Patent Publication Number: US-7909614-B1

Title: Anti-rotation connector for shielding structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a connector, and more particularly to an anti-rotation connector for shielding structure. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a conventional shielding device  10  is fixed on a printed circuit (PC) board by means of soldering. The shielding device  10  includes a frame body  11  and a connector  12  connected with the frame body  11  for signal output/input. In general, the connector  12  is fixed on the PC board through a soldering process, for example, by means of an infra-red (IR) reflow soldering oven. The IR reflow soldering oven is equipped with a heating unit having different temperature divisions for preheating/melting/condensing/cooling/solidifying the soldering paste, wherein the process temperature of the melting division ranges from about 230° C. to 265° C. 
     The connector  12  includes a metal sleeve  13  having a receiving hole  14  for receiving therein a first insulating member  15  and a second insulating member  16 . A connection section  17  is disposed at a front end of the sleeve  13 . The connection section  17  is inserted in a connection hole  18  of the frame body  11 . The periphery of a juncture between the connection section  17  and a wall of the connection hole  18  is riveted and welded to integrally connect the connector  12  with the frame body  11 . The connector  12  further includes a contact member  19  arranged in the first and second insulating members  15 ,  16 . The contact member  19  has a rear end connected to a conductive wire of the PC board, whereby the contact member  19  is electrically connected with the PC board. 
     When the connector  12  is manually welded with the frame body  11 , the welding hand tool is set to a high temperature of about 280° C. according to heat resistance of the components. However, the first insulating member  15  is made of nylon material, which has a heat resistance under about 200° C. As a result, after welded at high temperature, the first insulating member  15  will contract and deform and become freely rotatable within the sleeve  13 . 
     Furthermore, the connector  12  is adhered to the PC board by means of IR reflow soldering oven. After welded at high temperature, the contact member  19  and the first insulating member  15  as well as the connection section  17  will deform and become freely rotatable relative to each other. 
     Accordingly, in a high-temperature operation environment, the first insulating member  15  is likely to deform and become freely rotatable within the sleeve  13 . Also, the contact member  19  will become freely rotatable relative to the first insulating member  15 . This is because the connector  12  has no anti-rotation structure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a connector with anti-rotation structure. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the anti-rotation connector for shielding structure of the present invention includes: a sleeve having a first end and a second end, the sleeve also having an internal stepped receiving hole; an insulating assembly including a first insulating member disposed in the receiving hole of the sleeve near the first end thereof and a second insulating member arranged in the receiving hole of the sleeve near the second end thereof; a contact member having a contact section arranged in the first and second insulating members and a rear end section electrically connected to the PC board; and a first anti-rotation structure including multiple first splines and multiple first splineways disposed between the sleeve and the first insulating member for securely connecting the sleeve with the first insulating member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a conventional shielding device with a connector; 
         FIG. 1B  is a sectional view of the connector of the conventional shielding device; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the anti-rotation connector of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are a sectional view and a right side view of the sleeve of the present invention respectively; 
         FIGS. 6 to 8  are a plane view, a right side view and a sectional view of the first insulating member of the present invention respectively; 
         FIG. 9  is a plane view of the contact member of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective sectional view of a second embodiment of the anti-rotation connector of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective sectional view of the sleeve according to  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective sectional view of the first insulating member according to  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the contact member according to  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . According to a first embodiment, the anti-rotation connector  20  for shielding structure of the present invention includes a metal sleeve  21 , an insulating assembly  30  and a contact member  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the sleeve  21  serves to accommodate the insulating assembly  30  therein. The sleeve  21  has a first end  22  and a second end  23 . The sleeve  21  also has an internal stepped receiving hole  24 . The sleeve  21  further has a sleeve main body  25 , a tubular end section  26  and a connection section  28  positioned at the first end  22  of the sleeve  21 . The tubular end section  26  has an outer diameter and a wall thickness smaller than those of the sleeve main body  25 . A stopper section  27  is disposed on inner surface of the stepped receiving hole  24  near the second end  23  of the sleeve  21 . Multiple first splineways  29  are formed on inner surface of the receiving hole  24  near the first end  22  of the sleeve  21  at equal or unequal intervals. The first splineways  29  are directed in a direction along axial direction of the sleeve  21 . An outer circumference of the tubular end section  26  is formed with a thread for mechanically and electrically connecting with an interference connector having a thread. 
     The insulating assembly  30  is coaxially arranged in the receiving hole  24  of the sleeve  21 . The insulating assembly  30  includes a first insulating member  31  positioned at the first end  22  of the sleeve  21  and a second insulating member  32  positioned at the second end  23  of the sleeve  21 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 , the first insulating member  31  has a first through hole  37  and a second through hole  38 . The second through hole  38  has a dimension larger than that of the first through hole  37 . The first insulating member  31  includes a front end extension section  33 , an interface section  34 , an outer flange  35  and a rear end extension section  36 . The outer flange  35  has such a dimension as to be fitted in the receiving hole  24  of the sleeve  21 . An outer surface of the interface section  34  are formed with multiple first splines  39  complementary to the first splineways  29  of the sleeve  21 . When the first insulating member  31  is connected to the sleeve  21 , the first splines  39  are inlaid into the first splineways  29  to engage therewith. Accordingly, by means of a first anti-rotation structure, (that is, the first splines  39  and the first splineways  29 ), the first insulating member  31  is securely connected with the sleeve  21 . Under such circumstance, the problem existing in the conventional shielding device can be solved that after the sleeve is welded with the frame body at high temperature, the first insulating member will become freely rotatable within the sleeve. 
