Patent Publication Number: US-9837734-B2

Title: Electrical connector having inetrengaged grounding contacts

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector having a number of grounding contacts engaged to each other. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     China Patent No. 203859328, issued on Oct. 1, 2014, discloses a reversible electrical connector including an insulative housing defining a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion. The tongue portion defines opposite first and second surfaces and forms a slot. A plurality of first contacts are retained in the insulative housing and partially exposed on the first surface and a plurality of second contacts are retained in the insulative housing and partially exposed on the second surface. A metallic shielding plate includes a body portion and is located between the first contacts and the second contacts. A pair of grounding arms extend from opposite sides of the body portion, passing through the slot, to contact first and second grounding contacts. 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0244099, published on Aug. 27, 2015, discloses a waterproof connection module including a shell that may be manufactured using die casting to improve waterproof performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector comprising: an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion along an insertion direction; a plurality of terminals retained in the insulative housing, the terminals defining a plurality of first contacts and second contacts located at two surfaces of the tongue portion, the first contacts and second contacts respectively defining a pair of grounding contacts located at two sides thereof, each grounding contact of the second contacts having a hook portion bent upwardly and extending inwardly from outmost edge thereof and located above the grounding contact of the first contacts located at the same side, a free end of the hook portion contacted with the grounding contact of the first contacts at same side physically and electrically; a metallic shielding plate retained in the insulative housing; and a shielding shell attached to the insulative housing to form a receiving space to receive the insulative housing. 
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective, assembled view of an electrical connector mounted upon a printed circuit board in a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective, assembled view of  FIG. 1  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective, partly exploded view of the electrical connector in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is another perspective view of  FIG. 3  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective, partly exploded view of the electrical connector with no shielding shell and sub shell in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is another perspective, partly exploded view of  FIG. 5  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective, exploded view of a number of first contacts and second contacts and a metallic shielding plate in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is another perspective, exploded view of  FIG. 7  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective, assembled view of the first contacts and the second contacts and the metallic shielding plate in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is another perspective, assembled view of  FIG. 9  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective, assembled view of the electrical connector with no glue wall and sub shell in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is another perspective, assembled view of  FIG. 11  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector along line  13 - 13  in  FIG. 1  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector along line  14 - 14  in  FIG. 1  in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective, assembled view of an electrical connector in a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective, partly exploded view of a number of first contacts and second contacts, a metallic shielding plate, and an insulative housing in the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective, exploded view of the first contacts and the second contacts in the second embodiment; and 
         FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector along line  18 - 18  in  FIG. 15  in the second embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 1 to 14  show an electrical connector  100  mounted upon a printed circuit board  200  and cooperated with a plug connector in a first embodiment. For convenience, the electronic connector  100  defines a mating port, an insertion direction, a transverse direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and forming a horizontal plane therebetween, and a vertical direction perpendicular to the insertion direction and the transverse direction in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-10 , the electrical connector  100  includes a terminal module with an insulative housing  1  and a plurality of terminals  2  associated therewith, and a metallic shielding plate  3  retained in the insulative housing  1 , a shielding shell  4  attached to the insulative housing  1  and forming a receiving space  41  therebetween, a glue wall  5  seal up gaps between the shielding shell  4  and the insulative housing  1 , and a sub shell  6  attached to the shielding shell  4 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 10 , the insulative housing  1  includes an upper housing (unit)  13  and a lower housing (unit)  14  located oppositely, and an insulator  15  molded with the upper housing  13  and the lower housing  14 . The upper housing  13  has a first base portion  131  and a first tongue portion  133  extending forwardly from the first base portion  131  and separated from the base portion  11  to form a first gap  132  filled by the insulator  15 . The lower housing  14  has a second base portion  141  and a second tongue portion  143  extending forwardly from the second base portion  141  and separated from the second base portion  141  to form a second gap  142  filled by the insulator  15 . The first base portion  131  and the second base portion  141  form a base portion of the insulative housing  1 , and the first tongue portion  133 , the second tongue portion  143 , and the insulator  15  form a tongue portion of the insulative housing  1 . 
