Electrical connector

Abstract

This invention discloses an electrical connector, comprising an insulating body, differential signal pairs, a ground terminal, and a side plate housed within the insulating body. Each differential signal pair includes two signal terminals, each signal terminal including a signal contact section and a signal transition section connecting the signal contact section forward, with tight coupling between the two signal transition sections. The side plate is electrically connected to the ground terminal, and the side plate is at least partially located on a plug-in plate. The ground terminal and the differential signal pair are arranged in a left-right direction and housed within the insulating body. Viewed vertically, the side plate is located between the ground terminal and the differential signal pair. In the vertical direction, the free end of the side plate protrudes towards the plug-in plate relative to the ground terminal. In the left-right direction, the two surfaces of the side plate face each other, and the projection of the side plate overlaps with the projection of the signal transition section, i.e., shielding is added beside the signal transition section. This design can reduce the influence of energy radiated outward from the signal transition section on other differential signal pairs, thereby reducing crosstalk and meeting high-frequency requirements.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector capable of reducing crosstalk. [Background Technology]

[0002] A conventional electrical connector includes an insulating body, multiple differential signal pairs, and multiple ground terminals. The ground terminals are arranged adjacent to the differential signal pairs within the insulating body, and the two signal terminals in each differential signal pair are tightly coupled to reduce crosstalk. However, the inventors of this application have discovered that tight coupling between the two signal terminals within a differential signal pair only reduces crosstalk generated within each differential signal pair. The energy radiated outward from each differential signal pair can affect surrounding differential signal pairs, thus generating crosstalk. In high-frequency connectors, tight coupling between the two signal terminals within a differential signal pair is insufficient to reduce crosstalk overall and cannot meet the high-frequency requirements of next-generation products.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to design a new electrical connector to solve the above problems. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electrical connector in which the grounding terminal is electrically connected to the side plate, and the side plate is located on the side of the tightly coupled section of the differential signal pair to increase metal shielding and thus reduce crosstalk.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] An electrical connector, characterized in that it comprises: an insulating body having a plug plate; a plurality of differential signal pairs housed within the insulating body, each differential signal pair including two signal terminals, each signal terminal including a signal contact segment and a signal transition segment extending rearward from the signal contact segment, a first spacing between the two signal contact segments of the same differential signal pair, a second spacing between the two signal transition segments of the same differential signal pair, the first spacing being greater than the second spacing, and the second spacing being the minimum spacing between the two signal terminals within the differential signal pair; at least one ground terminal and at least one side plate, the side plate being electrically connected to the ground terminal and at least partially located within the plug plate, the ground terminal and the differential signal pairs being arranged in a left-right direction and housed within the insulating body, and the side plate being located between the ground terminal and the differential signal pairs when viewed from a top-bottom direction; the ground terminal including a ground contact segment, in the top-bottom direction, both the ground contact segment and the signal contact segment protruding from the same surface of the plug plate, and the free end of the side plate protruding towards the plug plate relative to the ground terminal; in the left-right direction, the two surfaces of the side plate are opposite each other, and the projection of the side plate overlaps with the projection of the signal transition segment.

[0007] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes a shield and a loss element housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the loss element is located between the grounding terminal and the shield and has a gap with the grounding terminal, and the side plate contacts the shield. In the horizontal direction, the side plate contacts the loss element.

[0008] Furthermore, along the front-back direction, an insulating element is provided in front of the loss element; along the up-down direction, the insulating element is located between the shield and the grounding terminal and abuts against the grounding terminal; along the left-right direction, the projection of the loss element and the projection of the side plate at least partially overlap, and the projection of the insulating element and the projection of the side plate at least partially overlap.

[0009] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes a shield and a loss element housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the loss element is located between a grounding terminal and the shield, and the grounding terminal contacts the loss element. In the horizontal direction, the side plate contacts the loss element.

[0010] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes a lossy component housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the projection of the lossy component overlaps with the projection of the grounding terminal, and in the horizontal direction, the projection of the side plate overlaps with the projection of the lossy component.

[0011] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes a lossy component housed in a plug plate. In the vertical direction, the projection of the lossy component overlaps with the projection of the grounding terminal. In the front-rear direction, the front end of the side plate extends forward beyond the front end of the lossy component, the front end of the lossy component extends forward beyond the front end of the signal terminal or is flush with the front end of the signal terminal, and the rear end of the side plate extends backward beyond the rear end of the lossy component.

[0012] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes a lossy component housed in a plug plate. In the vertical direction, the projection of the lossy component overlaps with the projection of the grounding terminal. In the front-back direction, the front end face of the lossy component is located between the front end face of the signal terminal and the front end face of the side plate. Furthermore, in the front-back direction, the signal transition section includes a first section exposed to air and a second section covered by an insulating body, the width of the second section being smaller than the width of the first section. In the left-right direction, the distance between the first section and the side plate is smaller than the distance between the second section and the side plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes two side plates, which are respectively located on the left and right sides of the grounding terminal and are electrically connected to the grounding terminal; the electrical connector also includes a shield, a loss element, and at least two insulating blocks housed in an insulating body, each insulating block having a differential signal pair; viewed from the front-rear direction, the loss element is located between the two insulating blocks, and the two side plates are respectively located on both sides of the loss element and in contact with the loss element; in the vertical direction, the loss element is located between the grounding terminal and the shield, and there is a gap between the grounding terminal and the loss element; the insulating block includes a first end in contact with the signal terminal and a second end in contact with the shield; in the horizontal direction, two adjacent first ends are separated by a first distance, and two adjacent second ends are separated by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

[0014] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes a shield and a loss element housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the loss element is located between the grounding terminal and the shield, and the loss element includes a first part that contacts the shield and a second part that connects to the first part, with the first part located between the second part and the shield. In the horizontal direction, the first part contacts a side plate, and the second part does not contact the side plate.

