USRE43796E1 - Receptacle connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector including a first connector element and a second connector element that are coupled into a single unit, in which the first connector element has an engagement projection that projects interior of the first connector element and extends in the direction of the depth of the first connector element so that the front end of the engagement projection is spacedly apart from the front edge of the first connector element, and the second connector element is formed with an engagement slit that extends in the direction of depth of the second connector element and engages with the engagement projection of the first connector element.

Description

Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,660. The reissue applications are application Ser. Nos. 11/334,820 and 29/318,045, (the present application) all of which are continuation reissues of Ser. No. 11/334,820.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connector and more particularly to an electrical connector used in, for instance, small size electrical appliances.

2. Prior Art

In for instance, computer related electronic appliances, the electrical connections including connections to an AC adapter, to interfaces, etc. are made in many different ways. Such electrical connections are typically made by connectors that substantially comprise a receptacle (female) side connector element and a plug (male) side connector element that is brought into the receptacle side connector and coupled thereto for making electrical connection in between so that pin-shaped electrodes installed in the connector elements are connected.

More specifically, connectors typically include in their metal shells a plurality of pins (or terminals) that are arranged in parallel in their longitudinal directions and positionally secured by insulator material such as polyamide, LCP (liquid crystalline polymer), etc. The pins in the receptacle and plug side connector elements are spacedly arranged side by side in the direction in which the connector elements are mated together.

Upon making connection of the plug side connector element into the receptacle side connector element, it is necessary that respective pins in two connector elements be aligned to be on a straight line. In other words, it is necessary to avoid the connector elements from being oblique to each other when they are brought together at their front edges for connection. If the plug side connector element in an oblique posture with reference to the receptacle side connector element, as shown inFIG. 10, is pushed into the receptacle side connector element, an irregular pin connection is made (as at100) as seen from the enlarged view shown in the circle inFIG. 10, and this would cause several problems including short-circuiting.

In addition, when the plug side connector element is connected to the receptacle connector element in a slanted posture (which can easily occur when there is size differences between the receptacle and plug side connector elements), removing of the plug side connector element from the receptacle side connector element is not easily done and occasionally requires forcible and repeated twists on the shell of the plug side connector element This would cause damage to the pins and the shells of both connector elements.

Thus, though pin alignment is essential when connection is made between the two connector elements, such a pin alignment is not obtained easily and this difficulty can occur often when the connector is small in size and used in small size electrical devices such as a personal digital assistance (PDA), digital cameras, camcorders, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that allows accurate and secure connections or coupling between connector elements to be made easily without causing pin or electrode misalignment.

The above object is accomplished by a unique structure of the present invention for a connector that comprises a first connector element and a second connector element that are coupled together when the second connector element is fitted in the first connector element, and in the present invention:

• • the first connector element is formed with an engagement projection that extends in the direction of the depth of the first connector element, the front end of the engagement projection being spacedly apart from the front edge of the first connector element; and
  • the second connector element is formed with an engagement slit or slot that extends in the direction of the depth of the second connector element so that the engagement slit receives therein the engagement projection of first connector element when the first and second connector elements are connected.

With the structure above, upon connecting the second connector element to the first connector element, the front end of the engagement slit of the second connector element engages with the engagement projection of the fist connecting element after the front end of the engagement slit has advanced the distance between the front edge of the first connector element and the front end of the engagement projection, and then the second connector element is pushed all the way to back of the first connector element in the depth of the first connector element while being guided by the engagement slit engaging with the engagement projection. Accordingly, even when the second connector element is obliquely pushed into the first connector element at the initial stage of coupling process, such oblique posture is corrected by the engagement projection of the first connector element as the second connector element is pushed and advanced to the back of the first connector element, and a connection between the first and second connector elements with the pins (electrodes) inside both of them being aligned straight can be made assuredly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first connector body (first connector element) of the connector according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the second connector body (second connector element) of the connector according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of the first connector body,

FIG. 4 schematically shows the cross section of the first connector body taken along theline44 inFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the second connector body,

FIG. 6 schematically shows the cross section of the second connector body taken along the line6-6 inFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates the second connector body which is combined with a plug assembly,

FIG. 8 illustrates the manner of connecting the second connector body to the first connector body,

FIG. 9 illustrates the first connector body to which the second connector body (not seen) is connected; and

FIG. 10 illustrates the manner of oblique connection of the first and second connector elements in prior art connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The connector of the present invention is comprised of a first connector body20 (a receptacle side connector element) and a second connector body40 (a plug side connector element).

