BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a micro
electrical connector for mating with a complementary connector.
2. Description of Prior Arts
[0002] A force is certainly needed during an electrical connector connecting or disconnecting
with a complementary connector. Normally, this force has little effect on normal size
connector, because the normal size connector always has a firm structure. However,
a micro connector always has a very weak structure, so it is easily broken when the
force is overage. The complementary connector is always arranged in the electronic
equipment. If the complementary connector is broken, it is difficult to be replaced
and repaired.
[0003] Obviously, it is desirable to have an improved electrical connector to avoid damage
to the complementary connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector to avoid
damage to a complementary connector.
[0005] To achieve the above object, an electrical connector adapted for connecting/disconnecting
with/from a complementary connector in a front-to-back direction, includes a shell,
an insulative housing and a number of contacts received in the housing. The shell
includes a main body, a connecting tab and a mating portion, the main body further
includes a receiving space surrounded by a top surface, a bottom surface, and a pair
of lateral surfaces. The connecting tab only connects with one edge of said surfaces
of the main body. The mating portion extends from the connecting tab in the front-to-back
direction. The insulative housing includes a base portion receiving in the receiving
space of the main body of the shell and a tongue portion extending from the base portion
along the mating direction received in the mating portion of the shell.
[0006] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent
from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0007] FIG. 1 is an assembled, perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance
with the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG.
1;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but taken from a different aspect;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a shell of the electrical connector;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a partially assembled, perspective view of the electrical connector;
[0012] FIG. 6 is another partially assembled, perspective view of the electrical connector;
and
[0013] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but taken from a different aspect.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an electrical connector 100 in accordance with the present
invention comprises a metal shell 1, an insulative housing 2, a plurality of contacts
4 received in the insulative housing 2, a pair of locking member 3, and a stopping
block 5. In the present embodiment, the electrical connector 100 is in accordance
with a micro USB standard. However, in alternative embodiment, the electrical connector
could be provided as other types.
[0015] Particularly referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the metal shell 1 comprises a top shell 11
and a bottom shell 12. The top shell 11 comprises a main body 111, a connecting tab
115 and a mating portion 112. The main body 111 comprises a top surface 113, a pair
of lateral surfaces 114 and a bottom surface 117 (shown in FIG. 4). The top surface
113 comprises a pair of first gaps 1130 and a second gap 1131 located more adjacent
to the connecting tab 115 than that of first gaps 1130. Each lateral surface 114 defines
a first cutout 1140 and a second cutout 1141. The bottom surface 117 has a jag (not
labeled) thereon and a pair of resilient tabs 1170 bent inwardly from the opposite
edges of the jag of the bottom surface 117. The connecting tab 115 is bent downwardly
from the main body 111 along an up-to-down direction. The mating portion 12 extends
forwardly from the connecting tab 115 along a front-to-back direction. Thereby, the
mating portion 112 can move along the up-to-down direction relative to the main body
111 through the connecting tab 115. Certainly, the connecting tab 115 also can extend
from the lateral surface 114, accordingly, the mating portion 112 move along a lateral
direction relative to the main body 111. A pair of rectangular cutouts 116 are defined
at a portion where the connecting tab 115 and the main body 111 join. The rectangular
cutouts 116 are applied for decreasing the intension of the connecting tab 115, therefore,
the connecting tab 115 can be bent more easily. The mating portion 112 defines a mating
cavity 118, a pair of positioning tabs 1181 extending backwardly from rear edge thereof,
and a pair of receiving cutouts 1180 at a surface of the mating cavity 118.
[0016] The bottom shell 12 comprises a bottom wall 121, a front wall 123, a rear wall 122
and a pair of lateral walls 124. These walls together define a receiving cavity (not
labeled). The rear wall 122 of the bottom shell 12 has a receiving hole 1220 for cable
(not shown) passing through. Each lateral wall 124 forms a block 1240 corresponding
to the first cutout 1140 of the top shell 11 and a third cutout 1241 overlapped the
second cutout 1141 of the top shell 11. The bottom wall 121 also defines a third gap
125 corresponding to the second gap 1131 of the top shell 11.
