Contact terminal having at least one impedance control mechanism

Abstract

To provide a shield contact terminal for high frequency data transmission with improved transmission performance with respect to signal integrity.SOLUTION: At least one impedance control mechanism (24) is provided to a contact terminal having a terminal shield (4), a contact carrier (6), and at least one contact element (8). Since the terminal shield (4) has a functionally essential discontinuity portion (22) that affects the impedance of at least one contact element (8), at least one impedance control mechanism (24) is used to locally adjust the impedance of at least one contact element (8), whereby the effect of the discontinuity portion (22) is compensated. Therefore, the impedance of the contact terminal is matched to the impedance of the corresponding signal receiver, whereby signal reflection can be prevented and signal integrity can be maintained.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact terminal, and more particularly to a shielded contact terminal for high frequency data transmission. [Background technology]

[0002] In the field of data transmission, transmission line components such as connectors, cables, receptacles, etc. are usually surrounded by shielding means to maintain transmission performance, mainly to protect against undesirable external influences such as mechanical shocks and electromagnetic effects.

[0003] In applications requiring high frequency data transmission, the design of the shielding means itself may affect the components surrounded by it, degrading the signal quality and transmission performance, respectively. Due to their function, the shielding means tends to have essential design features, especially at the transition points between transmission line components. However, the shielding means may have such adverse effects. Thus, there are limiting factors regarding the design flexibility of the shielding means at the transition points. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a method to at least partially compensate for said negative effects of the essential design features of the shielding means, allowing greater design freedom and improving the transition points between shielded transmission line components for high frequency data transmission in terms of signal integrity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The problem is solved by providing at least one impedance control mechanism in a contact terminal comprising a terminal shield, a contact carrier and at least one contact element for carrying an electrical signal of a high frequency data transmission, the contact carrier holding the at least one contact element in a fixed position in the terminal shield, the terminal shield having a design discontinuity that influences the impedance of the at least one contact element. More specifically, the problem is solved by providing the contact carrier and / or the at least one contact element with at least one impedance control mechanism to compensate for the influence of the discontinuity by adjusting the impedance of the at least one contact element to a predetermined desired value according to the frequency of the data transmission.

[0006] In general, impedance is a property of an electrical conductor that measures its resistance to the flow of alternating current. Impedance is affected by several factors, such as the material and dimensions of the conductor itself, the medium surrounding the conductor (dielectric), and other conductive parts in the vicinity of the conductor, especially the relative distance between their respective surfaces.

[0007] During the transmission of an electrical signal from a signal source to a signal receiver (load) through a transmission line, if the impedance of the load and the impedance of the transmission line do not match (impedance mismatch), signal reflection may occur. Signal reflection is an undesirable phenomenon as it compromises signal integrity. The causes of such impedance mismatch and subsequent signal reflection may be non-linear changes and / or discontinuities in the components of the transmission line.

[0008] It is therefore preferable to match the impedance of the transmission line to the impedance of the load, in other words to adjust the impedance of the transmission line to a predetermined desired value, such predetermined desired value may be the impedance of the load.

[0009] The above solution is preferred because it reduces signal reflections by compensating for at least one source of impedance mismatch, thus substantially improving the signal integrity of the transmitted signal.

[0010] The above solution can be further improved by adding one or more of the following optional features, each of which is advantageous in itself and can be combined independently with the other optional features:

[0011] According to a first embodiment, at least one impedance control feature may be aligned with the discontinuity in the terminal shield, more particularly, the impedance control feature may be proximate to and / or locally confined to the area of ​​influence of the discontinuity, thereby concentrating and maximizing the effect of the impedance control feature.

[0012] Additionally or alternatively, the contact carrier and the at least one contact element may each have at least one impedance control mechanism. This embodiment is preferred in that the impedance control mechanisms together can compensate for the effect of discontinuities on the impedance of the at least one contact element.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, all of the impedance control features can be aligned with the discontinuities to concentrate and maximize the effect of the impedance control features together.

[0014] In another embodiment of the invention, the terminal shield may be a metallic terminal shield, in particular a metallic terminal shield which can be formed by bending a metal sheet circumferentially around the contact carrier, resulting in a simple and reliable construction.

[0015] Additionally or alternatively, the terminal shield may be a metallic terminal shield that surrounds the contact carrier and the at least one contact element along its entire length, thereby protecting the contact carrier and the at least one contact element from electromagnetic effects and further improving signal integrity.

