Highly reliable receptacle connector

Abstract

To provide a high reliability receptacle connector that allows for distribution of forces for mating / unmating the connector and reduces relative movement between components of the connector. The connector 1 includes a terminal assembly 10 having conductive elements held by a housing 11. Each conductive element has a mating end held by a housing tongue, a tail end extending outside the housing, and a middle portion held in part by a portion of the housing having a different contour. The terminal assembly is formed by assembling terminal subassemblies on either side of a shield and molding over the assembly to form a housing. An inner shell 20 is placed over the housing and engages both portions of the housing having different contours. A main shell 30 is placed over the inner shell. An outer shell 40 is placed over the main shell and molded so that a seal can be formed between the shells.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202322262902.X, filed on August 22, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

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

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

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

[0005] Connectors may also be used in other configurations for interconnecting electronic assemblies. In some cases, one or more printed circuit boards are connected to another printed circuit board, called a "motherboard," which carries 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 may be aligned parallel to the motherboard. Connectors used in this configuration are often called "stacking connectors" or "mezzanine connectors." In other systems, the daughterboards may be orthogonal to the motherboard.

[0006] Connectors may also be used in computers where the 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. The connectors may be mounted to the motherboard and connected to the bus. The mating interfaces of these connectors may often be exposed through openings in the housing for the computer such that a connector attached to the peripheral device via a cable may be inserted into the connector on the motherboard. This configuration allows the peripheral device to be easily connected to the computer.

[0007] To increase the availability of peripheral devices, buses and connectors used to physically connect peripheral devices over the buses may be standardized. Thus, there may be a large number of peripheral devices available from a large number of manufacturers. Any of these products may be used in a computer having a bus that complies with the standard, so long as the product complies with the standard. An example of such a standard is the Universal Serial Bus (USB), which is commonly used in computers. The standard has undergone multiple revisions to adapt over time to the higher performance expected of computers. For example, portable electronic devices often include a USB Type-C receptacle connector for various purposes, such as charging and / or exchanging data with another electronic device by connecting the USB receptacle connector with a USB plug connector.

[0008] Some USB connectors are water resistant. These connectors may include a seal that blocks water from outside the computer's housing from entering the computer's housing through an opening left for the connector. Summary of the Invention

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Aspects of the present application relate to a highly reliable receptacle connector.

[0010] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector that may include a housing including a first portion having a first contour, a second portion extending from the first portion and having a second contour smaller than the first contour of the first portion, and a tongue extending from the second portion, a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements including a mating end retained by the tongue of the housing, a tail end extending from the housing, and an intermediate portion at least partially retained by the first and second portions of the housing between the mating end and the tail end, and an inner shell including a first portion that engages with the first portion of the housing and a second portion that engages with the second portion of the housing.

[0011] Optionally, the first portion of the housing comprises a recess, and the first portion of the inner shell comprises a latch disposed within the recess of the first portion of the housing.

[0012] Optionally, the inner shell comprises an opening and the housing comprises a protrusion disposed within the opening of the inner shell.

[0013] Optionally, the protrusion of the housing extends from the first portion of the housing to the second portion of the housing.

[0014] Optionally, the cross section of the protrusion of the housing is L-shaped.

[0015] Optionally, the inner shell comprises a flange joining the first portion of the inner shell and the second portion of the inner shell, the opening in the inner shell extending from the flange to the second portion of the inner shell.

[0016] Optionally, the housing includes a third portion having a third contour that is greater than the first contour, and the first portion of the housing is disposed between the third portion of the housing and the second portion of the housing.

[0017] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes a main shell disposed outside the inner shell and including a rear end abutting a front surface of the third portion of the housing, and a mating end extending beyond the tongue of the housing.

[0018] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes an outer shell disposed outside the main shell, the outer shell including a mating end having a flange and a rear end having a plurality of mounting legs, and a seal disposed between the flange of the outer shell and the mating end of the main shell.

[0019] Optionally, the mating end of the main shell has a higher surface roughness than other portions of the main shell, and the seal comprises a hardened adhesive.

[0020] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector that may include a shield member with a plurality of holes, a plurality of conductive elements each having a mating end, a tail end, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end, the plurality of conductive elements comprising a first plurality disposed on a first side of the shield member and a second plurality disposed on a second side of the shield member opposite the first side, and a housing including a plurality of protrusions disposed in respective ones of the plurality of holes of the shield member, each of the plurality of protrusions including a body and a plurality of projections extending radially from the body for engaging an edge of a respective hole.

[0021] Optionally, the housing comprises a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion, and the receptacle connector comprises an inner shell comprising the first portion disposed on the first portion of the housing, a flange extending from the first portion, and a second portion extending from the flange and disposed on the second portion of the housing.

[0022] Optionally, the second portion of the housing comprises a plurality of protrusions disposed within respective ones of the plurality of holes in the shield member.

[0023] Optionally, the housing includes a third portion disposed on a different side of the first portion of the housing than the second portion of the housing and spaced apart from the first portion of the housing, and the receptacle connector includes a main shell having a rear end abutting a front surface of the third portion of the housing.

[0024] Optionally, the receptacle connector includes an outer shell disposed outside the main shell and having a rear end that abuts a front surface of the third portion of the housing, the rear end of the outer shell including a plurality of mounting legs that extend beyond the third portion of the housing.

[0025] Optionally, the main shell includes a mating end having a higher surface roughness than other portions of the main shell, and the receptacle connector includes a seal disposed at the mating end of the main shell, the seal including a hardened adhesive.

[0026] Optionally, the receptacle connector complies with the USB Type-C standard.

[0027] Some embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a receptacle connector, the method may include providing first and second terminal subassemblies, each of the first and second terminal subassemblies comprising a plurality of conductive elements carried by a subassembly housing, assembling one of the first and second terminal subassemblies to a first side of a shield member, the assembling including inserting a protrusion of the subassembly housing of the respective terminal subassembly into a first hole of the shield member, assembling the other of the first and second terminal subassemblies to a second side of the shield member, the assembling including inserting a protrusion of the subassembly housing of the respective terminal subassembly into a second hole of the shield member, and molding over the assembled first and second terminal subassemblies and the shield member to form a terminal assembly.

[0028] Optionally, the method includes assembling the inner shell over the housing of the terminal assembly, including fitting a protrusion of the housing into an opening in the inner shell and engaging a latch of the inner shell with the housing.

[0029] Optionally, the method includes assembling a main shell over the inner shell and the terminal assembly, assembling an outer shell over the main shell, and forming a seal between the mating ends of the main shell and the outer shell by applying an adhesive and curing the adhesive.

[0030] Some embodiments relate to a receptacle connector, characterized in that the receptacle connector comprises a terminal assembly comprising a plurality of conductive elements and a housing for receiving the conductive elements, the housing being molded over the conductive elements, an inner shell overlaid on at least a portion of an exterior of the housing, a main shell attached to the exterior of the inner shell and the terminal assembly, an outer shell attached to the exterior of the main shell, the outer shell having a mating end of the main shell extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell in a mating orientation in which the receptacle connector is connected to a corresponding plug connector, and a sealing member attached to a portion of an exterior side wall of the main shell extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell, the housing comprising a first connecting portion connected to the inner shell, the first connecting portion being provided near a rear end of the main shell and comprising a first engaging portion, the inner shell comprising a second engaging portion engaged with the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion being integrally formed with the inner shell.

[0031] Optionally, the inner shell comprises a cylindrical portion, an inner peripheral contour shape of the cylindrical portion at least partially conforming to an outer peripheral contour shape of the first connection portion, the cylindrical portion having, in a thickness direction perpendicular to the mating direction of the receptacle connector, a first side wall and a second side wall facing toward the first side wall, and the second engagement portion is provided on the first side wall and / or the second side wall.

[0032] Optionally, the second engagement portion of the inner shell comprises a first latch and a second latch configured to protrude from a first side wall of the inner shell, and the first engagement portion of the first connecting portion comprises a first recess cooperating with the first latch and a second recess cooperating with the second latch, the first recess and the second recess opening toward the inner shell in a thickness direction, and when the inner shell is assembled with the first connecting portion, a first distal end of the first latch and a second distal end of the second latch extend toward the inside of the inner shell and are received in the first recess and the second recess, respectively.

[0033] Optionally, the second engagement portion of the inner shell comprises a third latch and a fourth latch configured to protrude from the second side wall of the inner shell, and the first engagement portion of the first connecting portion comprises a third recess cooperating with the third latch and a fourth recess cooperating with the fourth latch, the third recess and the fourth recess opening toward the inner shell in the thickness direction, and when the inner shell is assembled with the first connecting portion, a third distal end of the third latch and a fourth distal end of the fourth latch extending toward the inside of the inner shell and being received in the third recess and the fourth recess, respectively.

