Electrical connector and electronic system

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides an electric connector and an electronic system. The electric connector comprises a shell assembly, a plurality of terminals and a shielding piece, the shell assembly comprises a side wall extending in the longitudinal direction, the terminals comprise multiple pairs of first type terminals, the multiple pairs of first type terminals are arranged in a row parallel to the longitudinal direction, the shielding piece is arranged on the side face of the row, and the shielding piece is arranged between the multiple pairs of first type terminals. The shielding piece comprises a plurality of first parts and a plurality of second parts, the plurality of first parts are arranged corresponding to the plurality of pairs of first-type terminals, the plurality of second parts are connected among the plurality of first parts, the plurality of first parts are embedded into the side walls, and the plurality of first parts are isolated from the plurality of pairs of first-type terminals by the side walls. Therefore, the first-type terminals used for transmitting high-speed signals in the first electric connector can be shielded and protected by the shielding pieces on the side surfaces of the first-type terminals, and the anti-interference capability of the first electric connector can be greatly improved. Compared with other electric connectors, the first electric connector adopting the above scheme can improve signal integrity during transmission of high-frequency signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the technical field of connectors, and more particularly, to a high-density, high-speed electrical connector, which is particularly suitable for board-to-board electronic systems. 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) interconnected by connectors than to fabricate the electronic system as a single component. Conventional arrangements for interconnecting a number of PCBs typically use one PCB as the 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 can be very close together such that there is electrical interference between adjacent signal conductors. To reduce the interference and, additionally, to provide desired electrical properties, shielding members are typically placed between adjacent signal conductors or around adjacent signal conductors. The shielding prevents signals 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, there is provided an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes: a housing assembly including side walls extending along a longitudinal direction; a plurality of terminals including multiple pairs of first-type terminals arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction; and a shielding member disposed on a side of the columns, the shielding member including a plurality of first portions corresponding to the multiple pairs of first-type terminals and a plurality of second portions connecting between the plurality of first portions, the plurality of first portions being embedded in the side walls, and the plurality of first portions being isolated from the multiple pairs of first-type terminals by the side walls.

[0006] Exemplarily, the housing assembly includes a mating interface and a mounting interface, each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion extending to the mating interface and bending out of the side wall and a mounting tail extending to the mounting interface, and each of the plurality of first portions extends from the mounting interface at least to the mating contact portion of a corresponding pair of first-type terminals.

[0007] Exemplarily, each of the plurality of first portions is recessed along a lateral direction and forms a recess such that each pair of the plurality of first-type terminals is located at an opening of a respective recess, the lateral direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0008] Exemplarily, the recess is configured to cooperate with a shield of a mating electrical connector to enclose a corresponding pair of first-type terminals and form a shield.

[0009] Exemplarily, the sidewall includes a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other along the lateral direction, the columns include a first column disposed along the first side surface and a second column disposed along the second side surface, the shield includes a first shield and a second shield, a plurality of first portions of the first shield are embedded in the first side surface, and a plurality of recesses formed by the plurality of first portions of the second shield face the same direction as the first side surface, a plurality of first portions of the second shield are embedded in the second side surface, and a plurality of recesses formed by the plurality of first portions of the second shield face the same direction as the second side surface.

[0010] Exemplarily, the plurality of second portions abut against the sidewall and are arranged in columns.

[0011] Exemplarily, the housing assembly further includes a base having a first surface and a second surface, the sidewall is connected to the first surface, the sidewall and the first surface form a mating interface, each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion extending to the mating interface and bending out of the sidewall and a mounting tail extending out of the second surface, the shield is fixed to the base, and a plurality of first portions extend from the base into the sidewall.

[0012] Exemplarily, each of the plurality of second portions includes: a connecting portion connecting between two adjacent first portions and fixed within the base; and a beam portion extending from the connecting portion to the mating interface and bending out of the sidewall, the beam portions being arranged in columns along the longitudinal direction.

[0013] Exemplarily, each of the plurality of second portions includes: a connecting portion connecting between two adjacent first portions and fixed within the base; and a shield mounting tail extending from the connecting portion out of the second surface.

[0014] Exemplarily, the housing assembly further includes a lower housing attached to the second surface, the lower housing is provided with a plurality of through holes, the mounting tails of the plurality of terminals and the shield mounting tails of the shield correspondingly pass through the plurality of through holes, and a solder ball is connected to each of the mounting tails of the plurality of terminals and the shield mounting tails of the shield, and at least a part of the solder ball is received within a corresponding through hole.

[0015] Exemplarily, along the direction towards the mating interface, the connecting portion extends beyond the first surface.

[0016] Exemplarily, the housing assembly further includes a shielding mounting channel, and the shielding mounting channel includes: a plurality of first channel portions, each of the plurality of first channel portions extends from the base to within the side wall along the mating direction, and the cross-section of each of the plurality of first channel portions is U-shaped, and a plurality of first portions of the shielding member are respectively mounted to the plurality of first channel portions; a plurality of second channel portions, the plurality of second channel portions are located within the base and are connected between the plurality of first channel portions, and a plurality of second portions are respectively mounted to the plurality of second channel portions.

[0017] Exemplarily, the housing assembly further includes a plurality of terminal mounting channels, and both the shielding mounting channel and the plurality of terminal mounting channels extend to the second surface of the base, and the shielding member and the plurality of terminals are respectively mounted to the shielding mounting channel and the plurality of terminal mounting channels from the second surface.

[0018] Exemplarily, the housing assembly further includes a lower housing, and the lower housing is attached to the second surface such that the shielding member and the plurality of terminals are clamped between the base and the lower housing.

[0019] Exemplarily, the first surface and the second surface face each other along the mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0020] Exemplarily, multiple pairs of first-type terminals are arranged in a plurality of columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of columns are spaced apart along the transverse direction, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. For any two adjacent columns, one column is offset from the other column along the longitudinal direction such that the multiple pairs of first-type terminals in one column are staggered from the multiple pairs of first-type terminals in the other column.

[0021] Exemplarily, the housing assembly includes a plurality of side walls, and the plurality of side walls are arranged at equal intervals along the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each of the opposite side surfaces of adjacent side walls is provided with a column, and each column has its own shielding member. The interval between the two columns on the opposite side surfaces of adjacent side walls is configured to receive a side wall with the same structure and the two columns on its two sides.

[0022] Exemplarily, the housing assembly has a first edge and a second edge opposite to each other along the transverse direction, and the first edge and the second edge have complementary structures such that the electrical connector can cooperate with another identical electrical connector.

[0023] Exemplarily, the first edge includes a rib extending along the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of side walls are arranged from a position adjacent to the rib to the second edge. The side wall adjacent to the rib and the rib enclose a positioning groove, and the side wall on the second edge is shaped to be mutually adaptable to the positioning groove such that when the electrical connector cooperates with another identical electrical connector, the positioning grooves on different electrical connectors and the side wall on the second edge cooperate with each other.

[0024] Exemplarily, the sidewalls on the second edge are provided with columns only on the side facing the adjacent sidewalls, and columns are provided on both opposite sides in the transverse direction of the remaining sidewalls.

[0025] Exemplarily, the first edge includes positioning posts, and positioning holes are provided on the positioning posts. The second edge includes positioning pins, and the positioning pins and the positioning holes are mutually adapted in shape, so that when the electrical connector is mated with the same other electrical connector, the positioning pins and the positioning holes on different electrical connectors cooperate with each other.

[0026] Exemplarily, the positioning pins are configured as first power terminals, and the positioning posts are connected with second power terminals.

[0027] Exemplarily, the plurality of terminals further includes a plurality of second-type terminals, the plurality of second-type terminals are arranged in columns, and shielding members are not provided on the sides of the plurality of second-type terminals.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic system, including a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector that are mutually adapted. Each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector includes: a plurality of pairs of terminals, the plurality of pairs of terminals are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction; and a shielding member, the shielding member is provided on the side of the column, the shielding member includes a plurality of first parts corresponding to the plurality of pairs of terminals and a plurality of second parts connected between the plurality of first parts. When the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are mutually mated, the plurality of pairs of terminals of the first electrical connector and the plurality of pairs of terminals of the second electrical connector are in electrical contact correspondingly, and the second parts of the shielding member of the first electrical connector and the second parts of the shielding member of the second electrical connector are in electrical contact correspondingly. For any two pairs of terminals in electrical contact, the first parts on the corresponding two shielding members form a surrounding shield.

[0029] Exemplarily, for each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector, each of the plurality of pairs of terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail portion opposite to each other along its extending direction, and each of the plurality of first parts extends at least from the mounting interface to the mating contact portion of the corresponding pair of terminals.

[0030] Exemplarily, for each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector, each of the plurality of first parts is recessed along the transverse direction to form a recessed portion, so that when the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are mutually mated, the openings of the recessed portions of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are docked, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0031] Exemplarily, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same structure.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic system is provided, including a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector. The first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have mating interfaces that are mutually mateable, and the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same structure at the mating interfaces.

[0033] Exemplarily, each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector has a mounting interface opposite to its respective mating interface, and the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same structure at the mounting interfaces.

[0034] Exemplarily, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same or different heights.

[0035] Thus, the first type of terminals for transmitting high-speed signals in the first electrical connector can be shielded and protected by a shielding member on its side, which can greatly improve the anti-interference ability of the first electrical connector. In other words, the shielding member of the present disclosure is arranged parallel to the arrangement direction of a pair of first type of terminals and is separated by side walls. In this way, the achieved shielding effect is relatively uniform, and the side walls can also limit the distance between the shielding member and the signal terminals and effectively prevent the signal terminals from contacting the shielding member. Thus, compared with other electrical connectors, the first electrical connector adopting the above solution can improve signal integrity during the transmission of high-frequency signals.

[0036] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the utility model content, which will be further described in detail in the specific implementation part. The utility model content part 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.

