Patent Publication Number: US-10784606-B2

Title: Electrical connector and connector assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This non-provisional application claims priority to and the benefit of, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/772,159 filed Nov. 28, 2018, and under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a), patent application Serial No. CN201910259398.3 filed in China on Apr. 2, 2019. The disclosures of the above applications are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference. 
     Some references, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, are cited and discussed in the description of this disclosure. The citation and/or discussion of such references is provided merely to clarify the description of the present disclosure and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to the disclosure described herein. All references cited and discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference were individually incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector and a connector assembly, and particularly to an electrical connector and a connector assembly which prevent deformation and prolong the service life thereof. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. 
     Currently, electrical connectors have been applied to various fields in life. With the development of existing science and technology, the exchange rate of information is getting higher, and requirements for the electrical connectors are getting higher. It is required that the electrical connector assembly supports a high transmission rate, and the service life of the electrical connector is prolonged. An existing electrical connector is used to mate with a mating component, and has an insulating body. The front end of the insulating body is backward concavely provided with a mating slot to accommodate the mating component. Multiple ground terminals are accommodated in the insulating body. Each ground terminal has a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm extending forward. The first elastic arm has an abutting portion protruding upward into the mating slot to upward abut a lower side of the mating component. The second elastic arm has a contact portion protruding downward into the mating slot to be in downward contact with a conductive sheet provided at an upper side of the mating component. The abutting portion is located in front of the contact portion. 
     In this electrical connector, when the electrical connector mates with the mating component, the first elastic arm upward abuts the mating component, thereby applying an upward force to the insulating body, which causes the insulating body to have a bending deformation, and affects the service life of the electrical connector. 
     Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need to design a new electrical connector exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to an electrical connector and a connector assembly, which realize shielding, prevent deformation and prolong the service life. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions. 
     An electrical connector is mounted downward on a circuit board, and is configured to mate with a mating member having an upper shielding member located at an upper side thereof and at least one ground conductive sheet. The electrical connector includes: an insulating body, provided with a front end surface, wherein the front end surface is backward concavely provided with a mating slot for the mating member to be inserted therein; and at least one ground terminal, wherein each of the at least one ground terminal has a main body provided on the insulating body, a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm extend forward from the main body, the first elastic arm has a first contact portion exposed downward from the mating slot to be in downward contact with the upper shielding member, the second elastic arm has a second contact portion exposed downward from the mating slot to be in downward contact with the ground conductive sheet, and the first contact portion is located in front of the second contact portion. 
     In certain embodiments, the mating member has a lower shielding member located at a lower side thereof, a third elastic arm extends forward from the main body; the third elastic arm has a third contact portion exposed upward from the mating slot to be in upward contact with the lower shielding member, and the third contact portion is located between the first contact portion and the second contact portion. 
     In certain embodiments, the main body has a connecting portion connecting the second elastic arm and the third elastic arm, and a distance between the second contact portion and the third contact portion in a vertical direction is greater than a width of the connecting portion in the vertical direction. 
     In certain embodiments, the main body is provided with a through hole running therethrough in a left-right direction, the through hole is located behind the connecting portion, and the through hole and the connecting portion are aligned with each other in a front-rear direction. 
     In certain embodiments, the electrical connector further includes a metal shell covering outside the insulating body, wherein the metal shell comprises a top plate located above the insulating body, each of two sides of the top plate downwards extends to form a side plate, the metal shell has at least one abutting arm connected to the top plate, and the abutting arm is exposed from the mating slot to be in contact with the upper shielding member. 
     In certain embodiments, each of the at least one abutting arm is formed by bending and extending downward from a front end of the top plate, at least one bending portion is formed by bending and extending downward and backward from the front end of the top plate; and the bending portion and the insulating body are in fastening fit. 
     In certain embodiments, at least one abutting elastic sheet is formed by protruding downward from a plate surface of the top plate, and the abutting elastic sheet downward abuts the first elastic arm. 
     In certain embodiments, at least one contact elastic arm extends backward from the top plate to be in contact with the ground terminal. 
     In certain embodiments, the insulating body has a back end surface, the back end surface is concavely provided with a mounting slot forward from back thereof, the mounting slot runs upward through the insulating body, an extending arm extends upward from the main body and protrudes into the mounting slot, and the contact elastic arm laterally abuts the extending arm in a left-right direction. 
