Cable connector and communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a cable connector, comprising at least one conductive terminal electrically connected to a mating end. The conductive terminal comprises one or more signal terminals, each signal terminal comprising a signal contact-hook portion, a transition portion, a bending portion and a connection portion, wherein the signal contact-hook portion is connected to a first end of the transition portion, a second end of the transition portion is connected to a first end of the bending portion, and a second end of the bending portion is connected to a first end of the connection portion; the signal contact-hook portion is electrically connected to the mating end, and the connection portion is electrically connected to a cable; and the vertical distance from the first end of the connection portion to a plane where the mating end is located is less than the vertical distance from a second end of the connection portion to the plane where the mating end is located. The present disclosure further provides a communication system.

Description

Cable connectors and communication systems

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411483318.X, filed on October 23, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of electronic technology, and in particular to a cable connector and a communication system. Background Technology

[0004] As communication systems evolve towards speeds of 112Gbps and higher, traditional printed circuit boards (PCBs) are increasingly unable to meet the passive link transmission requirements of high-speed interconnect systems. Currently, replacing PCB traces with cable connector assemblies has become one of the mainstream technologies for improving link loss in communication systems. In communication equipment with high space constraints, especially in scenarios with limited vertical space and dense wiring, most horizontal cable connectors have two or more rows of leads to increase interconnect density. The connection portion of the leads (the part that connects to the cable) is parallel to the plane of the PCB. When cables are stacked vertically, the structures of the leads in the front and rear rows must be designed differently, which undoubtedly increases the design difficulty of the cable connector. Moreover, when it is necessary to reduce the height of the cable connector, the two rows of leads often share a common shielding structure, which increases the risk of crosstalk between the front and rear rows. Therefore, designing a new type of cable connector is essential. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a cable connector, including at least one conductive terminal electrically connected to a mating end. The conductive terminal includes one or more signal terminals, each signal terminal including a signal hook portion, a transition portion, a bend portion, and a connecting portion. The signal hook portion is connected to a first end of the transition portion, a second end of the transition portion is connected to a first end of the bend portion, and a second end of the bend portion is connected to a first end of the connecting portion. The signal hook portion is electrically connected to the mating end, and the connecting portion is electrically connected to a cable. The vertical distance from the first end of the connecting portion to the plane where the mating end is located is less than the vertical distance from the second end of the connecting portion to the plane where the mating end is located.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a cable connector and a mating end, wherein the cable connector is electrically connected to the mating end, and the cable connector includes the cable connector provided in embodiments of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0007] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein:

[0008] Figure 1 shows an application scenario of the cable connector provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure under ultra-low configuration and high demand conditions;

[0009] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0010] Figure 3 is an exploded view of a cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0011] Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of the cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0012] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0013] Figure 6 is a side view of the signal terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0014] Figure 7 is a side view of another signal terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0015] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the grounding terminal and metal sheet provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0016] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the metal sheet provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0017] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower suspension groove in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 11 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 12 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 13 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a shielding shell provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0022] Figure 15 is a side view of the shielding shell provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 16 is a structural schematic diagram of another cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 17 is a partial structural schematic diagram of this alternative cable connector, shown from a different perspective than Figure 16;

[0025] Figure 18 is a graph showing the insertion loss of the cable connector provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 19 is a graph of the return loss of the cable connector provided in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of a docking end provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this disclosure, the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The present disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the embodiments shown may be embodied in different forms, and the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth below. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the disclosure.

[0030] The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the detailed embodiments to explain this disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. The above and other features and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of the detailed embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] This disclosure may be described with reference to plan and / or cross-sectional views using the ideal schematic diagrams of this disclosure. Therefore, the example illustrations may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances.

[0032] Where there is no conflict, the various embodiments of this disclosure and the features thereof in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0033] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. The term "and / or" as used in this disclosure includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated enumerated entries. The singular forms "a" and "the" as used in this disclosure are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprising," "made of," etc., as used in this disclosure specify the presence of the stated feature, integral, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0034] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used in this disclosure (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless expressly so defined in this disclosure.

[0035] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but includes modifications to the configuration based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the areas illustrated in the drawings are schematic, and the shapes of the areas shown illustrate specific shapes of the areas of an element, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0036] Figure 1 illustrates an application scenario of the cable connector provided in this embodiment under the "ultra-low configuration, high performance" requirement. As shown in Figure 1, a chip 20 is provided at the mating end 10, and a heat sink 30 is provided on top of the chip 20 to dissipate the heat generated by the chip 20. The signal terminal of the chip 20 is electrically connected to the cable connector 40 through a line (not shown in the figure) on the mating end 10, and the cable connector 40 is electrically connected to the cable 50.