[0016] Additionally or alternatively, the terminal shield may include at least one front end where the terminal shield is open to receive a mating connector along the insertion direction.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the terminal shield discontinuity may include or be a locking element formed on the outer periphery of the terminal shield, and at least one impedance control feature may be aligned with said locking element. In particular, the locking element may be configured to interact with a suitable receptacle to secure the terminal shield within the receptacle. This broadens the scope of application of the present invention by providing a wider compatibility with corresponding components resulting from the locking element.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the locking element may be a locking groove that extends at least partially along the outer periphery of the terminal shield. In particular, the locking groove extends radially inwards towards the contact carrier and can be a seat for a complementary locking element of a suitable receptacle, for example. The locking groove is an embodiment that can be easily manufactured by bending or pressing, which allows for easy manufacturing.

[0019] In yet another embodiment, the at least one impedance control feature may include an adjusted cross-section of the at least one contact element. In particular, the at least one contact element may include an impedance control section that extends longitudinally through the terminal shield along the insertion direction and has an adjusted cross-section proximate the discontinuity in the terminal shield. The cross-section adjustment is an impedance control feature that can simultaneously adjust at least two impedance influencing factors, namely, the cross-sectional area of ​​the electrical conductor and the distance between the surfaces of the electrical conductor and an adjacent conductor.

[0020] In applications where the impedance of at least one contact element needs to be increased to reach a predetermined desired value and to compensate for the effect of a discontinuity in the terminal shield, the impedance control feature may include or be a portion of reduced cross section. This is the case, for example, in areas where the discontinuity in the terminal shield reduces the inside diameter compared to the remainder of the terminal shield. In such cases, the reduction in cross section may be achieved by reducing the width of the at least one contact element on one or two sides. For contact elements formed from a flat material, the width may be the dimension perpendicular to the material thickness and perpendicular to the insertion direction. This causes the impedance to rise due to the reduction in cross-sectional area and the increasing distance to the surface of the adjacent conductor, which reduction in cross-sectional area can be made stepwise, for example by forming a U-shaped recess.

[0021] Preferably, the reduction in width can be performed along the entire length of the discontinuity. Similarly, the cross-sectional area can be increased in applications where the impedance needs to be reduced to reach a predetermined desired value and to compensate for the effect of the discontinuity in the terminal shield. This is the case, for example, in areas where the discontinuity in the terminal shield increases the inside diameter compared to the remainder of the terminal shield. In such cases, at least one contact element can include a portion with an increased cross-section. This increase in cross-section can occur by increasing the width (for contact elements made from a flat material, the width may be the dimension perpendicular to the material thickness and perpendicular to the insertion direction) on one or two sides. This reduces the impedance by the increased cross-sectional area and by the reduced distance to the surface of the adjacent conductor.

[0022] The at least one contact element may further include a contact portion at at least one end. In particular, the contact portion may be configured to engage in electrical contact with a signal contact of a mating connector inserted into the terminal shield along an insertion direction. Preferably, the contact portion may be mechanically deflected by the signal contact during engagement to ensure sufficient electrical contact.

[0023] Additionally or alternatively, at least one contact element may include a bonding portion at at least one other end opposite the contact portion. The bonding portion may be configured to connect the contact element to an electrical conductor of the cable. Preferably, the bonding portion may be connected, e.g., welded or soldered, to the electrical conductor of the cable.

[0024] The contact portion and / or the coupling portion allow the contact terminal to be used in combination with at least a mating connector and / or a cable, thereby expanding the range of applications of the contact terminal.

[0025] Said width decrease or increase can be located between the contact portion and the coupling portion, ie in an intermediate portion of at least one contact element.

[0026] In yet another embodiment, the at least one contact element can include a transition portion having a cross-section larger than the cross-section of the impedance control. In particular, the transition portion is positioned adjacent to the impedance control and is connected to the impedance control by a sloped transition. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for applications in which the contact element is mechanically deflected, since mechanical stresses occurring within the at least one contact element can be easily distributed by the transition portion.

[0027] Additionally or alternatively, the at least one contact element may include a retaining portion having at least one laterally projecting retention tab that may facilitate securing of the at least one contact element by the contact carrier by preventing undesired shifting of the at least one contact element, as described further below.

[0028] The at least one contact element may be a tab- or pin-shaped spring beam stamped from a conductive sheet material, for example a metal sheet.

