Receptacle and plug connectors

• US 20040067689A1
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mickael Klein, Ralph Semmeling
• Original Assignee: Mickael Klein, Ralph Semmeling
• Inventors: Semmeling, Ralph, Klein, Mickael
• Granted Patent: US 6,865,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/607
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence

Abstract

A receptacle connector (1) for a mobile telephone or the like comprises a housing (3) of insulating material, a shielding (4), and a plurality of contact terminals (5). Channels (13) extend parallel to the lateral sides (11) between the front and backsides (9, 10) and the contact terminals are made as strip like elements mounted in these channels. At least some of the contact terminals each are provided with two retention parts (14,15) having a width greater than the width of the channels providing a retention force mainly parallel to the upper and lower sides. The contact terminals (5) each are provided with a butt-mount contact end (16) and a tail end (17), wherein the retention part at the tail end has a width greater than the width at the butt-mount contact end. A plug connector (34) for interconnecting a mobile device to a stationary device, comprises a housing (36) of insulating material, a shielding (44), a plurality of contact terminals (39) mounted in the housing, at least one latch element (55) to latch the plug connector in a receptacle connector (1) of the mobile device, and a button (60) to operate the latch element. The housing of the plug connector is provided with at least one locating peg (51) to be received in a chamber (51′) of the receptacle connector.

Claims

1. Receptacle connector (1) for a mobile telephone or th like, comprising a housing (3) of insulating material, a shielding (4), and a plurality of contact terminals (5), the housing having a mainly rectangular block section with flat upper and lower sides (7,8) and front, back and lateral sides (9,10,11), wherein channels (13) extend parallel to the lateral sides (11) between said front and back sides (9,10), the contact terminals being made as strip like elements mounted in said channels, characterized in that at least some of the contact terminals each are provided with two retention parts (14,15) having a width greater than the width of the channels (13) providing a retention force mainly parallel to said upper and lower sides (7,8), wherein the width of the channels at their upper wall (19) near the upper side (7) of the housing (3) is smaller than the width at their lower wall (20) near the lower side (8) of the housing (3) to force the contact terminals (5) against the lower wall (20), and wherein-the contact terminals (5) each are provided with a butt-mount contact end (16) and a tail end (17), wherein the retention part (14) at the tail end (17) has a width greater than the width at the butt-mount contact end (16).

2. Receptacle connector according to claim 1, wherein the shielding (4) is made as a casing having upper and lower plates (22,23) interconnected by side plates (24), said upper and lower plates contacting the upper and lower sides (7,8) of the housing (3), wherein the housing is provided with a positioning slot (26) in the lower side (8) and the lower plate (23) of the shielding is provided with positioning lips (25) engaging into the positioning slot (26).

3. Receptacle connector according to claim 2, wherein the positioning lips (25) and the co-operating side walls of the positioning slot (26) are formed in such a manner that the lower plate (23) can not be forced away from the lower side (8), wherein the positioning slot (26) is open at the back side (10) and is provided with a stop (27) at the front side end, wherein the housing is further provided with at least one receiving chamber (29) in its lower side having a wall (30) extending oblique with respect to the back side, wherein the shielding (4) is provided with a bending lip (31) engaging said oblique wall to press the positioning lips against the stop (27).

4. Receptacle connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the side plates (24) of the shielding (4) each are provided with a stop plate (32) co-operating with a stop face (33) of a lug (12) provided on each of the lateral sides of the housing (3).

5. Plug connector (34) for interconnecting a mobile device to a stationary device, comprising a housing (36) of insulating material, a shielding (44), a plurality of contact terminals (39) mounted in the housing, at least one latch element (55) to latch the plug connector in a receptacle connector (1) of the mobile device, and a button (60) to operate the latch element, wherein the housing is provided with at least one locating peg (51) to be received in a chamber (51′

) of the receptacle connector, characterized in that the housing (36) comprises inner and outer sections (37,38), the inner section being made as a contact block accommodating the contact terminals (39), the outer section being made as interconnected top and bottom covers (49,50), wherein the outer section includes the locating peg(s) and the button.

6. Plug connector according to claim 5, wherein the or each locating peg (51)is provided with a first slot (53) accommodating a reinforcing blade (52).

7. Plug connector according to claim 6, wherein the or each locating peg (51) is provided with a second slot (54) accommodating a latch blade (55) carrying a latch element (55) and an upwardly projecting extension (59) coupling the latch blade to the button (60).

8. Plug connector according to claim 7, wherein the bottom cover (50) is provided with a locating peg (51) at opposite sides and the top cover (49) is provided with an upper wall, the button (60) being an integral part of said upper wall, wh rein the button is separated from the upper wall along its circumference by a slot (61) and is interconnected to the upper wall at opposite sides by a hinge section (62), wherein the button part between the hinge sections is relatively rigid.

9. Plug connector according to claim 8, wherein the contact terminals (39) each are provided with a contact end (40) projecting out of a front side of the inner section, wherein the front side of the inner section is provided with a projecting peg (64) for protection of the projecting contact ends.

10. Plug connector according to any one of claims 5-9, wherein the shielding (44) is mounted between the inner (37) and outer (38) sections of the housing and encloses the inner section (37) as a casing.