Electrical connector and method of assembling the same

An electrical connector assembly (100) comprises: a first insulative housing having a base portion (11) and a mating portion (12), and a second insulative housing (4) located on the base portion. The second insulative housing defines a body portion (41) and a tongue portion (42). A number of contacts (2) are formed in the first and second insulative housings. Each of the contact defines a first mating section (201) and a second mating section (202), and a curved connecting section connected with the first and second mating sections. A first metallic shell (3) encloses and engages with the first insulative housing. A second metallic shell (5) encloses the second insulative housing and engages with the first insulative housing. And, a metallic connecting piece (6) respectively connects with the first and second metallic shells.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector and a method of assembling the same, and particularly the electrical connector concerns an adapter connector for transferring signals.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,713 issued to Kuo on Apr. 2, 2002 discloses an electrical connector adapter assembly. The electrical connector adapter assembly comprises a first dielectric housing, three sets of first terminals retained in the first dielectric housing, a printed circuit board (PCB), a second dielectric housing, and two sets of second terminals retained in the second dielectric housing. The first and second terminals are electrically connected with each other by the PCB. As the PCB is present in the electrical connector adapter assembly, the adapter assembly becomes large in its outline and will occupy a large space. On the other hand, as the first and second terminals are electrically connected with each other through the PCB, the signal may be attenuated during transmission.

Hence, an improved electrical connector is 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 having a simple structure and with a stability signal transmission.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, an electrical connector assembly comprising: a first insulative housing having a base portion and a mating portion extending forwardly from the base portion; a second insulative housing located on the base portion of the first insulative housing, and having a body portion and a tongue portion extending rearwardly from the body portion; a plurality of contacts in the first and second insulative housings, each of the contacts defining a lower first mating section and an upper second mating section parallel to each other, and an intermediate curved connecting section connected with the first and second mating sections; a first metallic shell enclosing and engaged with the first insulative housing; a second metallic shell enclosing the second insulative housing and engaged with the first insulative housing; and a metallic connecting piece connected with the first and second metallic shells.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, a method of assembling an electrical connector, comprising the steps of: providing a first insulative housing having a plurality first receiving slots, a base portion, and a mating portion; assembling a plurality of contacts to the first insulative housing, each contact defining a first mating section and a second mating section respectively formed at two ends thereof; inserting the plurality of first mating sections into corresponding first receiving slots; providing a second insulative housing having a plurality of second receiving slots, a body portion, and a tongue portion; assembling a second metallic shell to the second insulative housing, the second insulative housing enclosed by the second metallic, the second metallic shell defining a plurality of engaging pieces formed thereon; assembling a second insulative housing to the first insulative housing, the second insulative housing, the step of assembling including locating the body portion on the base portion, inserting the engaging pieces of the second metallic shell into the base portion of the first insulative housing, inserting the plurality of second mating sections into corresponding second receiving slots; assembling a first metallic shell to the first insulative housing, the first insulative housing enclosed by the first metallic shell, the first metallic shell defining a plurality of engaging pieces inserted into the base portion of the first insulative housing; providing a metallic piece having two connecting sections respectively attached to the first and second metallic shells; soldering the two connecting sections to the first and second metallic shells.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 2illustrate perspective views of an electrical connector assembly100made in accordance with the present invention. The electrical connector assembly100defines a plug portion200and a receptacle portion300for signal transferring between two electrical devices (not shown). In this embodiment, the electrical connector100comprises a first insulative housing1and a second insulative housing4assembled with each other, and a plurality of contacts received into the first and second housing1,4.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 4, the insulative housing1comprises a base portion11and a mating portion12extending forwardly from a front surface of the base portion11. The first insulative housing1defines four apertures112formed on a front surface thereof. The mating portion12of the first insulative housing1defines a receiving room121, and a plurality of first receiving slots122formed on an inner surface of the receiving room121and communicated with the receiving room121. The first receiving slots122extend rearwardly to a rear surface of the base portion11. Thus, a plurality of first openings111are formed on the rear surface of the base portion11. The mating portion12defines a pair of flutes123formed at two sides of a top surface thereof. The base portion11defines two mounting sections13formed at two sides of the base portion11along a transversal direction. Each of the mounting section13has a protrusion131formed on a top end thereof. The protrusion131defines a slot132throughout the protrusion131along a front to rear direction. The second insulative housing4is assembled to the first insulative housing1along an up to down direction. The second insulative housing4comprises a body portion41and a tongue portion42extending rearwardly from a rear surface of the body portion41. The tongue portion42and the mating portion12extend along two opposite directions and offset along an up to down direction. The body portion41comprises a plurality of protruding pieces411formed on a front surface thereof. The plurality of protruding pieces411are arranged along a transversal direction and spaced apart with each other to define a plurality of grooves412. Each of the groove412is formed between two adjacent protruding pieces411. Each of the protruding piece411defines a slot4111extending along a vertical direction. The tongue portion42defines a plurality of second receiving slots421formed on a bottom surface thereof and extending along a mating direction. The plurality of second receiving slots421extend throughout the body portion41along the mating direction. Thus, a plurality of second openings413formed on the front surface of the body portion41and located above the plurality of protruding pieces411. The body portion41defines two cooperating portions43formed at two sides thereof and cooperated with two mounting portions13. Each of the cooperating portion43defines a depressed section431for receiving the mounting portion13.

