Electrical connector system having a connector mounted on a conductive panel

An electrical connector system includes an electrical connector and a conductive panel for mounting the electrical connector thereon. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a shell enclosing the insulative housing. The shell has a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces. A top flange, a bottom flange and a pair of side flanges respectively outwardly extend from forward edges of the top surface, the bottom surface and the pair of side surfaces. A latching rib upwardly and forwardly extends from a rear edge of the top surface of the shell, and a distal end thereof bends downwardly and forwardly. A retaining flange depends from the bottom surface of the shell adjacent to the bottom flange of the shell. The conductive panel defines a mating slot for accommodating the shell therein. A top projection extends inwardly from a top edge of the mating slot and is retained in a space between the top flange and the latching rib of the shell, and a bottom projection extends inwardly from a bottom edge of the mating slot and is retained between the bottom flange and the retaining flange.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to an electrical connector system which
 comprises an electrical connector with a fastening attachment and a panel
 with a complementary hole, more particularly to an electrical connector
 system for conveniently and accurately engaging with another electrical
 connector.
 Auxiliary fastening devices such as screws are normally used to mount an
 electrical connector to a panel, but these make the assembly or
 disassembly process troublesome. An electrical connector which has a
 fastening attachment is desired to meet the requirements of mass
 production. Such an electrical connector is shown in FIG. 6. The
 electrical connector 50 comprises an elongated insulative housing 501 and
 a fastening portion 502 projecting rearwardly from the insulative housing
 501. A pair of fixing wings 503 respectively depends from opposite top and
 bottom edges of the fastening portion 502. A retaining portion 504
 outwardly extends from a distal end of each fixing wing 503, forming a
 pair of spaces 505 within the acute angles defined by the fixing wings 503
 and the retaining portions 504. A projection 507 extends outwardly from an
 inward edge of each slit 506. In assembly, an upper edge 512 and a lower
 edge 513 of a slot 511 in a conductive panel 51 are respectively secured
 in the angle spaces 505 between the fixing wings 503 and the retaining
 portions 504.
 The fixing wings 503 and the projections 507 are complex and difficult to
 manufacture, so the design of the electrical connector is not appropriate
 for inexpensive mass production. Furthermore, the electrical connector can
 not be conveniently assembled or dissembled, and the projections 507 are
 easily abraded over time, so that a reliable attachment with the panel
 cannot be attained. Additionally, the projections 507 are vulnerable to
 being damaged by strong insertion forces.
 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical
 connector system which has an electrical connector with a fastening
 attachment and a conductive panel with a complementary hole which can be
 easily assembled together and can endure a strong inserting force.
 Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical
 connector system which has an insulative housing and a shell for fastening
 the electrical connector onto a panel and facilitating a convenient
 assembly and disassembly.
 An electrical connector system according to the present invention comprises
 an insulative housing, a shell enclosing the insulative housing, and a
 conductive panel defining a mating slot therein. The shell includes a top
 surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces together defining a
 plug receiving opening for receiving the forward receiving slots of the
 insulative housing therein. A top flange, a bottom flange and a pair of
 side flanges respectively extend from forward edges of the top surface,
 the bottom surface and the pair of side surfaces. A latching rib
 substantially upwardly and forwardly extends and bends from a rear edge of
 the top surface of the shell, forming an acute angle relative to the top
 surface of the shell. A distal end of the latching rib bends downwardly
 and forwardly to form a front end of the latching rib. A retaining flange
 downwardly depends from the bottom surface of the shell adjacent to the
 bottom flange of the shell. The conductive panel defines a mating slot for
 mounting the electrical connector thereon. A top projection extends
 inwardly from a top edge of the mating slot of the conductive panel and is
 retained in a space between the top flange and the latching rib of the
 shell. A bottom projection depends from a bottom edge of the mating slot
 of the conductive panel and is retained between the retaining flange and
 the bottom flange of the shell. A first retaining tongue and a second
 retaining tongue respectively depend from opposite side edges of the
 mating slot of the conductive panel and firmly contact opposite side
 surfaces of the shell of the electrical connector for orienting the shell
 of 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.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector system according to the
 present invention comprises a rectangular insulative housing 11 defining a
 pair of forward receiving slots (not labeled) therein for receiving a
 mating electrical connector (not shown), a shell 13 enclosing the
 insulative housing 11, and a conductive panel 20. The shell 13 is
 unitarily formed by stamping a metal sheet and includes a top surface 151,
 a bottom surface 152 and a pair of side surfaces 153 together defining a
 plug receiving opening 130 at a forward end thereof for receiving the
 forward receiving slots of the insulative housing. A resilient latching
 rib 141 upwardly and forwardly extends from a rear edge of the top surface
 151 of the shell 13, forming an acute angle relative to the top surface
 151. A distal end of the latching rib 141 bends downwardly and forwardly
 to form a front end 142 of the latching rib 141. A top flange 131 upwardly
 extends from a forward edge of the top surface 151 of the shell 13 and is
 substantially perpendicular to the top surface 151 and the distal end of
 the latching rib 141. A top edge of the top flange 131 and a top
 projection of the latching rib 141 are at substantially identical heights.
