JP2000173708A - Electrical connector having mounting bracket - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent damages due to connection of a connector to a circuit base board, so as to maintain the integrity of connection by receiving and supporting a part of a connector integrally fixed to a panel wall of a computer box and mounted to a circuit base board, while allowing its insertion and resisting a force from a fitting plug. SOLUTION: A bracket 52 includes a surrounding member 54 which receives the circumference of a front part outline part 34 of a connector 22. The surrounding member 54 includes a pair of parallel facing sidewalls 55 and a pair of parallel facing upper and lower walls 56. The bracket 52 is provided with a flat front plate 56, having a fitting opening 57 aligned with an opening of a shield 24 in the connector 22. The front plate 56 forms a pair of upper and lower tabs 58, extended so as to separate from the fitting opening 57 and has respective screw holes 59. Using the screw holes 59, the bracket 52 is fixed to a panel wall in a computer box. The front outline part 34 of the connector 22 installed to the circuit board inside the computer box is aligned and fitted with the surrounding member 54.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to a bracket for mounting an electrical connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector used in a computer generally has an insulating housing for holding a plurality of conductive terminals. On one side of such a connector,
The terminal is configured to connect to an electrical contact on a circuit board,
Then, on the other side of the connector, the terminal is configured to be fitted to the mating plug. It is known to substantially enclose the housing with a metallic shield to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI). These shields have seams where the edges of the formed metal blank are joined.

[0003] The metallic shield of the connector typically has downwardly extending mounting feet that serve to mount the connector to the circuit board. In a conventional mounting technique, conductive terminal pins and mounting legs of a metallic shield are inserted into holes provided at corresponding positions on a main board or a control circuit board (hereinafter, referred to as a circuit board). Solder is applied from the lower surface of the circuit board where the terminal pins and the mounting legs protrude, and these elements are fixed to the circuit board and electrically connected. These soldered feet hold the connector in position on the circuit board.

[0004]

The connector of the computer accepts a plug of a peripheral device of the computer,
It functions to communicate signals and supply power.
In this environment, the connector is subjected to frequent insertion and removal of the plug, and is also subject to forces on the plug, such as by pulling on the cord during use. The effect is particularly great when a force oblique to the plug insertion direction is applied to the connector. Conventionally mounted connectors are not configured to withstand these forces well. It has been found that the mounting legs of the conventional connector tend to loosen or undesirably displace from the circuit board when subjected to these oblique forces. Furthermore, the seams of the shield tend to pull apart in response to these oblique forces, thus potentially affecting the relationship between the housing and the shield, and ultimately mating with the plug connector. Will be affected.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a bracket including an enclosing member for insertably receiving and supporting at least a portion of a connector, the bracket being supported by adjacent panels of a computer box. According to the invention, the front plate is fixed to the wall with screws, glue or other fixings. The bracket is integral with the wall and the surrounding member projects from the panel. The connectors are attached to adjacent circuit boards and are maintained in alignment by brackets.

The bracket of the present invention forms a stiffening support to hold the connector in proper alignment and to withstand the forces transmitted to the connector from mating plugs connected to peripheral devices. By attaching the connector to this stiffening support, the connector can withstand oblique insertion forces, thus avoiding the loosening problems that occur with conventionally mounted connectors.

It is an advantage of the present invention that a bracket is provided that securely holds the connector in alignment to withstand the forces acting on the connector from the mating plug. Another advantage of the present invention is that damage due to attachment of the connector to the circuit board is prevented, and integrity of the connection to the circuit board is maintained. Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, the claims and the accompanying drawings.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like numerals, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a circuit board 20 having a conventional shielded input / output connector 22 attached thereto.
Is shown. The connector 22 is attached to the circuit board 20 and is configured to receive a mating plug (not shown) from its front in a generally known manner. A plug typically establishes an input / output connection between a computer and a peripheral device for providing signals and / or power.

The connector 22 includes an external conductive shield 24
And an insulating housing 2 holding a plurality of conductive terminals 28
6 (FIG. 1). Each terminal 28 is connected to the circuit board 2
It has a tail portion 30 extending from the housing 26 for termination to a conductor on the zero. On the other side of the tail part 30,
Each terminal 28 has a contact portion 32 (FIGS. 3-6) provided in the housing 26 for engaging with each mating terminal of the plug.
Having. As shown, connector 22 has a 90 ° configuration such that tail portion 30 is at right angles to the plug-in direction relative to plug contact portion 32.