[0034] Optionally, the housing comprises a second connection portion connected to the first connection portion, the second connection portion being disposed in the mating direction such that it is closer to a mating end of the housing than the first connection portion in the mating direction, and at a protruding surface of the housing perpendicular to the mating direction, an outer contour shape of the first connection portion is larger than an outer contour shape of the second connection portion, the second connection portion comprises a protrusion extending outwardly from an outer surface of the housing, and the inner shell comprises a hole for engaging the protrusion.

[0035] Optionally, the cylindrical portion includes a flange having an annular shape, the flange of the cylindrical portion extending in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction, the inner shell includes a first extension portion and a second extension portion, both of which are connected to the flange of the cylindrical portion and extend from the flange of the cylindrical portion in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction, and the first extension portion and the second extension portion are provided on either side of the second connection portion of the housing in the thickness direction.

[0036] Optionally, the first extension, the second extension, and the cylindrical portion are formed as a unitary shield metal member, and each of the first extension and the second extension fits over at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the second connecting portion of the housing.

[0037] Optionally, the protrusion has an L-shape in a cross section perpendicular to a width direction of the receptacle connector, the width direction being perpendicular to both the mating direction and the thickness direction, the protrusion is disposed at a connection portion where the first connection portion is connected to the second connection portion, at least one portion of the hole of the inner shell is provided in the first extension portion and / or the second extension portion, and another portion of the hole of the inner shell is provided in a flange of the cylindrical portion.

[0038] Optionally, the housing comprises a third connecting portion disposed on an opposite side of the first connecting portion from the second connecting portion and located near a rear end of the housing, the outer contour shape of the third connecting portion being larger than the outer contour shape of the first connecting portion such that at least a portion of the rear end surface of the main shell and the rear end surface of the outer shell abut against a mating end of the third connecting portion at a protruding surface of the housing perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0039] Optionally, the plurality of conductive elements comprises a first plurality of conductive elements and a second plurality of conductive elements, the first plurality of conductive elements and the second plurality of conductive elements being respectively arranged in a row in a width direction of the receptacle connector, the first plurality of conductive elements and the second plurality of conductive elements being spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction of the receptacle connector perpendicular to the width direction, and the terminal assembly further comprises a shielding member provided between the first plurality of conductive elements and the second plurality of conductive elements in the thickness direction.

[0040] According to a receptacle connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, by providing a shielding member between the first and second plurality of conductive elements, signal crosstalk between the first and second plurality of conductive elements can be efficiently shielded to achieve a faster data transmission speed.

[0041] Optionally, the first plurality of conductive elements and the second plurality of conductive elements are arranged symmetrically about a mid-plane of the shield member perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0042] Optionally, the terminal assembly comprises a first subassembly and a second subassembly, the first subassembly comprising a first plurality of conductive elements and a first subassembly housing for accommodating the first plurality of conductive elements, the second subassembly comprising a second plurality of conductive elements and a second subassembly housing for accommodating the second plurality of conductive elements, the shielding member comprising a first plurality of holes and a second plurality of holes, the first subassembly housing comprising a first plurality of protrusions configured to pass through the first plurality of holes of the shielding member and extend toward the second subassembly housing, and the second subassembly housing comprising a second plurality of protrusions configured to pass through the second plurality of holes of the shielding member and extend toward the first subassembly housing.

[0043] Optionally, the first plurality of holes of the shield member comprise a first hole and a second hole, the first plurality of protrusions of the first subassembly housing comprise a first protrusion configured to extend through the first hole of the shield member and a second protrusion configured to extend through the second hole of the shield member, and the second subassembly housing comprise a first recess corresponding to the first protrusion and a second recess corresponding to the second protrusion, wherein when the first subassembly, the shield member, and the second subassembly are assembled, the first protrusion of the first subassembly extends through the first hole of the shield member and is received in the first recess of the second subassembly, and the second protrusion of the first subassembly extends through the second hole of the shield member and is received in the second recess of the second subassembly.

[0044] Optionally, the second plurality of holes of the shield member comprise a third hole and a fourth hole, the second plurality of protrusions of the second subassembly housing comprise a third protrusion configured to extend through the third hole of the shield member and a fourth protrusion configured to extend through the fourth hole of the shield member, and the first subassembly comprises a third recess corresponding to the third protrusion and a fourth recess corresponding to the fourth protrusion, wherein when the first subassembly, the shield member, and the second subassembly are assembled, the third protrusion of the second subassembly extends through the third hole of the shield member and is received in the third recess of the first subassembly, and the fourth protrusion of the second subassembly extends through the fourth hole of the shield member and is received in the fourth recess of the first subassembly.

[0045] Optionally, each of the first protrusion, the second protrusion, the third protrusion and the fourth protrusion is engaged with a corresponding hole in an interference fit manner.

[0046] Optionally, each of the first convex portion, the second convex portion, the third convex portion and the fourth convex portion comprises a main body extending in the thickness direction and a plurality of protrusions protruding radially outward from the main body, and each of the first hole, the second hole, the third hole and the fourth hole in the shield member are formed as cylindrical holes, and the circumferential outer surfaces of the protrusions are in intimate contact with the inner surfaces of the corresponding holes.

[0047] Optionally, the first protrusion, the second protrusion, the third recess, and the fourth recess of the first subassembly housing are arranged in a quadrilateral array, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged on a first diagonal of the quadrilateral array, and the third recess and the fourth recess are arranged on a second diagonal of the quadrilateral array that intersects the first diagonal.

[0048] Optionally, a flange portion is provided at the mating end of the outer shell, the flange portion having an annular flange portion proximal surface extending in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction, a first rough portion is provided on the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell, and a sealing member is provided to abut the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell and is attached to the first rough portion.

[0049] According to the receptacle connector of the present application, the surface roughness of the flange portion of the outer shell of the receptacle connector provided with the first rough portion is greater than the surface roughness of the remaining portion of the outer shell, thereby greatly improving the adhesion between the sealing member and the rough portion of the flange portion of the outer shell. The sealing member is firmly attached to the outer shell, effectively preventing the sealing member from coming off, thus greatly improving the waterproof efficiency and the service life of the receptacle connector.

[0050] Optionally, a second roughened portion is provided on a portion of the exterior sidewall of the main shell that extends beyond the mating end of the exterior shell, and the sealing member is attached to the second roughened portion.

[0051] Optionally, each of the first coarse portion and the second coarse portion includes a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern.

[0052] Optionally, the predetermined symbol pattern includes at least one of a star shape, an H shape, or an X shape.

[0053] Optionally, the size of the sealing member in the fitting direction is set within the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm.

[0054] Optionally, the receptacle connector is mounted to the electrical device and the sealing member is an elastically deformable member, the sealing member configured to elastically deform when the sealing member contacts the mounting portion of the electronic device to form an interference fit with the mounting portion of the electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0055] Optionally, the sealing member is configured to have an annular shape that extends continuously circumferentially around the mating end of the main shell, the sealing member being configured to have a mounting surface that forms a shape and positional positive fit with the outer sidewall of the main shell and the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell.

[0056] These techniques may be used alone or in any suitable combination.The foregoing summary is provided by way of illustration and is not intended to be limiting. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0057] The accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each of the same or nearly identical components illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. The drawings are as follows: [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary receptacle connector according to some embodiments. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of a terminal assembly of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 4] 4 is a side view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 3 according to some embodiments. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view of an inner shell of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 6] 6 is another perspective view of the inner shell of FIG. 5 according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] 6 is a top view of the terminal assembly of FIG. 3 mounted in the inner shell of FIG. 5 according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 7 taken along the line marked "AA" in FIG. 7, in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 with the outer shell and sealing member hidden according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1, hiding the sealing member, according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 showing two rows of conductive elements with a shielding member disposed therebetween, with other components hidden, according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] 4 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 1 showing a second molded piece on the first and second subassemblies and a shield member disposed therebetween, forming the terminal subassembly of FIG. 3, with other components hidden, in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 13] 13 is a perspective view of a first subassembly and a shield member of the receptacle connector of FIG. 12 according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] 13 is a partially exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of FIG. 12 showing a first subassembly, a shield member, and a second subassembly according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0058] The inventors have recognized and understood techniques for making a reliable receptacle connector. The receptacle connector may be integrated into the chassis of an electronic device and configured to receive a mating component, such as a plug connector, to allow the electronic device to connect with other devices. For example, USB Type-C connectors are used in a variety of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, smart watches, tablet PCs, photography equipment, gaming consoles, routers, e-pens, e-cigarettes, and portable monitoring devices. Forces applied to insert and / or remove a mating component may lead to movement between components of the receiving receptacle connector, causing unreliable connections and / or inefficient shielding.