[0037] In the first aspect, the present disclosure provides a cable connector in which each row of conductive terminals can adopt the same structural design, which greatly simplifies the design difficulty and shortens the processing cycle of the cable connector. Even under ultra-low configuration with high requirements, the front and rear rows of conductive terminals can still adopt independent shielding structures. The cable connector has better performance in terms of insertion loss, return loss and crosstalk, and can support transmission rates of 112Gbps and above.

[0038] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, and Figure 3 is an exploded view of the cable connector in the communication system. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the cable connector includes multiple conductive terminals 1, which are fixed to a fixing member 2 and electrically connected to a cable 50. The conductive terminals 1 and the fixing member 2 are disposed within a housing 4, which protects the conductive terminals 1 and the fixing member 2 from collision damage.

[0039] In some embodiments, the plurality of conductive terminals 1 are arranged in two rows (as shown in FIG3), and each row may include one or more conductive terminals 1. The present disclosure embodiments do not limit the number of rows of conductive terminals 1.

[0040] Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of the cable connector shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, the cable connector includes at least one set of conductive terminals 1, and the sets of conductive terminals 1 are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the cable connector.

[0041] In some embodiments, multiple rows of conductive terminals 1 may be provided along the length of the cable connector, with each row including one or more sets of conductive terminals 1.

[0042] It should be noted that in this disclosure, the extension direction of the cable is defined as the length direction of the cable connector, as shown by the X direction in Figure 4; and the direction perpendicular to the length of the cable is defined as the width direction of the cable connector, as shown by the Y direction in Figure 4.

[0043] In some embodiments, each group of conductive terminals 1 includes one or more signal terminals 11, which are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the cable connector. The signal terminals 11 can be used to receive differential signals.

[0044] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a signal terminal provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, and Figure 6 is a side view of the signal terminal shown in Figure 5. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, each signal terminal 11 includes a signal hook portion 111, a transition portion 112, a bending portion 113, and a connecting portion 114. The signal hook portion 111 is connected to the first end of the transition portion 112, the second end of the transition portion 112 is connected to the first end of the bending portion 113, and the second end of the bending portion 113 is connected to the first end of the connecting portion 114. The signal hook portion 111 is electrically connected to the mating end 10, and the connecting portion 114 is electrically connected to the cable 50.

[0045] It should be noted that the first end and the second end are two opposite ends of the component. For ease of description, this disclosure defines the end closer to the mating end 10 as the first end and the end farther from the mating end 10 as the second end. For example, the first end of the transition portion 112 is the end closer to the mating end 10, and the second end of the transition portion 112 is the end farther from the mating end 10. The term "front end" as used in this disclosure refers to the end closer to the mating end 10, and the term "rear end" refers to the end farther from the mating end 10. For example, for the signal terminal 11, the signal hook portion 111 can be the front end of the signal terminal 11, and the connecting portion 114 can be the rear end of the signal terminal 11. For a cable connector, the signal hook portion 111 can be the front end of the cable connector.

[0046] The vertical distance from the first end of the connector 114 to the plane of the mating end 10 is less than the vertical distance from the second end to the plane of the mating end 10, meaning the connector 114 is inclined relative to the plane of the mating end 10. When cables are stacked in the longitudinal direction, due to the inclined arrangement of the connector 114, the cables can first be inclined upwards and then adjusted to be parallel to the plane of the mating end. Even with multiple rows of conductor terminals, the structure of each row of signal terminals is the same, meaning there is no need for differentiated design of the signal terminals, greatly reducing the design difficulty of the cable connector and shortening the processing cycle of the cable connector. Even under ultra-low configuration requirements, the front and rear rows of conductor terminals can still use independent shielding structures. The cable connector exhibits superior performance in terms of insertion loss, return loss, and crosstalk, and can support transmission rates of 112Gbps and above.

[0047] In some embodiments, the angle between the centerline of connector 114 in the X direction and the plane containing mating end 10 does not exceed 26°, thus obtaining an ultra-low-profile, horizontal cable connector, which helps to place the cable connector below the chip heat sink. This cable connector supports application requirements of 112Gbps and above in terms of transmission performance and structurally meets the requirement of being placed below the heat sink.

