Abstract:
A connector includes a housing, a housing cover for covering at least part of the housing, and a plurality of terminals arranged in the housing. The housing cover has a tongue portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the plugging direction. The side edge of the tongue portion is brought into close contact with the housing by means of cutting by the tongue portion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a connector with a housing cover and, particularly, to a connector with part of a housing cover embedded therein. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are top and rear views of a conventional connector  100  with a housing cover that is disclosed in Japanese Publication No. 7-220814. The connector  100  includes a housing  121 , a metal cover  110  to cover part of the housing  121 , and a contact  130  fixed to the housing  121 . As best shown in  FIG. 8 , a strip portion  115  of the metal cover  110  is bent into the indentation  124  of the housing  121  to fix the metal cover  110  to the housing  121 . 
     The width (K) of the strip portion  115  is set less than the width (L) of the indentation  124  in the plugging direction so that there is a gap (M) between the strip portion  115  and the indentation  114 . Consequently, there is a play between the metal cover  110  and the housing  121  or a crack in the solder between the metal cover  110  and a board. The height of the metal cover  110  becomes large because there is a space where the strip portion  115  is bent vertically. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a compact connector having a high fixing power between the metal cover and the housing. 
     According to the invention there is provided a connector which comprises a housing; a housing cover for covering at least part of said housing; a plurality of terminals arranged in said housing; and a tongue portion extending from said housing cover in a direction perpendicular to a plugging direction such that a side of said tongue portion is brought into close contact with said housing. 
     The housing may have a dent made by said tongue portion. The tongue portion may be provided at a rear end of said housing cover in said plugging direction. The connector may further comprises a protruded portion extending rearward from said housing, around which said tongue portion is folded. The protruded portion may be provided on each of opposite sides of said housing and said tongue portion may be provided on each of opposite sides of said housing cover. 
     The housing may be provided with a tapered portion in which said tongue portion is embedded. The tongue portion may be provided with a side edge that cuts part of said housing. The tongue portion may be attached to said housing near a position where said mating connector is locked to said connector. The said tongue portion may be made of metal such that it has a width in said plugging direction. 
     According to the invention there is provided a connector with a housing to which a housing cover is secured more firmly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along the center line of the electrical connector in which a mating connector is plugged; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of a conventional connector; and 
         FIG. 8  is a rear view of the conventional connector. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the invention will now be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     In  FIGS. 1-6 , the plug connector  1  includes a housing  40  made of a resin, a metal cover or shell  20  to cover the housing  40 , and terminals  50  arranged in the housing  40  with a narrow pitch. The plug connector  1  is symmetrical about the central line B-B extending along the plugging direction F. The housing  40  has a protruded portion  46  extending rearward from the rear end of a housing body. The protruded portion  46  does not project in the height direction. It is provided on each of opposite sides and has a substantially pentagonal cross-section and its bottom face  51  is inclined about the center line B-B. A tapered portion  42  is provided on the housing body so that the flat face  43 , which includes a lower side  48 , is connected to the housing body continuously. 
     The shell  20  is made by stamping and bending a metal sheet. More specifically, a projection  21  and a recess  23  are provided on ends of a metal strip so that they are meshed with each other on the bottom of the shell  20  ( FIG. 4 ). The housing  40  is inserted into the cylindrical shell  20  from the rear opening. Then, the rear wall  37  of the shell  20  is bent to fix the shell  20  to the housing  40 . A solder tab  31  is provided on each side of the shell  20  for attachment to the board  70  in  FIG. 6 . 
     Tongue portions  25  and  26  of the shell  20  are deformed around the protruded portion  46  of the housing  40  to secure the shell  20  to the housing  40 . The tongue portions  25  and  26  cover the flat face  43  that extends forward from the lower side  48  and the flat face  45  that extends forward from the lower side  49  ( FIG. 2 ). Consequently, the base portions  32  and  33  are brought into close contact with the flat faces of the protruded portion  46  that extend forward from the upper sides  58  and  59 . As a result, the shell  20  is secured to the housing  40  with larger force than before. 
     The tongue portions  25  and  26  are deformed on the protruded portion  46  such that the part of the housing  40  is dented or cut by the side edges  35  ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ) and  36  ( FIG. 4 ). Consequently, part of the tongue portions  25  and  26  is embedded in the housing  40  so that the shell  20  is secured to the housing  40  better than before. Especially, the tapered portion  42  makes it possible to embed the tongue portion  25  into the housing deeply. The area that is indented by the edge  36  of the tongue portion  26  near a boundary  63  between the connector body and the flat face  60  extending from the lower side  49  may be tapered as the tongue portion  25 . 
     When the mating connector  80  is plugged in or unplugged from the electrical connector  1 , the tongue portions  25  and  26  receive a large force in the plugging direction so that it is necessary for them to be sufficiently strong to endure this force. In this respect, the tongue portions  25  and  26  receive the force in the widthwise or H direction in  FIG. 1  so that they are sufficiently strong against it. Consequently, the solder crack between the soldering tab  31  and the board is prevented. 
     In  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a terminal  50  is fixed to the housing  40  by integral molding such that the front and rear fixing portions  52  and  54  are fixed to the housing  40  while the intermediate contact portion  53  is exposed in a cavity  41  into which the mating connector is inserted. The rear soldering portion  56  is used for connection and fixation to the board  70 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 6 , when the plug connector  80  is plugged in the receptacle connector  1 , the terminal support  88  of the mating connector  80  is inserted in the cavity  41 . The terminal support  88  is guided by the guiding portion  28  of the electrical connector  1  into the cavity  41 . Upon plugging, the contact portion  82  of a plug terminal  82  is brought into contact with the contact portion  53  of the electrical connector  1  while the lock portion  81  of the plug connector  80  is fitted in the engaging hole  22  of the electrical connector  1  so that the plug connector  80  is locked to the receptacle connector  1 . The lock position is so close to the point where the shell  20  is attached to the housing  40  that the withstanding force upon the plugging in or out operation is enhanced. 
     It is appreciated that the invention is applicable to other connectors than the electrical connector. In the above embodiment, the position where the housing cover is attached to the housing is located at the rear end of the housing but, as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , it may be at a midway of the housing in the plugging direction. In this case, the tongue portion is provided at a midway of the housing cover while the housing is provided with an indentation as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     The invention is useful for a connector with a housing to which a shell is attached.