Referring toFIGS. 4 to 5, the plurality of contacts2comprises a set of first contacts21and a set of second contacts22. The first contact21has a structure different from that of the second contact22. The plurality of first contacts21and second contacts22are alternately arranged with respect to each other along a transversal direction. Thus, a first contact21is interposed between two adjacent second contacts22. And, a second contact22is interposed between two adjacent first contacts21. The contact2defines a first mating section201and a second mating section202respectively formed at two sides of the contact2. The contact2further defines an intermediate connecting section comprising an upper vertical segment205, a lower vertical segment204, and a horizontal segment203connecting with the upper and lower vertical segments205,204. The intermediate connecting section is structured in a curved shape. The horizontal segment203formed on the first contact21is defined as a first horizontal segment211. The horizontal segment203formed on the second contact22is defined as a second horizontal segment221. The first horizontal segment211is longer than that of the second horizontal segment221. The upper vertical segment205formed on the first contact21is defined as a first upper vertical segment212. The upper vertical segment205formed on the second contact22is defined as a second upper vertical segment222.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 4, a first metallic shell3is structured in a rectangular shape and encloses the first insulative housing1and stamped from a metallic sheet. The metallic shell3defines a top wall31and a lower wall32opposite to the top wall31. The top wall31and the lower wall32respectively defines two engaging piece33formed on a rear end thereof and received into the corresponding apertures112. Thus, the first metallic shell3is engaged to the first insulative housing1. The top wall31defines two slits311corresponding to the pair of flutes123.

Referring toFIGS. 3 to 4, a second metallic shell5is structured in a rectangular shape and encloses the second housing4. The second metallic shell5is also stamped from a metallic sheet and defines a receiving room (not labeled) and a top wall51and a bottom wall52. The second metallic shell5also defines a plurality of engaging pieces521received into the two slots132of the first insulative housing1. Thus, the first and second housing1,4are engaged with each other by the second metallic shell5. The electrical connector100further comprises a metallic connecting piece6respectively connected with the first metallic shell3and a second metallic shell5. The metallic connecting piece6defines an upright section60, a front connecting section62extending forwardly from a bottom end of the upright section60and a rear connecting section61extending rearwardly from a top end of the upright section60. The upright section60defines two engaging pieces601formed at two sides thereof and inserted into the first housing1. The front connecting section62is attached to the bottom wall32of the first metallic shell3. The rear connecting section61is attached to the bottom wall52of the second metallic shell5. The front and rear connecting sections62,61are respectively connected with the first and second metallic shells2,5through soldering process to strengthen the electrical connector100.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 5, the assembling process of the electrical connector assembly100made in according to the present invention comprising following assembling steps.

As a pitch between two adjacent contacts2is smallness, so the contacts2are divided into a set of first contacts21and a set of second contacts22and inserted into the first housing1in turn. The set of first contacts21is inserted into the first housing1firstly. And, the set of second contacts22is inserted into the second housing4secondly. Obviously, two above assembling steps can be interchanged. The first mating sections201of the contacts2are received into the plurality of first receiving slots122. Thirdly, assemble the second metallic shell5to the second insulative housing4. The second insulative housing4is enclosed by the second metallic shell5Fourthly, assemble the second insulative housing4to the first insulative housing1. And, the second mating sections202of the contacts2are received into the second receiving slots421of the second insulative housing4. The protrusion131of the first insulative housing1is received into the depressed section431of the second insulative housing4. The first upper vertical segments212of the first contacts21are passed through the slots4111. The second upper vertical segments222of the second contacts22are passed through the groove412. Each of the first upper vertical segment212is offset to the second upper vertical section222along a front to rear direction and a transversal direction. The first upper vertical segments212are located in front of the second upper vertical segments222. Each of the first horizontal segment211is offset to each of second horizontal segment221along a transversal direction and vertical direction. The second horizontal segments221are located above the first horizontal segments211. Fifthly, assemble the first metallic shell3to the first insulative housing1. The first insulative housing1is enclosed by the first metallic shell3. Sixly, assemble the connecting piece6to the first insulative housing1. The front connecting section62is attached to the bottom wall32of the first metallic shell3. The rear connecting section61is attached to the bottom wall52of the second metallic shell5. Sevenly, the front connecting section62is mechanical connected to the bottom wall32of the first metallic shell3through soldering process. The rear connecting section61is mechanically connected the bottom wall52of the second metallic shell5through soldering process. Thus, the first metallic shell3and the second metallic5are connected by the connecting piece6. After the above assembling steps, the entire process of assembling of the electrical connector assembly100is finished.

It should be noted that each of the contact2has two mating sections201,202respectively received into the first and second housing1,4. So, additional PCB or contact is not essentially existed in the electrical connector100for transmitting signal. A total cost of the electrical connector100is small. In addition, as the contact2is formed integrative, so the signal is transmitted along one contact2. Thus, the signal transmission of the electrical connector100is stability and will not be attenuated.