Patent Application
20230318228
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Patent Application No. TW 111203300 filed in Taiwan on Mar. 31, 2022, Patent Application No. TW 111208806 filed in Taiwan on Aug. 12, 2022, and Patent Application No. TW 111211862 filed in Taiwan on Oct. 28, 2022, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
The technology disclosed herein relates generally to electrical connectors and more specifically to electrical connectors comprised of shells with surface protrusions thereon. The surface protrusions may prevent damage when mated with a misoriented mating connector.
Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. In general, various electronic devices (e.g., smart phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, notebook computers, digital cameras, and the like) have been provided with assorted types of connectors whose primary purpose is to enable an electronic device to exchange data, commands, and/or other signals with one or more other electronic devices, as well as to supply power to components of the electronic device. Electrical connectors are basic components needed to make some electrical systems functional. Signal transmission to transfer information (e.g., data, commands, and/or other electrical signals) often occur via electrical connectors between electronic devices, between components of an electronic device, and between electrical systems that may include multiple electronic devices.
It is generally easier and more cost effective to manufacture an electrical system as separate electronic assemblies, such as printed circuit boards (“PCBs”), which may be communicatively joined together with electrical connectors. In some scenarios, the PCBs, sometime referred to as “cards” herein, to be joined may each have connectors mounted on them.
The connectors may be mated directly to each other to interconnect the PCBs.
In other scenarios, the PCBs may be connected indirectly via a cable. Electrical connectors may nonetheless be used to make such connections. For example, the cable may be terminated on one or both ends with a plug type of electrical connector (“plug connector” herein). A PCB may be equipped with a receptacle type of electrical connector (“receptacle connector” herein) into which the plug connector may be inserted to connect the cable to the PCB. A similar arrangement may be used at the other end of the cable, to connect the cable to another PCB, so that signals may pass between the PCBs via the cable.
As will be appreciated, an electrical connector's quality will affect its ability to perform signal transmissions and power transmissions reliably. For a complicated electrical system comprised of multiple electrical devices that rely on each other to operate properly, multiple electrical connectors may be required to operate reliably for the devices to operate as intended within the system.
Use and installation positions vary for different electrical devices. Therefore, there have been many types of connectors that have been developed having different structures designed to meet the needs of use and geometrical size and shape. Demand for small portable electronics has resulted in development of increasingly thinner and lighter electrical connectors of various types.
The inventors have recognized and appreciated that miniaturization of electrical connectors may lead to quality considerations in terms of structural integrity and ease of use. As connectors become smaller, thinner, and lighter, materials forming the connectors may be more susceptible to damage from routine handling of the connectors if the connectors are misaligned and/or misoriented during mating operations. For example, a connector may be located in a remote position in a system, such that an operator may not be able to observe the connector while a mating connector is being mated with the connector in the system. When the operator's line of sight is obstructed during mating, also referred to a blind mating or blind plugging, misorientation or misalignment of the connectors relative to each other may result in force being applied improperly to a fragile internal connector element, leading to damage or even breakage of the internal connector element. Such damage or breakage may result in power and/or signal transmission failures in the system. Therefore, the inventors have developed electrical connectors that prevent or minimize misalignment or misorientation and/or that prevent or minimize improper application of force to fragile internal connector elements during blind mating. Disclosed herein are aspects of the electrical connectors developed by the inventors.
According to an aspect of the present technology, an electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector may be comprised of: an insulative housing; a plurality of sets of terminals, the sets of terminals each being comprised of a plurality of metal terminals, and the sets of terminals being disposed in respective segments of the housing such that contact portions of the metal terminals are exposed in openings of the housing and arranged to contact conductive portions of a mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated; and a shell configured to surround external surfaces of the housing. The shell may be comprised of: a first portion having a first width, a second portion having a second width different from the first width, a third portion having a third width less that each of the first and second widths. The third portion may be positioned between the first and second portions such that a shape of the shell is comprised of at least one recess positioned between the first and second portions. The shell also may be comprised of a plurality of protrusions extending outward from an external surface of the shell by a first distance of (H1). The protrusions may be configured to prevent the mating connector from mating with the electrical connector when the mating connector is misaligned with the electrical connector.
In some embodiments, the at least one recess may extend inward from the external surface of the shell by a distance of H2.
In some embodiments, the protrusions may include first protrusions extending outward from a first external surface of the shell in a first direction, and second protrusions extending outward from a second external surface of the shell in a second direction opposite to the second direction.
In some embodiments, the at least one recess may be comprised of a first recess extending inward by the distance of H2 from the first external surface of the shell, and a second recess extending inward by the distance of H2 from the second external surface of the shell.
In some embodiments, the shell may be comprised of metal, and the protrusions may be comprised of bent portions of the metal.
In some embodiments, the protrusions may be configured to be disposed in alignment recesses in the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. In some embodiments, the protrusions may be configured such that, during mating of the electrical connector with the mating connector, the protrusions align with the alignment recesses of the mating connector before the sets of terminals contact the conductive portions of the mating connector.
In some embodiments, the shell may be comprised of a first side and a second side. The first portion of the shell may have a first height. The second portion of the shell may have the first height on the first side of the shell, and may have a second height on the second side of the shell. The second height may be different from the first height such that a step is positioned between the first and second portions of the shell on the second side of the shell. In some embodiments, the first height of the shell is greater than the second height of the shell.
In some embodiments, the housing may be comprised of a first portion having a first height and first external surfaces facing first internal surfaces of the first portion of the shell, and a second portion having a second height and second external surfaces facing second internal surfaces of the second portion of the shell. The first height of the first portion of the housing may be different from the second height of the second portion of the housing such that a shoulder is positioned between the first and second portions of the housing.
