Electrical connector assembly

Abstract

This invention discloses an electrical connector assembly comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating groove and a rear receiving space; and a terminal module assembly housed within the insulating housing, the terminal module assembly including an upper part and a lower part stacked vertically, each of the upper and lower parts including a high-speed terminal module and a bypass terminal module, each of the high-speed terminal modules including an insulator and a grounding terminal and a differential pair terminal integrally formed with the insulator, the differential pair terminal and the grounding terminal being alternately arranged in a transverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; wherein, a grounding element is further included, the grounding element being mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding grounding terminal to form a common ground.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric connector assembly, and in particular to an electric connector assembly capable of transmitting high-speed signals. Prior Art

[0002] U.S. Patent No. 10,559,930 B2 discloses an electrical connector assembly comprising high-speed terminals and bypass terminals. The bypass terminals are mounted directly on an external printed circuit board, while the high-speed terminals are connected to cables. The high-speed terminals include ground terminals and signal terminals. The ground terminals are discretely arranged and not connected, which affects signal transmission. Therefore, improvements to the aforementioned electrical connector assembly are necessary to address the shortcomings of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having good anti-interference performance and grounding effect, so as to facilitate the transmission of high-speed signals.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the present invention can adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] An electrical connector assembly includes an insulating shell, the insulating shell being provided with a front mating groove and a rear receiving space; and a terminal module assembly, the terminal module assembly being received in the insulating shell, the terminal module assembly comprising an upper portion and a lower portion stacked on each other in a vertical direction, the upper portion and the lower portion each comprising a high-speed terminal module and a bypass terminal module, each of the high-speed terminal modules comprising an insulator and a grounding terminal and a differential pair terminal integrally formed with the insulator, the differential pair terminals and the grounding terminals being alternately arranged in a transverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; wherein the assembly further comprises a grounding member mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding grounding terminal to form a common ground.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are that the grounding member of the electrical connector assembly of the present invention is mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding grounding terminal to form a common ground, which has better anti-interference and grounding effects, thereby enabling the electrical connector assembly to have better signal transmission performance. Simple diagram description

[0007] FIG1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly according to the present invention. The second figure is a three-dimensional view of the electrical connector assembly shown in the first figure from another perspective. FIG3 is an exploded view of the electrical connector assembly shown in FIG1. FIG4 is an exploded view of the terminal module of the electrical connector assembly shown in FIG3 with the insulating housing removed. FIG5 is a further exploded view of the terminal module of the electrical connector assembly shown in FIG4. FIG6 is an exploded view of the terminal module of the electrical connector assembly shown in FIG5 from another perspective. FIG7 is an exploded view of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG5. FIG8 is an exploded view of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG7 from another perspective. FIG9 is an exploded view of the upper high-speed terminal module and the grounding member shown in FIG7 , which are separated. FIG10 is an exploded view showing the upper high-speed terminal module and the grounding member shown in FIG9 from another perspective. FIG. 11 is a further exploded view of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG. 9 . FIG12 is a further exploded view of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG11 from another perspective. FIG13 is an exploded view of the first terminal module of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG9 . FIG14 is a top view of the first terminal module of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG7 . FIG15 is a bottom view of the second terminal module of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG7. FIG16 is a front view of the high-speed terminal module of the electrical connector assembly shown in FIG3 with the insulator removed. FIG17 is a cross-sectional view of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG4 along the XVII-XVII direction. FIG18 is a cross-sectional view of the upper high-speed terminal module shown in FIG4 along the XVIII-XVIII direction. Implementation Method

[0008] Please refer to Figures 1 to 18, which illustrate an electrical connector assembly 100 according to the present invention. The electrical connector assembly 100 can mate with a mating electrical connector (not shown) in the front-to-back direction. The electrical connector assembly 100 includes an insulating housing 10 and a terminal module assembly 20 housed within the insulating housing 10. The terminal module assembly 20 includes a terminal module 40 and a cable 50 connected to the terminal module 40 and extending rearward from the insulating housing 10. The insulating housing 10 includes a front mating slot 101 and a rear receiving space 102 for receiving the terminal module 40. The terminal module 40 is received in the rear receiving space 102 from rear to front. The front mating slot 101 can accommodate the mating tongue of the mating connector.

