US5586912A — High density filtered connector

Claim 1

Independent Claim 113 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: an electrically conductive housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing, the filtered contacts each including a ceramic tubular capacitor; and at least one ground plane member having a center section and legs extending outwardly from the center section, the center section having receiving areas with each of the capacitors being located in one of the receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, all of the receiving areas, at least along one side of the center section, each having a separate one of the legs proximate thereto, each leg having a bend proximate the center section and an end that contacts the housing.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 113 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: an electrically conductive housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing, the filtered contacts each including a ceramic tubular capacitor; and at least one ground plane member having a center section and legs extending outwardly from the center section, the center section having receiving areas with each of the capacitors being located in one of the receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, all of the receiving areas, at least along one side of the center section, each having a separate one of the legs proximate thereto, each leg having a bend proximate the center section and an end that contacts the housing.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

A connector as in claim 1 wherein the filtered contacts include a first contact member, a second contact member, and a contact member connector to connect the first contact member to the second contact member.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 38 words

A connector as in claim 2 wherein each of the capacitors surround a portion of the first contact member and are sandwiched between a ledge on the first contact member and an end of the contact member connector.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

A connector as in claim 2 wherein the contact member connector surrounds portions of the first and second contact members and is crimped thereto.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

A connector as in claim 1 wherein the ground plane member is comprised of a single sheet metal member.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

A connector as in claim 1 wherein at least one of the receiving areas has inwardly projecting barbs for contacting one of the capacitors.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 36 words

A connector as in claim 1 wherein the center section has a general rectangular shape, the receiving areas are aligned in two offset rows, and the legs extend from only two sides of the center section.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

A connector as in claim 1 further comprising a grommet connected to the housing and epoxy fixedly holding the grommet to the housing.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 50 words

A connector as in claim 1 wherein the housing includes a first housing member made of dielectric material, and a second housing member made of metal, the second housing member having integral lugs on an exterior side thereof adapted to be deformed to fixedly connect a ground wire assembly thereto.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 14 words

A connector as in claim 1 wherein the connector has two ground plane members.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 53 words

A connector as in claim 10 wherein each ground plane member has legs extending along one side, but not an opposite side and, the two ground plane members are stacked one on top of the other in opposite orientations such that the legs extend from opposite sides of the stacked ground plane members.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 39 words

A connector as in claim 10 wherein the two ground plane members are stacked one on top of the other and, receiving areas of the two ground plane members substantially sandwich the contacts between the two ground plane members.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 22 words

A connector as in claim 10 further comprising means to apply opposite directional forces by the ground plane members against the contacts.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 14 words

A connector as in claim 10 wherein the receiving areas have general teardrop shapes.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 132 words

A filtered electrical connector ground plane member for use in a connector having filtering contacts, the ground plane member comprising: a center section having two rows of receiving apertures, a majority of the apertures having inwardly directed deflectable barbs; and leg sections extending outwardly from two sides of the center section, each leg section extending from the center section proximate one of the receiving apertures, substantially all of the receiving apertures having a separate leg section associated therewith such that the ground plane member can make electrical contact with contacts at the barbs at the receiving apertures and can contact a housing of the connector at an end of the leg sections whereby a substantially short ground path is provided between each of the apertures and each of their associated leg sections.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 132 words

A filtered electrical connector ground plane member for use in a connector having filtering contacts, the ground plane member comprising: a center section having two rows of receiving apertures, a majority of the apertures having inwardly directed deflectable barbs; and leg sections extending outwardly from two sides of the center section, each leg section extending from the center section proximate one of the receiving apertures, substantially all of the receiving apertures having a separate leg section associated therewith such that the ground plane member can make electrical contact with contacts at the barbs at the receiving apertures and can contact a housing of the connector at an end of the leg sections whereby a substantially short ground path is provided between each of the apertures and each of their associated leg sections.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 40 words

A ground plane member as in claim 15 wherein the member is comprised of a single sheet of metal, the center section has a general rectangular shape, and the receiving apertures are offset from each other in the two rows.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 22 words

A ground plane member as in claim 15 wherein the barbs, at least at one of the apertures, are not symmetrically arranged.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 19 words

A ground plane member as in claim 15 wherein at least one of the apertures does not have barbs.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 121 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: a housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing, each filtered contact having a contact member and a tubular capacitor; and a ground plane member connected between the housing and the capacitors of the filtered contacts, the ground plane member having only two rows of contact receiving apertures and two rows of contact legs, each of the filtered contacts being located in one of the receiving apertures and making electrical contact with the ground plane member thereat, each of the contact legs being paired with a separate one of the apertures and making contact with the housing with a uniform grounding path length between each of the contacts and the housing.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 121 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: a housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing, each filtered contact having a contact member and a tubular capacitor; and a ground plane member connected between the housing and the capacitors of the filtered contacts, the ground plane member having only two rows of contact receiving apertures and two rows of contact legs, each of the filtered contacts being located in one of the receiving apertures and making electrical contact with the ground plane member thereat, each of the contact legs being paired with a separate one of the apertures and making contact with the housing with a uniform grounding path length between each of the contacts and the housing.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 31 words

