Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080280492 | Electrical connector with programmable lead frame - A contact module assembly is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module assembly includes a lead frame having a plurality of terminals and a commoning member at least partially including an electrically conductive material. The commoning member has a plurality of tabs that are electrically connected to selected ones of the terminals, thereby electrically commoning the selected ones of the terminals. The commoning member can be configured with different patterns of the tabs to selectively configure the lead frame with different patterns of commoned terminals. | 11-13-2008 |
20090176400 | CABLE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY - A connector assembly includes a housing having support walls extending between a loading end and a mating end that define a mating interface. A contact module is received within the housing through the loading end, and the contact module includes contacts, a body and a plurality of conductors held by the body. The conductors extend between mating ends and wire terminating ends, and the contacts extend from the mating ends of the conductors at the mating interface of the housing. The wire terminating ends are configured to be terminated to individual wires of a cable. A clip has a first securing tab and a second securing tab, wherein the first securing tab is securely coupled to the housing and the second securing tab is securely coupled to the contact module. The clip securely retains the contact module within the housing. | 07-09-2009 |
20100178779 | ORTHOGONAL CONNECTOR SYSTEM - An orthogonal connector system for connecting a first circuit board and a second circuit board oriented orthogonally with respect to the first circuit board includes a receptacle assembly and a header assembly mated with the receptacle assembly. The receptacle assembly is connected to the first circuit board and the header assembly is connected to the second circuit board. The receptacle assembly and the header assembly both have a housing and contact modules held within the corresponding housing. The contact modules have contact tails extending from a mounting edge thereof, where the contact tails of the receptacle connector are connected to the first circuit board and the contact tails of the header assembly are connected to the second circuit board. The contact modules have mating contacts extending from a mating edge thereof, where the mating edges are generally orthogonal with respect to the mounting edges. The mating contacts of the receptacle assembly are directly connected to the mating contacts of the header assembly. The mounting edge of the receptacle assembly is generally orthogonal with respect to the mounting edge of the header assembly. | 07-15-2010 |
20100197149 | HIGH DENSITY CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY - A connector assembly includes an array of signal contacts having mating portions configured for mating engagement with corresponding signal contacts of a mating connector assembly. The assembly also includes a housing holding the array of signal contacts in rows and columns. The signal contacts are arranged along axes of the rows and columns, and the mating portions of the signal contacts are oriented at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the axes of the rows and columns. | 08-05-2010 |
20100304581 | ORTHOGONAL CONNECTOR SYSTEM WITH POWER CONNECTION - An orthogonal connector system for connecting a first circuit board and a second circuit board oriented orthogonally with respect to the first circuit board includes a receptacle assembly and a header assembly mated with the receptacle assembly. The receptacle assembly is connected to the first circuit board and the header assembly is connected to the second circuit board. The receptacle assembly and the header assembly both have a housing and contact modules held within the corresponding housing. Each contact module has a dielectric body and mating contacts extending from the dielectric body. The mating contacts of the receptacle assembly are directly connected to the mating contacts of the header assembly. At least some of the mating contacts of the receptacle assembly define power contacts configured to transmit power and at least some of the mating contacts of the receptacle assembly define power contacts configured to be mated with the power contacts of the receptacle assembly. | 12-02-2010 |
20100330820 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SYSTEM HAVING REDUCED MATING FORCES - An electrical connector system includes a circuit board having a mounting side and first and second electrical connectors mounted to the mounting side of the circuit board. The first and second electrical connectors each having a mating interface. The first and second electrical connectors being mounted to the circuit board in an offset configuration such that the mating interfaces of the first and second electrical connectors are parallel to one another and non-coplanar with respect to one another. Optionally, the mating interfaces may be perpendicular to the mounting side. The first and second electrical connectors may be identical to one another. | 12-30-2010 |
20110065320 | CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY HAVING AN ELECTRICAL COMPENSATION COMPONENT - A connector assembly includes a contact module comprising a lead frame having contacts defining separate conductive paths. The contact module also includes a compensation component coupled to selected contacts and affecting signals transmitted along the conductive paths of the selected contacts. The contact module also includes a body overmolded over the contacts and the compensation component. | 03-17-2011 |
20110065326 | CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY HAVING A STABILIZER - A connector assembly includes a housing extending along a housing axis between a front and a rear and contact modules loaded into the housing along the housing axis through the rear. The contact modules have a body holding contacts arranged along contact planes. A stabilizer is coupled to the housing and is coupled to the contact modules to hold the contact modules such that the contact planes are parallel to the housing axis. | 03-17-2011 |
