Electromagnetic shielding for conductor card connectors

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electromagnetic shield for printed circuit board connectors according to the preamble of independent claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a printed circuit board connector having an electromagnetic shield.

[0002] Such shielding is required to ensure / improve data integrity during transmission from a printed circuit board (PCB) to a conductor and / or another PCB connected to the first board. A shielding element can significantly improve electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), thereby stabilizing and / or increasing the data transmission rate. For a particularly effective result, a 360° shield is recommended. State of the art

[0003] In current technology, a circuit board connector with shielding elements above and below the contact elements / rows of contact elements is often used as a makeshift solution, whereby the outer contact elements of the circuit board connector are connected to a protective conductor (PE) or ground connection in order to simulate a circumferential shield.

[0004] Logically, this means the external contact elements are no longer available for their original purpose. Especially considering the increasing digitalization and the associated need for data transmission, coupled with the desire to minimize it, this approach is neither sensible nor practical.

[0005] From DE 93 11 782 U1, it is known to provide all-around shielding of the contact pins of a connector mounted on a printed circuit board by means of a sheet metal frame surrounding the contact pins. Solder lugs on the sheet metal frame are electrically connected to conductor tracks of the printed circuit board. Spring-loaded contact tongues, facing into the interior of the sheet metal frame, are welded to it for contact with the shielding of a mating connector.

[0006] A particular disadvantage of this proposed shielding is the need for at least two complementary sheet metal frames.

[0007] The German Patent and Trademark Office has searched the following prior art in the priority application for the present application: DE 10 2018 109 036 A1.

[0008] Furthermore, the European Patent Office has searched the following prior art in the PCT application for the present application: US 2006 / 063432 A1, US 6 749 463 B1, US 2005 / 032400 A1, US 8 109 790 B2. Task

[0009] The object of the invention is to provide a more cost-effective and space-saving shield for printed circuit board connectors compared to the prior art, which is also more universally applicable. A further object of the invention is to provide a printed circuit board connector equipped with improved shielding.

[0010] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0011] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims and the following description. The shielding according to the invention is made of an electrically conductive material and is intended for use in a printed circuit board connector. The shielding is formed from two shielding elements, which are identical in construction and each have at least two shield contact receptacles, at least two shield contact elements, and at least one fastening form for connection to a housing of the printed circuit board connector, as well as at least one printed circuit board contact for establishing an electrically conductive connection with the printed circuit board to be contacted. The identical shielding elements are hermaphroditically designed and each have a first side element and a second side element, which are connected to each other by a formed area.Printed circuit board (PCB) connectors are connectors that connect to a printed circuit board (PCB) and, by connecting to a mating connector, enable the transmission of electrical and / or electronic signals and / or power to at least one other PCB or conductor, usually in the form of (shielded) cables. Shielding elements are components of the shielding system, designed as individual parts that, in combination, form the shielding unit. The use of identical shielding elements results in particularly cost-effective all-around shielding. This design is especially advantageous for straight PCB connectors. Shielding using essentially identical shielding elements is particularly advantageous in the area of ​​hermaphroditic connectors.The term "shield contact" refers to a feature of the shielding elements that facilitates contact, for example, through a wedge-shaped guide contour. The shielding contact elements are thus specifically designed for contact with the shielding of a mating connector. "Mounting feature" refers to a recess and / or a feature that allows the shielding element to be fixed in a designated area of ​​the housing. "PCB contact" refers to an area and / or feature of the shielding element that can be connected to a printed circuit board (PCB), for example, by soldering. The areas typically provided for this purpose on PCBs are also called solder pads and are usually designed as solderable contact points. "Side element" refers to sections of the shielding element.According to the invention, a shielding element is formed from two side elements connected by a formed area. The formed area is understood to be a region where the different planes in which the side elements run intersect. In the case of a straight printed circuit board connector, this angle is preferably between 85° and 95°. The shielding according to the invention enables particularly simple all-around shielding of the printed circuit board connector by means of simply designed shielding elements.

[0012] Another embodiment proposes that the shield contact receptacle and the shield contact element are arranged alternately along at least one side of each shield element. This embodiment enables its use in hermaphroditic connectors. However, known male / female connectors can also be provided with identical shields. The structurally identical design with alternating shield contact receptacles and shield contact elements thus creates a hermaphroditic shield that simultaneously fulfills the function of all-around shielding.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first side element has at least one fastening feature, and the second side element has at least one fastening feature. Depending on the design of the printed circuit board connector, this ensures in every case that the formed area is not overloaded by uneven stress during a mating operation and thus potentially damaged. For printed circuit board connectors with a narrow side and a wide side, it can be particularly advantageous to design the side element associated with the wide side with two, three, or more fastening features. A recessed design for the fastening feature appears to be particularly advantageous. This allows a printed circuit board connector to be provided with a particularly simple outer shell, the connection of which to an insulating body consists of simple ribs. These recessed fastening features can be easily engaged with these ribs.

[0014] An alternative embodiment features a shield contact receptacle with an inner surface, wherein the inner surface is located away from the plane in which the side element connected to the shield contact receptacle is situated. This particularly improves the contact between the shield contact element and the side element, as the shield contact receptacle acts as a kind of ramp.

