Patent Publication Number: US-7223108-B2

Title: Dustproof receptacle connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention generally relates to a receptacle connector and, particularly, to a dustproof receptacle connector. 
   2. The Related Art 
   In the field of electronic connectors, a type of connector is designed with dustproof function in order to avoid the deterioration of electrical connection even short circuit, which are caused by contamination. 
   Japan patent NO. 2004-31186 issued on Jan. 29, 2004, disclosed a dustproof receptacle connector, which includes a female shield, a housing enclosed by the female shield, and a plurality of female contacts disposed in the housing. The housing has a receiving cavity with a front opening defined in a front surface thereof. A dustproof cover is slidably received in the receiving cavity for sealing the front opening, with two projecting pillars extending rearwards from the rear surface thereof. Correspondingly, two mounting holes are defined in a rear wall of the housing, and two springs are respectively positioned by one end of each spring retained on the corresponding projecting pillar of the dustproof cover and the other end of each spring infixed in the corresponding mounting hole of the housing. Each female contact has a conductive portion received in the receiving cavity for making electrical connection with a mating plug connector. Thus, when in use, the mating plug connector is inserted into the receptacle connector to push the dustproof cover sliding towards the rear wall of the housing with the springs against the dustproof cover being gradually compressed, so that the conductive portions of the receptacle connector are exposed out entirely of the dustproof cover for making electrical connection with the mating plug connector. When the mating plug connector is pulled out, the elasticity of the compressed springs pushes the dustproof cover to slide outwards to seal the front opening of the receptacle connector for protecting the conductive portions of the female contacts from contaminants such as dust, dirt or moisture. 
   However, in these prior connectors, each spring is positioned between the projecting pillar of the dustproof cover and the mounting hole of the housing only by two ends of the spring, so the main body of the spring easily oscillates laterally and cause the unsteady sliding of the dustproof cover as the mating plug connector being inserted into the receptacle connector, and furthermore the unsteady sliding of the dustproof cover results in bad dustproof function during the dustproof cover sliding back by the resilience of the springs to seal the front opening of the receptacle connector again. In addition, the springs will depart from the projecting pillars or the mounting holes in a condition of greater lateral deformation of the compressed springs. Therefore, the prior dustproof receptacle connector cannot provide a reliable dustproof function. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is directed to solving the above problems and provides a dustproof receptacle connector, which includes a dielectric housing, a plurality of female contacts disposed in the housing, and a slider unit installed in the housing. The dielectric housing has a receiving cavity with a front opening defined in a front surface of the housing, and at least one mounting hole defined in a rear wall of the housing communicating with the receiving cavity. Each female contact is disposed in the housing. The slider unit slidably received in the receiving cavity comprises a dustproof cover for sealing the front opening of the receiving cavity and at least one spring. At least one longitudinal pillar extending backwards from the dustproof cover, with the free end of the pillar slidably disposed in the mounting hole of the housing. Each spring is retained on the longitudinal pillar, with one end thereof abutting against the dustproof cover and the other end thereof abutting against the rear wall of the dielectric housing. 
   In the dustproof receptacle connector of the present invention, with the design of the longitudinal pillar extending into the corresponding mounting hole and the spring retained entirely on the pillar, the lateral deformation of the spring can be avoided. In addition, the mounting hole ensures that the longitudinal pillar only slide in the longitudinal direction, thereby the dustproof cover can steadily and appropriately slide in the receiving cavity. Consequently, the dustproof receptacle connector of the present invention is qualified to keep from the contamination. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A detailed explanation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be given, with reference to the attached drawings, for better understanding thereof to those skilled in the art: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dustproof receptacle connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the dustproof receptacle connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a mating plug connector employed for mating with the dustproof receptacle connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the mating plug connector as shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the dustproof receptacle connector as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the mating plug connector as shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the dustproof receptacle connector with the mating plug connector installed in. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a dustproof receptacle connector  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises a dielectric housing  10 , a female shield  30  encircling the housing  10 , a plurality of female contacts  20  and a slider unit  50  which are both disposed in the housing  10 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the housing  10  has a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, two opposite side walls disposed between the top and bottom walls, and a rear wall disposed at the rear end of the prior four walls, together with a receiving cavity  11  defined therebetween. The receiving cavity  11  further has a front opening  111  defined in the front surface of the housing  10 . A plurality of contact grooves  12  is respectively defined in inner surface of the top and bottom walls of the housing  10  in juxtaposed relation for holding the corresponding female contacts  20  and communicates with the receiving cavity  11 . Two elongated guiding slots  13  with each having a closed front end are respectively defined at the inner surface of two opposite side walls of the housing  10  and communicate with the receiving cavity  11 . The housing  10  further has a pair of projecting wedges  14  disposed on the top wall thereof and a pair of locking holes  15  defined respectively through the two opposite side walls thereof. In addition, the housing  10  is provided with a block  40  infixed into and substantially sealing the rear end thereof as the rear wall of the housing  10 . The block  40  has a base  41 , a partition  42  extending forwards from the front surface of the base  41 , two mounting holes  46  respectively defined in the front surface of the base  41  at two sides of the partition  42  and two side wedges  45  protruding from the two opposite side surfaces of the base  41  for locking into the corresponding locking holes  15  of the housing  10  respectively. Each mounting hole  46  is a blind hole communicating with the receiving cavity  11 . According to the present invention, the block  40 , as a component of the housing  10 , can be molded separately or molded as one piece with the housing  10 . 
