Electrical receptacle for transmitting high speed signal

Abstract

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a front cavity for receiving and a rear cavity, a terminal assembly assembled in the rear cavity, and a ground member. The terminal assembly includes an upper terminal module, a lower terminal module sandwiching a shielding module therebetween. Said The upper terminal module includes a pair of upper ground terminals. Said The lower terminal module includes a plurality of lower ground terminals. Said The shielding module includes a metallic shielding plate. The ground member is associated with the shielding module to mechanically and electrically connect at least one of the upper ground terminals and the lower ground terminals with the shielding plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical receptacle for being mounted for mounting onto a host board and electrically connecting with a mating electrical circuit board along a front-to-back direction, comprising:
 an insulative housing; and 
 a row of first terminals, a row of second terminals, a row of third terminals, and a row of fourth terminals arranged along a vertical direction and mounted in the insulative housing, the first terminals and the fourth terminals forming a first mating port, the second terminals and the third terminals forming a second mating port, the first mating port forwardly extending beyond the second mating port; 
 wherein the row of first terminals align with the row of second terminals along an up-to-down direction, the row of third terminals align with the row of fourth terminals along the up-to-down direction, the first terminals and the second terminals are offset from the third and fourth terminals in a longitudinal direction transverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-to-back direction from the third terminals and the fourth terminals; and wherein 
 each of the first terminals has a first contact section, a first soldering portion, and a first body portion integrally connected between the first contact section and the first soldering portion, each of the second terminals has a second contact section, a second soldering portion, and a second body portion integrally connected between the second contact section and the second soldering portion, each of the third terminals has a third contact section, a third soldering portion, and a third body portion integrally connected between the third contact section and the third soldering portion, and each of the fourth terminals has a fourth contact section, a fourth soldering portion, and a fourth body portion integrally connected between the fourth contact section and the fourth soldering portion; wherein 
 the row of first terminals are insert-molded in a first insulative body to form a first terminal module, the row of second terminals are insert-molded in a second insulative body to form a second terminal module, the row of third terminals are insert-molded in a third insulative body to form a third terminal module, and the row of fourth terminals are insert-molded in a fourth insulative body to form a fourth terminal module; and wherein 
 the first insulative body has a plurality of guide grooves in a bottom surface thereof to respectively receive the second contact sections of the corresponding second contacts, and the fourth insulative body has a plurality of guide grooves in a top surface thereof to respectively receive the third contact sections of the corresponding third contacts. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a center line of the first terminal along the front-to-back direction and a center line of the second terminal along the front-to-back direction are in a same first vertical plane, a center line of the third terminal along the front-to-back direction and a center line of the fourth terminal along the front-to-back direction are in a same second vertical plane. 
     
     
       3. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a distance of adjacent first vertical plane and second vertical plane is 0.4 mm. 
     
     
       4. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first terminal has a first soldering portion; the second terminal has a second soldering portion; the third terminal has a third soldering portion; the fourth terminal has a fourth soldering portion; the fourth soldering portion, the third soldering portion, the second soldering portion and the first soldering portion are respectively arranged in front to back  the front-to-back direction. 
     
     
       5. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the second soldering portion aligns to a space of with a space between two adjacent third soldering portions. 
     
     
       6. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first terminal terminals are further insert-molded in a first insulative body and a first position part forms a first terminal module; the second terminal terminals are further insert-molded in a second insulative body and a second position part forms a second terminal module; the third terminal terminals are further insert-molded in a third insulative body and a third position part forms a third terminal module; the fourth terminal insert-molded in a fourth insulative body forms a fourth terminal module. 
     
     
       7. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first terminal body portion has a first contact section, a first horizontal section and a first vertical section, the first insulative body over-molding on the first horizontal section, the first position part over-molding on the first vertical section; the second terminal body portion has a second contact section, a second horizontal section and a second vertical section, the second insulative body over-molding on the second horizontal section, the second position part over-molding on the second vertical section; the third terminal body portion has a third contact section, a third horizontal section and a third vertical section, the third insulative body over-molding on the third horizontal section, the third position part over-molding on the third vertical section; the fourth terminal body portion has a fourth contact section, a fourth horizontal section and a fourth vertical section, the fourth insulative body over-molding on the fourth horizontal section; the insulative housing has a row of fixed slots, the fourth vertical section received in the fixed slot and each fourth vertical section is received in a respective one of the fixed slots. 
     
