Electric connector for a data or communication cable

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric connector (1) for a data or communication cable, having the following features: - a housing (10), first (41) and second contact elements (42), — the first contact elements (41) are connected to the second contact elements (42) via conductor tracks (64, 65), wherein two conductor tracks (64, 65) form a differential line (61), - a first circuit board (86), — the first circuit board (86) has compensation units (68), the first circuit board (86) is arranged at least partially in the housing (10), characterised by the further features: - the first circuit board (86) is designed as a flexible circuit board, — the first circuit board (86) is preferably fixedly arranged on a support element (75).

Description

[0001] Electrical connector for a data or communications cable.

[0002] The invention relates to an electrical connector according to the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] In electrical connectors, particularly in the field of high-frequency technology, lines and contacts exhibit a frequency-dependent capacitive coupling to one another. This results in unwanted crosstalk between the lines or contacts. To compensate for this unwanted crosstalk as much as possible, it has proven advantageous to arrange the compensation units as close as possible to the location of the crosstalk. Due to the relatively large capacitive coupling between the contact elements in the area of ​​the contact point of two complementary electrical connectors, it is advantageous to arrange the compensation elements as close as possible to these contact points. Due to space constraints in electrical connectors, flexible printed circuit boards are often used for this purpose to better utilize the available installation space.

[0004] Flexible printed circuit boards are used in electrical connectors in the publications EP3363083A4, US9088106B2, EP2191541B1, and CN100557899C. In addition to a rigid or flexible main circuit board, an additional flexible compensation circuit board is used in these publications. The flexible circuit board is arranged in the electrical connector in such a way that the compensation units located on it are positioned as close as possible to the contact points and adapt to the available installation space.

[0005] Due to their nature, particularly their flexibility, flexible printed circuit boards are difficult to handle and assemble, which significantly increases the time required and therefore the costs of assembly.

[0006] This problem is solved by an electrical connector having the features of patent claim 1.

[0007] Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0008] According to the invention, an electrical connector is provided with a housing, with first and second contact elements, wherein the first contact elements are connected to the second contact elements via conductor tracks, wherein two conductor tracks form a differential line. The electrical connector has a first circuit board, wherein the first circuit board has compensation units, wherein the first circuit board is at least partially arranged in the housing. The first circuit board is designed as a flexible circuit board, wherein the first circuit board is arranged on a carrier element.

[0009] By arranging the first circuit board on a carrier element, the compensation units in the form of capacitors can be designed particularly compactly due to the thin substrate height, without compromising handling during assembly. The first circuit board is preferably designed as a two-layer circuit board. This keeps the costs for the first circuit board extremely low. The first circuit board can also have just one or more layers.

[0010] Advantageously, the first circuit board is formed from a substrate, wherein the substrate height is less than or equal to 50 µm, preferably less than or equal to 25 µm. The smaller the substrate height of the first circuit board, the more compact the first circuit board can be, since the compensation units, in particular the capacitors, must have smaller surface areas in order to have the same capacitance. In plate capacitors, two conductive surfaces face each other. A dielectric is arranged between the conductive surfaces, which in the case of the first circuit board is the substrate of the same. The capacitance value of a capacitor is directly proportional to the smaller area of ​​the respective conductive surface and inversely proportional to the distance between the two surfaces. If, for example, a circuit board has a substrate that is ten times thinner, the area of ​​the capacitors can be ten times smaller in order to provide the same capacitance.

[0011] In addition, the choice of dielectric is crucial for the capacitance. The dielectric-dependent relative permittivity is directly proportional to the capacitance. The relative permittivity for polyimide material is typically 3.2 to 3.7. For FR4 material, the relative permittivity is typically 3.8 to 4.8. The dependencies listed above assume that a homogeneous electric field develops between the plates of the capacitor. In applications where a homogeneous field cannot be assumed, other dependencies may arise. In particular, linearity of the parameters plate area, plate spacing, and relative permittivity can no longer be assumed under certain circumstances, which makes the calculation and design significantly more complex.In addition, the arrangement of the conductive plates relative to each other as well as the arrangement of the dielectric are crucial for the calculation and the underlying model.

[0012] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the first circuit board is arranged so as to completely overlap the carrier element. Due to the complete overlap, the carrier element does not take up any unnecessary space, and the first circuit board is prevented from projecting beyond the carrier element, which, due to the flexibility of the first circuit board, could lead to bending in the edge region and the associated greater signs of wear or damage. The carrier element can be designed with dimensions smaller than the external dimensions of the first circuit board, or the carrier element can be designed with dimensions larger than the external dimensions of the first circuit board.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support element has approximately the same shape as the first circuit board. The support element can also have exactly the same shape as the first circuit board. The first circuit board can be square, round, oval, trapezoidal, Z-shaped, or parallelogram-shaped.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carrier element is thicker than the first circuit board, wherein the carrier element is preferably rigid. To enable simple handling during assembly, the first circuit board is mounted on the carrier element in advance and installed in the composite body consisting of a first circuit board and a carrier element in the further assembly processes. A rigid body is significantly easier to handle and can be connected to the other components of the electrical connector. In order to have this stiffness or rigidity of the composite body, since the first circuit board is designed to be flexible, the carrier element must be rigid or at least the composite body consisting of the carrier element and the first circuit board must be rigid.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carrier element is attached to a housing or to a composite body connected to the housing, in particular a plastic carrier element. Thus, the flexible first circuit board does not need to be connected via a complex and expensive fastening mechanism within the housing of the electrical connector.

