Plug connector assembly having supporting member to support internal printed circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531138-B2
Application number	US-201615010161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A plug connector assembly ( 1 ) includes: a mating member ( 10 ) for receiving a mating connector; a printed circuit board ( 20 ) electrically connected with the mating member; an outer shell ( 60 ) enclosing the printed circuit board; a light member mounted on the printed circuit board; and a light pipe ( 50 ) mounted on the printed circuit board to transmit light emitted from the light member to an outer side of the outer shell; wherein the outer shell comprises at least one supporting member ( 624 ) extending inwardly to support the printed circuit board in order to prevent the printed circuit board from movement during mounting the light pipe to the printed circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plug connector assembly comprising:
a mating member for receiving a mating connector;
a printed circuit board electrically connected with the mating member;
a metallic outer shell enclosing the printed circuit board;
a light member mounted on the printed circuit board; and
a light pipe mounted on the printed circuit board to transmit light emitted from the light member to an outer side of the outer shell;
wherein the outer shell comprises at least one supporting member extending inwardly to support the printed circuit board in order to prevent the printed circuit board from movement during mounting the light pipe to the printed circuit board;
wherein the outer shell comprises an upper shell and a lower shell latched with the upper shell;
wherein the printed circuit board comprises a top face, a bottom face opposite to the top face, and a pair of side faces connected with the top and the bottom faces, the light member and the light pipe mounted on the top face;
wherein the lower shell comprises a bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from opposite sides of the bottom wall, respectively, each of the side wall comprising a connecting beam extending inclined and inwardly and a soldering portion extending from a free end of the connecting beam and parallel to the side walls of the bottom wall, each of the side faces of the printed circuit board comprising a soldering area, the soldering portions soldered with the soldering areas respectively to keep the printed circuit board in a middle portion of the outer shell; and
wherein the soldering portions are soldered with the soldering areas prior to mounting the light pipe onto the printed circuit board.

2. The plug connector assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein there are a pair of supporting members, each of the supporting members vertically extending from a corresponding soldering portion to support the bottom face of the printed circuit board.

3. The plug connector assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board defines a pair of mounting holes extending through the top and bottom faces of the printed circuit board, and the light pipe comprises a pair of mounting posts extending downwardly to interference fit with the mounting holes to fix the light pipe to the printed circuit board.

4. The plug connector assembly as recited in claim 3 , wherein the upper shell defines a though hole, and the light pipe comprises a guide post extending upwardly and received in the through hole.

5. The plug connector assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mating member comprises a front mating end and a rear mating end, and the lower shell comprises a mating portion enclosing and soldered to an outer side of the rear mating end.

6. The plug connector assembly as recited in claim 5 , further comprising an outer molding over-moldered with the outer shell.

7. A plug connector comprising:
a mating member including an insulative housing defining a receiving cavity, which forwardly communicates with an exterior in a front-to-back direction, and enclosed within a metallic front shell, a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing with front mating sections extending into the receiving cavity and rear connecting sections along the front-to-back direction;
a printed circuit board positioned behind the housing in the front-to-back direction, and including along the front-to-back direction a front region where the connecting sections are soldered and a rear region, said printed circuit board defining two opposite surfaces in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction, said printed circuit board extending rearwardly behind the housing;
a cable located behind the printed circuit board and including wires electrically and mechanically connected to the rear region of the printed circuit board;
a light emitting device mounted upon one of said two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board;
a light waveguide mounted upon said one of the two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board and essentially covering the light emitting device in the vertical direction;
a metallic rear shell enclosing both two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board;
wherein said rear shell forms a supporting member abutting against the other of said two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board for supporting the printed circuit board during mounting the light waveguide upon said one of the two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board;
wherein said supporting member is positioned adjacent to one lateral side edge of the printed circuit board; and
wherein said rear shell further includes a soldering portion unitarily formed associatively with the supporting member and soldered upon a side edge of the printed circuit board in a transverse direction perpendicular to both said front-to-back direction and said vertical direction.

8. The plug connector as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said rear shell forms a through hole through which the light waveguide extends in the vertical direction.

9. The plug connector as claimed in claim 8 , further including an outer molding shielding the rear shell, wherein said light waveguide extends through the outer molding to be exposed to the exterior in the vertical direction.

10. The plug connector as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said rear shell includes in the vertical direction opposite first and second parts assembled to each other in the vertical direction to respectively shield said one and said other of the two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board, and wherein the supporting member is formed on the second parts which shield the other of said two opposite surfaces in the vertical direction while the through hole is formed in said first part which shield said one of the two opposite surfaces in the vertical direction.

11. The plug connector as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the rear shell is assembled with the front shell.

12. The plug connector as claimed in claim 7 , wherein via supporting from the supporting member, the printed circuit board operates in a manner of a restrained beam type.

13. A plug connector comprising: a mating member including an insulative housing defining a receiving cavity, which forwardly communicates with an exterior in a front-to-back direction, and enclosed within a metallic front shell, a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing with front mating sections extending into the receiving cavity and rear connecting sections along the front-to-back direction;
a printed circuit board positioned behind the housing in the front-to-back direction, and including along the front-to-back direction a front region where the connecting sections are soldered and a rear region, said printed circuit board defining two opposite surfaces in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction, said printed circuit board extending rearwardly behind the housing; a cable located behind the printed circuit board and including wires electrically and mechanically connected to the rear region of the printed circuit board;
light emitting device mounted upon one of said two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board;
a light waveguide mounted upon said one of the two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board and essentially covering the light emitting device in the vertical direction;
a metallic rear shell enclosing both two opposite surfaces of the printed circuit board;
wherein said rear shell includes a support member abutting against a surface of the printed circuit board and a soldering portion soldered to the printed circuit board to support the printed circuit bo

Assignees

• Foxconn Interconnect Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Xing da-wei
• Chen Jun
• Wu Jerry

Classifications

• H01R13/7175

  Light emitting diodes (LEDs) · CPC title

• H01R13/6691

  with built-in signalling means (H01R13/717 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/7172 Primary

  Conduits for light transmission · CPC title

• H01R13/6658

  on printed circuit board (H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence) · CPC title