Electrical Connection System

Mobile telephone systems may include a receptacle that receives a plug that connects through a cables to a transceiver. The plug may include a bridge part that plugs into a cavity of the receptacle casing, so that beam contacts on the bridge and in the casing mate. An electrical connection apparatus of this type is described in German Patent Publication DE-OS 25 25 639. If the connection is to be used with a mobile telephone, then a coaxial connection is required to carry high frequency signals. Since the telephone is mobile, it is desirable that the connection apparatus be as compact and light weight as possible, while still being rugged to withstand shocks applied to mobile devices.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a connection apparatus comprising a plug and receptacle is provided, which includes both simple and coaxial connections in a rugged miniature design. The plug includes a molded plastic housing that comprises a receiver (10) with a cavity and a sheath (50) lying within the cavity, to leave a gap (22) between them that faces in a mating direction. The receptacle includes a molded plastic housing that comprises a casing (17) with a casing cavity. The casing of the receptacle is receivable in the gap (22) of the plug, with the sheath of the plug received in the casing cavity of the receptacle. A plurality of beam contacts are mounted on a bridge part (9) of the plug sheath, and a coaxial contact (11) is mounted on a coax part of the sheath, with the bridge and coax parts (9, 14) being contiguous with each other and with the rest of the plug housing. The casing (17) of the receiver includes a bridge-receiving part (44) that receives the bridge and that carries a second plurality of beam contacts that mate with the beam contacts on the bridge. The casing also includes a coax casing part (13) that receives the coax part of the sheath and that carries a coax contact (6) that mates with the coax contact on the sheath. The provision of housing portions that hold beam contacts and a coaxial contact so they lie adjacent and contiguous, results in the plug and receptacle connectors each being of small size and being rugged.

The casing (17) has opposite ends and opposite sides, with corner regions at opposite ends of one side having surfaces (18, 19) that are inclined. The casing cavity is similarly constructed with inclined corner regions, to thereby provide a keying arrangement that assures that the plug and receptacle will be mated in the proper relative orientations, with the keying arrangement being rugged and molded in with the rest of the plastic molded housings.

The coax contacts can be provided with tails (37, 72, FIG. 11) that press against conductive pads on a circuit board to make direct contact therewith.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a receptacle constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B is an isometric view of a plug which is mateable with the receptacle of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the receptacle of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the receptacle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III--III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken on the line IV--IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken on the line V--V of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a partially sectional side view of a receptacle and circuit board constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the front of the plug of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line VIII--VIII of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line IX--IX of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of a cable with the plug of FIG. 9 mounted thereon.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a plug constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on line XII--XII of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken on line XIII--XIII of FIG. 12.

FIG. 1A shows a receptacle connector or receptacle 1 which is designed to mount on a frame 3 of an electronic device such as the transceiver of a vehicle mobile phone. The receptacle 1 includes a receptacle housing 5 with a casing 17 that extends in a 360.degree. loop and that has a casing cavity 12 opening in a receiver mating direction A. The receptacle includes beam contacts 4 and a coaxial contact 6. The beam contacts 4 are arranged in two longitudinally-extending rows on laterally opposite sides 40, 42 of the casing cavity, while the coaxial contact 6 is positioned at one end of the cavity. The beam contacts 4 have beams that project from receptacle beam apertures 45. The beam contacts carry lower frequency signals while the coaxial contact 6 is designed to carry high frequency signals such as may be received from an antenna. The receptacle 1 is mounted on a printed circuit board 23, as by rivets 25, 26. Tails 4a of the contacts extend to conductive pads 24 on the circuit board. The casing 17 includes a bridge-receiving part 44 where the beam contacts 4 are located, and a contiguous coax casing part 13 where the coaxial contact 6 is located. The coaxial contact is connected to a coaxial cable 7.

FIG. 1B illustrates a plug connector or plug 2 which mates with the receptacle 1. The plug 2 includes a receiver 10 with a cavity 46 that opens in a plug mating direction D. A sheath 50 lies within the cavity, with a gap 22 between the receiver and sheath. Both the receiver and sheath are elongated in the longitudinal direction B and are shorter in the lateral direction C. The sheath 50 includes an elongated bridge part or bridge 9, with beam contact elements or contacts 8 being mounted on the bridge and having beam parts projecting from apertures 51. The sheath also includes a coaxial sheath part 14 that forms a hole 15 of approximately equal width and length (in directions B and C), which receives a coaxial contact 11. The contacts 8 have tails 52 that are designed to connect to ends of a cable such as a flat flexible cable. The coaxial contact 11 connects to a coaxial cable 7a.

