Electrical connector with unitary metallic shell having outer part and inner part with transitional region therebetween

An electrical connector with an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the housing, and a metallic shell secured to the housing. The housing includes opposite first wall and second wall and a pair of side walls to generally commonly a mating slot communicating with an exterior via a mating opening. The shell includes opposite first plate and second plate and opposite side plates to commonly form a receiving cavity above the mating opening. The opposite side plates further include a pair of downwardly extending securing sections retained inside of the housing. The opposite side plates further include a pair of oblique transitional sections respectively located at roots of the pair of securing sections and in the receiving cavity and proximate to the mating opening for guiding consideration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with a unitary metallic shell having an outer part and an inner part with a guiding transitional region therebetween.

2. Description of Related Arts

China Patent No. CN 205693075 issued on Nov. 16, 2016, disclosed an electrical connector equipped with an outer metallic shell wherein the shell forms a pair of inward protrusions around the mating opening of the housing for guiding the side edges of mating tongue of the inserted plug connector. Anyhow, on one hand, the side edges of the inserted mating tongue of the plug connector are further desired to be guided in the mating slot of the receptacle connector rather than only outside of the mating slot. On the other hand, the securement between the shell and the housing is formed on an exterior surface of the housing, thus increasing the dimension of the whole connector disadvantageously.

An improved electrical connector is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the housing, and a metallic shell secured to the housing. The housing includes opposite first wall and second wall and a pair of side walls to generally commonly a mating slot communicating with an exterior via a mating opening. A plurality of passageways are formed in the first wall and the second wall to communicate with the mating slot. The contact includes a contacting section extending into the mating slot and a tail exposed outside of the housing. The shell includes opposite first plate and second plate and opposite side plates to commonly form a receiving cavity above the mating opening. The housing forms a pair of insertion grooves communicatively located by two opposite ends of the mating slot. The opposite side plates further include a pair of downwardly extending securing sections retained in the corresponding insertion grooves, respectively, so as to cooperate with the opposite first wall and second wall to precisely form the mating slot thereamong. The opposite side plates further include a pair of oblique transitional sections respectively located at roots of the pair of securing sections and in the receiving cavity and proximate to the mating opening for guiding consideration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIG. 1-6, an electrical connector100for mounting upon a printed circuit board (not shown) in a vertical direction as an upstanding type, includes an insulative housing10, a plurality of contacts20retained in the housing10, and a metallic shielding shell secured to the housing10.

The insulative housing10includes a first wall11and a second wall12opposite to each other with a mating slot13therebetween in a transverse/first direction. A mating opening14is formed in the upper surface of the housing10to communicate the mating slot with an exterior upwardly in a vertical/third direction. A plurality of passageways15are formed in the first wall11and the second wall12. Each passageway15extends upwardly through the upper surface of the housing. A pair of side walls16are linked at two opposite ends of the first wall11and the second wall12along a longitudinal/second direction perpendicular to the transverse direction. A pair of insertion grooves17are formed in interior surfaces of the pair of side walls16, communicatively facing toward the mating slot13oppositely. The pair of insertion grooves17extend upwardly through upper surfaces of the housing10and are dimensioned larger than the mating slot13in the transverse direction.

The contact20received within the corresponding passageway15, includes a contacting section21extending into the mating slot13, a tail section22exposed outside of the housing10, and a retaining section23linked between the contacting section21and the tail section22. The retaining section23includes barbs231on the side edge and embossments232on the planar face for interference within the passageway15in the three dimensional way. The

The metallic shell30is downwardly assembled to the housing10and includes a first plate31, a second plate32opposite to each other in the transverse direction, and a pair of side plates33linked between the first plate31and the second plate32in the transverse direction so as to commonly form thereamong a receiving cavity34located above the upper surface of the housing10. Notably, in other embodiments, only one of the first plate31and the second plate32exists as long as the pair of side plates33are only linked to such one of the first plate31and the second plate32. In other words, the shell30forms a U-shaped structure instead of a frame structure. The pair of side plates33form respectively a pair of notches333in upper regions, and a pair of oblique transitional sections35and a pair of securing sections36extending downwardly therefrom in lower regions. The oblique transitional section35is located at a bottom region of the receiving cavity34proximate to the mating opening14. Understandably, the oblique transitional section35is used to guide downwardly insertion of the mating tongue of the complementary plug (not shown) into the mating slot13.

