Patent Publication Number: US-2023147620-A1

Title: Electrical connector having metallic shell with unitary grounding member

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector having an insulative housing and a metallic shell secured to the insulative housing, wherein the metallic shell has a grounding member for engaging a grounding piece of a complementary connector. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     China Patent Application Publication No. 108390213 discloses an electrical connector assembly including a first connector having a first shielding member and a second connector having a second shielding member, wherein both the first and second shielding members are discrete. U.S. Pat. No. 11,075,475 discloses an electrical connector including: an insulative housing having an island and a receiving channel; a plurality of contacts secured to the insulative housing and exposed to the receiving channel; a metallic shell member secured to the insulative housing and exposed to the receiving channel, and a shielding/grounding member unitarily extending from the metallic shell member, wherein the shielding/grounding member has protrusions at two opposite longitudinal ends thereof outside the island for engaging with locking arms of a pair of locking members of a complementary connector. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An electrical connector comprises: an insulative housing having a receiving channel; a plurality of contacts secured to the insulative housing and exposed to the receiving channel; and a metallic shell secured to the insulative housing and exposed to the receiving channel, the metallic shell having a unitary grounding member; wherein the grounding member has a pair of opposing fingers spaced apart a gap. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is another perspective view of the electrical connector assembly; 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded view of an electrical connector of the electrical connector assembly; 
         FIG.  4    is another exploded view of the electrical connector; 
         FIG.  5    is an exploded view of a mating electrical connector of the electrical connector assembly; 
         FIG.  6    is another exploded view of the mating electrical connector; 
         FIG.  7    is an assembled perspective view of the electrical connector assembly; 
         FIG.  8    is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly taken along line A-A in  FIG.  7   ; 
         FIG.  9    is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly taken along line B-B in  FIG.  7   ; and 
         FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly taken along line C-C in  FIG.  7   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1 - 10   , an electrical connector assembly includes an electrical connector  100  and a mating electrical connector  200  to be mounted on printed circuit boards (not shown). The electrical connector  100  includes an elongate insulative housing  1  having an island  14  and a receiving channel  10 , a plurality of contacts  2  secured to the insulative housing  1  and exposed to the receiving channel  10 , and a metallic shell  3  secured to the insulative housing  1  and exposed to the receiving channel  10 . The mating electrical connector  200  includes an elongate insulative housing  4  having a receiving space  44 , a plurality of contacts  5  secured to the insulative housing  4  and exposed to the receiving space  40 , a middle grounding piece  6  secured to the insulative housing  4 , and a pair of holding elements  7  secured to two opposite ends of the insulative housing  4 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS.  3  and  4   , the insulative housing  1  of the electrical connector  100  has a base  11 , a pair of longitudinal walls  12  and a pair of end walls  13 , and an island  14 , which together define the receiving channel  10 . The contacts  2  are arranged, e.g., insert-molded, with the insulative housing  1  in two rows in a manner known in this art. Each contact  2  has a bottom portion  210 , an inverted U-shaped securing portion  211 , a contacting arm  212 , and a tail  213 . 
     The shell  3  has a pair of side walls  31  and a pair of end walls  32 , surrounding a periphery of the insulative housing  1 , and a unitary grounding member  30 . Each side wall  31  has one or more soldering portions  311  and each end wall  32  a soldering portion  321 . Each side wall  31  further has a pair of portions  312  exposed to an inside surface of the wall  12  and each end wall  32  further has a soldering portion  322  exposed to an inside surface of the end wall  12 . The grounding member  30  extends longitudinally and is connected to a lower portion  310 , e.g., a pair of portions  3101  and  3102 , of a corresponding side wall  31 . 
     The grounding member  30  has an engaging structure  301  in the form of a pair of arms  33  and  34  separated from each other. A respective finger  3011  is located at a free end of each of the pair of arms  33  and  34 . The island  14  has a slot  141  opening upward for accessing the engaging structure  301  and the pair of opposing fingers  3011  are located in the slot  141  of the island  14 . The pair of opposing fingers  3011  extend slightly inclined toward each other. There is a room  302  behind each finger  3011  for movement without hinderance. 
     As best seen in  FIGS.  5  and  6   , the insulative housing  4  of the electrical connector  200  has a base  41  and a pair of longitudinal walls  42  and a pair of end walls  43 , which together define a receiving channel  44 . The contacts  5  are arranged, e.g., insert-molded, with the insulative housing  4  in two rows in a manner known in this art. Each contact  5  has a first contacting portion  51 , a connecting portion  52 , a second contacting portion  53 , and a tail  54 . The middle grounding piece  6  has a base  62 , a pair of securing portions  63 , and a middle protrusion  61  for engaging between the pair of opposing fingers  3011  of the grounding member  30 . The pair of securing portions  63  are fixed to the pair of end walls  43 . The base  62  has a pair of soldering portions  621 . Each holding element  7  has a top wall  71 , a pair of side walls  72 , and an end wall  73 . Each side wall  72  has a soldering portion  721 . Each end wall  73  has a pair of soldering portions  731 . 
     With the grounding member  30  being an integral part of the metallic shell  3 , in contrast to being discrete components, a simplified structure and manufacturing process may be achieved. Also with provision of the pair of opposing fingers  3011  spaced apart a gap, a reliable and effective engagement of the shell  3  to the protrusion  61  of the grounding piece  6  may be obtained.