As seen fromFIGS. 1 and 2, the first andsecond connector bodies20 and40 comprise respectively a relatively flatbox shape shell22 and42 made of a metal and include therein a plurality of pins or elongated electrodes, which are collectively referred to by thereference numerals24 and44 respectively, and an insulating material (not shown) is filled therein so as to positionally secure thepins24 and44.

Theshell22 of thefirst connector body20 comprises, as best seen fromFIG. 4, atop shell plate22A and abottom shell plate22B as well asside shell plates22C, thus forming a box shape that has apredetermined depth22D (seeFIG. 3) that extends from thefront edge20A to the rear edge20B of thefirst connector body20. Thepins24 of thefirst connector body20 are arranged parallel to the direction of thedepth22D.

Theshell22 of thefirst connector20 is formed in itstop shell plate22A withengagement projections30. Each of theprojections30 is formed by cutting thetop shell plate22A in an angled C shape, and the resultingtongue pieces22E are bent inward toward the interior of theshell22. Thetongue pieces22E are in the shape of elongated parts of theshell22 that extend in the direction of thedepth22D of thefirst connector body20, and they are parallel to theside shell plates22C of thefirst connector body20 or to theside edges22A′ of thetop shell plate22A.

Thetongue pieces22E are bent at locations ofdistance22W from theside shell plates22C or from theside edges22A′ of thefirst connector body20 to make theengagement projections30. Theengagement projections30 are provided with a space of a distance L apart from thefront edge20A of thefirst connector body20. In other words, the front ends32 of theengagement projections30 are spaced apart from thefront edge20A of thefirst connector body20. Theengagement projections30 have alength30L which is, in the shown embodiment, about two third thedepth22D of thefirst connector body20.

On the other hand, theshell42 of thesecond connector body40 comprises, as best seen fromFIG. 6, atop shell plate42A and a bottom shall shell plate42B as well asside shell plates42C, thus forming a box shape with apredetermined depth42D (seeFIG. 6) that extends from thefront edge40A to the rear edge40B of thesecond connector body40. The overall size of theshell42 of thesecond connector42 is slightly smaller than theshell22 of thefirst connector body20 so that thesecond connector body40 is fitted in thefirst connector body20 from the front side of thefirst connector body20. Thepins44 of thesecond connector body40 are arranged so be parallel to the direction of thedepth42D.

Theshell42 of thesecond connector body40 is formed in itstop shell plate42A withengagement slits50. Each of theengagement slits50 is formed by cutting away parts of thetop shell plate42A linearly so that theengagement slits50 are parallel to and adjacent to theside plates42C or toside edges42A′ of thetop shell plate42A. An alternate construction would be to mold theslits50 into theshell42 when theshell42 is made. Theengagement slits50 are provided so as to extend in the direction ofdepth42D of theshell42 of thesecond connector body40. In other words, the front end ends52 of theengagement slits50 are on thefront edge40A of thesecond connector body40. Theengagement slits50 have a length50L which is, in the shown embodiment, about two thirds of thedepth42D of thesecond connector body40 and is slightly larger in length than theengagement projections30 of thefirst connector body20.

Theengagement slits50 are opened at locations ofdistance42W from theside shell plates42C or from theside edges42A′ of thetop shell plate42A of thesecond connector body40, thedistance42W being substantially the same as thedistance22W of theengagement projections30 of thefirst connector body20. Thus, the engagement slits50 positionally correspond to theengagement projections30 of thefirst connector body20. The width W of theengagement slits50 is substantially the same as (or slightly larger than) the thickness of thetongue pieces22E (engagement projections30) which is the thickness of the metal material of theshell22 of thefirst connector body20.

Thereference numerals60 shown inFIG. 2 are raised springy holders formed by notching thetop shell plate42A of thesecond connector body40 and raised outwardly.

The first andsecond connector bodies20 and40 structured as described above are connected by way of mating together at the front ends of theshells22 and42.

More specifically, as shown inFIG. 7, thesecond connector body40, which is attached at its rear edge40B to, typically, aplug assembly60 70 that is connected to, for instance, an electrical cable (not shown), is held by hand, and then it is brought to the vicinity of thefirst connector body20 which is installed in a casing body of, for instance, a PDA (not shown).

Thefront edge40A of thesecond connector body40, which is a plug side connector element, is set so as to face thefront edge20A of thefirst connector body20, which is a receptacle side connector element, so that the first andsecond connector bodies20 and40 are aligned in the direction of the depth thereof (which brings an alignment of thepins24 and44 installed insuch connector bodies20 and40). In this positioning, since thedistances22W and42W of the first andsecond connector bodies20 and40 are substantially equal, theengagement projections30 of thefirst connector body20 and the engagement slits50 of thesecond connector body40 are also aligned on imaginary straight lines.