In some embodiments, the first width of the first portion of the shell may be greater than the first width of the first portion of the housing such that the first portion of the shell is spaced apart from the first portion of the housing by first and second spaces respectively adjacent the first and second sides of the shell. The first and second spaces may be configured to accommodate first and second mating protrusions of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. The third portion of the housing may not be separated from the third portion of the shell by a portion of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated.
In some embodiments, the second portion of the housing may be comprised of a first housing segment. At least a portion of the first housing segment may be spaced apart from the first side of the shell by a first plugging space configured to receive a first plugging block of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. A width of the first plugging space may be greater than a width of the protrusions. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first housing segment is spaced apart from the second side of the shell by a second plugging space configured to receive a second plugging block of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. In some embodiments, in the first housing segment, a length of the first plugging space may be different from a length of the second plugging space. In some embodiments, lengths of the first and second spaces separating the first portion of the shell from the first portion of the housing may be different from the length of the first plugging space and different from the length of the second plugging space.
In some embodiments, the second portion of the housing may be comprised of a second housing segment. At least a portion of the second housing segment may be spaced apart from the first side of the shell by a third plugging space configured to receive a third plugging block of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the second housing segment may be spaced apart from the second side of the shell by a fourth plugging space configured to receive a fourth plugging block of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated.
In some embodiments, the openings of the housing may be comprised of first and second openings. The first opening may be in the first portion of the housing and may be configured to receive a first card portion of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. The second opening may be the second portion of the housing and may be configured to receive a second card portion of the mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. A length of the first opening may be different from a length of the second opening. The protrusions may be configured to prevent insertion of one or both of the first and second cards portions of the mating connector into one or both of the first and second openings when the mating connector is misaligned with the electrical connector.
In some embodiments, the sets of terminals may be comprised of at least two sets of terminals, with the at least two sets of terminals including power terminals and signal terminals. In some embodiments, the sets of terminals may be comprised of: a first set of terminals disposed at least partially in the first portion of the housing and configured to contact at least one side of the first card of the mating connector when the first card is inserted in the first opening, a second set of terminals disposed in the second portion of the housing and configured to contact at least one side of the second card of the mating connector when the second card is inserted in the second opening, and a third set of terminals disposed at least partially in the third portion of the housing and configured to contact at least one side of the first card of the mating connector when the first card is inserted in the first opening.
According to an aspect of the present technology, an electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector may be comprised of an insulative housing, a plurality of sets of terminals, and a shell configured to surround the housing. The sets of terminals may each be comprised of a plurality of metal terminals disposed in the housing such that contact portions of the metal terminals are exposed in openings of the housing and arranged to contact conductive portions of a mating connector when the electrical connector and the mating connector are mated. The shell may be comprised of a plurality of first shell sections each located adjacent the housing, a plurality of second shell sections each spaced apart from the housing and forming a plugging space, and a plurality of protrusions extending from at least some of the second shell sections.
In some embodiments, the shell may be comprised of a first portion having a first width, a second portion having a second width, and a third portion having a third width less that each of the first and second widths. The third portion of the shell may be positioned between the first and second portions such that a shape of the shell is comprised of at least one recess positioned between the first and second portions. The third portion of the shell may be comprised of at least some of the first shell sections. In some embodiments, the second width may be less than the first width, and the second portion of the shell may be comprised of at least some of the second shell sections forming the plugging spaces. In some embodiments, the first portion of the shell may be comprised of a pair the second shell sections forming a pair of plugging spaces comprised of a first plugging space located adjacent a front side of the housing and a second plugging space located adjacent a rear side of the housing.
In some embodiments, the housing may be comprised of a first portion having first external surfaces facing first internal surfaces of the first portion of the shell, a second portion having second external surfaces facing second internal surfaces of the second portion of the shell, and a third portion having third external surfaces facing second internal surfaces of the second portion of the shell. The second portion of the housing may be at least partially located between a first plugging space and a second plugging space. The first and second plugging spaces may have at least one different dimension. In some embodiments, the first and second plugging spaces may have different widths. In some embodiments, the first and second plugging spaces may have different lengths. In some embodiments, the housing may be comprised of at least one housing latch portion extending from a surface of the housing, and the shell may be comprised of at least one shell latch portion configured to latch with the at least one housing latch portion to fix a position of the shell relative to the housing. In some embodiments, the at least one housing latch portion may be comprised of a locking protrusion located on a top surface of the housing, and the at least one shell latch portion is comprised of a locking latch configured to latch to the locking protrusion when the housing and shell are assembled together. In some embodiments, the at least one housing latch portion may be comprised of a locking recess located between the second and third portions of the housing, and the at least one shell latch portion is comprised of a locking hook configured to engage with the locking recess when the housing and the shell are assembled together.
The foregoing features may be used, separately or together in any combination, in any of the embodiments discussed herein.
Various aspects and embodiments of the present technology disclosed herein are described below with reference to the accompanying figures. It should be appreciated that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Items appearing in multiple figures may be indicated by the same reference numeral. For the purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure.
The inventors have recognized and appreciated design techniques for electrical connectors that enable mated plug and receptacle connectors to occupy a small volume while providing reliable operation for high-integrity signal interconnects, power transfer, and/or low speed signals. Techniques and technology described herein may lead to compact yet robust connectors, which are less likely to be damaged during mating, enabling high performance and compact electronic devices. Additionally, techniques and technology described herein may be used to structure an electrical connector that is able to transmit a plurality of types of signals as well as one or more types of power. The electrical connector may be comprised of a plurality of segments configured to mate with a corresponding plurality of mating segments of a mating connector. In some embodiments of the present technology, the electrical connector may be a receptacle connector comprised of a plurality of receiving portions configured to receive and accommodate a plurality of card portions of a plug connector when the plug and receptacle connectors are mated. The segments may be used advantageously to provide signals to a plurality of different electrical components. For example, a first segment may be comprised of terminals configured to provide signals and/or power to a first electrical subsystem, a second segment may be comprised of terminals configured to provide signals and/or power to a second electrical subsystem, a third segment may be comprised of terminals configured to provide signals and/or power to a third electrical subsystem, etc.
