TWM667288U - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector assembly is provided, which includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a first insulating housing having a receiving space, a first metal shell and a nut member attached to the first metal shell, and the second connector can be inserted into the receiving space in a first direction. The second connector includes a second insulating housing, a second metal shell and a locking member. The second insulating housing is formed with a lock hole. The locking member is formed with an elastic arm which is movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and normally biased to a locking position. By means of a headed screw, the second connector can be secured to the first connector. As such, a connector assembly with good operability and high reliability is achieved.

Description

Connector assembly

The invention relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly to a low profile connector assembly with good operability.

Taiwan Utility Model Patent Publication No. M644042U (Patent Document 1) discloses a flexible flat cable connector. The connector of Patent Document 1 has an operating member pivotally mounted on an insulating housing, and the flexible flat cable is unlocked by pressing the operating member body to pivot the operating member. However, the operating member has a certain thickness, so the connector is not conducive to realizing a low-profile connector.

Taiwan Utility Model Patent Publication No. M591717U (Patent Document 2) discloses a connector for a flexible flat cable. Patent Document 2 discloses a connector shell as a male head installed at the insertion end of the flexible flat cable. In this way, the mating direction of the flexible flat cable with the easy-lock connector can be changed, allowing the flexible flat cable to be easily inserted into the easy-lock connector in an automated manner. In addition, the operability of the flexible flat cable and the protection of the flexible flat cable can be improved. However, in the easy-lock connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, two separate locking components must be operated simultaneously to release the flexible flat cable, so the unlocking operability is poor. Because the operating part of the locking member is located on the same side as the flexible flat cable body, the unlocking operation may also be interfered with by the flexible flat cable body.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly with good operability and high reliability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly having a low profile suitable for use in small or thin electronic devices with compact space.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly that facilitates automated assembly.

According to the present invention, a connector assembly is provided, comprising a first connector and a second connector; The first connector comprises: A first insulating shell having a receiving space, the second connector being insertable into the receiving space along a first direction so that at least a portion of the second connector is received in the receiving space; A plurality of contacts, held by the first insulating shell, arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each contact having a contact portion positioned in the receiving space and a connection terminal portion opposite to the contact portion; A first metal shell, covering a portion of the first insulating shell, the first metal shell being formed with two first joint portions facing each other in the second direction; and At least one nut member is attached to the first metal shell, and the at least one nut member has a screw hole; The second connector includes: A second insulating shell; The second metal shell covers a portion of the second insulating shell, and the second metal shell is formed with a locking hole corresponding to the at least one nut member, and the locking hole is provided for the rod of the head screw to pass through and screw into the screw hole of the nut member; and Two snap members are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction and are retained by the second insulating shell, each snap member has a spring arm oriented in the first direction, and the spring arm is formed with a second engagement portion, so that when the second connector is engaged with the first connector, the second engagement portion will engage with the respective first engagement portion.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the second insulating shell has two guide posts extending in the first direction formed on the bottom surface thereof, for guiding the second connector to be inserted into the receiving space during the process of the second connector being engaged with the first connector.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the end of each guide post is formed with a chamfer.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the first insulating shell is formed with two guide post holes for the two guide posts to be inserted respectively.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, each guide post partially surrounds the respective spring arm.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the spring arm is a U-shaped spring arm.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the second metal shell is composed of an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper shell is arranged on the upper side of the second insulating shell, and the lower shell is arranged on the lower side of the second insulating shell. The second connector further includes a flat connection object, the flat connection object includes a head and a plurality of electrode parts formed on the head, the head of the flat connection object is accommodated in a space defined by the second insulating shell and the lower shell, and the plurality of electrode parts are exposed from the lower shell, so that when the second connector is engaged with the first connector, the plurality of electrode parts will be electrically contacted with the plurality of contact pieces of the first connector respectively.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the at least one nut member is fixed to the first metal housing by welding or fusion.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the screw hole is oriented so that its central axis is parallel to the first direction.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the second joint portion is convex in a cross section perpendicular to a third direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the engagement between the first connector and the second connector can be easily realized in an automated manner without the need for complex machinery and equipment. The engagement between the first connector and the second connector can be securely locked, thereby realizing reliable engagement.

According to the connector assembly of the present invention, the size of the connector assembly in the third direction (front-rear direction) can be saved.

Furthermore, since the snap-fit mechanism is not provided on the first connector, which is a board-mounted connector, the difficulty of maintenance is greatly reduced.

A person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs will be able to best understand the technical features and other purposes and advantages of the present invention after reading the specification and drawings of the present invention.

