Miniature connector

Details Miniature connector Miniature connector

2000-02-23

2001-10-16

Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part including flexing insulation

Coupling part housing hinged for coupling part assembly

C439S404000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06302736

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector. In particular, the present invention relates to a miniature connector used in connecting electronic devices such as personal computers and the like.
Because of component crowding in small space areas in these electronic devices, the USB type connectors employed are quite small and commonly are termed as such or as “miniature” connectors.
As is well known, in a connector plug, which is used to connect to a connector socket mounted, e.g., on a printed circuit board, a shield case covers the outside of an inner insulated body, which supports a plurality of contacters. The exterior surface of the end part on the connection cord side of this shield case is covered with an external insulated mold.
However, when molding this external insulated mold, the injection pressure of the molding resin can reach several 10's of kg/cm2. As a result, the external insulated mold resin can enter into the interior of the shield case from spaces in the shield case, which is positioned on the injection molding die and this can create problems.
In the inner insulated body in the interior of the connector plug, a plurality of contacter housing holes, in which contact conductors (contacters) are inserted and supported, are formed. When the external insulating resin enters into a part of these contacter housing holes, the surface of the contacter can become coated with resin. In connector use, this can cause contact failure.
As a result, in the manufacturing process for the connector plug with the construction described above, prior to the molding of the external insulated mold, the entrance to the contacter housing holes is covered with seal tape or by a separate part, such as a plug to prevent the flow of mold resin into the contacter housing holes.
However, with this method of closing the contacter housing holes, the work requires precision, and forceps for handling very small parts must be used. As a result, work efficiency is poor, and the work requires skilled labor.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a miniature connector with a construction that does not require a special plug or a tape seal to close the contacter housing holes prior to forming the external insulated mold.
In order to achieve this objective, the present invention provides a miniature connector having an inner insulating body, which supports a plurality of contact conductors which contact conductors on a companion connector, the inner insulating body being surrounded on the outside by a shield case, and an external insulated mold covering an outer surface of a connection cord side end of the shield case, wherein: a flap is formed in a unitary manner via a thin-walled hinge on the internal insulating body; and a plurality of plug protrusions are formed on the insulating body in a protruding manner so that the flap can be manipulated or folded to insert each of the plug protrusions into the contacter housing holes or passages in a hole or passage blocking position thereby to block resin leakage into same during formation of the external insulated mold.
In the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention given later, the following features will be explained:
1) a construction, wherein: a means for locking, which maintains the plug protrusions in an inserted state with respect to the contact conductor housing or passage holes, is formed between a main body part of the inner insulating body and the flap.
2) a construction, wherein: the means for locking has a pair of locking tabs formed in unitary manner on both ends of either the main body part or the flap, and, strikers formed in unitary manner opposite the locking tabs on both ends of a other of the main body or the flap.
3) a construction, wherein: a connecting part cover, which covers the contact conductor at an end part that is soldered to a connection cord, is formed in unitary manner on the flap; a soldering part of the connection cord is protected by the connecting part cover.
4) a construction, wherein: the miniature connector is a connector plug, which is inserted into an insertion opening of a companion connector socket which is mounted on a printed circuit board.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5147222 (1992-09-01), Hotea et al.

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