Shielded electrical component having grounding features

• US 10,148,041 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Lyon, Zachary Wood, Rhein, David James, Patterson, Jeremy Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Truc
• Application Number:
  US15/661,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62938 Pivoting lever comprising own camming means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/648 Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices , e.g. anti-static shielding coaxially arranged shields H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6591 Specific features or arrangements of connection of shield to conductive members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2416 the contact members having insulation-cutting edges, e.g. of tuning fork type
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/26 Connections in which at least one of the connecting parts has projections which bite into or engage the other connecting part in order to improve the contact H01R4/188, H01R4/203, H01R4/5075 take precedence; using shape memory materials H01R4/01
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/304 having means for improving contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/38 utilising a clamping member acted on by screw or nut H01R4/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/64 Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail

Abstract

An electrical component includes a housing having a mounting end configured to be mounted to a structure and an electrical shield held by the housing and providing electrical shielding. The electrical shield is configured to be electrically grounded to the structure. The electrical shield has a mounting tab having a mounting area including an opening therethrough and a grounding feature in the mounting area near the opening. The grounding feature is configured to cut through a coated surface of the structure to directly engage a conductive layer of the structure to electrically connect the electrical shield to the structure through the coated surface.

Claims

1. An electrical component comprising:

a housing having a mounting end configured to be mounted to a structure; and

an electrical shield held by the housing and providing electrical shielding, the electrical shield being configured to be electrically grounded to the structure, the electrical shield having a mounting tab having a mounting area including an opening therethrough, the mounting tab having a grounding feature in the mounting area near the opening, the grounding feature including a grounding feature opening through the mounting tab and a lip extending entirely circumferentially around the grounding feature opening defining a cutting edge entirely around the grounding feature opening, the grounding feature configured to cut through a coated surface of the structure to directly engage a conductive layer of the structure to electrically connect the electrical shield to the structure through the coated surface.

2. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the grounding feature includes a cutting edge configured to pierce the coated surface of the structure.

3. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the grounding feature is punched from the mounting tab.

4. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the mounting tab is punched through by a punching tool to remove a portion of the mounting tab forming the grounding feature opening and bending the metal to from the lip with a sharp edge defining the cutting edge configured to pierce the coated surface of the structure.

5. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein a plurality of grounding features are provided in the mounting area around the opening.

6. The electrical component of claim 5, wherein the grounding features are positioned generally equidistant from each other around the opening.

7. The electrical component of claim 1, wherein the mounting tab is planar having a bottom surface facing the structure, the grounding feature extending downward from the bottom surface for engaging the structure.

8. The electrical component of claim 1, further comprising a fastener received in the opening to mechanically secure the mounting tab to the structure, the fastener including an axial loading member positioned above the mounting area, the axial loading member inducing an axial loading force on the grounding feature to press the grounding feature against the structure.

9. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a mounting end configured to be mounted to a structure, the housing holding a terminal configured to be electrically connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector; and

an electrical shield held by the housing, the electrical shield being configured to be electrically grounded to the structure, the electrical shield providing electrical shielding for the terminal, the electrical shield having a mounting tab having a mounting area including an opening therethrough, the mounting tab having a grounding feature in the mounting area near the opening, the mounting tab being punched through by a punching tool to remove a portion of the mounting tab forming a grounding feature opening in the grounding feature and bending the metal downward around the grounding feature opening defining a cutting edge configured to cut through a coated surface of the structure to directly engage a conductive layer of the structure to electrically connect the electrical shield to the structure through the coated surface.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the grounding feature includes a cutting edge configured to pierce the coated surface of the structure.

11. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the cutting edge of the grounding feature is tubular having a hollow space defined by the grounding feature opening with the cutting edge entirely circumferentially surrounding the grounding feature opening.

12. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the grounding feature includes a lip extending entirely circumferentially around the grounding feature opening defining the cutting edge configured to pierce the coated surface of the structure.

13. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein a plurality of grounding features are provided in the mounting area around the opening.

14. The electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the grounding features are positioned generally equidistant from each other around the opening.

15. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the mounting tab is planar having a bottom surface facing the structure, the grounding feature extending downward from the bottom surface for engaging the structure.

16. The electrical connector of claim 9, further comprising a fastener received in the opening to mechanically secure the mounting tab to the structure, the fastener including an axial loading member positioned above the mounting area, the axial loading member inducing an axial loading force on the grounding feature to press the grounding feature against the structure.

17. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a mounting end configured to be mounted to a structure, the housing holding a terminal configured to be electrically connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector;

an electrical shield held by the housing, the electrical shield being configured to be electrically grounded to the structure, the electrical shield providing electrical shielding for the terminal, the electrical shield having a mounting tab having a mounting area including an opening therethrough, the mounting tab having a grounding feature in the mounting area near the opening, the grounding feature having a grounding feature opening through the mounting tab and a lip extending entirely circumferentially around the grounding feature opening defining a cutting edge entirely around the grounding feature opening configured to cut through a coated surface of the structure to directly engage a conductive layer of the structure to electrically connect the electrical shield to the structure through the coated surface; and

a fastener received in the opening to mechanically secure the mounting tab to the structure, the fastener including an axial loading member positioned above the mounting area, the axial loading member inducing an axial loading force on the grounding feature to press the grounding feature against the structure.

18. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein a plurality of grounding features are provided in the mounting area around the opening.

19. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the mounting tab is planar having a bottom surface facing the structure, the grounding feature extending downward from the bottom surface for engaging the structure.

20. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the cutting edge of the grounding feature is tubular having a hollow space defined by the grounding feature opening with the cutting edge entirely circumferentially surrounding the grounding feature opening.