The inventors have further recognized and appreciated that miniaturized electrical connectors are more likely to be damaged by some unintended forces that can arise during blind mating of, e.g., a receptacle connector with, e.g., a plug connector. For example, during mating of the plug connector to the receptacle connector, which may be mounted in a PCB, although it may be preferred that force be applied in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the receptacle connector, in practice, however, a user may not pay special attention to an angle at which the plug connector is oriented with respect to the receptacle connector. Thus, the receptacle connector may be subject to an external force that is not parallel to the axial direction of the receptacle connector. Such off-axis forces can impact the receptacle connector in ways that affect the integrity of signals passing through the receptacle connector. Off-axis forces, for example, may cause the receptacle connector to tilt. Damage may also result if an operator wrongly orients a front side of the plug connector with a rear side of the receptacle connector and attempts to press the connectors together in the wrong orientation. When the operator attempts to insert the plug connector into the receptacle connector while they are misoriented and/or misaligned relative to each other, a large force (e.g., 55 N or more) may be exerted. In some situations, the force may be sufficient to break solder joints connecting metal terminals of the receptacle connector to the PCB. In other scenarios, the off-axis forces may deform the terminals, shift their positions, or otherwise alter their signal paths through the receptacle connector in ways that degrade the integrity of signals passing through the receptacle connector via the terminals. In addition to damaging the metal terminals and/or their solder connections to the PCB, the force may be sufficient to deform or break one or more portions of an insulative housing of the receptacle connector, including a portion bounding a card-receiving portion. The receptacle connector may then cease to be able to hold the plug connector reliably, thus creating the possibility of intermittent disconnection between the plug and receptacle connectors. Consequently, the receptacle connector may lose its functionality and, in turn, normal operation of the electronic device employing the receptacle connector may cease.
Aspects of the techniques and technology described herein may reduce or eliminate the possibility of improper orientation of a plug connector during a mating operation with a receptacle connector. Aspects of the techniques and technology described herein may reduce or eliminate the possibility of misalignment between the plug and receptacle connectors. Aspects of the techniques and technology described herein may minimize or eliminate the application of damaging forces during a mating operation. Aspects of the techniques and technology described herein may be used to implement a single connector that is able to provide signals and power to a plurality of different electrical subsystems.
Aspects of the technology described herein may improve robustness of an electrical connector and may minimize or prevent movement of a mating connector secured to the connector and/or movement of internal parts of the connector and/or prevent movement of the connector relative to a board (e.g., a PCB) to which when the connector is mounted, when the connector is subjected to repeated mating and unmating operations. For example, a connector may be comprised an insulative body, in which a plurality of metal terminals are held, and a metal shell encircling the insulative body. For miniaturized connectors, the terminals may be densely packed such that a spacing between adjacent terminals may be submillimeter. Repeated mating and unmating operations may cause movement (e.g., flexing) of the insulative body and/or the terminals, which may cause undesirable shifting of the terminals leading to shorting of some of the terminals. For example, during mating and unmating of a plug connector to and from a receptacle connector mounted to a PCB, the insulative body of the receptacle connector may experience lateral forces and/or push and pull forces, all of which can cause solder joints to loosen. Aspects of the disclosed technology may fix the position of the shell relative to the insulative body, such that the shell may absorb undesirable forces (e.g., forces that are not aligned with a mating direction of the connectors).
In another aspect, the shell may include structures that cooperate with features on a plug connector to latch the plug connector to the connector, so as to hold the plug connector securely for mating to the connector. the present technology provides various locking and latching mechanisms as well as other mechanisms for fixing the position of the shell relative to the insulative body (collectively referred to as “fixing mechanisms”). Ensuring that the shell is fixed to the housing may ensure that the plug is reliably mated to the electrical connector, even if forces are applied to the plug or a cable attached to it in use. The inventors have recognized techniques for reliably fixing the shell to the housing while retaining a high density of signal and power connections through the connector. As discussed below, fixing mechanisms may be deployed at various locations of the shell and the insulative body, which may be particularly advantageous for elongated connectors in which a shell might otherwise be prone to flexing. For example, for a multi-segmented connector, one or more fixing mechanisms may be located at each segment and/or between adjacent segments, to fix the position of the shell to relative to the insulative body. The mechanisms may be located on one side of the connector (e.g., a front side or a rear side) or may be located on opposite sides of the connector (e.g., front and rear sides) or may be located at any location where shifting is to be minimized or prevented.
It should be understood that features described in connection with any embodiment may be combined with features described in connection with one or more other embodiments even if not expressly shown in the drawings or specifically described herein. For example, features of a shell design described and/or shown for one connector may be used for a shell of another connector even if not shown in the drawings or described herein. In another example, features described and/or shown for an insulative body for one connector may be used in an insulative body for another connector even if not shown in the drawings or described herein. In a further example, a fixing mechanism described and/or shown for one connector may be used for another connector even if not shown in the drawings or described herein.
