Miniature circular din connector

Claim 2

A DIN connector for mounting to a board and for receiving a DIN connector plug having a shield extending thereabout, said DIN connector comprising a housing having a mating face, a board mounting face and a plurality of external faces, said housing comprising a plurality of electrically conductive terminals mounted therein, a metallic internal shield mounted to said housing and substantially surrounding and spaced from the terminals therein, said internal shield comprising contact means for grounding said internal shield to the board, a metallic external shield comprising a plurality of walls for substantially surrounding the external faces of said housing, said external shield further comprising a first contact means for grounding said external shield to the board and a second contact means for directly contacting the shield of a DIN connector plug when the plug is mated with the miniature DIN connector, said second contact means providing a low impedance electrical connection between the external shield and the shield of the DIN connector plug, said internal shield and said external shield being separate from one another.

Claim 3

A DIN connector for mating with a DIN connector plug having a conductive shield extending thereabout, said DIN connector comprising: a nonconductive housing having opposed front and rear ends, a top and a bottom, a plurality of terminal-­receiving apertures extending between the front and rear ends of said housing, said housing comprising channels generally adjacent the rear thereof and extending from each of said terminal-receiving apertures to the bottom of said housing for positively positioning and retaining portions of terminals extending from the apertures in the housing to a circuit board, said housing further comprising an internal shield aperture extending into the front end and generally around said terminal-receiving apertures, said housing comprising an external shield aperture extending therethrough and into the internal shield aperture; a plurality of electrically conductive terminals having pin-receiving contact portions engaged in the terminal-receiving apertures of said housing and board contact portions positively retained in the channels of said housing and extending beyond the bottom of said housing; an internal shield mounted in the internal shield aperture extending into the front end of said housing, said internal shield comprising contact means extending therefrom for electrical connection to a ground and comprising a slot generally aligned with the external shield aperture; a base having an array of apertures extending therethrough for receiving the board contact portions of said terminals, said base being mountable to the circuit board and comprising means for lockingly engaging the housing to the base; and an external shield defining at least three external sides of said miniature DIN connector and comprising a first contact means for grounding said external shield, said external shield comprising a second contact means extending through the external shield aperture of the housing and through the slot of the internal shield for directly contacting the shield of a DIN connector plug when the plug is mated with the miniature DIN connector, said second contact means providing a low impedance electrical connection between the external shield and the shield of the mated DIN connector plug.

Claim 4

A DIN connector for mating with a DIN connector plug having a conductive shield extending thereabout, said DIN connector comprising: a nonconductive housing having opposed front and rear ends, a top and a bottom, a plurality of terminal-­receiving apertures extending between the front and rear ends of said housing, said housing comprising channels generally adjacent the rear thereof and extending from each of said terminal-receiving apertures to the bottom of said housing for positively positioning and retaining portions of terminals extending from the apertures in the housing to a circuit board, said housing further comprising an internal shield aperture extending into the front end and generally around said terminal-receiving apertures, said housing comprising an external shield aperture extending therethrough and into the internal shield aperture; a plurality of electrically conductive terminals having pin-receiving contact portions engaged in the terminal-receiving apertures of said housing and board contact portions positively retained in the channels of said housing and extending beyond the bottom of said housing; an internal shield mounted in the internal shield aperture extending into the front end of said housing, said internal shield comprising contact means extending therefrom for electrical connection to a ground and comprising a slot generally aligned with the external shield aperture; a base having an array of apertures extending therethrough for receiving the board contact portions of said terminals, said base being mountable to the circuit board and comprising means for lockingly engaging the housing to the base; and an external shield defining at least three external sides of said miniature DIN connector and comprising a first contact means for grounding said external shield, said external shield comprising a second contact means extending through the external shield aperture of the housing and through the slot of the internal shield for directly contacting the shield of a DIN connector plug when the plug is mated with the miniature DIN connector, said second contact means providing a low impedance electrical connection between the external shield and the shield of the mated DIN connector plug.

Claim 5

A DIN connector for mating with a DIN connector plug having a conductive shield extending thereabout, said DIN connector comprising: a nonconductive housing having opposed front and rear ends, a top and a bottom, a plurality of terminal-­receiving apertures extending between the front and rear ends of said housing, said housing comprising channels generally adjacent the rear thereof and extending from each of said terminal-receiving apertures to the bottom of said housing for positively positioning and retaining portions of terminals extending from the apertures in the housing to a circuit board, said housing further comprising an internal shield aperture extending into the front end and generally around said terminal-receiving apertures, said housing comprising an external shield aperture extending therethrough and into the internal shield aperture; a plurality of electrically conductive terminals having pin-receiving contact portions engaged in the terminal-receiving apertures of said housing and board contact portions positively retained in the channels of said housing and extending beyond the bottom of said housing; a base having an array of apertures extending therethrough for receiving the board contact portions of said terminals, said base being mountable to the circuit board and comprising means for lockingly engaging the housing to the base; an external shield defining at least three external sides of said DIN connector and comprising a first contact means for grounding said external shield, and a second contact means extending through the external shield aperture of said housing for directly contacting the shield of a DIN connector plug when the plug is mated with the DIN connector, said second contact means providing a low impedance electrical connection between said external shield and the shield of the DIN connector plug and whereby substantially all of the DIN connector other than the front of the nonconductive housing and the base are enclosed by the external shield.