[0029] According to another embodiment, the contact terminal may include a pair of contact elements that are spaced apart and electrically isolated (insulated) from each other. Each of the pair of contact elements may preferably be configured to transmit one of a differential pair of signals for high-frequency data transmission. According to this embodiment, the transmission of the differential pair of signals enables data transmission that is less susceptible to electromagnetic noise.

[0030] Optionally, each of the contact elements of the pair can have at least one impedance control mechanism to jointly compensate for the effect of discontinuities on the impedance of the contact elements of the pair.

[0031] Each of the contact elements of a pair may have the same impedance control feature. More specifically, the contact elements of a pair may be formed symmetrically and / or mirror-image.

[0032] According to yet another embodiment, the contact carrier is formed from an insulator, preferably an insulator having a higher dielectric constant than air, which at least partially surrounds the at least one contact element. In particular, the insulator surrounds the at least one contact element at the impedance control part and possibly around the impedance control part. By surrounding the at least one contact element with the insulator, the risk of an electrical short circuit is prevented. This ensures the functionality of the contact terminal.

[0033] Additionally, the at least one impedance control feature may include or be an adjusted material thickness of the contact carrier. In particular, the material thickness of the contact carrier may be adjusted in the immediate vicinity of the discontinuity of the terminal shield. Adjusting the material thickness is an impedance control feature that allows for easy adjustment of yet another impedance influencing factor, namely the dielectric constant of the dielectric.

[0034] In applications where the impedance of at least one contact element needs to be increased to reach a predetermined desired value and to compensate for the effect of discontinuities in the terminal shield, the material thickness should be reduced. This is the case, for example, in areas where the discontinuity in the terminal shield reduces the inside diameter compared to the rest of the terminal shield. In such areas, the reduced material thickness results in air-filled spaces. Since air has a lower dielectric constant than the insulator, the resulting lower average dielectric constant increases the impedance.

[0035] Similarly, in applications requiring lower impedance to reach a predetermined desired value and to compensate for the effects of discontinuities in the terminal shield, the material thickness should be increased. More specifically, to obtain a higher average dielectric constant, air-filled spaces need to be occupied by insulators.

[0036] In another embodiment, the at least one impedance control feature may include or be at least one gap, which at least partially separates the at least one contact element from direct contact with the contact carrier. More specifically, the gap may be filled with air or another dielectric material having a lower dielectric constant than the insulator of the contact carrier. This embodiment is used in applications where the impedance needs to be increased and where the impedance works according to the same principle as the adjustment of material thickness described above.

[0037] In yet another embodiment, the at least one impedance control feature may include or be a lateral recess of the contact carrier and / or the at least one contact element, which is an impedance control feature that is easy to manufacture and allows for simultaneous adjustment of up to two impedance influencing factors, namely the dielectric constant of the dielectric or the cross-sectional area of ​​the electrical conductor and the distance between the surfaces of the electrical conductor and adjacent conductors.

[0038] According to another embodiment, the contact carrier may include at least two parts connected to each other to form the contact carrier. In particular, the contact carrier may include an upper part and a lower part, the lower part including at least one retaining groove for embedding the at least one contact element, the retaining groove being formed complementary to the at least one contact element. Furthermore, at least a first part of the at least one retaining groove has a width configured to form-fit into the at least one contact element. The form-fit prevents undesired deflection of the at least one contact element in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction. At least a second part of the at least one retaining groove has a width larger than the at least one contact element. In the second part, the air-filled space is formed as an impedance control feature.

[0039] In this way, at least one contact element can be received in the at least one retaining groove and sandwiched between a lower component and an upper component connected to the lower component. This embodiment allows the contact carrier to be preassembled by an automated pick-and-place assembly process. This embodiment therefore contributes to simplifying the manufacturing process.

[0040] The two parts of the contact carrier can be connected by laser welding. This allows the two parts to be designed with very small dimensions, since no additional mechanical connection means are required. This allows for a smaller contact terminal, which reduces the space required for storage of the contact terminals and saves on transportation costs. Further or alternative attachment means for the two parts can include ultrasonic welding, latching, and / or gluing.

[0041] Optionally, the first portion of the at least one retaining groove can have a width configured for a form-fit with the transition portion of the at least one contact element, and the second portion of the at least one retaining groove can have a width greater than the impedance control portion of the contact element. In particular, the combination of the width of the impedance control portion of the at least one contact element and the width of the second portion of the at least one retaining groove of the lower part can be configured such that the impedance of the at least one contact element reaches a predetermined desired value. A two-part embodiment of the contact carrier is particularly advantageous for this configuration, since the respective widths can be set independently of each other before assembly.

