Pair of shielded electrical connectors with a grounding element therebetween

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a shielded electrical connector with a grounding element.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Shielded electrical connectors are used more and more widely with the increasing development of information technology. Many electrical connectors have grounding elements for electrically connecting a grounded shield thereof to a shielding device enclosure panel or to a mating complementary connector for increasing the quality of signal transmission. Conventional grounding elements of electrical connectors are usually attached to the electrical connector using screws and nuts, which increases the number of parts used in assembling the electrical connector and which increases the volume of the electrical connector. Other electrical connectors have grounding elements which are retained by an insulative housing of the electrical connector, resulting in a complicated design for the insulative housing and increasing the volume of the insulative housing, in turn increasing the volume of the electrical connector. Increasing of the volume of an electrical connector runs counter to the trend toward lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller electrical connectors.

[0006] Therefore, an electrical connector with an improved grounding element is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0007] A major object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a grounding element which is reliably retained to the electrical connector without increasing the volume of the electrical connector while still effectively providing a grounding function.

[0008] A shielded electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of electrical connector modules and a conductive grounding element. Each of the electrical connector modules comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical terminals received in the insulative housing, a conductive front shield and a conductive rear shield. The grounding element comprises a retention section and an engaging section. The retention section of the grounding element is reliably retained and electrically connected to the front and rear shields of the electrical connector modules. The engaging section of the grounding element is substantially V-shaped and extends between and forwardly beyond the electrical connector modules.

[0009] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a side-by-side electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the side-by-side electrical connector of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3—3 of FIG. 2; and

[0013] FIG. 4 is a rear planar view of FIG. 2.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a pair of side-by-side located electrical connector modules 2 and a conductive grounding element 3.

[0015] Each of the electrical connector modules 2 comprises an insulative housing 11, a plurality of electrical terminals 12, a conductive front shield 13, and a conductive rear shield 14.

[0016] Each insulative housing 11 comprises a base portion 110 and an island portion 111 protruding forwardly from a front surface (not labeled) of the base portion 110. A plurality of terminal passageways 112 are formed in a vertical surface (not labeled) of the island portion 111 and extend from the front surface to a rear surface (not shown) of the base portion 110. A pair of spaced ribs(spacers) 15 are formed between a pair of base portions 110 of the insulative housings 11 to connect two insulative housings 11 side by side for use in the side-by-side electrical connector 1.

[0017] Each of the electrical terminals 12 comprises a fixing section 120, a contacting section 121 extending forwardly from the fixing section 120 and a mounting section 122 extending outwardly and downwardly from the fixing section 120. The mounting sections 122 of the electrical terminals 12 vary in lengths and shapes.

[0018] A pair of mirror-image, complementary front shields 13 are used in the side-by-side electrical connector 1. Each front shield 13 comprises a generally rectangular forward section 130 and a pair of extensions 134 extending rearwardly from two opposite side walls of the forward section 130. A pair of opposing extensions 134 of each pair of complementary front shields 13 each defines a pair of slits 132 extending forwardly from a rear edge thereof. The slits 132 are configured and spaced from each other corresponding to the ribs 15 connecting the pair of insulative housings 11. The extensions 134 each defines a pair of spaced tabs 131 extending rearwardly therefrom.

[0019] A pair of mirror-image, complementary rear shields 14 are used in the side-by-side electrical connector 1. Each rear shield 14 comprises a top wall 140, a first side wall 143, a second side wall 145 and a rear wall 144 and is open in a front and bottom thereof. Each first side wall 143 forms a grounding tab 146 depending downwardly from a bottom edge thereof. Each second side wall 145 defines a pair of spaced slots 142 extend rearwardly from a forward edge thereof. Each rear wall 144 defines two pairs of openings 141 in an upper section and a lower section thereof adjacent to the first and second side walls 143, 145, respectively.

[0020] The grounding element 3 comprises a retention section 30, an engaging section 31 and a transition section 32 between the retention and engaging sections 30, 31. The retention section 30 is a generally rectangular piece and defines a pair of rectangular holes 300 in an upper and a lower sections thereof and a pair of through holes 301 at two opposite sides of each hole 300. The transition section 32 extends perpendicularly and forwardly from an upper edge of the retention section 30. The engaging section 31 firstly extends downwardly and forwardly at an angle from a forward edge of the transition section 32 and then extends upwardly and forwardly at an angle to define a generally V-shaped configuration.

[0021] Referring also to FIGS. 2-4, in assembly, the electrical terminals 12 are assembled in the insulative housings 11. The contacting sections 121 and the fixing sections 120 of the electrical terminals 12 are received in a vertical row in the terminal passageways 112 of each insulative housing 11 with the terminals 12 having longer retention sections 122 being positioned in the higher terminal passageways 112. The rear shields 14 are assembled to substantially enclose the base portions 110 of the insulative housings 11 with the slots 142 of the second side walls 145 receiving the ribs 15 therein. The front shields 13 are assembled to the insulative housings 11 with the slits 132 thereof also receiving the ribs 15 therein. The extensions 134 of the front shields 13 overlap the first and second side walls 143, 145 of the rear shields 14. The retention section 30 of the grounding element 3 is attached to the rear walls 144 of the rear shields 14 with each hole 300 receiving two tabs 131 of opposing extensions 134 of the front shields 13 having the slits 132 therein. The engaging section 31 extends between the front shields 13 and substantially beyond a forward edge of the front shields 13. The tabs 131 received in the holes 300 are bent toward outward sides of the side-by-side electrical connector 1 and are further extended through the through holes 301 of the grounding element 3 and through the openings 141 of the rear shields 14 adjacent to the second side walls 145. The tabs 131 of the extensions 134 without slits 132 are bent to extend into the openings 141 of the rear shields 14 adjacent to the first side walls 143.

[0022] The grounding element 3 is reliably retained by the front and rear shields 13, 14 of the side-by-side electrical connector 1 without additional elements and without complicating the design of the insulative housings 11. Therefore, the side-by-side electrical connector 1 is compact. The engaging section 31 of the grounding element 3 has a generally V-shaped configuration which provides greater flexibility than prior art designs, and therefore a more reliable grounding connection to a complementary connector or a conductive panel is ensured.

[0023] 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.