The connector assembly of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same components or components with the same function are marked with the same component symbols. The drawings are not drawn to scale.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is described, wherein FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention in an engaged state, and FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention in an unengaged state. The connector assembly is generally indicated by the element symbol 1. The connector assembly 1 includes a socket connector 10 as a first connector and a plug connector 20 as a second connector. The plug connector 20 can be engaged with the socket connector 10 in a first direction D1. In the engaged state, the plug connector 20 can be locked on the socket connector 10 by a head screw 30.

In this embodiment, the receptacle connector 10 is a board-mounted connector, and the plug connector 20 is formed by mounting a connector housing (i.e., a second insulating housing) and a connector housing (i.e., a second metal housing) on the head of a flat connection object such as a flexible flat cable (FFC) or a flexible printed circuit (FPC). In the specification, the combination of the connector housing (i.e., a second insulating housing), the connector housing (i.e., a second metal housing) and the flat connection object is referred to as a "second connector" or a "plug connector".

Referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the socket connector 10 of the present embodiment is described, wherein Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the socket connector of the present embodiment, and Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the socket connector of the present embodiment. The socket connector 10 includes a first insulating shell 11, a first metal shell 12, two nut components 13 and a plurality of contacts 14.

The plug connector 20 can be inserted into the socket connector 10 along the first direction D1 (i.e., the height direction or the mating direction). The flat connection object forming a part of the plug connector 20 can be a flexible flat cable (FFC) or a flexible printed circuit (FPC), but is not limited thereto. The flat connection object can also be a card board. The flat connection object includes a plurality of electrode portions formed at the head of the flat connection object. The plug connector 20 can also be a wire end connector in a wire-to-board connector assembly.

FIG5 is a perspective view of the first insulating shell 11. Referring to FIG5, the structure of the first insulating shell 11 is described. The first insulating shell 11 is made of an insulating synthetic resin or polymer material. The first insulating shell 11 has a flat rectangular body 110 and a peripheral wall formed at the edge of the flat rectangular body 110. The flat rectangular body 110 and the peripheral wall roughly define a receiving space SP. The peripheral wall is formed by a front wall portion 111 and a rear wall portion 112 opposite to the front wall portion 111.

The flat rectangular body 110 is formed with a plurality of contact slots 1101. The contact slots 1101 are arranged along the second direction D2 (i.e., the width direction) and are separated from each other. The flat rectangular body 110 has two guide post holes 1102 separated in the second direction D2. The upper edge of each guide post hole 1102 is formed with a chamfer. The upper edge of an inner surface of each guide post hole 1102 is formed with a recess 1103.

The front wall portion 111 is formed with a notch 1110. The notch 1110 can prevent the front wall portion 111 from interfering with the body of the flat connection object (eg, a cable portion).

The rear wall portion 112 is formed with a plurality of contact holding holes 1121. Each contact holding hole 1121 is connected to a respective contact slot 1101. In order to fix the first metal housing 12 to the first insulating housing 11, the rear wall portion 112 is further formed with two protrusions 1122.

FIG6 is a three-dimensional diagram of a plurality of contacts 14. The contacts 14 are arranged in a row along the second direction D2 and are held by the first insulating shell 11. Each contact 14 is made of copper or a copper alloy. The contact 14 has a connecting terminal 141, a holding portion 142, a contact arm 143 and a contact portion 144. The contact arm 143 extends from one end of the holding portion 142, and the connecting terminal 141 extends from the other end of the holding portion 142. The holding portion 142 is formed with a barb structure. The holding portion 142 is inserted into the contact holding hole 1121 in an interference fit manner. The contact portion 144 is formed at the distal end of the contact arm 143. Each contact arm 143 extends approximately in the third direction D3 (front-rear direction) to the receiving space SP in its respective contact slot 1101, so that the contact portion 144 is positioned in the receiving space SP. Therefore, the contact portion 144 can contact the electrode portion formed on the flat object. The third direction D3 is perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The connection terminal portion 141 extends from the first insulating shell 11. The connection terminal portion 141 can be soldered to a solder pad formed on a circuit board by surface mounting technology (SMT). When the socket connector 10 is mounted on the circuit board, the soldering state of the connection terminal portion 141 can be inspected by automatic optical inspection (AOI).

FIG7 is a perspective view of the first metal housing 12. The first metal housing 12 is formed by stamping and bending a metal plate (e.g., a plate made of stainless steel or phosphor bronze). The first metal housing 12 is configured to be substantially U-shaped when viewed from the first direction D1. The first metal housing 12 has two side housing parts 121 and a connecting part 120 connecting the two side housing parts 121.