[0042] At least one of the two parts of the contact carrier may further include a socket or slot for interconnecting with a tab or knob of an adjacent part, thereby increasing the range of application of the contact terminals by allowing them to be mechanically fastened to at least one other part, for example a protective cover of a coupling part.

[0043] In yet another embodiment, at least one of the at least two parts can include at least one support point that abuts against at least one retention tab of at least one contact element. One of the parts, for example the upper part, can preferably include at least one step-like protrusion that protrudes perpendicular to the insertion direction. The protrusion can further protrude towards the lower part, which can include at least one step-like protrusion that protrudes perpendicular to the insertion direction towards the upper part. Furthermore, the step projections are configured in pairs to accommodate at least one retaining tab of the at least one contact element together, thereby providing at least three support points, each of which can prevent undesired misalignment of the at least one contact element in one spatial direction and thus contribute to the fixing of the at least one contact element by the contact carrier.

[0044] Additionally or alternatively, the contact carrier may further comprise a shoulder projecting laterally from the contact carrier and abutting against a locking element of the terminal shield. In particular, the upper part may comprise a shoulder projecting perpendicularly to the insertion direction on at least one side of the upper part and / or the lower part may comprise a shoulder projecting perpendicularly to the insertion direction on at least one side of the lower part. The shoulder of the upper part and / or the shoulder of the lower part abuts from the inside against a rear side of the locking element of the terminal shield. This embodiment provides a way to secure the position of the contact carrier in the terminal shield, thereby preventing undesired shifting of the contact carrier.

[0045] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that instead of the two-part embodiment, the contact carrier may be formed as one part around the at least one contact element, for example by additional manufacturing processes. In this case, the contact carrier may include at least one cavity for at least partially surrounding the transition and the impedance control portion of the at least one contact element. Preferably, an inner surface of the at least one cavity abuts the transition portion to prevent lateral movement of the at least one contact element due to abutment and longitudinal movement due to friction. Furthermore, the inner surface of the at least one cavity may be spaced from the impedance control portion to form said air-filled space as an impedance control feature.

[0046] According to another preferred embodiment, the contact terminal may be part of a cable assembly for high frequency data transmission, further comprising a shielded cable. The shielded cable comprises at least one electrical conductor, which is connected within the terminal shield to at least one contact element of the contact terminal. The connection is preferably a bonded connection, a welded connection, a soldered connection and / or a crimped connection.

[0047] This embodiment improves the functionality of the present invention by allowing data transmission over longer distances.

[0048] In some cases, the cable assembly may have a substantially constant impedance along its entire length, which reaches a predetermined desired value according to the frequency of the data transmission. In particular, the impedance may vary within a range of ±5% from the predetermined desired value. Deviations within this range are considered to be the predetermined desired value. In this way, signal integrity can be ensured for the entire cable assembly. Thus, the overall transmission performance is improved.

[0049] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The illustrated and described embodiments are for illustration purposes only. The combination of features shown in the embodiments can be modified according to the above description. For example, features not shown in the embodiments but described above can be added if the technical effect associated with the feature is advantageous for a particular application. Conversely, features shown as part of the embodiments can be omitted as described above if the technical effect associated with the feature is not necessary for a particular application.

[0050] In the figures, elements that correspond to one another in terms of function and / or structure are designated by the same reference numerals. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0051] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic exploded view of a contact terminal according to one possible embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic perspective view of a contact carrier and paired contact elements according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic perspective view of an upper part of a contact carrier according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2; [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic perspective view of a lower part and a pair of contact elements of a contact carrier according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2; FIG. [Diagram 5]13 is a schematic exploded view of a contact carrier and paired contact elements according to another possible embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic perspective view of a contact carrier and paired contact elements according to yet another possible embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a contact terminal according to another possible embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 8 is another schematic cross-sectional view of the contact terminal according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, illustrating a state in which the contact terminal is mated with a mating connector. [Figure 9] 8 is a schematic perspective view of a cable assembly having a contact terminal according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] First, the structure of a contact terminal 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8. Figure 9 is used to describe the structure of a cable assembly 2 according to the present invention.

