High-reliability small type receptacle connector

Abstract

To provide a high-reliability small type receptacle connector containing a main shell surrounding a terminal assembly having a terminal held by a housing.SOLUTION: A housing includes: a tongue part holding a terminal fitting end part; and a rear part distributed to an outside of a main shell. An external shell is distributed to an outside of the main shell. Since the external shell and a rear part of the housing suppress a relative movement in a fitting direction, they includes complementary feature parts that engage with each other. An internal shell adapted to one part of the housing engages with an internal front surface of the main shell. The internal shell and the external shell are each welded to the main shell. A front part seal manufactured with an adhesive agent can be formed and hardened when it is distributed onto a rough part of the main shell. A rear part seal is distributed into the main shell, and bonds the rear part of the housing to the housing part in the main shell.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to and the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202321495653.2, filed on June 12, 2023. This application claims priority to and the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202310691836.X, filed on June 12, 2023. The entire contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to interconnection systems, such as those that include electrical connectors configured to interconnect electronic assemblies. [Background technology]

[0003] Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. It is generally easier and more cost-effective to manufacture systems as separate electronic subassemblies, such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), so that such systems can be joined together with electrical connectors. Having separable connectors allows components of an electronic system made by different manufacturers to be easily assembled. Separable connectors also allow components to be easily swapped out after the system is assembled, to replace defective components or to upgrade the system with higher performance components.

[0004] A well-known configuration for joining several electronic subassemblies is to have one printed circuit board function as a backplane. A well-known backplane is a PCB to which many connectors can be attached. Conductive traces in the backplane can be electrically connected to signal conductors in the connectors, thereby routing signals between the connectors. Other printed circuit boards, called "daughterboards," "daughtercards," or "midboards," can be connected through the backplane. For example, connectors can also be attached to the daughtercards. The connectors attached to the daughtercards can plug into connectors attached to the backplane. In this way, signals can be routed between the daughtercards through the connectors and the backplane. The daughtercards can be plugged into the backplane at a right angle. Therefore, connectors used in these applications can include right-angle bends and are often referred to as "right-angle connectors."

[0005] Connectors may also be used in other configurations to interconnect electronic assemblies. Sometimes, one or more printed circuit boards may be connected to another printed circuit board.

[0006] A circuit board called a "motherboard" mounts electronic components and interconnects daughterboards. In such a configuration, the printed circuit boards connected to the motherboard may be called daughterboards. Daughterboards are often smaller than the motherboard and may be aligned parallel to it. Connectors used in this configuration are often called "stacking connectors" or "mezzanine connectors." In other systems, the daughterboards may be perpendicular to the motherboard.

[0007] Connectors may also be used in computers in which a motherboard may have a processor and a bus configured to pass data between the processor and peripheral devices, such as a printer or memory device. Connectors may be mounted to the motherboard and connected to the bus. The mating interfaces of these connectors may often be exposed through openings in the computer's housing so that connectors attached to peripheral devices via cables may be inserted into connectors on the motherboard. This configuration allows peripheral devices to be easily connected to the computer.

[0008] To increase the availability of peripheral devices, buses and connectors used to physically connect peripheral devices via the bus may be standardized. Thus, there may be a large number of peripheral devices available from a large number of manufacturers. As long as these products comply with the standard, they may be used in computers having buses that comply with the standard. An example of such a standard is the Universal Serial Bus (USB), which is commonly used in computers. Over time, the standard has undergone multiple revisions to adapt to the higher performance expected of computers. For example, portable electronic devices often include a USB Type-C receptacle connector for various purposes, such as charging and / or exchanging data with another electronic device by connecting the USB receptacle connector to a USB plug connector.

[0009] Some USB connectors are water resistant and may include a seal that prevents water from outside the computer's housing from entering the computer's housing through an opening left for the connector. Summary of the Invention

[0010] TECHNICAL FIELD Aspects of the present application relate to a highly reliable miniature receptacle connector.

[0011] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector that may include a terminal assembly including a housing and a plurality of conductive elements held by the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements having a mating end, a tail end, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end, a first shell disposed on a portion of the terminal assembly housing and conforming to a surface of the portion of the terminal assembly housing, a second shell surrounding the terminal assembly and extending from the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements to at least the portion of the terminal assembly housing, and a weld joining the second shell to the first shell.

[0012] Optionally, the first shell and the portion of the housing comprise complementary features configured to engage with each other to retain the first shell in the portion of the housing.

[0013] Optionally, the complementary feature comprises an opening in the first shell and a protrusion on a portion of the housing disposed within the opening in the first shell.

[0014] Optionally, the complementary feature comprises a recess in the portion of the housing and a beam of the first shell extending into the recess in the portion of the housing.

[0015] Optionally, the portion of the housing of the terminal assembly is a first portion of the housing of the terminal assembly, the housing of the terminal assembly having a second portion disposed outside the second shell, and the receptacle connector has a rear seal disposed within the second shell and between the first and second portions of the housing of the terminal assembly.

[0016] Optionally, the mating end of the second shell comprises a portion having a surface roughness greater than a surface roughness of the portion of the first shell, and the receptacle connector comprises a front seal attached to the mating end portion of the second shell.

[0017] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes a third shell disposed outside the second shell and having one or more openings aligned with welds joining the second shell to the first shell.

[0018] Optionally, the weld joining the second shell to the first shell is a first weld, and the connector comprises a second weld joining the third shell to the second shell.

[0019] Optionally, the second portion and the third shell of the housing of the terminal assembly comprise complementary features configured to engage with one another so as to reduce the risk of relative movement therebetween.

[0020] Optionally, the complementary features comprise a recess in the third shell and a protrusion on the second portion of the housing of the terminal assembly disposed within the recess in the third shell.

[0021] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector, which may include: a main shell surrounding a cavity and having a mating end and a tail end opposite the mating end; a terminal assembly disposed in the cavity, the terminal assembly including a housing having a tongue, a rear portion disposed outside the main shell and having a protrusion, and an intermediate portion between the front tongue and the rear portion, and a plurality of conductive elements carried by the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements extending in a mating direction and having a mating end carried by the tongue of the housing and a tail end extending from the rear portion of the housing; and an outer shell disposed outside the main shell and having a plurality of legs extending in an installation direction perpendicular to the mating direction and a recess extending in a direction opposite to the installation direction, wherein the protrusions of the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly are disposed within the outer shell recess of the outer shell.

[0022] Optionally, the protrusion on the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly extends in the mounting direction.

[0023] Optionally, the mating end of the main shell includes a portion extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell and having a surface roughness greater than a surface roughness of the portion of the main shell, and the receptacle connector includes a front seal attached to the mating end portion of the main shell.

[0024] Optionally, for each of the plurality of conductive elements, the tail end comprises a mounting surface extending perpendicular to the mounting direction.

[0025] Optionally, the housing of the terminal assembly includes one or more bars connecting the middle portion and the rear portion, and the receptacle connector includes a rear seal surrounding the one or more bars and portions of the plurality of conductive elements extending between the middle portion and the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly.

[0026] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes an inner shell at least partially surrounding a portion of the intermediate portion of the housing of the terminal assembly, the outer shell including one or more openings aligned with the inner shell, and the inner shell welded to the main shell at locations corresponding to the one or more openings in the outer shell.

[0027] Some embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a receptacle connector. The method may include providing a terminal assembly including a plurality of conductive elements held by a housing, disposing a first shell over a portion of the housing of the terminal assembly, inserting the terminal assembly into the second shell until the first shell is disposed inside the second shell and engages an inner surface of the second shell, and disposing a third shell over the second shell, including inserting a protrusion of the housing of the terminal assembly into a recess of the third shell.

[0028] Optionally, the third shell comprises one or more openings, and the method includes welding the second shell to the first shell through the one or more openings in the third shell.

[0029] Optionally, the method may include welding a third shell to the second shell.

[0030] Optionally, disposing the first shell on a portion of a housing of the terminal assembly includes bending beams of the first shell into respective recesses in the portion of the housing.