[0037] The following will, with reference to the accompanying drawings, detail the advantages and features of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The following drawings of the present disclosure are hereby taken as a part of the present disclosure for understanding the present disclosure. The embodiments and descriptions thereof shown in the drawings are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. In the drawings,

[0039] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a part of the electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle;

[0041] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a perspective view of the electronic system shown in after removing the first electrical component and the second electrical component;

[0042] Figure 4A is Figure 3 a partially enlarged perspective view of the first electrical connector shown in

[0043] Figure 4B is Figure 3 a partially enlarged bottom view of the first electrical connector shown in

[0044] Figure 4C is Figure 3 a partially enlarged bottom view of the upper housing of the first electrical connector shown in

[0045] Figure 4D is Figure 3 a partially enlarged perspective view of the first electrical connector shown in

[0046] Figure 4E is Figure 3 a partially enlarged bottom view of the first electrical connector removed from the lower housing shown in

[0047] Figure 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the first electrical connector with the upper housing removed according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figures 6A to 6C is a perspective view of a plurality of terminals and a shield of the first electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 6D is Figures 6A to 6C a perspective view of the shield shown in

[0050] Figure 7A is a top view of the terminals and the shield of the first electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 7B is a top view of the cooperation between the terminals and the shield of the first electrical connector and the terminals and the shield of the second electrical connector;

[0052] Figure 8A and Figure 8B are respectively Figure 7A and Figure 7B partial enlarged views;

[0053] Figure 9A is Figure 3 a cross-sectional view of the first electrical connector shown in

[0054] Figure 9B is Figure 3 a cross-sectional view of the cooperation between the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector shown in

[0055] Figure 10A is Figure 9APartial enlarged view;

[0056] Figure 10B is Figure 9B Partial enlarged view;

[0057] Figure 11A is Figure 3 A perspective view of the first electrical connector shown in another angle in

[0058] Figure 11B is Figure 11A Partial enlarged view.

[0059] Wherein, the above-mentioned drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0060] 100, the first electrical connector; 100’, the second electrical connector; 200, 200’, the housing assembly; 201, 201’, the upper housing; 2011, the base; 2011A, the first surface; 2011B, the second surface; 2012, 2012’, the side wall; 202, 202’, the lower housing; 2021, the through hole; 203, the riveting projection; 204, the riveting opening; 211, the first mating interface; 212, the first mounting interface; 211’, the second mating interface; 212’, the second mounting interface; 213, the first side surface; 214, the second side surface; 220, the shielding mounting channel; 221, the first channel portion; 222, the second channel portion; 230, 230’, the first edge; 231, the rib; 232, the positioning post; 2321, the positioning hole; 233, the second power terminal; 240, the second edge; 241, the positioning pin; 242, the recess; 250, the positioning groove; 261, the first chamfer; 262, the second chamfer; 263, the third chamfer; 270, the terminal mounting channel; 271, the groove; 272, the opening; 300, 300’, the terminal; 301, 301’, the first type terminal; 302, the second type terminal; 310, the mating contact portion; 311, the electrical contact surface; 320, the mounting tail; 330, the middle portion; 332, the barb; 351, the first column; 352, the second column; 400, 400’, the shielding member; 400a, the first shielding member; 400b, the second shielding member; 410, 410’, the first portion; 411, 411’, the recess; 4111, the opening of the recess; 420, 420’, the second portion; 421, 421’, the connecting portion; 422, 422’, the beam portion; 4221, the first beam portion; 4222, the second beam portion; 423, 423’, the shielding mounting tail; 600, the welding ball; 800, the first electrical component; 900, the second electrical component. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0061] In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to enable a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the following description merely 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, to avoid confusion with the present disclosure, some technical features well known in the art are not described in detail.

[0062] The inventors have recognized and understood a design of a high-density, high-speed board-to-board electrical connector, and this high-density electrical connector improves the signal transmission quality and reduces crosstalk. This design solution enables the electrical connector to support signal transmission up to 224 Gbps. In some embodiments, the high-density electrical connector may include a housing assembly, multiple pairs of first-type terminals, and a shield. The multiple pairs of first-type terminals are held on the housing assembly in pairs and arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction for transmitting differential signals. The housing assembly includes side walls extending along the longitudinal direction, and the first-type terminals may be disposed on the sides of the side walls. The shield may include multiple first portions corresponding to the multiple pairs of first-type terminals and a second portion connected between the multiple first portions. The multiple first portions are embedded in the side walls and are spaced apart from the multiple first portions. Thus, shielding can be provided for the multiple pairs of first-type terminals. Exemplarily, the multiple second portions are located between the multiple pairs of first-type terminals and are arranged in the columns where the first-type terminals are located. The shield may be wavy. The shield may form a recess at the differential signal pair, and the opening of the recess may face the differential signal pair, such that the shield can provide shielding for the differential signal pair on three sides.

[0063] Exemplarily, the multiple pairs of first-type terminals may include mating contact portions bent outside the side walls at the mating interface of the electrical connector and mounting tails extending to the mounting interface of the electrical connector. The multiple first portions may extend from the mounting interface of the electrical connector to the mating contact portions of the multiple pairs of first-type terminals, thereby enhancing the shielding effect. Exemplarily, the second portion may include a connecting portion connecting between the first portions and a beam portion extending from the connecting portion toward the mating interface. The beam portion may be in electrical contact with the shield on a mating electrical connector. Exemplarily, the second portion may further include a shield mounting tail connected to the connecting portion. The shield mounting tail may extend to the mounting interface of the electrical connector for electrical connection to an electrical component such as a printed circuit board. Exemplarily, the shield mounting tail and the mounting tail of the first-type terminals have the same structure to be connected to the printed circuit board in the same manner. Exemplarily, the shield mounting tail and the mounting tail of the first-type terminals are soldered to contact pads on the printed circuit board using a ball grid array (BGA) process.

[0064] Exemplarily, the beam portion can be formed as a ground terminal on the shielding member. Compared with separately providing a ground terminal, forming the ground terminal on the shielding member can simplify the process during assembly. The reliability of the electrical connection of the ground terminal integrated with the shielding member is stronger, and the structural strength is also superior to that of a separate ground terminal.

[0065] Exemplarily, the housing assembly can include an upper housing and a lower housing. The upper housing includes a base portion, and the aforementioned side wall is disposed on a first surface of the base portion to form a mating interface. The lower housing is connected to a second surface of the base portion to form a mounting interface. A plurality of through holes corresponding to the shielding mounting tail and the mounting tail of the first type of terminal are provided on the lower housing. The shielding mounting tail and the mounting tail of the first type of terminal do not extend beyond the corresponding through holes. At least a part of the solder balls connected to these mounting tails is received in the corresponding through holes. Exemplarily, the terminal and the shielding member are mounted from the second surface into corresponding channels in the upper housing. After the lower housing is connected to the upper housing, the terminal and the shielding member can be held between the upper housing and the lower housing.

[0066] Exemplarily, the electrical connector can further include a second type of terminal, and the second type of terminal is arranged along the side wall in the column where the first type of terminal is located. The second type of terminal can be used to transmit low-speed signals and / or power signals. The current carried by the power signal can be relatively small. The aforementioned shielding member is not provided on the side of the second type of terminal. Mutually adapted positioning structures, such as positioning pins and positioning holes, can be provided at the edge and / or corner of the electrical connector. The positioning structures cooperate with each other and can also transmit a relatively large current.

[0067] The inventor recognizes and understands that setting at least the mating interface of the electrical connector to have a complementary structure with respect to the center line parallel to the longitudinal direction, or setting at least the mating interface of the electrical connector to have a complementary structure with respect to the center line parallel to the transverse direction, can enable another electrical connector with the same mating interface as this electrical connector to be mutually matched with this electrical connector. Exemplarily, the structures of two mutually adapted electrical connectors can be substantially the same. The differences can include, for example, different heights of the two along the mating direction. In this case, there is no need to prepare electrical connectors with different structures and mating electrical connectors, and only one type of material can be used. This is beneficial for reducing the types of materials, not only reducing the management cost and management difficulty, but also preventing the situation of mixing up or misusing the materials. Exemplarily, the electrical connector is complementary with respect to the center line parallel to the longitudinal direction. In this case, an odd number of rows of terminals can be provided, and multiple side walls can be arranged at intervals along the transverse direction. Along the transverse direction, the housing assembly can include opposite first and second edges. A rib extending in the longitudinal direction can be provided on the first edge. Multiple side walls can be arranged from a position adjacent to the rib to the second edge. Exemplarily, a positioning groove can be formed between the rib and the adjacent side wall, and the positioning groove is mutually adapted in shape to the side wall on the second edge. Exemplarily, the side wall on the second edge can have terminals only on one side. The remaining side walls can have terminals on both sides. Exemplarily, the interval between adjacent side walls can allow the side wall of another electrical connector and the terminals on both sides thereof to be inserted. Exemplarily, a pair of positioning pins and positioning holes that are mutually adapted in shape can be symmetrically arranged with respect to the aforementioned center line.

[0068] Exemplarily, when electrical connectors with the same structure at least at the mating interface are mutually mated, the first part of the shielding members of the two can generally surround the two pairs of first-type terminals that are mutually electrically connected from all four sides. And the second part can also provide shielding on the sides of these two pairs of first-type terminals.

[0069] Figures 1-2Parts of an electronic system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure are shown from different perspectives. The electronic system may include a first electrical connector 100 and a second electrical connector 100'. The first electrical connector 100 may be configured to be mounted on a first electrical component 800 and electrically connected to the first electrical component 800. Exemplarily, the first electrical component 800 may include a printed circuit board such as a daughter board, a backplane, or a midplane, or any other suitable electrical component. The first electrical connector 100 may be electrically connected to the first electrical component 800. The second electrical connector 100' may be configured to be mounted on a second electrical component 900 and electrically connected to the second electrical component 900. Exemplarily, the second electrical component 900 may include a printed circuit board such as a daughter board, a backplane, or a midplane, or any other suitable electrical component. The second electrical connector 100' may be configured to mate with the first electrical connector 100 along a mating direction, so that the first electrical component 800 and the second electrical component 900 are electrically connected through the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100'. The second electrical connector 100' may be detachable relative to the first electrical connector 100. Figure 3 Compared with Figures 1 to 2 The first electrical component 800 and the second electrical component 900 are removed to clearly show the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100'.

[0070] Exemplarily, as Figure 1 and Figure 3 shown, the first electrical connector 100 may be a vertical connector, which includes a first mating interface 211 and a first mounting interface 212 that are opposite to each other along the mating direction. The terminals of the first electrical connector 100 may extend from the first mating interface 211 to the first mounting interface 212. The first mating interface 211 may be configured to mate with the second electrical connector 100'. The first mounting interface 212 of the first electrical connector 100 may be configured to be mounted to the first electrical component 800 such that the first electrical component 800 is electrically connected to the first electrical connector 100. The first mounting interface 212 may be mounted to the first electrical component 800 by soldering or press-fitting. Exemplarily, the first electrical connector 100 may also be fixed to the first electrical component 800 through other mechanical structures such as guides, fasteners, etc. Optionally, the first electrical connector 100 may be a right-angle connector, and its first mating interface 211 and first mounting interface 212 may be perpendicular to each other. Optionally, the first electrical connector 100 may be an orthogonal connector, and its first mating interface 211 and first mounting interface 212 may be orthogonal to each other.

