Electrical connector

Details Electrical connector Electrical connector

2000-01-26

2001-05-01

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With supporting means for coupling part

Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening

C439S607070

Reexamination Certificate

active

06224420

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical connector used for connecting electronic devices such as personal computers.
Recently, personal computers have begun to use miniature electrical connectors referred to as USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectors, as shown in FIG.
5
.
This type of miniature electrical connector, typically includes: a connector socket
2
A mounted on a printed circuit substrate
1
A. A connector plug
3
A, is insertable within connector socket
2
A. Connector socket
2
A includes a shield case
4
A, which is formed by bending a metal sheet in the shape of a rectangular column.
Within shield case
4
A, an insulative housing
6
A supports four contact pins
5
A. Contact pins
5
A are laterally arranged side-by-side. An intermediate section of contact pins
5
A is fixed to an insulative housing base
6
a
. This arrangement connects external connecting ends
5
a
to contact pins
5
A. An end support
6
B is integrally molded with the upper half of insulative housing base
6
a
. End support
6
B is formed so that its vertical thickness is roughly half that of shield case
4
A. A bottom surface of end support
6
B supports a contact end
5
b
of contact pins
5
A.
Connector plug
3
A connects to connector socket
2
A. A shield case
7
A, which is formed as a rectangular column, can be inserted inside shield case
4
A. A space
8
A is formed within a plug shield
7
a
of shield case
7
A and receives end support
6
B. A contactor
10
A has a contact end
10
a
positioned directly below space
8
A. Contact end
10
a
is supported by an end support
9
a
of an insulative housing
9
A.
In this conventional connector socket
2
A, a pair of fixing claws
11
is integrally molded from ear-ward portions of the side walls of shield case
4
A. This allows connector socket
2
A to be mounted to printed circuit substrate
1
A. The ends of fixing claws
11
are inserted through holes formed on printed circuit substrate
1
A. Fixing claws
11
are then soldered to the conductor layer of printed circuit substrate
1
A using a solder-dipping method.
However, when connector socket
2
A is fixed via fixing claws
11
, in the above manner, the connection between fixing claws
11
and printed circuit substrate
1
A is weak. Thus, shield case
4
A may be deformed if connector socket
2
A is “forced” while inserting connector plug
3
A. Shield case
4
A must be rigid enough to prevent connector
2
A from twisting, even if connector plug
3
A is forced into position. This requirement is an obstacle to the miniaturization of connector socket
2
A.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the conventional miniature connector described above.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that does not easily deform during insertion or removal.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide accurate and good contacts between the external contact terminals and the conductor layer of the circuit substrate.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides fixing L-shaped wings, extending downward along a front side of an electrical socket, are soldered to a substrate. Fixing legs, extending downward along a back side of the socket, are also soldered to the substrate. Bridge projections extend downward from the bottom of the socket toward the substrate to brace the socket during insertion and removal. Slots along the side of the socket match projections along the sides of the plug and guide the plug as it is inserted into the socket.
According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided an electrical connector comprising: a socket; the socket having a downwardly extending left and right fixing wing disposed along a front portion of a left and right side surface respectively of the socket; the fixing wings are L-shaped having a foot part; the foot part extending downward toward a circuit board; and the socket also having a downwardly extending left and right fixing leg disposed along a rear portion of a left and right side surface respectively of the socket affixable to the circuit board.
According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided an electrical connector assembly comprising: a socket; the socket having a downwardly extending left and right fixing wing disposed along a front portion of a left and right side surface respectively of the socket; the fixing wings are L-shaped having a foot part; the foot part extending downward toward a circuit board; the socket also having a downwardly extending left and right fixing leg disposed along a rear portion of a left and right side surface respectively of the socket affixable to the circuit board.; a plug; and the plug removably fitting within the socket.
The present invention provides an electrical connector mounted on a printed circuit substrate. An insulative housing supports a plurality of contact members. The insulative housing is mounted in a shield case. The shield case is formed by bending a metal sheet into a rectangular cylinder. A pair of fixing wings is formed by cutting and bending lower portions of side walls toward the front of the shield case in an “L” shape. A pair of fixing legs is formed by cutting and bending the rear end of the shield case. The fixing wings and the fixing legs are soldered to a conductor layer on the printed circuit substrate.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixing wings and the fixing legs end at a position lower than the bottom surface of the shield case. Additionally, the fixing legs are positioned close to the external contact ends of the contact members which are soldered to the conductor layer of the printed circuit substrate. This arrangement accurately maintains the positioning between the external contact ends. Also provided are a pair of longitudinally extending slots formed from a rear end surface of the side walls of the shield case. The insulative housing has ridge projections integrally formed on its opposing side surfaces. The ridge projections fit within the shield case slots and guide the housing as it slides into the shield case. The insulative housing and the shield case form a portion of the connector socket.
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: 5267868 (1993-12-01), Wolff, Jr.
patent: 5928035 (1999-07-01), Jankowsky et al.
patent: 6000968 (1999-12-01), Hagiwara
patent: 6007376 (1999-12-01), Shimizu
patent: 6007381 (1999-12-01), Ando et al.
patent: 6036544 (2000-03-01), Brunker et al.
patent: 91071 (1992-08-01), None

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