A connector as in claim 19 wherein the filtered contacts include two end-to-end contact members connected to each other by a contact member connector sleeve crimped onto the two contact members.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 35 words

A connector as in claim 20 wherein the filtered contacts include conductive washers compressed between ends of the capacitor and, a ledge of one of the contact members and an end of the connector sleeve.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 19 words

A connector as in claim 19 wherein the contact legs are spring loaded against interior sides of the housing.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 127 words

An electrical connector comprising: a housing having an electrically conductive member; a plurality of contacts located, at least partially, in the housing; and a pair of ground plane members located in the housing and electrically connecting at least one of the contacts to the electrically conductive member of the housing, the ground plane members each comprising a center section with receiving areas and legs extending from the center section, the pair of ground plane members being sandwiched next to each other with the at least one contact passing through a pair of overlapping receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, and the legs of the ground plane members extending from opposite sides of the center sections, one leg for each of the pairs of overlapping receiving areas.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 127 words

An electrical connector comprising: a housing having an electrically conductive member; a plurality of contacts located, at least partially, in the housing; and a pair of ground plane members located in the housing and electrically connecting at least one of the contacts to the electrically conductive member of the housing, the ground plane members each comprising a center section with receiving areas and legs extending from the center section, the pair of ground plane members being sandwiched next to each other with the at least one contact passing through a pair of overlapping receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, and the legs of the ground plane members extending from opposite sides of the center sections, one leg for each of the pairs of overlapping receiving areas.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 19 words

A connector as in claim 23 further comprising means biasing the pair of ground plane members in opposite directions.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 34 words

A connector as in claim 23 wherein the receiving areas are larger than the contacts, but the pair of ground plane members substantially sandwich the contacts between opposite sides of their respective receiving areas.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 135 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: an electrically conductive housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing, the filtered contacts each including a ceramic tubular capacitor; and at least one ground plane member having a center section and legs extending from the center section, the center section having a plurality of receiving areas with each of the capacitors being located in one of the receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, wherein the filtered contacts include a first contact member, a second contact member, and a contact member connector to connect the first contact member to the second contact member, each of the capacitors surrounding a portion of the first contact member and being sandwiched between a ledge on the first contact member and an end of the contact member connector.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 135 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: an electrically conductive housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing, the filtered contacts each including a ceramic tubular capacitor; and at least one ground plane member having a center section and legs extending from the center section, the center section having a plurality of receiving areas with each of the capacitors being located in one of the receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, wherein the filtered contacts include a first contact member, a second contact member, and a contact member connector to connect the first contact member to the second contact member, each of the capacitors surrounding a portion of the first contact member and being sandwiched between a ledge on the first contact member and an end of the contact member connector.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 24 words

A connector as in claim 26 wherein the contact member connector surrounds portions of the first and second contact members and is crimped thereto.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 50 words

A connector as in claim 26 wherein the housing includes a first housing member made of dielectric material, and a second housing member made of metal, the second housing member having integral lugs on an exterior side thereof adapted to be deformed to fixedly connect a ground wire assembly thereto.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 102 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: an electrically conductive housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing; and at least two ground plane members each having a center section and legs extending from the center section, the center sections each having a plurality of receiving areas with each of the contacts being located in one of the receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, wherein the two ground plane members are stacked one on top of the other and, the receiving areas of the two ground plane members substantially sandwich the contacts between the two ground plane members.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 102 words

A filtered electrical connector comprising: an electrically conductive housing; a plurality of filtered contacts located, at least partially, in the housing; and at least two ground plane members each having a center section and legs extending from the center section, the center sections each having a plurality of receiving areas with each of the contacts being located in one of the receiving areas and making electrical contact thereat, wherein the two ground plane members are stacked one on top of the other and, the receiving areas of the two ground plane members substantially sandwich the contacts between the two ground plane members.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 53 words

A connector as in claim 29 wherein each ground plane member has legs extending along one side, but not an opposite side and, the two ground plane members are stacked one on top of the other in opposite orientations such that the legs extend from opposite sides of the stacked ground plane members.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 22 words

A connector as in claim 29 further comprising means to apply opposite directional forces by the ground plane members against the contacts.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-12-24	2000-06-24	2000-12-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-12-24	2004-06-24	2004-12-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-12-24	2008-06-24	2008-12-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

High density filtered connector

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag