Information
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Patent Grant
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6409549
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Patent Number
6,409,549
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Date Filed
Wednesday, October 31, 200122 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, June 25, 200222 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 439 676
- 439 946
- 439 131
- 439 166
- 439 217
- 439 218
- 439 224
- 439 956
- 439 173
- 439 174
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International Classifications
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Abstract
An electrical connector (1) includes a slide body (2), a terminal module (3) assembled on the slide body. The terminal module comprises a main base (30), a bottom base (31) welded to the main base, a top cover (32) assembled on the main base, eight cam-shaped terminals (33). The main base and the bottom base respectively comprise four alternating upper contacts (302) and lower contacts (321). The top cover comprises a plurality of passageways (313) at a front end thereof. The terminals are pivotably received in the passageways for contacting with the upper and lower contacts.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector that may contact with either an RJ-11 plug connector or an RJ-45 plug connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Input/output card, such as a memory card or a modem card, has been widely used with the notebook computer. Generally, an additional RJ-11 receptacle connector is moveably assembled to the input/output card to facilitate connection with an RJ-11 plug connector thereinto. However, there is possibility that the input/output card needs to connect with a different RJ plug connector, such as an RJ-45 plug connector or an RJ-11 plug connector, to transmit different signals. Because the RJ-45 plug connector has a similar but larger configuration than the RJ-11 plug connector, conventionally, such needs two different RJ receptacle connectors assembled on the notebook to transmit different signals. In consideration of the miniaturization of the notebook, an electrical connector that may contact with either an RJ-11 plug connector or an RJ-45 plug connector should be designed. Some attempts provides a housing with terminals therein to cooperate with rotatable cam terminals for connecting to the plug connector. Anyhow, it is desired to have a reliable structure retention among these parts.
Hence, an improved electrical connector that can contact with either an RJ-11 plug connector or an RJ-45 plug connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional electrical connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can contact with either an RJ-11 connector or an RJ-45 connector without damaging contacts of the electrical connector.
In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector comprises a slide body, and a terminal module assembled in the slide body. The slide body comprises a planar bottom plate and a pair of sidewalls formed at each side of the bottom plate. The sidewalls together define a receiving space for receiving a mating flexible printed circuit (FPC) and three recesses communicating with the receiving space. The terminal module comprises a main base, a top cover, a bottom base welded to the main base, eight cam-shaped terminals pivotably assembled in the top cover and a pivot for retaining the terminals in the top cover. The main base comprises a pair of arms extending forwardly, four upper contacts assembled thereon. The arms together define an opening for receiving the top cover, and comprise three projections extending outwardly for being received in the recess of the slide body and a pair of big and small recesses for receiving two ends of the pivot. The bottom base comprises four lower contacts assembled thereon. The top cover comprises a plurality of ribs with a plurality of passageways therebetween at a front end thereof. Each of the ribs and the terminals defines a coaxial hole for receiving the pivot thereby pivotably retaining the terminals in the passageways. When an RJ-45 plug connector mates with the electrical connector, the eight cam-shaped terminals are all received in corresponding passageways defined by the RJ-45 plug connector for contacting corresponding terminals of the RJ-45 plug connector with the upper and lower contacts. While an RJ-11 plug connector mates with the electrical connector, a few terminals of the eight terminals are received in corresponding passageways defined by the RJ-11 plug connector for contacting corresponding terminals of the RJ-11 plug connector with the upper and lower contacts, and the rest terminals are pressed by the RJ-11 plug connector to rotate and being protected.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective, exploded view of an electrical connector of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an enlarged, perspective and exploded view of a terminal module in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is an enlarged, assembled view of the terminal module of
FIG. 2
;
FIG. 4
is an assembled view of the electrical connector of
FIG. 1
; and
FIG. 5
is a bottom view of
FIG. 4
with an RJ plug connector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, an electrical connector
1
for contacting either an RJ-11 plug connector or an RJ-45 plug connector (not shown) comprises a slide body
2
, a terminal module
3
assembled on the slide body
2
, and a lock
4
assembled in the slide body
2
to engage with a latch of the mating RJ plug connector
5
(only shown in FIG.
5
).
