Patent Publication Number: US-8109790-B2

Title: Electrical connector with improved mounting portion

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to electrical connectors having mounting portions for being mounted onto a printed circuit board (PCB). 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A conventional electrical connector usually have many different types for being mounted on a PCB such as right angle type, upright type, and vertical type. A vertical type electrical connector usually comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing, and a metal shell covering the insulative housing and defining a receiving space for receiving a complementary plug. The insulative housing includes a base resist the PCB, and a tongue plate extending upwardly from the base into the receiving space. The contacts having contacting portions retained in the tongue plate for mating with the plug. The shell has a pair of first walls covering two lateral sides of the insulative housing and a pair of second walls connecting the first walls. The first walls and the second walls form the receiving space together. Each first wall has a mounting portion extending downwardly from a lower end thereof and extending along the first wall for being mounted onto the PCB. 
     The mounting portions are parallel to each other and are mounted onto holes of the PCB so as to firm the shell on the PCB. However, when the parallel mounting portion are mounted onto the PCB, the shell will have a vibration along a transverse direction easily. 
     Hence, an improved electrical connector with an improved contacts arrangement is desired to overcome the above problems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, an electrical connector for being mounted on a PCB comprises: an insulative housing having a base and a tongue plate extending upwardly beyond the base; a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing; and a metal shell covering the insulative housing, the metal shell including a pair of first walls covering two lateral sides of the insulative housing, a pair of second walls including a front wall connecting two front sides of the first walls and a back wall connecting two back sides of the first walls, and a receiving space surrounded by the first walls and the second walls for receiving the tongue plate therein, the first walls having a pair of first mounting portion extending downwardly from respective lower ends thereof for being mounted onto first holes of the PCB, the front wall having a pair of jointing walls extending toward each other from the respective front sides of the first walls and combining with each other at a joint; wherein the front wall has a pair of mounting legs extending from the respective jointing walls at the joint and forming as a second mounting portion for being mounted onto a second hole of the PCB. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a vertical electrical connector for being perpendicularly mounted on a PCB comprises: an insulative housing having a base and a tongue plate extending upwardly beyond the base; a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing; and a metal shell covering the insulative housing. The metal shell comprises: a pair of first walls covering two lateral sides of the insulative housing; a pair of second walls including a front wall connecting two front sides of the first walls and a back wall connecting two back sides of the first walls, the front wall having a pair of jointing walls extending toward each other from the respective front sides of the first walls and combining with each other at a joint; a receiving space surrounded by the first walls and the second walls for receiving the tongue plate therein; a pair of first mounting portions extending downwardly along the first walls for being mounted onto the PCB; and a second mounting portion including a pair of mounting legs extending from the respective jointing walls at the joint and parallel to the first mounting portions for being mounted onto the PCB. Wherein the second mounting portion is located at the front of the front wall, the first mounting portions and the second mounting portion form an isosceles triangle, the distances between the second mounting portion and each of the first mounting portions are essentially equal. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector mounted on a PCB according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partly exploded view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is another exploded view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning timing considerations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 , a vertical electrical connector  100  according to the present invention for being mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB)  200  is disclosed. The electrical connector  100  is preferable a A-type USB 3.0 socket and includes an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of contacts  2  retained in the insulative housing  1  and being configured to carry USB 3.0 signals, a spacer  4  coupled to the insulative housing  1 , and a metal shell  3  covering the insulative housing  1  and the spacer  4 . The metal shell  3  defines a receiving space  33  for receiving a complementary plug (not shown) which mates with the electrical connector  100 . In this embodiment, the electrical connector  100  extend along an up-to-down direction perpendicular to the PCB  200 . In other embodiment, the electrical connector  100  could extend along an up-to-down direction at an acute angle with respective to the PCB  200 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the insulative housing  1  is molded of dielectric material such as plastic or the like, and has a base  11  and a tongue plate  12  integrally extending upwardly from an upper face of the base  11  into the receiving space  33 . In another embodiment, the base  11  and the tongue plate  12  could be molded separately and assembled together to form the insulative housing  1 . The base  11  has a recess  115  recessed backwardly from a front face thereof, and a pair of grooves  116  located at two lateral sides of the recess  115 . The base  11  has a pair of cavities  114  recessed forwardly from a back face thereof. The tongue plate  12  has a set of first receiving slots  121  recessed backwardly from a front face  125  thereof and arranged in one row located on a lower position thereof, and a set of second receiving slots  122  recessed backwardly from the front face  125  and arranged in another row located on an upper position thereof. 