 A side flange 133 outwardly depends from a forward edge of each side
 surface 153, and a locking tab 138 is generally rearwardly formed on an
 upper portion of an outward edge of each side flange 133. A bottom flange
 132 downwardly depends from a forward edge of the bottom surface 152. A
 retaining flange 134 is stamped and formed from the bottom surface 152 of
 the shell 13, being adjacent to and parallel to the bottom flange 132
 (shown in FIGS. 3A-3E).
 Also referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the conductive panel 20 is rectangular and
 defines a generally rectangular mating slot 21 coinciding with the plug
 receiving opening 130. A top projection 231 extends inwardly from a top
 edge of the mating slot 21 and is substantially perpendicular to the
 conductive panel 20 for being received in a space between the top flange
 131 and the front end 142 of the latching rib 141 of the shell 13. A
 bottom projection 232 extends inwardly from a bottom edge of the mating
 slot 21 and is substantially perpendicular to the conductive panel 20 for
 being received in a space formed between the bottom flange 132 and the
 retaining flange 134 of the shell 13. First and second retaining tongues
 271, 272 respectively inwardly extend from opposite side edges of the
 mating slot 21 of the conductive panel 20 for firmly contacting the side
 surfaces 153 of the shell 13 for orienting the shell 13 of the electrical
 connector. The first retaining tongue 271 and the second retaining tongue
 272 are located at different heights. A pair of notches 25 is respectively
 defined in opposite inside edges of the mating slot 21 for latching the
 pair of locking tabs 138 of the side flanges 133 of the shell 13.
 In assembly, referring to FIGS. 3A to 3D, the cable (not labeled) depending
 from the connector 10, plus a termination connector (not shown) on an
 opposite end of the cable are first inserted through the mounting slot 21
 of the conductive panel 20. Then the lower part of the shell 13 of the
 electrical connector 10 is inserted inward through the mating slot 21 of
 the conductive panel 20. The bottom flange 132 and the retaining flange
 134 of the shell 13 contact the bottom projection 232 of the conductive
 panel 20. The top projection 231 of the conductive panel 20 abuts against
 the inclined face of the latching rib 141 of the shell 13. The electrical
 connector 10 is then rotated to an upright position as shown in FIGS. 4
 and 5 where the top projection 231 of the conductive panel 20 is retained
 between the top flange 131 and the front end 142 of the latching rib 141
 of the shell 13 due to the resiliency of the latching rib 141. The bottom
 projection 232 of the conductive panel 20 is retained between the bottom
 flange 132 and the retaining flange 134 of the shell 13. The top flange
 131, the bottom flange 132 and the pair of side flanges 133 abut against
 an outside face 29 of the conductive panel 20. Moreover, the pair of
 locking tabs 138 of the shell 13 respectively latches with the notches 25
 of the conductive panel 20. The first and the second retaining tongues
 271, 272 contact the side surfaces 153 of the shell 13, the first
 retaining tongue 271 being substantially higher than the second retaining
 tongue 272 for firmly contacting the side surfaces 153 of the shell 13.
 During disassembly, referring to FIG. 3D, a force is exerted against the
 latching rib 141 of the shell 13 in a direction substantially vertical to
 the inclined face of the latching rib 141, and the top projection 231 of
 the conductive panel 20 is then removed from the space between the
 latching rib 141 and the top flange 131 of the shell 13 by tilting a top
 of the electrical connector 10 out of the mating slot 21. Thus the upper
 portion of the electrical connector is disassembled from the mating slot
 21. The electrical connector 10 is then pushed upward and outward out of
 the mating slot 21 thereby disengaging the bottom projection 232 of the
 panel 20 from the space between the bottom flange 132 and the retaining
 flange 134 of the shell 13. The cable (not labeled) depending from the
 electrical connector 10, plus the termination connector (not shown) on an
 opposite end of the cable, can now be withdrawn through the mating slot 21
 of the conductive panel 20.
 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 illustrative 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.