Turning now to the figures,
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the connector A may have a T shape when viewed from above (
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first mating surface 211 may be provided with a first mating interface 2111, and the second mating surface 221 may be provided with a second mating interface 2211. The first mating interface 2111 may be comprised of a first accommodating space 24 formed of a recess that extends from the first mating surface 211 into the first body portion 21A and that is configured to receive a protruding portion of a mating connector when the connector A and the mating connected are mated. Similarly, the second mating interface 2211 may be comprised of a second accommodating space 25 formed of a recess that extends into the second body portion 22A and that is configured to receive a protruding portion of the mating connector when the connector A and the mating connected are mated. In some embodiments, the first and second accommodating spaces 24, 25 may be contiguous and may form a single recess in the connector A. On some other embodiments, the first and second accommodating spaces 24, 25 may be separate from each other may form two recesses in the connector A.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5 may bound an assembly space 50 in which the insulative body 2 may be disposed when the shell 5 and the insulative body 2 are assembled together. Front and rear portions of the shell 5 may each be comprised of a first shell clasping portion 501 extending upward from a bottom edge of a shell neck 503, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5 may have at least two different shell widths such that when the shell 5 and the insulative body 2 are assembled together one or more portions of the shell 5 may be spaced apart from the insulative body 2 and one or more portions of the shell 5 may be positioned close to the insulative body 2 and may even be in physical contact with the insulative body 2. In some embodiments, the assembly space 50 of the shell 5 may be comprised of a first portion in which the first body portion 21A is disposed and a second portion in which the second body portion 22A is disposed. The first portion the assembly space 50 may have a first shell width W1 that is greater than a width of the first body portion 21A such that the front surface of the first body portion 21A is spaced apart from the front portion of the shell 5 by a front plugging space 53 and such that the rear surface of the first body portion 21A is spaced apart from the rear portion of the shell 5 by a rear plugging space 52, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5 may be comprised of at least one engagement protrusion 592 that extends inward from the shell 5 to engage with at least one recess (not shown) in the insulative body 2, to fix a relative position of the shell 5 and the insulative body 2. In some embodiments, the insulative body 2 may be comprised of at least one engagement groove 29 that extends downward from the first mating surface 211 of the insulative body 2, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the front and rear plugging spaces 53, 52 may have equal or substantially equal lengths, in directions parallel to a Y direction (see
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the second body portion 22A may be comprised of a locking protrusion and the shell neck 503 may be comprised of a locking latch configured to engage with the locking protrusion when the insulative body 2 is inserted in the shell 5. An example of the locking protrusion and the locking latch is discussed below in connection with reference numerals 217 and 594 and
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5 may be comprised of at least one set of holes configured to engage the front and rear legs of the mating connector, when the mating connector is mated with the electrical connector A. In some embodiments, a first assembly hole set 58A may be provided on each of a front wall and a rear wall of the shell 5, such that protrusions on the front leg of the mating connector may be received in holes 581 of the first assembly hole set 58A on the front wall of the shell 5 when the front leg is fully inserted in the front plugging space 53 and such that protrusions on the rear leg of the mating connector may be received in similar holes on the rear wall of the shell 5 when the rear leg is fully inserted in the rear plugging space 52. In some embodiments, the holes 581 may be through-holes, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5 may be comprised of mounting pins 593 that extend from bottom edges of the shell 5, as shown in
As noted above, the electrical connector A may be comprised of a plurality of types of terminals, e.g., the first terminal set 3 and the second terminal set 4, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the electrical connector 1 may be comprised of an insulative body 2 and a shell 5. The insulative body 2 may be comprised of a first body portion 21 and a second body portion 22 (see
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first mating surface 211 may be provided with a first mating interface 2111, and the second mating surface 221 may be provided with at least one mating interface. For example, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, the electrical connector 1 may be identified as a multi-segment connector. In some embodiments, the first body portion 21 may correspond to a first segment 1-a of the electrical connector 1 and the second body portion 22 may correspond to a second segment 1-b of the connector 1, as depicted in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first mating interface 2111 may be comprised of a first accommodating space 24 formed of a recess that extends from the first mating surface 211 into the first body portion 21 and that is configured to receive a first protruding portion of a mating connector when the connector 1 and the mating connected are mated. The second mating interface 2211 may be comprised of a second accommodating space 25 formed of a recess that extends from the second mating surface 221 into the second body portion 22 and that is configured to receive a second protruding portion of the mating connector when the connector 1 and the mating connected are mated. The third mating interface 2212 may be comprised of a third accommodating space 27 formed of a recess that extends from the second mating surface 221 into the second body portion 22 and that is configured to receive a third protruding portion of the mating connector when the connector 1 and the mating connected are mated. As will be appreciated, although the electrical connector 1 is shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, a longitudinal length of the first mating interface 2111 may be different from a longitudinal length of the second mating interface 2211 and/or a longitudinal length of the third mating interface 2212. The longitudinal lengths may be dimensions parallel to a Y direction of the connector 1 (see
According to some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, the first body portion 21 and the second body portion 22 of the insulative body 2 may be integrally formed as a single unit (e.g., by molding) and may be installed in the shell 5 as one piece in a single installation operation. In some other embodiments, the first body portion 21 and the second body portion 22 may be discrete units of the insulative body 2 and may be installed in the shell 5 one at a time, in two or more different installation operations, or may be assembled together before being installed in the shell 5 in a single installation operation. For example, the insulative body 2 may be comprised of three or more segments, such as individual units for the first, second, and third mating interfaces 2111, 2211, 2212, as noted above. The individual units may be installed in the shell 5 one at a time or may be assembled together before being installed in the shell 5. In some embodiments, the shell 5 may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal) and my function to prevent the insulative body 2 and the electrical connector 1 from experiencing electromagnetic interference (EMI), which may adversely affect operation of the connector 1. For example, the shell 5 may be mounted on a PCB and may be connected to a ground trace on the PCB, thus grounding the shell 5.
