Compact reliable receptacle connector

Abstract

To provide a compact reliable receptacle connector.SOLUTION: A compact reliable receptacle connector includes terminals held by an assembly housing. A shell surrounds mating ends of the terminals and engages the assembly housing. The housing is disposed outside of the shell and partially surrounds a rear portion of the shell. The board lock is also partially embedded in the housing. Such a configuration allows the connector to have a single shell, and reduces a risk of relative movement between the shell / board lock and the housing, for example, when a component is inserted into or removed from the connector. The connector may include a front seal disposed around a portion of the shell that extends beyond the housing and a rear seal disposed between a top of the housing and a bottom of the shell. Such a configuration may effectively prevent ingress of environmental contaminants from both of front and rear portions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202321988693.0, filed on July 26, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Technical Field This application relates to interconnection systems (eg, including electrical connectors) configured to interconnect electronic assemblies. [Background technology]

[0003] background

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

[0004]

[0004] A known arrangement for connecting several electronic subassemblies is to have one printed circuit board act as a backplane. A known backplane is a PCB on which many connectors can be mounted. Conductive traces in the backplane can be electrically connected to signal conductors in the connectors so that signals can be routed between the connectors. Other printed circuit boards, called "daughterboards," "daughtercards," or "intermediate boards," can be connected through the backplane. For example, the daughtercards can also have connectors mounted thereon. The connectors mounted on the daughtercards can be plugged into connectors mounted on 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. Thus, connectors used for these applications can include right angle bends and are often called "right angle connectors."

[0005]

[0005] Connectors may also be used in other configurations for interconnecting electronic assemblies. Sometimes, one or more printed circuit boards may be connected to another printed circuit board, called a "motherboard," which is populated with electronic components and interconnects the daughterboards. In such configurations, the printed circuit boards connected to the motherboard may be called daughterboards. Daughterboards are often smaller than the motherboard and sometimes may be aligned parallel to the motherboard. Connectors used for this configuration are often called "stacking connectors" or "mezzanine connectors." In other systems, the daughterboards may be perpendicular to the motherboard.

[0006]

[0006] Connectors may also be used in computers where 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 attached to the motherboard and connected to the bus. The mating interfaces of those connectors may be exposed through openings in the computer's housing so that connectors, which are often attached to peripheral devices via cables, may be inserted into the connectors on the motherboard. With this configuration, peripheral devices may be easily connected to the computer.

[0007]

[0007] To enhance the availability of peripheral devices, buses and connectors used to physically connect peripheral devices over the buses may be standardized. In this way, there may be peripheral devices available from multiple manufacturers. All of those products may be used in a computer having a bus that complies with the standard as long as they comply with the standard. An example of such a standard includes the Universal Serial Bus (USB) commonly used in computers. Over time, the standard has gone through multiple revisions to meet the higher performance expected from 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 a USB receptacle connector to a USB plug connector).

[0008]

[0008] Some USB connectors are water resistant. These connectors may include a seal that prevents water from outside the computer housing from entering the computer housing through an opening in the connector. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] overview

[0009] Some aspects of the present application relate to compact and reliable receptacle connectors for electronic devices.

[0010]

[0010] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector that includes a housing, a shell surrounding a cavity and at least partially embedded within the housing, the shell including a mating end extending beyond the housing in a mating direction, and a terminal assembly disposed within the shell, the terminal assembly including a plurality of conductive elements, the plurality of conductive elements including a mating end disposed within the cavity and a distal end extending from the shell.

[0011]

[0011] Optionally, the terminal assembly includes an assembly housing that holds a plurality of conductive elements, the assembly housing includes one or more grooves, and the rear of the shell includes one or more portions that each protrude into a respective one of the one or more grooves of the assembly housing.

[0012] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes a boardlock that is partially embedded within the housing and includes one or more mounting portions that extend beyond the housing in an installation direction that is different from the mating direction.

[0013]

[0013] Optionally, the mounting direction is perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0014]

[0014] Optionally, the shell includes a sidewall and a connecting portion, and the connecting portion includes a first end connected to a rear portion of the sidewall and a second end connected to the boardlock, such that the boardlock extends adjacent to the sidewall.

[0015] Optionally, the boardlock includes a beam elongated in the mating direction and embedded within the housing, and the one or more mounting portions extend from the beam in the mounting direction.

[0016]

[0016] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes a sealing member disposed on the mating end of the shell.

[0017]

[0017] Optionally, the mating end of the shell includes a roughness having a higher surface roughness than a remainder of the mating end of the shell, and the sealing member is disposed on the roughness of the mating end of the shell.

[0018]

[0018] Optionally, the terminal assembly includes an assembly housing, a rear of the receptacle connector housing extends beyond the assembly housing, the sealing member disposed on the mating end of the shell is a first sealing member, and the receptacle connector includes a second sealing member disposed within the rear of the receptacle connector housing and on the bottom wall of the shell.

[0019] Optionally, the second sealing member comprises a cured adhesive.

[0020]

[0020] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector. The receptacle connector may include a terminal assembly including an assembly housing and a plurality of conductive elements carried by the assembly housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements including a mating end, a distal end extending from the assembly housing, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the distal end, a shell surrounding at least the mating ends and intermediate portions of the plurality of conductive elements and engaging at least a portion of the assembly housing, and a housing disposed outside the shell and molded over a rear portion of the shell.

[0021]

[0021] Optionally, the rear of the shell includes a bottom wall extending from the housing, and the receptacle connector includes a sealing member disposed on the rear bottom wall of the shell.

[0022]

[0022] Optionally, the rear bottom wall of the shell includes one or more portions that protrude toward the terminal assembly, and the sealing member includes a side that conforms to the surface of the rear bottom wall of the shell and another side that conforms to the inner surface of the housing.

[0023]

[0023] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes a pair of boardlocks disposed on opposite sides of the shell and partially embedded within the housing.

[0024] Optionally, each of the pair of boardlocks includes one or more mounting portions that extend beyond the housing in the mounting direction.

[0025]

[0025] Optionally, a pair of boardlocks extend from opposite sides of the shell.

[0026]

[0026] Some embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a receptacle connector. The method may include providing a shell surrounding a cavity, the shell including one or more portions projecting into the cavity, providing a terminal assembly including an assembly housing and a plurality of conductive elements carried by the assembly housing, inserting the terminal assembly into the cavity of the shell, and molding the housing over portions of the shell.

[0027]

[0027] Optionally, molding the housing over some portions of the shell includes molding the housing over some portions of the boardlock.

[0028]

[0028] Optionally, the method includes applying an adhesive between the top of the housing and the bottom of the shell, and curing the adhesive to form a seal.

[0029]

[0029] Optionally, the method includes separating the leadframe from the shell and the boardlocks following molding the housing.