The conductive shield 24 substantially surrounds the housing 26 and has a front profile 34 with a front opening for receiving a plug. The shield 24 substantially surrounds the housing 26 and at the seam 36 (FIG. 1) the two edges of the shield 24 are secured in a known manner. As shown in FIG.
And a pair of side mounting legs 38 extending downward from the side portions through the mounting holes of the circuit board 20. The illustrated connector 22 is further mounted on the circuit board 20 from the bottom of the shield 24.
Front mounting leg 4 extending downward so as to be inserted into the mounting hole of
0 is also provided. On the lower surface of the circuit board 20, solder is applied to the mounting legs 38, 40 and the terminal tail 30, a conductive contact is established, and the connector 22 is connected to the circuit board 2.
0 is fixed to the mounting position.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the connector 22 is mounted in a conventional manner, it has been found that a large force deviating from the insertion direction causes the connector 22 to loosen or fail from the circuit board 20. ing. For example, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate unwanted movement and misalignment of the connector 22 relative to the circuit board 20 that typically occurs when the connector 22 is subjected to various forces. In use, the connector 22 can be inserted, withdrawn, pulled, and / or plugged.
Or, it repeatedly receives the force generated by vibration. If such a force becomes excessive or if such a force is applied to the connector 22 at an angle from the intended insertion direction, the connector 22 may be moved forward or backward as shown in FIG. 2 or twisted to the right or left as shown in FIG. Such movement may cause seams 36 to separate, loosen or bend mounting legs 38, 40 and terminal pins 38, or, in the worst case, destroy or cut these elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a connector assembly which can easily and reliably mount a connector, and which can effectively avoid the above-mentioned problems which occur in a conventionally mounted connector due to an external insertion force. I will provide a. Generally, this is accomplished by providing a bracket having an enclosure supported on an adjacent panel, such as a panel of a computer box, which enclosure insertably receives a portion of the connector and maintains its alignment. Shaped. 3 to 10 show various embodiments of the connector assembly of the present invention including a connector and a mounting bracket. The connector is conventional and may be, for example, the connector 10 described above with respect to FIGS.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show a connector assembly 50.
(FIGS. 3, 4) and 60 (FIGS. 5, 6) are shown, each of which is configured to attach to a connector 22 and a panel such as a computer box panel 45 (FIGS. 4, 6). Each bracket 52 and 62 is provided.
For example, the bracket 52 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes an enclosing member 54 that forms an open interior that is snugly received around the front contour portion 34 of the connector 22.
including. In particular, the illustrated enclosing member 54 includes a pair of parallel opposing first and second side walls 55 and a pair of parallel opposing third and fourth upper and lower walls 56.

In addition, bracket 52 includes a substantially flat front plate 56 having a mating opening 57 aligned with the opening in shield 24 of connector 22. Figures 3 and 4
In the embodiment shown, the flat front plate 56 includes a pair of upper and lower tabs 58 extending away from the mating openings 57.
, And each tab 58 is provided with a screw hole 59. FIG. 4 shows a connector mounted on the circuit board 20 in a panel 45 of a fixed chassis such as a computer box. The circuit board 20 is fixed to the computer box panel 45 by any conventional means (not shown). The front plate 56 of the bracket 52 is arranged to abut the panel 45. The screw 47 (FIG. 4) is screwed into the screw hole 59 (FIG. 3), and the bracket 5
2 is fixed to the panel 45. An opening is formed in the panel 45 corresponding to the fitting opening 57 of the bracket 52 so that a plug can be inserted from the outside of the panel 45 so as to be fitted and connected to the connector 22.

The bracket 62 shown in FIGS.
And 4 has an enclosing member 63 similar to the enclosing member 54 described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 4, which is shaped to fit tightly around the front contour portion 34 of the connector 22. In addition, bracket 62 includes a substantially flat front plate 64 having a mating opening 65 aligned with the opening in shield 24 of connector 22. In this embodiment, the front plate 64 has a pair of side tabs 66 extending away from both edges of the mating opening 65, each of which has a threaded hole 68.

Brackets 52 (FIGS. 3, 4) and 62 (FIGS. 5, 6) are secured to panel 45 by screws 47 to bring connector 22 into proper alignment with panel 45 and circuit board 20. maintain. Surrounding members 54, 63
Supports the contoured portion 34 of the connector shield 24 against lateral movement. Therefore, bracket 5
2, 62 transmit the lateral force to the panel 45 and reduce the torsional force on the connector 22. Otherwise, the mounting feet 38, 40 may become loose from the circuit board 20 due to the torsional force.

FIGS. 7-9 illustrate another connector assembly 70 that includes a bracket integral with the components of the computer box. More specifically, this integral bracket comprises two opposing side walls 74 and a flat panel 7.
Enclosing member 72 having an upper wall 76 projecting rearward from
It has. Panel 78 serves as the front plate of the bracket. An opening 80 is formed in the side wall 74 and the top wall 76, which is shaped to receive the front contour 34 of the connector 22.

