Method for molding electrical connector

• US 10,008,793 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lotes Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Lotes Company Limited
• Inventors: Ju, Ted, Lin, Wen Wei, Zhang, Li Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sparks, Russell E
• Application Number:
  US14/621,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 26427214
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/00 Lining or sheathing, i.e. applying preformed layers or sheathings of plastics; Apparatus therefor B29C73/00 takes precedence; by blowing B29C49/00; by thermoforming B29C51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/00 Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/707 Soldering or welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/712 co-operating with the surface of the printed circuit or with a coupling device exclusively provided on the surface of the printed circuit H01R12/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6477 by variation of dielectric properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6585 Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6594 the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/00 Two-part coupling devices, or either of their cooperating parts, characterised by their overall structure contact members H01R13/02; securing contact members in or to a base or case or insulating of contact members H01R13/40; bases or cases H01R13/46; means for supporting coupling part when not engaged H01R13/60; means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement H01R13/62; means for preventing, inhibiting or avoiding incorrect coupling H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/60 Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/78 with additional earth or shield contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/18 for manufacturing bases or cases for contact members

Abstract

A method for molding an electrical connector, includes: S1: providing a row of first terminals, and integrally wrapping an insulating block on the first terminals by insert molding, wherein the insulating block wraps a part of each first terminal, and the insulating block and the row of first terminals together form a first terminal module; S2: providing a middle shielding sheet; and S3: integrally wrapping an insulating body around the middle shielding sheet and the first terminal module by insert molding.

Claims

1. A method for molding an electrical connector, comprising:

S1;

providing a row of first terminals, and integrally wrapping an insulating block on the first terminals by insert molding, wherein the insulating block wraps a part of each first terminal, the insulating block and the row of first terminals together form a first terminal module, a front end of each first terminal is connected to a first strip, and a back end of each first terminal is connected to a second strip;

S11;

after the step S1, separating the first strip from the front ends of the first terminals, so that the front ends of the first terminals become free ends, and the back ends of the first terminals remain connected to the second strip;

S2;

providing a middle shielding sheet, wherein a front end of the middle shielding sheet is connected to a third strip;

S21;

after the steps S11 and S2, positioning the row of first terminals above the middle shielding sheet using the second strip and the third strip; and

S3;

after the step S21, integrally wrapping an insulating body around the middle shielding sheet and the first terminal module by insert molding.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first terminals comprises a contact portion, a soldering portion, and a connection portion connecting the contact portion and the soldering portion, and the insulating block wraps a part of each connection portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a part of each first terminal is insert molded in the insulating body, the contact portions are exposed from a surface of the insulating body, and the soldering portions extend out of the insulating body.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the middle shielding sheet comprises a plate-shaped main body and at least one soldering pin extending from a back end of the main body, the main body is insert molded in the insulating body, and the soldering pin is exposed from the insulating body.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein after the step of S3, the method further comprises a step S31:

separating the second strip from the back ends of the first terminals.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step S4:

providing a row of second terminals, and integrally wrapping a plastic block on the second terminals by insert molding,

wherein the plastic block wraps a part of each second terminal, and the plastic block and a row of second terminals together form a second terminal module; and

wherein the step S4 and the steps of S1, S2, and S3 are not in sequence.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein after the step of S4, the method further comprises a step S5:

assembling and fixing the second terminal module to the insulating body formed in the step S3.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the row of first terminals comprises a high-speed terminal and a non-high-speed terminal, wherein the high-speed terminal is a differential signal terminal for transmitting universal serial bus (USB) 3.0 signal.

9. A method for molding an electrical connector, comprising:

S1;

providing a row of first terminals, wherein each of the first terminals comprises a first contact portion, a first connection portion extending from a first contact portion, and a first soldering portion bending from the first connection portion, and integrally wrapping an insulating block on the first connection portions by insert molding, wherein the insulating block and the row of first terminals together form a first terminal module, a front end of each first contact portion is connected to a first strip, and a back end of each first soldering portion is connected to a second strip;

S11;

after the step S1, separating the first strip from the front ends of the first contact portions, so that the front ends of the first contact portions become free ends, and the back ends of the first terminals remain connected to the second strip;

S2;

providing a middle shielding sheet, wherein the middle shielding sheet comprises a plate-shaped main body and at least one soldering pin extending from a back end of the main body, and a front end of the main body of the middle shielding sheet is connected to a third strip;

S21;

after the steps S11 and S2, positioning the row of first terminals above the middle shielding sheet using the second strip and the third strip; and

S3;

after the step S21, integrally wrapping an insulating body around the middle shielding sheet and the first terminal module by insert molding, wherein the insulating body comprises a base and a tongue extending from the base, the main body is insert molded in the tongue and the base, a part of each of the first terminals is insert molded in the insulating body, the first contact portions are exposed from a surface of the tongue, and the first soldering portions and the soldering pin extend out of the base.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein after the step of S3, the method further comprises a step S31:

separating the second strip from the back ends of the first soldering portions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of S4:

providing a row of second terminals, wherein each of the second terminals comprises a second contact portion, a second soldering portion and a second connection portion connecting the second contact portion and the second soldering portion; and

integrally wrapping a plastic block on the second connection portions by insert molding, wherein the plastic block and the row of second terminals together form a second terminal module,

wherein the step S4 and the steps of S1, S2, and S3 are not in sequence.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein in the step of S4, a front end of each second contact portion is connected to a fourth strip, a back end of each second soldering portion is connected to a fifth strip, and side edges of two second terminals located at an outermost side of the row of second terminals are respectively connected to the fifth strip;

and

wherein after the step of S4, the method further comprises a step S41;

separating the fourth strip from the front ends of the second contact portions, and separating the soldering portions of the second terminals from the fifth strip, so that the front ends and the back ends of the second terminals become free ends, and the side edges of the two second terminals at the outermost side are kept connected to the fifth strip.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein after the step of S41, the method further comprises a step S5:

driving the second terminal module using the fifth strip;

driving the insulating body formed in the step S31 using the third strip; and

assembling and fixing the second terminal module to the insulating body.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein after the step of S5, the method further comprises a step S6:

separately removing the third strip and the fifth strip.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein after the step of S6, the method further comprises a step S7:

assembling an upper shielding sheet and a lower shielding sheet to an upper surface and a lower surface of the insulating body respectively; and

then

sleeving the insulating body from back to front with a shielding case, and conducting the shielding case to the upper shielding sheet and the lower shielding sheet.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein in the step of S3, the insulating block and the insulating body are fused and bonded.