Shielded electrical connector for printed circuit board mounting

Abstract: A shielded electrical connector (2) is shown which includes an insulating housing (4) having electrical terminals (114) for interconnection to a printed circuit board and for interconnection to a similar electrical connector. The shield member (70) is drawn to include a shroud (72) which covers a shroud (6) on the insulative housing (4). The insulative housing (4) includes a mounting flange (20) including two flange ends (30) which are profiled for receiving two U-shaped mounting clips (50). The U-shaped clips (50) include two legs (56) extending from a strap portion (54) of the clip (50) for electrical connection to a printed circuit board grounding pad. The clip (50) also includes a threaded portion (58) which can mount the connector (2) to a panel and which is used for commoning the shield (70) to the U-shaped clip (50).

Description: The subject invention relates to a shielded electrical connector which can be mounted to a printed circuit board. Shielded electrical connectors are also available which are panel mountable and which have posts which are electrically connectable to the ground traces on printed circuit boards. For example, Figure 1 shows a shielded electrical connector which is commercially available which includes a cast shield member S having a mating face G for mounting directly to the face of a panel. Fastening means such as screws are insertable through the panel and into holes in the posts P which are threaded from the face G. A printed circuit board is mountable to the face I of the housing H and the terminals T are soldered to the traces on printed circuit board, while the posts P are soldered to ground traces on the printed circuit board. To retain the connector housing H and the cast shield member together prior to insertion on the printed circuit board, a plastic insert is included which is insertable through the opening in the forward mating face of the shield member S which interferingly fits within the housing H. The insert includes a flange which is larger than the mating face of the shield member S which retains the shield S and the housing H together. Once the connector is soldered to the printed circuit board, the plastic insert is not necessary as the shield member S traps the housing H between the printed circuit board. Electrical connectors are available for voice and data transmission which include insulating housings with densely arranged electrical terminals which mate with like terminals in complementary connector; see for example U.S. Patent 3,760,335. These types of connectors are also available in shielded form where the shield member is formed from a drawn or cast housing, see for example U.S. Patent 4,398,780. Retention features, such as that shown in U.S. Patent 4,721,473, are included to temporarily mount a connector to a printed circuit board prior to soldering. These members also interconnect the shield members of the connectors to grounding pads or traces on the printed circuit board. U.S. Patent 4,721,473, referred to above, discloses a shielded electrical connector of the type for mounting on printed circuit boards comprising an insulative housing having a flange means which supports the housing for mounting purposes, and includes a shroud extending forwardly from the flange thereby defining a front mating face. The connector also includes shielding means profiled for receipt over the shroud of the housing and over a front face of the flange means and a retention member mounted to the housing, and including retention means extending therefrom for electrical connection to a grounding pad on a connectable printed circuit board. US Patent 4,506,937 discloses retention members comprising a U-shaped portion, which are mounted with that portion to the housing of the connector. The invention consists in a shielded electrical connector of the type for mounting on a printed circuit board, comprising an insulative housing having a flange means which supports the housing for mounting purposes and a shroud extending forwardly from the flange means and having a front mating face, shield means received over the shroud of the housing and over a front face of the flange means, and at least one retention member comprising a U-shaped portion mounted to the housing and including retention means extending therefrom for electrical connection to a grounding pad on the printed circuit board, characterized in that the U-shaped portion of the retention member is a U-shaped clip portion comprising a plate portion and a strap portion which is reversely bent about the plate portion to define the U-shape, the U-shaped clip portion is mounted over a portion of the flange means with the retention means extending from the strap portion, and the plate portion is adjacent to the shield means to effect contact therewith. The invention enables the design of a less expensive shield means for mounting to the housing. It also enables the provision of means for retaining the shield means and the housing together when in an unassembled fashion. Furthermore, it enables the design of a less expensive means for mounting a shielded connector to a printed circuit board which also grounds the shield means to the ground traces on a printed circuit board. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, retention members are disposed at opposite ends of the housing and have their U-shaped clip portions received over opposite end portions of the flange means. The end portions of the flange means can be recessed and profiled to flushly receive the respective plate portions and strap portions of the clip portions. In the preferred embodiment, each plate portion may include a threaded portion which is hemispherically shaped and which faces the strap portion, while the recess for the plate portion comprises a hemispherically shaped recess for receipt of the threaded portion. The shield means and the housing may include apertures therethrough aligned with each other and with the threaded portions of the retention members, whereby when a matable fastening means is received through the shield means and the housing and the fastening means is tightened, the threaded portion draws the associated plate portion adjacent to the shield means for effective electrical connection between the retention member and the shield means. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an isometric view of a prior art connector, Figure 2 is an isometric view showing the components of the shielded electrical connector of the invention exploded one from the other, Figure 3 is a cross sectional view along lines 3-3 of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a front plan view of the housing of Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a rear plan view of the housing. Referring first to Figure 2, the shielded electrical connector 2 of the invention comprises an insulative housing, shown generally as 4, two retention and grounding members 50, and shield means shown as a shield member 70. The electrical connector 2 is similar to, and is matable with an electrical connector similar to that shown in U.S. Patent 3,760,335 to Roberts. Referring now to Figure 4, the housing 4 generally comprises a shroud 6 which is a peripheral wall which defines the D-shaped profile for mating interconnection with like connectors. The shroud 6 defines a front mating face 8 and defines an opening 10 within the front portion of the housing member, as shown in Figure 4. The opening 10 extends from the front mating face 8 rearwardly to a rear wall 11 which is also integral with the insulative housing 4. The forward shroud 6 extends forwardly from a flange member 20 which is also an integral structure with the housing 4, and extends lengthwise of the shroud for mounting purposes to the printed circuit board. As shown in Figure 2, the flange member 20 includes a recessed surface 21 including a plurality of apertures 22 which extend through the rear wall 11 and are aligned with the apertures 12 (Figure 4) for mounting of the terminals 110. The flange member 20 comprises flange end portions 30 extending from opposite ends of the recessed surface 21. Each flange end portion generally comprises an inner surface 32 and an outer surface 34 where the inner surface 32 includes a recess or channel 38 (Figure 4) and the outer surface 34 includes a recess or channel 36. The recess 38 further includes a hemispherically shaped recess 40, as best shown in Figure 3. An aperture 42 projects through the hemispherical recess 40 and through the recess 36. Retention and grounding members 50 generally include a plate portion 52 with a strap portion 54 which is reversely bent about the plate portion 52 to form a U-shaped clip. A threaded member 58 is formed into a generally hemispherically shaped dome which faces the strap portion 54. Two retention legs 56 extend from the strap portion away from the plate portion. The two retention legs 56 are similar to those described in U.S. Patent 4,721,473. The shield member 70 is preferably a drawn metal member formed from a uniplanar sheet of metal and includes a forward shroud portion 72 which is also D-shaped for defining the mating profile of mating connectors, and is profiled for receipt over the insulative shroud 6 of the housing 4. The forward portion of the shroud is formed into an overlapping portion thereby defining a rearwardly facing shoulder 74 for abutting engagement with the front mating face 8 of the insulative housing. The shroud portion further includes stamped spacer legs 76 for spacing the outer portion of the shroud 6 relative to the shield member 70. The shield member 70 further includes an integral plate 80 which is substantially planar and is profiled for mating abutment with the interface 32 of the flange member 20. The shield member 70 further includes a peripheral wall 82 which extends from the plate member 80 for substantially surrounding the flange member 20 of the insulative housing. It should be noted, however, that the walls 82 are profiled such that they do not extend to the face 34, thereby preventing shorting of ground traces on a printed circuit board. The plate portion 80 further includes two apertures 86 at opposite ends which are aligned with the threaded member 58 and with the aperture 42 in the flange end portions 30. The shield member 70 further comprises drawn brackets 84 which provide means for mounting the feet 90 of the retention clips 88. The connector is assembled by installing the plurality of terminals 110 through the respective apertures 22 and 12 until the resilient contact portions 112 are adjacent to the front mating face and the rear