Electrical connector

Abstract

High-speed, easy-to-maintain electrical connectors and interconnection systems. Interconnection systems include cable connectors and board connectors that can mate with each other. Cable connectors include a housing and a flexible ribbon cable with mating portions within the housing. The housing includes a conductive layer on an insulator. The flexible ribbon cable includes a shielding layer electrically connected to the conductive layer of the housing. Board connectors include a main housing with fixed terminals, a cage outside the main housing, and an outer housing outside the cage. The cage can be electrically connected to the cable shielding layer via the conductive layer of the housing. Resilient conductive members can be disposed around the cable connector housing to facilitate interconnection between the cage and the conductive layer of the housing. Such technology enables high-speed, easy-to-maintain connectors and interconnection systems for use in harsh environments (such as an environment presented by an automotive vehicle).

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising: The housing includes an insulator and a conductive layer extending from the inner surface of the insulator to the outer surface; The flexible ribbon cable includes a mating portion and a shielding layer, the mating portion being fixed in the housing and having one or more contact pads, the shielding layer being spaced apart from the one or more contact pads and adjacent to a portion of the conductive layer on the inner surface of the insulator of the housing, such that the shielding layer of the flexible ribbon cable is electrically connected to the conductive layer of the housing.

2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, comprising: A conductive member is disposed on the housing and adjacent to the conductive layer on the outer surface of the insulator of the housing, such that the conductive member is electrically connected to the shielding layer of the flexible cable via the conductive layer of the housing.

3. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The conductive component is elastic.

4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein: The housing includes a recess from the outer surface; and the conductive member is disposed in the recess of the housing and protrudes from the recess.

5. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein: The conductive component includes conductive rubber.

6. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The housing includes a first inner surface and a second inner surface opposite to each other; the flexible cable is a first flexible cable, the first flexible cable including a first mating portion and a first shielding layer, the first mating portion being fixed in the housing and having one or more first contact pads, the first shielding layer being spaced apart from the one or more first contact pads and adjacent to the conductive layer on the first inner surface of the insulator of the housing; and the electrical connector includes a second flexible cable, the second flexible cable including a second mating portion and a second shielding layer, the second mating portion being fixed in the housing and having one or more second contact pads, the second shielding layer being spaced apart from the one or more second contact pads and adjacent to the conductive layer on the second inner surface of the insulator of the housing.

7. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion, which together form a channel; and the electrical connector includes a spacer disposed in the channel of the housing, which securely fixes the first mating portion of the first flexible cable and the second mating portion of the second flexible cable on opposite sides of the spacer.

8. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The first and second shielding layers comprise aluminum foil.

9. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, comprising: A conductive member surrounds the channel and is disposed on the outer surface of the insulator of the housing and adjacent to the housing, such that the conductive member is electrically connected via the conductive layer of the housing to the first shielding layer and the second shielding layer of the first flexible cable and the second flexible cable.

10. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The housing includes a locking feature configured to receive a connector position guarantee; and the conductive member is disposed between the locking feature and the mating portion of the flexible cable.

11. An electrical connector, comprising: Connector housing, including a support portion at the mating end; And at least one cable assembly, each of the at least one cable assembly comprising: a flexible cable including a mating portion having one or more contact pads disposed on the support portion of the connector housing, and an assembly housing fixed in the connector housing and fixing the flexible cable at a position spaced apart from the mating portion, the assembly housing including one or more beams projecting toward the flexible cable.

12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein for each of the at least one cable assembly: the flexible cable is a first flexible cable including a first mating portion having one or more first contact pads; the cable assembly includes a second flexible cable and a spacer, the second flexible cable including a second mating portion having one or more second contact pads, the spacer being disposed in the assembly housing and between the first flexible cable and the second flexible cable; and the first mating portion and the second mating portion being disposed on opposite sides of the support portion.

13. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein: The component housing includes one or more first beams projecting from the top wall toward the first flexible cable, and one or more second beams projecting from the bottom wall toward the second flexible cable.

14. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 13, wherein: The one or more first beams and the one or more second beams project toward each other.

15. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one cable assembly comprises: The first cable assembly is configured for signal transmission; And a second cable assembly configured for power supply.

16. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein: The mating portion of the first flexible ribbon cable of the first cable assembly includes a plurality of first contact pads; the mating portion of the second flexible ribbon cable of the first cable assembly includes a plurality of second contact pads; the mating portion of the first flexible ribbon cable of the second cable assembly includes a single third contact pad; and the mating portion of the second flexible ribbon cable of the second cable assembly includes a single fourth contact pad.

17. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein: The connector housing includes an opening at the bottom; and a terminal position guarantee is disposed in the opening at the bottom of the connector housing, the terminal position guarantee including one or more arms that extend into the connector housing and engage with the assembly housing of the at least one cable assembly.

18. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein: The connector housing includes a locking feature at the top, the locking feature being configured to receive a connector position guarantee.

19. An electrical connector, comprising: main housing; Multiple conductive elements are fixed by the main housing; A cage, disposed outside the main housing and including a front portion extending beyond the main housing in the mating direction; an outer housing, attached to the cage and extending beyond the cage in the mating direction, the outer housing including a locking feature configured to engage complementary locking features of a mating connector and a connector position guarantee; wherein the mating connector is an electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein: The main housing includes a socket; the plurality of conductive elements include mating contact portions in the socket of the main housing and contact tails extending from the main housing and configured to be mounted to a circuit board; and a gap between the cage and the main housing, the gap being configured to receive a portion of the housing of the mating connector, such that the cage is electrically connected to the conductive layer of the housing of the mating connector.

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