US Patent 8366485 Electrical connector having ribbed ground plate

An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing, a plurality of electrical signal contacts carried by the dielectric housing, and a ground plate carried by the dielectric housing. The electrical signal contacts are arranged along a first plane, wherein the signal contacts define signal pairs such that a respective gap is disposed between adjacent signal pairs. The signal contacts further define respective mating and mounting ends. The ground plate includes a ground plate body oriented in a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane and offset from the first plane. The ground plate body defines first and second opposed surfaces. The ground plate includes at least one rib that defines first and second opposed surfaces, wherein the first surface of the rib projects from the first surface of the ground plate body in a direction toward the gap, and the second surface is recessed into the second surface of the ground plate body. The ground plate further includes a plurality of mating ends and mounting ends extending from the ground plate body and disposed in the first plane so as to be aligned with the respective mating ends and mounting ends of the electrical signal contacts.