Electrical connector for high-speed data transmission
AssigneeCarlisle Interconnect Technologies, Inc.
InventorPhong Dang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector includes an electrically conductive front and rear shell. The front shell includes a cantilever structure extending from a rear face in an axial direction, the cantilever structure having a catch on a free end thereof. The catch mates with a retention slot located on the rear shell to latch together the front and rear shells of the electrical connector. A contact-receiving cavity formed within the front and rear shells houses an insulating sheath carrying electrical contacts. The electrical connector may further include tangs formed as an integral part of the front shell for bearing against a mating end of a mating connector. The electrical connector may include a retention latch for seating the electrical connector within a separate connector housing.
Claims17
An electrical connector, comprising:
- an electrically conductive rear shell having a first cavity extending in an axial direction, the rear shell further including a retention slot;
- an electrically conductive front shell having a rear face and an opposite mating end, the front shell including a second cavity extending in the axial direction;
- a cantilever structure extending from the rear face of the front shell in the axial direction, the cantilever structure having a catch on a free end thereof, wherein, when the front and rear shells are mated, the cantilever structure extends into the first cavity of the rear shell and the catch of the cantilever structure engages the retention slot to latch together the front and rear shells such that the first and second cavities are abutting and together define an elongate contact-receiving cavity;
- and
- an insulating sheath housing electrical contacts, the insulating sheath carried in the contact-receiving cavity.
An electrical connector assembly comprising:
- a first connector comprising:
- an electrically conductive rear shell having a retention slot;
- an electrically conductive front shell having a rear face, an opposite mating end, and a contact-receiving cavity formed therebetween, the front shell including a cantilever structure extending from the rear face in an axial direction, the cantilever structure having a catch on a free end thereof, the catch engaging the retention slot to latch together the front and rear shells, the front shell further including a plurality of slits that form tangs on the mating end;
- and
- an insulating sheath housing electrical contacts therein, the insulating sheath carried within the contact-receiving cavity;
- a second connector comprising:
- an electrically conductive rear shell having a retention slot;
- an electrically conductive front shell having a rear face, an opposite mating end, and a contact-receiving cavity formed therebetween, the front shell including a cantilever structure extending from the rear face in an axial direction, the cantilever structure having a catch on a free end thereof, the catch engaging the retention slot to latch together the front and rear shells, the front shell further including a tongue formed on the mating end;
- and
- an insulating sheath carrying electrical contacts therein, the insulating sheath seated within the contact-receiving cavity;
- wherein, when the first and second connectors are mated, the tangs of the first connector surround the tongue of the second connector to retain the connectors in a mated configuration.
The electrical connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the cantilever structure of each of the first and second connectors is formed as an integral part of the front shells of the first and second connectors.
The electrical connector assembly of claim 12, further comprising:
- a recessed surface formed on an exterior surface of at least one of the first or second connectors;
- and
- a retention latch carried on the recessed surface, the retention latch having a resilient arm for engaging a corresponding mating feature on a connector housing to secure the electrical connector assembly within the connector housing.
The electrical connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the rear shell of each of the first and second connectors further comprises multiple spaced-apart circumferential grooves around an exterior surface of the rear shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.