     The first insulating member  31  further has multiple second splineways  371  formed on inner surface of the first through hole  37  at equal or unequal intervals. The second splineways  371  are directed in a direction along axial direction of the first insulating member  31 . 
     The second insulating member  32  is installed in the receiving hole  24  by means of an annular member  322 . An outer flange  321  of the second insulating member  32  is sandwiched between the stopper section  27  and the annular member  322 , whereby the second insulating member  32  is firmly rested in the sleeve  21 . The insulating assembly  30  serves to insulate the sleeve  21  from the contact member  40 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the contact member  40  is a rod-like member, having a contact section  41 , a rear end section  42  and a connection section  43  positioned between the contact section  41  and the rear end section  42 . The contact section  41  is arranged in the first and second insulating members  31 ,  32 . The rear end section  42  is connectable to a conductive wire of a PC board to electrically connect the contact member  40  with the PC board. An outer surface of the contact section  41  is formed with multiple second splines  44  complementary to the second splineways  371  of the first insulating member  31 . When the contact member  40  is connected to the first insulating member  31 , the second splines  44  of the contact section  41  are inlaid into the second splineways  371  of the first insulating member  31  to engage therewith. Accordingly, by means of a second anti-rotation structure, (that is, the second splines  44  and the second splineways  371 ), the contact member  40  is securely connected with the first insulating member  31 . Under such circumstance, the problem existing in the conventional shielding device can be solved that after the connector is adhered to the PC board at high temperature, the first insulating member and the contact member will become freely rotatable relative to each other. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 10 , which shows a second embodiment of the anti-rotation connector  50  for shielding structure of the present invention. In this embodiment, the position of the first anti-rotation structure is changed in adaptation to different assembling positions between different types of insulating assemblies and sleeves. The anti-rotation connector  50  includes a metal sleeve  51 , an insulating assembly  60  and a contact member  70 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the sleeve  51  serves to accommodate the insulating assembly  60  therein. The sleeve  51  has a first end  52  and a second end  53 . The sleeve  51  has an internal stepped receiving hole  54  composed of a long cavity  541  and a short cavity  542 . The long cavity  541  terminates at a plane bottom section. The sleeve  51  has a sleeve main body  55 , a tubular end section  56  and a connection section  57  positioned at the first end  52  of the sleeve  51 . The end section  56  has an outer diameter and a wall thickness smaller than those of the sleeve main body  55 . Multiple first splineways  58  are formed on a surface of the plane bottom section of the long cavity  541  at equal or unequal intervals. The first splineways  58  are directed in a direction other than axial direction of the sleeve  51 . An outer circumference of the tubular end section  56  is formed with a thread for mechanically and electrically connecting with an interface connector having a thread. 
     The insulating assembly  60  is coaxially arranged in the long cavity  541  of the receiving hole  54  of the sleeve  51 . The insulating assembly  60  includes a first insulating member  61  and a second insulating member  62 . The first and second insulating members  61 ,  62  together form a tubular member. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the first insulating member  61  has a first end  63  and a second end  64 . Also, the first insulating member  61  has a socket  65  and an internal passage  66 . A rear end of the passage  66  is formed with a slope  67  positioned at the second end  64  of the first insulating member  61 . The first insulating member  61  includes a first tubular end section  68  and a second tubular end section  69 . The first tubular end section  68  has such a dimension as to be received in the long cavity  541  of the sleeve  51 . An end face of the first end  63  of the first insulating member  61  is formed with multiple first splines  631  complementary to the first splineways  58  of the sleeve  51 . When the first insulating member  61  is connected to the sleeve  51 , the first splines  631  are inlaid into the first splineways  58  to engage therewith. Accordingly, by means of a first anti-rotation structure, (that is, the first splines  631  and the first splineways  58 ), the first insulating member  61  is securely connected with the sleeve  51 . Under such circumstance, the problem existing in the conventional shielding device can be solved that after the sleeve is welded with the frame body at high temperature, the first insulating member will become freely rotatable within the sleeve. 
     Referring to  FIG. 13 , the contact member  70  is a plate-like member arranged in the insulating assembly  60 . The contact member  70  has a contact section  71 , a rear end section  72  and a connection section  73  positioned between the contact section  71  and the rear end section  72 . A free end of the contact section  71  has a resilient clip  74  positioned on the slope  67  of the first insulating member  61  and extending to the second insulating member  62 . An internal conductor of a mating connector can be clipped and held in the resilient clip  74  to electrically connect therewith. The rear end section  72  is connectable to a conductive wire of a PC board to electrically connect the contact member  70  with the PC board. 
     The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.