Abstract:
An electrical connector ( 100 ) includes an insulated housing ( 1 ) defining a receiving passage ( 15 ), a number of terminals ( 2 ) received in the insulated housing and a metal shell ( 3 ) having a number of walls cooperatively defining a hollow ( 34 ) for receiving the insulated housing. The metal shell further has a front mating port ( 341 ) and at least one guiding member ( 35 ). The guiding member is formed on the inner surface of one wall of the metal shell and disposed in front of the insulated housing. The guiding member includes a guiding portion and a supporting portion joining to each other to form a guiding passage. The guiding passage opens towards the front mating port and is adapted for guiding a complementary connector into engagement with the electrical connector.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is related to U.S. patent application entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH SHELL”, and it has the same applicant and assignee as the present invention. The disclosure of the related application is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with a metal shell. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Low profile connectors, such as those used in SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) applications are desired in electronic devices in which space is at a premium and thus it is difficult to guide the opposing mating plug connectors into contact with such connectors. The plug connector typically includes a circuit card that has a projecting edge that is received within a card opening in the SFP connector. Shielding cages are typically utilized with such connectors to control the emission of electromagnetic interference. These cages often serve as a secondary housing for the connector in that they substantially enclose the connectors. The small size of the SFP style connectors makes it difficult to ensure that the opposing mating connectors mate easily with the SFP connectors, especially in a blind mating application. 
   For example, U.S. Pub. No. 20060040556A1 discloses an SFP-style connector with a metal shell encompassing the connector. The metal shell has an opening that defines an entrance through which an opposing mating connector may be inserted. The entrance includes one or more guide members that extend into the center of the housing and provide a guide for guiding an opposing mating connector into engagement with the circuit board connector. However, the opposing mating connector also needs corresponding keyways mating with the guiding members of the metal shell. As the guiding members may be located at different places of the metal shell and the keyways also need be defined in the different places of the opposing mating connector. However, this kind of SFP-style connectors and the opposing mating connectors are relatively complex in manufacture and costly in manufacture cost; on the other hand, it may be inconvenient for users to choose and use the SFP-style connectors and the opposing connectors. Those two shortcomings are not glad to be seen by manufacturers and customers. 
   Hence, an improved electrical connector with a metal shell is highly desired to overcome the disadvantages of the related art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with improved metal shell to make it easy and convenient for the electrical connector mating with the complementary mating connector. 
   In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulated housing defining a receiving passage, a plurality of terminals received in the insulated housing and a metal shell having a plurality of walls cooperatively defining a hollow for receiving the insulated housing. The metal shell further has a front mating port and at least one guiding member. The guiding member is formed on the inner surface of one side of the metal shell and disposed in front of the insulated housing. The guiding member comprises a guiding portion and a supporting portion joining to each other to form a guiding passage. The guiding passage faces to the front mating port and is adapted for guiding a complementary connector into engagement with the electrical connector. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged guiding member of the electrical connector; 
       FIG. 4  is a partially assembled, perspective view of the electrical connector; 
       FIG. 5  is another partially assembled, perspective view of the electrical connector; 
       FIG. 6  is an assembled view of the electrical connector; and 
       FIG. 7  is a metal shell of an electrical connector in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , an electrical connector  100  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is used for provides a connection between a circuit board  5  and a complementary connector (not shown). The complementary connector has a mating portion defining a space and a printed circuit board is received in the space and a plurality of conductive pads located on the printed circuit board. The electrical connector  100  comprises an insulated housing  1 , a plurality of contacts  2  respectively arranged in two rows along a vertical direction and received in the insulated housing  1 , and a metal shell  3  assembled to the insulated housing  1 . 
   The insulated housing  1  comprises a top wall  11 , a bottom wall  12 , a rear wall  14  and a pair of side walls  13  interconnecting with the top wall  11 , the bottom wall  12  and the rear wall  14 . The top wall  11 , the bottom wall  12 , the pair of side walls  13  and the rear wall  14  cooperatively enclose a receiving passage  15  thereamong. The receiving passage  15  has an enlarged front opening  151  communicating with itself. Each side wall  13  with part of middle portion is cut to form a gateway  17  recessed upward from the bottom edge of the side wall  13 . A positioning post  16  extends downwardly from bottom surface of each side wall  13  and is adjacent to the front opening  151 . Part of the rear wall  14  is cut to form a step  141  and a plurality of protrusions  142  aligning in a row along transversal direction and every two adjacent protrusions  142  are separated by a certain distance. 
   The terminals  2  comprise a plurality of first terminals  21  and second terminals  22  arranged in two distinct rows along vertical direction. Either row of the first terminals  21  or row of the second terminals  22  aligns along transversal direction. Each cantilever-type first terminal  21  comprises a contacting portion  211 , a rear portion  212  and a body portion  213  interconnecting with the contacting portion  211  and the rear portion  212 . Each cantilever-type second terminal  22  comprises a contacting portion  221 , a rear portion  222 , a body portion  223  interconnecting with the contacting portion  221  and the rear portion  222 , and a retention portion  224  extending upward from the body portion  223 . 