[0031] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector for an electronic device. The receptacle connector may include a terminal assembly including a plurality of conductive elements and an assembly housing for accommodating the conductive elements, the assembly housing being molded over the conductive elements, an inner shell sleeved on at least a portion of the exterior of the assembly housing, a main shell attached to the exterior of the inner shell and the terminal assembly, an outer shell attached to the exterior of the main shell, the mating end of the main shell extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell in a mating direction in which the receptacle connector is connected to a corresponding plug connector, and a first sealing member attached to an outer wall of the main shell and extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell, the assembly housing including a first portion connected to the inner shell, the first portion provided near a tail end of the main shell and including a recessed portion, the inner shell including a retention member engaging with the recessed portion, the retention member being integrally formed with the inner shell.

[0032] Optionally, the inner shell comprises a plurality of retaining members provided on a first side wall and / or a second side wall of the inner shell, the first side wall being opposite the second side wall in a vertical direction perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0033] Optionally, the retaining member is formed as a beam including a first beam and a second beam provided in a first side wall of the inner shell, the first portion including a first recessed portion mating with the first beam and a second recessed portion mating with the second beam, the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion opening vertically toward the inner shell. In some embodiments, the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion are provided near a distal edge portion of the first portion.

[0034] Optionally, the beam includes a third beam and a fourth beam provided on the second side wall of the inner shell, the first portion including a third recessed portion mating with the third beam and a fourth recessed portion mating with the fourth beam, the third recessed portion and the fourth recessed portion opening vertically toward the inner shell.

[0035] Optionally, a first free end of the first beam and a second free end of the second beam extend toward the inside of the inner shell and are received in the first recess portion and the second recess portion, respectively, when the inner shell is assembled with the first portion.

[0036] Optionally, the first beam and the second beam are mirrored about a plane passing through a vertical central axis of the inner shell along the vertical direction.

[0037] Optionally, the inner shell is at least partially attached to the mating side of the first part, the contour shape of the inner shell being partially adapted to the outer contour of the first part, and at least a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the inner shell being closely fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the first part.

[0038] Optionally, the assembly housing comprises a second portion and an intermediate portion provided between the first portion and the second portion, the second portion, the intermediate portion, and the first portion being provided in order along the mating direction, and the second portion extending beyond the first portion and the intermediate portion in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the vertical direction.

[0039] Optionally, the outer shell comprises a first outer shell sidewall provided with a first outer shell engaging portion and a second outer shell sidewall provided with a second outer shell engaging portion, the first outer shell sidewall being opposite the second outer shell sidewall in the horizontal direction, the second portion comprising a first lateral engaging portion and a second lateral engaging portion being opposite the first lateral engaging portion in the horizontal direction, and in an assembled state of the receptacle connector, the first lateral engaging portion engages with the first outer shell engaging portion and the second lateral engaging portion engages with the second outer shell engaging portion.

[0040] Optionally, the first outer shell engagement portion and the second outer engagement portion are formed as openings, and the first lateral engagement portion and the second lateral engagement portion are formed as protrusions protruding from an outer surface of the second portion and suitable for engaging the openings, and an inner surface of the openings at least partially contacts the protrusions.

[0041] Optionally, the protrusions are shaped to have a circular, oval, triangular, square, or irregularly shaped cross section.

[0042] Optionally, the first lateral engagement portion is configured to engage the first outer shell engagement portion in a snap-fit ​​manner, and the second lateral engagement portion is configured to engage the second outer shell engagement portion in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0043] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes a second sealing member provided in the intermediate portion, the outer circumferential surface of the second sealing member contacting a portion of the inner surface of the main shell and forming an interference fit with the portion of the inner surface of the main shell.

[0044] Optionally, the plurality of conductive elements of the terminal assembly extend along a mating direction, the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements are arranged in two rows, the two rows of the mating ends being arranged substantially parallel to each other along a horizontal direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and the tail ends of the plurality of conductive elements opposite the mating ends being arranged in one row along the horizontal direction.

[0045] Optionally, an outer sidewall of the mating end of the main shell is provided with a roughened portion extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell, and a first sealing member is attached to the roughened portion of the main shell, the roughened portion including a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal line pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern. Thus, the outer sidewall of the main shell of the receptacle connector provided with the roughened portion has a higher surface roughness than the surface roughness of the remainder of the main shell, thereby significantly improving the adhesion between the first sealing member and the roughened portion of the main shell and reducing the risk of the first sealing member falling off. Therefore, when the receptacle connector is attached to the mounting portion of the electronic device, a seamless seal is created between the receptacle connector and the mounting portion of the electronic device, reducing the risk of water vapor / dust entering the interior of the electronic device.

[0046] Optionally, the predetermined symbol pattern comprises at least one of a star shape, an H shape, or an X shape.

[0047] Optionally, the roughened portion has a width in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm from the mating edge of the main shell in the mating direction on the outer sidewall of the mating end of the main shell that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell.

[0048] Optionally, the first sealing member is an elastically deformable member, and the first sealing member is configured to elastically deform when the first sealing member is in contact with the mounting portion of the electronic device and to form an interference fit with the mounting portion of the electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0049] Optionally, the first sealing member is configured to have an annular shape that extends continuously circumferentially around the mating end of the main shell, and the first sealing member is configured to have a mounting surface that forms a positive fit (forms a shape and positional fit) with the mating end of the main shell.

[0050] Optionally, the first sealing member is provided with a tapered portion that tapers along the mating direction toward the mating end of the first sealing member, the beveled outer surface of the tapered portion forming an angle of between 20 degrees and 40 degrees with the mating end surface of the first sealing member.

[0051] These techniques may be used alone or in any suitable combination. The foregoing summary is provided by way of illustration and is not intended to be limiting. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0052] The accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each of the identical or nearly identical components illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. The drawings are as follows: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary receptacle connector, according to some embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of a terminal assembly of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 3 according to some embodiments. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 3 according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 3 according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 3 with an inner shell disposed thereon, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of the terminal assembly and inner shell of FIG. 7 according to some embodiments. [Figure 9]8 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal assembly and inner shell of FIG. 7 taken along the line marked "EE" in FIG. 8, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal assembly and inner shell of FIG. 7 taken along the line marked "EE" in FIG. 8, according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] 2 is a perspective view of an outer shell of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the terminal assembly of FIG. 3 with the subassembly housing hidden, shown before cutting the tie bar connecting the conductive element to the strip, according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] 2 is a schematic perspective view of a main shell of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a side view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0053] The present inventors have recognized and understood techniques for making highly reliable miniature receptacle connectors. Receptacle connectors can be integrated into the chassis of electronic devices and can be configured to receive mating components, such as plug connectors, to enable the electronic device to connect with other devices. The force applied to insert a mating component into an existing receptacle connector can cause various problems, such as over-insertion and therefore poor or intermittent electrical contact, resulting in misalignment of the terminal assembly relative to the shell. Conventional designs can have an outer shell with a portion extending along the rear end of the connector and a portion of the assembly housing abutting the portion of the outer shell to inhibit relative movement. Such designs can occupy more space than is desirable for many small electronic devices.

[0054] The techniques described herein enable smaller receptacle connectors while maintaining / improving robustness. Such techniques are illustrated herein as applied to a USB Type-C right-angle receptacle connector. According to aspects of the present disclosure, a connector may include a main shell surrounding a terminal assembly having terminals retained by the housing. The housing may have tongues that retain the terminal mating ends and a rear portion disposed outside the main shell. The outer shell may be disposed outside the main shell. The outer shell and the rear portion of the housing may have complementary features that engage with each other to restrict relative movement in the mating direction. An inner shell that fits over a portion of the housing may engage an inner surface of the main shell. The inner and outer shells may each be welded to the main shell. A front seal made of adhesive may be molded and cured when disposed over a portion of the main shell. That portion of the main shell may be roughened to promote adhesion. A rear seal may be disposed within the main shell and join the rear portion of the housing to the housing portion within the main shell.

