Multi-coplanar capacitor for electrical connector

Claim 1

A multi-coplanar, multi-layer capacitor array for use as an RFI filter associated with an electrical connector module having a pattern of pin conductor and socket conductor connections, said multi-layer capacitor array comprising: (a) multi-layer board structure comprising super imposed layers including: (1) ground plane layers and capacitor plane layers interleaved with one another; (2) a pattern of continuous apertures formed perpendicular to and extending through the ground plane layers and capacitor layers forming a grid having a center-to-center spacing, said pattern being congruent with a pattern of sockets in the connector module and adapted to receive male conductor pins of a like pattern; (3) the ground plane layers further being characterized by a continuous conductive layer having clearance holes surrounding the apertures formed therein so as to be electrical insulated from received male pin conductors, the ground plane layers being jointly connected to a common ground; and (4) each of the capacitor plane layers including a plurality of defined coplanar individual separate capacitor areas encompassing an area occupied by a plurality of terminal pins but being electrically connected to one, the rest being provided with clearance holes surrounding the aperture formed therein, the remaining pins being electrically connected each to a separate capacitor on a different, similarly configured level, thereby associating each pin with an unique capacitive plane; (b) the separate capacitors providing RFI filtering for any signals on each pin.