Electrical connector with low profile

An electrical connector (100) for accommodating an electrical device, and includes a shielding member (3), a terminal block positioned adjacent to the bottom of the shielding member (3), a number of terminals (2) received in the terminal block (1). The shielding member (3) includes a first wall (31), a second wall (32), a third wall (33) and a fourth wall (34) connecting with one another in turn, the terminal block (1) mainly extends along a first direction and is positioned adjacent to the bottom of the shielding member (3), the terminals (2) are assembled to the terminal block (1) and extends to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The terminal block (1) extends between the fist wall (31) and the third wall (33) of the shielding member (3) and engages with the first wall (31) and the third wall (33) of the shielding member (3) along the first direction without contact with the second wall (32) and fourth wall (34), the terminal block (1) comprises latch means (14), and the first wall (31) and third wall (33) respectively provide an engaging portion (312) corresponding to the latch means (14).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector used for a mobile phone or other electrical devices having different designs and configurations.

2. Description of the Prior Art

With the rapid development of the technology of wireless communication and advanced technology of electrics, electronic consuming products such as mobile phone, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) etc., are designed to comply with miniaturization trend and multiple functions, such as mounting a camera thereon, to meet with requirements of human. As a result, socket connectors for accommodating the cameras therein are correspondingly demanded.

Usually, these electrical connectors used for accommodating and electrically connecting the cameras with the consuming products each provides an insulatvie housing, a shielding member assembled to the insulative housing, and a plurality of terminals engaged with the insulative housing. Please refer toFIG. 1, a conventional electrical connector1′ shown therein comprises a rectangular shielding member30′ defining a receiving space, an insulative housing10′ positioned on the bottom of the shielding member30′, and a plurality of terminals20′ assembled to receiving passageways11′ of an insulative housing10′ which is received in the bottom portion of the receiving space. Each wall of the shielding member30′ respectively defines a pair of locking barb301′ at two sides thereof, and the insulative housing10′ defines a plurality of locking slots101′ corresponding to the locking barbs301′. In process of assembling the insulative housing10′ and the shielding member30′, the locking barbs301′ are insert into the locking slots101′, and then the tapered protrusions of the locking barbs301′ lock with the locking slots101′. However, it requires the insulative housing have enough thickness to ensure the reliability of engagement with the shielding member30′ in this way. The insulative housing results in high profile of the connector along the mating direction, and thus increases the thickness of the consuming products. The insulative housing10′ even may disengage from the shielding member30′ when large force is exerted thereto and thus, damage the electrical connection. Furthermore, the large profile housing goes against the trend of cost down.

Hence, an improved electrical connector is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having low-profile.

To fulfill the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector for accommodating an electrical device, includes a shielding member, a terminal block positioned adjacent to the bottom of the shielding member, a number of terminals received in the terminal block. The shielding member comprises a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall connecting with one another in turn, the terminal block mainly extends along a first direction and is positioned adjacent to the bottom of the shielding member, the terminals are assembled to the terminal block and extends to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The terminal block extends between said fist wall and third wall of the shielding member and engages with the first wall and the third wall of the shielding member along the first direction without contact with the second wall and fourth wall, the terminal block comprises latch means, and the first wall and third wall respectively provide an engaging portion corresponding to the latch means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 2-5, an electrical connector100according to the present invention is adapted for receiving an electrical device which is a camera module4in the present embodiment. The electrical connector100comprises a shielding member3accommodating the camera module4, a plurality of terminals2and an insert-molding terminal block1. The terminal block1is positioned adjacent to the bottom of the shielding member3.

The terminal block1dimensioned to receive the plurality of terminals2therein comprises a rectangular main body11extending along the longitudinal direction and a pair of side portions13respectively disposed at opposite ends of the main body11. A plurality of recessed passageways15are spaced arranged along the longitudinal direction of the bottom surface of the main body11. Each passageway15forms a heave12in the inner side thereof and each heave12is of irregular shape. Each side portion13comprises a pair of projections14spaced arranged on outer edge thereof along a lateral direction of the main body11for coupling with the shielding member3.

Each terminal2is longitudinal shaped and mainly extends along the lateral direction of the terminal block1, and comprises a soldering portion21, a mating portion23and a middle portion22connecting with the soldering portion21and the mating portion23. The mating portion23extends upwardly from the middle portion22and along a direction away from the middle portion22, and forms a curved mating section230at a free end thereof. The soldering portion21extends slantwise and downwardly from the middle portion22. A wedgy recess220is disposed on one side of the middle portion22to strength the engagement with the terminal block1after the terminal2insert-molded with the terminal block1. Every adjacent two terminals2of the electrical connector100according to present invention are interlaced disposed with one terminal2having 180 degrees reverse relative to the other terminal2. Thus, the recesses220of the neighboring terminals2are face to face to make sure that the terminals2can reliably engage with the terminal block1after insert-molding.