     
       8. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the insulative housing has a top face and a bottom face, the top face defined defines a first guide groove for receiving the first contact section, and the bottom face defined defines a fourth guide groove for receiving the fourth contact section. 
     
     
       9. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first insulative body is defined a guide groove on a bottom surface thereof for receiving a contact section of the second terminal, and the fourth insulative body is defined a guide groove on a top surface thereof for receiving a contact section of the third terminal. 
     
     
       10. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first insulative body is defined defines a first slit for exposing the first horizontal section, the first position part is defined defines a first opening for exposing the first vertical section; and the second insulative body is defined defines a second slit for exposing the second horizontal section, the second position part is defined defines a second opening for exposing the second vertical section; and the third insulative body is defined defines a third slit for exposing the third horizontal section, the third position part is defined defines a third opening for exposing the third vertical section; and the fourth insulative body is defined defines a fourth slit for exposing the fourth horizontal section. 
     
     
       11. An electrical receptacle for mating with a plug connector, comprising:
 an insulative housing defining a front card receiving space and a rear module receiving space; 
 a terminal module received within the module receiving space and comprising: 
 an upper half module and a lower half module stacked with each other in a vertical direction; 
 said upper half module including an upper front part and an upper rear part cooperating with each other so as to sandwich an upper shielding plate therebetween in the vertical direction, the upper front part including a plurality of upper front terminals integrally formed with an upper front insulator via insert-molding, the upper rear part including a plurality of upper rear terminals integrally formed with an upper rear insulator via insert-molding, said upper shielding plate forming a plurality of upper springs extending upwardly through corresponding holes in the upper front insulator to mechanically and electrically connect corresponding upper front terminals for grounding, and a plurality of lower springs extending downwardly through corresponding holes to mechanically and electrically connect corresponding upper rear terminals for grounding; wherein 
 front contacting sections of the upper front terminals and those of the upper rear terminals are located on a same upper side of with respect to the front card receiving space; and 
 the lower half module includes a plurality of lower front terminals and a plurality of lower rear terminals, and front contacting sections of the lower front terminals and those of the lower rear terminals are located on a same lower side of with respect to the front card receiving space. 
 
     
     
       12. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein during mating with a plug connector, the front contacting sections of the upper front terminals are received within corresponding upper passageways formed by an upper wall of the housing while the front contacting sections of the upper rear terminals are received within corresponding upper grooves formed in the upper front insulator. 
     
     
       13. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the front contacting sections of the upper front terminals are located in front of and aligned with those of the upper rear terminals in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to said vertical direction. 
     
     
       14. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the upper half module and the lower half module commonly forms form a rear card receiving space aligned with the front card receiving space in the front-to-back direction. 
     
     
       15. The electrical receptacle as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said rear card receiving space is confined by the upper front insulator. 
     
     
       16. The electrical receptacle connector as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein two opposite lateral interior surfaces of the housing define a pair of grooves for holding two opposite lateral side edges of a mating tongue of the plug connector. 
     
     
       17. An electrical receptacle mounted onto for mounting a host board and electrically connecting with a mating electrical circuit board, comprising:
 an insulative housing; and 
 a row of first terminals, a row of second terminals, a row of third terminals, and a row of fourth terminals arranged along a vertical direction and mounted in the insulative housing, the first terminals and the fourth terminals forming a first mating port, the second terminals and the third terminals forming a second mating port, the first mating port forwardly extending beyond the second mating port; 
 wherein
 the row of first terminals align with the row of second terminals along an up-to-down direction, the row of third terminals align with the row of fourth terminals along the up-to-down direction, the first terminals and the second terminals are offset in a longitudinal transverse direction from the third terminals and the fourth terminals; wherein  
 the first terminal is terminals are insert-molded with a first insulative body and a first position part to form a first terminal module, the second terminal is terminals are insert-molded with a second insulative body and a second position part to form a second terminal module, the third terminal is terminals are insert-molded with a third insulative body and a third position part to form a third terminal module, and the fourth terminal is terminals are insert-molded with a fourth insulative body to form a fourth terminal module; wherein  
 theeach first terminal has unitarily a first contact section, a first horizontal section, and a first vertical section, the first insulative body over-molding on the first horizontal section, the first position part over-molding on the first vertical section, theeach second terminal has unitarily a second contact section, a second horizontal section, and a second vertical section, the second insulative body over-molding on the second horizontal section, the second position part over-molding on the second vertical section, theeach third terminal has unitarily a third contact section, a third horizontal section, and a third vertical section, the third insulative body over-molding on the third horizontal section, the third position part over-molding on the third vertical section, theeach fourth terminal has unitarily a fourth contact section, a fourth horizontal section, and a fourth vertical section, the fourth insulative body over-molding on the fourth horizontal section, and the insulative housing has a row of fixed slots, the fourth vertical section received in the fixed slotand each fourth vertical section is received in a respective one of the fixed slots; and 
 the first insulative body has a guide groove on a bottom surface thereof for receiving one of the second contact section sections, and the fourth insulative body has a guide groove on a top surface thereof for receiving one of the third contact section. 
 