     The terminals  2  include a number of first contacts  21  carried by the first tongue portion  133  and a number of second contacts  22  carried by the second tongue portion  143 . The first contacts  21  and the second contacts  22  extending in the insertion direction respectively includes four power contacts located forwardly and eight signal contacts located backwardly. The four power contacts include a pair of Vbus contacts used to provide electric source and a pair of grounding contacts  23 . The eight signal contacts includes four super-speed differential contacts located at two sides, two low-speed differential contacts located in the middle, and a pair of controlling contacts. Each of the first contacts  21  is associated with a respective one of the second contacts  22  and is positioned in reverse symmetry with respect to the second contacts  22 . 
     Each of the first contacts  21  insert-molded with the upper housing  13  to form a module unit and includes a first contacting portion  213  exposed from the first tongue portion  133 , a first soldering portion  214  exposed from a bottom surface of the first base portion  131 , and a first connecting portion  215  connected with the first contacting portion  213  and the first soldering portion  214 . Each of the second contacts  22  insert-molded with the lower housing  14  to form a module unit and includes a second contacting portion  223  exposed from the second tongue portion  143 , a second soldering portion  224  exposed from a rear surface of the second base portion  141  and located at a same plane with the first soldering portions  214 , and a second connecting portion  225  connected with the second contacting portion  223  and the second soldering portion  224 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 to 10 , the grounding contacts  23  are located at two sides of the first contacts  21  and the second contacts  22 . Each of the grounding contacts  23  of the first contacts  21  includes a tail portion  231  extending backwardly from a free end of the first contacting portion  213  and located below first contacting portion  213 , and a hook portion  232  extending downwardly from an outmost edge of the first connecting portion  215  and bent inwardly to form a hook structure. Each of the grounding contacts  23  of the second contacts  22  includes a tail portion  231  extending backwardly from a free end of the second contacting portion  223  and located below second contacting portion  223 , and a hook portion  232  extending downwardly from an outmost edge of the second connecting portion  215  and bent inwardly to form a hook structure or extension structure. The tail portions  231  are embedded in the first tongue portion  133  and the second tongue portion  143  and aligned with inner surfaces of the first tongue portion  133  and the second tongue portion  143 . The hook portion  232  located at one side of the first contacts  21  is staggered with the hook portion  232  located at same side of the second contacts  22  along the insertion direction. The hook portions  232  of the first contacts  21  are exposed in the first gap  132  and the hook portions  232  of the second contacts  22  are exposed in the second gap  142 . 
     The metallic shielding plate  3 , in a metal stamping process or a metal injection process, includes a supporting portion  32  located between the upper housing  13  and the lower housing  14 , a pair of bulges  31  located at two sides of the supporting portion  32 , and a pair of soldering legs  33  extending downwardly from a rear end of the bulges  31 . The bulges  31  are and located at two sides of the base portion to align a front surface of the base portion with a front surface thereof. The metallic shielding plate  3  has a number of projections  321  located at both an upper surface and a lower surface of the supporting portion  32 , and a pair of end portions  323  located at two sides of a front end of the supporting portion  32 . The projection  321  located at one side of the upper surface is staggered with the projection  321  located at the same side of the lower surface. The end portions  323  define a thickness bigger than that of the supporting portion  32  and covering two sides insulative housing  1  to form a pair of depressions  10  to resist a pair of springs of the plug connector. The projections  321  located at the upper surface and the lower surface of the supporting portion  32  are exposed in the first gap  132  and the second gap  142 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9-10, and 13 , bottom surfaces of the tail portions  231  of the grounding contacts  23  of the first contacts  21  contact with an upper surface of the supporting portion  32  and top surfaces of the tail portions  231  of the grounding contacts  23  of the second contacts  22  contact with a lower surface of the supporting portion  32  to contacts grounding contacts  23  of the first contacts  21  with the grounding contacts  23  of the second contacts  22  physically and electrically to attain a good performance in grounding. Referring to  FIGS. 9-10 , and  14 , an upper surface the second connecting portion  225  of the grounding contacts  23  located in one