Electrical connector with securely assembled spacer

Details Electrical connector with securely assembled spacer Electrical connector with securely assembled spacer

2002-11-04

2004-04-20

Nasri, Javaid H. (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield

Shielding individually surrounding or interposed between...

C439S079000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06722923

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having a spacer for positioning tails of a plurality of terminals thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid development of the consumer and commercial products, hard disk drivers are not only used in personal computers but also widely used in other products such as set-top boxes, fax machines, network processors and video recorders etc. The hard disk drivers for use with these products are required to increase data storage capacity and transfer rates. Consequently, it is necessary to provide a new connection interface. An article, entitled “Docking Connectors Simplify Drive Designs” and published in a monthly periodical entitled “CONNECTOR SPECIFIER” issued on March, 2000, discloses several docking connectors. The docking connectors can be directly mounted on a printed circuit board without using a flat ribbon cable or a power wire harness.
A conventional docking connector usually comprises an elongated insulative housing, a plurality of terminals, a metal shielding shell and a spacer. The insulative housing defines a plurality of receiving passageways therethrough for receiving the terminals. The tails of the terminals extend beyond the insulative housing. The shielding shell is assembled onto the insulative housing for shielding mating portions of the terminals. The spacer has two clasping arms upwardly extending therefrom and each clasping arm has a hook at a top end thereof. The hooks engage corresponding recesses of the insulative housing for assembling the spacer onto the insulative housing. The spacer defines a plurality of holes and the tails of the terminals pass through the holes for retaining in proper positions. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,643,010, 5,658,156, 5,709,556, 5,711,678, 5,879,171 and 6,146,201 all disclose such a connector. However, the conventional engagement between the hooks and the recesses is not stable. When the clasping arms are subject to a lateral force, it is easy for the hooks to break away from the recesses.
Hence, it is requisite to provide an improved electrical connector to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a spacer stably and reliably assembled thereto.
In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways, a plurality of conductive terminals, a metal shielding shell assembled onto the insulative housing and a spacer. One ends of the conductive terminals are received in the passageways of the insulative housing and the other ends thereof extend beyond the insulative housing. The space defines a plurality of positioning holes for retaining the other ends of the conductive terminals in position. The spacer is mounted onto the insulative housing by means of the engagement between a plurality of guiding posts and hollow posts. The guiding posts are formed on one of the spacer and the insulative housing, and the hollow posts are formed in the other of the spacer and the insulative housing. Each guiding post is received in a corresponding hollow post by means of the engagement between a protrusion and a recess. The protrusion is formed on one of the periphery of the guiding post and an inner side of the hollow post, and the recess is defined in the other of the periphery of the guiding post and the inner side of the hollow post.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5382168 (1995-01-01), Azuma et al.
patent: 5540598 (1996-07-01), Davis
patent: 5643010 (1997-07-01), Wu
patent: 5658156 (1997-08-01), Henderson et al.
patent: 5709556 (1998-01-01), Tan et al.
patent: 5711678 (1998-01-01), Wu
patent: 5879171 (1999-03-01), Wu
patent: 6056560 (2000-05-01), Wu et al.
patent: 6146201 (2000-11-01), Chen
patent: 6273732 (2001-08-01), Johnescu et al.
patent: 6375498 (2002-04-01), Yu et al.
“Docking Connectors Simplify Drive Designs”, Connector Specifier, issued on Mar., 2000.

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