Electrical connectors with improved reliability and flexibility for system applications.

Abstract

To provide electrical connectors with improved reliability and flexibility for system applications. [Solution] The electrical connector includes one or more chambers formed between an upper shell and a bottom shell. Each chamber can receive a subassembly including a subassembly housing and shield for holding terminals. The terminals include contact tails configured for pressure mounting. The inner shell is disposed around the tongues of the subassembly housing and has a position-assuring mechanism. The upper shell and bottom shell can be welded to each other and to the inner shell. The upper shell can be manufactured by processing a metal sheet to form recesses, openings, etc., at selected locations, and then stamping the processed metal sheet into the desired shape of the upper shell. Such connectors can be mounted above a circuit board, below a circuit board, and in a buttock configuration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - reference to Related Applications) This application claims the priority and benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202423317195.0 (December 31, 2024). The content of this application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this specification.

[0002] (Field of the Invention) This application relates to an interconnection system, such as one that includes an electrical connector configured to interconnect electronic assemblies.

Background Art

[0003] Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. It is generally easier and more cost - effective to manufacture a system as a separate electronic sub - assembly, such as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), that can be joined together with the electrical connector. Having separable connectors allows components of electronic systems manufactured by different manufacturers to be easily assembled. Separable connectors also allow components to be easily replaced either to replace defective components or to upgrade the system with higher - performance components after the system has been assembled. Electrical connectors are used in a wide range of applications, including electronic devices (e.g., 5G phones, e - cigarettes, computers), communication technologies (e.g., telecommunication devices, networking devices, routing devices), vehicles, aerospace, etc.

[0004] A known configuration for joining several electronic subassemblies is to use one printed circuit board as a backplane. A known backplane is a PCB to which many connectors can be mounted. Conductive traces within the backplane can be electrically connected to signal conductors within connectors so that signals can be routed between them. Other printed circuit boards, called "daughterboards," "daughtercards," or "midboards," can be connected via the backplane. For example, a daughtercard may also have connectors mounted on it. Connectors mounted on the daughtercard can be plugged into connectors mounted on the backplane. In this way, signals can be routed between daughtercards via the connectors and the backplane. Daughtercards can be plugged into the backplane at a right angle. Therefore, connectors used in these applications may include right-angle bends and are often called "right-angle connectors."

[0005] Connectors can also be used in other configurations for interconnecting electronic assemblies. In some cases, one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) may be connected to another PCB called a “motherboard,” which mounts electronic components and interconnects the daughterboards. In such configurations, the PCBs connected to the motherboard may be called daughterboards. Daughterboards are often smaller than the motherboard and may sometimes be aligned parallel to it. Connectors used in this configuration are often called “stacking connectors” or “mezzanine connectors.” In other systems, daughterboards may be perpendicular to the motherboard.

[0006] Connectors can also be used in computers where the motherboard has a processor and a bus configured to transfer data between the processor and peripheral devices such as printers or memory devices. The connectors may be mounted on the motherboard and connected to the bus. The mating interface of these connectors may often be exposed through an opening in the computer's chassis so that the connector, which is attached to the peripheral device via a cable, is inserted into the connector on the motherboard. This configuration allows for easy connection of peripheral devices to the computer.

[0007] To enhance the availability of peripherals, buses and the connectors used to physically connect peripherals via the bus can be standardized. In this way, a large number of peripherals can be available from numerous manufacturers. All of these products can be used in computers with a standardized bus, provided they comply with the standard. An example of such a standard is the Universal Serial Bus (USB), commonly used in computers. Through multiple revisions, the standard has adapted over time to meet the higher performance expectations of computers. For example, portable electronic devices often include USB Type-C receptacle connectors for various purposes, such as charging and / or data exchange with other electronic devices by connecting a USB receptacle connector to a USB plug connector. [Overview of the project]

[0008] Aspects of this disclosure relate to electrical connector assemblies having improved reliability and flexibility for system applications.

[0009] Some embodiments relate to a shell for a connector. The shell includes a base configured for mounting to a circuit board and a raised portion having height relative to the base, the raised portion may include one or more recesses configured to bond with the inner shell of the connector.

[0010] The height is optional and ranges from 2.4mm to 3.4mm.

[0011] Optionally, the raised portion includes a front sub-part having a first width in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction of the connector, and a rear sub-part having a second width in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction of the connector, wherein the first width is greater than the first width and includes a transition sub-part connecting the front sub-part and the rear sub-part.

[0012] Optionally, the protrusion is a first protrusion, and the shell includes a second protrusion separated from the first protrusion by a sub-part of the first protrusion.

[0013] Optionally, the sub-part of the base includes screw holes.

[0014] Optionally, the sub-part of the base includes a rib connecting the first and second raised sections.

[0015] Optionally, the shell may include stainless steel with a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0016] Optionally, the shell is thinner in one or more recesses than in non-recessed areas.

[0017] Some embodiments relate to electrical connectors. The electrical connector may include an upper shell including a base and a protrusion projecting from the base, a bottom shell connected to the base of the upper shell, a chamber between the protrusion and the bottom shell, and a connector subassembly disposed within the chamber.

[0018] Optionally, the connector subassembly may include a mating interface compliant with a USB Type-C standard that came into effect prior to the priority date of this disclosure.

[0019] Optionally, the connector subassembly includes a terminal assembly comprising a plurality of terminals, each of which comprises a mating end, a contact tail configured to establish a pressure-mount electrical connection, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the contact tail, a shield, and a subassembly housing that holds the plurality of terminals and the shield.

[0020] Optionally, multiple terminals include one or more signal terminals, and the intermediate portion of each of the one or more signal terminals is provided with a slot aligned with the shield's opening.

[0021] Optionally, the shield extends beyond the subassembly housing, is positioned between the base of the upper shell and the bottom shell, and includes lug portions joined to the base of the upper shell and the bottom shell.

[0022] Optionally, the connector subassembly includes an inner shell surrounding at least the mating ends of a plurality of terminals, the inner shell being positioned between the raised portion of the upper shell and the bottom shell, and bonding with the raised portion of the upper shell and the bottom shell.

[0023] Optionally, the inner shell is welded to the raised sections of the upper and lower shells at the selected location.

[0024] Optionally, the inner shell comprises one or more projections that engage with the subassembly housing of the terminal assembly, and one or more beams configured to abut against the mating components of the terminal assembly.

[0025] Some embodiments relate to a method for manufacturing a shell for a connector. The method includes providing a metal sheet, processing the metal sheet to form one or more recesses on the metal sheet, and stamping the processed metal sheet onto a shell having a base and a raised portion spaced apart from the base and connected to the base on at least two sides.

[0026] Optionally, the metal plate is a stainless steel plate having a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0027] Optionally, the metal plate is processed by corrosion, etching, laser processing, and / or stamping and punching to form one or more recesses.

[0028] Optionally, the method includes forming a threaded hole in the base of the shell.

