Patent Publication Number: US-6210226-B1

Title: Electrical connector having enhanced sideward impact resisting structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector having EMI shielding, more particularly to an electrical connector which can reliably resist impacts. 
     As electrical connectors are more extensively used, a variety of problems such as electromagnetic interference have assumed increased importance. It is now desired that an electrical connector have a reliable EMI shield. Such an electrical connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,605. A conventional electrical connector comprises a housing enclosed by a shield case, an upper lid of the shield and a shield base plate. The shield case includes a pair of side plate portions fitting along opposite sides of the housing and a located engaging portion fitting at a front of the housing. A screw fastening piece depends from a bottom edge of each side plate portion of the shield case, from a bottom edge of each side of the upper lid, and from each side of the shield base plate, respectively. Therefore, the electrical connector can be fixed to a printed circuit board by a pair of screws. 
     The design of the electrical connector requires an inconvenient assembly. Furthermore, the shield case of some prior art electrical connectors is not fixed to the housing at its sides so can not resist side impacts. Additionally, in some prior art connectors a rear side is not fastened to the circuit board and a rear part of the electrical connector will likely disconnect from a printed circuit board (not shown) when the connector is impacted downward at a front portion thereof. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having shielding elements which can firmly secure the dielectric housing of the electrical connector to a printed circuit board and resist impacts to the electrical connector. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which has a desired terminal pitch and can reliably fix terminals in a dielectric housing thereof. 
     An electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a dielectric housing, a plurality of terminals, a front shell and a rear shell. The dielectric housing includes a central portion, a projecting portion extending forward from a front end of the central portion, an upper portion with a first notch in a front thereof, and a pair of lateral faces each disposed with a pair of retaining plates. A clamping plate is disposed on each of opposite sides of the upper portion, a claw extends and substantially perpendicularly bends from a forward end of the clamping plate. The front shell has a front wall, a pair of lateral walls each extending from each side edge of the front wall for inserting between a corresponding pair of retaining plates of the dielectric housing, and a pair of retention arms depending from 20 an upper edge of the front wall of the front shell for latching to the claws of the dielectric housing. A latching leg respectively depends from a lower edge of each side wall and the rear wall of the rear shell for reliably latching the rear shell onto a printed circuit board. 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 DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an electrical connector of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of terminals of the electrical connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a rear shell of the electrical connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a rear view of a rear shell of the electrical connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is an assembled view of a front shell and a dielectric housing of the electrical connector of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 6 is an assembled view of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a dielectric housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  30 , a front shell  21  and a rear shell  22 . 
     The dielectric housing  1  includes an upper portion  12  and a pair of lateral faces  11 , forming a hollow portion  101  therebetween. A central portion  120  is accommodated in a rearward position of the hollow portion  101 , a top of the central portion  120  separating the upper portion  12  in two parts. The upper portion  12  defines a first notch  123  at a front of the central portion  120 . A projecting portion  13  extends forward from a front end of the central portion  120  and defines a plurality of channels  14  in a top surface thereof for receiving the terminals  30 . A clamping plate  121  is disposed on each of opposite sides of the upper portion  12 , and a claw  122  extends and substantially perpendicularly bends from a forward end of the clamping plate  121 . A pair of retaining plates  110  is respectively disposed on a top and a bottom sides of each lateral face  11 , and a locking tab  111  is formed between the two retaining plates  110 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, each terminal  30  includes a contacting portion  31  at one end, a soldering tail  33  at an opposite end, and a retaining portion  32  between the contacting portion  31  and the soldering tail  33 . An inclined portion  34  is formed at an end of the soldering tail  33  and adjacent to the retaining portion  32 , thereby increasing a distance between the soldering tails  33  while a distance between the contacting portions  31  remains constant. 
     Also referring to FIG. 1, the front shell  21  has a front wall  23  and a front section  241  bordering a receiving opening  24  for receiving a plug electrical connector (not shown). A plurality of guiding portions  242  extends outward from forward edges of the front section  241  for guiding the plug electrical connector into the receiving opening  24 . A pair of retention arms  26  depends rearward from an upper edge of the front wall  23  and substantially bends at a right angle relative to the front wall  23 . The pair of retention arms  26  are spaced apart from each other a distance and define a second notch  262  therebetween. A cutout  261  is outwardly defined in each retention arm  26  for receiving the corresponding claw  122 . A lateral wall  25  extends rearward from each side edge of the front wall  23  and is substantially perpendicular to the retention arms  26 . An aperture  250  is defined in each lateral wall  25  for locking with the locking tab  111  on the lateral face  11  of the dielectric housing  1 . A latch  251  is formed on each lateral wall  25 . 
     The rear shell  22  is substantially rectangular and includes a top wall  27 , a rear wall  28  and a pair of side walls  29 , each side wall  29  defining a latching hole  290  for receiving the latch  251  on the lateral wall  25  of the front shell  21 . A top strip  270  is formed at a middle of a front portion of the top wall  27  for contacting a shell of a mating electrical connector (not shown). Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of latching legs  291  respectively depends from each lower edge of opposite side walls  29  and a latching leg  281  depends from a lower edge of the rear wall  28  for reliably latching the rear shell onto a printed circuit board (not shown). 
     Referring to FIG. 5, in assembly, the terminals  30  are inserted contact portions  31  first through a rear side of the dielectric housing  1  so that the contact portions  31  are retained in the channels  14  of the projecting portion  13 , the retaining portions  32  interferentially fitting in passageways in the dielectric housing  1 , and the soldering tails  33  depend downwardly out of the dielectric housing  1  for soldering to a printed circuit board (not shown). The front shell  21  is assembled onto a front end  10  of the dielectric housing  1 , each lateral wall  25  of the front shell  21  being inserted between the pair of retaining plates  110  of the corresponding lateral face  11  of the dielectric housing  1 , attaching to the lateral face  11 . The locking tab  111  on the lateral face  11  of the dielectric housing  1  locks with the aperture  250  of the lateral wall  25  of the front shell  21 . A downward facing surface (not shown) of the retention arm  26  of the front shell  21  presses against the upper portion  12  of the dielectric housing  1 , further helping to anchor the front shell  21  to the dielectric housing  1 . The cutout  261  of each retention arm  26  receives the claw  122  on the upper portion  12  of the dielectric housing  1  thereby facilitating a reliable engagement of the front shell  21  with the dielectric housing  1 . 
     Further, referring to FIG. 6, the rear shell  22  is engaged with the dielectric housing  1 , the side walls  29  of the rear shell  22  respectively abutting against the lateral walls  25  of the front shell  21 . The latching hole  290  in each side wall  29  of the rear shell  22  receiving the corresponding latch  251  of each lateral wall  25  of the front shell  21  thereby securing the rear shell  22  to the front shell  21  and the dielectric housing  1 . The top strip  270  of the top wall  27  of the rear shell  22  respectively contacts the opposite edges of the first notch  123  of the upper portion  12  of the dielectric housing  1  and the opposite edges of the second notch  262  of the front shell  21 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.