[0016] Advantageously, a second circuit board is at least partially arranged in the housing, wherein first contact elements and second contact elements are connected to the second circuit board, wherein the second circuit board is connected to the second contact elements. The first and second contact elements are connected to one another via conductor tracks, wherein two conductor tracks form a differential line. The first conductor track of the differential line is defined as a positive or tip conductor track, whereas the second conductor track of the differential line is defined as a negative or ring conductor track. One signal is transmitted via each differential line. Preferably, the electrical connector is designed as an RJ connector, so that the electrical connector has four differential lines.A conductor track consists of a first contact pad, a second contact pad and a conductive path, wherein the first contact pad is connected to the second contact pad via the conductive path.

[0017] The first contact elements are electrically and mechanically connected to the first contact pads. The electrical and mechanical connection is made by soldering or pressing. The second contact elements are electrically and mechanically connected to the second contact pads. The electrical and mechanical connection is made by soldering or pressing. The first contact pads are arranged around first through-holes, wherein the first contact pad can be formed on one or more circuit board layers, wherein the copper-plated edges of the through-holes are part of the first contact pad. The same applies to the second contact pads. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second circuit board is arranged perpendicular to, at an angle to, or parallel to the first circuit board.The second circuit board is preferably longer along the transverse axis of the electrical connector than in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the electrical connector, with the first circuit board preferably being aligned along the longitudinal axis of the electrical connector. The first circuit board is preferably smaller than the second circuit board.

[0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the first circuit board is designed as a polyimide circuit board, with the carrier material of the carrier element preferably being made of FR4 or plastic or another non-conductive material. Advantages of polyimide circuit boards include their high flexibility, the resulting space savings compared to rigid circuit boards, and their good electromagnetic shielding properties, which can be advantageous in high-frequency applications or in environments with high levels of electromagnetic interference.

[0019] Advantageously, the first contact elements are designed as insulation displacement connectors and the second contact elements as plug contacts. Insulation displacement connectors, also called IDCs, are characterized by their quick and easy installation. The wires can be electrically contacted using the insulation displacement connectors without having to remove the insulation, thus reducing time and susceptibility to errors. Furthermore, no special tools are required to strip the wires. Insulation displacement connectors are characterized by an extremely reliable connection. When assembled, the terminals of the insulation displacement connector cut through the insulation, creating a gas-tight connection between the wire and the insulation displacement connector and preventing the ingress of moisture and other contaminants.

[0020] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the plug contacts are resilient. A plug contact has four sections which are electrically connected to one another via three connecting sections. The sections are rod-shaped and run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the socket. The transverse axis is arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. Along the transverse axis, the sections of a plug contact are arranged on four different planes, with one plane being defined as a two-dimensional surface that extends infinitely in space, and the third dimension representing the transverse axis in space. The third section is only electrically contacted when the electrical connector is assembled to the first circuit board. The plug contacts are designed and fixed in such a way that the third section presses onto the corresponding contact surface of the first circuit board when assembled.The plug contacts can also be soldered onto the first circuit board. The plug contacts are connected to conductor tracks formed on the second circuit board. The plug contacts, which are connected to conductor tracks of a differential line or different differential lines, can cross in the area of ​​the first circuit board. The plug contacts can also cross in sections or connecting sections that are not located near the first circuit board.

[0021] The first circuit board can be held in position in the housing by clamping the composite body consisting of the first circuit board and the carrier element between the plug contacts and the plastic carrier element. The plastic carrier element can be locked together on the housing using snap-in connections, so that no additional aids such as screws or rivets are required for fixing and subsequent detachment of the plastic carrier element from the housing is possible without tools. The plastic carrier element is designed such that the composite body consisting of the carrier element and the first circuit board can be inserted onto the plastic carrier element. When assembled, the plug contacts press the composite body onto the bearing surface of the plastic carrier element.

[0022] Advantageously, the carrier element has pins formed, wherein the pins can be passed through a recess in the first circuit board, so that in the assembled state with the restoring force of the plug contacts and the plastic carrier element as a counterpart, the first circuit board is held on the carrier element. The pins enable the first circuit board to be moved in one spatial direction. The pins can have a round, polygonal, or in particular a square cross-section. The recess can be arranged within the first circuit board or at its edge and is complementary to the pin. The plastic carrier element can also have a pin that can be pushed through an additional recess in the carrier element and the recess in the first circuit board. The first circuit board can be glued, screwed, clipped, riveted, or pressed onto the carrier element.The support element can be glued, screwed, clipped, riveted or pressed onto the plastic support element.

