1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to a connector, and more particularly, to an universal connector compatible with multiple connecting interfaces.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional external devices such as earphones or speakers are provided with different connectors to transmit data. Connecting interfaces of common connectors includes High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), audio interface, universal serial bus (USB) interface, charging interface, and so on. For the design trend of being light, slim, short, and compact, handheld electronic devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or smart phones are provided with multiple connectors indifferent specifications to connect different external devices. However, the above requirement not only raises manufacturing cost, but increases volume and weight of handheld electronic devices.
Accordingly, designs for integrating plural connecting interfaces into one connector are proposed to meet the above requirement. Nonetheless, existing conventional universal connectors are still excluded from some applications such as transmitting large current or quick charge. In addition, an area of a tongue of the conventional universal connector is unavoidably increased for carrying a large number of terminals, which reduces structural strength of the tongue, while the tongue is likely to be damaged by external impact or in a long time use.
The present application provides a socket connector having high current carrying capacity by enlarging cross-section of particular terminals, to meet requirements of transmitting large current or quick charge.
The socket connector suitable for being connected to a plug connector comprises a base, a first tongue, plural first terminals and plural second terminals. The base has a slot, and the plug connector is suitable for being assembled to the base through the slot. The first tongue is connected to the base and located in the slot, and the first tongue has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first and second terminals pass through the base, wherein each of the first terminals and each of the second terminals respectively have a first contact portion and a second contact portion both mounted on the first surface of the first tongue. And, a cross-section of each of the second terminals is greater than a cross-section of each of the first terminals.
A handheld electronic device adopting the aforementioned socket connector is also provided, wherein a plug connector can be connected to a main body of the handheld electronic device through the socket connector. Since the socket connector has high current carrying capacity, diverse applications, such as integrating multifunctional interfaces of video-audio transmission, data transmission and quick charge, can be accomplished.
A plug connector for being connected to the socket connector mentioned above is also provided in the present application. The plug connector includes plural first leads and plural second leads. The first leads are disposed in corresponding to the first terminals and adapted to be contact with the corresponding first terminals when the plug connector is connected to the socket connector. The second leads are disposed in corresponding to the second terminals and adapted to be contact with the corresponding second terminals when the plug connector is connected to the socket connector, wherein each of the second terminals is contact with at least two of the second leads.
The present application further provides a connector assembly including a socket connector and a plug connector matched with each other. The socket connector includes a base, a first tongue, plural first terminals and plural second terminals. The base has a slot. The first tongue is connected to the base and located in the slot, and the first tongue has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first and second terminals pass through the base, wherein each of the first terminals and each of the second terminals respectively have a first contact portion and a second contact portion both mounted on the first surface of the first tongue. And, a cross-section of each of the second terminals is greater than a cross-section of each of the first terminals. The plug connector is suitable for being connected to the socket connector and being assembled to the base through the slot. The plug connector includes plural first leads and plural second leads. The first leads are disposed in corresponding to the first terminals and adapted to be contact with the corresponding first terminals when the plug connector is connected to the socket connector. The second leads are disposed in corresponding to the second terminals and adapted to be contact with the corresponding second terminals when the plug connector is connected to the socket connector, wherein each of the second terminals is contact with at least two of the second leads to provide high current carrying capacity.
The present application can further be provided with enforcing members disposed on the first tongue of the socket connector, particularly to fragile portions of the first tongue, to enhance structural strength of the first tongue and prevent the first tongue from being damaged by external impact or in a long time use. Therefore, reliability and lifetime of the socket connector can be increased.
In order to make the aforementioned features and advantages of the application more comprehensible, embodiments accompanying figures are described in detail below.