[0029] Some embodiments relate to an upper shell for an electrical connector. The upper shell may include a base connected to a circuit board and a raised portion protruding from the base to form a chamber for accommodating an inner shell for the electrical connector.

[0030] Optionally, the raised portion may have a plurality of recesses on the upper surface of the raised portion.

[0031] Optionally, the protruding height of the raised portion may be 3.4 mm or less.

[0032] Optionally, a hole penetrating in the thickness direction of the base may be formed in the base.

[0033] Optionally, threads may be formed on the inner wall surface of the hole.

[0034] Optionally, the raised portion may include a front sub - portion, a rear sub - portion, and a transition sub - portion connecting the front sub - portion and the rear sub - portion, and the width of the front sub - portion in the length direction of the electrical connector is smaller than the width of the rear sub - portion in the length direction of the electrical connector.

[0035] Optionally, the upper shell for the electrical connector can include a plurality of raised portions configured to be spaced apart. <s

[0036] Optionally, all of the plurality of raised portions may have the same structure.

[0037] Optionally, bases may be formed on both sides of the raised portion in the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector, and one or more holes may be formed in each of the bases.

[0038] Optionally, ribs extending along the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector may be formed at the base between any two of the raised portions.

[0039] Optionally, the upper shell may be made from SUS316 or SUS304 stainless steel sheet.

[0040] Optionally, the stainless steel sheet may have a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0041] Optionally, the raised portion may be formed by stretching and cold forging a stainless steel plate.

[0042] Some embodiments relate to electrical connectors. An electrical connector may comprise an upper shell, a bottom shell connected to the upper shell to form one or more chambers, and a connector subassembly housed within the chambers.

[0043] Optionally, the upper shell may include a base connected to a circuit board and one or more protrusions projecting from the base, the protrusions cooperating with the bottom shell to form a chamber.

[0044] Optionally, the raised portion may have multiple recesses on its upper surface.

[0045] Optionally, the protruding height of the raised portion may be 3.4 mm or less.

[0046] Optionally, a hole may be formed in the base that penetrates through the base in the thickness direction.

[0047] Optionally, threads may be formed on the inner wall surface of the hole.

[0048] Optionally, the raised portion may include a front sub-part, a rear sub-part, and a transition sub-part connecting the front and rear sub-parts, wherein the width of the front sub-part in the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector is smaller than the width of the rear sub-part in the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector.

[0049] Optionally, each of one or more chambers includes a front sub-chamber and a rear sub-chamber, the front sub-chamber being formed by enclosing together the inner surface of the front sub-part and the upper surface of the bottom shell, and the rear sub-chamber being formed by the inner surface of the rear sub-part.

[0050] Optionally, the base may be formed on each of one or more chambers in the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector, and one or more holes may be formed in each of the bases.

[0051] Optionally, ribs extending along the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector may be formed at the base between any two of the raised portions.

[0052] Optionally, the upper shell may be made from SUS316 or SUS304 stainless steel sheet.

[0053] Optionally, the stainless steel sheet may have a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0054] Optionally, the raised portion may be formed by stretching and cold forging a stainless steel plate.

[0055] Optionally, the connector subassembly may include a terminal assembly comprising a plurality of terminals spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector and configured to establish pressure-mount electrical connections.

[0056] Optionally, the connector subassembly may further include a shield and a subassembly housing configured to accommodate a plurality of terminals and the shield.

[0057] Optionally, multiple terminals may include mating ends and tail ends, each tail end having an elastically flexible portion that protrudes in the direction opposite to the upper shell so that the elastically flexible portion can be elastically deformed in the direction of the protrusion of the raised portion.

[0058] Optionally, the mating ends of the multiple terminals may be provided on the tongue portion of the subassembly housing, or in two rows along the protruding direction of the raised portion, and the tail ends of the multiple terminals may extend beyond the rear end of the subassembly housing.

[0059] Optionally, one or more elastically bendable portions of the terminals may be provided with slots. The shield may have openings, and when the terminal assembly and shield are mounted to the subassembly housing, the slots align with the openings.

[0060] Optionally, the shield may include lug portions that extend longitudinally beyond two opposing sides at the rear end of the subassembly housing and are adapted to connect with the upper shell.

[0061] Optionally, the connector subassembly may further include an inner shell adapted to connect with the upper and bottom shells, the inner shell being configured to surround the tongue portion of the subassembly housing.

[0062] Optionally, the inner shell may be housed within the chamber and may be welded to the raised portion and bottom shell that constitute the chamber.

[0063] Optionally, the inner shell may include one or more stoppers provided on the inner surface of the inner shell, which abut against the end of the plug inserted into the electrical connector.

[0064] Optionally, the inner shell may include one or more beams and / or one or more projections provided on the inner surface of the inner shell, and the plug inserted into the electrical connector is held by the beams.

[0065] Optionally, the connector subassembly may have a mating interface compliant with the USB Type-C standard.

[0066] Some embodiments relate to a method for manufacturing an upper shell for an electrical connector. The method may include providing a metal sheet and stamping the processed metal sheet to form an upper shell having a base and a raised portion, the raised portion projecting from the base to form a chamber for housing an inner shell for an electrical connector.

[0067] Optionally, the metal plate may be a stainless steel plate, and the metal plate may have a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

[0068] Optionally, this method may further include processing the raised portion to form a recess in the raised portion.

[0069] Optionally, the metal sheet is processed by methods such as corrosion, etching, laser processing, stamping and punching, and / or other forming techniques to form a plurality of recesses on the metal sheet.

[0070] Optionally, the protruding height of the raised portion may be 3.4 mm or less.

[0071] Optionally, a hole may be formed in the base by a reverse drawing process, penetrating in the thickness direction of the base, and a screw thread may be formed on the inner wall surface of the hole.

[0072] These techniques can be used individually or in any suitable combination. The above outline is provided as an example and is not intended to be limiting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0073] The attached drawings may not be drawn to a consistent scale. In the drawings, each of the identical or nearly identical components illustrated in various diagrams may be represented by similar numbers. For clarity, not all components may be labeled in all drawings. [Figure 1A] This is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to several embodiments. [Figure 1B] This is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to several embodiments. [Figure 2A] Figure 1A is a partially exploded perspective view of an electrical connector. [Figure 2B] Figure 1B is a partially exploded perspective view of an electrical connector according to several embodiments. [Figure 2C] Figure 1B is a partially exploded perspective view of an electrical connector according to several embodiments. [Figure 3A] Figure 1A is a top perspective view of the upper shell of the electrical connector. [Figure 3B] Figure 3A is a bottom perspective view of the upper shell. [Figure 4A] Figure 1B is a top perspective view of the upper shell of the electrical connector. [Figure 4B] Figure 4A is a bottom perspective view of the upper shell. [Figure 5A] Figure 1A is a top perspective view of an electrical connector. [Figure 5B] Figure 5A is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector. [Figure 6A] Figure 1B is a top perspective view of an electrical connector. [Figure 6B] Figure 6A is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connector. [Figure 7A] Figure 1A shows perspective views of the inner shell of the electrical connector from various angles. [Figure 7B] Figure 1A shows perspective views of the inner shell of the electrical connector from various angles. [Figure 7C] Figure 1A shows perspective views of the inner shell of the electrical connector from various angles. [Figure 8] Figure 1A is a partially exploded perspective view of an electrical connector. [Figure 9A] Figure 1A is a top perspective view of the connector subassembly of the electrical connector. [Figure 9B] Figure 9A is a bottom perspective view of the connector subassembly. [Figure 10A] Figure 9A is a top perspective view of the terminals and shield of the connector subassembly. [Figure 10B] Figure 10A is a bottom perspective view of the terminals and shield. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0074] The inventors recognize and understand connector design techniques for creating connector assemblies that provide a mating interface compliant with industry standards such as USB Type-C, while offering improved reliability and flexibility for system applications. Conventionally, electrical connector shells are manufactured relatively thick to meet mechanical strength requirements and are typically produced by powder metallurgy, which limits the ability to incorporate threaded mechanisms. Furthermore, conventional surface mount technology (SMT) makes the replacement of terminal components cumbersome and can degrade electrical contact performance. In addition, components are often connected via snap-fit ​​mechanisms that can disengage under stress or vibration, potentially causing malfunctions.