   Correspondingly, the female shield  30  has a pair of locking apertures  34  defined in the top surface thereof for receiving the projecting wedges  14  of the housing  10  respectively, and a pair of locking tabs  35  disposed respectively at two opposite side surfaces thereof for engaging with the locking holes  15  of the housing  10 . The female shield  30  is further provided with two latching arms  36  disposed respectively at the two opposite side surfaces thereof adjacent to the corresponding locking tab  35 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  again, the female contacts  20  are divided into two rows and disposed respectively in the top and bottom walls of the housing  10 . Each female contact  20  has an elongated conductive portion  22  held in the corresponding contact groove  12 , and a L-shape solder portion  23  disposed at the rear end of the contact  20 . The conductive portions  22  of the female contacts  20  are used for mating with a mating plug connector  80  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The solder portions  23  of the female contacts  20  all extend outwards from the rear end of the housing  10  respectively for being soldered to a circuit board in two rows (not shown), in which the solder portions  23  of the female contacts  20  in the bottom wall of the housing  10  are disposed in front of those in the top wall of the housing  10 . 
   The slider unit  50  is slidably received in the receiving cavity  11 , which includes a flat dustproof cover  60  for sealing the front opening  111  of the housing  10  and a pair of springs  70 . The dustproof cover  60  has top and bottom surfaces formed as two opposite scalloped surfaces  62  for engaging with the corresponding conductive portions  22  of the female contacts  20  respectively, and two protuberances  63  projecting outwards respectively from two opposite side surfaces thereof corresponding to the guiding slots  13  of the housing  10 . The dustproof cover  60  is further provided with a pair of longitudinal pillars  66  projecting rearwards from the rear surface thereof. Each spring  70  is retained on the corresponding pillar  66 , with one end thereof abutting against the rear surface of the dustproof cover  60  and the other end thereof abutting against the front surface of the base  41  in the housing  10  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
   As assembling, the block  40  is infixed into the rear end of the housing  10 , with the two side wedges  45  thereof locking into the corresponding locking holes  15  of the housing  10  respectively. Each female contact  20  is mounted in the housing  10 , with the conductive portion  22  thereof held in the corresponding contact groove  12  of the housing  10  and the solder portion  23  thereof exposed to the rear end of the housing  10 . The two springs  70  are retained respectively on the corresponding pillar  66  of the dustproof cover  60  to form the slider unit  50 . The slider unit  50  is inserted into the receiving cavity  11  of the housing  10 , with the two protuberances  63  of the dustproof cover  60  respectively received in the corresponding guiding slots  13  and abutting against the closed front end of the guiding slots  13 , and the free end of each pillar  66  located respectively in the corresponding mounting hole  46 . At this time, the springs  70  is located between the dustproof cover  60  and the block  40 , and the scalloped surfaces  62  of the dustproof cover  60  engage with the conductive portions  22  of the female contacts  20  for sealing the front opening  111  of the receiving cavity  11 . The female shield  30  encircles the housing  10 , with the locking apertures  34  thereof holding the corresponding projecting wedges  14  of the housing  10  and the locking tabs  35  thereof received in the corresponding locking holes  15  of the housing  10 . In addition, with the design of the partition  42  of the block  40 , the two springs in this embodiment can avoid entwining with each other. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  6 , the mating plug connector  80  for mating with the dustproof receptacle connector  100  comprises a body  81 , a male shield  83  encircling the body  81 , and a plurality of male contacts  82  arranged in the body  81 . The male shield  83  has a pair of latching holes  86  corresponding to the latching arms  36  of the dustproof receptacle connector  100 . The male contacts  82  are provided for making electrical connection with the female contacts  20  of the dustproof receptacle connector  100  to transmit electrical signals. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , when the mating plug connector  80  is inserted into the receiving cavity  11  of the dustproof receptacle connector  100 , the dustproof cover  60  is forced to slide backwards in the receiving cavity  11  by the body  81  of the mating plug connector  80 , with the protuberances  63  of the dustproof cover  60  sliding backwards in the guiding slots  13  and the pillars  66  sliding backwards in the mounting holes  46 , until the latching arms  36  of the dustproof receptacle connector  100  lock into the corresponding latching holes  86  of the mating plug connector  80 . At this time, the springs  70  retained on the pillars  66  are compressed between the dustproof cover  60  and the block  40  as shown in  FIG. 7 . When the mating plug connector  80  is pulled out from the receiving cavity  11  of the dustproof receptacle connector  100 , the compressed springs  70  gradually reinstate the primary form and push the dustproof cover  60  to slide forwards, until the protuberances  63  of the dustproof cover  60  is stopped by the closed front end of the guiding slots  13  of the housing  10 . 
   In the dustproof receptacle connector  100  of the present invention, with the design of the scalloped surfaces  62 , the dustproof cover  60  engages with the conductive portions  22  of the female contacts  20  and is appropriate for closely sealing the front opening  111  of the dustproof receptacle connector  100 , and any contaminant can be wiped by sliding of the scalloped surfaces  62  on the conductive portion  22  of the female contacts  20 . In addition, with the design of the free ends of the longitudinal pillars  66  located in the corresponding mounting holes  46  and the springs  70  retained entirely on the corresponding pillars  66 , the lateral deformation of the springs  70  can be avoided. Furthermore, the mounting holes  46  ensure that the longitudinal pillars  66  only slide in the direction from front to rear, thereby the dustproof cover  60  can steadily and appropriately slide in the receiving cavity  11 . That is, the dustproof receptacle connector  100  is qualified to provide a perfect and reliable dustproof function.