BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particular to an electrical connector having additional contacts for RF (Radio Frequency) signal transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Taiwan Pat. No. 1287324 issued on Sep. 21, 2007 discloses an electrical connector assembly including a first connector and a second connector mating with each other. The first and second connectors each defines two different interfaces arranged side by side and spaced from each other along a longitudinal direction, which makes different connector interfaces combo in one connector for expediently using. However, the two different interfaces in each connector are conventional types and are simply arranged in a side by side manner along the longitudinal direction, which may increase the length of the first and second connectors and is not benefit for miniaturization.
Therefore, a new design is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector featured with additional contacts in a normal interface for miniaturization.
In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector mating with each other in a mating direction, the first connector includes a mating tongue and a plurality of first contacts exposed upon the mating tongue, the second connector includes a mating cavity for receiving the mating tongue therein and a plurality of second contacts for mating with the first contacts. The mating tongue defines an upper long mating face, a lower long mating face opposite to the upper long mating face and extending along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and a side mating face extending along a vertical direction perpendicular to both the mating direction and the longitudinal direction to connect the upper and lower long mating faces at a longitudinal end thereof. The mating cavity defines a longitudinal upper inner long face for mating with the upper long mating face, a lower inner long face for mating with the lower long mating face, and an inner side face connecting with the upper and lower inner long faces. The mating tongue retains a first inner contact exposed upon the side mating face and a first outer contact surrounding the first inner contact, the mating cavity retains a second inner contact exposed upon the inner side face for mating with the first inner contact and a second outer contact for mating with the first outer contact, and when the first and second connectors mate in the mating direction, the first and second inner contacts connect with each other to be disposed in a shielding frame defined by the first and second outer contacts.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly including a first connector and a second connector mated with each other in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first connector shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the first connector shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second connector shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a partial exploded perspective view of the second connector shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a partial exploded perspective view showing first and second inner contacts and corresponding first and second outer contacts; and
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. Referring to FIG. 1, the electrical connector assembly includes a first connector 100 and a second connector 200 mating with each other in a mating direction.
Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the first connector 100 includes a longitudinal first base portion 10, a mating tongue 20 extending forwardly from the base portion 10 along the mating direction, and a first metal shell 30 enclosing the mating tongue 20. The mating tongue 20 defines lower and upper long mating faces 201, 201a opposite to each other and extending along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and a pair of side mating faces 202 extending along a vertical direction perpendicular to both the mating direction and longitudinal direction and each connecting the two long mating faces 201, 201a at a longitudinal end thereof. A plurality of first contacts 41 are exposed upon the two long mating faces 201, 201a, a pair of first outer contacts 43 are respectively retained at two longitudinal ends of the mating tongue 20, and a pair of first inner contacts 42 each exposes upon one of side mating faces 202.
Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the second connector 200 defines a longitudinal second base portion 50 and a mating cavity 602 recessed from a front face 601 of a mating portion 60. The mating cavity 602 is surrounded by two opposite longitudinal inner long faces and a pair of inner side faces 604, the two opposite longitudinal inner long faces are defined as an upper inner long face 603a and a lower inner long face 603. A plurality of second contacts 81 are retained in the upper and lower inner long faces 603a, 603, a pair of second inner contacts 82 are respectively retained in the two inner side faces 604. A pair of second outer contacts 83 are retained in the mating portion 60 at two longitudinal ends thereof and exposed at two edges of the second contacts 81.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, each first inner contact 42 defines a retaining portion 421, a stiff contacting portion 422 extending from the retaining portion 421 and exposed upon the side mating face 202, and a soldering portion 423 extending out of the first base portion 10. Each first outer contact 43 defines a first connecting portion 431, two bending portions 432 bending toward the side mating face 202 respectively from upper and lower edges of the first connecting portion 431, a first soldering tail 433 downwardly extending from the lower edge of the first connecting portion 431, and a second soldering tail 434 extending outwardly from the bending portion 432 of the upper edge of the first connecting portion 431 and then downwardly extending to parallel with the first soldering tail 433. Each first outer contact 43 is retained at a longitudinal end of the mating tongue 20 with the bending portion 432 extending from the upper edge of the first connecting portion 431 exposed upon the upper long mating face 201a and with the bending portion 432 extending from the lower edge of the first connecting portion 431 exposed upon the lower long mating face 201. The soldering portion 423 of the first inner contact 42 is disposed between the first and second soldering tails 433, 434 of the first outer contact 43. The plurality of first contacts 41 are divided into a set of first signal contacts 413 and a set of first power contacts 414, each first signal contact 413 provides a first touching portion 411 exposed upon the upper long mating face 201a and a soldering leg 412, and each first power contact 414 provides a second touching portion 411a exposed upon the lower long mating face 201 and a soldering leg 412.
Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, each second inner contact 82 defines a fixing portion 821 retained in the mating portion 60, a resilient contacting arm 822 extending from a front side of the fixing portion 821 and passing through the inner side faces 604 to project into the mating cavity 602, and a soldering leg 823 extending out of the second base portion 50. Each second outer contact 83 defines a second connecting portion 831 retained to the mating portion 60, and two contacting sections 832 respectively bending from upper and lower edges of the second connecting portion 831 and exposed upon upper and lower inner long faces 603a, 603. The second connecting portion 831 and the contacting sections 832 partial extend out of the second base portion 50 to be defined as a soldering section 833. The plurality of second contacts 81 are divided into a set of second signal contacts 813 and a set of second power contacts 814, each second signal contact 813 provides a first touching section 811 exposed upon the upper inner long face 603a, and each second power contact 814 provides a second touching section 811a exposed upon the lower inner long face 603, the plurality of second contacts 81 each provides a connecting section 812 extending out of the second base portion 50.
The first metal shell 30 encloses the mating tongue 20 to define a receiving cavity 301 for receiving the mating portion 60 of the second connector 200 therein. The first metal shell 30 defines a blocking portion 302 split from a front edge thereof to project toward the mating tongue 20, and the mating portion 60 defines a corresponding slot 605 for fitting with the blocking portion 302. The mating portion 60 includes an extending portion 70 enclosed with a second metal shell 80 and a pair of latching arms 90 disposed at two sides of the extending portion 70 with latching portions 91 exposed out of the mating portion 60 for latching with locking windows 303 of the first metal shell, the second metal shell 80 defines elastic latching portion 801 for latching with the first metal shell 30.
Referring to FIG. 7, when the first and second connectors 100, 200 mate with each other in the mating direction, the blocking portion 302 is received in the slot 605 to guide the mating portion 60 entering into the receiving cavity 301, and the mating tongue 20 enters into the mating cavity 602 to make the first contacts 41 connect with the second contacts 81. The two contacting sections 832 of one second outer contact 83 each contacts with a corresponding bending portion 432 of a first outer contact 43 to form a closed shielding frame, synchronously, the stiff contacting portion 422 of the first inner contact 42 and the resilient contacting arm 822 of the second inner contact 82 dispose in the closed shielding frame to electrically connect with each other for RF (Radio Frequency) signal transmission. A shielding plate 834 provided at each second outer contact 83 is disposed opposite to the second connecting portion 831 to improve the shielding function of the closed shielding frame. Each bending portion 432 of the first outer contact 43 defines two rib portions 435 aligned with each other in the mating direction for contacting with the contacting section 832 of the second outer contact 83.
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.
Patent Application
20150072559
