Ultra low profile electrical connector assembly

• US 6,129,587 A
• Filed: 10/27/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US09/427,828
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 439/607-610, 439/676
• US Class Current: 439/607.38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6594 the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/906 Longitudinally divided

Abstract

An ultra lower profile electrical connector for electrical connection with an external plug connector includes a conductive shell, an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts. The housing is integrally and directly molded to the shell so that a planar portion of the shell is located flush with a plane as an outermost top surface of the housing, instead of a top wall. Several holder sections formed on the housing each have a least thickness only enough to efficiently lock with a latch of the external plug connector. Therefore, the profile of the entire connector assembly can be lowered more. Also, the connector assembly is suitable for a thin electrical card by means of integrally and directly molding the housing of the connector assembly to a shell for shielding the electrical card.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for electrical connection with a mating electrical connector having a latch, comprising:

an insulative housing integrally forming a horizontal wall, and two opposed and spaced vertical walls positioned normally of the horizontal wall, each vertical wall having at least a remote end away from the horizontal wall;

a plurality of contacts each having an engaging section and a tail section;

a receiving space defined between the vertical walls and the horizontal wall of the housing for allowing electrical engagement of the mating connector with the engaging sections of the contacts; and

a shell made of a thin metal sheet integrally forming a planar portion located flush with an outmost surface of the remote end of each vertical wall and opposite to the horizontal wall of the housing thereby lowering the profile of the entire electrical connector;

wherein each of the vertical walls laterally defines a platform portion on the remote end thereof for supporting the planar portion of the shell;

wherein the platform portions of the opposed vertical walls are fully separated apart from each other by a slot defined at a plane parallel to the planar portion of the shell;

wherein the latch of the mating connector extends through the slot of the housing to abut against the planar portion of the shell during insertion into the receiving space of the housing;

wherein a holder section horizontally extends from each platform portion of the vertical wall toward the slot thereby locking with the latch of the mating connector;

wherein a cutout is defined between the adjacent holder sections of the opposite vertical walls to permit the latch of the mating connector to protrude out of the shell after being inserted into the receiving space of the housing;

wherein each of the platforms defines a notch with a depth equal to the thickness of the planar portion of the shell for receiving one of several edges of the planar portion therein.