[0071] Exemplarily, as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the second electrical connector 100' can be a vertical connector, which includes a second mating interface 211' and a second mounting interface 212' that are opposite to each other along the mating direction. The terminals of the second electrical connector 100' can extend from the second mating interface 211' to the second mounting interface 212'. The second mating interface 211' mates with the first mating interface 211 of the first electrical connector 100, enabling the electrical connection of the terminals of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100'. The second mounting interface 212' of the second electrical connector 100' can be configured to be mounted to the second electrical component 900, such that the first electrical component 800 is electrically connected to the first electrical connector 100. Thus, the first electrical component 800 and the second electrical component 900 can be electrically connected to each other through the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100'. The second mounting interface 212' can be mounted to the second electrical component 900 by means of soldering or press-fitting. Exemplarily, the second electrical connector 100' can also be fixed to the second electrical component 900 by other mechanical structures such as guides, fasteners, etc. Optionally, the second electrical connector 100' can be a right-angle connector, and its second mating interface 211' and second mounting interface 212' can be perpendicular to each other. Optionally, the second electrical connector 100' can be an orthogonal connector, and its second mating interface 211' and second mounting interface 212' can be orthogonal to each other.

[0072] Exemplarily, the electrical connector assembly formed by the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be configured as a mezzanine connector assembly. Exemplarily, one of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be configured as a socket connector, and the other can also be configured as a plug connector. Exemplarily, the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be configured as hermaphroditic electrical connectors. Based on this, the configuration of the terminals of the first electrical connector 100 at the first mating interface 211 can be the same as or similar to the configuration of the terminals of the second electrical connector 100' at the second mating interface 211'. Exemplarily, the configurations of the terminals of the two connectors at the first mating interface 211 and the second mating interface 211' can be mirror images of each other. The other parts of the first electrical connector 100 and the other parts of the second electrical connector 100' can have the same or similar configurations. In the case where the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be configured as hermaphroditic electrical connectors, the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be respectively configured as the same type or different types among, for example, vertical connectors, right-angle connectors, and orthogonal connectors.

[0073] The first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' of some embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to specific drawings. For the sake of clarity and conciseness of description, the mating direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X, and the transverse direction Y-Y are marked in the drawings, 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. The mating direction Z-Z generally refers to the height direction of the electrical connector. The longitudinal direction X-X generally refers to the length direction of the electrical connector. The transverse direction Y-Y generally refers to the width direction of the electrical connector.

[0074] As Figure 3 shown, the first electrical connector 100 may include a housing assembly 200. The housing assembly 200 may be formed by a molding process using an insulating material such as plastic. The housing assembly 200 is generally an integral part. Exemplarily, when the first electrical connector 100 is a vertical connector, the housing assembly 200 may generally be in a strip structure extending along the longitudinal direction X-X or a flat structure parallel to the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y. The first electrical connector 100 may include a plurality of terminals 300. The plurality of terminals 300 may be held on the housing assembly 200. Specifically, for example, the terminals 300 may be partially embedded in the housing assembly 200. The plurality of terminals 300 may be held on the housing assembly 200 at intervals along the longitudinal direction X-X to ensure electrical insulation between adjacent terminals 300. The terminals 300 may be made of a conductive material such as metal. Each terminal 300 may generally be an elongated integral part extending substantially along the mating direction Z-Z. The housing assembly 200 may include a plurality of side walls 2012 extending along the longitudinal direction X-X, such as 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2012d, 2012e, and 2012f. The plurality of side walls 2012 may be arranged along the transverse direction Y-Y. The side walls 2012 may provide support and limit for the second electrical connector 100' when the second electrical connector 100' is mated to the first electrical connector 100. The side walls 2012 are also used to separate a part of the terminals 300 adjacent along the transverse direction Y-Y. The plurality of terminals 300 may be arranged in multiple columns along the plurality of side walls 2012. Exemplarily, at least a part of the plurality of side walls 2012 may be provided with a column of terminals 300 on each of the two opposite sides along the transverse direction Y-Y. The two rows of terminals 300 between adjacent two side walls may be spaced apart by a sufficient distance to ensure insulation between the two rows of terminals 300 and may also receive the corresponding terminals on the second electrical connector 100'. Exemplarily, one or more of the two outermost side walls 2012a and 2012f along the transverse direction Y-Y of the plurality of side walls 2012 may be provided with only one row of terminals 300 on the side facing the inner side walls 2012b, 2012c, 2012d, and 2012e. In other embodiments not shown, the housing assembly 200 may also include only one side wall.

[0075] The plurality of terminals 300 may include multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301, and the multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301 may be arranged in the columns described above. Each pair of first-type terminals 301 may be spaced apart from each other in the column. In the case of transmitting high-speed signals, the signal to be transmitted may be transmitted in the form of a differential signal through the paired terminals 300. By using the differential signal transmission method, the transmission rate can be increased under the same power, and the influence of common-mode interference can be effectively avoided. The first-type terminals 301 may be used to transmit differential signals. During the signal transmission process, the signal can be obtained by detecting the voltage difference generated between two terminals 300 in the first-type terminals 301. The high-speed signal may include a high data rate signal (for example, a signal with a data transmission rate exceeding 25 Gb / s in the case of PAM4 encoding) and / or a high-frequency signal (for example, exceeding 56 or 112 Gb / s). The first-type terminals 301 may be mated with corresponding terminals on the second electrical connector 100' along the mating direction. The first-type terminals 301 may generally extend along the mating direction. The extending direction of the first-type terminals 301 is their length direction. In order to enable the first-type terminals 301 to be reliably electrically connected to the corresponding terminals on the second electrical connector 100' and hold the second electrical connector 100' in place, the two mating terminals may be bent towards each other to apply a certain positive pressure to each other.

[0076] Using differential signals can reduce the influence of external interference and effectively improve signal integrity. On this basis, the first electrical connector 100 may further include a shielding member 400. The shielding member 400 may be made of a conductor material such as metal or a lossy material. When receiving an external electromagnetic field, an induced current may be generated in the conductor of the shielding member 400, thereby generating a magnetic field to cancel the external interference. The shielding member 400 may block interference signals towards the first-type terminals 301 in one or more directions, and may also prevent interference signals emitted by the first-type terminals 301 towards the outside. Exemplarily, the shielding member 400 may be connected to a ground layer or a power plane for providing a reference potential in the first electrical component 800 to prevent common-mode interference from coupling to the first-type terminals 301. The shielding member 400 may be disposed on the side of the column where the plurality of terminals 300 are located. The shielding member 400 may include a plurality of first portions 410 corresponding to the multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301 and a plurality of second portions 420 connecting the multiple first portions 410. The first portions 410 may play a main shielding role on the sides of the first-type terminals 301. The second portions 420 may connect the multiple first portions 410 together, which can prevent the problem of poor grounding of some of the first portions 410, and can also enable the shielding member 400 to be integrally mounted on the first electrical connector 100, simplifying the process. In some cases, the second portions 420 can also provide shielding for the first-type terminals 301 to a certain extent.

[0077] To achieve a better shielding effect, each first part 410 can extend along the extension direction of the corresponding first-type terminal 301 for as long a length as possible. The first part 410 can be embedded in the corresponding side wall 2012, and the plurality of first parts 410 and the multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301 are isolated by the side wall 2012. This can effectively prevent the first part 410 from making electrical contact with the first-type terminal 301 that is deformed by the positive pressure from the second electrical connector 100'. At the same time, the side wall 2012 can also maintain the spacing between the first part 410 and the first-type terminal 301, thereby improving the shielding protection effect. The first electrical connector 100 can be mounted to the first electrical component 800. Thus, reliable high-speed signal transmission can be achieved between the first electrical component 800 and the second electrical component 900 through the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100'.

[0078] Exemplarily, the first mating interface 211 and the first mounting interface 212 can be formed by the housing assembly 200. Combining Figures 6A to 6D 、 Figures 9A to 9B 、and Figure 10A shown, each terminal 300 can include a mating contact portion 310 and a mounting tail 320 along its extension direction. The mating contact portion 310 is used for making electrical contact with the corresponding terminal 300' of the second electrical connector 100'. The mating contact portion 310 extends to the first mating interface 211 and bends outside the side wall 2012. The mounting tail 320 of the terminal 300 can extend to the first mounting interface 212 for connection to the first electrical component 800. The first mounting interface 212 can be considered as the part that mates with the first electrical component 800 when the first electrical connector 100 is mounted to the first electrical component 800. Specifically, referring back to the embodiment shown in Figure 3 , the first mounting interface 212 can include a flat surface that can fit with the surface of the first electrical component 800 and a recessed portion recessed from the flat surface, and the mounting tail 320 of the terminal 300 extends into the recessed portion for electrical connection with the first electrical component 800. The mating contact portion 310 of the terminal 300 can extend to the first mating interface 211, and the mating contact portion 310 can cooperate with the corresponding terminal on the second electrical connector 100' to form an electrical connection. The intermediate portion of the terminal 300 between the mating contact portion 310 and the mounting tail 320 can be wrapped or clamped in the housing assembly 200, whereby the terminal 300 can be fixed in the housing assembly 200.

[0079] Each first part 410 can extend in the side wall 201 from the first mounting interface 212 at least to the mating contact portion 310 of the corresponding pair of first-type terminals 301. As shown in Figure 4A , typically, a groove 271 can be provided on the outer side wall of the side wall 2012. Figure 4DA pair of first type terminals 301 are removed to show the groove 271. The groove 271 can extend from the first mating interface 211 of the housing assembly 200 towards the first mounting interface 212, but does not penetrate through to the first mounting interface 212. The mating contact portion 310 of the first type terminal 301 can extend into the groove 271 and bend out of the side wall 2012 from the groove 271. The mating contact portion 310 can include an electrical contact surface 311 that bends out of the side wall 2012. When the first electrical connector 100 mates with the second electrical connector 100', the terminal 300' of the second electrical connector 100' can squeeze the mating contact portion 310 of the terminal 300 of the first electrical connector 100 towards the inside of the groove 271 in the lateral direction Y-Y, so that the terminal 300 deforms to generate an elastic force. Thus, the terminal 300 of the first electrical connector 100 can abut against the terminal 300' of the second electrical connector 100', thereby achieving reliable electrical connection.

[0080] As Figure 3 shown, the mounting tail 320 of the first electrical connector 100 can be shaped as a press-fit flexible section. A plurality of contact pads corresponding to the plurality of terminals 300 can be provided on the first electrical component 800, and these contact pads can be electrically connected to one or more conductive traces in the first electrical component 800. By applying pressure to the first electrical connector 100, it is reliably fixed to the first electrical component 800, so that the mounting tail 320 can be reliably electrically connected to the corresponding contact pads. 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 tails can be connected to the contact pads on the first electrical component 800 through technologies such as surface mount technology and / or through-hole insertion technology, so as to achieve electrical connection with the circuit on the first electrical component 800. In some other embodiments, each mounting tail 320 can be connected with a fusible element, such as a solder ball 600 such as a tin ball, and is soldered to the corresponding contact pads on the first electrical component 800 in the form of a ball grid array package (BGA). No matter what method the mounting tail 320 uses to electrically connect to the first electrical component 800, as long as the second electrical connector 100' can be interconnected with the circuit on the first electrical component 800 through the first electrical connector 100. Exemplarily, the mounting tails 320 of the plurality of terminals 300 in each column can be arranged in a column, or, alternatively, any two adjacent mounting tails 320 within each column can deviate from the column in opposite directions respectively, so as to increase the distance between two adjacent mounting tails 320. In this way, the pitch between adjacent contact pads on the first electrical component 800 can be increased, so as to further reduce the pitch between the terminals 300.

[0081] Exemplarily, each first portion 410 of the shield 400 can be recessed along the lateral direction Y-Y to form a recess 411, seeFigures 6A to 6D The openings of the recessed portions 411 face the same direction and face the corresponding first-type terminals 301. Each pair of first-type terminals 301 can be located at the openings 4111 of their respective recessed portions 411. When the recessed portions 411 are formed in the first part 410 of the shielding member 400, a semi-surrounding structure for the first-type terminals 301 can be formed, so that electromagnetic interference signals can be shielded from three directions. Figure 7A FIG. shows a top view of the terminals 300 of the first electrical connector 100 and the shielding member 400 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7B FIG. is a top view of the mating of the terminals 300 and the shielding member 400 of the first electrical connector 100 with the terminals 300' and the shielding member 400' of the second electrical connector 100'. Figure 8A and Figure 8B are respectively Figure 7A and Figure 7B partial enlarged views. Referring to Figures 7A to 7B as well as Figures 8A to 8B, the second electrical connector 100' may include a plurality of first-type terminals 301' that mate with a plurality of first-type terminals 301 on the first electrical connector 100, and a shield 400' disposed on the side of the first-type terminals 301'. The shield 400' may be disposed opposite to the opening 4111 of the recess 411 along the transverse direction Y-Y, so as to form better shielding protection for the mated first-type terminals 301' and 301. Exemplarily, the shield 400' may include a plurality of first portions 410' corresponding to the plurality of first-type terminals 301' and a plurality of second portions 420' connected between the plurality of first portions 410'. After the first-type terminals 301' and 301 are mated, the first portions 410' and the first portions 410 may shield the mated first-type terminals 301' and 301 from four sides. Exemplarily, the first portion 410' of the second electrical connector 100' may also be provided with a recess 411', and the opening of the recess 411' is configured to be opposite to the opening of the recess 411 of the first electrical connector 100. After the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' are mated, the openings of both the first portion 410 and the first portion 410' are substantially docked with each other, so that the first portion 410 and the first portion 410' can enclose a corresponding pair of first-type terminals 301 and form shielding. Along the longitudinal direction X-X and / or the transverse direction Y-Y, the size of the recess 411' of the second electrical connector 100' may be slightly larger than, slightly smaller than, or equal to the size of the recess 411 of the first electrical connector 100. Along the longitudinal direction X-X, the center of the recess 411' of the second electrical connector 100' may not be completely aligned with the center of the recess 411 of the first electrical connector 100. Preferably, the recesses 411 and 411' may be symmetrically disposed on both sides of the first-type terminals 301' and 301 they enclose, so that the distances from the first portions 410 and 410' to the first-type terminals 301 are relatively uniform after enclosure, and the shielding protection effect is the best. Moreover, since the dielectric constant of the housing assembly 200 is different from that of air, the first portions 410 and 410' forming an enclosed shield can make the parasitic capacitance around the enclosed first-type terminals 301 relatively uniform, thereby improving the signal integrity during signal transmission. For any two pairs of mutually adapted first-type terminals 301' and 301, separating the shielding structure forming the enclosed shield and disposing it on the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can simplify the design of the electrical connector and improve the reliability of the electrical connector.

[0082] To increase the signal transmission density of a single first electrical connector 100, a plurality of columns may be provided. In this way, without changing the interval between the terminals 300 and the size of the terminals 300, the number of terminals 300 can be increased when the size of the first mating interface 211 of the first electrical connector 100 is limited. As Figure 4AAs shown, exemplarily, the sidewall 2012 may include a first side surface 213 and a second side surface 214 that are opposite to each other along the transverse direction Y-Y. Taking the sidewall 2012b as an example, the columns formed by arranging a plurality of terminals 300 may include a first column 351 disposed along the first side surface 213 and a second column 352 disposed along the second side surface 214. Thereby, the space utilization rate can be effectively improved. In the case where the space is limited and the number of columns of the terminals 300 is large enough, both sides of the sidewall 2012 are utilized. Thus, for the terminals with the same number of columns, the number of sidewalls 2012 can be reduced, and further, the thickness of each sidewall 2012 along the transverse direction Y-Y can be increased. Therefore, the strength of the sidewall 2012 can be effectively improved to facilitate providing respective shielding members 400 for the first column 351 and the second column 352.

[0083] As Figure 4B shown, for the sake of distinction, the shielding member 400 that provides shielding for the first column 351 is referred to as the first shielding member 400a, and the shielding member 400 that provides shielding for the second column 352 is referred to as the second shielding member 400b. The first portions 410 of the first shielding member 400a and the second shielding member 400b may be respectively embedded in the first side surface 213 and the second side surface 214 of the sidewall 2012b and are respectively spaced apart from the first-type terminals 301 of the corresponding columns. The first-type terminals 301 of the first column 351 and the second column 352 may be respectively on the first side surface 213 and the second side surface 214 and outside the sidewall 2012b. The recessed portions 411 formed by the first portions 410 of the first shielding member 400a and the second shielding member 400b face opposite directions. Specifically, the recessed portion 411 of the first shielding member 400a faces the same direction as the first side surface 213, and the recessed portion 411 of the second shielding member 400b faces the same direction as the second side surface 214, so that the first-type terminals 301 of the corresponding columns can be located at the openings of the recessed portions 411 of the corresponding first portions 410.

[0084] After the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the first electrical connector 100', the first shielding member 400a of the first electrical connector 100 and the shielding member 400' inserted between the sidewalls 2012a and 2012b on the second electrical connector 100' can enclose the first-type terminals 301 on one side of the first side surface 213. Similarly, the second shielding member 400b of the first electrical connector 100 and the shielding member 400' inserted between the sidewalls 2012b and 2012c on the second electrical connector 100' can enclose the first-type terminals 301 on one side of the second side surface 214. In this way, after the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the first electrical connector 100', a better signal transmission effect can be achieved and the signal integrity can be improved.

[0085] Exemplarily, a plurality of second portions 420 are exposed outside the sidewall 2012 and can, for example, abut against the sidewall 2012. Exemplarily, the plurality of second portions 420 can be arranged in the same column as the plurality of terminals 300. Thus, the second portions 420 can be interspersed in the column between pairs of the plurality of first-type terminals 301, thereby providing shielding protection for the first-type terminals 301 in the longitudinal direction X-X. Exemplarily, the shield 400' of the second electrical connector 100' can also have a similar structure. As shown in FIG. 8, the second portion 420' of the shield 400' is arranged in the same column as the first-type terminals 301' thereon. After the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' are mated, the second portion 420 of the shield 400 can be in electrical contact with the second portion 420' of the shield 400', so that the shields 400 and 400' are electrically connected and have the same potential. Thus, a better shielding effect can be provided. In addition, the first portion 410 of the shield 400 and the first portion 410' of the shield 400' are both embedded in the respective sidewalls and thus are generally not elastic. To ensure that the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be smoothly mated with each other, a gap is usually left between the first portions 410 and 410' after the two electrical connectors are assembled, and the gap has a certain dimension along the transverse direction Y-Y. Moreover, such a gap is left on both opposite sides of each pair of the first-type terminals 301 along the longitudinal direction X-X. After the second portions 420 and 420' arranged in the same column as the first-type terminals 301 are mated with each other, they can just be on the aforementioned two sides of each pair of the first-type terminals 301 to enhance the shielding effect. The second portions 420 and 420' are respectively located outside their respective sidewalls and thus can be made to have a certain elasticity. After the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' are mated with each other, the second portions 420 and 420' can apply a certain positive pressure to each other, so that they are in reliable electrical contact.

[0086] Exemplarily, as Figure 9A and Figure 10A shown, the housing assembly 200 can further include a base 2011, and the base 2011 can have a first surface 2011A (see Figure 10AThe position shown by the dashed line in the figure) and the second surface 2011B. Exemplarily, the first surface 2011A and the second surface 2011B may be opposite to each other along the mating direction Z-Z. When the first electrical connector 100 is a vertical electrical connector, the first surface 2011A and the second surface 2011B may be located at both ends of the base 2011 and perpendicular to each other. The side wall 2012 may be connected to the first surface 2011A, and the side wall 2012 and the first surface 2011A form a first mating interface 211. The base 2011 and the side wall 2012 may be an integral part formed by an injection molding process. This integral part may be referred to as the upper housing 201. Return reference Figure 4A , typically, a plurality of side walls 2012 may be provided on the first surface 2011A of the base 2011, such as 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2012d, 2012e, and 2012f. The plurality of side walls 2012 are separated from each other along the lateral direction Y-Y so that a gap may be formed between adjacent side walls 2012. The corresponding part (such as the side wall 2012', see Figure 2 ) on the second electrical connector 100' may be inserted into this gap. The side wall 2012' of the second electrical connector 100' may have the same or similar structure as the side wall 2012 of the first electrical connector 100. In this way, the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' may be limited by each other through the side wall 2012 and the side wall 2012' to achieve a reliable connection. As described above, each of the plurality of terminals 300 includes a mating contact portion 310 extending to the first mating interface 211 and a mounting tail 320, see Figure 10A , the mounting tail 320 may extend beyond the second surface 2011B. In other words, a part of the terminal 300 may be embedded in the base 2011. As Figures 6A to 6A shown, barbs 332 may be provided on both sides of the middle portion 330 of the terminal 300, and the middle portion 330 may be fixed to the terminal mounting channel 270 of the base 2011 through the barbs 332. In an embodiment not shown, the base 2011 may also be secondarily molded on the middle portion 330 of the terminal 300.