In the illustrated embodiment, panel 78 comprises
A plurality of rearwardly protruding mounting tabs 82 are provided for mounting the panel 78 to the base 84. In particular, each tab 8
2 has a screw hole 86 for receiving a screw 88. The base 84 has a threaded hole 90 corresponding to the threaded hole 86 in the tab 82, so that the screw 88 provides
8 is fixed to the base 84. The screw 88 is connected to the base 84
Is shown inserted from the bottom, but it is also conceivable to insert the screw 88 from above.

The base 84 has an upwardly extending flange 92 configured to fit between opposing side walls 74 of the surrounding member 72. As shown in FIG.
Contacts and supports the lower surface of the contoured portion 34 of the connector 22 and holds the connector 22 over the opening 80 in the panel 78. This causes the connector to open out of panel 78 to receive the plug.

Enclosure walls 74, 76 and flange 92
Supports the contoured portion 34 of the connector shield 24 against lateral movement. Thus, the surrounding member 72 of the integral bracket transmits the lateral force to the panel 78,
The torsional force on the connector 22 is reduced. Otherwise, the torsional force causes the mounting feet 38, 40 to
May loosen from

FIGS. 10 to 12 show the connector assembly 9 including the input / output connector 122 and the bracket 100.
9 is shown. The bracket 100 includes a front plate 102 and a pair of opposed U-shaped surrounding members 104 projecting rearward from a side of the front plate 102. An opening 106 for receiving a portion of the connector 122 is formed inside the surrounding member 104. Connector 122 does not extend forward through the opening in bracket 100. However, the connector 122 has two U
It fits exactly between the letter-shaped members 104.

In the assembly shown in FIGS.
The connector 122 has a horizontal configuration as compared to the vertical configuration of the connector 22 shown in FIGS. Connector 122
Is an insulating housing 124 that holds conductive terminals 126.
Having. Each of the terminals 126 has a tail end projecting downwardly from the housing 125, which is
0 to supply a signal or power. Further, the connector 122 may be connected to the housing 1 to reduce electromagnetic interference.
25 has a conductive shield 124 substantially surrounding it. This conductive shield 124, as shown,
It is generally U-shaped and has a top plate 128 and two side plates 130 extending downward from the top plate 128, thereby covering three sides of the rectangular housing 125.

As shown in FIG. 10, the shield 124
The side plate 1 is mounted and engaged with the circuit board 120.
A plurality of mounting legs 132 extending downward from 30 are provided. Further, the shield 124 also includes a pair of teeth 134,
Each tooth 134 extends only slightly downward from the forward position of the side plate 130. When the connector 122 is inserted into the bracket 100, each tooth 134 is slid into each groove 136 formed inside the bracket 100. Accordingly, groove 136 limits the degree of insertion of teeth 134 to the desired position of connector 122 on bracket 100. A notch 138 is also provided on each enclosing member 104, which, as shown in FIG.
Accepts and engages the zero edge.

The bracket 100 includes a front plate 100 having an opening corresponding to the plug opening of the connector 122. The two U-shaped surrounding members form a receptacle for receiving the connector. The connector shield does not extend through the opening in the bracket. However, the connector fits snugly between the two U-shaped members. As shown in FIG. 11, the shield 124
Does not extend across the bottom of the housing. Thus, when the connector 122 is mounted to the circuit board in a conventional manner without the bracket 100, the shield 12
No. 4 is known to be bent by the force of the plug. In particular, in the case of the conventional mounting method, the side plate 1
30 are separated from each other and the shield 124 is loosened relative to the housing 125. However, this problem is solved by the bracket 100. Bracket 100 constrains shield 124 to its desired shape and position.

FIG. 12 shows the connector 122 and the bracket 100 assembled to a computer.
The connector 122 is attached to the circuit board 120, and the mounting legs 132 extend through the circuit board 120. The bracket 100 receives the front of the attached connector 122 and the front plate 1 of the bracket 100.
02 contacts the inner surface of the panel 145 of the computer box. The bracket 100 allows unwanted forces from the plug to be transmitted to the panel 145 and / or the circuit board 120. In particular, the front plate 102 and the panel 14
5 and the contact of the notch 138 of the enclosing member 104 with the circuit board 120 prevent unwanted movement of the connector 122 on the circuit board 120.

