Patent Publication Number: US-9413111-B2

Title: Electrical connector assembly having foolproof structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having a fool-proof structure. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. RE41,224 issued on Apr. 13, 2010 discloses an electrical connector, the electrical connector includes a insulative housing, a plurality of conductive terminals retained in the insulative housing and a shielding shell assembled to the insulative housing. The insulative housing defines two long walls opposite to each other and two opposite short walls, at least one long wall defines a pair of fool-proof portions projecting into a mating space from the long wall. Due to the fool-proof portions projected from the surface of the long wall of the insulative housing, it will damage the mating connector when the fool-proof portions of the electrical connector are excessive inserted into a mating cavity of a mating connector. Meanwhile, the fool-proof portions need to occupy a certain space of the mating connector, which is not conducive to the miniaturization trend of the electrical connector. 
     Therefore, an improved electrical connector assembly is highly desired to meet overcome the requirement. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having anti-misinsertion function, the electrical connector assembly can prevent a first connector from inserting into a mismatch electrical connector. 
     In order to achieve above-mentioned object, an electrical connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector mating with the first connector in a mating direction. The first connector includes a mating portion defining two long walls opposite to each other and two short walls disposed oppositely, the long and short walls are connected to each other together to form a mating cavity. The second connector includes a mating tongue extending forwardly and a second shielding shell defining a mating frame surrounding the mating tongue. Wherein one of the long walls defines a pair of fool-proof portions extending outwardly from both sides thereof, the mating frame defines a pair of fool-proof slots and engaging with the fool-proof portions so as to prevent the first connector from mismating the second connector. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention, a first and a second connectors of the electrical connector assembly are not matched; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the electrical connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an perspective view of the electrical connector assembly, the first and second connectors of the electrical connector assembly are matched; 
         FIG. 4  is a partly exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a partly exploded perspective view of the first connector of the electrical connector assembly. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention includes a first connector  100  and a second connector  200  mating with each other. 
     The first connector  100  includes a first insulative housing  1 , a plurality of first terminals  2  inserted in the first insulative housing  1  and a first shielding shell  3 . The second connector  200  includes a second insulative housing  5 , a plurality of second terminals  6  retained in the first insulative housing  5  and a second shielding shell  7 . 
     The first connector  100  includes a mating portion  11  and a mounting portion  12 , the mating portion  11  defines two long walls  103  opposite to each other and two short walls  104  disposed oppositely, the long walls  103  and the short walls  104  are connected to each other to form a mating cavity or slot  101 . The long wall  103  extends in a transverse direction, and the mating cavity  101  communicates forwardly with an exterior in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the transverse direction. One long wall  103  of the first connector  100  defines a pair of fool-proof portions  106  extending outwardly from the opposite sides thereof, which means that the fool-proof portions  106  are flush with the long wall  103 . The second connector  200  includes a mating tongue  201  and a mounting portion  202  extending along a mating direction, and the second shielding shell  7  defines a mating frame  71  surround the mating tongue  201 , the mating frame  71  defines a pair of corresponding fool-proof slots or ports  713  so that the fool-proof portions  106  inserted along the mating direction and pressed against the fool-proof slots  713 . The mating frame  71  of the second shielding shell  7  defines a pair of long walls  711  and a pair of short walls  712  disposed oppositely, the fool-proof slots  713  are respectively located on the corresponding short walls  712  and running through the front edge of the mating frame  71 , while the fool-proof slots  713  are adjacent to the one of the long walls  711  which means that the fool-proof slots  713  are flush with the long wall  711 . The second connector  200  also includes a metal plate  8  covering one of the long walls  711 , the metal plate  8  defines a pair of reinforcing pieces  81  located outside of the fool-proof slots  713 . The free end of the reinforcing pieces  81  abut the outside of the short walls  712  and project outwardly from the corresponding fool-proof slots  713 . Thus, the reinforcing pieces  81  can form a protection to the fool-proof slots  713  and not interfere with the fool-proof function while it can increase the strength of the mating frame  71 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5 , the fool-proof portion  106  has a thinner/narrow front portion  106   a  inserted in the fool-proof slots  713  and a thicker/wide rear portion  106   b . The mating portion  11  of the first connector defines a mating face  1011  and a pair of locking members  107  located on two short walls  104  with corresponding locking heads protruding laterally out of the corresponding short walls  104 , a front surface  1061  of the fool-proof portion  106  is located in the rear side of the mating face  1011  and also located in the rear side of the locking members  107 . Each short wall  712  defines a locking hole  714 , the fool-proof slot  713  is located between the locking hole  714  and the long wall  711  adjacent to the fool-proof slot  713 . The fool-proof slot  713  is not exceed rearward the locking hole  714  and located on the front portion of the mating frame  71 . 
