Patent Publication Number: US-10333243-B2

Title: Electrical connector having a terminal module supported by an insulative housing and a shielding shell

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector including a terminal module, an insulative housing, and a shielding shell, wherein the terminal module has a front portion supported by the insulative housing and a rear portion supported by the shielding shell to obtain a firm structure. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     China Patent No. 103457093 discloses an electrical connector comprising an insulative housing, a terminal module received by the insulative housing and having an internal printed circuit board (PCB), and a shielding shell enclosing the insulative housing and the PCB, wherein the insulative housing has a pair of restraining slots receiving a front of the insulator. U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,151 discloses an electrical connector including a pair of light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted to an insulative housing. The LED has two leads align respectively with side slots of the insulative housing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An electrical connector comprises: an insulative housing; a terminal module received by the insulative housing, the terminal module including an insulator, a plurality of terminals, and an internal, horizontal printed circuit board (PCB) carrying plural magnetic components; and a shielding shell enclosing the insulative housing and the PCB, wherein the insulative housing has a pair of restraining slots receiving a front of the insulator, and the shielding shell has a pair of abutting arms received between the insulator and the PCB. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a front and top perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear and bottom perspective view of the electrical connector; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a further exploded view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective view of a terminal module of the electrical connector; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line A-A in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 7 , an electrical connector  100  comprises an insulative housing  1 , a terminal module  2  received by the insulative housing  1 , and a shielding shell  4  enclosing the insulative housing  1 . The electrical connector  100  may further comprise a pair of light emitting diodes (LEDs)  3  mounted to the insulative housing  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , the terminal module  2  includes an insulator  22 , a plurality of terminals  21  secured to the insulator  22 , and an internal, horizontal printed circuit board (PCB)  23  carrying plural magnetic components  233  and mounted to the insulator  22 . The terminal  21  has a contacting portion  211 , a securing portion  212  secured to the insulator  22 , and a connecting portion  213 . The insulator  22  has a pair of front posts  227 . 
     The insulator  22  of the terminal module  2  has a front restraining portion  221  and a rear restraining portion  222 . The PCB  23  has a pair of notches  231  corresponding to the front restraining portion  221 . The restraining portion  221  has a protrusion  2210 . The rear restraining portion  222  includes a slot formed by recessing from an upper surface of the insulator. The PCB  23  is mounted to the insulator  22  by way of features  224  and  232 . The PCB  23  further has slots  234  for the securing portions  212  of the terminals  21  to extend through and conductive pads  235  ( FIG. 7 ) and carries magnetic components  233 . 
     The insulative housing  1  has a base  15  defining a receiving cavity  10  and a rear mount  16 . The base  15  includes a top wall  151 , a bottom wall  152 , two side walls  153  and  154 , a notch  1511  in the top wall bordered by inner wall  1512 , side grooves  13  on the side walls for accommodating the LEDs  3 , and terminal-receiving grooves  12 . The mount  16  includes an upper wall  161  and two side walls  163  together surrounding a receiving space  160  and a pair of restraining slots  14  each bordered in part by a lower stop  141  and an upper notch  142 . The notch  142  receives the protrusion  2210 . The side groove  13  has a horizontal part  131  and two vertical parts  132 . The mount  16  further has a pair of holes  167  receiving the pair of posts  227  of the insulator  22 . 
     The shielding shell  4  includes a top plate  41 , two side plates  42 , a front plate  43 , and a rear plate  44 . The front plate  43  has an opening  431  and a pair of holes  432  corresponding to the two LEDs  3 . The top plate  41  has a notch  411  in communication with the opening  431 . The notch  411  is bordered by a reinforced portion  412  of the top plate  41 . The reinforced portion  412  covers the inner wall  1512 . The shielding shell  4  has a pair of abutting arms  421 , bent inward from the side plates  42 , each received at the rear restraining portion  222 , i.e., between the PCB  23  and the insulator  22 , and contacting a corresponding conductive pad  235  for grounding purpose. The shielding shell  4  further has a pair of legs  423 . 
     The LED  3  has a body  31  and two leads each with a horizontal portion  33  and a vertical portion  32 . The body  31  and the lead horizontal portion  33  are received in the side groove horizontal part  131  and the lead vertical portions  32  are received in the side groove vertical parts  132 . 
     In this invention, with the insulative housing restraining slots  14  receiving a front of the insulator  22  of the terminal module  2  and the shielding shell abutting arms  421  interference fitted to and therefore supporting the terminal module  2 , a firm structure is obtained. Notably, the abut arm  421  may further include a vertical segment to increase resiliency during assembling. On the other hand, the two LEDs  3  are instated into the side grooves  13  in an opposite manner along a transverse direction may maintain the relative longer dimension of the housing for reinforcing consideration.