BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector including contacts designed to be constructed of two parts coupled to each other.
2. Description of Related Arts
U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,589 discloses an electrical connector comprising, among others, a seat body including a bottom board section and a top board section and multiple top and bottom terminals secured to the bottom and top board sections. Terminals secured to the top board section are designed to have two parts coupled to each other. Specifically, a connecting terminal is provided and secured to the bottom board section and has a soldering leg and another end coupled to a terminating end of a top terminal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An electrical connector comprises: a terminal module including an insulative body and a plurality of first contacts secured to the insulative body, each first contact having a leg and a first terminating portion; a plurality of second contacts each having a second terminating portion coupled to the first terminating portion of a corresponding first contact and a contacting portion extending from the second terminating portion rearwardly toward the leg of the corresponding first contact.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the electrical connector;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a further exploded view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a further exploded view of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a first and a second terminal modules of the electrical connector;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but from a different perspective;
FIG. 8 is a further exploded view of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line A-A in FIG. 2;
FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing a varied design of the electrical connector;
FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a first and a second terminal modules of the varied electrical connector in FIG. 10; and
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 9, of the varied electrical connector in FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an electrical connector 100 of a first embodiment comprises an insulative housing 10, a first terminal module 20, a second terminal module 30, and a third terminal module 40 received in the insulative housing, and a shielding shell 50 enclosing the insulative housing. The insulative housing 10 has a receiving space 11 open toward a front thereof for receiving a mating memory card or card tray.
Referring to FIGS. 5-9, the first terminal module 20 and the second terminal module 30 are stacked and secured to the insulative housing 10. The third terminal module 40 is secured to the second terminal module 30 behind the first terminal module 20. The first terminal module 20 includes an insulative base 21 and a plurality of terminals 26 secured to the insulative base 21 via an insert-molding process and functioning as a front row contacts. The terminal 26 has a resilient contacting portion 27 extending rearwardly into the receiving space 11 and a planar immovable terminating portion 28. The terminating portion 28 is partially exposed through a bottom of the insulative base 21 to define a coupling portion 29. The second terminal module 30 includes an insulative body 31 attached to the housing 10 in the vertical direction, and a plurality of terminals 34 secured to the insulative body 31 via an insert-molding process and functioning as supporting terminals or stationary terminals. The terminal 34 has a leg 35, an intermediate securing portion 36, and a terminating portion 37 for resiliently pressing against the coupling portion 29 of the terminal 26 to complete a functional terminal constructed of two parts in order to simplify its manufacturing process. The insulative body 31 has holes 32 and the insulative base 21 has posts 24 interference fit in the holes. The insulative base 21 has a main part 22 and a pair of protrusions 23 for interference fitting with the insulative housing 10. The third terminal module 40 includes an insulative body 41 and a plurality of terminals 44 secured to the insulative body via an insert-molding process and functioning as a rear row contacts. The insulative body 41 has two end blocks engaged in corresponding notches 33 of the insulative body 31, thereby securing the insulative body 41 to the insulative body 31. The terminal 44 has a contacting portion 45 and a leg 46. The contacting portions 45 are lined behind the contacting portions 27. The contacting portions 27 and the contacting portions 45 extend toward each other and apexes thereof substantially lie on a same plane. The legs 35 may engage the insulative body 41 if desired. The legs 46 are located above the legs 35. The insulative base 21 has front vertical slots 25 for exposing ends of the terminating portions 28 of the terminals 26. The insulative body 41 has front vertical slots 43 where the contacting portions 45 extend out forwardly into the receiving space 11.
FIGS. 10-12 shows a varied design of the electrical connector in which coupling structure between a terminal module 120 and a second terminal module 130 is modified. The first terminal module 120 includes an insulative base 121 and a plurality of terminals 126 secured to the insulative base. The terminal 126 has a resilient contacting portion 127 extending rearwardly and a planar terminating portion 128. The terminating portion 128 is partially exposed through a bottom of an insulative base 121 to define a coupling portion 129. The second terminal module 130 includes an insulative body 131 and a plurality of terminals 134 secured to the insulative body. The terminal 134 has a leg 135, an intermediate securing portion 136, and a terminating portion 137 for spot welding to the coupling portion 129 of the terminal 126 to complete a functional terminal constructed of two parts in order to simplify its manufacturing process. A third terminal module 140 including an insulative body 141 and a plurality of terminals 144 is secured to the insulative body 131. The insulative base 121 has front vertical slots 125 for exposing ends of the terminating portions 128 of the terminals 126 and the terminating portion 137 of the terminals 134.
In a conventional one-piece terminal design, a U-shaped in-turned portion is present which makes it difficult to manufacture as well as to control a height of the contacting portion 27 or 127. Differently, in the instant invention the first terminal module 20 and the second terminal module 30 provide the two-piece design for each contact set having the paired terminal 26 and the terminal 34 working together wherein the terminal 26 essentially rearwardly extends in a cantilevered manner while the terminal 34 extends in a stationary manner. Notably, the terminals 44 of the third terminal module 40 are located behind the terminals 26 and extend forwardly in an opposite cantilevered manner. The opposing cantilevered manners in the front-to-back or mating direction between the terminals 26 and the terminals 44 may provide a counter-balanced arrangement when a mating memory card with or without the card tray is inserted into or withdrawn from the receiving space 11. Understandably, in this embodiment both the terminals 26 and the terminals 44 perform in a simple cantilevered manner. Anyhow, in some alternate situation, such terminal may initially functions in a cantilevered manner while successively functioning like a restrained beam rather than a cantilevered beam.