Patent Publication Number: US-10333255-B2

Title: Electrical connector having shell retention structure and method of assembling the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having the corresponding metallic shell attached thereto in a special sequential assembling steps. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0166831 having the same applicant with the instant application, discloses an electrical connector with an insulative housing enclosed by a metallic shell having a folded plate with corresponding spring tangs thereon for engagement with the exterior case in which the connector is disposed. Because there is no proper fixing piece to secure the folded plate in position with regard to the housing, the folded plate tends to be sprung out, thus resulting in defects thereof. 
     An improved electrical connector is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical connector with metallic shell having the folded plate with corresponding spring tangs thereon wherein the folded plate includes a securing tab retained to the housing. 
     To achieve the above object, an electrical connector includes an insulative housing enclosed within a metallic shell wherein the housing forms a mating cavity and the shell includes a first shell and a second shell assembled together. The first shell includes a main body abutting against the housing, and a folded plate abutting against the main body and having a plurality of first spring tangs for engagement with the case in which the connector is position. The folded plate forms a securing tab and the housing includes a retention slot receiving the securing tab therein so as to prevent outward movement of the folded plate in the vertical direction. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front downward perspective view of an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear upward perspective view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear upward exploded perspective view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an upside-down perspective view of the lower shell of the electrical connector of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a front downward exploded perspective view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 1  without the metallic shell; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view to show how the lower shell is assembled to the housing of the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiment will be shown in  FIGS. 1 to 6 . An electrical connector  100  adapted to be mounted to a printed circuit board, includes a main body  10 , a metallic shell set including a first/lower metallic shell  20 , a second/upper metallic shell  30  and further a third/rear shell (not shown in the embodiment while being referable to the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0166831, The first shell  20  and the second shell  30  or even the third shell are assembled together to commonly enclose the main body  10 . The main body  10  includes an insulative housing  11  and a plurality of contacts  12  and a metallic shielding plate  13  commonly retained in the housing  11 . The contacts  12  include the upper contacts  121  and the lower contacts  122  and the shielding plate  13  is located therebetween in the vertical direction. 
     The housing  11  includes an elongated mating cavity  110  extending along a longitudinal direction and exposed to an exterior forwardly in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction for receiving a complementary connector (not shown). The housing  11  forms a pair of grooves  111  in the opposite ends in the longitudinal direction. The housing  11  includes opposite top surface  112  and bottom surface  114 , and opposite side surfaces  115 . A pair of blocks  116  are formed on the bottom surface  114 . Each block  116  forms a retention slot  117  extending along the front-to-back direction from a rear face of the block  116 . Both the upper contacts  121  and the lower contacts  122  have corresponding contacting sections  123  extending into the mating cavity  110 , and corresponding soldering sections  124  for soldering to the printed circuit board (not shown). 
     The first shell  20  covers the bottom surface  114  of the housing  11  and the second shell  30  covers the top surface  112  of the housing  11 . The first shell  20  further includes a main plate  21  intimately covering the bottom surface  114  and a folded plate  22  reversely/forwardly extending from a rear edge of the main plate  21  and intimately covering the main plate  21  and further extending forwardly beyond the main plate  21  to abut against the bottom surface  114 . Notably, the bottom surface  114  forms a step structure thereon so that both the main plate  21  and the folded plate  22  abut against the stepped bottom surface  114 . The folded plate  22  includes a plurality of first spring tangs  221  extending rearward in the front-to-back direction and outwardly in the vertical direction for engagement with the case (not shown). Understandably, the spring tang  221  essentially extends obliquely. The folded plate  22  further includes a pair of securing tabs  222  respectively retained within the corresponding retention slots  117 , thus preventing outwardly deflection of the folded plate  22 . The first shell  20  further includes a pair of first additional sections  23  at two opposite ends of the main plate  21 . The first additional section  23  includes a first horizontal section  231 , a first extension  232  extending upwardly from an inner edge of the first horizontal section  231  in a vertical direction, and a second extension  235  extending upwardly from an outer edge of the first horizontal section  231 . The first extension  232  forms the spring finger  233  which extends through the corresponding groove  111  into the mating cavity  110  for mating with the complementary connector (not shown). The first extension  232  further includes a bending section  234  extending horizontally from an upper edge of the first extension  232  toward the mating cavity  110  and abuts against the step  113  formed on the top surface  112  so as to retain the first shell  20  in position in the vertical direction. Notably, the material of the bending section  234  and the first extension  232  is derived from that of the main plate  21  corresponding to the space between the pair of first additional sections  23 . A side extension  237  extends upwardly from the side edge of the horizontal section  231 . 
     The second shell  30  includes the second main plate  31  and a pair of second additional sections  32 . The second main plate  31  forms a plurality of second spring tangs  311  opposite to the first spring tangs  221  for engagement with the aforementioned case (not shown). The second additional section  32  includes a second horizontal section  321  and the third extension  322  extending downwardly from the second horizontal section  321  for engagement with the corresponding second extension  235 . The second extension  235  forms a securing block  236  and the third extension  322  forms a securing hole  323  receiving the securing block  236 . The first additional section  23  and the corresponding second additional section  32  commonly form a receiving cavity  33  for receiving a magnet (not shown) therein. The first horizontal section  231  further includes a spring tab  2310  extending upwardly and the side extension  237  further includes a sprint tab  2370  extending forwardly in the front-to-back direction into the receiving cavity  33  for contacting such a magnet in the receiving cavity  33 . Notably, the deflectable arms  131  of the shielding plate  13  extend forwardly into the mating cavity  110  for mechanically and electrically connected to the complementary connector (not shown) received in the mating cavity  110 . 
     One feature of the invention is regarding the assembling method of the first shell  20  to the housing  11 . Because there are a pair of mounting posts  17  extending downwardly from the bottom surface  114  and the main plate  21  of the first shell  20  abuts against the bottom surface  114  when the first shell  20  is completely assemble unto the housing  11 , those mounting posts  17  may hinder directly forwardly assembling the first shell  20  to the housing  11  from the rear side of the housing  11 . Therefore, in a side view a Z-shaped assembling path of the first shell  20  is required during assembling as shown in  FIG. 7  wherein the first shell  20  is forwardly approaching the housing  11  from the back with a predetermined vertical position relative to the housing  11 , i.e., a low vertical position, to pass the mounting posts  17  without interference as shown in P 1  to P 3 , and successively upwardly moved, in the vertical direction, with a predetermined vertical position, to a high vertical position to as shown in P 4 , and finally forwardly moved to the final position as shown in P 5  where the bending section  234  abuts against the step  113 , the spring finger  233  extends through the corresponding groove  111  into the mating cavity  110 , and the securing tab  222  is received within the retention slot  117 . 
     While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present disclosure are considered within the scope of the present disclosure as described in the appended claims.