Electrical connector with improved contacts

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to electrical connectors, more particularly to electrical connectors with improved contacts to be soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,666 discloses an electrical connector including an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the housing and a metal shield received in the housing. The contacts include contact portions and bending portions extending downwardly from rear ends of the contact portions. The bending portions are perpendicular to the contact portions and include contractive tail portions for being soldered to a PCB. The metal shield encloses the contact portions for EMI protection. The bending portions directly extend downwardly from the rear ends of the contact portions. The bending portions occupy much area of a rear wall of the housing because a width of the bending portion viewed from a rear-to-front direction is much larger than that viewed from left-to-right direction. As a result, the rear wall of the housing doesn't have reasonable area for mounting components.

[0005] Hence, an improved electrical connector is desired to overcome the above problems.

[0006] An electrical connector includes a housing member and a plurality of contacts attached to the housing member. The contacts include a plurality of first contacts arranged side by side along a transverse direction, and a plurality of second contacts arranged side by side along the transverse direction as well. Each first contact comprises a first main portion, a first contact portion and a first bending portion extending from a lateral edge of the first main portion. The first bending portion is substantially perpendicular to the first main portion. Each second contact comprises a second main portion, a second contact portion and a second bending portion extending from a lateral edge of the second main portion. The second bending portion is substantially perpendicular to the second main portion and is parallel to the first bending portion. The first and the second contact portions are located at a same side of the housing member. Each of the second bending portion comprises a first width viewed from a left-to-right direction parallel to the transverse direction, and a second width viewed from a rear-to-front direction perpendicular to the transverse direction in condition that the second width is narrower than the first width. As a result, the narrow second width of the second bending portions can occupy small space of a rear wall of the housing member so that the rear wall of the housing member still has adequate area for mounting other components.

[0007] The foregoing has outlined-rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.

[0024] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning timing considerations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art.

[0025] Reference will be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail, wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by same or similar reference numeral through the several views and same or similar terminology.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, an electrical connector 100 to be mounted on a PCB (not shown) includes a housing member 1, a plurality of contacts 2 attached to the housing member 1 and a metal shield 3 enclosing the housing member 1. The housing member 1 includes a first insulative housing 11 and a second insulative housing 12 received in the first insulative housing 11. The separate first and second insulative housings 11, 12 can facilitate assembly of the contacts 2 which will be detailed hereinafter.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the first insulative housing 11 includes a base portion 13 and a tongue plate 14 extending forwardly from a front face 131 of the base portion 13. The tongue plate 14 extends along a longitudinal direction A-A of the electrical connector 100 as shown in FIG. 6. The base portion 13 includes a bottom mounting wall 138 and a rear side 132 opposite to the front face 131. The mounting wall 138 includes a pair of mounting posts 139 extending outwardly therefrom and to be received in corresponding through holes (not shown) defined in the PCB so that the electrical connector 100 can be firmly mounted on the PCB. The rear side 132 of the base 13 includes a rear face 133 with five parallel first slits 134 recessed therefrom. Each first slit 134 extends along the longitudinal direction A-A, while all the first slits 134 are arranged side by side along a transverse direction B-B which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction A-A as shown in FIG. 6. The rear side 132 of the base portion 13 further includes a plurality of through holes 135 located between the adjacent two first slits 134. The through holes 135 are rectangular shaped and extend along the longitudinal direction A-A. The through holes 135 extend through the front and the rear faces 131, 133 for receiving a fiber optic device (not shown in this embodiment, but will be detailed in other embodiments) in order to enhance high speed signal transmission of the electrical connector 100. The fiber optic device includes a plurality of fiber cables. In assembly, the fiber cables are electrically connected to the PCB for mating with corresponding another fiber optic of the plug which is mateable with the electrical connector 100. The base 13 includes a rectangular shaped receiving cavity 136 throughout the front and the rear faces 131, 133 for receiving the second insulative housing 12.

[0028] The tongue plate 14 includes a free end 141 opposite to the base portion 13, a receiving opening 142 communicating with the receiving cavity 136, and a receiving base 143 between the free end 141 and the receiving opening 142. The receiving base 143 defines a plurality of parallel depressions 1431 communicating with the receiving opening 142, and then forms a plurality of projections 1432 located between the adjacent two depressions 1431. Each depression 1431 extends along the longitudinal direction A-A. Each projection 1432 extends into the receiving opening 142 for positioning the second insulative housing 12.

[0029] The second insulative housing 12 includes opposite first and second ends 121, 122, a plurality of openings 123 recessed from the first ends 121, and a plurality of second slits 124 recessed from the second ends 122. The second insulative housing 12 further defines a plurality of passageways 125 on opposite sides thereof for mounting the contacts 2.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the contacts 2 include a plurality of first contacts 21 and a plurality of second contacts 22. The first and the second contacts 21, 22 are disposed side by side along the transverse direction B-B. Each first contact 21 includes a first main portion 211, an elastic first contact portion 212 at one end of the first main portion 211, and a first bending portion 213 extending downwardly from the other end of the first main portion 211. The first main portion 211 has a certain width thereof and located in a horizontal plane. The other end of the first main portion 211 includes opposite lateral edges 214, 215 in the horizontal plane. The first bending portion 213 bends downwardly from one of the lateral edges 214, 215 and substantially perpendicular to the first main portion 211. The first bending portion 213 further includes a contractive first soldering portion 216 extending downwardly to be soldered to the PCB.

