Abstract: An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, metal terminals, and a metal shell. The terminals may be disposed in the housing such that contact portions of the terminals are exposed in openings of the housing and are arranged to contact conductive portions of a mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. The shell may surround external surfaces of the housing and may include a first and second portions separated by a third portion. The third portion may a width that is less than those of the first and second portions, such that a shape of the shell may include at least one recess positioned between the first and second portions. Portions of the shell may be spaced apart from the housing to define plugging spaces configured to receive legs of the mating connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, metal terminals, and a shell surrounding the housing. Contact portions of the metal terminals are exposed in openings of the housing and are arranged to contact conductive portions of a mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. The shell includes a first portion having a first length and a first width, and a second portion having a second length and a second width different from the first width. The first and second portions of the shell may have heights that are different from each other, such that a step is positioned between the first and second portions of the shell. The housing may have first and second portions having different heights, such that a shoulder is positioned between the first and second portions of the housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector may include an insulating body, metal terminals exposed in a mating port of the insulating body, and a metal housing that includes walls. The walls may encircle the insulating body such that a first space is located between a first side of the insulating body and a first wall of the metal housing, a second space is located between a second side of the insulating body and a second wall of the metal housing, and a length of the first space is different from a length of the second space. The first and second walls may face in opposite directions. The mating port may receive a portion of a mating connector. The first wall may include first latching portions in communication with the first space, and the second wall may include second latching portions in communication with the second space.

Abstract: A receptacle connector includes a metal housing configured to prevent backwards insertion of a plug. The receptacle connector has walls bounding an assembly space with an insulative body therein. One wall is distant from an exterior surface of the insulative body to form an abutting groove between the metal housing and the insulative body. The abutting groove is configured to receive an abutting wall of the plug connector. The insulative body includes mating interface configured to receive a terminal portion of a plug connector. A wall of the metal housing opposite the abutting groove is adjacent a surface of the insulative body has a projection. If a user attempts to insert the plug with the terminal portion backwards, the projection interferes with the abutting wall, preventing backwards insertion of the terminal portion of the plug into the mating interface.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes: an insulating housing; a first terminal assembly disposed at least partially in the housing; a plurality of guide holes disposed in the housing and extending in an insertion direction; a guide groove disposed in the housing and extending in the insertion direction; at least one mating groove disposed in the housing and extending in the insertion direction; and, optionally, a first vent hole disposed in the housing. The guide holes, the guide groove, and the mating groove may each include an inclined wall to facilitate mating with a mating connector. The guide holes may extend from a mating surface of the housing or may extend from guide posts protruding from the mating surface of the housing. The mating groove may have a plurality of heights.

Abstract: An electrical connector may include an insulating body and a housing. The housing may include walls defining an assembly space and surrounding external surfaces of the insulating body. The walls of the housing may include front and rear walls facing front and rear external surfaces of the insulating body, respectively. Portions of the front and rear walls of the housing may be spaced apart respectively from the front and rear external surfaces of the insulating body to form first and second docking slots in the assembly space. The front wall of the housing may include front docking holes in communication with the first docking slot, and the rear wall of the housing may include rear docking holes in communication with the second docking slot. The sizes and positions of the docking slots and the docking holes may be configured to enable a mating connector to be connected reversibly or irreversibly.

Abstract: A receptacle connector with a metal housing encircling an insulative housing with a slot to receive a paddle card of a plug connector. The metal housing may have a tab engaging a wall of the insulative housing bounding the slot. The tab may be positioned such that, if a plug is improperly inserted into the receptacle, it presses against the tab. The tab may be configured to distribute force generated during an attempt to mate a misaligned plug away from thin wall portions of the insulative housing at an end of the slot. The tab may extend over a surface of the insulative housing beyond that thin wall portion and may be recessed into the housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a bottom and a wall bounding an opening adjacent the bottom, and a shell configured to encircle an outer surface of the wall. The shell may include: first shell corners configured to conform with first housing corners of the housing, second shell corners configured to be spaced apart from second housing corners of the housing in a first direction, a plurality of first portions configured to conform with the outer surface of the wall, and a plurality of second portions configured to be spaced apart from the outer surface of the wall. The first and second shell corners have a height greater than a maximum height of the housing. Such a connector may be miniaturized, yet provide for robust operation and resist unintentional demating as a result of twisting forces on a plug inserted into the connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a wall bounding, at least in part, an opening in which a plurality of terminals are exposed and a shell configured to encircle an outer surface of the wall. The shell may include: guide portions, a plurality of first portions configured to conform with the outer surface of the wall, a plurality of second portions spaced apart from the outer surface of the wall, and a plurality of hook portions configured to engage with an edge of the wall. The hook portions may be opposite the guide portions. Second portions, spaced from the outer surface of the wall, may be distributed around the bounding wall and may have different sizes to receive different projections from the plug, both preventing insertion of the plug in an incorrect orientation and counterbalancing the force on the connector housing during mating of a plug to the connector.

Abstract: A connector assembly configured for compact, high speed electronic systems. The assembly includes a board connector and a cable connector that may be mated by moving the cable connector in a mating direction perpendicular to a printed circuit board to which the board connector is mounted. The cable and board connectors may latch when mated and may be unlatched and unmated by pulling on a tab at a top of the cable connector in a direction opposite the mating direction. As a result, little clearance is required around the board connector to access the latching components. Such a connector may enable an electronic device with high signal integrity because the connector can be mounted close to an electronic component that processes high speed signals, providing a short, and high integrity signal paths for high speed signals.