[0075] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the connector may include one or more chambers formed between an upper shell and a bottom shell. The upper shell and the bottom shell may be welded to each other and / or to an inner shell. Such a configuration can improve the strength of the connector. The upper shell can be manufactured by processing a metal sheet to form recesses, openings, etc., at selected locations, and then stamping the processed metal sheet into a desired shape of the upper shell.

[0076] Each chamber may receive a subassembly. The subassembly may include one or more rows of terminals and a shield. The shield may be positioned between adjacent rows of terminals. The subassembly housing may hold the terminals and shield such that the mating ends of the terminals are positioned on either side of the tongue portion of the subassembly housing, and the tail ends of the terminals extend from the bottom of the subassembly housing. The tail ends of the terminals may include a contact tail configured for pressure mounting.

[0077] The terminals may include signal terminals arranged in pairs. Each signal terminal may include a bent region having a slot aligned with an opening in the shield. Such a configuration can improve signal integrity (SI) performance. The shield may include sides that extend from both sides of the subassembly housing and are configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The inner shell is disposed around the tongue of the subassembly housing and may have a position-assurance mechanism.

[0078] The connectors can be mounted above the circuit board, below the circuit board, and in a buttock configuration (one connector above the board and another below the board, substantially aligned with the connector above the board). The connectors can have a height configured according to system requirements (e.g., a height in the range of 2.40 mm to 3.40 mm, with a maximum height of 3.40 mm).

[0079] In some embodiments, the upper shell comprises a base connected to the circuit board and a protrusion projecting from the base to form a chamber for housing an inner shell for an electrical connector. Such an upper shell configuration allows the resulting electrical connector to be mounted not only above or below the circuit board, but also in a buttock configuration. In a buttock configuration, one electrical connector is mounted above the circuit board and another is mounted below the circuit board, substantially aligned with the electrical connector above the circuit board. On the other hand, the upper shell is provided with a protrusion to form a chamber for housing an inner shell for an electrical connector, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections. On the other hand, such an upper shell configuration is suitable for both scenarios in which the upper shell is mounted above or below the circuit board and scenarios in which the upper shell is mounted in a buttock configuration, thereby greatly increasing the flexibility of the application scenarios for the electrical connector.

[0080] In some embodiments, the protruding height of the upper shell's raised portion may be 3.4 mm or less. In this way, the connector may be mounted in application scenarios with different height spaces ranging from 3.4 mm above the circuit board to 3.4 mm below the circuit board, and as a result, it can be suitable for a variety of application scenarios, further improving the flexibility of the application scenarios for the electrical connector.

[0081] In some embodiments, the raised portion of the upper shell has a plurality of recesses on its upper surface. The raw material forming the upper shell (e.g., stainless steel sheet) undergoes special processing (such as corrosion, etching, laser processing, stamping and punching, and / or other forming techniques) to pre-process the special structure of the mold and form a plurality of recesses on the upper surface of the raised portion so as to reduce the thickness of the upper shell at the point where the upper shell is welded to the inner shell. Furthermore, forming a plurality of recesses on the upper surface of the raised portion of the upper shell facilitates spot welding between the upper shell and the inner shell and improves the joint strength between the upper shell and the inner shell, thereby ensuring the reliability of the mechanical and electrical connections of the electrical connector while meeting the mechanical strength requirements of the shell.

[0082] In some embodiments, to further ensure the reliability of the mechanical connection, the present application may use a stamping die to form the shell. Thus, a hole may be provided in the base of the upper shell, penetrating in the thickness direction of the base. In some embodiments, threads may be formed on the inner wall surface of the hole, thereby helping to securely mount the electrical connector onto the circuit board and facilitating assembly of the electrical connector by the worker. In the manufacturing method of the present disclosure, a reverse drawing process is used to form the hole in the base, penetrating in the thickness direction of the base. A reverse drawing process is a technique for drawing or forming a metal material in the opposite direction to the forward drawing direction. Compared to conventional forward drawing, reverse drawing changes the flow direction of the metal, thereby optimizing the material distribution and reducing defects during the forming process.

[0083] In some embodiments, a special structural design is made for the upper shell of the electrical connector to meet the miniaturization requirements of the electrical connector. The raised portion of the upper shell may be configured to include a front sub-part, a rear sub-part, and a transition sub-part, the width of which the front sub-part is smaller than the width of the rear sub-part, and as a result, the front sub-part may be used to house the inner shell and the front of the connector subassembly housed in the inner shell, and the rear sub-part is used to house the rear of the connector subassembly. Dedicated chambers are provided for different parts of the connector subassembly to house different parts of the connector subassembly separately. In some embodiments, to provide a smaller electrical connector, a more compact chamber may be provided for the front of the connector subassembly, while at the same time, some mounting space may be provided at the base on both sides of the front sub-part, and a larger chamber for the rear of the connector subassembly is provided to provide mounting space for a wider rear of the subassembly housing.

[0084] In some embodiments, to satisfy the requirement that multiple mating devices (such as electronic devices) can interface with an electrical connector within a limited space on a circuit board, the upper shell is provided to include multiple raised sections configured to be spaced apart. For example, the raised sections are configured to be spaced apart along the length of the electrical connector, thereby allowing multiple electrical connectors to be arranged lengthwise within a limited space.

[0085] In some embodiments, to ensure better mechanical strength and durability of the electrical connector, the upper shell may be made from a SUS316 or SUS304 stainless steel sheet. SUS316 stainless steel contains molybdenum. Molybdenum can improve the corrosion resistance and pitting resistance of the upper shell for the electrical connector, especially in environments containing chlorides and non-oxidizing acids. The metal sheet has a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. Thus, the upper shell can have greater thickness and greater strength. However, thicker shells present the problem of being difficult to weld. In some embodiments, the metal sheet is specially processed to provide a plurality of recesses on the upper surface of the raised portion of the upper shell for the electrical connector (as described above), thereby enabling the shell to be welded. In some embodiments, the metal sheet forming the upper shell for the electrical connector is first specially processed, and then the processed metal sheet is placed in a mold for stamping to form the shell.