[0053] Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a contact terminal 1 according to one possible embodiment of the present disclosure. The contact terminal 1 comprises a terminal shield 4, a contact carrier 6, and a pair of contact elements 8 for carrying electrical signals of high frequency data transmission. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the contact carrier 6 holds the pair of contact elements 8 in a fixed position within the terminal shield 4. More specifically, the terminal shield 4 can surround the contact carrier 6 and the pair of contact elements 8 along their entire length.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal shield 4 is a bent metal sheet 10 and preferably includes at least four shield walls 12 arranged in a circumferential direction C around a through opening 14 extending along an insertion direction I. The terminal shield 4 may include an opening 18 in at least one front end 16, where the terminal shield 4 may receive a mating connector 20 inserted along the insertion direction I, as shown in FIG. 8 . Alternatively, the terminal shield 4 may be a metal shield formed from a braided material.

[0055] The terminal shield 4 may further have a design discontinuity 22 that affects the impedance of the mating contact elements 8. To compensate for the effect of this discontinuity 22, multiple impedance control features 24 may be implemented in the contact carrier 6 and / or the mating contact elements 8. Each of the contact carrier 6 and the mating contact elements 8 may have at least one impedance control feature 24, and preferably all of the impedance control features 24 may be aligned with or at least positioned in close proximity to the discontinuity 22 in the terminal shield 4. This is shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5 and described in more detail below.

[0056] As shown in the embodiment of Figures 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9, the discontinuity 22 may be a locking element 26, preferably a locking groove 28, integrally formed with the terminal shield 4 and extending radially inwardly along the outer periphery 30 of the terminal shield 4 and towards the contact carrier 6. In particular, the terminal shield 4 may have a reduced outer cross-section and an inner cross-section at the locking groove 28. The difference in cross-section between the locking groove 28 and the remainder of the terminal shield 4 is covered by the terminal shield 4. The locking groove 28 may, for example, provide a seat for a complementary locking element (not shown) of a suitable receptacle (not shown).

[0057] The pair of contact elements 8 may be a pair of conductive spring beams 32 extending flat in the insertion direction I. The pair of spring beams 32 may be formed as mirror images of each other and positioned spaced apart from each other. Each of the spring beams 32 includes a contact portion 34 at one end, a coupling portion 36 at the other end, and an impedance control portion 38 between the contact portion 34 and the coupling portion 36. Each spring beam 32 may further include a transition portion 40 between the contact portion 34 and the impedance control portion 38, and a retention portion 42 between the impedance control portion 38 and the coupling portion 36.

[0058] 8, the contact portion 34 can have a curved tip 44 having a contact area 46 configured to engage in electrical contact with a signal contact 48 of the mating connector 20. During such engagement, the curved tip 44 of the contact portion 34 can be mechanically deflected by the signal contact 48 in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction I.

[0059] The transition portion 40 may be positioned adjacent to the contact portion 34 and may include a first angled transition portion that gradually increases the width of the transition portion 40 in the insertion direction I to a maximum width of the transition portion 40. A second angled transition portion gradually decreases the width of the transition portion 40 in the insertion direction I toward the impedance control portion 38.

[0060] The impedance control section 38 may be positioned adjacent to the transition section 40, and may extend along the locking groove 28 of the terminal shield 4. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 4, the impedance control section 38 may have a width that is less than the maximum width of the transition section 40. Adjusting the width of this impedance control section 38 provides one of the impedance control mechanisms 24.

[0061] Because the discontinuity 22 in the terminal shield 4 in the illustrated embodiment reduces the inner diameter of the terminal shield 4, the cross-sectional area of ​​the spring beam 32 needs to be reduced in the impedance control section 38 in order to adjust the impedance of the spring beam 32 (the principle of the impedance control mechanism has already been explained in the above description of the present invention and will not be repeated here).

[0062] The retaining portion 42 may be positioned adjacent to the impedance control portion 38 and may include a retaining tab 50 that projects laterally in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction I. The retaining tab 50 may be a plate-like portion that is integrally formed with the material of the corresponding spring beam 32.

[0063] The coupling portion 36 may be positioned adjacent to the retaining portion 42 and may include a coupling tab 52 that protrudes in the insertion direction I as a continuation of the spring beam 32. The coupling tab 52 may be a plate-like portion that is integrally formed with the material of the corresponding spring beam 32. As shown in FIG. 8, the coupling tab 52 preferably has a width equal to the impedance control portion 38 and is configured to couple to an electrical conductor 54 of a cable 56.

