Connector having bridge member for coupling ground terminals

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a connector suitable for high-speed communication, and more particularly to a connector having a bridge member or bridge for coupling ground terminals.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,872 discloses a connector including an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals received in and supported by the insulative housing. The terminals include a row of first terminals and a row of second terminals separated from each other. The first terminals include a first ground terminal, a second ground terminal, and a differential pair positioned between the first and second ground terminals. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0269346 further discloses a bridge coupling the first and second ground terminals to improve the electrical performance in high-speed communication. However, the bridge extends outside of an edge of the insulative housing, which causes an increase in the size of the profile of the insulative housing, and the bridge also may undesirably contact with an external component.

[0005] Hence, a connector having an improved structure for coupling ground terminals is desired.

[0006] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector having a small size and a secure connection between ground terminals.

[0007] In order to achieve the object set forth, the invention provide a connector includes an insulative housing, a row of first terminals, a row of second terminals, and a bridge. The insulative housing has a first wall, a second wall, and a receptor slot defined between the first and second walls. The row of first terminals are supported by the insulative housing and protruding from the first wall into the receptor slot. The row of first terminals include a first ground terminal, a second ground terminal, and a first differential pair positioned between the first and second ground terminals. The row of second terminals are supported by the insulative housing and protruding from the second wall into the receptor slot. The row of second terminals include a third ground terminal, a fourth ground terminal, and a second differential pair positioned between the third and fourth ground terminals. The row of first terminals and the row of second terminals are separated from each other along a front-to-back direction to define a locating space therebetween. The bridge electrically couples the first ground terminal with the second ground terminal. The bridge is positioned in the locating space, which means the bridge extending inside of an edge of the insulative housing. Therefore, the bridge is less possible to engage with an external component and the connector could be a small size.

[0008] For a further improvement, the bridge could be a metal plate or PCB (printed circuit board) which provides a simple connection between the ground terminals.

[0009] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an insulative housing 1, a plurality of terminals 2 received in and supported by the insulative housing 1, an elongated spacer 4 retained in the insulative housing 1, and a bridge 3 disposed above the spacer 4.

[0018] The insulative housing 1 has an upper wall 12, a lower wall 13, and a receptor slot 11 defined by the upper and lower walls 12, 13. The upper wall 12 has an array of upper openings 121 intercommunicating with the receptor slot 11. The lower wall 13 has an array of lower openings 131 intercommunicating with the receptor slot 11. The insulative housing 1 also has two side walls 18 defining a rear receiving room 14 behind the receptor slot 11. The insulative housing 1 also has an array of upper retention slots 15 and an array of lower retention slots 16 intercommunicating with the receptor slot 11 and the rear receiving room 14. Furthermore, the insulative housing 1 includes two slipping slots 17 disposed at two side walls 18 and intercommunicating with the receiving room 14.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 3-4, the plurality of terminals 2 include a row of first terminals 21 and a row of second terminals 22. The row of first terminals 21 and the row of second terminals 22 are separated from each other along a front-to-back direction to define a locating space therebetween. The row of first terminals 21 are located above and offset with respect to the row of second terminals 22. The first terminals 21 include a first ground terminal 211, a second ground terminal 212, and a first differential pair 213 disposed between the first and second ground terminals 211, 212. The second terminals 22 include a third ground terminal 221, a fourth ground terminal 222, and a second differential pair 223 disposed between the third and fourth ground terminals 221, 222.