[0023] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, compensation units are arranged on the first circuit board. The compensation units are configured as capacitances and inductances, with the capacitances preferably being capacitors and the inductances preferably being coils. The capacitor can be a plate capacitor or an interdigital capacitor. A capacitor can be connected between two first conductor tracks of different differential lines or between a first and second conductor track of different differential lines, so that crosstalk occurs between the conductor tracks to which the capacitor is connected.

[0024] In electrical connectors, data transmission preferably takes place on differential lines. A differential line has two conductor tracks. One conductor track transmits a signal, while the other conductor track transmits the inverted signal. The receiver forms the difference between the two signals, whereby the difference corresponds to the original signal to be transmitted. In electrical connectors, an undesired capacitive coupling exists between conductor tracks, especially when they are close to one another. An undesired capacitive coupling between a first conductor track and a second conductor track, for example, different differential lines one and two, can be compensated for by interposing an additional capacitance between the first two conductor tracks of the previously discussed differential lines one and two.The first conductor track of differential line two now sees, on the one hand, the unwanted crosstalk resulting from the unwanted capacitive coupling and the desired crosstalk due to the additionally inserted capacitor. Since the first conductor track of the second differential line is capacitively coupled to both the first conductor track and the second conductor track of differential line one, and the signals to be transmitted on these conductor tracks are inverted to one another, the crosstalk signals cancel each other out. The capacitance of the capacitor must be designed such that the desired crosstalk is just large enough to negate the unwanted crosstalk. The same applies to all other components that exhibit unwanted capacitive coupling. If the capacitance turns out to be too large, it must be compensated for elsewhere using a mutual capacitance.

[0025] It has proven advantageous to place the capacitor at the point where unwanted crosstalk occurs between two conductor tracks. Since crosstalk is particularly high in the area of ​​the contact point between an electrical plug and a complementary electrical connector, the first circuit board is positioned close to this contact point. Under certain circumstances, it is necessary to connect a noise capacitance between a first conductor track and a second conductor track of the same differential line in order to meet the normative requirements for the electrical connector. The noise capacitance artificially amplifies the unwanted crosstalk.

[0026] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the compensation units on the first and second circuit boards are designed as capacitors and inductors, wherein the capacitors are designed as capacitors and the inductors as a meandering conductor track structure. The capacitors can also be designed as fins. Fins are conductive surfaces that are arranged on a circuit board layer and have no counter surface. The conductive surface is connected to the conductor track via a stub line, wherein the stub line can be connected both to the conductor path and to a first or second contact pad. The advantage of coils formed by a meandering structure of the conductor path is that the structure can be implemented inexpensively. The electrical connector is advantageously designed as a socket, in particular as an RJ45 socket.

[0027] Advantageously, the first circuit board, which is designed as a flexible circuit board, is firmly connected to the carrier element. Preferably, the first circuit board is glued to the carrier element.

[0028] Preferably, the first circuit board is firmly connected to the carrier element over its entire surface, in particular glued over its entire surface.

[0029] Overlap is defined above, here, and below as the existence of at least one vector that runs along a single spatial direction and intersects two surfaces arranged in space. The surfaces are then arranged so as to overlap one another. Complete overlap occurs when there is no vector that runs in a single spatial direction and, if it intersects one of the two surfaces, also intersects the other surface.

[0030] An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the figures. They show:

[0031] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector in exploded view with housing, first board, second board, charging piece and contact elements,

[0032] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the first circuit board, the carrier element, the plug contacts and the plastic carrier element in exploded view,

[0033] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of assembled subcomponents of the electrical connector of the first board, the second board, the carrier element, the plastic carrier element and the plug contacts,

[0034] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the second board from Fig. 3,

[0035] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the composite body consisting of the first board and the carrier element from Fig. 3,

[0036] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the compensation circuit of the first board of Fig. 5, and

[0037] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of assembled subcomponents of the electrical connector of the first board, the second board, the carrier element and the plug contacts.

[0038] In the following figures, like reference numerals designate like parts with like meaning. Fig. 1 shows an electrical connector 1, which is designed as a socket 2. The socket 2 has a housing 10 which has a housing front part 20 and a housing rear part 30. The front side 11 of the socket 2 is defined as the side which receives the mating face (not shown), for example of an RJ45 connector. The rear side 12 of the socket 2 is defined as the side through which a cable (not shown) can be inserted into the socket 2 and whose individual wires can then be inserted into the loading piece 70. The front side 11 of the socket 2 is formed on the end face of the housing front part 20. The housing rear part 30 has the rear side 12 of the socket 2.In addition to the front side 11, the housing front part 20 forms four side surfaces 21, one of the side surfaces 21 being longer than the other three side surfaces 21. The housing rear part 30 is U-shaped and has three side surfaces 31, the longer side surface 21 of the housing front part 20 nestling into the missing side surface 31 of the housing rear part 30 when assembled.

