The Whitaker Corporation

Paul J Anastasio

James M English

James F Iannella

John C Farrar

Richard K Childers

John H Bunch

Ping Peng

Christopher J Collins

Ram P Goel

Bernard J Janoss

Nilesh B Pathak

A tap connector (12) for a coaxial cable to provide signal and signal ground connection to a transceiver. The connector (12) includes a shunt subassembly (54) which provides a low impedance pathway for EMI and ESD from the signal ground to earth ground on the transceiver. The shunt subassembly includes a grounding strap (56) connected to a the signal ground, a chip capacitor (68), a circuit board (62), and a screw (78) to connect to earth ground on the transceiver (14).

ESD and EMI protected ethernet LAN tap

An electrical overstress protection apparatus and method includes the provision of an overstress element (22) comprised of a lamination including a conducting ground path (26) and a dielectric sheet (30) engaging discrete signal paths (16) connected to contacts (44), the sheet (30) containing holes (32) or pores or thread or fiber interstices filled with an electrical overstress protection material (36) with the sheet thickness and hole area in conjunction with area of signal and ground paths and characteristics of the material adapted to provide breakdown and clamping voltages via a path to ground from signal contacts to ground to protect components from excessive voltage levels. Electrical connectors (40,40', 40') incorporate the apparatus in different embodiments of housing (42,42') and contact (44) configurations.

Electrical overstress protection apparatus and method

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.

Tape filter and method of applying same to an electrical connector

Growing community of inventors

Camp Hill, PA, United States of America

Paul J Anastasio