Patent Application
20230411891
This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Chinese Patent Application No. 202221498963.5, filed on Jun. 15, 2022.
The present invention relates to a connector assembly.
In prior art, board to board connectors typically include male and female connectors. Male and female connectors are installed on two circuit boards respectively. When male and female connectors are mated, electrical connection between two circuit boards can be achieved. However, in the prior art, terminals in the male connector are completely different from terminals in the female connector, requiring different manufacturing molds, and increasing the manufacturing cost.
A connector assembly has a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a first housing and a first terminal arranged in the first housing. The first terminal includes a first terminal mating portion. The second connector includes a second housing and a second terminal arranged in the second housing. The second terminal includes a second terminal mating portion that corresponds to the first terminal mating portion. The first terminal mating portion is identical to the second terminal mating portion but is inverted 180 degrees relative to the second terminal mating portion.
Features of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing.
As shown in
In the shown embodiment, the first terminal mating portion 131 is identical to the second terminal mating portion 231 but is inverted 180 degrees relative to the second terminal mating portion 231.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first terminal mating portion 131 is a bent first elastic arm, and the first terminal mating portion 131 has a first contact portion 131c protruding from the first receiving slot 121. The second terminal mating portion 231 is a bent second elastic arm, the first terminal mating portion 131 has a second contact portion 231c protruding from the second receiving slot 221. The first contact portion 131c is in electrical contact with the second contact portion 231c.
The first terminal mating portion 131 also has a first connecting portion 131b and a first end portion 131a located at both ends thereof, respectively, as shown in
As shown in
The first connecting portion 131b is connected between the first terminal fixing portion 130 and the first contact portion 131c and bent into a V-shaped shape, and the second connecting portion 231b is connected between the second terminal fixing portion 230 and the second contact portion 231c and bent into a V-shaped shape, as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first housing 10 also includes a pair of side plates 11a connected to one end of the first main housing 11, the pair of side plates 11a are respectively located on both sides of the first housing mating portion 12 and spaced apart from the first housing mating portion 12. A pair of grooves 21a are formed on the outer wall surface of the second main housing 21 that are respectively matched with the pair of side plates 11a, and the pair of side plates 11a are respectively inserted into the pair of grooves 21a. The second housing mating portion 22 is inserted between the pair of side plates 11a, and the pair of side plates 11a are respectively against the outer wall surfaces on both sides of the second housing mating portion 22.
A guide groove 11b, as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first connector 1 includes a plurality of first terminals 13, and the second connector 2 includes a plurality of second terminals 23 that are respectively matched to the plurality of first terminals 13. Some first terminals 13 of the plurality of first terminals 13 are identical to some second terminals 23 of the plurality of second terminals 23, while others of the plurality of first terminals 13 are different from others of the plurality of second terminals 23. One of the first and second terminals 13 and 23 that are identical to each other and that match each other is inverted 180 degrees relative to the other.
However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. For example, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first connector 1 includes a plurality of first terminals 13, and the second connector 2 includes a plurality of second terminals 23 that are respectively matched to the plurality of first terminals 13. All first terminals 13 and all second terminals 23 are identical, and one of the first and second terminals 13 and 23 that match each other is inverted 180 degrees relative to the other.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first terminal 13 and the second terminal 23 are stamped terminals, and all the first terminals 13 and all the second terminals 23 are identical to each other when deployed to a flat state. Therefore, the same stamping die can be used when stamping a terminal strip, greatly reducing the manufacturing cost of the terminals.
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first terminal extension portions 132 of some first terminals 13 in the plurality of first terminals 13 are identical to the second terminal extension portions 232 of some second terminals 23 in the plurality of second terminals 23. The first terminal extension portions 132 of other first terminals 13 in the plurality of first terminals 13 are different from the second terminal extension portions 232 of other second terminals 23 in the plurality of second terminals 23.
As shown in
As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the first holder 14 and the second holder 24 are identical, so that the first holder 14 and the second holder 24 are interchangeable.
In an embodiment, the connector assembly further includes a first circuit board and a second circuit board. The first connector 1 is installed on the first circuit board, and the first terminal extension portion 132 of the first terminal 13 is electrically connected to the first circuit board. The second connector 2 is installed on the second circuit board, and the second terminal extension portion 232 of the second terminal 23 is electrically connected to the second circuit board.
It should be appreciated for those skilled in this art that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, many modifications may be made to the above embodiments by those skilled in this art, and various features described in different embodiments may be freely combined with each other without conflicting in configuration or principle.
Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, an element recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional such elements not having that property.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202221498963.5 | Jun 2022 | CN | national |