20110143591 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING CONTACT MODULES - A contact module is provided for an electrical connector. The contact module includes a housing having a mating edge, a mounting edge, and a side. An electrical lead is held by the housing. The electrical lead extends from a mating contact to a mounting contact. The mating contact extends outwardly from the mating edge of the housing. The mounting contact extends outwardly from the mounting edge of the housing. An inner ground shield is mounted on the housing. The inner ground shield includes a housing side segment that extends over at least a portion of the side of the housing between the mating and mounting edges thereof. An outer ground shield is mounted on the housing. The outer ground shield extends over at least a portion of the housing side segment of the inner ground shield. | 06-16-2011 |
20110250792 | BACKSHELL FOR A CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY - A connector assembly includes a connector having a connector housing holding contacts, with the contacts being configured to be terminated to cables extending rearward from the connector housing. The connector assembly also includes a backshell having walls defining a cavity receiving the connector housing and cables. The backshell is electrically connected to cable shields of the cables. The backshell has fingers extending from the walls that are configured to engage a grounded component exterior of the cavity. Distal ends of the fingers are captured interior of the cavity. | 10-13-2011 |
20110294346 | CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY - A connector assembly includes contact modules each having a dielectric body and plurality of contacts. The dielectric body includes windows internal of the dielectric body and located between adjacent contacts. Holders support corresponding contact modules and the holders are coupled together such that the contact modules are stacked parallel to one another. The holders are electrically grounded and include a support wall and tabs extending outward from the support wall. The contact modules are coupled to the holders such that the tabs are received in the windows to provide shielding within the contact modules. | 12-01-2011 |
20120129394 | Electrical Connector System - An electrical connector system for mounting to a substrate is disclosed. The electrical connector system may include a plurality of wafer assemblies defining a mating end and a mating end. Each wafer assembly may include a first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of the overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts at the mating end of the wafer assembly; a first ground shield configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts; and a second overmolded array of electrical contacts configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of the overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts at the mating end of the wafer assembly. | 05-24-2012 |
20120129395 | Electrical Connector System - An electrical connector system may include a plurality of wafer assemblies. Each wafer assembly may include a first overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures; a second overmolded array of electrical contacts configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, the second overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures; and a conductive ground bracket positioned in the wafer assembly between the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and the second array of electrical contacts. The conductive ground bracket defines a first array of ridges, each ridge of the first array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts. The conductive ground bracket defines a second array of ridges, each ridge of the second array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts. | 05-24-2012 |
20120184138 | CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY - A connector assembly includes contact modules having dielectric bodies holding contacts having mating portions extending from the dielectric body. The connector assembly includes a conductive shield body holding the contact modules in a stacked configuration. The shield body provides shielding around the contact modules and the shield body has a mating end configured to be mated to a mating connector assembly. The mating end has one or more exposed surfaces between corresponding contacts. The shield body extends between selected contact modules. The connector assembly includes a conductive gasket positioned along the mating end of the shield body. The conductive gasket engages the exposed surfaces of the shield body to define a ground path between the conductive shield body and the mating connector assembly. | 07-19-2012 |
20120184140 | CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY - A connector assembly includes contact modules each having a dielectric frame and contacts held by the dielectric frame. The contacts are arranged along a contact plane within the frame. The dielectric frame includes frame members connected by connecting segments. The frame has windows between the frame members located between adjacent contacts. Holders support corresponding contact modules. The holders are electrically grounded. The holders each have a support wall and tabs that extend outward from the support wall. The contact modules are coupled to the holders such that the tabs are received in the windows to provide shielding within the contact modules. The holders are coupled together such that the contact modules are stacked together with the tabs of at least some of the holders that extend into the contact module held by the adjacent holder and across the contact plane defined by the contact module of the adjacent holder. | 07-19-2012 |
