 200 through a cable connector. Specifically, the cable connector may include a first cable connector 140, a second cable connector 150, a cable (not shown) connected between the first cable connector 140 and the second cable connector 150, and a connection seat 160. The first cable connector 140 may include a first cable connector first interface 141, a first cable connector second interface 142, and a first cable interface 143. The first cable connector first interface 141 may be connected to the second mating interface 220. The first cable connector second interface 142 may be connected to the third mating interface 230. The first cable interface 143 may be electrically connected to the first cable connector first interface 141 and the first cable connector second interface 142, respectively. The second cable connector 150 may include a second cable interface 151 and a second cable connector interface 152. The second cable interface 151 may be electrically connected to the first cable interface 143 through a cable. The second cable connector interface 152 may be connected to the connection seat 160. The connection base 160 can be fixed and electrically connected to the second circuit board 120. In this way, the second circuit board 120 is remotely connected to the electrical connector 200. Depending on the structure of the first cable connector 140, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 can be spaced apart along the vertical direction Z1-Z2.

[0110] The electrical connector 200 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with a first mating interface 210, a second mating interface 220, a third mating interface 230 and a mounting interface 240, so the electrical connector 200 can simultaneously connect more than or equal to three circuit boards, thereby realizing the interconnection of multiple circuit boards. Figure 1A As shown, when the electrical connector 200 is applied to the interconnection system 100 , the number of electrical connectors of the interconnection system 100 can be reduced, the space utilization of the interconnection system 100 can be improved, and the miniaturization of the product can be achieved.

[0111] like Figure 2A-2BAs shown, a portion of the first mating interface 210, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 may face the first vertical direction Z1, while another portion may face the second vertical direction Z2. Thus, the longitudinal height of the electrical connector 200 can be reduced. Moreover, the first circuit board 111 and the second circuit board 120 can be located on both sides of the electrical connector 200 along the vertical direction Z1-Z2, respectively, so that there is no need to centrally arrange them on one side, so that the interconnection system 100 can be assembled in a support frame or a housing to adapt to a standard unit (1U) of an information technology (IT) equipment rack. Exemplarily, the first mating interface 210 may face the first vertical direction Z1. The second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 may face the second vertical direction Z2. In this way, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 may be connected to the first cable connector first interface 141 and the first cable connector second interface 142 of the first cable connector 140, respectively. In this way, the first cable connector 140 may be connected to the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 at the same time. Exemplarily, the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. Figure 1A As shown in FIGS. 10-11 , the second mating interface 220 can be closer to the mounting interface 240 than the third mating interface 230. Since the second conductive element 320 extends from the second mating interface 220 to the mounting interface 240, the length of the second conductive element 320 is relatively short, so the size of the second sheet member 470 holding the second conductive element 320 can be much smaller, thereby making the electrical connector 200 have a smaller size.

[0112] Exemplarily, the distance from the second mating interface 220 to the first mating interface 210 may not be equal to the distance from the third mating interface 230 to the first mating interface 210. In this embodiment, the second mating interface 220 may protrude from the third mating interface 230 along the second vertical direction Z2. Alternatively, the third mating interface 230 may protrude from the second mating interface 220 along the second vertical direction Z2. The second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 may be located on different planes, respectively. For example, the third mating interface 230 may be arranged between the second mating interface 220 and the first mating interface 210. In addition to adapting to the structure of the first cable connector 140, the longitudinal height of the electrical connector 200 may be further reduced. The mating interface generally includes a mating contact portion of a conductive element and an insulating shell surrounding the mating contact portion. In addition, to ensure sufficient mechanical strength, the insulating shell requires sufficient thickness. In this way, the size of the mating interface will be larger. The second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 are arranged on different planes, so that the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 have an overlapping area along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The third mating interface 230 can extend into the corresponding part of the second mating interface 220, thereby reducing the longitudinal height of the electrical connector 200. In addition, the electrical connector 200 can also have a foolproof performance, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of wrong connection. Exemplarily, the second mating interface 220 can protrude from the third mating interface 230 along the second vertical direction Z2. Since the second conductive element 320 extending between the second mating interface 220 and the mounting interface 240 is L-shaped, the second conductive element 320 has a part arranged along the vertical direction Z1-Z2, which results in a larger vertical dimension of the second sheet 470. The plurality of first conductive elements 310 are also L-shaped, which also makes the first sheet 460 have a larger vertical dimension. The first sheet 460 and the second sheet 470 are stacked together, which can improve the space utilization of the electrical connector 200. Therefore, the third conductive element 330 can be made shorter so that the vertical dimension of the portion between the first mating interface 210 and the second mating interface 220 can be larger than the vertical dimension of the portion between the first mating interface 210 and the third mating interface 230 to meet the various considerations mentioned above.

