Interleaved Ground Shield Bridges for Electrical Connector Crosstalk Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors with ground shields face challenges in efficiently and reliably connecting ground shields to common their electrical potential, leading to increased complexity, cost, and inadequate shielding between signal conductors, particularly within the same contact module.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design features interleaved ground shields with bridges that extend laterally across contact modules, with distal tips engaging bridge slots of adjacent ground shields to establish direct electrical connections, reducing the need for discrete tie bars and enhancing shielding between signal conductors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If discrete ground tie bars are used to connect ground shields, then electrical connection between ground shields is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase due to additional parts, tooling, and labor
Solution Approach 1:
The ground shield and ground tie bar are merged into a single monolithic structure. The ground tie bar is formed as an integral extension of the ground shield plate, eliminating the need for separate discrete tie bars and reducing assembly steps while maintaining reliable electrical connection between adjacent ground shields.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground shield structure is given multi-functionality by integrating the ground tie bar function directly into the ground shield plate. This single component simultaneously provides shielding between contact modules and establishes electrical connection to adjacent ground shields, reducing the total number of components required.
2Reliability
If discrete ground tie bars are used to connect ground shields, then electrical connection between ground shields is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases due to additional parts, tooling, and labor
Solution Approach 1:
The ground shield and ground tie bar are merged into a single monolithic structure. The ground tie bar is formed as an integral extension of the ground shield plate, eliminating the need for separate discrete tie bars and reducing assembly steps while maintaining reliable electrical connection between adjacent ground shields.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground shield structure is given multi-functionality by integrating the ground tie bar function directly into the ground shield plate. This single component simultaneously provides shielding between contact modules and establishes electrical connection to adjacent ground shields, reducing the total number of components required.
3Reliability
If ground tie bars are threaded across the stack, then electrical connection between ground shields is achieved, but alignment difficulty increases making installation complex
Solution Approach 1:
The ground shield and ground tie bar are merged into a single monolithic structure. The ground tie bar is formed as an integral extension of the ground shield plate, eliminating the need for separate discrete tie bars and reducing assembly steps while maintaining reliable electrical connection between adjacent ground shields.
4Reliability
If ground tie bars are used, then electrical connection between ground shields is achieved, but shielding between signal conductors within the same contact module is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The ground shield plate is segmented with multiple openings that allow ground bridges to extend through the plate. These ground bridges are positioned to provide shielding between signal conductors within the same contact module, while the segmented structure still enables electrical connection between adjacent ground shields through the plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground shield structure has different functional regions: the plate provides shielding between contact modules, while the ground bridges extending through openings provide localized shielding between signal conductors within the same contact module. Each region is optimized for its specific shielding requirement.
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
This solution simplifies the assembly process, reduces costs, and improves signal integrity by ensuring efficient electrical commoning of ground shields, thereby enhancing the electrical performance of the connector by reducing return loss and crosstalk between signal conductors.
Implementation Method 1
the distal tips engage edges of the bridge slots to electrically connect the ground shields together
Implementation Method 2
The electrical connectors may include ground shields that are disposed between the signal conductors of adjacent contact modules in order to provide electrical shielding between the contact modules. The electrical shielding may reduce crosstalk between the signal conductors
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a plurality of contact modules and ground shields. The ground shields are interleaved with the contact modules within a housing, such that the ground shields alternate with the contact modules. The contact modules include multiple electrical signal conductors held by a dielectric body of the respective contact module. Each of the ground shields includes a plate that defines a bridge slot therethrough and a ground bridge extending from the plate. The ground bridge extends from the plate at a location that is spaced apart from the bridge slot. The ground bridges of the ground shields extend laterally across corresponding contact modules. Distal tips of the ground bridges are received within the bridge slots of adjacent ground shields disposed along opposite sides of the corresponding contact modules, and the distal tips engage edges of the bridge slots to electrically connect the ground shields together.