[0030]

[0030] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector. The receptacle connector of an electronic device may be configured to connect with a corresponding plug connector in a mating direction. The receptacle connector may include a terminal assembly that may include a plurality of conductive elements and an assembly housing that accommodates the conductive elements and is molded over the conductive elements to form an integrated part, a shell that has a hollow generally cylindrical shape and may be sleeved over at least a portion of an exterior of the terminal assembly, a housing provided on at least a portion of an exterior of the shell, and a first sealing member attached to the shell, and the housing may be molded over at least a portion of an exterior of the shell and may form an integrated part with the shell. The receptacle connector may further include a first boardlock and a second boardlock, respectively, on either side of the receptacle connector in a width direction perpendicular to the mating direction, the first boardlock and the second boardlock being at least partially embedded within the housing and extending beyond the housing in a thickness direction perpendicular to the mating direction of the receptacle connector, and the first boardlock and the second boardlock being spaced apart from two opposing sidewalls of the shell, respectively, disposed in the width direction perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0031]

[0031] Optionally, the first boardlock may include a cantilever portion extending along the mating direction and a plurality of mounting portions extending from the cantilever portion along the thickness direction, the plurality of mounting portions may include a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion spaced apart from one another, at least a portion of each of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion and the cantilever portion are embedded within the housing, and a distal end of the first mounting portion and a distal end of the second mounting portion extend beyond the housing.

[0032]

[0032] Optionally, the first boardlock and the second boardlock may be symmetrical about a plane passing through the vertical central axis of the shell along the thickness direction.

[0033]

[0033] Optionally, the shell may include a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposed in the width direction, and the shell further includes a first connection portion connecting the first boardlock to the first sidewall between the rear end of the first boardlock and the rear end of the first sidewall, and a second connection portion connecting the second boardlock to the second sidewall between the rear end of the second boardlock and the rear end of the second sidewall, and the shell is formed integrally with the first boardlock and the second boardlock.

[0034] Optionally, each of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be formed to have a U-shape.

[0035] Optionally, the first boardlock and the second boardlock may be members formed separate from the sidewall of the shell.

[0036]

[0036] Optionally, the shell may include one or more stops located near the rear end of the shell and which may protrude toward the inside of the shell, and the stops may be formed integrally with the shell.

[0037]

[0037] Optionally, the stop portion may include a first stop portion, a second stop portion and a third stop portion, the first stop portion may be provided on a third side wall of the shell, the second stop portion and the third stop portion may be provided on a fourth side wall of the shell and spaced apart from one another, the third side wall facing the fourth side wall in the thickness direction, the first stop portion may be formed by a recess recessed inwardly relative to an outer surface of the third side wall, and the second stop portion and the third stop portion may be formed by recesses recessed inwardly relative to an outer surface of the fourth side wall.

[0038]

[0038] Optionally, the assembly housing of the terminal assembly may include a first accommodating portion cooperating with the first stop portion, a second accommodating portion cooperating with the second stop portion, and a third accommodating portion cooperating with the third stop portion, wherein the first accommodating portion may be provided on an outer surface of one side of the assembly housing in the thickness direction, and the second accommodating portion and the third accommodating portion may be provided on an outer surface of the opposite side of the assembly housing in the thickness direction.

[0039]

[0039] Optionally, the first stop portion, the second stop portion and the third stop portion may be engaged with the first receiving portion, the second receiving portion and the third receiving portion, respectively, in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0040]

[0040] Optionally, the first stop portion, the second stop portion and the third stop portion may be engaged with the first receiving portion, the second receiving portion and the third receiving portion, respectively, in an interference-fit manner.

[0041]

[0041] Optionally, the receptacle connector may include a first sealing member, wherein in the mating direction, the mating end of the shell extends beyond the mating end of the housing, the first sealing member is attached to an outer sidewall of the mating end of the shell extending beyond the mating end of the housing, and a rear end of the first sealing member is attached to the mating end of the housing.

[0042]

[0042] Optionally, a roughness may be provided on an outer sidewall of the mating end of the shell extending beyond the mating end of the housing, and the first sealing member may be attached to the roughness of the shell, and the roughness includes a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal pattern, a grid pattern or a predetermined symbol pattern.

[0043]

[0043] Optionally, the roughness may be provided on the outer sidewall of the shell within a width range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm from the proximal edge of the shell in the mating direction.

[0044]

[0044] Optionally, the first sealing member may be a resiliently deformable member, and the first sealing member may be configured to resiliently deform when the first sealing member contacts and cooperates 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.

[0045]

[0045] Optionally, the first sealing member may be configured to have an annular shape extending circumferentially and continuously about the mating end of the shell, and the first sealing member may be configured to have a mounting surface that forms a shape match and alignment with the mating end of the shell.

[0046]

[0046] Optionally, the first sealing member may have a tapered portion that tapers along a mating direction toward the mating end of the first sealing member, and the inclined outer surface of the tapered portion forms an angle of 20 degrees to 40 degrees with respect to the surface of the mating end of the first sealing member.

[0047]

[0047] Optionally, in the mating orientation, the rear end of the housing may surround the rear end of the shell, and the rear end of the housing may surround at least a portion of the rear end of the assembly housing.

[0048]

[0048] Optionally, the receptacle connector may include a second sealing member provided on a surface of the rear end of the assembly housing and exposing the conductive element from the second sealing member, and an outer peripheral surface of the second sealing member is connected to an inner sidewall of at least a portion of the rear end of the housing (surrounding at least a portion of the rear end of the assembly housing).

[0049] Optionally, the second sealing member may have a thickness in the mating direction in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0050]

[0050] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector. The receptacle connector may include a method of manufacturing a receptacle connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the receptacle connector being for connecting with a corresponding plug connector in a mating orientation, the method including providing a terminal assembly which may include a plurality of conductive elements and an assembly housing for housing the conductive elements, the assembly housing being molded over the conductive elements to form an integral part; providing a shell having a generally cylindrical shape and sleeved over at least a portion of an exterior of the terminal assembly; providing a housing provided over at least a portion of an exterior of the shell; forming a first sealing member attached to the shell. and applying to the shell an adhesive that is cured to provide a housing for the receptacle connector, the method including providing a first boardlock and a second boardlock on opposite sides of the receptacle connector in a width direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and providing a housing includes molding a housing on at least a portion of an exterior of the shell, the housing being formed such that the first boardlock and the second boardlock are at least partially embedded within and extend beyond the housing in a thickness direction perpendicular to the mating direction of the receptacle connector, and such that the first boardlock and the second boardlock are spaced apart from two opposing sidewalls of the shell disposed in the width direction perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0051] Optionally, the first boardlock and the second boardlock of the shell may be formed by stamping, stretching, and bending.

[0052]

[0052] Optionally, providing the housing may include moulding the housing onto the shell to form an integrated part.

[0053]

[0053] Optionally, providing the shell includes providing a shell prefabricated member including a body portion and a support frame portion connected to the body portion, the body portion including a hollow tubular portion, at least a portion of a mating end of the support frame portion connected to a rear end of an outer sidewall of the body portion, the body portion being integrally formed with the first boardlock and the second boardlock, and the support frame portion may be removed before or after forming the housing by injection molding.

[0054]

[0054] Optionally, the method may further include stamping one or more stops at the rear end of the shell that protrude towards the inside of the shell.

[0055]

[0055] Optionally, providing the shell further includes roughening a portion of the outer surface of the shell near its mating end by a laser engraving process or an electrical discharge process to form a roughness, or embossing or knurling a portion of the outer surface of the shell near its mating end to form a roughness.