[0048] When the angle between the centerline of the connecting part 114 in the X direction and the plane where the mating end 10 is located is 30-90°, the conductor terminal 1 is more upright, resulting in a high-performance cable connector with less crosstalk. As shown in Figure 7, the tilt angle of the connecting part 114 is larger than that of the connecting part in Figure 6, making the cable connector more upright and with stronger anti-crosstalk performance.

[0049] In this embodiment, the height of the cable connector can be adjusted by adjusting the angle between the plane where the signal terminal and the mating end 10 are located, and the spacing between the front and rear rows of conductor terminals can be adjusted as needed. Therefore, the structure of the cable connector provided in this embodiment is more flexible.

[0050] In some embodiments, the signal terminal 11 further includes a signal spring portion 115, the first end of which is connected to the second end of the signal hook portion 111, and the second end of the signal spring portion 115 is connected to the first end of the transition portion 112. The signal spring portion 115 is used to increase the contact force between the signal hook portion 111 and the docking end 10.

[0051] In some embodiments, the widths of the transition portion 112, the bend portion 113, and the connecting portion 114 may be equal or unequal.

[0052] For example, the transition portion 112 and the bend portion 113 have equal widths, but their widths are smaller than the width of the connecting portion 114. A wider connecting portion 114 can improve the reliability of the electrical connection with the cable. The transition portion 112 and the bend portion 113 are surrounded by an insulator 7; narrowing their width can effectively increase the impedance of the signal terminal 11. The width of each part of the signal terminal can be flexibly adjusted according to the mechanical properties and impedance continuity of the signal terminal 11. This embodiment does not limit the specific width values ​​of each part of the signal terminal 11.

[0053] In some embodiments, the signal terminal 11 further includes a first gradient portion 116, the width of the first end of the first gradient portion 116 being equal to the width of the signal hook portion 111, and the width of the second end of the first gradient portion 116 being equal to the width of the signal spring portion 115.

[0054] The first gradient section 116 can smoothly transition between the signal hook section 111 and the signal spring section 115, which can avoid the impedance change of the signal terminal 11 caused by the size change of the signal hook section 111 and the signal spring section 115, improve the impedance continuity of the signal terminal, reduce signal reflection, thereby reducing signal transmission loss and improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0055] In some embodiments, to adjust the impedance of the conductive terminal 1, the width of the transition portion 112 is smaller, while the width of the signal spring portion 115 is larger. A second gradient portion 117 can also be provided between the transition portion 112 and the signal spring portion 115. The width of the first end of the second gradient portion 117 is the same as the width of the signal spring portion 115, and the width of the second end of the second gradient portion 117 is equal to the width of the transition portion 112. The second gradient portion 117 can smoothly transition between the signal spring portion 115 and the transition portion 112, which helps to adjust the impedance of the signal terminal of the cable connector, thereby reducing signal reflection, reducing signal transmission loss, and thus improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0056] In some embodiments, the width of the bending portion 113 is smaller than the width of the signal spring portion 115, while the width of the connecting portion 114 is wider to facilitate electrical connection with the cable 50. A third gradient portion 118 can also be provided between the bending portion 113 and the connecting portion 114. The width of the first end of the third gradient portion 118 is equal to the width of the bending portion 113, and the width of the second end of the third gradient portion 118 is equal to the width of the connecting portion 114. The third gradient portion 118 can smoothly transition between the bending portion 113 and the connecting portion 114, reducing signal reflection, reducing signal transmission loss, and improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0057] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the grounding terminal and the metal sheet provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figures 4 and 8, the conductive terminal 1 further includes at least one grounding terminal 12 and a metal sheet 13. The metal sheet 13 is electrically connected to the at least one grounding terminal 12.

[0058] In some embodiments, the grounding terminal 12 includes a grounding hook portion 121, a grounding spring portion 122, and a fixing portion 123. The second end of the grounding hook portion 121 is connected to the first end of the grounding spring portion 122, and the second end of the grounding spring portion 122 is connected to the first end of the fixing portion 123. The grounding hook portion 121 is electrically connected to the mating end 10. The metal sheet 13 is electrically connected to the second end of the fixing portion 123.

[0059] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the metal sheet provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the metal sheet 13 includes a metal sheet body 131 and a retainer 132. The retainer 132 protrudes from the first end of the metal sheet body 131. The retainer 132 has a convex surface, and the projection shape of the convex surface on the side of the retainer is consistent with the projection shape of the bent portion 113 of the signal terminal 11 on the side of the signal terminal. The fixing portion 123 of the grounding terminal 12 is connected to the first end of the retainer 132. The side of the retainer 132 and the side of the signal terminal 11 both refer to planes perpendicular to the Y direction. Because the convex surface on the retainer 132 has the same shape as the bent portion 113 of the signal terminal 11, a uniform side return path is provided for the bent area of ​​the signal terminal.

