Terminal assembly, card edge connector and electronic system

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a terminal assembly, a card edge connector and an electronic system. The terminal assembly includes a plurality of terminals arranged in a row parallel to the longitudinal direction and a holder holding the plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals including a plurality of first type terminals and a plurality of second type terminals arranged in a plurality of pairs, the plurality of pairs being dispersed between the plurality of second type terminals. The holder is provided with a plurality of groups of first openings, and the plurality of groups of first openings respectively expose the plurality of second type terminals. The terminal assembly includes a first shield attached to the holder and having a plurality of sets of first projections. The plurality of terminals have a first side and a second side opposite to each other along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first shield is located on the first side of the plurality of terminals, and each of the plurality of groups of first projections extends into a corresponding first opening and electrically contacts a corresponding second type of terminal. Therefore, the signal integrity can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the technical field of electrical connectors, and more particularly, to a terminal assembly that can be used in a compact electrical connector capable of providing high-speed, high-performance transmission. Additionally, the present disclosure also relates to an electrical connector including the terminal assembly and an electronic system including the electrical connector. Background Art

[0002] Connectors are used in many electronic systems. It is generally easier and more cost-effective to fabricate an electronic system on a number of printed circuit boards (PCBs) that are interconnected by connectors than to fabricate the electronic system as a single component. A conventional arrangement for interconnecting a number of PCBs typically uses one PCB as a printed circuit board. Then, other PCBs, referred to as daughter boards or daughter cards, are connected to the printed circuit board by connectors to effect the interconnection of these PCBs.

[0003] Electronic systems have generally become smaller, faster, and more functionally complex. These changes mean that the number of circuits in a given area of an electronic system, along with the frequency of circuit operation, has increased significantly in recent years. Current systems transfer more data between printed circuit boards and require electrical connectors that can transmit signals at higher speeds than electrical connectors of a few years ago.

[0004] One difficulty in manufacturing high-density, high-speed electrical connectors is that the conductors in the electrical connector may be very close together such that there is electrical interference between adjacent signal conductors. To reduce interference and, additionally, to provide desired electrical properties, a shielding member is typically placed between or around adjacent signal conductors. The shielding prevents a signal carried on one conductor from creating "crosstalk" on another conductor. The shielding also affects the impedance of each conductor, which can further contribute to the desired electrical properties. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] To at least partially solve the problems existing in the prior art, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal assembly is provided. The terminal assembly includes: a plurality of terminals arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, the plurality of terminals including a plurality of first-type terminals and a plurality of second-type terminals, the plurality of first-type terminals being arranged in a plurality of pairs, the plurality of pairs being dispersed among the plurality of second-type terminals; a holder on which the plurality of terminals are held, the holder being provided with a plurality of groups of openings respectively exposing the plurality of second-type terminals; and a shielding member attached to the holder, the shielding member having a plurality of groups of protrusions respectively making electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals through the plurality of groups of openings, wherein: the plurality of terminals have a first side and a second side opposite to each other along the transverse direction, the transverse direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the shielding member includes a first shielding member located on the first side of the plurality of terminals, and each group of the plurality of groups of protrusions includes a first protrusion, and each group of the plurality of groups of openings includes a first opening, the first protrusion extending into the corresponding first opening and making electrical contact with the corresponding second-type terminal.

[0006] Exemplarily, each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail opposite to each other along its extending direction, and an intermediate section connected between the mating contact portion and the mounting tail, the intermediate section being held on the holder, the mating contact portion being bent toward the first side, and the first shielding member being located on the side of the intermediate section.

[0007] Exemplarily, the first shielding member further includes a plurality of lugs extending toward the mating contact portion and exceeding the holder, the plurality of lugs being spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of lugs being correspondingly arranged with the plurality of pairs.

[0008] Exemplarily, the first shielding member protrudes from the holder along the direction toward the mounting tail.

[0009] Exemplarily, each group of the plurality of groups of protrusions includes two first protrusions, each group of the plurality of groups of openings includes two first openings, a first rib is formed between the two first openings, the two first protrusions are spaced apart along the extending direction and form a first interval, the first rib is inserted into the first interval, the two first protrusions respectively extend into the two first openings and make electrical contact with the same second-type terminal, and the two first protrusions extend along two opposite directions in the extending direction and respectively extend to the edge of the first shielding member.

[0010] Exemplarily, the contact surface of each protrusion of the plurality of groups of protrusions in contact with the corresponding second-type terminal is flat. For each protrusion of the plurality of groups of protrusions; the protrusion has edges opposite to each other along the extending direction of the plurality of terminals, and the edges are not connected to other parts of the first shielding member, so that the contact surface penetrates the protrusion along the extending direction.

[0011] Exemplarily, each of the multiple groups of openings includes a second opening located in the holding member; and the shielding member further includes a second shielding member located on the second side of the multiple terminals. Each of the multiple groups of protrusions includes a second protrusion that extends into the corresponding second opening and contacts the corresponding second-type terminal.

[0012] Exemplarily, each of the multiple terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail that are opposite to each other along its extending direction, and an intermediate section connected between the mating contact portion and the mounting tail. The intermediate section is held on the holding member. The mating contact portion is bent toward the first side. The second shielding member further includes a second main body and a first extension portion. The second main body has a first edge and a second edge that are opposite to each other along the extending direction. The second protrusion is disposed on the second main body. The first extension portion extends from the first edge along the extending direction to the mating contact portion, and the first extension portion is spaced apart from the mating contact portions of the multiple first-type terminals.

[0013] Exemplarily, the first extension portion includes multiple first sub-extension portions that are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the multiple first sub-extension portions are correspondingly arranged with multiple pairs.

[0014] Exemplarily, each of the multiple first sub-extension portions includes a tongue portion that extends along the extending direction and a bent portion connected between the tongue portion and the second main body. The tongue portion is closer to the multiple first-type terminals than the second main body.

[0015] Exemplarily, the mounting tail is bent toward the second side. The second shielding member further includes a second extension portion that bends from the second edge of the second main body toward the second side to extend to the mounting tail, and the second extension portion is spaced apart from the mounting tails of the multiple first-type terminals.

[0016] Exemplarily, the second extension portion includes multiple second sub-extension portions that are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the multiple second sub-extension portions are correspondingly arranged with multiple pairs.

[0017] Exemplarily, each of the multiple second sub-extension portions has two ends that are oppositely arranged along the longitudinal direction. For each of the multiple second sub-extension portions, the two ends are respectively bent toward the second-type terminals on both sides of the pair of first-type terminals corresponding to the second sub-extension portion.

[0018] Exemplarily, for each of the multiple second-type terminals: a group of first protrusions and a group of second protrusions corresponding to the second-type terminal are staggered along the extending direction of the second-type terminal.

[0019] Exemplarily, the contact surface of the shielding member that is in electrical contact with the multiple second-type terminals is welded to the multiple second-type terminals.

[0020] Exemplarily, the plurality of terminals further includes additional terminals, and the shielding member spans only the plurality of first-type terminals and the plurality of second-type terminals along the longitudinal direction.

[0021] Exemplarily, no other type of terminals is provided between the plurality of first-type terminals and the plurality of second-type terminals.

[0022] Exemplarily, second-type terminals are provided on both sides of each of the plurality of pairs, and the additional terminals are located between adjacent second-type terminals.

[0023] Exemplarily, the additional terminals include a plurality of additional first-type terminals and a plurality of additional second-type terminals. All the first-type terminals and all the second-type terminals are arranged in a repeated pattern according to a predetermined style. A plurality of additional openings are further provided on the holding member, and the plurality of additional openings respectively expose the plurality of additional second-type terminals. The position and / or length of the shielding member on the holding member is configurable to make electrical contact with the corresponding second-type terminal via the target opening, so that the position of the additional terminals among the plurality of terminals is configurable.

[0024] Exemplarily, the center distances between the plurality of terminals are equal. Each of the plurality of groups of additional openings has the same structure as any one of the plurality of groups of openings, and all the groups of openings are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction.

[0025] Exemplarily, for all the first-type terminals and all the second-type terminals, one second-type terminal is provided between any two adjacent pairs of first-type terminals, and one pair of first-type terminals is provided between any two adjacent second-type terminals, so that all the first-type terminals and all the second-type terminals are arranged in a repeated pattern according to a predetermined style.

[0026] Exemplarily, the center distance between the plurality of terminals is less than or equal to 0.8 mm.

[0027] The present disclosure further provides a card-edge connector, including: a housing, the housing includes a plurality of first grooves, a plurality of second grooves and a receiving groove. The plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction. The receiving groove is spaced apart from the plurality of first grooves along the transverse direction, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a terminal assembly, the terminal assembly includes: a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction. The plurality of terminals includes a plurality of first-type terminals extending into the plurality of first grooves and a plurality of second-type terminals extending into the plurality of second grooves. The plurality of first-type terminals are arranged in a plurality of pairs, and the plurality of pairs are dispersed among the plurality of second-type terminals; and a shielding member, the shielding member includes a first extension portion extending into the receiving groove, and the shielding member makes electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals.

[0028] Exemplarily, the housing has a docking surface and a mounting surface that are opposite to each other along the mating direction, the mating direction being perpendicular to the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction. The housing further includes a slot that is recessed inward from the docking surface, the slot being for receiving an additional card. The terminal assembly is disposed on a side of the slot. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail that are opposite to each other along its extending direction, and an intermediate section that is connected between the mating contact portion and the mounting tail. The mating contact portion is bent into the slot, and the mounting tail extends beyond the mounting surface. Along the lateral direction, the intermediate sections of the plurality of terminals are located between the slot and the receiving groove. The first extension extends to the mating contact portions of the plurality of first-type terminals.

[0029] Exemplarily, the terminal assembly further includes a holder, the plurality of terminals being held on the holder, a shielding member being attached to the holder. A plurality of groups of openings are provided on the holder, the plurality of groups of openings respectively exposing the plurality of second-type terminals. The shielding member is in electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals via the plurality of groups of openings. The housing further includes a mounting groove that is recessed inward from the mounting surface, the holder and the shielding member being mounted to the mounting groove.

[0030] Exemplarily, a plurality of first grooves, a plurality of second grooves, and the receiving groove extend from the mounting groove toward the docking surface. The plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves are located on the side walls of the slot. The mating contact portions of the plurality of first-type terminals and the plurality of second-type terminals are respectively bent from the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves into the slot.

[0031] Exemplarily, the plurality of terminals have a first side and a second side that are opposite to each other along the lateral direction, the first side being closer to the slot than the second side; the shielding member includes a second shielding member, the first extension being disposed on the second shielding member, the second shielding member being located on the second side of the plurality of terminals.

[0032] Exemplarily, the mounting tail is bent toward the second side. The second shielding member further includes a second extension that is bent toward the second side to extend to the mounting tail. The second extension is located outside the housing, and along the mating direction, the second extension is located between the housing and the mounting tails of the plurality of terminals.

[0033] Exemplarily, the second extension includes a plurality of second sub-extensions. The plurality of second sub-extensions are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of second sub-extensions are correspondingly arranged with a plurality of pairs. Each of the plurality of second sub-extensions has two ends that are opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction. For each of the plurality of second sub-extensions, its two ends are respectively bent toward the second-type terminals on both sides of the pair of first-type terminals corresponding to the second sub-extension.

[0034] Exemplarily, the shielding member further includes a first shielding member, the first shielding member being located on the first side of the plurality of terminals.

[0035] Exemplarily, the first shielding member is located below the slot, and the first shielding member extends beyond the mounting surface.

[0036] Exemplarily, the first extension portion includes a plurality of first sub-extension portions, the plurality of first sub-extension portions are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of first sub-extension portions are correspondingly arranged in pairs. The receiving groove includes a plurality of sub-receiving grooves, the plurality of sub-receiving grooves are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of first sub-extension portions are respectively inserted into the plurality of sub-receiving grooves.

[0037] Exemplarily, the first extension portion has a first surface facing the plurality of terminals and a second surface opposite to the first surface along the transverse direction. Along the transverse direction, the size of the first extension portion is smaller than the size of the receiving groove, and the root of the first extension portion is bent towards the plurality of terminals, such that the first surface abuts against the groove wall of the receiving groove, and the second surface is spaced apart from the groove wall of the receiving groove.

[0038] Exemplarily, each pair of the plurality of pairs extends into a corresponding first groove.

[0039] The present disclosure also provides an electronic system, including: an additional card having a shielding layer therein and a plurality of contact pads on the surface of the additional card; an electrical connector including a slot, a plurality of terminals and a shielding member, the slot extending along the longitudinal direction, the plurality of terminals being arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction on the side surface of the slot, the additional card being inserted into the slot, and the plurality of contact pads on the additional card being in electrical contact with the plurality of terminals, wherein: the shielding member includes a first shielding member and a second shielding member, the first shielding member and the second shielding member are respectively located on two opposite sides of the plurality of terminals along the transverse direction, the transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the shielding layer and the first shielding member are located on the same side and form an inner shielding for the plurality of terminals, and the second shielding member forms an outer shielding for the plurality of terminals.

[0040] Exemplarily, the plurality of terminals include a plurality of first-type terminals and a plurality of second-type terminals, the plurality of first-type terminals are arranged in a plurality of pairs, the plurality of pairs are dispersed among the plurality of second-type terminals, and both the first shielding member and the second shielding member are in electrical contact with the second-type terminals; the contact pads connected to the plurality of second-type terminals among the plurality of contact pads are electrically connected to the shielding layer.

[0041] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the utility model content, which will be further described in detail in the specific implementation section. The utility model content section does not mean to attempt to define the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor does it mean to attempt to determine the protection scope of the claimed technical solution.

