Connector housing, process for manufacturing connector housing, and mold to be used in process thereof

Abstract

To provide a connector housing having good size completeness and good mechanical properties.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an FPC connector housing, more particularly, relates to a DDR5 connector housing. The present invention, in the same manner, relates to a method for manufacturing a connector housing and relates to a cavity mold suitable for manufacturing a connector housing. The cavity mold includes a double gating system with an injection gate positioned at the center. The connector housing can be used in a connector for packaging on a flexible printed circuit (FPC) assembled in various kinds of electric and / or electronic apparatuses.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector housing for use in electrical and / or electronic equipment, and more particularly to a fine pitch connector housing, such as a DDR connector housing, that includes two opposing walls and an array of insertion holes between the opposing walls, the holes defining a passage for receiving an insert having contact pins. The present invention also relates to a process for manufacturing the connector housing and a cavity mold suitable for manufacturing the connector housing. The connector housing can be used in an electrical connector for mounting on a printed circuit board (PCB) and assembled in various types of electrical and / or electronic equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Modern high-density electronic applications, such as computer servers, laptops, and mobile phones, utilize miniature electronic components mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs) and integrated into larger assemblies. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) typically include etched or printed circuits incorporating components mounted on rigid or flexible materials. PCBs made of flexible materials are also known as flexible printed circuits (FPCs). Mounting of components to a PCB is typically achieved through a reflow soldering process. Connections between components on a PCB and other components can be achieved through electrical connectors mounted on the PCB. These electrical connectors can be used, for example, to removably mount a central processing unit ("CPU") to a printed circuit board. Connectors can also be used to integrate different PCBs or PCBs with other components, for example, by using connector cables between connectors on different PCBs or between a connector on a PCB and another component. Flexible flat cables (FFCs) are often used for such connector cables. FFCs are often flat, flexible, component-free, straight connections and are a miniaturized version of ribbon cables. These FFCs may contain an array of multiple conductors.

[0003] The electrical connectors referred to above typically include a plastic housing made of injection-molded thermoplastic material that includes two opposing walls and an array of insertion holes between the opposing walls, each containing or providing access to a conductive element, the holes defining a passage for receiving an insert having contact elements. The inserts can come, for example, from an array of contact pins on a CPU or from an array of conductors on the end of an FFC.

[0004] The spacing between the holes in the connector housing must match the spacing between the conductors in an FFC or the contact pins on a CPU. This spacing is called the pitch. The pitch of an electrical connector usually refers to the distance from the center of one hole to the center of the adjacent hole in the connector housing. Newer generations of connectors usually have a greater number of pin holes and a smaller pitch, or distance between the pin holes.

[0005] There are various types of electrical connectors with small pitches. Examples include DDR, SODIMM, and PCI connectors. All of these connectors have long form factors. One type of connector is the DDR connector, which includes DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, and most recently, DDR5. DDR connectors, including DDR5 connectors, are typically 141 mm long. DDR connector pitches typically range between 0.85 and 1 mm. In particular, DDR5 and DDR4 connectors typically have a 0.85 mm pitch, while DDR3 connectors have a 1 mm pitch. DDR stands for Double Data Rate. These connectors are often used on memory cards and can be recognized by their expanded SDRAM, which stands for Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory. Each generation of DDR SDRAM connectors requires its own interface and appropriate technology, aiming for higher data transfer rates. Furthermore, with new generations aiming for higher data transfer rates and requiring higher bandwidth ("double data rate") interfaces, the size of the connector also changes in terms of increasing connector length, increasing the number of conductive elements and decreasing the pitch between the conductive elements.

[0006] Modern electrical connectors of the type described above are widely adopted and utilized in smart phones, digital cameras, gaming consoles, servers and desktops, and other types of electrical and / or electronic devices that continue to become smaller and smaller, and the reduction in size of these applications is made possible at least in part by the smaller width and height dimensions of the connector housings.

[0007] Compared to DDR4, DDR5 typically further reduces memory module voltage to 1.1V, thus reducing power consumption. DDR5 modules can incorporate on-board voltage regulators to reach higher speeds. DDR5 can support speeds of 51.2GB / s per module and two memory channels per module. There is a general expectation that most use cases currently using DDR will eventually migrate to DDR5. As the E&E industry is characterized by a steady trend toward further miniaturization, which leads to smaller connectors and improved performance levels, this development will continue with new generations such as the yet-to-be-released DDR6 and DDR7.