The accompanying drawings constituting a part of this specification are incorporated herein to provide a further understanding of the invention. Here, the drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the present embodiment, one second terminal 140 is corresponding to a pair of second leads 240, i.e., two second leads 240 in identical functions is arranged to be contact with the same second terminals 140 for carrying a large current. Obviously, in other embodiments, the amount of the second leads 240 being corresponding to each of the second terminals 140 may be varied according to actual requirements. Additionally, the amount of the terminals of the socket connector 100 is not limited in the present embodiment. Referring to the socket connector 100 of
Furthermore, referring to
Additionally, in order to keep a smooth appearance of the first tongue 120 to be inserted into the opening 212 of the insertion end 210, the first tongue 120 can be formed with two depressed portions 124a on the second surface 124 for accommodating the two first enhancing plates 152. Thus, the two first enhancing plates 152 can be embedded into the first tongue 120 through the corresponding depressed portions 124a, and a top of each of the two first enhancing plates 152 is aligned with a top of the first tongue 120.
However, the present application does not limit the profile or location of the first enhancing member 150. For example, in other embodiments, the first enhancing member 150 can be embedded into the first tongue 120 deeply such that the first tongue 120 encapsulates the first enhancing member 150, or the first enhancing member 150 may be extended to cover the whole second surface 124.
In the present embodiment, one second terminal 440 is corresponding to a pair of second leads 540, i.e., two second leads 540 in identical functions is arranged to be contact with the same second terminals 440 for carrying a large current. Obviously, in other embodiments, the amount of the second leads 540 being corresponding to each of the second terminals 440 may be varied according to actual requirements. Additionally, the amount of the terminals of the socket connector 400 is not limited in the present embodiment. Referring to the socket connector 400 in
Furthermore, referring to
More specifically, the first enhancing member 450 of the present embodiment includes two first enhancing plates 452 attached on the second surface 424 of the first tongue 420. And, in consideration to the weak structure at two side edges of the first tongue 420, the first enhancing plates 452 can be disposed adjacent to the two side edges to enhance the structural strength thereof. In addition, the second enhancing member 480 of the present embodiment includes a second enhancing plates 482 attached on the fourth surface 464 of the second tongue 460. Since the second tongue 460 is in a smaller size as compared with the first tongue 420, the second enhancing plate 482 approximately covers the whole fourth surface 464 of the second tongue 460. Therefore, reliability and lifetime of the socket connector can be increased.
Additionally, in order to keep a smooth appearance of the first tongue 420 and the second tongue 460 to be respectively inserted into the first opening 512 and the second opening 514 of the insertion end 510, the first tongue 420 can be formed with two depressed portions 424a on the second surface 424 for accommodating the two first enhancing plates 452, and the second tongue 460 can be formed with a depressed portion 464a on the fourth surface 464 for accommodating the second enhancing plate 482. Thus, the two first enhancing plates 452 can be embedded into the first tongue 420 through the corresponding depressed portions 424a, and a top of each of the two first enhancing plates 452 is aligned with a top of the first tongue 420. And, the second enhancing plate 482 can be embedded into the second tongue 460 through the corresponding depressed portions 464a, and a top of the second enhancing plate 482 is aligned with a top of the second tongue 460.
However, the present application does not limit the profile or location of the first enhancing member 450 and the second enhancing member 480. For example, in other embodiments, the first enhancing member 450 and the second enhancing member 480 can be respectively embedded into the first tongue 420 and the second tongue 460 deeply such that the first tongue 420 and the second tongue 460 can respectively encapsulate the first enhancing member 450 and the second enhancing member 480, or the first enhancing member 450 may be extended to cover the whole second surface 424.
In summary, the present application provides a socket connector having high current carrying capacity by enlarging cross-section of particular terminals, to meet the requirement of transmitting large current or quick charge. In addition, since the socket connector has high current carrying capacity, diverse applications, such as integrating multifunctional interfaces of video-audio transmission, data transmission and quick charge, can be accomplished. Furthermore, the present application can further be provided with enforcing members disposed on the tongue of the socket connector to enhance structural strength of the tongue and prevent the tongue from being damaged by external impact or in a long time use. Therefore, reliability and lifetime of the socket connector can be increased.
Although the application has been described with reference to the embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skills in the art that modifications to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit of the application. Accordingly, the scope of the application will be defined by the attached claims not by the above detailed description.