[0064] The contact carrier 6 is formed from an insulator that at least partially surrounds the pair of contact elements 8. Preferably, both of the pair of contact elements 8 are surrounded by the same contact carrier 6. In particular, the contact carrier 6 surrounds the pair of contact elements 8 at and around the impedance control section 38.

[0065] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the contact carrier 6 can include at least two parts 58 that are connected to each other to form the contact carrier 6. One of the two parts 58 is opaque and preferably comprises a colorless pigment, while the other of the two parts 58 comprises a colored pigment, preferably a black and / or dark pigment, such that the two parts 58 can be connected by laser welding.

[0066] The contact carrier 6 can include an upper part 60 and a lower part 62, where the lower part 62 can include a pair of retaining grooves 64. The pair of retaining grooves 64 extend parallel to each other in the insertion direction I. In particular, the pair of retaining grooves 64 are separated by an inner wall 66. Furthermore, at least a first portion 68 of each retaining groove 64 has a width configured to form-fit into the transition portion of one of the pair of contact elements 8. Thus, the pair of contact elements 8 can be received in the pair of retaining grooves 64 and sandwiched between the lower part 62 and the upper part 60 connected to the lower part 62.

[0067] 1 and 4, at least a second portion 70 of each retention groove 64 has a width greater than the impedance control portion of one of the pair of contact elements 8. This forms a number of air-filled gaps 72 between an inner surface 74 of the pair of retention grooves 64 and a side surface 76 of each of the pair of contact elements 8. These air-filled gaps 72 provide additional impedance control features 24.

[0068] As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, at least one, and preferably both, of the two parts 58 of the contact carrier 6 can comprise at least one support point 78 which abuts against a retention tab 50 of the spring beam 32. The upper part 60 can comprise at least one step projection 80 which projects perpendicularly to the insertion direction I towards the lower part 62, and the lower part 62 can preferably comprise at least one step projection 82 which projects perpendicularly to the insertion direction I towards the upper part 60. In particular, the step projections 80, 82 are arranged in pairs to accommodate together at least one retention tab 50 of at least one contact element, thereby providing at least three support points 78a, 78b, 78c.

[0069] In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, the spring beam 32 and / or the contact carrier 6 each include side recesses 84, which are aligned with the discontinuities 22. These side recesses 84 provide impedance control features 24, which may be implemented in addition to or instead of the impedance control features 24 described above. The side recesses 84 are generally trapezoidal cutouts that penetrate the material of the spring beam 32 and / or the contact carrier 6 in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction I. The cutouts in the contact carrier 6 may at least partially expose the impedance control portions 38 of the spring beam 32. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the cutouts may be cuboidal or circular.

[0070] Optionally, at least one, and preferably both, of the two parts 58 of the contact carrier 6 may include a slot 86 for interconnecting with a knob (not shown) of an adjacent part (not shown), such as a protective cover (not shown) of the coupling portion 36. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the slot 86 may be a generally cuboidal cutout in a side of the contact carrier 6.

[0071] 1 , 7 and 8 , the contact carrier 6 may include a shoulder 88 that projects laterally from the contact carrier 6 and abuts the locking element 26 of the terminal shield 4. The shoulder 88 may be a collar 90 that extends around the periphery of the contact carrier 6. In particular, the upper component 60 may include a portion of the collar 90 on three sides of the upper component 60, and the lower component 62 may include a remaining portion of the collar 90 on three sides of the lower component 62.

[0072] 9 shows a cable assembly 2 for high-frequency data transmission, comprising a contact terminal 1 and a shielded cable 92 connected to the contact terminal 1, preferably by means of a crimp connection. For this purpose, the terminal shield 4 of the contact terminal 1 comprises a crimping portion 94 opposite the front end 16. The crimping portion 94 is formed as an integral part of the terminal shield 4 and extends coaxially with the shielded cable 92. Furthermore, the crimping portion 94 is wrapped around the shielded cable 92 in a circumferential direction C.

