Abstract:
An electrical connector includes: a contact module including an insulative housing and an upper and lower rows of contacts, the insulative housing having a rear base and a front tongue, the base having a pair of side latching walls; and a shielding shell enclosing the contact module, the shielding shell having a main part and a pair of side arms extending rearwardly from the main part, each side arm having an inserting portion and a soldering leg; wherein each inserting piece engages a corresponding side latching wall to prevent an associated soldering leg from moving outwardly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an electrical connector including an insulative housing and a shielding shell enclosing the housing and having a pair of side arm soldering legs properly positioned by the insulative housing. This application relates to the copending application having the same applicant, the same inventors, the same filing date with a title of “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING AN INSULATIVE OUTER COVER AND A BRACKET INSERT-MOLDED WITH THE OUTER COVER”. 
       2. Description of Related Arts 
       [0002]    China Patent No. 105449443, issued on Mar. 30, 2016, discloses a waterproof electrical connector including an insulative housing, plural contacts retained to the housing, a shielding shell enclosing the housing, and an insulative outer cover enclosing the shielding shell. 
         [0003]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0018883, published on Jan. 19, 2017, discloses, among others, an insulated housing, an inner shell enclosing and secured to the housing, and an outer shell enclosing and secured to the inner shell. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    An electrical connector comprises: a contact module including an insulative housing and an upper and lower rows of contacts, the insulative housing having a rear base and a front tongue, the base having a pair of side latching walls; and a shielding shell enclosing the contact module, the shielding shell having a main part and a pair of side arms extending rearwardly from the main part, each side arm having an inserting portion and a soldering leg; wherein 
         [0005]    each inserting piece engages a corresponding side latching wall to prevent an associated soldering leg from moving outwardly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a further perspective view of the electrical connector; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is another perspective view of the electrical connector; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the electrical connector; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is another exploded view of the electrical connector; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an insulative outer cover, a pair of brackets, and a sealing member of the electrical connector; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6  but from a different perspective; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a contact module and a shielding shell of the electrical connector; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 8  but from a different perspective; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the contact module in  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10  but from a different perspective; 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  gives a further exploded view of  FIG. 10  omitting a molding body thereof; 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a view similar to  FIG. 12  but from a different perspective; 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  gives a perspective view of an upper and lower rows of contacts of the contact module; 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  is a view similar to  FIG. 14  but from a different perspective; 
           [0021]      FIG. 16  is a top view of the electrical connector; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line A-A in  FIG. 1   
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 17 , an electrical connector  100  to be mounted on a printed circuit board comprises a contact module  200 , a shielding shell  5  enclosing the contact module  200 , an insulative outer cover  6  enclosing the shielding shell  5 , and a pair of brackets  7  insert-molded with the outer cover  6 . The electrical connector  100  may further include a front sealing member  8  and a rear sealing member  9  for reinforced water proofing purpose. 
         [0024]    The contact module  200  includes an insulative housing  210  and an upper and lower rows of contacts  310  and  320 . A metal sheet  4  may be further provided in the housing between the upper and lower rows of contacts. 
         [0025]    Referring specifically to  FIGS. 8 to 13 , the insulative housing  210  has a base  211  and a front tongue  212 . The tongue  212  has a pair of side notches  2121 . The insulative housing  210  includes an upper contact unit  22 , a lower contact unit  23 , and a molding body  24 . The upper contact unit  22  includes a first base part  221  and a first tongue part  222 . The lower contact unit  23  includes a second base part  231  and a first tongue part  232 . The molding body  24  includes a third base part  241  and a third tongue part  242 . The first, second, and third base parts  221 ,  231 , and  241  constitute the base  211  and the first, second, and third tongue parts  222 ,  232 , and  242  constitute the tongue  212 . 
         [0026]    The first base part  221  has a pair of latching/holding walls  2211  at both sides of a rear portion thereof and a pair of stops  2212 . Each side latching wall  2211  has a slot  2213  opening toward a front as well as a top and a bottom. The second base part  231  has a pair of grooves  2311  at a rear, lower surface thereof. The third base part  241  has three grooves  2411  at a front face thereof and four rounded corners  2412  forming a peripheral ridge. 