[0059] The techniques described herein enable a more reliable receptacle connector. Such techniques are illustrated herein as applied to a USB Type-C vertical receptacle connector. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the receptacle connector may include a terminal assembly having a conductive element carried by a housing. Each conductive element may have a mating end carried by a tongue of the housing, a tail end extending outside the housing, and a middle portion partially carried by a portion of the housing having a different contour. The terminal assembly may be formed by assembling terminal subassemblies on both sides of a shield and overmolding the assembly to form a housing. The shield may have holes arranged in an array. Each terminal subassembly may have a protrusion located at a position corresponding to a respective hole in the array so that the terminal subassemblies may be assembled on both sides of the shield. The assembled terminal subassemblies and shield may be molded to form the terminal assembly. The techniques described herein may reduce the manufacturing complexity of the terminal assembly by assembling and overmolding similar or identical terminal subassemblies.

[0060] The inner shell may be placed over the housing and engage both portions of the housing having different contours. In some embodiments, the inner shell may include a first portion that substantially fits over the first portion of the housing, a flange extending from the first portion of the inner shell, and a second portion extending from the flange and disposed over the second portion of the housing having a contour smaller than the first portion of the housing.

[0061] The main shell may be fitted over the inner shell. The outer shell may be sleeved over the main shell or formed such that a seal may be formed between the shells. The techniques described herein may allow for distribution of forces to mate / unmate the connector from the shell to the housing, thus reducing relative movement between the components of the connector.

[0062] Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of a receptacle connector according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and simplicity of description, a mating direction Y, a width direction X, and a thickness direction Z may be shown in the figures. The mating direction Y, the width direction X, and the thickness direction Z may be perpendicular to each other. The mating direction Y may refer to the direction in which the receptacle connector is connected with a corresponding plug connector. The width direction X may refer to the width direction of the receptacle connector. The thickness direction Z may refer to the height direction of the receptacle connector.

[0063] 1 and 2, these figures show a receptacle connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Optionally, the receptacle connector according to the present application may be a USB Type-C receptacle electrical connector for an electronic device. The electronic device realizes charging the electronic device or exchanging data with other electronic devices by connecting the USB receptacle connector to a compatible USB plug connector.

[0064] 1 and 2, the receptacle connector 1 may include a terminal assembly 10 including a plurality of conductive elements and a housing 11 for accommodating the conductive elements, the housing 11 being molded over the conductive elements, an inner shell 20 placed over at least a portion of the outside of the housing 11, a main shell 30 attached to the outside of the inner shell 20 and the terminal assembly 10, an outer shell 40 attached to the outside of the main shell 30, the outer shell 40 having a mating end extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40 in a mating direction Y in which the receptacle connector is connected to a corresponding plug connector, and a sealing member 50 attached to a portion of the outer side wall of the main shell 30 extending beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40. The housing 11 may include a first connecting portion 110 connected to the inner shell 20, the first connecting portion 110 being provided near a rear end of the main shell 30 and including a first engagement portion. The inner shell 20 may include a second engagement portion configured to engage with the first engagement portion. The second engagement portion may be integrally formed with the inner shell 20.

[0065] With the receptacle connector according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the second engagement portion of the inner shell 20 is engaged with the first engagement portion provided on the first connection portion 110 of the housing 11 of the terminal assembly 10 so that the inner shell is fixed relative to the housing of the terminal assembly, thereby effectively reducing the risk of the inner shell shifting along the mating direction Y relative to the terminal assembly. This configuration provides a force transmission path from the inner shell 20 toward the housing, thereby reducing the force transmitted from the mating portion of the plug connector through the inner shell 20 of the receptacle connector to the solder pins of the outer shell of the receptacle connector when a user plugs or unplugs a mating plug connector. For example, when a user plugs the mating portion of the plug connector into the receptacle connector with a large force, the force transmitted to the solder pins of the outer shell of the receptacle connector can be effectively reduced, thus reducing the risk of the solder pins of the outer shell of the receptacle connector accidentally separating from the printed circuit board under the action of a large mating force.

[0066] The inner shell according to the present application includes an engagement portion integrally formed with the inner shell, e.g., the engagement portion is a part of the inner shell, so that the inner shell can be attached to the terminal assembly without additional mounting components. Such a configuration can reduce the number of components of the receptacle connector, simplify the manufacturing process, and enable a compact structure while improving the durability of the receptacle connector. Thus, the contact stability and connection reliability between the plug connector and the receptacle connector are improved. The inner shell can be effectively fixed to the terminal assembly. The risk of misalignment or undesired shift of the inner shell of the receptacle connector with respect to the terminal assembly due to frequent insertion and removal of the mating portion of the plug connector can be reduced. Alternatively or additionally, a sealing member 50 may be provided to form a seal between the main shell and the mounting portion of the electronic device, preventing water or dust from entering the inside of the electronic device through the socket of the USB Type-C receptacle connector, reducing the risk of short circuit inside the electronic device, and improving safety performance.

[0067] 5 and 6 , in some exemplary embodiments, the inner shell 20 includes a cylindrical portion 22, and an inner peripheral contour shape of the cylindrical portion 22 is at least partially matched to an outer peripheral contour shape of the first connecting portion 110. The cylindrical portion 22 includes a first side wall 23 and a second side wall 25 opposed to the first side wall 23 in a thickness direction Z perpendicular to the mating direction Y of the receptacle connector 1, and the second engagement portion is provided on the first side wall 23 and / or the second side wall 25.

[0068] 3 to 8, the second engagement portion of the inner shell 20 may include a first latch 201 and a second latch 202 configured to protrude from the first side wall 23 of the inner shell 20. The first engagement portion of the first connection portion 110 includes a first recess 111 that cooperates with the first latch 201 and a second recess 113 that cooperates with the second latch 202, and the first recess 111 and the second recess 113 open toward the inner shell 20 in the thickness direction Z.

[0069] The first distal end of the first latch 201 and the second distal end of the second latch 202 extend toward the inside of the inner shell 20 when the inner shell 20 is assembled to the first connecting portion 110 and are received in the first recess 111 and the second recess 113, respectively.

[0070] 7 and 8, the second engagement portion of the inner shell 20 may further include a third latch 203 and a fourth latch 204 configured to protrude from the second side wall 25 of the inner shell 20, and the first engagement portion of the first connection portion 110 includes a third recess 115 cooperating with the third latch 203 and a fourth recess 117 cooperating with the fourth latch 204, the third recess 115 and the fourth recess 117 opening toward the inner shell 20 in the thickness direction Z. A third distal end of the third latch 203 and a fourth distal end of the fourth latch 204 extend toward the inside of the inner shell 20 and are disposed in the third recess 115 and the fourth recess 117, respectively, when the inner shell 20 is assembled with the first connection portion 110.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 5-8, the first latch 201 may be a protruding portion formed by cutting a continuous slit in the first side wall 23 of the cylindrical portion 22. The first latch 201 may be formed to have a substantially rectangular shape. In some optional embodiments, the first latch 201 may be formed to have a shape such as a semicircular shape, a trapezoidal shape, an irregular shape, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the first latch 201, the second latch 202, the third latch 203, and the fourth latch 204 are formed to have the same size and shape.

[0072] In some embodiments, the size of the first latch 201 in the mating direction Y is set to be smaller than the size of the cylindrical portion 22 in the mating direction Y. Optionally, the size of the first latch 201 in the mating direction Y is half the size of the cylindrical portion 22 in the mating direction Y.

[0073] It should be understood that the number, size, location, and configuration of the latches and recesses may not be limited to the specific embodiment shown and may be adjusted according to a specific implementation. Furthermore, the second engagement portion of the inner shell 20 of the present application and the first engagement portion provided on the first connection portion 110 of the housing 11 of the terminal assembly 10 may be connected in a snap-fit ​​manner to keep the inner shell 20 fixed to the housing 11 of the terminal assembly 10.

[0074] In some other examples, one of the second engagement portion of the inner shell 20 and the first engagement portion of the housing 11 may be provided as an opening, and the other of the second engagement portion of the inner shell 20 and the first engagement portion of the housing 11 may be provided as a protrusion that cooperates with the opening to reduce the risk of relative movement between the inner shell 20 and the housing 11 of the terminal assembly 10.

[0075] 3 and 4, the housing 11 includes a second connection portion 120 extending from the first connection portion 110, the second connection portion being disposed closer to a mating end of the housing 11 than the first connection portion 110 in the mating direction Y. On a protruding surface of the housing 11 perpendicular to the mating direction Y, the outer contour shape of the first connection portion 110 is larger than the outer contour shape of the second connection portion 120.

