BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector before riveted process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from another aspect;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electrical connector after riveted process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an electrical connector 100 includes an insulative housing 1, a plurality of contacts 2 retained in the insulative housing 1, a metal shell 5 enclosing the insulative housing 1, a pair of board locks 3 and a pair of fasteners 4 for assembling the board locks 3 and the metal shell 5 onto the insulative housing 1.
Referring to FIG. 3, the insulative housing 1 comprises a base portion 11 and a protrusion 12 extending from a front surface 110 of the base portion 11. The base portion 11 defines a pair of apertures 112 extending through the front surface 110 and a rear surface 111 thereof wherein the apertures 112 are positioned on lateral sides of the base portion 11.
The metal shell 5 comprises a flat mating portion 51 to be attached to the front surface 110 of the insulative housing 1 and a hollow D-shaped projection 52 protruding forwardly from the mating portion 51 for receiving the corresponding protrusion 12 of the insulative housing 1. The mating portion 51 defines a pair of through holes 512 on lateral sides thereof corresponding to the apertures 112. Besides, the metal shell 5 further defines a pair of depressions 513 in an out surface 510 thereof as shown in FIG. 1. The depressions 513 are in communication with the corresponding through holes 512. The depressions 513 are larger than the through holes 512 so that the fasteners 4 can be riveted to abut against the depressions 513.
Each board lock 3 comprises a vertical base 31, an extending portion 32 perpendicular to the base 31 and a pair of separated pawls 33 bending from the side edge of the extending portion 32. Each base 31 defines a bore 312 therethrough for receiving the fastener 4. In order to attach the board lock 3 to the rear surface 111 of the insulative housing 1, the rear surface 111 includes a pair of positioning posts 113 extending backwardly and each base 31 defines a guiding hole 313 for receiving the positioning posts 113.
Referring to FIGS. 3-4, each fastener 4 is nut in the preferred embodiment and comprises a resisting portion 41, a cylinder-shaped extending section 42 extending forwardly from the resisting portion 41 and a rivet portion 43 positioned at the distal end of the extending section 42. The resisting portion 41 is much larger than the extending section 42 so that it can abut against the board locks 3 and allow the extending section 42 passing through the bore 312 and into the aperture 112. The rivet portion 43 extends beyond the aperture 112 to be riveted to abut against the metal shell 5. Each fastener 4 defines a plurality of inner screw threads 410 therein. The rivet portion 43 is hollow to form a recess 431 therein and defines a plurality of notches 432 in communication with the recess 431. The plurality of notches 432 are located along girth of the rivet portion 43 and separate the rivet portion 43 into several discontinuous parts. During riveted process, the discontinuous parts of the rivet portion 43 are easy to be riveted to abut against the depression 513 of the metal shell 5 shown in FIG. 4, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the electrical connector 100 and improving the appearance of the electrical connector 100 as well.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.
Patent Application
20080064258