         [0027]    Also referring to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , each contact has a contacting portion  33  exposed to the tongue  212 , a securing portion  34 , and a tail  35 . Each of the upper row of contacts and the lower row of contacts includes a pair of outermost grounding contacts  36 . Each grounding contact  36  has an engaging section  361  at one lateral side of a corresponding securing portion. The engaging section  361  is in the form of a hook and has an end  362 . 
         [0028]    Referring specifically to  FIGS. 10-13 and 17 , the metal sheet  4  is constructed as a pair of plates  41 . Each plate  41  has a main part  411  and a soldering leg  412 . 
         [0029]    Referring specifically to  FIGS. 4-5, 8-9, and 16-17 , the shielding shell  5  is metallic and includes a main part  51  and a pair of side arms  52  at rear sides of the main part. The main part  51  has plural front stoppers  512  and rear stoppers  513 . Each side arm  52  has an inserting portion  522  and a soldering leg  521 . The inserting portions  522  are conveniently inserted along a front-to-rear direction into corresponding slots  2213  straightforwardly without any bending operations. 
         [0030]    Referring specifically to  FIGS. 1-7 and 16-17 , the outer cover  6  has a first interior wall  61 , a second interior wall  62 , and a third interior wall  63 . A front interior step  64  is formed between the first and second interior walls  61  and  62  and a rear interior step  65  is formed between the second and third interior walls  62  and  63 . 
         [0031]    Referring specifically to  FIGS. 4-7 , each of the pair of brackets  7  has an embedded portion  71 , a rear fixing arm  72  extending out of the outer cover  6 , and a supporting arm  711 . The fixing arm  72  has an upper and lower holding portions  721 . The holding portions  721  are received in the grooves  2311  to firmly wrap around the base  211  of the insulative housing  210 . 
         [0032]    In assembling the connector  100 , as is generally known in this art, firstly the upper and lower contact units  22  and  23  are respectively molded and then the metal sheet  4  and the two units  22  and  23  are mounted together and further molded with the body  24  to form the contact module  200 . During mounting, the engaging sections  361  of the grounding contacts  36  make contact with the metal sheet  4  to achieve a better grounding effect and the ends  362  of upper and lower grounding contacts are mutually hook to (further welded if desired) lower and upper contact faces  364  and  363  to create a firm structure. 
         [0033]    In mounting the shielding shell  5  to the contact module  200 , an interior wall  511  of the main part  51  engages the third base part  241  and the stoppers  512  abut the grooves  2411 . The stoppers  512  extends slight out of the grooves  2411  so that a mating connector, in the case of over insertion, will touch the front stoppers  512  instead of the contact module for protection purpose. Subsequently, the rear stoppers  513  are bent to engage a rear of the contact module so that the front and rear stoppers  51  and  513  together firmly engage the contact module  200 . The four corners  2412  extend beyond an exterior surface of the main part  51 . Specifically, the inserting portions  522  of the side arms  52  are simply inserted into the slots  2213  so as to be prevented from an outward movement. 
         [0034]    In assembling the outer cover  6  insert-molded with the brackets  7  to the already mounted together contact module  200  and shielding shell  5 , the main part  51  is mounted to the second interior wall  62  with a front end thereof abutting the front interior step  64 . Also, the peripheral ridge formed by the corners  2412  abut the rear interior step  65 , the interior wall  511  of the shielding shell  5  is flush with the first interior wall  61 , and a mating space  600  is formed. The upper and lower holding portions  721  of the brackets  7  are bent to engage the insulative housing  210  which ensures a firmly assembled contact module. 
         [0035]    The rear sealing member  9  may be applied at this time to a rear area  630  between the third interior wall  63  and the base  211  as well as a rear of the outer cover  6 . The four corners  2412  are effective in blocking molten materials from entering the space  600  through the interior step  65 . 
         [0036]    By further welding the fixing arm  72  of the bracket  7  to the side arm  52  of the shielding shell  5 , an even firmer structure may be obtained.