[0076] The second connecting portion 120 may include protrusions 151, 153 extending outwardly from an outer surface of the housing 11, and the inner shell 20 may include holes 252, 254 configured to engage the protrusions 151, 153, respectively.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical portion 22 may include a flange 208 having an annular shape. The flange 208 of the cylindrical portion 22 extends from the circumferential side wall of the cylindrical portion 22 toward the longitudinal center axis of the cylindrical portion 22 in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction Y, and the longitudinal center axis of the cylindrical portion 22 has an extension direction that coincides with the mating direction Y. The inner shell 20 further includes a first extension portion 24 and a second extension portion 26. Both the first extension portion 24 and the second extension portion 26 are connected to the flange of the cylindrical portion 22 and extend from the flange of the cylindrical portion 22 in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction Z, and the first extension portion 24 and the second extension portion 26 are provided on both sides of the second connection portion 120 of the housing 11 in the thickness direction Z.

[0078] In some exemplary embodiments, the first extension 24, the second extension 26, and the cylindrical portion 22 may be integrally formed, for example, as a unitary shielded metal member. The first extension 24 and the second extension 26 each mate with at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the second connecting portion 120 of the housing 11.

[0079] In some exemplary embodiments, the inner shell 20 functions as an integral shielding metal member, for example, as an inner EMC pad for the receptacle connector 1 to absorb and dissipate electromagnetic interference (EMI), thereby protecting the receptacle connector from EMI. In some examples, the inner shell 20 may be made of a conductive material. The receptacle connector 1 of the present application complies with the Universal Serial Bus Type-C Cable and Connector Specification for EMC pads for receptacle connectors, providing more reliable shielding against electromagnetic interference.

[0080] 3, the protrusions 151, 153 of the second connection portion 120 have an L-shape in a cross section perpendicular to the width direction X of the receptacle connector. The width direction X is perpendicular to both the mating direction Y and the thickness direction Z. The protrusions 151, 153 are disposed in a connection portion where the first connection portion 110 is connected to the second connection portion 120. At least a portion of the hole of the inner shell 20 is provided in the first extension portion 24 and / or the second extension portion 26, and the other portion of the hole of the inner shell 20 is provided in the flange 208 of the cylindrical portion 22.

[0081] It should be understood that the number, size, position, and configuration of the protrusions of the second connecting portion 120 and the holes of the inner shell 20 may not be limited to the particular embodiment shown, but may be adjusted according to the particular implementation.

[0082] 3 and 4, the housing 11 may include a third connecting portion 160 provided on the opposite side of the first connecting portion 110 from the second connecting portion 120 and located near the rear end of the housing 11. The outer contour shape of the third connecting portion 160 is larger than the outer contour shape of the first connecting portion 110 such that at least a portion of the rear end surface of the main shell 30 and the rear end surface of the outer shell 40 abuts against the mating end of the third connecting portion 160 on the protruding surface of the housing 11 perpendicular to the mating direction Y.

[0083] In the exemplary embodiment according to the present application, by providing the third connection portion, when the terminal assembly 10, the main shell 30, and the outer shell 40 are assembled, the main shell 30 and the outer shell 40 are positioned to abut the third connection portion of the terminal assembly 10 at their rear ends, which facilitates limiting the positions of the rear end surface of the main shell 30 and the rear end surface of the outer shell 40. Therefore, the accuracy of assembly is improved, the stability and reliability of the receptacle connector are ensured, the manufacturing process is simplified, and the efficiency of assembly is improved.

[0084] 10 , a flange portion 41 is provided at the mating end of the outer shell 40, the flange portion 41 having an annular flange portion proximal surface extending in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction Y. A first rough portion 401 is provided on the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell 40, and a sealing member 50 is provided to abut against the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell 40 and is attached to the first rough portion 401.

[0085] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, a second rough portion 301 may be provided on a portion of the exterior sidewall of the main shell 30 that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40, and the sealing member 50 is attached to the second rough portion 301.

[0086] The receptacle connector according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application can provide an extremely tight attachment between the sealing member 50, the main shell 30 and the outer shell 40. By providing a first rough portion 401 on the flange portion 41 of the outer shell 40 of the receptacle connector 1 and providing a second rough portion 301 on the main shell 30, the adhesion between the sealing member 50 and the corresponding rough portion is greatly improved, and the falling off of the sealing member 50 is effectively prevented. Therefore, when the receptacle connector 1 is mounted on the mounting portion of the electronic device, a seamless seal is generated between the receptacle connector 1 and the mounting portion (e.g., chassis) of the electronic device, which can effectively prevent water vapor / dust from entering inside the electronic device.

[0087] In some examples, each of the first coarse portion 401 and the second coarse portion 301 includes a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern. For example, the predetermined symbol pattern comprises at least one of a star shape, an H shape, or an X shape.

[0088] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, the size of the sealing member 50 in the mating direction Y may be set in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm. In some optional embodiments according to the present application, the sealing member 50 may have a size of 0.65 mm in the mating direction Y. Optionally, the sealing member 50 may have a size of 1.0 mm in the mating direction Y.

[0089] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, the receptacle connector 1 is mounted on an electric device, and the sealing member 50 is an elastically deformable member, and is configured to elastically deform and form an interference fit with the mounting portion of the electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction Y when the sealing member 50 is in contact with the mounting portion of the electronic device. In one example, the sealing member may be made of an ultraviolet-curing adhesive (UV adhesive), silicone or epoxy resin-based adhesive. The ultraviolet-curing adhesive is quickly cured by ultraviolet irradiation to become an elastic adhesive film, and is characterized by high adhesive strength, vibration resistance, high temperature resistance, good durability, etc.

[0090] The sealing member 50 may be configured to have a continuous circumferentially extending annular shape around the mating end of the main shell 30 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The sealing member 50 may be configured to have a mounting surface that forms a shape and positional positive fit with the exterior sidewall of the main shell 30 and the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell 40. The sealing member 50 may be provided with a chamfered portion at the mating end along the mating direction Y to facilitate cooperation of the sealing member 50 with a mounting portion of the electronic device.

[0091] As used in this application, the term "positive fit" may refer to a relationship in which two mating components abut and fit closely together in terms of shape and position.

[0092] 11, the plurality of conductive elements may include a first plurality of conductive elements 100A and a second plurality of conductive elements 100B, and the first plurality of conductive elements 100A and the second plurality of conductive elements 100B are arranged in rows in a width direction X of the receptacle connector. The first plurality of conductive elements 100A and the second plurality of conductive elements 100B are spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction Z of the receptacle connector 1 perpendicular to the width direction X. The terminal assembly 10 further includes a shield member 130 provided between the first plurality of conductive elements 100A and the second plurality of conductive elements 100B in the thickness direction Z.

[0093] A receptacle connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application can improve the overall structural strength of the terminal assembly by providing a shielding member between the first and second plurality of conductive elements, and can efficiently shield electromagnetic interference signals emitted by one of the first and second plurality of conductive elements from the other of the first and second plurality of conductive elements.

[0094] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, the first and second plurality of conductive elements 100A and 100B are arranged symmetrically about a mid-plane of the shield member 130 perpendicular to the thickness direction Z. In some embodiments, the shield member 130 may be made of a metallic material such as an iron-carbon alloy. In an optional embodiment, the shield member 130 may be formed by stamping a metal sheet.

[0095] In some exemplary embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 12, the terminal assembly 10 may include a first subassembly M1 and a second subassembly M2, where the first subassembly M1 includes a first plurality of conductive elements 100A and a first subassembly housing for accommodating the first plurality of conductive elements 100A. The second subassembly M2 includes a second plurality of conductive elements 100B and a second subassembly housing for accommodating the second plurality of conductive elements. The shield member 130 includes a first plurality of holes and a second plurality of holes, the first subassembly housing includes a first plurality of protrusions configured to extend through the first plurality of holes of the shield member 130 toward the second subassembly housing, and the second subassembly housing includes a second plurality of protrusions configured to extend through the second plurality of holes of the shield member 130 toward the first subassembly housing.

[0096] 13 and 14 , the first plurality of holes of the shield member 130 comprises a first hole 131 and a second hole 132, and the first plurality of protrusions of the first subassembly housing comprises a first protrusion 121 configured to extend through the first hole 131 of the shield member 130 and a second protrusion 122 configured to extend through the second hole 132 of the shield member 130. The second subassembly housing comprises a first recess 141 corresponding to the first protrusion 121 and a second recess 142 corresponding to the second protrusion 122.

