The Whitaker Corporation

James F Iannella

Paul J Anastasio

Thomas Francis Davis

James M English

John C Farrar

Gunter Feldmeier

Manfred Schaarschmidt

An electrical connector (2) comprising rows of terminals (6) therein has capacitance filter elements (36,38) bonded to side walls (14,16) thereof. The filter elements are comprised of a thin dielectric film laminated on either side with conductive material, the one side serving as a ground electrode and the other side divided into a plurality of signal electrodes separated by gaps formed by conventional etching process. The filter elements also have connection tabs (48,49) extending from a lower end (50) thereof, each tab connected to a separate electrode (42,44) and electrically connected to corresponding terminals (6) of the connector (2). The invention therefore provides for a readily manufacturable and cost effective filtered connector for filtering unwanted frequency components of a signal to be carried, the filter being mountable to the connector housing in an unobtrusive and compact manner.

Filtered connector

A distributed element filter member (10) comprises a semi-conductor member (12) having a composite dielectric layer (24) disposed on and secured to a first major surface (16) of the member (12), the layer (24) being comprised of a polymerized dielectric material made of either barium titanate or strontium titanate particles in various ranges of mixture; a conductive layer (34) is disposed on portions of the dielectric layer defining an outer ground conductor and an inner conductive layer (36) is disposed on a second major surface of the semi-conductor member defining a signal conductor. The polymer utilized may be selected from an aqueous solution containing acrylic styrene as a copolymer or a solid polyester dissolved in carbitol acetate, or a solid bisphenol A-based epoxy resin dissolved in butyl carbitol acetate with various mixtures of barium or strontium titanate utilized. A filter (12') embodiment includes three layers of polymerized material.

RF filter having composite dielectric layer and method of manufacture

An electrical connector assembly (10) includes a plurality of signal contacts (22) and a grounding structure (16) mounted in a plastic housing (12) having flat exterior surface portions (19). One or more filter elements (32) contain signal electrodes (34) associated with and electrically connected to respective signal contacts (22) at staggered signal connection sections (35), with ground electrode (38) connected to grounding structure (16) at section (39). Each filter element is in tape form with dielectric material (36) laminated between broad area electrodes (34,38) with the tape attached to the housing exterior surface (14) for the electrodes (34,38) of the filter to be connected between the signal contact and ground structure to effectively insert the filter in the signal path to ground. Each signal electrode (34) may be carried on a separate tape filter, or one tape filter (80) may define at least two signal electrodes (82,84).

Electrical connector with tape filter

An electrical connector assembly (10) includes at least one signal contact (22) and one grounding structure (16) mounted in a dielectric housing (12) having flat exterior surface portions (19). A filter (32) is associated with each signal contact, if desired, and is in tape form with dielectric material (36) laminated between broad area electrodes (34,38) with the tape attached to the housing exterior surface (14); the dielectric material is selected to have a dielectric constant and thickness to provide a desired capacitance between signal and ground electrodes (34,38). The method includes electrically joining the signal and ground electrodes to the signal contact (22) and grounding structure (16) while pressing the tape filter along and against the exterior housing surfaces (19) between the connections, for the electrodes (34,38) of the filter to be connected between the signal contact and ground structure to effectively insert the filter in the signal path to ground.

Growing community of inventors

Harrisburg, PA, United States of America

James F Iannella