[0087] Exemplarily, as Figures 6A to 6A shown, each second portion 420 of the shield 400 may include a connecting portion 421 connected between two adjacent first portions 410. The connecting portion 421 may be mounted inside the base 2011. The first portion 410 may extend from the base 2011 into the side wall 2012. Exemplarily, with reference to Figure 4D and Figure 10A, along the direction towards the first mating interface 211, the connecting portion 421 can extend beyond the first surface 2011A. Other portions of the connecting portion 421 can be embedded and fixed to the base portion 2011. The second portion 420 can further include a beam portion 422, and the beam portion 422 can extend from the connecting portion 421 to the first mating interface 211. The beam portion 422 can have a structure similar to or the same as that of the mating contact portion 310 of the terminal 300. The beam portion 422 can be bent outside the side wall 210. After the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the second electrical connector 100', the beam portion 422 can be mated with the shield 400 of the second electrical connector 100' to form an electrical connection. In this way, the shields 400 of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be electrically connected through a relatively simple structure, and the beam portion 422 itself can also shield and protect the first type of terminals 301 in the longitudinal direction, improving the signal integrity of the transmitted signal.

[0088] Although the above-mentioned multiple side walls 2012 are independent and spaced apart from each other, in other embodiments not shown, the multiple side walls 2012 can be connected end to end to form a serpentine structure. The connecting portion 421 can be partially embedded in the base portion 2011 as shown in the illustrated embodiment, or can be entirely disposed on the first surface 2011A or entirely embedded in the base portion 2011.

[0089] As described above, multiple pairs of the first type of terminals 301 are arranged in multiple columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the multiple columns are spaced apart along the transverse direction Y-Y, and the transverse direction Y-Y is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. For any two adjacent columns, exemplarily, one column is offset along the longitudinal direction with respect to the other column, so that the multiple pairs of the first type of terminals 301 in one column are staggered from the multiple pairs of the first type of terminals 301 in the other column. In this way, the crosstalk between them can be reduced.

[0090] Exemplarily, for each of the plurality of second portions 420, the beam portion 422 may include a first beam portion 4221 and a second beam portion 4222. The first beam portion 4221 and the second beam portion 4222 may be arranged in the columns in which the terminals 300 are arranged along the longitudinal direction X-X. The first beam portion 4221 and the second beam portion 4222 may be evenly arranged between adjacent pairs of first-type terminals 301. Each of the first beam portion 4221 and the second beam portion 4222 may have a longitudinal dimension that is substantially the same as that of the mating contact portion 310 of the first-type terminal 301. The first beam portion 4221 and the second beam portion 4222 may be bent outside the side wall 2012 to be in electrical contact with corresponding portions of the shield 400' of the second electrical connector 100'. Although in the illustrated embodiment, each beam portion 422 has two beam portions 4221 and 4222, optionally, each beam portion 422 may have only one beam portion or more beam portions. Typically, in each column, there is a sufficiently wide interval between adjacent pairs of first-type terminals 301, which can reduce crosstalk between adjacent pairs of first-type terminals 301 and can also cause the first-type terminals 301 in the first column 351 and the first-type terminals 301 in the second column 352 provided on the same side wall 2012 to be completely staggered along the longitudinal direction X-X, further reducing crosstalk between them. Within this interval, the number and size of the beam portions 422 may be reasonably set as needed. Typically, it is desired that the distance from the shielding structure around each pair of first-type terminals 301 to that pair of first-type terminals 301 is uniform. Thus, a wider beam portion or multiple beam portions may be considered to be provided within the interval between the first-type terminals 301. In this way, after the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the second electrical connector 100', it can also make the contact resistance between the shield 400 of the first electrical connector 100 and the shield 400 of the second electrical connector 100' smaller, and the connection reliability is better. And by providing multiple beam portions within each interval, the width of each beam portion can be reduced, so that these beam portions can have better elasticity, and the resistance can be reduced when the first electrical connector 100 is mated with and unmated from the second electrical connector 100', facilitating plugging and unplugging.

[0091] Exemplarily, each of the plurality of second portions 420 may further include a shield mounting tail 423 that extends from the connecting portion 421 beyond the second surface 2011B. The surface of the first electrical component 800 may include contact pads for connecting to the shield mounting tail 423, and the contact pads may be electrically connected to a shield layer in the first electrical component 800 for providing reference positioning. The first electrical component 800 board may further include a wiring layer for providing signal traces connecting to the first type of terminals 301. Exemplarily, the shield layer and the signal layer may be alternately arranged to shield and protect the signal traces. Exemplarily, the shield layer may be grounded. Each second portion 420 is connected to the shield layer to be grounded, which can improve the signal integrity during signal transmission. Additionally, the shield mounting tail 423 may also mechanically connect the shield 400 to the first electrical component 800, thus fixing the first electrical connector 100 and making it not easy to loosen during the plugging and unplugging process with the second electrical connector 100'. Exemplarily, the shield mounting tail 423 may have the same or similar structure as the mounting tail 320 of the terminal 300, such that they are connected to the contact pads on the surface of the first electrical component 800 in the same manner. In the illustrated embodiment, solder balls 600 are attached to each of the shield mounting tail 423 and the mounting tail 320. Optionally, the shield mounting tail 423 of each second portion 420 may be provided in one-to-one correspondence with the beam portion 422 of the second portion 420 to provide uniform impedance. Each second portion 420 includes a beam portion 422 and a shield mounting tail 423 that are respectively approximately the same length as the mating contact portion 310 of the first type of terminal 301 and the extension of the mounting tail 320, which can enable the second portion 420 to provide better shielding along the extension direction of the first type of terminal 301.

[0092] It is easy to understand that to ensure the strength of the upper housing 201 and reduce the probability of accidental contact between the terminals 300 and the shielding member 400 during the mating process of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100', the first part 410 of the shielding member 400 (especially the part corresponding to the mating contact portion 310 of the first type of terminals 301) can be completely covered by the side wall 2012 of the upper housing 201, while a part of the second part 420 can be exposed in the first mating interface 211. In this case, the shielding member 400 usually cannot be installed into the upper housing 201 from one side of the first mating interface 211. Thus, it can be installed into the upper housing 201 from one side of the first installation interface 212, that is, inserted into the upper housing 201 from the second surface 2011B. During the process of welding the first electrical connector 100 to the first electrical component 800, it is necessary to avoid the soldering tin contaminating the exposed shielding member 400, which may cause accidental short circuit between the first type of terminals 301 and the shielding member 400. Exemplarily, the housing assembly 200 may further include a lower housing 202, and the lower housing 202 can be attached to the second surface 2011B of the upper housing 201 and form the first installation interface 212 of the housing. A plurality of through holes 2021 may be provided on the lower housing 202, see Figure 5 and Figure 11A and Figure 11B . Figure 5 Viewing the lower housing 202 from the upper side, and hiding the upper housing 201 for showing the structures of the terminals 300 and the shielding member 400, Figure 11A and Figure 11B viewing the lower housing 202 from the lower side. The mounting tails 320 of the plurality of terminals 300 and the shielding mounting tails 423 of the shielding member 400 correspondingly pass through the plurality of through holes 2021. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the through holes 2021 may be slightly larger than the mounting tails 320 and the shielding mounting tails 423, so that the lower housing 202 can be easily installed onto the upper housing 201.

[0093] Welding balls 600 can be connected to each of the mounting tails 320 of the plurality of terminals 300 and the shielding mounting tail 423 of the shield 400. As described above, the first electrical connector 100 can be soldered using the BGA process. The welding balls 600 can be small balls made of solder. The plurality of welding balls 600 can be correspondingly placed on the mounting tail 320 and the shielding mounting tail 423 and heated to be infiltrated and connected to the mounting tail 320 and the shielding mounting tail 423. A stencil can be used in the process of placing these welding balls 600. Exemplarily, the mounting tail 320 of the terminal 300 and the shielding mounting tail 423 of the shield 400 extending from the second surface 2011B of the base 2011 can respectively extend into the corresponding through holes 2021 and do not protrude outside the through holes 2021 on the lower housing 202. Thus, at least a part of the welding balls 600 can be received in the corresponding through holes 2021. In this way, the welding balls 600 can be correspondingly arranged with the mounting tail 320 and the shielding mounting tail 423 without using a stencil. Thereby, the cost of the stencil can be saved and the process can be simplified. During the process of heating to infiltrate the welding balls 600 into the mounting tail 320 and the shielding mounting tail 423, the through holes 2021 of the lower housing 202 can prevent the welding balls 600 from infiltrating an excessive area along the mounting tail 320 and the shielding mounting tail 423, resulting in insufficient solder when soldering the first electrical connector 100 to the first electrical component 800 and causing a dry joint. In some embodiments, the through hole 2021 can be a tapered hole. The small-size end of the tapered hole can face the second surface 2011B of the base 2011, while the large-size end of the tapered hole can face the welding balls 600. The large-size end can play a role in fixing the welding balls 600, and along the direction towards the second surface 2011B of the base 2011, the size of the through hole 2021 gradually becomes smaller, which can prevent the welding balls 600 from infiltrating excessively after melting. Of course, the welding balls 600 can also be formed by solder in the form of solder paste on the mounting tail 320 and the shielding mounting tail 423, which is not limited herein.

[0094] Continuing to refer Figure 11A , in some of the illustrated embodiments, the lower housing 202 can be joined to the upper housing 201 by a thermal riveting process. The thermal riveting points can be evenly distributed in the edge region of the upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202, so that the connection between the lower housing 202 and the upper housing 201 is more firm. In the illustrated embodiment, there are six riveting points between the lower housing 202 and the upper housing 201. In other embodiments not shown, there can be more or fewer riveting points. Exemplarily, the upper housing 201 can be provided with riveting protrusions 203, and the lower housing 202 can be provided with riveting openings 204 (see Figure 5 and 11A) After the upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 are assembled in place, the riveting protrusion 203 can be inserted into the riveting opening 204, and then the riveting protrusion 203 formed of thermoplastic material is locally heated so that the upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202 are thermally riveted together. The lower housing 202 can be made of a material with a melting point higher than that of the upper housing 201. In this way, the influence on the lower housing 202 during the process of connecting the solder balls 600 to the mounting tail 320 of the terminal 300 and the shielding mounting tail 423 of the shielding member 400 can also be reduced.

[0095] As described above, the shielding member 400 is inserted into the upper housing 201 from the second surface 2011B. Based on this, after the lower housing 202 is fixed to the upper housing 201, the shielding member 400 can also be clamped between the upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202. A plurality of terminals 300 can also be inserted into the upper housing 201 from the second surface 2011B. In this way, both the shielding member 400 and the terminals 300 can be firmly fixed by the upper housing 201 and the lower housing 202. In this way, the first part 410 of the shielding member 400 is not exposed, and even if the shielding member 400 and the plurality of terminals 300 are not reliably fixed in the upper housing 201, reliable fixation can be achieved through the cooperation of the lower housing 202 and the upper housing 201.