[0042] The following will, with reference to the accompanying drawings, detail the advantages and features of the present disclosure. Description of the Drawings

[0043] The following drawings of the present disclosure are hereby incorporated as part of the present disclosure for understanding the present disclosure. The embodiments and descriptions thereof of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings to explain the principles of the present disclosure. In the drawings,

[0044] Figure 1 A perspective view of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A perspective view of the electronic system shown in, in which the add-on card is separated from the electrical connector;

[0046] Figure 3 An exploded view of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 4 is Figure 3 A side view of the electrical connector shown in;

[0048] Figure 5 is Figure 4 An enlarged partial view of the electrical connector shown in;

[0049] Figure 6 is Figure 3 A transverse cross-sectional view of the electrical connector shown in;

[0050] Figure 7 is Figure 6 A transverse cross-sectional view of the electrical connector with the add-on card connected;

[0051] Figure 8 An inner perspective view of a terminal assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 9 is Figure 8 An inner side view of the terminal assembly shown in;

[0053] Figure 10 is Figure 8 An outer perspective view of the terminal assembly shown in;

[0054] Figure 11 is Figure 10 An outer side view of the terminal assembly shown in;

[0055] Figure 12 is Figure 8 A side view of the terminal assembly shown in;

[0056] Figure 13 is Figure 12 A side exploded view of the terminal assembly shown in;

[0057] Figure 14 is Figure 12 A perspective exploded view of the terminal assembly shown in;

[0058] Figure 15 isFigure 8 An inner perspective view of the terminal and the holder of the terminal assembly shown in

[0059] Figure 16 is Figure 15 An outer perspective view of the terminal and the holder of the terminal assembly shown in

[0060] Figures 17 to 19 are respectively Figure 8 A perspective view and a side view of the first shielding member of the terminal assembly shown in

[0061] Figures 20 to 23 are respectively Figure 8 A perspective view and a side view of the second shielding member of the terminal assembly shown in

[0062] Figure 24 A perspective view of a part of the housing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from above;

[0063] Figure 25 Relative to Figure 24 The terminal assembly is installed;

[0064] Figure 26 is a perspective view of a part of the housing shown in Figure 24 as viewed from below;

[0065] Figure 27 Relative to Figure 26 Only one set of terminal assemblies is installed;

[0066] Figures 28A to 28F Schematic diagrams of products obtained in each step during the processing of the terminal assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure are shown;

[0067] Figures 29A to 29C Schematic diagrams of manufacturing one type of terminal assembly are shown;

[0068] Figures 29D to 29E Schematic diagrams of manufacturing another type of terminal assembly are shown;

[0069] Figure 29F Schematic diagrams of manufacturing yet another type of terminal assembly are shown.

[0070] Among them, the above-mentioned drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0071] 10. Electrical connector; 100. Housing; 101. First groove; 102. Second groove; 103. Receiving groove; 104. Docking surface; 105. Mounting surface; 1051. Positioning post; 106. Mounting groove; 1061. First groove end; 1062. Second groove end; 107. Plate lock; 108. First connecting portion; 109. Second connecting portion; 110. Slot; 111. Reinforcing rib; 200. Terminal assembly; 300. Terminal; 300A. First side; 300B. Second side; 301. Second type terminal; 302. First type terminal; 302a. First terminal pair; 302b. Second terminal pair; 303. Additional terminal; 310. Fitting contact portion; 311. Electrical contact surface; 320. Intermediate section; 330. Mounting tail; 331. Bottom surface; 510. First shield; 511. First body; 512. First protrusion; 513. Lug; 514. First interval; 515. First solder joint; 520. Second shield; 521. Second body; 5211. First edge; 5212. Second edge; 522. Second protrusion; 523. First extension; 5230. First sub-extension; 5231. Tongue; 5232. Bending portion; 5233. First surface; 5234. Second surface; 524. Second extension; 5240. Second sub-extension; 5241, 5242. Two ends of the second sub-extension; 525. Second solder joint; 600. Retaining member; 601. First opening; 602. First rib; 603. Upper edge; 604. Lower edge; 605. Second opening; 710. Terminal fixture; 720. First shielding frame; 721. First V-shaped notch; 730. Second shielding frame; 731. Second V-shaped notch; 910. First electrical component; 911. Contact pad of the first electrical component; 920. Second electrical component; 921. Contact pad of the second electrical component; 922. Shielding layer. Detailed implementation manner

[0072] In the following description, a large number of details are provided to enable a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art can understand that the following description only exemplarily shows the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure can be implemented without one or more of such details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion with the present disclosure, some technical features well known in the art are not described in detail.

[0073] The inventors have recognized and understood a design that can provide a compact, high-density electrical connector, and this high-density electrical connector improves signal transmission quality and reduces crosstalk. It is known that transmitting signals differentially can reduce crosstalk. Differential signals are carried on a pair of conductors called a "differential pair". The voltage difference between the conductors represents the signal. Generally, a differential pair is designed to have preferential coupling between the paired conductors. For example, the two conductive paths of a differential pair can be arranged closer to each other compared to adjacent signal conductors in the connector. Shielding is not desired between the paired conductive paths, but shielding can be used between different differential pairs. To prevent unwanted crosstalk, ground terminals can be used, and the differential pairs and ground terminals can be arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction. For all or part of the electrical connector, the differential pairs can be positioned between two ground terminals. Thus, the two ground terminals can shield the differential pair on both sides. Exemplarily, a shield can also be provided to shield the differential pair on three sides or four sides to reduce crosstalk.

[0074] In some embodiments, a high-density electrical connector can include a plurality of terminal assemblies held in a housing. Each terminal assembly can include a holder and a plurality of terminals held by the holder. The holder can be, for example, an insulating, elongated strip extending along the longitudinal direction. The plurality of terminals can be arranged in columns along the longitudinal direction. The plurality of terminals can include a plurality of first-type terminals and a plurality of second-type terminals. The plurality of first-type terminals are arranged in pairs and are dispersed in pairs between the second-type terminals. Exemplarily, second-type terminals are arranged on both sides of each pair of first-type terminals. The first-type terminals can be used to transmit high-speed signals. A plurality of sets of openings corresponding to expose the plurality of second-type terminals can be provided on each holder. A shield located on the side of the plurality of terminals can also be attached to the holder, and the shield can extend along the longitudinal direction. A plurality of sets of protrusions can be provided on the shield. The plurality of sets of protrusions can be in electrical contact with the corresponding second-type terminals via the plurality of sets of openings respectively. Thus, for each pair of first-type terminals, the surrounding second-type terminals and the shield can form a good shield.

[0075] Furthermore, to improve the shielding effect, the shield can include a first shield and a second shield, and the first shield and the second shield are respectively located on opposite sides of the plurality of terminals along the transverse direction. A plurality of sets of first protrusions are provided on the first shield, and a plurality of sets of second protrusions are provided on the second shield. Each set of openings on the holder can include a first opening and a second opening located on the two sides of the plurality of terminals. The first opening and the second opening in each set expose the same second-type terminal. Thus, the first protrusions on the first shield and the second protrusions on the second shield can be electrically connected to the plurality of second-type terminals via the first opening and the second opening respectively, so as to provide better shielding for each pair of first-type terminals on four sides.

[0076] The housing of an electrical connector is typically provided with a slot for receiving an electrical component (such as a second electrical component). For clarity of description, the opening direction of the slot is defined as upward. The second electrical component is engaged with the electrical connector along the up and down direction. The terminal assembly can be mounted in the housing and is located at the side of the slot. In order to make reliable electrical connection with the contact pads on the second electrical component and to hold the electrical component in place, a plurality of terminals on the terminal assembly can be bent into the slot to apply pressure to the contact pads. Exemplarily, each terminal can include an upper mating contact portion, a lower mounting tail, and an intermediate section connecting the mating contact portion and the mounting tail. The mating contact portion can be bent into the slot along the transverse direction and make electrical contact with the contact pads on the electrical component. The intermediate section can be held on the holder. The mounting tail can extend out of the housing and is used for making electrical contact with another electrical component (such as a first electrical component).

[0077] Exemplarily, a first shielding member can be located inside the plurality of terminals, that is, on the side facing the slot, and a second shielding member can be located outside the plurality of terminals. In order to prevent the first shielding member from being electrically connected to the bent mating contact portion and to avoid interference with the electrical component inserted into the slot, along the mating direction in which the second electrical component is engaged with the electrical connector (which is perpendicular to the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction), the size of the first shielding member is smaller than the size of the second shielding member. Exemplarily, the first shielding member can be located below the slot, and the upper end of the first shielding member does not extend into the slot. The lower end of the first shielding member can extend beyond the holder and even extend out of the housing, as long as it is spaced apart from the first electrical component by an appropriate distance. The second shielding member can extend from the mounting tail of the terminal to the mating contact portion. A shielding layer, such as a ground layer, can be provided in the second electrical component inserted into the slot. The shielding layer and the first shielding member inside can provide shielding for the first type of terminals. Since the terminals will deform outwardly after the second electrical component is inserted into the slot, in order to prevent the terminals from being short-circuited with the second shielding member, the second shielding member can be inserted into a receiving groove provided in the housing. A plurality of first grooves and a plurality of second grooves can be provided on the side wall of the slot, and a plurality of first type terminals and a plurality of second type terminals can be respectively partially received in the first grooves and the second grooves. The receiving groove is spaced apart from the first groove along the transverse direction. Thus, the short circuit between the terminals and the second shielding member can be avoided by the space between the receiving groove and the first groove.

[0078] The second shielding member may include a first extension extending to the mating contact portion of the terminal and / or a second extension extending to the contact tail of the terminal. The first extension may extend into the aforementioned receiving groove. Exemplarily, the first extension may include a plurality of first sub-extensions corresponding to a plurality of pairs of first-type terminals to be shielded. Correspondingly, the receiving groove may include a plurality of sub-receiving grooves for respectively receiving the plurality of first sub-extensions. In this way, a first connecting portion is formed between adjacent sub-receiving grooves, which can improve the mechanical strength of the housing. Along the longitudinal direction, the size of each first sub-extension may be comparable to the size of the corresponding sub-receiving groove. Along the transverse direction, the size of the sub-receiving groove may be larger than the size of the first sub-extension. The first sub-extension may be bent towards the slot and abutted against the side wall of the sub-receiving groove. This can not only limit the first sub-extension in the desired position, but also reduce the resistance when the first sub-extension is inserted into the sub-receiving groove. Exemplarily, the second extension may include a plurality of second sub-extensions corresponding to a plurality of pairs of first-type terminals to be shielded. The second sub-extension and the mounting tail of the terminal are bent in the same direction to provide shielding for the first-type terminals over a longer length. Exemplarily, each second sub-extension may have two opposite ends along the longitudinal direction, and the two ends may be bent towards the mounting tails of two second-type terminals on both sides of a pair of first-type terminals shielded by the second sub-extension respectively. The second sub-extension is generally located outside the housing, so the second sub-extension is likely to be accidentally bent towards the mounting tail. The two ends of each second sub-extension can ensure that they can abut against the mounting tails of the second-type terminals in case of an accident, avoiding short-circuiting with the first-type terminals. Optionally, the two ends of each second sub-extension may abut against the mounting tails of the second-type terminals in the normal state.

[0079] The terminal assembly may be assembled outside the housing and then installed into the housing. Exemplarily, an installation groove may be provided on the bottom surface of the housing, and the aforementioned first groove, second groove and receiving groove may extend upward from the installation groove. The shielding member and the holding member of the terminal assembly may be inserted and fixed in the installation groove. The installation groove may be in a direction opposite to the slot.

[0080] Exemplarily, a shield having protrusions (such as a first protrusion and / or a second protrusion) can be formed by stamping a metal sheet. To avoid the shield changing its position when the terminal assembly is mounted to the housing and to ensure reliable electrical contact between the shield and the second type of conductor, exemplarily, the protrusions on the shield can be welded to the second type of terminal by, for example, a laser welding process. Laser welding has relatively high requirements for the flatness of the two metal layers to be welded. Exemplarily, at least one side of each protrusion is not connected to other parts of the shield. Exemplarily, the opposite sides of each protrusion in the extending direction of the terminal are not connected to other parts of the shield. The protrusions formed by the stamping process can generally be in a bridge shape. The flat contact surface of the protrusion in contact with the second type of terminal can penetrate the entire protrusion along the above-mentioned extending direction. Based on this, multiple solder joints can be formed for each protrusion, and the multiple solder joints can be arranged along the above-mentioned extending direction. To avoid affecting the welding process, exemplarily, the first protrusion of the first shield and the second protrusion of the second shield can be arranged staggeredly along the above-mentioned extending direction.

[0081] The inventors also recognize and understand that the terminal assembly can be designed such that by configuring the length and position of the shield, the use of the terminals can be changed without changing the positions of the terminals already held on the holder. For example, the length and position of the shield can be configured such that a terminal for transmitting high-speed signals is used for transmitting low-speed signals and / or power signals, or vice versa. To achieve this purpose, the multiple terminals on the holder can also include multiple additional terminals. The multiple additional terminals can include additional first type terminals and additional second type terminals. The additional first type terminals can have the same structure as the aforementioned first type terminals for transmitting high-speed signals. The additional second type terminals can have the same structure as the second type terminals located around the aforementioned first type terminals. All the first type terminals and all the second type terminals can be arranged repeatedly along the longitudinal direction according to a predetermined pattern. Multiple sets of additional openings can be provided at positions on the holder corresponding to the additional second type terminals. Thus, for all the second type terminals, by increasing the length of the shield, more second type terminals can be electrically contacted, and all the first type terminals located between these second type terminals can be used for transmitting high-speed signals; conversely, by reducing the length of the shield, fewer first type terminals can be used for transmitting high-speed signals. And the other terminals not shielded (including first type terminals and second type terminals) can all be used for transmitting low-speed signals and / or power signals.

[0082] To further facilitate the configuration of the length and position of the shielding member, the spacing between all terminals on the holding member can be consistent, and the structure and spacing of all sets of openings (including additional openings) on the holding member can be consistent. Thus, the shielding member can be made into a repetitively arranged unit. When assembling the terminal assembly, the desired number of units can be obtained as needed, and these units can be aligned with the target set of openings and electrically contacted with the target second type of terminals.

