High-Speed Receptacle Electrical Connector Assembly with Light Guide Tube

Abstract

A high-speed socket connector assembly for mating with an insertion module of a high-speed cable. The high-speed socket connector assembly includes a shielding cage, a plurality of electrical connectors, and a plurality of light guide tubes. A metal shell is provided between the plurality of light guide tubes and the electrical connectors. The metal shell includes a first side wall disposed between the light guide tubes and the electrical connectors. The first side wall includes a first separation structure disposed between a first light guide tube and a second light guide tube. The first separation structure isolates the optical signals between the first light guide tube and the second light guide tube, thereby preventing light crosstalk between the light guide tubes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a high-speed socket electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to a high-speed socket electrical connector assembly with a light guide tube. Background Art

[0002] Chinese Invention Patent Publication No. CN101699665B (refer to Figure 9 of this patent document) discloses a 2XN high-speed socket electrical connector module with a light guide tube. The light guide tube is divided into two pairs and integrally formed respectively. The two pairs of light guide tubes are respectively inserted and fixed on the insulating housing of the connector. When multiple light guide tubes are on the same side of the electrical connector, light leakage is likely to occur between the light guide tubes, resulting in an unclear visual effect. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a high-speed socket electrical connector assembly with a light guide tube, which can avoid light leakage between the light guide tubes.

[0004] To achieve the above object, this application provides a high-speed socket connector assembly for cooperating with an insertion module of a high-speed cable. The high-speed socket connector assembly includes a shielding cage mounted on a circuit board, a plurality of electrical connectors, and a plurality of light guide tubes for guiding optical signals. The light guide tubes are provided corresponding to each electrical connector to guide the optical signal indicating the connection state between the insertion module and the corresponding electrical connector to the front. The shielding cage is provided with two upper and lower rows of receiving channels for respectively receiving the aforementioned insertion modules. Each receiving channel includes a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, and a rear wall. The electrical connector has an upper card receiving groove corresponding to the upper receiving channel and a lower card receiving groove corresponding to the lower receiving channel. The plurality of light guide tubes have a front section, a rear section, and a connecting section connecting the front section and the rear section. The front section extends between the upper receiving channel and the lower receiving channel, and the rear section is located on one side of the electrical connector. A metal shell is provided between the plurality of light guide tubes and the electrical connector. The light guide tube includes a first light guide tube and a second light guide tube at a position corresponding to one side of the electrical connector. The metal shell includes a first side wall disposed between the first and second light guide tubes and the electrical connector. The first side wall includes a first separating structure disposed between the first light guide tube and the second light guide tube, and the first separating structure isolates the optical signal between the first light guide tube and the second light guide tube, thereby preventing light leakage between the light guide tubes.

[0005] As a further design, the light guide tube further includes a third light guide tube and a fourth light guide tube corresponding to the other side of the electrical connector. A transverse connecting beam is provided between the first light guide tube and the third light guide tube, and a transverse connecting beam is provided between the second light guide tube and the fourth light guide tube. The metal shell further includes a second side wall provided between the third and fourth light guide tubes and the electrical connector. The second side wall includes a second partition structure provided between the third light guide tube and the fourth light guide tube, and the second partition structure isolates the optical signals between the third light guide tube and the fourth light guide tube.

[0006] As a further design, the rear section of each light guide tube includes a horizontal section and a vertical section. The first partition structure and the second partition structure include a partition structure between the horizontal sections and a partition structure between the vertical sections.

[0007] As a further design, the metal shell is clamped and fixed between the bottom wall of the upper receiving channel and the top wall of the lower receiving channel.

[0008] As a further design, the metal shell includes a metal front wall. The aforementioned first side wall and second side wall are formed by bending backward from the transverse opposite sides of the metal front wall. The metal shell further includes a metal upper wall and a metal lower wall formed by bending backward from the upper and lower ends of the metal front wall. The metal upper wall abuts against the bottom wall of the aforementioned upper receiving channel upward, and the metal lower wall abuts against the top wall of the aforementioned lower receiving channel downward.