[0113] The following will be combined Figure 3A , 6 -7 and Figures 8A-8BThe first sheet member 460, the second sheet member 470, and the third sheet member 480 are described in detail. The first sheet member housing 410 can hold a plurality of first conductive elements 310. The plurality of first conductive elements 310 can be arranged on the first sheet member housing 410 to form the first sheet member 460. The second sheet member housing 420 can hold a plurality of second conductive elements 320. The plurality of second conductive elements 320 can be arranged on the second sheet member housing 420 to form the second sheet member 470. The insulating member 481 can hold a plurality of third conductive elements 330 to form the third sheet member 480.

[0114] The first sheet member housing 410, the second sheet member housing 420 and the insulating member 481 can all be insulating. The first sheet member housing 410, the second sheet member housing 420 and / or the insulating member 481 can be molded by insulating materials such as plastics. Plastics can include but are not limited to liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylene oxide (PPO) or polypropylene (PP), or other materials can also be used. In some cases, plastics can be thermosetting plastics. In some cases, insulating plastics can include insulating materials such as glass fiber reinforcement. The first sheet member 460, the second sheet member 470 and the third sheet member 480 can be manufactured using similar processes. The following will be taken as an example to illustrate their processing methods with the first sheet member 460. Figure 6 Although the plurality of first conductive elements 310 shown in the left figure are separated from each other to be insulated from each other, they may be connected into an integral piece before the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 is formed on the plurality of first conductive elements 310. In some embodiments, before the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 is formed, Figure 6 The plurality of first conductive elements 310 shown in the left figure in the figure can be connected together at their edges at the periphery of these first conductive elements 310 by a lead frame (not shown) so that the plurality of first conductive elements 310 become an integral part. The lead frame can be made of the same material as the plurality of first conductive elements 310. Exemplarily, the integral part can be stamped or cut from a metal plate. The metal used for the integral part can include but is not limited to copper or copper alloys, such as phosphor bronze, chrome-plated copper or beryllium copper, or aluminum, chrome-plated aluminum, aluminum alloy, etc. Then, the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 is molded at a suitable position of the integral part by an injection molding process. During or after the molding step, the lead frame can be cut and / or removed so as to electrically insulate the plurality of first conductive elements 310 from each other. Thus, the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 can play a role in supporting and fixing the first conductive elements 310 and insulating the first conductive elements 310 from each other.

[0115] The number of first sheet element housings 410 may be the same as the number of rows of first conductive elements 310. Each first sheet element housing 410 may hold a row of first conductive elements 310. The number of second sheet element housings 420 may be the same as the number of rows of second conductive elements 320. Each second sheet element housing 420 may hold a row of second conductive elements 320. The first sheet element housing 410 and the second sheet element housing 420 may be stacked along the lateral direction Y1-Y2. For example, Figure 3B and 5A As shown in Figure 5B, there may be a plurality of first sheet member housings 410. The second sheet member housing 420 may be inserted between the plurality of first sheet member housings 410. A gap 414 is provided between the first sheet member housings 410, and the gap 414 may penetrate the first sheet member housing 410 along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The second sheet member housing 420 may be provided in the gap 414. Along the transverse direction Y1-Y2, the first sheet member housing 410 may be closer to the outside of the electrical connector 200, and the second sheet member housing 420 may be closer to the inside of the electrical connector 200. In this way, the first sheet member housing 410 may limit the second sheet member housing 420.

[0116] For example, Figure 5A-5B As shown, a plurality of first sheet-shaped member housings 410 can be enclosed to form a second slot 411. The second slot 411 can extend along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. A plurality of second conductive elements 320 can be bent into the second slot 411. Specifically, the second mating contact portions 321 of the plurality of second conductive elements 320 can be bent into the second slot 411 to form a second mating interface 220. In this way, the first cable connector first interface 141 of the first cable connector 140 can be a plug. The first cable connector first interface 141 can be inserted into the second mating interface 220, so as to be electrically connected to the second mating contact portion 321.

[0117] For example, Figure 5A-5B As shown, a plurality of second conductive element channels 412 may be provided on the side wall of the second slot 411. The plurality of second conductive elements 320 may pass through the plurality of second conductive element channels 412 one by one. The second conductive element channels 412 may limit the second mating contact portions 321 of the second conductive elements 320, thereby fixing the second conductive elements 320 at a desired position, thereby ensuring electrical insulation from each other.

