Patent ID: 6299480
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A modular receptacle connector comprising:a dielectric housing comprising a pair of side surfaces, a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, the front surface defining at least a port therein for receiving a mating plug connector;a contact pin array assembled in the dielectric housing, the contact pin array being partially received by the port and comprising a horizontal portion and a vertical portion;a plurality of contact pins mounted in the contact pin array, each contact pin comprising a contact portion received by the horizontal portion of the contact pin array and a mounting portion extending beyond the vertical portion of the contact pin array; anda shield encasing the dielectric housing and the contact pin array, the shield comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls, a top wall for covering the front surface, the rear surface, the side surfaces, the top surface of the dielectric housing, respectively, and a bottom wall, the front wall defining an opening corresponding to the port of the dielectric housing, the bottom wall extending rearward from a bottom edge of the front wall along the bottom surface of the dielectric housing and having latching structures engaging with the bottom surface of the dielectric housing at a position near the rear surface of the dielectric housing; whereinthe bottom wall of the external shield has an irregular contour at a rear edge thereof and the bottom surface of the dielectric housing comprises a rear portion and a front portion, the front portion being a little thinner than the rear portion and having a configuration corresponding to the bottom wall to be covered by the bottom wall; whereinthe irregular contour of the bottom wall of the external shield comprises concave portions and convex portions, and the rear portion of the bottom surface of the dielectric housing comprises a plurality of latch blocks thereon defining cavities therein for receiving the convex portions of the bottom wall; whereinthe rear wall of the external shield comprises one row of grounding pins extending straight downward from a bottom edge thereof, and the rear edge of the bottom wall of the eternal shield has another row of additional grounding pins extending perpendicularly downward therefrom; whereineach of the side walls of the external shield comprises a front bending portion depending perpendicularly rearward from the front wall, a rear bending portion depending perpendicularly forward from the rear wall, and a main portion depending perpendicularly downward from a lateral edge of the top wall and overlapping the rear bending portion and a rear part of the front bending portion; whereineach of the side surfaces of the dielectric housing comprises a pair of front latch holes and a pair of rear latch tabs thereon, and the front bending portion of each side wall comprises a pair of protrusions for engaging with the front latch holes, respectively, and the rear bending portion of each side wall comprises a pair of latch apertures for mating with the rear latch tabs, respectively; whereinthe bottom surface of the dielectric housing forms a pair of tabs at each of the lateral edges thereof and the main portion of each side wall of the external shield defines a pair of tongues depending perpendicularly inward and each defining a tongue aperture in a center thereof corresponding to the tabs of the bottom surface; whereinthe shield is made from one piece.