Stacked electrical connector

Details Stacked electrical connector Stacked electrical connector

1998-04-03

2001-03-13

Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With supporting means for coupling part

Supporting plural, independent coupling parts

Reexamination Certificate

active

06200161

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This relates to the field of electrical connectors and more particularly to assemblies of several connectors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,362 is disclosed an assembly of a plurality of several connectors in a lower row of a frame member, and an additional connector in an upper row, with the mating faces of the connectors along a common face of the frame. Each of the connectors include pluralities of contacts secured in insulative housings. Contacts of all the connectors extend to and beyond a bottom face of the frame to be electrically connected to circuits of a circuit board onto which the assembly is mounted. A ground strap extends from an outer shield of the connector of the upper row to the frame bottom face, and a board lock at a lower end of the ground strap is insertable into a corresponding hole of the circuit board to establish a ground connection with a ground circuit of the board. A grounding clip is mounted in the frame in front of the several connectors of the lower row and is insertable into a corresponding hole of the circuit board to establish a ground connection with a ground circuit of the circuit board and the vertical conductive panel adjacent the mating face of the assembly, with the mating faces of the connectors exposed through cutouts of the panel. In particular, the connectors of the lower row are disclosed to be audio jacks.
In U.S. Pat. No. Des. 377,336 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,008 is disclosed an assembly of a first connector mounted at the top of a bracket, and a second connector mounted along the bottom of the bracket, with the bracket mountable onto a circuit board. The second connector provides along a common mating face, a plurality of positions for mating with additional connectors. The mating faces of the connectors are located along a vertical face of the bracket orthogonal to the board mounting face of the bracket.
It is desired to provide a stacked assembly of a connector in an upper row and a plurality of mating sites in a lower row, without a separate frame member or bracket.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, an upper connector is mounted to the top of an insulative frame, and a plurality of lower connectors are inserted into respective cavities of the insulative frame adjacent a board-mounting face of the frame. The mating face of the upper connector, and the mating faces of the lower connectors, are disposed along a common vertical face of the frame orthogonal to the board-mounting face. An insulative member is mountable to the frame rearwardly of the lower connectors and holds a pair of ground straps extending from the outer shield of the upper connector to the board-mounting face of the assembly, and engages lower ends of the elongate legs of contacts of the additional connector to maintain precise spacing and alignment thereof for board-connecting.
In one aspect of the invention, ground plates with panel-engaging arms and board-connecting legs are associated with each lower connector for shielding thereof at a panel cutout, and are disposed between each connector and a front wall of the insulative frame, being force fit between side walls of a respective connector-receiving recess of the frame.
Embodiments of the invention will now be disclosed by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 35039 (1995-09-01), Masuda et al.
patent: D. 377336 (1997-01-01), Tan et al.
patent: 4702707 (1987-10-01), Hillbish
patent: 4818239 (1989-04-01), Erk
patent: 5037330 (1991-08-01), Fulponi et al.
patent: 5044984 (1991-09-01), Mosser et al.
patent: 5080609 (1992-01-01), Fabian et al.
patent: 5085590 (1992-02-01), Galloway
patent: 5102354 (1992-04-01), Crane et al.
patent: 5161997 (1992-11-01), Defibaugh
patent: 5167531 (1992-12-01), Broschard, III et al.
patent: 5267876 (1993-12-01), Rupert et al.
patent: 5336109 (1994-08-01), Hillbish et al.
patent: 5407366 (1995-04-01), Briones et al.
patent: 5547398 (1996-08-01), Ichikawa et al.
patent: 5643008 (1997-07-01), Tan et al.
patent: 5695362 (1997-12-01), Hillbish et al.
patent: 5755592 (1998-05-01), Hillbish et al.
AMP Catalog 65445,“Amplimite HD-20 Subminiature D Stacked PCB Connectors Series I, Series II and Hybrid Styles,” 16 pages; Sep. 1992; AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, PA.
Foxconn Drawing No. 301-0100-465,“Connector, Game/Audio Dual Port D-Sub . . . Audio Jack”; one page; (1995) ; Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co. Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan, Roc.

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