Patent Publication Number: US-7581968-B1

Title: Receptacle connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to an electric connector, and more particularly to a receptacle connector. 
   2. The Related Art 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , traditionally, a receptacle connector  5  is adapted to electrically mate with a plug connector  6 . The receptacle connector  5  has two perforations  51  defined at two sides thereof and longitudinally therethrough. The receptacle connector  5  further includes a plurality of terminals  50  received in a middle thereof and passing through a front thereof. The plug connector  6  includes two latches  61  longitudinally configured at two sides thereof and stretching out from a front thereof. The plug connector  6  further includes a plurality of plug terminals  60  received in a middle thereof and protruding out from the front thereof. When the plug connector  6  is inserted in the receptacle, connector  5 , the latches  61  are inserted in the respective perforations  51  to make the plug terminals  60  electrically contact with the corresponding terminals  50  firmly. However, the perforation  51  of the receptacle connector  5  freely opens from front to rear so that dust outside the perforation  51  is apt to enter an electronic device (such as a mobile phone) connected with the receptacle connector  5  along the perforation  51  to contaminate a printed circuit board of the electronic device. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle connector adapted to mate with a plug connector having at least one latch. The receptacle connector includes a connector body, a plurality of terminals received in the connector body and at least one dust-proof cover. The connector body defines at least one perforation therethrough. The perforation has a first port from which the latch of the plug connector is received in the perforation, and a second port communicating with the first port. The dust-proof cover is mounted on a rear portion of the connector body to seal the second port of the perforation. 
   As described above, the dust-proof cover is mounted on the rear portion of the connector body so as to seal the second port of the perforation for preventing dust outside the perforation from entering an electronic device along the perforation to contaminate a printed circuit board of the electronic device. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a traditional receptacle connector; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a prior plug connector, which is adapted to electrically mate with the traditional receptacle connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a plug connector, which is adapted to electrically mate with a receptacle connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the receptacle connector in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the receptacle connector of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is another angle exploded view of the receptacle connector of  FIG. 4 , wherein a connector body is partially cut open; and 
       FIG. 7  is another angle perspective view of the receptacle connector of  FIG. 4 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , a receptacle connector  1  is adapted to electrically mate with a plug connector  4 . The plug connector  4  includes two latches  40  configured at two sides thereof and stretching out from a front of the plug connector  4 . A front of the latch  40  transversely defines two fillisters  401  respectively at a top and a bottom thereof. The plug connector  4  further includes a plurality of plug terminals  41  received in the plug connector  4  and located between the two latches  40  to stretch out from the front of the plug connector  4 . The receptacle connector  1  includes a connector body  10 , a plurality of terminals  20  received in the connector body  10  and two dust-proof covers  30 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the connector body  10  has a front wall  11  and two sidewalls  12 . The front wall  11  connects a front of the two sidewalls  12  and defines a plurality of cavities  111  arranged at regular intervals along a longwise direction thereof for receiving the corresponding terminals  20 . Each of the sidewalls  12  defines a rectangular perforation  120  longitudinally therethrough. The perforation  120  has a first port  121  at front from which the corresponding latch  40  of the plug connector  4  is received in the perforation  120 , and a second port  122  at rear communicating with the first port  121 . A top and a bottom of the second port  122  respectively protrude into the second port  122  to form a pair of fixing ribs  124  extending transversely and facing each other. A rear of the sidewall  12  concaves forward to form a rectangular groove  131  adjacent to a left side of the perforation  120 . A front of the groove  131  extends upward and downward respectively to penetrate the sidewall  12  for defining a pair of fixing holes  130 . A rear of a top of the sidewall  12  concaves forward to form a gap  132  located at a right side of the perforation  120 . A front of the gap  132  extends downward to form a fixing trough  133 . A rear of a bottom of the sidewall  12  concaves forward to form a fixing recess  134  located at the same side with the gap  132 . The groove  131 , the fixing holes  130 , the gap  132 , the fixing trough  133  and the fixing recess  134  define a fixing section  13 . 
   Each of the dust-proof covers  30  has a rectangular base body  31  located vertically. A middle of a front of the base body  31  concaves rearward to form a rectangular receiving space  32 . Accordingly, the receiving space  32  defines a left sidewall  35  and a right sidewall  36  facing each other. A middle of the left sidewall  35  protrudes forward to form a fixing block  331  extending vertically in accordance with the corresponding groove  131  of the connector body  10 . A top and a bottom of the fixing block  331  respectively extend forward to form a pair of fixing arms  332 . A front of one of the fixing arms  332  protrudes upward and a front of the other fixing arm  332  protrudes downward to form a pair of hooks  3321  opposite to each other. A top of the right sidewall  36  extends forward to form a fixing bar  334  according to the respective gap  132  of the connector body  10 . A front of the fixing bar  334  protrudes downward to form a barb  3341 . A bottom of the right sidewall  36  protrudes forward to form a protrusion  335  in accordance with the corresponding fixing recess  134  of the connector body  10 . The fixing block  331 , the fixing arms  332 , the hooks  3321 , the fixing bar  334 , the barb  3341  and the protrusion  335  define a locking portion  33 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3-7 , in assembly, the terminals  20  are received in the respective cavities  111  of the connector body  10 . The dust-proof covers  30  are respectively mounted on the rear of the corresponding sidewalls  12  of the connector body  10  and the receiving space  32  communicates with the corresponding second port  122 . The fixing block  331  and the fixing arms  332  are inserted in the groove  131  and the hooks  3321  buckle into the corresponding fixing holes  130 . The fixing bar  334  is received in the gap  132  and the barb  3341  buckles into the fixing trough  133 . The protrusion  335  is inserted in the fixing recess  134 . Therefore, the dust-proof cover  30  is firmly mounted on the rear of the sidewall  12  of the connector body  10  to seal the second port  122  of the perforation  120 . When the plug connector  4  is inserted in the receptacle connector  1 , the latches  40  of the plug connector  4  are inserted into the corresponding perforations  120  of the connector body  10  of the receptacle connector  1  from the first port  121 . The front of the latch  40  is received in the corresponding receiving space  32  of the dust-proof cover  30  and the fixing ribs  124  of the connector body  10  buckle into the respective fillisters  401  of the latch  40  to ensure that the terminals  20  of the receptacle connector  1  firmly electrically contact with the corresponding plug terminals  41  of the plug connector  4 . 
   As described above, the fixing rib  124  of the connector body  10  is designed to buckle with the corresponding fillister  401  of the latch  40  for making the receptacle connector  1  and the plug connector  4  electrically connect with each other firmly. The locking portion  33  and the corresponding fixing section  13  buckle with each other to make the dust-proof cover  30  firmly mounted on the rear of the respective sidewall  12  of the connector body  10  so as to seal the second port  122  of the perforation  120  for preventing dust outside the perforation  120  from entering an electronic device along the perforation  120  to contaminate a printed circuit board of the electronic device (not shown).