[0015] Another alternative embodiment features a shield contact element with an inner surface, wherein the inner surface is located away from the plane in which the side element connected to the shield contact element is situated. This particularly improves contact with the side element of a shield element of a mating connector, as the shield contact element is increasingly brought closer to said shield element during a mating operation.

[0016] A particularly advantageous embodiment is one in which the shield contact element and the shield contact receptacle are positioned in different directions away from the plane in which the side element connected to the shield contact element and the shield contact receptacle is located. The effects described above are mutually reinforcing when identical shielding is used in the circuit board connector and a mating connector.

[0017] In one embodiment, the shield contact element has a contact area at its end opposite the side element, which describes at least one curved shape. This curved shape can be designed, on the one hand, to improve contact. On the other hand, the curved shape, in combination with a shield contact receptacle, can also be designed to improve sliding movement during a plugging operation.

[0018] A preferred alternative embodiment provides that the contact area of ​​the shield contact element essentially describes an S-shape. Such a shield contact element combines the aforementioned advantages. The foremost area facilitates the sliding movement of the shield contact element over the shield contact receptacle of a mating connector, while the adjacent area curves towards a side of the shield element to be contacted. Thus, after an initially simplified insertion process, a particularly advantageous contact can be achieved.

[0019] The invention further relates to a printed circuit board connector with a housing, at least one contact receptacle for receiving at least one contact element, wherein the housing has at least two shield receptacles which receive a shield according to claim 1. The printed circuit board connector is preferably a straight printed circuit board connector. It is particularly advantageous for the printed circuit board connector to be designed as a hermaphroditic printed circuit board connector.

[0020] Furthermore, one embodiment recommends designing the shield receptacles as point-symmetrical cavities in the housing, which are arranged between the outer wall of the housing and the at least one contact receptacle. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when using identical shielding elements. Hermaphroditic connectors can be equipped in this way with particular advantage. Example of implementation

[0021] An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a shielding element; Fig. 2 a perspective view of a hermaphroditic PCB connector with a shield; Fig. 3 a top view of a mating face of a hermaphroditic PCB connector with a shield; Fig. 4 a perspective view of a shield without a PCB connector on a printed circuit board; Fig. 5 a perspective view of two identical shields without PCB connectors, each on a printed circuit board.

[0022] The figures contain simplified, schematic representations. In some cases, identical reference symbols are used for elements that are the same but may not be identical. Different views of the same elements may be scaled differently. Directional indications such as "left," "right," "up," and "down" are to be understood in relation to the respective figure and may vary from one representation to the actual object depicted.

[0023] The Figure 1Figure 1 shows a single shielding element 2 of the shielding 1 in a perspective view. Several particularly advantageous design features become apparent. First, the formed area 3 is clearly visible between the essentially orthogonal side elements, represented as the first side element 20 and the second side element 21. A printed circuit board contact 4, designed as an extension, is visible in the lower area of ​​the shielding element 2. This printed circuit board contact 4 is designed to be electrically connected to a soldering area of ​​a printed circuit board to be connected to it. At generally uniform intervals along the lower area of ​​the first side element 20 and the second side element 21, mounting features 5 are provided, which are designed as recesses.Furthermore, it can be seen that the mounting forms 5 are provided with a funnel-shaped entry opening and an undercut into which a retaining pin or similar retaining element of the housing 11 can be inserted and fixed. In the upper area of ​​the shielding element 2, shield contact receptacles 6 and shield contact elements 7 are arranged in alternating order. The shield contact receptacles 6 are designed with a bevel at least on one side. The bevel extends from a plane in which the respective side element, i.e., the first side element 20 or the second side element 21, is arranged, and moves away from this plane at its upper end, away from the center point of a circuit board connector utilizing the shielding element 2. This bevel of the shield contact receptacle 6 is achieved, for example, by a forming process, such as a bending process.Alternatively, a machining process, such as milling to introduce a chamfer, can also be used. The shield contact elements 7 are also arranged at an angle on the first side element 20 and the second side element 21. In the illustrated embodiment, the shield contact elements 7 exit the plane in which the respective side element lies in a direction opposite to the exit side of the shield contact receptacles 6. Furthermore, it can be seen that the shield contact elements 7 have a contact area 8 at the end that is distal to the shield element 2. Depending on the perspective, the contact area 8 has essentially an S-shape. This design of the contact area 8 facilitates the insertion of a printed circuit board connector with a shield 1 according to the invention, while simultaneously achieving improved contact between the shield contact element 7 and the shield element 2.