[0056]

[0056] Optionally, the method further includes providing an adhesive forming tool that matches the first sealing member in terms of a predetermined size and shape, placing the roughness of the mating end of the shell to be processed within the adhesive forming tool, and applying adhesive at the circumferential roughness along the shell, the adhesive being applied in the adhesive forming tool by one of the following: time / pressure type dispensing, piston pump dispensing, and screw metering pump dispensing.

[0057]

[0057] Optionally, the method may further include applying a second sealing member to a surface of the rear end of the assembly housing and connecting an outer peripheral surface of the second sealing member to the shell of the assembly housing and an inner side wall of the housing extending beyond the rear end.

[0058]

[0058] These techniques may be used alone or in any suitable combination. The foregoing summary is provided for illustrative purposes and is therefore not intended to be limiting.

[0059] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] The accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings, each identical or nearly identical part shown in various figures may be represented by a similar numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every part may be labeled in every figure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0060] [Figure 1]

[0060] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary receptacle connector according to some embodiments. [Diagram 2]

[0061] 2 is a rear perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Diagram 3]

[0062] FIG. 2 is a side view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 4]

[0063] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Diagram 5]

[0064] 2 is a partially exploded perspective schematic diagram of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 6]

[0065] 2 is a top perspective view of a shell of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 7]

[0066] FIG. 7 is a side view of the shell of FIG. 6 according to some embodiments. [Figure 8]

[0067] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the shell of FIG. 6 according to some embodiments. [Figure 9]

[0068] 7 is a top perspective view of the shell of the receptacle connector of FIG. 6 before overmolding according to some alternative embodiments. [Figure 10]

[0069] 2 is a perspective view of a terminal assembly of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 11]

[0070] 11 is a rear view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 10 according to some embodiments. [Figure 12]

[0071] 12 is a cross-sectional view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 taken along the line marked "12-12" in FIG. 10 according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0061]

[0072] The present inventors have recognized and understood techniques for creating a compact and reliable receptacle connector. A receptacle connector within the chassis of an electronic device may be configured to receive a mating component, such as a plug connector, that allows the electronic device to connect with other devices. Connectors of conventional design may have many parts (including multiple shells) that are vulnerable to movement relative to one another, such as when a force is applied to insert or remove a mating component from the connector. Such forces may cause various issues, such as over-insertion and thus poor or intermittent electrical contact, or may cause the terminal assembly to dislocate.

[0062]

[0073] The techniques described herein allow for a more compact receptacle connector while maintaining / improving robustness. Such techniques are shown herein as applied to a USB Type-C right angle receptacle connector. According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the receptacle connector may include terminals carried by an assembly housing. A shell may surround mating ends of the terminals and engage with the assembly housing. The housing may be disposed outside the shell and partially surround a rear portion of the shell. The boardlocks may also be partially embedded within the housing. Such a configuration allows the connector to have a single shell and reduces the risk of relative movement between the shell / boardlocks and the housing, for example, when a mating part is inserted into or removed from the connector. The connector may include a front seal disposed around a portion of the shell that extends beyond the housing and a rear seal disposed between the top of the housing and the bottom of the shell. The seals may be made from an adhesive (e.g., UV adhesive, silicone, epoxy adhesive, or underfill). The adhesive may provide flexibility in placing the seals because it may be applied in a liquid or tacky state and cured in place. Such a configuration may prevent the ingress of environmental contaminants from both the front and rear.

[0063]

[0074] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the risk of relative movement between the housing and the shell in the mating direction is reduced, and the sealing stability of the receptacle connector may also be improved. For example, if the receptacle connector is inserted / pulled out several times, any relative movement between the parts of the receptacle connector may be so small that it is negligible or unmeasurable by conventional tools. The receptacle connector may be structurally more compact and stable than conventional designs, may more effectively prevent the ingress of environmental contaminants, and may lead to a longer service life.

[0064]

[0075] Any of the above techniques may be used to provide a compact connector. In some instances, the connector may occupy less space in an electronic system than a connector made according to prior art to meet a standard such as USB-C. Alternatively or in addition to the above techniques, the connector may have a limited number of terminals (such as six terminals). The terminals may be positioned to mate with terminals of a plug connector conforming to the USB-C standard used, for example, for power delivery.

[0065]

[0076] Exemplary embodiments of a receptacle connector according to one aspect of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066]

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 1-12, the receptacle connector 1 is for connecting with a corresponding plug connector in a mating direction X to establish an electrical connection and / or a signal connection to an external electronic device. The receptacle connector 1 may include a terminal assembly 10, a shell 20, a housing 30, and a first sealing member 40 attached to the shell 20. The terminal assembly 10 may include a plurality of conductive elements 110 and an assembly housing 120 that houses the conductive elements. The assembly housing 120 of the terminal assembly 10 may be molded over the conductive elements 110 to form an integral part (as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11). In some exemplary embodiments, the assembly housing 120 may be made of an insulating material such as plastic or nylon. Examples of suitable materials include, but are not limited to, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylenoxide (PPO), or polypropylene (PP). Other suitable materials may be employed as aspects of the present disclosure are not limited in this respect. The shell 20 may have a hollow generally cylindrical shape and may be sleeved over at least a portion of the exterior of the terminal assembly 10. The shell 20 may be made of a metallic material. The housing 30 may be provided over at least a portion of the exterior of the shell 20.

[0067]

[0078] The first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230 may be provided on either side of the receptacle connector 1 in a width direction Y perpendicular to the mating direction X. As shown, the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230 are spaced apart from two opposing side walls of the shell 20 disposed in the width direction Y perpendicular to the mating direction X. The housing 30 is molded onto at least a portion of the exterior of the shell 20 and forms an integral part therewith. As shown in FIG. 1, the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230 are at least partially embedded within the housing 30 and extend beyond the housing 30 in a thickness direction Z perpendicular to the mating direction X of the receptacle connector 1 (e.g., exposed from the housing 30).

[0068]

[0079] When the receptacle connector according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application is mated with a corresponding plug connector, the relative movement between the shell 20 and the housing 30 along the mating direction X is prevented because the first boardlock and the second boardlock of the shell 20 are at least partially embedded in and at least partially extend beyond the housing 30. The relative movement between various parts provided in the receptacle connector 1 will also be prevented. For example, the relative movement between the first sealing member 40 provided on the shell 20 and the housing 30 will be prevented so that no gap appears between various parts of the receptacle connector. For example, even if the receptacle connector is inserted / pulled out several times, there is no relative movement between various parts of the receptacle connector, and for example, no peeling phenomenon (i.e., the phenomenon that the sealing member peels off) occurs, so that the receptacle connector is structurally more compact and stable, which significantly improves the waterproof performance of the receptacle connector.

[0069]

[0080] First boardlock 220 comprises a cantilever portion 221 extending substantially along mating direction X and a plurality of mounting portions extending from cantilever portion 221 along thickness direction Z. As shown in FIGS. 6-8 , first boardlock 220 comprises first mounting portion 222 and second mounting portion 223 spaced apart from one another. At least a portion of each of first mounting portion 222 and second mounting portion 223 and cantilever portion 221 are embedded within housing 30, and a distal end of first mounting portion 222 and a distal end of second mounting portion 223 extend beyond housing 30.