As shown in FIG.
Further comprises a resilient conductive tongue 150 secured to the computer box panel 145. The tongue 150 flexes so as to contact the exposed portion of the shield behind the bracket 100 and apply a downward bias. This contact is made on panel 1 of the computer box.
A circuit that electrically connects the shield 45 and the shield 124 electrically is completed, and grounding is improved. In addition, the downward bias of tongue 150 relative to connector 122 helps to hold the connector in the desired position.

The bracket 100 is made of plastic. Bracket 100 can be colored in any desired color to enhance the appearance of the computer or other device in which the connector assembly is used. For example, panel 14
When 5 is made of a transparent or translucent material, the bracket 100 can be colored to match the color of the panel 145 or to be a complementary color thereof. Of course, if the panel 145 is made of a non-conductive material, a ground wire can be connected to the tongue.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular features of this embodiment. Various changes and substitutions will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that such changes and substitutions be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a conventional connector at an undesired displaced position on a circuit board caused by a force having an upper or lower component.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a conventional connector at an undesirably displaced position on a circuit board caused by a force having a left or right component.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly including a bracket according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the connector assembly of FIG. 3 in an assembled state;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where a bracket is attached to a panel of a computer box and a connector is attached to a circuit board.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly including a bracket according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the connector assembly of FIG. 5 in an assembled state;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where a bracket is attached to a panel of a computer box and a connector is attached to a circuit board.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a perspective view showing the connector assembly of FIG. 7 in an assembled state.

FIG. 9 illustrates the connector assembly of FIGS.
It is sectional drawing shown along a line.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly including a bracket according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the connector assembly of FIG. 10 in an assembled state.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the connector assembly of FIGS. 10 and 11, wherein a bracket is mounted on a panel of the computer box, the connector is mounted on a circuit board, and the panel has a resilient ground tab in conductive contact with the connector. It is a figure showing a state.

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. Brackets 52, 62, 7 for receiving mating portions of input / output electrical connectors 22, 122.
Front plate 5 with openings 57, 65, 80, 106 at 2, 100
6, 64, 78, 102, the front plate has a front surface and a rear surface, the opening extends between the front and rear surfaces, the front surface is substantially flat, and The front plate 5 at first and second opposing edges
6, 64, 78, 102 further comprising surrounding members 54, 63, 72, 104 including first and second walls extending from the rear surface, wherein the first and second walls are parallel to each other; A third wall extends laterally from the third edge of the openings 57, 65, 80, 106 to the first and second walls, and the first, second, and third walls are connected to the electrical connector 22. , 122
A receptacle for receiving a fitting part of the bracket is formed around the opening. 2. The front plate 56, 6 of the bracket.
4. Brackets 52, 62 according to claim 1, wherein 4 includes holes for receiving means 47 for attaching said bracket to a panel 45 of a computer box. 3. The bracket according to claim 2, wherein a front surface of the front plate is attached to the panel of a computer box. 4. The bracket according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth wall extending from the rear surface of the front plate at a fourth edge of the opening opposite the third edge of the opening. 52, 62. 5. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein said front plate is a panel 78 of a computer box.
2. 6. The bracket according to claim 1, wherein said bracket is combined with said electrical connectors. 7. An insulative housing including a plurality of terminal receiving cavities, the connector housing including a plurality of terminal receiving cavities.
125 and a plurality of terminals 2 arranged in the terminal receiving cavity.
8, 126, wherein each terminal includes a contact portion for fitting to a terminal of a mating connector and a tail portion for fitting to a conductor of the circuit boards 20, 120, and the connector further comprises: A conductive shield 24 covering the housing;
124, the shield having an opening for engaging a mating plug and comprising brackets 52, 62, 72, 100 surrounding the shield, the bracket having a front portion with a mating opening. Plates 56, 64, 78, 1
02, the mating opening of the front plate is aligned with the opening of the shield, the front plate has a front surface and a rear surface, and the rear surface of the front plate and the inner surface of the surrounding member are:
An electrical connector assembly (50, 60, 70, 99) abutting an outer surface of said shield. 8. The brackets 52, 62, 72, 10
The electrical connector assembly according to claim 7, wherein the front surface of the zero is attached to the panel around an opening in the panel. 9. The electrical connector assembly of claim 8, wherein said electrical connector assembly is associated with a conductive tongue for electrically connecting said panel to said shield. 10. The electrical connector assembly 99 according to claim 7, wherein said surrounding member includes two U-shaped members 104 surrounding side surfaces of said shield. 11. The electrical connector assembly of claim 10, wherein said front plate extends laterally outward of each of said enclosing members. 12. The electrical connector assembly 99 according to claim 7, wherein said bracket 100 is integrally formed. 13. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein said bracket is made of plastic.