[0055] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the inner shell may include a retention member that may be integrally formed with the inner shell. The retention member of the inner shell may engage with a recessed portion of the receiving portion of the terminal assembly. When the receptacle connector is mated with the plug connector, the retention member of the inner shell may engage with a recessed portion of the terminal assembly so that the position of the inner shell is fixed relative to the assembly housing (e.g., an insulating plastic core) of the terminal assembly. This configuration may prevent the inner shell from shifting in the mating direction relative to the terminal assembly. This configuration may prevent the inner shell from shifting in position relative to the terminal assembly or from shifting in an undesirable direction due to frequent insertion and removal of the mating portion of the plug connector. This configuration may reduce the number of components of the receptacle connector, simplify the manufacturing process, and enable a compact structure while improving the durability of the receptacle connector.

[0056] When the receptacle connector and the corresponding plug connector are mated with each other, the mating portion of the plug connector may at least partially abut against the mating side surface of the inner shell. Such a configuration allows the inner shell to control the insertion position and insertion depth of the mating portion of the plug connector, reducing the risk of insufficient or intermittent electrical contact between the connectors.

[0057] The connector may have a front seal. The front seal may be made from an adhesive, which may provide more flexibility in positioning the front seal. The adhesive may be disposed on a roughened portion and molded and cured on the roughened portion to form the front seal. The front seal may provide improved water resistance. One or more features may be used to provide mechanical integrity to the front seal. In some embodiments, the mating end of the main shell may have a roughened portion. That portion may be treated differently from the rest of the shell to have a higher surface roughness than the rest of the shell. The different treatment may result from processing steps preferentially performed on that portion to roughen the surface. Alternatively or additionally, the different treatment may be achieved by omitting processing steps that tend to smooth the rest of the shell, such as cold rolling or plating. In some embodiments, the desired surface roughness may be obtained by using electrical discharge machining (EDM). It should be understood that a larger EDM may result in a higher roughness and better adhesion. In some embodiments, the roughness may have patterns to enhance adhesion. These patterns may be visually observable and / or * , H, or X, which may be laser engraved around the periphery of the mating end of the shell. In some embodiments, the roughness may extend in the mating direction a distance in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm, such as in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0058] The front seal may be disposed on a roughened portion of the mating end of the main shell to securely attach the front seal to the main shell. In some embodiments, an adhesive (e.g., UV adhesive, silicone, epoxy adhesive, or underfill) may be disposed on the roughened portion and molded and cured on the roughened portion to form the front seal. The front seal may be spaced apart from the outer shell in the mating direction so as to extend above the outer shell. This configuration allows the front seal to deform in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction when the connector is pressed in the mating direction against a wall having an opening that exposes the mating surface of the connector, blocking the intrusion of environmental contaminants. The front seal may also block any path between the mating ends of the inner and outer shells.

[0059] Alternatively or additionally, the shell to which the shield is affixed may have a lip that forms a corner between the lip and a surface of the shell. The front seal may be affixed to this corner. The surface of either or both the lip or the shell at the corner may be roughened to improve adhesion of the front seal.

[0060] The rear seal may be disposed within the main shell and may join the rear portion of the housing to the housing portion within the main shell. By providing the rear seal, a tight seal may be achieved between the terminal assembly and the main shell, further reducing the risk of water or dust entering the electronic device through the socket of the receptacle connector.

[0061] Exemplary embodiments of a receptacle connector according to the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and simplicity of description, a mating direction Y, a horizontal direction X, and a vertical direction Z may be shown in the figures. The mating direction Y, the horizontal direction X, and the vertical direction Z may be perpendicular to one another. The mating direction Y may refer to the direction in which the receptacle connector is connected with a corresponding plug connector. The horizontal direction X may refer to the width direction of the receptacle connector. The vertical direction Z may refer to the height direction of the receptacle connector.

[0062] 1-3 , a receptacle connector 1 for an electronic device may include a terminal assembly 10 including a plurality of conductive elements 13 and an assembly housing 11 that holds the conductive elements 13. As can be seen in the figures, each conductive element 13 may include a mating end 304, a tail end 306, and an intermediate portion between the mating end 304 and the tail end 306. The assembly housing 11 may be molded over the conductive elements 13. As can be seen in the figures, the assembly housing 11 may include a tongue 302, a rear portion 120 disposed outside the cavity 208 of the main shell 30, and an intermediate portion between the tongue 302 and the rear portion 120.

[0063] The inner shell 20 may be sleeved onto at least a portion of the exterior of the assembly housing 11. The outer shell 30 may be attached to the exterior of the inner shell 20 and the terminal assembly 10. The outer shell 40 may be attached to the exterior of the main shell 30. As can be seen, the outer shell 40 may have an opening 220 aligned with the area of ​​the main shell 30 welded to the inner shell 20 at location 102. The outer shell 40 may also be welded to the main shell at location 104. The outer shell 40 may have legs 212 extending in a mounting direction (e.g., Z direction) perpendicular to the mating direction and configured to be inserted into a receptacle (e.g., a hole) in a circuit board. In the illustrated embodiment, the tail end 306 includes a mounting surface 214 extending perpendicular to the mounting direction and configured for surface mounting to the circuit board.

[0064] The mating end 204 of the main shell 30 may extend beyond the mating end 210 of the outer shell 40 in a mating direction Y in which the receptacle connector is mated with the plug connector. The first sealing member 50 may be attached to a portion of the outer sidewall of the main shell 30 that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40.

[0065] 4-8 , the assembly housing 11 may include a first portion 110 connected to the inner shell 20. The inner shell 20 and the assembly housing 11 may include complementary features configured to engage with one another to retain the inner shell 20 to the assembly housing 11. As illustrated, the first portion 110 may be disposed near the tail end 206 of the main shell 30 and may include a recessed portion 111. The inner shell 20 may include a retention member (e.g., beam 24) that engages with the recessed portion 111 of the first portion 110 of the assembly housing 11. The retention member may be integrally formed with the inner shell 20. As can be seen, the inner shell 20 may include an opening 702, and the first portion 111 may include a protrusion 704 disposed within the opening 702. Although beam 24, recessed portion 111, protrusion 704, and opening 702 are shown in the illustrated embodiment, it should be understood that assembly housing 11 and inner shell 20 may have any suitable complementary features, and the present disclosure is not intended to be limited in this respect.

[0066] When the receptacle connector is mated with the plug connector, the mating portion of the plug connector contacts the surface of the mating end of the inner shell 20, and the position of the mating portion of the plug connector is limited by the mating end surface 21 of the inner shell 20, thereby enabling control of the insertion depth of the mating portion and preventing over- or insufficient insertion. The retaining member of the inner shell 20 engages with the first portion 110 (e.g., an insulating plastic core) of the assembly housing 11 of the terminal assembly 10 so that the inner shell 20 is fixed relative to the assembly housing 11 of the terminal assembly 10, thereby effectively reducing the risk of the inner shell being displaced along the mating direction Y relative to the terminal assembly. In addition, since the inner shell according to the present application includes a retaining member integrally formed with the inner shell, for example, the retaining member is part of the inner shell, and no additional fixing component is required to attach the inner shell to the terminal assembly. This configuration reduces the number of components of the receptacle connector, simplifies the manufacturing process, and enables a compact structure while improving the durability of the receptacle connector. Therefore, the contact stability and connection reliability between the plug connector and the receptacle connector are improved.

[0067] In addition, by providing the first sealing member 50, a seal is formed between the main shell and the mounting part of the electronic device, reducing the risk of water or dust entering through the socket of the USB Type-C receptacle connector entering the inside of the electronic device, avoiding short circuits inside the electronic device, and improving safety performance.

[0068] In some exemplary embodiments, the retaining member can be bent toward the inside of the inner shell 20 in the assembled state of the receptacle connector to engage the recessed portion of the first part. In some examples, the inner shell can be bendable and deformable. For example, the inner shell can be made of metal.

[0069] In some exemplary embodiments, the inner shell 20 includes a plurality of retaining members provided on the first side wall 23 and / or the second side wall 25 of the inner shell 20, the first side wall 23 facing the second side wall 25 in a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the mating direction Y.

