1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having improved contacts which is reinforced with side skirt preventing the same from being crushed while mating with a mating connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical connector are typically used to interconnect two electronic devices, and for example, between a computer and a peripheral device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,687 issued to Wang on Aug. 2, 2005 discloses an electrical connector which defines an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals retained in the housing. The housing defines a base portion, a mating portion extending forwards from the base portion, a mating cavity recessed rearwards from a front face of the mating portion and a plurality of receiving grooves recessed forwards from a rear face of the base portion and communicating with the mating cavity. The plurality of terminals define an elastic contact having a retaining portion, an elastic arm extending forwardly from a front edge of the retaining portion and a soldering portion. The elastic contact is retained in a corresponding receiving groove with a front portion of the elastic arm projecting into the mating cavity for contacting with a mating connector. However, the elastic arm of the elastic contact has a comparable weak rigidity and may be vulnerably crushed while the mating connector frequently mating with the electrical connector or slantways inserted into the mating cavity to contact with the elastic arm. Hence, it is desired to provide an electrical connector to overcome the problems mentioned above.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with improved contacts having enhanced rigidity by providing reinforced skirt along mating portion.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector includes an insulating housing having a mating cavity and at least a contact retained in the housing. The contact defines a retaining portion, a resilient arm extending forwards from a front edge of the retaining portion and a soldering portion extending out of the housing. The resilient arm defines a contacting portion projecting into the mating cavity at a front end thereof and a skirt bending from a side edge of the resilient arm and angled with the resilient arm.
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.
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail.
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The third contact 4 defines a third retaining portion 41, a third resilient arm 42 extending forwardly and upwards from the third retaining portion 41 and providing a third contacting portion 421 at a front end thereof, and a soldering portion 43 extending rearwards from the third retaining portion 41. The third contact 4 is received in the housing 1 from the rear face 112 thereof and retained in the third receiving groove 118 by the third retaining portion 41 engaging with the third receiving groove 118, and the third contacting portion 421 projects into the mating cavity 121 and the soldering portion 43 extends out of the housing 1.
The skirts 222 provided at the resilient arm 22 of the first contact 2 may enhance the rigidity of the resilient arm 22, and the resilient arm 22 having the skirts 222 can be prevented from being crushed while a mating connector frequently mated into and pulled out of the mating cavity 121 or slantways inserted into the mating cavity 121 to press the resilient arm 22. In other embodiment, the second or third resilient arms 32, 42 also can be provided with such skirts to enhance the rigidity of the second or third contacts 3, 4 and prevent the second or third resilient arms 32, 42 from being crushed or destroyed while mating with a mating connector.
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.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2009 2 0311931 U | Sep 2009 | CH | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5997363 | Joly | Dec 1999 | A |
6923687 | Wang | Aug 2005 | B2 |
7628630 | Chang | Dec 2009 | B2 |
20090004925 | Su et al. | Jan 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110076899 A1 | Mar 2011 | US |