Retention member for connector

Details Retention member for connector Retention member for connector

2000-01-20

2001-06-05

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield

Shielding individually surrounding or interposed between...

C439S573000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06241556

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a connector with an improved retention member which simplifies manufacture and assembly of the connector.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat No. 5,104,326 issued on Apr. 14, 1992 discloses a connector
6
(see FIG.
5
). The connector
6
comprises a longitudinal dielectric housing
60
, a metallic shield
70
surrounding a front side
65
of the housing
60
, a spacer
80
, and a plurality of contacts
90
secured in the housing
60
.
The housing
60
is symmetric about a central line in the mating direction and defines a pair of recesses
61
in an upper side thereof, and a pair of notches
62
and four slits
63
in a front end thereof. Two of the slits
63
rearwardly extend from lateral edges of the front end of the housing
60
adjacent end walls
64
and the other two extend rearwardly from a top edge of the front end of the housing
60
.
The shield
70
includes a pair of legs
71
bending rearwardly from a top edge thereof, a pair of holes
72
corresponding to the notches
62
, and four latches
73
corresponding to the slits
63
. Each leg
71
has a foot
711
projecting upwardly from a plate
713
thereof.
The spacer
80
defines a pair of toes
82
extending upwardly from a bottom side thereof and a pair of receiving holes
84
proximate the toes
82
.
During assembly, the shield
70
is pushed rearwardly from a front of the housing
60
and then encloses the front end of the housing
60
. The pair of legs
71
are respectively received in the recesses
61
of the housing
60
. The latches
73
are respectively locked to the slits
63
and the holes
72
are thus aligned with corresponding notches
62
. The spacer
80
is then mounted to a top end of the housing
60
so that the feet
711
extend through the receiving holes
82
of the spacer
80
. The connector
6
can then be secured to a circuit board (not shown) by the feet
711
and the toes
82
fitting into corresponding holes in the circuit board (not shown).
However, the housing
60
and the shield
70
are complexly configured. The defect in this prior art connector is that there are so many retention members (the legs
71
, the feet
711
, the latches
73
, etc.) that the danger of misfitting pieces within tolerance is aggravated. Moreover, the connector
6
requires a spacer
80
to space and position the contacts
90
.
Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a connector with an improved retention member which simplifies manufacture and assembly of the connector.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a connector includes an elongate housing, a metallic shield surrounding a front end of the housing, and a plurality of terminals received in the housing.
The housing comprises a body portion, a receiving cavity and a mating board forwardly projecting from a front side of the body portion. The body portion includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, a pair of sidewalls extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, a front wall and a receiving cavity therein. A pair of gaps is defined between the front wall and the sidewalls. Each sidewall defines a channel communicating with the gap, a ditch in an inner side thereof opening to the channel, and a notch at an outer rear end thereof. The bottom wall defines a plurality of cutouts for spacing and securing the terminals.
The shield comprises a surrounding portion, a pair of fingers projecting rearwardly from the surrounding portion, and a plate bending outwardly from a bottom end of the finger. Each finger defines a bending portion at a rear end thereof with an aperture in the bending portion, and a tab at a forward side of the bending portion.
In assembly, the terminals are inserted into the receiving cavity and their lower ends are secured in the bottom wall. The shield is attached to the housing from a front of the housing while the fingers thereof extending beyond the channels. The tab of each finger slides through the gap into the ditch of the sidewall and interferentially fits with an inner side of the sidewall. The bending portion of each finger is then bent outwardly into the notch of the sidewall thereby securing the shield to the housing. The plates of the shield are used to mount the connector to a circuit board.
The connector of the present invention, therefore, is of a greatly simplified design composed with the prior art, having fewer pieces and simpler engaging means. The result should be a connector well fit for mass production at a low cost.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5104326 (1992-04-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5727970 (1998-03-01), Koguchi et al.
patent: 5730609 (1998-03-01), Harwath
patent: 5947769 (1999-09-01), Loenard et al.
patent: 6050852 (2000-04-01), Wu
patent: 6066003 (2000-05-01), Chang
patent: 6077115 (2000-06-01), Yang et al.

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