[0118] For example, Figure 3A , 4As shown in FIGS. 5A-5B , the electrical connector 200 may further include a front insulating housing 440. The front insulating housing 440 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic. The plastic may include, but is not limited to, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylene oxide (PPO) or polypropylene (PP), or other materials may be used. In some cases, the plastic may be a thermosetting plastic. In some cases, the insulating plastic may include an insulating material such as glass fiber reinforced. The front insulating housing 440 may generally be an integral piece. A first slot 441 may be provided on the side of the front insulating housing 440 facing the first vertical direction Z1. The plurality of first conductive elements 310 and the plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be bent into the first slot 441. Specifically, the first mating contact portions 311 of the plurality of first conductive elements 310 and the third mating contact portions 331 of the plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be bent into the first slot 441 to form the first mating interface 210. In this way, the first circuit board 111 can be inserted into the first mating interface 210 , so as to be electrically connected to the first mating contact portion 311 and the third mating contact portion 331 .

[0119] The edge of the integral piece formed by stacking the first sheet piece housing 410 and the second sheet piece housing 420 can be inserted into the front insulating housing 440 on the side facing the first vertical direction Z2. In this way, the front insulating housing 440 can fix the first sheet piece housing 410 and the second sheet piece housing 420 relatively.

[0120] For example, Figure 4 As shown, a plurality of first conductive element channels 442 may be provided on the side wall of the first slot 441. The plurality of first conductive elements 310 and the plurality of third conductive elements 330 may pass through the plurality of first conductive element channels 442 in a one-to-one correspondence. The first conductive element channels 442 may limit the first mating contact portion 311 of the first conductive element 310 and the third mating contact portion 331 of the third conductive element 330, so that the first conductive element 310 may be fixed at a desired position, thereby ensuring electrical insulation from each other.

[0121] For example, Figure 3A , 4As shown in FIGS. 5A-5B , the electrical connector 200 may further include a rear insulating housing 450. The rear insulating housing 450 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic. The plastic may include, but is not limited to, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylene oxide (PPO) or polypropylene (PP), or other materials may also be used. In some cases, the plastic may be a thermosetting plastic. In some cases, the insulating plastic may include an insulating material such as glass fiber reinforced. The rear insulating housing 450 may generally be an integral piece. The front insulating housing 440 and the rear insulating housing 450 may be arranged in sequence along the vertical direction Z1-Z2. A third slot 451 may be provided on the side of the rear insulating housing 450 facing the second vertical direction Z2. A plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be bent into the third slot 451. Specifically, the fourth mating contact portion 332 of the plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be bent into the third slot 451 to form a third mating interface 330. In this way, the first cable connector first interface 141 of the first cable connector 140 can be a plug. The first cable connector first interface 141 can be inserted into the second mating interface 220, so as to be electrically connected to the fourth mating contact portion 332. The plurality of third conductive elements 330 can be installed in the front insulating housing 440 and the rear insulating housing 450.

[0122] For example, Figure 5A-5B As shown, a plurality of third conductive element channels 452 may be provided on the side wall of the third slot 451. The plurality of third conductive elements 330 may pass through the plurality of third conductive element channels 452 in a one-to-one correspondence. The third conductive element channels 452 may limit the fourth mating contact portion 332 of the third conductive element 330, thereby fixing the third conductive element 330 at a desired position, thereby ensuring electrical insulation between each other.

[0123] For example, Figure 3A , 4As shown in Figures 5A-5B, the rear insulating housing 450 can be against the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. A side of the rear insulating housing 450 that is against the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 can be provided with a projection 453. The projection 453 can be inserted into the gap 414 between the first sheet-shaped member housing 410. The rear insulating housing 450 can be against the front insulating housing 440 along the vertical direction Z1-Z2. In addition to being limited by abutment, the rear insulating housing 450 and the front insulating housing 440 can be fixed on the insulating member 481 of the third sheet-shaped member 480. In this way, the rear insulating housing 450 can be well fixed in all directions. In addition, the integral piece formed by stacking the rear insulating housing 450, the front insulating housing 440, the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 and the second sheet-shaped member housing 420 can also be fixed together by an outer frame 610. The outer frame 610 can be made of a material with higher strength such as metal. The outer frame 610 can be formed by die casting, molding or machining. The outer frame 610 can provide sufficient mechanical support and protection for the front insulating shell 440, the rear insulating shell 450, the first sheet 460, the second sheet 470 and the third sheet 480. For example, Figure 2A and 3A As shown, the electrical connector 200 may further include a pair of U-shaped clamps 620. The pair of U-shaped clamps 620 may be disposed on both sides of the front insulating housing 440 along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The two legs of the U-shaped clamps 620 may be fixed to the front insulating housing 440 and the outer frame 610, respectively, so that the outer frame 610 and the front insulating housing 440 may remain fixed.

