This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Patent Application No. 202222007441.7 filed in China, P.R.C. on Aug. 1, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The instant disclosure relates to an electrical connector, and more particular to an electrical receptacle connector.
There are various transmission interfaces for the connectors; for example, HDMI transmission interface and Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. Generally, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard to the PC architecture with a focus on computer interface, consumer electronics and productivity applications. The existing Universal Serial Bus (USB) interconnects have the features of plug-and-play and user-friendliness. As technology innovation advances, new types of devices, media formats and large inexpensive storage are converging. Theses changes require significantly more bus bandwidth to maintain the interactive experience that users have come to expect. Moreover, there is a growing demand for a higher performance between PCs and sophisticated peripherals. The transmission rate of USB 2.0 is insufficient. As a consequence, faster serial bus interfaces such as USB 3.0, have been developed to provide higher transmission rates and meet the need of a variety devices.
The appearance, the structure, the contact ways of terminals, the number of terminals, the pitches between terminals (the distances between the terminals), and the pin assignment of terminals of a USB type-C electrical connector known to the inventor(s) are totally different from those of a USB electrical connector known to the inventor(s). A USB type-C electrical receptacle connector known to the inventor includes flat terminals on the plastic housing, and the plastic housing is covered by a metal shell. In the USB type-C electrical receptacle connector, waterproof glues are applied at the end portion of plastic housing to achieve the waterproof function of the plastic housing and the metal shell. However, in such configuration, the moisture can still enter the interior of the electrical connector through the gaps between the plastic housing and the flat terminals. Especially, after the electrical connector is heated by passing through the convection oven, because of the thermal expansion of the components of the electrical connector, gaps are generated between the plastic housing and the flat terminals, thereby causing the failure of the waterproof function of the electrical connector.
According to one or some embodiments, an electrical receptacle connector is provided. The electrical receptacle connector comprises an insulated housing, a plurality of receptacle terminals, and a metallic shell. The insulated housing comprises a base portion, a tongue portion, and a hollow portion. The tongue portion is at a front end of insulated housing, the base portion is at a rear end of the insulated housing, and the hollow portion is between the base portion and tongue portion. The receptacle terminals are held at the base portion and the tongue portion. Each of the receptacle terminals comprises a contact portion, a body portion, and a tail portion. Each of the contact portions extends from one of two ends of a corresponding one of the body portions and the contact portions are on two faces of the tongue portion, each of the tail portions extends from the other end of the corresponding one of the body portions and protrudes out of the base portion, and the body portions penetrate through the base portion and the tongue portion and are partially exposed from the hollow portion. The metallic shell has a receiving cavity and an insertion opening in communication with the receiving cavity. The insulated housing is in the receiving cavity, the metallic shell covers the hollow portion to form a potting space at the hollow portion, and the metallic shell has a potting opening corresponding to the potting space.
In some embodiments, the electrical receptacle connector further comprises a sealing body, the sealing body is in the potting space to fill the hollow portion, and the sealing body encloses the body portions at the hollow portion.
In some embodiments, the metallic shell comprises an inner shell and an outer shell combined with the inner shell, a buckling portion is on each of two sides of the base portion, and an engaging portion is on each of two sides of the outer shell; each of the engaging portions is engaged with a corresponding one of the buckling portions, the outer shell has the potting opening, the inner shell has an opening, and the opening corresponds to the potting opening.
In some embodiments, the receptacle terminals comprise a first row of terminals and a second row of terminals arranged into two rows; the tongue portion and the base portion are separated components; the tongue portion has a first tongue housing combined with the first row of terminals, a second tongue housing combined with the second row of terminals, and a third tongue housing combined with the first tongue housing and the second tongue housing; the base portion has a first base housing combined with the first row of terminals, a second base housing combined with the second row of terminals, and a third base housing combined with the first base housing and the second base housing.
In some embodiments, the third tongue housing has a tongue annular protruding portion, the third base housing has a base annular protruding portion, the base annular protruding portion contacts an inner wall of the inner shell, and the potting space is between the tongue annular protruding portion and the base annular protruding portion; the tongue portion has a stepped portion adjacent to the base portion, and the tongue annular protruding portion is at the stepped portion.