[0070] In some exemplary embodiments, the retaining member is formed as a beam. For example, the beam is a sheet member cut from the inner shell 20. Optionally, a slit forming the beam is cut from a distal edge of the inner shell 20. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 , the beam includes a first beam 22 and a second beam 24 provided on a first sidewall 23 of the inner shell 20. The first portion 110 includes a first recessed portion 111 that mates with the first beam 22 and a second recessed portion 113 that mates with the second beam 24, and the first recessed portion 111 and the second recessed portion 113 are open toward the inner shell 20 in the vertical direction Z. In some examples, the first recessed portion 111 and the second recessed portion 113 are provided near a distal edge portion of the first portion 110.

[0071] 9 and 10 , in some exemplary embodiments, FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the inner shell 20 of the first portion 110 when unassembled, and FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the inner shell 20 of the first portion 110 when assembled. The beams include a third beam 26 and a fourth beam 28 provided on the second side wall 25 of the inner shell 20, and the first portion 110 includes a third recessed portion 115 that mates with the third beam 26 and a fourth recessed portion 117 that mates with the fourth beam 28, and the third recessed portion 115 and the fourth recessed portion 117 are open in the vertical direction Z toward the inner shell 20.

[0072] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10 , the first beam 22 and the second beam 24 provided on the first side wall 23 are mirrored relative to the third beam 26 and the fourth beam 28 provided on the second side wall 25 with respect to a plane passing through the horizontal central axis B of the inner shell 20 along the horizontal direction X.

[0073] When the inner shell 20 is assembled with the first portion 110, the first free end of the first beam 22 and the second free end of the second beam 24 extend toward the inside of the inner shell 20 and are received in the first recessed portion 111 and the second recessed portion 113, respectively. In some embodiments, the first free end of the first beam 22 and the second free end of the second beam 24 face each other in the horizontal direction X. The horizontal length of the first beam 22 is smaller than the horizontal length of the first recessed portion 111, and the horizontal length of the second beam 24 is smaller than the horizontal length of the second recessed portion 113.

[0074] In some embodiments, the size of the first beam 22 in the mating direction Y is configured to be smaller than the size of the inner shell 20 in the mating direction Y. Optionally, the size of the first beam 22 in the mating direction Y is half the size of the inner shell 20 in the mating direction Y.

[0075] 10, the first beam 22 and the second beam 24 are mirrored with respect to a plane passing through the vertical central axis A of the inner shell 20 along the vertical direction Z. It should be understood that the number, size, location, and arrangement mode of the beams and recessed portions are not limited to the specific embodiments shown, and can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0076] In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, the inner shell 20 is at least partially attached to the mating side of the first part 110, the contour shape of the inner shell 20 is partially adapted to the outer contour of the first part 110, and at least a portion of the inner surface of the inner shell 20 is closely adapted to the outer surface of the first part 110.

[0077] When the receptacle connector is mated with the plug connector, the mating portion of the plug connector is at least partially abutted against the mating side surface of the inner shell to limit the mating portion of the plug connector, thereby effectively preventing over-insertion of the mating portion of the plug connector.

[0078] 3 and 5, in an exemplary embodiment, the assembly housing 11 includes a second portion 120 and an intermediate portion 130 provided between the first portion 110 and the second portion 120. The second portion 120, the intermediate portion 130, and the first portion 110 are arranged along a mating direction Y, and the second portion 120 extends beyond the first portion 110 and the intermediate portion 130 in a horizontal direction X perpendicular to the mating direction Y and the vertical direction Z.

[0079] 2 and 11 , the outer shell 40 includes a first outer shell sidewall 41 provided with a first outer shell engagement portion 411 and a second outer shell sidewall 43 provided with a second outer shell engagement portion 431. The first outer shell sidewall 41 is opposite the second outer shell sidewall 43 in the horizontal direction X, and the second portion 120 includes a first lateral engagement portion 121 and a second lateral engagement portion 123 opposite the first lateral engagement portion 121 in the horizontal direction X. The first lateral engagement portion 121 is configured to engage with the first outer shell engagement portion 411, and the second lateral engagement portion 123 is configured to engage with the second outer shell engagement portion 431.

[0080] This configuration limits the position of the outer shell 40 relative to the second portion 120 of the assembly housing 11 so that the outer shell 40 is fixed in position relative to the terminal assembly 10, thereby preventing the outer shell 40 from wobbling or undesired displacement relative to the terminal assembly 10.

[0081] In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in Figures 11 and 14, the first outer shell engagement portion 411 and the second outer shell engagement portion 431 are formed as openings. The first lateral engagement portion 121 and the second lateral engagement portion 123 are formed as protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the second portion 120 and are suitable for engagement with the openings. The inner surface of the openings is at least partially in contact with the protrusions. In some examples, the protrusions protrude from the outer surface of the second portion 120 along the horizontal direction X, and two sides of the protrusions perpendicular to the mating direction Y contact the corresponding inner surfaces of the openings.

[0082] In some exemplary embodiments, the protrusions forming the first and second lateral engagement portions 121, 123 may be shaped to have a circular, elliptical, triangular, square, or irregular cross section. It should be understood that the number, shape, and arrangement mode of the protrusions are not limited thereto and can be adjusted according to actual requirements.

[0083] In some other exemplary embodiments, the first lateral engagement portion 121 may be configured to engage with the first outer shell engagement portion 411 in a snap-fit ​​manner, and the second lateral engagement portion 123 may be configured to engage with the second outer shell engagement portion 431 in a snap-fit ​​manner, so that the outer shell 40 is fixed in position relative to the terminal assembly 10.

[0084] In some embodiments, the receptacle connector 1 includes a second sealing member 60 provided in the intermediate portion 130, and the outer circumferential surface of the second sealing member 60 contacts and forms an interference fit with a portion of the inner surface of the main shell 30. In one example, the second sealing member 60 is made of plastic or synthetic resin. For example, the second sealing member 60 is an epoxy resin sealing member.

[0085] With this configuration, the position of the main shell 30 of the receptacle connector 1 is limited relative to the terminal assembly 10, forming a waterproof seal between the main shell 30 and the terminal assembly 10, reducing the risk of water or dust entering through the socket of the USB Type-C receptacle connector entering the interior of the electronic device. By providing the first sealing member 50 and the second sealing member 60, the technical solution of the present application achieves double sealing of the receptacle connector and improves waterproof performance.

[0086] In this embodiment, the second seal member 60 is provided between the first portion 110 and the second portion 120. The outer peripheral contour portion of the second seal member 60 and the outer peripheral contour portion of the inner shell 20 attached to the first portion 110 are both provided to fit the inner peripheral contour portion of the main shell 30. The outer peripheral contour portion of the second seal member 60 is in close contact with the inner peripheral contour portion of the main shell 30.

[0087] 12 , the plurality of conductive elements 13 of the terminal assembly 10 extend along a mating direction Y, and the mating ends 304 of the plurality of conductive elements 13 are arranged in two rows, with the two rows of mating ends 304 arranged substantially parallel to each other along a horizontal direction X perpendicular to the mating direction Y. The tail ends 306 of the plurality of conductive elements 13 opposite the mating ends 304 are arranged in a row along the horizontal direction X. As can be seen in the figure, during manufacturing, the tail ends 306 of the conductive elements 13 in the same row can be connected to a strip 1204 by a tie bar 1202. The tail ends 306 are separated from each other when the tie bar 1202 is cut.

[0088] 13 , the mating end 204 of the main shell 30 may include a flange portion 1302 at a distal end that extends around the main shell 30 to form a corner 1304 with the roughened portion 32. The sealing member 50 may be disposed at the corner 1304. The sealing member 50 may block any path between the main shell 50 and the outer shell 40.

[0089] The outer sidewall of the mating end 204 of the main shell 30 is provided with a roughened portion 32 extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40, and the first sealing member 50 is attached to the roughened portion 32 of the main shell 30, and the roughened portion 32 includes a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal line pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern.

