BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a first connector of the connector assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an assembly view of the first connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of a second connector of the connector assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an assembly view of the second connector of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an assembly view of the connector assembly;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail.
Referring to FIGS. 1-7, a board-to-board electrical connector assembly provided for electrical connection between a first and second printed circuit board (PCBs) (not shown) in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first connector 100 and a second connector 200 engaged with the first connector 100.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first connector 100 comprises a first housing 10, a plurality of first terminals 20 received in the first housing 10 and four first metal ears 60 engaged with the first housing 10. The first housing 10 comprises a first peripheral wall 11, a rectangular main body 13 formed in a middle portion thereof around the first peripheral wall 11, and an engagement passage 14 formed between the first peripheral wall 11 and the main body 13. The first peripheral wall 11 defines an opposite first longitudinal walls 11a and an opposite first transverse walls 11b connecting with the first longitudinal walls 11a. The longitudinal wall 11a defines a plurality of passageways 113 therethrough and a rib 114 formed on an inner portion thereof toward to the engagement passage 14. The main body 13 defines a pair of trapeziform recesses 131 at two opposite ends parallel to the first transverse wall 11b, and a plurality of mounting holes 132 at the other two opposite ends parallel to the first longitudinal wall 11a, corresponding to the passageway 113. Both the trapeziform recess 131 and the mounting hole 132 are connected with the engagement passage 14. The first transverse wall 11b defines a slot 115 opposite to the trapeziform recess 131 on an inner portion thereof. A locking portion 116 is formed on inner wall of the slot 115, for fixedly engaging with the second terminal 40 of the second connector 200. The first longitudinal wall 11a defines a pair of securing recesses 117 at two opposite ends thereof. The securing recess 117 defines a securing portion 118 thereof, for engaging with the first metal ear 60.
Each of the first terminal 20 is formed from a metal sheet by stamping and has an F-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The first terminal 20 comprises a base portion 21 received in the engagement passage 14, a first retaining portion 22 extending upwardly from a lateral side of the base portion 21 for be received in the passageway 113, a first contacting portion 23 extending slantly and upwardly from one end of the base portion 21 and received in the mounting hole 132, and a first tail 24 extending from the opposite end of the base portion 21 for soldering onto the first PCB (not shown). The first retaining portion 22 defines a barb 221 for wedging into the passageway 113. Both the base portion 21 and the first contacting portion 23 are formed a same side of the first retaining portion 22, a connecting point 231 is formed at a distal end of the first contacting portion 23 for engaging with the second terminal 40.
Each first metal ear 60 is engaged with the corresponding securing recess 117 of the first longitudinal wall 11a and defines a vertical portion 61 having two fixing legs 63 formed at two opposite ends thereof and provided for engaging with the securing portion 118 of the securing recess 117, a planar portion 62 extending from a bottom end of the vertical portion 61 for soldering the first metal ear onto the first PCB.
When in assembly of the first connector 100, the first terminal 20 is firstly mounted onto the housing 10 from a bottom portion of the housing 10 via the barb 221 of the first retaining portion 22 of the terminal 20 wedging into the corresponding passageway 113 of the housing 10, at the same time, the first tail 24 of the first terminal 20 is extended outward of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10. Then the four first metal ears 60 are respectively fixed onto the housing 10 via the corresponding the fixing legs 63 interferentially engaged into corresponding securing portions 118 so as to fix the metal ears 60 into the securing recesses 117, while the planar portion 62 of the first metal ear 60 is also extended outward of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10, together with the first tail 24 of the first terminal 20, to solder the first connector 100 onto the first PCB. Thus, electrical connection between the first connector 100 and the first PCB is obtained.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the second connector 200 comprises a second housing 30, a plurality of second terminals 40 received in the second housing 30 and a pair of second metal ears 50 engaged with the second housing 30. The second housing 30 defines a second peripheral wall 31, a base plate (not shown), and a receiving cavity 33 formed between the peripheral wall 31 and the base plate. The second peripheral wall 31 defines an opposite second longitudinal walls 31a and an opposite second transverse walls 31b connecting with the second longitudinal walls 31a. Each of the second longitudinal walls 31a defines a plurality of grooves 35 along a longitudinal direction thereof. The second transverse wall 31b defines a cutout 311 connecting with the receiving cavity 33 in its inner wall thereof. A T-shaped flange 34 extends from a middle portion of the cutout 311 toward to the receiving cavity 33 and defines a trapeziform portion 342 formed at a front end of the flange 34. A space 341 is formed between the flange 34 and the inner wall of the cutout 311. The second transverse wall 31b defines a pair of notches 312 corresponding to the cutout 311 on an out wall thereof and a channel 313 connected with the cutout 311 and the notch 312 to fix the second metal ear 50 onto the second housing 30.
Each of second terminal 40 has a P-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The second terminal 40 comprises a second contacting portion 41, a second retaining portion 42 parallel to the second contacting portion 41, a connection portion 43 connecting the second contacting portion 41 and the second retaining portion 42, and a second tail 44 extending parallel from an end of the second retaining portion 42. A U-shaped configuration is formed between the second contacting portion 41 and the second retaining portion 42. A protrusion 431 is formed on a junction connecting the second retaining portion 42 and the connection portion 43 and provided for engaging with the rib 114 of the first housing 10 to secure the first and second connectors 10, 30 together.
Each of second metal ear 50 is formed a metal sheet by stamping and comprises a solder 51, an U-shaped portion 52 engaged onto the second transverse wall 31b from the cutout 311 to the notch 312, and a pair of mounting portions 53 extending from two lateral ends of the U-shaped portion 52 and received in the cutout 311. The U-shaped portion 52 defines a first wall 521, a second wall 523 and a connecting wall 522 connecting the first and second walls 521, 523. A projection 54 is extended outwardly from a middle portion of the first wall 521, and a gap 55 is formed a bottom end of the second wall 523.
When in assembly of the second connector 200, the second terminal 40 is interferentially fixed into the corresponding groove 35, the second contacting portion 41, the second retaining portion 42 and the connection portion 43 cooperative formed an U-shaped configuration received in the groove 35 and engaged with the second longitudinal peripheral wall 31a to make the second tail 44 extending outward of the longitudinal peripheral wall 31a. At the same time, a space is formed between the protrusion 431 of the second terminal 40 and an inner face of the groove 35. The first metal ear 50
Referring to FIGS. 5-7, when the first connector 100 is fully mated with the second connector 200 to electrically interconnect each other, the second peripheral wall 31 of the second connector 200 is received in the engagement passage 14, and the trapeziform portion 342 of the flange 34 defined in the second connector 200 is received in the corresponding trapeziform recess 131 of the main body 13 defined in the first connector 100 to make the main body 13 received in the receiving cavity 33. Simultaneously, the connection portion 43 of the second terminal 40 pressly engages with the contacting point 231 of the first terminal 20 at first and engages with the first contacting portion 23 of the first terminal 20 during the second connector 200 ulteriorly engaging with the first connector 100 to make the first contacting portion 23 distortion toward to the main body 13. Thus the contacting point 231 electrically engages with the second contacting portion 41 and reliably conductivity of the first and second connectors 100, 200 is obtained. Furthermore, the protrusion 431 of the second terminal 40 fixedly wedges with the rib 114 of the first housing 10, while the projection 54 of the second metal ear 50 fixedly mounts with the locking portion 116 of the slot 115 of the first housing 10. With these configuration, the first and second connectors 100, 200 can reliably engagement with each other.
However, the disclosure is illustrative only, changes may be made in detail, especially in matter of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention.
Patent Application
20080038939