[0083] Figures 1 - 2 An electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The electronic system may include an electrical connector 10. The electrical connector 10 may be configured to be used by being mounted on a first electrical component 910. Exemplarily, the first electrical component 910 may include a circuit board such as a backplane, a midplane, or an additional card, or any other suitable electrical component. The electrical connector 10 may be electrically connected to the first electrical component 910. The electrical connector 10 may also be configured to cooperate with a second electrical component 920. Exemplarily, the second electrical component 920 may include a second circuit board such as an additional card, a mating electrical connector, or any other suitable electrical component. The second electrical component 920 may be mated to the electrical connector 10 along a mating direction. The second electrical component 920 may be detachable relative to the electrical connector 10. Similarly, the electrical connector 10 may be electrically connected to the second electrical component 920, so that the first electrical component 910 and the second electrical component 920 are electrically connected through the electrical connector 10. The illustrated electrical connector 10 is a card-edge connector.

[0084] Exemplarily, the electrical connector 10 may be a vertical connector, which includes a mating interface and a mounting interface that are opposite to each other along the mating direction. The mating interface is configured to cooperate with the second electrical component 920. Exemplarily, when the second electrical component 920 includes a second circuit board, the mating interface may include a slot 110, and the slot 110 may receive a part of the second circuit board, such as the edge of the second circuit board. Exemplarily, when the second electrical component 920 includes a mating electrical connector, the mating electrical connector may be adaptively connected to the mating interface of the electrical connector 10. The electrical connector 10 may be a socket connector or a plug connector. The mounting interface of the electrical connector 10 is configured to be mounted to the first electrical component 910. The mounting interface of the electrical connector 10 may be mounted to the first electrical component 910 by soldering or press-fitting. Exemplarily, the electrical connector 10 may also be fixed to the first electrical component 910 through other mechanical structures such as guides, fasteners, etc. Optionally, the electrical connector 10 may be a right-angle connector, and its mating interface and mounting interface may be perpendicular to each other. Optionally, the electrical connector 10 may be an orthogonal connector, and its mating interface and mounting interface may be orthogonal to each other.

[0085] As Figure 3As shown, the electrical connector 10 may include a housing 100 and a plurality of terminals 300. The housing 100 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic. The plastic may include, but is not limited to, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high-temperature nylon, or polyphenylene oxide (PPO), or polypropylene (PP), or other materials may also be used. In some cases, the plastic may be a thermosetting plastic. In some cases, the insulating plastic may include an insulating material reinforced with, for example, glass fiber. The housing 100 may generally be a single-piece. The plurality of terminals 300 may be mounted on the housing 100. The plurality of terminals 300 may be arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction X-X. The second electrical component 920 may be mated with the electrical connector 10 along the mating direction Z-Z such that the terminals or contact pads (such as gold fingers) on the second electrical component 920 are in electrical contact with the plurality of terminals 300 correspondingly, whereby the second electrical component 920 may be electrically connected to the electrical connector 10. For the sake of clarity and conciseness of description, a transverse direction Y-Y is also defined, and any two of the mating direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X, and the transverse direction Y-Y are perpendicular to each other.

[0086] Exemplarily, a slot 110 extending along the longitudinal direction X-X may be provided on the docking surface 104 of the housing 100. The slot 110 may be recessed inward from the docking surface 104 along the mating direction Z-Z for receiving a part of the second electrical component 920. The edge of the second electrical component 920 may be inserted into the slot 110. The columns formed by the plurality of terminals 300 may be located on the sides of the slot 110. The mating contact portions 310 of the plurality of terminals 300 may be bent into the slot 110 to form a mating interface. When the second electrical component 920 is inserted into the slot 110 of the electrical connector 10, the contact pads 921 on the surface of the second electrical component 920 may be in contact with the plurality of terminals 300 respectively to form an electrical connection. The plurality of terminals 300 may be arranged in two columns, respectively located on the opposite sides of the slot 110 along the transverse direction Y-Y. Optionally, the two columns of terminals 300 may be aligned with each other along the longitudinal direction X-X. Optionally, the two columns of terminals 300 may be staggered along the longitudinal direction X-X to increase the spacing between the terminals 300, thereby reducing crosstalk. Generally, the two columns of terminals 300 have the same structure, but are arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to each other. Of course, if necessary, the terminals 300 may also be located on one side of the slot 110, and at least a part of the terminals 300 may extend into the slot 110 from the side wall of the slot 110.

[0087] The multiple terminals 300 may include multiple first - type terminals 302 and multiple second - type terminals 301. A part of the multiple terminals 300 may be first - type terminals 302, and another part of the multiple terminals 300 may be multiple second - type terminals 301. Optionally, the multiple terminals 300 may further include other types of terminals. The multiple first - type terminals 302 may be arranged in multiple pairs. The multiple first - type terminals 302 may be configured as differential - signal pairs for transmitting high - speed signals (e.g., differential signals), thereby reducing the impact of common - mode interference. During transmission, each pair of first - type terminals 302 may transmit different voltages, so that the logical state sent by the transmitting end can be determined by comparing the difference between these two voltages, and then the signal can be transmitted. The pairs formed by the first - type terminals 302 may also be referred to as differential - signal pairs. High - speed signals may include high - data - rate signals (e.g., signals with a data - transmission rate exceeding 25 Gb / s in the case of PAM4 encoding) and / or high - frequency signals (e.g., exceeding 56 or 112 Gb / s). The multiple pairs formed by the first - type terminals 302 may be dispersed among the multiple second - type terminals 301. The second - type terminals 301 may be configured as shielding terminals, which can be grounded and play a shielding role for the first - type terminals 302, alleviating electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio - frequency interference (RFI) generated by the external environment on the signals transmitted by the first - type terminals 302, and at the same time preventing the first - type terminals 302 from generating electromagnetic interference and radio - frequency interference to the outside. Exemplarily, any two adjacent pairs of first - type terminals 302 may be separated by one or more second - type terminals 301, so that the multiple pairs of first - type terminals 302 are dispersed to reduce interference between pairs. Exemplarily, for the paired first - type terminals 302 at the ends of the column where the multiple terminals 300 are located, second - type terminals 301 may be provided on each side of the pair.

[0088] Continuing to refer to Figure 3 , the electrical connector 10 may further include a holder 600, and the multiple terminals 300 may be held on the holder 600. Thus, the multiple terminals 300 and the holder 600 are referred to as the terminal assembly 200. Figures 8 to 14 The terminal assembly 200 is shown from multiple aspects. The multiple terminals 300 may be held on the holder 600 at intervals along the longitudinal direction X - X from each other to ensure electrical insulation between adjacent terminals 300. After the multiple terminals 300 and the holder 600 are assembled to form the terminal assembly 200, the terminal assembly 200 may be integrally mounted on the housing 100.

[0089] The holding member 600 can be molded from an insulating material such as plastic. Exemplarily, the holding member 600 can be formed on the plurality of terminals 300 in a manner of insert molding. Exemplarily, the holding member 600 can be a prefabricated integral part, and a plurality of channels can be provided on the holding member 600, and the plurality of terminals 300 can be inserted into the plurality of channels one by one. A plurality of groups of openings can also be provided on the holding member 600, such as Figure 15 the first opening 601 in Figure 16 and / or Figure 8 the second opening 605 in Figure 9 . The plurality of groups of openings respectively expose the plurality of second-type terminals 301. The plurality of groups of openings can be formed by machining after the insert molding of the holding member 600, or formed during the insert molding process of the holding member 600. The terminal assembly 200 can further include a shielding member, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 the first shielding member 510 in Figure 6 and / or Figure 7 the second shielding member 520 in Figure 2 and Figure 3 . The shielding member can have a plurality of groups of protrusions, and the plurality of groups of protrusions can be in electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals 301 respectively via the plurality of groups of openings. The shielding member can be a thin sheet made of a conductor, which can reduce or eliminate external electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference to a certain extent, prevent the signal of the first-type terminals 302 scattered among the plurality of second-type terminals 301 from leaking to the outside, or prevent external electromagnetic waves and radio frequencies from coupling to these first-type terminals 302 to generate noise, and ensure the reliability of signal transmission. The plurality of terminals 300 can have a first side 300A and a second side 300B opposite to each other along the transverse direction Y-Y. After the terminal assembly 200 is installed on the housing 100, the first side 300A of the plurality of terminals 300 faces the slot 110, and the second side 300B of the plurality of terminals 300 is away from the slot 110 relative to the first side 300A. Refer to, five terminal components 200 are provided on each side of the slot 110. To improve the mechanical strength of the housing 100, reinforcing ribs 111 may be provided in the slot 110, and the reinforcing ribs 111 divide the slot 110 into a first sub-slot and a second sub-slot. Usually, along the longitudinal direction X-X, the reinforcing ribs 111 are asymmetrically arranged in the slot 110, that is, the first sub-slot and the second sub-slot have different longitudinal lengths to play an anti-fooling role. Thus, the number of the terminal components 200 on the side of the first sub-slot may be different from the number of the terminal components 200 on the side of the second sub-slot. Alternatively, the longitudinal length of the terminal components 200 on the side of the first sub-slot may be different from the longitudinal length of the terminal components 200 on the side of the second sub-slot. Usually, the spacing between adjacent terminals 300 meets the standard. Changing the number of the terminals 300 may cause a change in the longitudinal length of the terminal components 200. In addition, different terminal components 200 may have similar structures.

[0090] For one or more of the plurality of terminal components 200, by way of example, its shield may include a first shield 510. The first shield 510 may be located on a first side 300A of the plurality of terminals 300 and attached to the holding member 600. As Figures 17 to 19In the illustrated embodiment, the first shielding member 510 may be made of a metal sheet. The first shielding member 510 may include multiple sets of first protrusions 512. Each set of first protrusions 512 may correspond to one second-type terminal 301. Each set of first protrusions 512 may include one or more first protrusions 512. As shown in the figure, each set of first protrusions 512 may include two first protrusions 512. The multiple first protrusions 512 in each set may be arranged along the extending direction of the terminal 300. Processing the first shielding member 510 with a metal sheet can manufacture the first protrusions 512 through a stamping process, with relatively low cost and good shielding performance and mechanical properties. Each set of openings may include a first opening 601 in the holding member 600. Exemplarily, the first opening 601 may expose the second-type terminal 301 from the first side 300A. Each set of the multiple sets of first protrusions 512 extends into the corresponding first opening 601 and makes electrical contact with the corresponding second-type terminal 301. Thus, on three sides of each pair of first-type terminals 302, the first shielding member 510 and the two adjacent second-type terminals 301 can form shielding for the first-type terminals 302, thereby enhancing the shielding effect. Specifically, the second-type terminals 301 can shield between two adjacent pairs of first-type terminals 302 and prevent crosstalk, and the first shielding member 510 can, to a certain extent, shield electromagnetic interference from the direction of the slot 110. The first protrusions 512 can also be closely attached to the inner wall of the first opening 601. For example, the first protrusions 512 can be in interference fit with the first opening 601, thereby playing a fixing role for the first shielding member 510 to prevent the first shielding member 510 from falling off. In the embodiments described below, the shielding member may further include a second shielding member 520 (which will also be described in detail below). The second shielding member 520 may be mounted on the other side of the holding member 600 relative to the first shielding member 510. Specifically, the second shielding member 520 and the first shielding member 510 are respectively located on two sides of the first-type terminals 302 along the transverse direction Y-Y, so as to cooperate with the first shielding member 510 and the second-type terminals 301 to surround the four sides of each pair of first-type terminals 302. In this way, the best shielding effect can be achieved.

[0091] In a typical edge connector, a plurality of channels are provided on a housing, and a plurality of terminals are directly and respectively mounted to the plurality of channels. This may result in a relatively complex structure of the housing. Especially when the edge connector further includes a shielding member, an installation groove for mounting the shielding member needs to be provided on the housing, which will make the structure of the housing more complex and reduce the mechanical strength of the housing. In addition, when the number and density of terminals both increase, inserting the plurality of terminals into the plurality of channels on the housing respectively and being able to accurately position them on the housing will significantly increase the assembly difficulty. In the solution provided by the present disclosure, after a plurality of terminals 300 are reliably fixed by a holding member 600 to form a terminal assembly 200, the terminal assembly 200 is then mounted to the housing 100, so that the spacing between the plurality of terminals 300 can be accurately ensured. During the process of assembling the terminal assembly 200 to the housing 100, it is not easy to cause the terminals 300 to be skewed or short-circuited. Moreover, according to the number of terminals 300, these terminals 300 can be respectively held on a plurality of holding members 600, thereby further simplifying the structure of the housing 100 and enhancing the mechanical strength of the housing 100. The terminal assembly 200 may further include a first shielding member 510. The first shielding member 510 can be inserted into a first opening 601 of the housing 100 through a first protrusion 512 thereon to be in electrical contact with a second type of terminal 301, which can make the first shielding member 510 have the same potential as the second type of terminal 301, forming a good shielding for the first type of terminals 302 surrounded by it. In this way, the first type of terminals 302 can transmit signals at a relatively high speed in the form of differential signals, and the signals are not easily interfered, and the signal integrity (SI) is good. The first shielding member 510 can be attached to the holding member 600 before the terminal assembly 200 is mounted to the housing 100, so that the structure of the housing 100 will not be complicated. Thus, the assembly of the electrical connector 10 adopting the above terminal assembly 200 is also relatively simple, effectively reducing the cost.

[0092] Exemplarily, the first protrusion 512 can be welded to the corresponding second type of terminal 301 by any suitable method such as resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, etc. This can ensure a good electrical connection between the first shielding member 510 and the second type of terminal 301, and at the same time play a role in fixing each other, avoiding the situation that the shielding effect is reduced due to poor contact. In addition, as described above, after the first shielding member 510 needs to be mounted to the holding member 600 holding a plurality of terminals 300 to form a terminal assembly 200, the terminal assembly 200 is fixed by a fixture, and the terminal assembly 200 is assembled to the housing 100. The first protrusion 512 is firmly fixed to the holding member 600, which can prevent the first shielding member 510 from being displaced or falling off relative to the holding member 600 when the terminal assembly 200 is assembled to the housing 100, thereby reducing the assembly difficulty.