[0090] In an electronic connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a roughened portion is provided on an outer sidewall of the mating end of the main shell that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell, and a first sealing member is provided on the roughened portion of the main shell. Such a technical solution can provide a very tight fit between the first sealing member and the main shell, and the outer sidewall of the main shell of the receptacle connector provided with the roughened portion has a higher surface roughness than the surface roughness of the rest of the main shell, thereby significantly improving the adhesion between the first sealing member 50 and the roughened portion 32 of the main shell 30 and reducing the risk of the first sealing member 50 falling off. Therefore, when the receptacle connector 1 is attached to a mounting portion of an electronic device, a seamless seal is created between the receptacle connector and the mounting portion of the electronic device, reducing the risk of water vapor / dust entering the interior of the electronic device.

[0091] In some exemplary embodiments, the roughened portion 32 has a width on the exterior sidewall of the main shell 30 in the mating direction, ranging from 0.1 mm to 5 mm from the mating edge of the main shell 30. In some optional embodiments, the roughened portion 32 has a width on the exterior sidewall of the main shell 30 in the mating direction Y, ranging from 0.5 mm to 3 mm from the mating edge of the main shell 30. In some optional embodiments, the roughened portion 32 has a width on the exterior sidewall of the main shell 30 in the mating direction Y, ranging from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm from the mating edge of the main shell 30.

[0092] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, the surface roughness of the rough portion 32 of the main shell 30 may be in the range of EDM 8-12.

[0093] The first sealing member 50 is an elastically deformable member that is configured to elastically deform when in contact with the mounting portion of the electronic device, forming an interference fit with the mounting portion of the electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction. In one embodiment, the first sealing member 50 may be an ultraviolet-curing adhesive (UV adhesive), a silicone-based adhesive, or an epoxy-based adhesive. The UV-curing adhesive quickly cures upon exposure to ultraviolet light to form an elastic adhesive film, and is characterized by high adhesive strength, vibration resistance, high-temperature resistance, and good durability.

[0094] The width of the first sealing member 50 in the mating direction Y is in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm. In some optional embodiments according to the present application, the first sealing member 50 may have a width of 0.95 mm in the mating direction Y. Preferably, the width of the first sealing member 50 in the mating direction Y may be 1.0 mm.

[0095] 14 , the first sealing member 50 is configured to have an annular shape that extends continuously circumferentially around the mating end of the main shell 30, and the first sealing member 50 is configured to have a mounting surface that forms a positive fit (forms a shape and position fit) with the mating end of the main shell 30. The first sealing member 50 may be provided with a tapered portion 51 that tapers along the mating direction toward the mating end of the first sealing member 50, and the sloped outer surface of the tapered portion 51 forms an angle of 20 to 40 degrees with the mating end surface of the first sealing member 50.

[0096] It should be understood that the term "positive fit" as used in this application may refer to a close fitting abutting relationship between two mating components in terms of shape and position.

[0097] The present application further provides a method for manufacturing a receptacle connector for an electronic device, the method including: providing a terminal assembly 10 including a plurality of conductive elements 13 and an assembly housing 11 for accommodating the conductive elements 13, wherein the assembly housing 11 is molded over the conductive elements 13; providing an inner shell 20 sleeved on at least a portion of the outside of the assembly housing 11; providing a main shell 30 attached to the outside of the inner shell 20 and the terminal assembly 10; providing an outer shell 40 attached to the outside of the main shell 30 such that a mating end 204 of the main shell 30 extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40 in a mating direction in which the receptacle connector is connected with a corresponding plug connector; and applying an adhesive along a circumferential direction of the main shell 30 on an outer sidewall of the mating end of the main shell 30 that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40, and allowing the adhesive to harden to form a first seal member 50 attached to the outer sidewall.

[0098] Providing the terminal assembly 10 may include configuring the assembly housing 11 to include a first portion 110 connected to the inner shell 20, the first portion 110 being provided near the tail end of the main shell 30 and including a recessed portion, and providing the inner shell may include configuring the inner shell 20 to include a retaining member that engages with the recessed portion, the retaining member being integrally formed with the inner shell 20.

[0099] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the inner shell 20 may include configuring the inner shell 20 to include a plurality of retention members and providing the retention members on a first side wall 23 and / or a second side wall 25 of the inner shell 20. The first side wall 23 is opposite the second side wall 25 in a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the mating direction Y.

[0100] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the inner shell 20 may include forming the retaining member as a beam including a first beam 22 and a second beam 24 provided on a first side wall 23 of the inner shell 20, and providing the terminal assembly 10 may include configuring the first part 110 to include a first recessed portion 111 that mates with the first beam 22 and a second recessed portion 113 that mates with the second beam 24. The first beam 22 and the second beam 24 extend along the first side wall 23 of the inner shell 20 when the inner shell 20 is not assembled to the first part 110, and a first free end of the first beam 22 and a second free end of the second beam 24 are bent toward the inside of the inner shell 20 and are received in the first recessed portion 111 and the second recessed portion 113, respectively, when the inner shell 20 is assembled to the first part 110.

[0101] In some embodiments, the beams are formed by cutting a prefabricated member of the inner shell 20. For example, the prefabricated member of the inner shell 20 includes a first sidewall 23, a second sidewall 25 opposite the first sidewall 23 in the vertical direction Z, and a mating end surface. Slits (e.g., gaps) are formed by cutting the first beam 22 and the second beam 24 from the tail end edge of the first sidewall 23. For example, the slit forming the first beam 22 has a first slit portion extending from the tail end edge of the inner shell 20 in a direction substantially parallel to the mating direction Y and a second slit portion substantially parallel to the horizontal direction X, where the size of the first slit portion is smaller than the size of the inner shell 20 in the mating direction. Similarly, slits can be cut from the tail end edge of the second sidewall 25 to form the third beam 26 and the fourth beam 28.

[0102] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 10 may include configuring the assembly housing 11 to include a second portion 120 and an intermediate portion 130 provided between the first portion 110 and the second portion 120. The second portion 120, the intermediate portion 130, and the first portion 110 are provided, in order, along a mating direction Y, with the second portion 120 extending beyond the first portion 110 and the intermediate portion 130 in a horizontal direction X perpendicular to both the mating direction Y and the vertical direction Z. The method of manufacturing a receptacle connector further includes providing a second sealing member 60. The second sealing member 60 is provided in the intermediate portion 130, i.e., the second sealing member 60 is provided between the first portion 110 and the second portion 120, and the outer circumferential surface of the second sealing member 60 contacts a portion of the inner surface of the main shell 30 to form an interference fit with the main shell 30.

[0103] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the main shell 30 may include roughening a portion of the exterior surface of the main shell 30 near its mating end by a laser engraving process or an electrical discharge process to form the roughened portion 32, or embossing or knurling a portion of the exterior surface of the main shell 30 near its mating end to form the roughened portion 32.

[0104] It should be appreciated that other treatment methods may be used to increase the surface roughness of the corresponding portion of the exterior surface of the main shell 30. For example, the surface of the main shell 30 may be treated by using a tool such as a grinding wheel, cutting tool, or the like to achieve the desired roughness.

[0105] In some exemplary embodiments, the method may further include providing an adhesive forming tool that matches the first sealing member 50 in terms of a predetermined size and shape, and placing the roughened portion 32 of the mating end of the main shell 30 to be processed in the adhesive forming tool and applying adhesive to the roughened portion circumferentially along the main shell, wherein the adhesive is applied in the adhesive forming tool by one of a time-pressure application method, a piston pump application method, or a screw metering pump application method.

[0106] In some exemplary embodiments, the adhesive is received in an adhesive forming tool and may be selected from one of a UV adhesive, a silicone, or an epoxy resin adhesive. In some examples, the adhesive used to form the first sealing member 50 may be an underfill.