[0024] The Figure 2Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a printed circuit board connector 10 according to the invention with shielding 1 according to the invention. The printed circuit board connector 10 is designed as a straight, hermaphroditic connector. Straight printed circuit board connectors are used in particular for connecting one printed circuit board to another in a parallel arrangement. An example of this is the arrangement of a so-called daughterboard, also called a mezzanine board, on a main board, often referred to as a motherboard. The housing 11 of the printed circuit board connector 10 has two cavities which function as shield receptacles 13. The shielding 1 is inserted into these shield receptacles 13. Only the printed circuit board contacts 4 protrude from the surrounding housing 11 at the lower end of the shielding 1.In the upper section of the housing 11, the shield contact receptacles 6 ideally do not protrude, or at least only slightly, while the shield contact elements 7 at least substantially reach the height of the contact receptacles 12. The printed circuit board connector 10 is provided with various contact receptacles 12 and 12', wherein the contact receptacles 12 each accommodate two contact elements 14 and the contact receptacles 12' each accommodate one contact element 14. The contact elements 14 are also advantageously designed as hermaphroditic contact elements.

[0025] The Figure 3 shows a printed circuit board connector 10 as in Figure 2The diagram is shown, but in a top view, more precisely looking at the mating face. The shield 1 is clearly composed of two identical, hermaphroditic shielding elements 2. The housing 11 of the printed circuit board connector 10 has two shield receptacles 13, which are shaped as cavities receiving the shielding elements 2. In diagonally opposite corners of the housing 11, each housing 11 has a guide element 15. These guide elements 15 facilitate mating with a mating connector, which in the example shown can be identical in design. The shield contact receptacles 6 are formed, for example by a forming process such as rolling, such that a chamfer on their side facing the mating face simplifies mating. The shield contact elements 7 have an S-shaped contact area 8, with the uppermost curve pointing towards the mating face of the printed circuit board connector 10.

[0026] The Figure 4 Figure 1 shows the use of a shield 1 on a printed circuit board 9, with the surrounding printed circuit board connector 10 omitted. The printed circuit board 9 has printed circuit board contact pads 90 which contact the printed circuit board contacts 4 arranged on the shield 1. This contact is usually fixed by soldering. The two identical shielding elements 2 of the shield 1 are L-shaped, with the formed area 3 separating the first side element 20 and the second side element 21 from each other.

[0027] In the Figure 5 Two circuit boards 9 and 9' are shown, each equipped with a shield 1. The corresponding circuit board connectors 10 are as shown in Figure 5For clarity, the following details have been omitted. It is clearly shown that the shield contact elements 7 of the shield 1 slide over the shield contact receptacles 6' of the opposite shield 1' and contact the respective opposing shield elements 2' on the first side surface 20' or the second side surface 21'. The advantage of designing the shields 1 and 1' as a hermaphroditic shield is also evident. Four identical shield elements 2 can easily and cost-effectively achieve all-around shielding of two corresponding, straight circuit board connectors 10.

[0028] Even though the figures show various aspects or features of the invention in combination, it is apparent to the person skilled in the art – unless otherwise stated – that the combinations shown and discussed are not the only possible ones. In particular, corresponding units or sets of features from different embodiments can be interchanged. Reference symbol list

[0029] 1 Shielding 2 Shielding element 3 Forming area 4 Circuit board contact 5 Mounting form 6 Shielding contact receptacle 7 Shielding contact element 8 Contact form area 9 Circuit board 10 Circuit board connector 11 Housing 12 Contact point 13 Shielding point 14 Contact element 15 Guide element 20 First page element 21 Second page element 90 Circuit board contact area 91 Circuit board recess

Claims

1. A shielding (1) formed of an electrically conductive material for use in a printed circuit board connector (10), formed of two shield elements (2) which are of identical design and each have at least two shield contact receptacles (6), at least two shield contact elements (7) and at least one fastening structure (5) for connection to a housing (11) of the printed circuit board connector (10), as well as at least one printed circuit board contact (4) for establishing an electrically conductive connection to the printed circuit board (9) to be contacted, characterized in that the identical shield elements (2) are of hermaphroditic design and each have one first side element (20) and one second side element (21), which are interconnected by a forming region (3).

2. The shielding (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the shield contact receptacle (6) and the shield contact element (7) are arranged alternately along at least one side of each shield element (2).

3. The shielding (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the first side element (20) has at least one fastening structure (5) and the second side element (21) has at least one fastening structure (5).

4. The shielding (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the fastening structure (5) is embodied as a recess.

5. The shielding (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the shield contact receptacle (6) has an inner side which is distant from a plane in which the side element (20, 21) connected to the shield contact element (7) is located.

6. The shielding (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the shield contact element (7) has an inner side which is distant from a plane in which the side element (20, 21) connected to the shield contact element (7) is located.

7. The shielding (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the shield contact element (7) and the shield contact receptacle (6) move away from each other in different directions from a plane in which the side element (20, 21) connected to the shield contact element (7) and the shield contact receptacle (6) is located.

8. The shielding (1) according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the shield contact element (7) has, at its end opposite the side element (20, 21), a contact structure region (8) which describes at least one curve structure.

9. The shielding (1) according to claim 8 characterized in that the contact structure area (8) substantially describes an S-shape.

10. A printed circuit board connector (10) with a housing (11), at least one contact receptacle (12) for receiving at least one contact element (14) and at least one shielding (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (11) has at least two shield receptacles (13) which receive the shielding (1) according to claim 1.

11. The printed circuit board connector (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the shield receptacles (13) are embodied as point-symmetrical cavities in the housing (11), which are arranged between the outer wall of the housing and the at least one contact receptacle (12).