Electrical connector having ribbed ground plate
An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing, a plurality of electrical signal contacts carried by the dielectric housing, and a ground plate carried by the dielectric housing. The electrical signal contacts are arranged along a first plane, wherein the signal contacts define signal pairs. The signal contacts further define respective mating and mounting ends. The ground plate includes a ground plate body oriented in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane and offset from the first plane. The ground plate body defines first and second opposed surfaces. The ground plate includes at least one rib that defines first and second opposed surfaces, wherein the first surface of the rib projects from the first surface of the ground plate body in a direction toward the first plane between adjacent signal pairs, and the second surface is recessed into the second surface of the ground plate body.
1. An electrical connector comprising:
a dielectric housing;
a plurality of electrical signal contacts supported by the dielectric housing and comprising respective mating ends and respective mounting ends, at least some of the plurality of signals contacts being arranged in differential pairs, wherein adjacent differential pairs are separated by respective gaps;
a ground plate supported by the dielectric housing and comprising a plurality of ribs, each of the plurality of ribs projecting from a surface of the ground plate toward a respective gap;
a plurality of ground mating ends disposed between mating ends of adjacent differential pairs, wherein the plurality of ground mating ends are electrically coupled to the ground plate; and
a plurality of ground mounting ends electrically coupled to the ground plate, the plurality of ground mounting ends being co-planar with the mounting ends of the plurality of signal contacts;
wherein the plurality of ground mounting ends are disposed between mounting ends of signal contacts of adjacent differential pairs.
2. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ground mating ends are attached to the ground plate.
3. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical signal contacts lie substantially in a first plane and the ground plate lies substantially in a second plane parallel to the first plane.
4. The electrical connector as recited in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of ground mating ends have respective portions disposed in the first plane.
5. The electrical connector as recited in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of ribs forming a serpentine cross section for the ground plate in a third plane perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane.
6. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one rib of the plurality of ribs is embossed into the ground plate.
7. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dielectric housing is overmolded on the plurality of electrical signal contacts.
8. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of ribs comprises a recessed surface extending into the ground plate.
9. The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical signal contacts are right-angled.
10. An electrical connector comprising:
an organizer; and
a plurality of leadframe assemblies supported by the organizer and spaced from each other along a first direction, each leadframe assembly comprising:
a dielectric housing comprising a mating portion and a mounting portion,
a column of conductive mating portions exposed at the mating portion of the dielectric housing;
a column of conductive mounting portions exposed at a mounting interface;
a plurality of electrical signal contacts supported by the dielectric housing, wherein the plurality of electrical signal contacts comprise intermediate portions joining respective mating portions in the column of conductive mating portions and respective mounting portions of the column of conductive mounting portions, at least some of the plurality of signals contacts being arranged in differential pairs, wherein adjacent differential pairs are separated by respective gaps; and
a ground plate supported by the dielectric housing and comprising a plurality of ribs, each of the plurality of ribs projecting from a surface of the ground plate toward a respective gap, wherein:
the ground plate is electrically coupled to a plurality of mating portions in the column of conductive mating portions and a plurality of mounting portions of the column of conductive mounting portions,
the mating portions electrically coupled to the ground plate are disposed between mating portions of adjacent ones of the differential pairs,
the mounting portions electrically coupled to the ground plate are disposed between mounting portions of adjacent ones of the differential pairs, and
the mounting portions are laterally offset relative to the ground plate along the first direction.
11. The electrical connector as recited in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of mating portions coupled to the ground plate are aligned with respective ribs of the ground plate.
12. The electrical connector as recited in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of electrical signal contacts lie substantially in a first plane and the ground plate lies substantially in a second plane parallel to the first plane.
13. The electrical connector as recited in claim 12 , wherein the mating portions electrically coupled to the ground plate lie in the first plane.
14. The electrical connector as recited in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of ribs forms a serpentine cross section to the ground plate in a third plane perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane.
15. An electrical connector comprising:
a dielectric housing;
a plurality of electrical signal contacts supported by the dielectric housing and comprising respective mating ends and respective mounting ends, the plurality of electrical contacts forming a first plane;
a ground plate supported by the dielectric housing and forming a second plane parallel to the first plane, the ground plate comprising a stamped conductive sheet that is folded in a plurality of regions such that a plurality of ribs projecting from the second plane toward the first plane are formed;
a plurality of ground mating ends having respective portions disposed in the first plane, wherein the plurality of ground mating ends are electrically coupled to the ground plate; and
a plurality of ground mounting ends having portions disposed in the first plane, wherein the plurality of ground mounting ends are electrically coupled to the ground plate.
16. The electrical connector as recited in claim 15 , wherein the plurality of electrical signal contacts are right-angled.
17. The electrical connector as recited in claim 15 , wherein the plurality of ground mating ends are attached to the ground plate.
18. The electrical connector as recited in claim 15 , wherein the plurality of electrical signal contacts are overmolded by the dielectric housing.