[0039] The housing rear part 30 is pivotally mounted on the housing upper part 20. For this purpose, the housing rear part 30 has an indentation 32 on two side surfaces 31, wherein this indentation 32 has the shape of a semicircle. The indentation 32 can also be oval or circular. Viewed from the front side 11 of the socket 2, the indentation 32 has a conical, trapezoidal, or parallelogram-shaped profile.

[0040] The housing front part 20 has a connecting element 22 on two side surfaces 21. The connecting element 22 consists of a rod 23 and a plate 24. When assembled, the connecting element 22 of the housing front part 20 engages in the recess 32 of the housing rear part 30 and is rotatably mounted. The housing rear part 30 can also be clipped into the housing front part 20, fixed by means of a screw, glued, or pressed on.

[0041] The housing front part 20 and the housing rear part 30 are preferably made of a conductive material, for example sheet metal or a metal die-cast part, in particular a zinc die-cast part. The socket 2 has electrical shielding due to the conductive properties of the material of the housing 10. The electromagnetic compatibility of the socket 2 is thereby significantly improved. In addition, the interference emitted by the socket 2 and the influence of the socket 2 on other electronic devices is reduced. Furthermore, the socket 2 is more robust against external mechanical influences than, for example, a socket 2 that has a plastic housing 10.

[0042] A second circuit board 40 is arranged at least partially within the housing 10, with first contact elements 41 and second contact elements 42 being connected to the second circuit board 40. The first contact elements 41 are designed as insulation displacement terminals 43. The insulation displacement terminals 43 are formed at least partially from a conductive material. The insulation displacement terminals 43 have a foot 44, which is guided through a first contact opening 45 in the second circuit board 40 and can be electrically contacted with the first contact pad 46. Contact is made by soldering or pressing. In addition, the insulation displacement terminals 43 form a through-opening 47, through which the insulation of the individual wires of a cable is stripped during assembly of the socket 2 and an electrical connection is established between the insulation displacement terminal

[0043] 43 and individual wire of the cable. A total of eight insulation displacement terminals 43 are connected to the second circuit board 40. More or fewer insulation displacement terminals 43 can be connected to the second circuit board 40. The insulation displacement terminals 43 can be arranged in rows, preferably in four rows. The individual insulation displacement terminals 43 in one row can be offset from other insulation displacement terminals 43 in other rows. The insulation displacement terminals 43 form an insulation displacement surface 48. The insulation displacement surfaces 48 can be arranged in a line, parallel, or at an angle to one another. The insulation displacement surfaces 48 of one insulation displacement terminal row can be arranged parallel or at an angle to another insulation displacement terminal row. The second circuit board 40 is arranged transverse to the plug-in direction in the housing 10. The second circuit board 40 is preferably soldered using the THR (Through Hole Reflow) process.

[0044] The second contact elements 42 are designed as plug contacts 49. A plug contact 49 has four different sections 50-53, which are electrically connected to one another via three connecting elements 55-57. The sections 50-53 are rod-shaped and run parallel to the longitudinal axis L of the socket 2. The transverse axis Q is arranged orthogonally to the longitudinal axis L.

[0045] Along the transverse axis Q, the subsections 50-53 of a plug contact 49 are arranged on four different levels, wherein one level is defined as a two-dimensional surface that extends infinitely in space, the third dimension in space being the transverse axis Q. Subsection one 50 can be pushed through the second contact opening 54 of the second circuit board 40 and is mechanically fastened by soldering or pressing and electrically contacted with the second circuit board 40. Subsections one 50 of the individual plug contacts 49 can be arranged on different levels. Preferably, subsections one 50 are arranged in rows, wherein a row means that subsections one 50 are arranged on one level. Subsections one 50 can also be arranged in one row or in more than two rows. Subsection one 50 and subsection two 51 are connected via a first connecting element 55.

[0046] The second subsection 51 lies on a different plane along the transverse axis Q than the first subsection 50. The second connecting element 56 electrically connects the second subsection 51 to the subsection three 52. The second connecting element 56, the second subsection 51 and the third connecting element 57 are part of the contact point 58. The contact point 58 is the point at which the plugged-in connector (not shown) and the socket 2 make electrical contact when plugged in. Subsection three 52 establishes an electrical connection to a compensation board 60. The connecting path three 57 connects subsection three 52 to the subsection four 53. Subsections two 51, three 52 and four 53 each lie on a plane in the transverse axis Q. The plug contacts can have more or fewer than four subsections 50-53.In addition, sections 50-53 or any combination of sections can be arranged in the same plane.

