Patent Publication Number: US-6210217-B1

Title: Electrical connector system having a connector mounted on a conductive panel

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector system which comprises an electrical connector with a fastening attachment and a panel with a complementary hole, more particularly to an electrical connector system for conveniently and accurately engaging with another electrical connector. 
     Auxiliary fastening devices such as screws are normally used to mount an electrical connector to a panel, but these make the assembly or disassembly process troublesome. An electrical connector which has a fastening attachment is desired to meet the requirements of mass production. Such an electrical connector is shown in FIG.  6 . The electrical connector  50  comprises an elongated insulative housing  501  and a fastening portion  502  projecting rearwardly from the insulative housing  501 . A pair of fixing wings  503  respectively depends from opposite top and bottom edges of the fastening portion  502 . A retaining portion  504  outwardly extends from a distal end of each fixing wing  503 , forming a pair of spaces  505  within the acute angles defined by the fixing wings  503  and the retaining portions  504 . A projection  507  extends outwardly from an inward edge of each slit  506 . In assembly, an upper edge  512  and a lower edge  513  of a slot  511  in a conductive panel  51  are respectively secured in the angle spaces  505  between the fixing wings  503  and the retaining portions  504 . 
     The fixing wings  503  and the projections  507  are complex and difficult to manufacture, so the design of the electrical connector is not appropriate for inexpensive mass production. Furthermore, the electrical connector can not be conveniently assembled or dissembled, and the projections  507  are easily abraded over time, so that a reliable attachment with the panel cannot be attained. Additionally, the projections  507  are vulnerable to being damaged by strong insertion forces. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector system which has an electrical connector with a fastening attachment and a conductive panel with a complementary hole which can be easily assembled together and can endure a strong inserting force. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector system which has an insulative housing and a shell for fastening the electrical connector onto a panel and facilitating a convenient assembly and disassembly. 
     An electrical connector system according to the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a shell enclosing the insulative housing, and a conductive panel defining a mating slot therein. The shell includes a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces together defining a plug receiving opening for receiving the forward receiving slots of the insulative housing therein. A top flange, a bottom flange and a pair of side flanges respectively extend from forward edges of the top surface, the bottom surface and the pair of side surfaces. A latching rib substantially upwardly and forwardly extends and bends from a rear edge of the top surface of the shell, forming an acute angle relative to the top surface of the shell. A distal end of the latching rib bends downwardly and forwardly to form a front end of the latching rib. A retaining flange downwardly depends from the bottom surface of the shell adjacent to the bottom flange of the shell. The conductive panel defines a mating slot for mounting the electrical connector thereon. A top projection extends inwardly from a top edge of the mating slot of the conductive panel and is retained in a space between the top flange and the latching rib of the shell. A bottom projection depends from a bottom edge of the mating slot of the conductive panel and is retained between the retaining flange and the bottom flange of the shell. A first retaining tongue and a second retaining tongue respectively depend from opposite side edges of the mating slot of the conductive panel and firmly contact opposite side surfaces of the shell of the electrical connector for orienting the shell of the electrical connector. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention 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 perspective view of an unassembled electrical connector system according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is the electrical connector system of FIG. 1 viewed from a different aspect; 
     FIGS. 3A-3D are sequential side views of the electrical connector system of FIG. 1 being connected together; 
     FIG. 4 is an assembled view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is an assembled view of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 6 is an perspective view of an unassembled conventional electrical connector system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector system according to the present invention comprises a rectangular insulative housing  11  defining a pair of forward receiving slots (not labeled) therein for receiving a mating electrical connector (not shown), a shell  13  enclosing the insulative housing  11 , and a conductive panel  20 . The shell  13  is unitarily formed by stamping a metal sheet and includes a top surface  151 , a bottom surface  152  and a pair of side surfaces  153  together defining a plug receiving opening  130  at a forward end thereof for receiving the forward receiving slots of the insulative housing. A resilient latching rib  141  upwardly and forwardly extends from a rear edge of the top surface  151  of the shell  13 , forming an acute angle relative to the top surface  151 . A distal end of the latching rib  141  bends downwardly and forwardly to form a front end  142  of the latching rib  141 . A top flange  131  upwardly extends from a forward edge of the top surface  151  of the shell  13  and is substantially perpendicular to the top surface  151  and the distal end of the latching rib  141 . A top edge of the top flange  131  and a top projection of the latching rib  141  are at substantially identical heights. A side flange  133  outwardly depends from a forward edge of each side surface  153 , and a locking tab  138  is generally rearwardly formed on an upper portion of an outward edge of each side flange  133 . A bottom flange  132  downwardly depends from a forward edge of the bottom surface  152 . A retaining flange  134  is stamped and formed from the bottom surface  152  of the shell  13 , being adjacent to and parallel to the bottom flange  132  (shown in FIGS.  3 A- 3 E). 
