# US 2018/0323548 A1 · Electrical connector having an improved metal shell > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0323548 A1 - Document ID: US20180323548A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/970,845 - Filed: 2018-05-03 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-04 - Assignees: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited - Applicants: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited - Inventors: JUN ZHAO; CAI-YUN ZHANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180323548A1 ## CPC - H01R 13/6581: Shield structure - H01R 13/50: formed as an integral body (H01R13/514 takes precedence) - H01R 13/516: Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing {, hoods} - H01R 13/6595: with separate members fixing the shield to the PCB - H01R 43/20: for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve - H01R 12/7047: {with a fastener through a screw hole in the coupling device} - H01R 12/707: {Soldering or welding} - H01R 13/504: different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic welding, or swaged together - H01R 13/5202: {Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings} - H01R 24/60: Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract An electrical connector includes a terminal module including an insulative housing and a number of conductive terminals affixed to the insulative housing, and a shielding shell having a number of lateral walls and enclosing the insulative housing for forming a receiving room. The insulative housing has a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion. The base portion has a mounting portion at a rear end thereof. Each conductive terminal has a contacting portion exposed to the tongue portion, a fixed portion affixed to the base portion and a soldering portion extending rearward from the mounting portion. The shielding shell includes a pair of supporting legs extending upwardly and resisting against the mounting portion. The supporting legs resisting against the mounting portion makes the base portion resist against gravity leading to a positive positioning of the tongue portion without upturning. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrical connector comprising: a terminal module comprising an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion and a plurality of conductive terminals affixed to the insulative housing, the base portion having a mounting portion at a rear end thereof, each conductive terminal having a contacting portion exposed to the tongue portion, a fixed portion affixed to the base portion, and a soldering portion extending rearward from the mounting portion; and a shielding shell having a plurality of lateral walls and enclosing the insulative housing for forming a receiving room; wherein the shielding shell comprises a pair of supporting legs extending upwardly and resisting against the mounting portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shielding shell comprises a metal main shell shaped as a cylindrical shape and a sub-shell enclosing the metal shell, and the supporting legs extend rearward from the lateral walls and resist against a mounting surface of the mounting portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the supporting legs and the lateral walls are in a same plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting portion comprises a pair of protruding portions extending laterally from the lateral walls, the sub-shell comprises an upper wall attached to a top wall of the metal shell and a pair of lateral portions attached to the lateral walls, and a rear end of each lateral portion resists against a front end of each protruding portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sub-shell comprises a horizontal covering portion attached to the mounting portion and extending rearward from the upper wall and a pair of assembling legs covering the protruding portions and extending downwardly from the horizontal covering portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the soldering portions of the conductive terminals are arranged in a same row, and the assembling legs are located on both lateral sides of the soldering portions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the top wall of the metal shell comprises a riveted joint welded together continuously. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mounting portion is located at an upper surface of the base portion, and the metal shell comprises a first barrier resisting a rear surface of the mounting portion and a second barrier resisting a rear surface of the base portion and extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the metal shell. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the metal shell comprises a pair of resisting protrusions protruding into the receiving room, the base portion comprises a pair of resisting grooves corresponding to the resisting protrusions, and a front surface of the resisting protrusion protrudes beyond a front surface of the base portion. ### Claim 10 An electrical connector comprising: a terminal module including an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals integrally formed with the housing, said housing including a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion, said terminals including contacting portions exposed upon the tongue portion; a metallic shielding shell attached upon the housing and including a metal main shell with a capsular configuration and a metal sub-shell fixed to the main shell and securing to the housing in a front-to-back direction without relative movement therebetween; a receiving room formed in the main shell to receive the tongue portion; a resisting protrusion formed on the main shell and extending into the receiving room; and a resisting groove formed in the base portion to receive the resisting protrusion; wherein the resisting protrusion forms a front edge extending beyond the base portion and outside of the resisting groove, and a rear edge spaced from a forward surface of the base portion in a rear end of the resisting groove so as not to directly transfer an excessive mating force along the front-to-back direction to the housing during mating. ### Claim 11 (depends on 11) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein said main shell forms at least one barrier to abut against a rear surface of the housing for preventing rearward movement of the housing relative to the main shell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the main shell snugly receives the base portion in both a vertical direction and a transverse direction which are mutually perpendicular to each other and commonly perpendicular to said front-to-back direction so as to securely retain the housing to the main shell in both said vertical direction and said transverse direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the resisting protrusion is spaced from the base portion in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein said sub-shell forms a gap to snugly receive a tuber of the base portion so as to restrict relative movement between the sub-shell and the housing in the front-to-back direction. ### Claim 15 An electrical connector comprising: a terminal module including an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals associatively disposed in the housing, said housing including a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion, said terminals including contacting portions exposed upon the tongue portion; a metallic shielding shell attached upon the housing and including a metal main shell with a capsular configuration and a metal sub-shell fixed to the main shell and holding the housing in a front-to-back direction; a receiving room formed in the main shell to receive the tongue portion; a resisting protrusion formed on the main shell and extending into the receiving room; and a resisting groove formed in the base portion to receive the resisting protrusion; wherein the resisting protrusion forms a front edge extending beyond the base portion and outside of the resisting groove, and a rear edge spaced from a forward surface of the base portion in a rear end of the resisting groove so as not to directly transfer an excessive mating force along the front-to-back direction to the housing during mating. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein said main shell forms at least one barrier to abut against a rear surface of the housing for preventing rearward movement of the housing relative to the main shell. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein the main shell snugly receives the base portion in both a vertical direction and a transverse direction which are mutually perpendicular to each other and commonly perpendicular to said front-to-back direction so as to securely retain the housing to the main shell in both said vertical direction and said transverse direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein the resisting protrusion is spaced from the base portion in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein said sub-shell forms a gap to snugly receive a tuber of the base portion so as to restrict relative movement between the sub-shell and the housing in the front-to-back direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sub-shell forms means for mounting to a printed circuit board on which soldering portions of the terminals are mounted, which said main shell lacks said means.