[0107] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the outer shell 40 may include forming a first outer shell engagement portion 411 on a first outer shell side wall 41 of the outer shell 40 and forming a second outer shell engagement portion 431 on a second outer shell side wall 43 of the outer shell 40, the first outer shell side wall 41 being opposite the second outer shell side wall 43 in a horizontal direction X perpendicular to the mating direction Y. Providing the terminal assembly 10 may include configuring the assembly housing 11 to include a second portion 120 and configuring the second portion 120 to include a first lateral engagement portion 131 and a second lateral engagement portion 133 opposite the first lateral engagement portion 131 in the horizontal direction X. When the receptacle connector is assembled, the first side engagement portion 131 engages with the first outer shell engagement portion 411 and the second side engagement portion 133 engages with the second outer shell engagement portion 431 .

[0108] In one embodiment, the outer shell 40 may be formed by a stamping process. It should be understood that a stamping process is a manufacturing technique in which pressure is applied to a panel metal or non-metal with the aid of stamping equipment (press) and tools (dies) to allow the panel metal or non-metal to separate or plastically deform, thus obtaining a product with specific shape, size, and performance requirements.

[0109] Various aspects are described in this disclosure, including but not limited to the following aspects.

[0110] 1. A receptacle connector (e.g., 1) for an electronic device, comprising: a terminal assembly (e.g., 10) having a plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 13); and an assembly housing (e.g., 11) for holding the conductive elements (e.g., 13), wherein the assembly housing (e.g., 11) is molded over the conductive elements; an inner shell (e.g., 20) sleeved on at least a portion of the outside of the assembly housing (e.g., 11); a main shell (e.g., 30) attached to the outside of the inner shell (e.g., 20) and the terminal assembly (e.g., 10); and an outer shell (e.g., 40) attached to the outside of the main shell (e.g., 30), wherein the main shell (e.g., 30) is mated. A receptacle connector comprising: an outer shell having an end extending beyond a mating end of the outer shell (e.g., 40) in a mating direction (e.g., Y) in which the receptacle connector is connected to a corresponding plug connector; and a first sealing member (e.g., 50) attached to an outer wall of the main shell (e.g., 30) and extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell (e.g., 40), wherein an assembly housing (e.g., 11) includes a first portion (e.g., 110) connected to the inner shell (e.g., 20), the first portion (e.g., 110) being provided near the tail end of the main shell (e.g., 30) and including a recessed portion, the inner shell (e.g., 20) including a retaining member that engages with the recessed portion, the retaining member being integrally formed with the inner shell (e.g., 20).

[0111] 2. A receptacle connector according to aspect 1 or any other aspect, wherein the inner shell (e.g., 20) comprises a plurality of retention members provided on a first side wall (e.g., 23) and / or a second side wall (e.g., 25) of the inner shell (e.g., 20), and the first side wall (e.g., 23) is opposite the second side wall (e.g., 25) in a vertical direction (e.g., Z) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., Y).

[0112] 3. A receptacle connector according to aspect 2 or any other aspect, wherein the retaining member is formed as a beam including a first beam (e.g., 22) and a second beam (e.g., 24) provided on a first side wall (e.g., 23) of the inner shell (e.g., 20), the first portion (e.g., 110) including a first recessed portion (e.g., 111) that mates with the first beam (e.g., 22) and a second recessed portion (e.g., 113) that mates with the second beam (e.g., 24), the first recessed portion (e.g., 111) and the second recessed portion (e.g., 113) being open in a vertical direction (e.g., Z) toward the inner shell (e.g., 20).

[0113] 4. A receptacle connector according to aspect 3 or any other aspect, wherein the beams include a third beam (e.g., 26) and a fourth beam (e.g., 28) provided on a second side wall (e.g., 25) of the inner shell (e.g., 20), the first portion (e.g., 110) includes a third recessed portion (e.g., 115) that mates with the third beam (e.g., 26) and a fourth recessed portion (e.g., 117) that mates with the fourth beam (e.g., 28), and the third recessed portion (e.g., 113) and the fourth recessed portion (e.g., 117) are open in a vertical direction (e.g., Z) toward the inner shell (e.g., 20).

[0114] 5. A receptacle connector according to aspect 3 or any other aspect, wherein a first free end of the first beam (e.g., 22) and a second free end of the second beam (e.g., 24) extend toward the inside of the inner shell (e.g., 20) and are received in the first recess portion (e.g., 111) and the second recess portion (e.g., 113), respectively, when the inner shell (e.g., 20) is assembled with the first portion (e.g., 110).

[0115] 6. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 5 or any other embodiment, wherein the first beam (e.g., 22) and the second beam (e.g., 24) are mirrored relative to a plane passing through the vertical central axis (e.g., A) of the inner shell (e.g., 20) along the vertical direction.

[0116] 7. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1-6 or any other aspect, wherein the inner shell (e.g., 20) is at least partially attached to a mating side of the first part (e.g., 110), the contour shape of the inner shell (e.g., 20) is partially adapted to the outer contour of the first part (e.g., 110), and at least a portion of the inner surface of the inner shell (e.g., 20) is closely adapted to the outer surface of the first part (e.g., 110).

[0117] 8. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 6 or any other aspect, wherein the assembly housing (e.g., 11) comprises a second portion (e.g., 120) and an intermediate portion (e.g., 130) provided between the first portion (e.g., 110) and the second portion (e.g., 120), wherein the second portion (e.g., 120), the intermediate portion (e.g., 130), and the first portion (e.g., 110) are provided in sequence along a mating direction (e.g., Y), and wherein the second portion (e.g., 120) extends beyond the first portion (e.g., 110) and the intermediate portion (e.g., 130) in a horizontal direction (e.g., X) perpendicular to both the mating direction (e.g., Y) and the vertical direction (e.g., Z).

[0118] 9. An outer shell (e.g., 40) comprises a first outer shell side wall (e.g., 41) provided with a first outer shell engagement portion (e.g., 411) and a second outer shell side wall (e.g., 43) provided with a second outer shell engagement portion (e.g., 431), wherein the first outer shell side wall (e.g., 41) is opposite the second outer shell side wall (e.g., 43) in a horizontal direction (e.g., X), and the second portion (e.g., 120) is engaged with the first lateral engagement portion (e.g., 12 1) and a second lateral engagement portion (e.g., 123) opposite the first lateral engagement portion (e.g., 121) in a horizontal direction (e.g., X), wherein in an assembled state of the receptacle connector, the first lateral engagement portion (e.g., 121) engages with the first outer shell engagement portion (e.g., 411) and the second lateral engagement portion (e.g., 123) engages with the second outer shell engagement portion (e.g., 431).

[0119] 10. A receptacle connector according to aspect 9 or any other aspect, wherein the first outer shell engagement portion (e.g., 411) and the second outer engagement portion (e.g., 431) are formed as openings, the first lateral engagement portion (e.g., 121) and the second lateral engagement portion (e.g., 123) are formed as protrusions that protrude from an outer surface of the second portion and are suitable for engaging with the openings, and the inner surface of the openings at least partially contacts the protrusions.

[0120] 11. The receptacle connector according to aspect 10 or any other aspect, wherein the protrusion is shaped to have a circular, oval, triangular, square, or irregularly shaped cross-section.

[0121] 12. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 9 or any other embodiment, wherein the first lateral engagement portion (e.g., 121) is configured to engage with the first outer shell engagement portion (e.g., 411) in a snap-fit ​​manner, and the second lateral engagement portion (e.g., 123) is configured to engage with the second outer shell engagement portion (e.g., 431) in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0122] 13. A receptacle connector according to aspect 8 or any other aspect, wherein the receptacle connector (e.g., 1) comprises a second sealing member (e.g., 60) provided in the intermediate portion (e.g., 130), and the outer peripheral surface of the second sealing member (e.g., 60) contacts a portion of the inner surface of the main shell (e.g., 30) and forms an interference fit with the main shell (e.g., 30).

[0123] 14. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1-6 or any other aspect, wherein a plurality of conductive elements of the terminal assembly (e.g., 10) extend along a mating direction (e.g., Y), mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements are arranged in two rows, the two rows of mating ends are arranged substantially parallel to each other along a horizontal direction (e.g., X) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., Y), and tail ends of the plurality of conductive elements opposite the mating ends are arranged in one row along the horizontal direction (e.g., X).