In some embodiments, the electrical receptacle connector further comprises a blocking member, the blocking member is fitted over the third tongue housing, the tongue annular protruding portion contacts an inner wall of the blocking member, an outer wall of the blocking member contacts the inner wall of the inner shell, and a side surface of the blocking member is in the receiving cavity and faces the insertion opening.
In some embodiments, the first base housing has an inclined portion corresponding to the potting opening.
In some embodiments, the electrical receptacle connector further comprises a waterproof gasket, and the waterproof gasket is fitted over the metallic shell and adjacent to the insertion opening.
In some embodiments, the electrical receptacle connector further comprises a fixing member combined with an outer portion of the metallic shell and adjacent to the insertion opening, the fixing member has a curved groove, and the waterproof gasket is in the curved groove.
In some embodiments, the electrical receptacle connector further comprises a grounding sheet, and the grounding sheet is at the insulated housing and between the receptacle terminals which are arranged into the two rows.
According to one or some embodiments, an electrical receptacle connector is provided. The electrical receptacle connector comprises an insulated housing, a plurality of receptacle terminals, and a metallic shell. The insulated housing comprises a base portion, a tongue portion, and a hollow portion. The tongue portion is at a front end of the insulated housing, the base portion is at a rear end of the insulated housing, and the hollow portion is between the base portion and the tongue portion. The receptacle terminals are held at the base portion and the tongue portion. Each of the receptacle terminals comprises a contact portion, a body portion, and a tail portion. Each of the contact portions extend from one of two ends of a corresponding one of the body portions and the contact portions are on two faces of the tongue portion. Each of the tail portions extends from the other end of the corresponding one of the body portions and protrudes out of the base portion, and the body portions penetrate through the base portion and the tongue portion and are partially exposed from the hollow portion. The metallic shell has a receiving cavity and an insertion opening in communication with the receiving cavity. The insulated housing is in the receiving cavity. The metallic shell comprises an inner shell and an outer shell combined with the inner shell, the inner shell covers the hollow portion to form a potting space at the hollow portion. The inner shell has an opening, the outer shell has a potting opening, and the opening and the potting opening correspond to the potting space.
In some embodiments, the electrical receptacle connector further comprises a sealing body, the sealing body is in the potting space to fill the hollow portion, and the sealing body encloses the body portions at the hollow portion.
In some embodiments, the base portion has an inclined portion, and the potting opening corresponds to the inclined portion.
In some embodiments, the inclined portion is on the base portion and faces the tongue portion.
In some embodiments, waterproof glues are poured into the hollow portion from the potting opening and the opening, parts of the waterproof glues flow into the hollow portion along the inclined portion, rest parts of the waterproof glues directly flow into the hollow portion, the waterproof glues are in the potting space to fill the hollow portion, the waterproof glues are dried to form a sealing body, the sealing member is in the potting space to fill the hollow portion, and the sealing body encloses the body portions at the hollow portion.
In some embodiments, the potting opening is a notch formed at a top surface of the outer shell and the notch is a large cutout from a rear edge of the outer shell.
In some embodiments, the opening is a notch formed at a top surface of the inner shell, and the notch is a cutout from a rear edge of the inner shell.
In some embodiments, a width of the cutout at the inner shell is greater than a width of the cutout at the outer shell.
In some embodiments, a depth of the cutout at the inner shell is less than a depth of the cutout at the outer shell.
In some embodiments, a combination of the opening of the inner shell, the potting opening of the outer shell, and the insulated housing form an injection opening in communication with the potting space.
Based on the above, according to one or some embodiments of the instant disclosure, the insulated housing has the hollow portion between the base portion and the tongue portion, and the body portions of the receptacle terminals are exposed from the hollow portion. Moreover, the metallic shell outside the insulated housing has the potting opening, the metallic shell covers the hollow portion to form a potting space, the potting opening corresponds to the potting opening and the sealing body is filled in the potting space from the potting opening. Therefore, the sealing body is provided between the base portion and the tongue portion and is sealed between the insulated housing and the receptacle terminals. Hence, the waterproof function of the electrical receptacle connector can be achieved.