[0097] In some examples, when the first subassembly M1, the shield member 130, and the second subassembly M2 are assembled, the first protrusion 121 of the first subassembly M1 extends through the first hole 131 of the shield member 130 and is received within the first recess 141 of the second subassembly M2. The second protrusion 122 of the first subassembly M1 extends through the second hole 132 of the shield member 130 and is received in the second recess 142 of the second subassembly M2.

[0098] 14 , the second plurality of holes of the shield member 130 may include a third hole 133 and a fourth hole 134, and the second plurality of protrusions of the second subassembly housing include a third protrusion 143 configured to extend through the third hole 133 of the shield member 130 and a fourth protrusion 144 configured to extend through the fourth hole 134 of the shield member 130. The first subassembly M1 includes a third recess 123 corresponding to the third protrusion 143 and a fourth recess 124 corresponding to the fourth protrusion 144.

[0099] In some examples, when the first subassembly M1, the shield member 130, and the second subassembly M2 are assembled, the third protrusion 143 of the second subassembly M2 extends through the third hole 133 of the shield member 130 and is disposed within the third recess 123 of the first subassembly M1. The fourth protrusion 144 of the second subassembly M2 extends through the fourth hole 134 of the shield member 130 and is disposed within the fourth recess 124 of the first subassembly M1.

[0100] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, each of the first protrusion 121, the second protrusion 122, the third protrusion 143, and the fourth protrusion 144 is engaged with a corresponding hole in an interference fit manner. In some examples, the protrusions and the corresponding holes are formed to have a desired fit tolerance.

[0101] 13 and 14, in some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, the first protrusion 121, the second protrusion 122, the third protrusion 143, and the fourth protrusion 144 each include a main body extending in the thickness direction, and a plurality of protrusions protruding radially outward from the main body. Each of the first hole 131, the second hole 132, the third hole 133, and the fourth hole 134 of the shield member 130 is formed as a cylindrical hole, and the circumferential outer surfaces of the protrusions are in close contact with the inner surfaces of the corresponding holes.

[0102] The first protrusion 121, the second protrusion 122, the third recess 123, and the fourth recess 124 of the first subassembly housing are arranged in a quadrilateral array, with the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 arranged on a first diagonal of the quadrilateral array, and the third recess 123 and the fourth recess 124 arranged on a second diagonal of the quadrilateral array that intersects with the first diagonal.

[0103] It should be understood that the number, size, position, and configuration of the corresponding protrusions and recesses of the first subassembly housing of the first subassembly M1 and the corresponding protrusions and recesses of the second subassembly housing of the second subassembly M2 may not be limited to the specific embodiment shown, and may be adjusted according to a specific implementation. Furthermore, the assembly form of the first subassembly M1, the shield member 130, and the second subassembly M2 of the present application is not limited thereto. For example, the first protrusion of the first subassembly M1 may be connected to the first recess of the second subassembly M2 by snap-fitting, or may be connected to each other by other suitable means.

[0104] By providing protrusions and recesses on the first subassembly housing of the first subassembly M1 and the second subassembly housing of the second subassembly M2, accurate positioning of the first subassembly M1 and the second subassembly M2 can be realized, which can reduce the risk of manufacturing errors, save manufacturing time, and thus improve manufacturing efficiency.

[0105] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, a method for manufacturing a receptacle connector is provided, which may include providing a terminal assembly 10 including a plurality of conductive elements and a housing 11 for receiving the conductive elements, the housing 11 being molded onto the conductive elements, providing an inner shell 20 over at least a portion of an outer side of the housing 11, providing a main shell 30 attached to the outer side of the inner shell 20 and the terminal assembly 10, providing an outer shell 40 attached to the outer side of the main shell 30 such that a mating end of the main shell 30 extends beyond a mating end of the outer shell 40 in a mating orientation in which the receptacle connector is connected to a corresponding plug connector, applying an adhesive along a circumferential direction of the main shell 30 at an outer sidewall of the mating end of the main shell 30 that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell 40, and curing the adhesive to form a sealing member 50 attached to the outer sidewall. Providing the terminal assembly 10 may include configuring the housing 11 to have a first connecting portion 110 connected to the inner shell 20, the first connecting portion 110 being provided near a rear end of the main shell 30 and having a first engagement portion.

[0106] Providing the inner shell may include configuring the inner shell 20 to have a second engagement portion engaged with the first engagement portion, the second engagement portion being integrally formed with the inner shell 20 from a single blank.

[0107] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, providing the inner shell 20 may include configuring the inner shell 20 to have a cylindrical portion 22, wherein an inner peripheral contour shape of the cylindrical portion 22 is at least partially adapted to an outer peripheral contour shape of the first connection portion 110; configuring the cylindrical portion 22 to have a first side wall 23 and a second side wall 25 opposite the first side wall 23 in a thickness direction Z perpendicular to the mating direction Y of the receptacle connector; and forming a second engagement portion on the first side wall 23 and / or the second side wall 25 by cutting so that the second engagement portion can bend toward the inside of the cylindrical portion 22.

[0108] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, providing the inner shell 20 may include configuring a second engagement portion of the inner shell 20 to include a first latch 201 and a second latch 202 configured to protrude from a first side wall 23 of the inner shell 20.

[0109] Providing the housing 11 may include configuring a first engagement portion of the first connecting portion 110 to include a first recess 111 cooperating with the first latch 201 and a second recess 113 cooperating with the second latch 202. When the inner shell 20 is not assembled with the first connecting portion 110, the first latch 201 and the second latch 202 extend along the first side wall 23 of the inner shell 20. When the inner shell 20 is assembled with the first connecting portion 110, a first distal end of the first latch 201 and a second distal end of the second latch 202 extend toward the inside of the inner shell 20 and are received in the first recess 111 and the second recess 113, respectively.

[0110] In some exemplary embodiments of the present application, providing the outer shell 40 may include providing a flange portion 41 at a mating end of the outer shell 40, the flange portion 41 having an annular flange portion proximal surface extending in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction Y.

[0111] Providing the outer shell 40 may include roughening the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell 40 by a laser engraving process or an electrical discharge process to form the first rough portion 401, or embossing or knurling the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell 40 to form the first rough portion 401.

[0112] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, providing the main shell 30 may include roughening a portion of the exterior surface of the main shell 30 near the mating end by a laser engraving process or an electrical discharge process to form the second rough portion 301, or embossing or knurling a portion of the exterior surface of the main shell 30 near the mating end to form the second rough portion 301.

[0113] Other treatment methods can also be used to increase the surface roughness of the outer surface of the main shell 30 and the corresponding portions of the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell 40. For example, the corresponding surfaces of the main shell and outer shell can be treated by using tools such as grinding wheels, cutting tools, etc. to obtain the desired roughness.

[0114] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, the method may further include providing an adhesive forming tool that matches the sealing member 50 with respect to a predetermined size and shape, placing the first rough portion 401 of the outer shell 40 and the second rough portion 301 on the outer surface of the main shell 30 in the adhesive forming tool, and applying an adhesive to the first rough portion 401 and the second rough portion 301 in a circumferential direction of the outer sidewall of the main shell. The adhesive is applied in the adhesive forming tool by one of a time-pressurized application method, a piston pump application method, and a screw metering pump application method.

[0115] In some exemplary embodiments, the adhesive forming tool contains an adhesive, which may be selected from one of a UV adhesive, a silicone, and an epoxy resin adhesive. In some examples, the adhesive used to form the encapsulation member 50 may be an underfill.

[0116] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, providing the terminal assembly 10 may include forming a plurality of conductive elements into a first plurality of conductive elements 100A and a second plurality of conductive elements 100B, arranging the first plurality of conductive elements 100A and the second plurality of conductive elements 100B, respectively, in a row in a width direction X of the receptacle connector and arranging the first plurality of conductive elements 100A and the second plurality of conductive elements 100B so as to be spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction Z of the receptacle connector, providing a shielding member 130, and disposing the shielding member 130 between the first plurality of conductive elements 100A and the second plurality of conductive elements 100B in the thickness direction Z.

[0117] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, providing a terminal assembly may include providing a plurality of conductive elements and disposing the plurality of conductive elements in a first injection mold for injection molding to form a plurality of conductive element mold members, the plurality of conductive element mold members comprising a first subassembly M1 and a second subassembly M2 identical to each other, the first subassembly M1 comprising a first plurality of conductive elements 100A and a first subassembly housing for accommodating the first plurality of conductive elements 100A, and the second subassembly M2 comprising a second plurality of conductive elements 100B and a second subassembly housing for accommodating the second plurality of conductive elements.