[0124] For example, Figure 3B , 4 As shown in FIGS. 5A-5B , along the second vertical direction Z2, the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 may protrude from the rear insulating housing 450. The side of the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 facing the rear insulating housing 450 may have a notch 413. The opening of the notch 413 may face the rear insulating housing 450. One end of the rear insulating housing 450 provided with the third mating interface 230 may extend into the notch 413. In this way, the space on the first sheet-shaped member housing 410 may be fully utilized to set the third mating interface 230. The third mating interface 230 may overlap with the second mating interface 220 along the longitudinal direction X1-X2, thereby reducing the longitudinal dimension of the electrical connector 200. Of course, the overlapping arrangement may allow the third mating interface 230 to have an increased length along the longitudinal direction X1-X2. The fourth mating contact portion 332 of the third conductive element 330 may have a larger installation space.

[0125] For example, Figures 8A-8BAs shown, the plurality of third conductive elements 330 may include a differential signal conductive element pair 333 and a ground conductive element 334. The ground conductive element 334 may be located between the differential signal conductive element pair 333. In this way, two adjacent differential signal conductive element pairs 333 are shielded by the ground conductive element 334. Crosstalk can be well isolated by the ground conductive element 334, so that the electrical connector 200 can have a good crosstalk shielding performance, and thus has a good common mode suppression performance, thereby ensuring the signal transmission speed of the differential signal conductive element pair 333.

[0126] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown, the electrical connector 200 may further include a shielding member 500. The shielding member 500 may be electrically connected to a grounding structure such as a grounding conductive element 334. The structure of the shielding member 500 may be arbitrary, including but not limited to a shielding strip or a shielding frame. The shielding member 500 may be located on the side of the differential signal conductive element pair 333 along the lateral direction Y1-Y2. The shielding member 500 may be formed of a metal material such as a molding process or a stamping process. The shielding member 500 and the grounding conductive element 334 may cooperate to form a good shield on the transmission path of the differential signal conductive element pair 333. In this way, the signal transmission speed may be increased and the signal integrity may be better. Therefore, the electrical connector 200 may have better electrical performance, thereby making the interconnection system 100 faster and more complex in function.

[0127] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown, a plurality of third conductive elements 330 may be arranged in at least one column parallel to the longitudinal direction X1-X2. Each column of third conductive elements 330 may have a corresponding shielding member 500. The corresponding shielding member 500 may include an inner shielding member 510 and an outer shielding member 520. The outer shielding member 520, the corresponding column, and the inner shielding member 510 may be sequentially arranged in the lateral direction Y1-Y2 toward the inside of the electrical connector 200. Along the lateral direction Y1-Y2, the outer shielding member 520 may be closer to the outside of the electrical connector 200 than the inner shielding member 510. In this way, the inner shielding member 510, the outer shielding member 520, and the ground conductive element 334 may form a shielding frame at the differential signal conductive element pair 333. In this way, the signal transmission speed may be further improved, and the signal integrity may be better. For example, as Figures 8A-8B As shown, the inner shield 510 and the outer shield 520 can be attached to the insulating member 481 of the corresponding column. Fig. 8AAs shown, the arrow schematically shows the assembly process of the third sheet member 480. First, the third conductive element 330 and the insulating member 481 can be formed into an integral part, for example, by an injection molding process. Then the inner shield 510 and the outer shield 520 can be attached to both sides of the insulating member 481. In this way, the third sheet member 480 can be assembled. After the inner shield 510 and the outer shield 520 and the third sheet member 480 are assembled together, they can be inserted into the front insulating housing 440 and the rear insulating housing 450.

[0128] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown in FIG. 1 , since the third mating contact portion 331 and the fourth mating contact portion 332 at both ends of the third conductive element 330 are bent toward the inner sides of the first mating interface 210 and the third mating interface 230 respectively, the inner shielding member 510 is shorter than the outer shielding member 520 along the length direction of the third conductive element 330 to avoid short circuit between the inner shielding member 510 and the third conductive element 330. For example, as Figures 8A-8B As shown, along the extension direction of the grounding conductive elements 334 of the corresponding column, the inner shield 510 can abut against the middle portion 334a of each of the grounding conductive elements 334 of the corresponding column. The outer shield 520 abuts against each of the grounding conductive elements 334 of the corresponding column on both sides of the middle portion 334a. After the corresponding circuit board is respectively inserted into the first mating interface 210 and the third mating interface 230, the third mating contact portion 331 and the fourth mating contact portion 332 have a tendency to bend toward the outside. By relying on the outer shield 520 abutting against the grounding conductive elements 334 on both sides of the middle portion 334a of the grounding conductive elements 334, the elasticity of the mating contact portions at both ends of the grounding conductive elements 334 can be increased, and then the circuit boards connected to the first mating interface 210 and the third mating interface 230 can be firmly clamped.