[0093] Exemplarily, the terminal 300 can be made of a conductive material such as metal. The terminal 300 is generally an elongated integral part. The center distance between multiple terminals 300 can be less than or equal to 0.8 mm, whereby the number of terminals 300 that can be arranged in the same area can be significantly reduced, thus significantly increasing the terminal density of the electrical connector 10. Exemplarily, the center distance between multiple terminals 300 can be between 0.6 mm and 0.7 mm. For example, the center distance between multiple terminals 300 can be 0.60 mm, 0.61 mm, 0.62 mm, 0.63 mm, 0.64 mm, 0.65 mm, 0.66 mm, 0.67 mm, 0.68 mm or 0.69 mm, etc., or can be any intermediate value between them. In the case where the above shielding protection is provided, the center distance between the terminals 300 can be effectively reduced, thereby enabling a miniaturized, high-density connector and ensuring signal integrity.

[0094] Combined with the attached Figures 8 to 16 As shown, exemplarily, each terminal 300 can include a mating contact portion 310 and a mounting tail 330 that are opposite along its extending direction, and an intermediate section 320 connected between the mating contact portion 310 and the mounting tail 330. The mating contact portion 310 is used for electrical contact with the contact pad 921 ( Figure 2 ) on the second electrical component 920, and the mounting tail 330 is used for electrical contact with the contact pad 911 ( Figure 2 ) on the first electrical component 910. The intermediate section 320 can be held on the holder 600. The holder 600 can arrange the intermediate sections 320 of adjacent terminals 300 at intervals to ensure the insulation performance between adjacent terminals 300. The terminal 300 can be held in the desired position through its intermediate section 320. The multiple groups of openings (such as including the above-mentioned first opening 601 and / or the second opening 605 to be mentioned later) for the shielding member to pass through can expose the intermediate section 320 of the corresponding terminal 300. When the holder 600 assembled with the terminal 300 and the shielding member is installed on the housing 100, the intermediate section 320 can be located on the side of the slot 110.

[0095] The mounting tail 330 can extend from the intermediate section 320 beyond the retaining member 600 and even beyond the housing 100 when the terminal assembly 200 is mounted to the housing 100. The mounting tail 330 of each terminal 300 can be connected to the first electrical component 910. The first electrical component 910 can be a printed circuit board. Optionally, the mounting tail 330 can be shaped as a press-fit flexible section. A plurality of contact pads 911 corresponding to the plurality of terminals 300 can be provided on the first electrical component 910, and these contact pads 911 can be electrically connected to one or more layers of conductive traces in the first electrical component 910. By applying pressure to the electrical connector 10, it is reliably fixed to the first electrical component 910, enabling the mounting tail 330 to be reliably electrically connected to the corresponding contact pad 911. In other embodiments not shown, the mounting tails of the plurality of terminals can be mounting tails based on technologies such as surface mount technology (SMT) and / or through-hole insertion technology (THT). The mounting tail 330 can be soldered to the pads on the first electrical component 910 by technologies such as surface mount technology and / or through-hole insertion technology, thereby achieving electrical connection to the circuit on the circuit board. In some other embodiments, each mounting tail 330 can be connected with a fusible element, such as a solder ball, and the mounting tail 330 can be soldered to the corresponding contact pad 911 on the first electrical component 910 through the solder ball. Regardless of the manner in which the mounting tail 330 is electrically connected to the circuit board, as long as the additional card can be interconnected with the circuit on the circuit board through the electrical connector 10. Exemplarily, the mounting tails 330 of the plurality of terminals 300 in each column can be arranged in a column, or, optionally, any two adjacent mounting tails 330 within each column can be respectively offset in opposite directions from the column, thereby increasing the distance between two adjacent mounting tails 330. In this way, the spacing between adjacent conductive vias or contact pads 911 on the first electrical component 910 can be increased, thereby further reducing the spacing between the terminals 300.

[0096] Typically, referring to Figure 6 and Figure 7, the mating contact portion 310 can be bent from the side of the slot 110 towards its interior and protrude into the slot 110. The protruding portion formed by bending the mating contact portion 310 can face the same direction as the first side 300A where the first shielding member 510 is located. The mating contact portion 310 can include an electrical contact surface 311 located within the slot 110. The electrical contact surface 311 can be formed by the protruding portion of the mating contact portion 310 to ensure that the surface in contact with the contact pad 921 on the second electrical component 920 is smooth, thereby avoiding scratching the contact pad 921. When the second electrical component 920 is inserted into the slot 110, the electrical contact surface 311 on the mating contact portion 310 can be in electrical contact with the corresponding contact pad 921 on the second electrical component 920, thereby achieving electrical connection between the terminal 300 and the circuit on the second electrical component 920. The mating contact portion 310 can be in the shape of a beam. One end of the mating contact portion 310 is fixed to the intermediate section 320, and the other end is a free end, such that the mating contact portion 310 has a certain elasticity. After the second electrical component 920 is inserted into the slot 110, the mating contact portion 310 can be pushed against the outside of the slot 110 in the transverse direction Y-Y. Under the action of elasticity, the mating contact portion 310 can reliably abut against the contact pad 921 of the second electrical component 920, thereby ensuring reliable electrical contact between the two.

[0097] The first shielding member 510 can be located on the side of the intermediate section 320 of the terminal 300. The first shielding member 510 does not extend to the side of the mating contact portion 310 to prevent the mating contact portion 310 bent towards the first side 300A where the first shielding member 510 is located from contacting the first shielding member 510 and to avoid interference with the first electrical component 910 inserted into the slot 110. Preferably, the first shielding member 510 can be located below the slot 110 instead of extending into the slot 110. The first shielding member 510 can abut against the holder 600 that holds the intermediate section 320. There is a sufficient distance between the first shielding member 510 and the first type terminal 302 through the holder 600 to avoid signal attenuation caused by being too close to the first type terminal 302. When the holder 600 and the first shielding member 510 are installed on the housing 100, the holder 600 and the housing 100 can clamp the first shielding member 510 in the transverse direction Y-Y to fix the first shielding member 510 and prevent a separation tendency between the first protruding portion 512 of the first shielding member 510 and the second type terminal 301.

[0098] Typically, the second electrical component 920 can be a multi-layer circuit board, and a shielding layer 922 can be provided inside the second electrical component 920, such as Figure 7As shown, after the second electrical component 920 is inserted into the slot 110, the first shielding member 510 and the shielding layer 922 of the second electrical component 920 can form a relatively complete shielding protection for the first type of terminals 302 and the contact pads 921 electrically connected to the first type of terminals 302 on the first side 300A, thereby improving the signal integrity of the first type of terminals 302. Exemplarily, the contact pads among the plurality of contact pads 921 that are connected to the plurality of second type of terminals 301 can be electrically connected to the shielding layer 922, so that the shielding layer 922, the shielding member, and the second type of terminals 301 are at the same potential, thereby ensuring the shielding protection effect.

[0099] Exemplarily, the first shielding member 510 may further include a plurality of lugs 513 that extend beyond the holding member 600 towards the mating contact portion 310. With reference to Figures 8 to 9 and Figures 17 to 19 , the first shielding member 510 may include a first body 511, and the plurality of lugs 513 are provided on the first body 511. The plurality of lugs 513 are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction X-X, and the plurality of lugs 513 are correspondingly arranged with the plurality of pairs formed by the plurality of first type of terminals 302. Each pair of first type of terminals 302 corresponds to one lug 513. Referring back to Figures 6 to 7 , the dimension (such as height) of the first shielding member 510 along the extension direction of the first type of terminals 302 can be extended at the paired first type of terminals 302 through the lugs 513. Thus, the shielding effect on the first type of terminals 302 can be further enhanced, and the signal integrity can be improved. The lugs 513 are closer to the slot 110 than other parts of the first shielding member 510, and thus can be closer to the shielding layer 922 in the second electrical component 920. However, preferably, the lugs 513 can be located below the slot 110 or the top of the lugs 513 is flush with the bottom surface of the slot 110. It can be understood that the embodiments in which the top of the lugs 513 extends into the slot 110 are not excluded in this application. The lugs 513 can extend into the housing 100, and the second connecting portion 109 can be provided in the housing 100 between the separated lugs 513, thereby improving the strength of the housing 100. The first protrusion 512 can be located on the first body 511. The first protrusion 512 on the first body 511 can be located between the lugs 513 along the longitudinal direction X-X. On the one hand, this can facilitate the electrical contact between the first protrusion 512 and the second type of terminals 301; on the other hand, it can ensure the flatness of the portion of the first shielding member 510 corresponding to the first type of terminals 302, so that the distance between the first type of terminals 302 and the first shielding member 510 along their extension direction is consistent.

[0100] Exemplarily, the first shielding member 510 protrudes from the holding member 600 in a direction toward the mounting tail 330. The mounting tail 330 needs to be mounted to a first electrical component 910 such as a printed circuit board. There may be many traces arranged in the printed circuit board, and some of the traces even pass under the electrical connector 10. To avoid electromagnetic waves and radio frequency interference generated by these traces from interfering with the signals transmitted by the first type of terminals 302, as much shielding as possible can be formed along the length direction (extension direction) of the first type of terminals 302. As Figures 6 to 9 shown, the lower end of the first shielding member 510 protrudes from the holding member 600. However, the lower end of the first shielding member 510 is higher than the bottom surface 331 of the mounting tail 330. When the electrical connector 10 is mounted to the first electrical component 910, the lower end of the first shielding member 510 can be spaced apart from the first electrical component 910 to prevent the first shielding member 510 from making electrical contact with the contact pad 911 on the first electrical component 910 that is connected to the first type of terminals 302.

[0101] With reference to Figures 8 to 9 and Figures 13 to 14 , exemplarily, each group of the first protrusions 512 may include two first protrusions 512. Correspondingly, each group of openings on the holding member 600 may include two first openings 601. A first rib 602 is formed between the two first openings 601. As Figure 15 shown, the two first protrusions 512 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the second type of terminals 301 and form a first interval 514. The first rib 602 is inserted into the first interval 514. The two first protrusions 512 in each group respectively extend into the two first openings 601 and are in electrical contact with the same second type of terminals 301, which can reduce the contact resistance between the first shielding member 510 and the second type of terminals 301 and improve the shielding effect.

[0102] Exemplarily, the two first protrusions 512 extend along two opposite directions in the extension direction of the second type of terminals 301 to the edges of the first shielding member 510 respectively. Refer to Figure 17 and Figure 19, correspondingly, the two first openings 601 can also extend to the edges of the holding member 600 respectively. Accordingly, the two first protrusions 512 can also extend to the two edges 511a and 511b of the first shielding member 510 along the above two opposite directions respectively. The two edges 511a and 511b are oppositely arranged along the extending direction of the second type of terminal 301. This can ensure that both of the two first protrusions 512 have sufficient height. When the first shielding member 510 with the first protrusions 512 is formed by stamping a metal sheet, it is desirable that the protruding part of the first protrusion 512 be as flat as possible, and this protruding part forms the contact surface where the first protrusion 512 contacts the second type of terminal 301. The contact surface being as flat as possible can increase the contact area between the first protrusion 512 and the second type of terminal 301, and avoid the existence of gaps or chambers between the two. In the case where the first protrusion 512 is connected to the second type of terminal 301 through a welding process such as laser welding, if there are gaps or chambers between the two metal sheets to be connected, it may cause uneven temperature distribution at the welding point, resulting in defects such as porosity, collapse at the welding point, and even penetration of the surface metal sheet without connection to the internal metal sheet, thus affecting the mechanical properties and electrical properties. As shown in the figure, the upper row of the first protrusions 512 can all extend to the edge 511a of the first shielding member 510, and the lower row of the first protrusions 512 can all extend to the edge 511b of the first shielding member 510. In this way, at least one side of these first protrusions 512 is not connected to other parts of the first shielding member 510. Compared with the structure where all four sides of each first protrusion 512 are connected to other parts of the first shielding member 510 to form a structure similar to a "dome", when the area occupied by the first protrusion 512 on the first shielding member 510 is limited, at least one side of the first protrusion 512 is open, which can make the flat contact surface of the first protrusion 512 larger, facilitating the welding process. In addition, if the flat contact surface on the first protrusion 512 is larger, multiple first welding points 515 can be formed between each first protrusion 512 and the first shielding member 510, thereby improving the mechanical connection strength between the two and reducing the contact resistance between the two.

[0103] To further increase the area of the flat contact surface of the first protrusion 512, exemplarily, in addition to extending one side of each first protrusion 512 to the edge of the first shield 510, the other side of each first protrusion 512 may also not be connected to other parts of the first shield 510. Taking the row of first protrusions 512 on the upper side as an example, each first protrusion 512 may have edges 512a and 512b that are oppositely arranged along the extension direction of the second type of terminal 301, where the edge 512a is not connected to other parts of the first shield 510 because it is located at the edge 511a of the first shield 510, and a gap may be formed between the edge 512b and other parts of the first shield 510, such that the edge 512b is also not connected to other parts of the first shield 510. Thus, when the first protrusion 512 is formed by stamping, the first protrusion 512 may be in a "bridge" shape, and the flat contact surface of the first protrusion 512 may extend from the edge 512a of the first protrusion 512 to the edge 512b. Then, along the extension direction of the second type of terminal 301, a plurality of first solder joints 515 may be formed between the first protrusion 512 and the second type of terminal 301. In addition, the first shield 510 is usually formed by a thin metal sheet. Taking the electrical connector 10 shown in the figure as an example, the thickness of the metal sheet may be 0.1 mm - 0.15 mm or less. Based on this, both the edges 512c and 512d of the first protrusion 512 may be connected to other parts of the first shield 510, and the edges 512c and 512d are opposite along the longitudinal direction X-X. This can ensure the mechanical strength of the first protrusion 512 and avoid deformation. Only two sides of the first protrusion 512 are connected to other parts of the first shield 510, which can also avoid problems such as the metal sheet being stretched too much and breaking when stamping the metal sheet to form the first protrusion 512.

[0104] Of course, it is also possible to consider forming a larger first protrusion 512 for each second type of terminal 301. For example, along the extension direction of the second type of terminal 301, the first protrusion 512 may be arranged at the edge of the first shield 510 or in the middle of the first shield 510. In this case, it is also possible to consider making the edges 512a and 512b of the first protrusion 512 that are oppositely arranged along the above extension direction not be connected to other parts of the first shield 510.