     In certain embodiments, the electrical connector further includes two fixing members located at a left side and a right side of the mating slot, wherein each of the fixing members is provided with a retaining portion fixed to the insulating body, an extending portion bending and extending from the retaining portion, and a buckling arm extending forward from the extending portion, and the buckling arm has a buckling portion protruding into the mating slot to buckle with the mating member. 
     In certain embodiments, the insulating body has a top wall located above the mating slot, a bottom wall located below the mating slot, and a rear wall connecting the top wall and the bottom wall, and the retaining portion of each of the fixing members is retained to the top wall and extend forward out of the rear wall. 
     In certain embodiments, the buckling arm has a bending section, and the bending section is formed by protruding toward the mating slot in a left-right direction. 
     In certain embodiments, the retaining portion and the buckling arm are located at different heights in a vertical direction. 
     An electrical connector is mounted downward on a circuit board, and is configured to mate with a mating member having an upper shielding member located at an upper side thereof, at least one signal conductive sheet, at least one ground conductive sheet and a lower shielding member located at a lower side thereof. The electrical connector includes: an insulating body, provided with a front end surface, wherein the front end surface is backward concavely provided with a mating slot for the mating member to be inserted therein; at least one ground terminal, wherein each of the at least one ground terminal has a main body provided on the insulating body, a first elastic arm, a second elastic arm and a third elastic arm extend forward from the main body, the first elastic arm has a first contact portion exposed downward from the mating slot to be in downward contact with the upper shielding member, the second elastic arm has a second contact portion exposed downward from the mating slot to be in downward contact with the ground conductive sheet, the third elastic arm has a third contact portion exposed upward from the mating slot to be in upward contact with the lower shielding member, and the first contact portion is located in front of the second contact portion and the third contact portion; and at least one signal terminal, provided on the insulating body, wherein each of the at least one signal terminal has a fourth contact portion exposed downward from the mating slot to be in downward contact with the signal conductive sheet. 
     In certain embodiments, the main body has a connecting portion connecting the second elastic arm and the third elastic arm, the second contact portion is located above the connecting portion, and the third contact portion is located below the connecting portion. 
     In certain embodiments, the main body is provided with a through hole running through the main body in a left-right direction, the through hole is located behind the connecting portion, the through hole has an upper edge and a lower edge, and the connecting portion is located between the upper edge and the lower edge. 
     In certain embodiments, the electrical connector further includes a metal shell covering outside the insulating body, wherein the metal shell comprises a top plate located above the insulating body, each of two sides of the top plate downwards extends to form a side plate, the metal shell has at least one abutting arm connected to the top plate and at least one contact elastic arm extending backward from the top plate, the abutting arm is exposed from the mating slot to be in contact with the upper shielding member, and the contact elastic arm is in contact with the ground terminal. 
     In certain embodiments, the metal shell has at least one abutting elastic sheet formed by punching from the plate surface of the top plate, and the abutting elastic sheet is a cantilever extending upward in a front-rear direction and downward abutting the first elastic arm. 
     In certain embodiments, the insulating body has a back end surface, the back end surface is concavely provided with at least one mounting slot forward from back thereof, the mounting slot is located above the mating slot and runs upward through the insulating body, an abutting arm extends upward from the main body and protrudes into the mounting slot, and the abutting arm and the contact elastic arm are in lateral contact in the left-right direction. 
     A connector assembly includes: an electrical connector, configured to be mounted downward on a circuit board, wherein the electrical connector has an insulating body and at least one ground terminal provided on the insulating body, the insulating body is provided with a front end surface, the front end surface is backward concavely provided with a mating slot, each of the at least one ground terminal has a main body provided on the insulating body, a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm extend forward from the main body, the first elastic arm has a first contact portion exposed downward from the mating slot, the second elastic arm has a second contact portion exposed downward from the mating slot, and the first contact portion is located in front of the second contact portion; and a mating member, inserted into the mating slot, wherein the mating member has an upper shielding member located at an upper side thereof and at least one ground conductive sheet, an upper surface of the upper shielding member is provided with an inclined surface inclining downward, the inclined plane is located between the first contact portion and the second contact portion to guide the first contact portion, the first contact portion is in downward electrical contact with the upper shielding member, and the second contact portion is in downward electrical contact with the ground conductive sheet. 
     In certain embodiments, the upper shielding member is provided with a copper foil and a gold layer plated on an upper surface of the copper foil, and the first contact portion abuts the gold layer. 
