Electrical connector

• US 20040175971A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JST Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: JST Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Terashima, Toshihiro, Nakashima, Terumi
• Granted Patent: US 6,866,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises first and second connectors connectable to each other in a predetermined connecting direction. The first connector comprises a housing, a plurality of contacts supported by the housing, and a metal reinforcement member fixed to the housing. The reinforcement member is engageable with an engagement groove of the second connector. The reinforcement member includes a pair of engagement projections. The first and second connectors are permitted to be offset from each other in a direction intersecting the connecting direction and guided with respect to each other for connection thereof when the engagement projections are introduced into the engagement groove.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

first and second connectors which are connectable to each other in a predetermined connecting direction;

the first connector comprising a housing, a plurality of contacts supported by the housing, and a metal reinforcement member fixed to the housing and extending in a first direction perpendicular to the connecting direction;

the reinforcement member including a pair of engagement projections;

the second connector comprising an engagement groove engageable with the reinforcement member;

wherein the first and second connectors are permitted to be offset from each other in the first direction intersecting the connecting direction and guided with respect to each other for connection thereof when the pair of engagement projections of the reinforcement member are introduced into the engagement groove.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the second connector comprises a housing, and a plurality of contacts supported by the housing thereof,

wherein the engagement groove is provided in the housing of the second connector.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the reinforcement member includes two reinforcement members, and the engagement groove includes two engagement grooves,

wherein the two reinforcement members are respectively provided in association with the two engagement grooves.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3,

wherein the housing of the first connector comprises a pair of opposed side walls extending in the first direction, and a pair of fixture grooves respectively extending along the side walls,

wherein the two reinforcement members are respectively fixed in the corresponding fixture grooves of the housing of the first connector.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 3,

wherein the housing of the first connector has a generally rectangular shape as seen in the connecting direction,

wherein the engagement projections of the two reinforcement members are disposed in the vicinity of four corners of the rectangular housing of the first connector respectively.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the engagement projections of the reinforcement member respectively include first oblique guidesurfaceswhich areinclined inoppositedirections,

wherein the engagement groove associated with the reinforcement member includes a pair of second oblique guide surfaces which are inclined in opposite directions,

wherein the first oblique guide surfaces and the second oblique guide surfaces are inclined in opposite directions;

wherein the first oblique guide surfaces are engageable with the corresponding second oblique guide surfaces for guiding the first and second connectors with respect to each other for connection of the first and second connectors.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6,

wherein the housing of the first connector has a connection end face to be opposed to the second connector,

wherein the engagement projections respectively include portions projecting from the connection end face of the housing of the first connector,

wherein the first oblique guide surfaces are respectively provided on at least the corresponding projecting portions.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein a distance between outer edges of the pair of engagement projections of the reinforcement member is smaller than a distance between outer edges of the pair of second oblique guide surfaces of the corresponding engagement groove.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 4,

wherein the reinforcement members each include a main portion extending along the corresponding fixture groove,

wherein the engagement projections of each of the reinforcement members project from opposite ends of the main portion in the first direction.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the first connector comprises a connector mounted on a circuit board;

wherein the reinforcement member is soldered to the circuit board.