[0105] Such as Figures 10 to 14 、 Figure 16 and Figures 20 to 23As shown, exemplarily, the shielding member may further include a second shielding member 520. Opposite to the above-mentioned first shielding member 510, the second shielding member 520 is located on the second side 300B of the plurality of terminals 300 and attached to the holding member 600. Each set of openings on the holding member 600 may further include a second opening 605, and the second opening 605 may be located on the second side 300B of the terminals 300. The second shielding member 520 may include multiple sets of second protrusions 522, and each set of the multiple sets of second protrusions 522 may extend into the corresponding second opening 605 and contact the corresponding second type of terminal 301. In the transverse direction Y-Y, opposite first shielding member 510 and second shielding member 520 are respectively arranged on both sides of each pair of first type terminals 302 for shielding protection; in the longitudinal direction X-X, at least two second type terminals 301 are arranged on both sides of each pair of first type terminals 302 for shielding protection. Moreover, both the first shielding member 510 and the second shielding member 520 are in electrical contact with at least two second type terminals 301, whereby the conductors surrounding each pair of first type terminals 302 are electrically connected to each other and have the same potential. Thus, each pair of first type terminals 302 is shielded on all four sides, greatly improving signal integrity. The second shielding member 520 can also be limited by the second opening 605 through the second protrusions 522, so as to ensure the relative position between the second shielding member 520 and the holding member 600, facilitating the assembly of the terminal assembly 200 formed by them to the housing 100. Exemplarily, the multiple sets of second protrusions 522 can be correspondingly welded to the multiple second type terminals 301 by any suitable method such as resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, etc., so that the electrical connection and fixation between the second shielding member 520 and the first type terminals 302 are more reliable.

[0106] Exemplarily, the second shielding member 520 may be made of a metal sheet. By using a metal sheet to process the second shielding member 520, the second protrusions 522 can be manufactured by a stamping process, with lower cost and good shielding performance and mechanical properties. When forming the second protrusions 522 by stamping a metal sheet, it is desirable that the protruding part of the second protrusions 522 is as flat as possible, and this protruding part forms the contact surface where the second protrusions 522 contact the second type of terminal 301. The contact surface being as flat as possible can increase the contact area between the second protrusions 522 and the second type of terminal 301, avoiding the existence of gaps or chambers between the two. Thus, when connecting the second protrusions 522 to the second type of terminal 301 by a welding process such as laser welding, defects that affect the mechanical properties and electrical properties can be avoided at the welding joint. In addition, if the flat contact surface on the second protrusions 522 is relatively large, multiple second solder joints 525 can be formed between each second protrusion 522 and the second shielding member 520, thereby improving the mechanical connection strength between the two and reducing the contact resistance between the two.

[0107] In order to further increase the area of the flat contact surface of the second protrusion 522, at least one side of each second protrusion 522 may not be connected to other parts of the second shield 520, rather than making the second protrusion 522 in a structure similar to a "dome" shape with four-sided connection. Each second protrusion 522 may have edges 522a and 522b that are oppositely arranged along the extension direction of the second type of terminal 301. One of the edges 522a and 522b may also extend to the edge of the second shield 520. For example, the edge 522b of the second protrusion 522 extends to the second edge 5212 of the second shield 520. And a gap may be formed between the other edge of the edges 522a and 522b and other parts of the second shield 520, so that this edge is not connected to other parts of the second shield 520 either. For example, a gap is formed between the edge 522a of the second protrusion 522 and other parts of the second shield 520. Thus, when the second protrusion 522 is formed by stamping, the second protrusion 522 may be in a "bridge" shape, and the flat contact surface of the second protrusion 522 may extend from the edge 522a to the edge 522b of the second protrusion 522. Then, along the extension direction of the second type of terminal 301, a plurality of second solder joints 525 may be formed between the second protrusion 522 and the second type of terminal 301. In addition, the second shield 520 is usually formed by a thin metal sheet. Taking the electrical connector 10 shown in the figure as an example, the thickness of the metal sheet is about 0.1 mm - 0.15 mm or less. Based on this, both the edges 522c and 522d of the second protrusion 522 may be connected to other parts of the second shield 520, and the edges 522c and 522d are opposite to each other along the longitudinal direction X-X. This can ensure the mechanical strength of the second protrusion 522 and avoid deformation. Only two sides of the second protrusion 522 are connected to other parts of the second shield 520, which can also avoid problems such as the metal sheet being stretched too much and broken when stamping the metal sheet to form the second protrusion 522.

[0108] Of course, it can also be considered that along the extension direction of the second type of terminal 301, the second protrusion 522 may be arranged in the middle of the second shield 520. In this case, it can also be considered that gaps are formed between the edges 522a and 522b that are oppositely arranged along the above extension direction of the second protrusion 522 and other parts of the second shield 520, so as not to be connected to other parts of the second shield 520.

[0109] Combined with reference Figures 20 to 23, Exemplarily, the second shielding member 520 may further include a second main body 521 and a first extension portion 523. In the embodiment shown in the figure, when the second shielding member 520 is attached to the holding member 600, the second main body 521 may have the same size as the holding member 600 in the mating direction Z-Z. The second main body 521 has a first edge 5211 and a second edge 5212 that are opposite to each other along the extension direction of the second type of terminal 301. The first edge 5211 may face the docking surface 104 of the housing 100, and the second edge 5212 may face the mounting surface 105 of the housing 100. In the illustrated posture, the first edge 5211 is located above the second edge 5212. The first edge 5211 may be generally flush with the upper edge of the holding member 600, and the second edge 5212 may be generally aligned with the lower edge of the holding member 600 or may not extend to the lower edge of the holding member 600. Of course, the present application does not exclude embodiments in which the second main body 521 has other sizes as compared with the holding member 600 in the mating direction Z-Z. A plurality of groups of second protrusions 522 may be provided on the second main body 521, and may correspondingly extend into the second openings 605 of the holding member 600 and make electrical contact with the corresponding second type of terminals 301.

[0110] The first extension portion 523 may extend from the first edge 5211 along the extension direction of the first type of terminal 302 to the mating contact portion 310, and the first extension portion 523 is spaced apart from the mating contact portion 310 of the first type of terminal 302. As described above, the lug 513 of the first shielding member 510 and the shielding layer 922 of the second electrical component 920 may jointly form a relatively complete inner shielding for the first type of terminal 302 on the first side 300A. Correspondingly, an outer shielding can also be formed as much as possible along the extension direction of the first type of terminal 302 by providing the second shielding member 520 having the first extension portion 523 on the second side 300B. To avoid situations such as, for example, the first extension portion 523 bending and contacting the first type of terminal 302, or the first type of terminal 302 shifting toward the second side 300B under the extrusion of the second electrical component 920 and contacting the first extension portion 523, a receiving groove 103 may be provided on the housing 100, and the first extension portion 523 may extend into the receiving groove 103, as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown. The receiving groove 103 may be located outside the slot 110 along the transverse direction Y-Y. The first type of terminal 302 may extend into the slot 110, so that the first type of terminal 302 is spaced apart from the first extension portion 523. Thus, the first type of terminal 302 and the first extension portion 523 can be spaced apart by the housing 100. In summary, by providing the first extension portion 523, the second shielding member 520 can provide an optimal shielding protection for the first type of terminal 302.

[0111] Exemplarily, as described above, the first extension portion 523 may extend only on the second side 300B of the plurality of pairs of first-type terminals 302. In other words, the first extension portion 523 may include a plurality of first sub-extension portions 5230, the plurality of first sub-extension portions 5230 may be spaced apart along the longitudinal direction X-X, and the plurality of first sub-extension portions 5230 are correspondingly arranged in correspondence with the plurality of pairs formed by the plurality of first-type terminals 302. The interval between adjacent first sub-extension portions 5230 may be just aligned with the second-type terminal 301. Based on this, a plurality of receiving slots 103 arranged along the longitudinal direction X-X may be provided on the housing 100, and each first sub-extension portion 5230 may be respectively inserted into the corresponding receiving slot 103. The first connecting portion 108 between adjacent receiving slots 103 may strengthen the housing 100, thereby improving the mechanical strength of the housing 100. In other embodiments not shown, the first extension portion may continuously extend along the longitudinal direction X-X to straddle a plurality of pairs of first-type terminals 302. Correspondingly, the receiving slot 103 in the housing 100 may extend a longer length along the longitudinal direction X-X to accommodate the continuously extending first extension portion.

[0112] Exemplarily, each first sub-extension portion 5230 may include a tongue portion 5231 extending along the extending direction of the first-type terminal 302, and a bending portion 5232 connected between the tongue portion 5231 and the second body 521. As Figures 6 to 7 and Figure 14 shown, along the transverse direction Y-Y, the tongue portion 5231 is closer to the terminal 300 than the second body 521. The bending portion 5232 is inclined toward the terminal 300 along the direction from the second body 521 to the tongue portion 5231. When the shielding member is at a specific distance around the first-type terminal 302 that needs to be shielded and protected, the best shielding and protection effect can be achieved. However, the holder 600 requires a certain size in the transverse direction Y-Y to ensure mechanical strength. If it is necessary to bring the first sub-extension portion 5230 closer to the first-type terminal 302, the first sub-extension portion 5230 can be bent toward the slot 110 through the bending portion 5232, and the tongue portion 5231 can be formed in the portion above the bending portion 5232. Exemplarily, the tongue portion 5231 may extend parallel to the mating direction Z-Z, so as to be substantially parallel to the first-type terminal 302 extruded outward by the second electrical component 920 inserted into the slot 110, see Figure 7 to enhance the shielding and protection effect.

[0113] Exemplarily, as Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, for each second-type terminal 301, the first protrusion 512 on the first shield 510 and the second protrusion 522 on the second shield 520 can be staggered along the extension direction of the second-type terminal 301. The first protrusion 512 and the second protrusion 522 can be welded to the second-type terminal 301 from the first side 300A and the second side 300B respectively. If the first protrusion 512 and the second protrusion 522 are aligned along the extension direction of the second-type terminal 301, it may cause the first solder joint 515 between the first protrusion 512 and the second-type terminal 301 and the second solder joint 525 between the second protrusion 522 and the second-type terminal 301 to be relatively close or even overlap, which may affect the welding effect. During the actual welding process, when the first solder joint 515 and the second solder joint 525 overlap, it may cause the second-type terminal 301 to be damaged or even broken. Therefore, it is desirable to stagger the first solder joint 515 and the second solder joint 525 along the extension direction of the second-type terminal 301. The areas of the first protrusion 512 and the second protrusion 522 are limited. When the first protrusion 512 and the second protrusion 522 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the second-type terminal 301, it is relatively difficult to stagger the first solder joint 515 and the second solder joint 525. Therefore, by staggering the first protrusion 512 and the second protrusion 522, the first solder joint 515 and the second solder joint 525 can be staggered from each other, which can effectively improve the yield rate of welding. Exemplarily, each group of second protrusions 522 can include only one second protrusion 522. Of course, the number of second protrusions 522 in each group can also be adjusted as needed.

[0114] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 11, Exemplarily, the mounting tail 330 can be bent towards the second side 300B, thereby increasing the distance between the mounting tails 330 of the terminals 300 on both sides of the slot 110, reducing crosstalk, and facilitating the setting of the contact pads 911 on the first electrical component 910. To prevent the second edge 5212 of the second body 521 of the second shield 520 from being too close to the mounting tail 330, the dimension of the downward extension of the second body 521 of the second shield 520 is limited. If two first protrusions 512 are provided corresponding to each second-type terminal 301 similar to the first shield 510, and two second protrusions 522 are also provided on the second body 521, the dimension of each second protrusion 522 in the mating direction Z-Z will be correspondingly shortened. In this way, on the one hand, it will be more difficult to weld the second protrusion 522 to the second-type terminal 301, and it is not easy to stagger it from the first protrusion 512. On the other hand, providing two first openings 601 and two second openings 605 on the holder 600 corresponding to each second-type terminal 301 may cause a reduction in the mechanical strength of the holder 600. In contrast, one second protrusion 522 can be provided corresponding to each second-type terminal 301. Along the extension direction of the terminal 300, the dimension of the second protrusion 522 can be not less than that of the first protrusion 512, and the second protrusion 522 can be arranged between the two first protrusions 512 along the extension direction of the terminal 300, so as to be staggered from the first protrusion 512 to ensure the welding quality. The part of the holder 600 other than the first opening 601 and the second opening 605 is also used to wrap and fix the second-type terminal 301. The part between the two first openings 601 can provide a first fixing point on one side of the second-type terminal 301, and the parts of the holder 600 above and below the second opening 605 can respectively provide a second fixing point and a third fixing point on the other side of the second-type terminal 301. These three fixing points are staggered along the extension direction of the terminal 300, so the second-type terminal 301 can be reliably fixed on the holder 600. When an external force acts on the second-type terminal 301, it is not easy to peel off from the holder 600. Exemplarily, to limit the second shield 520, the second opening 605 can be located in the middle of the holder 600 along the extension direction of the terminal. Thus, the four side edges of the second opening 605 can limit the second protrusion 522, and further limit the second shield 520 at the desired position on the holder 600.

[0115] Exemplarily, the second shielding member 520 may further include a second extension portion 524. The first extension portion 523 and the second extension portion 524 extend from the second body 521 in opposite directions. The provision of the second extension portion 524 can provide shielding protection for the terminal portion below the second body 521. In the case where the mounting tail 330 is bent toward the second side 300B, exemplarily, the second extension portion 524 is bent from the second edge 5212 of the second body 521 toward the second side 300B of the terminal 300 to extend to the mounting tail 330 of the terminal 300. In this way, a better shielding effect can be achieved along the extension direction of the first type of terminals 302. The second extension portion 524 is spaced apart from the mounting tails 330 of the plurality of first type of terminals 302. The portion of the second extension portion 524 near the end can be parallel to the mounting tail 330 of the terminal 300. Thus, shielding protection can be formed above the mounting tail 330, as Figure 12 shown. Along the mating direction Z-Z, the second extension portion 524 can be located between the housing 100 and the mounting tails 330 of the plurality of terminals 300. The second extension portion 524 may not protrude from the housing 100 in the lateral direction Y-Y. After the electrical connector 10 is mounted to the printed circuit board, there is almost no possibility that the second extension portion 524 is contacted or collided, and it can effectively prevent the second extension portion 524 from deforming and contacting the first type of terminals 302.