According to some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, the first body portion 21 may be provided with a body clasping portion 28 located near a bottom edge of a front surface of the first body portion 21, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the second body portion 22 of the insulative body 2 may be provided with a protrusion 26 that extends outward from the mating surface 221 in a direction parallel to the Z direction. In some embodiments, the protrusion 26 may also extend outward from a front surface of the second body portion 22, in a direction parallel to an X direction of the electrical connector 1 (see
Referring to
As noted above, the regions of the shell 5 having the first and second shell widths W1, W2 may correspond to the first body portion 21 of the insulative body 2. According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first body portion 21 may be comprised of an end section and a relatively narrower body neck 213, as shown in
As noted above, the vertical height of the first body portion 21 may be represented by L1 and may be greater than L2, which may represent the vertical height of the second body portion 22 (see
According to some embodiments of the present technology, one or more parts of the insulative body 2 may be spaced apart from the shell 5 and may form plugging spaces between the insulative body 2 and the shell 5. As discussed above, front and rear surfaces of the first body portion 21 of the insulative body 2 may be spaced apart from the shell 5 such that the first plugging space 53 is located between the front surface of the first body portion 21 and the shell 5, and such that the second plugging space 52 is located between the rear surface of the first body portion 21 and the shell 5. In some embodiments, front and rear surfaces of the second body portion 22 of the insulative body 2 may be spaced from the shell 5 such that a third plugging space 54, a fourth plugging space 55, a fifth plugging space 56, and a sixth plugging space 57 may be formed between the second body portion 22 and the shell 5, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, the electrical connector 1 may be assembled by inserting the insulative body 2 into the assembly space 50 of the shell 5 through a bottom of the shell 5. In some embodiments, the shell 5 may be provided with a hook 591, which may be a piece of the shell 5 that is bent inward toward the assembly space 50. During insertion, the hook 591 may extend into the hole 260 in the insulative body 2 and the body clasping portion 28 may clasp to the first shell clasping portion 501. For example, the first shell clasping portion 501 may be a recessed edge, and the body clasping portion 28 may include a channel 28A in which the recessed edge of the first shell clasping portion 501 sits. Once inserted, the protrusion clasping portion 261 may be clasped with a second shell clasping portion 502, such that the body clasping portion 28 and the protrusion clasping portion 261 may each be exposed on an external side of the shell 5, so that the insulative body 2 may be set to a predetermined position relative to the shell 5, and so that the mating surfaces 211, 221 of the insulative body 2 may not protrude excessively from a top edge of the shell 5 (e.g., due to carelessness during the insertion).
Although
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the front and rear sides of the shell 5 may each be provided with a first assembly hole set 58A and a second assembly hole set 58B, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, a vertical height of the first assembly holes 581 on the front side of the shell 5, as measured from a bottom edge of the shell 5 in a direction parallel to the Z direction, may be equal to or substantially equal to a vertical height of the first assembly holes 581 on the rear side of the shell 5. In some embodiments, the first assembly holes 581 one the front side of the shell 5 may be symmetrically opposite (e.g., a mirror image) the first assembly holes 581 on the rear side of the shell 5. In contrast, a vertical height of the second assembly holes 582 on the front side of the shell 5 may be greater than a vertical height of the second assembly holes 582 on the rear side of the shell 5. As described above, the shell 5 may be comprised of the shell step 51 (see
As will be appreciated, the shell 5 may have other assembly-hole arrangements not specifically illustrated in the drawings. For example, the shell 5 may be provided with the first and second assembly hole sets 58A, 58B only on the front side or only on the rear side of the shell 5. In another example, the first assembly hole set 58A and/or the second assembly hole set 58B of the shell 5 may be comprised of only one assembly hole or may be comprised of a plurality of assembly holes different from what is shown in the drawings. It should be understood that the shell 5 may be configured with other assembly-hole arrangements suitable to engage with bumps and/or other engagement structures of a mating connector, to fix a relative position of the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector when mated to each other.
According to some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, a first terminal set 3 may be disposed in the first body portion 21 of the insulative body 2, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, a second terminal set 4 may be disposed in the second body portion 22 of the insulative body 2, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the contact ends of the third metal terminals 33 of the first terminal set 3 may be located on a first XY plane, and the contact ends of the second metal terminals 42 in the second terminal set 4 may be located on a second XY plane different from the first XY plane, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first and second body portions 21, 22 of the insulative body 2 may be contiguous portions of a single element. In some other embodiments, the first and second body portions 21, 22 may be separate elements that are held together by the shell 5 and/or by fastening means (e.g., fusing, glue, one or more clips, etc.). In these other embodiments, a first segment of the electrical connector 1, which may be comprised of the first terminal set 3 disposed in the first body portion 21, may be formed in separate manufacturing operations from manufacturing operations to form a second segment of the connector 1, which may be comprised of the second terminal set 4 disposed in the second body portion 22. The first and second segments of the connector 1 may be joined together by the shell 5 and/or by fastening means (e.g., fusing, glue, one or more clips, etc.). A connector design in which the first and second body portions 21, 22 are separate elements that are joined together mechanically is described below.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the third metal terminals 33 and the first metal terminals 31 may not combined as one unit piece (e.g., via attachment to the first terminal base 34 but instead the third metal terminals 33 may be disposed separately from the first metal terminals 31. In some embodiments, the first and third metal terminals 31, 33 may not be commonly exposed in the first accommodating space 24 of the first body portion 21 of the insulative body 2. Instead, the first body portion 21 may be comprised of an accommodating space in which the first metal terminals 31 are exposed and another accommodating space in which the third metal terminals 33 are exposed.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the third metal terminals 33 may be disposed in the relatively wider end section of the first body portion 21 and at least a portion of the first metal terminals 31 may be disposed in the relatively narrower body neck 213 of the first body portion 21, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first body portion 21 may be comprised of two first terminal sets 3, or may be comprised of two different terminal sets comprised of two different types of metal terminals (e.g., signal terminals, power terminals), or may be comprised of three different terminal sets comprised of three different types of metal terminals (e.g., signal terminals, power terminals, ground terminals).