The slide body
2
includes a planar bottom plate
20
and a pair of sidewalls
21
extending upwardly from transverse edges of the bottom plate
20
. A receiving space
200
is defined between the sidewalls
21
and the bottom plate
20
for receiving the terminal module
3
and a mating FPC
6
(only shown in
FIG. 4
) therein. The sidewalls
21
define three recesses
210
communicating with the receiving space
200
.
Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, the terminal module
3
includes a main base
30
, a top cover
31
assembled upon the main base
30
, a bottom base
32
welded to the main base
30
, eight terminals
33
pivotably received in the top cover
31
and a pivot
34
for retaining the terminals
33
in the top cover
31
.
The main base
30
comprises a rear base
301
, four upper contacts
302
insert molded together with the rear base
301
and a pair of front arms
303
extending forwardly from transverse ends of the rear base
301
together defining an opening
300
for receiving the top cover
31
. The rear base
301
comprises a pair of posts
304
extending upwardly. The front arms
303
comprise three projections
305
extending outwardly to be received in the recesses
210
of the slide body
2
, thereby securely retaining the terminal module
3
in the receiving space
200
. In addition, one front arm
303
defines a big recess
306
at a front end of an inner side thereof, and similarly, the opposite front arm
303
defines an opposite small recess
307
.
The top cover
31
comprises a plurality of ribs
311
at a front end thereof and a pair of through holes
312
at a rear end thereof for receiving the posts
304
. Every two ribs
311
define a passageway
313
for receiving corresponding terminal
33
and the ribs
311
each define a coaxial transverse hole
314
for receiving the pivot
34
.
Each terminal
33
is substantially a cam-shaped plate, and comprises a coaxial hole
333
for receiving the pivot
34
.
The pivot
34
comprises a big head
341
at one end thereof and a small tip
342
at an opposite end thereof. The small tip
342
and the big head
341
are respectively received in the small and big recesses
306
,
307
of the arms
303
.
The bottom base
32
is ultrasonic welded to the main base
30
and comprises four lower contacts
321
insert molded together with the bottom base
32
.
Referring to
FIG. 4
, in manufacturing and assembly, the main base
30
and the bottom base
32
are respectively insert molded with the upper and lower contacts
302
,
321
. Then, the bottom base
32
is ultrasonic welded to the main base
30
with the upper contacts
302
alternating with the lower contacts
321
. The terminals
33
are assembled in corresponding passageways
313
of the top cover
31
with the pivot
34
being inserted into the transverse coaxial holes
312
of the ribs
311
and the terminals
33
. Subsequently, the top cover
31
is assembled in the opening
300
of the main base
30
in a front-to-rear direction. The head
341
and the tip
342
of the pivot
34
are respectively received in the big recess
306
and small recess
307
of the main base
30
. The posts
304
are received in the through holes
312
of top cover
31
. Finally, the main base
30
is placed in the receiving space
200
of the slide body
20
with the three projections
305
being received in corresponding recesses
210
for securely retain the terminal module
3
in the receiving space
200
of the slide body
2
.
Referring to
FIGS. 4 and 5
, in mating, a mating flexible printed circuit (FPC)
6
is inserted into the receiving space
200
from a rear end thereof to electrically contact with the upper and lower contacts
302
,
321
. Subsequently, the RJ plug connector
5
, either an RJ-11 plug connector or an RJ-45 plug connector, is inserted into the receiving space
200
of the slide body
2
to contact with the terminals
33
of the terminal module
3
. The lock
4
is rotated about its own pivot to be engaged with a latch
51
of the plug connector
5
to securely retain the plug connector
5
on the electrical connector
1
. If an RJ-45 plug connector mates with the electrical connector
1
, the eight terminals
33
are all received in corresponding passageways defined by the RJ-45 plug connector to contact corresponding terminals of the RJ-45 plug connector with the upper and lower contacts
302
,
321
. While an RJ-11 plug connector mates with the electrical connector
1
, a few terminals of the eight terminals
33
are received in corresponding passageways defined by the Rj-11 plug connector, and the rest of the terminals
33
are pressed by the RJ-11 plug connector to rotate about the pivot
34
and being protected. Thus, an electrical connection between FPC and the plug connector, either the RJ-11 plug connector or the RJ-45 plug connector, is achieved.
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.