[0116] With reference to Figures 20 to 23 , exemplarily, the second extension portion 524 may include a plurality of second sub-extension portions 5240. The plurality of second sub-extension portions 5240 are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction X-X, and the plurality of second sub-extension portions 5240 are arranged corresponding to the plurality of pairs formed by the plurality of first type of terminals 302. The interval between adjacent second sub-extension portions 5240 can just align with the second type of terminal 301. The plurality of second protrusions 522 may be arranged corresponding to the plurality of intervals between the second sub-extension portions 5240. The plurality of second protrusions 522 can extend to the second edge 5212 of the second body 521 of the second shielding member 520. During the installation of the electrical connector 10 to the first electrical component 910 or during the storage or transportation of the electrical connector 10, the second extension portion 524 may be bent toward the mounting tail 330 of the terminal 300 under external scraping or collision. The second extension portion 524 can be configured as a plurality of independent second sub-extension portions 5240, which can prevent the second extension portion 524 from deforming as a whole toward the mounting tail 330 when one part is deformed by force.

[0117] Further, for each second sub-extension portion 5240, it may have two ends 5241 and 5242 that are oppositely arranged along the longitudinal direction X-X. The second sub-extension portion 5240 may be in the shape of a beam extending along the longitudinal direction X-X. The two ends 5241 and 5242 of the second sub-extension portion 5240 may be bent respectively towards the second type terminals 301 on both sides of the pair of first type terminals 302 corresponding to the second sub-extension portion 5240 (see Figure 5 and Figure 11 ). Even if one or more of the second sub-extension portions 5240 are deformed by an external force, the downwardly bent two ends 5241 and 5242 of the second sub-extension portion 5240 can abut against the mounting tails 330 of the second type terminals 301 prior to the straight portion between the two ends 5241 and 5242. Thus, the second sub-extension portion 5240 can be supported on the mounting tails 330 of the second type terminals 301 without causing electrical contact with the mounting tails 330 of the first type terminals 302.

[0118] Figure 24 FIG. is a perspective view of a part of the housing 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from above, Figure 25 relative to Figure 24 the terminal assembly 200 is installed. Figure 26 FIG. is a perspective view of a part of the housing 100 shown in Figure 24 as viewed from below. For the purpose of clear display, Figure 27 relative to Figure 26 only one set of terminal assemblies 200 is installed. As shown in the figure, in addition to the receiving groove 103 of the first extension portion 523 that houses the second shield 520, the housing 100 may further include a plurality of first grooves 101 and a plurality of second grooves 102. The plurality of first grooves 101 and the plurality of second grooves 102 are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction X-X. The plurality of first grooves 101 and the plurality of second grooves 102 communicate with the slot 110. Exemplarily, the plurality of first grooves 101 and the plurality of second grooves 102 may be provided on the side walls of the slot 110. The terminal assembly 200 includes a plurality of terminals 300, and the plurality of terminals 300 are located in the columns in which the plurality of first grooves 101 and the plurality of second grooves 102 are arranged. The plurality of terminals 300 may include a plurality of first type terminals 302 extending into the plurality of first grooves 101 and a plurality of second type terminals 301 extending into the plurality of second grooves 102. The plurality of first type terminals 302 are arranged in a plurality of pairs, and the plurality of pairs formed by the plurality of first type terminals 302 are dispersed among the plurality of second type terminals 301. Thus, the plurality of first grooves 101 are dispersed among the plurality of second grooves 102. The mating contact portions 310 of the first type terminals 302 and the second type terminals 301 are bent from the first grooves 101 and the second grooves 102 into the slot 110 respectively.

[0119] The receiving slot 103 can be spaced apart from the first groove 101 along the transverse direction Y-Y. The first extension 523 of the shielding member (such as the second shielding member 520) extends into the receiving slot 103, and the shielding member is in electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals 301. The receiving slot 103 can limit the first extension 523, space the first extension 523 apart from the first-type terminals 302, and prevent the first extension 523 from contacting the first-type terminals 302. The second-type terminals 301 can be grounded as shielding terminals, and the shielding member is in electrical contact with the second-type terminals 301, thereby forming a shielding protection for the first-type terminals 302.

[0120] Exemplarily, each pair of first-type terminals 302 can extend into a corresponding first groove 101. The first groove 101 can have a size greater than that of the second groove 102 along the longitudinal direction X-X, such that each pair of first-type terminals 302 can be accommodated in the same first groove 101. The second-type terminals 301 are separately accommodated in the second grooves 102. As described above, the first-type terminals 302 for transmitting high-speed signals are generally configured to transmit differential signals. By arranging each pair of first-type terminals 302 in the same first groove 101, the spacing between the pair of first-type terminals 302 can be reduced, or the width of each first-type terminal 302 in the pair of first-type terminals 302 can be increased locally or globally, without changing the overall size of the electrical connector, so as to improve signal integrity.

[0121] Exemplarily, the housing 100 has a mating surface 104 and a mounting surface 105 that are opposite along the mating direction Z-Z. The slot 110 is recessed inward from the mating surface 104, and the slot 110 is used to receive the second electrical component 920. Positioning posts 1051 can also be provided on the mounting surface 105 of the housing 100. The positioning posts 1051 can be inserted into the positioning holes of the first electrical component 910 to fix the electrical connector 10 in the horizontal direction. The housing 100 can also be fixed to the first electrical component 910 by a board lock 107 (see Figure 3 ). The housing 100 can also include a mounting groove 106 that is recessed inward from the mounting surface 105. The terminal assembly 200 formed by the retaining member 600 and the shielding member can be mounted to the mounting groove 106. Thus, after attaching the shielding member to the retaining member 600, the retaining member 600, the terminals 300, and the shielding member can be mounted to the mounting groove 106 together. The side walls of the mounting groove 106 that are opposite along the transverse direction Y-Y can clamp the retaining member 600 and the shielding member, so that they can be firmly mounted on the housing 100. This can simplify the assembly of the electrical connector 10. The retaining member 600 can prevent the terminals 300 from skewing during the process of mounting the terminal assembly 200 to the housing 100. The retaining member 600 can be mounted to the mounting groove 106 by an interference fit, or can be fixed to the mounting groove 106 by means of snaps, adhesives, etc.

[0122] Exemplarily, a plurality of first grooves 101, a plurality of second grooves 102, and a receiving groove 103 extend from the mounting groove 106 toward the docking surface 104. The plurality of first grooves 101 and the plurality of second grooves 102 are located on the side walls of the slot 110. The mating contact portions 310 of the plurality of first-type terminals 302 and the plurality of second-type terminals 301 respectively bend from the plurality of first grooves 101 and the plurality of second grooves 102 into the slot 110. In this way, ribs can be formed between the first groove 101 and the second groove 102 to separate the first-type terminal 302 and the second-type terminal 301. The first groove 101 and the second groove 102 are formed on the side walls of the slot 110. Exemplarily, the first groove 101 and the second groove 102 can extend from the side walls of the slot 110 to the bottom wall of the slot 110, so that the first groove 101 and the second groove 102 can be L-shaped. Thus, the bottoms of the first groove 101 and the second groove 102 can have a relatively wide width (dimension along the transverse direction Y-Y), and the relatively wide bottoms of the first groove 101 and the second groove 102 can be completely communicated with the mounting groove 106. The mating contact portion 310 of the terminal 300 is bent, resulting in a relatively large dimension of the mating contact portion 310 along the transverse direction Y-Y. During the process of inserting the assembled terminal assembly 200 from the mounting surface 105 of the housing 100 into the mounting groove 106, the relatively wide bottoms of the first groove 101 and the second groove 102 allow the mating contact portion 310 to pass through, and the mating contact portion 310 can thus be configured to bend into the slot 110.

[0123] Exemplarily, as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown, the first extension portion 523 can have a first surface 5233 facing the corresponding terminal 300 and a second surface 5234 opposite to the first surface 5233 along the transverse direction Y-Y. Along the transverse direction Y-Y, the dimension of the first extension portion 523 is smaller than the dimension of the receiving groove 103, and the root of the first extension portion 523 bends toward the corresponding terminal 300, so that the first surface 5233 abuts against the groove wall of the corresponding receiving groove 103, and the second surface 5234 is spaced apart from the groove wall of the corresponding receiving groove 103. The first extension portion 523 can have a certain elasticity. During the process of inserting it into the receiving groove 103, the smaller dimension can reduce the frictional force. When the first surface 5233 of the first extension portion 523 abuts against the groove wall of the receiving groove 103, the first extension portion 523 can be relatively close to the first-type terminal 302, improving the shielding performance. Exemplarily, a chamfer can be provided at the lower part (i.e., the opening of the receiving groove 103) of the groove wall of the receiving groove 103 against which the first surface 5233 abuts.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first shielding member 510 may be located below the slot 110, and the first shielding member 510 extends beyond the mounting surface 105. In this way, the first shielding member 510 can shield and protect the middle section 320 of the first type of terminals 302 below the slot 110.

[0125] Figures 28A to 28F FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of products obtained in various steps during the processing of a terminal assembly 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 28A shown, a plurality of terminals 300 independent of each other are held on a terminal fixture 710, and the spacing between these terminals 300 is consistent with that of the terminals mounted on the housing 100 of the electrical connector 10. Exemplarily, the mounting tails 330 of the plurality of terminals 300 can be held on the terminal fixture 710. Then, an overmolding process is used to form a holding member 600 on the middle section 320 of the plurality of terminals 300, as Figure 28B shown. A plurality of sets of openings (such as a first opening 601 and a second opening 605) corresponding to the plurality of second type of terminals are formed on the holding member 600 during overmolding. A first shielding frame 720 is provided, and the first shielding frame 720 is connected to a first shielding member 510, and a plurality of sets of first protrusions 512 are formed on the first shielding member 510. A first V-shaped cut (V-cut) 721 may be provided between the first shielding frame 720 and the first shielding member 510, and the first V-shaped cut 721 helps to separate the first shielding frame 720 and the first shielding member 510. As Figure 28C shown, after aligning the first protrusions 512 on the first shielding member 510 with the first opening 601 on the holding member 600 and attaching the first shielding member 510 to the holding member 600, the first shielding frame 720 can be bent upward, so that the first V-shaped cut 721 is broken, and the first shielding frame 720 is separated from the first shielding member 510, as Figure 28D shown.

[0126] Then, the side of the holding member 600 having the second opening 605 is turned upward, as Figure 28E shown, and a second shielding frame 730 is provided. The second shielding frame 730 is connected to a second shielding member 520, and a plurality of sets of second protrusions 522 are formed on the second shielding member 520. A second V-shaped cut 731 may be provided between the second shielding frame 730 and the second shielding member 520, and the second V-shaped cut 731 helps to separate the second shielding frame 730 and the second shielding member 520. As Figure 28F shown, after aligning the second protrusions 522 on the second shielding member 520 with the second opening 605 on the holding member 600 and attaching the second shielding member 520 to the holding member 600, the second shielding frame 730 can be bent upward, so that the second V-shaped cut 731 is broken, and the second shielding frame 730 is separated from the second shielding member 520.

[0127] It should be noted that the terminal fixture 710 can be kept on the multiple terminals 300 all the time so that when performing Figures 28B to 28F the operations shown, the integral parts formed in each step are always fixed by using the terminal fixture 710. Additionally, Figure 28E the steps shown can be omitted without reversing the holder 600 and the multiple terminals 300. It is also possible to mount the second shielding member 520 connected with the second shielding frame 730 to the holder 600 from below. As described above, the first protrusion 512 on the first shielding member 510 and / or the second protrusion 522 on the second shielding member 520 can be welded to the corresponding second-type terminals. The first welding process for the first protrusion 512 can be performed at any step after the first protrusion 512 is mounted to the first opening 601. Similarly, the second welding process for the second protrusion 522 can be performed at any step after the second protrusion 522 is mounted to the second opening 605. Optionally, the first welding process and the second welding process can be performed simultaneously after both the first protrusion 512 and the second protrusion 522 are mounted in place. Exemplarily, the first welding process can be performed before the first shielding frame 720 and the first shielding member 510 are separated to prevent the first shielding member 510 from not being held in the desired position during the removal of the first shielding frame 720. Similarly, the second welding process can be performed before the second shielding frame 730 and the second shielding member 520 are separated to prevent the second shielding member 520 from not being held in the desired position during the removal of the second shielding frame 730.

[0128] Exemplarily, referring back to Figures 10 to 11 , the multiple terminals 300 included in each terminal assembly 200 can further include additional terminals 303. The shielding member only spans the multiple first-type terminals 302 and the multiple second-type terminals 301 along the longitudinal direction. The side of the additional terminal 303 may not be provided with a shielding member. The multiple additional terminals 303 can be located at the periphery of the first-type terminals 302 and the multiple second-type terminals 301. The additional terminals 303 can be used to transmit low-speed signals or power signals and generally do not need to be shielded. According to some embodiments, the additional terminals 303 can include sideband terminals. The sideband terminals can transmit low-frequency signals (e.g., frequencies less than 500 MHz), signals with a lower data rate (e.g., less than 100 Mb / s). According to some embodiments, the additional terminals 303 can further include power terminals. The power terminals can transmit direct current. In addition or alternatively, the power terminals can transmit other high-current and low-frequency signals.

[0129] As described above, the shielding member is in electrical contact with the second type of terminals 301. If the shielding member is provided, some of the additional terminals 303 need to be connected to the shielding member. This reduces the number of additional terminals 303 that can transmit low-speed signals or power signals. If the shielding member extending to the additional terminals 303 is not connected to any of the additional terminals 303, the support problem of the shielding member on the side of the additional terminals 303 needs to be considered. Moreover, an overly long shielding member that is not connected to the terminals 300 may be coupled to electromagnetic waves, reducing the shielding performance. In summary, providing the additional terminals 303 can expand the performance of the electrical connector 10, and enable the shielding member to span only a plurality of first type terminals 302 and a plurality of second type terminals 301 along the longitudinal direction X-X, which can simplify the design, reduce the impact on the additional terminals 303, and improve the performance.