[0047] A first circuit board 86 is arranged at least partially within the housing 10. The first circuit board 86 is arranged on a carrier element 75. The first circuit board 86 and the carrier element 75 together form a composite body 77. The composite body 77 can be inserted into a plastic carrier element 90. The plastic carrier element 90 has a notch 93 into which the plug contacts 49 can be inserted. The plastic base element 100 can be connected to the plastic carrier element 90. The plastic carrier element 90 can be connected to the housing 10 via a snap-in connection.

[0048] A charging piece 70 is arranged at least partially within the housing 10. The charging piece 70 is made of a non-conductive material, preferably plastic, in particular a plastic injection-molded part. In the cable, which is inserted through the rear side 12 of the socket 2, the individual wires of the cable, which have previously been twisted in pairs, for example, are separated and inserted into the holding terminals 71 of the charging piece 70 and mechanically secured. The individual wires can be mechanically secured to the charging piece 70 by means of a screw, an adhesive, or preferably by means of a clamp. The charging piece 70 has cavities 72 into which the insulation displacement terminals 43 penetrate during assembly and strip the individual wires of the inserted cable, establishing an electrical connection. The housing 10 and the charging piece 70 can be locked together by means of snap-fit ​​connections, so that no additional aids, such asScrew connections or the like are required for fixing. The insulation displacement terminals 43 can be arranged along the transverse axis Q in different planes, in rows, individually, or in pairs.

[0049] Fig. 2 shows subcomponents of the electrical connector 1 from Fig. 1. The first circuit board 86, the carrier element 75, the plastic carrier element 90 and the plug contacts 49 are shown.

[0050] The first circuit board 86 is arranged in the area of ​​the contact point 58, wherein the contact point 58 represents the contact area of ​​the plug contacts 49 of the socket 2 with the plug contacts of the connector (not shown) in the connected state. Compensation units 68 are arranged on the first circuit board 86 such that crosstalk between different differential lines 61 or conductor tracks 64, 65 of the same differential line 61 is increased or reduced. The third section 52 of the plug contacts 49 can be contacted with the first circuit board 86 via contact surfaces 83. The plug contacts 49, in particular the third section 52, are pressed onto the contact surfaces 83 of the first circuit board 86 in the assembled state. For this purpose, it is advantageous if the plug contacts 49 are designed to be slightly resilient or yielding. The plug contacts 49 can also be soldered to the contact surfaces 83 of the first circuit board 86.The first circuit board 86 lies along the longitudinal axis L in the electrical connector 1. According to the invention, the first circuit board 86 is designed to be very thin and flexible, which makes it cumbersome during assembly. The first circuit board 86 has the shape of a rectangle. The first circuit board 86 can also have any desired shape, for example the shape of an oval or a trapezoid. The first circuit board 86 has a recess 84 through which a pin can be pushed or through which a bulge formed on the housing 10 or on a body attachable to the housing 10 can be pushed. According to the invention, the first circuit board 86 is arranged on a carrier element 75.

[0051] The support element 75 preferably has the same shape as the first circuit board 86, but can also have a completely different shape. The support element 75 is preferably made of plastic or, due to environmental aspects, of bioplastic. The support element 75 is preferably thicker than the first circuit board 86. The support element 75 is preferably rigid, but can also be flexible. Recesses 76 are formed at the edges of the support element 75. The recesses 76 of the support element 75 can be formed within the surface of the support element 75 or lie directly on the edge. The recess 84 of the first circuit board 86 and the recess 76 of the support element 75 are preferably arranged to completely overlap one another. The recess 84 of the first circuit board 86 and the recess 76 of the support element 75 can be arranged to partially overlap one another or not overlap one another at all.The composite body 77 comprising the carrier element 75 and the first plate 86 is preferably rigid.

[0052] A plastic support element 90 is arranged at least partially in the housing 10. The plastic support element 90 is L-shaped. It has notches 93 into which the plug contacts 49 can be inserted. The notches 93 can form small projections, whereby the plug contacts 49 lie securely within the notches 93 and cannot be easily removed again. The plastic support element 90 has a support surface 94 onto which the first circuit board 86 can be placed. The support surface 94 is U-shaped. A wall 98 is formed at least partially on the sides of the support surface 94, so that the first circuit board 86 cannot be moved laterally away from the support surface 94. That side of the L-shaped plastic support element 90 which faces the second board 40 and extends in the direction of the transverse axis Q has a rear wall 96 and a free surface 95.The rear wall 96 rests against the second circuit board 40. The plug contacts 49, in particular the first sections 50 thereof, can be passed through the open area 95 and contacted with the second circuit board 40.