[0009] As a further design, the electrical connector includes two receiving slits provided between the upper card receiving slot and the lower card receiving slot, and the receiving slits are in clearance fit with the metal upper wall and the metal lower wall of the metal shell.

[0010] As a further design, the electrical connector includes a body provided with a receiving cavity and a plurality of terminal pieces installed in the body. Each terminal piece is fixed with a plurality of conductive terminals. Each conductive terminal includes a terminal pin for installing on a circuit board and a terminal contact portion extending into the upper card receiving slot and the lower card receiving slot.

[0011] As a further design, the body includes two side walls and a top wall. The top wall is provided with a plurality of dovetail grooves extending backward. Each terminal piece is provided with a corresponding dovetail-shaped slider. The dovetail-shaped sliders of each terminal piece are in guiding cooperation with the dovetail grooves and are inserted forward into the body.

[0012] As a further design, the first side wall and the second side wall are provided with elastic walls that incline and open outward, and the elastic walls are in elastic pressing fit with the shielding cage.

[0013] As a further design, the upper and lower side edges of the first side wall and the second side wall are provided with retaining pieces formed by folding outward. The retaining pieces, the first partition structure and the second partition structure relatively fix the light guide tube and the metal shell. Description of the Drawings

[0014] The drawings described herein are provided to further understand the embodiments of the present application and form a part of the embodiments of the present application. The drawings and their descriptions of the present application are used to explain the embodiments of the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation to the embodiments of the present application. In the drawings:

[0015] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional combined schematic diagram of the high-speed socket electrical connector assembly of the present application;

[0016] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a disassembled schematic diagram of the high-speed socket electrical connector assembly shown;

[0017] Figure 3 is Figure 1 another disassembled schematic diagram of the high-speed socket electrical connector assembly shown;

[0018] Figure 4 is a disassembled schematic diagram of the electrical connector, metal shell, shielding cage and light guide tube of the high-speed socket electrical connector assembly of the present application;

[0019] Figure 5 is Figure 4 another disassembled schematic diagram of the assembly shown;

[0020] Figure 6 is Figure 5 another perspective schematic diagram of the assembly shown. Detailed Embodiments

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the technical solutions of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0022] Here, it should also be noted that in order to avoid obscuring the present application due to unnecessary details, only the structures and / or processing steps closely related to some embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, while other details less related to some embodiments of the present application are omitted.

[0023] In addition, it should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprise", "have" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or further includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device.

[0024] For the sake of accuracy in description, whenever directions are involved in this article, please uniformly use Figure 1 as a reference, where the extension direction of the X-axis is the left-right direction (where the positive direction of the X-axis is the front right), the extension direction of the Y-axis is the front-back direction (where the negative direction of the Y-axis is the front), and the extension direction of the Z-axis is the up-down direction (where the positive direction of the Z-axis is the up).

[0025] For convenience of description, the up-down, left-right, front-back orientations in this application are relative positions and do not constitute a limitation on implementation.

[0026] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this application discloses a high-speed socket connector assembly 100 for mating with an insertion module (not shown) of a high-speed cable. The high-speed socket connector assembly 100 includes a shielding cage 20 mounted on a circuit board (not shown), a plurality of electrical connectors 30, and a plurality of light guide tubes 40 for guiding optical signals. The light guide tubes 40 are provided corresponding to each electrical connector 30 to guide the optical signals representing the connection state between the insertion module and the corresponding electrical connector to the front. The shielding cage 20 is provided with upper and lower rows of receiving channels 102, 104 for receiving the aforementioned insertion modules respectively. Each receiving channel includes a top wall 202, a bottom wall 206, two side walls 204, and a rear wall (not labeled). The electrical connector 30 has an upper card receiving slot 302 corresponding to the upper receiving channel 104 and a lower card receiving slot 304 corresponding to the lower receiving channel. The plurality of light guide tubes 40 have a front section 46, a rear section 47, and a connecting section 48 connecting the front section 46 and the rear section 47. The front section 46 extends between the upper receiving channel 102 and the lower receiving channel 104, and the rear section 47 is located on one side of the electrical connector 30. A metal shell 50 is provided between the plurality of light guide tubes 40 and the electrical connector 30. The light guide tube 40 includes a first light guide tube 41 and a second light guide tube 42 corresponding to the position on one side of the electrical connector 30. The metal shell 50 includes a first side wall 52 provided between the first light guide tube 41, the second light guide tube 42, and the electrical connector 30. The first side wall 52 includes first partition structures 502, 504 provided between the first light guide tube 41 and the second light guide tube 42, and the first partition structures 502, 504 isolate the optical signals between the first light guide tube 41 and the second light guide tube 42.