[0130] Exemplarily, the position of the additional terminals 303 relative to the plurality of first type terminals 302 and the plurality of second type terminals 301 in the longitudinal direction X-X is configurable. By adjusting a small number of parts included in the electrical connector 10, the positions of the additional terminals 303 relative to the plurality of first type terminals 302 and the plurality of second type terminals 301 can be physically changed. Exemplarily, the housing 100 can be configured to allow all the terminals 300 to be mounted to the adjusted positions even when the positions of the additional terminals 303 are adjusted. Optionally, the plurality of terminals 300 can be arranged to be adjustable relative to the holder 600, thereby changing the relative positions of the additional terminals 303. Alternatively, optionally, after the plurality of terminals 300 are held on the holder 600, the positions of any terminals are no longer physically changed. Instead, by adjusting the position of the shielding member, the first type of terminals 301 shielded by the shielding member are used to transmit high-speed signals, the second type of terminals in electrical contact with the shielding member provide shielding for the high-speed signals, and the other unshielded terminals are used as additional terminals for transmitting low-speed signals and / or power signals.

[0131] The additional terminals 303 can have various positions relative to the first type terminals 302 and the second type terminals 301. In the illustrated embodiment, along the longitudinal direction X-X, the holder 600 can be non-physically divided into two segments, namely a first segment and a second segment. The first type terminals 302 and the second type terminals 301 are held on the first segment, and the additional terminals 303 can be held on the second segment. The second type terminals 301 are arranged at intervals on the first segment, and the first type terminals 302 are scattered in pairs within the intervals between the second type terminals 301. Exemplarily, the aforementioned first segment can be divided into a plurality of first sub-segments, which are respectively located on both sides of the second segment. Alternatively, optionally, the aforementioned second segment can be divided into a plurality of second sub-segments, and the plurality of second sub-segments are respectively located on both sides of the first segment. This can be applicable to various types of second electrical components 920 and first electrical components 910.

[0132] Exemplarily, the additional terminals 303 include a plurality of additional first-type terminals 302 and a plurality of additional second-type terminals 301, and all the first-type terminals 302 and all the second-type terminals 301 are arranged in a repeated pattern according to a predetermined pattern. Exemplarily, one second-type terminal 301 is provided between any two adjacent pairs of first-type terminals 302, and a pair of first-type terminals 302 is provided between two adjacent second-type terminals 301. Two adjacent pairs of first-type terminals 302 share one second-type terminal 301, which can effectively reduce the number of second-type terminals 301 without reducing the shielding protection effect. In the same space, more terminals 300 can be used for signal transmission, improving the density of the transmitted signals. As described above, second-type terminals 301 are provided on both sides of each pair of first-type terminals 302, which can provide shielding protection to the first-type terminals 302 from both sides and improve signal integrity.

[0133] See Figure 15 and Figure 16 , the terminal pairs S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, and S8 are all pairs formed by the first-type terminals 302, and the terminal G between these terminal pairs is a second-type terminal. Referring to Figures 8 to 11, a first shielding member 510 and / or a second shielding member 520 are provided on the sides of the terminal pairs S4, S5, S6, S7, S8 and the terminals G on both sides thereof. Thus, the first shielding member 510 and / or the second shielding member 520 connect these terminals G, and can provide shielding for the terminal pairs S4, S5, S6, S7, S8. While the sides of the remaining terminal pairs S1, S2, S3 and the terminals G are not provided with shielding and there is no electrical connection between them, each of the terminal pairs S1, S2, S3 and the terminals G can be used as an additional terminal for transmitting low-speed signals and / or power signals. Although it is not necessary to provide shielding for the additional terminals or the structural requirements for each additional terminal are not very strict based on the use of the additional terminals, it is still desirable that the terminals in the additional terminal 303 are also composed of the first type of terminal 302 and the second type of terminal 301, and it is desirable that the first type of terminal 302 and the second type of terminal 301 in the additional terminal 303 are arranged in the same pattern as the first type of terminal 302 for transmitting high-speed signals and the second type of terminal 301 around it. Thus, taking the illustrated embodiment as an example, any one or more of the terminal pairs S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8 can be used to transmit high-speed signals according to the expectation, as long as the position of the shielding member is configured, and the other terminal pairs can be used to transmit low-speed signals and / or power signals. Alternatively, optionally, all the terminal pairs are used to transmit high-speed signals without providing additional terminals. Return to see Figure 3 , the electrical connector 10 may include 10 terminal assemblies 200, and the number of terminals 300 included in these terminal assemblies 200 may be the same or different. Exemplarily, regardless of the number of terminals 300, the first type of terminal 302 and the second type of terminal 301 may be arranged in the aforementioned predetermined pattern repeatedly. The position of the shielding member on these terminal assemblies 200 and their lengths along the longitudinal direction X-X can be configured as needed. Thus, for each terminal assembly 200, since the position and length of the shielding member are configurable, the target terminal pair on each terminal assembly 200 can transmit high-speed signals, while the other terminal pairs and the terminals G around them can be used as additional terminals 303. In addition, for each terminal assembly 200, its shielding member may include a first shielding member 510 and / or a second shielding member 520.

[0134] To further facilitate configuring the position and length of the shielding member as needed, multiple groups of additional openings may be provided on the retaining member 600. The multiple groups of additional openings respectively expose multiple additional second type terminals. As Figures 8 to 11 and Figures 15 to 16As shown, the shielding member may include a first shielding member 510, and each set of additional openings may include a first opening 605'. Accordingly, the position and / or length of the first shielding member 510 on the holding member 600 may be configurable to be in electrical contact with a corresponding second-type terminal 301 via a target opening. The target opening may include at least a portion of the first openings among the first opening 605 and the first opening 605'. The first protrusion 512 on the first shielding member 510 may be in electrical contact with a corresponding second-type terminal 301 via at least a portion of the first openings. In this way, the first-type terminals 302 distributed among the corresponding second-type terminals 301 may be used to transmit high-speed signals. The other first-type terminals 302 and second-type terminals 301 may serve as additional terminals 303 such that the positions of the additional terminals 303 among the plurality of terminals 300 are configurable.

[0135] Optionally, the shielding member may include a second shielding member 520, and each set of additional openings may include a second opening 605'. Accordingly, the position and / or length of the second shielding member 520 on the holding member 600 may be configurable to be in electrical contact with a corresponding second-type terminal 301 via a target opening. The target opening may include at least a portion of the second openings among the second opening 605 and the second opening 605'. The second protrusion 522 on the second shielding member 520 may be in electrical contact with a corresponding second-type terminal 301 via at least a portion of the second openings. In this way, the first-type terminals 302 distributed among the corresponding second-type terminals 301 may be used to transmit high-speed signals. The other first-type terminals 302 and second-type terminals 301 may serve as additional terminals 303 such that the positions of the additional terminals 303 among the plurality of terminals 300 are configurable.

[0136] In the case where both the first shielding member 510 and the second shielding member 520 are present, the first shielding member 510 and the second shielding member 520 may be in electrical contact with the same second-type terminal 301 to form a good shielding for the first-type terminals 302 distributed among the corresponding second-type terminals 301. It can be understood that the present application does not exclude embodiments in which the first shielding member 510 and the second shielding member 520 are in electrical contact with different second-type terminals 301, including one or more of the following cases: 1) a portion of the second-type terminals 301 with which the first shielding member 510 is in electrical contact is the same as a portion of the second-type terminals 301 with which the second shielding member 520 is in electrical contact; 2) the second-type terminals 301 with which the first shielding member 510 is in electrical contact are completely different from the second-type terminals 301 with which the second shielding member 520 is in electrical contact.

[0137] In order to efficiently configure the position of the shielding member for different terminal assemblies 200, the center distances between multiple terminals 300 on each terminal assembly 200 can be equal. In other words, the additional terminal 303 can have no difference in structure and arrangement from other terminals 300, and the terminal 300 without a shielding member on the side can be used as the additional terminal 303. Among the terminals 300 with a shielding member on the side, the second-type terminal 301 can be in electrical contact with the shielding member, and the first-type terminal 302 can be used to transmit high-speed signals. For the electrical connector 10 that requires more additional terminals 303, the shielding member can be appropriately shortened, thereby reducing the number of additional second-type terminals 301 connected to the shielding member. In this way, the second-type terminals 301 in the additional terminals 303 can be used to transmit low-speed signals or power signals. For the electrical connector 10 that requires more first-type terminals 302 capable of transmitting high-speed signals, the shielding member can be appropriately extended, and the maximum length can be the same as that of the holding member 600 in the longitudinal direction X-X. In this way, more first-type terminals 302 can be shielded, increasing the number of available terminals for high-speed signals. Thus, for electrical connectors 10 with different requirements, only the length of the shielding member needs to be configured, without changing the parameters of other components, resulting in better compatibility and lower changeover costs.

[0138] When the center distances between multiple terminals 300 are equal, optionally, each group of multiple additional openings has the same structure as any group of the multiple groups of openings, and all groups of openings are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction X-X. In this way, both the first shielding member 510 and the second shielding member 520 can be made into units arranged repeatedly, and each unit corresponds to a pair of first-type terminals 302. When adopting Figures 28A to 28F the shown process to manufacture the terminal assembly 200, the first shielding frame 720 connected to the first shielding member 510 and the second shielding frame 730 connected to the second shielding member 520 can be respectively made into units arranged repeatedly. In this way, according to the number of terminal pairs formed by the first-type terminals 302 to be shielded and their positions relative to the additional terminals 303, an appropriate number of units can be selected. As Figures 29A to 29C shown, taking the second shielding frame 730 connected to the second shielding member 520 as an example, when the number of pairs of the first terminal pairs 302a to be shielded is multiple and there are other non-shielded second terminal pairs 302b (used as additional terminals 303) between them, the second shielding member 520 including n repeated units can be provided first, where n is the total number of pairs of the first terminal pairs 302a and the second terminal pairs 302b. Then as Figure 29BAs shown, the unit of the second shield 520 corresponding to the second terminal pair 302b is removed. Finally, the second shield frame 730 with a part of the second shield 520 removed is mounted on the holder 600 holding a plurality of terminals 300 to form the terminal assembly 200. When the second shield 520 is not attached to the holder 600, holding them together by the second shield frame 730 can improve the assembly efficiency.

[0139] Optionally, when it is desired to space more second terminal pairs 302b between two first terminal pairs 302a, more units of the second shield 520 on the second shield frame 730 can be removed, as Figures 29D to 29E shown. For example, two units are removed. The other units of the second shield 520 are mounted on the holder 600 by using the second shield frame 730. Since the second type terminals 301 between two pairs of second terminal pairs 302b are not electrically connected to the second shield 520, the second type terminals 301 can also be used to transmit low-speed signals and / or power signals.

[0140] Optionally, when only the second type terminals 301 are arranged between the first terminal pairs 302a that need to be shielded, the second shield 520 on the second shield frame 730 does not need to be processed. When the number of the first terminal pairs 302a is m, the second shield frame 730 connected with m repeated units of the second shield 520 can be directly provided. In this case, since two adjacent first terminal pairs 302a can share a second type terminal 301, when the transmission rates of high-speed signals are equal, the number of the second type terminals 301 corresponding to these first type terminals 302 can be reduced, and thus the number of additional terminals 303 will increase accordingly.

[0141] In Figure 29E the shown embodiment, the second type terminals 301 are arranged on both sides of each first terminal pair 302a, and the second terminal pair 302b serving as the additional terminal 303 can be located between adjacent second type terminals 301. In this case, at least one additional second type terminal 301 is required to separate the second terminal pair 302b from the first terminal pair 302a. In contrast, as Figure 29F shown, no additional terminal 303 is arranged between a plurality of first terminal pairs 302a except for the second type terminals 301. Since two adjacent pairs of first terminal pairs 302a can share the second type terminal 301 arranged between them, the number of the second type terminals 301 can be reduced, and the signal transmission density can be improved.

[0142] Since the positions and lengths of the first shield 510 and the second shield 520 are configurable, at the positions where no shield is provided, the thickness of the terminal assembly 200 is only determined by the holder 600. For exampleFigure 29C and Figure 29E However, the width of the mounting slot 106 provided in the housing 100 is consistent along its length direction (longitudinal direction XX), so that the housing 100 can be made into a standard part regardless of the position and length of the shielding member. Figure 29C and Figure 29E In the embodiment, the right end of the terminal assembly 200 is not connected to a shielding member, resulting in a thinner thickness at that location. However, in other embodiments not shown, the left end of the terminal assembly 200 may also be thinner. In order to prevent the thinner portion from shaking when installed in the wider installation groove 106, for example, return to see Figure 26 The mounting groove 106 has a first groove end 1061 and a second groove end 1062 relative to each other along the longitudinal direction XX. The width of the first groove end 1061 and the second groove end 1062 can be smaller than the width of other parts, thereby fixing the thinner end of the terminal assembly 200. If a shielding member needs to be provided at the end of the terminal assembly 200, the retaining member 600 can protrude from the shielding member along the longitudinal direction XX at the end, so that the shielding member is not hindered.

[0143] According to another aspect of the present application, an electronic system is provided. The electronic system may include a second electrical component 920, such as an add-on card. The add-on card may have a shielding layer 922, see Figure 7 , the surface of the additional card has a plurality of contact pads 921. The electronic system may further include an electrical connector 10, which may include a slot 110, a plurality of terminals 300 and a shielding member. The slot 110 extends along the longitudinal direction XX, and the plurality of terminals 300 are arranged in a column parallel to the longitudinal direction XX on the side of the slot 110. The additional card is inserted into the slot 110, and the plurality of contact pads 921 on the additional card may be in electrical contact with the plurality of terminals 300. The shielding member may include a first shielding member 510 and a second shielding member 520, and the first shielding member 510 and the second shielding member 520 are respectively located on opposite sides of the plurality of terminals 300 along the transverse direction YY. The shielding layer 922 and the first shielding member 510 are located on the same side and form an inner shield for the plurality of terminals 300, and the second shielding member 520 forms an outer shield for the plurality of terminals 300. Thus, good shielding protection can be formed for the terminals 300, and the structure is relatively simple, suitable for the transmission of high-density and high-speed signals, and the overall size is relatively small.