The shielding member3is firstly stamped from a metal sheet and then bent to form a rectangular configuration shown in the present invention. The shielding member3comprises a first wall31, a second wall32, a third wall33, a fourth wall34which connect with one another in turn to form a receiving space30. A swallow-tail shaped jointing line300is formed near the jointing portion of the third wall33and the fourth wall34. The first wall31comprises a U-shape cutout310defined in a central section thereof and recessed downwardly from an upper edge thereof, a U-shaped connecting portion311protruding outwardly from the upper edge thereof and connecting to two opposite sides of the cutout310. A pair of resilient tabs313are symmetrically located at two opposite sides of the cutout310respectively and bent inwardly into the receiving space30. A pair of apertures312are defined in a low portion of the first wall31and a guide portion314curved outwardly from the upper edge of the first wall31and connects with the U-shaped connecting portion311. The cutout310comprises a bottom edge370and the width of the top portion of the cutout310is slightly lager than that of the bottom edge370. The U-shaped connecting portion311overcomes the limitation of the low intention caused by the cutout310located in the first wall31, and furthermore the width of the first wall31is not increased since the connecting portion311is stamped from the first wall31. The resilient tab313comprises a jointing portion3130connecting to the guide portion314, a main portion3131connecting to the jointing portion3130and bent toward the third wall33of the shielding member3and a sustaining portion3132resisting against the camera module4. The second and the fourth walls32,34each comprises a resilient tab313located on the central section thereof having structure same as the resilient tab313, a pair of clasping arms320symmetrically located at two sides of the resilient tab313, and three guide portions314respectively connecting with the resilient tab313and the clasping arms320. The third wall33comprises a pair of resilient tabs313corresponding to the resilient tabs313of the first wall31, a pair of guide portions314connecting to the resilient tabs313and the pair of apertures312located in the low portion of the third wall33corresponding to a pair of apertures312of the first wall31. The resilient tabs313of the four walls31,32,33,34are capable of symmetrically fixing the camera module4and establish a grounding connection for the electrical connector100. The clasping arms320of the walls32,34are capable of reliably locking the camera module4within the shielding member3. The guiding portion314can easily guide the camera module4to be assembled into the shielding member3.

The camera module4, received in the receiving space30of the shielding member3, comprises a rectangular base portion41, a columnar portion42situated on the top of the base portion41and a bottom portion43located beneath the base portion41. The base portion41comprises a front wall410, two side walls412,413adjoined to the front wall410, and a back wall (not labeled) opposite to the front wall410. The side walls412,413each defines a step-shaped clasping notch44for locking with the clasping arms320. Referring toFIG. 4, the front wall410of the base portion41provides an approximately longitudinal nose414which may insert into the cutout310. When the camera module4is shocked, the rib414abuts against the bottom edge370and is received in the U-shape region of the connecting portion311, so the camera module4will not move downwardly. A conductive layer enclosed around the columnar portion42can establish an electrical connection with the resilient tabs313of the shielding member3. The bottom surface of the bottom portion43has a plurality of conductive pads431along edges thereof for contacting with the mating sections230of the terminals2.

In assembly, referring toFIGS. 4-5, firstly, the terminals2are arranged as described above in a mold, and then the melting plastic material flows between the space of the terminals2. After cool, the terminal block1is formed, and the terminals2extend along the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body11of the terminal block1. Then, the terminal block1with the terminals2assembled therein is formed. The middle portions21of the terminals2are received in the passageways15of the terminal block1. Then, the terminal block1with the terminals2is assembled to the shielding member3with the projections14of one side portion13of the terminal block1received in the apertures312defined on the bottom of the first wall31, and then bending the walls32,33,34in turn to make sure that the projections14of the other side portion13engage with the apertures312of the third wall33. After the terminal block1being assembled to the shielding member3, the bottom of the terminal block1is about positioned in the same plane with the bottom edge of the shielding member3. Then, the camera module4is inserted into the receiving space30of the shielding member3along a top-to-bottom direction. In the meanwhile, the nose414of the camera module4is pressed into the cutout310of the shielding member3with the pressure caused by the resilient tabs313and the clasping arms320. In the process of moving downwardly, the rib414engages with the cutout310. The resilient tabs313press against the outer periphery of the columnar portion43, and the clasping arms320engage with the clasping notches44. Thus, the camera module4is accommodated and supported by the shielding member3, and avoids being moved towards the vertical direction by shock. After the camera module4is inserted, the conductive pads431of the bottom portion43of the camera module4electrically connect with the mating sections230of the mating portions23of the terminals2placed in the terminal block1.