Abstract:
In an electric connector including a conductive shell fitting portion to be fitted to a mating connector, a receiving portion is arranged within the shell fitting portion to receive a load by plying force between the electric connector and the mating connector. It is preferable that a housing is coupled to the shell fitting portion and that a conductive contact is held by the housing. In this case, the receiving portion has a flat shape with its one end coupled to the housing and the other end coupled to the shell fitting portion. The receiving portion may be made of a metal material or a resin material.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority to prior Japanese patent application JP 2005-25696, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to an electric connector having a shell to be fitted to a mating connector.  
         [0003]     An electric connector having a conductive shell to be fitted to a mating conductive shell of a mating connector is known. Each of these shells is a pressed part formed by press-punching and bending a thin metal plate, and has a cylindrical shell fitting portion. The shell fitting portions are contacted and fitted to each other to be electrically connected (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H09-259981).  
         [0004]     When the electric connector is fitted to the mating connector, i.e., when the shell fitting portions are contacted and fitted to each other, it is supposed that strong prying force is applied to the electric connector to expand the shell fitting portion of the electric connector by the principle of the lever. More particularly, since the prying force is received by the shell fitting portions alone, the shell fitting portions may possibly be deformed.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an electric connector which is effectively prevented from being deformed when the electric connector is fitted to a mating connector.  
         [0006]     Other object of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.  
         [0007]     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric connector comprising a conductive shell fitting portion to be fitted to a mating connector and a receiving portion arranged within the shell fitting portion to receive a load by plying force between the electric connector and the mating connector. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electric connector according to a first embodiment of this invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line III-III in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a right side view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a characteristic part in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a characteristic part in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an electric connector according to a second embodiment of this invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a front view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 11  is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line XI-XI in  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 12  is a right side view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 13  is a plan view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 14  is a bottom view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 15  is an enlarged view of a characteristic part in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 16  is an enlarged view of a characteristic part in  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of an electric connector according to a third embodiment of this invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 18  is a front view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 17 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 19  is a sectional view taken along a line XIX-XIX in  FIG. 18 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 20  is a right side view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 17 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 21  is a plan view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 17 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 22  is a bottom view of the electric connector illustrated in  FIG. 17 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 23  is an enlarged view of a characteristic part in  FIG. 17 ; and  
         [0031]      FIG. 24  is an enlarged view of a characteristic part in  FIG. 18 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]     Referring to FIGS.  1  to  6 , description will be made of an electric connector according to a first embodiment of this invention.  
         [0033]     In FIGS.  1  to  6 , the electric connector depicted by a reference numeral  1  comprises a plurality of conductive contacts  11 , an insulating housing  21  holding the contacts  11 , a conductive shell  31 , and a pair of receiving portions  41  fixed to the housing  21 . The housing  21  has a holding portion  23  holding the shell  31 , a pair of block portions  25  extending from opposite sides of the holding portion  23  in a longitudinal direction of the electric connector  1 , respectively, and a pair of fixing portions  27  extending from the block portions  25  in the longitudinal direction, respectively. When the electric connector  1  is mounted to a substrate such as a printed circuit board, the fixing portions  27  serve to fix the electric connector  1  to the substrate via fastening members such as bolts.  
         [0034]     The holding portion  23  has a main plate portion  25   a  extending long in the longitudinal direction of the electric connector  1  and a pair of wall portions  25   c  connected to longitudinal opposite ends of the main plate portion  25   a , respectively, and faced to each other. The shell  31  has a generally flat and tubular or hollow shell fitting portion  33  which is disposed in a space surrounded by the main plate portion  25   a  and the wall portions  25   c  and which is held by the housing  21 . The shell fitting portion  33  has a first shell plate portion  33   a  faced to an inner surface of the main plate portion  25   a , a second shell plate portion  33   b  faced to and spaced from the first shell plate portion  33   a  generally in parallel thereto, and a pair of shell side plate portions  33   c  connected to longitudinal opposite ends of the first and the second shell plate portions  33   c.    
         [0035]     The shell  31  has a first guide portion  35   c  bent from a fitting-side or front opening end of the first shell plate portion  33   a  to face a recess  25   m  formed on an end face  25   j  of the main plate portion  25   a  of the holding portion  23 , a second guide portion  35   e  bent outward from a fitting-side opening end of the second shell plate portion  33   b , and a pair of third guide portions  35   f  bent outward to face the wall portions  25   c  of the holding portion  23 , respectively.  
         [0036]     As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  also, the shell  31  further has a pair of bent portions  35   p  formed at a fitting-side end of the second shell plate portion  33   b  on longitudinal opposite sides of the second guide portion  35   e  and bent in a direction reverse to the second guide portion  35   e.    
         [0037]     Each of the receiving portions  41  is made of a metal material and has a band-like flat plate portion  41   a  and a locking portion  41   b  formed at a fitting-side end of the flat plate portion  41   a  and slightly bent. The locking portion  41   b  is engaged with a locking hole  35   s  formed on each of the bent portions  35   p . The flat plate portion  41   a  extends from the fitting-side end to a rear end which is press-fitted to the housing  21  to be fixed. Each of the receiving portions  41  may be made of a resin material.  
         [0038]     Each of the block portions  25  has a pair of pin portions  25   b   1  and  25   b   2  formed on its bottom surface and extending outward therefrom to be inserted to a substrate (not shown). The shell fitting portion  33  of the shell  31  is fitted to a mating fitting portion of a mating connector (not shown). When the mating connector is fitted into the shell fitting portion  33 , the receiving portions  41  serve as key plates for receiving a load by prying force.  
         [0039]     In the electric connector  1 , the prying force exerted when the electric connector  1  is fitted to the mating connector is received by the receiving portions  41 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shell from being deformed by the prying force.  