[0070]

[0081] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a snap-fitting portion may be provided on the distal end of the first mounting portion 222 and on the distal end of the second mounting portion 223, respectively. In the case where the receptacle connector 1 is connected to an applied component (such as a printed circuit board), the snap-fitting portions of the first mounting portion 222 and the second mounting portion 223 are mated with corresponding engaging portions of the printed circuit board in the thickness direction Z. Optionally, the distal end of the first mounting portion 222 and the distal end of the second mounting portion 223 may also be connected to a component to which soldering is applied. It should be understood that the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion may also be connected to a component to which any other suitable connection is applied.

[0071]

[0082] 6-8, first boardlock 220 and second boardlock 230 are symmetrical about a plane passing through the vertical central axis of shell 20 along thickness direction Z. This symmetrical installation may allow for a more uniform force to be applied to receptacle connector 1 as receptacle connector 1 is pulled and inserted, thus allowing for a more structurally stable receptacle connector.

[0072]

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 6-8 , the shell 20 includes a first sidewall 211, a second sidewall 212 facing in a width direction Y, a third sidewall 213, and a fourth sidewall 214 facing in a thickness direction Z according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The shell 20 may also include a first connecting portion 224 and a second connecting portion 234 as shown in FIG. 6 . The first connecting portion 224 is provided between a rear end of the first boardlock 220 and a rear end of the first sidewall 211, and connects the first boardlock 220 to the first sidewall 211. The second connecting portion 234 is provided between a rear end of the second boardlock 230 and a rear end of the second sidewall 212, and connects the second boardlock 230 to the second sidewall 212. The shell 20 is integrally formed with the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230. For example, the shell 20 and the first and second boardlocks 220, 230 may be integrally formed by stamping a sheet of metal and then wrapping, folding, and / or bending the stamped sheet.

[0073]

[0084] In some embodiments, the first boardlock 220, the second boardlock 230, the first connection portion 224 and the second connection portion 234 may be made of the same material as the shell (eg, a metallic material).

[0074]

[0085] In some embodiments, each of the first connecting portion 224 and the second connecting portion 234 is formed to have a U-shaped shape. It should be understood that the first connecting portion 224 and the second connecting portion 234 may be formed to have any other suitable shape, such as a rectilinear shape or a quasi-circular shape.

[0075]

[0086] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present application, the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230 of the shell 20 may be separately formed members independent of the sidewall of the shell 20 (as shown in FIG. 9).

[0076]

[0087] As shown in Fig. 6, one or more stops protruding toward the inside of the shell 20 may be provided near the rear end of the shell 20. The stops are integrally formed with the shell 20. For example, the stops are part of the shell 20, and no additional mounting parts are required to mount the shell 20 to the terminal assembly 10, thereby reducing the number of parts of the receptacle connector and simplifying the manufacturing process, enabling a compact structure while also improving the durability of the receptacle connector. Therefore, the contact stability and connection reliability between the plug connector and the receptacle connector are improved.

[0077]

[0088] 8, the shell 20 may include three stops, where a first stop 240 is provided on the third side wall 213 of the shell 20, and a second stop 250 and a third stop 260 are provided on the fourth side wall 214 of the shell 20 and are spaced apart from one another. The first stop 240 may be formed by a recess recessed inwardly relative to the outer surface of the third side wall 213, and the second stop 250 and the third stop 260 may be formed by a recess recessed inwardly relative to the outer surface of the fourth side wall 214.

[0078]

[0089] 10 and 11 , the assembly housing 120 of the terminal assembly 10 may include a first receiving portion 121 cooperating with a first stop portion 240, a second receiving portion 122 cooperating with a second stop portion 250, and a third receiving portion 123 cooperating with a third stop portion 260. The first receiving portion 121 is provided on one side of the assembly housing 120 in the thickness direction Z, and the second receiving portion 122 and the third receiving portion 123 are provided on the other side of the assembly housing 120 in the thickness direction Z.

[0079]

[0090] In some exemplary embodiments, the first stop portion 240, the second stop portion 250 and the third stop portion 260 can be engaged with the first housing portion 121, the second housing portion 122 and the third housing portion 123, respectively, in a snap-fit ​​or interference fit manner.

[0080]

[0091] As shown in FIG. 1, in a mating direction X, the mating end of the shell 20 extends beyond the mating end of the housing. A first sealing member 40 is provided along the circumferential direction of the shell 20 on the outer sidewall of the shell 20 that extends beyond the mating end of the housing 30. The first sealing member 40 seals the engagement between the shell 20 and the housing 30 in the circumferential direction. In addition, when the receptacle connector is connected with the mounting part of the corresponding electronic device, the first sealing member 40 further forms a sealing part between the shell and the mounting part of the electronic device, effectively preventing water or dust from entering the socket of the USB Type-C receptacle connector and entering the inside of the electronic device, avoiding short circuit inside the electronic device, and improving safety performance.

[0081]

[0092] 6-9, a roughness 270 is provided on an outer sidewall of the mating end of the shell 20 that extends beyond the mating end of the housing 30. The first seal member 40 is attached to the roughness 270 of the shell 20, and the roughness 270 includes a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern.

[0082]

[0093] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the first sealing member 40 is attached to the rough portion 270. The rough portion 270 has a higher coefficient of friction than other parts of the outer sidewall of the shell. Therefore, the provision of the rough portion significantly improves the adhesion between the first sealing member and the rough portion of the shell, allowing a much tighter attachment between the first sealing member 40 and the shell 20, and effectively avoids the phenomenon that the first sealing member 40 shifts relative to the shell and thus generates a gap or even peels off. Therefore, a seal can be created between the receptacle connector 1 and the mounting portion of the electronic device when the receptacle connector 1 is attached to the mounting portion of the electronic device, to effectively prevent water vapor / dust from entering the inside of the electronic device.

[0083]

[0094] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, the surface roughness of the roughness portion 270 of the shell 20 may be in the range of EDM 8-12.

[0084]

[0095] In some exemplary embodiments, the roughness 270 is provided on the outer sidewall of the shell 30 within a width range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm from the proximal edge of the shell 20 in the mating direction X.

[0085]

[0096] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the first sealing member 40 may be an elastically deformable member, and the first sealing member 40 may be configured to elastically deform when the first sealing member 40 contacts and cooperates 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 X. In one example, the first sealing member 40 may be made of an ultraviolet light curing adhesive (UV adhesive), silicone or epoxy resin adhesive. The ultraviolet light curing adhesive is rapidly cured into an elastic adhesive film under UV light irradiation, and is characterized by high adhesive strength, vibration resistance, high temperature resistance, good durability, etc.

[0086]

[0097] 3, the first sealing member 40 is configured to have an annular shape that extends continuously in a circumferential direction about the mating end of the shell 20. The sealing member 40 is further configured to have a mounting surface that forms a positive fit with the mating end of the shell 20. The first sealing member 40 may include a tapered portion 41 that tapers along the mating direction X toward its mating end, and the angled outer surface of the tapered portion 41 forms an angle of 20 degrees to 40 degrees with the surface of the mating end of the first sealing member 40.

[0087]

[0098] In some optional exemplary embodiments, the beveled outer surface of tapered portion 41 forms a 30 degree angle with respect to the surface of the mating end of first sealing member 40 .

