Shielded Electrical Connector with Surface Tabs for EMI Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors have gaps in their shielding at the interface with circuit boards, leaving pins unshielded between the contact modules and the board, which can lead to inadequate protection against electromagnetic interference and other signal disruptions.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a dielectric body with signal contacts and grounding portions that include compliant pins and surface tabs, which extend below the base edges to fill the gaps between the shielding and the circuit board, providing comprehensive electrical shielding by being received in plated vias and deflecting against the board's surface during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the shielding ends a distance above the top of the circuit board to allow full mounting of the electrical connector, then the ease of manufacture and assembly is improved, but the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness deteriorates because the pins are unshielded in the space between the bottom of the contact modules and the top of the circuit board
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding portion extends in the vertical dimension below the base edge of the signal contact, with the surface tab projecting downward to fill the gap between the shielding and circuit board. This dimensional extension provides shielding coverage in the previously unshielded zone without interfering with the horizontal mounting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface tab is made compliant and deflectable, allowing it to flex during the press-fitting mounting process. This flexibility enables the tab to be pushed into the gap space and conform to the mounting surface, ensuring continuous shielding coverage while accommodating the mechanical assembly process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional ground vias are added to the circuit board to improve shielding coverage, then the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surface tab acts as an intermediary shielding element that bridges the gap between the grounding portion and the circuit board mounting surface. It provides continuous electromagnetic shielding coverage in the gap space without requiring additional vias or traces in the circuit board, thereby avoiding increased board complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding portion with surface tab is self-contained and provides its own shielding coverage in the gap space. It does not rely on additional circuit board features or external components to achieve continuous shielding, making the solution independent and avoiding added complexity to the circuit board design.
Data Source
AI summary
A contact module includes a dielectric body holding signal contacts and a shield coupled to the dielectric body having grounding portions providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. Each grounding portion includes a base edge generally coplanar with the base edges of the signal contacts and a compliant pin extending below the base edge. Each grounding portion includes a surface tab extending below the base edge to at least partially fill a space between the base edge of the grounding portion and a mounting surface of the circuit board such that the surface tab provides electrical shielding for the compliant pins of the signal contacts in the space between the base edge of the signal contact and the mounting surface of the circuit board.