[0008] Connector housings are typically made of electrically insulating materials, more specifically, thermoplastic compositions based on thermoplastic polyesters or thermoplastic polyamides. These compositions may contain additional components, such as reinforcing fibers, e.g., glass fibers, or fillers, e.g., talc and mica, or flame retardants, or a combination of reinforcing fibers and fillers. Reinforcing fibers and fillers are well known in the art. In the case of polyesters, liquid crystalline polyesters have been the preferred choice. As polyamides, aliphatic polyamides have been widely used. More recently, compositions based on thermoplastic semicrystalline semiaromatic polyamides (referred to herein as PPA) have become more important, in part because they offer superior high-temperature performance and cost performance.

[0009] Connector housings are typically fabricated by injection molding a thermoplastic composition through a runner and a gating system into a cavity defined by the mold through a gate. A standard layout for a mold design for a connector housing includes a double gating system, in which the cavity defines the shape of the connector housing having a length direction, and the two gates of the double gating system are positioned at one end of the connector housing, i.e., at one end in the length direction.

[0010] However, these dimensional requirements for small width and height, apart from a relatively large length, combined with the material requirements and the severe process conditions during reflow soldering, also create problems with respect to the dimensional integrity of the housing, where dimensional integrity means that the connector housing, as manufactured, should have its intended shape as defined by the mold used to make the connector housing, and that the connector housing should retain that shape after reflow soldering.

[0011] A problem associated with small sized connectors is their tendency to warp or bend, which can occur already after the injection molding process and more typically occurs or becomes more accentuated when the connector goes through temperature cycles such as those applied during soldering for surface mounting the connector onto other components.

[0012] As used herein, warpage refers to a molded part being deformed or misshapen, e.g., bent or twisted. Warpage, or distortion or twisting of a connector socket, can lead to stresses within a surface-mount assembly. Furthermore, warpage can lead to defects in the reflow soldering process and problems with open circuits in PCBs after reflow, including inserting contact pins on a CPU or inserting the ends of an FFC. These problems can result in difficult insertions, mechanical damage to the housing, insufficient pin retention, or a combination thereof. For example, increasing the mechanical strength and stiffness of molded parts by increasing the content of fiber reinforcements, which often must be used in combination with a sufficiently large amount of flame retardant in the molding composition to meet flame retardancy requirements, generally increases warpage and often causes molding problems.

[0013] The problem of warpage of the housing immediately after molding or after soldering is more pronounced with newer generations of connector housings; that is, DDR5-type connection housings made by injection molding exhibit more warpage problems than, for example, DDR4-type connection housings made by injection molding. The same applies to other connector housings with a large length / height ratio. These problems are also more pronounced with thermoplastic compositions based on thermoplastic semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamides (referred to herein as PPA compositions) and can occur even with DD4-type connection housings made by injection molding if the process conditions are not fully optimized.

[0014] Furthermore, when such PPA compositions are used to manufacture DDR5 interconnect housings by injection molding, the molded parts exhibit surface quality issues such as fiber print-through, sink marks, and localized porosity.

[0015] Another problem with mold design is the occurrence of weld lines resulting from the flow pattern of the injection molding material being injected into the cavity. Such flow patterns can be complex, making weld lines difficult to avoid. Weld lines usually result in a localized reduction in mechanical properties. When weld lines occur at critical points on a molded part, this can lead to failure of the molded part during packaging or assembly.

[0016] A further problem is the limited manufacturing capabilities when producing DDR5 type connectors, particularly when using polyamide compositions, and particularly when using PPA compositions.

[0017] In light of the above, there is a need for a connector housing solution that exhibits low warpage during component fabrication as well as after reflow soldering, has good mechanical properties, and exhibits improved surface quality when made with PPA compositions. There is also a need for the possibility of improving manufacturing capabilities when producing DDR5-type connectors from polyamide compositions. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0018] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector housing having good dimensional integrity and good mechanical properties. Another object is to provide a process for making a connector housing having good dimensional integrity and good mechanical properties. A further goal is to provide a process for making a connector housing based on a PPA composition, and to provide a connector housing made by that process having good dimensional integrity, good mechanical properties, and good surface quality. A further goal is to provide a process for making DDR5 type connectors from a polyamide composition that allows for higher manufacturing capacity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] These objects are achieved in the following embodiments of the present invention, which include: - A mold according to claim 1, designed for use in a process for manufacturing a connector housing. - a process according to claim 5 for producing a connector housing by injection molding of a thermoplastic polymer composition; The connector housing according to claim 8, which is made of a thermoplastic polymer composition. Includes:

[0020] The present invention also includes an electrical connector including the connector housing, and an electrical and / or electronic device including the electrical connector.