As noted above, the difference in the lengths of the fourth and sixth plugging spaces 55, 57 on the front side of the electrical connector and the third and fifth plugging spaces 54, 56 on the rear side of the electrical may prevent front-rear misorientation of a mating connector when an operator tries to mate the mating connector with the electrical connector 1. The first through sixth plugging spaces 52, 53, 53, 55, 56, 57 also may prevent skewed mating of a mating connector with the connector 1. For example, the mating connector may be a plug connector comprised of a plurality of legs or protrusions configured to be inserted respectively in the first through sixth plugging spaces 52, 53, 53, 55, 56, 57 of the connector 1. If the mating connector is tilted or skewed relative to the connector, one or more of the legs may not be aligned with one or more corresponding ones of the first through sixth plugging spaces 52, 53, 53, 55, 56, 57 and movement of the mating connector toward the connector 1 may be prevented, thus allowing an operator to sense the positioning error before applying force to push the mating connector toward the connector 1 and consequently preventing the mating connector and/or the connector 1 from being damaged. Similarly, the presence of the narrow portion of the connector 1, corresponding to the body neck 213 and the shell neck 503, allows operator to ascertain quickly by sight and/or by touch the left and right sides of the connector 1, which may be particularly advantageous in blind mating operations when the operator must align the mating connector without being able to see the connector 1 during mating.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the electrical connector B may be comprised of an insulative body 2 having first and second body portions 21, 22 and a shell 5 in which the insulative body 2 is disposed. For example, the shell 5 may encircle the insulative body 2. The first and second body portions 21, 22 may be comprised of first and second mating surfaces 211, 221, which may face in a same direction and may be configured to face a mating connector when the connector B and the mating connector are mated. Unlike the electrical connector 1 shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the electrical connector C may be comprised of a first segment C-a and a second segment C-b. The first and second segments C-a, C-b may be manufactured as separate components and joined together to form the connector C. In some embodiments, the connector C may resemble the electrical connector 1 (see
According to some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, the first segment C-a of the electrical connector C may include: a first body portion 21, a first shell portion 5A configured to surround the first body portion 21 at least partially, and a plurality of conductive terminals 31, 33 disposed in the first body portion 21 such that contact surfaces of the conductive terminals 31, 33 are exposed, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first and second shell portions 5A, 5B may be formed of metal. The first shell portion 5A may encircle the first body portion 21 except at the engagement protrusion 216a, which may extend beyond a first shell interface 5a, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the electrical connector D may be comprised of an insulative body 2 and a shell 5D encircling the insulative body 2. In some embodiments, the insulative body 2 of the connector D may be the same as the insulative body 2 of the electrical connector 1. The shell 5D, however, is different from the shell 5 of the connector 1, as described below.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the first body portion 21 of the insulative body 2 may be provided with the body clasping portion 28 located near a bottom edge of a rear surface of the first body portion 21, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, the shell 5D may be formed of metal and may define the assembly space 50 in which the insulative body 2 is accommodated. The shell 5D may be similar to the shell 5 of the electrical connector 1 except for the presence of a plurality of protrusions 59 that extend outwards from the assembly space 50, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5D may be comprised of two long portions separated by two short portions. For example, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5D may be comprised of a shell neck 503 on the front portion 5D1 of the shell 5D and/or on the rear portion 5D2 of the shell. Unlike the protrusions 59, which extend outwards from the assembly space 50, the shell neck 503 may be a recess that extends inward relative to the assembly space 50. For example, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, one or more of the protrusions 59 may extend in a direction parallel X direction (see
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the electrical connector D may be comprised of one or more of the first through sixth plugging spaces 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57. In some embodiments, similar to the electrical connector 1, the connector D may be comprised of the first and second plugging spaces 53, 52 located adjacent the first body portion of the insulative body 2, and also may be comprised of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth plugging spaces, 54, 55, 56, 57 located adjacent the second body portion 22 of the insulative body 2, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the protrusions 59 of the shell 5D may function to improve structural characteristics of the shell 5D. In some embodiments, the protrusions 59 may be effective to improve a strength of the shell 5D when subjected to vertical forces during a mating operation when a mating connector is being connected to the electrical connector D. For example, during a mating operation, forces that may be intended to be along the Z direction (see
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the protrusions 59 of the shell 5D may function to minimize an insertion distance of the mating connector relative to the electrical connector D when the mating connector is misoriented (e.g., skewed from a proper insertion direction). For example, in a case where the mating connector is a plug connector and the connector D is a receptacle connector, one of more of the protrusions 59 may interfere with one or more surfaces of the misoriented mating connector during insertion of a portion of the mating connector into the connector D, thus limiting an amount that the mating connector may be inserted. By minimizing the insertion distance of the mating connector into the connector D, the protrusions 59 may prevent damage to the connector D and/or to the mating connector.