[0060] Referring to Figures 4 and 9, the metal sheet body 131 is provided with a cable receiving groove 133, which is used to receive the shielding layer 502 of the cable 50 and is electrically connected to the shielding layer 502 of the cable. In the installed state, the cable core 501 is electrically connected to the connection part 114 of the signal terminal 11, the cable shielding layer 502 is electrically connected to the cable receiving groove 133, and the cable sheath 503 extends from the rear end of the cable receiving groove 133. The shielding layer 502 of the cable 50 can be aluminum foil.

[0061] In some embodiments, the shielding layer 502 of the cable 50 is in close contact with the cable receiving groove 133, so that the shielding layer 502 of the cable 50 is electrically connected to the cable receiving groove 133.

[0062] In some embodiments, an elastic conductor (not shown in the figure) is provided between the shielding layer 502 of the cable 50 and the cable receiving groove 133, and the electric connection between the shielding layer 502 of the cable 50 and the cable receiving groove 133 is realized through the elastic conductor.

[0063] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the under-hanging slot in an embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figures 8 and 10, the cable connector also includes an under-hanging slot 5, which is disposed below the connection portion 114 of the signal terminal 11 and electrically connected to the metal plate body 131, but the under-hanging slot 5 remains insulated from the signal terminal 11. The under-hanging slot 5 can provide a uniform return path for the connection portion.

[0064] In some embodiments, the lower suspension groove 5 and the metal sheet 13 can be separate structures or integrally formed structures. When the lower suspension groove 5 and the metal sheet 13 are separate structures, the lower suspension groove 5 and the metal sheet body 131 can be physically connected by riveting, welding or snap-fitting.

[0065] In some embodiments, the lower suspension groove 5 includes a suspension groove body 51 and a suspension groove 52, wherein the groove surface of the suspension groove 52 is coplanar with the groove surface of the cable receiving groove 133.

[0066] In this embodiment, the vertical distance from the first end of the bending portion 113 to the plane where the docking end 10 is located is less than the vertical distance from the second end to the plane where the docking end 10 is located. The bending portion causes the connecting portion 114 to rise, which in turn causes the lower hanging groove 5 and the metal sheet 13 below the connecting portion 114 to rise. This increases the spacing between the projection areas of the front and rear rows of conductive terminals on the plane where the docking end 10 is located, thereby improving the crosstalk between the front and rear rows of signal terminals and weakening the electromagnetic coupling effect between the metal sheet and the PCB.

[0067] In some embodiments, the cable connector includes one or more conductive terminals.

[0068] When a cable connector includes a conductor terminal, the conductor terminal includes two or more ground terminals and one or more signal terminals spaced apart, with the signal terminals spaced apart between the ground terminals.

[0069] For example, when the cable connector includes a conductor terminal 1, the conductor terminal 1 includes two signal terminals 11 and two ground terminals 12 spaced apart, and the two signal terminals 11 are spaced apart between the two ground terminals 12.

[0070] When a cable connector includes two or more conductive terminals, the two or more conductive terminals are arranged in at least one row, and at least one grounding terminal is provided between adjacent conductive terminals in each row, and at least one grounding terminal is provided on the outermost side of each row of conductive terminals.

[0071] For example, when the cable connector includes two or more conductive terminals, the conductive terminal 1 includes a ground terminal 12 and two signal terminals 11 spaced apart, with the two signal terminals 11 spaced apart and the ground terminal 12 spaced apart on one side of the two signal terminals 11. Furthermore, at least one of the outermost conductive terminals includes two ground terminals 12 and two signal terminals 11 spaced apart, with the two signal terminals 11 spaced apart between the two ground terminals 12, thus ensuring that the outermost part of the cable connector is a ground terminal.

[0072] For example, when the cable connector includes two or more conductive terminals, each conductive terminal 1 includes two ground terminals 12 and two signal terminals 11 spaced apart, and the two signal terminals 11 are spaced apart between the two ground terminals 12.

[0073] In some embodiments, each group of conductive terminals 1 includes two or more signal terminals 11 and at least one ground terminal 12. The signal terminals 11 and the ground terminals 12 are arranged at intervals, and the ground terminal 12 is disposed on the outside of the conductive terminal 1, while the signal terminals 11 are disposed on the inside of the conductive terminal 1.