[0021] The mold according to the present invention is a cavity mold for use in an injection molding process, comprising a cavity defining the shape of a connector housing and an injection channel with a double gating system including two injection gates, the two injection gates being located on either side of the cavity, each located near or in the middle of the cavity's length.

[0022] The cavity mold includes at least one cavity for forming the connector housing and a double gating system with two injection gates in each of the at least one cavity, the two injection gates for a particular cavity being located on either side of the particular cavity and near or at the center of the length of the cavity.

[0023] In this context, a gate is understood to be the opening of the mold through which the molten plastic material is injected into the cavity. It is the boundary between the cavity and the injection channel, which in turn constitutes the boundary between the molded part produced in the cavity and the scrap formed in the injection channel. A suitable injection channel includes different segments, such as the so-called sprue and runner.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the cavity mold includes a hot runner connected to two injection gates. By hot runner, we mean an injection channel that can be heated during injection molding. The advantage of heating the hot runner of the injection channel during injection molding is that, because there is no cold runner, a better product is produced, less material is used, and less waste is created.

[0025] In another preferred embodiment, at least one cavity is designed to form a DDR connector housing, more preferably a DDR4 or DDR5 connector housing, more preferably a DDR5 connector housing. This latter makes the mold ultimately suitable for producing a DDR5 connector housing, while reducing the warpage and surface quality issues underlying the present invention as described above. To that end, the cavity, or multiple cavities if there is more than one cavity in the mold, have a contour corresponding to a DDR4 or DDR5 connector housing.

[0026] In a further preferred embodiment, the mold includes at least 4 cavities, suitably 8 to 32 cavities, preferably 8 or 16 cavities, for forming the connector housing by injection molding. The cavity mold then includes injection channels on either side of each of the cavities, positioned near or at the center of the length of each of the cavities, with a double gating system with two injection gates for each of the cavities.

[0027] The cavity mold according to the present invention has the advantage of allowing an increase in the number of cavities, improving manufacturing capacity. Even in the case of a DDR5 housing connector made of a PPA composition, it preferably contains eight cavities, whereas in the case of a conventional cavity mold with injection gates located at the end of the cavity, eight cavities would cause many molding problems and seriously deteriorate the quality of the molded part.

[0028] The process according to the present invention is an injection molding process for manufacturing connector housings that involves injection molding of an injection molding material into a cavity mold as described herein above.

[0029] The process preferably comprises: - providing a cavity mold as described herein above; - injecting an injection molding material into a cavity of the mold, thereby forming an injection molded part in the cavity; - removing the injection molded part from the mold and separating the residue from the injection channel, thereby obtaining an injection molded connector housing made of the injection molding material; Includes:

[0030] During the process, the injection molding material passes through the injection channel, enters the cavity through the injection gate, and fills the cavity.

[0031] The injection molding material is preferably a thermoplastic molding composition, i.e., a composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer. Such a material can be melt-processed, injected as a melt into a cavity, and solidified therein to form a separate molded object in the shape of the connector housing defined by the contours of the cavity. Preferably, the thermoplastic polymer is a thermoplastic polyester or a thermoplastic polyamide, preferably a thermoplastic polyamide.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the thermoplastic molding composition is a thermoplastic polyamide composition comprising a semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide (PPA composition) or a fiber-reinforced, flame-retardant polyamide composition, more preferably the thermoplastic molding composition is a fiber-reinforced, flame-retardant PPA composition. The advantage of this embodiment, in which the injection molding material is a fiber-reinforced, flame-retardant PPA composition, is that warpage and surface quality problems are reduced in the process according to the invention, even though this material causes more problems in the manufacture of connector housings in conventional cavity mold processes.