[0096] Exemplarily, the housing assembly 200 can be provided with a plurality of terminal mounting channels 270. A plurality of terminals 300 are respectively mounted to the plurality of terminal mounting channels 270. Refer to Figures 4A to 4E , wherein Figure 4C Relative to Figure 4B the terminals 300 and the shielding member 400 are removed. The plurality of terminal mounting channels 270 can extend from the second surface 2011B of the base 2011 of the upper housing 201 into the side wall 2012 and form grooves 271 on the side wall 2012. Refer to Figure 4D on the side wall 2012a in. The groove 271 can be used as part of the terminal mounting channel 270 to limit the terminals 300. The terminal mounting channel 270 and its groove 271. The middle part 330 of the terminal 300 can be embedded in the part of the terminal mounting channel 270 located in the base 2011 to be fixed to the base 2011. The mating contact part 310 of the terminal 300 can be bent out of the side wall 2012 (refer to Figure 4C the terminal 300 on the side wall 2012b in) from the groove 271. Compared with secondarily forming the base 2011 on the terminal 300, the method of assembling the terminal 300 in this way has a simple process and low cost. And the upper housing 201 can be integrally injection-molded, improving the yield rate and reducing the cost.

[0097] Exemplarily, a shielding mounting channel 220 can be provided on the upper housing 201, as shown in Figures 4C to 4E and Figure 10AAs shown above, the shielding member 400 can be mounted from the bottom surface of the upper housing 201, that is, the second surface 2011B of the base portion 2011. The shielding mounting channel 220 can include a plurality of first channel portions 221, and each of the plurality of first channel portions 221 extends from the base portion 2011 to the inside of the side wall 2012 along the mating direction Z-Z. The plurality of first portions 410 of the shielding member 400 can be respectively mounted to the plurality of first channel portions 221. The cross-section of each of the plurality of first channel portions 221 is U-shaped and can correspond to the recessed portion 411 of the first portion 410 of the shielding member 400. Since the first portion 410 of the shielding member 400 has a relatively large size in the mating direction Z-Z, the first channel portion 221 can penetrate through the base portion 2011 along the mating direction Z-Z and extend into the side wall 2012. In other words, a part of the first channel portion 221 can be located inside the base portion 2011, and a part can be located inside the side wall 2012. The shielding mounting channel 220 can further include a plurality of second channel portions 222, and the plurality of second channel portions 222 can be located inside the base portion 2011. The second portions 420 of the shielding member 400 are connected between the first portions 410, so the plurality of second channel portions 222 can also be connected between the plurality of first channel portions 221, so that the plurality of second portions 420 of the shielding member 400 are respectively mounted to the plurality of second channel portions 222.

[0098] After the second portion 420 is mounted to the second channel portion 222, a part of the second portion 420 can protrude to the first surface 2011A and be exposed at the first mating interface 211. Exemplarily, the beam portion 422 of the second portion 420 can protrude to the first surface 2011A and extend into the first mating interface 211 to make electrical contact with the shielding member 400' of the second electrical connector 100', as Figure 10BAs shown. Exemplarily, the mutually mating first mating interface 211 and second mating interface 211' of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' may have the same or similar structures, and the terminals 300' and the shielding member 400' of the second electrical connector 100' may have the same or similar structures as the terminals 300 and the shielding member 400 of the first electrical connector 100. The second part 420' of the shielding member 400' may include a connecting portion 421' and a beam portion 422'. Exemplarily, the connecting portion 421 of the second part 420 of the shielding member 400 may protrude from the first surface 2011A and extend into the first mating interface 211, the beam portion 422 of the second part 420 may be in electrical contact with the connecting portion 421' of the shielding member 400', and the beam portion 422' of the shielding member 400' may be in electrical contact with the connecting portion 421 of the shielding member 400. For each pair of the second parts 420 and 420', a multi-point electrical contact is formed, and the contact points are located at the connecting portion 421 or 421'. Thus, the shielding members 400 and 400' can be reliably electrically connected. Similarly, a multi-point electrical contact is also formed for each pair of the terminals 300 and 300'.

[0099] Exemplarily, the shielding installation channel 220 and the plurality of terminal installation channels 270 both extend to the second surface 2011B of the base 2011, and the shielding member 400 and the plurality of terminals 300 are installed on the upper housing 201 from the second surface 2011B. As described above, the shielding member 400 can be installed from the second surface 2011B of the base 2011 of the upper housing 201 into the shielding installation channel 220. Similarly, the terminals 300 can also be installed from the second surface 2011B of the base 2011 into the terminal installation channels 270. As described above, the surface of the side wall 2012 may be provided with a groove 271. An opening 272 for installing the terminal 300 may also be provided on the base 2011, such as Figure 4D and Figure 10B shown, the terminal installation channel 270 may include the above-mentioned groove 271 and opening 272. The opening 272 penetrates the base 2011.

[0100] In the case where the housing assembly 200 includes a plurality of side walls 2012 arranged at intervals along the transverse direction Y-Y, such as 2012a to 2012f, at least one side of each side wall 2012 may be provided with a row of terminals 300, and each row of terminals 300 may have its own shielding member 400. The multiple rows of terminals 300 and the multiple shielding members 400 are symmetrically arranged in position along a symmetry axis parallel to the longitudinal direction X-X. This allows the second mating interface 211' of the second electrical connector 100' (including the terminals 300' and the shielding member 400' in the second mating interface 211') to have the same or similar structure as the first mating interface 211 of the first electrical connector 100 (including the terminals 300 and the shielding member 400 in the first mating interface 211). Thus, the structure of the mold can be simplified, thereby reducing costs. The symmetrical arrangement in position of the multiple rows of terminals 300 and the multiple shielding members 400 provides a prerequisite for manufacturing the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' to have the same structure.

[0101] Exemplarily, the multiple side walls 2012 may be arranged at equal intervals along the transverse direction Y-Y. There is a gap between adjacent side walls 2012, and a row of terminals 300 is respectively provided on the opposite sides of these two side walls 2012, and each row of terminals 300 has a shielding member 400 mounted on the corresponding side wall 2012. As described above, the housing assembly 200 may include a first mating interface 211 and a first mounting interface 212. Each of the multiple terminals 300 includes a mating contact portion 310 extending to the first mating interface 211 and a mounting tail 320 extending to the first mounting interface 212. At the first mating interface 211, the mating contact portion 310 of the terminal 300 bends outside the corresponding side wall 2012. Optionally, the straight portion of the mating contact portion 310 connected to the intermediate portion 330 may be completely embedded in the side wall 2012 or may protrude slightly from the side wall 2012. When the straight portion of the mating contact portion 310 protrudes slightly from the side wall 2012, it will cause the gap remaining between adjacent side walls 2012 to become smaller. The gap between these two rows of terminals 300 is configured to receive a side wall with the same structure and the two rows of terminals on both sides thereof. Thus, it allows the side wall and the two rows of terminals on both sides of the second electrical connector 100' with at least the same mating interface to be inserted into this gap.

[0102] Although in the illustrated embodiment, the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' as a whole have generally the same structure, in the above embodiment, the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' may only have generally the same structure in terms of their mating interfaces and the terminals and shielding members within the mating interfaces.

[0103] Exemplarily, the number of columns in which the terminals are arranged may be odd, such that only one side of the side wall on one edge has terminals, and the other side walls each have two side terminals located on both sides thereof. Thereby, the space utilization rate of the first electrical connector 100 can be improved, and at least the mating interface of the second electrical connector 100' can have the same structure as the first electrical connector 100.

[0104] Exemplarily, the housing assembly 200 may have a first edge 230 and a second edge 240 that are opposite to each other along the transverse direction Y-Y, as Figure 4A shown, the first edge 230 and the second edge 240 have complementary structures, such that the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can have substantially the same structure at least at their mating interfaces. Only when the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the second electrical connector 100', the first edge 230 of the first electrical connector 100 can be mated with the second edge 240' (having the same structure as the second edge 240) of the second electrical connector 100', and the second edge 240 of the first electrical connector 100 can be mated with the first edge 230' (having the same structure as the first edge 230) of the second electrical connector 100'. In this case, there is no need to prepare the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' with different structures, and only one type of electrical connector can be provided to complete the interconnection. This not only reduces the management cost and management difficulty, but also does not result in confusion or mistakes in materials.

[0105] Return to reference Figure 3 and Figure 4A, Exemplarily, the first edge 230 includes a rib 231 extending along the longitudinal direction. A plurality of side walls 2012f to 2012a are arranged from a position adjacent to the rib 231 to the second edge 240. The side wall 2012f adjacent to the rib 231 and the rib 231 enclose a positioning groove 250, and the side wall 2012a on the second edge 240 is adapted to the positioning groove 250. Thus, when the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the same second electrical connector 100’, the positioning grooves 250 of different electrical connectors and the side wall 2012a on the second edge 240 cooperate with each other. Since a shielding installation channel 220 for accommodating the shielding member 400 needs to be provided in the side wall 2012, the strength of the side wall 2012 may be slightly worse than that of the rib 231. Both sides of the side wall 2012f adjacent to the rib 231 have the terminal 300 and the shielding member 400, and the rib 231 can protect the side wall 2012f. The side wall 2012a on the second edge 240 may be provided with the terminal 300 and the shielding member 400 only on the side facing the adjacent side wall 2012b. Thus, it can have a relatively high strength. The side wall 2012a and the other side walls 2012b to 1012f may have approximately the same thickness. Except for the side wall 2012a, the other side walls 2012b to 1012f may have the terminal 300 and the shielding member 400 on both sides. For the other side walls 2012b to 1012f, in order to improve their mechanical strength and to increase the spacing between the first type terminals 301 in the two columns of each side wall, the pairs formed by the first type terminals 301 in the two columns are staggered from each other.

[0106] After the two first electrical connectors 100 are mated, the rib 231 can completely enclose the side wall 2012f, thereby improving the strength of the first electrical connector 100 after connection and making it not easily damaged during the vibration or plugging and unplugging process of external force. Since it is necessary to ensure that the terminals 300 and 300’ of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100’ having the same structure as at least the mating interface are precisely in contact with each other, otherwise poor contact may occur, affecting signal and / or power transmission. In a specific embodiment, the rib 231 forming the positioning groove 250 and the side wall 2012a on the second edge 240 may be respectively provided with a first chamfer 261 and a second chamfer 262. When the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the same second electrical connector 100’, a guiding effect can be formed. By the cooperation of the positioning groove 250 and the side wall 2012a on the second edge 240, a guiding and limiting function can be achieved, so that the terminals 300 and 300’ of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100’ can be reliably connected.

