High density coax connector

An electrical connector assembly for connecting conductive areas of a first substrate to conductive areas of a second substrate, the connector assembly comprising:

• a first electrical connector having electrically conductive housing means, the housing means having at least one row of first terminal receiving passages extending from a first surface of the housing means to a second surface of the housing means, the terminal receiving passages having a bend therein, first terminals located in the terminal receiving passages and having essentially the same configuration as the terminal receiving passages, the first terminals having a mating end proximate the first surface of the housing means and a board engagement end proximate the second surface of the housing means, dielectric means surrounding the first terminals in the first terminal receiving passages, the dielectric means insulating the first terminals from the housing means and providing spacing to properly position the first terminals in the first terminal receiving passages;
• a second electrical connector having electrically conductive housing member means, the housing member means having at least one row of second terminal receiving passages extending therethrough, second terminals located in the second terminal receiving passages, a mating end of the second terminals cooperating with the mating end of the first terminals, dielectric material means surrounding the second terminals in the second terminal receiving passages, the dielectric material means insulating the second terminals from the housing member means and providing spacing to properly position the second terminal in the second terminal receiving passages;
• the housing means and the housing member means are metallized plastic such that the properties of surfaces of the housing means and housing member means have conductive characteristics;
• and
• the dielectric means and the dielectric material means have spaces provided therein, the spaces provide air gaps which allow the characteristic impedance to be such as to permit high speed signals to be transmitted properly across the first and the second terminals.

An electrical connector comprising:

• a first electrically conductive housing having at least one row of first passages therein, each first passage extending from a first surface to a second surface of the first housing;
• a second electrically conductive housing having at least one row of second passages therein, each second passage extending from a first surface to a second surface of the second housing, each second passage is at an angle relative to the first and the second surface of the second housing, such that as the first and second housings are brought together the passages of the respective housings align to form terminal receiving passages which extend through the connector, the terminal receiving passages having a bend at the juncture of the housings;
• terminals positioned in the passages, each terminal having a first end proximate the first surface of the first housing and a second end proximate the second surface of the second housing, the terminals being configured to follow the shape of the terminal receiving passages, such that bends are provided in the terminals to allow high speed transmission of a signal transmission across the terminal while minimizing reflection of the signal, thereby ensuring that the high speed signal is properly transmitted across the terminals of the connector;
• and
• dielectric sleeves coaxially positioned around the terminals, portions of the sleeves cooperate with walls of the passages and with the terminals to provide air spacing which is required to ensure that the terminals do not contact the walls of the passages and to provide the desired characteristic impedance to allow the high speed signals to be transmitted properly across the terminals, the dielectric sleeves positioned proximate the second end of the terminals are in the shape of a spiral.