Claims
- 1. An electrical connector for contacting multiple types of connector plugs, comprising:a slide body defining a receiving space; and a terminal module received in the receiving space and comprising: a main base assembled in the receiving space, and comprising an opening in a front end thereof and a plurality of upper contacts extending forwardly into the opening; a bottom base assembled on the main base and comprising a plurality of lower contacts extending forwardly and alternating with the upper contacts; a top cover received in the opening of the main base and defining a plurality of ribs at a front end thereof, every two ribs defining a passageway; and a plurality of terminals pivotably received in the passageways for contacting with the upper and lower contacts; wherein each terminal is substantially a cam-shaped, and comprises a coaxial hole for receiving a pivot; wherein the electrical connector may contact with any one of the multiple types of connector plugs without damaging the terminals and contacts of the electrical connector.
- 2. The electrical connector described as claim 1, wherein the main base comprises at least two projections, and the slide body defines at least two recesses receiving the at least two projections to retain the terminal module in the receiving space of the slide body.
- 3. The electrical connector described as claim 1, wherein the main base comprises a pair of pivots and the top cover defines a pair of through holes for receiving the pivots to retain the top cover on the base.
- 4. The electrical connector described as claim 1, further comprising a lock assembled in the slide body to engage with a latch of the RJ plug connector.
- 5. The electrical connector described as claim 1, wherein each of the ribs and terminals defines a coaxial transverse hole, and the terminal module comprises a pivot received in the coaxial transverse hole to pivotably retain the terminals in the passageways.
- 6. The electrical connector described as claim 2, wherein the main base comprises a pair of front arms extending forwardly, and the front arms and each arm define a recess for receiving an end of the pivot.
- 7. An electrical connector for contacting multiple types of connector plugs, comprising:a slide body defining a receiving space and at least one recess communicating with the receiving space; and a terminal module received in the receiving space and comprising: a main base comprising at least one projection extending outwardly for being received in the at least one recess of the slide body; a plurality of upper contacts assembled on the main base; a bottom base assembled on the main base; a plurality of lower contacts assembled on the bottom base and alternating with the upper contacts; a top cover assembled on the main base; and a plurality of terminals pivotably assembled on the top cover for contacting with the upper and lower contacts; wherein each terminal is substantially a cam-shaped, and comprises a coaxial hole for receiving a pivot; wherein the electrical connector may contact with any one of the multiple types of connector plugs without damaging the terminals and contacts of the electrical connector.
- 8. The electrical connector described as claim 7, wherein the main base comprises a pair of front arms extending forwardly and together defining an opening for receiving the top cover.
- 9. A process for assembling a terminal module that may contact with any one of multiple types of connector plugs, the terminal module comprising a main base with a plurality of upper contacts, a bottom base with a plurality of lower contacts, a top cover, a plurality of terminals and a pivots, wherein each terminal is substantially a cam-shaped, and comprises a coaxial hole for receiving the pivot, the main base comprising a pair of posts extending upwardly and a pair of front arms extending forwardly together defining an opening, the top cover comprising a pair of through holes at a rear end thereof and a plurality of passageways at a front end thereof, the process comprising:assembling the bottom base on the main base with the upper contacts alternating with the lower contacts; pivotably retaining the terminals in corresponding passageways of the top cover by the pivot; and mounting the top cover in the opening of the main base, with the posts of the main base being received in the through holes of the top cover and two ends of the pivot being received in the front arms of the main base.
- 10. An electrical connector for contacting multiple types of connector plugs, comprising:a slide body extending in a longitudinal direction and defining a receiving space therein; a terminal module received within said receiving space, said terminal module comprising: a main base defining a rear base with a pair of forwardly extending front arms; a plurality of contacts extending among the rear base and said pair of front arms; a plurality pivotal terminals positioned around the front distal ends of the contacts and engageable with front distal ends of said contacts; wherein each terminal is substantially a cam-shaped, and comprises a coaxial hole; and a pivot extending through said coaxial hole of said terminals, said pivot being supportably retained by and on said front distal end of said pair of front arms; wherein said terminal module is assembled to said slide body in a vertical direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, means for retaining said terminal module in said receiving space; wherein the electrical connector may contact with any one of the multiple types of connector plugs without damaging the terminals and contacts of the electrical connector.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5244402 |
Pasterchick, Jr. et al. |
Sep 1993 |
A |
5501608 |
Scheer et al. |
Mar 1996 |
A |
6141212 |
Fletcher et al. |
Oct 2000 |
A |
6142834 |
Liao |
Nov 2000 |
A |