   The metal shell  3  comprises an upper wall  31 , a lower wall  32 , a back wall  37  and a pair of transversal walls  33 . The upper wall  31 , the lower wall  32  and the back wall  37  join to the pair of the transversal walls  33 , to define a hollow  34 . A continues ridge  36  divides the metal shell  3  into a front mating port  341  and a rear section  342 . The rear portion of the lower wall  32  is cut to form a window  38  thereon. Two guiding members  35  ( FIG. 3 ) are respectively arranged on inner surfaces of the pair of transversal walls  33 . The guiding member  35  forms substantially an L-shape guiding passage  350  and comprises a supporting portion  351  and a guiding portion  352  extending upward from one side of the supporting portion  351 . The supporting portion  351  is a board body with a substantially planar upper surface  3511  and part of the front and upper board body is cut to form a first chamfer  3512 , thus, the supporting potion  351  has a relative thinner front edge  3513 . The vertical distance between the upper surface  3511  and the inner surface of the upper wall  31  is substantially equal to the height of the mating portion of the complementary connector. The guiding portion  352  is also a board body with a substantially planar left surface  3521  and part of the front and left board body is cut to form a second chamfer  3522 , thus, the guiding portion  352  has a tapered front edge  3523 . The guiding members  35  are respectively formed on the substantially middle and lower sections of the transversal walls  33 , with the tapered front edge  3523  of the guiding portion  352  facing to the front mating port  341 . A pair of attachment posts  331  are formed on the outer surface of each transversal wall  33 . Each attachment post  331  defines a screw hole  332  therein for inserting a screw  6 . A pair of vertical beams  333  are respectively formed on the inner surfaces of the transversal walls  33  and each vertical beam  333  is adjacent to the corresponding attachment post  331  near the back wall  37 . The top portion of each vertical beam  333  is cut to form a chamfer  334  thereon. Pair of locking apertures  311  for latching with latch portions of a complementary connector (not shown) are defined in the front section of the upper wall  31 . A gasket  4  for suppressing EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) is assembled to the metal shell  3  and abuts against the continuous ridge  36  of the metal shell  3 . 
   The circuit substrate  5  has a plurality of conductive traces arranged in distinct first set of conductive traces  51  and second set of conductive traces  52 . Two pairs of screw holes  53  and a pair of positioning holes  54  are respectively spaced arranged on the circuit substrate  5 . A positioning cutout  55  is defined in the front portion of the circuit substrate  5 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4-6  in conjunction with  FIGS. 1-2 , when assembly, the set of first terminals  21  are assembled to the insulated housing  1  along a front-to-back direction, with the contacting portions  211  disposed in the receiving passage  15 , the body portions  213  received in the top wall  1  of the insulated housing  1 , the rear portions  212  disposed on the step  141  and the ends of the rear portions  212  respectively sandwiched between two adjacent protrusions  142 . While, the second set of terminals  22  are assembled to the insulated housing  1  along a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, with the contacting portions  221  disposed in the receiving passage  15  to face the contacting portions  211  of the first set of terminals  21 , the retention portions  224  retained in the bottom wall  12  of the insulated housing  1  and the rear portions  223  disposed outwardly of the bottom wall  12 . Secondly, the insulated housing  1  is assembled to the circuit substrate  5 , with the positioning posts  16  inserting into the positioning holes  54  of the circuit substrate  5 , the ends of the rear portions  213 ,  223  disposed on the first and the second conductive traces  51 ,  52  respectively. Thirdly, the terminals  21 ,  22  are soldered to the conductive traces  51 ,  52  by surface mount technology (SMT) manner. Gateways  17  of the insulated housing  1  facilitate the air flow in soldering process to improve the quality of solder. Fourthly, the metal shell  3  is assembled to the circuit substrate  5 , with the insulated housing  1  being inserted into the hollow  34  through the windows  38  of the metal shell  3 , the pair of vertical beams  333  together with the pair of supporting portions  351  of the guiding members  35  respectively sandwiching the rear sections and the front sections of the side walls  13  to position the insulated housing  1 , the lower part of the protruding ridge  36  abutting against the positioning cutout  55  defined in the circuit substrate  5 , the screw holes  332  of the attachment posts  331  aligning with the screw holes  53  of the circuit substrate  5 . Fifthly, the metal shell  3  and the circuit substrate  5  are combined together by screws  6 . 
   When the complementary connector (not shown) mating with the electrical connector  100 , the mating portion of the complementary connector first inserts into the front mating port  341  of the metal shell  3  and enters into the hollow  34 ; then the mating portion of the complementary connector reaches the frontages of the guiding members  35 , with the guiding of the second chamfers  3522  of the guiding portions  352  and supporting of the supporting portions  351 , the mating portion of the complementary connector enters into the guiding passages  350 ; and then an increasing pushing force is exerted on the complementary connector and the mating portion of the complementary connector slides along the first chamfers  3512  of the supporting portions  351 , until the mating portion of the complementary connector arrives at the planar upper surfaces  3511  of the supporting portions  351 ; lastly, the mating portion of the complementary connector moves along the planar upper surface  3511  of the supporting portion  351  forwardly and enters into the receiving passage  15  of the electrical connector  100 , thus, the complementary connector matches with the electrical connector  100  easily and accurately. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , an electrical connector  100 ′ in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In comparison with the first embodiment of the present invention, the structure of the electrical connector  100 ′ is same as that of the electrical connector  100  except for guiding members  35 ′. The guiding member  35 ′ is the same as the guiding member  35  of the first embodiment except that the upper surface  3511 ′ of the supporting portion  351 ′ is a substantially planar-type and hasn&#39;t such first chamfer  3512  as that defined on the guiding member  35  of the first electrical connector  100 . In comparison with the mating process of the electrical connector  100  together with the complementary connector, the mating process of the electrical connector  100 ′ together with the complementary connector is same as the electrical connector  100  with the complementary connector, except that there is no sub-process that the mating portion of the electrical connector  100 ′ slides along the first chamfer, and the mating portion of the complementary connector directly slides along the planar upper surface  3511 ′ and also matches with the electrical connector  100 ′ accurately. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrated only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.