[0073] 7 and 8, the shielded cable 92 includes a pair of electrical conductors 54, each of which is connected to a coupling tab 52 of one of the pair of spring beams 32 of the contact terminal 1. The connection is preferably a welded connection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 Contact Terminal 2 Cable Assembly 4 Terminal Shield 6 Contact Carrier 8 Contact Elements 10 Bent Metal Sheet 12 Shield Wall 14 Through opening 16 Front end 18 Openings 20 Mating connector 22 Discontinuities 24 Impedance control mechanism 26 Rock Elements 28 Lock groove 30 Periphery 32 Spring beam 34 Contact section 36 Joint 38 Impedance control section 40 Transition 42 Holding part 44 Curved Tip 46 Contact Area 48 signal contacts 50 Retention tab 52 Joint Tab 54 Electrical Conductors 56 Cable 58 2 parts 60 Upper part 62 Lower parts 64 Retaining groove 66 Inner wall 68 First Part 70 Second Part 72 Air-filled gap 74 Inside 76 Side 78 Support points (a, b, c) 80 Steps 82 Stepped projection 84 Side recess 86 Slots 88 Shoulder 90 Color 92 Shielded Cable 94 Crimping section 96 Reduced cross section 98 Increased cross section

Claims

1. A terminal shield (4) made of a single metal sheet and configured to include a plurality of shield walls (12); a contact carrier (6) including at least two parts (58, 60, 62) connected to each other to form the contact carrier (6); At least one contact element (8) in the form of a spring beam for transmitting an electrical signal of high frequency data transmission, The contact carrier (6) holds the at least one contact element (8) in a fixed position within the terminal shield (4); the terminal shield (4) includes a discontinuity (22) that affects the impedance of the at least one contact element (8); At least one of the contact carrier (6) and the at least one contact element (8) has at least one impedance control mechanism (24) configured to adjust the impedance of the at least one contact element (8) to a predetermined desired value according to a frequency of the high-frequency data transmission; The contact terminal (1) comprises a pair of the contact elements (8) which are positioned at a distance from each other and electrically isolated from each other; The contact elements (8) of the pair are each configured to transmit one signal of a differential pair of signals for high frequency data transmission; The discontinuity (22) of the terminal shield (4) includes a locking element (26) formed on an outer periphery (30) of the terminal shield (4); the locking element (26) being a locking groove (28) extending at least partially along the outer periphery (30) of the terminal shield (4); The lock groove (28) extends along at least two adjacent shield walls (12). A contact terminal (1).

2. The contact carrier (6) and the at least one contact element (8) each have at least one impedance control mechanism (24). A contact terminal (1) according to claim 1.

3. The at least one impedance control mechanism (24) is aligned with the locking groove (28) as the locking element (26). A contact terminal (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The plurality of shield walls (12) is at least four shield walls (12), The locking groove (28) as the locking element (26) extends along the outer periphery (30) of the terminal shield (4) and along the at least four shield walls (12). A contact terminal (1) according to claim 1.

5. The at least one impedance control mechanism (24) includes an adjusted cross-section of the at least one contact element (8) at an impedance control section (38). A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. the at least one contact element (8) includes a transition portion (40) having a cross section larger than a cross section of the impedance control portion (38). A contact terminal (1) according to claim 5.

7. the at least one contact element (8) includes a retention portion (42) having at least one laterally projecting retention tab (50); A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. The contact carrier (6) comprises two parts (58, 60, 62) connected to each other to form the contact carrier (6), One of the two parts (58, 60, 62) (62) includes a pair of retaining grooves (64) formed complementary to the pair of contact elements (8) for embedding the pair of contact elements (8). A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. the contact carrier (6) is formed from an insulator at least partially surrounding the at least one contact element (8), The at least one impedance control mechanism (24) comprises an adjusted material thickness of the contact carrier (6). A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. the at least one impedance control mechanism (24) includes at least one gap (72), the gap (72) at least partially separating the at least one contact element (8) from direct contact with the contact carrier (6); A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. the at least one impedance control mechanism (24) comprises a side recess (84) of the contact carrier (6) and / or the at least one contact element (8); A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. The terminal shield (4) includes a portion (96) of reduced cross section, The at least one contact element (8) includes a reduced cross-section. A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. The terminal shield (4) includes a portion (98) of increased cross section; The at least one contact element (8) includes an increased cross-section. A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. the reduced cross-section overlaps the reduced cross-section portion (96); A contact terminal (1) according to claim 12.

15. the increased cross-section overlaps the increased cross-section portion (98) in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction (I); A contact terminal (1) according to claim 13.

16. The terminal shield (4) and the contact carrier (6) engage with each other in a form-fit connection; the discontinuity (22) of the terminal shield (4) is part of the form-fit connection; A contact terminal (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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