[0015] Furthermore, the second part includes a first surface and at least one second surface connected to the first surface; in the vertical direction, there is a first gap between the first surface and the grounding terminal, and in the horizontal direction, there is a second gap between the second surface and the side plate; the first gap and the second gap are connected, and air is contained in the first gap and the second gap respectively; in the vertical direction, the width of the second gap narrows in the direction from the second part to the first part.

[0016] Furthermore, the electrical connector includes a shield and a loss element housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the loss element is located between the grounding terminal and the shield, and the loss element includes a first part that contacts the shield and a second part that connects to the first part, with the first part located between the second part and the shield. In the horizontal direction, the first part contacts a side plate, and in the vertical direction, the second part contacts the grounding terminal, with a groove between the second part and the grounding terminal.

[0017] Furthermore, the grounding terminal extends integrally in the vertical direction to form the side plate, and a portion of the side plate is located between the signal contact and the grounding contact.

[0018] Furthermore, along the front-rear direction, the side plate extends forward beyond the front end face of the signal terminal, and the grounding terminal extends forward beyond the side plate. The distance between the front end face of the side plate and the front end face of the signal terminal is greater than or equal to the distance between the front end face of the side plate and the front end of the grounding terminal. The front end of the grounding terminal is bent toward the plug plate to form a connection part.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] By designing the grounding terminal to be electrically connected to the side plate, and with the side plate positioned between the grounding terminal and the differential signal pair when viewed vertically, and the two surfaces of the side plate facing each other and the projection of the side plate overlapping the projection of the signal transition section in the horizontal direction (i.e., adding shielding beside the signal transition section), this design reduces the impact of energy radiated outward from the signal transition section on other differential signal pairs, thereby reducing crosstalk and meeting high-frequency requirements. Furthermore, the first spacing is greater than the second spacing, and the second spacing is the minimum spacing between two signal terminals within a differential signal pair, ensuring tight coupling between the two signal transition sections of the same differential signal pair, reducing crosstalk between the two signal terminals of the same differential signal pair and meeting high-frequency requirements. [Attached Image Description]

[0021] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the electrical connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the modules in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is an overall view of the module with the plastic body removed according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial view of the module with the plastic body removed according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 For along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of line AA in the diagram;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a partial view of the modules in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the grounding component according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is an overall view of the module with the plastic body removed according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 The module with the plastic body removed in the second embodiment of the present invention is related to... Figure 5 Cross-sectional view at the same location;

[0030] Figure 10 The simulation results show the impact of the first electrical connector model on far-extended serial (FEXT).

[0031] Figure 11 The simulation results show the impact of the second type of electrical connector model on far-extended serial (FEXT).

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the accompanying drawings for the specific implementation methods:

[0033]

[0034]

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0035] To facilitate a better understanding of the purpose, structure, features, and effects of this invention, the invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0036] To facilitate a better understanding of the technical solution of this invention, the X-axis in the three-dimensional coordinate axes of the accompanying drawings is defined as the left-right direction, the Y-axis as the front-back direction, and the Z-axis as the up-down direction, wherein the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are mutually perpendicular to each other.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 7 The diagram illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector 100 includes a module 10, which comprises an insulating body 30, multiple differential signal pairs 60, a grounding assembly 70, a lossy component 90, and a shielding component 80. The insulating body 30 has a plug plate 31 for insertion into a slot of a mating connector (not shown). The grounding assembly 70 includes multiple ground terminals 71 and multiple side plates 74. The ground terminals 71 and side plates 74 are electrically connected. In this embodiment, a portion of the side plates 74 is located on the plug plate 31; however, in other embodiments, all of the side plates 74 may be located on the plug plate 31. Each differential signal pair 60 includes two adjacent signal terminals 50 arranged side-by-side. The signal terminals 50 and the ground terminals 71 are arranged along the left-right direction X and housed within the insulating body 30. Viewed from the vertical direction Z, the lossy component 90 is located between the two signal terminals 50. The lossy component 90 is located between the ground terminals 71 and the shielding component 80. The grounding assembly 70, the lossy component 90, and the shielding component 80 are assembled together in the vertical direction Z and housed within the insulating body 30.

[0038] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the lossy component 90 is formed of conductive plastic. In other embodiments, the lossy component 90 may be formed of other lossy dielectric materials, which will cause signal (energy) loss. In this embodiment, the electrical connector 100 includes two rows of terminals symmetrically arranged vertically. Each row of terminals includes multiple ground terminals 71 and multiple signal terminals 50. In other embodiments, the electrical connector 100 may have only one row of terminals.

[0039] like Figures 2 to 5The module 10 also includes a plastic body 40, which includes multiple insulating components 41 and multiple insulating blocks 42, which are injection molded together. Each insulating block 42 includes a first end 421 that contacts the signal terminal 50 and a second end 422 that contacts the shield 80. Viewed from the front-rear direction Y, the loss component 90 is located between two insulating blocks 42. The distance between two adjacent first ends 421 is a first distance L1, and the distance between two adjacent second ends 422 is a second distance L2. The first distance L1 is greater than the second distance L2. In this embodiment, the grounding component 70 is installed in the vertical direction Z after the shield 80, the loss component 90, and the insulating blocks 42 are installed. Furthermore, only the space for the receiving side plate 74 needs to be left between two adjacent second ends 422, so the second distance L2 between two adjacent second ends 422 is small. At the same time, the small second distance L2 can also limit the left and right movement of the two side plates 74 on the same grounding terminal 71. However, between two adjacent first ends 421, it is necessary to ensure that the side plate 74 has enough room to move in the left and right direction X to adjust its position and align with the consumable part 90. Therefore, the first distance L1 is greater than the second distance L2.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 6 Multiple signal terminals 50 are arranged along the left-right direction X. Each signal terminal 50 includes a signal contact section 51, a signal transition section 52, and a signal soldering section 53. The signal transition section 52 connects forward to the signal contact section 51 and backward to the signal soldering section 53. A first gap W1 exists between two signal contact sections 51 of the same differential signal pair 60, and a second gap W2 exists between two signal transition sections 52 of the same differential signal pair 60. The first gap W1 is greater than the second gap W2, and the second gap W2 is the minimum gap between two signal terminals 50 within the differential signal pair 60. The first gap W1 being greater than the second gap W2 ensures tight coupling between two signal transition sections 52 in a differential signal pair 60, thereby reducing crosstalk between two signal terminals 50 in the same differential signal pair 60. In the vertical direction Z, the signal contact section 51 protrudes from the surface of the connector plate 31.

[0041] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 6Along the front-to-back direction Y, the signal transition section 52 includes a first section 521 exposed to air and a second section 522 covered by the insulating body 30. The width of the second section 522 is smaller than the width of the first section 521. Along the left-to-right direction X, the distance between the first section 521 and the side plate 74 is smaller than the distance between the second section 522 and the side plate 74. The first section 521 being exposed to air results in a high impedance. The second section 522 being covered by the insulating body 30 increases the dielectric constant around it, thereby increasing the capacitance and making the impedance of the second section 522 lower than that of the first section 521. To achieve impedance matching between the first section 521 and the second section 522, narrowing the width of the second section 522 of the signal terminal 50 increases the inductance and thus the impedance of the second section 522. In addition, because the side plate 74 is made of metal, the smaller the distance between the side plate 74 and the signal transition section 52 in the left-to-right direction X, the lower the impedance of the signal transition section 52. The second segment 522 is narrower than the first segment 521, making the distance between the second segment 522 and the side plate 74 in the left-right direction X greater than the distance between the first segment 521 and the side plate 74. This increases the impedance of the second segment 522 compared to the first segment 521. In summary, by narrowing the width of the second segment 522, both the narrowing increase in the width of the second segment 522 and the increased distance between the second segment 522 and the side plate 74 are used to increase impedance, thus balancing the reduced impedance due to the second segment 522 being covered by the insulating body 30, achieving impedance matching between the first segment 521 and the second segment 522. Furthermore, the grounding terminal 71 includes a grounding contact segment 711 and a grounding welding segment 712 connected forward to the grounding contact segment 711. In the up-down direction Z, both the grounding contact segment 711 and the signal contact segment 51 expose the same surface of the plug-in plate 31, and the free end of the side plate 74 protrudes towards the plug-in plate 31 relative to the grounding terminal 71. The free end of the side plate 74 protrudes towards the plug plate 31 relative to the grounding terminal 71, which increases the shielding range of the side plate 74 in the vertical direction, thereby enhancing the shielding effect. In this embodiment, the electrical connector 100 includes two rows of terminals, wherein the grounding contact section 711 and signal contact section 51 of one row of terminals protrude from the upper surface of the plug plate 31, and the grounding contact section 711 and signal contact section 51 of the other row of terminals protrude from the lower surface of the plug plate 31. In other embodiments, the electrical connector 100 may have only one row of terminals.

[0042] like Figures 5 to 7In this embodiment, each grounding terminal 71 extends integrally with the plug-in plate in the vertical direction Z to form two side plates 74. A portion of the side plate 74 is located between the signal transition section 52 and the ground contact portion 711, and another portion of the side plate 74 is located between the signal contact portion 51 and the ground contact portion 711. Of course, in other embodiments, the side plate 74 may only be located between the signal transition section 52 and the grounding terminal 71, that is, the side plate 74 may not extend beyond the signal transition section 52 in the front-back direction Y. In other embodiments, each grounding terminal 71 may only extend to form one side plate 74, or, as long as the electrical conduction between the grounding terminal 71 and the side plate 74 is ensured, the grounding terminal 71 and the side plate 74 may also be separately arranged. Viewed from the vertical direction Z, the grounding terminal 71 is located between the two differential signal pairs 60, and the loss component 90 is located between the two differential signal pairs 60. Grounding terminal 71 and differential signal pair 60 are arranged along the left-right direction X and housed in insulating body 30. Side plate 74 is located beside differential signal pair 60 to increase metal shielding and reduce crosstalk between adjacent differential signal pairs 60. Two signal transition sections 52 of the same differential signal pair 60 have impedance high points. Tight coupling between the two signal transition sections 52 of the differential signal pair 60 reduces the impedance at these points to achieve impedance matching. Along the left-right direction X, the two surfaces of side plate 74 are opposite each other, and the projection of side plate 74 overlaps with the projection of signal transition section 52, i.e., side plate 74 is located beside signal transition section 52. Tight coupling between the two signal transition sections 52 in the same differential signal pair 60 can reduce crosstalk between the two signal terminals 50 of the same differential signal pair 60. However, the energy radiated outward by the two signal transition sections 52 can interfere with other differential signal pairs 60. When the side plate 74 is located beside the signal transition section 52, the side plate 74 can reflect this energy, so that the energy will not affect the surrounding differential signal pairs 60. This reduces crosstalk and is beneficial for meeting high-frequency requirements. In this embodiment, only a portion of the side plate 74 is located beside the signal transition section 52. In other embodiments, if it is only necessary to reduce crosstalk around the signal transition section 52, i.e., to reduce crosstalk in the tightly coupled region of the differential signal pair 60, the side plate 74 can also be located entirely beside the signal transition section 52.