[0107] For the first mating interface 211 of the first electrical connector 100 described above, a virtual line passing through the column formed by the middlemost column of terminals is defined (seeFigure 4A the dashed line in [figure reference] has upper and lower portions that are structurally complementary. Thus, by providing an additional identical first electrical connector and rotating it 180 degrees in the horizontal plane relative to its placement in the figure, it can cooperate with the first electrical connector 100 in the figure. Consequently, the second electrical connector 100' can be manufactured to have the same structure as the first electrical connector 100. The mating contact portions 310 of any two symmetrically arranged columns of terminals 300 on either side of the virtual line are exposed to the first mating interface 211 in the same first direction. Refer to Figures 9A to 9B , the second electrical connector 100' identical to the first electrical connector 100 is flipped and matched with the first electrical connector 100, causing the mating contact end portions that originally faced the same direction as the first electrical connector 100 to face the opposite direction of the first electrical connector 100. The terminal 300 includes a portion that is easily deformable and a portion that is not easily deformable. The easily deformable portion can deform under pressure to generate an elastic force to abut against the object applying the pressure. The portion that is not easily deformable can be fixed in the housing assembly 200. Typically, the end of the terminal 300 is easily deformable due to the relatively long lever arm. After the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' are mated, the terminals 300 facing opposite directions can abut against the portions of each other that are not easily deformable, thereby reducing the length of the ineffective portions of the terminals 300 and preventing signal oscillation in these portions.

[0108] The shielding member 400 corresponding to each column of terminals 300 can be provided in cooperation with the first type of terminal 301 therein. Similar to the above-mentioned terminal 300, the second portion 420 of the shielding member 400 can cooperate with the second portion 420' of the second electrical connector 100'. When the second portion 420 of the shielding member 400 is provided with a beam portion 422 having the same or similar shape as the terminal 300, the beam portion 422 of the first electrical connector 100 and the beam portion 422 of the second electrical connector 100' can contact each other as described above for the terminal 300, improving the reliability of grounding and reducing the grounding resistance.

[0109] As described above, between the first electrical connector 100 and the same second electrical connector 100', precise mating can be achieved through the limitation between the positioning groove 250 on the first edge 230 of the first electrical connector 100 and the side wall on the second edge of the second electrical connector 100', and the limitation between the side wall 2012a of the second edge 240 of the first electrical connector 100 and the positioning groove on the first edge of the second electrical connector 100'. To prevent the size of the first electrical connector 100 from being too large, the first chamfer 261 of the rib 231 and the second chamfer 262 of the side wall 2012a cannot be machined to be large enough. Therefore, the guiding ability generated is relatively limited, and it can only play a guiding role when the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' are generally aligned. Exemplarily, the first edge 230 may include positioning posts 232. The positioning pins 241 and the positioning posts 232 may be located at the corners of the housing assembly 200. Exemplarily, the positioning posts 232 may be connected between the rib 231 and the side wall 2012f. The positioning posts 232 may be located around the positioning groove 250. Positioning holes 2321 may be provided on the positioning posts 232. The second edge 240 may include positioning pins 241, and the positioning pins 241 and the positioning holes 2321 can cooperate with each other. When the first electrical connector 100 is mated with the same second electrical connector 100', the positioning pins 241 on the first electrical connector 100 can cooperate with the positioning holes on the second electrical connector 100', and the positioning holes 2321 on the first electrical connector 100 can cooperate with the positioning pins on the second electrical connector 100'. Compared with the positioning groove 250 and the side wall 2012a for precise guiding, the positioning pins 241 can play a guiding role for the electrical connectors within a larger range. Specifically, for example, the head of the positioning pin 241 may be conical. After being inserted into the positioning hole on the second electrical connector 100', it can generate a guiding effect to make the first electrical connector 100 face the second electrical connector 100'. The lower part of the positioning pin 241 may be vertical. After being inserted into the corresponding positioning hole, it can make the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' approach along a straight line. Even if there is an external force causing the two to be skewed, the degree of offset generally will not be greater than the guiding range provided by the guiding groove. Thus, the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' can be more easily aligned and connected together.

[0110] Exemplarily, a third chamfer 263 may be provided at the head of the positioning post 232. The positioning pin 241 may be located within the recess 242 formed by the side walls 2012a and 2012b. When the positioning pin 241 is inserted into the positioning hole 2321 of the positioning post 232, the positioning post 232 may be inserted into the recess 242. The first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' may be more easily aligned and connected together. Exemplarily, the third chamfer 263 of the positioning post 232 may serve as a guide. Thus, precise positioning is achieved.

[0111] Exemplarily, the positioning pin 241 may be configured as a first power terminal. The positioning post 232 may be connected to a second power terminal (pin) 233 that extends beyond the first mounting interface 212 of the housing assembly 200, see Figure 11AWhen the first electrical connector 100 is connected to the first electrical component 800, the second power terminal 233 can be electrically connected to the first electrical component 800. When the first electrical connector 100 mates with the same second electrical connector 100', the positioning pins and positioning holes on the two electrical connectors cooperate with each other, and the positioning pins and the second power terminal can also be electrically connected. Exemplarily, the first electrical component 800 can be a main board, and the second electrical component 900 where the second electrical connector 100' is located may need to obtain power from the main board. Compared with additionally providing the first electrical connector 100 or a cable, using the first electrical connector 100 of the present disclosure can make the structure more concise and reduce the influence between the power supply and the surrounding signal lines. The first power terminal formed by the positioning pin 241 can be configured to have a tapered end structure to facilitate mating with the second power terminal 233 connected to the positioning post 232. Therefore, it can also play a guiding role in the mating of the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100', and there is no need to provide an additional positioning pin 241. The second power terminal 233 and the positioning pin 241 can allow the transmission of a relatively large rated current. In a specific embodiment, the current that can pass through each pair of the second power terminal and the positioning pin that cooperate with each other can reach 5A. This can meet the power supply requirements of the electronic components on the second electrical component 900. In other embodiments, the current allowed to pass through the second power terminal 233 and the positioning pin 241 can be larger or smaller, and the required current can be transmitted according to the circuit requirements. The second electrical component 900 can also supply power to the first electrical component 800 through the second power terminal 233 and the positioning pin 241. To ensure that the first electrical component 800 can transmit a sufficiently large current, the second power terminal 233 can be electrically connected to one or more power layers in the first electrical component 800 by a direct insertion structure. Multiple power layers can be provided in the first electrical component 800, and they are all electrically connected to the second power terminal 233, thereby sharing the current transmitted by the second power terminal 233. In addition, the insertion of the second power terminal 233 into the through hole on the first electrical component 800 can also play a positioning role for the first electrical connector 100 in the horizontal direction. Thus, the first electrical connector 100 can be positioned to the first electrical component 800 without providing an additional positioning portion or reducing the number of additional positioning portions.

[0112] The first electrical connector 100 can provide a transmission data rate of up to 224G, supporting up to 216 differential pairs or 199 differential pairs + 70 power terminals at most. In addition, 4 power terminals with a maximum of 5A are provided to supply power to components with high current requirements.

[0113] Exemplarily, such as Figure 4AAs shown, the multiple terminals 300 may further include a plurality of second-type terminals 302. The plurality of second-type terminals 302 may be arranged in columns, and no shielding member 400 is provided on the sides of the plurality of second-type terminals 302. The second-type terminals 302 may be used to transmit power signals and / or low-speed signals with small currents. According to some embodiments, the second-type terminals 302 may include sideband terminals. The sideband terminals may transmit low-frequency signals (e.g., frequencies less than 500 MHz), signals with lower data rates (e.g., less than 100 Mb / s). According to some embodiments, the second-type terminals 302 may further include power terminals. The power terminals may transmit direct current. In addition or alternatively, the power terminals may transmit other high-current and low-frequency signals. As described above, when the shielding member 400 is provided, the second portion 420 of the shielding member 400 and / or the beam portion 422 provided on the second portion 420 will occupy part of the channels of the terminals 300. This will result in a reduction in the number of terminals 300 that can effectively transmit power signals or low-speed signals. Not providing the shielding member 400 can increase the density of the effective terminals 300. During the production process of the first electrical connector 100, the shielding member 400 can also be appropriately arranged according to user requirements. When the channels for installing the terminals 300 on the housing assembly 200 are not uniformly arranged, the housing assembly 200 can also be appropriately adjusted. As shown in the figure, the second-type terminals 302 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction Y-Y at one end of the first electrical connector 100, and the first-type terminals 301 and the shielding member 400 are arranged at the other end of the first electrical connector 100, and there may be a clear demarcation between the two. In some other embodiments, the first-type terminals 301 and the shielding member 400 may be arranged in the middle of the first electrical connector 100 along the longitudinal direction, and the second-type terminals 302 may be arranged at both ends of the first electrical connector 100 along the longitudinal direction. Or vice versa, the second-type terminals 302 may be arranged in the middle of the first electrical connector 100 along the longitudinal direction, and the first-type terminals 301 and the shielding member 400 may be arranged at both ends of the first electrical connector 100 along the longitudinal direction. In this case, the shielding member 400 in each column is separated into two segments by the second-type terminals 302. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the first-type terminals 301 and the shielding member 400 may be arranged along the transverse direction Y-Y on one side of the first electrical connector 100, and the second-type terminals 302 are arranged on the other side of the first electrical connector 100.

[0114] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic system is provided. The electronic system may include a first electrical connector 100 and a second electrical connector 100' that are adapted to each other. The first electrical connector 100 may include multiple pairs of terminals, such as multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301. The second electrical connector 100' may include multiple pairs of terminals, such as multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301'. The multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301 are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction Y-Y. The multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301' are arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction Y-Y. The first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' further include shielding members 400 and 400' respectively. The shielding members 400 and 400' are respectively disposed on the sides of the terminals in the corresponding columns, so as to prevent external interference signals from affecting the signal transmission of the signal terminals and prevent the electromagnetic signals generated by the signal terminals 300 from radiating outward. The shielding member 400 may include multiple first portions 410 corresponding to the multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301 and multiple second portions 420 connected between the multiple first portions 410. The shielding member 400' may include multiple first portions 410' corresponding to the multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301' and multiple second portions 420' connected between the multiple first portions 410'. When the first electrical connector 100 and the second electrical connector 100' are engaged with each other, the multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301 of the first electrical connector 100 and the multiple pairs of first-type terminals 301' of the second electrical connector 100' are in electrical contact correspondingly, and the second portions 420 of the shielding member 400 of the first electrical connector 100 and the second portions 420' of the shielding member 400' of the second electrical connector 100' are in electrical contact correspondingly, so that the first electrical component 800 where the first electrical connector 100 is located and the second electrical component 900 where the second electrical connector 100' is located achieve good common grounding, thereby ensuring the reliability of signal transmission. For any two pairs of first-type terminals 301 and 301' in electrical contact, the first portions 410 and 410' on the corresponding two shielding members 400 and 400' form an enclosing shield. The enclosing shield can form the best shielding protection for interference signals in various frequency bands, so that the first electrical connector 100 can ensure the best signal integrity during the process of transmitting high-speed signals.

