Terminal module and electrical connector having the same

Abstract

The application discloses a terminal module and an electric connector with the same. The terminal module comprises a plurality of terminals arranged in a row along a first direction, an insulating member for holding the terminals, and a metal sheet arranged on one side of the terminals. The terminals comprise contact portions for mating with a mating connector and tail portions arranged apart from the contact portions. The metal sheet is electrically connected with some of the terminals. The metal sheet is integrally formed with at least one of the contact portions and the tail portions of the some of the terminals, and is welded with the other of the contact portions and the tail portions of the some of the terminals. The terminal module and the electric connector with the same are beneficial to improving the stability of high-speed signal transmission.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a terminal module and an electrical connector having the terminal module, and more particularly to a terminal module for transmitting high-speed signals and an electrical connector having the terminal module. [Background Technology]

[0002] High-speed signal transmission can easily cause resonance in the transmission line. Resonance can lead to signal reflection and standing wave formation, which may cause signal integrity problems, such as overshoot, undershoot, or ringing, all of which affect signal stability.

[0003] U.S. Patent Application No. US20220352675A1 discloses a terminal assembly having a corrugated plate that may be disposed on the top surface, bottom surface, or both of the terminal assembly. The corrugated plate is electrically coupled to a grounding conductor and may be made of a conductive material or a lossy material.

[0004] US Patent No. 11322869B2 discloses a terminal module for an electrical connector. The terminal module includes a terminal block comprising signal terminals and ground terminals. Each terminal includes a mating cantilever portion and a tail portion, a front retainer for fixing the mating cantilever portion, a rear retainer for fixing the tail portion, and a ground bridge extending between each ground terminal to ground the ground terminals. The ground bridge is integrally formed with the ground terminals and includes a plate located in the middle portion. The plate of the ground bridge extends across the middle portion of the signal terminal, i.e., parallel to and spaced from the middle portion of the signal terminal, and closely close to the signal terminal, for resonant control of signal transmission by the signal terminal.

[0005] In the aforementioned cases, there is room for improvement in the stability of high-speed signal transmission of electrical connectors. Therefore, an improved electrical connector is needed to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide an improved terminal module that can effectively improve resonance phenomena and enhance the stability of high-speed signal transmission.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention can adopt the following technical solution: a terminal module, which can be used in an electrical connector, the terminal module comprising a plurality of terminals spaced apart along a first direction, an insulating member for holding the terminals, and a metal sheet disposed on one side of the terminals, the terminals comprising a contact portion for mating with a connector and a tail portion spaced apart from the contact portion, the metal sheet being electrically connected to a portion of the terminals in the terminal module, the metal sheet being integrally formed with at least one of the contact portion and the tail portion of the terminals, and the metal sheet being welded to at least another of the contact portion and the tail portion of the terminals.

[0008] Another major objective of this invention is to provide an improved electrical connector that exhibits better stability in high-speed signal transmission.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention can adopt the following technical solution: an electrical connector that can be used to mate with a mating connector, the electrical connector including a terminal module, the terminal module including a first terminal assembly and a second terminal assembly, the first terminal assembly and the second terminal assembly together forming a mating area to mate with the mating electrical connector, the first terminal assembly and the second terminal assembly each including a plurality of signal pairs arranged at intervals along a first direction, an insulating member holding the row of signal pairs, and a metal sheet disposed on one side of the row of signal pairs, the row of signal pairs including a signal pair contact portion mates with a mating connector, and a signal pair tail portion spaced apart from the signal pair contact portion, the row of signal pairs further including a plurality of grounding contacts arranged in a row with the signal pair contacts, the metal sheet integrally provided with a plurality of grounding tail portions, the grounding tail portions arranged in a row with the signal pair tail portions, and the metal sheet welded to the grounding contacts.

[0010] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: the terminal module and the electrical connector with the terminal in the present invention are connected to a portion of the terminals in the row of terminals through a whole metal sheet, which can effectively improve the resonance phenomenon and help improve the stability of signal transmission. [Attached Image Description]

[0011] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an electrical connector conforming to the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the terminal module conforming to the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the terminal module shown from another angle.

[0014] Figure 4 yes Figure 2Side view of the terminal module shown.

[0015] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A further exploded view of the terminal module shown.

[0016] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An exploded view of the first terminal assembly of the terminal module shown.