     The first insulative housing  1  of the first connector  100  includes a mating portion  11  and a mounting portion  12  integrally formed. The conductive terminals  2  are retained in the inner surfaces of the two long walls of the mating portion  11  and each defines a contacting portion  21  projecting into the mating cavity  101  and a soldering portion  22  extending outside of the rear surface  108  of the mounting portion  102 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the rear surface  108  of the mounting portion  102  defines a pair of supporting portions  121  extending rearwardly and located on opposite sides of the soldering portions  22 , each supporting portion  121  defines a mounting slot  122  recessing to the rear surface  108 , a printed circuit board (PCB, not shown) extends into the mounting slots  122  along the mating direction. The soldering portions  22  are located on the upper and lower sides of the mounting slots  122  and welded to the upper and lower sides of the printed circuit board so as to form a printed circuit board (PCB) sink-style connection, which can reduce the space of the electrical connector in a height direction. 
     The mating port (not labeled) of the first connector  100  includes the mating portion  11  and the first shielding shell  3 , the first shielding shell  3  defines two base portions  31  attached to two corresponding long walls of the mating portion  11  and two connecting portions  32  connecting with the base portions  31 . The connecting portions  32  are located on two front sides of the base portions  31 , respectively. A pair of extending portions  33  are located on both edges of one of the base portions  31  and extend beyond the connecting portions  32 , the extending portions  33  is attached to the fool-proof portion  106  and covering the front surface  1061  of the fool-proof portion  106 . The short wall of mating portion  11  defines a projecting portion  114  extending forwardly, the two connecting portion  32  are abutting the mating face  1011  and adjacent to the projecting portion  114 . The locking member  107  extends from the rear surface  108  of the mounting portion  12  and projecting outside of the short wall  104 , the fool-proof portion  106  is located above the locking member  107  and the front surface of the fool-proof portion  106  is not exceeded the front of the locking member  107 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , each short wall  712  of the second shielding shell  7  further defines a flank  715  extending rearwardly, the flank  715  defines a holding portion  716  bending to the top of the mounting portion  202  and a stopping portion  717  bending to the rear side of the mounting portion  202 . The holding portion  716  is used to limit the movement of the second shielding shell  7  in the vertical direction. The metal plate  8  defines a pair of soldering feet  82  extending outwardly and bending downwardly and a pair of clamping portion  83  extending from the rear side of the soldering feet  82 . The soldering foot  82  is located on outside of the reinforcing piece  81  and perforated welding so as to match the sink-type second connector  200 , the clamping portion  83  is clamping the outside of the flank  715 . In best embodiment, the metal plate  8  is fixed to the second shielding shell  7  by spot welding. 
     The front surface  1061  of the fool-proof portion  106  of the first connector  100  is located in the rear side of the front surface of the mating portion  11  so that the mating portion  11  has a fool-proof function and is easy to be inserted into the mating frame  71  of the second connector  200 . Because of the front portion of the fool-proof portion  106  thinner, the fool-proof port  713  of the second connector  200  corresponding to the fool-proof portion  106  can be smaller and will have less influence to the strength of the short walls of the mating frame  71 . While the rear portion of the fool-proof portion  106  is thicker so as to ensure the strength of the fool-proof portion  106 . 
     When the first connector  100  engaged with the second connector  200 , the thinner front portion of the fool-proof portion  106  is inserted into the fool-proof port  713  in the mating direction, and the extending portion  33  covering the front portion of the fool-proof portion  106  is pressed against the fool-proof port  713  in the mating direction. That is, if the second connector  200  has no a fool-proof port  713 , the fool-proof portion  106  will abut the short wall  712  of the mating frame  71  directly so that the second connector can not engage with the first connector  100  in order to achieve the fool-proof function. The extending portion  33  is metal material and electrically contacting the second shielding shell  7  which is conducive to the shielding effect of the electrical connector assembly. The locking member  107  is inserted in the mating frame  71  and projecting outside of the locking hole  714  in order to ensure reliability connection between the first and second connector. 
     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 board general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.