     In certain embodiments, the upper shielding member comprises a copper foil provided with an opening and a gold layer embedded in the opening, and the first contact portion abuts the gold layer. 
     Compared with the related art, the electrical connector and the connector assembly according to certain embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects. 
     The ground terminal is provided with the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm, which are located at a same side of the mating member. The first contact portion downward abuts the upper shielding member, and the second contact portion is in downward contact with the ground conductive sheet. The first contact portion is located in front of the second contact portion. The first elastic arm applies a downward acting force, which is transmitted through the mating member to act on the insulating body. Since the electrical connector is mounted downward on the circuit board, the circuit board located below the insulating body provides an upward supporting force to the insulating body, which counteracts the downward acting force applied by the first elastic arm, preventing the insulating body from deformation, and prolonging the service life of the electrical connector and the connector assembly. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings, although variations and modifications therein may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the disclosure and together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connector assembly and a circuit board according to certain embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of the connector assembly in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a metal shell of the electrical connector in  FIG. 2  being 180° inversed. 
         FIG. 4  is a partially sectional view of a mating member being inserted with the electrical connector in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a ground terminal in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of  FIG. 3  along line A-A. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of  FIG. 3  along line B-B. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of  FIG. 4  being cut to expose the mating component. 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the electrical connector not being inserted with the mating member in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of  FIG. 3  along line C-C. 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional view of  FIG. 3  along line D-D. 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of the mating member being inserted with the electrical connector in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view of another structure of the mating member in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 14  is a schematic view of a further structure of the mating member in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various embodiments of the invention are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, titles or subtitles may be used in the specification for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top,” may be used herein to describe one element&#39;s relationship to another element as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. For example, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then be oriented on “upper” sides of the other elements. The exemplary term “lower”, can therefore, encompasses both an orientation of “lower” and “upper,” depending of the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements. The exemplary terms “below” or “beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below. 
     As used herein, “around”, “about” or “approximately” shall generally mean within 20 percent, preferably within 10 percent, and more preferably within 5 percent of a given value or range. Numerical quantities given herein are approximate, meaning that the term “around”, “about” or “approximately” can be inferred if not expressly stated. 
     As used herein, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “carrying”, “having”, “containing”, “involving”, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. 
     The description will be made as to the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in  FIGS. 1-14 . In accordance with the purposes of this invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention, in one aspect, relates to an electrical connector and a connector assembly. 
     For description convenience, a three-dimensional coordinate is defined, in which an x axis is a front-rear direction, a y axis is a left-right direction, and a z axis is a vertical (i.e., up-down) direction. 
       FIG. 1  shows a connector assembly (not numbered) according to certain embodiments of the present invention. The connector assembly includes an electrical connector  100  and a mating member  200  mating with each other. The electrical connector  100  is mounted downward on a circuit board  300 , and the mating member  200  is inserted backward to the electrical connector  100  to form electrical connection therebetween. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the electrical connector  100  has an insulating body  1 , a plurality of ground terminals  2  and a plurality of signal terminals  3  provided on the insulating body  1 , two fixing members  4  retained to a left side and a right side of the insulating body  1 , and a metal shell  5  covering outside the insulating body  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the insulating body  1  is provided with a front end surface  101 , a back end surface  102  and two side surfaces  103 . The front end surface  101  and the back end surface  102  are provided opposite to each other in the front-rear direction. The two side surfaces  103  connect the front end surface  101  and the back end surface  102  respectively. The front end surface  101  is concavely formed with a mating slot  11  backward for insertion of the mating member  200  therein. The insulating body  1  has a top wall  12  located above the mating slot  11 , a bottom wall  13  located below the mating slot  11 , and a rear wall  14  connecting the top wall  12  and the bottom wall  13 . The rear wall  14  is located behind the mating slot  11 . The insulating body  1  is also provided with two side walls  15  located at a left side and a right side of the mating slot  11 . The side walls  15  connect the top wall  12  and the bottom wall  13  respectively. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the top wall  12  has a plurality of first grooves  121 , a plurality of second grooves  122  and a plurality of third grooves  123  backward concavely provided on the front end surface  101 . A front portion of each of the first grooves  121  close to the front end surface  101  runs vertically through the top wall  12 , and are in downward communication with the mating slot  11 . A rear portion of each of the first grooves  121  away from the front end surface  101  only runs downward through the top wall  12 , and are in downward communication with the mating slot  11 . The second grooves  122  and the third grooves  123  respectively run vertically through the top wall  12 , and are in downward communication with the mating slot  11 . A length of each third groove  123  in the front-rear direction is greater than a length of each second groove  122  in the front-rear direction. Each first groove  121  is located between two third grooves  123  in the left-right direction. The top wall  12  is further concavely provided with a plurality of fixing grooves  124  downward and backward at a portion thereof close to the back end surface  102 . A rear end of each fixing groove  124  neither runs upward nor runs downward through the top wall  12 . The fixing grooves  124  are located behind the second grooves  122 , and the fixing grooves  124  and the second grooves  122  are located on a same straight line in the front-rear direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the back end surface  102  is forward concavely provided with two accommodating grooves  16  and a plurality of mounting slots  125 . The two accommodating grooves  16  are located on the left side and the right side of the mating slot  11  respectively. Each accommodating groove  16  accommodates one of the fixing members  4 . A front portion of each accommodating groove  16  is in communication with the mating slot  11  in the left-right direction. The mounting slots  125  are located above the mating slot  11  and behind the mating slot  11 . The mounting slots  125  run upward through the top wall  12 . A protruding block  17  is formed by protruding out of each side surface  103 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , in the present embodiment, the ground terminals  2  are formed by directly blanking a metal plate. That is, the ground terminals  2  are blanking-type terminals, and are made of a copper material. The ground terminals  2  are inserted into the insulating body  1  forward from back thereof. Each ground terminal  2  has a main body  21  which is in a flat plate shape. The main body  21  is retained to the insulating body  1 . The main body  21  is provided with a through hole  211 , which runs through the main body  21  in the left-right direction, and has an upper edge  2111  and a lower edge  2112 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6 , a first elastic arm  22  extends from the main body  21  toward the mating slot  11 . That is, the first elastic arm  22  is formed by extending forward from the main body  21 . The first elastic arm  22  is provided with a first contact portion  221  protruding downward into the mating slot  11 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the main body  21  is provided with a connecting portion  212  extending forward. The connecting portion  212  and the through hole  211  are aligned with each other in the front-rear direction. The connecting portion  212  is located below the first elastic arm  22 , and is located between the upper edge  2111  and the lower end  2112  in the vertical direction. A front end of the connecting portion  212  is upward connected to a second elastic arm  23  and downward connected to a third elastic arm  24 . The second elastic arm  23  and the third elastic arm  24  respectively extend forward. The second elastic arm  23  is provided with a second contact portion  231  protruding downward into the mating slot  11 . The third elastic arm  24  is provided with a third contact portion  241  protruding upward into the mating slot  11 . A distance between the second contact portion  231  and the third contact portion  241  in the vertical direction is greater than a width of the connecting portion  212  in the vertical direction. In the front-rear direction, the third contact portion  241  is located between the first contact portion  221  and the second contact portion  231 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 , the main body  21  further extends upward to form an extending arm  25 . The extending arm  25  protrudes into one mounting slot  125 , and is exposed upward out of the top wall  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , a bottom end of the main body  21  extends backward to form a ground soldering leg  26 . The ground soldering leg  26  is exposed backward from the insulating body  1  and soldered with the circuit board  300  to form electrical connection therebetween. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 7 , the signal terminals  3  are formed by continuously punching a metal plate. Each signal terminal  3  is provided with a resilient arm  31  formed by extending forward. The resilient arm  31  is provided with a conducting portion  311  protruding downward into the mating slot  11 . The conducting portion  311  and the second contact portion  231  are located at a same height in the vertical direction, and the conducting portion  311  is aligned with the second contact portion  231  in the left-right direction. Each signal terminal  3  further has a signal soldering leg  32  exposed backward out of the insulating body  1  and soldered with the circuit board  300  to form electrical connection therebetween. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 8 ,  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , the two fixing members  4  are located at the left side and the right side of the mating slot  11 , and are mounted into the two accommodating grooves  16  forward from back thereof. Each fixing member  4  is provided with a retaining portion  41  fixed to the insulating body  1 , and an outer edge of the retaining portion  41  is step-shaped forward from back thereof. The retaining portion  41  is retained to the top wall  12  and extends forward out of the rear wall  14 . An extending portion  42  bends and extends downward from one side of a rear end of the retaining portion  41 , and a buckling arm  43  extends forward from the extending portion  42 . The buckling arm  43  is located below the retaining portion  41 . Since the buckling arm  43  and the retaining portion  41  are located on different planes in the vertical direction, which reasonably utilize the space of the insulating body  1  in the vertical direction, the retaining portion  41  meets a length required by design, thus stably fixing each fixing member  4  in the corresponding accommodating groove  16 . The buckling arm  43  has a buckling portion  431 , and the buckling portion  431  protrudes into the mating slot  11  in the left-right direction. The buckling arm  43  is provided with a bending section  432 . The bending section  432  protrudes toward the mating slot  11  in the left-right direction, and is located between the buckling portion  431  and the extending portion  42  in the front-rear direction. The bending section  432  increases the elasticity of the buckling arm  43 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the metal shell  5  is formed by punching a metal plate. The metal shell  5  is mounted to the outer side of the insulating body  1  backward from front thereof. The metal shell  5  has a top plate  51  located above the insulating body  1 , and each of two sides of the top plate  51  extends downward to form a side plate  52 . The two side plates  52  correspondingly cover outside the two side walls  15 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , a front end of the top plate  51  bends and extends downward and backward to form a plurality of bending portions  53 . The bending portions  53  extend into the first grooves  121  and are in fastening fit with the insulating body  1 , so as to prevent the metal shell  5  from falling off. The bending portions  53  are located behind the front end surface  101 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 11 , the metal shell  5  has a plurality of abutting arms  54  connected to the top plate  51 . Each abutting arm  54  is formed by bending and extending downward from the front end of the top plate  51 , and is located between two bending portions  53  in the left-right direction. The abutting arms  54  protrude into the corresponding second grooves  122 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 6 , a middle position of the top plate  51  is punched downward to form a plurality of abutting elastic sheets  55 . The abutting elastic sheets  55  are cantilevers extending forward from back thereof. The abutting elastic sheets extend into the corresponding third grooves  123  and are in downward contact with the first elastic arms  22 , so as to enhance the shielding function of the metal shell  5 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 12 , the top plate  51  extends backward to form a plurality of contact elastic arms  56  and a plurality of fixing arms  57 . The contact elastic arms  56  correspondingly extend backward into the mounting slots  125 . Each contact elastic arm  56  is in lateral contact with the corresponding extending arm  25  in the left-right direction, thus further enhancing the shielding function of the metal shell  5  and improving the high frequency performance of the electrical connector  100 . The fixing arms  57  are correspondingly inserted backward into the fixing grooves  124 , such that the metal shell  5  and the insulating body  1  are fixed with each other. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , each side plate  52  is provided with a fastening hole  521  running through the side plate  52  in the left-right direction. When the metal shell  5  is mounted to the insulating body  1  backward from front thereof, the protruding blocks  17  are fastened into the corresponding fastening holes  521 . A ground portion  58  horizontally extends outward from the lower edge  2112  of each side plate  52 . The ground portion  58  is soldered to the circuit board  300 , such that the metal shell  5  and the circuit board  300  form a grounding connection. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the mating member  200  has a mating portion  6 . An upper surface of the mating portion  6  is provided with a plurality of ground conductive sheets  61  and a plurality of signal conductive sheets  62  arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The ground conductive sheets  61  and the signal conductive sheets  62  are respectively exposed upward outside the mating portion  6 . Each of a left side and a right side of the mating portion  6  is concavely provided with a concave portion  63 . The mating member  200  is provided with an upper shielding member  7  covering an upper side of the mating member  200 , and a rear portion of the upper shielding member  7  is provided with an inclined surface  71  inclining backward and downward. The inclined surface  71  is located in front of the mating portion  6 . The inclined surface  71  is used as a guide to reduce an insertion force for inserting the mating member  200  into the electrical connector  100 , thus avoiding the electrical connector  100  from being damaged. The mating member  200  has a lower shielding member  8  covering a lower side of the mating member  200 , and a rear end of the lower shielding member  8  covers a lower surface of the mating portion  6 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 9 , in a process of the mating member  200  being inserted backward into the mating slot  11 , the first contact portion  221  is in downward contact with the upper shielding member  7  to form grounding, and slides on the upper shielding member  7  forward