     Also referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the conductive panel  20  is rectangular and defines a generally rectangular mating slot  21  coinciding with the plug receiving opening  130 . A top projection  231  extends inwardly from a top edge of the mating slot  21  and is substantially perpendicular to the conductive panel  20  for being received in a space between the top flange  131  and the front end  142  of the latching rib  141  of the shell  13 . A bottom projection  232  extends inwardly from a bottom edge of the mating slot  21  and is substantially perpendicular to the conductive panel  20  for being received in a space formed between the bottom flange  132  and the retaining flange  134  of the shell  13 . First and second retaining tongues  271 ,  272  respectively inwardly extend from opposite side edges of the mating slot  21  of the conductive panel  20  for firmly contacting the side surfaces  153  of the shell  13  for orienting the shell  13  of the electrical connector. The first retaining tongue  271  and the second retaining tongue  272  are located at different heights. A pair of notches  25  is respectively defined in opposite inside edges of the mating slot  21  for latching the pair of locking tabs  138  of the side flanges  133  of the shell  13 . 
     In assembly, referring to FIGS. 3A to  3 D, the cable (not labeled) depending from the connector  10 , plus a termination connector (not shown) on an opposite end of the cable are first inserted through the mounting slot  21  of the conductive panel  20 . Then the lower part of the shell  13  of the electrical connector  10  is inserted inward through the mating slot  21  of the conductive panel  20 . The bottom flange  132  and the retaining flange  134  of the shell  13  contact the bottom projection  232  of the conductive panel  20 . The top projection  231  of the conductive panel  20  abuts against the inclined face of the latching rib  141  of the shell  13 . The electrical connector  10  is then rotated to an upright position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 where the top projection  231  of the conductive panel  20  is retained between the top flange  131  and the front end  142  of the latching rib  141  of the shell  13  due to the resiliency of the latching rib  141 . The bottom projection  232  of the conductive panel  20  is retained between the bottom flange  132  and the retaining flange  134  of the shell  13 . The top flange  131 , the bottom flange  132  and the pair of side flanges  133  abut against an outside face  29  of the conductive panel  20 . Moreover, the pair of locking tabs  138  of the shell  13  respectively latches with the notches  25  of the conductive panel  20 . The first and the second retaining tongues  271 ,  272  contact the side surfaces  153  of the shell  13 , the first retaining tongue  271  being substantially higher than the second retaining tongue  272  for firmly contacting the side surfaces  153  of the shell  13 . 
     During disassembly, referring to FIG. 3D, a force is exerted against the latching rib  141  of the shell  13  in a direction substantially vertical to the inclined face of the latching rib  141 , and the top projection  231  of the conductive panel  20  is then removed from the space between the latching rib  141  and the top flange  131  of the shell  13  by tilting a top of the electrical connector  10  out of the mating slot  21 . Thus the upper portion of the electrical connector is disassembled from the mating slot  21 . The electrical connector  10  is then pushed upward and outward out of the mating slot  21  thereby disengaging the bottom projection  232  of the panel  20  from the space between the bottom flange  132  and the retaining flange  134  of the shell  13 . The cable (not labeled) depending from the electrical connector  10 , plus the termination connector (not shown) on an opposite end of the cable, can now be withdrawn through the mating slot  21  of the conductive panel  20 . 
     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 broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.