The lower edge of the side shell 121 has a first welding portion 1211 adjacent to the front end and a second welding portion 1212 adjacent to the rear end. The first welding portion 1211 and the second welding portion 1212 can be welded to a solder pad formed on a circuit board by surface mounting technology (SMT). In this way, the socket connector 10 can be stably mounted on the circuit board. The upper edge of the side shell 121 has a stopper portion 1213 as a first joint portion approximately in the middle. The stopper portions 1213 of the two side shells 121 face each other in the second direction D2. A retaining portion 1214 is formed at the far end of the side shell 121. The retaining portion 1214 has a barb structure and is inserted into a retaining hole formed in the first insulating shell 11 in an interference fit manner. In this way, the distal end of the side outer shell 121 is fixed to the first insulating shell 11.

The rear edge of the connecting portion 120 is formed with a joint portion 1201 for jointing with a protrusion 1122 formed on the rear wall portion 112 of the first insulating housing 11. The inner edge of the connecting portion 120 is formed with a retaining portion 1202. The retaining portion 1202 has a barb structure and is inserted into a retaining hole formed in the first insulating housing 11 in an interference fit manner. In this way, the connecting portion 120 is fixed to the first insulating housing 11. By engaging the joint portion 1201 with the protrusion 1122, the first metal housing 12 can be further prevented from being separated from the first insulating housing 11.

The connection portion 120 is formed with an alignment hole 1203. When the plug connector 20 is picked up by a robot arm and aligned with the receiving space SP of the receptacle connector 10, the alignment hole 1203 serves as an alignment mark that can be recognized by a machine vision system.

FIG8 is a perspective view of the nut member 13. The nut member 13 includes a rectangular plate-shaped body 130 and a fixing portion 131. The plate-shaped body 130 is formed with a sleeve portion 1301 having a screw hole. The plate-shaped body 130 is oriented perpendicular to the first direction D1 so that the center axis L1 (shown in FIG15 ) of the screw hole is parallel to the first direction D1. The fixing portion 131 is oriented perpendicular to the second direction D2. The fixing portion 131 is fixed to the side shell portion 121 of the first metal shell 12 by welding, fusion, such as laser beam welding.

The plug connector 20 of the present embodiment is described with reference to Fig. 9, Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, wherein Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the plug connector according to the present embodiment, Fig. 10 is another perspective view of the plug connector according to the present embodiment, and Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the plug connector 20 according to the present embodiment. The plug connector 20 includes a second insulating shell 21, a second metal shell, two buckle components 24 and a flat connection object 25. The second metal shell is composed of an upper shell 22 and a lower shell 23.

The second insulating shell 21 is described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 , wherein FIG. 12 is a three-dimensional view of the second insulating shell 21 . The second insulating shell 21 is made of an insulating synthetic resin or polymer material. The second insulating shell 21 includes a flat rectangular main body 210 and side portions 211 located on both sides of the main body 210 in the second direction D2. Four positioning holes 2101 are formed on the upper surface of the main body 210 for positioning the upper outer shell 22. Two bosses 2102 are formed on the lower surface of the main body 210 for engaging with a recess 2510 (to be described below) of a flat connecting object 25. Each side portion 211 is formed with a receiving hole 2110 for receiving a snap-fit component 24. As shown in FIG11 , each side portion 211 is formed with a guide post 2111 extending downward from its lower surface in a first direction. The guide post 2111 is provided to guide the insertion of the plug connector 20 and position the plug connector 20 during the process of inserting the plug connector 20 into the receptacle connector 10 .

The upper shell 22 and the lower shell 23 are described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 13 , where FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the upper shell 22 . The details of the upper shell 22 are shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 13 , and the details of the lower shell 23 are shown in FIG. 11 . The upper shell 22 and the lower shell 23 are formed by stamping and bending a metal plate (e.g., a plate made of stainless steel or phosphor bronze). The upper shell 22 is disposed on the upper side of the second insulating shell 21 , and the lower shell 23 is disposed on the lower side of the second insulating shell 21 .

The upper outer shell 22 has a main body 220. The main body 220 of the upper outer shell 22 has a flat surface for suction by a vacuum nozzle. The main body 220 of the upper outer shell 22 is formed with an alignment hole 2201. Similar to the alignment hole 1203, the alignment hole 2201 serves as an alignment mark recognizable by a machine vision system. The main body 220 of the upper outer shell 22 is formed with two lateral extensions 221 on the two side edges in the second direction D2. The lateral extension 221 is formed with a locking hole 2210 corresponding to the screw hole of the nut component 13. In the mating state of the connector assembly, the locking hole 2210 is roughly aligned with the screw hole of the nut component 13. At this time, the shank of the head screw 30 can be screwed into the screw hole so that the transverse extension portion 221 is sandwiched between the head of the head screw 30 and the nut member 13 .

