Patent Publication Number: US-2015064969-A1

Title: Electrical connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having an improved metallic shell. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     HDMI connectors include a fixing assembly for mounting the HDMI connector. The HDMI connector is mounted to a shell of an electronic device and grounded. Because of a high cost of metal fixing assemblies, plastic fixing assemblies are often used. However, because the plastic fixing assemblies are insulating, the HDMI connector may be poorly ground and may be affected by electromagnetic pulses (EMIs). 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the three views. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly in accordance with a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1 , wherein the electrical connector assembly includes an insulating body. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the insulating body of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  shows the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  being mounted to a housing of an electronic device. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of an electrical connector assembly in accordance with a second embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
       FIGS. 1-2  illustrate an electrical connector assembly  100  of the present disclosure. The electrical connector assembly  100  is mounted to a metallic casing  200  (see  FIG. 4 ) of an electronic device. In the embodiment, the electrical connector assembly  100  is an HDMI connector. The electrical connector assembly  100  includes an insulating body  10 , a metallic shell  20 , and a number of contacts  30  secured to the insulating body  10 . The electrical connector assembly  100  further includes at least one conductive member  40  secured to the metallic shell  20 . In the embodiment, there are two conductive members  40 , and the conductive members  40  are integrally formed with the metallic shell  20 . 
     Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the insulating body  10  is substantially parallelepiped. The insulating body  10  includes a front side  101 , a back side  102 , two side portions  103 , and a top portion  104 , all of which cooperatively define a receiving portion  120 . Two slits  110  are defined in opposite sides of the back side  102  adjacent to the two side portions  103 . The two slits  110  extend to a bottom edge of the back side  102 . A bottom portion  105  extends substantially perpendicularly from a bottom edge of the back side  102  into the receiving space  120 , such that the bottom portion  105  is located between the two slits  110 . The top portion  104  and the bottom portion  105  are substantially parallel to each other and are connected between the side portions  103 . A fixing block  106  protrudes from a back wall of the receiving portion  120 . The fixing block  106  is substantially parallel to and located between the top portion  104  and the bottom portion  105 . The back side  102  defines a number of fixing holes  107 . The fixing holes  107  communicate with the receiving portion  120  and are adapted to receive the contacts  30 . The fixing holes  107  are arranged in two rows. The two rows of fixing holes  107  are arranged substantially parallel to opposite sides of the fixing portion  106 , respectively. The fixing portion  106  further defines a number of recesses  108  corresponding to the number of fixing holes  107  one-to-one. Each recess  108  communicates with a corresponding fixing hole  107 . Each recess  108  and the corresponding fixing hole  107  cooperatively secure a contact  30  to the insulating body  10 . 
     The back wall of the receiving portion  120  further defines two apertures  109 . The apertures  109  are adjacent to the top portion  104 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the metallic shell  20  is mountably received in the insulating body  10 . The metallic shell  20  defines a receiving space  120  for fittingly receiving a plug (not shown) mating with the electrical connector assembly  100 . Two first legs  210  and two second legs  220  extend from the metallic shell  20 . In the embodiment, the first legs  210  integrally extend from a top surface  201  of the metallic shell  20 . The first legs  210  correspond to and are received in the apertures  109 . The second legs  220  are arranged at opposite sides of the metallic shell  20 , respectively. The second legs  220  are received in the two slits  110  to mount the metallic shell  20  to the insulating body  10 . When the metallic shell  20  is mounted to the insulating body  10 , the first legs  210  protrude out of the insulating body  10  through the apertures  109 , and the second legs  220  protrude out of the insulating body  10  through the slits  110 . Thus, the electrical connector assembly  100  is connected to a circuit board by soldering the portions of the first and second legs  210 ,  220  protruding out of the insulating body  10 . 
     The top surface  201  and the bottom surface  202  of the metallic shell  20  define two substantially rectangular openings  260 . An elastic abutting member  270  integrally extends from a sidewall of each opening  260  adjacent to the first legs  210 . The elastic abutting member  270  extends substantially parallel to the top surface  201 . A distal end of each elastic abutting member  270  extends into the receiving space  250 . The elastic abutting members  270  elastically resist the plug received in the receiving space  250  to keep the plug steady in the receiving space  250 . 
     The conducting members  40  integrally protrude from the metallic shell  20 . The conducting members  40  are arranged at the top surface  201  and the bottom surface  202  of the metallic shell  20 , respectively. Each conducting member includes a connecting portion  410 , an abutting portion  420 , and an elastic protrusion  430 . The connecting portion  410  integrally protrudes from the metallic shell  20 . In the embodiment, sides of the top and bottom surface  201 ,  202  away from the first legs  210  are bent about  180  degrees to form the connecting portions  410 . The connecting portions  410  contact the top and bottom surfaces  201 ,  202 . Distal ends of the connecting portions  410  are further bent about  90  degrees to form the abutting portions  420 . The abutting portions  420  are substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces  201 ,  202 . When the metallic shell  20  is mounted to the insulating body  10 , a length of the connecting portions  410  is substantially equal to a length of the metallic shell  20  protruding out of the receiving portion  120 . Thus, the abutting portions  420  abut the front side  101  after the metallic shell  20  is mounted to the insulating body  10 . A number and a location of the conducting members  40  can be changed. For example, in another embodiment, the conducting members  40  are arranged at opposite sidewalls of the metallic shell  20  connected between the top and bottom surfaces  201 ,  202 . 
     An elastic protrusion  430  protrudes out of each abutting portion  420  along a direction opposite to the first legs  210 . In the embodiment, the abutting portions  420  are punched to form the elastic protrusions  430 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the electrical connector assembly  100  is mounted to the metallic casing  200  of the electronic device, the metallic shell  20  extends through a mounting hole (not shown) defined in the housing of the electronic device  200  and protrudes out of the metallic casing  200 . Because the elastic protrusions  430  protrude out of the abutting portion  420  in a direction opposite to the first legs  210 , the elastic protrusions  430  resist against an inner surface of the metallic casing  200  to maintain a reliable and secure contact between the electrical connector assembly  100  and the metallic casing  200 . As a result, the electrical connector assembly  100  is ground to be protected from EMIs. 
       FIG. 5  shows an electrical connector assembly  300  in accordance with a second embodiment. The structure of the electrical connector assembly  300  is similar to the structure of the electrical connector assembly  100 . The difference between the electrical connector assembly  200  and the electrical connector assembly  300  is the configuration of the conducting members  40 . In the electrical connector assembly  300 , both the top surface  201  and the bottom surface  202  of the metallic shell  20  define through holes  290 . Abutting portions  420 ′ of the conducting members  40  integrally extend from sidewalls of the through holes  290  adjacent to the first legs  210 . The abutting portions  420 ′ are substantially perpendicular to the top surface  201  and the bottom surface  202 . The elastic protrusions  430  protrude out of each abutting portion  420 ′ along a direction opposite to the first legs  210 . In the second embodiment, the abutting portions  420 ′ are integrally punched from the metallic shell  20 , and the elastic protrusions  430  are integrally punched from the abutting portions  420 . 
     It is to be understood, even though information and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the present embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present embodiments to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.