Coax connector module

Abstract

A coax connector module comprising a housing accommodating electrically conducting coax contact elements. Each contact element having a contact side in the form of a coaxial inner and outer contact part, and a connecting side in the form of an electrical terminal and in electrically conducting casing surrounding the terminal in an electrically insulating manner. The electrical terminal being connected to the inner contact part and having a connecting end, and the casing being connected to the outer contact part and having at least one connecting end, for mounting on a printed circuit board. The casing being constructed from walls of sheet metal or a machined block of metal. To reduce the pitch distance between the respective connecting ends of adjacent casings, one or more of the walls of adjacently situated casings can be of integral or partially common construction.

I claim: . .1. A coax connector module for mounting to a circuit substrate comprising: 
     
        for mounting on said circuit board substrate..!.2. The coax connector module of claim 1 wherein each shield member is constructed from sheet metal and the terminal is disposed therein and insulated from the 
     
     
        surrounding shield member by insulating material. 3. The coax connector module of claim 1 wherein the shield member is formed from a machined block of metal and the terminal is disposed therein and insulated from the 
     
     
        surrounding shield member by insulating material. 4. The coax connector module of claim 1 wherein the shield members are box-like and L-shaped, the connecting end portion of said shield member extending from one end of said L-shaped member and at least one contact lip for contacting said outer coaxial part of the contact element extending from another end of 
     
     
        said L-shaped member. 5. The coax connector module of claim 4 wherein the shield members each have a pair of parallel contact lips for electrically contacting and mechanically connecting the shield member to the outer coaxial contact part of the contact element and wherein the shield members each have a pair of connecting end portions for mounting to the circuit substrate to form alternate rows with the connecting end portions of the 
     
     
        contact elements when mounted on the circuit substrate. 6. The coax connector module of claim 5 wherein the pair of parallel contact lips are formed by extensions of two opposing, side-walls of said shield member and 
     
     
        said contact lips are spot welded to the outer coaxial contact part. 7. A .Iadd.casing for a .Iaddend.coaxial connector module adapted to connect terminals between conductors on a circuit substrate and .Iadd.the inner conductor .Iaddend.of coaxial contact elements of . .a.!. .Iadd.the coaxial .Iaddend.connector .Iadd.module.Iaddend., comprising: a first conductive shield member .Iadd.mounted to one of the coaxial contact elements and .Iaddend.formed to at least partially shield one of said terminals .Iadd.extending from the one coaxial contact element.Iaddend.; and   a second conductive shield member cooperating with said first conductive shield member so that said one terminal is substantially surrounded by a combination of said first and second conductive shield members and .Iadd.so that said first and second conductive shield members share a   
     
     
        common wall therebetween.Iaddend.. .Iadd.8.  The casing of claim 9, wherein said first and second conductive shield members are adapted to be mounted on circuit substrate to effect said cooperation therebetween. .Iaddend..Iadd.9. The casing of claim 7, wherein said first and second conductive shield members are integrally formed within a block of conductive material and wherein said block has a common wall shared by said first and second conductive shield members. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. The casing of claim 7, wherein said first and second conductive shield members are defined by box-like structures. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. The casing of claim 10, wherein said first conductive shield member comprises at least three connected walls forming a portion of said box-like structure with an opening in one side of said box-like structure and wherein said second conductive shield member comprises four connected walls forming said box-like structure, at least one of said walls of said second conductive shield member being received in said opening of said first conductive shield member and serving as a common wall of both first and second conductive shield members. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. The casing of claim 7, wherein said first and second conductive shield members each have a first leg and a second leg connected together to form an L-shape. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. The casing of claim 12, wherein said first and second 
     
