1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and particularly to an electrical connector assembly for mating with a mating connector in two orientations.
2. Description of Related Art
Universal Serial Bus (USB) as a standard input/output interface is widely used in electronic devices. The USB interface is hot-swappable and has plug and play feature. In all the peripheral interfaces for data transfer and data exchange used in the computers and peripheral date exchange devices, the USB is one of the most widely. Most computer peripherals connect to a computer via USB for data transfer and exchange, such as a mouse, keyboard, U disk, printers, mobile phones, cameras and so on.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,094,086 and 7,361,059 each disclose a reversible USB connector.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0206209, published on Jul. 24, 2014, discloses a USB plug connector including a deflectable tongue. In one embodiment, the tongue is formed via a two-shot molding process, as opposed to a one-shot molding process. The first insert molding shot may be used to form a first portion located between the opposing sets of contacts of the electrical connector. The second insert molding shot may be used to form a second portion forming a tip of the tongue.
An improved reversible electrical connector is desired.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly with a reliable locking device.
In order to achieve the object reminded above, a cable connector assembly includes: an insulative housing, an upper row of contacts and a lower row of contacts received by the insulative housing, a printed circuit board assembled on a rear end of the insulative housing and electrically connected with the contacts, a shielding case enclosing the insulative housing; and a cable connected with a rear end of the printed circuit board, wherein the insulative housing includes a main body, a tongue portion positioned on a front end of the main body, and a front end portion formed on a front end of the tongue portion, the front end portion is separately molded on the tongue portion and on a front end of the contacts, and each of the upper row of contacts and the lower row of contacts defines a contacting portion projecting outwardly, a fixing portion interference fitted with tongue portion, a tail portion electrically connected with the printed circuit board and a bent portion connected between the fixing portion and the tail portion.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The upper and bottom surfaces of a front end of the printed circuit board 3 define a plurality of first conductive pads 31, and the first conductive pads 31 positioned on the upper and bottom surface are electrically connected with the corresponding contacts 2 located on the upper row and the lower row. The upper surface of a rear end of the printed circuit board 3 defines a plurality of second conductive pads 32, and the second conductive pads 32 positioned on the upper and bottom surfaces are electrically connected with a plurality of corresponding core wires 51 of the cable.
Referring to
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The front end portion 13, the tongue portion 12, and the contacts 2 are combined into one structure, enhancing the overall rigidity of the butt end of the cable connector assembly 100, concentrating the bending stress generated by the deflection along the vertical direction of the butt end to the contact area that the bent portion 26 is located, thus preventing rear end of the contacts 2 from permanent deformation, while avoiding to directly pull the solder joints on the printed circuit board 3.
The tail portions 25 of the contacts 2 are soldered with the corresponding first conductive pads 31 positioned on the front end of the printed circuit board 3. The main body 11 encloses the conjunction portion of the tail portions 25 and the first conductive pads 31, to protect the joints and ensure welding strength. In this embodiment, such a main body 11 is essentially overmolded upon the front region of the printed circuit board 3 including the aforementioned tail portions 25 and the first conductive pads 31, thus assuring that the tongue portion 12 with the corresponding contacts 2 functions in a reliable cantilevered manner with a root at those protectively hidden tail portions 25. The rear end of the printed circuit board 3 is located between the wing portions 114. The bent portions 26 of the contacts 2 are arranged between the stopping arms 112 side by side. The core wires 51 of the cable 5 are soldered on the corresponding second conductive pads 32 of the printed circuit board 3. The inner mold 7 is molded on the conjunction portion of the cable 5 and printed circuit board. Then the above-mentioned assembly is inserted into the front case 41, and the rear case 42 is assembled on the front case 41. The overmolded shell 6 covers the shielding case 4 and the inner mold 7.
The cable connector assembly 100 according to the present invention is inserted into the mating connector, the tongue portion of the mating connector is contacted with the stopping arms 112 defined on the two opposite sides of the insulative housing 1, and resisted by the stopping arms 112, thereby preventing the cable connector assembly 100 from being inappropriately inserted. Another feature of the invention is to have the each contact 2 experience two-shot molding process, i.e., one at the rear tail portion 25 with the main body 11 and the other at the front tip with the end portion 13 while the middle portion is not molded with the tongue portion 12 but being inserted into the corresponding passageway 121 and retained therein by the corresponding fixing portion 24. In other words, the manufacturing method of the instant invention essentially is a hybrid type including the assembling step, i.e., the fixing portions 24 with regard to the tongue portion 12, and several overmolding processes, i.e., a first molding between the front tips of the contacts 2 and the front end portion 13, a second molding between the main body 11 and the printed circuit board 3 with the tail portions 25 of the contacts 2 soldered thereon, and a third molding among the inner mold 7 and the combination of the cable 5, the rear case 42, the main body 11 and the printed circuit board 3.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201510130318.6 | Mar 2015 | CN | national |