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the shell 5D may be provided with hooks 591, 591A, and the second body portion 22 of insulative body 2 may be provided with a hole 260 configured to receive the hook 591 therein, and a hole 260A configured to receive the hook 591A therein. In some embodiments, the hook 591 may extend from an upper edge of a front side of the shell 5D towards the assembly space 50, and the hook 591A may extend from an upper edge of a rear side of the shell 5D towards the assembly space 50. A height of the front side of the shell 5D may be different from a height of the rear side of the shell 5D due to the shell step 51, as discussed above, and therefore a height of the hook 591 may be different from a height of the hook 591A. In some embodiments, the height of the hook 591 may be greater than the height of the hook 591A. In some embodiments, the hole 260 may be a recess in a top surface of protrusion 26 extending outward from the second body portion 22 of the insulative body 2. In some embodiments, the protrusion 26 may extend upwards from the second mating interface 2211 of the second body portion 22 in the Z direction. In some embodiments, the protrusion 26 may extend outwards in the X direction from a front surface of the second body portion 22. In some embodiments, the protrusion 26 may extend outwards in the Z direction and in the X direction, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, an upper surface of the first body portion 21 of the insulative body 2 of the electrical connector D′ may be comprised of a locking protrusion 217, which may extend upwards in the Z direction. For example, the locking protrusion 217 may extend upwards from the body neck 213 of the first body portion 21. In some embodiments, the shell 5D of the connector D′ may be comprised of a locking latch 594 configured to latch with the locking protrusion 217 when the insulative body 2 and the shell 5D are assembled together. In some embodiments, the locking latch 594 may be comprised of a loop configured to encircle the locking protrusion 217. In some embodiments, the locking protrusion 217 may extend from a recessed portion 217a of the first mating interface 2111 of the body neck 213 such that, when the locking latch 594 is latched with the locking protrusion 217, a top surface of the locking latch 594 and/or a top surface of the locking protrusion 217 may be flush with the first mating interface 2111.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the second mating interface 2211 of the second body portion 22 of the electrical connector D′ may be comprised of a locking recess 218 configured to engage with a locking hook 595 when the shell 5D and the insulative body 2 are assembled together. In some embodiments, the locking recess 218 may be located at an edge of the second body portion 22 adjacent a base of the step 23 between the first body portion 21 and the second body portion 22, as shown in
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the third and fourth plugging spaces 54, 55 may have different Y-direction lengths and/or different X-direction widths. In some embodiments, the fifth and sixth plugging spaces 56, 57 may have different Y-direction lengths and/or different X-direction widths.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the electrical connector D″ may be shortened or truncated version of the electrical connector D′ such that the insulative body 2 of the connector D″ includes the first body portion 21 with the first accommodating space 24 and includes a shortened second body portion 22″ that includes the second accommodating space 25 but, unlike the connector D′ does not include the third accommodation space 27. The shell 5D of the connector D″ may encircle the insulative body 2 such that the first and second plugging spaces 53, 52 are located on opposite sides of the first body portion 21 and such that the third and fourth plugging spaces 54, 55 are located on opposite sides of the shortened second body portion 22″, as shown in
The electrical connectors 1, B, C, D may be receptacle connectors and may be configured to mate with a plug connector.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the plug connector 6 may be comprised of a plurality of plugging blocks configured to be inserted in the plugging spaces of the receptacle connector 1 when the plug connector 6 is mated with the receptacle connector 1. The plugging blocks may be comprised of one or more bars and/or one or more legs and/or one or more other types of elongated protrusions that may be inserted in the plugging spaces of the receptacle connector. In some embodiments, the plug connector 6 may be comprised of front and rear first plugging blocks 612 configured to be inserted in the front and rear (first and second) plugging spaces 53, 52 of the receptacle connector 1. The first plugging blocks 612 may be bar-shaped protrusions extending parallel to the Z direction. In some embodiments, the first plugging block 612 may itself be comprised of a plurality of legs 612a, 612b extending parallel to the Z direction. In some embodiments, the plug connector 6 may be further comprised of second and third plugging blocks 613, 614 extending parallel to the Z direction. The second and third plugging blocks 613, 614 may be configured to be inserted in the third and fourth plugging spaces 54, 55, respectively, of the receptacle connector 1. In some embodiments, the third and fourth plugging spaces 54, 55 may have different Y-direction lengths, and the second and third plugging blocks 613, 614 may have different Y-direction lengths such that the second and third plugging blocks 613, 614 may fit snugly in the third and fourth plugging spaces 54, 55, respectively. Similarly, the plug connector 6 may be further comprised of fourth and fifth plugging blocks 615, 616 extending parallel to the Z direction. The fourth and fifth plugging blocks 615, 616 may be configured to be inserted in the fifth and sixth plugging spaces 56, 57, respectively, of the receptacle connector 1. In some embodiments, the fifth and sixth plugging spaces 56, 57 may have different Y-direction lengths, and the fourth and fifth plugging blocks 615, 616 may have different Y-direction lengths such that the fourth and fifth plugging blocks 615, 616 may fit snugly in the fifth and sixth plugging spaces 56, 57, respectively. In some embodiments, the plug connector 6 may be further comprised of protrusions 611 located on external surfaces of the second through fifth plugging blocks 613 through 616. The protrusions 611 may be configured to engage with the second assembly holes 582 of the first assembly hole set 58A of the receptacle connector 1, ensure that the plug and receptacle connectors 6, 1 are in a fixed position relative to each other. Although not depicted in
As discussed above, the first through sixth plugging spaces 52 through 57 and the first through fifth plugging blocks 612 through 616 (collectively, “alignment structures”) may ensure that the plug and receptacle connectors 6, 1 are properly aligned with each other before force is applied to push the connectors 6, 1 together. In some embodiments, the alignment structures may prevent skewing, where the connectors 6, 1 are tilted relative to each other in the Z direction. In some embodiments, the alignment structures may prevent a lateral displacement, where the connectors 6, 1 are shifted in the X direction and/or in the Y direction relative to each other. In some embodiments, the alignment structures may prevent skewing as well as a lateral displacement. In some embodiments, the alignment structures may prevent rotational misalignment, where the connectors 6, 1 may be aligned along the Z direction but misaligned along the X and Y directions. In some embodiments, the alignment structures may prevent front-back reversal or a 180° rotational misalignment. As will be appreciated, prevention of misalignment may reduce the possibility of damage to the metal terminals 31, 33, 42 of the receptacle connector 1 and/or damage to the metal contacts of the plug connector 6 and/or damage to other parts of the connectors 6, 1.