[0124] 15. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1-6 or any other aspect, wherein a roughened portion (e.g., 32) is provided on an outer sidewall of the mating end of the main shell (e.g., 30) and extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell (e.g., 40), and a first sealing member (e.g., 50) is attached to the roughened portion (e.g., 32) of the main shell (e.g., 30), and the roughened portion (e.g., 32) includes a diagonal line pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern.

[0125] 16. A receptacle connector according to aspect 15 or any other aspect, wherein the predetermined symbol pattern includes at least one of a star shape, an H shape, or an X shape.

[0126] 17. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 15 or any other embodiment, wherein the roughened portion (e.g., 32) has a width in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm from the mating edge of the main shell (e.g., 30) in the mating direction on an outer sidewall of the mating end of the main shell (e.g., 30) that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell (e.g., 40).

[0127] 18. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1-6 or any other aspect, wherein the first sealing member (e.g., 50) is an elastically deformable member, and the first sealing member (e.g., 50) is configured to elastically deform when the sealing member (e.g., 50) is in contact with a mounting portion of the electronic device and form an interference fit with the mounting portion of the electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0128] 19. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1-6 or any other aspect, wherein the first sealing member (e.g., 50) is configured to have an annular shape that extends continuously circumferentially around the mating end of the main shell (e.g., 30), and the first sealing member (e.g., 50) is configured to have a mounting surface that forms a positive fit with the mating end of the main shell (e.g., 30).

[0129] 20. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 6 or any other aspect, wherein the first sealing member (e.g., 50) is provided with a tapered portion (e.g., 51) that tapers along the mating direction toward the mating end of the first sealing member (e.g., 50), and the inclined outer surface of the tapered portion (e.g., 51) forms an angle of 20 degrees to 40 degrees with respect to the mating end surface of the first sealing member (e.g., 50).

[0130] 21. A receptacle connector (e.g., 1), comprising a terminal assembly (e.g., 10) having a housing (e.g., 11) and a plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 13) held by the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements having a mating end (e.g., 304), a tail end (e.g., 306), and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end; a first shell (e.g., 20) disposed on a portion (e.g., 110) of the terminal assembly housing and conforming to the surface of the portion of the terminal assembly housing; a second shell (e.g., 30) surrounding the terminal assembly and extending from the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements to at least the portion of the terminal assembly housing; and a weld (e.g., 102) joining the second shell to the first shell.

[0131] 22. The receptacle connector of embodiment 21 or any other embodiment, wherein the first shell and a portion of the housing comprise complementary features configured to engage with each other to retain the first shell in the portion of the housing.

[0132] 23. The receptacle connector of embodiment 22 or any other embodiment, wherein the complementary feature comprises an opening (e.g., 702) in the first shell and a protrusion (e.g., 704) in a portion of the housing disposed within the opening in the first shell.

[0133] 24. The receptacle connector of embodiment 23 or any other embodiment, wherein the complementary feature comprises a recess (e.g., 111, 113) in a portion of the housing and a beam (e.g., 22, 24, 26, 28) of the first shell extending into the recess in the portion of the housing.

[0134] 25. The receptacle connector of embodiment 21 or any other embodiment, wherein the portion of the housing of the terminal assembly is a first portion of the housing of the terminal assembly, the housing of the terminal assembly has a second portion (e.g., 120) disposed outside the second shell, and the receptacle connector has a rear seal (e.g., 60) disposed within the second shell and between the first and second portions of the housing of the terminal assembly.

[0135] 26. The receptacle connector of embodiment 25 or any other embodiment, wherein the mating end (e.g., 204) of the second shell has a portion (e.g., 32) having a surface roughness higher than the surface roughness of the portion of the first shell, and the receptacle connector has a front seal (e.g., 50) attached to the mating end portion of the second shell.

[0136] 27. The receptacle connector of embodiment 25 or any other embodiment, comprising a third shell (e.g., 40) disposed outside the second shell and comprising one or more openings (e.g., 202) aligned with a weld joining the second shell to the first shell.

[0137] 28. The receptacle connector of embodiment 27 or any other embodiment, wherein the weld joining the second shell to the first shell is a first weld, and the connector includes a second weld (e.g., 104) joining the third shell to the second shell.

[0138] 29. The receptacle connector of embodiment 27 or any other embodiment, wherein the second portion and the third shell of the housing of the terminal assembly comprise complementary features configured to engage with one another so as to reduce the risk of relative movement therebetween.

[0139] 30. The receptacle connector of embodiment 29 or any other embodiment, wherein the complementary feature comprises a recess (e.g., 411) in the third shell and a protrusion (e.g., 121) in the second portion of the housing of the terminal assembly disposed within the recess in the third shell.

[0140] 31. A receptacle connector (e.g., 1) having a main shell (e.g., 30) surrounding a cavity (e.g., 208) and having a mating end (e.g., 204) and a tail end (e.g., 208) opposite the mating end, a terminal assembly (e.g., 10) disposed within the cavity, a housing (e.g., 11) having a tongue (e.g., 302), a rear portion (e.g., 120) disposed outside the main shell and having a protrusion (e.g., 121), and an intermediate portion between the tongue and the rear portion, and a plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 13) held by the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements a terminal assembly having a plurality of conductive elements, each having a mating end (e.g., 304) extending in a mating direction (e.g., Y direction) and held by a tongue of the housing, and a tail end (e.g., 306) extending from a rear portion of the housing; and an outer shell (e.g., 40) having a plurality of legs (e.g., 212) disposed outside the main shell and extending in an installation direction (e.g., Z direction) perpendicular to the mating direction, and a recess (e.g., 411) extending in a direction opposite to the installation direction, wherein a protrusion of the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly is disposed within the recess of the outer shell.

[0141] 32. The receptacle connector of embodiment 31 or any other embodiment, wherein the protrusion on the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly extends in the mounting direction.

[0142] 33. The receptacle connector of embodiment 31 or any other embodiment, wherein the mating end of the main shell includes a portion that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell (e.g., 210) and has a surface roughness that is higher than the surface roughness of the portion of the main shell, and the receptacle connector includes a front seal (e.g., 50) attached to the mating end portion of the main shell.

[0143] 34. The receptacle connector of embodiment 31 or any other embodiment, wherein for each of the plurality of conductive elements, the tail end comprises a mounting surface (e.g., 214) extending perpendicular to the mounting direction.

[0144] 35. The receptacle connector of embodiment 31 or any other embodiment, wherein the housing of the terminal assembly includes one or more bars (e.g., 130) connecting the middle portion and the rear portion, and the receptacle connector includes a rear seal (e.g., 60) surrounding the one or more bars and portions of the plurality of conductive elements extending between the middle portion and the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly.

[0145] 36. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 31 or any other embodiment, comprising an inner shell (e.g., 20) at least partially surrounding a portion of the intermediate portion of the housing of the terminal assembly, an outer shell having one or more openings (e.g., 202) aligned with the inner shell, and the inner shell welded to the main shell at locations (e.g., 102) corresponding to the one or more openings in the outer shell. A receptacle connector according to any other embodiment.

[0146] 37. A method for manufacturing a receptacle connector (e.g., 1), comprising: providing a terminal assembly (e.g., 10) having a plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 13) held by a housing (e.g., 11); disposing a first shell (e.g., 20) over a portion (e.g., 110) of the housing of the terminal assembly; inserting the terminal assembly into the second shell (e.g., 30) until the first shell is disposed inside the second shell and engages the inner surface of the second shell; and disposing a third shell (e.g., 40) over the second shell, the disposing step comprising inserting a protrusion (e.g., 121) of the housing of the terminal assembly into a recess (e.g., 411) of the third shell.

[0147] 38. The method of embodiment 37 or any other embodiment, wherein the third shell includes one or more openings (e.g., 202), and the method includes welding the second shell to the first shell through the one or more openings in the third shell.

