CONNECTOR HOUSING STRUCTURE

Abstract

A connector housing structure includes a case defining an open end on at least one side thereof and having a plurality of partitioning plates vertically erected therein, and the partitioning plates each having an end facing toward and corresponding to the open end; a plurality of central elastic leaves being provided at the end of the partitioning plates facing toward the open end; and a fastening frame being fitted around the open end of the case and internally provided with a plurality of supporting posts separately corresponding to a free end of the central elastic leaves. With the fastening frame fitted around the open end of the case, the central elastic leaves can be stably held in place, and the case can have increased structural strength and be more easily manufactured at reduced cost.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a connector housing structure, and more particularly to a connector housing structure that has increased structural strength and can be more easily manufactured at reduced cost.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional connector housing structure, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a case 6, a plurality of intermediate partitioning plates 61 provided in the case 6, a plurality of elastic leaves 62 provided on a free end of the case 6 and of the intermediate partitioning plates 61, and a frame 63 fitted around the free end of the case 6. To the connector housing structure, related connectors and components can be assembled to complete an electric connector.

While the elastic leaves 62 provided on the free end of the case 6 can be engaged with and thereby held in place by a peripheral wall of the frame 63, the frame 63 is a hollow member without any internal support and stop elements to provide the case 6 with better support. Thus, the case 6 is easily subject to pressure and the risk of deformation, and the elastic leaves 62 provided on the free end of the intermediate partitioning plates 61 must be spot-welded to the partitioning plates, lest the elastic leaves 62 should become separated from the partitioning plates. The spot-welding inevitably requires more time, labor and procedures to manufacture the connector housing structure and results in increased manufacturing cost.

It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved connector housing structure that has increased structural strength and can be more easily manufactured at reduced cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a connector housing structure, in which a fastening frame is associated with a connector case to hold a plurality of central elastic leaves in place in the case, enabling the case to have increased structural strength and be more easily manufactured at reduced cost.

To achieve the above and other objects, the connector housing structure according to the present invention includes a case defining an open end on at least one side thereof and having a plurality of partitioning plates vertically erected therein, and the partitioning plates each having an end facing toward and corresponding to the open end; a plurality of central elastic leaves being provided at the end of the partitioning plates facing toward the open end; and a fastening frame being fitted around the open end of the case and internally provided with a plurality of supporting posts separately corresponding to a free end of the central elastic leaves.

With the fastening frame fitted around the open end of the case, the central elastic leaves can be stably held in place, and the case can have increased structural strength and be more easily manufactured at reduced cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional connector housing structure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a connector housing structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an assembled view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the circled area “a” of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 that are exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, of a connector housing structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the connector housing structure includes a case 1, a plurality of elastic-leaf members 2, a plurality of side elastic leaves 3, a plurality of central elastic leaves 4, and a fastening frame 5.

The case 1 includes a bottom plate 11 and a top cover 12 connected to the bottom plate 11. The bottom plate 11 is provided at predetermined positions with a plurality of locating slits 111, and the top cover 12 is provided on a top face thereof with a plurality of opening 121. The case 1 defines an open end 13 on at least one side thereof. A plurality of partitioning plates 14 is vertically erected in the case 1. The partitioning plates 14 each are provided at a lower side with a plurality of insertion tabs 141 for correspondingly engaging with the locating slits 111, and each have an end corresponding to the open end 13. The top cover 12 of the case 1 is provided on the top face and two lateral sidewalls at predetermined positions with a plurality of slots 15 extending through the top cover 12 in a thickness direction thereof.

The elastic-leaf members 2 are connected to an upper and a lower edge of the open end 13 of the case 1.

The side elastic leaves 3 are connected to two lateral edges of the open end 13 of the case 1.

The central elastic leaves 4 are connected to the end of the partitioning plates 14 corresponding to the open end 13 of the case 1.

The fastening frame 5 is fitted around the open end 13 of the case 1 to hold the elastic-leaf members 2 and the side elastic leaves 3 in place. The fastening frame 5 is internally provided with a plurality of supporting posts 51 corresponding to a free end of the central elastic leaves 4, and is provided along an outer periphery thereof with a plurality of retaining hooks 52 for correspondingly engaging with the slots 15 on the top cover 12.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the circled area “a” of FIG. 4. Please refer to FIGS. 4 and 5 along with FIGS. 2 and 3. To assemble the connector housing structure of the present invention, first engage the insertion tabs 141 on the lower side of the partitioning plates 14 with the locating slits 111 on the bottom plate 11. Then, connect the top cover 12 to the bottom plate 11 to constitute the case 1, and connect the elastic-leaf members 2 and the side elastic leaves 3 to the upper and lower edges as well as the two lateral edges of the open end 13, respectively, and the central elastic leaves 4 to the end of the partitioning plates 14 facing toward the open end 13. Finally, engage the retaining hooks 52 on the fastening frame 5 with the slots 15 on the top cover 12, so that the fastening frame 5 is fitted around the open end 13 of the case 1 to hold the elastic-leaf members 2 and the side elastic leaves 3 in place while the supporting posts 51 in the fastening frame 5 separately correspond to the free end of the central elastic leaves 4. With these arrangements, the central elastic leaves 4 can be held in the case 1 without the risk of separating from the end of the partitioning plates 14 while the procedure of spot-welding the central elastic leaves 4 to the partitioning plates 14 can be omitted to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the manufacturing cost of the connector housing structure. Meanwhile, with the supporting posts 51 provided in the fastening frame 5, the case 1 can have increased structural strength without becoming deformed easily. After or during the assembling of the connector housing structure, related connectors, heat sinks, and light guiding members (not shown) can be mounted to the case 1. The connectors are arranged in the case 1 to separately locate between two adjacent partitioning plates 14, and the heat sinks and the light guiding members are arranged on the top face of the top cover 12 to connect to the connectors via the openings 121, so that a desired connector module is completed.

With the above arrangements, the fastening frame is associated with the case to not only stably hold the central elastic leaves in place in the case, but also give the case increased structural strength, simplified manufacturing process and reduced manufacturing cost, enabling products derived from the present invention to fully meet the market demands. Thus, the connector housing structure according to the present invention fully satisfies the requirements for novelty, improvement, and industrial utilization.

The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A connector housing structure, comprising:

a case defining an open end on at least one side thereof, and having a plurality of partitioning plates vertically erected therein; and the partitioning plates each having an end facing toward and corresponding to the open end;

a plurality of central elastic leaves being provided at the end of the partitioning plates facing toward the open end; and

a fastening frame being fitted around the open end of the case, and internally provided with a plurality of supporting posts separately corresponding to a free end of the central elastic leaves.

2. The connector housing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case includes a bottom plate and a top cover connected to the bottom plate, and the bottom plate being provided at predetermined positions with a plurality of locating slits; the partitioning plates being provided on a lower side with a plurality of insertion tabs separately corresponding to and engaging with the locating slits on the bottom plate;

and the top cover being provided on a top face with a plurality of openings.

3. The connector housing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case is provided on a top face and two lateral sidewalls at predetermined positions with a plurality of slots, and the fastening frame is provided along an outer periphery thereof with a plurality of retaining hooks for correspondingly engaging with the slots on the case.

4. The connector housing structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of elastic-leaf members arranged at upper and lower edges of the open end of the case.

5. The connector housing structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising side elastic leaves arranged at two lateral edges of the open end of the case.