High speed connector with moldable conductors

Abstract

An electrical connector including a housing defining an interior cavity and extending from a mounting end to an engagement end, and at least one signal component disposed within the interior cavity of the housing. The housing is formed from a conductive composite material and engages the at least one signal component to shield the interior cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrical connector comprising:
 a housing defining an interior cavity and extending from a mounting end to an engagement end;   at least one signal component disposed within the interior cavity of the housing; and;   the housing formed from a conductive composite material and surrounding the at least one signal component to shield the interior cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive composite material is a polymer binder that includes metallic particles of differing shapes and sizes. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive composite material has a conductivity in a range between 10,000 Siemens per meter and 40,000 Siemens per meter. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical connector of  claim 3 , wherein the conductive composite material has a resistivity in a range between 0.02 Ohm-centimeters and 0.001 Ohm-centimeters. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the housing at the mounting end is configured to couple to a printed circuit board, and at the engagement end is configured to couple to an electric component. 
     
     
         6 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of ground contacts secured to the housing formed from the conductive composite material. 
     
     
         7 . The electrical connector of  claim 6 , wherein the ground contacts are molded into the housing formed from the conductive composite material. 
     
     
         8 . The electrical connector of  claim 6 , wherein the housing formed from the conductive composite material includes at least one slot that receives a ground contact insert that includes the ground contacts. 
     
     
         9 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is of one-piece construction. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting end of the housing is transverse to the engagement end of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing an electrical connector comprising:
 forming a signal component;   molding a housing to include a conductive composite material having metallic particles;   securing ground contacts to the housing;   assembling the signal component and housing to form the electrical connector.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein securing the ground contacts to the housing comprises:
 inserting the ground contacts into the housing before molding the shell.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein securing the ground contacts to the housing further comprises:
 forming a slot within the housing; and   inserting a ground contact insert including the ground contacts into the slot.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the housing is of one-piece construction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the conductive composite material is a polymer binder. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the conductive composite material has a conductivity in a range between 10,000 Siemens per meter and 40,000 Siemens per meter. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the conductive composite material has a resistivity in a range between 0.02 Ohm-centimeters and 0.001 Ohm-centimeters. 
     
     
         18 . An electrical connector comprising:
 a housing defining an interior cavity and extending from a mounting end to an engagement end;   at least one signal component disposed within the interior cavity and extending from the mounting end to the engagement end of the housing; and   a shell section formed from a conductive composite material forming an outer wall of the housing to shield the interior cavity.   
     
     
         19 . The electrical connector of  claim 18 , wherein the shell section receives and is molded together with ground contacts. 
     
     
         20 . The electrical connector of  claim 19 , wherein
 wherein the conductive composite material has a conductivity of at least 10,000 Siemens per meter and a resistivity that is less than 0.02 Ohm-centimeters.