[0043] like Figure 6In this embodiment, along the left-right direction X, the side plate 74 is not located on either side of the signal soldering section 53. That is, in the front-back direction Y, the side plate 74 does not extend to the signal soldering section 53 of the grounding terminal 71. This is because the signal soldering section 53 will be soldered to the exposed conductor of the cable 20. The location of the signal soldering section 53 contains solder, which generally contains metal. The signal soldering section 53 of the signal terminal 50 has a low impedance due to the presence of solder and the exposed conductor of the cable 20. Since the side plate 74 is made of metal, extending the side plate 74 to the side of the signal soldering section 53 would increase the metal adjacent to the signal terminal 50, resulting in even lower impedance, which is not conducive to impedance matching. At the same time, the grounding soldering section 712 will also be soldered to the exposed conductor of the cable 20, and the impedance of the grounding soldering section 712 is also low. To achieve impedance matching, the side plate 74 does not extend to the side of the signal soldering section 53. Specifically, in this embodiment, viewed from the top-bottom direction Z, the side plate 74 is not located between the signal soldering section 53 and the grounding soldering section 712. In other embodiments, as long as impedance matching can be achieved and signal integrity is not affected, the side plate 74 may also extend to the signal soldering section 53. In addition, in other embodiments, the signal soldering section 53 of the grounding terminal 71 may not be soldered to the cable 20, as long as the signal soldering section 53 can achieve electrical conduction with other electrical components.

[0044] like Figure 5 In this embodiment, the lossy component 90 is housed in the plug-in plate 31. Along the vertical direction Z, the projection of the lossy component overlaps with the projection of the grounding terminal 71. Specifically, the grounding terminal 71 is located above the lossy component 90 and in contact with it. The free ends of the two side plates 74 respectively contact the shielding component 80. The two side plates 74 are located on the left and right sides of the lossy component 90 and respectively contact it. The noise on the grounding assembly 70 is conducted through the grounding terminal 71 and is mainly concentrated on the two side plates 74. The side plates 74 are in contact with the lossy component 90, and since the lossy component 90 is formed of a lossy dielectric material, the noise on the side plates 74 can be absorbed by the lossy component 90, thereby achieving zero potential of the grounding assembly 70 to reduce crosstalk and meet high-frequency requirements. In this embodiment, the grounding terminal 71 is located above the lossy component 90, and the two side plates 74 are located on the left and right sides of the lossy component 90. The grounding terminal 71 and the two side plates 74 surround the lossy component 90 on three sides, blocking noise from scattering outward and reducing its influence range. At the same time, the lossy component 90 has an absorption effect on noise to reduce crosstalk. To ensure the zero potential of the grounding component 70, the free end of the side plate 74 contacts the shield 80, increasing the grounding path. This allows noise on the side plate 74 to be both conducted to the shield 80 for grounding and absorbed by the lossy component 90, thus meeting high-frequency requirements.

[0045] In other embodiments, after the conditions are met that the grounding terminal 71 in the vertical direction contacts the loss element 90 and the side plate 74 in the horizontal direction contacts the loss element 90, the side plate 74 may not contact the shield 80. That is, if the height of the side plate 74 in the vertical direction is less than the height of the loss element 90 located above the shield 80, the side plate 74 may also achieve conduction with the shield 80 by contacting the loss element 90.

[0046] like Figure 6 Along the left-right direction X, the projection of side plate 74 overlaps with the projection of lossy element 90. To reduce signal interference, lossy element 90 is added, positioned between ground terminal 71 and shield 80, with ground terminal 71 above lossy element 90 and two side plates 74 on the left and right sides of lossy element 90. Some noise is attenuated in lossy element 90, while some noise is still scattered outwards. Because ground terminal 71 and side plates 74 act as shields above and on the left and right sides of lossy element 90 respectively, the outwardly scattered noise can be shielded by side plates 74, reducing the range affected by outward noise scattering. It should be noted that lossy element 90 is formed of a lossy dielectric material. Lossy element 90 mainly achieves shielding by absorbing energy, and the small gap between lossy element 90 and side plates 74 can also absorb noise on side plates 74.

[0047] like Figure 2 and Figure 7 In this embodiment, each grounding terminal 71 is integrally bent and extended along the front-rear direction Y to form two connecting portions 72. Specifically, the front end of each grounding terminal 71 is bent towards the plug-in plate 31 to form a connecting portion 72, and the rear end of each grounding terminal 71 is bent towards the plug-in plate 31 to form a connecting portion 72. The connecting portions 72 located on the front side of the grounding terminal 71 are connected together in series by a bridging member 73, and the connecting portions 72 located on the rear side of the grounding terminal 71 are connected together in series by another identical bridging member 73. The bridging member 73 connects the grounding terminals 71 in series to ground, reducing signal residual effects, i.e., reducing crosstalk, and facilitating signal transmission integrity. In other embodiments, each grounding terminal 71 may have only one connecting portion 72 along the front-rear direction Y, and this connecting portion 72 may be located on the front side or the rear side of the grounding terminal 71.