[0020] Each first terminal 21 has a front end portion 21a, a contact portion 21b, a retention portion 21c, a vertical portion 21e, and a rear end portion 21f connecting with each other (FIG. 5). Each second terminal 22 has a front end portion 22a, a contact portion 22b, a retention portion 22c, a vertical portion 22e, and a rear end portion 22f connecting with each other (FIG. 6). The retention portion 21c has a barb 21d extending upwardly. The retention portion 22c has a barb 22d extending upwardly. The contact portions 21b, 22b are used for effect mating engagement with another mating component, not shown, but typically an edge or circuit card of an opposing, mating connector. The rear end portions 21f, 22f are used for connecting with an outer device, not shown, but typically a mother circuit board.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 3-4, the bridge 3 is a planar metal plate having a main portion 32 constituted of a conductive member, two first cutouts 31, a first recess 35, two second cutouts 33, and a second recess 37. The first cutouts 31 are disposed at a rear edge of the bridge 3 and the first recess 35 is disposed between two first cutouts 31. The second cutouts 33 are disposed at a front edge of the bridge 3 and the second recess 37 is disposed between two second cutouts 33. A second cutout 33 is offset with respect to a first cutout 31. The second recess 37 is offset with respect to the first recess 35.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, the elongated spacer 4 includes an array of front passageways 41 and an array of rear passageways 42. The front and rear passageways 41, 42 are disposed at two opposite edges of the spacer 4 respectively and extend through the spacer 4 from a top-to-bottom direction.

[0023] In assembling, the second terminals 22 are firstly inserted into the lower retention slots 16 and the receptor slot 11 (FIG. 6). A front end portion 22a of each second terminal 22 is inserted and pre-press fit in a lower opening 131, a contact portion 22b protrudes upwardly into the receptor slot 11 from the lower wall 13, a retention portion 22c is received and held in the lower retention slot 16, a barb 22d engages with an inner wall above the lower retention slot 16.

[0024] The spacer 4 is secondly assembled into the slipping slots 17 (FIG. 2), and a vertical portion 22e of each second terminal 22 is received and held in a front passageway 41.

[0025] The bridge 3 is thirdly assembled to the second terminals 22 and disposed transversely in the locating space between the first and second terminals 21, 22. Consequentially, the bridge 3 extends inside of an edge of the insulative housing. The bridge 3 is less possible to engage with an external component and the connector 100 could be made into a small size. A vertical portion 22e of each of the third and fourth ground terminals 221, 222 passes through a second cutout 33 along a top-to-bottom direction and electrically connects with the main portion 32. Two vertical portions 22e of the second differential pair 223 pass through a second recess 37 along a top-to-bottom direction and are insulated from the main portion 32.

[0026] The first terminals 21 are fourthly inserted in the upper retention slots 15 and the receptor slot 11 just like as the second terminals 22 inserted in the lower retention slots 16 (FIG. 5). A vertical portion 22e of a first terminal 21 is received and held in a rear passageway 42. A vertical portion 21e of each of the first and second ground terminals 211, 212 is inserted in a first cutout 31 and electrically connected with the main portion 32. Two vertical portions 21e of first differential pair 213 are interposed in a first recess 35 and insulated from the main portion 32.

[0027] A vertical portion 21e,22e of the first to fourth ground terminals 211, 212,221, 222 could be fixed in a first or second cutout 33 and electrically connect with the main portion 32 via friction fit or soldering way. A vertical portion 21e, 22e of the first and second differential pairs 213, 223 could be insulated from the main portion 32 via an air gap or a dielectric member. The air gap is a distance in the depicted FIGS, which advantageously provides good electrical separation and less material than a dielectric member way. In the depicted FIGS, the first and second terminals 21, 22 include a plurality of ground terminals 211, 212, 221, 222 electrically connected with each other by the main portion 32, which advantageously provides a good electrical performance than partial connection.

[0028] The bridge 3 is set as a plate and the ground terminals connecting with the bridge through a snap fit, which provides a simple connection therebetween. The bridge 3 does not need to engage with an insulative housing resulting in assembling difficult, which is disclosed in the U.S. Patent Pub NO. 2011/0269346. The bridge 3 also does not need to change the ground terminals structure for coupling with each other which otherwise may implicate impedance mating issue. It is noted that the bridge 3 is not limited to a metal plate. It could be made into such as a PCB (printed circuit board), a FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit board) or other forms for electrically connecting. Each bridge 3 has a conductive member for coupling the ground terminals. In the case of a metal plate, the conductive member is the metal plate itself. In the case of a PCB or FPC, the conductive member is a conductive trace or traces on substrate.

[0029] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the members in which the appended claims are expressed.