U.S. patent number RE32,502 [Application Number 06/783,985] was granted by the patent office on 1987-09-15 for grounding mating hardware.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AMP Incorporated. Invention is credited to Vijay Kumar.
United States Patent |
RE32,502 |
Kumar |
September 15, 1987 |
Grounding mating hardware
Abstract
Hardware for providing a grounding interconnect for a standard
connector is formed by a single metallic member which is stamped
and formed to enclose a mating face of the connector and extend
across at least mounting portions of a mounting face with the metal
member being provided with profiled apertures receiving therein a
wiping contacting engagement a mounting and locking means for the
connector.
Inventors: |
Kumar; Vijay (Harrisburg,
PA) |
Assignee: |
AMP Incorporated (Harrisburg,
PA)
|
Family
ID: |
27044306 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/783,985 |
Filed: |
October 3, 1985 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
473935 |
Mar 10, 1983 |
04512618 |
Apr 23, 1985 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/92;
439/607.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/658 (20130101); H01R 12/77 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
12/00 (20060101); H01R 12/16 (20060101); H01R
004/66 (); H01R 013/648 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/14R,17F,17L,17LC,136R,136M,143R,176M,176MF,176MP,92M |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Weidenfeld; Gil
Assistant Examiner: Bishop; Steven C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Faller; F. Brice Wolstoncroft;
Bruce J. Smith; David L.
Claims
I claim:
1. .[.In combination with an.]. .Iadd.An .Iaddend.electrical
connector having a housing of rigid insulative material defining a
mating face and a mounting face with a plurality of terminal
passages extending between the faces, a peripheral flange around
said mating face and mounting flanges on said mounting face.Iadd.,
.Iaddend.each said peripheral and mounting flange being provided
with at least one hole to receive locking and mounting means,
respectively, therein, a plurality of electrical terminals mounted
in said housing, each terminal having a mating portion directed
toward the mating face and a mounting portion extending from the
mounting face, a metal shell providing grounding interconnect
between a .Iadd.complementary .Iaddend.shielded connector and
.[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.mounting surface .[.characterized by a
unitary metallic member.]..Iadd., said metal shell .Iaddend.having
a shroud portion encircling the mating face to engage shielding of
said .Iadd.complementary .Iaddend.shielded connector
.[.and.]..Iadd., .Iaddend.an integral flange extending normal to
.[.the axis of.]. the shroud portion, .[.at least one mounting tab
extending from a first edge of said flange adapted to engage one
edge of said peripheral flange of said housing.]. and at least one
.[.mounting tab.]. .Iadd.ground strap .Iaddend.adapted to lie
adjacent said mounting face, .[.each.]. .Iadd.characterized by
.Iaddend.said .Iadd.integral .Iaddend.flange and said .[.mounting
tab.]. .Iadd.ground strap .Iaddend.being provided with .[.a
profiled aperture providing.]. .Iadd.an aperture having inwardly
directed tines which provide .Iaddend.wiping engagement between the
shell and the respective locking means and mounting means. .[.
2. A metal shell providing grounding interconnect between a mating
shielded connector and a mounting surface of an electrical
connector comprising a unitary metallic member having a shroud
portion profiled to encircle said mating face of said connector to
engage said shielded connector and an integral peripheral flange
extending normal to the axis of said shroud portion, at least one
mounting tab extending from one edge of said flange and adapted to
engage an edge of said connector and at least one mounting tab
extending from an opposite edge of said flange and adapted to lie
adjacent said mounting face, each said flange and said mounting tab
being provided with a profiled aperture providing wiping engagement
between the shell and the respective locking means and mounting
means..]. .Iadd.
3. An electrical connector for mounting to a mounting surface such
as a printed circuit board, comprising:
an insulative housing having a mating face surrounded by a mating
flange and a mounting face having mounting flange means for
reception against said mounting surface,
a stamped and formed metal shell having a shroud portion about said
mating face, an integral flange against said mating flange, and
ground strap means extending from an edge of said integral flange
and against said mounting flange means to face said mounting
surface, said strap means having an aperture with inwardly directed
tines,
mounting hardware extending through an aperture in each said
mounting flange means and the respective aperture of the ground
strap means, said tines engaging said mounting hardware to make
electrical contact therewith and to retain said hardware in the
flange, whereby,
upon mounting said connector to a printed circuit board, grounding
will be provided between the printed circuit board and the
shielding of a shielded connector mated to said mating face.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.