[0048] like Figure 3An insulating member 41 is provided in front of the loss member 90 in the front-rear direction Y, that is, an insulating member 41 is provided between the connecting portion 72 on the front side of each grounding terminal 71 and the loss member 90; in the vertical direction Z, the insulating member 41 is located between the shield member 80 and the grounding terminal 71 and abuts against the grounding terminal 71, and the insulating member 41 provides support for the grounding terminal 71; in the horizontal direction X, the projection of the insulating member 41 at least partially overlaps with the projection of the side plate 74. In this embodiment, adjacent insulating members 41 are connected together for ease of molding; in other embodiments, the insulating members 41 can be set independently.

[0049] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 Along the vertical direction Z, the lossy component 90 is located between the grounding terminal 71 and the shielding component 80. In this embodiment, the lossy component 90 is embedded in the upper and lower surfaces of the shielding component 80. In other embodiments, the installation method between the shielding component 80 and the lossy component 90 is not limited to injection molding, assembly, etc., as long as electrical conduction between the shielding component 80 and the lossy component 90 can be achieved. For example, the lossy component 90 can be glued to the shielding component 80 with conductive adhesive. Along the vertical direction Z, the lossy component 90 includes a first part 91 that contacts the shielding component 80 and a second part 92 that is connected to the first part 91. The first part 91 is located between the second part 92 and the shielding component 80. Along the horizontal direction X, the first part 91 contacts the side plate 74, and the second part 92 does not contact the side plate 74. Noise on the grounding terminal 71 is conducted through the side plate 74. In the vertical direction Z, there is an edge effect on the side of the side plate 74 away from the grounding terminal 71, causing noise to concentrate there. In the horizontal direction X, the first part 91 of the loss element 90 contacts the side plate 74 to absorb noise. The unabsorbed part can also be grounded through the path of side plate 74-loss element 90-shield element 80 in the vertical direction Z, thereby reducing crosstalk. At the same time, because the noise on the grounding assembly 70 is concentrated on the side of the side plate 74 away from the grounding terminal 71, the second part 92 of the loss element 90 does not contact the side plate 74 in the horizontal direction, which also achieves the effect of reducing crosstalk.

[0050] like Figures 2 to 3Along the vertical direction Z, the second part 92 contacts the grounding terminal 71, and a groove 923 is provided between the second part 92 and the grounding terminal 71. In other embodiments, multiple grooves 923 may be provided or no groove 923 may be provided. The groove 923 between the second part 92 and the grounding terminal 71 creates a gap between the grounding terminal 71 and the second part 92, so that the grounding terminal 71 and the second part 92 do not contact each other at the location of the groove 923. The groove 923 is provided to reduce energy loss on the side of the side plate 74 near the grounding terminal 71. Air is a zero-loss medium, while lossy components are formed of lossy dielectric materials. Lossy dielectrics will lose all signals; they are not selective and only lose noise. Therefore, contacting the lossy component on the side of the side plate 74 away from the grounding terminal 71 can reduce crosstalk. The groove 923 is provided on the side of the side plate 74 near the grounding terminal 71, and air is contained in the groove 923 to reduce signal loss in this area. In this way, the energy absorption characteristics of the lossy component 90 can be utilized to absorb noise, without affecting signal integrity due to the lossy component 90 absorbing too much energy.

[0051] like Figure 6 In the front-rear direction Y, the front end of the side plate 74 extends forward beyond the front end of the loss component 90, the front end of the loss component 90 extends forward beyond the front end of the signal terminal 50, and the rear end of the side plate 74 extends rearward beyond the rear end of the loss component 90. The front end of the signal terminal 50 scatters a lot of electromagnetic waves and interference signals outward. Ideally, the front end of the loss component 90 should be flush with the front end of the signal terminal 50 to reduce signal concentration at the front end of the signal terminal 50 and reduce crosstalk. The front end of the loss component 90 extending forward beyond the front end of the signal terminal 50 can absorb more electromagnetic waves and interference signals, reducing crosstalk around the front end of the signal terminal 50. The front end of the side plate 74 extending beyond the front end of the loss component 90 can reduce far-end crosstalk. In this embodiment, in the front-rear direction Y, the front end of the loss component 90 is located between the front end of the signal terminal 50 and the front end of the side plate 74. In other embodiments, the front end of the loss component 90 may be flush with the front end of the signal terminal 50.

[0052] Along the Y-direction, the distance between the front end face of the side plate 74 and the front end face of the signal terminal 50 is greater than or equal to the distance between the front end face of the side plate 74 and the front end face of the grounding terminal 71. Because the signal at the front end of the signal terminal 50 is concentrated, the side plate 74 extends forward beyond the front end face of the signal terminal 50 to shield the interference signal at the front end of the signal terminal 50, thereby reducing crosstalk. The greater the distance between the front end face of the side plate 74 and the front end face of the signal terminal 50, the more energy radiated outward from the signal terminal 50 can be shielded by the side plate 74. A gap exists between the front end face of the grounding terminal 71 and the front end face of the side plate 74 to allow for processing space, facilitating the punching and bending of the plate surface where the grounding terminal 71 is located to form the side plate 74; therefore, this gap does not need to be too large. To improve high-frequency performance, in this embodiment, the distance between the front end face of the side plate 74 and the front end face of the signal terminal 50 is greater than the distance between the front end face of the side plate 74 and the front end face of the grounding terminal 71.

