Patent Publication Number: US-2016240980-A1

Title: Electrical connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector is easy to fabricate. 
     2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     In the end of 2008, USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) released USB 3.0 specification. The USB 3.0 electrical connector adds two pair of differential contacts and a grounding contact to the USB 2.0 for increasing the speed rate up to 5 GB/s and is backward compatible with USB 2.0. With the development of electronic industry, USB 3.0 can&#39;t meet the requirements of consumer. Thus, USB-IF announced USB Type-C connectors which is reversible so that it can be used in any orientation. Moreover, it gets faster and EMI of which is improved. However, USB C-type connector is complicated and challenges the manufacturing and the assembling ability. 
     Hence, it is desired to provide an electrical connector to overcome the problems mentioned above. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which facilitates to manufacture and has improved transmitting speed. 
     The present invention is directed to an electrical connector mounting to a mother board and mating with a plug, comprises an internal circuit board including a plurality of first golden fingers at a front end thereof and a plurality of conductive traces corresponding to the first golden fingers and connected with the first golden fingers respectively, a shielding assembly having a first shell and a second shell together covering top and bottom surfaces of the internal circuit board, and a contact module electrically connected with the internal circuit board. 
     The present invention is directed to an electrical connector for mounting to a mother board and mating with a plug, comprises an internal circuit board including a plurality of first golden fingers at a front end thereof and a plurality of conductive traces connected with the first golden fingers, a shielding assembly including a first shell, a second shell and a third shell, the first and second shell surrounding the top and bottom surfaces of the internal circuit board, a contact module including a plurality of electrical contacts electrically connected with the first golden fingers and the conductive traces of the internal circuit board, and a base securing the electrical contacts, and an insulative housing surrounding the first shell, the second shell and the contact module. The third shell surrounds a rear portion of the insulative housing. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial exploded view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2  but viewed from a different aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is another partial exploded view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4  but viewed from a different aspect; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 6  but viewed from a different aspect; and 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the internal circuit board shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail, wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like of similar elements are designated by same or similar reference numeral through the several views and same or similar terminology. 
     Please referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 8 , the present invention is directed to an electrical connector  100  mounting to a mother board (not shown) for mating with a mating connector (not shown). The electrical connector  100  includes an internal circuit board  1 , a shielding assembly  2 , a contact module  3  electrically connected the internal circuit board  1  with the mother board, and an insulative housing  4  surrounding the internal circuit board  1  and the contact module  3 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 8 , the internal circuit board  1  includes a plurality of first golden fingers  11  at a front end thereof, a plurality of second golden fingers  121  and a plurality of soldering holes  122  at a rear end thereof, and a plurality of conductive traces (not labeled) connected with the first golden fingers  11  with the second golden fingers  121  or the soldering holes  122 . The first golden fingers  11 , the conductive traces, and the corresponding second golden fingers  121  or soldering holes  122  form a plurality of electrical circuits connected with a plurality of electrical contacts  31  of the contact module  3  respectively. 
     The configuration of the electrical connector  100  conforms to USB Type-C, and the first golden fingers  11  and the conductive traces are arranged on both top and bottom surface of the internal circuit board  1 . The second golden fingers  121  are arranged in the bottom surface of the internal circuit board  1  and the soldering holes  122  extend through the internal circuit board  1 . A pair of notches  19  is provided on opposite sides of the internal circuit board  1 . 
     The internal circuit board  1  has a top layer  13 , a bottom layer  14 , and a grounding layer  15  located between the top layer  13  and the bottom layer  14 . The first golden fingers  11 , the second golden fingers  121 /soldering holes  122  and the conductive traces are disposed on the top and bottom layers  13 ,  14 . The bottom layer  14  and the top layer  13  each include two grounding circuits  101  at outermost sides and a plurality of signal circuits located between the grounding circuits  101 . The signal circuits includes two pair of high frequency signal circuits adjacent to the grounding circuits  101  respectively, two power circuits  102  at inner side of the high frequency signal circuits and four low frequency signal circuits located between the two power circuits  102 . The electrical circuits on the top layer  13  and the bottom layer  14  are similar but disposed in opposite directions. 
     The grounding layer  15  has two grounding copper foils  151  at opposite sides thereof and a middle copper foil  152  located between the grounding copper foils  151 . The grounding copper foils  15  are sandwiched by the high frequency signal circuits and the grounding circuits  101  of the top layer  13  and the bottom layer  14  thereby preventing crosstalk between the top layer  13  and the bottom layer  14 . The grounding copper foils  151  extend into the notches  19  so as to contact with grounding tabs (not shown) of the complementary plug. Furthermore, the grounding circuits  101  of the top and bottom layers  13 ,  14  electrically connected with the grounding copper foils  151  via a plurality of plated-through holes (not labeled) to establish a grounding path and improve shielding. 
