US Patent 8944831 Electrical connector having ribbed ground plate with engagement members

An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing, a plurality of electrical signal contacts supported by the dielectric housing, and an electrically conductive ground plate supported by the dielectric housing. The dielectric hosing defines at least one protrusion, and the ground plate defines at least one aperture that receives the protrusion. The apertures can define a first dimension along a select direction and a second dimension along the select direction, wherein the first dimension is greater than the second dimension so as to define a lead-in for the protrusion. The protrusion can be press-fit to the electrically conductive ground plate at the second dimension of the aperture so as to secure the ground plate to the dielectric housing.