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the three segments of the plug connector 6 may be inserted in the receptacle connector 1 separately. In some embodiments, the plug body 61 may be comprised of a first body portion 61-1, a second body portion 61-2, and a third body portion 61-3, which may be independent of each other. The first segment of the plug connector 6, which may be comprised of the first body portion 61-1, the first plug connection portion 62, and the first plugging blocks 612, may be inserted in the receptacle connector 1 as a unit. Similarly, the second segment of the plug connector 6, which may be comprised of the second body portion 61-2, the second plug connection portion 63, and the second and third plugging blocks 613, 614, may be inserted in the receptacle connector 1 as a unit before or after insertion of the unit forming the first segment. Similarly, the third segment of the plug connector 6, which may be comprised of the third body portion 61-3, the third plug connection portion 64, and the fourth and fifth plugging blocks 615, 616, may be inserted in the receptacle connector 1 as a unit before or after insertion of the unit forming the first segment and before or after the unit forming the second segment.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the plug connector 6′ may be comprised of a plurality of plugging blocks one side of the plug body 61′. For example, the plug connector 6′ may be comprised of the first plugging block 612, the third plugging block 613, and the fifth plugging block 615 on a front side of the first, second, and third plug connection portions 62, 63, 64, such that front surfaces of the first, second, and third plug connection portions 62, 63, 64 face the first, second, and fourth plugging blocks 612, 613, 615, respectively. In some embodiments, the plug connector 6′ may have no plugging block facing a rear surface of any of the first, second, and third plug connection portions 62, 63, 64. In some embodiments, the plug connector 6′ may be comprised of the first through fifth plugging blocks 612 through 616 arranged to face front and rear surfaces of the first, second, and third plug connection portions 62, 63, 64, similar to the plug connector 6. In some embodiments, the plug connector 6′ may be comprised of the first, second, and fourth plugging blocks 612, 613, 615 facing the front surface of the first, second, and third plug connection portions 62, 63, 64 and one or two of first, third, and fifth plugging blocks 612, 614, 616 facing one or two of the rear surfaces of the first, second, and third plug connection portions 62, 63, 64. In some embodiments, the plug connector 6′ may be further comprised of protrusions 611 located on external surfaces of the second and fourth plugging blocks 613, 615. The protrusions 611 may be configured to engage with the third assembly holes 583 of the second assembly hole set 58B of the receptacle connector 1, ensure that the plug and receptacle connectors 6′, 1 are in a fixed position relative to each other.
According to some embodiments of the present technology, the mated pair of connectors M1 may be discerned from the a mated pair of connectors M2 by the locations of the protrusions 611 visible through the first, second, and third assembly holes 581, 582, 583 of the first and second assembly hole sets 58A, 58B. For example, an operator may identify whether a mated pair of connectors is the mated pair of connectors M1 or the mated pair of connectors M2 by whether a single protrusion 611 is visible through the third assembly hole 583 corresponding to each of the second and third plug connection portions 63, 64, indicating the mated pair of connectors M2, or whether a pair of protrusions 611 are visible through the second assembly holes 582 corresponding to each of the second and third plug connection portions 63, 64, indicating the mated pair of connectors M1.
It should be understood that various alterations, modifications, and improvements may be made to the structures, configurations, and methods discussed above, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed herein. Further, although advantages of the present invention are indicated, it should be appreciated that not every embodiment of the invention will include every described advantage. Some embodiments may not implement any features described as advantageous herein. Accordingly, the foregoing description and attached drawings are by way of example only.
It should be understood that some aspects of the present technology may be embodied as one or more methods, and acts performed as part of a method of the present technology may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than shown and/or described, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown and/or described as sequential acts in various embodiments.
Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is therefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments. As a specific example, a fixing mechanism, for fixing a shell to a housing, described in connection with one embodiment may be used in conjunction with other embodiments instead of or in addition to the fixing mechanisms illustrated for that embodiment. As another example, a shell illustrated in connection with a connector housing with multiple separately formed segments may be used in connection with a an integrally formed housing with a similar perimeter, and vice versa.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the description and the claims to modify an element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one element or act having a certain name from another element or act having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the elements or acts.
In addition, directional terms may be mentioned in connection with various embodiments, such as, e.g., “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” etc., and may refer to directions in the drawings. These directional terms used are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure of the scope of the claims.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “equal” or “the same” in reference to two values (e.g., distances, widths, etc.) means that two values are the same within manufacturing tolerances. Thus, two values being equal, or the same, may mean that the two values are different from one another by ±5%.
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of terms such as “including,” “comprising,” “comprised of,” “having,” “containing,” and “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
The terms “approximately” and “about” if used herein may be construed to mean within ±20% of a target value in some embodiments, within ±10% of a target value in some embodiments, within ±5% of a target value in some embodiments, and within ±2% of a target value in some embodiments. The terms “approximately” and “about” may equal the target value.
The term “substantially” if used herein may be construed to mean within 95% of a target value in some embodiments, within 98% of a target value in some embodiments, within 99% of a target value in some embodiments, and within 99.5% of a target value in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the term “substantially” may equal 100% of the target value.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 111203300 | Mar 2022 | TW | national |
| 111208806 | Aug 2022 | TW | national |
| 111211862 | Oct 2022 | TW | national |