[0017] [Explanation of Key Component Symbols]

[0018] Terminal module 500 First terminal assembly 100

[0019] A row of terminals 110 and contact portion 111

[0020] Tail end 112 Signal pair contact 1111

[0021] Grounding contact 1112 Signal pair tail 1121

[0022] Grounding tail section 1122 Bypass contact section 1113

[0023] Bypass tail section 1123 Bypass connection section 1133

[0024] Signal connection part 1131 Horizontal part 141

[0025] Vertical part 142 Inclined part 143

[0026] Signal terminal 1101 Bypass terminal 1102

[0027] First insulating component 121 Second insulating component 122

[0028] Third insulating component 123, protrusion 124

[0029] Notch 125, metal sheet 130, 230

[0030] Grounding finger 131 Through hole 1312

[0031] Covering part 1313 Rear extension part 1314

[0032] Positioning hole 135 electrical connector 1000

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0033] Please see Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the terminal module 500 conforms to the present invention. The connector having the terminal module 500 can be a socket connector mounted on a circuit board, or a plug connector or socket connector connected to a cable. Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector 1000 having a terminal module 500 in this embodiment.

[0034] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the terminal module 500 includes a first terminal assembly 100 and a second terminal assembly 200, which together form a mating area to mate with a mating connector. Specifically, the first terminal assembly 100 includes a plurality of terminals 110 arranged at intervals along a first direction, an insulating member 120 for holding the row of terminals 110, and a metal sheet 130 disposed on one side of the row of terminals 110.

[0035] like Figures 5 to 6 As shown, the row of terminals 110 includes contact portions 111 that can mate with a mating connector, and tail portions 112 that are spaced apart from the contact portions 111 and arranged at intervals along the first direction. The contact portions 111 include signal pair contact portions 1111 for transmitting differential signals, and ground contact portions 1112 disposed on both sides of the signal pair contact portions 1111 for transmitting ground signals. The tail portions 112 include signal pair tail portions 1121 for transmitting differential signals and ground tail portions 1122 disposed on both sides of the signal pair tail portions 1121 for transmitting ground signals. Further, the contact portions 111 include a plurality of bypass contact portions 1113 for transmitting other signals such as low-speed, power, and control signals. The tail portions 112 include bypass tail portions 1123 corresponding to the plurality of bypass contact portions 1113 for transmitting other signals such as low-speed, power, and control signals. The first terminal assembly 100 further includes a bypass connection portion 1133 connecting the corresponding bypass contact portion 1113 and the bypass tail portion 1123, and a signal pair connection portion 1131 connecting the signal pair contact portion 1111 and the signal pair tail portion 1121. Both the signal pair connection portion 1131 and the bypass connection portion 1133 include a horizontal portion 141 connected to the corresponding contact portion, a vertical portion 142 connected to the corresponding tail portion, and an inclined portion 143 connecting the horizontal portion 141 and the vertical portion 142. The signal pair connection portion 1131 connects the signal pair contact portion 1111 and the signal pair tail portion 1121 to form a signal pair terminal 1101. The bypass connection portion 1133 connects the bypass contact portion 1113 and the bypass tail portion 1123 to form a bypass terminal 1102. In this invention, the row of terminals 110 includes eight pairs of signal terminals 1101 and four bypass terminals 1102. The eight pairs of signal terminals 1101 are evenly divided into two groups, respectively disposed on both sides of the four bypass terminals 1102. In other embodiments, the number of signal terminals 1101 can be designed to be no less than one pair, and the number of bypass terminals 1102 can be increased or decreased, or even eliminated, according to specific needs.

[0036] like Figure 6 As shown, the metal sheet 130 is a sheet-like metal plate, extended and bent according to the shape of the row of terminals 110. In this embodiment, a plurality of grounding tails 1122 are integrally formed on the metal sheet 130, and a plurality of grounding fingers 131 are provided at one end of the metal sheet 130 near the grounding contact 1112, which are welded to the grounding contact 1112. The plurality of grounding fingers 131 are arranged in a row and spot-welded to the grounding contact 1112 one-to-one. In other embodiments, a plurality of grounding contacts 1112 can also be integrally formed on the metal sheet 130, and a plurality of grounding fingers 131 can be provided at one end of the metal sheet 130 near the grounding tails 1122, which are spot-welded to the grounding tails 1122 one-to-one. Compared with the traditional signal terminals and ground terminals being arranged in a GSSG configuration, the design of the entire metal sheet and signal terminal arrangement can effectively improve the resonance phenomenon.

