Patent Publication Number: US-8123561-B2

Title: Electrical connector shielding shell

Description:
This application is a national phase application of PCT Application No. PCT/US2007/002188, filed Jan. 26, 2007, which in turn claims priority to Chinese Application No. 20062002130.X, filed Jan. 26, 2006. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector which has ground terminals and can be connected to a counterpart. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , China Patent No. 02286721 discloses an existing electrical connector. The electrical connector includes an insulation body  7 , a shielding shell  8 , and several signal terminals C received in the insulation body  7 . 
     The insulation body  7  includes a base  70  and a mating portion  71  vertically extending from a side of the base  70  in the longitudinal direction. One surface of the base  70  from where the mating portion  71  extends is a mating surface  700 . Several receiving slots  701  penetrate through the other side of the base  70  opposite the mating portion  71 , and several accommodation slots  710  are disposed on a side wall of the mating portion  71  facing the receiving slot  701 , and each accommodation slot  710  integrally penetrates through the base  70 . Each signal terminal C is inserted in the corresponding accommodation slot  710 . 
     The shielding shell  8  covers the external surface of the insulation body  7 , and has a first retaining wall  80  and a second retaining wall  81  that are parallel to each other. The second retaining wall  81  has an abutting surface  810  that can abut against the mating surface  700  of the insulation body  7 . The abutting surface  810  has a pin  811  at a position corresponding to the receiving slot  701  of the insulation body  7  reversely extending towards the insulation body  7 , so as to be inserted in the receiving slot  701 , and thereby the shielding shell  8  is joined to the insulation body  7 . The second retaining wall  81  has several rectangular windows  812  disposed along a longitudinal direction at positions corresponding to the receiving slot  701  of the insulation body  7 , and each window  812  has a cantilever-shaped ground terminal G extending from a side wall of the abutting surface  810  and away from the abutting surface  810 . The ground terminal G extends towards the retaining wall  80  at a certain angle as a whole, and the free end of the ground terminal has a guide portion G protruding towards the first retaining wall  80  direction, so as to mate with the ground terminal (not shown) of the other electrical connector. 
     The ground terminal G extends from the sidewall of the window  812 , and the elasticity of the ground terminal G is insufficient since the cantilever is too short. Additionally, the number of the signal terminals of the electrical connector is quite more than that of the ground terminals. When the mated electrical connector is plugged therein, the signal terminals disposed on the same side will act relatively large pressing force towards the ground terminals, and the ground terminals with a less amount are broken, down to cause permanent deformation or insufficient elasticity. The electrical connector does not have a function for guiding the mated electrical connector to be inserted so that the impact and pressing on the ground terminals cannot be reduced when the mated electrical connector is plugged therein. Therefore, the terminal is likely to be over pressed and permanently deformed. 
     In view of the above reasons, the existing electrical connector still needs to be improved, so as to achieve a more preferred grounding effect. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an electrical connector, which can effectively protect ground terminals from being over pressed to cause deformation. 
     The present invention provides an electrical connector, to which a mated electrical connector is connected through an insertion interface. The electrical connector comprises a shielding shell, an insulation body clad with the shielding shell, several signal terminals received in the insulation body and several ground terminals. The shielding shell has a first wall, and each ground terminal has a contact portion with a concave surface towards the first wall. A protection body is disposed on the first wall and extended along the side of each ground terminal. 
     In an embodiment, each of the protection bodies is a bump protruding from the first wall towards the interior of the shielding shell. In another embodiment, each of the protection bodies is a folded sheet bent from one side of the first wall close to the insertion interface and extends towards the interior the shielding shell. The protection body has a guide portion located on one end of the protection body close to the insertion interface, and a stopping portion extending from the guide portion. The guide portion is closer to the insertion interface than the contact portion of the ground terminal, and the height of the stopping portion is lower than that of the contact portion. In an embodiment, the insulation body has a mating surface facing the insertion interface, the first wall has a mating side close to the mating surface, and each ground terminal is bent from the mating side towards the interior of the shielding shell and extends towards the insertion interface. 
     The electrical connector according to the present invention has protection bodies for protecting the ground terminals, and the protecting bodies guide the mated electrical connector to be raised when the mated electrical connector is inserted. Thus, the mated electrical connector is stopped at an appropriate height during the insertion. Consequentially, the ground terminal cannot be over pressed and permanently deformed. Therefore, the stability of the electrical connection is improved, and the service life of the electrical connecter is prolonged. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded stereogram of an existing electrical connector in the conventional art; 
         FIG. 2  is a stereogram of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional bottom view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view the electrical connector in  FIG. 2  from another perspective direction; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6(   a ) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 6  along the line of AA; 
         FIG. 6(   b ) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 6  along the line of BB; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7(   a ) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 7  along the line of CC; 
         FIG. 7(   b ) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 7  along the line of DD; 
         FIG. 8  is a stereogram of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional bottom view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 10(   a ) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 10  along the line of EE. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS 
     While this invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail, a specific embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , an electrical connector  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an insulation body  2 , a shielding shell  3  for covering the insulation body  2 , and several signal terminals  4  received in the insulation body  2 . The electrical connector  1  can further be disposed on a circuit board P (not shown), for a mated electrical connector  5  to be inserted (referring to  FIGS. 6(   a ),  6 ( b )) through an insertion interface  10 , and thereby signal transmission is realized between each other. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6 ,  6 ( a ), and  6 ( b ), an insulation body  2  of the electrical connector  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a generally rectangular base  20  and a mating portion  21  vertically extending from one side of a mating surface  200  of the base  20 . The mating surface  200  is one surface facing the insertion interface  10  of the electrical connector  1 . Several first retaining slots  201  disposed on the mating surface  200  are opposite to the extension side of the mating portion  21  and go through to their opposite surface. A groove  202  is formed on the mating surface  200  between adjacent first retaining slots  201 . Several terminal receiving slots  210  are disposed on the sidewall of the mating portion  21  close to the first retaining slot  201 . The terminal receiving slots  210  extend vertical to the mating surface  200 , and integrally penetrate through the base  20 . Additionally, a trapezoidal portion  22  protrudes on two side surfaces of the short edges of the base  20  and the mating portion  21 . An accommodation slot  220  and a second retaining slot  221  extend on each trapezoidal portion  22  and along the lengthwise direction of the first retaining slot  201 , and the second retaining slot  221  is located on the external side. 