The securing sections36extending downwardly from the corresponding oblique transitional sections35, respectively, are received within the corresponding insertion grooves17, and cooperate with the first wall11and the second wall12to commonly precisely form the mating slot13. Understandably, the securing sections36not only secure the shell30to the housing10, but also efficiently protectively confront the mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown), thus avoiding improper wearing between the side walls16and the side edges of the mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown). The bottom end331of each side plate33abuts against the upper surface of the housing10so as to stabilize the shell30upon the housing10in addition to the engagement between the securing sections36within the insertion grooves17. Each side plate33further includes a pair of notches332by two sides of the oblique transitional section35for facilitating manufacturability of the transitional section35. Understandably, after assembled, the bottom end331downwardly abuts against the upper surface of the side wall16of the housing10(FIG. 6) while the oblique transitional section35, which is essentially located slightly above the bottom end331in the vertical direction, is slightly above the upper surface with a gap G therebeween (FIG. 5). Therefore, there is less possibility to have the oblique transitional section35hit by the upper surface of the corresponding side wall16during assembling, thus assuring no improper deformation occurs on the oblique transitional section35. The width of the securing section36is larger than that of the mating slot13along the transverse direction. The distance between the pair of side plates33is larger than that between the pair of securing sections35in the longitudinal direction. The width of the receiving cavity34is larger than that of the mating slot13in the transverse direction. Understandably, the vertical dimension of the receiving cavity34should be larger than that of the mating slot13so as to guide the mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown) into the mating slot13by engagement of the holding section of the inserted plug (not show) first confront the upper portion of the shell30before the mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown) enters the mating slot13.

The securing section36includes the securing leg361and the connection section362linked to the oblique transitional section35. The securing leg361is equipped with barbs363for interference within the insertion groove17. The width of the securing leg361is smaller than that of the connection section362so as to form a T-shaped configuration of the whole securing section36. An upper end portion of the connection section362is slightly located above the upper surface of the side wall16so as to assure sufficient protection during mating. The first plate31and the second plate32further include downwardly extending plates37to respectively cover the first wall11and the second wall12. Each downwardly extending plate37further includes the mounting legs371for mounting the connector100upon the printed circuit board (not shown), and a latching section372to be fastened into the fixing slot18of the corresponding first wall11or second wall12. Notably, after assembled, the shell30is retained to the housing10by engagement between the bottom end331and the upper surface of the side wall16, and that between the latching section372within the fixing slot18and that between the securing section36within the insertion groove17.

In the invention, the securing sections36replace the side wall16to confront the mating slot13and the mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown).

The invention has the following advantages:

Firstly, the securing sections36are located inside the housing10without occupying additional external space, and may efficiently protect the mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown).

Secondly, the bottom end331of the side plate31abuts against the upper surface of the side wall16, thus avoiding excessive movement during assembling between the housing10and the shell30.

Thirdly, the notches332are formed by two sides of the oblique transitional section35, thus facilitating forming the oblique transitional section35.

Fourthly, the oblique transitional section35is spaced from an upper surface of the corresponding side wall16, thus avoiding improper deformation of the oblique transitional section35during assembling the shell30to the housing10.

Fifthly, the securing section36performs dual functions of both securing the shell30to the housing10and cooperating with the associated oblique transitional section35for guiding and protecting the mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown).

In brief, the securing section36and the associated oblique transitional section35commonly form an assuring device performing multiple functions including securing, protecting and guiding not only during the mating procedure but also after the mating condition. Generally speaking, the whole shell30essentially includes an outer part including the first plate31, the second plate32, the pair of side plates33, the pair of downwardly extending walls37, and an inner part including the pair of securing sections36and the pair of oblique transitional sections35associated therewith wherein the outer part provides the receiving cavity34for receiving the relatively large holding portion of the inserted plug (not shown) and provides securing between the housing10and the shell30, while the inner part cooperates with the housing10to form the mating slot13for protectively receiving the relatively small mating tongue of the inserted plug (not shown) and provides the securing between the housing10and the shell30. Understandably, as shown inFIG. 5, the bottom end331of the side plate33downwardly abuts against the upper surface161of the side wall16securely while the oblique transitional section35is intentionally space from the upper surface of the corresponding side wall16for avoiding any deformation during assembling so as to expose the upper surface161with a gap G therebetween without intimate shielding or protection.