Stacked receptacle connector integrated with RJ-45 connector and USB type-C connector

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a stacked receptacle connector, and more particularly to a stacked receptacle connector integrated with an RJ-45 connector and a USB type-C connector.

2. Description of Related Arts

Current stacked receptacle connector is formed with an RJ-45 receptacle connector stacked on a USB type-A receptacle connector. Now, USB-IF (Implementers Forum) adds a USB type-C interface to fit with thin electronic product. The USB type-C connector is so thin and small, that it is difficult to integrate the USB type-C connector into the RJ-45 receptacle connector. If a USB type-C receptacle connector and an RJ-45 receptacle connector are separately mounted to a common substrate, the process of the mounting and soldering will be complex, and the substrate needs more space for mounting the receptacle connectors.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a stacked receptacle connector including an insulative housing forming a first receiving cavity extending along a front-to-back direction, a second receiving cavity stacked on the first receiving cavity along a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, and a mounting cavity located behind and communicating with the first and second receiving cavities. A printed circuit board (PCB) is mounted to the mounting cavity. A first connector has a mating tongue received in the first receiving cavity. A row of top terminals have top contacting portions exposed on a top face of the mating tongue and top tail portions connected to the PCB. A row of bottom terminals have bottom contacting portions exposed on a bottom face of the mating tongue and bottom tail portions connected to the PCB. A plurality of contacts are inserted in the second receiving cavity to form a second connector. Each of contacts has a mating portion received in the second receiving cavity and a mounting portion connected with the PCB. A plurality of footer pins connected the PCB to electrically connect the first connector and the contacts to an exterior substrate. Notably, the first connector and the second connector are integrated into the insulative housing through the PCB and the stacked receptacle connector is mounted to a substrate only by one process.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stacked receptacle connector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the stacked receptacle connector shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is another exploded view of the stacked receptacle connector shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a first connector, a printed circuit board, an insulative carrier of the stacked receptacle connector shown in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 5 is another exploded view of the first connector, the printed circuit board, the insulative carrier of the stacked receptacle connector shown in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the first connector shown in FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7 is another exploded view of the first connector shown in FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the stacked electrical connector without the corresponding outer shell and rear shell;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the stacked electrical connector of FIG. 1 , taken along a vertical plane extending in a front-to-back direction;

FIG. 10 is another cross-sectional view of the stacked electrical connector of FIG. 1 , taken along another vertical plane extending in a transverse direction; and

FIG. 11 is another exploded view of the first connector shown in FIG. 4 .

Reference will now be made in detail to some preferred embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 1 to 10 show a stacked receptacle connector 100 including an insulative housing 20 with a first receiving cavity 21 and a second receiving cavity 22 stacked thereon along a vertical direction. The stacked receptacle connector 100 could be mounted to an exterior substrate 300 . The first receiving cavity 21 and the second receiving cavity 22 extend through the insulative housing 20 along a front-to-back direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. A mounting cavity 23 is formed in the rear side of the insulative housing 20 and communicates with the first receiving cavity 21 and the second receiving cavity 22 along the front-to-back direction. A middle wall 24 is located between the second receiving cavity 22 and the mounting cavity 23 . A pair of passageways 25 are formed on the insulative housing 20 and extends through the insulative housing 20 along the front-to-back direction. The passageways 25 are located above the second receiving cavity 22 . The insulative housing 20 also includes a top wall 26 extending horizontally and a pair of side walls 27 extending vertically. A pair of mounting slots 271 are formed in corresponding side walls 27 and extends forwardly from a rear portion of the side walls 27 .

A printed circuit board (PCB) 30 is horizontally mounted to the mounting cavity 23 and has two side edges 31 received in respective mounting slots 271 to retain with the insulative housing 20 . A pair of conductive recesses 32 are formed in the side edges 31 , respectively.

An insulative carrier 50 with a plurality of footer pins 70 fixed thereto. A receiving space 501 is formed in the insulative carrier 50 to receive magnetic components (not shown) such as transformers and common mode chokes mounted on a bottom surface of the PCB 30 . Each of the footer pins 70 has a top end 71 connected with the PCB 30 , a bottom end 72 connected to an exterior substrate, and a middle portion retained in the insulative carrier 50 .

A plurality of contacts 40 are inserted in the second receiving cavity 22 to form a second connector. In this embodiment, the second connector is an RJ-45 receptacle connector. Each of the contacts 40 has a mating portion/section 41 received in the second receiving cavity 22 and a mounting portion/section 42 connected with the PCB 30 . The contacts 40 are electrically connected to corresponding footer pins 70 through the PCB 30 and the magnetic components.

A pair of indication devices 60 are mounted to the insulative housing 20 . Each of the indication devices 60 includes a lighting portion 62 received in corresponding passageway 25 and a mounting leg 62 extending backwardly and downwardly therefrom. In this embodiment, the indication device 60 is a LED (Light Emitting Diode). Understandably, the indication device 60 also could be a light-pipe coordinated with a LED.

A first connector 200 of a USB type C is mounted from the mounting cavity 23 to the first receiving cavity 21 . The first connector 200 includes a top terminal module 202 , a bottom terminal module 203 , and a shielding plate 204 sandwiched therebetween. The top terminal module 202 includes a top insulator 2021 and a row of top terminals 2022 retained thereto by an insert molding process. The bottom terminal module 203 includes a bottom insulator 2031 and a row of bottom terminals 2032 retained thereto by an insert molding process. The quantity of the top terminals 2022 is same with the quantity of the bottom terminals 2032 . In this embodiment, the quantity of top terminals 2022 is twelve. An insulative body 205 is over molded on the top terminal module 202 and the bottom terminal module 203 to form a mating tongue 207 . The mating tongue 207 is assembled into a first or inner shielding shell 206 along a back-to-front direction. Each of the top terminals 2022 includes a top contacting portion 2024 exposed on a top face of the mating tongue 207 and a top tail portion 2026 connected to the PCB 30 . Each of the bottom terminals 2032 includes a bottom contacting portion 2034 exposed on a top face of the mating tongue 207 and a bottom tail portion 2036 connected to the PCB 30 . The first shielding shell 206 defines a capsular mating cavity 208 extending therethrough along the front-to-back direction to receive the mating tongue 207 . The first shielding shell 206 has a horserace contour configured to be inserted by a plug connector along two opposite directions. A second or outer shielding shell 201 assembled to the first shielding shell 206 along the vertical direction and has a plurality of bottom/mounting legs 2011 extending downwardly beyond the first shielding shell 206 . In this embodiment, the first connector 200 is a USB type C receptacle connector.

An outer metal shell 10 encloses the insulative housing 20 , the contacts 40 , and the first connector 200 therein. The outer metal shell 10 has a pair of grounding tabs 12 extending toward the PCB 30 to electrically connect with the PCB 30 . The outer metal shell 10 includes a front shell and a rear shell 11 assembled thereto. The grounding tabs 12 are stamped from the rear shell 11 . The grounding tabs 12 are electrically connected to the bottom legs 2011 through the PCB 30 . Notably, the metal shell 10 forms an upper opening 14 aligned with the corresponding second cavity 22 and a lower opening 15 aligned with the corresponding first cavity 21 in the front-to-back direction wherein the lower opening 15 is configured to be similar to the first shielding shell 206 while being different from the first cavity 21 , and the upper opening 14 is configured to be similar to the second cavity 22 .

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.