Flippable electrical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016268744-A1
Application number	US-201615161295-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	Jul 19, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plug connector includes an insulative housing with mating slot, contacts disposed in the housing by two sides of the mating slot, and a pair of side arms located by two opposite ends of the mating slot in a horizontal transverse direction. a receptacle connector includes an insulative housing defining a horizontal mating tongue; contacts disposed in the housing with contacting sections exposed upon two opposite surfaces of the mating tongue; and a monolithic horizontal metallic shielding plate disposed and extending substantially fully the mating tongue. The shielding plate defines side protruding edge sections exposed outside of corresponding side edges of the mating tongue and a notch structure on each side protruding edge section, the pair of side arms each defines a hook structure to engagement with the notch structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A receptacle connector adapted to be mounted to a printed circuit board for mating with a plug connector, and including:
an insulative housing defining a mating tongue; a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing with contacting sections exposed upon two opposite surfaces of the mating tongue; a monolithic horizontal metallic shielding plate disposed and extending substantially fully the mating tongue; and a metallic shield enclosing the insulative hosing to define a mating cavity with the mating tongue extending therein, which is inserted with the plug connector in either of two insertion orientations, the metallic shield including opposite top and bottom walls and two opposite side walls, and further including a rear wall having two locking lugs latched to the corresponding opposite side walls, respectively; wherein the shielding plate of the receptacle connector defines side latching edge sections exposed upon corresponding side edges of the mating tongue and a notch structure formed on each of the side latching edge sections for latching to a corresponding metallic side arm of the plug connector during mating.

2 . The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rear wall further includes at least one leg around a bottom edge for mounting to the printed circuit board for reinforcement.

3 . The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the side walls defines a locking opening and each of the locking lugs defines a locking tab, the locking tabs are latched in the locking openings to secure the rear cover to the side walls of the metallic shell.

4 . The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking lugs bend forwards from lateral edges of the rear cover and press against the side walls of the metallic shell.

5 . The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shielding plate is assembled within the mating tongue as one piece via an insert molding process, and the contacts are formed within a terminal module via another insert molding process and successively assembled to the mating tongue in a vertical direction.

6 . A plug connector adapted to be inserted into a receptacle connector mounted on a printed circuit board in either of two insertion orientations, the plug connector including:
an insulative plug housing with a mating slot therein, a plurality of plug contacts disposed in the insulative plug housing by two sides of the mating slot in a vertical direction, and a pair of metallic side arms located by two opposite ends of the mating slot in a transverse direction perpendicular to the vertical direction; wherein the pair of side arms each defines a hook structure at a front distal end thereof, the two hook structures protrude toward each other and into the mating slot in the transverse direction.

7 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the pair of side arms are unitarily linked by a transverse bar to commonly form a U-shaped latch.

8 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said U-shaped latch lies in a same plane and is stamped from a same sheet metal so as to have thereof a thickness direction be parallel to the vertical direction.

9 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the plug connector further includes a front metallic shell enclosing the plug housing, and the front metallic shell is essentially of a seamless sleeve.

10 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the plug connector comprises a paddle card located behind the insulative plug housing and a cable, the plug contacts connect with a front portion of the paddle card and the cable extends rearwards from a rear portion of the paddle card.

11 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the plug connector further comprises a rear metallic shell enclosing the paddle card and a front portion of the cable.

12 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the front metallic shell and the rear metallic shell are linked to each other around boundary.

13 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a rear locking portion with two outward hooks extend rearwards from the front metallic shell, the rear metallic shell defines a front edge with a lengthwise locking slot thereon, the locking portions is inserted into the locking slot and the hooks latch the inner sides of the locking slot.

14 . The plug connector as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the pair of side arms are mechanically and electrically connected to the front metallic shell in the transverse direction.

15 . A plug connector adapted to be inserted into a receptacle connector in either of two insertion orientations, the plug connector including:
an insulative plug housing with a mating slot therein and two raceways opening to the mating slot and an exterior in a transverse direction; a plurality of plug contacts disposed in the insulative plug housing by two sides of the mating slot in a vertical direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, and a pair of metallic side arms disposed in the corresponding raceways with two hook structures at front distal ends thereof; wherein the two hook structures protrude toward each other and into the mating slot in the transverse direction.

Assignees

• Foxconn Interconnect Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Little Terrance F
• Cheng Chih-Pi
• Yang Chih-Kai

Classifications

• H01R24/60 Primary

  Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement · CPC title

• H05K2201/10189

  Non-printed connector · CPC title

• H05K1/117

  Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors · CPC title

• H05K1/184

  associated with components inserted in holes through the PCBs and wherein terminals of the components are connected to printed contacts on the walls of the holes or at the edges thereof or protruding over or into the holes · CPC title

• H01R13/6581

  Shield structure · CPC title