Power electrical connector with improved metallic shell

Abstract

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a pair of terminals and a metallic shell retained in the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a mating portion defining a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a front surface connecting the first and second surfaces. A receiving space formed in the mating portion and penetrating through the front surface. The terminals include contact portions extending into the receiving space. The metallic shell includes a first wall extending forwardly, an end wall bending downwardly from a front end of the first wall and a second wall bending rearwardly from a bottom end of the end wall. The first and second walls cover the first and second surfaces of the mating portion respectively. The end wall covers the front surface and defines an opening communicating with the receiving space.

1. An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulative housing comprising a mating portion extending forwardly in a front-to-back direction and defining a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a front surface connecting the first and second surfaces, a receiving space formed in the mating portion and penetrating through the front surface; 
 a pair of terminals comprising contact portions extending into the receiving space; and 
 a metallic shell comprising a first wall extending forwardly, an end wall extending downwardly from a front end of the first wall and a second wall extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the end wall, the first and second walls covering the first and second surfaces of the mating portion respectively, the end wall covering the front surface and defining an opening communicating with the receiving space; 
 wherein the metallic shell further comprises a pair of grounding portions extending rearwardly from two sides of the end wall and located in a vertical plane perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, and said grounding portions deform in a transverse direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and the vertical plane when the electrical connector mates with a mating connector. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the insulative housing further comprises a base portion, the mating portion extends from the base portion, the receiving space penetrates through the first and second surfaces of the mating portion to form two separate beam portions. 
     
     
       3. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the two beam portions define opposite inner faces facing toward each other, two passageways penetrate through the base portion and the inner faces of the tongue portions along a front-to-back direction, the contact portions of the terminals extend beyond the corresponding inner faces and received in the receiving space. 
     
     
       4. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the metallic shell further comprises a frame portion enclosing the base portion, the first wall extends forwardly from an upper edge of the frame portion. 
     
     
       5. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the metallic shell further comprises a soldering portion extending rearwardly from a rear end of the second wall, the frame portion defines a channel running through a bottom wall thereof so as to receive the soldering portion, the soldering portion projects beyond the bottom wall of the frame portion. 
     
     
       6. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the metallic shell further comprises a pair of latch arms extending from an upper edge of the frame portion and located at two sides of the first wall, each latch arm comprises a latch portion formed at its tip thereof. 
     
     
       7. The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first surface of the mating portion defines a pair of recesses adapted to receive tips of the latch arms. 
     
     
       8. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
 a first electrical connector defining a mating port with an opening forwards receiving room configured by a first insulating housing and a first metallic shell and comprising a pair of first terminals with contacting portions exposing to the receiving room; 
 a second electrical connector mateable with the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector defining a tongue portion enclosing by a second metallic shell and comprising a pair of second terminals with contacting portions located at opposite ends of the tongue portion; 
 wherein the two pairs of contacting portions contact with each other when the tongue portion is inserted in the receiving room and the second metallic shell encloses the mating port of the first electrical connector; 
 wherein the contacting portions of the first and the second terminals are disposed perpendicular to the tongue portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first metallic shell defines a pair of latching arm slit therefrom and disposed substantially parallel to the tongue portion to lock with the second metallic shell. 
     
     
       10. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first metallic shell defines a pair of grounding portions bending therefrom and disposed perpendicularly to the tongue portion. 
     
     
       11. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the first insulating housing defines a pair of separated beam portions in which the contacting portions are located at inner sides of the beam portion and the grounding portions are located at outer sides of the beam portion. 
     
     
       12. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first metallic shell comprises a pair of upper and lower base portions enclosing the beam portions and exposing to the receiving room in a direction perpendicular to the tongue portion and a pair of end portions covering on front faces of the beam portions. 
     
     
       13. An electrical connector assembly comprising:
 a first connector including: 
 an insulative housing defining, in a front-to-back direction, a rear body potion, and a front mating portion with a receiving space therein under condition that the body portion is dimensioned larger than the mating portion in a transverse direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction; 
 a plurality of first contacts disposed in the housing; 
 a metallic shell snugly enclosing the housing and covering most exterior surfaces of the housing; wherein 
 said shell unitarily defines a pair of forward resilient latches which primarily lie in a plane defined by a top wall of the shell and are deflectable along the transverse direction in said plane during mating. 
 
     
     
       14. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the housing defines a pair of recesses in communication with an exterior in the transverse direction and accommodating the corresponding latches. 
     
     
       15. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the shell further includes a pair of resilient grounding arms extending rearwardly and outwardly from a front end wall of the shell. 
     
     
       16. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said shell further including a bottom wall opposite to the top wall in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction and said transverse direction under condition that the front end wall is unitarily linked between the top wall and the bottom wall to commonly define a U-shaped structure thereof. 
     
     
       17. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , further including a second connector, said second connector including an insulative body enclosed by a metallic shield and equipped with a plurality of second contacts, wherein the shield defines a mating cavity to receiving the front mating portion and a pair of holes beside the mating cavity to receive the corresponding latches, respectively. 
     
     
       18. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the shield defines a pair of offset portions on a front rim region thereof to transversely confront and be directly received in another pair of recesses of the insulative housing of the first connector. 
     
     
       19. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the shell further includes a front end wall and a bottom wall under condition that the front end wall is unitarily linked between the top wall and the bottom wall to commonly define a U-shaped structure thereof, and wherein the housing defines a pair of mounting posts extending from a level above the bottom wall downwardly toward and further below the bottom wall. 
     
     
       20. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the housing defines another pair of recesses to receive said pair of resilient grounding arms.