Two joint portions 222 are formed on each side edge of the main body 220 of the upper housing 22. Four positioning pieces 2202 are formed on the lower surface of the upper housing 22 to respectively cooperate with the positioning holes 2101. By inserting the positioning pieces 2202 into the positioning holes 2101, the upper housing 22 can be prevented from moving relative to the second insulating housing 21 on a plane perpendicular to the first direction D1.

The lower housing 23 has a main body 230. The main body 230 has a notch 2301, and a portion of the bottom surface of the flat connection object 25 can be exposed through the notch 2301. Two first stoppers 2302 and two second stoppers 2303 are formed at the front edge and the rear edge of the lower housing 23, respectively. Two protrusions 232 are formed at each side edge of the lower housing 23. By engaging the protrusions 232 with the engaging portions 222, the upper housing 22 and the lower housing 23 are fixed together to form a second metal housing.

The body 230 of the lower housing 23 is further formed with two bosses 2304 as gap adjusters. The bosses 2304 prevent the flat connection object 25 from shaking up and down relative to the second insulating housing 21 and the lower housing 23.

As shown in FIG. 11 , each buckle member 24 includes a retaining portion 240 and a U-shaped elastic arm 241. The retaining portion 240 is formed with a barb structure. The retaining portion 240 is inserted into the receiving hole 2110 in an interference fit manner so that the buckle member 24 is retained in the receiving hole 2110. At this time, the U-shaped elastic arm 241 is partially surrounded by the guide post 2111, while a portion of the U-shaped elastic arm 241 is not surrounded by the guide post 2111. The guide post 2111 can play a function of protecting the U-shaped elastic arm 241 to prevent the U-shaped elastic arm 241 from being unexpectedly collided. The U-shaped elastic arm 241 is oriented in the first direction D1 and is configured to be movable in the second direction D2 and constantly biased to the engaging position. The U-shaped spring arm 241 is formed with a convex rib 242 serving as a second engaging portion, so that when the plug connector 20 is engaged with the socket connector 10, the convex rib 242 (second engaging portion) will engage with the stopper portion 1213 (first engaging portion) formed on the first metal shell to prevent the plug connector 20 from being separated from the socket connector 10.

The flat connection object 25 is described with reference to FIG11. As shown in FIG11, the flat connection object 25 includes a head 251 and an extension portion 250. Each side edge of the head 251 is formed with a notch 2510. In the present embodiment, the flat connection object 25 is a flexible flat cable (FFC), and the extension portion 250 is a cable body. Another head may be formed at the other end of the cable body. The bottom surface of the head 251 is formed with a plurality of electrode portions arranged in a second direction D2 near the insertion end or the front edge. The head 251 of the flat connection object 25 is accommodated in a space defined by the second insulating shell 21 and the lower outer shell 23. These electrode portions are exposed from the notches 2301 of the lower housing 23 , so that when the plug connector 20 is mated with the socket connector 10 , these electrode portions will be in electrical contact with the contacts 14 of the socket connector 10 , respectively.

The first stopper 2302 and the second stopper 2303 formed on the body 230 of the lower housing 23 will respectively abut against the front edge and the rear edge of the head 251 of the flat connection object 25 to prevent the flat connection object 25 from moving relative to the second insulating housing in the third direction D3. The boss 2102 will abut against the inner edge of the notch 2510 of the flat connection object 25 to prevent the flat connection object 25 from moving relative to the second insulating housing in the second direction D2.

FIG14 is a top view of the connector assembly 1 in a locked state, wherein the receptacle connector 10 is mounted on the circuit board 40. FIG15 is a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG14. As shown in FIG15, the rib 242 as the second engaging portion is engaged with the stopper 1213 as the first engaging portion. The rib 242 is configured to be round and convex in a cross section perpendicular to the third direction D3.

When the plug connector 20 is removed upward from the receptacle connector 10 along the first direction D1, the interaction between the rib 242 and the stopper 1213 can bias the U-shaped spring arm 241 away from the engaged position due to the shape of the rib 242, allowing the plug connector 20 to be detached from the receptacle connector 10. Therefore, there is no need to provide an additional operating member for biasing the U-shaped spring arm away from the engaged position.

The connector according to the present invention has the advantages of low profile and good operability. In addition, the connector according to the present invention is particularly suitable for small or thin electronic devices with compact space. The connector according to the present invention is also suitable for automated assembly of flat connection objects and connectors.