[0053] like Figures 8 to 9 This is the second embodiment of the present invention. The loss element 90' in the second embodiment has a different structure from the loss element 90 in the first embodiment, but both are made of conductive plastic. In this embodiment, in the vertical direction Z, the loss element 90' is located between the grounding terminal 71 and the shielding member 80, the side plate 74 contacts the shielding member 80, and there is a gap between the grounding terminal 71 and the loss element 90'. Each grounding terminal 71 extends downward in the horizontal direction X to form two side plates 74. In other embodiments, each grounding terminal 71 can extend downward in the horizontal direction X to form one side plate 74, or, as long as the electrical conduction between the grounding terminal 71 and the side plate 74 is ensured, the grounding terminal 71 and the side plate 74 can also be separately arranged. The grounding terminal 71 and the side plate 74 are assembled with the loss element 90' in the vertical direction Z. Considering manufacturing tolerances and ease of installation, the grounding terminal 71 and the loss element 90' have a gap in the vertical direction Z to ensure that the grounding assembly 70 can be smoothly installed with the loss element 90' and the shield 80, and that the free end of the side plate 74 can contact the shield 80 to achieve electrical conduction. Furthermore, due to the edge effect of the conductor and because the side plate 74 is a metal plate, noise on the grounding terminal 71 is conducted to the side plate 74 and concentrated at the edge of the side plate 74, i.e., at the free end of the side plate 74. The loss element 90' on the shield 80 contacts the side plate 74, allowing the concentrated noise on the side plate 74 to be absorbed by the loss element 90', thereby reducing crosstalk.

[0054] like Figure 8In the front-rear direction Y, an insulating member 41 is provided in front of the loss member 90'. In the vertical direction Z, the insulating member 41 is located between the shield member 80 and the grounding terminal 71 and abuts against the grounding terminal 71. In the left-right direction X, the projection of the insulating member 41 at least partially overlaps with the projection of the side plate 74. When the loss member 90' and the grounding terminal 71 are not in contact, i.e., there is a gap between them in the vertical direction Z, the grounding terminal 71 lacks support and is prone to bending. The insulating member 41 is provided in front of the loss member 90' and abuts against the grounding terminal 71 to provide support for the grounding terminal 71. In this embodiment, adjacent insulating members 41 are connected together for ease of molding. In other embodiments, the insulating members 41 can be set independently.

[0055] like Figure 8 Along the vertical direction Z, the lossy component 90' includes a first part 91' that contacts the shield 80 and a second part 92' connected to the first part 91', with the first part 91' located between the second part 92' and the shield 80. Along the horizontal direction X, the first part 91' contacts the side plate 74, while the second part 92' does not contact the side plate 74. Along the vertical direction Z, the second part 92' contacts the grounding terminal 71, and a groove 923 is provided between the second part 92' and the grounding terminal 71. In other embodiments, multiple grooves 923' may be provided, or no grooves 923' may be provided.

[0056] like Figure 9Furthermore, the second part 92' includes a first surface 921' and at least one second surface 922' connected to the first surface 921'; along the vertical direction Z, there is a first gap S1 between the first surface 921' and the ground terminal 71, and along the horizontal direction X, there is a second gap S2 between the second surface 922' and the side plate 74. The first gap S1 and the second gap S2 are connected, and air is contained in the first gap S1 and the second gap S2 respectively; along the vertical direction Z, the width of the second gap S2 narrows in the direction from the second part 92' to the first part 91'. Because the lossy component 90' is formed of a lossy dielectric material, which will lose all signals, it does not have selectivity and only loses noise. Also, because there is an edge effect on the side of the side plate 74 away from the ground terminal 71, noise is concentrated. Therefore, contacting the lossy component on the side of the side plate 74 away from the ground terminal 71 can achieve the effect of reducing crosstalk. Air is a zero-loss medium. Air is contained on the side of side plate 74 near grounding terminal 71 to reduce signal loss of the lossy component 90' in this area, thus avoiding impact on signal integrity. Furthermore, the second gap S2 in the vertical Z direction prevents interference between the grounding terminal 71 and the lossy component 90' during installation, thus avoiding damage to both and extending the lifespan of the electrical connector 100. Because the lossy component 90' can absorb noise without contacting side plate 74, the narrowing of the second gap S2 (i.e., the shortening of the distance between the second surface 922' of the second part 92' and side plate 74) makes the second part 92' more effective at absorbing noise. Since noise on side plate 74 is mainly concentrated on the side away from grounding terminal 71, the narrowing of the second gap S2 in the direction from the second part 92' to the first part 91' facilitates noise absorption by the first part 91' of the lossy component 90'.

[0057] Furthermore, the size of the first gap S1 can be selected according to actual needs, as long as it facilitates the assembly of the grounding component 70 with the loss component 90' and the shielding component 80 and allows air to be contained within the first gap S1. In this embodiment, the height of the second gap S2 in the vertical direction Z, i.e., the distance between the upper surface of the second part 92' and the lower surface of the grounding terminal 71, does not exceed 20mm; in other embodiments, as long as the first part 91' can contact the side plate 74 to absorb noise, the height of the second gap S2 in the vertical direction Z can be freely selected.

[0058] In addition, the inventors of this application conducted simulation analysis on two electrical connector models. The variable for both electrical connector models is whether a side plate 74 is provided on the side of the transition section 52. Both electrical connector models have a loss component 90. The first electrical connector model does not have a side plate 74, and its simulation results are shown in the figure below. Figure 10 The second type of electrical connector model has a side plate 74, and its simulation results are shown in [link to simulation results]. Figure 11 In addition, the diagonal lines in each simulation result graph are the PCIE 6.0 standard lines for far-end crosstalk, to facilitate comparison of whether the far-end crosstalk of each electrical connector model can meet this standard.

