Cable end connector

• US 6,165,017 A
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuo, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US09/416,753
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 439/610, 439/357, 439/358, 439/609, 439/607
• US Class Current: 439/607.45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/508 assembled by a separate clip or spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6583 with separate conductive resilient members between mating shield members

Abstract

A cable end connector comprises an insulative housing, an upper and lower shells, and an upper and lower covers. The insulative housing defines a number of passageways for receiving terminals therein, the metal shells surrounds the housing for providing protection against electromagnetic interference. A pair of locking elements is formed in a shield surrounding a projection of the housing. The locking elements will engage with corresponding locking slots defined in the shell and the covers for securely retaining the housing and the shells together. The shells conduct static electricity to ground through the locking elements for assuring a reliable signal transmission.

Claims

1. A cable end connector comprising:

an insulative housing having an insulative body and a projection extending from a mating face of the body to form a plurality of passageways;

a shield surrounding the projection of the housing and having two pairs of locking elements rearwardly extending from top and base portions of the shield, respectively;

upper and lower metal shells at least partially surrounding the insulative housing and each shell defining a pair of locking slots engaging with the corresponding locking elements;

upper and lower covers engaging with each other for surrounding the shells therein, each cover comprising a base, a pair of side walls formed on opposite edges of the base, a side plate formed on a lateral edge of the base, and a pair of locking sections projecting from the side walls; and

a pair of fixing arms each having an engaging section, a spring section and an extending section, the engaging section and the spring section respectively extending from longitudinal ends of the extending section, a protrusion formed in the engaging section for locking with a mating connector, and the spring section forming a flexible arm for firmly contacting the shells and cooperating with the spring section to ensure constant pressure, an angled tip being received in the corresponding locking section of the lower cover for ensuring reliable engagement with the covers, the fixing arm being retained in a gap formed between the side wall and the side plate of the covers for providing a retaining force to reliably position the shells in the covers;

wherein the upper and lower shells each define a pair of locking slots at lateral sides corresponding to the locking elements;

wherein a plurality of projections is defined in the upper shell for engaging with the corresponding locking slots of the lower shell;

wherein the fixing arms are positioned proximate opposite sides of the upper and lower covers and a protrusion is formed on the engaging section of the fixing arm for engaging with a mating connector;

wherein an angled tip is formed at an end of the fixing arm for engaging with a locking section of the lower cover for providing a retaining force therebetween.