[0033] The semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide (PPA) used in the PPA composition preferably has a melting temperature Tm-A of at least 280°C, where the melting temperature Tm-A is measured by DSC using the method according to ISO 11357-1 / 3 with a heating and cooling rate of 20°C. A first heating cycle, a cooling cycle, and a second heating cycle are applied, where in the first heating cycle the temperature is raised to a temperature about 35°C above Tm-A and held at that temperature for 3 minutes, in the cooling cycle the temperature is lowered to 0°C and held at that temperature for 5 minutes, and then the second heating cycle is started. The peak value of the melting peak in the second heating cycle is determined relative to the melting temperature Tm.

[0034] The semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide (PPA) more preferably has a crystallization enthalpy ΔHc of at least 30 J / g, preferably at least 50 J / g, where the crystallization enthalpy ΔHc is similarly measured by DSC using the method described above. For the crystallization enthalpy ΔHc, the surface under the crystallization endothermic peak in a cooling cycle from 20°C above Tm-A to 200°C is determined and expressed in J / g relative to the weight of the composition. The resulting value is then corrected for the percentage of polyamide polymer in the composition.

[0035] PPA can be a homopolymer or a copolymer. Examples of homopolymers of semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamides are PA8T, PA9T, and PA10T. These polyamides can be PAXT, where T represents terephthalic acid and X represents a diamine.

[0036] Examples of copolymers of semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamides are PA6T / 6I, PA6T / 66, PA6T / 610, PA10T / 106, and PA10T / 10I. These polyamides may be PAXT / XZ, where X represents a diamine, T represents terephthalic acid, and Z represents a second dicarboxylic acid. Z may be, for example, adipic acid (symbol "6"), isophthalic acid (symbol "I"), or sebacic acid (symbol "10").

[0037] Other examples of copolymers of semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamides are PA4T / 6T, PA6T / 10T, PA6T / 8T, PA6T / M5T, and PA10T / 6T. These polyamides can be designated PAXT / YT, where T represents terephthalic acid and X and Y represent different diamines.

[0038] Semi-crystalline semi-aromatic polyamides (PPAs) may also be variations of any of the above polyamides in which terephthalic acid is replaced in part or in whole by naphthalenedicarboxylic acid or diphenyldicarboxylic acid.

[0039] The semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide (PPA) may also be any copolyamide of any combination of two or more polyamides selected from the PAXT, PAXT / XZ and / or PAXT / YT polyamides mentioned above.

[0040] The PPA composition is preferably a fiber-reinforced flame-retardant composition comprising a polyamide polymer, a flame retardant system, and a fibrous reinforcing agent; the polyamide polymer comprises at least a semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide having a melting temperature Tm-A of at least 280°C; the flame retardant system comprises a metal salt of a dialkylphosphinate and / or a diphosphinate, - the fibrous reinforcing agent comprises glass fiber; The composition has a heat distortion temperature, measured in accordance with ISO 75-1 / 2, of at least 265°C.

[0041] The advantage of this is that connector housings made therefrom can withstand higher peak temperatures during reflow soldering while retaining good dimensional integrity.

[0042] In another preferred embodiment, the cavity mold used in the process contains a cavity having a contour corresponding to a DDR4 or DDR5 connector housing, more preferably a DDR5 connector housing, the latter ultimately making the process suitable for producing DDR5 connector housings.

[0043] In a more preferred embodiment, the mold used in the process includes a cavity having a contour corresponding to the DDR5 connector housing, and the injection molding material is a thermoplastic composition including a thermoplastic semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide. More preferably, the process uses a cavity mold with 8 or 16 cavities, more preferably 8 cavities suitable for producing DDR5 connector housings. This has the advantage of producing molded parts with good surface quality and reduced warpage, while also improving manufacturing capacity.

[0044] The connector housing according to the present invention is an injection-molded connector housing obtainable by a process according to the present invention by using in said process a cavity mold according to the present invention as described herein above. Such an injection molding process leaves gate marks on the molded part. The connector is characterized by two gate marks located on either side of the connector housing, each located near or in the middle of the length of the connector housing.

[0045] The advantage of this connector housing is that the connector has good mechanical properties while also better retaining dimensional integrity when compared to conventional connectors manufactured with a double-gating system that has two end gates.