 
     
     
       18. An electrical receptacle for mating with a plug connector having a paddle card, comprising:
 an insulative housing defining a front card receiving space and a rear module receiving space in a front-to-back direction;   a terminal module received within the module receiving space and comprising:   an upper half module and a lower half module stacked with each other in a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction;   said upper half module including an upper front part and an upper rear part stacked with each other in the vertical direction, the upper front part including a plurality of upper front terminals integrally formed with an upper front insulator via insert-molding, the upper rear part including a plurality of upper rear terminals integrally formed with an upper rear insulator via insert-molding;   the lower half module including a lower front part and a lower rear part stacked with each other in the vertical direction, the lower front part including a plurality of lower front terminals integrally formed with a lower front insulator via insert-molding, the lower rear part including a plurality of lower rear terminals integrally formed with a lower rear insulator via insert-molding;   a rear card receiving space formed between the upper front insulator and the lower front insulator in the vertical direction so as to cooperate with the front card receiving space to form a full card receiving space for receiving the paddle card of the plug connector;   front contacting sections of the upper front terminals and those of the upper rear terminals being located on a same upper side of the full card receiving space;   front contacting sections of the lower front terminals and those of the lower rear terminals being located on a same lower side of the full card receiving space;   a bottom face of the upper front insulator downwardly facing toward the rear card receiving space, and a top face of the lower front insulator upwardly facing toward the rear card receiving space; wherein   the housing includes a downward face and an upward face, the downward face downwardly faces the front card receiving space, the downward face is horizontally coplanar with the bottom face of the upper front insulator, the upward face upwardly faces the front card receiving space, and the upward face is horizontally coplanar with the top face of the lower front insulator.   
     
     
       19. The electrical receptacle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the upper front terminals and the upper rear terminals are aligned with each other in the front-to-back direction, respectively, and the lower front terminals and the lower rear terminals are aligned with each other in the front-to-back direction, respectively, while being offset from the corresponding upper front terminals and upper rear terminals in a transverse direction perpendicular to both the front-to-back direction and the vertical direction. 
     
     
       20. The electrical receptacle as claimed in claim 19, wherein each of the upper front terminals, the upper rear terminals, the lower front terminals and the lower rear terminals includes a unitary front contacting section, rear mounting section and right angle shaped body section therebetween. 
     
     
       21. The electrical receptacle as claimed in claim 18, wherein a front end face of the upper front insulator forms a chamfered structure downwardly facing the full card receiving space, and a front face of the lower front insulator forms an upward chamfered structure upwardly facing the full card receiving space. 
     
     
       22. The electrical receptacle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the front contacting section of each upper rear terminal abuts against the upper front insulator, and the front contacting section of each lower rear terminal abuts against the lower front insulator. 
     
     
       23. The electrical receptacle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the upper front insulator forms a plurality of guide grooves to receive the front contacting sections of the corresponding upper rear terminals, respectively, and the lower front insulator forms a plurality of guide grooves to receive the front contacting sections of the corresponding lower rear terminals, respectively. 
     
     
       24. The electrical receptacle as claimed in claim 18, wherein the housing forms a pair of slots in two opposite lateral interior surfaces of two sides of the terminal module for holding the paddle card of the plug connector during mating.