Shielding device with included nut for an electrical connector

A shielding device for an electrical connector for fastening to a computer panel comprises a metallic front shell, a metallic rear shell engaging with the front shell, and a hexagonal nut irrotatably received between the front and the rear shells. The front shell defines a pair of opposite tabs and the rear shell defines two pairs of adjacent tabs for engaging with the surfaces of the hexagonal nut to prevent the nut from rotating when engaging with a bolt. The front and the rear shells define front and the rear holes, respectively and the nut defines a screw hole, all the holes being substantially aligned for insertion of the bolt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to a shielding device for an electrical
 connector, and especially to a shielding device having a screw hole for
 fastening the electrical connector to another component, such as to a
 computer enclosure, by means of a screw.
 2. Description of Prior Art
 Some electrical connectors have a screw hole defined in a shielding
 shell/insulative body assembly thereof whereby the connector can be
 mounted to an enclosure by a screw extending through the screw hole
 thereof. However, when the screw hole is disabled, such as when threads of
 the screw hole is damaged for frequent insertion of a bolt, the shell with
 the insulative body must be replaced with the new ones. This is wasteful
 to change a shell with the insulative body just for the threads of the
 screw hole thereof being damaged.
 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 A main object of the present invention is to provide a shielding device for
 an electrical connector which has a nut whereby the electrical connector
 can be mounted to another component by a bolt threadedly extending through
 the nut.
 The shielding device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
 present invention comprises a front shell, a rear shell engaging with the
 front shell, and a nut irrotatably received between the front and the rear
 shells. The front shell defines a front hole therethrough. The rear shell
 defines a rear hole therethrough aligned with the front hole. The nut
 defines a screw hole therethrough substantially aligned with the front and
 the rear holes.
 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 FIG. 1, a shielding device 1 in accordance with the present
 invention includes a metallic front shell 11, a metallic rear shell 12
 engaging with the front shell 11 and a nut 2 received between the front
 and rear shells 11, 12. The nut 2 is hexagonal and defines a screw hole 21
 therein for threadedly engaging with a bolt (not shown). The front shell
 11 defines a front mounting portion 111 having a pair of opposite upper
 and lower tabs 112 extending rearwardly for engaging with a pair of
 opposite upper and lower outer surfaces of the nut 2. A front hole 113 is
 defined in the front mounting portion 111 amid the pair of opposite tabs
 112. The front shell 11 forms a hook 115 (FIG. 4) on a rear edge thereof
 and a pair of openings 117 in opposite lateral sides thereof.
 The rear shell 12 defines a rear mounting portion 121 corresponding to the
 front mounting portion 111. The rear mounting portion defines a rear hole
 122 therein substantially aligned with the front hole 113. A pair of first
 adjacent tabs 123 forming an angle of approximately 120 degrees
 therebetween extend toward the front mounting portion 111 for engaging
 with a pair of adjacent outer surfaces of the nut 2. A pair of protrusions
 124 forming an angle of approximately 120 degrees and opposing the pair of
 first adjacent tabs 123 engage with another pair of adjacent outer
 surfaces of the nut 2. The rear shell 12 forms a slot 125 in a rear wall
 thereof for receiving the hook 115, and a pair of crook pieces 126 on
 opposite bottom edges thereof. A pair of spring fingers 127 is stamped
 outwardly from opposite sides of the rear shell 12 for engagement with the
 pair of openings 117 of the front shell 11.
 Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in assembly, the front shell 11 engages with
 the rear shell 12, and the nut 2 is secured between the front and rear
 mounting portions 111, 121 with the outer surfaces thereof engaging with
 the corresponding tabs 112, 123, and protrusions 124. Thus, the nut 2 does
 not rotate when a bolt is threadedly engaged with the screw hole 21 of the
 nut 2. The screw hole 21 of the nut 2 is substantially aligned with the
 front and rear holes 113, 122. Thus, the bolt extends through the front
 hole 113, the screw hole 21 of the nut 2, and the rear hole 122.
 Referring to FIG. 4, the shielding device 1 receives a body assembly 4
 therein. The crook pieces 126 support a bottom surface of the body
 assembly 4.
 It is noted that different from the traditional connector using the
 internal threaded portion provided within the insulative body of the
 connector for receipt of a bolt, the invention has the screw hole provided
 by a nut embedded within a space of the outwardly projecting mounting
 portion of the shielding device instead without involving the insulative
 body, thus simplifying fabrication of the insulative body.
 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.