High density connector having two-leveled contact interface

• US 20090264023A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Kuan-Yu, Yi, Chong
• Granted Patent: US 7,785,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/709
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7082 Coupling device supported only by cooperation with PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/712 co-operating with the surface of the printed circuit or with a coupling device exclusively provided on the surface of the printed circuit H01R12/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/518 for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/84 Hermaphroditic coupling devices

Abstract

A terminal arrangement in an electrical connector including: an array of terminal pairs arranged along a first direction, each terminal pair comprising a first terminal (5) and a second terminal (6), each of the first terminal and the second terminal having a portion angled toward the other terminal, a connecting end (51, 61) continuing the angled portion, and a terminating end (52, 62) opposite the connecting end, the connecting ends of the first and second terminals of each terminal pair being substantially aligned to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the connecting end of the first terminal having a mating face (511) facing away from the second terminal, the connecting end of the second terminal having a mating face (611) facing toward the first terminal, the mating faces of the first and second terminals being spaced a distance from each other in the second direction. An electrical connector (100) and a connector system including such a terminal arrangement are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A terminal arrangement in an electrical connector, comprising:

an array of terminal pairs arranged along a first direction, each terminal pair comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, each of the first terminal and the second terminal having a portion angled toward the other terminal, a connecting end continuing the angled portion, and a terminating end opposite the connecting end, the connecting ends of the first and second terminals of each terminal pair being substantially aligned to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the connecting end of the first terminal having a mating face facing away from the second terminal, the connecting end of the second terminal having a mating face facing toward the first terminal, the mating faces of the first and second terminals being spaced a distance from each other in the second direction.

2. The terminal arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a lateral distance between the mating faces of a pair of terminals is less than a lateral distance between the terminating ends of the pair of terminals.

3. The terminal arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting end of the second terminal of a pair of terminals is farther away from the terminating end of the second terminal than the connecting end of the first terminal of the pair of terminals is away from the terminating end of the first terminal.

4. The terminal arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting end of the first terminal containing the mating face is curved and the connecting end of the second terminal containing the mating face is flat.

5. The terminal arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminating ends of the first and second terminals are angled.

6. The terminal arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminating ends of the first and second terminals are straight.

7. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing; and

a first and a second terminal modules secured to the housing, the first terminal module being disposed adjacent to the second terminal module with a void space therebetween, each terminal module comprising an array of terminal pairs arranged along a first direction, each terminal pair comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, each of the first terminal and the second terminal having a connecting end and a terminating end opposite the connecting end, the connecting ends of the first and second terminals of each terminal pair being substantially aligned to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each of the connecting ends of the first and second terminals having a mating face directed in a third direction orthogonal to both the first and the second directions, the mating faces of the terminal connecting ends of one terminal module being exposed to the void space.

8. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the terminal module comprises two leadframe housings, one leadframe housing retaining the first terminals and the other leadframe housing retaining the second terminals.

9. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the one leadframe housing of the terminal module is insert molded with the first terminals;

the other leadframe housing of the terminal module is insert molded with the second terminals; and

the connecting end of the second terminal of a pair of terminals is farther away from the terminating end of the second terminal than the connecting end of the first terminal of the pair of terminals is away from the terminating end of the first terminal.

10. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the housing comprises a bottom wall and defines a cavity; and

the other leadframe housing of the terminal module extends beyond the bottom wall into the cavity of the housing.

11. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the other leadframe housing of the terminal module has a recess receiving the first terminals.

12. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the two leadframe housings of the terminal module are assembled to each other.

13. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the terminal module comprises an insulative housing part insert molded with associated second terminals; and

the housing comprises a plurality of grooves receiving associated first terminals.

14. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 13, wherein the housing part of the terminal module retains the first terminal in the grooves of the housing.

15. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a first and a second channels each receiving a corresponding terminal module.

16. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the terminal module comprises means for latching to the housing.

17. An electrical connector system comprising:

a first connector defining a mating direction, the first connector comprising a housing and an array of terminal pairs arranged in the housing along a first direction, each terminal pair comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, each terminal having a connecting end, the connecting end of the first terminal of a pair of terminals being positioned alignedly forwardly of the connecting end of the second terminal of the pair of terminals along the mating direction, each terminal having a mating face facing toward a second direction vertical to the first direction; and

a second connector defining a mating direction, the second connector comprising a housing and an array of terminal pairs arranged in the housing along the first direction, each terminal pair comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, each terminal having a connecting end, the connecting end of the first terminal of a pair of terminals being positioned alignedly forwardly of the connecting end of the second terminal of the pair of terminals, each terminal having a mating face facing toward the second direction, the mating face of the first terminal of the second connector engaging the mating face of the second terminal of the first connector and the mating face of the second terminal of the second connector engaging the mating face of the first terminal of the first connector.

18. The electrical connector system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first terminals of each of the first and second connectors are insert molded with a first insulative housing part and the second terminals of each of the first and second connectors are insert molded with a second insulative housing part, and the first insulative housing part is attached to the second insulative housing part.

19. The electrical connector system as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

the housing of each connector comprises a bottom wall and defines a cavity;

the first insulative housing part engages a bottom of the bottom wall; and

the second insulative housing part extends beyond the bottom wall into the cavity of the housing.

20. The electrical connector system as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

each of the first and second connectors comprises at least two arrays of terminal pairs;

the second insulative housing part comprises a flat wall face; and

the flat wall face of at least one second insulative housing part of one of the first and second connectors is flush with the flat wall face of at least one second insulative housing part of the other connector.