[0086] In some embodiments, to provide the electrical connector with good durability and to meet the strength requirements for drop testing, the raised portion of the upper shell is formed by stretching and cold forging a stainless steel sheet to realize a raised portion having a specific structure.

[0087] In some embodiments, the terminal assembly includes terminals configured to establish pressure-mount electrical connections, and the terminal assembly is connected to the circuit board via pressure mounting. Compared to conventional surface mount technology (SMT) welding, the terminal assembly has the advantage of being convenient and quick to replace and also reduces the defect rate caused by the SMT process. The terminal assembly is made from a highly conductive material, and the thickness of the material may be in the range of 0.10 mm to 0.30 mm. Synchronization signal terminals (TXRX pins) and power terminals (VBUS & GND pins) may use terminals of different thicknesses to simultaneously meet high frequency and high current requirements. In addition, each signal terminal may include an elastically bent portion with an opening and a slot that aligns with it. This configuration can improve signal integrity.

[0088] In some embodiments, the shield of the electrical connector extends longitudinally into the electrical connector beyond two opposing sides of the rear end of the subassembly housing and is provided with a lug portion adapted for connection to the upper shell. The lug portion can provide secure fastening between the connector subassembly and the upper shell. In some arbitrary embodiments, the lug portion may be connected to the upper shell by electric welding. On the other hand, the lug portion also has a positional limiting function that allows the rear of the connector subassembly to be precisely positioned within the rear subchamber, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections while meeting the mechanical strength requirements of the shell.

[0089] In some embodiments, to precisely position the connector subassembly of the electrical connector, the electrical connector may include an inner shell adapted to connect to an upper shell and a bottom shell, the inner shell being configured to surround the tongue portion of the subassembly housing, thereby allowing the front portion of the connector subassembly to be precisely positioned within the front subchamber, thus acting as a position limiter. The inner shell is housed within one or more chambers formed by connecting the bottom shell and the upper shell, the bottom shell being welded directly to the inner shell, and the inner shell being welded directly to the upper shell, thereby ensuring that both the upper and lower surfaces of the inner shell are welded, which is beneficial in improving the overall strength of the electrical connector and meeting the strength requirements of torsion and drop tests. With the above design structure, the electrical connector can be guaranteed to meet very high strength requirements, and the electrical connector can be welded, thereby further ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections.

[0090] In some embodiments, to further ensure a reliable mechanical connection between the inner shell and the plug of the electrical connector, the inner shell may include one or more stoppers provided on its inner surface, which abut against the end of the plug inserted into the electrical connector, thereby enabling full contact with the plug, which is beneficial for shielding and plays a role in improving high frequencies. The design of the stoppers also allows the impact force to be distributed to the shell during drop tests, thereby preventing the connector subassembly from being damaged by force and resulting in functional failure. The inner shell may also include one or more beams and / or one or more projections provided on its inner surface, which grip the plug inserted into the electrical connector by the beams, thereby providing a firm gripping force against the connector subassembly, securely fixing the connector subassembly to the inner shell and ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections.

[0091] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an electrical connector, an upper housing for the electrical connector, and a method for manufacturing them will be described in detail according to several embodiments of this application.

[0092] To make the explanation clear and concise, the mating direction X in which the connector assembly mates with a complementary device, the direction Y perpendicular to the mating direction X (e.g., the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector), and the direction Z perpendicular to both the mating direction X and the longitudinal direction Y (e.g., the height direction Z of the electrical connector) may be labeled in the drawing.

[0093] According to aspects of this disclosure, an upper shell 100 for an electrical connector 10 may be provided. Some embodiments of the upper shell 100 for the electrical connector 10 are described below in detail with reference to Figures 1A to 4B.

[0094] As shown in Figure 3A, the upper shell 100 of the electrical connector 10 may include a base 110 and a protrusion 120. The base 110 is fitted to connect to a circuit board. The protrusion 120 may project out of the plane of the base 110 to form a chamber 130 for housing the inner shell 400 of the electrical connector 10. In some embodiments, the base 110 may extend in a plane parallel to the mating direction X of the electrical connector, and the protrusion may project upward from the base by a certain height in the height direction Z of the electrical connector.

[0095] The upper shell comprises a base configured to connect to a circuit board and a protrusion projecting from the base to form a chamber for housing an inner shell for an electrical connector. Such an upper shell configuration allows the resulting electrical connector to be mounted above or below the circuit board, as well as in a buttock configuration. In a buttock configuration, one electrical connector is mounted above the circuit board and another is mounted below the circuit board, substantially aligned with the electrical connector above the circuit board.

[0096] On the other hand, by providing a raised portion, the upper shell forms a chamber for housing the inner shell of the electrical connector, thereby ensuring the mechanical and electrical reliability of the electrical connector. On the other hand, this configuration of the upper shell is suitable not only for scenarios in which the connector is mounted above or below the circuit board, but also for scenarios in which the connector is mounted in a buttock-to-buttock configuration, thereby greatly increasing the flexibility of the application scenarios for the electrical connector.

[0097] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3A, the upper surface of the raised portion 120 may have a plurality of recesses 140.

[0098] The raised portion of the upper shell has multiple recesses on its upper surface. These recesses can be formed by specially processing the raw material (e.g., stainless steel sheet) used to form the upper shell by methods such as corrosion, etching, laser processing, stamping and punching, or other forming techniques, as a pretreatment for the special structure of the mold. In this way, multiple recesses are formed on the upper surface of the raised portion, and the thickness of the upper shell can be reduced at the location where the upper shell is welded to the inner shell.

[0099] Furthermore, by forming multiple recesses on the upper surface of the raised portion of the upper shell, spot welding between the upper shell and the inner shell is facilitated, and the joint strength between the upper shell and the inner shell is improved. This ensures the reliability of the mechanical and electrical connections of the electrical connector while meeting the mechanical strength requirements of the shell.

[0100] In some embodiments, the protruding height of the raised portion 120 may be 3.4 mm or less. As shown in Figure 3A, the protruding height H of the raised portion protruding from the base plane in the height direction Z of the electrical connector may be 3.4 mm or less. For example, the protruding height H may be 3.3 mm, 3.2 mm, 3.1 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, etc.

[0101] The protruding height of the upper shell's raised portion may be 3.4 mm or less. In this way, the connector assembly can be mounted in application scenarios with different height spaces ranging from 3.4 mm above the circuit board to 3.4 mm below the circuit board, and as a result, it can be suitable for a variety of application scenarios, further improving the flexibility of the application scenarios for electrical connectors.

