Patent Publication Number: US-11038308-B2

Title: Shielding sheet and connector housing with the shielding sheet

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Chinese Patent Application No. 201811327833.3, filed on Nov. 8, 2018. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a shielding sheet and, more particularly, to a shielding sheet for a connector housing. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A shielding sheet on a periphery of a connector housing is commonly divided into two layers of inner and outer elastic sheet structure. The inner layer and outer layer elastic sheets are connected by an integral U-shaped bent structure. In addition, a tail of each claw of the inner layer elastic sheet is also designed into a U-shaped bent hook structure, and the shielding sheet is connected and fixed on a body of the connector housing by the U-shaped structures at a front end and a rear end of the shielding sheet. 
     Because the shielding sheets on the periphery of the connector housing are arranged closely, and the front end and the rear end are both U-shaped bent structures, there is not enough operation space for automatic assembly. Therefore, in the conventional manufacturing process, an operator generally manually assembles the two layer elastic sheet on the body of the connector housing, and then bends the shielding sheet on each surface by a mechanical tool to fix the shielding sheet on the body of the connector housing, thereby resulting in very low production efficiency. Moreover, the shielding sheets are easily deformed in the manual assembly process because the inner and outer layer elastic sheets are thin. 
     SUMMARY 
     A connector housing includes a housing body having a socket adapted to receive an external electronic module inserted in an insertion direction and a shielding sheet having a first elastic sheet disposed on an inner side of the housing body, a second elastic sheet disposed on an outer side of the housing body, and a first bent portion connected between the first elastic sheet and the second elastic sheet and adapted to be clamped on an edge of the socket. The housing body has an outer wall with a mounting passageway. A free end of the first elastic sheet and/or the second elastic sheet has a pair of lap portions on a pair of sides parallel to the insertion direction. The free end of the first elastic sheet and/or the second elastic sheet is slidably engaged with the mounting passageway in the insertion direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connector housing according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a socket of the connector housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the connector housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of the connector housing, taken along line A-A of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional end view of a lap portion and a support arm of the connector housing of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a connector housing according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a socket of the connector housing of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the connector housing of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional side view of the connector housing, taken along line B-B of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional end view of a lap portion and a support arm of the connector housing of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional end view of a lap portion of a first elastic sheet before bending; and 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional side view of an automatic assembly of a housing body and shielding sheet according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     The present disclosure will be described hereinafter in further detail with reference to the following embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts. The description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the general inventive concept of the present disclosure, and should not be constructed as a limitation to the present disclosure. 
     In addition, in the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing. 
     A connector housing according to an embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , comprises a substantially rectangular-parallelepiped-shaped housing body  1  and a shielding sheet  10 . The housing body  1  has a socket  11  adapted to receive an external electronic module inserted from an insertion direction. In various embodiments, the electronic module, for example, may be an electronic package structure, an optical-to-electrical converter, a disk reader, and the like suitable for an electrical equipment such as an electrical connector, a CPU, an amplifier, which may generate heat during operation. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-5 , a plurality of mounting passageways  12  is provided in an outer wall of the housing body  1 . The shielding sheet  10  is made of a single sheet of metal material such as a copper sheet and has a first elastic sheet  101  provided on the inner side of the housing body  1 , a second elastic sheet  102  provided on the outer side of the housing body  1 , and a first bent portion  103  connected between the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  and adapted to be clamped on an edge of the socket  11 . Lap portions  1011  are provided on two sides of a free end, a upper end in  FIG. 4 , of the first elastic sheet  101  parallel to the insertion direction. The free end of the first elastic sheet  101  is slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the insertion direction. The sliding engagement of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  and the mounting passageway  12  may be realized by a structure in which the lap portions  1011  of the first elastic sheet  101  extends to the outer side of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12 . In an embodiment, the shielding sheet  10  is integrally formed from a single sheet of material by a machining process such as punching, bending, shearing, or the like. 
     In an embodiment, the lap portions  1011  are provided on two sides of a free end of the second elastic sheet  102  parallel to the insertion direction and the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  is slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the insertion direction. The sliding engagement of the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  and the mounting passageway  12  may be realized by a structure in which the lap portions  1011  of the second elastic sheet  102  extends to the inner side of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12 . In another embodiment, the lap portions  1011  are provided two sides of free ends of the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  parallel to the insertion direction and the free ends of the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  are slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the insertion direction. The sliding engagement of the free ends of the first elastic sheet  101  and the mounting passageway  12  may be realized by a structure in which the lap portions  1011  of the first elastic sheet  101  extends to the outer side of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12 ; and the sliding engagement of the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  and the mounting passageway  12  may be realized by a structure in which the lap portions  1011  of the second elastic sheet  102  extends to the inner side of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 , a support arm  121  extending in the insertion direction is provided in the mounting passageway  12 , and at least one of a pair of ends of the support arm  121  is integrally connected to at least one of a pair of opposite edges of the mounting passageway  12  in the insertion direction. A length of the support arm  121  is equal to or less than that of the mounting passageway  12 . A width of the support arm  121  is smaller than that of the mounting passageway  12 . The mounting passageway  12  may be formed as a rectangular passageway, and the support arm  121  formed as a rectangular plate. A center line of the support arm  121  is coincided with a center line of the mounting passageway  12  to form a symmetrical structure, such that distances from both sides of the support arm  121  parallel to the insertion direction to both edges of the mounting passageway  12  parallel to the insertion direction, respectively, are equal to each other. The lap portions  1011  may be more easily and reliably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in a slide manner by providing the support arm  121 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-5 , the lap portions  1011  are bent from the inner side of the support arm  121  to the outer side of the support arm  121  such that the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  is slidably engaged with the support arm  121 . The lap portions  1011  are symmetrically provided on the two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101 . Each of the lap portions  1011  is formed as a substantially L-shaped structure, and the symmetrical lap portions  1011  extend toward each other. In the shown embodiment, the two symmetrical lap portions  1011  are formed as a structure with a short leg of the L-shape of each of the lap portions  1011  facing each other. In this way, the lap portions  1011  on the two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  are clasped on the support arm  121 , and a distance between the inner side of the lap portions  1011  and the inner side of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  is greater than a thickness of the support arm  121 , so that the lap portions  1011  and the support arm  121  are slidably engaged. The lap portions  1011  ensure that the shielding sheet  10  may slide forward and backward within a limited section in the insertion direction, and also prevents the shielding sheet  10  from being displaced in a left-right direction, a left-right direction in  FIG. 3 , and in an up-down direction, an up-down direction in  FIG. 5 . In this way, a mold may be used to adjust a relative position of the shielding sheet  10  and the housing body  1  as necessary while ensuring the assembly accuracy during processing. 
     In another embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 6-11 , the lap portions  1011  are bent from the inner side of the support arm  121  to outer sides of two side edges of the mounting passageway  12  parallel to the insertion direction, so that the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  is slidably engaged with the side edges. In this configuration, the width of the supporting arm  12  is less than or equal to that of the first elastic sheet  101 , so as to avoid unnecessary excessive bending of the lap portions  1011 . The lap portions  1011  are symmetrically provided on two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101 . Each of the lap portions  1011  is formed as a generally L-shaped structure, and the symmetrical lap portions  1011  extend in directions away from each other. In the shown embodiment, the two symmetrical lap portions  1011  are formed as a structure with a short leg of the L-shape of each of the lap portions  1011  facing away from each other to ensure that the lap portions  1011  are smoothly engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in a slide manner and lapped onto the two side edges of the mounting passageway  12  parallel to the insertion direction, so that the first elastic sheet  101  is relatively balanced in force. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2, 4, 7 and 9 , the support arm  121  extends from a proximal edge of the mounting passageway  12  close to the socket  11  toward a distal edge of the mounting passageway  12  away from the socket  11 , and a gap  122  is provided between a free end of the support arm  121  and the distal edge of the mounting passageway  12  away from the socket  11 . The gap  122  is provided so that a mold for assembling the connector housing may have larger operation space when the automatic assembly is performed, thereby reducing the difficulty of the mold operation. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2, 4, 7 and 9 , an edge of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  perpendicular to the insertion direction has an auxiliary lap portion  1012  which is bent from the inner side of the support arm  121  to the outer side of the support arm  121  through the gap  122  in order to further improve the connection reliability and positioning accuracy of the first elastic sheet  101  and the housing body  1  during the processing. The auxiliary lap portion  1012  may be formed as an arc-shaped structure. In various embodiments, a length of the auxiliary lap portion  1012  bent to the outside of the support arm  121  ranges from 0.1 mm to 0.15 mm. The auxiliary lap portion  1012  has a sufficient length to lap onto the support arm  121 , yet the length of the auxiliary lap portion  1012  is not too long to interfere with the lap portions  1011 . The mounting passageway  12  is formed at a position of the housing body  1  away from the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  with respect to the socket  11 , so that the lap portions  1011  of the first elastic sheet  101  protruding from the mounting passageway  12  out of the housing body  1  does not interfere with the sliding of the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  in the insertion direction. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 9 , the first elastic sheet  101  has a first elastic contact portion  1013  protruding away from the inner wall of the housing body  1  between the first bent portion  103  and the free end of the first elastic sheet  101 , and the second elastic sheet  102  has a second elastic contact portion  1021  protruding away from the outer wall of the housing body  1  between the first bent portion  103  and the free end of the second elastic sheet  102 . In the shown embodiment, the first elastic contact part  1013  and the second elastic contact part  1021  are arc-shaped and protrude in upward and downward directions, respectively. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 9 , the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  has a third elastic contact part  1022  protruding toward the outer wall of the housing body  1 . The third elastic contact part  1022 , in an embodiment, is formed as an arc structure. The third elastic contact portion  1022  may play a role of guiding in the process of mounting the shielding sheet  10  on the housing body  1 , and at the same time, may also increase a contact point of the shielding sheet  10  and the housing body  1 , thereby increasing the contact area. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 , at least one corner passageway  13  extending in the insertion direction is provided at a corner of the housing body  1 . The corner passageway  13  may be adapted to receive a portion of an edge of two adjacent sub-elastic sheets of the first elastic sheet  101  located at the corner. The corner passageway  13  may also reduce a force required for bending during bending the housing body  1 . A plurality of corner passageways  13  are provided at each corner of the housing body  1 , and in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 , each corner of the housing body  1  is provided with three corner passageways  13 . 
     The shielding sheet  10  according to an embodiment includes a first elastic sheet  101 , a second elastic sheet  102 , and a first bent portion  103  provided between the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  and adapted to be clamped on the edge of the socket  11  of the connector housing; lap portions  1011  are provided on the two sides of the free end(s) of the first elastic sheet  101  and/or the second elastic sheet  102  parallel to a length direction of the first elastic sheet  101 , and the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  and/or the second elastic sheet  102  are/is slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101 . In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 , the shielding sheet  10  has a plurality of first elastic sheets  101  and a plurality of second elastic sheets  102 , so that the shielding sheet  10  has a more flexible structure and clamping on while having enough contact area with the housing body  1 . In addition, the lap portions  1011  are symmetrically provided on the two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101 . 
     In an embodiment, the two sides of the free ends of the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  parallel to the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101  have the lap portions  1011 , and the free ends of the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  are slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101 . The sliding engagement of the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  with the mounting passageway  12  may be realized by a structure in which the lap portions  1011  of the first elastic sheet  101  and the second elastic sheet  102  extends from one side of the housing body  1  to the other side of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12  of the housing body  1 . 
     In another embodiment, only two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  parallel to the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101  are provided with lap portions  1011 , and the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  is slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101 . The sliding engagement of the first elastic sheet  101  and the mounting passageway  12  may be realized by a structure in which the lap portions  1011  of the first elastic sheet  101  extends from the inside of the housing body  1  to the outside of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12  of the housing body  1 . 
