Patent Publication Number: US-2015087165-A1

Title: Receptacle connector with double metallic shells

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a receptacle connector for being mounted to a circuit board, and more particularly to a receptacle connector with double metallic shells. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With rapid development of electronic technologies, electrical connectors have been widely used in electronic devices for exchanging information and data with external devices. A conventional connector usually includes an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing and a metallic shell enclosing the insulative housing. Each contact includes a soldering portion extending beyond the insulative housing for being soldered to a circuit board. 
     In order to meet the requirements of stable signal transmission and high effective transmission of the electronic devices, strong mating stabilization of the electrical connector needs to be ensured. However, a conventional MICRO HDMI receptacle connector usually defines multiple cutouts on a metallic shell and such cutouts are formed adjacent to a mating frame of the metallic shell. As a result, on one hand, the integral strength of the metallic shell is not good; on the other hand, when a plug connector is inserted into the MICRO HDMI receptacle connector, the plug connector might easily run away from the metallic shell and cause over-inclination, which will influence normal signal transmission. 
     Hence, a receptacle connector with improved metallic shell is desired. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a receptacle connector including an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts fixed to the insulative housing and a shell enclosing the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a main portion, a mating portion extending forwardly from the main portion and a fixing portion extending rearwardly from the main portion. The mating portion includes an upper mating surface and a lower mating surface. The contacts include a plurality of first contacts each comprising a first contact portion exposed on the upper mating surface and a plurality of second contacts each comprising a second contact portion exposed on the lower mating surface. The shell includes a first metallic shell and a second metallic shell fastened to the first metallic shell. The first metallic shell encloses the mating portion and cooperatively defines therebetween a mating space for receiving a plug connector. The second metallic shell defines a hollow space in which the first metallic shell is at least partly received. As a result, the first metallic shell and the second metallic shell have a strong structure which is stable for mating with the plug connector. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the described embodiments. In the drawings, reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout various views, and all the views are schematic. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a receptacle connector in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the receptacle connector as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an insulative housing of the receptacle connector as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is another perspective view of insulative housing as shown in  FIG. 3  while taken from a different aspect; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one of first contacts of the receptacle connector as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a plurality of second contacts of the receptacle connector showing that the second contacts are connected together; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a first metallic shell of the receptacle connector as shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a second metallic shell of the receptacle connector as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the embodiments of the present invention in detail. In the following description, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements in different drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention discloses a receptacle connector  100  for being mounted on a circuit board (not shown) for receiving a plug connector (not shown). The receptacle connector  100  is a Micro HDMI receptacle connector and the plug connector is a Micro HDMI plug connector according to an illustrated embodiment of the present invention. The receptacle connector  100  includes an insulative housing  10 , a plurality of contacts  20  retained in the insulative housing  10  and a shell  30  enclosing the insulative housing  10 . The contacts  20  include a plurality of first/upper contacts  201  and a plurality of second/lower contacts  202 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the insulative housing  10  includes a main portion  11 , a mating portion  12  extending forwardly from the main portion  11  and a fixing portion  13  extending rearwardly from the main portion  11 . The fixing portion  13  is higher than the main portion  11 . 
     The insulative housing  10  includes a plurality of passageways for receiving the contacts  20 . The passageways extend from a front end of the mating portion  12  towards the main portion  11 . The passageways include a plurality of first passageways  14  for receiving the first contacts  201  and a plurality of second passageways  15  for receiving the second contacts  202 . The first passageways  14  extend upwardly through an upper mating surface  123  of the mating portion  12 . The second passageways  15  extend downwardly through a lower mating surface  124  of the mating portion  12 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the mating portion  12  further includes a plurality of grooves  121  extending through the mating portion  12  along a vertical direction in order to connect the first passageways  14  and the second passageways  15 . As a result, heat generated by the first contacts  201  can be dissipated to the air through the grooves  121  and the first passageways  14 . Similarly, heat generated by the second contacts  202  can be dissipated to the air through the grooves  121  and the second passageways  15 . 
     The mating portion  12  includes a front-end surface  122  for mating with the plug connector. The front-end surface  122  defines a plurality of holes which further include a plurality of first holes  1221  in communication with the first passageways  14  and a plurality of second holes  1222  in communication with the second passageways  15 . The first holes  1221  and the second holes  1222  are arranged along two layers along the vertical direction. 
     The main portion  11  defines a plurality of top apertures  111  in communication with the first passageways  14  and a plurality of bottom apertures  112  in communication with the second passageways  15 . Heat generated by the first contacts  201  and the second contacts  202  can be dissipated to the air through the top apertures  111  and the bottom apertures  112 , respectively. 