[0102] Continuing to refer to Figure 3A, in some embodiments, the base 110 has a hole 112 that penetrates through the base 110 in the thickness direction. In some embodiments, the hole 112 may be provided on both sides of the base along the length direction Y of the electrical connector. In some embodiments, screw threads may be formed on the inner wall surface of the hole 112.

[0103] To further ensure the reliability of the mechanical connection, the present invention may use a stamping die to form the shell. Thus, a hole may be provided at the base of the upper shell, penetrating in the thickness direction of the base. In some embodiments, threads may be formed on the inner wall surface of the hole, thereby helping to securely mount the electrical connector onto the circuit board and facilitating assembly of the electrical connector by the worker.

[0104] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3B, the raised portion 120 may include a front sub-portion 121, a rear sub-portion 122, and a transition sub-portion 123 connecting the front sub-portion 121 and the rear sub-portion 122. Referring again to Figure 3A, the width W1 of the front sub-portion 121 in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10 may be smaller than the width W2 of the rear sub-portion 122 in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10.

[0105] The upper shell's protrusion may be configured to include a front sub-part, a rear sub-part, and a transition sub-part. The width of the front sub-part is smaller than that of the rear sub-part, so that the front sub-part can accommodate the inner shell and the front of the connector subassembly housed within the inner shell, and the rear sub-part can accommodate the rear of the connector subassembly. To house different parts of the connector subassembly separately, dedicated chambers are provided for each part of the connector subassembly. In some embodiments, to provide a smaller electrical connector, a more compact chamber is provided at the front of the connector subassembly, while still leaving installation space on both sides of the base adjacent to the front sub-part. The rear of the connector subassembly is provided with a larger chamber to accommodate the wider rear of the subassembly housing.

[0106] As shown in Figure 3A, the transition sub-section 123 has a shape that tapers from the rear sub-section 122 towards the front sub-section 121, thereby matching the arc-shaped transition section 335 of the sub-assembly housing 330 (see Figure 9A), further ensuring a reliable mechanical connection between the upper shell and the sub-assembly housing. Furthermore, stress concentration in the event of a fall of the electrical connector is reduced, and the cooperation between the transition sub-section and the arc-shaped transition section can distribute the impact force on the upper shell, thereby preventing the connector sub-assembly from being damaged by force and resulting in functional failure.

[0107] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, the upper shell 100 of the electrical connector 10 may include a plurality of protrusions 120 configured to be spaced apart from each other. In some embodiments, all of the plurality of protrusions 120 may have the same structure.

[0108] The raised portions of the upper shell are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, which allows multiple electrical connectors to be arranged lengthwise within a limited space.

[0109] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3A, bases 110 may be formed on both sides of the raised portion 120 in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10, and one or more holes 112 may be formed in each base 110. Although only one hole is formed on each side in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10 shown in Figure 3A, those skilled in the art will understand that, depending on practical requirements, two or more holes can be formed on each side in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10 to further enhance the reliability of the mechanical and electrical connections.

[0110] Referring to Figure 4A below, in some embodiments, ribs 111 extending along the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10 may be formed on the base 110 between two of the raised portions 120. One or more holes are formed in each of the bases in the upper shell, so that the electrical connector can be securely attached to the circuit board through the holes in the base. Furthermore, the formation of ribs extending along the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector on the base between two of the raised portions further ensures reliability in terms of mechanical and electrical connections.

[0111] In some embodiments, the upper shell 100 may be made from a SUS316 or SUS304 stainless steel sheet. SUS316 stainless steel contains molybdenum. Molybdenum can improve the corrosion resistance and pitting resistance of the upper shell for electrical connectors, particularly in environments containing chlorides and non-oxidizing acids.

[0112] In some embodiments, the stainless steel sheet may have a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. The upper shell may have a greater thickness and greater strength. The metal sheet is specially processed so that the shell can be welded (for example, by forming multiple recesses as described above). In some embodiments, the metal sheet forming the upper shell for the electrical connector is first specially processed, and then the processed metal sheet is placed in a mold for stamping to form the shell, thereby overcoming the problem of difficulty in welding thicker shells.

[0113] In some embodiments, the raised portion 120 may be formed by stretching and cold forging a stainless steel sheet. In the upper shell, the stretching and cold forging processes can realize raised portions having a specific structure, thereby providing good durability and meeting the strength requirements for drop testing.

[0114] According to aspects of this disclosure, an electrical connector 10 may be provided. The electrical connector 10 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1A to 10B.

[0115] Referring to Figures 2A to 2C, the electrical connector 10 may include an upper shell 100, a bottom shell 200, and a connector subassembly 300. The bottom shell 200 may be connected to the upper shell 100 to form one or more chambers. The connector subassembly 300 may be housed within the chambers.

[0116] The electrical connectors of this disclosure are provided, which include an upper shell and a lower shell, the lower shell being connected to the upper shell to form one or more chambers for housing connector subassemblies, thereby enabling multiple electrical connectors to be arranged side by side in a limited space.

[0117] In some embodiments, each of one or more chambers may include a front sub-chamber and a rear sub-chamber. The front sub-chamber may be formed by enclosing together the inner surface of the front sub-part 121 and the upper surface of the bottom shell 200. The rear sub-chamber may be formed by the inner surface of the rear sub-part 122.

[0118] In the electrical connectors of this disclosure, each chamber is provided with a front sub-chamber and a rear sub-chamber. The front sub-chamber is formed by enclosing together the inner surface of the front sub-part and the upper surface of the bottom shell, and the rear sub-chamber is formed by the inner surface of the rear sub-part, thereby allowing for the provision of dedicated chambers for different parts of the connector subassembly and the separate housing of different parts. In some embodiments, to provide a smaller electrical connector, a more compact chamber (e.g., a front sub-chamber) is provided at the front of the connector subassembly, while at the same time, some mounting space may be provided at the base on both sides of the front sub-part, and a larger chamber (e.g., a rear sub-chamber) is provided for the rear of the connector subassembly to provide mounting space for a wider rear of the subassembly housing.

[0119] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1B, bases 110 may be formed on each side of one or more chambers in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10, and one or more holes 112 may be formed in each base 110, so that the electrical connector can be securely attached to a circuit board through the holes in the bases. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 1B, ribs 111 extending along the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10 may be formed on the bases 110 between pairs of the raised portions 120, thereby further ensuring reliability in terms of mechanical and electrical connections.

[0120] The connector subassembly 300 of the electrical connector 10 will be described below with reference to Figures 8 to 10B. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, the connector subassembly 300 may include a terminal assembly 310. As shown in Figure 10A, the terminal assembly 310 may include a plurality of terminals spaced apart along the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector 10. The plurality of terminals may be configured to establish a pressure-mount electrical connection, as shown in Figure 10A.

[0121] The terminal assembly includes terminals configured to establish pressure-mount electrical connections, and the terminal assembly can be connected to a circuit board via pressure mounting. The terminal assembly has the advantage of being easily and quickly replaceable and reduces the defect rate caused by the SMT process. The terminal assembly may be made from a highly conductive material, and the material thickness may be in the range of 0.10 mm to 0.30 mm. Synchronization signal terminals (TX / RX pins) and power terminals (VBUS & GND pins) may use terminals of different thicknesses to simultaneously meet high frequency and high current requirements.