[0046] The connector housing is preferably a thin pitch connector housing having two opposing walls, i.e., walls along the length of the housing, less than 1 mm thick. Preferably, the opposing walls in a housing according to the invention have a thickness of about 800 micrometers (μm) or less, more specifically about 500 μm or less. Thin pitch connector housings also preferably have intersecting walls, i.e., walls that divide the passages and separate the contact pins. The intersecting walls typically have a thickness of less than 500 micrometers (μm). Preferably, the intersecting walls in a housing according to the invention have a thickness of about 300 μm or less, more specifically about 200 μm or less.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the connector housing is a DDR4 or DDR5 connector housing, more preferably a DDR5 connector housing.

[0048] Here, the improved retention of dimensional integrity compared to conventional connectors is even more observable.

[0049] In another preferred embodiment, the connector housing is made from a thermoplastic composition comprising a thermoplastic semi-crystalline semi-aromatic polyamide.

[0050] The advantages of this connector housing are that the connector has good mechanical properties while better maintaining dimensional integrity, as well as better surface quality of the molded parts with fewer surface defects.

[0051] In a more preferred embodiment, the connector housing is a DDR5 connector housing made from a thermoplastic composition including a thermoplastic semi-crystalline semi-aromatic polyamide.

[0052] The connector housings herein not only have better mechanical properties and better surface quality with fewer surface defects, but also show a more observable improvement in retention of dimensional integrity compared to conventional connectors.

[0053] The invention also relates to the use of a connector housing in an electrical connector, and to the electrical connector.

[0054] The invention further relates to the use of the electrical connector in electrical and / or electronic devices and to electrical and / or electronic devices comprising said electrical connector.

[0055] The use of a connector housing in an electrical connector according to the invention implies the use of a connector housing according to the invention, obtainable by an injection molding process according to the invention, with the use of a cavity mold according to the invention, said connector housing being an injection molded connector housing having gate marks located on both sides of the housing near or in a central position in the longitudinal direction of the housing.

[0056] As used herein, the term "center" refers to a position equidistant from both ends of the connector housing. If the length of the connector housing measured from end to end is L, the distance from the center to each end is half that length, i.e., L / 2. Therefore, the melt flow length filling the cavity is considered to be reduced by half in this case. As used herein, the term "near the center" refers to a position closer to the center than one of the ends. Preferably, the gate mark is located within a distance from the midpoint within a range of (0 to 0.15)*L, preferably within a range of (0 to 0.10)*L, and more preferably within a range of (0 to 0.05)*L. Most preferably, the gate mark is located at the center of the housing along its length, i.e., the distance from the center is 0*L, or in other words, the distance from the center is equal to zero.

[0057] An electrical connector according to the present invention includes a connector housing as described hereinabove, or any particular or preferred embodiment thereof, and metal or other conductive elements therein, which has the advantages of the connector housing as described hereinabove, and exhibits reduced warpage issues during mounting in reflow soldering processes applied to make surface mount devices. Preferably, the electrical connector is a DDR5 connector.

[0058] The electrical connector according to the present invention is suitable for use in electrical and / or electronic equipment. More specifically, the electrical connector is suitable for use in surface mount devices using surface mount processes, including reflow soldering. In reflow soldering processes, temperature peaks can reach 260°C or 270°C.

[0059] An electrical and / or electronic device according to the present invention comprises an electrical connector as described herein above, or any particular or preferred embodiment thereof. Preferably, the electrical connector is a DDR5 connector.

[0060] The invention is further illustrated with the following figures: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0061] [Figure 1] Parts isometric view of a DDR connector. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a component isometric view of a DDR connector showing the location of a conventional injection gate. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic diagram of a DDR connector showing the location of a conventional injection gate. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram of a DDR connector showing the location of a conventional injection gate. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a component isometric view of a DDR connector showing the location of the injection gate according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic diagram of a DDR connector showing the location of the injection gate according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram 2 of a DDR connector showing the location of the injection gate according to the present invention. [FIG. 1] A component isometric view of a DDR connector housing is shown. [FIG. 2] A component isometric view of a DDR connector housing showing the location of a conventional injection gate is shown. [FIG. 3] A schematic diagram 2 of a DDR connector housing showing the location of a conventional injection gate is shown. [FIG. 4] A schematic diagram 2 of a DDR connector housing showing the location of a conventional injection gate is shown. [FIG. 5] A component isometric view of a DDR connector housing showing the location of the injection gate according to the present invention is shown. [FIG. 6] A schematic diagram 2 of a DDR connector housing showing the location of the injection gate according to the present invention is shown. [FIG. 7] A schematic diagram 2 of a DDR connector housing showing the location of the injection gate according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0062] Figure 1 shows a part isometric view of a DDR connector housing 1. Herein, the connector housing 1 has an elongated body with two ends 2 and 3, two opposing sides: a front 10 and a back 20, a bottom 30 and a top 40. The shape of the housing is defined by three major dimensions: length (L), width (W) and thickness (T), with L being much larger than T and W.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows a part isometric view of a DDR connector housing (1) showing the conventional placement of injection gates (4) and (5) at one end (2) of the connector housing (1).