[0074] For example, the conductor terminal 1 includes two signal terminals 11 and a ground terminal 12. The two signal terminals 11 and the ground terminal 12 are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the cable connector. Moreover, the two signal terminals 11 are arranged side by side adjacent to each other. The ground terminal 12 can be located on one side of the two signal terminals 11, either on the left or right side, but it cannot be located between the two signal terminals 11.

[0075] For example, the conductor terminal 1 includes two signal terminals 11 and two ground terminals 12. The two signal terminals 11 and the two ground terminals 12 are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the cable connector. Moreover, the two signal terminals 11 are arranged side by side adjacent to each other, and the two ground terminals 12 can be arranged on both sides of the two signal terminals 11, that is, the two signal terminals 11 are located between the two ground terminals 12.

[0076] In some embodiments, each conductive terminal 1 includes at least one signal terminal 11 and at least one ground terminal 12. The at least one signal terminal 11 is arranged at intervals, and the at least one ground terminal 12 is arranged at intervals outside the plurality of signal terminals 11. Adjacent signal terminals 11 are arranged at a first preset distance, and the ground terminal 12 and the signal terminal 11 are arranged at a second preset distance, wherein the first preset distance is less than or equal to the second preset distance.

[0077] Figure 11 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 11, each conductive terminal 1 includes two signal terminals 11 and two ground terminals 12 arranged at intervals. The two signal terminals 11 are arranged at intervals, and the two ground terminals 12 are located to the sides of the two signal terminals 11, that is, the two signal terminals 11 are arranged between the two ground terminals 12. The two signal terminals 11 are arranged according to a first preset spacing L1, and the ground terminals 12 and signal terminals 11 are arranged according to a second preset spacing L2. The first preset spacing L1 and the second preset spacing L2 can be set as needed, but the first preset spacing L1 is less than or equal to the second preset spacing L2, that is, the spacing between the signal terminals 11 is less than or equal to the spacing between the signal terminals 11 and the ground terminals 12.

[0078] In some embodiments, when two or more conductor terminals 1 are arranged in two or more rows, adjacent rows of conductor terminals 1 are staggered in the width direction; and / or, adjacent rows of conductor terminals 1 are arranged at a third preset spacing in the length direction of the cable 50.

[0079] Figure 12 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, and Figure 13 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figures 12 and 13, two rows of conductive terminals are provided, with one or more conductive terminals in each row, and the multiple conductive terminals 1 are arranged at intervals. In the width direction of the cable connector, the conductive terminals 1 in the two rows are staggered, which is beneficial for the stacking of cables 50; more importantly, it can suppress crosstalk between conductive terminals 1 in different rows.

[0080] In some embodiments, the conductive terminals 1 in two adjacent rows are staggered in the width direction.

[0081] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG12, adjacent rows of conductive terminals 1 are arranged at a third preset spacing L3 along the length of the cable 50. For example, the third preset spacing L3 is greater than 2.5mm. In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the larger the spacing between adjacent rows of conductive terminals 1, the smaller the crosstalk between different rows of conductive terminals 1.

[0082] In some embodiments, the wire core 501 of the cable 50 is electrically connected to the connection portion 114 of the signal terminal 11, and the width of the connection portion 114 is not less than the diameter of the wire core 501.

[0083] Generally, the cable and the conductive terminal need to share a common ground, which means that the shielding layer 502 and the conductive terminal 1 need to be electrically connected. In some embodiments, the shielding layer 502 and the shielding cavity can be electrically connected by being tightly attached, or an elastic conductor can be filled between the shielding layer 502 and the shielding cavity to achieve the electrical connection between them. The shielding layer of the cable 50 and the shielding shell 6 are electrically connected by the elastic conductor.

[0084] Figure 14 is a structural schematic diagram of a shielding shell provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, and Figure 15 is a side view of a shielding shell provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the shielding shell 6 includes a shell body 61, and a suspended baffle portion 62, a fixed section shell top 63, a front support portion 64, a bending area shell top 65, a rear support portion 66, a connecting section shell top 67, and a cable receiving groove 68 disposed on the shell body 61. The suspended baffle portion 62 covers the signal spring portion 115, the fixed section shell top 63 covers the transition portion 112, and the bending area shell top 65 covers the bending portion 113. The shape of the bending area shell top 65 is similar to that of the bending portion 113. The shape of 13 is matched, the top 67 of the connecting section shell covers the connecting part 114, the top of the front support part 64 is connected to the top 63 of the fixed section shell, the bottom end of the front support part 64 extends toward the docking end 10 and is electrically connected to the fixing part 123 of the grounding terminal 12; the top of the rear support part 66 is connected to the top 65 of the bending area shell, the bottom end of the rear support part 66 extends toward the docking end 10 and is electrically connected to the metal sheet 13; the cable receiving groove 68 is used to receive the shielding layer of the cable 50.