The plug 2 and receptacle 1 are mated by orienting the plug 2 so that inclined surfaces 20, 21 are aligned with inclined surfaces 18, 19 on the receptacle. Movement of the plug in the mating direction B moves the sheath 50 of the plug into the casing cavity 12 of the receptacle. The beam contacts 8 of the plug project into the gap 22 while the beam contacts 4 of the receptacle project into the casing cavity 12, to assure that the beam contacts will mate. Similarly, inner and outer conductors of the coaxial contacts 6, 11 mate when the plug and receptacle are brought together.

The plug 2 includes a housing 54 which is formed of plastic with all parts molded in a single molding operation so they are integral. After the housing 54 is formed, the beam contacts 8 and coaxial contact 11 are installed. Both the bridge 9 that holds the beam contacts, and the coaxial sheath part 14 that holds the coaxial contact 11, are integrally molded and contiguous, with the part 14 lying at a longitudinal end of the bridge 9. This construction allows the coaxial part 14 to be supported on and to, in turn, support the bridge 9, to strengthen both parts while placing them close together for miniaturization of the plug. The receptacle 1 is similarly constructed, with the bridge receptacle part 44 being integral and contiguous with the coaxial casing part 13. It is noted that the cavity portion 60 in the coaxial casing part 13 has a greater width in the lateral direction C than the cavity portion 62 in the bridge-receiving apart 44. Similarly, for the plug the coaxial sheath part 14 is wider in the lateral direction C than is the bridge 9, although coaxial and bridge or bridge-receiving parts are contiguous (merge) and integrally molded.

The inclined surfaces 18, 19 on the receptacle and 20, 21 on the plug serve as keys to assure that the plug and receptacle are in their proper orientation when mated. The incline surfaces provide relatively large keys that are integrally molded with the rest of the plastic housings 5, 54. Although they are formed of plastic, they are of relatively large size with respect to the rest of the connectors, which allows them to reliably prevent mating in a improper orientation, in a connecting system of small size.

The plug housing 54 has laterally spaced opposite side surfaces 30, 31. The surfaces and the rest of the outside of the housing 54 can be of metal and electrically grounded to protect against electromagnetic interference. The plug housing has a T-shape projection 27 to securely hold it to a cable assembly whose wires connect to the contacts.

FIG. 6 shows an arrangement similar to that of FIG. 5, but wherein the contact tails 4b are connected to pads on opposite surfaces of the circuit board 23. It also may be noted that the coaxial contact 6 (FIG. 3) can be held in the cavity part 60 by a central area 16 of the coaxial contact that is pressfit or which snaps into place.

FIG. 11 illustrates a modified plug connector 2C whose mating portion is similar to that of the plug of 1B, but whose rearward portion is different. The plug 2C lies on a circuit board 32 which has low frequency conductive traces 33 and higher frequency conductive traces 38, 78. The beam contacts 8C have tails 29 which are bent by more than 90.degree. into a largely 180.degree. U-shape and which rest and are solder joined to the low frequency conductive traces 33. The coaxial contact 11C includes a central conductor 70 with a rear portion bent into a tab forming the centermost tail 72 of three tails. The outside coaxial conductor 74 is formed with two U-shaped tabs 37. The center tab 72 is connected to the center trace 78 on the circuit board, while the outer tabs 37 are connected to the outer conductive traces 38. The center tab 78 is therefore surrounded on opposite sides by the grounded outer traces 38, which serve to reduce interference and losses. It can be seen that the housing 54C of the plug 2C is mounted by pins 34 which are preferably integrally molded of plastic with the rest of the housing, and which are received in interference fit in board holes 35 in the circuit board 32.

Thus, the invention provides a connection apparatus comprising a plug and receptacle that can mate, which have both low frequency beam contacts and high frequency coaxial contacts, which are rugged, light weight, and of small size. The plug includes a receiver with a cavity and a sheath within the cavity, which leaves a gap between the receiver and sheath. The receptacle includes a casing that is received in the gap. The sheath includes at least one and preferably two rows of beam contacts. It includes at least one coaxial contact at the end of the row, with beam and coaxial sheath parts of the sheath being integral and contiguous to support one another. The plug and connector each have inclined surfaces at opposite ends of one elongated side, to serve as an integrally molded plastic keys that assures proper mating of the connectors.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.