[0031] Each second contact 22 includes a second main portion 221, a stiff second contact portion 222 at one end of the second main portion 221, and a second bending portion 223 extending downwardly from the other end of the second main portion 221. The second main portion 221 is located in a horizontal plane. The other end of the second main portion 221 includes opposite lateral edges 224, 225 in the horizontal plane. The second bending portion 223 bends downwardly from one of the lateral edges 224, 225 and substantially perpendicular to the second main portion 221. The second bending portion 223 further includes a contractive second soldering portion 226 extending downwardly to be soldered to the PCB.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 8, in assembly, the first and the second contacts 21, 22 are attached to the second insulative housing 12 to form a module. The first and the second main portion 211, 221 are retained in the corresponding passageways 125 of the second insulative housing 12, and the some of the second bending portions 223 extend through the second slits 124 for preliminary positioning. The second contact portions 222 further extend beyond the second insulative housing 12. Then, the module is received in the receiving cavity 136 and the receiving opening 142 from a rear-to-front direction parallel to the longitudinal direction A-A. The second contact portions 222 are received in the corresponding depressions 1431 of the tongue plate 14. The first and the second contact portions 212, 222 are located at the same side of the housing member 1. The first contact portion 212 extend beyond the second insulative housing 12. The plurality of projections 1432 of the tongue plate 14 protrude into the corresponding openings 123 of the second insulative housing 12 as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. All the first and the second bending portions 213, 223 are received in the first slits 134 of the base portion 13. The first and the second bending portions 213, 223 which are received in the same first slit 134 aligned with each other along the longitudinal direction A-A.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, each first or second bending portion 213, 223 has a first width W1 viewed from a left-to-right direction parallel to the transverse direction B-B, and a second width W2 viewed from a rear-to-front direction parallel to the longitudinal direction A-A, wherein the second width W2 is much narrower than the first width W1. As a result, the first and the second bending portions 213, 223 occupy a small space of the rear side 132 of the first insulative housing 11 and left adequate space between the adjacent two second bending portions 223 for insertion of the fiber optic. The first and the second bending portions 213, 223 extend from a lateral edge of the corresponding first and the second main portions 211, 221. The first and the second soldering portions 216, 226 are parallel to each other and extend beyond the first and the second slits 134, 124 for being soldered to the PCB. The first and the second main portions 211, 221 are located in the horizontal plane, and the first and the second bending portions 213, 223 are located in the vertical plane.

[0034] Regarding FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the metal shield 3 is in a tube shape, which defines a top face 31, a bottom face 32 opposite to the top face 31 and a pair of sidewalls 33 connecting the top face 31 and the bottom face 32. The metal shield 3 is secured to the base portion 13 of the first insulative housing 11 to enclose the tongue plate 14 and the second insulative housing 12 received in the receiving opening 142 of tongue plate 14. The metal shield 3 encloses the housing member 1 to form a receiving space 30 to which the first and the second contact portions 212, 222 exposed. The through holes 135 of the first insualtive housing 11 communicate with the receiving space 30 so that the fiber optic can be exposed to the receiving space 30 as well. Each of the top and bottom faces 31, 32 and the pair of sidewalls 33 include at least one spring arm 34 projecting into the receiving space 30 for abutting against the corresponding plug for retaining purpose.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, another electrical connector 100′ is disclosed according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector 100′ is similar to the electrical connector 100. The differences between them are that a space between each adjacent two second soldering portions 226 is almost the same, as best shown in FIG. 3, according to the first embodiment, while such space between the adjacent two second soldering portions 226′ is not the same. In detail, two enlarged spaces S1′ are formed between the adjacent two second soldering portions 226′ on lateral sides of the base portion 13′ with respect to a narrow space S2′ between the adjacent two second soldering portions 226′ which are located between the two enlarged spaces S1′. Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, a fiber optic device 8′ is received in the base portion 13′. The fiber optic device 8′ includes an insulator 81′ and a plurality of fiber cables (not shown) received in the insulator 81′. The insulator 81′ includes a base 811′ and four blocks 812′ extending forwardly from the base 811′. In order to receive the fiber cables, each block 812′ defines a hole 813′ which further extends through the base 811′. The blocks 812′ on lateral sides of the base portion 13′ have a pair of guiding posts 814′ as best shown in FIG. 11. In assembly, the insulator 81′ is inserted into the base portion 13′ through the corresponding through holes 135′ in condition that the blocks 812′ are received in the through holes 135′ for positioning purpose. The guiding posts 814′ extend into a receiving space 30′ for mating with depressions of corresponding plugs (not shown). The fiber cables are inserted into the holes 813′ for mating with the plug in order to enhance signal transmission. The fiber cables are electrically connected to a PCB on which the electrical connector 100′ is mounted.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 13 to 15, an electrical connector 100″ is disclosed according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector 100″ is similar to the electrical connector 100′. The differences between them are that the electrical connector 100″ only defines two through holes 135″ extending through a base portion 13″ with respect to the four through holes 135′. Correspondingly, the insulator 81″ only includes a pair of blocks 812″ for being inserted into the through holes 135″.

[0037] The electrical connectors 100, 100′, 100″ are compatible to the existing standard USB 2.0 plug which only has corresponding plug contacts for mating with the first contact portions 212. However, the plug with essentially shape of the standard USB 2.0 plug while with additional contacts for mating with the second contacts 22 and/or the fiber optic can also be received in the electrical connector 100 for high signal transmission.

[0038] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. For example, the tongue portion is extended in its length or is arranged on a reverse side thereof opposite to the supporting side with other contacts but still holding the contacts with an arrangement indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.