Durable connector receptacles with reinforced tongue and ground contacts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10862248-B2
Application number	US-201815996197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Connector receptacles that are able to withstand insertion and other forces, are reliable, and are easy to manufacture. In various examples, the connector receptacle tongue or other portions may be reinforced such that they may withstand the insertion forces exerted through a connector insert.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector receptacle comprising:
a tongue, the tongue comprising:
a first plurality of contacts on a top side of the tongue and a second plurality of contacts on a bottom side of the tongue;
a metallic center portion between the first plurality of contacts and the second plurality of contacts and having outside edges forming a first side ground contact and a second side ground contact;
an upper metallic portion attached to a top of the metallic center portion and forming a first ground contact spaced above the metallic center portion;
a lower metallic portion attached to a bottom of the metallic center portion and forming a second ground contact spaced below the metallic center portion; and
a molded portion over the metallic center portion leaving a portion of each of the first plurality of contacts, the second plurality of contacts, the first ground contact, the second ground contact, the first side ground contact, and the second side ground contact exposed.

2. The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein the upper metallic portion and the lower metallic portion are integrally formed.

3. The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein the upper metallic portion and the lower metallic portion are separately formed.

4. The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein the upper metallic portion, the lower metallic portion, and the metallic center portion are attached.

5. The connector receptacle of claim 4 wherein the upper metallic portion, the lower metallic portion, and the metallic center portion are attached using laser welds.

6. The connector receptacle of claim 5 wherein the upper metallic portion, the lower metallic portion, and the metallic center portion each include side tabs, where the side tabs are used to align the upper metallic portion, the lower metallic portion, and the metallic center portion before they are laser welded together.

7. The connector receptacle of claim 6 wherein the side tabs may be clamped together when the upper metallic portion, the lower metallic portion, and the metallic center portion are laser-welded together.

8. The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein a front portion of the upper metallic portion is folded under itself to provide reinforcement for the first and second side ground contacts, and a front portion of the lower metallic portion is folded over itself to provide reinforcement for the first and second side ground contacts.

9. The connector receptacle of claim 8 wherein the upper metallic portion further forms a third ground contact spaced between the first ground contact and the metallic center portion and the lower metallic portion further forms a fourth ground contact spaced between the second ground contact and the metallic center portion.

10. A connector receptacle comprising:
a tongue, the tongue comprising:
a first plurality of contacts on a top side of the tongue and a second plurality of contacts on a bottom side of the tongue;
a metallic center portion between the first plurality of contacts and the second plurality of contacts and having outside edges forming a first side ground contact, a second side ground contact, and a front edge;
an upper metallic portion attached to a top of the metallic center portion and forming a first ground contact spaced above the metallic center portion and a first reinforcing portion attached to the metallic center portion along at least a portion of the front edge;
a lower metallic portion attached to a bottom of the metallic center portion and forming a second ground contact spaced below the metallic center portion and a second reinforcing portion attached to the metallic center portion along at least a portion of the front edge; and
a molded portion over the metallic center portion leaving a portion of each of the first plurality of contacts, the second plurality of contacts, the first ground contact, the second ground contact, the first side ground contact, and the second side ground contact exposed.

11. The connector receptacle of claim 10 wherein the upper metallic portion further forms a third ground contact spaced between the first ground contact and the metallic center portion and the lower metallic portion further forms a fourth ground contact spaced between the second ground contact and the metallic center portion.

12. The connector receptacle of claim 10 wherein the upper metallic portion and the first reinforcing portion are integrally formed and the lower metallic portion and the second reinforcing portion are integrally formed.

13. The connector receptacle of claim 12 wherein the first reinforcing portion and the second reinforcing portion extend along the front edge of the tongue.

14. The connector receptacle of claim 10 wherein the upper metallic portion, the first reinforcing portion, the lower metallic portion, and the second reinforcing portion are separately formed.

15. A connector receptacle comprising:
a tongue, the tongue comprising:
a first plurality of contacts on a top side of the tongue and a second plurality of contacts on a bottom side of the tongue;
a metallic center portion between the first plurality of contacts and the second plurality of contacts and having outside edges forming a first side ground contact, a second side ground contact, and a front edge;
an upper metallic portion attached to a top of the metallic center portion and forming a first ground contact spaced above the metallic center portion, a second portion of the first side ground contact, a second portion of the second side ground contact, and first reinforcing portions attached to the metallic center portion near the front edge formed by folding the second portion of the first side ground contact and by folding the second portion of the second side ground contact;
a lower metallic portion attached to a bottom of the metallic center portion and forming a second ground contact spaced below the metallic center portion, a third portion of the first side ground contact, a third portion of the second side ground contact and second reinforcing portions attached to the metallic center portion near the front edge formed by folding the third portion of the first side ground contact and by folding the third portion of the second side ground contact; and
a molded portion over the metallic center portion leaving a portion of each of the first plurality of contacts, the second plurality of contacts, the first ground contact, the second ground contact, the first side ground contact, and the second side ground contact exposed.

16. The connector receptacle of claim 15 wherein the upper metallic portion further forms a third ground contact spaced between the first ground contact and the metallic center portion and the lower metallic portion further forms a fourth ground contact spaced between the second ground contact and the metallic center portion.

17. The connector receptacle of claim 15 wherein the upper metallic portion and the first reinforcing portions are integrally formed and the lower metallic portion and the second reinforcing portions are integrally formed.

18. The connector receptacle of claim 17 wherein the first reinforcing portions and the second reinforcing portions extend along the front edge of the tongue.

19. The connector receptacle of claim 15 wherein the upper metallic portion, the first reinforcing portions, the lower metallic portion, and the second reinforcing portions are separately formed.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Tziviskos George
• Lee Jae Hwang
• Amini Mahmoud R
• Hack Paul J
• Gao Zheng
• Zhou Rui

Classifications

• H01R13/6585 Primary

  Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts · CPC title

• H01R13/504

  different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic welding, or swaged together · CPC title

• H01R12/71

  for rigid printing circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R24/64

  for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45 · CPC title

• H01R13/6594

  the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members · CPC title