[0122] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, the connector subassembly 300 may further include a shield 320 and a subassembly housing 330. The subassembly housing 330 may be configured to house a plurality of terminals and the shield 320.

[0123] As shown in Figures 10A and 10B, in some embodiments, the terminals may include mating ends 311 and tail ends 312. In some embodiments, the tail ends 312 may each include elastically bendable portions 313 that protrude in the direction opposite to the upper shell 100, so that the elastically bendable portion can be elastically deformed in the direction of protrusion of the raised portion 120.

[0124] Referring to Figure 9A, in some embodiments, the mating ends 311 of the multiple terminals may be provided on the tongue portion 331 of the subassembly housing 330, and arranged in two rows along the projection direction of the raised portion 120. The tail ends 312 of the multiple terminals may extend beyond the rear end 332 of the subassembly housing 330.

[0125] In some optional embodiments, the terminal assembly 310 may include one or more rows of terminals spaced apart in the height Z direction of the electrical connector. As shown in Figures 10A and 10B, the terminal assembly 310 may include two rows of terminals spaced apart in the height Z direction. As shown in Figure 8, the connector subassembly 300 may further include an organizer 340 which may include one or more rows of channels 341 (shown in Figure 9B) for housing the terminal assembly 310. The organizer 340 may be connected to a subassembly housing 330. As shown in Figure 8, the subassembly housing 330 may include a mating structural member 333 for receiving the organizer 340. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 5B, 6B, and 9B, one or more projections 334 are provided on both sides of the mating structural member 333 for connection to a circuit board, thereby ensuring both precise positioning of the electrical connector and the circuit board and a reliable mechanical connection between the electrical connector and the circuit board.

[0126] Referring below to Figure 10A, in some embodiments, a slot 314 may be provided in the elastically bent portion 313 of one or more terminals among a plurality of terminals, and the opening 321 may be formed on the shield 320, and when the terminal assembly 310 and the shield 320 are mounted on the subassembly housing 330, the slot 314 may be aligned with the opening 321. Each signal terminal may include an elastically bent portion with a slot that aligns with the opening. This configuration can improve signal integrity.

[0127] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10A, the shield 320 may include a lug portion 322, which extends longitudinally Y beyond two opposing sides of the rear end 332 of the subassembly housing 330 and is adapted to connect with the upper shell 100, as shown in Figure 5B. Referring back to Figure 3B, the base 110 of the upper shell 100 may have mating rear recesses 114 on both sides near the rear sub-portion 122 for connection with the lug portion 322 of the shield 320, thereby ensuring accurate positioning between the rear sub-chamber of the upper shell and the rear of the connector subassembly, and reliable mechanical and electrical connections of the electrical connector.

[0128] In the prior art, connections are made using a snap-fit ​​method. The shell is relatively thick, and therefore the shield is provided to extend longitudinally beyond two opposing sides of the rear end of the subassembly housing and to have a lug portion adapted to connect with the upper shell. On the other hand, the lug portion can provide secure fastening between the connector subassembly and the upper shell. In some arbitrary embodiments, the lug portion may be connected to the upper shell by electric welding. On the other hand, the lug portion also has a position-limiting function that allows the rear of the connector subassembly to be precisely positioned within the rear subchamber.

[0129] Continuing to refer to Figure 8, in some embodiments, the connector subassembly 300 may further include an inner shell 400 adapted to connect with the upper shell 100 and the bottom shell 200. The inner shell 400 is configured to surround the tongue portion 331 of the subassembly housing 330, thereby enabling the front portion of the connector subassembly to be precisely positioned within the front subchamber, and thus playing a restrictive role. In some embodiments, the connector subassembly 300 may have a mating interface compliant with the USB Type-C standard.

[0130] In some embodiments, the inner shell 400 may be housed within the chamber and may be welded to the raised portion 120 and bottom shell 200 that constitute the chamber.

[0131] The inner shell is housed within the chamber, the bottom shell is directly welded to the inner shell, and the inner shell is directly welded to the upper shell, thereby ensuring that both the top and bottom surfaces of the inner shell are welded, which is beneficial in improving the overall strength of the electrical connector and meeting the strength requirements for torsion and drop tests. With the above design structure, the electrical connector of this disclosure can ensure that the electrical connector meets very high strength requirements, and the electrical connector can be welded, thereby further ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections.

[0132] The bottom shell 200 of the electrical connector 10 will be described below in conjunction with Figures 2A to 2C and Figure 5B. As shown in Figure 2A, the bottom shell 200 may include a main surface 210 for supporting the inner shell 400. The size of the main surface 210 may be substantially equal to the size of the surface on which the inner shell 400 contacts the main surface. In some embodiments, the main surface 210 is formed with bends on both sides in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector for fitting into the shape of the inner shell 400.

[0133] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2A and 5B, through vias 220 having a size that fits a beam 420 (shown in Figures 7A and 7B) formed on the inner shell 400 can be formed on the main surface of the bottom shell 200 to provide sufficient elastic space to allow the beam to firmly clamp the connector subassembly 300.

[0134] Continuing to refer to Figure 2A, the main surface of the bottom shell 200 has lug portions 230 formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction Y of the electrical connector. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5B, one or more recesses 240 may be provided on the lug portions 230 of the bottom shell to accommodate connection with the upper shell 100. For example, the lug portions 230 of the bottom shell may be connected to the upper shell 100 by electric welding. In this embodiment, the base 110 of the upper shell 100 may have mating front recesses 113 (shown in Figure 3B) on both sides near the front sub-portion 121 for connection with the lug portions 230 of the bottom shell, thereby ensuring accurate positioning of the bottom shell and the upper shell, as well as reliable mechanical and electrical connections.

[0135] Referring now to Figure 2C, in some further embodiments, the bottom shell 200 may include two or more main surfaces 210 for supporting the inner shell 400. In such embodiments, the multiple main surfaces 210 may be configured to be spaced apart from one another. Holes 260 are formed on both sides of the main surfaces 210 of the bottom shell 200 in the longitudinal direction Y. The shape and size of the holes 260 are consistent with the holes 112 so as to secure the top shell and bottom shell together to the circuit board by screw connections.

[0136] Referring to Figure 5B, in some embodiments, the main surface of the bottom shell 200 may include one or more recesses 250 for connection with the top shell 100, thereby further ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections. For example, the bottom shell 200 may be connected to the top shell 100 by electric welding via the recesses 250 of the top shell.

[0137] The inner shell 400 of the electrical connector 10 will be described below in conjunction with Figures 7A to 7C. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 7A to 7B, the inner shell 400 may include one or more stoppers 410 provided on the inner surface of the inner shell 400, which abut against the end of the plug inserted into the electrical connector 10 and can make full contact with the plug, which is beneficial for shielding and plays a role in improving high frequencies. In addition, the design of the stoppers allows the impact force to be distributed to the shell during drop tests, thereby preventing the connector subassembly from being damaged by force and resulting in functional failure.

