# US 12,191,604 B2 · Terminal module and high-speed electrical connector using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,604 B2 - Document ID: US12191604B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/740,300 - Filed: 2022-05-09 - Published: 2023-07-27 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-26 - Assignees: Cwe (Chengdu) Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: CWE (Chengdu) Technology Co., LTD. - Inventors: Jianmei Yu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191604B2 ## CPC - H01R 13/6583: with separate conductive resilient members between mating shield members - H01R 13/6587: for mounting on PCBs - H01R 12/724: {containing contact members forming a right angle} - H01R 13/24: resilient; resiliently-mounted - 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 13/516: Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing {, hoods} - H01R 13/518: for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames - H01R 13/6471: by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal] - H01R 13/6591: Specific features or arrangements of connection of shield to conductive members - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract The present invention discloses a terminal module and a high-speed electrical connector using the same. The connector includes a number of terminal modules, a number of shielding plates, a front cover and a rear stiffener. The terminal module has grounding terminals and differential signal pairs embedded within an insulating body. Each differential signal pair have contacting portions, mounting portions and connecting portions. The insulating body defines a number of cutouts thereon with the connecting portions of the differential signal pairs partially exposed therefrom. The front cover has a U-shaped cross-section. An exposed surface of the connecting portion of the differential signal pairs is coated with an insulating thin film. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A terminal module for assembly into a high-speed, electrical connector adapted to connecting a complementary connector, said high-speed electrical connector having a shielding plate stacked assembled with said terminal module, said terminal module comprising: a terminal assembly comprising a plurality of conductive terminals, said conductive terminals comprising contacting portions, mounting portions and connecting portions interconnecting said contacting portions and mounting portions; and an insulating body for securing said connecting portions of said conductive terminals, said insulating body defining a plurality of cutouts thereon with said connecting portions partially exposed therein; wherein an exposed surface of said connecting portion is coated with an insulating thin film. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The terminal module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said terminal assembly comprises a plurality of grounding terminals, each grounding terminal having a first contacting portion, a first mounting portion and a first connecting portion for interconnecting said first contacting portion and said first mounting portion; wherein said first contacting portion comprises a first contacting arm electrically connecting to said shielding plate of said connector and a second contacting arm electrically connecting to a grounding contact of the complementary connector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The terminal module as claimed in claim 1, wherein said terminal assembly comprises a plurality of terminals forming differential signal pairs, each of said plurality of terminals comprising a second contacting portion, a second mounting portion and a second connecting portion connecting said second contacting portion and said second mounting portion; and wherein said second contacting portion extends from said second connecting portion along a first direction, said insulating body is provided with a first concession slot adjacent to the second contacting portion; and wherein, in the first direction, said first concession slot is directly confronting to said second contacting portion; and wherein when said terminal module engages with a complementary connector, part of a signal contact of said complementary connector is located in said first concession slot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The terminal module as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first contacting arm extends outwards from said first connecting portion along a first direction, and a slot is defined between said first contacting arm and said first connecting portion; and wherein said second contacting arm is formed by extending along the first direction from a side edge of said slot that adjacent to said first connecting portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The terminal module as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first contacting arm comprises a contacting finger and a pair of connecting arms that extending from opposite sides of said contacting finger toward said first connecting portion; and wherein said contacting finger, said pair of connecting arms and said first connecting portion together define said slot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The terminal module as claimed in claim 2, wherein a second concession slot is defined on said insulating body adjacent to said first contacting arm; wherein, in said first direction, said second concession slot is confronting to said first contacting arm; and wherein when said terminal module mates with said complementary connector, the grounding contact of said complementary connector is partially housed in said second concession slot. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The terminal module as claimed in claim 2, wherein a contacting region between said first contacting arm and said shielding plate of said electrical connector is deemed as a first contacting region, and a contacting region between said second contacting arm and said grounding contact of said complementary connector is deemed as a second contacting region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The terminal module as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first contacting region and said second contacting region are respectively located at opposite sides of said first connecting portion along a thickness direction of said first connecting portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The terminal module as claimed in claim 2, wherein a third concession slot is defined in said insulating body adjacent to said second contacting arm, and along said first direction, said third concession slot is confronting to said second contacting arm and said second contacting arm is partially accommodated in said third concession slot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The terminal module as claimed in claim 5, wherein said grounding terminal also comprises a third contacting arm electrically connecting with said shielding plate, and said third contacting arm is formed by extending from said first connecting portion and away from said first contacting portion along a top-to-bottom direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The terminal module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of said insulating thin film is between 0.01 mm˜0.1 mm. ### Claim 12 A high-speed electrical connector adapted for engaging with a complementary connector, comprising: a plurality of terminal modules, each terminal module comprises grounding terminals and differential signal pairs embedded within an insulating body, each differential signal pair having contacting portions, mounting portions and connecting portions for connecting said contacting portions with said mounting portions, said insulating body defining a plurality of cutouts thereon with said connecting portions of said differential signal pairs partially exposed therefrom; a plurality of shielding plates, each shielding plate stacked arranged between every two adjacent terminal modules; a front cover for organizing said plurality of terminal modules, said front cover having a U-shaped cross-section, said grounding terminals and said differential signal pairs partially accommodated within said front cover; and a rear stiffener for fixing said terminal modules and said shielding plates together from a rear side thereof; wherein an exposed surface of said connecting portion is coated with an insulating thin film. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein said terminal assembly comprises a plurality of grounding terminals, each grounding terminal having a first contacting portion, a first mounting portion and a first connecting portion for interconnecting said first contacting portion and said first mounting portion; wherein said first contacting portion comprises a first contacting arm electrically connecting to said shielding plate of said connector and a second contacting arm electrically connecting to a grounding contact of the complementary connector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 13, wherein said terminal assembly comprises a plurality of terminals forming differential signal pairs, each of said plurality of terminals comprising a second contacting portion, a second mounting portion and a second connecting portion connecting said second contacting portion and said second mounting portion; and wherein said second contacting portion extends from said second connecting portion along a first direction, said insulating body is provided with a first concession slot adjacent to the second contacting portion; and wherein, in the first direction, said first concession slot is directly confronting to said second contacting portion; and wherein when said terminal module engages with a complementary connector, part of a signal contact of said complementary connector is located in said first concession slot. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first contacting arm extends outwards from said first connecting portion along a first direction, and a slot is defined between said first contacting arm and said first connecting portion; and wherein said second contacting arm is formed by extending along the first direction from a side edge of said slot that adjacent to said first connecting portion; and wherein said first contacting arm comprises a contacting finger and a pair of connecting arm that extending from opposite sides of said contacting finger toward said first connecting portion; and wherein said contacting finger, said pair of connecting arms and said first connecting portion together define said slot. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein a second concession slot is defined on said insulating body adjacent to said first contacting arm; wherein, in said first direction, said second concession slot is confronting to said first contacting arm; and wherein when said terminal module mates with said complementary connector, the grounding contact of said complementary connector is partially housed in said second concession slot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 16, wherein a third concession slot is defined in said insulating body adjacent to said second contacting arm, and along said first direction, said third concession slot is confronting to said second contacting arm and said second contacting arm is partially accommodated in said third concession slot. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein a thickness of said insulating thin film is between 0.01 mm˜0.1 mm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein said front cover comprises a mating wall, a top wall and a bottom wall which together define a containing space for securely receiving terminal modules and shielding plates; and wherein said mating wall, which is configured to cooperate with said complementary connector, is provided with a plurality of mating holes arranged in a matrix. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The high-speed electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein said rear stiffener comprises a substrate, a plurality of insert plates formed by extending outward from one end of the substrate and an extension plate formed by extending outward from the other end of the substrate; and wherein the insert plates are inserted into corresponding retaining recesses defined on the insulating body to fix the terminal modules into a whole; and wherein the retaining recess is provided with a first limiting structure and the insert plate is provided with a second limiting structure engaging with the first limit structure to thereby securely connecting the terminal module with the rear stiffener.