     In still another embodiment, only two sides of the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  parallel to the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101  are provided with lap portions  1011 , and the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  is slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101 . The sliding engagement of the second elastic sheet  102  and the mounting passageway  12  may be realized by a structure in which the lap portions  1011  of the second elastic sheet  102  extends from the outside of the housing body  1  to the inside of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12  of the housing body  1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 , the lap portions  1011  on two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  are bent toward each other in the width direction of the first elastic sheet  101  to form a shape with a short leg of the L-shape of each of the lap portions  1011  facing toward each other. In an embodiment, the lap portions  1011  are symmetrically provided on the two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101 , each of the lap portions  1011  is formed as a substantially L-shaped structure, and the symmetrical lap portions  1011  extend toward each other. More specifically, the two symmetrical lap portions  1011  together form a structure with the short leg of the L-shape of each of the lap portions  1011  facing toward each other. The first elastic sheet  101  with this structure and the lap portions  1011  on the two sides of the free end thereof is formed as an open ring structure, and may be more firmly connected to the housing body  1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7, 8 and 10 , the lap portions  1011  on the two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  are bent away from each other in the width direction of the first elastic sheet  101  to form a shape with a short leg of the L-shape of each of the lap portions  1011  facing away from each other. In an embodiment, the lap portions  1011  are symmetrically provided on the two sides of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101 . Each of the lap portions  1011  is formed as a generally L-shaped structure and the symmetrical laps  1011  extending in directions away from each other. More specifically, the two symmetrical lap portions  1011  are formed as a structure with a short leg of the L-shape of each of the lap portions  1011  facing away from each other. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 9 , an edge of the free end of the first elastic sheet  101  parallel to the width direction of the first elastic sheet  101  has an auxiliary lap portion  1012  bent toward the socket  11  in the length direction of the first elastic sheet  101 . The auxiliary lap portion  1012  may be formed as an arc-shaped structure. The first elastic sheet  101  has a first elastic contact portion  1013  between the first bent portion  103  and the free end of the first elastic sheet  101 , and the second elastic sheet  102  has a second elastic contact portion  1021  between the first bent portion  103  and the free end of the second elastic sheet  102 . The first elastic contact portion  1013  and the second elastic contact portion  1021  are both arc-shaped and protrude in opposite directions. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 9 , the free end of the second elastic sheet  102  has a third elastic contact portion  1022 , and the third elastic contact portion  1022  and the second elastic contact portion  1021  protrude in opposite directions. The third elastic contact portion  1022  may be an arc-shaped structure. 
       FIG. 11  shows a schematic view of a lap portion of a first elastic sheet shown in  FIGS. 5 and 10  before being bent. In the process of manufacturing the connector housing, when the lap portion  1011  of the first elastic sheet  101  is in the state shown in  FIG. 11 , the remaining portion of the first elastic sheet  101  that is not bent may be attached to the housing body  1  that is not bent, and the lap portion  1011  in the state shown in  FIG. 11  may be passed from one side to the other side of the housing body  1  through the mounting passageway  12 . The lap portion  1011  is bent in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction by a mold so that the lap portion  1011  is slidably engaged with the mounting passageway  12  in the insertion direction. Then, the auxiliary lap portion  1012  is bent by the mold, and the first elastic contact portion  1013 , the second elastic contact portion  1021 , and the third elastic contact portion  1022  of the shielding sheet  10  and the corner passageway  13  of the housing body  1  are processed. After the shielding sheet  10  and the housing body  1  are processed, they are synchronously bent in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, so that the substantially rectangular-parallelepiped-shape housing body  1  and the shielding sheet  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6  are manufactured. 
     Automatic assembly of a housing body  1  and a shielding sheet  10  according to an embodiment is shown in  FIG. 12 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , in the process of machining, the lap portion  1011  of the first elastic sheet  101  is automatically bent in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction by the mold to form a structure shown in  FIGS. 5 and 10 . The shielding sheet  10  is formed as a structure suspended on the housing body  1  and sliding back and forth along the housing body  1  in the insertion direction, so as to ensure that the first elastic sheet  101  may slide back and forth in the insertion direction within a limited section, thereby reserving an operation space for automatic assembly of the connector housing. The shielding sheet  10  and the housing body  1  of the connector housing may be suitable for automatic assembly, improving the assembly accuracy and efficiency of the shielding sheet  10  and the connector housing. 
     It should be appreciated by those skilled in this art that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrative, and many modifications may be made to the above embodiments by those skilled in this art, and various structures described in various embodiments may be freely combined with each other without conflicting in configuration or principle. 
     Although the present disclosure have been described hereinbefore in detail with reference to the attached drawings, it should be appreciated that the disclosed embodiments in the attached drawings are intended to illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure by way of example, and should not be construed as limitation to the present disclosure. 
     Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.