Electrical connectors – Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield – Shielding individually surrounding or interposed between...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2002-02-12
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield
Shielding individually surrounding or interposed between...
C439S701000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06346009
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to a multiple electrical connector assembly.
Certain hardware requires multiple electrical connectors to be mounted in the same vicinity, such as at the rear of a computer box. For example, multiple USB connectors are sometimes provided on a computer to provide respective input/output connections to multiple peripheral devices. In a conventional assembly of multiple electrical connectors, however, the connectors are assembled in an end-to-end longitudinal fashion. Such a connector assembly typically includes a two-piece bracket which secures the connectors. Unfortunately, the overall width of such a conventional connector assembly can be excessive due to the transverse arrangement of the connectors. This can undesirably limit efforts to design reduced-sized components in which the assembly is installed. Furthermore, the manufacture and assembly of known two-piece brackets are unduly complicated and expensive.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved electrical connector assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved shielded electrical connector assembly including a bracket for securing together multiple connectors in an integral, compact fashion. For example, in an embodiment, an electrical connector assembly is provided which includes a plurality of electrical connectors, each having an insulative housing containing a plurality of electrical terminals. Each of the terminals has a contact portion for mating to a respective terminal of a complementary mating plug connector and a tail portion for mating to a respective conductor. Each connector further includes a conductive shield substantially enclosing, or at least partially enclosing, the housing. The shield has a mating portion proximate to the contact portions of the terminals. The mating portion extends forwardly of each of the electrical connectors. The assembly additionally includes a conductive bracket for securing together the electrical connectors in an integral fashion. The bracket, in an embodiment, includes a lateral wall with opposed side walls depending from the lateral wall. The conductive bracket embraces the electrical connectors between the opposed side walls. The mating portions of the shields of the electrical connectors extend forwardly of front edges of the opposed side walls.
The bracket includes a plurality of flanges or tabs which clamp against the connectors to secure the bracket around the connectors. In an embodiment, at least some of the tabs or flanges are plastically bendable in an inward direction against the connectors to retain the connectors within an interior cavity generally defined by walls of the bracket. For example, in an embodiment, the bracket includes a pair of flanges extending inwardly from the front edges of the opposed side walls. Each of the inward flanges clamps a respective edge of one of the electrical connectors adjacent the respective front mating portion.
Also, the shield of each of the electrical connectors has a front face outside of the mating portion of the shield and the inward flanges engage the front face of the respective electrical connector. In an exemplary embodiment, the bracket includes a finger which extends downwardly from a front edge of the lateral wall, wherein the finger clamps against front faces of the adjacent electrical connectors. Also, in an embodiment, the bracket includes one or more rear flanges or rear wall members for securely clamping the rear of the bracket to the electrical connectors. Additionally, an embodiment of the one or more tabs extends from a bottom lateral edge of the bracket for securely clamping an underside surface of the connectors.
The rear of the bracket includes one or more tabs or wall portions for retaining a rear side of the connectors. For example, an embodiment of the bracket includes a pair of rear walls extending inwardly from rear edges of respective side walls. The rear walls may substantially cover a rear of the connectors, providing enhanced shielding at the rear of the connectors.
In an embodiment, the shield of at least one of the electrical connectors includes one or more feet for engaging a circuit board on which the assembly is mounted. The feet may be in the form of insertion type mounting legs for extending through apertures on a circuit board. The feet may also have a surface mount type of mounting structure.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a multiple electrical connector assembly comprising at least two vertically upstanding connectors secured together in an integral side-by-side manner.
Another advantage of the present invention is to facilitate easy manufacture and assembly.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with reduced overall size.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that resists loosening from an installed position.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.
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Gilman Alexander
Molex Incorporated
Paumen Gary
Zeitler Robert J.
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