Then, thesecond connector body40 is pushed into thefirst connector body20 as shown by arrow inFIG. 8. During the initial pushing movement, the outer surfaces of theshell42 of thesecond connector body40 are guided by the inner surfaces of theshells22 of thefirst connector body20. After advancing the distance L which is the distance from thefront edge20A to the front ends32 of theengagement projections30 in thefirst connector body20, the engagement slits50 of thesecond connector body40 come into engagement with theengagement projections30 of thefirst connector body20. As a result, the sliding movement of thesecond connector body40 in thedepth22D of and toward the rear edge20B of thefirst connector body20 is guided by theengagement projections30. Thesecond connector body40 is thus pushed into thefirst connector body20 straight with the pins inside both connector bodies aligned straight as well and connected to the first connector body20 (seeFIG. 9, in which thesecond connector body40 is unseen since it is inside the first connector body20). Thesecond connector body40 is held inside thefirst connector body20 by the raisedspringy holders60 that press against the inside surface of thetop shell plate22A of thefirst connector body20.

The width W of each engagement slit50 is substantially the same as (or slightly larger than) the thickness of theengagement projection30, and thus theengagement projections30 have substantially no space for play in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the length of the engagement slits50 or to the direction of the connecting direction of the first andsecond connector bodies20 and40. Accordingly, the engagement slits50 of thesecond connector body40 make no lateral movements during the sliding movement, keeping the straight alignment obtained by the engagedengagement projections30 and engagement slits50.

As a result, even when thesecond connector body40 is slanted with reference to thefirst connector body20 during the initial connecting stage, such a slanted positional relationship is automatically corrected to a straight relationship as thesecond connector body40 is pushed into deep in thefirst connector body20, and a snug and secure engagement of the first andsecond connector bodies20 and40 is accomplished, and pins24 and44 of the first andsecond connector bodies20 and40 are connected properly. Theengagement projections30 and the engagement slits50 are formed near the side edges22A′ and42A′ of the first andsecond connector bodies20 and40, respectively; accordingly, the connection of theconnector bodies20 and40 can be made in a stable fashion, and a separation of the connected connecting bodies can be made easily.

Claims (28)

1. A connector comprising a first connector element and a second connector element that are coupled together, wherein

said first and second connector elements are each formed with a metallic shell;

said first connector element is formed with an engagement projection that projects toward an interior of said first connector element and extends in a direction of depth of said first connector element, a front end of said engagement projection being spaced apart from a front edge of said connector element by a predetermined distance;

said engagement projection is formed by cutting a C-shape slit in a top surface of said metallic shell of said first connector element and bending a tongue formed downwardly; and

said second connector element is formed with an engagement slit in said metallic shell that extends in a direction of depth of said metallic shell of said second connector for engaging with said engagement projection formed in said metallic shell of said first connector element.

2. The connector according toclaim 1, wherein said engagement projection is provided at two locations of said first connector element so as to be parallel to side edges of said first connector element, and said engagement slit is provided at two location of said second connector element so as to be parallel to side edges of said second connector element and to correspond to said two locations of said engagement projections of said first connector element.

3. The connector according toclaim 1, wherein said engagement projection has a predetermined length in said depth direction and said engagement slit has a predetermined length in said depth direction which is at said predetermined length of said engagement projection.

4. An electrical connector comprising:

a receptacle connector element having a first metallic shell and adapted to be coupled to a plug connector element having a second metallic shell, the first shell comprising a top plate, a bottom plate, a first side and a second side and having a width W and a depth D, the first and second sides being small relative to the top and bottom plates making the first shell substantially flat;

first and second engagement projections formed in the top plate of the first shell that project toward an interior of the receptacle connector element and extend in a direction of a depth of the receptacle connector element, a front end of the first and second engagement projections being spaced apart from a front edge of the receptacle connector element by a predetermined distance, the engagement projections being formed by cutting a C-shape slit in a top surface of the first shell and bending a tongue formed downwardly;

an array of electrodes disposed within the first shell and extending in a direction of the depth D between the first and second engagement projections such that there are no electrodes between an engagement projection and its respective side, the array of electrodes being positioned to provide for an insertion cavity around the array of electrodes in an interior of the shell;

wherein the first and second engagement projections in the first shell are adapted to engage with first and second engagement slits formed in a top plate of the second shell, the first and second engagement slits starting from a front edge of the top plate and extending in a direction of the depth D.