[0027] The light guide tube 40 further includes a third light guide tube 43 and a fourth light guide tube 44 corresponding to the other side of the electrical connector 30. A transverse connection beam 413 is provided between the first light guide tube 41 and the third light guide tube 43, and a transverse connection beam 424 is provided between the second light guide tube 42 and the fourth light guide tube 44. The metal shell 50 further includes a second side wall 54 disposed between the third light guide tube 43, the fourth light guide tube 44 and the electrical connector 30. The second side wall 54 includes a second partition structure (not labeled) disposed between the third light guide tube 43 and the fourth light guide tube 44, and the second partition structure isolates the optical signals between the third light guide tube 43 and the fourth light guide tube 44.

[0028] The rear section of each light guide tube 40 includes a horizontal section 474 and a vertical section 476. The first partition structures 502, 504 and the second partition structure include a partition structure 502 between the horizontal sections 474 and a partition structure 504 between the vertical sections 476. The metal shell 50 is clamped and fixed between the bottom wall 206 of the upper receiving channel 102 and the top wall 206 of the lower receiving channel 104. The metal shell 50 includes a metal front wall 58, and the foregoing first side wall 52 and second side wall 54 are formed by bending backward from the laterally opposite sides of the metal front wall 58. The metal shell 50 further includes a metal upper wall 56 and a metal lower wall (not labeled) formed by bending backward from the upper and lower ends of the metal front wall 58. The metal upper wall 56 abuts against the bottom wall 206 of the foregoing upper receiving channel 102 upward, and the metal lower wall abuts against the top wall 202 of the foregoing lower receiving channel 104 downward. The electrical connector 30 includes two receiving slits 306 disposed between the upper card receiving slot 302 and the lower card receiving slot 304, and the receiving slits 306 are in clearance fit with the metal upper wall 56 and the metal lower wall of the metal shell 50. The first side wall 52 and the second side wall 54 are provided with elastic walls 508 that are inclined and opened outward, and the elastic walls 508 are elastically pressed and matched with the shielding cage 40. The upper and lower side edges of the first side wall 52 and the second side wall 54 are provided with resisting pieces 506 formed by turning outward, and the resisting pieces 506, the first partition structures 502, 504 and the second partition structure relatively fix the light guide tube 30 and the metal shell 50.

[0029] The electrical connector 30 includes a body 32 provided with a receiving cavity and a plurality of terminal pieces 36 installed in the body 34. Each terminal piece 34 is fixed with a plurality of conductive terminals 38, and each conductive terminal 38 includes a terminal pin (not labeled) for installation on a circuit board and a terminal contact portion (not shown) extending into the upper card receiving slot 302 and the lower card receiving slot 304.

[0030] The body includes two side walls 324 and a top wall 322. The top wall 322 is provided with a plurality of dovetail grooves 326 extending backward. Each terminal piece 34 is provided with a corresponding dovetail-shaped slider 342. The dovetail-shaped sliders 342 of the respective terminal pieces 34 are in guiding cooperation with the dovetail grooves 326, facilitating the forward insertion of the respective terminal pieces 34 into the body 32.