[0085] The top 65 of the bend area shell has the same shape as the bend portion 113 of the signal terminal 11, which can provide a uniform lateral return path for the bend portion 113 of the signal terminal 11, and can improve the impedance continuity of the signal terminal 11, reduce signal reflection, thereby reducing signal transmission loss and improving signal transmission efficiency.

[0086] In this embodiment, the number of shielding shells 6 is not less than the number of conductive terminals 1, and each conductive terminal 1 corresponds to one shielding shell 6. When the cable connector includes multiple shielding shells 6, the shell bodies 61 of the multiple shielding shells 6 can be an integral structure.

[0087] In some embodiments, a cable pass-through slot 69 is also provided on the top of the shielding shell 6 for receiving the cable 50. The top of the shielding shell 6 refers to the outer side of the shielding cavity, i.e., the side of the shielding shell 6 away from the mating end 10. When the cable connector has multiple rows of conductive terminals 1, the cable 50 electrically connected to the front row of conductive terminals 1 can pass through the cable pass-through slot 69 on the rear row of shielding shells 6, thus keeping the cable 50 neat and preventing tangles.

[0088] The cable connector also includes an insulator 7, which covers the transition portion 112 and the bend portion 113 of the signal terminal 11. The insulator 7 can completely cover the transition portion 112 and the bend portion 113 of the signal terminal 11, i.e., a closed cover, or it can partially cover the transition portion 112 and the bend portion 113, i.e., a semi-open cover.

[0089] Figure 16 is a structural schematic diagram of a cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, and Figure 17 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a cable connector provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figures 17 and 16 are views of the same cable connector from different directions. Referring to Figures 16 and 17, an opening 71 is provided at the bottom of the insulator 7, realizing a semi-open enclosure of the transition portion 112 and the bending portion 113 of the insulator 7. Compared with a closed enclosure, the width of the transition portion 112 and the bending portion 113 can be increased in a semi-open enclosure.

[0090] The insulator 7 is semi-openly covered around the transition portion 112, the bending portion 113, and the fixing portion 123 of the grounding terminal of the signal terminal 11.

[0091] For example, the insulator 7 can be made of a highly fluid plastic material such as a liquid crystal polymer. After the insulator 7 has cured, the conductive terminal 1 and the metal sheet 13 can be fixed together.

[0092] As shown in Figure 3, the cable connector also includes a fixing member 2. The fixing member 2 includes a fixing body 21 and a plurality of fixing slots 22 disposed on the fixing body 21. The plurality of fixing slots 22 are provided in at least one row along the length direction of the fixing member 2, and the fixing slots 22 in each row are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the fixing member 2.

[0093] The fastener 2 can be a plastic support frame or a metal bracket. When the fastener 2 is a metal bracket, a slot is provided on the metal bracket, and the conductor terminal 1 is separated and fixed on the metal bracket by snapping.

[0094] In some embodiments, the cable connector further includes a housing 4, which is upside down on the surface of the mating end 10, and the conductive terminal 1 is disposed inside the housing 4.

[0095] Figure 18 is an insertion loss curve of the cable connector provided in this embodiment, and Figure 19 is a return loss curve of the cable connector provided in this embodiment. The horizontal axis represents frequency (GHz), and the vertical axis represents amplitude (dB). Combining Figures 18 and 19, the insertion loss curve shows that the insertion loss is greater than -0.5dB at 56GHz. The return loss curve shows that the return loss is less than -19dB in the (0-28)GHz band, less than -18dB in the (28-56)GHz band, and less than -13dB in the (56-84)GHz band. The cable connector provided in this embodiment can effectively support transmission rates of 112Gbps and above.

[0096] The cable connector provided in this embodiment includes a signal terminal 11 comprising a signal trench contact, a transition portion 112, a bending portion 113, and a connecting portion 114 connected in sequence. The vertical distance from the first end of the connecting portion 114 to the plane where the mating end 10 is located is less than the vertical distance from the second end of the connecting portion 114 to the plane where the mating end 10 is located. That is, the connecting portion 114 is inclined relative to the plane where the mating end is located. When the cables are stacked in the longitudinal direction, due to the inclined setting of the connecting portion, the cables can first be inclined upward and then adjusted to be parallel to the plane where the mating end is located. Therefore, even if multiple rows of conductive terminals are provided, the structure of each row of signal terminals is the same, that is, there is no need to differentiate the design of the signal terminals, which greatly reduces the design difficulty of the cable connector and can also shorten the processing cycle of the cable connector. Even under ultra-low configuration requirements, the front and rear rows of conductive terminals can still adopt independent shielding structures. The cable connector has better performance in terms of insertion loss, return loss, and crosstalk, and can support transmission rates of 112Gbps and above.