     The contacts  2  include a set of first contacts  21  being configured to carry USB 2.0 signals and a set of second contacts  22 . Each first contact  21  has a resilient first contacting portion  211  received in the first receiving slot  121  and protruding beyond the front face  125  of the tongue plate  12 , a first tail portion  213  extending downwardly beyond the base  11  for being mounted to the PCB  200 , and a first retaining portion  212  connecting the first contacting portion  211  and the first tail portion  213 . Each second contact  22  has a stiff second contacting portion  221  received in the second receiving slot  122  and located behind the front face  125  of the tongue plate  12 , a second tail portion  223  extending downwardly beyond the base  11  for being mounted to the PCB  200 , and a second retaining portion  222  connecting the second contacting portion  221  and the second tail portion  223  and retained in the insulative housing  1 . The first contacting portion  211  protrudes into the receiving space  33 . The second contacting portion  221  is exposed to the receiving space  33 . Therefore, both the first contacting portion  211  and the second contacting portion  221  are located on a front side of the tongue plate  12 , and the second contacting portion  221  is located above the first contacting portion  211 . In another embodiment, the second contacting portion  221  and the second retaining portion  222  could be insert molded into the insulative housing  1 . 
     The spacer  4  is assembled into the recess  115  of the base  11 . The spacer  4  has a pair of protrusions  46  protruding from two lateral sides thereof for being retained in the respective grooves  116 . The spacer  4  has a set of through holes  41  for the first tail portions  213  passing through and a pair of cavities  42  recessed backwardly from a front face thereof. In this embodiment, the first tail portions  213  are assembled to the through holes  41  of the spacer  4  so as to be retained in the spacer  4 . In another embodiment, the first tail portions  213  could be insert molded into the spacer  4 . 
     The metal shell  3  has a pair of first walls  31  enveloping two lateral sides of the insulative housing  1  and parallel to each other, and a pair of second walls  32  including a front wall connecting front sides of the respective first walls  31  and a back wall connecting back sides of the respective first walls  31 . The front wall and the back wall are parallel to each other. The first walls  31  and second walls  32  form the receiving space  33 . The receiving space has an upper opening communicating with an exterior for the complementary plug inserting therein. Each first wall  31  has a first mounting portion  315  extending downwardly from a lower end thereof. The first mounting portion  315  includes a pair of board locks  3151  for being mounted onto holes  201  of the PCB so as to firm the metal shell  3  onto the PCB  200  reliably. Each board lock  3151  has a pair of legs (not labeled) for being mounted onto the same hole  201  of the PCB. Each of the front wall and the back wall has a pair of first spring tabs  321  extending upwardly and protruding into the receiving space  33  for pressing against the complementary plug. At the front wall, each first spring tab  321  has a lower edge  3211  connecting to the front wall and an upper free end  3212 , the first spring tab  321  extends upwardly from the lower edge  3211  and protrudes into the receiving space  33 , the extending portion  3251  extends from an upper end  3261  of the jointing wall  326  located above the lower edge  3211  to a bottom edge  3262  of the jointing wall  326 . The back wall further has a second spring tab  322  extending downwardly and protruding into the receiving space  33  for pressing against the complementary plug. At the back wall, the second spring tab  322  is located between the first spring tabs  321 . Each of the first walls  31  has a third spring tab  311  extending upwardly and protruding into the receiving space  33  for pressing against the complementary plug. Therefore, when the complementary plug is inserted into the electrical connector  100 , the first, second and third spring tabs  321 ,  322 ,  311  press against the plug so as to firm the plug reliably. Each of the back wall and the front wall has a pair of latching tabs  324  latching into the respective cavities  114 ,  42  of the insulative housing  1  and the spacer  4  to firm the metal shell  3  on the insulative housing  1  and the spacer  4 . The latching tabs  324  locate at two sides of the second mounting portion  35 . 
     The front wall of the second walls  32  includes a pair of jointing walls  326  extending toward each other from the respective front sides of the first walls  31  and combining with each other at a joint. The jointing walls  326  has a latching portion  3261  and a cutout portion  3262  for latching with each other at the joint. A pair of mounting legs  325  extend from the respective jointing walls  326  at the joint and form as a second mounting portion  35  for being mounted onto a hole  201  of the PCB  200 . Each mounting leg  525  has an extending portion  3251  extending forwardly and vertically from the respective jointing wall  326  at the joint and a securing portion  3252  extending downwardly from the extending portion  3251  for being mounted onto the hole  201  of the PCB  200 . The second mounting  325  is located at the front of the first mounting portions  315  and the first mounting portions  315 , and is parallel to the first mounting portions  315 . The first mounting portions  315  and the second mounting portion  35  form an isosceles triangle. The distances between the second mounting portion  35  and each of the first mounting portions  315  are essentially equal. 
     The first mounting portions  315  and the second mounting portion  35  form an isosceles triangle and are mounted onto the PCB  200  so as to prevent the electrical connector  100  from vibrating along a front-to-back direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the first mounting portions  315  and the second mounting portion  35  could firm the electrical connector  100  onto the PCB  200  more reliably. Furthermore, the second mounting portion  35  has two mounting legs  325  extending from the respective jointing walls  326  at the joint and being mounted onto the same hole  201  of the PCB  200  so as to prevent the jointing walls  326  from breakage or splitting. 
     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 disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.