[0129] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown, the inner shield 510 may have a cantilever beam 511 bent toward the ground conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. The number of cantilever beams 511 may be the same as the number of ground conductive elements 334 of the corresponding column. The cantilever beam 511 may abut against the ground conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. Exemplarily, a plurality of through holes 482 may be provided on the insulating member 481 that fixes the plurality of third conductive elements 330. The cantilever beam 511 may pass through the corresponding through holes 482 and abut against the corresponding ground conductive element 334. The cantilever beam 511 may be elastic and can ensure that the inner shield 510 is in reliable electrical contact with the ground conductive element 334. In addition, the cantilever beam 511 may play a supporting role so that the non-cantilever beam portion on the inner shield 510 can be spaced apart from the differential signal conductive element pair 333 to ensure electrical insulation. Exemplarily, as Fig. 8AAs described above, the grounding conductive element 334 may have a middle portion 334a. The middle portion 334a may be connected to the through hole 482 (eg, Figure 8B The width of the middle portion 334a may be greater than the width of other portions of the grounding conductive element 334. In this way, the contact area between the grounding conductive element 334 and the cantilever beam 511 of the inner shielding member 510 is increased, thereby reducing the position accuracy requirements of the two, and further facilitating the cantilever beam 511 of the inner shielding member 510 to abut against the grounding conductive element 334.

[0130] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown, the outer shield 520 may have a corrugated portion 521 that bulges toward the ground conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. The corrugated portion 521 may abut against the ground conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. Along the extension direction of the ground conductive element 334 of the corresponding column, the corrugated portion 521 may be located on both sides of the cantilever beam 511. Each ground conductive element 334 has two corrugated portions 521 that can electrically contact each other. Compared with the cantilever beam 511, the elasticity of the corrugated portion 521 is relatively poor. By providing two corrugated portions 521 for each ground conductive element 334, it can be ensured that each ground conductive element 334 can be electrically connected to the outer shield 520. The corrugated portion 521 can play a supporting role, so that the non-corrugated portion 521 portion of the outer shield 520 can be spaced apart from the differential signal conductive element pair 333 to ensure electrical insulation.

[0131] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown, a protrusion 522 may be provided on the surface of the folded portion 521 against the grounding conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. The number of protrusions 522 on each folded portion 521 may be multiple. Thus, multiple point contacts can be formed between the folded portion 521 and the grounding conductive element 334, rather than surface contact. This ensures that the outer shielding member 520 can form a reliable electrical contact with each grounding conductive element 334. The number of protrusions 522 on different folded portions 521 may be the same or different. The protrusion 522 may be a circular protrusion, a rectangular protrusion or a protrusion of any other suitable shape. The protrusion 522 may protrude from the folded portion 521 toward the grounding conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. By providing the protrusion 522, the folded portion 521 and the grounding conductive element 334 of the corresponding column may have a concentrated contact point, thereby reducing the contact area between each other. Once there is a tolerance in the parts during the processing, the contact mode of multiple contact points can provide a higher assembly tolerance.

[0132] For example, Figures 8A-8BAs shown, the portion of the inner shield 510 aligned with the differential signal conductive element pair 333 of the corresponding column can protrude toward both ends of the differential signal conductive element pair 333 of the corresponding column to form an inner shield extension portion 512. In this way, the length of the inner shield 510 is greater along the extension direction of the ground conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. The inner shield 510 has a better shielding effect on the differential signal conductive element pair 333 of the corresponding column.

[0133] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown, the portion of the outer shield 520 aligned with the differential signal conductive element pair 333 of the corresponding column can protrude toward both ends of the differential signal conductive element pair 333 of the corresponding column to form an outer shield extension 523. In this way, the length of the outer shield 520 is greater along the extension direction of the ground conductive element 334 of the corresponding column. The outer shield 520 has a better shielding effect on the differential signal conductive element pair 333 of the corresponding column.

[0134] For example, Figures 8A-8B As shown, the inner shield extension 512 may be shorter than the outer shield extension 523 along the extension direction of the differential signal conductive element pair 333. In this way, when the first circuit board 111 is connected to the first mating interface 210, and / or the first cable connector first interface 141 of the first cable connector 140 is connected to the third mating interface 230, the contact pads of the first circuit board 111 and / or the contact pads of the first cable connector first interface 141 are not easy to be in electrical contact with the inner shield extension 512.