4. An electrical connector as in claim 3 wherein said integral
flange has aperture means, said aperture means having inwardly
directed tines, said connector further comprising locking hardware
extending through an aperture in said mating flange and the
respective aperture means of said integral flange, said tines
engaging said locking hardware to make electrical contact
therewith. .Iaddend. .Iadd.5. An electrical connector as in claim 3
wherein said shell further comprises at least one tab extending
from an edge of said integral flange and engaging said mating
flange of said housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. An electrical connector
for mounting to a mounting surface such as a printed circuit board,
comprising:
an insulative housing having a mating face surrounded by a mating
flange and a mounting face having mounting flange means for
reception against the mounting surface,
a stamped and formed metal shell having a shroud portion about the
mating face, an integral flange against the mating flange, and
ground strap means extending from an edge of the integral flange
and against the mounting flange means to face the mounting surface,
the integral flange having aperture means with inwardly directed
tines,
locking hardware extending through an aperture in the mating flange
and the respective aperture means of the integral flange, the tines
engaging the hardware to make electrical contact therewith.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.7. An electrical connector as recited in claim 6
wherein each ground strap means has an aperture with inwardly
directing tines, the connector further comprising mounting hardware
extending through an aperture of each mounting flange means and the
respective aperture of the ground strap means, the tines engaging
the mounting hardware to make electrical contact therewith and to
retain the mounting hardware in the flange. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. An
electrical connector as recited in claim 6 wherein the shell
further comprises at least one tab extending from an edge of the
integral flange and engaging the mating flange of the housing.
.Iaddend.
Description
The present invention pertains to a means for providing a grounding
interface for a high density miniature electrical connector, and in
particular one in which does not increase the number of component
parts required.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,153 shows an electrical connector of the type
which is known throughout the electrical connector industry as a
miniature or sub-miniature D connector. The connector comprises
plug and receptacle portions, each having an insulative housing
containing a plurality of mating terminals and an exterior metal
shell enclosing the housings and making an interconnect when the
plug and receptacle members are mated. There have been many design
variations from this basic concept but they all are relatively
similar.
The recent increase in electronic activity has caused the creation
of new regulations regarding shielding against RF/EM interference.
This is primarily accomplished by utilizing shielded cables and
creates the requirement for means to effectively ground the
shielding through a connector to a circuit board, panel, or the
like when intermating is effected.
The present invention satisfies the need for an effective grounding
of a connector housing without increasing or duplicating the number
of parts that are needed. The present invention is used in
combination with an electrical connector having a housing of
insulative material with a plurality of terminals mounted in the
housing opening onto a mating face and extending from a mounting
face of the housing. The housing includes mounting means extending
from the mounting face and locking means extending from the mating
face. The present invention comprises a metal shield having a
flange portion surrounding the periphery of the mating face in
close cooperation therewith, a profiled aperture including at least
one inwardly directed .[.tab.]. .Iadd.tine .Iaddend.adapted to make
wiping engagement with the mounting means and at least one second
aperture having an inwardly directed .[.tab.]. .Iadd.tine
.Iaddend.adapted to make a wiping contact with the locking
means.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way
of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section, of
the subject invention and a known connector;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fragment of the subject invention
showing the locking means hole;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a fragment of the subject invention
showing the mounting means hole;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the subject invention in a fully
assembled condition;
FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4;
and
FIG. 6 is a transverse section, similar to FIG. 5, showing an
alternate embodiment of the present invention.
The subject grounding shield 10 is used in cooperation with a known
electrical connector 12 which is provided with locking hardware 14
and mounting hardware 16. The connector is formed by a housing 18
of rigid insulative material defining a mating face 20 surrounded
by an integral peripheral mating flange 22, and a mounting face 24
having mounting flanges 26 at opposite ends thereof extending
normal to flange 22. The connector housing 18 also defines a
plurality of terminal passages 28 extending between the mating and
mounting faces 20, 24. An appropriate electrical terminal 29 is
mounted in each passage with a mating portion directed towards the
mating face and a mounting portion extending from the mounting
face.
The subject ground shell 10 is a stamped and formed metal member
having a shroud portion 30 with an integral peripheral flange 32
extending from one end thereof normal to the axis of the shroud
portion. The flange 32 includes at least one profiled locking
hardware aperture 34, shown in plan view in FIG. 2, each of which
includes at least one inwardly directed tine 36. At least one
.[.latching.]. tab 38 extends from one edge of the flange 32 while
at least one .[.mounting tab.]. .Iadd.ground strap .Iaddend.40
extends from the opposite edge. The .[.tab.]. .Iadd.strap
.Iaddend.40 includes a profiled aperture 42, shown in plan view in
FIG. 3, having a plurality of inwardly directed tines 44.
The connector 12 is formed by first molding the housing, mounting
the terminals therein in standard fashion, and mounting the locking
hardware 14 in respective apertures in the flange 22 by heat
staking, ultrasonic bonding, insert molding or other known
techniques. The subject ground shield 10 is then applied over the
mating face 20 of the connector and the .[.tines.]. .Iadd.tabs
.Iaddend.38 are crimped to engage the flange 22. As the shield 10
is applied, the tines 36 will be bent by wiping engagement with the
locking hardware 14 but will maintain adequate electrical and
mechanical contact therewith. The apertures 42 will be correctly
positioned beneath the mounting flanges 26 and will receive the
mounting hardware 16 therein in wiping engagement, much the same
manner as the locking hardware. The completed assembly can be fixed
to an edge portion of a circuit board or the like and secured
thereto by solder 48, as shown in FIG. 5, to receive a shielded
connector 49. FIG. 6 shows a slightly different version which the
mounting hardware 16 is crimped or clinched to secure the connector
12 to the circuit board 46.
* * * * *