[0088]

[0099] It should be understood that the term "matching and aligning" as used in this application may refer to a relationship in which two mating parts abut and tightly align with one another in terms of shape and position.

[0089]

[0100] As shown in FIG. 2 , in the mating direction X, the rear end of the housing 30 may surround the rear end of the shell 20, and the rear end of the housing 30 further surrounds at least a portion of the rear end of the assembly housing 120. A second sealing member 50 is provided on the surface of the rear end of the assembly housing 120, where the conductive element 110 is exposed from the second sealing member 50. In some exemplary embodiments, the second sealing member 50 may be formed of rubber or resin. The outer peripheral surface of the second sealing member 50 is connected with the inner sidewall of the outer end of the housing that surrounds at least a portion of the rear end of the assembly housing 120, thereby sealing the rear end of the receptacle connector 1. The installation of the second sealing member 50 effectively prevents water vapor or dust from entering the rear end of the receptacle connector and entering the inside of the receptacle connector (and even the electronic device).

[0090]

[0101] 2, a plurality of conductive elements 110 extend in the mating direction. In some examples, the receptacle connector 1 includes six conductive elements. It should be understood that the number, size, location and arrangement mode of the conductive elements are not limited to the specific embodiment shown, and can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0091]

[0102] In some exemplary embodiments, the second sealing member 50 has a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm in the mating direction X. Preferably, the second sealing member 50 has a thickness in the mating direction X of 1.0 mm.

[0092]

[0103] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the installation of the first sealing member 40 and the second sealing member 50 realizes double sealing of the receptacle connector and improves the waterproof performance. In addition, by mating the housing and the shell, the receptacle connector is structurally compact, which further improves the stability of the waterproof performance of the receptacle connector.

[0093]

[0104] Another aspect of the present application provides a method of manufacturing a receptacle connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method of manufacturing a receptacle connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application may include providing a terminal assembly 10 that may include a plurality of conductive elements 110 and an assembly housing 120 that houses the conductive elements 110, the assembly housing 120 being molded over the conductive elements 110 to form an integrated part, providing a shell having a generally cylindrical shape, the shell 20 being sleeved over at least a portion of an exterior of the terminal assembly 10, providing a housing 30 provided over at least a portion of an exterior of the shell 20, and applying an adhesive to the shell 20 that is cured to form a first sealing member 40 attached to the shell 20.

[0094]

[0105] Providing the shell 20 further includes providing a first boardlock 220 and a second boardlock 230 on either side of the receptacle connector 1 in a width direction Y perpendicular to the mating direction X. Providing the housing 30 includes molding the housing 30 on at least a portion of an exterior of the shell 20, and forming the housing 30 such that the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230 are at least partially embedded within the housing 30 and extend beyond the housing 30 in a thickness direction Z perpendicular to the mating direction X of the receptacle connector 1, and the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230 are spaced apart from two opposing side walls of the shell 20 disposed in the width direction Y perpendicular to the mating direction X.

[0095]

[0106] In some optional embodiments, the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230 of the shell 20 may be formed as an integral part by stamping, stretching, and / or folding. The overall strength of the shell is significantly improved with an integral part. However, it should be understood that the first boardlock and the second boardlock may also be formed separately.

[0096]

[0107] In some optional embodiments, providing the housing 30 may further include forming the housing 30 by insert injection molding over the shell 20. It should be understood that the housing 30 may also be formed as an integral part with the shell 20 by overmolding.

[0097]

[0108] In some optional embodiments, as shown generally in FIG. 9 , providing the shell 20 may further include providing a shell 20 prefabricated member including a body portion and a support frame portion 280 connected to the body portion, the body portion including a hollow tubular portion, at least a portion of a mating end of the support frame portion 280 connected to a rear end of an outer sidewall of the body portion, the body portion being integrally formed with the first boardlock 220 and the second boardlock 230, and the support frame portion 280 being removed before or after the housing 30 is formed on the shell 20 by injection molding to form an integrated part.

[0098]

[0109] In some optional embodiments, the method may further include stamping one or more stops at the rear end of the shell 20 that protrude toward the inside of the shell 20 .

[0099]

[0110] In some optional embodiments, providing the shell 20 further includes roughening a portion of an exterior surface of the shell 20 near its mating end by a laser engraving process or an electrical discharge process to form a roughness 270, or embossing or scoring a portion of the exterior surface of the shell 20 near its mating end to form a roughness 270.

[0100]

[0111] It should be understood that other processing methods may also be used to increase the surface roughness of the corresponding portion of the exterior surface of shell 20. For example, the surface of shell 20 may be processed by using tools such as grinding wheels, cutting tools, etc. to obtain the desired roughness.

[0101]

[0112] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes providing an adhesive forming tool that matches the first sealing member 40 in terms of a predetermined size and shape, placing the mating end roughness 270 of the shell 20 to be processed within the adhesive forming tool, and applying adhesive at the circumferential roughness 270 along the shell 20, the adhesive being applied in the adhesive forming tool by one of the following: time / pressure type dispensing, piston pump dispensing, and screw metering pump dispensing.

[0102]

[0113] In some optional embodiments, the method further includes applying a second sealing member 50 to a surface of the rear end of the assembly housing 120 and connecting an outer peripheral surface of the second sealing member 50 to the shell 20 of the assembly housing 120 and an inner sidewall of the housing 30 extending beyond the rear end.

[0103]

[0114] Receptacle connectors according to exemplary embodiments of the present application may achieve high waterproof ratings (e.g., up to IPX4, IPX5, IPX6, IPX7, IPX8).

[0104]

[0115] Various aspects are described in this disclosure, including but not limited to the following aspects.

[0105]

[0116] 1. A receptacle connector (e.g., 1) of an electronic device for connecting with a corresponding plug connector in a mating direction (e.g., X), the receptacle connector includes a terminal assembly (e.g., 10) including a plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 110) and an assembly housing (e.g., 120) for holding the conductive elements (e.g., 110), a shell (e.g., 20) having a hollow cylindrical shape, the shell (e.g., 20) being sleeved on at least a portion of an outer side of the terminal assembly (e.g., 10), a housing (e.g., 30) provided on at least a portion of an outer side of the shell (e.g., 20), and a first sealing member (e.g., 40) attached to the shell (e.g., 20), the housing (e.g., 30) being molded on at least a portion of an outer side of the shell (e.g., 20), and the housing (e.g., 30) being molded on at least a portion of an outer side of the shell (e.g., 20) to form an integral part. and the receptacle connector (e.g., 1) further includes a first boardlock (e.g., 220) and a second boardlock (e.g., 230) respectively provided on either side of the receptacle connector (e.g., 1) in a width direction (e.g., Y) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., X), the first boardlock (e.g., 220) and the second boardlock (e.g., 230) being at least partially embedded within the housing (e.g., 30) and extending beyond the housing (e.g., 30) in a thickness direction (e.g., Z) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., X) of the receptacle connector (e.g., 1), and the first boardlock (e.g., 220) and the second boardlock (e.g., 230) being spaced apart from two opposing side walls of the shell (e.g., 20) arranged in the width direction (e.g., Y) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., X).