[0118] Providing the terminal assembly 30 may include arranging the first subassembly M1 and the second subassembly M2 on either side of the shield member 130 in a thickness direction Z of the receptacle connector such that a first plurality of conductive elements 100A of the first subassembly M1 and a second plurality of conductive elements 100B of the second subassembly M2 are symmetrical to each other with respect to a midplane of the shield member 130 perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0119] Providing the terminal assembly 30 may include assembling together the first subassembly M1, the shield member 130, and the second subassembly M2, placing them in a second injection mold of an injection mold to form a third subassembly M3 (shown in FIG. 12), and forming the terminal assembly 10 from the third subassembly M3.

[0120] According to the method for manufacturing a receptacle connector provided in accordance with the present application, a plurality of identical conductive element mold members are injection molded in a first injection mold, and two conductive element mold members are selected from the plurality of conductive element mold members to function as a first subassembly M1 and a second subassembly M2, respectively, and then the first subassembly M1, the shield member 130, and the second subassembly M2 are assembled together and placed in a second injection mold of the injection mold to form a third subassembly M3. In the related art, the receptacle connector includes two different sets of conductive components, which need to be independently injection molded in different molds. In comparison, according to the method for manufacturing a receptacle connector of the present application, the first subassembly M1 and the second subassembly M2 can be batch manufactured in the first injection mold, thereby substantially shortening the injection molding time, simplifying the manufacturing process, and improving the manufacturing efficiency.

[0121] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, providing the shield member 130 may include molding by stamping a shield sheet material and forming a first plurality of holes and a second plurality of holes on the shield member 130.

[0122] Forming the conductive element mold member may include forming a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses on a side portion of the conductive element mold member in a thickness direction.

[0123] Assembling the first subassembly M1, the shield member 130, and the second subassembly M2 may include inserting a convex portion of the conductive element mold member as the first subassembly M1 through a first plurality of holes of the shield member 130 and accommodating it in a corresponding recess of the second subassembly M2, and inserting a convex portion of the conductive element mold member as the second subassembly M2 through a second plurality of holes of the shield member 130 from the opposite side of the shield member 130 from the first subassembly M1 and accommodating it in the corresponding recess of the first subassembly M1.

[0124] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present application, providing a shielding member may include forming a first hole 131, a second hole 132, a third hole 133 and a fourth hole 134 in a quadrilateral array on a shielding member 130 (as shown in FIG. 14 ).

[0125] Forming the conductive element mold member may include configuring a first subassembly housing of the first subassembly M1 to have a first protrusion 121 configured to extend through the first hole 131 and a second protrusion 122 configured to extend through the second hole 132, and configuring a second subassembly housing of the second subassembly M2 to have a third protrusion 143 configured to extend through the third hole 133 and a fourth protrusion 144 configured to extend through the fourth hole 134.

[0126] Forming the conductive element mold member may include configuring a second subassembly housing of the second subassembly M2 to have a first recess 141 corresponding to the first protrusion 121 and a second recess 142 corresponding to the second protrusion 122, and configuring a first subassembly housing of the first subassembly M1 to have a third recess 123 corresponding to the third protrusion 143 and a fourth recess 124 corresponding to the fourth protrusion 144.

[0127] Assembling the first subassembly M1, the shield member 130, and the second subassembly M2 together includes extending the first protrusion 121 of the first subassembly M1 through the first hole 131 and receiving the first protrusion 121 in the first recess 141 of the second subassembly M2, and extending the second protrusion 122 of the first subassembly M1 through the second hole 132 and receiving the second protrusion 122 in the second recess 141 of the second subassembly M2. The second subassembly M2 may include receiving the second recess 142 of the first subassembly M2, extending a third protrusion 143 of the second subassembly M2 through the third hole 133 and receiving the third protrusion 143 in the third recess 123 of the first subassembly M1, and extending a fourth protrusion 144 of the second subassembly M2 through the fourth hole 134 and receiving the fourth protrusion 144 in the fourth recess 124 of the first subassembly M1.

[0128] Various aspects are described in this disclosure, including but not limited to the following aspects.

[0129] 1. A receptacle connector, the receptacle connector (e.g., 1) comprising a plurality of conductive elements and a housing (e.g., 11) for accommodating the conductive elements; a terminal assembly (e.g., 10), the housing (e.g., 11) being molded over the conductive elements; an inner shell (e.g., 20) placed over at least a portion of the exterior of the housing (e.g., 11); a main shell (e.g., 30) attached to the exterior of the inner shell (e.g., 20) and the terminal assembly (e.g., 10); and an outer shell (e.g., 40) attached to the exterior of the main shell (e.g., 30), the receptacle connector being mated with a corresponding plug connector in a mating orientation (e.g., Y). a housing (e.g., 11) having a first connecting portion (e.g., 110) connected to the inner shell (e.g., 20), the first connecting portion (e.g., 110) being provided near a rear end of the main shell (e.g., 30) and having a first engaging portion, the inner shell (e.g., 20) having a second engaging portion engaged with the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion being integrally formed with the inner shell (e.g., 20).

[0130] 2. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 1 or any other aspect, wherein the inner shell (e.g., 20) has a cylindrical portion (e.g., 22), an inner peripheral contour shape of the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22) is at least partially adapted to an outer peripheral contour shape of the first connection portion (e.g., 110), the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22) has a first side wall (e.g., 23) and a second side wall (e.g., 25) facing toward the first side wall (e.g., 23) in a thickness direction (e.g., Z) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., Y) of the receptacle connector, and a second engagement portion is provided on the first side wall (e.g., 23) and / or the second side wall (e.g., 25).

[0131] 3. The second engagement portion of the inner shell (e.g., 20) comprises a first latch (e.g., 201) and a second latch (e.g., 202) configured to protrude from a first side wall (e.g., 23) of the inner shell (e.g., 20), and the first engagement portion of the first connecting portion (e.g., 110) comprises a first recess (e.g., 111) cooperating with the first latch (e.g., 201) and a second recess (e.g., 113) cooperating with the second latch (e.g., 202), and the first recess (e.g., 111) and the second recess (e.g., A receptacle connector as described in aspect 2 or any other aspect, wherein the first latch (e.g., 201) has a first recess (e.g., 111) and a second recess (e.g., 113) that open toward the inner shell (e.g., 20) in the thickness direction (e.g., Z), and when the inner shell (e.g., 20) is assembled with the first connecting portion (e.g., 110), a first distal end of the first latch (e.g., 201) and a second distal end of the second latch (e.g., 202) extend toward the inside of the inner shell (e.g., 20) and are received in the first recess (e.g., 111) and the second recess (e.g., 113), respectively.

[0132] 4. The second engagement portion of the inner shell (e.g., 20) comprises a third latch (e.g., 203) and a fourth latch (e.g., 204) configured to protrude from a second side wall (e.g., 25) of the inner shell (e.g., 20), and the first engagement portion of the first connecting portion (e.g., 110) comprises a third recess (e.g., 115) cooperating with the third latch (e.g., 203) and a fourth recess (e.g., 117) cooperating with the fourth latch (e.g., 204), and the third recess (e.g., 115) and the fourth recess (e.g., A receptacle connector as described in aspect 3 or any other aspect, wherein a third distal end of the third latch (e.g., 203) and a fourth distal end of the fourth latch (e.g., 204) extend toward the inside of the inner shell (e.g., 20) and are received in the third recess (e.g., 115) and the fourth recess (e.g., 117), respectively, when the inner shell (e.g., 20) is assembled with the first connecting portion (e.g., 110).

[0133] 5. The receptacle connector of any one of aspects 2 to 4 or any other aspect, wherein the housing (e.g., 11) comprises a second connection portion (e.g., 120) connected to the first connection portion (e.g., 110), the second connection portion being arranged to be closer to a mating end of the housing (e.g., 11) in a mating direction (e.g., Y) than the first connection portion (e.g., 110), and at a protruding surface of the housing (e.g., 11) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., Y), an outer contour shape of the first connection portion (e.g., 110) is larger than an outer contour shape of the second connection portion (e.g., 120), the second connection portion (e.g., 120) comprises a protrusion (e.g., 151, 153) extending outward from an outer surface of the housing (e.g., 11), and the inner shell (e.g., 20) comprises a hole (e.g., 252, 254) for engaging with the protrusion.

[0134] 6. The receptacle connector of aspect 5 or any other aspect, wherein the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22) has a flange (e.g., 208) having an annular shape, the flange of the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22) extending in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction, the inner shell (e.g., 20) has a first extension portion (e.g., 24) and a second extension portion (e.g., 26), both of which are connected to the flange of the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22) and extend from the flange of the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22) in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction (e.g., Z), and the first extension portion (e.g., 24) and the second extension portion (e.g., 26) are provided on both sides of the second connection portion (e.g., 120) of the housing (e.g., 11) in the thickness direction (e.g., Z).