[0138] Next, as shown in Figures 7A to 7B, in some arbitrary embodiments, the inner shell 400 may include one or more beams 420 and / or one or more projections 430 provided on the inner surface of the inner shell 400, the plug inserted into the electrical connector 10 being gripped by the beams 420, thereby providing a firm gripping force to the connector subassembly, securely fixing the connector subassembly to the inner shell, and ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections. The projections 430 engage with the subassembly housing 330, thereby reducing the risk of relative movement between the subassembly housing 330 and the inner shell 400.

[0139] The assembly process of the electrical connector will be described with reference to Figures 8, 9A and 9B, 2A, 5B and 6B. The shield 320 is inserted by a robotic arm into the appropriate position within the chamber of the subassembly housing 330, thereby securing the shield 320 to the subassembly housing 330. The mating ends of the terminals located in the lower and upper rows (with respect to the height Z) are then passed by the robotic arm through the chamber of the subassembly housing 330 and secured to the tongue portion 331 (as shown in Figure 9A). The organizer 340 is then attached to the rear end 332 of the subassembly housing 330, thereby exposing the elastically bent portions of the terminals from the channels of the organizer 340 (as shown in Figure 9B), thereby obtaining the connector subassembly 300 (as shown in Figure 2A). The connector subassembly 300 is inserted into the chamber of the inner shell 400, precisely positioned by a stopper 410 provided on the inner shell, and firmly held by a projection 430 on the inner shell, and then the inner shell 400 housing the connector subassembly 300 is attached to the upper shell 100. Specifically, the inner shell and the upper shell can be directly welded together by welding. The lug portion 322 of the shield 320 is attached (for example, by welding) to the rear recess 114 of the upper shell. However, the bottom shell is attached to the inner shell (for example, by welding). In the embodiment shown in Figure 5B, the bottom shell can be attached to the upper shell by welding through a recess 250 (shown in Figure 2C) provided on the surface of the bottom shell and recesses 240 (shown in Figure 2C) provided on the lugs on both sides of the bottom shell, thereby obtaining an assembled electrical connector which may be a single electrical connector (shown in Figures 1A, 5A, and 5B) or an assembled electrical connector (shown in Figure 1B).Alternatively, in the embodiments shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the bottom shell is attached to the top shell by welding through recesses 250 provided on the surface of the bottom shell and secured by screw connections through holes 260 provided on the surface of the bottom shell (coinciding with holes 112 in the top shell as shown in Figure 2C), thereby obtaining an assembled electrical connector, which may be a side-by-side electrical connector (as shown in Figure 6B) or a separate electrical connector (not shown). Finally, the assembled electrical connector is mounted on a circuit board (e.g., by screwing). The electrical connector can ensure reliability and durability in terms of mechanical and electrical connections while ensuring flexibility in application scenarios.

[0140] According to aspects of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an upper shell 100 for an electrical connector 10 may be provided. The method may include providing a metal sheet and stamping the processed metal sheet to form an upper shell 100 having a base 110 and a raised portion, the raised portion 120 projecting from the plane of the base 110 to form a chamber 130 for housing an inner shell 400 of the electrical connector 10.

[0141] In the upper shell having a base and a protrusion obtained by the manufacturing method of the present disclosure, the protrusion protrudes from the base to form a chamber for housing an inner shell for an electrical connector. Thus, the resulting electrical connector can be mounted not only above or below a circuit board, but also on a circuit board in a buttock configuration. In a buttock configuration, one electrical connector is mounted above the circuit board and another electrical connector is mounted below the circuit board, substantially aligned with the electrical connector above the circuit board.

[0142] On the other hand, the upper shell for an electrical connector obtained by the manufacturing method of the present disclosure has a raised portion, which thus forms a chamber for housing the inner shell for the electrical connector, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector in terms of mechanical and electrical connections. On the other hand, such a configuration of the upper shell for an electrical connector obtained by the manufacturing method of the present disclosure is suitable for both scenarios in which it is mounted above or below the circuit board and scenarios in which it is mounted in a buttock configuration, thereby greatly increasing the flexibility of the application scenarios for the electrical connector.

[0143] In some embodiments, the metal sheet is a stainless steel sheet, and the metal sheet has a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. The upper shell may have a greater thickness and greater strength. The metal sheet is specially processed so that the shell can be welded. In the upper shell, the metal sheet is first specially processed, and then the processed metal sheet is placed in a mold for stamping to form the shell.

[0144] In some embodiments, the method may further include machining the raised portion 120 to form a recess 140 in the raised portion 120.

[0145] In some embodiments, the metal sheet may be processed by corrosion, etching, laser processing, stamping and punching, punching and / or other forming techniques to form a plurality of recesses 140 on the metal sheet. According to the manufacturing method for the upper shell for an electrical connector of the present disclosure, the metal sheet is processed by corrosion, etching, laser processing, stamping and punching, and / or other forming techniques to form a plurality of recesses on the metal sheet. Conventionally, when the shell for an electrical connector is made thicker to meet the mechanical strength requirements, there is a problem that welding becomes difficult. According to the manufacturing method for the upper shell for an electrical connector of the present disclosure, a plurality of recesses can be formed on the upper surface of the raised portion by a special process, thereby facilitating spot welding between the upper shell and the inner shell, improving the joint strength between the upper shell and the inner shell, and ensuring the reliability of the mechanical and electrical connections of the electrical connector while meeting the mechanical strength requirements of the shell.

[0146] In some embodiments, the protruding height of the raised portion 120 may be 3.4 mm or less. The protruding height of the raised portion of the upper shell for an electrical connector obtained by the manufacturing method of the present disclosure may be 3.4 mm or less. In this way, the resulting electrical connector may be able to be mounted in application scenarios with different height spaces ranging from 3.4 mm above the circuit board to 3.4 mm below the circuit board, thereby being suitable for a variety of application scenarios and further improving the flexibility of the application scenarios of the electrical connector.

[0147] In some embodiments, the reverse drawing process forms a hole 112 in the base 110 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the base 110, and threads are formed on the inner wall surface of the hole 112. The reverse drawing process is a technique for drawing or forming a metal material in the opposite direction to the forward drawing direction. Compared to conventional forward drawing, reverse drawing changes the flow direction of the metal, thereby optimizing the material distribution and reducing defects during the forming process.

[0148] While several aspects of several embodiments have been described, it should be understood that various changes, modifications, and improvements will be readily conceivable to those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of the disclosure and to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Although this teaching has been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, this teaching is not intended to be limited to such embodiments or examples. Rather, this teaching encompasses various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0149] While many creative embodiments have been described above with reference to right-angle connectors, it should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to right-angle connectors. Any of the creative mechanisms may be used, alone or in combination with one or more other creative mechanisms, in other types of electrical connectors, such as vertical connectors.