[0106]

[0117] 2. A receptacle connector according to aspect 1 or any other aspect, wherein a first boardlock (e.g., 220) includes a cantilever portion (e.g., 221) extending along a mating direction (e.g., X) and a plurality of mounting portions extending from the cantilever portion (e.g., 221) along a thickness direction (e.g., Z), the plurality of mounting portions including a first mounting portion (e.g., 222) and a second mounting portion (e.g., 223) spaced apart from one another, at least a portion of each of the first mounting portion (e.g., 222) and the second mounting portion (e.g., 223) and the cantilever portion (e.g., 221) are embedded within the housing (e.g., 30), and a distal end of the first mounting portion (e.g., 222) and a distal end of the second mounting portion (e.g., 223) both extend beyond the housing (e.g., 30).

[0107]

[0118] 3. A receptacle connector according to aspect 2 or any other aspect, wherein the first boardlock (e.g., 220) and the second boardlock (e.g., 230) are symmetrical about a plane passing through the vertical central axis of the shell (e.g., 20) along the thickness direction (e.g., Z).

[0108]

[0119] 4. A receptacle connector according to any of aspects 1 to 3 or any other aspect, wherein the shell (e.g., 20) includes a first sidewall (e.g., 211) and a second sidewall (e.g., 212) opposed in a width direction (e.g., Y), and the shell (e.g., 20) further includes a first boardlock (e.g., 220) and a first sidewall (e.g., 222) between a rear end of the first boardlock (e.g., 220) and a rear end of the first sidewall (e.g., 211). a first connecting portion (e.g., 224) connecting the second sidewall (e.g., 212) and the second boardlock (e.g., 230) between the rear end of the second boardlock (e.g., 230) and the rear end of the second sidewall (e.g., 212), and a second connecting portion (e.g., 234) connecting the second sidewall (e.g., 212) and the second boardlock (e.g., 230) between the rear end of the second sidewall (e.g., 212), and the shell (e.g., 20) is integrally formed with the first boardlock (e.g., 220) and the second boardlock (e.g., 230).

[0109]

[0120] 5. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 4 or any other embodiment, wherein each of the first connecting portion (e.g., 224) and the second connecting portion (e.g., 234) is formed to have a U-shape.

[0110]

[0121] 6. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 3 or any other aspect, wherein the first boardlock (e.g., 220) and the second boardlock (e.g., 230) are members formed away from the sidewall of the shell (e.g., 20).

[0111]

[0122] 7. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 3 or any other aspect, wherein the shell (e.g., 20) is provided near a rear end of the shell (e.g., 20) and includes one or more stops protruding toward the inside of the shell (e.g., 20), and the stops are integrally formed with the shell (e.g., 20).

[0112]

[0123] 8. A receptacle connector according to aspect 7 or any other aspect, wherein the stops include a first stop (e.g., 240), a second stop (e.g., 250) and a third stop (e.g., 260), the first stop (e.g., 240) being provided on a third side wall (e.g., 213) of the shell (e.g., 20), the second stop (e.g., 250) and the third stop (e.g., 260) being provided on a fourth side wall (e.g., 214) of the shell (e.g., 20). and spaced apart from one another, the third side wall (e.g., 213) facing the fourth side wall (e.g., 214) in a thickness direction (e.g., Z), the first stop portion (e.g., 240) formed by a recess recessed inwardly with respect to an outer surface of the third side wall (e.g., 213), and the second stop portion (e.g., 250) and the third stop portion (e.g., 260) formed by recesses recessed inwardly with respect to an outer surface of the fourth side wall (e.g., 214).

[0113]

[0124] 9. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 8 or any other embodiment, wherein the assembly housing (e.g., 120) of the terminal assembly (e.g., 10) includes a first accommodating portion (e.g., 121) cooperating with a first stop portion (e.g., 240), a second accommodating portion (e.g., 122) cooperating with a second stop portion (e.g., 250), and a third accommodating portion (e.g., 123) cooperating with a third stop portion (e.g., 260), wherein the first accommodating portion (e.g., 121) is provided on an outer surface of one side of the assembly housing (e.g., 120) in a thickness direction (e.g., Z), and the second accommodating portion (e.g., 122) and the third accommodating portion (e.g., 123) are provided on an outer surface of the other side of the assembly housing (e.g., 120) in the thickness direction (e.g., Z).

[0114]

[0125] 10. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 9 or any other embodiment, wherein the first stop portion (e.g., 240) is engaged in a snap-fit ​​manner with the first receiving portion (e.g., 121), the second stop portion (e.g., 250) is engaged in a snap-fit ​​manner with the second receiving portion (e.g., 122), and the third stop portion (e.g., 260) is engaged in a snap-fit ​​manner with the third receiving portion (e.g., 123).

[0115]

[0126] 11. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 9 or any other embodiment, wherein the first stop portion (e.g., 240) is engaged with the first receiving portion (e.g., 121) in an interference-fit manner, the second stop portion (e.g., 250) is engaged with the second receiving portion (e.g., 122) in an interference-fit manner, and the third stop portion (e.g., 260) is engaged with the third receiving portion (e.g., 123) in an interference-fit manner.

[0116]

[0127] 12. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 3 or any other aspect, wherein the receptacle connector (e.g., 1) includes a first sealing member (e.g., 40), in terms of a mating direction (e.g., X), a mating end of the shell (e.g., 20) extends beyond the mating end of the housing (e.g., 30), the first sealing member (e.g., 40) is attached to an outer sidewall of the mating end of the shell (e.g., 20) that extends beyond the mating end of the housing (e.g., 30), and a rear end of the first sealing member (e.g., 40) is attached to the mating end of the housing (e.g., 30).

[0117]

[0128] 13. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 12 or any other embodiment, wherein a rough portion (e.g., 270) is provided on an outer sidewall of a mating end of a shell (e.g., 20) that extends beyond the mating end of the housing (e.g., 30), a first sealing member (e.g., 40) is attached to the rough portion (e.g., 270) of the shell (e.g., 20), and the rough portion (e.g., 270) includes a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern.

[0118]

[0129] 14. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 13 or any other embodiment, wherein the rough portion (e.g., 270) is provided on an outer sidewall of the shell (e.g., 20) within a width range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm from a proximal edge of the shell (e.g., 20) in a mating direction (e.g., X).

[0119]

[0130] 15. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 14 or any other embodiment, wherein the first sealing member (e.g., 40) is a resiliently deformable member, and the first sealing member (e.g., 40) is configured to resiliently deform when the first sealing member (e.g., 40) contacts and cooperates with a 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 (e.g., X).

[0120]

[0131] 16. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 14 or any other embodiment, wherein the first sealing member (e.g., 40) is configured to have a circular ring shape extending circumferentially and continuously about the mating end of the shell (e.g., 20), and the first sealing member (e.g., 40) is configured to have a mounting surface that forms a positive alignment with the mating end of the shell (e.g., 20).

[0121]

[0132] 17. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 16 or any other embodiment, wherein the first sealing member (e.g., 40) has a tapered portion (e.g., 41) that tapers along a mating direction (e.g., X) toward a mating end of the first sealing member (e.g., 40), and the inclined outer surface of the tapered portion (e.g., 41) forms an angle of 20 degrees to 40 degrees with respect to the mating end surface of the first sealing member (e.g., 40).