[0037] The dimensions of the metal sheet 130 in the first direction are all greater than or equal to the outermost dimensions of the contact portion 111 and the tail portion 112 in the first direction. That is, the metal sheet 130 can cover the entire first terminal assembly 100 in the first direction, providing good shielding. Each metal sheet 130 has a plurality of elongated through holes 1312 for airflow, and cover portions 1313 located adjacent to the through holes 1312. Each cover portion 1313 is aligned with each pair of signal pair connections 1131, and the width of the cover portion 1313 in the first direction is greater than the width of the signal pair connection 1131, continuously and uninterruptedly covering the signal pair connection 1131 in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The metal sheet 130 also includes a suspension feature for impedance control, such as a rear extension 1314 located between every two ground tail portions 1122.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, the insulating member 120 includes a first insulating member 121 disposed at the horizontal portion 141, a second insulating member 122 disposed at the vertical portion 142, and a third insulating member 123 disposed at the inclined portion 143. The first insulating member 121, the second insulating member 122, and the third insulating member 123 are each provided with a plurality of protrusions 124, and the metal sheet 130 is provided with a plurality of positioning holes 135 that cooperate and fix with the protrusions 124. The protrusions 124 on the first insulating member 121 are provided with recesses 125 on both sides, and the grounding finger 131 of the metal sheet 130 extends downward through the recesses 125 and is spot-welded to the corresponding grounding contact portion 1112.

[0039] The structure of the second terminal assembly 200 is similar to that of the first terminal assembly 100, with the main difference being that it is relatively shorter and the orientation of its protruding contact portion is opposite to that of the first terminal assembly. The metal sheet 230 is disposed on the side close to the first terminal assembly 100, that is, the metal sheet 230 is disposed between the first terminal assembly 100 and the second terminal assembly 200. Other structures are almost identical to those of the first terminal assembly 100, and therefore will not be described further.

[0040] However, it is understood that although many features and advantages of the invention have been mentioned in the foregoing description, including some structural and functional details, this disclosure is illustrative and many details may be changed, especially in terms of the shape, size and arrangement of components within the scope of the principles as indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A terminal module for use in an electrical connector, the terminal module comprising a plurality of terminals spaced apart along a first direction, an insulating member holding the terminals, and a metal plate disposed on one side of the terminals, the terminals comprising a contact portion for mating with a connector and a tail portion spaced apart from the contact portion, the metal plate being electrically connected to a portion of the terminals in the terminal row, characterized in that: The metal sheet is integrally formed with at least one of the contact portion and the tail portion of the partial terminal, and the metal sheet is welded to at least another of the contact portion and the tail portion of the partial terminal.

2. The terminal module as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The contact portion includes a signal pair contact portion for transmitting differential signals and a ground contact portion for transmitting ground signals disposed on both sides of the signal pair contact portion. The tail portion includes a signal pair tail portion for transmitting differential signals and a ground tail portion for transmitting ground signals disposed on both sides of the signal pair tail portion. The row of terminals further includes a signal pair connection portion connecting the signal pair contact portion and the signal pair tail portion. The metal sheet is integrally formed with the ground tail portion and is welded to the ground contact portion.

3. The terminal module as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The metal sheet is provided with multiple grounding fingers that are welded to the grounding contact portion.

4. The terminal module as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The dimensions of the metal sheet in the first direction are all greater than or equal to the outermost dimensions of the contact portion and the tail portion in the first direction.

5. The terminal module as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The metal sheet has a plurality of through holes for air circulation and a cover portion located between adjacent through holes. Each cover portion is aligned with each pair of signal pair connections, and the width of the cover portion in the first direction is greater than the width of the signal pair connection portion.

6. The terminal module as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The covering portion continuously and uninterruptedly covers the signal pair connection portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

7. The terminal module as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The insulating component includes a first insulating component that holds the contact portion of the signal pair, a second insulating component that holds the tail portion of the signal pair, and a third insulating component that holds the connecting portion of the signal pair. The first insulating component, the second insulating component, and the third insulating component are provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the metal sheet is provided with a plurality of through holes that cooperate with and are fixed to the protrusions.

8. The terminal module as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal sheet is integrally formed with the contact portion of the partial terminal and is mechanically and electrically connected to the tail of the partial terminal.

9. An electrical connector for mating with a mating connector, the electrical connector comprising a terminal module, the terminal module comprising a first terminal assembly and a second terminal assembly, the first terminal assembly and the second terminal assembly together forming a mating area for mating with the mating electrical connector, the first terminal assembly and the second terminal assembly each comprising a plurality of signal pairs arranged at intervals along a first direction, an insulating member for holding the row of signal pairs, and a metal sheet disposed on one side of the row of signal pairs, the row of signal pairs comprising a signal pair contact portion for mating with a mating connector, and a signal pair tail portion spaced apart from the signal pair contact portion, characterized in that: It further includes multiple grounding contacts arranged in a row with the signal pair contacts, and the metal sheet is integrally provided with multiple grounding tails, the grounding tails are arranged in a row with the signal pair tails, and the metal sheet is welded to the grounding contacts.

10. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The metal sheet is provided with a plurality of grounding fingers that are connected to the grounding contact portion. The grounding fingers are arranged in a row and spot-welded to the grounding contact portion one by one.

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