Electrical Connector Ground Shield for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical connectors often produce unwanted noise at specific operating frequencies due to the interaction between signal and ground contacts, which current designs fail to adequately mitigate.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an electrically conductive ground shield with projections that contact ground contacts of columns, while maintaining electrical isolation from signal contacts, to create a common electrical communication among ground contacts and shift the resonant frequency, thereby reducing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ground contacts are placed in communication with conductive cables, then the electrical connector can provide grounding functionality, but unwanted noise is produced at certain operating frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
A ground shield is introduced as an intermediary component between signal contacts and ground contacts. The ground shield includes a shield body positioned between columns and contact members that extend to contact ground contacts, providing a mediating structure that manages electromagnetic interactions while maintaining grounding functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground shield is segmented into a shield body and multiple contact members. The shield body is spaced from signal contacts to define gaps, while contact members extend to touch ground contacts. This segmentation allows the ground shield to perform multiple functions: shielding signal contacts from ground contacts while maintaining electrical connection to ground through contact members.
2Volume of moving object
If ground contacts are positioned close to signal contacts for compact design, then device size is reduced, but noise and crosstalk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ground shield utilizes the lateral dimension by positioning the shield body between columns of contacts. The shield body extends laterally between signal contact columns, creating electromagnetic shielding in the lateral direction without increasing the longitudinal or vertical dimensions of the connector, thus maintaining compact size while reducing crosstalk.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground shield provides localized electromagnetic shielding only where needed - between specific columns of signal contacts. The shield body is positioned strategically between columns, and contact members are configured to contact specific ground contacts, creating local quality improvements in electromagnetic compatibility without requiring complete reconfiguration of the entire connector structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces noise by shifting the resonant frequency, enhancing the performance of the electrical connector by minimizing crosstalk and improving signal integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The ground shield can include a plurality of contact members that extend out with respect to the shield body and are in contact with a respective at least two of the ground contacts, respectively, of the first one of the columns
Implementation Method 2
The ground shield can have a shield body that defines a first side and a second side opposite the first side along the lateral direction. The shield body can face at least one of the signal contacts of the first one of the columns and can be spaced along the lateral direction from the at least one of the signal contacts
Data Source
AI summary
A ground shield includes a plurality of contact members configured to contact the ground contacts of a column of contacts of an electrical connector, so as to electrically common the grounds to each other.