[0009] The terminal module assembly 20 includes an upper portion 401 and a lower portion 402 stacked on each other in the vertical direction and a metal fixing member 460 that fixes the upper portion 401 and the lower portion 402 into one. The terminal modules 40 of the upper portion 401 and the lower portion 402 both include a high-speed terminal module 404 and a bypass terminal module 405. The high-speed terminal module 404 of the upper portion and the high-speed terminal module 404 of the lower portion are roughly mirror-symmetrically arranged. The high-speed terminal module 404 of the upper portion 401 includes a first terminal module 411 and a second terminal module 421 arranged below the first terminal module 411. The high-speed terminal module 404 of the lower portion includes a third terminal module 431 and a fourth terminal module 441 arranged below the third terminal module 431. The first terminal module 411 , the second terminal module 421 , the third terminal module 431 , and the fourth terminal module 441 each include an integral insulator 450 and a high-speed terminal 415 integrally formed with the insulator 450 .

[0010] The four terminal modules are configured similarly. This section will use the first terminal module 411 as an example for detailed description. The insulator 450 is a one-piece structure and includes a central portion 452 and a pair of side portions 453 located on either side of the central portion 452 in the transverse direction. The high-speed terminals 415 are divided into two groups, each integrally formed with a corresponding pair of side portions 453. Each group of high-speed terminals 415 includes two pairs of differential pair terminals 413 and three grounding terminals 414. The grounding terminals 414 and the differential pair terminals 413 are arranged alternately in a transverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0011] The bypass terminal module 405 located in the upper portion 401 and the bypass terminal module 405 located in the lower portion 402 each include a plurality of terminal sheets 561 stacked in a transverse direction. Each terminal sheet 561 includes two upper and lower bypass terminals 562 and a fixing member 566 integrally formed with the two bypass terminals 562. Each bypass terminal 562 is laterally aligned with the corresponding high-speed terminal 415 of the high-speed terminal module 404. Each bypass terminal 562 of the bypass terminal module 405 is assembled to the corresponding middle portion 452 of the insulator 450. Thus, the high-speed terminals 415 are located on both sides of the corresponding bypass terminal 562 in the transverse direction.

[0012] Each of the bypass terminal 562, the differential pair terminal 413, and the grounding terminal 414 includes a mating portion 506 located at the front for mating with a mating connector, a tail portion opposite the mating portion 506, and a transition portion 504 located between the mating portion and the tail portion. The tail portion 507 of the bypass terminal 562 can be directly mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown). The tail portion 508 of the differential pair terminal 413 is connected to the corresponding cable 50. A grounding bar 470 is also provided at the rear end of each high-speed terminal 415. The grounding bar 470 is integrally connected to the tail portion 509 of at least one of the three grounding terminals 414. Specifically, in the present invention, the grounding bar 470 is integrally connected to the middle grounding terminal 414.

[0013] The terminal module 40 further includes a grounding member 480. The grounding member 480 is fixedly mounted on the corresponding insulator 450 and mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding ground terminal 414 to form a common ground. The insulator 450 is provided with an opening 455 that exposes the transition portion 504 of the ground terminal 414. The grounding member 480 connects to the transition portion 504 of the corresponding ground terminal 414 through the opening 455, shifting crosstalk toward higher frequencies, reducing crosstalk within the operating frequency range, and improving SI performance. The grounding member 480 includes a transversely extending portion 481 and mounting portions 482 extending from both sides of the transversely extending portion 481. The mounting portion 482 is provided with mounting openings 483 that snap into place on either side of the corresponding insulator 450. The transversely extending portion 481 is provided with a plurality of contact fingers 485 that protrude toward the corresponding ground terminal 414. The contact fingers 485 elastically abut against the transition portion 504 of the corresponding ground terminal 414. The grounding member 480 spans the entire insulator 450 to electrically and mechanically connect the ground terminals 414 of the high-speed terminals 415 on both sides in series.

[0014] The cable 50 includes a pair of inner conductors 510, an inner insulation layer 520 covering the inner conductors 510, a common shield layer 530 covering the inner insulation layer 520, and an outer sheath 540 covering the common shield layer 530. The pair of inner conductors 510 are welded to the tail portions 508 of the corresponding differential pair terminals 413.