[0053] In addition, the plastic support element 90 has a holding means 91 on each side, namely a locking lug 92 on each side. The locking lug 92 is the complementary counterpart to a recess 25 formed on the side surface 21 of the housing front part 20. In the assembled state, the locking lug 92 engages in the recess 25 of the housing front part. The advantage of this locking mechanism is that no tools are required to connect or separate the individual components. The plastic support element 90 can also be connected to the housing rear part 30. The plastic support element 90 can be screwed, glued, or pressed onto the housing 10.

[0054] The plastic support element 90 has pins 97 on its bottom, which can engage in recesses 101 of a plastic base element 100. The plastic base element 100, which can be seen in Fig. 1, is arranged below the plastic support element 90. In addition, the plastic base element 100 has indentations 102 into which the plug contacts 49 can be inserted. The plastic base element 100 can be fastened to the housing 10 or to a body connected to the housing 10.

[0055] In Fig. 3, the subcomponents plug contacts 49, composite body 77, consisting of first circuit board 86 and carrier element 75, plastic carrier element 90, second circuit board 40 and first contact elements 41, which are preferably designed as insulation displacement terminals 43, are shown.

[0056] The second circuit board 40 is arranged on the rear wall 96 of the plastic carrier element 90. The insulation displacement terminals 43 are aligned on the rear wall 96 of the plastic carrier element 90, on the side of the second circuit board 40 opposite the rear wall 96 of the plastic carrier element 90. The insulation displacement terminals 43 are arranged in four rows, with each row having two insulation displacement terminals 43. A row characterizes an arrangement of insulation displacement terminals 43 in one plane. The insulation displacement terminals 43 can be arranged in more or fewer than four rows. The insulation displacement terminals 43 also have insulation displacement surfaces 48. The insulation displacement surfaces 48 of a row are arranged in a line with one another. The insulation displacement surfaces 48 of different rows can run parallel to one another or be arranged at an angle to one another. The insulation displacement surfaces 48 of a row can have an angle to one another.The insulation displacement contact surfaces 48 of a first row are parallel to the insulation displacement contact surfaces 48 of the second, third, or fourth row. The insulation displacement contact terminals 43 have a foot 44, which can be inserted through a first contact opening 45 of the second circuit board 40. The foot 44 is mechanically and electrically connected to the first contact pad 46 of the second circuit board 40 by soldering or pressing. The feet 44 of the insulation displacement contact terminals 43 protrude on the side of the second circuit board 40 facing away from the insulation displacement contact terminals 43. The rear wall 46 of the plastic carrier element 90 nestles around these protruding feet 44 of the insulation displacement contact terminals 43, in particular around the protruding feet 44 of the first row of insulation displacement contact terminals 43.

[0057] Partial section one 50 is guided through the free surface 95 of the plastic carrier element 90 and connected to the second contact pads 59 of the second circuit board 40 by soldering or pressing. Partial section one 50 protrudes on the side of the second circuit board 40 on which the insulation displacement terminals 43 are arranged.

[0058] Sections three 52 and four 53 of the plug contacts 49 are arranged above the first circuit board 86 with respect to the transverse axis Q, and sections one 50 and two 51 of the plug contacts 49 are arranged below the first circuit board 86. Section three 52 is pressed onto the contact surfaces 83 of the first circuit board 86. The composite body 77 consisting of the first circuit board 86 and the carrier element 75 is clamped between section three 52 of the plug contacts 49 and the support surface 94 of the plastic carrier element 90 in the housing of the socket 2. This clamping creates an electrical connection between section three 52 of the plug contacts 49 and the contact surfaces 83 of the first circuit board 86. The plug contacts 49 are designed to be spring-loaded in order to compensate for small manufacturing differences and to always maintain the pressure on the contact surfaces 83.A bulge of the plastic carrier element 90 engages in the recess of the first circuit board 86 and the recess 76 of the carrier element 75.

[0059] Fig. 4 shows the second circuit board 40 from Fig. 1. The second circuit board 40 has four differential lines 61. A differential line 61 consists of a first conductor track 64 and a second conductor track 65, wherein each conductor track 64, 65 has a first contact pad 46, a second contact pad 59 and a conduction path 63. The conduction path 63 establishes an electrical connection between the first contact pad 46 and the second contact pad 59. The first contact element 41, which is preferably designed as an insulation displacement contact 43, is electrically connected directly to the first contact pad 46. The second contact element 42, which is preferably designed as a plug contact 49, is electrically connected directly to the second contact pad 59. The second circuit board 40 can comprise PTFE or FR4 material. The second circuit board 40 can be designed as a flexible or rigid second circuit board 40. The second circuit board 40 has four layers.The circuit board 40 can have fewer or more than four circuit board layers 62. The individual conductor tracks 64, 65 can be routed on different circuit board layers 62 via vias 66 or the side surfaces of the first 45 and the second contact openings 54, which are preferably copper-plated. The copper-plated side surfaces of the first contact opening 45 can be assigned to the first contact pad 46, and the copper-plated side surfaces of the second contact opening 45 can be assigned to the second contact pad 46. In addition, capacitors 80 are formed on the second circuit board 40.