mounting tails 114 extend from the recessed surface 21. Each flange end portion 30 then receives a retention and grounding member 50 which is clipped over the end such that the strap portion 54 is received within the recess 36 and the plate portion 52 is received within the recess 38. It should be noted that the hemispherically shaped threaded portion 58 is profiled for engagement with the hemispherically shaped recess 40 which retains the retention and grounding members 50 to the insulative housing 4. The shield member is then installed over the shroud member 6 until the front mating face 8 of the shroud engages the rearwardly facing shoulder 74 of the shield member. To retain the shield member 70 to the insulative housing, a fastener member such as 120 is insertable through the apertures 86 of the shield member and is threadably interconnectable with the threads the member 58. Advantageously, as the fastener 120 is tightened, the plate portion 52 is drawn towards the plate member 80 to provide an effective electrical interconnection between the plate portion 52 and the plate portion 80 of the shield member 70. This provides for an excellent electrical interconnection between the shield member 70 and a ground trace which is located on a printed circuit board. To place the electrical connector on a printed circuit board such as 100, the electrical connector is placed on the board such that the two retention features such as the two retention legs 56 are inserted through the apertures 106 of the printed circuit board and each of the mounting tails 114 of the terminals 110 are inserted into respective apertures 102 on the printed circuit board. The electrical connector can then be wave soldered, reflow soldered, or the like, which interconnects the retention and grounding members 50 to the ground traces 108 and interconnects the electrical terminals 110 with respective circuit traces 104. The assembly of the printed circuit board and connector can be installed within a panel such that the connector is adjacent to an opening, and the panel includes apertures for receipt of fastener members such as 120.

Claims: A shielded electrical connector (2) of the type for mounting on a printed circuit board (100), comprising an insulative housing (4) having a flange means (20) which supports the housing (4) for mounting purposes and a shroud (6) extending forwardly from the flange means (20) and having a front mating face (8), shield means (70) received over the shroud (6) of the housing (4) and over a front face (32) of the flange means (20), and at least one retention member (50) comprising a U-shaped portion mounted to the housing (4) and including retention means (56) extending therefrom for electrical connection to a grounding pad on the printed circuit board (100), characterized in that: the U-shaped portion of the retention member (50) is a U-shaped clip portion comprising a plate portion (52) and a strap portion (54) which is reversely bent about the plate portion (52) to define the U-shape, the U-shaped clip portion is mounted over a portion (30) of the flange means (20) with the retention means (56) extending from the strap portion (54), and the plate portion (52) is adjacent to the shield means (70) to effect contact therewith. The connector of claim 1, characterised by a fastener member (120) cooperable with the plate portion (52) of the retention member (50) and the shield means (70) to mechanically secure the shield means (70) and the housing (4), one to the other, and to effect electrical connection between the retention member (50) and the shield means (70). The connector of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that retention members (50) are disposed at opposite ends of the housing (4) and have their U-shaped clip portions received over opposite end portions (30) of the flange means (20). The connector of claim 3, characterized in that the end portions (30) of the flange means (20) have recesses (38,36) which are profiled to receive the respective plate portions (52) and strap portions (54) of the clip portions. The connector of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the or each plate portion (52) includes a threaded portion (58). The connector of claim 5, characterized in that the threaded portion (58) is hemispherically shaped and projecting towards the associated strap portion (54). The connector of claim 6, characterized in that the recess (38) in the or each end portion (30) of the flange comprises a hemispherically shaped recess (40) for receipt of the threaded portion (58). The connector of claim 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that the shield means (70) and the housing (4) include respective apertures (86,42) therethrough aligned with each other and with the threaded portion (58) of the or each retention member (50), whereby when a matable fastener member (120) is received through the shield means (70) and the housing (4) and the fastener member (120) is tightened, the respective threaded portion (58) draws the plate portion (52) adjacent to the shield means (70) for effective electrical connection between the retention member (50) and the shield means (70).

Inventors: MARSH EDWARD KENNETH, MARSH, EDWARD KENNETH
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1989
Main classification: H01R23
IPC codes: H01R13, H01R12