Plug and Receptacle Connector Shielding for Compact High-Speed Signals

The patent introduces grounding members as intermediary elements positioned between adjacent signal terminals. These grounding members act as mediators that electrically connect to the ground and physically separate the signal terminals, thereby eliminating crosstalk while maintaining the compact terminal arrangement. The grounding members serve as the intermediary structure that enables both close terminal spacing and signal isolation.

The patent inverts the traditional assembly sequence by assembling grounding members from the front end of the insulating body rather than from the rear end. This inversion allows the grounding members to be positioned at the contact portions of ground terminals during assembly, ensuring that the grounding position coincides with the actual contact point. This approach maintains manufacturing ease while significantly improving grounding effectiveness by eliminating the long distance between grounding and contact points.

The patent segments the grounding connection function by using multiple separate grounding members positioned between individual signal terminals, rather than using a single continuous bus bar. Each grounding member independently connects adjacent ground contacts, eliminating the need for long ground contacts or complex signal contact arrangements. This segmentation approach achieves reliable grounding while maintaining compact terminal dimensions and simple contact geometry.