from back thereof. The first contact portion  221  facilitates the insertion of the mating member  200  through the guidance of the inclined surface  71 , and reduces the insertion force thereof. After the mating member  200  is completely inserted into the mating slot  11 , the first contact portion  221  is in downward contact with the upper shielding member  7 , and a contact position between the two components is located in front of the inclined surface  71 . The second contact portion  231  is in downward contact with the corresponding ground conductive sheet  61 . The conducting portion  311  is in upward contact with the corresponding signal conductive sheet  62 . The third contact portion  241  is in upward contact with the lower shielding member  8 . When the second contact portion  231  and the third contact portion  241  clamp the mating portion  6 , the second elastic arm  23  and the third elastic arm  24  may deform. Due to the presence of the connecting portion  212 , the elasticity of the ground terminal  2  is increased, and a buffer effect is achieved, thereby preventing the second elastic arm  23  and the third elastic arm  24  from being broken. On the other hand, the through hole  211  is provided behind the connecting portion  212 , and the connecting portion  212  is located between the upper edge  2111  and the lower edge  2112  in the vertical direction to provide a reserved space for the connecting portion  212 , which further increases the elasticity of the connecting portion  212 . The buckling portion  431  extends into the corresponding concave portion  63  to perform fastening, so as to prevent the mating member  200  from falling off from the electrical connector  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the first contact portion  221  is in downward contact with the upper shielding member  7 , such that the first elastic arm  22  applies a downward acting force to the mating member  200 , which is transmitted through the mating member  200  to act on the insulating body  1 . Since the insulating body  1  is mounted downward on the circuit board  300 , the circuit board  300  located below the insulating body  1  provides an upward supporting force to the insulating body  1 , which counteracts the acting force applied by the first elastic arm  22 , preventing the insulating body  1  from deformation, and prolonging the service life of the electrical connector  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 13 , in certain embodiments, each of the upper shielding member  7  and the lower shielding member  8  has a copper foil A 1  and a gold layer B 1  plated on the upper surface of the copper foil A 1 . Since the ground conductive sheet  61  is generally formed by a copper foil, and the ground terminal  2  is made of a copper material, when the first contact portion  221  of the ground terminal  2  is in contact with the gold layer B 1  on the upper shielding member  7 , the second contact portion  231  is in contact with the ground conductive sheet  61 . When the third contact portion  241  is in contact with the gold layer B 1  of the lower shielding member  8 , the materials of the ground terminal  2 , the upper shielding member  7  and the lower shielding member  8  are substantially made of copper, a potential difference between a contact point of the ground terminal  2  and the ground conductive sheet  61  and contact points of the ground terminal  2  and the upper shielding member  7  as well as the lower shielding member  8  may be reduced, thus reducing the influence of an extremely large potential difference on the high frequency performance of the electrical connector  100  during signal transmission. In addition, the portions of the upper shielding member  7  and the lower shielding member  8  respectively in contact with the ground terminal  2  are the gold layers B 1 , such that the arrangement of the gold layers B 1  may enhance the electrical connection therebetween. 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , in some other embodiments, the copper foil A 1  is provided with an opening C 1 , and the gold layer B 1  is embedded in the opening C 1 , which may achieve the above objective as well. 
     To sum up, the electrical connector and the connector assembly according to certain embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: 
     1. The ground terminal  2  is provided with the first elastic arm  22  and the second elastic arm  23 , which are located at a same side of the mating member  200 . The first contact portion  221  downward abuts the upper shielding member  7 , and the second contact portion  231  is in downward contact with the ground conductive sheet  61 . The first contact portion  221  is located in front of the second contact portion  231 . The first elastic arm  22  applies a downward acting force to the mating member  200 , which is transmitted through the mating member  200  to act on the insulating body  1 . Since the insulating body  1  is mounted downward on the circuit board  300 , the circuit board  300  located below the insulating body  1  provides an upward supporting force to the insulating body  1 , which counteracts the acting force applied by the first elastic arm  22 , preventing the insulating body  1  from deformation, and prolonging the service life of the electrical connector  100 . 
     2. The metal shell  5  is provided with the abutting arms  54 , the abutting elastic sheets  55  and the contact elastic arms  56 . The abutting arms  54  are in contact with the upper shielding member  7 , and the abutting elastic sheets  55  and the contact elastic arms  56  are all in contact with the ground terminals  2 . The shielding function of the metal shell  5  is enhanced through the multiple contacts between the metal shell  5  and the upper shielding member  7  as well as between the metal shell  5  and the ground terminals  2 , such that the high frequency performance of the electrical connector  100  is significantly improved. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. 
     The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to activate others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.