Electrical connector firmly retaining an insulative housing

• US 6,280,252 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Nan Tsung
• Primary Examiner(s): HARVEY, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US09/492,251
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 439/606-610
• US Class Current: 439/607.48
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/508 assembled by a separate clip or spring
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/582 the cable being clamped between assembled parts of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6581 Shield structure

Abstract

A cable connector comprises an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways, a plurality of terminals received in the passageways of the insulative housing, an upper shell, a lower shell and a casing portion enveloping the upper shell and the lower shell therein. The insulative housing includes a main body and a projection portion forwardly projecting from the main body. The upper shell includes a front section for receiving the projection portion therein, a rear section receiving the main body therein and a transition portion for joining the front section and rear section. A rib is provided at a junction of the transition portion and the rear section for enhancing the engagement strength of the transition portion and the rear section of the upper shell. A top protrusion and a pair of side protrusions are disposed on the rear section of the upper shell for abutting against the insulative housing. The lower shell has a latching hook upwardly extending from a forward edge of a bottom wall thereof for pressing against the forward surface of the main body of the insulative housing.

Claims

1. A cable connector comprising:

an insulative housing including a main body and a projection portion together defining a plurality of passageways, the main body defining a pair of apertures and a lower opening in a forward surface thereof;

a plurality of terminals received in the passageways of the insulative housing;

an upper shell including a front section for accommodating the projection portion of the insulative housing, a rear section and a transition portion interconnected between the front section and the rear section, a pair of retention arms rearwardly extending from opposite edges of the transition portion for latching with the apertures in the main body of the insulative housing, a top protrusion and a pair of side protrusions being respectively disposed on a top wall and on opposite lateral walls of the rear section for abutting against the insulative housing, a locking tail outwardly extending from a rear edge of each lateral wall of the rear section of the upper shell;

a lower shell fastened to the rear section of the upper shell for enclosing the insulative housing therein, the lower shell having a main section with a pair of side walls and a bottom wall, a latching hook upwardly extending from a front edge of the bottom wall of the main section for latching with the lower opening in the main body of the insulative housing; and

a casing portion enveloping the upper shell and the lower shell;

wherein a rib is disposed at a junction of the rear section and the transition portion for enhancing the engagement strength of the transition portion and the rear section of the upper shell;

wherein the front section of the upper shell defines a pair of slits in an upper face thereof and has an embossment between the slits for tightly engaging with a mating electrical connector;

wherein each locking tail of the rear section of the upper shell latches with a rear edge of each side wall of the main section of the lower shell;

wherein a pair of side recesses are respectively defined in the forward surface of the main body of the insulative housing, a pair of side flanges outwardly depend from rear edges of opposite sides of the front section of the upper shell and are received in the side recesses of the main body of the insulative housing, and a latching arm inwardly depends from a forward edge of each side wall of the lower shell for pressing against the forward surface of the main body of the insulative housing;

wherein a locking tab is disposed on each side surface of the main body in the vicinity of a rear edge thereof, a locking opening is defined in each lateral wall of the rear section of the upper shell for receiving the locking tab of the main body of the insulative housing;

wherein each lateral wall of the rear section of the upper shell has a locking tongue at a rear portion thereof, each side wall of the main section of the lower shell defines a latching hole therein for receiving the locking tongue of the rear section of the upper shell;

wherein the lower shell comprises a strain relief rearwardly extending from a rear edge of the bottom wall of the main section for holding a cable.