[0135] For example, Figure 2A-2B As shown in FIGS. 12-13, the electrical connector 200 may further include a lock 630. The lock 630 may be pivotally connected to the outer frame 610 between a locked position and an unlocked position. Specifically, a pivoting portion 633 may be provided on the lock 630. A pivoting fitting portion 611 may be provided on the outer frame 610. The pivoting portion 633 may be pivotally connected to the pivoting fitting portion 611. One of the pivoting portion 633 and the pivoting fitting portion 611 may be a pivot hole, and the other may be a pivot. When the second mating interface 220 and the third mating interface 230 are respectively connected to the first cable connector first interface 141 and the first cable connector second interface 142 of the first cable connector 140, the lock 630 may be pivoted to the locked position, so that the pivoting lock 630 may be locked to the first cable connector 140. In this way, the electrical connector 200 may be relatively fixed with the first cable connector 140. Specifically, a hooking portion 631 may be provided on the lock 630. When the lock 630 is pivoted to the locked position, the hook portion 631 can hook the protrusion 144 on the first cable connector 140. When the lock 630 is pivoted to the unlocked position, the pivoting lock 630 can be separated from the protrusion 144. In this way, the electrical connector 200 can be separated from the first cable connector 140.

[0136] In order to facilitate the pivoting of the lock 630, an operating portion 632 may be provided on the lock 630. The operating portion 632 may be arranged opposite to the pivoting portion 633. The pivoting portion 633 may include any suitable structure such as a handle. By controlling the operating portion 632, the user experience may be improved. The operating portion 632 may be provided with structures such as protrusions and / or depressions to play an anti-slip role.

[0137] Thus, the present disclosure has been described through the above-mentioned several embodiments, but it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make more variations, modifications and improvements according to the teachings of the present disclosure, and these variations, modifications and improvements all fall within the spirit of the present disclosure and the scope of protection required. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents. The above-mentioned embodiments are only for the purpose of example and description, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the scope of the described embodiments.

[0138] In the description of the present disclosure, it is necessary to understand that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional words such as "front", "back", "up", "down", "left", "right", "lateral", "vertical", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", etc. is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure; the directional words "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0139] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between one or more components or features shown in the figure and other components or features. It should be understood that spatially relative terms include not only the orientation of the components as described in the figure, but also different orientations in use or operation. For example, if the components in the accompanying drawings are inverted as a whole, the components "above other components or features" or "above other components or features" will include the situation where the components are "below other components or structures" or "below other components or structures". Therefore, the exemplary term "above" may include both "above" and "below". In addition, these components or features may also be positioned at other different angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and this article is intended to include all of these situations.

[0140] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0141] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the numbers used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that: include: A first mating interface, a second mating interface, and a third mating interface extending in a longitudinal direction and parallel to each other; as well as A mounting interface extends along a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The vertical direction includes a first vertical direction and a second vertical direction that are opposite, a portion of the first mating interface, the second mating interface, and the third mating interface faces the first vertical direction, and another portion of the first mating interface, the second mating interface, and the third mating interface faces the second vertical direction.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The first mating interface faces the first vertical direction, and the second mating interface and the third mating interface face the second vertical direction.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second mating interface and the third mating interface are arranged along the longitudinal direction.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second mating interface is closer to the mounting interface than the third mating interface, and the second mating interface protrudes beyond the third mating interface along the second vertical direction.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The distance from the second mating interface to the first mating interface is not equal to the distance from the third mating interface to the first mating interface.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The electrical connector further comprises a plurality of first conductive elements, a plurality of second conductive elements and a plurality of third conductive elements, the plurality of first conductive elements extending from the first mating interface to the mounting interface; the plurality of second conductive elements extending from the second mating interface to the mounting interface; The third plurality of conductive elements extend from the first mating interface to the third mating interface.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: The electrical connector further comprises: a first sheet housing holding the plurality of first conductive elements; and a second sheet housing holding the plurality of second conductive elements, wherein The first sheet-shaped element housing and the second sheet-shaped element housing are both insulated and parallel to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction, The first sheet element shell and the second sheet element shell are stacked along a transverse direction, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein: There are a plurality of the first sheet-shaped member shells, and the second sheet-shaped member shell is inserted between the plurality of the first sheet-shaped member shells.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: The plurality of first sheet-shaped shells are combined to form a second slot, The plurality of second conductive elements are bent into the second slots to form the second mating interface.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein: A plurality of second conductive element channels are disposed on the side wall of the second slot, and the plurality of second conductive elements pass through the plurality of second conductive element channels in a one-to-one correspondence.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein: The electrical connector further comprises a front insulating housing, a first slot being arranged on a side of the front insulating housing facing the first vertical direction, the plurality of first conductive elements and the plurality of third conductive elements being bent into the first slot to form the first mating interface. The edge of the integral piece formed by stacking the first sheet-shaped piece shell and the second sheet-shaped piece shell is inserted into the front insulating shell on the side facing the first vertical direction.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 12, wherein: The electrical connector further comprises a rear insulating housing, wherein the front insulating housing and the rear insulating housing are arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and a third slot is arranged on a side of the rear insulating housing facing the second vertical direction. The plurality of third conductive elements are bent into the third slots to form the third mating interface, The plurality of third conductive elements are installed in the front insulating housing and the rear insulating housing.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein: The rear insulating housing abuts against the first sheet-piece housing along the longitudinal direction.