     The fixing portion  13  includes a plurality of holes  131  through which the first contacts  201  and the second contacts  202  extend. The fixing portion  13  includes a pair of mounting posts  132  at a rear side thereof. The mounting posts  132  extend downwardly towards the circuit board for being mounted through the circuit board. The main portion  11  includes a pair of recesses  113  on a bottom wall thereof and a position block  114  formed at a rear of the bottom wall. The pair of recesses  113  are located at opposite sides and at a front of the position block  114 . Besides, the main portion  11  includes a pair of sideward blocks  115  on opposite side thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , each first contact  201  includes a first contact portion  2011  exposed on the upper mating surface  123  of the mating portion  12 , a first mounting portion  2013  for being soldered to the circuit board through SMT (Surface Mount Technology), and a first retaining portion  2012  connecting the first contact portion  2011  and the first mounting portion  2013 . The first contact portion  2011  includes a first tip  2014  bent downwardly from a front end thereof and the first tip  2014  is received in corresponding first hole  1221 . The first contact portions  2011  are received in the first passageways  14  and are exposed to the air. The first retaining portion  2012  includes an offset portion  2015  extending sidewardly along a horizontal direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 4  and  6 , each second contact  202  includes a second contact portion  2021  exposed on the lower mating surface  124  of the mating portion  12 , a second mounting portion  2023  for being soldered through the circuit board, and a second retaining portion  2022  connecting the second contact portion  2021  and the second mounting portion  2023 . The second contact portion  2021  includes a second tip  2024  bent upwardly from a front end thereof and the second tip  2024  is received in corresponding second hole  1222 . The second contact portions  2021  are received in the second passageways  15  and are exposed to the air. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the second contacts  202  includes a plurality of short contacts  203  and a plurality of long contacts  204  which are alternately arranged with the short contacts  203 . The second contacts  202  further includes a connecting portion  2025  connecting the second retaining portions  2022  of the short contacts  203  and the long contacts  204 . In this way, the second contacts  202  can be integrally assembled to the insulative housing  10 . It is understandable that the connecting portion  2025  should be cut off so as to separate the second contacts  202  for different signal transmission. The second mounting portions  2023  are arranged in a first line and a second line along a front-to-back direction so that the second mounting portions  2023  can be securely soldered to the circuit board. The first mounting portions  2013  are arranged in a third line along the front-to-back direction. 
     It is understandable that the first contacts  201  and the second contacts  202  can be fixed to the insulative housing  10  either by insert-molding technology or by assembling technology. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 4 ,  7  and  8 , the shell  30  includes a first metallic shell  31  and a second metallic shell  32  fastened to the first metallic shell  31 . The first metallic shell  31  includes a first top wall  331 , a first bottom wall  332  and a pair of first sidewalls  333  connecting the first top wall  331  and the first bottom wall  332 . The first top wall  331 , the first bottom wall  332  and the pair of first sidewalls  333  cooperatively define a mating space  330  in which the mating portion  12  resides. The first metallic shell  31  includes a pair of L-shaped first mounting legs  311  for being soldered to the circuit board. Each first mounting leg  311  includes a reinforce rib  312  for improving strength thereof. The first top wall  331  includes a first riveting portion  317  to joint/reinforce the first metallic shell  31 . The first bottom wall  332  includes a pair of engaging arms  315  upwardly extending into the mating space  330  for abutting against the plug connector. Besides, the first bottom wall  332  includes a pair of slots  313  at the rear of the engaging arms  315  and a rear cutout  314  extending backwardly therethrough. Each first sidewall  333  includes a cutout  316  extending backwardly therethrough. 
     The second metallic shell  32  includes a second top wall  341 , a second bottom wall  342  and a pair of second sidewalls  343  connecting the second top wall  341  and the second bottom wall  342 . The second top wall  341 , the second bottom wall  342  and the pair of second sidewalls  343  cooperatively define a hollow space  340 . The second metallic shell  31  includes a pair of L-shaped second mounting legs  321  for being soldered to the circuit board. The L-shaped second mounting legs  321  are located at a middle portion of the second metallic shell  32 . The second bottom wall  342  includes a second riveting portion  324  to joint/reinforce the second metallic shell  32 . The second bottom wall  342  includes a pair of openings  323  through which the engaging arms  315  extend upwardly. Besides, the second bottom wall  342  includes a pair of beams  322  at a rear side thereof. 
     In assembling, the first metallic shell  31  is firstly assembled to the insulative housing  10  along the front-to-back direction. The sideward blocks  115  are fastened in the cutouts  316 , and the position block  114  is fastened in the rear cutout  314 . After the first metallic shell  31  is assembled in position, the slots  313  and the recesses  113  are in alignment with each other along the vertical direction. Then, the second metallic shell  32  is attached to the first metallic shell  31  along the front-to-back direction. As a whole, the second metallic shell  32  encloses the first metallic shell  31 . When the second metallic shell  32  is assembled in position, the pair of beams  322  are located corresponding to the slots  313  and the recesses  113 . Ultimately, the pair of beams  322  are stamped into the slots  313  and the recesses  113  so as to fasten the second metallic shell  32 . As a result, the pair of beams  322  are of inclined configurations. Since the first riveting portion  317  and the second riveting portion  324  are located at top and bottom sides of the receptacle connector  100 , respectively, the integral strength of the shell  30  can be well formed and balanced. The L-shaped second mounting legs  321 , the L-shaped first mounting legs  311  and the mounting posts  132  are arranged along the front-to-back direction in turn. According to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the second metallic shell  32  is thicker than the first metallic shell  31  for better reinforcement. In a word, the shell  30  with the first metallic shell  31  and the second metallic shell  32  according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention has a strong structure which is stable for mating with the plug connector. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of preferred and exemplary embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail within the principles of present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broadest general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.