Patent Publication Number: US-6659799-B2

Title: Electrical connector

Description:
The present invention is a continuation in part (CIP) of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/690,711 filed on Oct. 18, 2000, which is assigned to the applicant to the present invention, and the specification of the patent is incorporated into the present invention, as a part of the specification. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more particularly to such an electrical connector with improved electrical connection and structural strength characteristics. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Conventionally, an electrical connector is joined to a printed circuit board (PCB) by soldering. Typically, melted solder tends to flow into the connector along pins. As a result, electrical connection characteristics of the connector are adversely affected. With respect to currently popular surface mounting technology (SMT) employed in joining an electrical connector to a PCB, a sticky solder is first applied onto each of a plurality of predetermined positions on PCB. The terminals and attachment brackets of electrical connector are bent and attached to the predetermined positions, thus the initially fixing of the electrical connector is achieved by the adhesiveness of solder. Next, heat the solder until melted while applying soldering paste. After solder&#39;s cooling off, the electrical connector is affixed onto POB. However, melted solder tends to flow into the electrical connector and further onto PCT along pins. As a result, electrical connection of plugging and unplugging characteristics of the electrical connector are adversely affected. 
     Moreover, for enhancing the structural strength of the connector to withstand plugging and unplugging, in the attachment section of an electrical connector an insulative housing is wrapped by a metal shell. In addition, the metal shell forms an attachment opening in the front projected portion of the electrical connector so as to increase the length and area of the attachment section. The positioning pegs under the insulative housing usually limit the bottom flange of the attachment opening, however, the attachment opening is bent for facilitating a fastening. Thus, no sufficient support from metal shell is available, i.e., the structural strength is weak. This tends to damage the metal attachment opening portion, resulting in a shortening of useful life. 
     Thus, it is desirable to provide an electrical connector having good electrical connection characteristics and an enhanced structural strength of withstanding plug or unplugging of the connector in order to overcome the above drawbacks of prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector having a construction capable of effectively preventing melted solder from flowing into the electrical connector along attachment brackets during a process of joining to PCB. By utilizing this electrical connector, electrical connection characteristics thereof are well maintained. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector wherein connection cavity thereof is sufficiently supported so as to enhance a structural strength of the electrical connector as well as prolong a useful life thereof. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides an electrical connector comprising an insulative housing including a connection end, an opposite end, two side walls, a bottom plate, a wing projected from either side wall, a terminal seat formed in the opposite end being spaced from the bottom plate for forming a space, a terminal receiving cavity for receiving terminal assembly formed in the space being extended through the housing, two protection shoulders being extended from the bottom plate toward the opposite end perpendicular to the side walls, and a recess confined by the protection shoulders on an underside of the terminal seat; a metal shell which wraps around the body and includes two side walls, a top plate, and first and second mating protrusions extended downward from both side walls of the housing respectively prior to being bent toward each other for forming a connection cavity and a coplanar engaged bottom piece in the recess for enhancing a structural strength of the connection cavity and prolonging a useful life of the connector; and a terminal assembly including a plurality of terminals received in the terminal receiving cavity. 
     Moreover, the first mating protrusion comprises a first protuberance and a projection and the second mating protrusion comprises a second protuberance and a dent so that the projection and the dent are matingly engaged together and the protuberances are engaged for being coplanar in the recess in response to the bending of the protrusions. Hence, bottom piece, connection cavity, and the protection shoulders are coplanar with the bottom plate so as to enhance a structural strength of connection cavity. 
     In addition, the provision of protection shoulders which are coplanar and extended from bottom plate toward opposite end enables an effective prevention melted solder from flowing into the electrical connector along attachment brackets during soldering, thereby maintaining good electrical characteristics of electrical connector. 
     Additionally, there are further provided a rear cover in the top plate opposite to the protrusions and two downward latched tabs extended from both ends of the rear cover so that when the rear cover is bent toward the connection end to engage the slots with the latched members, the connection end is substantially enclosed. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the FIG. 1 connector; 
     FIG. 3 is another exploded perspective view of the FIG. 1 connector in an angle reverse to that of FIG. 2; and 
     FIGS. 4,  5 , and  6  are perspective views showing assembly processes of the connector according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , there are shown an electrical connector constructed in accordance with the invention. The connector comprises an insulative housing  1 , a metal shell  2 , and a terminal assembly  3 . The insulative housing  1  has a connection end  11 , an opposite end  12 , two side walls  13 , and a bottom plate  14 . A wing  15  is projected from either side wall  13 . A terminal seat  16  is formed in opposite end  12 . Terminal seat  16  is spaced from bottom plate  14  to form a space  17 . A plurality of terminal receiving cavities  161  is formed in space  17  extended through insulative housing  1 . Terminal assembly  3  including a plurality of terminals is received in terminal receiving cavities  161 . Two protection shoulders  18  are coplanar and extended from bottom plate  14  toward opposite end  12  perpendicular to side walls  13 . A recess  181  is confined by protection shoulders  18  on the underside of terminal seat  16 . Two positioning pegs  141  are spaced apart on bottom plate  14  for fixing on holes of PCB (not shown). 
     The metal shell  2  wraps around insulative housing  1  and comprises two side walls  21 , a top plate  22 , and first and second mating protrusions  23 ,  24  extended downward from both side walls  21  of one end of the metal shell  2  respectively wherein first mating protrusion  23  comprises a first protuberance  231  and a projection  232  and second mating protrusion  24  comprises a second protuberance  241  and an indentation  242 . Further, on either side wall  21  there are provided a slot  27 , a latched member  28 , and two spaced attachment brackets  29 . Furthermore, on the top plate  22  there is provided a rear cover  221 , opposite to protrusions  23 ,  24  having a downward latched tab  222  extended from either end of rear cover  221 , and a slot  223  on either latched tab  222 . 
     As stated above, terminal assembly  3  including a plurality of terminals is received in terminal receiving cavities  161 . Terminal assembly  3  further comprises a solder section  31  at one end being projected from terminal receiving cavities  161  for joining to PCB by soldering, an intermediate fixing section  32  having a plurality of latched pieces  321  for engaging terminal receiving cavities  161  so as to secure to terminal assembly  3 , and an elastic section  33  at the other opposite end. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 to  6 , assembly processes of the connector will now be described. As metal shell  2  wrapping around insulative housing  1 , wings  15  of insulative housing  1  are engaged with slots  27  of metal shell  2 . The mating protrusions  23  and  24  are bent around the insulative housing toward each other so as to matingly engage projection  232  and indentation  242 . As a result, connection cavity  25  and bottom piece  26  are formed in the front of opposite end  12  and in bottom end of opposite end  12  respectively. Connection cavity  25  is located external to terminal seat  16 . The engaged Position of protuberances  231 ,  241  is at the recess  181 , as shown in FIG.  6 . Hence, bottom piece  26 , and protection shoulders  18  are coplanar with bottom plate  14  so as to enhance a structural strength of connection cavity  25  and a capability of withstanding plugging or unplugging of the connector. As an end, a useful life of electrical connector is prolonged. Further, rear cover  221  is bent toward connection end  11  to engage slots  223  with latched members  28 , thus enclosing most of connection end  11 . Furthermore as stated above protection shoulders  18  are coplanar and extended from bottom plate  14  toward Opposite end  12  perpendicular to side walls  13 , protection shoulders  18  are capable of effectively Preventing melted solder from flowing into the electrical connector along attachment brackets  28  during a SMT process of joining to PCB. As an end, electrical characteristics of electrical connector are not affected. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.