Signal interconnector module and assembly thereof
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsGeorge A. Hansell, III, David T. Humphrey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector module is provided which has a plurality of signal contacts and has a ground shield with spring finger ground contacts as an integral part of the shield. This module provides a high fidelity electrical path for electrical signals between flexible signal cable and a mating connector half utilizing a simple array of pins as the signal conducting means. A plurality of modules may be used in one assembly.
Claims22
An electrical signal interconnect module comprising a housing having top and bottom faces and a front and rear, a plurality of elongate slots, and a plurality of elongate cavities, said slots accessible to the front and at least one face, said cavities accessible to the front and rear of the housing;
- at least one of said faces has a ground shield with plurality of integrally formed spring finger ground contacts positioned to protrude into said slots and provide ground contact near the front and cable ground connection at the rear of the housing;
- and a plurality of signal contacts positioned within said cavities and protruding beyond the rear of the housing to allow each contact to connect with a cable signal conductor at the rear and a signal contact pin at the front.
A connector assembly comprising a plurality of electrical signal interconnect modules stacked in an array housed within a frame, each of said modules comprising a housing with top and bottom faces and a front and rear, a plurality of elongate slots and a plurality of elongate cavities, said slots accessible to the front and the bottom face, said cavities accessible to the front and rear of the housing, wherein the bottom face has a ground shield with a plurality of integrally formed spring finger ground contacts near the front positioned to protrude into the slots and provide ground contacts and an area near the rear to allow ground conductor connection, and a plurality of signal contacts in one row positioned within said cavities and protruding beyond the rear of the housing to allow each contact to connect with a signal conductor, said modules arranged within the frame so that the bottom ground shield of one module acts as a top ground shield for the module immediately below it and the uppermost module in the array further provided with a separate top ground shield.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.