[0015] The transition portions 504 and tail portions 508 of each differential pair terminal 413 of the second terminal module 421 are aligned on the same straight line along the front-to-back direction. The transition portions 504 and tail portions 508 of each differential pair terminal 413 of the third terminal module 431 are aligned on the same straight line along the front-to-back direction. Through the above design, the vertical distance D between the tail portions 508 of the differential pair terminals 413 of the second terminal module 421 and the third terminal module 431 is equal to the vertical distance L between the transition portions 504. The vertical distance D between the tail portions 508 of the differential pair terminals 413 of the second terminal module 421 and the third terminal module 431 is greater than 1.7 mm, thereby reducing signal crosstalk between the differential pair terminals 413 of the second terminal module 421 and the third terminal module 431 during signal transmission.

[0016] The grounding terminal 414 and the differential pair terminal 413 are connected together by a material strip (not shown) when they are stamped and bent from a metal sheet. After the grounding terminal 414 and the differential pair terminal 413 are integrally formed with the insulator 450, the material strip is removed. The tails 508 of the differential pair terminals 413 of the first terminal module 411, the second terminal module 421, the third terminal module 431, and the fourth terminal module 441 extend rearward beyond the corresponding insulator 450 to facilitate cutting the material strip and separating the differential pair terminals 413 from the grounding terminal 414. Because the upper first and second terminal modules 411, 421, and the lower third and fourth terminal modules 431, 441 have the same configuration, the upper first terminal module will be used as an example for this description. The tail portion 508 of each differential pair terminal 413 of the first terminal module 411 extends rearward from the insulator 450 by a dimension L1 no greater than 0.7 mm. Similarly, the tail portion 508 of each differential pair terminal 413 of the second terminal module 421 extends rearward from the insulator 450 by a dimension L2 no greater than 0.7 mm, to reduce crosstalk. Specifically, in the present invention, while considering reducing crosstalk and improving signal transmission efficiency, and taking into account the space required for cutting the strip, the tail portion 508 of each terminal module's differential pair terminal 413 extends rearward from the corresponding insulator 450 by a dimension greater than 0.6 mm and less than 0.7 mm.

[0017] The electrical connector assembly 100 further includes a metal shield 60. The metal shield 60 is disposed separately from the ground terminal 414. The grounding strips 470 and the metal shield 60 cooperate to vertically sandwich the corresponding cable 50. The shield layer 530 contacts and electrically connects the grounding strips 470 and the metal shield 60. Specifically, each grounding strip 470 includes two first raised portions 471 and three first straight portions 473. The metal shield 60 includes two second raised portions 601 and three second straight portions 603. The first raised portions 471 and the second raised portions 601 cooperate to vertically surround the corresponding cable 50. The first raised portions 471 and the second raised portions 601 cooperate to completely cover the exposed portion of the common shield layer 530. Both the first raised portions 471 and the second raised portions 601 contact and electrically connect to the common shield layer 530. The metal shield 60 is mechanically and electrically connected not only to the tail portion 509 of the ground terminal 414 but also to the grounding strip 470. Specifically, the rear half of the second straight portion 603 vertically contacts and mates with the corresponding first straight portion 473, while the front half of the second straight portion 603 vertically contacts and mates with the corresponding ground terminal 414. The second straight portion 603 includes multiple holes 613 for welding. In the present invention, the metal shield 60 connects the common shield layer 530, the ground terminal 414, and the grounding strip 470 in series, providing improved grounding. Furthermore, the metal shield 60 connects the tail portions 509 of the ground terminal 414 in series, while the grounding member 480 connects the transition portions of the ground terminal 414 in series. The ground terminal 414 is grounded in series at multiple points, improving the signal transmission performance of the electrical connector assembly 100.

[0018] The grounding member 480 of the electrical connector assembly 100 of the present invention is mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding grounding terminal 414 to form a common ground, moving the crosstalk toward a higher frequency, reducing the crosstalk within the operating frequency, improving the transmission performance of the high-speed terminal module signal, and ensuring effective signal transmission.