[0031] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and not to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A high-speed socket electrical connector assembly for mating with an insertion module of a high-speed cable. The high-speed socket connector assembly includes a shielding cage mounted on a circuit board, a plurality of electrical connectors, and a plurality of light guide tubes for guiding optical signals. The light guide tubes are provided corresponding to each electrical connector to guide the optical signals indicating the connection state between the insertion module and the corresponding electrical connector to the front. The shielding cage is provided with upper and lower rows of receiving channels for receiving the aforementioned insertion modules respectively. Each receiving channel includes a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, and a rear wall. The electrical connectors have an upper card receiving slot corresponding to the upper receiving channel and a lower card receiving slot corresponding to the lower receiving channel. The plurality of light guide tubes have a front section, a rear section, and a connecting section connecting the front section and the rear section. The front section extends between the upper receiving channel and the lower receiving channel, and the rear section is located on one side of the electrical connector. A metal shell is provided between the plurality of light guide tubes and the electrical connectors. The light guide tubes include a first light guide tube and a second light guide tube corresponding to the position on one side of the electrical connector. It is characterized in that: The metal shell includes a first side wall disposed between the first and second light guide tubes and the electrical connector. The first side wall includes a first separating structure disposed between the first light guide tube and the second light guide tube, and the first separating structure isolates the optical signals between the first light guide tube and the second light guide tube. The shielding cage surrounds the plurality of electrical connectors, and the metal shell is clamped and fixed between the bottom wall of the upper receiving channel and the top wall of the lower receiving channel.

2. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light guide tubes further include a third light guide tube and a fourth light guide tube corresponding to the other side of the electrical connector. A transverse connecting beam is provided between the first light guide tube and the third light guide tube, and a transverse connecting beam is provided between the second light guide tube and the fourth light guide tube. The metal shell further includes a second side wall disposed between the third and fourth light guide tubes and the electrical connector. The second side wall includes a second separating structure disposed between the third light guide tube and the fourth light guide tube, and the second separating structure isolates the optical signals between the third light guide tube and the fourth light guide tube.

3. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The rear sections of the respective light guide tubes include a horizontal section and a vertical section. The first separating structure and the second separating structure include a separating structure between the horizontal sections and a separating structure between the vertical sections.

4. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The metal shell includes a metal front wall. The aforementioned first side wall and second side wall are formed by bending backward from the opposite lateral sides of the metal front wall. The metal shell further includes a metal upper wall and a metal lower wall formed by bending backward from the upper and lower ends of the metal front wall. The metal upper wall abuts against the bottom wall of the aforementioned upper receiving channel upward, and the metal lower wall abuts against the top wall of the aforementioned lower receiving channel downward.

5. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The electrical connector includes two receiving slits disposed between the upper card receiving groove and the lower card receiving groove, and the receiving slits are in clearance fit with the metal upper wall and the metal lower wall of the metal shell.

6. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The electrical connector includes a body having a receiving cavity and a plurality of terminal pieces installed in the body. Each terminal piece is fixed with a plurality of conductive terminals. Each conductive terminal includes a terminal pin for installation on a circuit board and a terminal contact portion extending into the upper card receiving groove and the lower card receiving groove.

7. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The body includes two side walls and a top wall. The top wall is provided with a plurality of dovetail grooves extending backward. The terminal pieces are provided with dovetail-shaped sliders corresponding to and mating with the dovetail grooves. The dovetail-shaped sliders of the terminal pieces are inserted forward into the dovetail grooves of the body and are in guiding fit with the dovetail grooves.

8. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The first side wall and the second side wall are provided with elastic walls that are inclined and open outward, and the elastic walls are in elastic pressing fit with the shielding cage.

9. The high-speed socket electrical connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The upper and lower edges of the first side wall and the second side wall are provided with retaining pieces formed by being folded outward. The retaining pieces, the first partition structure, and the second partition structure relatively fix the light guide tube and the metal shell.

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