[0148] 39. The method of embodiment 37 or any other embodiment, comprising welding a third shell to the second shell.

[0149] 40. The method of embodiment 37 or any other embodiment, wherein disposing the first shell on a portion of the housing of the terminal assembly includes bending beams (e.g., 22, 24, 26, 28) of the first shell into respective recesses in the portion of the housing.

[0150] While certain aspects of certain embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0151] As an example, while many of the inventive aspects have been described above with reference to right-angle connectors, it should be understood that aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to right-angle connectors. Any of the inventive features, whether alone or in combination with one or more other inventive features, may also be used with other types of electrical connectors, such as vertical connectors.

[0152] Furthermore, while several advantages of the present invention may be noted, it should be understood that not all embodiments of the present invention include all described advantages. Some embodiments may not implement any feature described as advantageous. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

[0153] Additionally, the described techniques may be embodied as a method, at least one example of which is provided. The operations performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable manner. Thus, while shown as sequential operations in the illustrative embodiments, embodiments may be constructed in which operations are performed in an order different from that illustrated, which may include performing some operations simultaneously.

[0154] All definitions, as defined and used, should be understood to supersede dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0155] In describing the present disclosure, orientations and positional relationships indicated by orientation terms such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "transverse direction," "vertical direction," "perpendicular," "horizontal," "top," and "bottom" should be understood as being shown with reference to the accompanying drawings to facilitate and simplify the description of the present disclosure. Unless stated to the contrary, these orientation terms do not indicate or imply that a particular device or element must be specifically positioned, constructed, and operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure. The orientation terms "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside of the contours of each component itself.

[0156] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "on," "above," "on an upper surface of," and "upper" may be used to describe the spatial relationship between one or more components or features and other components or features illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that spatially relative terms not only include the orientation of the components illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but also include different orientations during use or operation.

[0157] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, the singular includes the plural unless otherwise indicated. In addition, when the terms "including" and / or "comprising" are used herein, it should also be understood that they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0158] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used in the specification and claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."

[0159] The phrase "and / or," as used in the specification and claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that may be present conjunctively or disjunctively. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to "A and / or B," when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising," may refer in one embodiment to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements), etc.

[0160] As used in this specification and in the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., including at least one, but also including more than one, of several elements or lists of elements, and optionally including additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicating the contrary, such as "only one of" or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of," shall refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of several elements or lists of elements. Generally, when used, the term "or" shall be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., "one or the other but not both") only when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of." As used in the claims, "consisting essentially of" shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0161] As used herein and in the claims, the phrase "at least one" in reference to a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows for elements other than those specifically identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified elements, may optionally be present. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or equivalently, "at least one of A or B," or equivalently, "at least one of A and / or B") may refer in one embodiment to at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., A without the presence of B (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., B without the presence of A (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

[0162] In the claims, as well as in the above specification, all transitional phrases such as "comprising," "including," "carrying," "having," "containing," "involving," "holding," "composed of," and the like, should be understood to be open-ended, i.e., meant to include, but not be limited to. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device comprising a series of steps or units need not be limited to the explicitly recited steps or units but may instead include other steps or units not explicitly recited or inherent to the process, method, product, or device. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0163] The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. It is understood that various changes in form and detail can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. All embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents are claimed.

[0164] As in the above specification, in the claims, the use of order terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc. does not, in itself, imply any priority, precedence, or ordering of one element relative to another, or the chronological order in which the operations of a method are performed, but is merely used as a label to distinguish one element having a particular name from another element having the same name (absent the use of order terms) in order to distinguish the elements.

Claims

1. a terminal assembly comprising a housing and a plurality of conductive elements carried by the housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a mating end, a tail end, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end; a first shell disposed over a portion of the housing of the terminal assembly and conforming to a surface of the portion of the housing of the terminal assembly; a second shell surrounding the terminal assembly and extending from the mating ends of the plurality of conductive elements to at least the portion of the housing of the terminal assembly; a weld joining the second shell to the first shell; A receptacle connector comprising:

2. 2. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the first shell and the portion of the housing include complementary features configured to engage with one another to retain the first shell in the portion of the housing.

3. The receptacle connector of claim 2 , wherein the complementary feature comprises an opening in the first shell and a protrusion of the portion of the housing disposed within the opening in the first shell.

4. The receptacle connector of claim 3 , wherein the complementary feature comprises a recess in the portion of the housing and a beam of the first shell extending into the recess in the portion of the housing.

5. the portion of the housing of the terminal assembly is a first portion of the housing of the terminal assembly; the housing of the terminal assembly includes a second portion disposed outside the second shell; The receptacle connector of claim 1 , further comprising a rear seal disposed within the second shell and between the first and second portions of the housing of the terminal assembly.

6. the mating end of the second shell includes a portion having a surface roughness greater than a surface roughness of a portion of the first shell; The receptacle connector of claim 5 , further comprising a front seal attached to said portion of said mating end of said second shell.

7. 6. The receptacle connector of claim 5, comprising a third shell disposed outside the second shell and comprising one or more openings aligned with the welds joining the second shell to the first shell.

8. the weld joining the second shell to the first shell is a first weld; The receptacle connector of claim 7 , wherein the connector comprises a second weld joining the third shell to the second shell.

9. 8. The receptacle connector of claim 7, wherein the second portion and the third shell of the housing of the terminal assembly include complementary features configured to engage one another to reduce a risk of relative movement therebetween.

10. 10. The receptacle connector of claim 9, wherein the complementary feature comprises a recess in the third shell and a protrusion on the second portion of the housing of the terminal assembly disposed within the recess in the third shell.

11. a main shell enclosing a cavity, the main shell having a mating end and a tail end opposite the mating end; a terminal assembly disposed within the cavity; an outer shell disposed outside the main shell; The terminal assembly includes: a housing comprising a tongue, a rear portion disposed on an exterior side of the main shell and comprising a protrusion, and an intermediate portion between the tongue and the rear portion; a plurality of conductive elements carried by the housing; Each of the plurality of conductive elements comprises: a mating end portion extending in a mating direction and held by the tongue portion of the housing; a tail end extending from the rear portion of the housing; The outer shell comprises: A plurality of legs extending in an installation direction perpendicular to the fitting direction; a recess extending in a direction opposite to the mounting direction; The protrusion of the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly is disposed within the recess of the outer shell.

12. The receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the projections on the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly extend in the mounting direction.

13. the mating end of the main shell includes a portion extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell and having a surface roughness greater than a surface roughness of the portion of the main shell; The receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the receptacle connector includes a front seal attached to the portion of the mating end of the main shell.

14. For each of the plurality of conductive elements: The receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the tail end includes a mounting surface extending perpendicular to the mounting direction.

15. the housing of the terminal assembly includes one or more bars connecting the middle portion and the rear portion; The receptacle connector of claim 11 , further comprising a rear seal surrounding the one or more bars and portions of the plurality of conductive elements extending between the intermediate portion and the rear portion of the housing of the terminal assembly.

16. an inner shell at least partially surrounding a portion of the intermediate portion of the housing of the terminal assembly; the outer shell includes one or more openings aligned with the inner shell; The receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the inner shell is welded to the main shell at locations corresponding to the one or more openings in the outer shell.

17. 1. A method for manufacturing a receptacle connector, comprising: providing a terminal assembly including a plurality of conductive elements carried by a housing; disposing a first shell over a portion of the housing of the terminal assembly; inserting the terminal assembly into the second shell until the first shell is disposed inside the second shell and engages an interior surface of the second shell; disposing a third shell over the second shell, inserting a projection of the housing of the terminal assembly into a recess of the third shell.

18. the third shell includes one or more openings; The method comprises: The method of claim 17 comprising welding the second shell to the first shell through the one or more openings in the third shell.

19. The method of claim 17 including welding the third shell to the second shell.

20. Disposing the first shell over the portion of the housing of the terminal assembly includes:

18. The method of claim 17, comprising bending beams of the first shell into respective recesses in the portion of the housing.

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