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I accidentally pulled it out and broke it somehow. The USB port itself still works however, it seems that plastic piece is what keeps USB connectors plugged in because if I plug in anything now it's quite loose. Anyone know what this piece is called and if it's something I can repair easily?

EDIT: For clarification, I'm talking about the white piece inside the USB port here:

image

This isn't my computer btw. But like in all USB ports, they have this plastic piece inside which I pulled out and now you can see four metal prongs.

Thanks!

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  • Pics or it didn't happen.
    – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams
    Jun 6, 2011 at 7:07
  • Sorry I do not have a camera on me at the moment.
    – Sam
    Jun 6, 2011 at 7:11
  • Why do you need to know? You won't be able to replace it, by the way. The whole Type A connector will need to be replaced. They all wear out in time, anyway.
    – pavium
    Jun 6, 2011 at 7:31
  • I should have called that part the receptacle. The part which connects to it is a plug. In the specs I've seen they don't bother to give a name to the broken bit. It's just there to provide a surface against which the contacts are pressed when the plug is inserted.
    – pavium
    Jun 6, 2011 at 7:39
  • I don't know the technical name, but its primary function it to maintain pressure between the contacts when you plug in a usb cable, and to enforce proper orientation of the usb cable, so you cannot plug it in backwards/upside down.
    – Moab
    Jun 6, 2011 at 16:26

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The USB specification doesn't give it a name - you could call it "the USB type A receptacle contact support tang":

enter image description here

Since the tang ensures the orientation of the plug, it also acts as a key.

This tang/key is not replaceable. To repair a USB port with this part missing it is necessary to desolder the whole USB connector from the PCB. This needs good tools and technique otherwise you will lift and tear pads and tracks on the PCB. So best left to an expert.

These connectors usually have a metal shell with though-hole securing pins with a high thermal mass that needs a lot of heat, endangering nearby components. The data pins are typically small surface mount pins and need much less heat and much more care to avoid lifting PCB pads and tracks.

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2
  • A more generic name would be a 'key'.
    – spikey_richie
    Jun 25, 2021 at 12:03
  • @spikey: Noted, thanks.
    – RedGrittyBrick
    Jun 25, 2021 at 12:27

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