[0064] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a DDR connector housing (1) showing the conventional placement of injection gates (4) and (5) at one end (2) of the connector housing (1).

[0065] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a DDR connector housing (1) showing the conventional placement of injection gates (4) and (5) at one end (2) of the connector housing (1).

[0066] FIG. 5 shows a part isometric view of the DDR connector housing (1) showing the placement of injection gates (6) and (7) on both sides (10) and (20) of the connector housing (1) at or near the center of the connector housing (1).

[0067] FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the DDR connector housing (1) showing the placement of injection gates (6) and (7) on both sides (10) and (20) of the connector housing (1) at or near the center of the connector housing (1).

[0068] Figure 7 shows a schematic side view of a DDR connector housing 1 showing the location of the injection gate mark 6a on one side 10 of the connector housing 1 at a location at or near the center of the connector housing 1. The gate mark for the other injection location is not visible from this perspective because it is located on the opposite side 20, which is not visible from this perspective.

Claims

1. 1. A cavity mold for use in an injection molding process, said cavity mold comprising: at least one cavity for forming the connector housing by injection molding; an injection channel equipped with a double gating system with two injection gates for each of said at least one cavity; Including, The two injection gates are arranged on both sides of the cavity at a position near the center of the length of the cavity, which is a position closer to the center than one of the ends of the connector housing, or at a position equidistant from both ends of the connector housing at the center of the length of the cavity. Cavity mold.

2. The cavity mold of claim 1 , wherein the cavity mold includes a hot runner connected to the two injection gates.

3. 3. The cavity mold of claim 1 or 2, wherein the cavity mold includes one or more cavities, the one or more cavities designed to form a DDR5 connector housing.

4. 4. The cavity mold according to claim 1, wherein the cavity mold has at least four, preferably 8 to 32, and more preferably 8 or 16 cavities for forming a connector housing by injection molding, and two injection gates for each of the cavities, the two injection gates being positioned on either side of each of the cavities and near or at the center of the length of each of the cavities.

5. A process for manufacturing an injection molded connector housing, comprising injection molding an injection molding material into a cavity mold according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. 6. The process of claim 5, wherein the injection molding material is a thermoplastic polyamide composition, preferably a thermoplastic polyamide composition comprising a semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide (PPA), or a fiber reinforced flame retardant polyamide composition, more preferably a fiber reinforced flame retardant composition comprising PPA.

7. A process according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the mould has at least 4 cavities, preferably 8 to 32 cavities, more preferably 8 or 16 cavities.

8. 5. An injection-molded connector housing for an electrical connector obtainable by an injection molding process using the cavity mold according to claim 1, wherein the injection-molded connector housing has gate marks arranged on both sides of the housing at a position near the center of the length of the cavity that is closer to the center than one of the ends of the connector housing, or at the center of the length of the housing that is equidistant from both ends of the connector housing.

9. 9. The injection molded connector housing of claim 8, wherein the housing is made from an injection molded material comprising a semi-crystalline, semi-aromatic polyamide.

10. Use of an injection molded connector housing according to claim 8 or 9 in an electrical connector or in electrical and / or electronic equipment.

11. 10. An electrical connector comprising a connector housing and a metal element, said connector housing being an injection molded connector housing according to claim 8.

12. 12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the connector is a DDR4 or DDR5 connector.

13. 13. An electrical and / or electronic device comprising an electrical connector comprising a connector housing and a metal element mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), the connector housing being an injection molded connector housing according to claim 11 or 12.

14. 14. The electrical and / or electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the connector is a DDR5 connector.

15. 15. The electrical and / or electronic device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the device is a computer server, a laptop or a desktop.

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