[0144] Thus, the present disclosure has been described by the above several embodiments. However, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can also make more types of variations, modifications, and improvements according to the teachings of the present disclosure, and these variations, modifications, and improvements all fall within the spirit and the scope of protection required by the present disclosure. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalent scope. The above embodiments are only for illustrative and explanatory purposes, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the scope of the described embodiments.

[0145] Various changes can be made to the structures illustrated and described herein. For example, the electrical connectors described above can be, for example, card-edge connectors, backplane connectors, daughter card connectors, etc.

[0146] Although many inventive aspects have been described above with reference to vertical connectors, it should be understood that the aspects of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. That is, any one of the inventive features, either alone or in combination with one or more other inventive features, can also be used in other types of connectors, such as right-angle connectors and coplanar connectors, etc.

[0147] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by orientation words such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "lateral", "vertical", "perpendicular", "horizontal", and "top", "bottom", etc. are usually based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description. Without contrary explanations, these orientation words do not indicate and imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure; the orientation words "inner" and "outer" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contour of each component itself.

[0148] For the convenience of description, spatial relative terms such as "above...", "over...", "on the upper surface of...", "above-mentioned", etc. can be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationships between one or more components or features shown in the drawings and other components or features. It should be understood that the spatial relative terms not only include the orientations of the components described in the drawings, but also include different orientations during use or operation. For example, if the components in the drawings are inverted as a whole, the component "above other components or features" or "over other components or features" will include the situation where the component is "below other components or structures" or "under other components or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above..." can include both the orientations of "above..." and "below...". In addition, these components or features can also be positioned at other different angles (for example, rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and the present disclosure is intended to cover all such situations.

[0149] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms are also intended to include the plural forms. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of features, steps, operations, components, assemblies, and / or combinations thereof.

[0150] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein.

Claims

1. A terminal component, characterized in that, Comprising: A plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, the plurality of terminals including a plurality of first-type terminals and a plurality of second-type terminals, the plurality of first-type terminals being arranged in a plurality of pairs, the plurality of pairs being dispersed among the plurality of second-type terminals; A holder, on which the plurality of terminals are held, and a plurality of groups of openings are provided on the holder, the plurality of groups of openings respectively exposing the plurality of second-type terminals; And A shielding member, the shielding member being attached to the holder, the shielding member having a plurality of groups of protrusions, the plurality of groups of protrusions being in electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals respectively via the plurality of groups of openings, wherein: The plurality of terminals have a first side and a second side opposite to each other in the transverse direction, the transverse direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, The shielding member includes a first shielding member located on the first side of the plurality of terminals, and each group of the plurality of groups of protrusions includes a first protrusion, and each group of the plurality of groups of openings includes a first opening, and the first protrusion extends into the corresponding first opening and is in electrical contact with the corresponding second-type terminal.

2. The terminal component according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail opposite to each other in its extending direction, and an intermediate section connected between the mating contact portion and the mounting tail, and the intermediate section is held on the holder, The mating contact portion is bent toward the first side, and the first shielding member is located on the side of the intermediate section.

3. The terminal component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first shielding member further includes a plurality of lugs extending toward the mating contact portion and exceeding the holder, the plurality of lugs being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of lugs are correspondingly arranged with the plurality of pairs.

4. The terminal component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first shielding member protrudes from the holder in the direction toward the mounting tail.

5. The terminal component according to claim 2, wherein Each group of the plurality of groups of protrusions includes two first protrusions, and each group of the plurality of groups of openings includes two first openings, and a first rib is formed between the two first openings, The two first protrusions are spaced apart in the extending direction and form a first interval, the first rib is inserted into the first interval, and the two first protrusions respectively extend into the two first openings and are in electrical contact with the same second-type terminal, The two first protrusions extend to the edge of the first shielding member in two opposite directions in the extending direction.

6. The terminal assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The first shielding member includes a first main body, and the plurality of groups of protrusions are located on the first main body, and the contact surface of each protrusion in the plurality of groups of protrusions in contact with the corresponding second-type terminal is flat, For each protrusion in the plurality of groups of protrusions: The protrusion has edges opposite to each other in the extending direction of the plurality of terminals, and the edges are not connected to the first main body, so that the contact surface penetrates through the protrusion in the extending direction.

7. The terminal component according to claim 1, wherein Each group of the plurality of groups of openings includes a second opening located in the holder; and The shielding member further includes a second shielding member located on the second side of the plurality of terminals. Each group of the plurality of protruding portions includes a second protruding portion located on the second shielding member. The second protruding portion extends into a corresponding second opening and contacts a corresponding second-type terminal.

8. The terminal component according to claim 7, wherein Each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail portion opposite to each other along its extending direction, and an intermediate section connected between the mating contact portion and the mounting tail portion. The intermediate section is held on the holding member. The mating contact portion is bent towards the first side. The second shielding member further includes a second body and a first extension portion. The second body has a first edge and a second edge opposite to each other along the extending direction. The second protruding portion is provided on the second body. The first extension portion extends from the first edge along the extending direction to the mating contact portion, and the first extension portion is spaced apart from the mating contact portions of the plurality of first-type terminals.

9. The terminal assembly according to claim 8, wherein, The first extension portion includes a plurality of first sub-extension portions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of first sub-extension portions are correspondingly arranged with the plurality of pairs.

10. The terminal assembly according to claim 9, wherein, Each of the plurality of first sub-extension portions includes a tongue portion extending along the extending direction and a bent portion connected between the tongue portion and the second body. The tongue portion is closer to the plurality of first-type terminals than the second body.

11. The terminal component according to claim 8, characterized in that, The mounting tail portion is bent towards the second side. The second shielding member further includes a second extension portion. The second extension portion is bent from the second edge of the second body towards the second side to extend to the mounting tail portion, and the second extension portion is spaced apart from the mounting tail portions of the plurality of first-type terminals.

12. The terminal component according to claim 11, wherein The second extension portion includes a plurality of second sub-extension portions spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of second sub-extension portions are correspondingly arranged with the plurality of pairs.

13. The terminal component according to claim 12, wherein, Each of the plurality of second sub-extension portions has two ends oppositely arranged along the longitudinal direction. For each of the plurality of second sub-extension portions, its two ends are respectively bent towards the second-type terminals on both sides of a pair of first-type terminals corresponding to the second sub-extension portion.

14. The terminal component according to claim 7, wherein For each of the plurality of second-type terminals: A group of first protruding portions and a group of second protruding portions corresponding to the second-type terminal are offset along the extending direction of the second-type terminal.

15. The terminal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that The contact surface of the shielding member that is in electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals is welded to the plurality of second-type terminals.

16. The terminal component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of terminals further includes additional terminals. The shielding member only spans the plurality of first-type terminals and the plurality of second-type terminals along the longitudinal direction.

17. The terminal assembly according to claim 16, wherein no terminals are provided between the plurality of first-type terminals and the plurality of second-type terminals; or second-type terminals are provided on both sides of each of the plurality of pairs, and the additional terminals are located between adjacent second-type terminals.

18. The terminal assembly according to claim 16, wherein The additional terminals include a plurality of additional first-type terminals and a plurality of additional second-type terminals, and all the first-type terminals and all the second-type terminals are arranged in a repeated pattern according to a predefined pattern. The holding member is further provided with a plurality of groups of additional openings, and the plurality of groups of additional openings respectively expose the plurality of additional second-type terminals. The position and / or length of the shielding member on the holding member is configurable to be in electrical contact with a corresponding second-type terminal via a target opening, so that the position of the additional terminals among the plurality of terminals is configurable.

19. The terminal component according to claim 18, wherein The center distance between the plurality of terminals is equal. Each of the plurality of groups of additional openings has the same structure as any one of the plurality of groups of openings, and all groups of openings are arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction.

20. The terminal assembly according to claim 18, wherein, For all the first-type terminals and all the second-type terminals, one second-type terminal is provided between any adjacent two pairs of first-type terminals, and a pair of first-type terminals is provided between any adjacent two second-type terminals, so that all the first-type terminals and all the second-type terminals are arranged in a repeated pattern according to the predefined pattern.

21. The terminal component according to claim 1, wherein, The center distance between the plurality of terminals is less than or equal to 0.8 mm.

22. A card-edge connector, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing, the housing includes a plurality of first grooves, a plurality of second grooves and a receiving groove, the plurality of first grooves and the plurality of second grooves are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, the receiving groove is spaced from the plurality of first grooves along the transverse direction, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; And A terminal assembly, the terminal assembly includes: A plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, the plurality of terminals include a plurality of first-type terminals extending into the plurality of first grooves and a plurality of second-type terminals extending into the plurality of second grooves, the plurality of first-type terminals are arranged in a plurality of pairs, and the plurality of pairs are dispersed among the plurality of second-type terminals; And A shielding member, the shielding member includes a first extension portion, the first extension portion extends into the receiving groove, and the shielding member is in electrical contact with the plurality of second-type terminals.

23. The card-edge connector according to claim 22, wherein The housing has a mating surface and a mounting surface opposite to each other along the mating direction, the mating direction is perpendicular to the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction, the housing further includes a slot recessed inward from the mating surface, and the slot is used to receive an additional card. The terminal assembly is disposed on the side of the slot, each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail opposite to each other along its extending direction, and an intermediate section connected between the mating contact portion and the mounting tail, the mating contact portion is bent into the slot, and the mounting tail extends outside the mounting surface. Along the transverse direction, the intermediate sections of the plurality of terminals are located between the slot and the receiving groove, and the first extension portion extends to the mating contact portions of the plurality of first-type terminals.

24. The card-edge connector according to claim 23, wherein, The terminal assembly further includes a holding member, and the plurality of terminals are held on the holding member. The shielding member is attached to the holding member, and multiple sets of openings are provided on the holding member, and the multiple sets of openings respectively expose the multiple second-type terminals, and the shielding member is in electrical contact with the multiple second-type terminals via the multiple sets of openings. The housing further includes a mounting groove recessed inward from the mounting surface, and the holding member and the shielding member are mounted to the mounting groove.

25. The card-edge connector according to claim 24, wherein The multiple first grooves, the multiple second grooves, and the receiving groove extend from the mounting groove toward the docking surface. The multiple first grooves and the multiple second grooves are located on the side walls of the slot, and the mating contact portions of the multiple first-type terminals and the multiple second-type terminals are bent from the multiple first grooves and the multiple second grooves into the slot respectively.

26. The card-edge connector according to claim 23, wherein The multiple terminals have a first side and a second side opposite to each other along the transverse direction, and the first side is closer to the slot than the second side. The shielding member includes a second shielding member, and the first extension portion is provided on the second shielding member, and the second shielding member is located on the second side of the multiple terminals.

27. The card-edge connector according to claim 26, wherein The mounting tail is bent toward the second side, and the second shielding member further includes a second extension portion bent toward the second side to extend to the mounting tail. The second extension portion is located outside the housing, and along the mating direction, the second extension portion is located between the housing and the mounting tails of the multiple terminals.

28. The card-edge connector according to claim 27, characterized in that, The second extension portion includes multiple second sub-extension portions, the multiple second sub-extension portions are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the multiple second sub-extension portions are correspondingly arranged with the multiple pairs. Each of the multiple second sub-extension portions has two ends oppositely arranged along the longitudinal direction. For each of the multiple second sub-extension portions, its two ends are bent toward the second-type terminals on both sides of a pair of first-type terminals corresponding to the second sub-extension portion.

29. The card-edge connector according to claim 26, wherein, The shielding member further includes a first shielding member, and the first shielding member is located on the first side of the multiple terminals.

30. The card-edge connector according to claim 29, wherein, The first shielding member is located below the slot. The first shielding member extends beyond the mounting surface.

31. The card-edge connector according to claim 22, wherein, The first extension portion includes multiple first sub-extension portions, the multiple first sub-extension portions are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, and the multiple first sub-extension portions are correspondingly arranged with the multiple pairs. The receiving groove includes multiple sub-receiving grooves, the multiple sub-receiving grooves are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the multiple first sub-extension portions are respectively inserted into the multiple sub-receiving grooves.

32. The card-edge connector according to claim 22, wherein, The first extension portion has a first surface facing the multiple terminals and a second surface opposite to the first surface along the transverse direction. Along the transverse direction, the size of the first extension portion is smaller than the size of the receiving groove, and the root of the first extension portion is bent toward the multiple terminals, so that the first surface abuts against the groove wall of the receiving groove, and the second surface is spaced apart from the groove wall of the receiving groove.

33. The card-edge connector according to claim 22, wherein, Each of the multiple pairs extends into a corresponding first groove.

34. An electronic system, characterized in that, Including: An additional card, which has a shielding layer inside, and the surface of the additional card has multiple contact pads. Electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a socket, a plurality of terminals and a shielding member, the socket extending in a longitudinal direction, the plurality of terminals being arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction on the sides of the socket, an additional card being inserted into the socket, a plurality of contact pads on the additional card being in electrical contact with the plurality of terminals, wherein: the shielding member includes a first shielding member and a second shielding member, the first shielding member and the second shielding member being located on opposite sides of the plurality of terminals in a transverse direction, the transverse direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the shielding layer and the first shielding member are on the same side and form an inner shield for the plurality of terminals, and the second shielding member forms an outer shield for the plurality of terminals.

35. The electronic system according to claim 34, wherein, the plurality of terminals includes a plurality of first type terminals and a plurality of second type terminals, the plurality of first type terminals being arranged in a plurality of pairs, the plurality of pairs being dispersed among the plurality of second type terminals, both the first shielding member and the second shielding member are in electrical contact with the second type terminals; the contact pads among the plurality of contact pads that are connected to the plurality of second type terminals are electrically connected to the shielding layer.

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