Electrical connector having grounding bridge

Details Electrical connector having grounding bridge Electrical connector having grounding bridge

2003-01-08

2003-12-16

Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision

Grounding of coupling part

C439S607560, C439S181000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06663402

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and particularly to an electrical connector having grounding bridges.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical connectors usually have guiding columns to be inserted into guiding apertures of mating connectors for guiding the electrical connectors to engage with the mating connectors and grounding bridges provided on the guiding columns for contacting with grounding members of the mating connector for Electro-Static Discharge (ESD).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,833 discloses in
FIGS. 7 and 8
thereof a connector
10
comprises a pair of metallic grounding pads
17
each having a contacting portion
174
exposed from opposite ends of the housing
11
for electrically engaging with a shield
23
of a mating connector
20
. The grounding pads
17
are inserted into cavities
128
of the housing
11
from a bottom face of the housing
11
, and the grounding pads
17
are positioned in the cavities
128
by junctures
176
thereof upwardly abutting against blocks
125
,
126
on opposite ends of the housing
11
and first feet
175
thereof pressing against an inner side of the shield
13
attached to an outer side of the housing
11
. Sometimes, customers want electrical connectors with grounding pads thereof retained in other ways.
Hence, an electrical connector with improved grounding bridges is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having grounding bridges which can be reliably retained therein and which can assure an electrical connection thereof with a shield of a mating connector complementary to the electrical connector.
To achieve the above object, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing having an elongated base wall and a mating wall projecting upwardly from an upper surface of the base wall and provided with a pair of guiding columns on opposite ends thereof, a plurality of terminals received in the housing, a metallic shield attached to an outer side of the insulative housing, and a pair of grounding bridges each having a body portion and a resilient arm extending upwardly from the body portion. Each guiding column defines a slot. A pair of notches are defined in the upper surface of opposite ends of the base wall. Each notch communicates with a lower portion of a corresponding slot. The body portions of the grounding bridges are retained in the notches and the resilient arms extend in the slots. The body portions of the grounding bridges electrically connect with the metallic shield from the upper surface of the base wall.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention and a mating connector complementary to the electrical connector;
FIG. 2
is a top plan view of the electrical connector of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a front elevational view of the electrical connector of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is a top plan view of the mating connector of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 5
is a front elevtional view of the mating connector of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 6
is a cross-sectional view of the mating connector taken along line
6
—
6
of
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 7
is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line
7
—
7
of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 8
is a view similar to
FIG. 7
with the mating connector of
FIG. 6
shown; and
FIG. 9
is a view similar to
FIG. 8
, showing the electrical connector and the mating connector haven been engaged with each other.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5344341 (1994-09-01), Yoshino
patent: 5356300 (1994-10-01), Costello et al.
patent: 5478259 (1995-12-01), Noschese
patent: 5993257 (1999-11-01), Maruyama
patent: 6390833 (2002-05-01), Chang

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