Detailed description of the characteristics and the advantages of the instant disclosure are shown in the following embodiments. The technical content and the implementation of the instant disclosure should be readily apparent to any person skilled in the art from the detailed description, and the purposes and the advantages of the instant disclosure should be readily understood by any person skilled in the art with reference to content, claims, and drawings in the instant disclosure.
The instant disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus not limitative of the instant disclosure, wherein:
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The insulated housing 1 comprises a base portion 11, a tongue portion 12, and a hollow portion 13, the tongue portion 12 is at a front end of insulated housing 1, the base portion 11 is at a rear end of insulated housing 1, and the hollow portion 13 is between the base portion 11 and the tongue portion 12.
The receptacle terminals 2 are held at the base portion 11 and the tongue portion 12. Each of the receptacle terminals 2 comprises a contact portion 25, a body portion 26, and a tail portion 27. Each of the contact portions 25 extends from one of two ends of a corresponding one of the body portions 26, and the contact portions 25 are at the two faces (the upper face and the lower face) of the tongue portion 12. Each of the tail portions 27 extends from the other end of the corresponding one of the body portions 26 and protrudes out of the other end of the base portion 11. The body portions 26 penetrate through the base portion 11 and the tongue portion 12 and are exposed from the hollow portion 13.
The metallic shell 4 comprises a receiving cavity 43 and an insertion opening 44 in communication with the receiving cavity 43. The insulated housing 1 is in the receiving cavity 43, the metallic shell 4 covers the hollow portion 13 to form a potting space 45 at the hollow portion 13 (as shown in
When the metallic shell 4 is assembled outside the insulated housing 1, the potting opening 421 of the metallic shell 4 corresponds to the hollow portion 13. Hence, after the electrical receptacle connector 100 is placed horizontally, glue can be applied to the hollow portion 13 between the base portion 11 and the tongue portion 12 conveniently.
In some embodiments, the electrical receptacle connector 100 further comprises a sealing body 9 (for the sake of clearly showing the position at which the sealing body 9 is, in
In some embodiments, the insulated housing 1 has a plurality of terminal grooves, and the receptacle terminals 2 are at the terminal grooves and penetrate the base portion 11 and the tongue portion 12; however, embodiments are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the insulated housing 1 and the receptacle terminals 2 are integrally formed as a unitary member so as to be applied to a waterproof electrical receptacle connector 100. It should be noted that, the insert-molding technique, the over-molding technique, combinations of the two molding techniques, or other molding techniques are all within the scope of the term “integrally formed”. In some embodiments where the insulated housing 1 is devoid the terminal grooves, the receptacle terminals 2 directly penetrate the base portion 11 and the tongue portion 12. In the waterproof electrical receptacle connector 100, the receptacle terminals 2 are made of metal and the insulated housing 1 is made of plastic, and these two materials have different thermal expansion coefficient. Hence, during processing the electrical receptacle connector 100, in the step of passing through the convection oven, gaps will be generated between the receptacle terminals 2 and the insulated housing 1. As a result, the electrical receptacle connector 100 cannot provide a proper waterproof function without the sealing body 9. Accordingly, the sealing body 9 mentioned in the foregoing embodiments is also applied to the electrical receptacle connector 100 having the insulated housing 1 integrally formed with the receptacle terminals 2, so that the sealing body 9 can be formed in the potting space 45 and fill into the gaps between the components of the connector.
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Based on the above, according to one or some embodiments of the instant disclosure, the insulated housing has the hollow portion between the base portion and the tongue portion, and the body portions of the receptacle terminals are exposed from the hollow portion. Moreover, the metallic shell outside the insulated housing has the potting opening, the metallic shell covers the hollow portion to form a potting space, the potting opening corresponds to the potting opening and the sealing body is filled in the potting space from the potting opening. Therefore, the sealing body is provided between the base portion and the tongue portion and is sealed between the insulated housing and the receptacle terminals. Hence, the waterproof function of the electrical receptacle connector can be achieved.
While the instant disclosure has been described by the way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention need not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202222007441.7 | Aug 2022 | CN | national |