Patent Publication Number: US-9853387-B2

Title: Electrical connector having insulative members and method of making the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a micro USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector of which the molding holes formed during manufacturing are covered by insulative members for preventing shorting. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     China Utility Model No. 201904481, issued on Jul. 20, 2011, discloses a micro USB connector including an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending from the base portion, a plurality of contacts confined by a plurality of molds and insert molded with the insulative housing, a stiffener having a pair of side portions attached to the tongue portion, and a shell shielding the insulative housing. The tongue portion defines a plurality of channels on a lower surface thereof for receiving the contacts and a plurality of molding holes on an upper surface thereof for accommodating the molds. 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0065889, published on Mar. 6, 2014, discloses a micro USB connector including an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion, and a plurality of terminals. The tongue portion has a plurality of ribs formed on a lower surface thereof and a plurality of passageways alternating with the ribs. Each rib has a molding hole opened downwardly for accommodating a mold. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,864,526, issued on Oct. 21, 2014, discloses a micro USB connector including an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion, and a plurality of terminals. A lower surface of the tongue portion comprises a plurality of terminal recesses receiving the terminals and a plurality of ribs each defining a cutout for accommodating a mold. An upper surface of the tongue portion defines a plurality of molding holes for accommodating molds. The micro USB connector further comprises a cover rib covering rear portions of the terminal recesses to cover lower surfaces of the terminals in order to minimize plating of the terminals. 
     The molding holes are exposed outwardly when the molds are removed. When conductive particles fall into the molding holes, it is prone to fire break-out due to shorting. 
     An improved micro USB connector is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having molding holes covered by insulative members for preventing shorting. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a number of terminals, a stiffener, and a pair of insulative members. The insulative housing includes a tongue portion defining a number of first passageways and two molding holes for accommodating a number of molds. The stiffener is insert molded with the insulative housing and defines two openings communicating with the molding holes. The insulative members cover the openings for sealing the molding holes after removal of the molds. 
     The first terminals and the stiffener could be confined at predetermined positions precisely by the molds. The molding holes are sealed by the insulative members to prevent conductive particles from falling into the molding holes to cause fire breakout. 
     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 an assembled perspective view showing an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partly exploded perspective view showing the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 , with a shell separated from an insulative housing together with terminals; 
         FIG. 3  is another partly exploded view similar to  FIG. 2 , taken from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is a partly exploded view showing the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 2 , with the shell, a first insulative member, and a second insulative member separated from the insulative housing; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view showing the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is another exploded view similar to  FIG. 5 , taken from another aspect. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , an electrical connector  100  comprises an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  2  secured to the insulative housing  1 , a stiffener  3  attached to the insulative housing  1 , a first insulative member  4   a , a second insulative member  4   b , a positioning structure  5  and a shell  6 . 
     An insulative housing  1  includes a base portion  13 , a tongue portion  11  extending forwardly from the base portion  13  and defining a plurality of passageways  111 , a pair of supporting portions  15  disposed at opposite sides of a rear portion of the base portion  13 , and a mounting hole  14  defined between the pair of supporting portions  15 . The tongue portion  11  includes a front portion  112  and a rear portion  113 . The passageways  111  include a plurality of first passageways  111   a  extending from the front portion  112  to the supporting portions  15 , and a plurality of second passageways  111   b  extending along the rear portion  113 . 
     The terminals  2  include a plurality of first terminals  2   a  secured in the first passageways  111   a  and a plurality of second terminals  2   b  secured in the second passageways  111   b . Each first terminal  2   a  is formed with a flat first contact portion  21   a  and a first soldering portion  22   a . Each second terminal  2   b  is formed with a curved second contact portion  21   b  and a second soldering portion  22   b.    
     The stiffener  3  comprises a body portion  31  attached to the upper portion of the tongue portion  11  and a pair of beams  32  extending laterally from the body portion  31 . The body portion  31  defines a first opening  33   a  communicating with a first molding hole  115   a  and a second opening  33   b  rearward the first opening  33   a  and communicating with a second molding hole  115   b.    
     The first insulative member  4   a  and the second insulative member  4   b  are made from resin, rubber or other insulative material. The first insulative member  4   a  cover the first opening  33   a  for sealing the first molding hole  115   a . The second insulative member  4   b  covers the second opening  33   b  for sealing the second molding hole  115   b . It is noted that the second insulative member  4   b  includes a plurality of rearward projections  41   b  rearwardly projecting into the rear side of the molding hole  115   b  and is unexposed to the exterior in the vertical direction while the block section  41   a  of the insulative member  4   b  is exposed to the exterior in the vertical direction. 
     The positioning structure  5  defines a plurality of grooves  51  communicating with the second passageways  111   b.    
     In assembling of the electrical connector  100 , in a first step, punching the plurality of terminals  2  and the stiffener  3  from a metal plate. 
     In a second step, confining the plurality of terminals  2  in certain positions by a plurality of molds. Insert molding the first terminals  2   a  and stiffener  3  with the insulative housing  1 . The first contact portions  21   a  are received in the first passageways  111   a . The first soldering portions  22   a  extend outwardly from the first passageways  111   a . The stiffener  3  is attached to a front face of the tongue portion  11 . 
     In a third step, removing the molds to define the plurality of first openings  33   a  and the second openings  33   b  in the stiffener  3  and the first and second molding holes  115   a ,  115   b  in the tongue portion  11 . The first and second molding holes  115   a ,  115   b  partially communicate with the first passageways  111   a . The first molding holes  115   a  communicate with the first openings  33   a  and the second molding holes  115   b  communicate with the second openings  33   b . Pruning redundant material strip of the metal plate. 
     In a fourth step, covering, optimally insert molding, the first insulative member  4   a  onto the stiffener  3  to cover the first opening  33   a  for sealing the first molding hole  111   a , and covering, optimally insert molding, the second insulative member  4   b  onto the stiffener  3  to cover the second opening  33   b  for sealing the second molding hole  111   b . The second terminals  2   b  are insert molded with the positioning structure  5 . The second terminals  2   b  together with the positioning structure  5  is mounted to the insulative housing  1 , with the second contact portions  21   b  received in the second passageways  111   b  and the positioning structure  5  received in the mounting hole  14  of the insulative housing  1 . Finally enclosing the subassembly into the shell  6 . 
     Optionally, the stiffener  3  could be mounted onto the insulative housing  1  after the first terminals  2   a  insert molded with the insulative housing  1 . 
     The first terminals  2   a  and the stiffener  3  could be confined at predetermined positions precisely by the molds. The first and second molding holes  115   a ,  115   b  are sealed by the insulative members  4   a ,  4   b  to prevent conductive particles from falling into the first and second molding holes  115   a ,  115   b  to cause fire breakout. 
     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, 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.