[0060] The capacitors 80 are preferably designed as plate capacitors 81. For this purpose, conductive surfaces 82 of similar shape are arranged opposite one another on different circuit board layers 62. This can be the nearest circuit board layer 62 or a completely different circuit board layer 62. The capacitors 80 can also be designed as interdigital capacitors 67, whereby these are usually arranged on a circuit board layer 62. The capacitors 80 are used to reduce or increase crosstalk or to optimize the insertion loss, the return loss, and the bandwidth. In addition, the first conductor track 64 and the second conductor track 65 of the differential line 61 each have an inductance 69. The inductance 69 is designed as a coil, which is realized by a meandering course of the conductor path 63. The conductor tracks 64, 65 can have different widths.The widths can be adapted to the topology-related impedances such as plug contacts 49 and insulation displacement terminals 43.

[0061] Fig. 5 shows the composite body 77 consisting of the first circuit board 86 with compensation units 68 and support element 75. The compensation units 68 are designed as plate capacitors 81. Contact surfaces 83 are arranged in a row on one edge of the first circuit board 86, whereby the contact surfaces 83 can also be arranged on several edges or in pairs or in several rows. In the assembled state, the three subsections 52 of the plug contacts 49 press onto the contact surfaces 83 of the first circuit board 86 and establish an electrical connection. An RJ45 socket has eight conductor tracks 64, 65, with two conductor tracks 64, 65 each forming a differential line 61. The standard specifies which conductor tracks 64, 65 form a differential line. Conductor tracks 64, 65 one, and two form a differential line. Conductor tracks 64, 65 three, and six form a differential line 61.Conductor tracks 64, 65 four and five form a differential line 61, and conductor tracks 64, 65 seven and eight form a differential line 61. The contact surfaces 83, which are arranged in a row on the first circuit board 86, are each connected to a conductor track 64, 65 via the third subsections 52 of the plug contact 49. The contact surface 83, which is arranged furthest from the longer side surface 21 of the housing front part 20, is the contact surface 83, which is connected to conductor track 64, 65 eight via the third subsection 52 of the plug contact 49. The contact surface 83 closest to the longer side surface 21 of the housing front part 20 is the contact surface 83 that is connected to the conductor track 64, 65 one via the third partial section 52 of the plug contact 49. The other contact surfaces 83 are subsequently connected to the other conductor tracks 64, 65.

[0062] A capacitor 80 on the first circuit board 86 is connected to contact surfaces 83 one and three. Another capacitor 80 on the first circuit board 86 is connected to contact surfaces 83 one and seven. Another capacitor 80 on the first circuit board 86 is connected to contact surfaces 83 two and six. Another capacitor 80 on the first circuit board 86 is connected to contact surfaces 83 two and eight. Another capacitor 80 on the first circuit board 86 is connected to contact surfaces 83 three and five. Another capacitor 80 on the first circuit board 86 is connected to contact surfaces 83 three and seven. Another capacitor 80 on the first circuit board 86 is connected to contact surfaces 83 four and six. A capacitor 80 can be arranged between two first conductor tracks 64 or between two second conductor tracks 65.A capacitor 80 can be arranged between a first conductor track 64 and a second conductor track 65. Starting from a conductive surface 82 of a capacitor 80, a second conductive surface 82 of another capacitor 80 can be connected via a stub line 85. A conductive surface 82 of a capacitor 80 can be capacitively coupled to two conductive surfaces 82 of different capacitors 80.

[0063] Both the carrier element 75 and the first circuit board 86 have cutouts 76, 84. The first circuit board 86 is extremely thin, preferably 50 μm, particularly preferably 25 μm. However, the first circuit board 86 can also have a thickness of 500 μm, so that the first circuit board 86 has greater strength but less flexibility. The corresponding compensation units 68 on the first circuit board 86 must be larger accordingly. The first circuit board 86 can also have a thickness of 360 μm. This thickness is one of the most common thicknesses. It offers a good combination of flexibility and strength. However, the first circuit board 86 can also have thicknesses of 200 μm or 100 μm.

[0064] In Fig. 6, the compensation unit 68 of the first circuit board 86 is shown separately.

[0065] Fig. 7 shows the subcomponents second circuit board 40, composite body 77, consisting of first circuit board 86 and carrier element 75 and plug contacts. The second circuit board 40 has a conductor track 64, 65 of the differential line 61, which has a capacitor 80 and an inductor 69, which is designed as a meandering coil 73. The capacitor 80 is designed as an interdigital capacitor 67. An interdigital capacitor 67 is preferably formed on a circuit board layer 62, wherein interdigital capacitors 67 have two mutually insulated conductive surfaces 82. The conductive surfaces 82 are designed as fingers 74 and the fingers 74 of different conductive surfaces 82 alternately engage with one another. Between the same conductor tracks 64, 65, further plate capacitors 81 can be arranged in addition to the interdigital capacitor 67.

