Connector receptacle having a shield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537263-B2
Application number	US-201414543711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Nov 17, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

Connector systems may include a connector receptacle and connector plug or insert. The connector receptacle may include a tongue. A first plurality of contacts may be formed on a top surface of the tongue. A first ground pad may be located on a top surface of tongue, and a shield may be formed around the tongue. The connector insert may include a housing and a conductive shield around the housing behind a leading edge of the connector insert. A front edge of the shield may be folded into an opening at the leading edge. In other examples, the receptacle shield may include one or more fingers. These fingers may contact the connector insert shield to form a ground path. One or more of these fingers may engage openings in the insert shield to provide a retention force between the connector insert and receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a receptacle comprising:
a tongue;
a first plurality of contacts formed on a top surface of the tongue, each of the first plurality of contacts having a contacting portion to electrically connect to a corresponding contact in a connector insert;
a first ground pad located on a top surface of the tongue;
a shield formed around the tongue; and
a bracket around a portion of the tongue and arranged to support the shield, where the first ground pad is located between the contacting portions of the first plurality of contacts and the bracket.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first ground pad is a ground pad in a first plurality of ground pads on the top surface of the tongue.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 further comprising:
a second ground pad formed on a bottom surface of the tongue.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 further comprising:
a second plurality of contacts formed on the bottom surface of the tongue.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 wherein the tongue has notches in each of a left and right side to engage a spring in the connector insert when the connector insert is mated to the connector receptacle.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 wherein the second ground pad is one of a second plurality of ground pads on the bottom of the tongue.

7. A connector insert comprising:
a housing;
a conductive shield around the housing behind a leading edge of the connector insert, the shield having a front edge split to form multiple ground contacts, the multiple ground contacts folded approximately 180 degrees into an opening at the leading edge, the multiple ground contacts comprising first ground contacts extending a first depth into the opening at the leading edge and between second ground contacts extending a second depth into the opening at the leading edge, the second depth greater than the first depth;
a top row of contacts; and
a bottom row of contacts.

8. The connector insert of claim 7 wherein the housing is plastic.

9. The connector insert of claim 7 wherein the shield is formed of steel.

10. The connector insert of claim 7 wherein the folded front edge of the shield is arranged to engage ground contacts on a top side and bottom side of a tongue of a connector receptacle.

11. The connector insert of claim 7 further comprising a second housing to support the shield, the second housing behind the shield.

12. The connector insert of claim 11 wherein the first ground contacts are positioned such that undesirable connections to contacts in a connector receptacle are not formed when the connector insert is inserted into the connector receptacle.

13. A connector receptacle comprising:
a tongue;
a first plurality of contacts formed on a top surface of the tongue, each of the first plurality of contacts having a contacting portion to electrically connect to a corresponding contact in a connector insert;
a first ground pad located on a top surface of tongue;
a shield formed around the tongue, the shield having a first finger on a first side, the first finger to engage a first opening in a connector insert shield to provide a retention force between the connector insert and the connector receptacle; and
a bracket around a portion of the tongue and arranged to support the shield, where the first ground pad is located between the contacting portions of the first plurality of contacts and the bracket.

14. The connector receptacle of claim 13 wherein the tongue has notches in each of a left and right side to engage a spring in a connector insert when the connector insert is mated to the connector receptacle.

15. The connector receptacle of claim 14 wherein the bracket and shield are formed as separate pieces.

16. The connector receptacle of claim 13 wherein the bracket and shield are formed as a single piece.

17. The connector receptacle of claim 13 wherein the shield includes a second finger for contacting the connector insert shield.

18. The connector receptacle of claim 13 wherein the shield includes a plurality of fingers for contacting the connector insert shield.

19. The connector receptacle of claim 13 wherein the shield further comprises a second finger on a second side, the second finger to engage a second opening in the connector insert shield.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Gao Zheng
• Amini Mahmoud R
• Ng Nathan N
• Kim Min Chul
• Abraham Colin

Classifications

• H01R24/60

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

• H01R13/6581 Primary

  Shield structure · CPC title

• H01R13/73

  Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall · CPC title

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title

• H01R13/627 Primary

  Snap or like fastening · CPC title