20130017723 | GROUNDING STRUCTURES FOR HEADER AND RECEPTACLE ASSEMBLIESAANM DAVIS; WAYNE SAMUELAACI HARRISBURGAAST PAAACO USAAGP DAVIS; WAYNE SAMUEL HARRISBURG PA USAANM WHITEMAN, JR.; ROBERT NEILAACI MIDDLETOWNAAST PAAACO USAAGP WHITEMAN, JR.; ROBERT NEIL MIDDLETOWN PA US - A receptacle assembly has a front housing configured to be mated with a header assembly. A contact module is coupled to the front housing. The contact module includes a conductive holder that has an open first side and a closed second side. The conductive holder has a chamber between the first and second sides. The conductive holder has a front coupled to the front housing. A frame assembly is received in the chamber through the open first side. The frame assembly includes a first dielectric frame that has a plurality of contacts and a second dielectric frame that has a plurality of contacts. The first and second dielectric frames both are received in the chamber of the conductive holder. The contacts extend from the conductive holder for electrical termination. A ground shield is coupled to the conductive holder and closes the open first side. The ground shield is electrically connected to the conductive holder. The ground shield has grounding beams that extend forward of the front of the conductive holder for electrical connection to a corresponding header shield of the header assembly. | 01-17-2013 |
20130017725 | GROUNDING STRUCTURES FOR HEADER AND RECEPTACLE ASSEMBLIESAANM DAVIS; WAYNE SAMUELAACI HARRISBURGAAST PAAACO USAAGP DAVIS; WAYNE SAMUEL HARRISBURG PA USAANM WHITEMAN, JR.; ROBERT NEILAACI MIDDLETOWNAAST PAAACO USAAGP WHITEMAN, JR.; ROBERT NEIL MIDDLETOWN PA US - A receptacle assembly includes a front housing configured for mating with a header assembly. A contact module is coupled to the front housing. The contact module includes a conductive holder that has a first side and an opposite second side. The conductive holder has a front coupled to the front housing. The conductive holder holds a frame assembly. The frame assembly includes a plurality of contacts and a dielectric frame supporting the contacts. The dielectric frame is received in the conductive holder. The contacts extend from the conductive holder for electrical termination. A ground shield is coupled to the first side. The ground shield is electrically connected to the conductive holder. The ground shield has grounding beams that extend therefrom. The grounding beams extend forward of the front of the conductive holder for electrical connection to a corresponding header shield of the header assembly. First and second side shields are coupled to the first and second sides, respectively. The first and second side shields are electrically connected to the conductive holder. The first and second side shields have grounding fingers that extend therefrom. The grounding fingers extend forward of the front of the conductive holder for electrical connection to a corresponding header shield of the header assembly. | 01-17-2013 |
20130017726 | GROUNDING STRUCTURES FOR HEADER AND RECEPTACLE ASSEMBLIESAANM DAVIS; WAYNE SAMUELAACI HARRISBURGAAST PAAACO USAAGP DAVIS; WAYNE SAMUEL HARRISBURG PA USAANM WHITEMAN, JR.; ROBERT NEILAACI MIDDLETOWNAAST PAAACO USAAGP WHITEMAN, JR.; ROBERT NEIL MIDDLETOWN PA US - A receptacle assembly includes a front housing configured for mating with a header assembly and a contact module coupled to the front housing. The contact module includes a conductive holder that has a first side and an opposite second side. The conductive holder has a front coupled to the front housing. The conductive holder holds a frame assembly. The frame assembly includes a plurality of contacts and a dielectric frame that supports the contacts. The dielectric frame is received in the conductive holder. The contacts extend from the conductive holder for electrical termination. A first ground shield is coupled to the first side, is electrically connected to the conductive holder and has grounding beams and grounding fingers that extend forward of the front of the conductive holder for electrical connection to a corresponding header shield of the header assembly. A second ground shield is coupled to the second side, is electrically connected to the conductive holder and has grounding beams and grounding fingers that extend forward of the front of the conductive holder for electrical connection to a corresponding header shield of the header assembly. | 01-17-2013 |
20130034984 | LATCH FOR A CARD EDGE CONNECTOR SYSTEM - A latch for securing a circuit card assembly to a circuit board mounted card edge connector includes first and second arms disposed on opposite ends of the card edge connector. The first and second arms define a reception space that receives the circuit card assembly. The first arm has a deflectable spring latch that is movable between a released position and a latched position. The circuit card assembly is secured by the spring latch in the latched position. The second arm has a latch hook that is configured to hook around and engage a portion of the circuit card assembly during mating of the circuit card assembly and the card edge connector. The latch hook defines a pivot point for pivoting the circuit card assembly into the card edge connector during mating of the circuit card assembly and the card edge connector. | 02-07-2013 |
20130210246 | Midplane Orthogonal Connector System - A receptacle assembly for a midplane connector system has a receptacle housing having openings receiving signal contacts and ground shields of a header assembly. The receptacle assembly includes contact modules coupled to the receptacle housing that each have a leadframe, a dielectric frame and a ground shield. The leadframe has signal contacts arranged in pairs carrying differential signals that are generally arranged along a leadframe plane with mating portions at ends thereof that have at least two points of contact electrically connected to a corresponding signal contact of the header assembly. The dielectric frame holds the signal contacts. The ground shield is coupled to a side of the dielectric frame and has ground tabs extending into the dielectric frame to provide electrical shielding between the pairs of signal contacts and grounding beams electrically connected to ground shields of the header assembly. | 08-15-2013 |