Claim 6

A DIN connector for mating with a DIN connector plug having a conductive shield extending thereabout, said DIN connector comprising: a nonconductive housing having opposed front and rear ends, a top and a bottom, a plurality of terminal-­receiving apertures extending between the front and rear ends of said housing, said housing comprising channels generally adjacent the rear thereof and extending from each of said terminal-receiving apertures to the bottom of said housing for positively positioning and retaining portions of terminals extending from the apertures in the housing to a circuit board, said housing further comprising an internal shield aperture extending into the front end and generally around said terminal-receiving apertures, said housing comprising an external shield aperture extending therethrough and into the internal shield aperture; a plurality of electrically conductive terminals having pin-receiving contact portions engaged in the terminal-receiving apertures of said housing and board contact portions positively retained in the channels of said housing and extending beyond the bottom of said housing; a base having an array of apertures extending therethrough for receiving the board contact portions of said terminals, said base being mountable to the circuit board and comprising means for lockingly engaging the housing to the base; an external shield defining at least three external sides of said DIN connector and comprising a first contact means for grounding said external shield, and a second contact means extending through the external shield aperture of said housing for directly contacting the shield of a DIN connector plug when the plug is mated with the DIN connector, said second contact means providing a low impedance electrical connection between said external shield and the shield of the DIN connector plug and whereby substantially all of the DIN connector other than the front of the nonconductive housing and the base are enclosed by the external shield.

Claim 7

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the external shield extends generally into proximity to the board mounting face of said housing, such that said external shield extends generally into abutting relationship with a board to which said DIN connector is mounted.

Claim 8

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said housing is of generally rectilinear configuration and comprises a top wall extending generally parallel to the base mounting face of said housing, a pair of opposed generally parallel side walls and a back wall extending generally parallel to the mounting face of said housing, an aperture extending into said housing, said external shield generally conforming to the shape of said housing, and comprising a top wall, a pair of opposed generally parallel side walls extending generally orthogonally from said top wall and a back wall extending generally orthogonally from said top and side walls, said second contact means extending through the aperture in the housing for contacting the shield of the DIN connector plug mated with the miniature DIN connector.

Claim 9

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said external shield and said internal shield are electrically and mechanically separate from one another.

Claim 10

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said external shield surrounds four external sides of said DIN connector, said DIN connector defining a receptacle of generally rectilinear configuration and defining a top, a bottom, opposed sides, a back and a front mating end for mating with a DIN connector plug, said external shield substantially surrounding both opposed sides, the top and the back of said DIN connector.

Claim 11

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second contact means of said external shield comprises a deflectable contact arm stamped from the portion of said external shield adjacent the top of said housing and cantilevered therefrom into contact with the shield of the DIN connector plug mated with the miniature DIN connector.

Claim 12

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein portions of said external shield surrounding the sides, the top and the back of said DIN connector are substantially continuous, and wherein the second contact means of said external shield defines a deflectable contact arm cantilevered from the top of said external shield.

Claim 13

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second contact means of the external shield is cantilevered from a portion of the external shield generally adjacent the front mating end of the connector.

Claim 14

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second contact means of said external shield is cantilevered from a portion of the external shield generally adjacent the back thereof.

Claim 15

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second contact means of the external shield comprises means for engaging the shield of the DIN connector plug for increasing the forces required to unmate the DIN connector plug from the miniature DIN connector.

Claim 16

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said second contact means includes a depression in the external shield extending through the external shield aperture and contacting a conductive shield of a DIN plug to provide an electrical path from a conductive shield of a DIN plug to the external shield of the DIN connector.

Claim 17

A DIN connector as claimed in claim 13 wherein the depression has a substantially flat surface penetrating the internal shield aperture to contact a conductive shield of a DIN plug in the internal shield aperture along a line of contact extending from the front end of the housing in the direction of the internal shield aperture.

Claim 18

A DIN connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein (i) the housing includes an external shield recess in the front end of the hosing extending from a side of the external shield, and (ii) the first contact means of the external shield includes an external shield extension extending from the external shield into the external shield recess and projecting outwardly from the front end of the housing whereby the external shield extension may abut a panel adjacent the front end of the DIN connector.

Claim 19

A DIN connector as claimed in claim 15 wherein (i) the housing includes an internal shield recess extending from the internal shield aperture in the front end of the housing, and (ii) the DIN connector further comprises an internal shield mounted in the internal shield aperture and having a slot aligned with the external shield aperture and an internal shield extension extending into the internal shield recess and projecting outwardly from the front end of the housing.

Claim 20

A DIN connector as claimed in claim 16 wherein (i) the housing includes a second external shield recess in the front end of the housing extending from a side of the external shield, and (ii) the first contact means of the external shield includes a second external shield extension extending from the external shield into the second external shield recess and projecting outwardly from the front end of the housing.

Claim 21

A DIN connector as claimed in claim 17 wherein (i) the housing includes a second internal shield recess in the front end of the housing extending from the internal shield aperture in the front end of the housing, and (ii) the internal shield includes a second internal shield extension extending into the second internal shield recess and projecting outwardly from the front end of the housing.

Claim 22

A DIN connector as claimed in claim 18 wherein (i) the first contact means of the external shield includes board contact portions extending from the external shield beyond the bottom of said housing, (ii) the housing includes an internal shield channel generally adjacent the rear thereof and extending from the internal shield aperture to the bottom of the housing, (iii) the internal shield includes a board contact portion extending in said internal shield channel and beyond the bottom of said housing, and (iv) the base has an aperture extending therethrough to receive the internal shield board contact portion whereby the internal and external shields may be electrically connected to ground by contact with a conductive panel abutting the front end of the DIN connector or connection to the internal and external shield board contact portions.