[0135] 7. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 6 or any other aspect, wherein the first extension portion (e.g., 24), the second extension portion (e.g., 26), and the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22) are formed as an integral shielded metal member, and each of the first extension portion (e.g., 24) and the second extension portion (e.g., 26) engages with at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second connection portion (e.g., 120) of the housing (e.g., 11).

[0136] 8. The receptacle connector of aspect 6 or any other aspect, wherein the protrusion (e.g., 151, 153) has an L-shape in a cross section perpendicular to a width direction of the receptacle connector, and the width direction (e.g., X) is perpendicular to both the mating direction (e.g., Y) and the thickness direction (e.g., Z), the protrusion is disposed at a connection portion where the first connection portion (e.g., 110) is connected to the second connection portion (e.g., 120), at least one portion of the hole of the inner shell (e.g., 20) is provided in the first extension portion (e.g., 24) and / or the second extension portion (e.g., 26), and another portion of the hole of the inner shell (e.g., 20) is provided in the flange (e.g., 208) of the cylindrical portion (e.g., 22).

[0137] 9. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 5 or any other aspect, wherein the housing (e.g., 11) comprises a third connection portion (e.g., 160), the third connection portion (e.g., 160) being provided on the opposite side of the first connection portion (e.g., 110) from the second connection portion (e.g., 120) and located near a rear end of the housing (e.g., 11), and the outer contour shape of the third connection portion (e.g., 160) is larger than the outer contour shape of the first connection portion (e.g., 110) so that at least a portion of the rear end surface of the main shell (e.g., 30) and the rear end surface of the outer shell (e.g., 40) abut against the mating end of the third connection portion (e.g., 160) at a protruding surface of the housing (e.g., 11) perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., Y).

[0138] 10. The receptacle connector of any one of aspects 1 to 4 or any other aspect, wherein the plurality of conductive elements comprises a first plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100A) and a second plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100B), the first plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100A) and the second plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100B) being respectively arranged in a row in a width direction (e.g., X) of the receptacle connector, the first plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100A) and the second plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100B) being spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction (e.g., Z) of the receptacle connector (e.g., 1) perpendicular to the width direction (e.g., X), and the terminal assembly (e.g., 10) further comprises a shielding member (e.g., 130) provided between the first plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100A) and the second plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100B) in the thickness direction (e.g., Z).

[0139] 11. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 10 or any other aspect, wherein the first plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100A) and the second plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100B) are arranged symmetrically with respect to a midplane of the shield member (e.g., 130) perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0140] 12. A terminal assembly (e.g., 10) includes a first subassembly (e.g., M1) and a second subassembly (e.g., M2), the first subassembly (e.g., M1) includes a first plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100A) and a first subassembly housing for accommodating the first plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100A), the second subassembly (e.g., M2) includes a second plurality of conductive elements (e.g., 100B) and a second subassembly housing for accommodating the second plurality of conductive elements, and a shield member ( The receptacle connector of aspect 11 or any other aspect, wherein the shield member (e.g., 130) has a first plurality of holes and a second plurality of holes, the first subassembly housing has a first plurality of protrusions configured to pass through the first plurality of holes of the shield member (e.g., 130) and extend toward the second subassembly housing, and the second subassembly housing has a second plurality of protrusions configured to pass through the second plurality of holes of the shield member (e.g., 130) and extend toward the first subassembly housing.

[0141] 13. The first plurality of holes of the shield member (e.g., 130) comprises a first hole (e.g., 131) and a second hole (e.g., 132), the first plurality of protrusions of the first subassembly housing comprises a first protrusion (e.g., 121) configured to extend through the first hole (e.g., 131) of the shield member (e.g., 130) and a second protrusion (e.g., 122) configured to extend through the second hole (e.g., 132) of the shield member (e.g., 130), the second subassembly housing comprises a first recess (e.g., 141) corresponding to the first protrusion (e.g., 121) and a second recess (e.g., 142) corresponding to the second protrusion (e.g., 122), The receptacle connector of aspect 12 or any other aspect, wherein when the first subassembly (e.g., M1), the shield member (e.g., 130), and the second subassembly (e.g., M2) are assembled, a first protrusion (e.g., 121) of the first subassembly (e.g., M1) extends through a first hole (e.g., 131) of the shield member (e.g., 130) and is disposed in a first recess (e.g., 141) of the second subassembly (e.g., M2), and a second protrusion (e.g., 122) of the first subassembly (e.g., M1) extends through a second hole (e.g., 132) of the shield member (e.g., 130) and is disposed in a second recess (e.g., 142) of the second subassembly (e.g., M2).

[0142] 14. The second plurality of holes of the shield member (e.g., 130) comprises a third hole (e.g., 133) and a fourth hole (e.g., 134); the second plurality of protrusions of the second subassembly housing comprises a third protrusion (e.g., 143) configured to extend through the third hole (e.g., 133) of the shield member (e.g., 130) and a fourth protrusion (e.g., 144) configured to extend through the fourth hole (e.g., 134) of the shield member (e.g., 130); the first subassembly (e.g., M1) comprises a third recess (e.g., 123) corresponding to the third protrusion (e.g., 143) and a fourth recess (e.g., 124) corresponding to the fourth protrusion (e.g., 144); The receptacle connector of aspect 13 or any other aspect, wherein when the first subassembly (e.g., M1), the shield member (e.g., 130), and the second subassembly (e.g., M2) are assembled, a third protrusion (e.g., 143) of the second subassembly (e.g., M2) extends through the third hole (e.g., 133) of the shield member (e.g., 130) and is disposed within the third recess (e.g., 123) of the first subassembly (e.g., M1), and a fourth protrusion (e.g., 144) of the second subassembly (e.g., M2) extends through the fourth hole (e.g., 134) of the shield member (e.g., 130) and is disposed within the fourth recess (e.g., 124) of the first subassembly (e.g., M1).

[0143] 15. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 14 or any other aspect, wherein each of the first protrusion (e.g., 121), the second protrusion (e.g., 122), the third protrusion (e.g., 143), and the fourth protrusion (e.g., 144) is engaged with a corresponding hole in an interference fit manner.

[0144] 16. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 14 or any other aspect, wherein each of the first convex portion (e.g., 121), the second convex portion (e.g., 122), the third convex portion (e.g., 143), and the fourth convex portion (e.g., 144) comprises a main body extending in the thickness direction and a plurality of protrusions protruding radially outward from the main body, and each of the first hole (e.g., 131), the second hole (e.g., 132), the third hole (e.g., 133), and the fourth hole (e.g., 134) of the shield member (e.g., 130) is formed as a cylindrical hole, and the circumferential outer surface of the protrusions is in intimate contact with the inner surface of the corresponding hole.

[0145] 17. The receptacle connector of aspect 14 or any other aspect, wherein the first protrusion (e.g., 121), the second protrusion (e.g., 122), the third recess (e.g., 123), and the fourth recess (e.g., 124) of the first subassembly housing are arranged in a quadrilateral array, the first protrusion (e.g., 121) and the second protrusion (e.g., 122) are arranged on a first diagonal of the quadrilateral array, and the third recess (e.g., 123) and the fourth recess (e.g., 124) are arranged on a second diagonal of the quadrilateral array that intersects the first diagonal.

[0146] 18. A receptacle connector as described in any one of aspects 1 to 4 or any other aspect, wherein a flange portion (e.g., 41) is provided at a mating end of the outer shell (e.g., 40), the flange portion having an annular flange portion proximal surface extending in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction (e.g., Y), a first rough portion (e.g., 401) is provided on the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell (e.g., 40), and a sealing member (e.g., 50) is provided to abut the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell (e.g., 40) and is attached to the first rough portion (e.g., 401).

[0147] 19. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 18 or any other aspect, wherein a second rough portion (e.g., 301) is provided on a portion of an outer side wall of the main shell (e.g., 30) that extends beyond the mating end of the outer shell (e.g., 40), and a sealing member (e.g., 50) is attached to the second rough portion (e.g., 301).

[0148] 20. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 19 or any other aspect, wherein each of the first rough portion (e.g., 401) and the second rough portion (e.g., 301) includes a pattern formed by at least one of a diagonal pattern, a grid pattern, or a predetermined symbol pattern.

[0149] 21. A receptacle connector according to aspect 20 or any other aspect, wherein the predetermined symbol pattern includes at least one of a star shape, an H shape, or an X shape.

[0150] 22. A receptacle connector according to aspect 19 or any other aspect, wherein the size of the sealing member (e.g., 50) in the mating direction is set within the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm.

[0151] 23. A receptacle connector as described in any one of aspects 1 to 4 or any other aspect, wherein the receptacle connector is attached to an electrical device and the sealing member (e.g., 50) is an elastically deformable member and is configured to elastically deform when the sealing member (e.g., 50) contacts a mounting portion of the electronic device to form an interference fit with the mounting portion of the electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction.