[0066] Reference symbol list

[0067] 1 Electrical connector

[0068] 2 socket

[0069] 10 housings

[0070] 11 Front

[0071] 12 Back

[0072] 20 front housing

[0073] 21 side surfaces

[0074] 22 Connecting element

[0075] 23 staff

[0076] 24 plate

[0077] 25 recess

[0078] 30 Rear housing part

[0079] 31 side surface

[0080] 32 indentation

[0081] 40 Second board

[0082] 41 First contact element

[0083] 42 Second contact element

[0084] 43 insulation displacement terminal

[0085] 44 feet

[0086] 45 First contact opening

[0087] 46 First contact pad

[0088] 47 Through opening

[0089] 48 cutting surface

[0090] 49 plug contact

[0091] 50 Part one

[0092] 51 Part two

[0093] 52 Subsection three

[0094] 53 Subsection four

[0095] 54 Second contact opening

[0096] 55 First connecting element 56 Second connecting element

[0097] 57 Third connecting element

[0098] 58 Contact point

[0099] 59 Second contact pad

[0100] 60 Hil f steep cut

[0101] 61 Di f ferential line

[0102] 62 PCB layers

[0103] 63 Ladder Path

[0104] 64 First conductor track

[0105] 65 Second conductor track

[0106] 66 Via

[0107] 67 Interdigital capacitor

[0108] 68 compensation unit

[0109] 69 Inductance

[0110] 70 loading piece

[0111] 71 holding clamps

[0112] 72 Hollowing out

[0113] 73 coil

[0114] 74 fingers

[0115] 75 support element

[0116] 76 From recess

[0117] 77 composite bodies

[0118] 80 capacitor

[0119] 81 Plate capacitor

[0120] 82 Conductive surface

[0121] 83 contact area

[0122] 84 From recess

[0123] 85 spur line

[0124] 86 First board

[0125] 90 plastic support element

[0126] 91 Holding devices

[0127] 92 locking lug 93 notch

[0128] 94 On the surface

[0129] 95 open space

[0130] 96 rear wall

[0131] 97 pens

[0132] 98 Wall

[0133] 100 plastic base element

[0134] 101 Hollowing out

[0135] 102 indentation

[0136] L Longitudinal axis

[0137] Q transverse axis

Claims

Patent claims 1. Electrical connector (1) for a data or communication cable with the following features: — a housing (10), — first (41) and second contact elements (42), — the first contact elements (41) are connected to the second contact elements (42) via conductor tracks (64, 65), wherein two conductor tracks (64, 65) form a differential line (61), — a first circuit board (86) , — the first board (86) has compensation units (68), — the first circuit board (86) is at least partially arranged in the housing (10), characterized by the further features: — the first circuit board (86) is designed as a flexible circuit board, — the first circuit board (86) is preferably arranged in a fixed manner on a carrier element (75).

2. Electrical connector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first circuit board (86) is formed from a substrate, the substrate height being less than or equal to 50 µm, preferably less than or equal to 25 µm.

3. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first circuit board (86) is arranged to completely overlap the carrier element (75).

4. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element (75) has approximately the same shape or at least approximately the same shape as the first circuit board (86).

5. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element (75) is thicker than the first circuit board (86), wherein the carrier element (75) is preferably rigid.

6. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element (75) can be fastened to the housing (10) or to a subcomponent connected to the housing (10).

7. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second circuit board (40) is arranged at least partially in the housing (10), wherein first contact elements (41) and second contact elements (42) are connected to the second circuit board (40), wherein the second circuit board (40) is connected to the second contact elements (42).

8. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second circuit board (40) is arranged perpendicularly or at an angle or parallel to the first circuit board (86).

9. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first circuit board (86) is designed as a polyimide circuit board, wherein the carrier material of the carrier element (75) is preferably formed from the material FR4.

10. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first contact elements (41) as insulation displacement terminals (43) and the second contact elements (42) are designed as plug contacts (49).

11. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plug contacts (49) are designed to be resilient.

12. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element (75) forms pins, wherein the pins can be passed through a recess (84) of the first circuit board (86), so that in the assembled state the first circuit board (86) is held on the carrier element (75) by the restoring force of the plug contacts (49).

13. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that compensation units (68) are arranged on the first circuit board (86), wherein the compensation units (68) are capacitive, wherein the capacitive compensation units (68) are designed as capacitors (80), wherein the capacitors (80) are designed either as plate capacitors (81) or as interdigital capacitors (67).

14. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that compensation units (68) are arranged on the second circuit board (40), wherein the compensation units (68) are capacitances and inductances (69), wherein the capacitances are designed as capacitors (80) and the inductance (69) is designed as a meandering conductor path (63).

15. Electrical connector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical connector (1) is designed as a socket (2), in particular as an RJ45 socket.

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