[0097] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system.

[0098] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system provided in this embodiment includes a cable connector 40 and a mating end 10. The cable connector is electrically connected to the mating end 10, and the cable connector includes the cable connector provided in this embodiment.

[0099] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of a docking end provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 6 and 20, the docking end 10 includes a circuit board 101 and at least one set of conductive plates 102. The at least one set of conductive plates is disposed on the surface of the circuit board and electrically connected to the lines on the circuit board. The signal contact hook portion 111 of the cable connector is electrically connected to the conductive plates.

[0100] In some embodiments, each group of conductive tabs includes multiple conductive tabs, which are arranged at intervals, and the spacing between the multiple conductive tabs is consistent with the spacing between the signal terminal 11 and the ground terminal 12 in the conductive terminal 1.

[0101] In some embodiments, the conductive piece 102 includes a signal piece 1021 and a ground piece 1022. The spacing between adjacent signal pieces 1021 is a first preset spacing, the spacing between a signal piece 1021 and an adjacent ground piece 1022 is a second preset spacing, and the spacing between two rows of conductive pieces 102 is a third preset spacing. Appropriately increasing this spacing is beneficial to reducing crosstalk between two rows of conductive pieces 102. The specific sizes of the first preset spacing, the second preset spacing, and the third preset spacing are not limited.

[0102] For example, when the conductive terminal 1 includes two signal terminals 11 and two ground terminals 12, each set of conductive tabs includes four conductive tabs. The spacing of the four conductive tabs corresponds to the spacing between signal terminals 11 and between signal terminals 11 and ground terminals 12. The conductive terminal 1 is electrically connected to the corresponding conductive tabs, which can realize the electrical connection between the cable connector and the mating terminal 10.

[0103] The communication system provided in this embodiment has a feature where the vertical distance from the first end of the connector 114 to the plane where the mating end 10 is located is less than the vertical distance from the second end to the plane where the mating end 10 is located. That is, the connector 114 is inclined relative to the plane where the mating end is located. When the cables are stacked in the longitudinal direction, the cables can be inclined upwards and then adjusted to be parallel to the plane where the mating end is located due to the inclined setting of the connector. Therefore, even if multiple rows of conductive terminals are provided, the structure of each row of signal terminals is the same, that is, there is no need to differentiate the design of the signal terminals, which greatly reduces the design difficulty of the cable connector and shortens the processing cycle of the cable connector. Even under ultra-low configuration requirements, the front and rear rows of conductive terminals can still adopt independent shielding structures. The cable connector has better performance in terms of insertion loss, return loss and crosstalk, and can support transmission rates of 112Gbps and above.

[0104] This disclosure has disclosed exemplary embodiments, and although specific terminology has been used, it is for general illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with particular embodiments may be used alone, or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments, unless otherwise expressly indicated. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure as set forth by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cable connector comprising at least one conductive terminal electrically connected to a mating end, the conductive terminal comprising: One or more signal terminals, each signal terminal including a signal hook portion, a transition portion, a bend portion and a connecting portion, wherein the signal hook portion is connected to a first end of the transition portion, a second end of the transition portion is connected to a first end of the bend portion, and a second end of the bend portion is connected to a first end of the connecting portion; the signal hook portion is electrically connected to the mating end, and the connecting portion is electrically connected to a cable; The vertical distance from the first end of the connecting part to the plane where the mating end is located is less than the vertical distance from the second end to the plane where the mating end is located.

2. The cable connector according to claim 1, wherein, The signal terminal also includes a signal spring portion, the first end of which is connected to the second end of the signal hook portion, and the second end of which is connected to the first end of the transition portion.

3. The cable connector according to claim 2, wherein, The signal terminal also includes: The first gradient portion has a first end whose width is equal to the width of the signal hook portion, and a second end whose width is equal to the width of the signal spring portion. And / or, a second gradient portion, wherein the width of the first end of the second gradient portion is the same as the width of the signal spring portion, and the width of the second end of the second gradient portion is equal to the width of the transition portion; And / or, a third gradient portion, wherein the width of the first end of the third gradient portion is equal to the width of the bent portion, and the width of the second end of the third gradient portion is equal to the width of the connecting portion.