[0017] Each contact 4 comprises a contacting portion 43, a tail portion 41 and a retaining
portion 42 connecting the contacting portion 43 and the tail portion 42. Each tail
portion 41 is bent from the retaining portion 42 downwardly/upwardly along the up-to-down
direction. So, the space between adjacent tail portions 41 becomes bigger, and it
facilitates to soldering the cable to the tail portions 41.
[0018] Each locking member 3 comprises a locking arm 31, a resilient arm 33 parallel with
the locking arm 31 and a U-shape retaining arm 32. The locking arm 31 and the resilient
arm 33 extend from the U-shape retaining arm 32 in a same direction. The locking arm
31 forms a bar 35 at the distal end thereof. The bar 35 forms an incline guiding face
36 thereon. The retaining arm 32 and the locking arm 31, respectively, forms a stopping
projection 34, 37 for stopping the locking member 3 has a further movement into the
housing 2.
[0019] The insulative housing 2 comprises a base portion 21 and a tongue portion 22 extending
forwardly from the base portion 21 along the front-to-back direction. The base portion
21 comprises a plurality of receiving passageways 211 therein, and a pair of receiving
slits 213 at the opposite ends of the receiving passageways 211. A pair of positioning
blocks 214 is, respectively, beside corresponding receiving slits 213. Each positioning
block 214 comprises a receiving portion 216 for fixing the connecting tab 112 of the
top shell 11. The base portion 21 defines an upper engaging hole 215 and a lower engaging
hole (not shown), respectively, defining at the top face and the bottom face thereof.
The upper engaging hole 215 communicates with the receiving passageways 211, the lower
engaging hole is separated with the receiving passageways 211. The tongue portion
22 defines a plurality of receiving slots 221 communicating with corresponding receiving
passageways 211. A pair of the projecting portions 222 are defined at the opposite
ends at the tongue portion 22 and form a pair of holding slits 223 with the tongue
portion 22. The holding slits 223 are used to receiving the distal ends of the locking
members 3, and restrict the movement of the locking member 3 in the lateral direction.
The base portion 21 further forms a pair of retaining projections 212 at the opposite
lateral faces.
[0020] The stopping block 5 receiving in the upper engaging hole 215 comprises a stopping
section 51 and an engaging section 52.
[0021] During assembly, the contacts 4 are inserted into the housing 2 along the front-to-back
direction. The retaining portion 42 of each contact 4 is received in corresponding
receiving passageways 211, the contacting portion 43 extends into corresponding receiving
slot 221 with tip end exposed outside, and the tail portion 41 is exposed beyond the
housing 2. The stopping block 5 is inserted into the housing 2 through the upper engaging
hole 215 along the up-to-down direction. The engaging section 52 of the stopping block
5 engages with the retaining portions 42 of the contacts 4, and the stopping section
51 engages with the inner face of the upper engaging hole 215. The upper face of the
stopping block 5 is lower than the upper face of the base portion 21 of the housing
2. The locking members 3 are inserted into the receiving slits 213 with the distal
end extending into the holding slits 223 and the stopping projections 34, 37 engaging
with the rear face of the housing 2. The resilient arms 33 are exposed out of the
housing 2.
[0022] During the housing 2 is inserted into the top shell 11, the resilient tabs 1170 are
bent downwardly because of the pressure on the housing 2. When the base portion 21
of the housing 2 is completely received in the main body 111 of the top shell 11,
the resilient tabs 1170 come back to original position for stopping the locking member
3 to untie from the housing 2 in the front-to-back direction. The retaining projections
212 are received in corresponding second cutouts 1141. The tongue portion 22 is received
in the mating cavity 118 of the mating portion 112 of the top shell 11. The positioning
tabs 1181 are received in the receiving portions 216 of the positioning blocks 214.
The positioning blocks 214 engage with the connecting tabs 115 in the up-to-down direction,
and engage with rear edge of the mating portion 112 in the front-to-back direction.