[0019] The electrical connector assembly 100 of the present invention complies with the QSFP-DD specification, which defines eight transmit channels and eight receive channels, with each channel capable of signal transmission rates of 50 Gbps or higher. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to similar high-speed electrical connector assemblies, such as SFP-DD, SFP, and OSFP.

[0020] 100:Electrical connector assembly 562: Bypass terminal 10: Insulation shell 566:Fixer 20: Terminal module assembly 506: docking part 40:Terminal module 504: Transition Department 50: Cable 507, 508, 509: tail 101: front mating groove 470: Grounding bar 102: Rear Containment Space 510: Inner conductor 401: Upper part 520: Inner insulation layer 402: Lower part 530: Mask layer 460:Metal fixings 540: Skin 404: High-speed terminal module 60:Metal mask 405:Bypass terminal module 471: first protrusion 411: First terminal module 473: First straight section 421: Second terminal module 601: second raised portion 431: Third terminal module 603: Second straight portion 441: Fourth terminal module 613: Hole 450:Insulator 480: Grounding piece 415: High-speed terminal 455: Open 452: Middle 481: horizontal length 453: Side 482: Installation Department 413: Differential pair terminal 483: Installation opening 414: Ground terminal 485: Contact finger 561: Terminal sheet

[0021] none

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising: An insulating housing, wherein the insulating housing is provided with a front mating groove and a rear receiving space; The system includes a terminal module assembly housed within the insulating housing. The terminal module assembly comprises an upper and a lower portion stacked vertically. Each upper and lower portion includes a high-speed terminal module and a bypass terminal module. Each high-speed terminal module includes an insulator and a grounding terminal and a differential pair terminal integrally formed with the insulator. The differential pair terminal and the grounding terminal are alternately arranged in a transverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The system further includes a grounding element mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding grounding terminal to form a common ground. Both the differential pair terminal and the grounding terminal include a mating portion that mates with a connector, a tail portion opposite to the mating portion, and a transition portion located between the mating portion and the tail portion. The system further includes a cable connected to the high-speed terminal module, a grounding strip located at the rear end of the grounding terminal, and a metal shielding element separately disposed from the grounding terminal. The metal shielding element is mechanically and electrically connected to the tail portion of the grounding terminal and the grounding strip. The cable is located vertically between the grounding strip and the metal shielding element.

2. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein, The grounding element is connected to the transition portion of the corresponding grounding terminal.

3. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 2, wherein, The insulator has an opening that exposes the transition portion of the grounding terminal, and the grounding member has a plurality of contact fingers that protrude toward the corresponding grounding terminal. The contact fingers elastically abut against the corresponding grounding terminal through the opening.

4. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 2, wherein, The bypass terminal module is assembled in the middle area of ​​the insulator. The grounding terminal and the differential pair terminal are divided into two groups located on both sides of the bypass terminal. The grounding component electrically and mechanically connects the grounding terminals on both sides.

5. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 2, wherein, The upper high-speed terminal module includes a first terminal module and a second terminal module disposed below the first terminal module. The lower high-speed terminal module includes a third terminal module and a fourth terminal module disposed below the third terminal module. The first terminal module, the second terminal module, the third terminal module and the fourth terminal module all include an integral insulator and differential pair terminals and grounding terminals integrally formed with the corresponding insulator.

6. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 5, wherein, The vertical distance between the tail of the differential pair terminal of the second terminal module and the tail of the differential pair terminal of the third terminal module is equal to the vertical distance between the transition portion of the differential pair terminal of the second terminal module and the transition portion of the differential pair terminal of the third terminal module.

7. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 5, wherein, The vertical distance between the tail of the differential pair terminal of the second terminal module and the tail of the differential pair terminal of the third terminal module is greater than 1.7 mm.

8. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 5, wherein, The diameter of the insulator extending rearward from the tail of the differential pair terminals of the first terminal module, the second terminal module, the third terminal module, and the fourth terminal module is no greater than 0.7 mm.

9. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 8, wherein, The tail of the differential pair terminals of the first terminal module, the second terminal module, the third terminal module and the fourth terminal module extends backward to the corresponding insulator with a size greater than 0.6 mm and less than 0.7 mm.

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