15. The electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein: Along the second vertical direction, the first sheet-shaped member housing protrudes out of the rear insulating housing, A side surface of the first sheet-shaped housing facing the rear insulating housing has a notch, and one end of the rear insulating housing provided with the third mating interface extends into the notch.

16. The electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein: The first sheet-shaped member housing is in plurality and is spaced apart in the transverse direction to form a gap. The rear insulating housing is coupled to the gap.

17. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: The plurality of third conductive elements include a pair of differential signal conductive elements and a ground conductive element located between the pair of differential signal conductive elements.

18. The electrical connector according to claim 17, wherein: The electrical connector further includes a shielding member electrically connected to the ground conductive element, the shielding member being located at a side of the pair of differential signal conductive elements along a transverse direction, wherein the transverse direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

19. The electrical connector according to claim 18, wherein: The plurality of third conductive elements are arranged into at least one column parallel to the longitudinal direction, each of the at least one column has a corresponding shielding member, the corresponding shielding member comprises an inner shielding member and an outer shielding member, the outer shielding member, the corresponding column and the inner shielding member are sequentially arranged in the transverse direction into the electrical connector.

20. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein: Along the extending direction of the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column, the inner shield abuts against the middle portion of each of the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column, and the outer shield abuts against each of the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column at both sides of the middle portion.

21. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein: The inner shield has a cantilever beam bent toward the corresponding column of grounded conductive elements, the cantilever beam abutting against the corresponding column of grounded conductive elements.

22. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein: The outer shield has a corrugated portion raised toward the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column, and the corrugated portion abuts against the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column.

23. The electrical connector according to claim 22, wherein: A protrusion is provided on the surface of the corrugated portion that abuts against the ground conductive elements of the corresponding column.

24. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein: The portion of the inner shield aligned with the pair of differential signal conductive elements of the corresponding column protrudes toward both ends of the pair of differential signal conductive elements of the corresponding column to form an inner shield extension; and / or Portions of the outer shield aligned with the pairs of differential signal conductive elements in the corresponding column protrude toward both ends of the pairs of differential signal conductive elements in the corresponding column to form outer shield extensions.

25. The electrical connector according to claim 24, wherein: The inner shield extension portion is shorter than the outer shield extension portion along an extending direction of the differential signal conductive element pair.

26. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein: The third conductive elements in each of the at least one column are held together by an insulating member, The insulating member is provided with through holes corresponding to the grounding conductive elements in the corresponding column one by one, and the inner shielding member passes through the through holes and abuts against the grounding conductive elements in the corresponding column.

27. The electrical connector according to claim 26, wherein: The inner shield and the outer shield are attached to the corresponding column of insulators; and / or The width of a middle portion of the ground conductive element corresponding to the through hole is greater than that of other portions.

28. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: The plurality of first conductive elements include power conductive elements and sideband conductive elements; and / or The plurality of second conductive elements include sideband conductive elements; and / or The plurality of third conductive elements include high speed signal conductive elements.

29. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: The first mating interface includes a first interface segment and a second interface segment sequentially arranged along the longitudinal direction, the plurality of first conductive elements extend from the first interface segment to the mounting interface, and the plurality of third conductive elements extend from the second interface segment to the third mating interface.

30. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: The first mounting tails of the plurality of first conductive elements extending to the mounting interface are arranged in a first row, and the second mounting tails of the plurality of second conductive elements extending to the mounting interface are arranged in a second row, and the second row and the first row are both parallel to the vertical direction, The first row and the second row are arranged side by side along a transverse direction, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

31. The electrical connector according to claim 30, characterized in that The first installation tail portions in the first row and the second installation tail portions in the second row are staggered along an extension direction of the rows.

32. The electrical connector according to claim 30, wherein: The center distance between the first first mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the first row and the first second mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the second row is smaller than the center distance between adjacent first mounting tails in the row, so that the first mounting tail and the second mounting tail are used to connect to the edge of the circuit board.