[0122]

[0133] 18. A receptacle connector according to any one of aspects 1 to 3 or any other aspect, wherein, in terms of the mating direction (e.g., X), the rear end of the housing (e.g., 30) surrounds the rear end of the shell (e.g., 20), and the rear end of the housing (e.g., 30) surrounds at least a portion of the rear end of the assembly housing (e.g., 120).

[0123]

[0134] 19. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 18 or any other embodiment, wherein the receptacle connector (e.g., 1) includes a second sealing member (e.g., 50) provided on a rear end surface of an assembly housing (e.g., 120) and exposing a conductive element from the second sealing member, and an outer peripheral surface of the second sealing member (e.g., 50) is connected with at least a portion of an inner side wall of the rear end of a housing (e.g., 30) that surrounds the rear end of the assembly housing (e.g., 120).

[0124]

[0135] 20. A receptacle connector according to embodiment 19 or any other embodiment, wherein the second sealing member (e.g., 50) has a thickness in the mating direction (e.g., X) in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0125]

[0136] 21. A receptacle connector including a housing (e.g., 30), a shell (e.g., 20) surrounding a cavity (e.g., 502) and at least partially embedded within the housing, the shell including a mating end extending beyond the housing in a mating direction (e.g., X), and a terminal assembly (e.g., 10) disposed within the shell, the terminal assembly including a plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 110) including mating ends disposed within the cavity and terminal ends extending from the shell.

[0126]

[0137] 22. A receptacle connector of embodiment 21 or any other embodiment, wherein the terminal assembly includes an assembly housing (e.g., 120) that holds a plurality of conductive elements, the assembly housing includes one or more grooves (e.g., 121), and the rear of the shell includes one or more portions (e.g., 240) that each protrude into a respective one of the one or more grooves of the assembly housing.

[0127]

[0138] 23. A receptacle connector of embodiment 21 or any other embodiment including a boardlock partially embedded within the housing and including one or more mounting portions that extend beyond the housing in an installation direction different from the mating direction.

[0128]

[0139] 24. The receptacle connector of embodiment 23 or any other embodiment, wherein the mounting direction is perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0129]

[0140] 25. A receptacle connector of embodiment 3 or any other embodiment, wherein the shell includes a sidewall (e.g., 211) and a connecting portion (e.g., 224), and the connecting portion includes a first end connected to a rear of the sidewall such that the boardlock extends adjacent to the sidewall and a second end connected to the boardlock (e.g., 220).

[0130]

[0141] 26. A receptacle connector of embodiment 24 or any other embodiment, wherein the boardlock includes a beam (e.g., 221) extending in the mating direction and embedded in the housing, and one or more mounting portions (e.g., 222, 223) extending from the beam in the mounting direction.

[0131]

[0142] 27. The receptacle connector of embodiment 21 or any other embodiment including a sealing member (e.g., 40) disposed on the mating end of the shell.

[0132]

[0143] 28. A receptacle connector of embodiment 27 or any other embodiment, wherein the mating end of the shell includes a roughened portion having a higher surface roughness than the remainder of the mating end of the shell, and the sealing member is disposed on the roughened portion of the mating end of the shell.

[0133]

[0144] 29. A receptacle connector of embodiment 28 or any other embodiment, wherein a rear of the receptacle connector housing extends beyond the assembly housing, the sealing member disposed on the mating end of the shell is a first sealing member, and the receptacle connector includes a second sealing member (e.g., 50) disposed within the rear of the receptacle connector housing and on the bottom wall of the shell.

[0134]

[0145] 30. The receptacle connector of embodiment 29 or any other embodiment, wherein the second sealing member comprises a cured adhesive.

[0135]

[0146] 31. A receptacle connector including a terminal assembly including an assembly housing, a plurality of conductive elements carried by the assembly housing, each conductive element including a mating end, a terminal end extending from the assembly housing, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the terminal end, a shell surrounding at least the mating ends and the intermediate portions of the plurality of conductive elements and engaging at least a portion of the assembly housing, and a housing disposed outside the shell and molded over a rear portion of the shell.

[0136]

[0147] 32. A receptacle connector of embodiment 31 or any other embodiment, wherein a rear portion of the shell (e.g., 20) includes a bottom wall extending from the housing, and the receptacle connector includes a sealing member (e.g., 50) disposed on the rear bottom wall of the shell.

[0137]

[0148] 33. A receptacle connector of embodiment 32 or any other embodiment, wherein the rear bottom wall of the shell includes one or more portions (e.g., 250, 260) that protrude toward the terminal assembly, and the sealing member includes a side that conforms to a surface of the rear bottom wall of the shell and another side that conforms to an inner surface of the housing.

[0138]

[0149] 34. The receptacle connector of embodiment 33 or any other embodiment including a pair of boardlocks disposed on opposite sides of the shell and partially embedded within the housing.

[0139]

[0150] 35. The receptacle connector of embodiment 34 or any other embodiment, wherein each of the pair of boardlocks includes one or more mounting portions that extend beyond the housing in the mounting direction.

[0140]

[0151] 36. The receptacle connector of embodiment 35 or any other embodiment, wherein a pair of boardlocks extend from opposite sides of the shell.

[0141]

[0152] 37. A method for manufacturing a receptacle connector, comprising: providing a shell (e.g., 20) surrounding a cavity (e.g., 502) and including one or more portions protruding into the cavity; providing a terminal assembly (e.g., 10) including an assembly housing and a number of conductive elements carried by the assembly housing; inserting the terminal assembly into the cavity of the shell; and molding a housing (e.g., 30) over some of the portions of the shell.

[0142]

[0153] 38. The method of embodiment 37 or any other embodiment, wherein molding the housing over the portions of the shell includes molding the housing over the portions of the boardlock.

[0143]

[0154] 39. The method of embodiment 37 or any other embodiment, comprising applying an adhesive between the top of the housing and the bottom of the shell, and curing the adhesive to form a seal (e.g., 50).

[0144]

[0155] 40. The method of embodiment 38 or any other embodiment including separating the leadframe (e.g., 280) from the shell and boardlocks subsequent to molding the housing.

[0145]

[0156] Having thus described several aspects of several embodiments, 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 several 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.

[0146]

[0157] 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 one of the inventive features, whether alone or in combination with one or more other inventive features, may also be used for other types of electrical connectors, such as vertical connectors.

[0147]

[0158] Moreover, although several advantages of the present invention may be indicated, it should be understood that not every embodiment of the present invention includes every described advantage. Some embodiments may not implement any feature described as being advantageous. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are for illustrative purposes only.

[0148]

[0159] Also, the described techniques may be embodied as a method, at least one example of which is provided. The acts performed as part of a method may be ordered in any suitable manner. Thus, even if shown as sequential acts in an example embodiment, embodiments may be constructed in which some acts are performed in a different order than that shown (which may include performing some acts simultaneously).

[0149]

[0160] All definitions provided and used should be understood to encapsulate dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0150]

[0161] In describing this disclosure, it should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by directional terms such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "transverse," "vertical," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," and the like, are shown with reference to the accompanying drawings for ease in describing this disclosure and for purposes of simplifying its description. Unless stated to the contrary, these directional terms do not indicate or suggest that a given device or element must be particularly positioned and structured and operated in a particular direction, and therefore should not be understood as limitations on this disclosure. The directional terms "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the exterior shape of each part itself.