[0115] Exemplarily, for the first electrical connector 100, each of each pair of first type terminals 301 includes a mating contact portion 310 and a mounting tail portion 320 that are opposite to each other along the extension direction thereof, and each of the plurality of first portions 410 extends from the first mounting interface 212 at least to the mating contact portion 310 of the corresponding pair of terminals 300. The second electrical connector 100' may also have a similar structure. In this way, after the enclosed shielding is formed, only the first type terminals in the mating direction are exposed to the outside for mating with each other, and electromagnetic interference propagating from the horizontal direction and at a certain angle to the horizontal direction cannot pass through the shielding formed by the first part of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector. Such a shielding protection effect is better and the structure is relatively simple.

[0116] Exemplarily, for each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector, each of the plurality of first portions of the shield is recessed along the transverse direction YY and forms a recessed portion, so that when the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are mated with each other, the openings of the recessed portions of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are butted. The recessed portion 411 can be implemented on the shield 400 by a simple stamping process, so that the shield 400 can be completely connected as one. In this way, the production cost is low and the structure is relatively simple.

[0117] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic system is provided, the electronic system includes a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector that are adapted to each other, and the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector may have the same structure at least at the mating interface. This is conducive to reducing the types of materials, reducing management costs and management difficulties. Exemplarily, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector also have the same structure at the installation interface. Exemplarily, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector may have different heights. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrical connector can be used as a standard part with different sizes, for example, some products of the electrical connector can be constructed to be approximately 2.5mm in the mating direction ZZ, and some products have a height structure of approximately 5mm in the mating direction. Other types of connectors may be connected between the first electrical component 800 and the second electrical component 900, so that the electrical connector of the present disclosure can be combined with each other through products of different sizes to achieve compatibility with other electrical connector sizes, making the application scenarios more extensive. Of course, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector that are adapted to each other may also have the same height.

[0118] 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 the purpose of illustration and example, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the scope of the described embodiments.

[0119] Various changes can be made to the structures illustrated and described herein. For example, the electrical connectors described above can be any suitable connectors, such as edge card connectors, backplane connectors, daughter card connectors, stacking connectors, mezzanine connectors, I / O connectors, chip sockets, Gen Z connectors, etc.

[0120] Although many creative 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. Just as any one of the creative features, either alone or in combination with one or more other creative features, can also be used for other types of connectors, such as right-angle connectors and coplanar connectors, etc.

[0121] 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 instructions, these orientation words do not indicate and imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, so they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure; the orientation words "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contour of each component itself.

[0122] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above", "over", "on the upper surface", "upper" etc. can be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of one or more components or features shown in the figures with other components or features. It should be understood that the spatial relative terms not only include the orientation of the components described in the figures, but also different orientations during use or operation. For example, if the components in the attached drawings are inverted as a whole, then 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 (such as rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and this document intends to cover all such situations.

[0123] 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 disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should also be understood that when the term "comprise" and / or "include" is used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, components, assemblies and / or their combinations.

[0124] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and do not necessarily have to be 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 disclosure described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing assembly, the housing assembly including side walls extending along a longitudinal direction; A plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals including multiple pairs of first-type terminals, the multiple pairs of first-type terminals being arranged in columns parallel to the longitudinal direction; And A shield, the shield being disposed on the sides of the columns, the shield including multiple first portions correspondingly arranged with the multiple pairs of first-type terminals and multiple second portions connected between the multiple first portions, the multiple first portions being embedded in the side walls, and the multiple first portions and the multiple pairs of first-type terminals being isolated by the side walls.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein The housing assembly includes a mating interface and a mounting interface, each of the plurality of terminals including a mating contact portion extending to the mating interface and bending outside the side wall and a mounting tail extending to the mounting interface, and each of the multiple first portions extending from the mounting interface at least to the mating contact portion of a corresponding pair of first-type terminals.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein Each of the multiple first portions is recessed along a transverse direction and forms a recess, such that each pair of the multiple pairs of first-type terminals is located at the opening of its respective recess, the transverse direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The recess is configured to cooperate with a shield of a mating electrical connector to enclose a corresponding pair of first-type terminals and form a shield.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein The side walls include a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other along the transverse direction, the columns include a first column disposed along the first side surface and a second column disposed along the second side surface, and the shield includes a first shield and a second shield. The multiple first portions of the first shield are embedded in the first side surface, and the multiple recesses formed by the multiple first portions of the second shield face the same direction as the first side surface. The multiple first portions of the second shield are embedded in the second side surface, and the multiple recesses formed by the multiple first portions of the second shield face the same direction as the second side surface.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein The multiple second portions abut against the side walls, and the multiple second portions are arranged in the columns.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing assembly further includes a base having a first surface and a second surface, the side walls being connected to the first surface, and the side walls and the first surface form a mating interface. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a mating contact portion extending to the mating interface and bending outside the side wall and a mounting tail extending outside the second surface. The shield is fixed to the base, and the multiple first portions extend from the base into the side walls.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each of the multiple second portions includes: A connecting portion connecting between two adjacent first portions, the connecting portion being fixed within the base; and A beam portion extending from the connecting portion to the mating interface and bending outside the side wall, the beam portions being arranged in the columns along the longitudinal direction.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein, Each of the multiple second portions includes: A connecting portion connecting between two adjacent first portions, the connecting portion being fixed within the base; and A shield mounting tail extending outside the second surface from the connecting portion.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, wherein the housing assembly further includes a lower housing attached to the second surface, and a plurality of through holes are provided on the lower housing, and the mounting tails of the plurality of terminals and the shielding mounting tails of the shielding member correspondingly pass through the plurality of through holes. Welding balls are connected to each of the mounting tails of the plurality of terminals and the shielding mounting tails of the shielding member, and at least a part of each welding ball is received in the corresponding through hole.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, Along the direction towards the mating interface, the connecting portion extends beyond the first surface.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein The housing assembly further includes a shielding mounting channel, and the shielding mounting channel includes: a plurality of first channel portions, each of the plurality of first channel portions extending from the base towards the side wall along the mating direction, and the cross-section of each of the plurality of first channel portions is U-shaped, and the plurality of first portions of the shielding member are respectively mounted to the plurality of first channel portions. a plurality of second channel portions located in the base and connected between the plurality of first channel portions, and the plurality of second portions are respectively mounted to the plurality of second channel portions.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 12, characterized in that, The housing assembly further includes a plurality of terminal mounting channels. Both the shielding mounting channel and the plurality of terminal mounting channels extend to the second surface of the base, and the shielding member and the plurality of terminals are respectively mounted to the shielding mounting channel and the plurality of terminal mounting channels from the second surface.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein The housing assembly further includes a lower housing attached to the second surface such that the shielding member and the plurality of terminals are sandwiched between the base and the lower housing.

15. The electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other along the mating direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

16. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of pairs of first-type terminals are arranged in a plurality of columns parallel to the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of columns are spaced apart along the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. For any two adjacent columns, one column is offset from the other column along the longitudinal direction such that the plurality of pairs of first-type terminals in one column are staggered from the plurality of pairs of first-type terminals in the other column.

17. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing assembly includes a plurality of the side walls, and the plurality of side walls are arranged at equal intervals along the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each of the opposite side surfaces of the adjacent side walls is provided with a column, and each column has its own shielding member. The interval between the two columns on the opposite side surfaces of the adjacent side walls is configured to receive a side wall with the same structure and the two columns on both sides thereof.

18. The electrical connector according to claim 17, wherein The housing assembly has a first edge and a second edge opposite to each other along the transverse direction, and the first edge and the second edge have complementary structures such that the electrical connector can cooperate with another identical electrical connector.

19. The electrical connector according to claim 18, wherein The first edge includes a rib extending along the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of side walls are arranged from a position adjacent to the rib to the second edge. The side wall adjacent to the rib and the rib enclose a positioning groove, and the side wall on the second edge is shaped to be mutually adaptable to the positioning groove, so that when the electrical connector is mated with the same other electrical connector, the positioning grooves on different electrical connectors and the side walls on the second edge cooperate with each other.

20. The electrical connector according to claim 19, characterized in that, The side wall on the second edge is provided with the rows only on the side facing the adjacent side wall, and both opposite sides of the remaining side walls along the transverse direction are provided with the rows.

21. The electrical connector according to claim 19, wherein The first edge includes positioning posts, and positioning holes are provided on the positioning posts. The second edge includes positioning pins, and the positioning pins are shaped to be mutually adaptable to the positioning holes, so that when the electrical connector is mated with the same other electrical connector, the positioning pins and the positioning holes on different electrical connectors cooperate with each other.

22. The electrical connector according to claim 21, characterized in that, The positioning pins are configured as first power terminals, and the positioning posts are connected with second power terminals.

23. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of terminals further includes a plurality of second type terminals, the plurality of second type terminals are arranged in the rows, and the shielding members are not provided on the sides of the plurality of second type terminals.

24. An electronic system, characterized in that, Including a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector that are mutually adaptable, each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector includes: A plurality of pairs of terminals, the plurality of pairs of terminals are arranged in rows parallel to the longitudinal direction; and A shielding member, the shielding member is provided on the side of the row, the shielding member includes a plurality of first parts correspondingly arranged with the plurality of pairs of terminals and a plurality of second parts connected between the plurality of first parts, When the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are mated with each other, the plurality of pairs of terminals of the first electrical connector and the plurality of pairs of terminals of the second electrical connector are correspondingly in electrical contact, and the second parts of the shielding member of the first electrical connector and the second parts of the shielding member of the second electrical connector are correspondingly in electrical contact. For any two pairs of terminals in electrical contact, the first parts on the corresponding two shielding members form a surrounding shield.

25. The electronic system according to claim 24, wherein For each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector, each of the plurality of pairs of terminals includes a mating contact portion and a mounting tail portion opposite to each other along its extending direction, and each of the plurality of first parts extends at least to the mating contact portion of the corresponding pair of terminals from the mounting interface.

26. The electronic system according to claim 24, wherein, For each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector, each of the plurality of first parts is recessed along the transverse direction and forms a recessed portion, so that when the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are mated with each other, the openings of the recessed portions of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are docked, and the transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

27. The electronic system according to claim 24, wherein The first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same structure.

28. An electronic system, characterized in that, Including a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have mutually adaptable mating interfaces, and the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same structure at the mating interface.

29. The electronic system according to claim 28, wherein, Each of the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector has a mounting interface opposite to its respective mating interface, and the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same structure at the mounting interface.

30. The electronic system according to claim 28, wherein The first electrical connector and the second electrical connector have the same or different heights.

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