[0059] like Figure 10 The figure shows the simulation results of the first electrical connector model on far-extended crosstalk (FEXT). The simulation results show that the FEXT strength in the high-frequency band (around 20 GHz) is below the standard line, indicating few FEXTs. However, the FEXT strength in the mid-to-low frequency band (0-15 GHz) is above the standard line, indicating many FEXTs. Figure 11 The figure shows the simulation results of the impact of the second electrical connector model on far crosstalk (FEXT). The second electrical connector model is the one used in the first embodiment. The simulation results show that the far crosstalk is close to the standard line across the entire frequency band, therefore this model is more effective in reducing far crosstalk.

[0060] It should be noted that the relative division of frequency bands into low-frequency, mid-frequency, and high-frequency bands in the same result graph does not mean that the boundary between low-frequency, mid-frequency, and high-frequency bands is 15GHz and 20GHz.

[0061] In summary, the electrical connector 100 of the present invention has the following effects:

[0062] (1) By designing the grounding terminal 71 to be electrically connected to the side plate 74, and viewing from the vertical direction Z, the side plate 74 is located between the grounding terminal 71 and the differential signal pair 60. Along the horizontal direction X, the two surfaces of the side plate 74 are opposite each other, and the projection of the side plate 74 overlaps with the projection of the signal transition section 52. This design adds shielding to the side of the signal transition section 52, reducing the impact of the energy radiated outward from the signal transition section 52 on other differential signal pairs 60, thereby reducing crosstalk and meeting high-frequency requirements. Furthermore, the first spacing W1 is greater than the second spacing W2, and the second spacing W2 is the minimum spacing between the two signal terminals 50 within the differential signal pair 60. This ensures tight coupling between the two signal transition sections 52 of the same differential signal pair 60, reducing crosstalk between the two signal terminals 50 of the same differential signal pair 60 and meeting high-frequency requirements.

[0063] (2) To reduce far-end crosstalk, the side plate 74 shields the interference signals scattered outward from the adjacent signal terminals 50. The projection of the loss element 90 in the vertical direction Z overlaps with the projection of the ground terminal 71, and the projection of the side plate 74 in the horizontal direction X overlaps with the projection of the loss element 90. This causes some noise to be lost in the loss element 90, while some noise is still scattered outward. The ground terminal 71 and the side plate 74 play a shielding role on either the vertical or horizontal side of the loss element 90, respectively. The part of noise that is scattered outward can be shielded by the side plate 74, thereby reducing both the influence range of the interference signal and the far-end crosstalk.

[0064] (3) The lossy component 90 is located between the grounding terminal 71 and the shielding component 80 and is in contact with the grounding terminal 71. The free ends of the two side plates 74 are in contact with the shielding component 80 respectively. The two side plates 74 are located on the left and right sides of the lossy component 90 respectively and are in contact with the lossy component 90. The noise on the grounding assembly 70 is conducted through the grounding terminal 71 and is mainly concentrated on the two side plates 74. The side plates 74 are in contact with the lossy component 90. Since the lossy component 90 is made of a lossy dielectric material, the noise on the side plates 74 can be absorbed by the lossy component 90, thereby achieving zero potential of the grounding assembly 70 to reduce crosstalk and meet high-frequency requirements. The grounding terminal 71 and the two side plates 74 surround the lossy component 90 on three sides, blocking the outward scattering of noise and reducing its influence range. At the same time, the lossy component 90 has an absorption effect on noise to reduce crosstalk. To ensure the zero potential of the grounding component 70, the free end of the side plate 74 contacts the shield 80, increasing the grounding path. This allows noise on the side plate 74 to be conducted to the shield 80 for grounding and also absorbed by the lossy component 90, thus meeting high-frequency requirements.

[0065] (4) Along the vertical direction Z, the second part 92 contacts the grounding terminal 71, and a groove 923 is provided between the second part 92 and the grounding terminal 71. The groove 923 is provided to reduce energy loss on the side of the side plate 74 near the grounding terminal 71. Air is a zero-loss medium, while the lossy component is formed of a lossy dielectric material. The lossy dielectric will lose all signals and is not selective, only losing noise. Therefore, contacting the lossy component on the side of the side plate 74 away from the grounding terminal 71 can reduce crosstalk. The groove 923 is provided on the side of the side plate 74 near the grounding terminal 71, and air is contained in the groove 923 to reduce signal loss in this area. In this way, the energy absorption characteristics of the lossy component 90 can be used to absorb noise, and the signal integrity will not be affected by the lossy component 90 absorbing too much energy.

[0066] (5) In the front-rear direction Y, the front end of the side plate 74 extends forward beyond the front end of the loss component 90, the front end of the loss component 90 extends forward beyond the front end of the signal terminal 50, and the rear end of the side plate 74 extends backward beyond the rear end of the loss component 90. The front end of the signal terminal 50 scatters a lot of electromagnetic waves and interference signals outward. Ideally, the front end of the loss component 90 should be flush with the front end of the signal terminal 50 to reduce signal concentration at the front end of the signal terminal 50 and reduce crosstalk. The front end of the loss component 90 extending forward beyond the front end of the signal terminal 50 can absorb more electromagnetic waves and interference signals, reducing crosstalk around the front end of the signal terminal 50. The front end of the side plate 74 extending beyond the front end of the loss component 90 can reduce far-end crosstalk.

[0067] (6) Along the vertical direction Z, there is a first gap S1 between the first surface 921' and the grounding terminal 71. Along the horizontal direction X, there is a second gap S2 between the second surface 922' and the side plate 74. The first gap S1 and the second gap S2 are connected, and air is contained in the first gap S1 and the second gap S2 respectively. Along the vertical direction Z, the width of the second gap S2 narrows in the direction from the second part 92' to the first part 91'. The loss component 90' can absorb noise without contacting the side plate 74. The narrowing of the second gap S2 means that the distance between the second surface 922' of the second part 92' and the side plate 74 is shortened, making it easier for the second part 92' to absorb noise. The noise on the side plate 74 is mainly concentrated on the side of the side plate 74 away from the grounding terminal 71. The narrowing of the width of the second gap S2 in the direction from the second part 92' to the first part 91' is conducive to the absorption of noise by the first part 91' of the auxiliary loss component 90'.