5. An electrical connector comprising:

a receptacle connector element having a first shell and adapted to be coupled to a plug connector element having a second shell, the first shell comprising a top plate, a bottom plate, a first side and a second side and having a width W and a depth D, the first and second sides being small relative to the top and bottom plates making the first shell substantially flat;

first and second engagement projections formed in the top plate of the first shell that project toward an interior of the receptacle connector element and extend in a direction of a depth of the receptacle connector element, a front end of the first and second engagement projections being spaced apart from a front edge of the receptacle connector element by a predetermined distance;

an array of electrodes disposed within the first shell and extending in a direction of the depth D between the first and second engagement projections such that there are no electrodes between an engagement projection and its respective side, the array of electrodes being positioned to provide for an insertion cavity around the array of electrodes in an interior of the shell;

wherein the first and second engagement projections in the first shell are adapted to engage with first and second engagement slits formed in a top plate of the second shell.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 wherein each of the projections is in the shape of a tongue that is bent toward the interior of the shell.

7. The electrical connector of claim 5 wherein the tongue is formed by cutting an angled C shape into the top plate of the shell.

8. The electrical connector of claim 5 wherein each of the projections has a length that is about two thirds of the depth D of the shell.

9. The electrical connector of claim 5 wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are made of metal.

10. An electrical receptacle connector comprising:

a body having a top plate, a bottom plate, a first side and a second side, the body having a width W and a depth D, wherein the first and second sides are smaller relative to the top and bottom plates providing a substantially flat body;

an array of electrodes extending in the direction of the depth D inside the body and positioned to provide for an insertion cavity around the array of electrodes in an interior of the body; and

first and second projections extending, in a first direction, from the top plate toward the interior of the body and extending, in a second direction, along the depth D, the first projection being disposed at a distance S1 from the first side of the body and the second projection being disposed at a distance S2 from the second side of the body, wherein S1 and S2 are about the same,

wherein, the array of electrodes is disposed between the first and second projections such that there are no electrodes between a projection and its respective side, and

wherein, the first and second projections facilitate engagement alignment when the receptacle connector mates with a corresponding plug connector.

11. The receptacle connector of claim 10 wherein the plurality of projections start at a distance L from a front edge of the first plate.

12. The receptacle connector of claim 10 wherein each of the projections is in the shape of a tongue that is bent toward the interior of the body.

13. The receptacle connector of claim 12 wherein the tongue is formed by cutting an angled C shape into the top plate of the body.

14. The receptacle connector of claim 10 wherein each of the projections has a length that is about two thirds of the depth D of the body.

15. The receptacle connector of claim 10 wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are made of metal.

16. The receptacle connector of claim 10 further comprising a casing wherein the body is housed, the casing comprising an electronic device.

17. The receptacle connector of claim 16 wherein the electronic device is a personal digital assistant.

18. The receptacle connector of claim 10 wherein the body is sized to allow insertion of a body of a corresponding plug connector therein.

19. An electrical receptacle connector comprising:

a body having a top plate, a bottom plate, a first side and a second side, the body having a width W and a depth D, wherein the first and second sides are smaller relative to the top and bottom plates providing a substantially flat body;

an array of electrodes extending in the direction of the depth D inside the body; and

one or more projections extending, in a first direction, from the top plate toward the interior of the body and extending, in a second direction, along the depth D, each of the one or more projections being disposed a predetermined distance from the first or second side,

wherein the array of electrodes is disposed such that there are no electrodes between a projection and its nearest side, and

wherein the one or more projections guide the insertion process when the electrical connector mates with another connector.

20. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 19 wherein the array of electrodes are positioned to provide for an insertion cavity around the array of electrodes in an interior of the body.

21. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 19 wherein the one or more projections start at a distance L from a front edge of the first plate.

22. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 19 wherein the one or more projections comprises a first projection at a distance S1 from the first side of the body and a second projection at a distance S2 from the second side of the body, wherein S1 and S2 are about the same.

23. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 22 wherein the array of electrodes is formed between the first projection and the second projection.

24. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 22 wherein each of the outermost electrodes of the array of electrodes is spaced away from its respective side by a distance that is no less than S1 or S2.

25. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 19 wherein each of the one or more projections is in the shape of a tongue that is bent toward the interior of the body.

26. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 25 wherein the tongue is formed by cutting an angled C shape into the top plate of the body.

27. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 19 wherein each of the one or more projections has a length that is about two thirds of the depth D of the body.

28. The electrical receptacle connector of claim 19 wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are made of metal.

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