Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2001-04-03
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210217
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector system which comprises an electrical connector with a fastening attachment and a panel with a complementary hole, more particularly to an electrical connector system for conveniently and accurately engaging with another electrical connector.
Auxiliary fastening devices such as screws are normally used to mount an electrical connector to a panel, but these make the assembly or disassembly process troublesome. An electrical connector which has a fastening attachment is desired to meet the requirements of mass production. Such an electrical connector is shown in FIG.
6
. The electrical connector
50
comprises an elongated insulative housing
501
and a fastening portion
502
projecting rearwardly from the insulative housing
501
. A pair of fixing wings
503
respectively depends from opposite top and bottom edges of the fastening portion
502
. A retaining portion
504
outwardly extends from a distal end of each fixing wing
503
, forming a pair of spaces
505
within the acute angles defined by the fixing wings
503
and the retaining portions
504
. A projection
507
extends outwardly from an inward edge of each slit
506
. In assembly, an upper edge
512
and a lower edge
513
of a slot
511
in a conductive panel
51
are respectively secured in the angle spaces
505
between the fixing wings
503
and the retaining portions
504
.
The fixing wings
503
and the projections
507
are complex and difficult to manufacture, so the design of the electrical connector is not appropriate for inexpensive mass production. Furthermore, the electrical connector can not be conveniently assembled or dissembled, and the projections
507
are easily abraded over time, so that a reliable attachment with the panel cannot be attained. Additionally, the projections
507
are vulnerable to being damaged by strong insertion forces.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector system which has an electrical connector with a fastening attachment and a conductive panel with a complementary hole which can be easily assembled together and can endure a strong inserting force.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector system which has an insulative housing and a shell for fastening the electrical connector onto a panel and facilitating a convenient assembly and disassembly.
An electrical connector system according to the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a shell enclosing the insulative housing, and a conductive panel defining a mating slot therein. The shell includes a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces together defining a plug receiving opening for receiving the forward receiving slots of the insulative housing therein. A top flange, a bottom flange and a pair of side flanges respectively extend from forward edges of the top surface, the bottom surface and the pair of side surfaces. A latching rib substantially upwardly and forwardly extends and bends from a rear edge of the top surface of the shell, forming an acute angle relative to the top surface of the shell. A distal end of the latching rib bends downwardly and forwardly to form a front end of the latching rib. A retaining flange downwardly depends from the bottom surface of the shell adjacent to the bottom flange of the shell. The conductive panel defines a mating slot for mounting the electrical connector thereon. A top projection extends inwardly from a top edge of the mating slot of the conductive panel and is retained in a space between the top flange and the latching rib of the shell. A bottom projection depends from a bottom edge of the mating slot of the conductive panel and is retained between the retaining flange and the bottom flange of the shell. A first retaining tongue and a second retaining tongue respectively depend from opposite side edges of the mating slot of the conductive panel and firmly contact opposite side surfaces of the shell of the electrical connector for orienting the shell of the electrical connector.
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.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3052865 (1962-09-01), Pappano et al.
patent: 3168612 (1965-02-01), Sorenson
patent: 3339050 (1967-08-01), Mitchell
patent: 4947010 (1990-08-01), Heydner et al.
patent: 5613876 (1997-03-01), Sakatani et al.
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Luebke Renee
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