[0068] The above detailed description is only an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made using the content of this invention's specification and illustrations are included within the patent scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that, include: An insulating body having a plug-in plate; Multiple differential signal pairs are housed in an insulating body. Each differential signal pair includes two signal terminals. Each signal terminal includes a signal contact section and a signal transition section extending backward from the signal contact section. There is a first gap between the two signal contact sections of the same differential signal pair and a second gap between the two signal transition sections of the same differential signal pair. The first gap is greater than the second gap, and the second gap is the minimum gap between the two signal terminals within the differential signal pair. At least one grounding terminal and at least one side plate, the side plate being electrically connected to the grounding terminal and at least partially located on the plug plate, the grounding terminal and the differential signal pair being arranged in the left-right direction and housed in an insulating body, the side plate being located between the grounding terminal and the differential signal pair when viewed from the top-bottom direction; The grounding terminal includes a grounding contact section. In the vertical direction, both the grounding contact section and the signal contact section protrude from the same surface of the plug-in plate, and the free end of the side plate protrudes toward the plug-in plate relative to the grounding terminal. Along the left-right direction, the two surfaces of the side plate are opposite each other and the projection of the side plate overlaps with the projection of the signal transition section.

2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a shield and a loss component housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the loss component is located between the grounding terminal and the shield and has a gap with the grounding terminal, and the side plate contacts the shield; in the horizontal direction, the side plate contacts the loss component.

3. The electrical connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Along the front-back direction, an insulating element is provided in front of the loss element; along the up-down direction, the insulating element is located between the shield and the grounding terminal and abuts against the grounding terminal; along the left-right direction, the projection of the loss element and the projection of the side plate at least partially overlap, and the projection of the insulating element and the projection of the side plate at least partially overlap.

4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a shield and a loss element housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the loss element is located between the grounding terminal and the shield, and the grounding terminal contacts the loss element. In the horizontal direction, the side plate contacts the loss element.

5. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a lossy component housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the projection of the lossy component overlaps with the projection of the grounding terminal. In the horizontal direction, the projection of the side plate overlaps with the projection of the lossy component.

6. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes a consumable component housed in a plug-in board. In the vertical direction, the projection of the consumable component overlaps with the projection of the grounding terminal. In the front-rear direction, the front end of the side plate extends forward beyond the front end of the consumable component, the front end of the consumable component extends forward beyond the front end of the signal terminal or is flush with the front end of the signal terminal, and the rear end of the side plate extends backward beyond the rear end of the consumable component.

7. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes a lossy component housed in a plug-in board. In the vertical direction, the projection of the lossy component overlaps with the projection of the grounding terminal. In the front-back direction, the front end face of the lossy component is located between the front end face of the signal terminal and the front end face of the side plate.

8. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, Along the front-to-back direction, the signal transition section includes a first section exposed to the air and a second section covered by an insulating body, the width of the second section being smaller than the width of the first section; along the left-to-right direction, the distance between the first section and the side plate is smaller than the distance between the second section and the side plate.

9. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The connector includes two side plates, which are located on the left and right sides of a grounding terminal and are electrically connected to the grounding terminal. It also includes a shield, a loss element, and at least two insulating blocks housed within an insulating body, each insulating block containing a differential signal pair. Viewed from the front-to-back direction, the loss element is located between the two insulating blocks, and the two side plates are located on both sides of the loss element and in contact with it. In the vertical direction, the loss element is located between the grounding terminal and the shield, with a gap between them. Each insulating block includes a first end in contact with a signal terminal and a second end in contact with the shield. In the horizontal direction, adjacent first ends are spaced a first distance apart, and adjacent second ends are spaced a second distance apart, with the first distance being greater than the second distance.

10. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, This includes shielding components and loss components housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the lossy component is located between the grounding terminal and the shielding component, and the lossy component includes a first part that contacts the shielding component and a second part that connects to the first part, with the first part located between the second part and the shielding component; in the horizontal direction, the first part contacts the side plate, and the second part does not contact the side plate.

11. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The second part includes a first surface and at least one second surface connected to the first surface; in the vertical direction, there is a first gap between the first surface and the grounding terminal, and in the horizontal direction, there is a second gap between the second surface and the side plate; the first gap and the second gap are connected, and air is contained in the first gap and the second gap respectively; in the vertical direction, the width of the second gap narrows in the direction from the second part to the first part.

12. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes a shield and a loss element housed within an insulating body. In the vertical direction, the loss element is located between the grounding terminal and the shield. The loss element includes a first part that contacts the shield and a second part that connects to the first part. The first part is located between the second part and the shield. In the horizontal direction, the first part contacts a side plate. In the vertical direction, the second part contacts the grounding terminal, and a groove is provided between the second part and the grounding terminal.

13. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The grounding terminal extends integrally in the vertical direction to form the side plate, and a portion of the side plate is located between the signal contact and the grounding contact.

14. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, Along the front-back direction, the side plate extends forward beyond the front end face of the signal terminal, and the grounding terminal extends forward beyond the side plate. The distance between the front end face of the side plate and the front end face of the signal terminal is greater than or equal to the distance between the front end face of the side plate and the front end of the grounding terminal. The front end of the grounding terminal is bent toward the plug plate to form a connection part.

Images