[0151]

[0162] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "on," "over," "on the upper side," and "above" may be used herein to describe the spatial relationship of one or more components or features shown in the accompanying drawings to other components or features. It should be understood that the spatially relative terms not only include the orientation of the components shown in the accompanying drawings, but also various orientations in use or operation.

[0152]

[0163] It should be noted that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise indicated. In addition, as used herein, the terms "including" and / or "comprising" should be understood to indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0153]

[0164] The indefinite articles, as used herein and in the claims, unless expressly indicated otherwise, should be understood to mean "at least one."

[0154]

[0165] The phrase "and / or," as used herein and in the claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined (i.e., elements that are conjointly present in some cases and discretely present in other cases). Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed in a similar manner (i.e., as "one or more" of the elements so conjoined). Other elements other than the elements specifically identified by the phrase "and / or" may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to the element specifically identified. 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 in one embodiment refer to only A (optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment refer to only B (optionally including elements other than A), in yet another embodiment refer to both A and B (optionally including other elements), and so forth.

[0155]

[0166] As used herein and in the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" shall be interpreted as inclusive (i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of the number of elements or list thereof, and optionally additional unlisted items). Only terms expressly stated to the contrary (such as "only one of" or "exactly one of") or the term "consisting of" when used in the claims shall refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of the number of elements or list thereof. In general, when used, the term "or" when preceded by an exclusive term such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of," shall be interpreted to indicate only exclusive alternatives (i.e., "one or the other, but not both"). As used in the claims, "consisting essentially of" shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0156]

[0167] 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 combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows for elements other than the element specifically identified in the list of elements (to which the phrase "at least one" refers), whether related or unrelated to the element specifically identified, 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") can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one A (optionally including more than one) with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment, to at least one B (optionally including more than one) with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A), in yet another embodiment, to at least one A (optionally including more than one A) and at least one B (optionally including more than one B, and optionally including other elements), etc.

[0157]

[0168] In the claims as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as "comprises," "carries," "has," "including," "involves," "holds," "consisting of," and the like are understood to be open (i.e., meaning including but not limited to). For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units need not be limited to the steps or units explicitly recited, but instead may include other steps or units that are not explicitly recited or that are inherent to those processes, methods, products, or devices. The transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" are intended to be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0158]

[0169] The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. It is to be 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 thereto are claimed.

[0159]

[0170] In the claims and throughout this specification, the use of ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," "third," etc. does not, in and of itself, imply any priority, precedence, or chronological order in which the actions of a method are performed of one element over another, but is merely utilized as a label to distinguish one element having a name from other elements having the same name (absent the use of the ordinal number) to distinguish between the elements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] 1 Receptacle Connector 10 Terminal Assembly 20 Shell 30 Case 40 First sealing member 41 Taper 50 Second sealing member 110 Conductive element 120 Assembly housing 121 First storage unit 122 Second storage section 123 Third Storage Unit 211 First side wall 212 Second Side Wall 213 Third Side Wall 214 Fourth Side Wall 220 First Boardlock 221 Cantilever part 222 First attachment part 223 Second mounting part 224 First Connection 230 Second Boardlock 234 Second Connection 240 First Stop 250 Second Stop 260 Third Stop 270 Coarse part 280 Support frame part 502 Hollow Body

Claims

1. Housing, a shell surrounding a cavity and at least partially embedded within the housing, the shell including a mating end extending beyond the housing in a mating direction; and A receptacle connector comprising: a terminal assembly disposed within the shell, the terminal assembly including a plurality of conductive elements, the plurality of conductive elements including a mating end disposed within the cavity and a distal end extending from the shell.

2. the terminal assembly includes an assembly housing that holds the plurality of conductive elements; the assembly housing includes one or more grooves; The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the rear of the shell includes one or more portions that each protrude into a respective one of the one or more grooves of the assembly housing.

3. 10. The receptacle connector of claim 1, further comprising a boardlock partially embedded within the housing, the boardlock including one or more mounting portions that extend beyond the housing in an installation direction different from the mating direction.

4. The receptacle connector of claim 3 , wherein the mounting direction is perpendicular to the mating direction.

5. The shell includes a side wall and a connecting portion.

4. The receptacle connector of claim 3, wherein the connection portion includes a first end connected to a rear portion of the sidewall and a second end connected to the boardlock such that the boardlock extends adjacent to the sidewall.

6. the boardlock includes a beam extending in the mating direction and embedded in the housing; The receptacle connector of claim 4 , wherein the one or more mounting portions extend from the beam in the mounting direction.

7. The receptacle connector of claim 1 including a sealing member disposed on the mating end of the shell.

8. the mating end of the shell includes a roughness having a higher surface roughness than a remainder of the mating end of the shell; The receptacle connector of claim 7 , wherein the sealing member is disposed on the rough portion of the mating end of the shell.

9. The terminal assembly includes an assembly housing; a rear portion of the housing of the receptacle connector extends beyond the assembly housing; the sealing member disposed on the mating end of the shell is a first sealing member; The receptacle connector of claim 8 , wherein the receptacle connector includes a second sealing member disposed within the rear of the housing of the receptacle connector and on a bottom wall of the shell.

10. The receptacle connector of claim 9 , wherein the second sealing member comprises a hardened adhesive.

11. a terminal assembly including an assembly housing and a plurality of conductive elements carried by the assembly housing, each of the plurality of conductive elements including a mating end, a distal end extending from the assembly housing, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the distal end; a shell surrounding at least the mating ends and intermediate portions of the plurality of conductive elements and engaging at least a portion of the assembly housing; and A receptacle connector including a housing disposed outside the shell and molded onto a rear portion of the shell.

12. the rear portion of the shell includes a bottom wall extending from the housing; The receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the receptacle connector includes a sealing member disposed on the bottom wall of the rear portion of the shell.

13. the bottom wall of the rear portion of the shell includes one or more portions that protrude toward the terminal assembly; The receptacle connector of claim 12 , wherein the sealing member includes a side that conforms to a surface of the bottom wall of the rear portion of the shell and opposite sides that conform to an inner surface of the housing.

14. The receptacle connector of claim 13 including a pair of boardlocks disposed on opposite sides of the shell and partially embedded within the housing.

15. The receptacle connector of claim 14 , wherein each of the pair of boardlocks includes one or more mounting portions that extend beyond the housing in an attachment direction.

16. The receptacle connector of claim 15 , wherein the pair of boardlocks extend from opposite sides of the shell.

17. 1. A method for manufacturing a receptacle connector, comprising: providing a shell surrounding a cavity, the shell including one or more portions projecting into said cavity; providing a terminal assembly including an assembly housing and a plurality of conductive elements carried by the assembly housing; Inserting the terminal assembly into the cavity of the shell; and The method includes molding an enclosure over portions of the shell.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein molding the housing over portions of the shell includes molding the housing over portions of a boardlock.

19. applying an adhesive between the top of the housing and the bottom of the shell; and The method of claim 17 including curing the adhesive to form a seal.

20. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising separating a leadframe from the shell and the boardlocks subsequent to molding the housing.

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