     The middle copper foil  152  is sandwiched by the power circuits  102  of the top layer  13  and the bottom layer  14 . The middle copper foil  152  contacts with the power circuits  102  respectively via plated-through holes (not labeled) thereby form two parallel power paths between the top and bottom layers  13 ,  14  and decrease the resistance for transmitting biggish current. The present invention is provided with an internal circuit board which facilitates to manufacture and has improved transmitting speed. 
     Please further refer to  FIG. 3  to  FIG. 8 , the contact module  3  is attached to a rear end of the internal circuit board  1  and includes a base  32  and the electrical contacts  31  are secured to the base  32 . The electrical contacts  31  are insert-molding with the base  32  and are arranged in two groups named first contacts and second contacts for contacting with the top layer  13  and the bottom layer  14  respectively. Each of the contacts  31  has a connecting section  311  connecting with the second golden fingers  121  or the soldering holes  122  and a solder tail  312  extending out of the base  32  and soldered to the mother board. The connecting sections  311  of the first contacts extend into the soldering holes  122  and electrically connect with the electrical circuits of the top surface. The connecting sections  311  of the second contacts are paralleled to the internal circuit board  1  and contact with the second golden fingers  121  on the bottom surface of the internal circuit board  1 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 7 , the shielding assembly  2  includes a first shell  21 , a second shell  22  and a third shell  23 . The first shell  21  and the second shell  22  cover the top and bottom surfaces of the internal circuit board  1  respectively and connect with the grounding circuits  101  of the top and bottom layers  13 ,  14 . The conductive circuits except the grounding circuits  101 , namely the signal circuits are coated with insulation paint for preventing the first and second shell  21 ,  22  from directly contacting with those circuits. 
     The first shell  21  has an upper plate  211  covering the top surface of the internal circuit board  1 , two pair of grounding tails  212  extending downwardly from opposite sides of the upper plate  211  and a plurality of tabs  213  projecting upwardly from a rear edge of the upper plate  211 . The upper plate  211  is provided a slant face  2111  at a front edge thereof for guiding the mating connector inserted therein. The upper plate  211  has a pair of gaps  2112  so that plastic is embedded therein when the first shell  21  injection molding with the insulative housing  4 . The first shell  21  defines a pair of cutouts  2121  on the top of the grounding tails  212 . Each of the grounding tails  212  has a pair of notches  2122  for receiving soldering materials therein when the electrical connector  100  is soldered to the mother board. 
     The second shell  22  has a lower plate  221  covering the bottom surface of the internal circuit board  1  and a pair of retention tabs  222  at opposite sides of the lower plate  221  and inserted into the pair of cutouts  2121  of the first shell  21 . The first shell  21  and the second shell  22  of the present invention are independent, as alternative; they also could be integrated and surround the internal circuit board  1 . 
     The insulative housing  4  is injection molding with the internal circuit board  1 , the first shell  21  and the second shell  22  and the contact module  3 . The insulative housing  4  has a base  41  surrounding rear ends of the first and second shells  21 ,  22  and the contact module  3 , and a front portion  42  formed at two sides of the first and second shells  21 ,  22 . The base  41  has a stop face at a front end thereof for abutting against the mating electrical connector. A pair of blocks  412  protrudes outwardly from two opposite sidewalls of the base  41 . 
     The third shell  23  of the shielding assembly  2  is attached to the insulative housing  4  and has a connecting section  231 , a pair of retention sections  232  bending downwardly from opposite sides of the connecting section  231 , a covering section  233  bending downwardly from a rear edge of the connecting section  231  and a plurality of grounding tails  234  extending downwardly from the covering section  233  for soldering to the mother board. The retention section  232  is provided with a retention hole  2321  for engaging with the block  412  of the insulative housing  4 . 
     After assembling, the first shell  21  and the second shell  22  project out of the insulative housing  4  and are exposed to an exterior. The tabs  213  are exposed to a top surface of the base  41  and contact the connecting section  231  thereby forms a grounding path between the first shell  21  and the third shell  23 . The first shell  21  and the second shell  22  are located at top and bottom sides of the internal circuit board  1  and cover the conductive traces of the internal circuit board  1 . The internal circuit board  1  projects forwardly beyond the first shell  21  and the second shell  22  with the first golden fingers  11  exposed to the exterior. 
     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.