     
        legs are defined by box-like structures. .Iaddend..Iadd.14.  The casing of claim 7, wherein each of said terminals has a first end that terminates in one of said coaxial contact elements and a second end that terminates in a connection means for electrically connecting to one of the conductors on the circuit substrate, said casing having a substrate side and a connector side wherein said connection means extends outside of the casing from the substrate side, said first conductive shield member and said second conductive shield member each comprise a number of connecting ends extending from opposing edges of the substrate side for connecting the shield members to the circuit substrate, said connecting ends being arranged to provide a substantially equal mutual pitch distance with the connection means. .Iaddend..Iadd.15. The casing of claim 14, wherein the first and second shield members cooperate to substantially surround two terminals and wherein a first connection means associated with one of the two terminals is situated between a first set of connecting ends and a second connection means associated with the other of the two terminals is situated between a second set of connecting ends, each set of connecting ends comprises four connecting ends with two connecting ends being common to each of said sets. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. A casing for a coaxial connector module adapted to connect terminals between conductors on a circuit substrate and the inner conductor of .Iaddend.coaxial contact elements supported in a plurality of passages in an insulative housing of the coaxial connector module, comprising: a conductive casing block with a substantially rectangular shape and having a plurality of parallel spaced terminal-receiving passages forming common walls therebetween, the passages extending from a connecting side of the casing block to a substrate side of the casing block, wherein the connecting side and the substrate side are adjacent to one another and said passages are substantially L-shaped said L-shaped passages being aligned with the passages of the housing on the connecting side of the casing block. .Iadd.17. The casing of claim 16, further comprising:   a plurality of coaxial contact elements each being connected to a respective one of the plurality of passages and extending from the connecting side;   a plurality of terminals each being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of coaxial elements and extending through the respective passage and out from the substrate side, the terminals being individually shielded by the casing block and at least one of the common walls.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.  .  A coaxial connector module comprising: a number of conductive casings, each conductive casing forming a plurality of substantially enclosed passages between a first end and a second end of each said casing;   a plurality of coaxial contact elements mounted on said casing such that each of said coaxial contact elements extends from a respective one of said passages beyond the second end of said casing;   an insulative housing having a plurality of channels for receiving said coaxial contact elements,   wherein said channels are arranged in a predetermined array of rows and columns and wherein said passages are formed in an array of rows and columns to correspond to said predetermined array of rows and columns and wherein said conductive casing forms a single column of passages therein such that the number of passages corresponds to the number of rows in said predetermined array of rows and columns and said number of said conductive casings being substantially equal to the number of columns in said   
     
     
        predetermined array of rows and columns. .Iaddend..Iadd.19.  The coaxial connector module of claim 18, wherein said coaxial contact elements and respective channels are adapted to provide a multiplicity of arrangements of rows and columns. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. The coaxial connector module of claim 18, wherein said casing comprises: a plurality of conductive shield members cooperating to form said passages. .Iaddend..Iadd.21. The coaxial connector module of claim 20, wherein said plurality of conductive shield members have a box-like shape and wherein said passages formed by said plurality of conductive shield members are L-shaped, the coaxial connector further comprising:   a plurality of terminals such that each of said plurality of terminals is connected to a corresponding one of said plurality of coaxial contact elements and extends through said respective one of said passages. .Iaddend..Iadd.22. A coaxial connector module comprising:   a conductive casing forming a plurality of substantially enclosed passages between a first end and a second end of said casing;   a plurality of coaxial contact elements mounted on said casing such that each of said coaxial contact elements extends from a respective one of said passages beyond the second end of said casing;   an insulative housing having a plurality of channels for receiving said coaxial contact elements; and   1ocking means for locking the conductive casing to the housing.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.23.  The coaxial connector module of claim 22, wherein said channels are arranged in a predetermined array of rows and columns and wherein said passages are formed in an array of rows and columns to correspond to said predetermined array of rows and columns. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. A coaxial connector module comprising: a conductive casing forming a plurality of substantially enclosed passages between a first end and a second end of said casing; and   a plurality of coaxial contact elements mounted on said casing such that each of said coaxial contact elements extends from a respective one of said passages beyond the second end of said casing wherein said coaxial contact elements have latching means connected thereto; and   an insulative housing having a plurality of channels for receiving said coaxial contact elements. .Iaddend..Iadd.25. The coaxial connector module of claim 24, wherein each said channel forms a cylinder-like passageway through said housing and is provided with at least one recess formed around the perimeter of said passageway along a portion thereof such that said latching means engage said recess when said contact element is received in said channel to lock said contact element to said housing. .Iaddend..Iadd.26. A coax connector module for mounting to a circuit substrate comprising:   a housing of electrically insulating material having a contact side for mating with another connector and a connecting side for mounting on said circuit substrate;   a plurality of electrical contact elements of electrically conductive material disposed in said housing and extending from the contact side to the connecting side, each contact element having a contact end portion disposed at said contact side and a connecting end portion extending from said connecting side, each contact end portion formed of coaxial inner and outer parts, each connecting end portion being an end portion of an electrical terminal which extends to and electrically connects to the inner coaxial part of said contact end portion of the contact element; and   a plurality of shield members of electrically conductive material disposed adjacent one another at the connecting side of the housing and extending within the housing, each shield member mechanically connecting and electrically contacting with the outer coaxial part of the contact end portion of a respective contact element, said shield members surrounding said terminals in an electrically insulating manner, said shield members each having at least one connecting end portion similar to said terminal for mounting on said circuit board substrate and wherein one or more contact elements, including the coaxial inner and outer contact parts and the terminal, are disposed within one shield member and together with the shield member form a separate unit with latching means which can be inserted and locked in said housing as a unit. .Iaddend..Iadd.27. The coax connector module of claim 26 wherein said latching means include lips projecting from an outer surface of said coaxial outer contact part of said contact element, said projecting lips have a free end which engage corresponding recesses in the housing to lock said unit in said housing. .Iaddend.