Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Supporting plural – independent coupling parts
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-03
2004-02-03
Ngo, Hung V. (Department: 2831)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Supporting plural, independent coupling parts
C439S607070
Reexamination Certificate
active
06685504
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having reliable grounding capabilities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the electronics industry, electrical connectors are often mounted to printed circuit boards for electrical connection to circuit traces on the boards. The electrical connectors typically comprise housings, a plurality of contacts received in the housings and shields enclosing the housings for shielding against electromagnetic interference (EMI). In order to remove undesired noises, more and more electrical connectors tend to employ signal conditioning components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,767 discloses a conventional electrical connector assembly
2
. The electrical connector assembly
2
comprises an insulative housing
4
, a metallic shield
92
enclosing the housing
4
and a signal conditioning printed circuit board (PCB)
36
. The signal conditioning PCB
36
is received in the housing
4
with an exposed portion projecting out of the housing
4
. It is desirable to connect the signal conditioning PCB
36
to ground. One method of grounding the signal conditioning PCB
36
is to attach directly a ground wire
50
to the exposed portion of the signal conditioning PCB
36
. This method has problems in requiring a separate connecting operation and also is relatively complicated.
To solve above-mentioned problems, in one embodiment as disclosed in
FIG. 8
of the '767 patent, the shield
92
forms a tab
94
outwardly bending. The tab
94
electrically connects with the exposed portion of the signal conditioning PCB
36
. The shield
92
also has a plurality of mounting legs
96
which are soldered to a mother PCB
90
. A continuous ground connection is thus established between the two PCBs
36
and
90
. However, being exposed to outside, a connecting joint between the tab
94
of the shield
92
and the signal conditioning PCB
36
may be damaged by external forces and may break down after a period of use of the electrical connector assembly
2
, resulting in an unreliable ground connection between the signal conditioning PCB
36
and the mother PCB
90
.
Hence, an improved electrical connector assembly is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having a shield which is capable of establishing a reliable grounding connection between the electrical connector assembly and a mother printed circuit board of an electrical device.
An electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention is mounted on a mother printed circuit board (PCB) of an electrical device. The electrical connector comprises an insulative main housing, a contact module, a daughter PCB and a shield. The main housing comprises opposite front and rear walls, and opposite sidewalls substantially perpendicular to the rear wall. The main housing defines a cavity for receiving the contact module. The contact module comprises a compensation PCB and a plurality of conductive terminals soldered on the compensation PCB. The daughter PCB is parallel to the rear wall of the main housing. The daughter PCB is electrically connected to the conductive terminals of the contact module. A pair of contact pads formed on opposite faces of the daughter PCB. The shield defines a chamber for shielding the main housing and the daughter PCB therein. The shield comprises two pairs of projecting contacting legs. The contacting legs clamp the daughter PCB and electrically connecting with corresponding contact pads of the daughter PCB. The shield also comprises a plurality of mounting legs soldered to ground traces on the mother PCB of the electrical device. A continuous ground connection is thus established between the daughter PCB and the mother PCB of the electrical device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5647767 (1997-07-01), Scheer et al.
patent: 6183292 (2001-02-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6478610 (2002-11-01), Zhou et al.
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Ngo Hung V.
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