Electrical connectors – With vitreous-type envelope – Having bayonet-coupling contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-03
2001-10-09
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With vitreous-type envelope
Having bayonet-coupling contact
C439S607070
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299487
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to plug and receptacle connectors, and more particularly to a connector having an engagement means that is wear resistant and which provides a point of shielding contact.
Plug and receptacle connectors are commonly used to connect electrical transmission cables to electrical components. Often these connectors employ a plug connector terminated to the transmission cable and a receptacle connector terminated to a circuit board. In these connectors, the plug connector typically has a recessed shield within an insulative housing that engages a shielded housing of the receptacle. This engagement typically involves metal to plastic contact. Metal engagement arms on one connector will engage an opposing plastic surface of the other connector prior to engaging the recessed shield. This plastic to metal contact may result in abrasion and wear of the plastic mating surfaces and deterioration of the mating engagement arms of the shield to the point where the engagement of the two connectors is compromised. Furthermore, debris created by the wearing of the plastic mating surfaces could adversely affect the electrical performance of the connectors.
Furthermore, when such connectors are used in high speed data transmission applications, the amount of electromagnetic or radio frequency interference increases. This may be reduced by shielding. One solution to this problem has been to use a capacitive gasket. However, this solution is costly and requires additional space in the connector system. It is therefore desirable to provide a connector system that is wear-resistant and which provides shielding against the aforementioned interference.
The present invention is directed to a connector system and connect that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a plug connector for engaging a receptacle connector wherein the opposing engagement surfaces of the two connectors are formed from a wear-resistant material, such as a metal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a first connector for engaging a second connector wherein the engagement surfaces for both connectors are formed of metal and which define points of conductive engagement between shield members of the two connectors.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a plug connector having a metal shield integrated therewith, the shield having tab members integrally formed therewith that extend outwardly therefrom to present metal engagement surfaces that are engaged by opposing metal engagement arms of the opposing connector, the tab members also providing points of conductive contact between the shields of the two connectors.
These and other objects are accomplished through the unique and novel structure of the present invention.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, a plug connector is provided with an elongated metal shell that extends for substantially the entire longitudinal extent of the connector. This shell provides an electromagnetic or radio frequency interference shield for the connector, but it also has a pair of end tabs formed along its mating face. These tabs extend outwardly at a slight radius and are preferably embedded in the sidewalls of the connector housing during over molding. The tabs extend in opposition to a pair of engagement arms of the shield of an opposing receptacle connector and thereby provide metal-to-metal contact between the two connectors.
The tab members of the plug connector are formed as part of the overall connector shield and also provide a means for electrically connecting the two connector shields together. These points of engagement are formed lengthwise along the connectors and, as such, they do not overly increase the size of the connectors. The tab members may be formed with a slight radius to define an arcuate surface that the engagement arms of the receptacle connector can engage.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through consideration of the following detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5254010 (1993-10-01), Davis
patent: 5397246 (1995-03-01), Defibaugh et al.
patent: 5676569 (1997-10-01), Davis
patent: 6027375 (2000-02-01), Wu
patent: 6062907 (2000-05-01), Tan et al.
patent: 6086421 (2000-07-01), Wu et al.
Chavez, Jr. Jose H.
Lopata John E.
Peloza Kirk B.
Purkis Timothy E.
Yap Yew Teck
Molex Incorporated
Nguyen Son V.
Patel Tulsidas
Paulius Thomas D.
Zeitler Robert J.
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