Patent Publication Number: US-7909659-B2

Title: Anti-mismating electrical connector and method for manufacting same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector that is prevented from mis-mating with a mating connector. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     Electrical connectors, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) plug and a mating USB receptacle, are widely used in a portable electronic appliance. The USB plug usually comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals retained in the insulative housing, a metal cover shielding over the insulative housing, and an insulative cover molded outside of the metal cover for protection. The insulative housing forms a tongue portion. The terminals partly extend beyond the tongue portion for engaging with the USB receptacle. The USB receptacle is fixed to the electronic appliance. The USB plug in use does not clearly indicate to a user which is an upper side or a lower side thereof, although a logo is labeled on the upper side or the lower side. A user sometimes needs more than one trial to finally, correctly engage the USB plug with the USB receptacle. Therefore, the USB plug is very easily destroyed during the tries to engage the two, especially under a large inserting force from the user. Accompanying with a miniaturization of the electronic appliance, the USB receptacle is minimized in size and accordingly, the USB plug is also required to be of a minimized size. With the minimized size of the USB plug, the terminals and the tongue portion are thinner, have decreased strength and are easily damaged. 
     Hence, an electrical connector with anti-mismating mechanism for preventing its damage and also for preventing damage to the mating connector is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with anti-mismating mechanism for preventing its damage and also for preventing damage to the mating connector. 
     To achieve the above object, an electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of conductive contacts retained in the insulative housing, a shielding member covering the insulative housing and an insulative cover molded outside of the shielding member. The insulative cover has a lever portion extending inside the shielding member and being sandwiched between a portion of the shielding member and the insulative housing. The insulative cover defines a slit on an outer surface thereof for anti-mismating. The insulative cover has a floor piece located below the slit. The lever portion is connected to the floor piece for preventing the floor piece from being cracked. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective, assembled view of an electrical connector constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective, assembled view of the electrical connector; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective, partly exploded view of the electrical connector; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective, exploded view of the electrical connector; 
         FIG. 5  is another perspective, exploded view of the electrical connector; and 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , an electrical connector  100  of the present invention, preferably embodied in a USB (Universal Serial Bus) plug used for engaging with a mating connector (not shown) preferably embodied in USB receptacle, comprises an insulative housing  20 , a plurality of conductive contacts (not shown) of conventional construction retained in the insulative housing  20 , a shielding member  3  covering the insulative housing  20  and an insulative cover  50  molded outside of the shielding member  3  for protection. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , the insulative housing  20  comprises a tongue portion  22  extending forward for engaging with the mating connector, a rear portion  24  extending rearward for coupling to a cable (not shown), and a connecting portion  23  between the tongue portion  22  and the rear portion  24 . The connecting portion  23  protrudes higher than the tongue portion  22  and the rear portion  24  such that the tongue portion  22  and the rear portion  24  are separated from each other as two separated portions. The tongue portion  22  defines a plurality of passageways  220  extending from the front to the rear, passing through the connecting portion  23  to the rear portion  24 . The conductive contacts are received in the passageways  220  and connect with the cable at the rear portion  24  for signal transmission. In a preferred embodiment, the cable comprises a plurality of wires soldering with the conductive contacts. The insulative housing  20  defines a cutout  210  at a lower side  21  of the insulative housing  20  which is opposite to the side defining the passageways  220 . The cutout  210  has a first width and is mostly located at the rear portion  24  of the insulative housing  20 . The cutout  210  further extends to the connecting portion  23  with a second width smaller than the first width. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the shielding member  3  comprises a first metal cover  30  and a second metal cover  40  securing to the first metal cover  30  for defining a receiving room for the insulative housing  20 . The first metal cover  30  comprises a shroud portion  31  at a front part thereof and a sleeve portion  32  extending rearward from the shroud portion  31 . The shroud portion  31  is wholly closed and receives the tongue portion  22  therein. The sleeve portion  32  is partly framed with an opening. The second metal cover  40  is mounted to fill up the opening and fasten with the sleeve portion  32  for cooperatively receiving the rear portion  24  of the insulative housing  20 . The second metal cover  40  comprises a main portion  41  and a bundle portion  42  extending from the main portion  41  for retaining the cable. The main portion  41  defines a recess portion  410 , at a front part thereof, which is appropriately immersed in the cutout  210  of the insulative housing  20 . The shroud portion  31  of the first metal cover  30  comprises a bottom surface  311  leveling with the main portion  41  of the second metal cover  40 . The bottom surface  311  defines a notch  310  facing to the recess portion  410 . The notch  310  is arranged above and communicates the cutout  210  of the insulative housing  20  when assembled. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-6 , the insulative cover  50  is molded outside of the shielding member  3  and comprises a pair of outer surfaces  51  and a pair of lateral walls  52  connecting with the outer surfaces  51 . The outer surfaces  51  and the lateral walls  52  cooperatively define a receiving space for partly receiving the shielding member  3 . An upper outer surface  51  defines a first slit  510  and forms a floor piece  511  located below the first slit  510 . The floor piece  511  is thinner than other parts of the upper outer surface  51  and is received in the recess portion  410  of the second metal cover  40  and supported by the second metal cover  40 , such that the floor piece  511  has an increased strength. The floor piece  511  extends far enough to engage the bottom surface  311  of the first metal cover  30 , i.e., the rear edge of the bottom surface  311  is embedded into the insulative cover  50 . The insulative cover  50  further forms a lever portion  53  connecting with the floor piece  511  and extending beyond a front edge of the floor piece  511 . The lever portion  53  extends parallel with the outer surface  51  and forms a linking portion  531  integrally connecting with the floor piece  511 . The lever portion  53  protrudes into the cutout  210 . The lever portion  53  is sandwiched between the insulative housing  20  and the bottom surface  311  of the first metal cover  30  to assist retention of the floor piece  511  in place. A lower outer surface  51  defines a second slit  512  having a size different from the first slit  510  of the upper outer surface  51  in this embodiment. The size herein refers to may be either width or depth, or length. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , a manufacturing method of the electrical connector  100  is provided as following: providing an insulative housing  20  with a cutout  210  and retaining a plurality of conductive contacts; providing a first metal cover  30  comprising a shroud portion  31  at a front part thereof and a sleeve portion  32  extending rearward from the shroud portion  31 , the shroud portion  31  defining a notch  310  at a bottom surface  311  thereof; assembling the insulative housing  20  into the first metal cover  30 ; securing a second metal cover  40  to the sleeve portion  32  of the first metal cover  30 , cooperatively covering over the insulative housing  20  with the first metal cover  30 ; molding the insulative cover  50  outside of the first metal cover  30  and the second metal cover  40  with at least one outer slit  510  (or  512 ) for anti-mismating and partially filling the cutout  210  of the insulative housing  20  through the notch  310  to form a lever portion  53  between the insulative housing  20  and the bottom surface  311  of the first metal cover  30  which is finally integral with the insulative cover  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , because the insulative cover  50  of the present invention defines a first slit  510  and a second slit  512  on opposite outer surfaces  51 , and the first slit  510  and the second slit  512  have different sizes for meeting with different ribs of the mating connector, the electrical connector  100  is prevented from mis-mating with the mating connector. In other embodiment, the electrical connector  100  has only one of the outer surfaces  51  defining a slit  510  (or  512 ) while the other one does not have a slit. Such kind of the electrical connector  100  can also anti-mismate with the mating connector. Because the insulative cover  50  forms a lever portion  53  sandwiched between the insulative housing  20  and the bottom surface  311  of the first metal cover  30  for assisting retention of the floor piece  511 , as well as the floor piece  511  is received in the recess portion  410  of the second metal cover  40  and supported by the second metal cover  40 , the floor piece  511  is prevented from being cracked even if the floor piece  511  becomes thinner because of the slit  510  that is defined on the insulative cover  50 . 
     While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present invention are considered within the scope of the present invention as described in the appended claims.