Electrical connector having insulative members and method of making the same

Abstract

A electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1), a number of terminals (2), a stiffener (3) and a pair of insulative members (4). The insulative housing includes a tongue portion (11) defining a number of first passageways (111a) and two molding holes (115a, 115b) communicating with the first passageways for accommodating a number of molds. The stiffener is insert molded with the insulative housing and defines two openings (33a, 33b) communicating with the molding holes. The insulative members cover the openings for sealing the molding holes after removal of the molds.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising: an insulative housing including a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly therefrom in a front-to-back direction; a plurality of immovable terminals embedded within the housing via an insert-molding process, the tongue portion defining a plurality of passageways arranged with one another in a transverse direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction to receive said immovable terminals therein, and a plurality of molding holes communicating with said passageways in a vertical direction perpendicular to both said front-to-back direction and said transverse direction for receiving corresponding molds during said insert-molding process; a metallic stiffener embedded in the tongue portion, said stiffener including an opening: and an insulative block including a plurality of parts filled within the corresponding molding holes through the opening of the stiffener; wherein the tongue portion defines opposite surfaces in the vertical direction, and the immovable terminals are exposed upon one surface while the insulative block and the stiffener are exposed upon the other surface.

2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insulative block is formed by another molding process.

3. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further including a metallic shell enclosing the housing, and wherein said shell defines a receiving cavity in which the tongue portion extends forwardly.

4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further including a plurality of deflectable terminals integrally molded within a positioning structure which is attached to the housing, and wherein said deflectable terminals are essentially located behind the immovable terminals in the front-to-back direction.

5. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said molding holes are fully occupied by the insulative block.

6. An electrical connector comprising: an insulative housing including a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly therefrom in a front-to-back direction; a plurality of immovable terminals embedded within the housing via an insert-molding process, the tongue portion defining a plurality of passageways arranged with one another in a transverse direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction to receive said immovable terminals therein, and a plurality of molding holes communicating with said passageways in a vertical direction perpendicular to both said front-to-back direction and said transverse direction for receiving corresponding molds during said insert-molding process; and an insulative block including a plurality of parts filled within and completely occupying the corresponding molding holes after the insert-molding process for preventing shorting; wherein both said immovable terminals and said insulative block are exposed to an exterior in the vertical direction while said molding holes are not exposed to the exterior in the vertical direction but covered by the insulative block; and a metallic stiffener embedded within the tongue portion, wherein said stiffener includes an opening set aligning with the molding holes for molding consideration.

7. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein said insulative block is formed by another molding process upon the housing.

8. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein said insulative block includes a plurality of projections extending into the molding holes along the front-to-back direction and unexposed to the exterior in the vertical direction.

9. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tongue portion defines opposite surfaces in the vertical direction, and the immovable terminals are exposed upon one surface while the insulative block is exposed upon the other surface.

10. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein said stiffener is exposed upon one surface of the mating tongue in the vertical direction.

11. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein further including a metallic shell enclosing the housing, wherein said shell defines a receiving cavity in which the tongue portion extends forwardly.

12. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 11, further including a plurality of deflectable terminals integrally molded within a positioning structure which is attached to the housing, wherein said deflectable terminals are essentially located behind the immovable terminals in the front-to-back direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view showing an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is a partly exploded perspective view showing the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1, with a shell separated from an insulative housing together with terminals;

(3) FIG. 3 is another partly exploded view similar to FIG. 2, taken from another aspect;

(4) FIG. 4 is a partly exploded view showing the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2, with the shell, a first insulative member, and a second insulative member separated from the insulative housing;

(5) FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1; and

(6) FIG. 6 is another exploded view similar to FIG. 5, taken from another aspect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(7) Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1-6, an electrical connector 100 comprises an insulative housing 1, a plurality of terminals 2 secured to the insulative housing 1, a stiffener 3 attached to the insulative housing 1, a first insulative member 4a, a second insulative member 4b, a positioning structure 5 and a shell 6.

(8) An insulative housing 1 includes a base portion 13, a tongue portion 11 extending forwardly from the base portion 13 and defining a plurality of passageways 111, a pair of supporting portions 15 disposed at opposite sides of a rear portion of the base portion 13, and a mounting hole 14 defined between the pair of supporting portions 15. The tongue portion 11 includes a front portion 112 and a rear portion 113. The passageways 111 include a plurality of first passageways 111a extending from the front portion 112 to the supporting portions 15, and a plurality of second passageways 111b extending along the rear portion 113.

(9) The terminals 2 include a plurality of first terminals 2a secured in the first passageways 111a and a plurality of second terminals 2b secured in the second passageways 111b. Each first terminal 2a is formed with a flat first contact portion 21a and a first soldering portion 22a. Each second terminal 2b is formed with a curved second contact portion 21b and a second soldering portion 22b.

(10) The stiffener 3 comprises a body portion 31 attached to the upper portion of the tongue portion 11 and a pair of beams 32 extending laterally from the body portion 31. The body portion 31 defines a first opening 33a communicating with a first molding hole 115a and a second opening 33b rearward the first opening 33a and communicating with a second molding hole 115b.

(11) The first insulative member 4a and the second insulative member 4b are made from resin, rubber or other insulative material. The first insulative member 4a cover the first opening 33a for sealing the first molding hole 115a. The second insulative member 4b covers the second opening 33b for sealing the second molding hole 115b. It is noted that the second insulative member 4b includes a plurality of rearward projections 41b rearwardly projecting into the rear side of the molding hole 115b and is unexposed to the exterior in the vertical direction while the block section 41a of the insulative member 4b is exposed to the exterior in the vertical direction.

(12) The positioning structure 5 defines a plurality of grooves 51 communicating with the second passageways 111b.

(13) In assembling of the electrical connector 100, in a first step, punching the plurality of terminals 2 and the stiffener 3 from a metal plate.

(14) In a second step, confining the plurality of terminals 2 in certain positions by a plurality of molds. Insert molding the first terminals 2a and stiffener 3 with the insulative housing 1. The first contact portions 21a are received in the first passageways 111a. The first soldering portions 22a extend outwardly from the first passageways 111a. The stiffener 3 is attached to a front face of the tongue portion 11.

(15) In a third step, removing the molds to define the plurality of first openings 33a and the second openings 33b in the stiffener 3 and the first and second molding holes 115a, 115b in the tongue portion 11. The first and second molding holes 115a, 115b partially communicate with the first passageways 111a. The first molding holes 115a communicate with the first openings 33a and the second molding holes 115b communicate with the second openings 33b. Pruning redundant material strip of the metal plate.

(16) In a fourth step, covering, optimally insert molding, the first insulative member 4a onto the stiffener 3 to cover the first opening 33a for sealing the first molding hole 111a, and covering, optimally insert molding, the second insulative member 4b onto the stiffener 3 to cover the second opening 33b for sealing the second molding hole 111b. The second terminals 2b are insert molded with the positioning structure 5. The second terminals 2b together with the positioning structure 5 is mounted to the insulative housing 1, with the second contact portions 21b received in the second passageways 111b and the positioning structure 5 received in the mounting hole 14 of the insulative housing 1. Finally enclosing the subassembly into the shell 6.

(17) Optionally, the stiffener 3 could be mounted onto the insulative housing 1 after the first terminals 2a insert molded with the insulative housing 1.

(18) The first terminals 2a and the stiffener 3 could be confined at predetermined positions precisely by the molds. The first and second molding holes 115a, 115b are sealed by the insulative members 4a, 4b to prevent conductive particles from falling into the first and second molding holes 115a, 115b to cause fire breakout.

(19) 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, 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.