US 5,207,597 AGranted

Shielded connector with dual cantilever panel grounding beam

AssigneeAMP Incorporated

InventorsRichard S. Kline, James Pritulsky

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Abstract

A circuit board mountable shielded data link electrical connector (2) comprises a generally rectangular insulating housing (4) and a metal shield (6). The shield (6) covers the upper side wall (14), opposite end walls (18), mating end (10) and the part of the lower side wall (16), of the housing (4). The upper side wall (54) of the shield (6) has an extension in the form of a rear wall flap (62) which can be bent down about notches (66) to cover the rearward wall (12) of the housing (4) when the housing (4) has been inserted into the shield (6), and secured in position by means of rearwardly projecting flanges (76) on the opposite end walls (56) of the shield (6). There project from opposite edges (68) of the upper side wall (54) of the shield (6) cantilever spring arms (82) having contact surfaces (92) proximate to the front wall (58) of the shield (6) for resiliently engaging a panel (P) when front wall (58) of the shield (6) is inserted through a hole (H) in the panel, so that the shield is grounded to the panel (P) which is of metal.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A shielded electrical connector, comprising:

an insulating housing having a mating end, a rearward end, upper and lower side walls, and oppositely facing end walls, connecting said mating end with said rearward end, the housing defining an internal cavity opening onto said mating end for receiving a mating electrical connector;
electrical contacts secured in said housing and having mating portions projecting into said cavity and connecting portions projecting from said lower side walls;
and
a one piece metal shield having an upper side wall covering the upper side wall of the housing, opposite end walls each covering a respective end wall of the housing, a front wall covering the mating face of said housing and having an opening therethrough providing access to said cavity for said mating connector, a lower side wall projecting beneath part of the lower side wall of the housing, and a rear wall flap hingedly connected to the rear end of the upper side wall of the shield and covering the rearward end of the housing,
said shield including a pair of cantilever arms each connected to a respective lateral edge of the upper side wall and each having a contact surface proximate to the front wall of the shield, and
each said cantilever arm has a first rectilinear portion connected by way of a neck to the lateral edge of the respective upper side wall of the shield and extending rearwardly thereof alongside said lateral edge, and a second rectilinear portion connected to said first portion by way of a bight and extending forwardly of the shield and beneath said first portion, the contact surface of the arm being formed on a free end of said second portion.

3 more elements

An electrical connector having a portion thereof receivable in an aperture in a panel, the connector comprising:

an insulating housing defining a mating face and having at least one contact secured therein, said housing including side walls extending orthogonally from said mating face;
a shield including at least one side wall disposed in a plane adjacent a respective said housing side wall, said shield surrounding at least a portion of said housing, said shield having a dual cantilever panel engaging beam extending therefrom, said beam having a first portion and a second portion interconnected by a bight, said first portion joined at a first end to a lateral edge of said at least one side wall of said shield by a neck extending laterally from said at least one side wall proximate said mating face and extending from said first end parallel to said lateral edge and spaced therefrom and away from said mating face a selected distance to a second end proximate said bight such that said first portion is initially disposed in the plane of said at least one side wall and upon mounting to said panel is deflectable out of said plane, said second portion extending from said bight to a free end proximate said mating face and initially extending therebeyond, whereby when a portion of the connector is received in an aperture in a panel the free end of said second portion of said dual cantilever beam engages the panel to establish a ground path between the shield and panel, said second portion is deflectable about said bight and said first portion is deflectable about said neck thereby relieving stress on said bight.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.