Electrical plug connector with spring latch and grounding tabs

Details Electrical plug connector with spring latch and grounding tabs Electrical plug connector with spring latch and grounding tabs

2001-12-20

2002-11-26

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With circuit conductors and safety grounding provision

Grounding of coupling part

C439S616000, C439S358000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06485315

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a small form factor plug connector for high speed data transmission which has a plastic spring latch and separate conductive grounding tabs.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Referring to
FIG. 9
, a prior art concept for a small form factor plug connector
700
and complementary receptacle connector
800
are shown. The plug connector
700
has a main body
710
, an insert
720
, a plurality of contacts
730
, and a conductive metal latch
740
. A front portion
742
of the latch
740
is attached between the main body
710
and the insert
720
. A rear portion
744
of the latch
740
connects to a rear end of the insert
720
. A central portion
746
of the latch
740
extends in an arc between the front portion
742
and the rear portion
744
. A lock
748
sits atop the central portion
746
.
The mating receptacle connector
800
has a conductive shell
810
, roughly rectangular in shape and having an opening
820
for insertion of a front end of the mating plug connector
700
. A window
830
is defined in an upper wall
815
of the shell
810
for engaging with the lock
748
of the latch
740
on the plug connector
700
. The latch
740
serves a second purpose of establishing electrical grounding contact with the shell
810
of the receptacle. The latch
740
is quite long, and if the plug
700
is inserted into the receptacle
800
at a high angle, the latch
740
can be easily bent so that it no longer locks with the window
830
, and further, so that it no longer provides a reliable grounding contact between the plug connector
700
and the receptacle connector
800
.
Referring to
FIG. 10
, patent application Ser. No. 09/826,995, having the same assignee as the present application, discloses an electrical connector
901
having a housing
910
which includes an upper half
912
and a lower half
911
. A plastic latch
920
is rotatably mounted between the lower half
911
and a pair of retaining tabs
915
, which are integrally a part of the upper half
912
. A coil spring
926
arranged between the latch
920
and the upper half
912
biases the latch
920
in an upward position. A grounding tab
930
is fixed to the upper half
912
, and has a pair of spring arms
932
for electrically contacting a wall of a mating receptacle connector (not shown). Two retaining posts
940
of the upper half
912
can insert through holes
941
in the spring arms
932
and can be deformed into enlarged heads, thereby retaining the grounding tab
930
to the housing
910
. The retaining tabs
915
are vulnerable to being bent, and the inclusion of the coil spring
926
and the requirement for deforming the retaining posts
940
unnecessarily complicates manufacture of the connector
901
, increasing manufacturing costs.
An improved plug connector with a more robust latch design is desired to overcome the limitations of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a small form factor plug connector which has a robust latching mechanism for locking the plug connector into a mating receptacle connector;
A second object of the present invention is to provide a small form factor plug connector which has a ground tab which reliably establishes an electrical connection with the mating receptacle connector.
A third objective of the present invention is to provide a small form factor plug connector which is easily and cheaply manufactured.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a plug connector in accordance with the present invention includes a housing, an insert, a plurality of contacts, a plastic spring latch, and a metallic grounding clip.
The housing has two sidewalls with a bed, a front shelf, and a top beam connecting the two sidewalls together. The contacts are mounted in the housing and are accessible at the front shelf for connecting with terminals of a mating receptacle connector.
The insert is slab-shaped and forms a thin tongue at a center of its forward end. The tongue is flanked by a pair of thicker support beams, which are flanked by side beams.
The grounding clip is made of a metallic material and is ring-shaped. The grounding clip is bended downward into a hook at its forward end to allow it to clamp to the support beams at the forward end of the insert. The grounding clip bends upward at its rearward half to electrically contact a grounding surface of the receptacle.
The spring latch is elongate and forms a hook at its front end to clamp to the tongue of the insert. A lock is formed on an upper surface of the spring latch for engaging with an aperture cut in the receptacle connector to lock the plug connector to the receptacle connector. The spring latch is made of plastic and is of such a design that it will not permanently deform in normal use.
The insert attaches to a top of the housing, completing assembly of the plug connector. The advantage of the present invention over the prior art is that the spring latch is more durable and provides for easier assembly than that of the prior art, and the grounding clip is more protected from permanent distortion and is simpler in design.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5934939 (1999-08-01), Thenaisie et al.
patent: 6290530 (2001-09-01), Chang
patent: 6328601 (2001-12-01), Yip et al.
patent: 6431887 (2002-08-01), Yeomans et al.

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