Although the present invention is described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be understood that within the spirit and scope of the present invention, many changes and modifications are possible for those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is subject to the textual description of the attached patent application scope, that is, equivalent changes and modifications that do not deviate from the scope of the patent application of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the present invention.

1: Connector assembly 10: Socket connector 11: First insulating shell 110: Flat rectangular body 1101: Contact slot 1102: Guide post hole 1103: Recess 111: Front wall 1110: Notch 112: Rear wall 1121: Contact retaining hole 1122: Protrusion 12: First metal shell 120: Connecting part 1201: Engaging part 1202: Retaining part 1203: Alignment hole 121: Side shell 1211: First welding part 1212: Second welding part 1213: Stopper 1214: Retaining part 13: Nut member 130: Plate-shaped body 131: Fixing part 1301: Sleeve 14: Contact piece 141: Connection terminal 142: Retaining part 143: Contact arm 144: Contact part 20: Plug connector 21: Second insulating shell 210: Body 2101: Positioning hole 2102: Boss 211: Side 2110: Receiving hole 2111: Guide post 22: Upper shell 220: Body 2201: Alignment hole 2202: Positioning sheet 221: Horizontal extension part 2210: Locking hole 222: Joint part 23: Lower shell 230: body 2301: notch 2302: first limiter 2303: second limiter 2304: boss 232: protrusion 24: snap-fit member 240: retaining portion 241: U-shaped spring arm 242: rib 25: flat connecting object 250: extension 2510: notch 251: head 30: head screw 40: circuit board D1: first direction D2: second direction D3: third direction L1: center axis SP: storage space

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly in an engaged state according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector assembly in an unengaged state according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a socket connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a disassembled socket connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first insulating shell of a socket connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a contact of a socket connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a first metal shell of a socket connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a nut member of a socket connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a plug connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the plug connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the plug connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the second insulating shell of the plug connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the upper shell of the plug connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a top view of the connector assembly in the locked state according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a cross-section taken along line AA in FIG. 14.

1: Connector assembly

10: Socket connector

20: Plug connector

30: Head screw

D1: First direction

D2: Second direction

D3: Third direction

Claims (10)

A connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector; The first connector includes: A first insulating shell having a receiving space, the second connector can be inserted into the receiving space along a first direction, so that at least a portion of the second connector is received in the receiving space; A plurality of contacts, held by the first insulating shell, arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each contact having a contact portion positioned in the receiving space and a connection terminal portion opposite to the contact portion; A first metal shell, covering a portion of the first insulating shell, the first metal shell being formed with two first joint portions facing each other in the second direction; and At least one nut member is attached to the first metal shell, and the at least one nut member has a screw hole; The second connector includes: A second insulating shell; The second metal shell covers a portion of the second insulating shell, and the second metal shell is formed with a locking hole corresponding to the at least one nut member, and the locking hole is provided for the rod of the head screw to pass through and screw into the screw hole of the nut member; and Two snap members are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction and are retained by the second insulating shell, each snap member has a spring arm oriented in the first direction, and the spring arm is formed with a second engagement portion, so that when the second connector is engaged with the first connector, the second engagement portion will engage with the respective first engagement portion. A connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the second insulating shell has two guide posts formed on the bottom surface extending in the first direction for guiding the second connector to be inserted into the receiving space during the process of the second connector being engaged with the first connector. A connector assembly as described in claim 2, wherein the end of each guide pin is formed with a chamfer. A connector assembly as described in claim 2, wherein the first insulating shell is formed with two guide post holes for the two guide posts to be inserted respectively. A connector assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each guide post partially surrounds its respective spring arm. A connector assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spring arm is a U-shaped spring arm. A connector assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second metal shell is composed of an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper shell is arranged on the upper side of the second insulating shell, and the lower shell is arranged on the lower side of the second insulating shell, and the second connector further includes a flat connection object, the flat connection object includes a head and A plurality of electrode portions are formed on the head, and the head of the flat connection object is accommodated in a space defined by the second insulating shell and the lower outer shell. The plurality of electrode portions are exposed from the lower outer shell, so that when the second connector is engaged with the first connector, the plurality of electrode portions will be electrically contacted with the plurality of contact pieces of the first connector respectively. A connector assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one nut member is fixed to the first metal shell by welding or fusion. A connector assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the screw hole is oriented so that its center axis is parallel to the first direction. A connector assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second engaging portion is convex in a cross section perpendicular to a third direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

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