# US 12,184,010 B2 · Shielded connector assemblies with temperature and alignment controls > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,010 B2 - Document ID: US12184010B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/144,268 - Filed: 2023-05-08 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-15 - Assignees: Molex Incorporated - Applicants: Molex, LLC - Inventors: Andrew Kolak; Dominic Steier; Li Zhuang; Scott Sommers; Hazelton P. Avery; Pu Xie; Chia Hung Mou; Jerry Shubert; Daniel Wenzel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184010B2 ## CPC - H01R 13/6471: by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal] - H01R 12/707: {Soldering or welding} - H01R 12/71: for rigid printing circuits or like structures - H01R 12/724: {containing contact members forming a right angle} - H01R 13/502: composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) - H01R 13/629: Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure {electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances (separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26)} - H01R 13/6583: with separate conductive resilient members between mating shield members - H01R 13/6587: for mounting on PCBs - H01R 43/24: Assembling by moulding on contact members - H01R 12/7011: {Locking or fixing a connector to a PCB} - H01R 12/7064: {Press fitting} - H01R 12/72: coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures - H01R 12/721: {cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits} - H01R 12/727: {Coupling devices presenting arrays of contacts} - H01R 13/504: different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic welding, or swaged together - H01R 13/506: assembled by snap action of the parts - H01R 13/514: composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them - H01R 13/646: specially adapted for high-frequency, e.g. structures providing an impedance match or phase match (non-coaxed protective earth or shield arrangements H01R13/648; coaxed connectors specially adapted for high frequency H01R24/40) - H01R 13/6461: Means for preventing cross-talk - H01R 13/658: High frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI [Electro-Magnetic Interference] or EMP [Electro-Magnetic Pulse] {(coaxial coupling devices specially adapted for high frequency H01R24/40; for flat or ribbon cable connectors H01R12/774; for coaxial cable H01R9/05)} - H01R 13/6581: Shield structure - H01R 13/659: with plural ports for distinct connectors - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract Examples of connectors, connector assemblies, and wafer assemblies for improved shielding and thermal performance are described. In one example, a wafer assembly includes a ground path assembly and a row of conductors. The ground path assembly includes a first ground shield and a second ground shield. The row of conductors includes a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors arranged in the row of conductors. The first ground shield extends along a first pair of communication signal conductors among the plurality of communication signal conductors and the second ground shield extends along a second pair of the communication signal conductors among the plurality of communication signal conductors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wafer assembly, comprising: a ground path assembly comprising a first ground shield and a second ground shield; and a row of conductors, the row of conductors comprising a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors, the plurality of communication signal conductors comprising a plurality of high-speed communication signal conductors and a plurality of low-speed communication signal conductors, wherein: the first ground shield extends along a first pair of the plurality of high-speed communication signal conductors and the second ground shield extends along a second pair of the plurality of high-speed communication signal conductors with the plurality of low-speed communication signal conductors and a gap separating the first ground shield and the second ground shield. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein each high-speed communication signal conductor is positioned next to a ground conductor among the plurality of ground conductors in the row of conductors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the row of conductors further comprises a power conductor; and the power conductor is centrally positioned in the row of conductors in the gap between the first ground shield and the second ground shield. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the first ground shield comprises a first plated plastic ground shield; and the second ground shield comprises a second plated plastic ground shield. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the first ground shield comprises a first laminate of dielectric and conductive metal; and the second ground shield comprises a second laminate of dielectric and conductive metal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the first ground shield comprises a first plated plastic ground shield and a first metal ground shield insert that is stitch mated with the first plated plastic ground shield; and the second ground shield comprises a second plated plastic ground shield and a second metal ground shield insert that is stitch mated with the second plated plastic ground shield. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the row of conductors comprises a row of transmit conductors and a row of receive conductors; and the gap separates the row of transmit conductors from the row of receive conductors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a second row of conductors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The wafer assembly according to claim 8, wherein: the second row of conductors comprises a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors; and a subset of the communication signal conductors of the second row of conductors are offset from a subset of the communication signal conductors of the row of conductors, to form a centrally positioned air gap in the wafer assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The wafer assembly according to claim 8, wherein the first ground shield and the second ground shield are positioned between the row of conductors and the second row of conductors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a second row of conductors, a third row of conductors, and a fourth row of conductors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wafer assembly according to claim 11, wherein: the first ground shield and the second ground shield extend between the row of conductors and the second row of conductors; the ground path assembly further comprises a third ground shield and a fourth ground shield; and the third ground shield and the fourth ground shield extend between the third row of conductors and the fourth row of conductors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The wafer assembly according to claim 12, wherein the second row of conductors faces the third row of conductors without a ground shield between the second row of conductors and the third row of conductors. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The wafer assembly according to claim 11, wherein the wafer assembly further comprises dielectric lead frame support structures that support and electrically isolate the row of conductors, the second row of conductors, the third row of conductors, and the fourth row of conductors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wafer assembly further comprises a protrusion at one end of the row of conductors. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wafer assembly further comprises a first protrusion at one end of the row of conductors and a second protrusion at another end of the row of conductors. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the row of conductors comprises a conductor with an offset from an extension axis; and the conductor with the offset is positioned in the gap between the first ground shield and the second ground shield. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The wafer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the gap comprises an air gap for heat dissipation. ### Claim 19 A wafer assembly, comprising: a ground path assembly comprising a first ground shield and a second ground shield; and a row of conductors, the row of conductors comprising a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors arranged in the row of conductors, with a first pair of communication signal conductors extending along the first ground shield and a second pair of the communication signal conductors extending along the second ground shield, wherein: the communication signal conductors comprise a plurality of high-speed communication signal conductors and a plurality of low-speed communication signal conductors; and the plurality of low-speed communication signal conductors are centrally positioned in the row of conductors in a gap between the first ground shield and the second ground shield. ### Claim 20 A wafer assembly, comprising: a ground path assembly comprising a first ground shield and a second ground shield; and a row of conductors, the row of conductors comprising a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors arranged in the row of conductors, with a first pair of communication signal conductors extending along the first ground shield and a second pair of the communication signal conductors extending along the second ground shield, wherein: the first ground shield comprises a dual ground path for a first ground conductor among the plurality of ground conductors; the first ground conductor comprises a contact tip portion and a tail portion; the first ground shield comprises conductive spring fingers inserted into channels in the first ground shield; and the conductive spring fingers contact a top surface of the first ground conductor. ### Claim 21 A wafer assembly, comprising: a ground path assembly comprising a first ground shield and a second ground shield; and a row of conductors, the row of conductors comprising a plurality of communication signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors arranged in the row of conductors, wherein: the first ground shield extends along a first pair of communication signal conductors among the plurality of communication signal conductors and the second ground shield extends along a second pair of the communication signal conductors among the plurality of communication signal conductors with a gap separating the first ground shield and the first pair of communication signal conductors from the second ground shield and the second pair of communication signal conductors; the row of conductors comprises a conductor with an offset from an extension axis; and the conductor with the offset is positioned in the gap between the first ground shield and the second ground shield.