side of the second contacts  22  contacts with a lower surface of the projection  321  located at the lower surface of the metallic shielding plate  3  in the same side and an upper surface of a free end of the hook portion  232  of the grounding contact  23  located in one side of the second contacts  22  contacts with a lower surface of the grounding contact  23  of the first contacts  21  in the same side to enclose the hook portion  232  with the projection  321  and contact the grounding contacts  23  of the first contacts  21  and the grounding contacts  23  of the second contacts  22  with the metallic shielding plate  3  physically and electrically to form a grounding structure to attain a good performance in grounding. The hook portions  232  of the grounding contacts  23  of the first contacts  21  have the same structure. The grounding structures are embedded in the insulator  15  to attain a better stability and locate the upper housing  13 , the lower housing  14 , and the metallic shielding plate  3  stably. Notably, the shielding plate  3  is made via die-casting or metal injection molding so as to not only reinforce the inherent structure thereof but also provide the raised structure thereof, i.e., the projection  321 , thus allowing the hook portion  232  to engage the projection  321  in a pressing manner for reliable mechanical and electrical connection therebetween advantageously. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 and 11-14 , the shielding shell  4 , formed in a metal injection process, i.e., the die-casting process, and separated from the metallic shielding plate  3 , includes a main portion  40 , an inner wall  42  located in the main portion  40  and resisting a front surface of the bulges  31  to locate the tongue portion in front of the inner wall  42 , and a pair of side portions  43  located at two sides of the main portion  40 . The side portion  43  has a rib  44  shaping like a triangle and connected with the main portion  40  in a right-angle side, and an affixed leg  45  extending downwardly therefrom and mounted upon the printed circuit board  200 . The ribs  44  enhance soldering strength in the affixed legs  45  mounted upon the printed circuit board  200  and the side portions  43  with the respective forward extensions  47  in front of the corresponding affixed legs  45 , resist an upper surface of the printed circuit board  200  to prevent the electrical connector  100  overturning. In this embodiment, the front edge of each side portion  43  is further equipped with a downward flange (not labeled) to abut against the upper surface of the printed circuit board. It is noted that the main portion  40  includes a front capsular section and a rear rectangular section wherein the affixed legs  45  for extending through the printed circuit board are formed on the front capsular section and the pair of seats  46  are formed on the rear rectangular section for sitting upon the printed circuit board. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 and 11-14 , the sub shell  6  includes a front wall  61  located close to a rear end of the base portion, a top wall  63  extending rearward from a bottom edge of the front wall  61  to locate close to an upper surface of the base portion and forming an opening  60  in a middle thereof, and a pair of affixed arms  62  extending downwardly from two sides of the top wall  62 . The front wall  61  and the top wall  63  form a stepping structure to decrease locating spaces of the electrical connector  100 . 
       FIGS. 15 to 18  show an electrical connector  100 ′ cooperated with a plug connector in a second embodiment. The electrical connector  100 ′ includes an insulative housing  1 ′ and a number of terminals  2 ′. Referring to  FIG. 16 , the insulative housing  1 ′ includes an upper housing  11 ′ and a lower housing  12 ′ located oppositely, and an insulator  13 ′ over-molded with the upper housing  11 ′ and the lower housing  12 ′. The upper housing  11 ′ defines a first tongue portion  112 ′ and the lower housing  12 ′ defines a second tongue portion  122 ′. Referring to  FIG. 17 , the terminals  2 ′ define a number of first contacts  21 ′ carried by the first tongue portion  112 ′ and a number of second contacts  22 ′ carried by the second tongue portion  122 ′. The first contacts  21 ′ and the second contacts  22 ′ respectively define a pair of grounding contacts  23 ′ located at two sides thereof. Each grounding contact  23 ′ of the second contacts  22 ′ has a hook portion  232 ′ extending upwardly from an outmost edge thereof and bent inwardly to form a hook structure. Referring to  FIG. 18 , a lower surface of a free end of the hook portion  232 ′ of the grounding contact  23 ′ located in one side of the second contacts  22 ′ contacts with an upper surface of the grounding contact  23 ′ of the first contacts  21 ′ in the same side physically and electrically to form a grounding structure to attain a good performance in grounding and enhance stability between the upper housing  11 ′ and the lower housing  12 ′. 
     However, the disclosure is illustrative only, changes may be made in detail, especially in matter of shape, size, and arrangement of sections within the principles of the invention.