The positioning block 214 restricts the mating portion 112 and indicates weather the
tongue portion 22 of housing 2 is completely received in the mating cavity 118. The
stopping projection 34 of each locking member 3 is in a line with corresponding first
gap 1130, and the bar 35 of each locking member 3 passes through corresponding receiving
cutouts 1180 of the mating portion 112. The bottom shell 12 is assembled to the housing
2 and the top shell 11 from down to up. The blocks 1240 of the lateral wall 124 of
the bottom shell 12 are received in the first cutouts 1140 of the top shell 11, the
third cutouts 1241 hold the retaining projection 212 of the housing 2.
[0023] Because the mating portion 112 of the top shell 11 just connects with one edge of
the main body 111 of the top shell 11, it is easily to bend the mating portion 112
relative to the main body 111. During the electrical connector 100 is inserted into
the complementary connector, if the force working on the electrical connector is overage,
the mating portion 112 is easily broken. Thereby, it avoids the complementary connector
to be broken.
[0024] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages
of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together
with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative
only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and
arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated
by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
1. An electrical connector adapted for connecting/disconnecting with/from a complementary
connector in a front-to-back direction, comprising:
a shell comprising a main body, a connecting tab and a mating portion, the main body
further comprising a receiving space surrounded by a top surface, a bottom surface,
and a pair of lateral surface, said connecting tab only connecting with one edge of
said surface of the main body, said mating portion extending from the connecting tab
in the front-to-back direction;
an insulative housing comprising a base portion received in the receiving space of
the main body of the shell, and a tongue portion extending from the base portion along
the mating direction and received in the mating portion of the shell; and
a plurality of contacts receiving in the housing;
wherein a cutout is defined at a portion where the main body and the connecting portion
join.
2. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, further comprises a locking member
assembled to for locking with the complementary connector.
3. The electrical connector as described in claim 2, wherein the locking member comprises
a locking arm, a retaining arm and a U-shape resilient arm connecting the locking
arm and the retaining arm, and wherein the locking arm forms a bar at the distal end
thereof for locking with the complementary.
4. The electrical connector as described in claim 3, wherein the top shell comprises
a pair of receiving cutouts at the mating portion, and wherein the bar of each locking
member passes through and exposes out of the top shell.
5. The electrical connector as described in claim 3, wherein the tongue portion forms
a pair of projecting portions are at the opposite ends thereof, each projecting portions
defines a holding slit with the tongue portion, and wherein the bars of locking member
is received in corresponding holding slit of the housing.
6. The electrical connector as described in claim 3, wherein the retaining arm and the
locking arm, respectively, forms a stopping projection extending downwardly.
7. The electrical connector as described in claim 6, wherein the shell forms a pair of
resilient tabs bent inwardly from the bottom surface thereof, and wherein the resilient
tab resists with the stopping projection for stopping locking member has a further
movement into the housing along the front-to-back direction.
8. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, wherein the shell comprises a top
shell and a bottom shell, the connecting tab extends downwardly from front edge of
a top surface of the top shell.
9. The electrical connector as described in claim 8, wherein the top shell comprises
said main body and said mating portion.
10. The electrical connector as described in 1, wherein the housing forms a positioning
block, and the shell forms a positioning tab corresponding to positioning block.
11. The electrical connector as described in claim 10, wherein the positioning block comprises
a receiving portion for receiving the positioning tab of the shell.
12. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, further comprising a stopping block,
and wherein the stopping block comprises a stopping section and an engaging section
inserted into the housing.
13. The electrical connector as described in claim 12, wherein the housing comprises an
upper engaging hole receiving the stopping block for engaging with the contacts in
the housing.
14. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, wherein each contact comprises a
contacting portion, a retaining portion extending rearwardly from the retaining and
a tail portion bent from the retaining for soldering with a cable.
15. The electrical connector as claim 14, wherein the tail portion of one of the adjacent
contacts is bent downwardly, and the tail portion of the other of the adjacent contact
is bent upwardly.
16. The electrical connector as described in claim 14, wherein the shell has a receiving
hole for the cable passing through.