         [0040]     In addition, the shell fitting portion  33  is defined by the shell  31  and the receiving portions  41 . This results in increasing mechanical strength of the shell fitting portion  33 . Therefore, stable contact is established between the shell  31  and a mating shell of the mating connector.  
         [0041]     Referring to FIGS.  9  to  14 , description will be made of an electric connector according to a second embodiment of this invention. Similar parts similar to those of the first embodiment are designated by like reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.  
         [0042]     In FIGS.  9  to  14 , the electric connector depicted by a reference numeral  101  comprises a plurality of conductive contacts  11 , an insulating housing  21  holding the contacts  11 , a conductive shell  31 , and a pair of receiving portions  141  integrally formed with the housing  21 . The housing  21  has a holding portion  23  holding the shell  31 , a pair of block portions  25  extending from opposite sides of the holding portion  23  in a longitudinal direction of the electric connector  1 , respectively, and a pair of fixing portions  27  extending from the block portions  25  in the longitudinal direction, respectively.  
         [0043]     The holding portion  23  has a main plate portion  25   a  extending long in the longitudinal direction of the electric connector  1  and a pair of wall portions  25   c  connected to longitudinal opposite ends of the main plate portion  25   a , respectively, and faced to each other. The shell  31  has a generally flat and tubular or hollow shell fitting portion  33  which is disposed in a space surrounded by the main plate portion  25   a  and the wall portions  25   c  and which is held by the housing  21 . The shell fitting portion  33  has a first shell plate portion  33   a  faced to an inner surface of the main plate portion  25   a , a second shell plate portion  33   b  faced to and spaced from the first shell plate portion  33   a  generally in parallel thereto, and a pair of shell side plate portions  33   c  connected to longitudinal opposite ends of the first and the second shell plate portions  33   c.    
         [0044]     The shell  31  has a first guide portion  35   c  bent from a fitting-side or front opening end of the first shell plate portion  33   a  to face a recess  25   m  formed on an end face  25   j  of the main plate portion  25   a  of the holding portion  23 , a second guide portion  35   e  bent outward from a fitting-side opening end of the second shell plate portion  33   b , and a pair of third guide portions  35   f  bent outward to face the wall portions  25   c  of the holding portion  23 , respectively.  
         [0045]     As shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16  also, each of the receiving portions  141  is made of a resin material and is integrally formed with the housing  21  by molding. The shell fitting portion  33  of the shell  31  is fitted to a mating fitting portion of a mating connector (not shown). When the mating connector is fitted into the shell fitting portion  33 , the receiving portions  141  serve as key plates for receiving a load by prying force.  
         [0046]     In the electric connector  101 , the prying force exerted when the electric connector  101  is fitted to the mating connector is received by the receiving portions  141 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shell from being deformed by the prying force.  
         [0047]     In addition, the shell fitting portion  33  is defined by the shell  31  and the receiving portions  141 . This results in increasing mechanical strength of the shell fitting portion  33 . Therefore, stable contact is established between the shell  31  and a mating shell of the mating connector.  
         [0048]     Referring to FIGS.  17  to  22 , description will be made of an electric connector according to a third embodiment of this invention. Similar parts similar to those of the first embodiment are designated by like reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.  
         [0049]     In FIGS.  17  to  22 , the electric connector is depicted by a reference numeral  201 . A shell  231  has a generally flat and tubular or hollow shell fitting portion  33  which is disposed in a space surrounded by a main plate portion  25   a  and a pair of wall portions  25   c  of a holding portion  23  and which is held by a housing  21 . The shell fitting portion  33  has a first shell plate portion  33   a  faced to an inner surface of the main plate portion  25   a , a second shell plate portion  33   b  faced to and spaced from the first shell plate portion  33   a  generally in parallel thereto, and a pair of shell side plate portions  33   c  connected to longitudinal opposite ends of the first and the second shell plate portions  33   c.    
         [0050]     The shell  231  has a first guide portion  35   c  bent from a fitting-side or front opening end of the first shell plate portion  33   a  to face a recess  25   m  formed on an end face  25   j  of the main plate portion  25   a  of the holding portion  23 , a second guide portion  35   e  bent outward from a fitting-side opening end of the second shell plate portion  33   b , and a pair of third guide portions  35   f  bent outward to face the wall portions  25   c  of the holding portion  23 , respectively.  
         [0051]     A pair of receiving portions  141  are made of a metal material same as that of the shell  31  and is integrally formed with the shell  23 . As shown in  FIGS. 23 and 24  also, each of the receiving portions  241  is formed by cutting and raising a part of the second shell plate portion  33   b  into the shell fitting portion  33 .  
         [0052]     The shell fitting portion  33  of the shell  31  is fitted to a mating fitting portion of a mating connector (not shown). When the mating connector is fitted into the shell fitting portion  33 , the receiving portions  241  serve as key plates for receiving a load by prying force.  
         [0053]     In the electric connector  201 , the prying force exerted when the electric connector  201  is fitted to the mating connector is received by the receiving portions  141 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shell from being deformed by the prying force.  
         [0054]     In addition, the shell fitting portion  33  is defined by the shell  231  and the receiving portions  141 . This results in increasing mechanical strength of the shell fitting portion  33 . Therefore, stable contact is established between the shell  231  and a mating shell of the mating connector.  
         [0055]     Each of the above-mentioned electric connectors may be used as a connector for various apparatuses such as a mobile telephone terminal and a small-sized information terminal.  
         [0056]     Although this invention has been described in conjunction with a few preferred embodiments thereof, this invention may be modified in various other manners. In the illustrated examples, the electric connector is provided with a plurality of contacts. However, it will readily be understood that the electric connector may be provided with only one contact.