[0152] 24. A receptacle connector as described in aspect 19 or any other aspect, wherein the sealing member (e.g., 50) is configured to have an annular shape extending continuously circumferentially around the mating end of the main shell (e.g., 30), and the sealing member (e.g., 50) is configured to have a mounting surface that forms a positive fit with the outer side wall of the main shell (e.g., 30) and the flange portion proximal surface of the outer shell (e.g., 40).

[0153] Although several aspects of several embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that various changes, modifications, and improvements will be readily suggested to those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Although the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0154] By way of example, while many of the inventive aspects have been described above with reference to right-angle connectors, the aspects of the present disclosure are not so limited, and any of the inventive features, whether alone or in combination with one or more other inventive features, may also be used with other types of electrical connectors, such as vertical connectors.

[0155] Moreover, although several advantages of the invention may be noted, it should be understood that not all embodiments of the invention include all described advantages. Some embodiments may not implement any feature described as advantageous. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

[0156] Also, the described techniques may be embodied as a method, at least one example of which is provided. The operations performed as part of a method may be ordered in any suitable manner. Thus, while shown as sequential operations in the illustrative embodiments, embodiments may be constructed in which operations are performed in an order different from that illustrated, which may include performing some operations simultaneously.

[0157] All definitions, as defined and used, should be understood to take precedence over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0158] In describing the present disclosure, the orientations and positional relationships indicated by orientation terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "transverse direction", "vertical direction", "perpendicular", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", etc., should be understood to be shown based on the accompanying drawings in order to facilitate and simplify the description of the present disclosure. Unless stated to the contrary, these orientation terms do not indicate or imply that a particular device or element must be specifically located, constructed, and operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limitations on the present disclosure. The orientation terms "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contour of each component itself.

[0159] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "on," "above," "on an upper surface of," and "upper" may be used to describe the spatial relationship between one or more components or features and other components or features illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that spatially relative terms not only include the orientation of the components illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but also include different orientations during use or operation.

[0160] 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 term includes the plural term unless otherwise indicated. In addition, when the terms "including" and / or "comprising" are used herein, they should also be understood to indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, parts, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0161] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used in this specification and the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."

[0162] The phrase "and / or" as used herein and in the claims should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, e.g., elements that may be present conjunctively or disjunctively. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, e.g., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements other than the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to those elements 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 include, in one embodiment, only A (optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment, only B (optionally including elements other than A), in yet another embodiment, both A and B (optionally including other elements), etc.

[0163] When used in this specification 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 being inclusive, e.g., including at least one of, but also including more than one, and optionally including additional unlisted items, of a number of elements or a list of elements. Only terms clearly indicating the contrary, such as "only one of" or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of," shall refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number of elements or a list of elements. In general, when used, the term "or" shall be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., "one or the other but not both") only when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of." When used in a utility claim, "consisting essentially of" shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of utility law.

[0164] As used herein and in the claims, the phrase "at least one" in reference to a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows for elements other than those specifically identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified elements, may optionally be present. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one of A or B," or, equivalently, "at least one of A and / or B") can include, in one embodiment, at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., A without the presence of B (and optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment, at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., B without the presence of A (and optionally including elements other than A), in yet another embodiment, at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, i.e., B (and optionally including other elements), etc.

[0165] In the utility claims, as well as in the above specification, all transitional phrases such as "comprising," "including," "carrying," "having," "containing," "involving," "holding," "composed of," and the like, are to be understood to be open-ended, e.g., meant to include but not be 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 explicitly recited steps or units, but may instead include other steps or units that are not explicitly recited or that are inherent to those processes, methods, products, or devices. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.

[0166] The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless so stated. It is understood that various changes in form and details can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. All embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents are claimed.

[0167] As in the above specification, in the claims, the use of sequence terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc. does not, in and of itself, imply any priority, precedence, or ordering of one element relative to another, or the chronological order in which method operations are performed, but is merely used as a label to distinguish one element having a particular name from another element having the same name (in the absence of the use of sequence terms) in order to distinguish the elements.

Claims

1. A receptacle connector, a housing including a first portion having a first contour, a second portion extending from the first portion and having a second contour smaller than the first contour of the first portion, and a tongue extending from the second portion; a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising: a mating end retained by the tongue portion of the housing, a tail end extending from the housing, and an intermediate portion at least partially retained by the first and second portions of the housing between the mating end and the tail end; an inner shell having a first portion that engages with the first portion of the housing and a second portion that engages with the second portion of the housing; A receptacle connector comprising:

2. the first portion of the housing includes a recess; The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the inner shell includes a latch disposed within the recess of the first portion of the housing.

3. the inner shell having an opening; The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a protrusion disposed within the opening of the inner shell.

4. The receptacle connector of claim 3 , wherein the protrusion of the housing extends from the first portion of the housing to the second portion of the housing.

5. The receptacle connector according to claim 4 , wherein a cross section of said protrusion of said housing is L-shaped.

6. the inner shell includes a flange joining the first portion of the inner shell and the second portion of the inner shell; The receptacle connector of claim 3 , wherein the opening in the inner shell extends from the flange to the second portion of the inner shell.

7. the housing includes a third portion having a third contour that is greater than the first contour; The receptacle connector of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the housing is disposed between the third portion of the housing and the second portion of the housing.

8. 8. The receptacle connector of claim 7, comprising a main shell disposed outside of the inner shell and including a rear end abutting a front surface of the third portion of the housing and a mating end extending beyond the tongue of the housing.

9. an outer shell disposed outside the main shell, the outer shell including a mating end having a flange and a rear end having a plurality of mounting legs; a seal disposed between the flange of the outer shell and the mating end of the main shell; The receptacle connector of claim 8 comprising:

10. the mating end of the main shell has a higher surface roughness than other portions of the main shell; The receptacle connector of claim 9 , wherein the seal comprises a hardened adhesive.

11. A receptacle connector, a shield member having a plurality of holes; a plurality of conductive elements, each having a mating end, a tail end, and an intermediate portion between the mating end and the tail end, the plurality of conductive elements comprising a first plurality disposed on a first side of the shielding member and a second plurality disposed on a second side of the shielding member opposite the first side; a housing including a plurality of projections disposed in respective ones of the plurality of holes of the shield member, each of the plurality of projections including a body and a plurality of protrusions extending radially from the body for engaging edges of the respective holes; A receptacle connector comprising:

12. the housing comprises a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion; 12. The receptacle connector of claim 11, wherein the receptacle connector comprises an inner shell comprising a first portion disposed on the first portion of the housing, a flange extending from the first portion, and a second portion extending from the flange and disposed on the second portion of the housing.

13. The receptacle connector of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the housing includes the plurality of protrusions disposed within the respective ones of the plurality of holes of the shield member.

14. the housing includes a third portion disposed on a different side of the first portion of the housing than the second portion of the housing and spaced apart from the first portion of the housing; The receptacle connector of claim 11 , wherein the receptacle connector comprises a main shell having a rear end that abuts a front surface of the third portion of the housing.

15. an outer shell disposed outside of the main shell and having a rear end that abuts the front surface of the third portion of the housing; The receptacle connector of claim 14 , wherein the rear end of the outer shell includes a plurality of mounting legs that extend beyond the third portion of the housing.

16. the main shell having a mating end having a surface roughness greater than a remainder of the main shell; the receptacle connector including a seal disposed at the mating end of the main shell; The receptacle connector of claim 15 , wherein the seal comprises a hardened adhesive.

17. The receptacle connector of claim 16, wherein the receptacle connector complies with the USB Type-C standard.

18. 1. A method for manufacturing a receptacle connector, comprising: providing first and second terminal subassemblies, each of the first and second terminal subassemblies comprising a plurality of conductive elements carried by a subassembly housing; assembling one of the first and second terminal subassemblies to a first side of a shield member, the assembling including inserting a protrusion of the subassembly housing of each of the terminal subassemblies into a first hole of the shield member; assembling the other of the first and second terminal subassemblies to a second side of the shield member, the assembling including inserting a protrusion of the subassembly housing of each of the terminal subassemblies into a second hole of the shield member; molding over the assembled first and second terminal subassemblies and the shield member to form a terminal assembly. A method comprising:

19. assembling an inner shell onto the housing of the terminal assembly; fitting a protrusion of the housing into an opening of the inner shell; engaging a latch of the inner shell with the housing; 20. The method of claim 18, comprising:

20. assembling a main shell over the inner shell and the terminal assembly; assembling an outer shell over the main shell; forming a seal between the mating ends of the main shell and the outer shell by applying an adhesive and allowing the adhesive to cure; 20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

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