[0150] Furthermore, while several advantages of the present invention may be demonstrated, it should be understood that not all embodiments of the present invention include all described advantages. Some embodiments may not implement any mechanism described as advantageous. Therefore, the foregoing description and drawings are merely examples.

[0151] Furthermore, the described technology may also be embodied as a method, and at least one embodiment thereof is provided. The operations performed as part of the method can be ordered in any preferred manner. Thus, although shown as a sequence of operations in the exemplary embodiment, embodiments can be constructed in which the operations are performed in a different order than those illustrated, which may include performing several operations simultaneously.

[0152] All definitions that are defined and used should be understood to take precedence over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or the ordinary meaning of the defined term.

[0153] In the description of this 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 based on the accompanying drawings to facilitate and simplify the description of this disclosure. Unless otherwise stated, these orientation terms do not indicate or imply that a particular device or element must be specifically located, constructed, and operated in a specific direction, and should therefore not be understood as limitations to this disclosure. The orientation terms “inside” and “outside” refer to the inside and outside of the contour of each component itself.

[0154] For the sake of clarity, 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 mechanisms and other components or mechanisms shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that spatially relative terms include not only the orientation of the components shown in the accompanying drawings, but also different orientations during use or operation.

[0155] It should be noted that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments provided herein. Where used herein, singular expressions include plural expressions unless otherwise indicated. In addition, where the terms “including” and / or “comprising” are used herein, it should also be understood that they indicate the presence of mechanisms, processes, operations, parts, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0156] As used herein and in the claims, the indefinite articles "a" and "an" should be understood to mean "at least one" unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0157] As used herein and in the claims, the phrase “and / or” should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements thus combined, that is, elements that exist in some cases conjunctively and in others disjunctly. Multiple elements enumerated by “and / or” should be similarly interpreted as “one or more” of the elements thus combined. Other elements other than those specifically identified by the “and / or” clause may exist optionally, whether related to or unrelated to those specifically identified elements. Thus, as a non-restrictive 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), and so on.

[0158] Where used herein and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and / or” as defined above. For example, if items in a list are separated, “or” or “and / or” shall be interpreted as inclusive, that is, including at least one of several elements or lists of elements, but also including two or more, and optionally including additional unlisted items. Only terms that explicitly indicate the opposite, such as “one of” or “exactly one of,” or, where used in the claims, “consist of,” refer to including exactly one element of several elements or lists of elements. In general, where used, the term “or” shall be interpreted as indicating exclusive substitutes (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) only when preceded by terms of exclusivity such as “either,” “one of,” “one of,” or “exactly one of.” Where used in the claims, “consistently of” shall have its usual meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0159] As used herein and in the claims, the phrase “at least one” with respect to a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and all elements specifically enumerated in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows for the optional presence of elements other than those specifically identified in the list of elements referred to by the phrase “at least one,” whether related to or unrelated to those specifically identified elements. Therefore, as a non-restrictive 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 which optionally includes two or more elements, i.e., A without B (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one which optionally includes two or more elements, i.e., B without A (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one which optionally includes two or more elements, i.e., A, and at least one which optionally includes two or more elements, i.e., B (and optionally including other elements), and so on.

[0160] In the claims and the above specification, please understand that all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” and “composed of” are open-ended, meaning they include but are not limited to them. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device comprising a series of steps or units does not have to be limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may instead include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are specific to those processes, methods, products, or devices. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0161] Unless otherwise stated, the claims should not be read as being limited to the order or elements described. It should be understood that various modifications of form and detail can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the attached claims. All embodiments within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents are claimed.

[0162] Similar to the above specification, in these claims, the use of sequential terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” does not, by itself, imply any priority, precedence, or order of one element relative to another, or a temporal order in which the actions of a method are performed, but is merely used as a distinguishing mark to differentiate elements, to distinguish one element having a particular name from another element having the same name (if sequential terms are not used).

Claims

1. A shell for a connector, A base that is configured to be attached to a circuit board, It comprises a raised portion having height relative to the base, A shell in which the raised portion includes one or more recesses configured to bond with the inner shell of the connector.

2. The shell according to claim 1, wherein the height is in the range of 2.4 mm to 3.4 mm.

3. The raised portion includes a front sub-part having a first width in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction of the connector, a rear sub-part having a second width in the same direction perpendicular to the fitting direction of the connector, and a transition sub-part connecting the front sub-part and the rear sub-part. The shell according to claim 1, wherein the first width is greater than the first width.

4. The aforementioned raised portion is the first raised portion, The shell according to claim 3, wherein the shell includes a second ridge separated from the first ridge by a sub-portion of the first ridge.

5. The shell according to claim 4, wherein the sub-part of the base includes a screw hole.

6. The shell according to claim 4, wherein the sub-part of the base includes a rib connecting the first raised portion and the second raised portion.

7. The shell according to claim 1, wherein the shell comprises stainless steel having a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

8. The shell according to claim 7, wherein the shell is thinner in one or more recesses than in non-recesses.

9. An upper shell including a base and a protruding portion extending from the base, The bottom shell connected to the base of the upper shell, The chamber between the raised portion and the bottom shell, An electrical connector comprising a connector subassembly disposed within the chamber.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, wherein the connector subassembly comprises a mating interface compliant with the USB Type-C standard that came into effect prior to the priority date of this disclosure.

11. The connector subassembly includes a terminal assembly, The terminal assembly is A plurality of terminals, each of which includes a mating end, a contact tail configured to establish a pressure-mounted electrical connection, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the contact tail, Shield and, The electrical connector according to claim 9, further comprising a subassembly housing for holding the plurality of terminals and the shield.

12. The aforementioned plurality of terminals include one or more signal terminals, The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein each of the intermediate portions of one or more signal terminals is provided with a slot aligned with the opening in the shield.

13. The aforementioned shield is The electrical connector according to claim 11, comprising a lug portion that extends beyond the subassembly housing, is disposed between the base of the upper shell and the bottom shell, and is joined to the base of the upper shell and the bottom shell.

14. The connector subassembly includes an inner shell that surrounds at least the mating ends of the plurality of terminals, The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the inner shell is disposed between the raised portion of the upper shell and the bottom shell, and is joined to the raised portion of the upper shell and the bottom shell.

15. The electrical connector according to claim 14, wherein the inner shell is welded to the raised portion of the upper shell and the bottom shell at a selected position.

16. The electrical connector according to claim 14, wherein the inner shell comprises one or more projections that engage with the subassembly housing of the terminal assembly, and one or more beams configured to abut against the mating components of the terminal assembly.

17. A method for manufacturing a shell for a connector, To provide a metal plate, The process involves forming one or more recesses on the metal plate, The process of stamping the processed metal plate onto the shell having a base and raised portions spaced apart from the base and connected to the base on at least two sides, Methods that include...

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the metal plate is a stainless steel plate having a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the metal plate is processed by corrosion, etching, laser processing, and / or stamping and punching to form one or more recesses.

20. The method according to claim 17, comprising forming a screw hole in the base of the shell.

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