Patent Publication Number: US-6702615-B1

Title: Electrical connector with shell

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to a contemporaneously filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/328,954 filed on Dec. 23, 2002 and entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH SPACER”, which is invented by the same inventor and assigned to the same assignee as this application and which is hereby fully incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is related to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having a shell for providing Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) shielding. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is known that, when connectors are used in high speed data transmission applications, electromagnetic or radio frequency interference is significant. Electrical connectors, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,046 and 6,238,219, are usually provided with shells to be protected against EMI. The shells of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,046 and 6,238,219 are generally in a rectangular box-like form and each comprises a body portion and a pair of opposite sidewalls extending from the body portion and completely covering side walls of corresponding housing. Each sidewall of the shell has a grounding tab integrally extending therefrom for electrical connection with a grounding trace of a printed circuit board to which the electrical connector is mounted. However, the sidewalls of shells covering the whole sidewalls of the housing needs relatively more material, and in turn increases manufacturing cost of the connector. Furthermore, the rectangular box-like shell with grounding tabs extending therefrom requires that the insulative housing and the shell have a very stringent corresponding configurations to match with each other, thereby increasing the difficulty in assembling the electrical connector. 
     Hence, it is requisite to provide an improved electrical connector to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a shell easily assembled thereto and saving the cost thereof. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector for being mounted onto a printed circuit board in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of conductive terminals retained in the insulative housing, a metal shell mounted on the insulative housing, a plurality of grounding tabs and a spacer. The shell comprises a pair of collars each defined by a downward extending peripheral wall, three engaging members and four clasping tabs formed in each side wall of the two collars, two side caps respectively connected to two distal ends of the two collars for covering the mating face of the housing and a shielding slot defined together by opposite collars and opposite side caps. A pair of mating pieces extend sidewardly and downwardly from each side cap and each has a resilient free end. Each grounding tab has a planar main body, an intermediate portion extending downwardly from the main body and a soldering portion extending downwardly from a middle of the intermediate portion. When the shell is assembled to the housing, the mating pieces of the shell abut against the main bodies of the grounding tabs and the soldering portions electrically connect with grounding traces of the printed circuit board. 
    
    
     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 an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shell and a plurality of grounding tabs of the electrical connector of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the electrical connector of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing  2 , a plurality of conductive terminals  3  retained in the housing  2 , a metal shell  4  mounted on the insulative housing  2 , a plurality of grounding tabs  5  and a spacer  6 . 
     The insulative housing  2  has an elongated configuration. The insulative housing  2  has a mating face  20  on the top thereof, an engaging face  21  opposite to the mating face  20 , and opposite side faces  22  extending between the mating face  20  and the engaging face  21 . The housing  2  comprises a mating cavity  200  extending from the mating face  20  to the engaging face  21 . A mating tongue  201  extends in the mating cavity  200 . The mating tongue  201  has opposite sidewalls  203  and a central slot  202  between the sidewalls  203 . Each sidewall defines a plurality of passageways  204  extending from the mating face  20  to the engaging face  21 . A pair of guiding holes  205  are defined in opposite ends of the housing  2 . A plurality of tapered protrusions  220  adjacent to the mating face  20  are formed on the opposite sidefaces  22  of the housing  2 . A pair of blocks  222  project outwardly from middle portions of opposite sidefaces of the housing  2  and are located adjacent to the engaging face  21 . A pair of supporting sections  23  are formed on each side face  22  of the housing  2  and are located at two sides of corresponding block  222 . A pair of cutouts  224  are defined between the block  222  and the supporting sections  23  on each side face  22 . A retentive rib  225  extends between the block  222  and the supporting sections  23  and into the cutout  224 . The supporting section  23  has a slit  223  vertically extending therethrough adjacent to one end of the housing  2 . 
     The shell  4  is made of a metal sheet via punching and bending, and is attached to the insulative housing  2  for providing electromagnetic shielding. The shell  4  comprises a pair of collars  45  each defined by a downward extending peripheral wall  450 , three engaging members  42  and four clasping tabs  451  formed in each side wall of the two collars  45 , two side caps  40  respectively connected to two distal ends of the two collars  45  for covering the mating face  20  of the housing  20  and a shielding slot  41  defined together by opposite collars  45  and opposite side caps  40 . Each engaging member  42  defines a clasping hole  420  for securing to the corresponding tapered protrusions  220  of the housing  2 . Each of the side caps  40  defines a guiding hole  43  for communication with corresponding hole  205  of the housing  2 . A pair of mating pieces  44  extend sidewardly and downwardly from each side cap  40  and each has a resilient free end. 
     Each grounding tab  5  has a planar main body  50 , an intermediate portion  502  extending downwardly from the main body  50  and a soldering portion  503  extending downwardly from a middle of the intermediate portion  502 . The main body  50  has an outer flat face  501  and a lower edge  504 . The intermediate portion  502  has a pair of barbs  505  extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof. A width of the intermediate portion  502  is less than that of the main body  50 , and larger than that of the soldering portion  503 . 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the spacer  6  has an elongated plate  60 . The elongated plate  60  defines a plurality of receiving holes  600  for positioning tails (not shown) of the terminals  3  to extend therethrough. A pair of latches  61  extend upwardly from each of opposite sides of the plate  60  and each latch  61  has a hook  610  at a free end thereof. 
     In assembly, the terminals  3  are inserted into the passageways  204  of the housing  2 , and the grounding tabs  5  are inserted into the slits  223  of the supporting sections  23  with the lower edges  504  thereof abutting against top faces of corresponding supporting sections  23 . The barbs  505  of the grounding tabs  5  interferentially engage with inner walls (not shown) of the slit  223  for securing the grounding tab  5  in the slit  223 . The soldering portion  503  of the grounding tab  5  extends beyond the engaging face  21  of the housing  2  for being electrically connected with a grounding trace of a printed circuit board (not shown). 
     The shell  4  is assembled onto the housing  2  from a top aspect and the peripheral wall  450  of the shell  4  are received in the mating cavity  200  of the housing  2  with the clasping holes  420  engaging with the protrusions  220  of the housing  2 , the clasping tab  451  of the shell  4  clasps the sidefaces  22  of the housing  2 . The mating pieces  44  of the shell  4  overlap the grounding tabs  5 , and inner faces (not labeled) of the mating pieces  44  abut resiliently against the outer faces  501  of the grounding tabs  5  for achieving electrical and mechanical connection therebetween. The spacer  6  is assembled to the housing  2  from a bottom aspect, the latches  61  are received in the cutouts  224  and the hooks  610  of the latches  61  engage with the ribs  225  of the housing  2 . 
     The shell  4  and the grounding tabs  5  are separatedly mounted to the and decrease the difficulty of assembling the electrical connector. The does not cover all sidewalls of the housing  2  and so decreases the manufacturing cost of the shell. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the forgoing 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.