4. The cable connector according to claim 2, wherein, The conductive terminal also includes: At least one grounding terminal; and A metal sheet, which is electrically connected to the at least one grounding terminal.

5. The cable connector according to claim 4, wherein, The metal sheet includes a metal sheet body and a baffle. The baffle protrudes from the first end of the metal sheet body. The baffle has a convex surface. The projection shape of the convex surface on the side of the baffle is consistent with the projection shape of the bent portion of the signal terminal on the side of the signal terminal. The grounding terminal includes a fixing portion, and the fixing portion of the grounding terminal is connected to the first end of the baffle. The metal sheet body is provided with a cable receiving groove, which is used to electrically connect with the shielding layer of the cable.

6. The cable connector according to claim 5, wherein, The grounding terminal further includes a grounding hook portion and a grounding spring portion, wherein the second end of the grounding hook portion is connected to the first end of the grounding spring portion, the second end of the grounding spring portion is connected to the first end of the fixing portion, the grounding hook portion is electrically connected to the mating end, and the metal sheet is electrically connected to the second end of the fixing portion.

7. The cable connector according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The cable's shielding layer and the cable's receiving groove are provided with elastic conductors.

8. The cable connector according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The cable connector also includes a hanging slot, which is disposed below the connection portion of the signal terminal and electrically connected to the metal plate.

9. The cable connector according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The cable connector: It may include only one conductive terminal, wherein the conductive terminal includes two or more grounding terminals and one or more signal terminals spaced apart, and the signal terminals are spaced apart between the grounding terminals; or it may include two or more conductive terminals arranged in at least one row, wherein at least one grounding terminal is provided between adjacent conductive terminals in each row, and at least one grounding terminal is provided on the outermost side of each row of conductive terminals.

10. The cable connector according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, Two or more of the signal terminals in the conductive terminals are arranged with a first preset spacing, and the grounding terminal and the signal terminal are arranged with a second preset spacing, wherein the first preset spacing is less than or equal to the second preset spacing; And / or, when two or more conductive terminals are arranged in two or more rows, adjacent rows of conductive terminals are staggered in the width direction; and / or, adjacent rows of conductive terminals are arranged at a third preset spacing in the length direction of the cable.

11. The cable connector according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The cable connector further includes a shielding shell, which, together with the metal sheet, forms a shielding cavity, and the cable's shielding layer is disposed within the shielding cavity.

12. The cable connector according to claim 11, wherein, The shielding shell includes a shell body, and a suspended baffle portion, a fixed section shell top, a front support portion, a bending area shell top, a rear support portion, a connecting section shell top, and a cable receiving groove disposed on the shell body. The suspended baffle portion covers the signal spring portion, the fixed section shell top covers the transition portion, the bending area shell top covers the bending portion, the shape of the bending area shell top matches the shape of the bending portion, the connecting section shell top covers the connecting portion, the top of the front support portion is connected to the fixed section shell top, the bottom of the front support portion extends toward the docking end and is electrically connected to the fixed portion of the grounding terminal; the top of the rear support portion is connected to the bending area shell top, the bottom of the rear support portion extends toward the docking end and is electrically connected to the metal sheet; the cable receiving groove is used to accommodate the shielding layer of the cable.

13. The cable connector according to claim 11, wherein, A cable slot is also provided on the top of the shielding shell for storing the cable.

14. The cable connector according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The cable connector also includes an insulator. The insulator covers the transition portion and the bend portion of the signal terminal; and / or, the insulator covers the periphery of the transition portion, the bend portion, and the fixing portion of the grounding terminal.

15. The cable connector according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a housing, which is inverted onto the surface of the mating end, and the conductive terminal is disposed inside the housing.

16. A communication system comprising a cable connector and a mating end, the cable connector being electrically connected to the mating end, the cable connector comprising the cable connector according to any one of claims 1-15.

17. The communication system according to claim 16, wherein, The docking end includes: Circuit board; At least one set of conductive tabs is disposed on the surface of the circuit board and electrically connected to the lines on the circuit board, and the signal contact portion of the cable connector is electrically connected to the conductive tabs.

18. The communication system according to claim 17, wherein, Each group of conductive tabs includes multiple conductive tabs, which are arranged at intervals. The spacing between the multiple conductive tabs is consistent with the spacing between the signal terminals and the ground terminals in the conductive terminals.

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