     The shielding shell  3  has a first wall  30  and a second wall  31  opposite the first wall  30 . One side of the first wall  30  close to the mating surface  200  of the insulation body  2  is a mating side  300 , and several ground terminals  32  extend from the mating side  300  corresponding to the groove  202  of the insulation body  2 . The ground terminals  32  are bent from the mating side  300  towards the interior of the shielding shell  3  and extend towards the insertion interface  10 , and has an elastic arm  320  with a sufficiently length and a contact portion  321  having a concaved surface towards the first wall  30  on the free end of the elastic arm  320 . The contact portion  321  can contact the ground terminal of the mated electrical connector  5 . Several windows  301  corresponding to the contact portion  321  are formed on the first wall  30  to provide sufficient connection spaces. At the side of each ground terminal  32 , several retaining portions  33  substantially horizontally protrude from the mating side  300 . Each retaining portion  33  can be received in the corresponding first retaining slot  201  of the insulation body  2 , and thereby the shielding shell  3  and the insulation body  2  is combined together. Several protection bodies  34  corresponding to the retaining portions  33  protrude from the first wall  30  towards the interior of the shielding shell  3  on the side of each ground terminal  32 . In this embodiment, each protection body  34  is a semi-cylindrical shaped block, which has a guide portion  340  facing the insertion interface  10  and a stopping portion  341  extending from the guide portion  340  towards the mating side  300 . The guide portion  340  located on the front end of the protecting body  34  is closer to the insertion interface  10  than the contact portion  321  of each ground terminal  32 , and the height of the stopping portion  341  is lower than that of the contact portion  321  of each ground terminal  32 . In this way, when the mated electrical connector  5  is inserted into the electrical connector  1  through the insertion interface  10 , it is firstly raised by the guide portion  340  of the protecting body  34 . Consequentially, the ground terminal  32  is effectively prevented from being over depressed and deformed. Such permanent and excessive deformation is caused from that the electrical connector  1  is put at excessively low position. When the mated electrical connector  5  is connected with the electrical connector  1  of the present invention, due to the restriction on the height of the stopping portion  341 , the contact portions  321  of each ground terminal  32  of the electrical connector  1  are at most pushed to a height equal to that of the stopping portion  341 , and thereby the ground terminals  32  are prevented from being over pressed and permanently deformed. 
     Additionally, referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  7 , and  7 ( a ), in order to fix the shielding shell  3  on the circuit board, a fixing portion  35  is bent and extends from each of two sides of the second wall  31  (also can be the first wall  30 ) of the shielding shell  3 . A welding pin  36  is respectively bent and extends from each of two ends of the mating side  300  of the first wall  30 , and the welding pin  36  can be accommodated in the accommodation slot  220  of the insulation body  2 . The free ends of the fixing portion  35 , the welding pin  36  and the rear portions  42  of the signal terminals  4  are at the same level, and thereby they are welded on the circuit board P all together. Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  7 , and  7 ( b ), a retaining sheet  37  corresponding to each of the second retaining slots  221  of the insulation body  2  extends towards the interior of the shielding shell  3  from two ends of the shielding shell  3  close to the insertion interface  10 , and the retaining sheet  37  is mated and interfered with the second retaining slot  221  and further holds the shielding shell  3  and the insulation body  2  together. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 ,  9 ,  10 , and  10 ( a ), in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an electrical connector  1 ′ has a protection body  34 ′ which is a folded sheet. The protection body  34 ′ is bent backward from one side of the first wall  30  opposite the mating side  300  and extends towards the interior of the shielding shell  3 ′, and has a guide portion  340 ′ bent from one side close to the insertion interface  10 . A stopping portion  341 ′ horizontally extends from the guide portion  340 ′ towards the mating side  300 . Similarly, the guide portion  340 ′ on the front end of the protecting body  34 ′ is closer to the insertion interface  10  than the contact portion  321  of the ground terminal  32 , and the stopping portion  341 ′ at least extends towards the side of the contact portion  321 , and the height of the stopping portion  341 ′ is lower than that of the contact portion  321 . 
     The electrical connector of the present invention has protection bodies for protecting the ground terminals, and particularly, the mated electrical connector can be raised upon being guided by the guide portion of the protection body when being inserted in. The mated electrical connector can be stopped at an appropriate height by the stopping portion of the protecting body, and thereby the ground terminal is prevented from being over pressed and permanently deformed. Furthermore, the ground terminals extend from the mating side of the first wall. The elasticity of the ground terminal is greatly increased in comparsion with the existing ground terminal extending from the window so that the ground terminals are prevented from being deformed effectively. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing description and the appended claims.