33. An electrical connector, characterized in that: include: A first mating interface and a second mating interface arranged opposite to each other in a vertical direction; A mounting interface extending along the vertical direction; a first sheet-like member, on which a plurality of first conductive elements insulated from one another are retained, and the plurality of first conductive elements extend from the first mating interface to the mounting interface; as well as a second sheet-like member, on which a plurality of second conductive elements insulated from one another are retained, wherein the plurality of second conductive elements extend from the second mating interface to the mounting interface, Wherein, the first sheet-like element and the second sheet-like element are stacked along a transverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

34. The electrical connector according to claim 33, wherein: The first mating interface and the second mating interface extend along a longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the transverse direction and the vertical direction.

35. The electrical connector according to claim 33, wherein: Each of the plurality of first conductive elements comprises a first mating contact portion and a first mounting tail portion respectively located at two ends, the first mating contact portions of the plurality of first conductive elements are arranged in a first column parallel to a longitudinal direction, the longitudinal direction being perpendicular to the transverse direction and the vertical direction, Each of the plurality of second conductive elements comprises a second mating contact portion and a second mounting tail portion respectively located at two ends, and the second mating contact portions of the plurality of second conductive elements are arranged in a second column parallel to the longitudinal direction, wherein The first mounting tails of the plurality of first conductive elements are arranged in a first row, and the second mounting tails of the plurality of second conductive elements are arranged in a second row, and the second row and the first row are both parallel to the vertical direction, The first row and the second row are arranged side by side along the transverse direction.

36. The electrical connector according to claim 35, wherein: The first installation tail portions in the first row and the second installation tail portions in the second row are staggered along an extension direction of the rows.

37. The electrical connector according to claim 35, wherein: The center distance between the first first mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the first row and the first second mounting tail adjacent to the first mating interface in the second row is smaller than the center distance between adjacent first mounting tails in the row, so that the first mounting tail and the second mounting tail are used to connect to the edge of the circuit board.

38. The electrical connector according to claim 33, wherein: There are a plurality of the first sheet-like members, and the second sheet-like member is inserted between the plurality of the first sheet-like members.

39. The electrical connector according to claim 38, wherein: The plurality of first sheet-like elements are combined to form a second slot, The plurality of second conductive elements are bent into the second slots to form the second mating interface.

40. The electrical connector according to claim 33, wherein: The electrical connector further comprises a front insulating housing, wherein a first slot is disposed on the front insulating housing, and the plurality of first conductive elements and the plurality of third conductive elements are bent into the first slot to form the first mating interface. The edge of the integral piece formed by stacking the first sheet-shaped piece and the second sheet-shaped piece is inserted into the front insulating shell at a side opposite to the first slot.

41. The electrical connector according to claim 40, characterized in that The electrical connector further comprises: a third mating interface disposed opposite to the first mating interface in a vertical direction; and A plurality of third conductive elements extend from the first mating interface to the third mating interface.

42. The electrical connector according to claim 41, wherein: The electrical connector further comprises a rear insulating housing, wherein the front insulating housing and the rear insulating housing are arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and a third slot is arranged on a side of the rear insulating housing facing away from the front insulating housing along the vertical direction. The plurality of third conductive elements are installed in the front insulating housing and the rear insulating housing, and the plurality of third conductive elements are bent into the third slots to form the third mating interface.

43. The electrical connector according to claim 42, wherein: The electrical connector further includes an outer frame, in which the front insulating housing, the rear insulating housing, the first sheet-shaped member, and the second sheet-shaped member are retained.

44. An interconnection system, characterized in that include: a first circuit board; a second circuit board; A third circuit board; as well as An electrical connector, the first circuit board, the second circuit board and the third circuit board are interconnected through the electrical connector, so that the first circuit board is electrically connected to the second circuit board, the second circuit board is electrically connected to the third circuit board, and the first circuit board is electrically connected to the third circuit board.

45. The interconnection system of claim 44, wherein: The electrical connector comprises: a first mating interface, a second mating interface and a third mating interface, wherein the first mating interface is arranged opposite to the second mating interface and the third mating interface in a vertical direction, the first circuit board is electrically connected to the first mating interface, and the second circuit board is electrically connected to the second mating interface and the third mating interface; and A mounting interface is provided, wherein the mounting interface is parallel to the vertical direction, and the third circuit board is electrically connected to the mounting interface.

46. ​​The interconnection system of claim 45, wherein: The first mating interface includes a first interface segment and a second interface segment sequentially arranged along a longitudinal direction, the first interface segment is electrically connected to the mounting interface, and the second interface segment is electrically connected to the third mating interface.

47. The interconnection system of claim 44, wherein: The second circuit board is connected to the electrical connector via a cable connector.

48. The interconnection system of claim 44, wherein: The electrical connector is the electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-43.

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