20130210265 | CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY HAVING ALIGNMENT FEATURES - A connector assembly includes a housing having a mating end being configured for mating with a mating connector assembly. The housing holds a plurality of contacts configured for mating with corresponding contacts of the mating connector assembly. The housing has horizontal alignment features at the mating end for horizontally aligning the housing with the mating connector assembly. The housing has vertical alignment features at the mating end for vertically aligning the housing with the mating connector assembly. The vertical alignment features are separate from the horizontal alignment features. | 08-15-2013 |
20130210282 | Connector System Using Right Angle, Board-Mounted Connectors - A connector system having right angle, board-mounted header and receptacle connectors includes both a power interface and a signal interface for transmitting power and data signals there between. Optionally, the connectors may have features that allow the corresponding circuit boards to be offset. The connectors may have features that provide guidance for alignment of the header and receptacle connectors. The connectors may have features to enhance the electrical performance of the conductors defining the signal paths through the connector system. The connectors may have features that orient the components of the header and receptacle connectors for mounting to the circuit boards to maintain the true positions of the contacts for mounting to the circuit board. | 08-15-2013 |
20130280957 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SYSTEM HAVING IMPEDANCE CONTROL - An electrical connector system includes a receptacle connector having a receptacle housing holding a plurality of receptacle signal contacts arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The receptacle housing has a front face. The system includes a header connector coupled to the receptacle connector. The header connector includes a header housing holding a plurality of header signal contacts arranged in pairs carrying differential signals and mated with corresponding receptacle signal contacts. The header housing has a front face that opposes the front face of the receptacle housing when coupled thereto with a gap being defined between the front faces. Gap fillers are provided within the gap. The gap fillers are conductive and include deflectable spring fingers. The gap fillers provide impedance control for the header signal contacts along the gap. | 10-24-2013 |
20140024256 | HEADER CONNECTOR FOR AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SYSTEM - A header connector includes a header housing holding a plurality of header signal contacts and header ground contacts at least partially surrounding corresponding header signal contacts. A ground bracket is coupled to the header housing. The ground bracket is electrically conductive. The ground bracket is electrically connected to each of the header ground contacts to electrically common each of the header ground contacts | 01-23-2014 |
20140148054 | RECEPTACLE ASSEMBLY HAVING A COMMONING CLIP WITH GROUNDING BEAMS - A receptacle assembly includes a front housing configured for mating with a header assembly. A plurality of contact modules are coupled to the front housing. Each contact module includes right and left conductive shells. Each conductive shell holds a frame assembly including a plurality of contacts that extend from the conductive shell for electrical termination. A commoning clip is coupled to the plurality of contact modules. The commoning clip has grounding beams extending forward of the right and left conductive shells for electrical connection to header shields of the header assembly. The commoning clip includes a plurality of openings in a rear thereof with barbs along sides of the openings. Each opening receives right and left conductive shells of a corresponding contact module with the barbs engaging the right and left shells to electrically connect the commoning clip to both the right and left shells of each contact module. | 05-29-2014 |
20150031238 | MODULAR CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY - A modular connector assembly includes a housing having a mating end and a mounting end opposite the mating end. The mating end is configured to be mated with a header connector and the mounting end is configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The housing has a plurality of individual chambers separated by chamber walls. Contact assemblies are received in corresponding chambers. Each contact assembly has a dielectric body holding a differential pair of receptacle signal contacts configured to be terminated to the circuit board and mated with corresponding header signal contacts of the header connector. Each contact assembly has a ground shield coupled to an exterior of the dielectric body providing electrical shielding for the differential pair of receptacle signal contacts from other pairs of receptacle signal contacts. | 01-29-2015 |
20150064968 | RECEPTACLE ASSEMBLY HAVING A PLURALITY OF TERMINATION POINTS - A receptacle assembly includes a contact module having a conductive holder and a frame assembly held by the conductive holder. The conductive holder has a first holder member and second holder member coupled to the first holder member. The conductive holder has a chamber between the first and second holder members divided into a plurality of channels by first tabs of the first holder member and second tabs of the second holder member. The first tabs have posts extending therefrom and the second tabs have holes receiving the posts of the first tabs. Each post has a plurality of termination points with the corresponding tab. The first and second holder members are electrically connected to one another at the termination points. The first and second tabs pass between contacts of the frame assembly to provide electrical shielding therebetween. | 03-05-2015 |