RECEPTACLE CONNECTOR AND COMPLEMENTARY PLUG

• US 20110111644A1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: JIN, HAO
• Granted Patent: US 8,337,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/668
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7011 Locking or fixing a connector to a PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/642 by position or shape of contact members

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly comprises an electrical receptacle and a complementary plug connector. The electrical receptacle has an insulative housing defining a first mating cavity with a circular mating post exposed therein and extending along a rear-to-front direction, and a second mating cavity in communication with the first mating cavity but located at a lateral side of periphery of the first mating cavity. A plurality of power terminals are received in the first mating cavity and a plurality of signal terminals are received in the second mating cavity. An electrical plug connector fills the first mating cavity and the second mating cavity at the same time when mated with the electrical receptacle. The electrical receptacle can not only mate with a conventional power plug connector but also mate with the present plug connector to transmit USB signals.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

an electrical receptacle having an insulative housing defining a first mating cavity with a circular mating post exposed therein and extending along a rear-to-front direction, and a second mating cavity in communication with the first mating cavity but located at a lateral side of periphery of the first mating cavity, a plurality of power terminals received in the first mating cavity and a plurality of signal terminals received in the second mating cavity; and

an electrical plug connector filling the first mating cavity and the second mating cavity at the same time when mated with the electrical receptacle.

2. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the power terminals and the signal terminals form a non-standard USB terminal group and transmit USB signals.

3. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 2, wherein the first mating cavity is around the mating post and in a circular shape while the second mating cavity is beyond the first mating cavity and in a rectangular shape.

4. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the electrical plug connector comprises a first mating portion in a circular shape and a second mating portion integrally formed with the first mating portion but located at a lateral side thereof.

5. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 4, wherein the electrical plug connector comprises a metallic shell surrounding the first mating portion and defining an opening thereon for allowing the second mating portion to pass.

6. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 5, wherein the second mating portion defines a pair of passageways at opposite sides thereof for respectively receiving a signal terminal therein.

7. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 6, wherein signal terminals of the electrical receptacle are located at opposite sides of the second mating cavity and contact with signal terminals of the electrical plug connector during mating.

8. An electrical receptacle comprising:

an insulative housing defining a mating cavity therein and a mating post exposed into the mating cavity, the mating cavity being divided into two parts by an opening defined on an outmost circular of the mating cavity thereby the part within the circular forms the first mating cavity and has power terminals therein which is adapted for mating with a conventional power plug connector and the part outside the circular forms the second mating cavity and has signal terminals therein to cooperate with said power terminals for mating with a non-standard plug connector.

9. The electrical receptacle as described in claim 8, wherein the insulative housing has a continuous rib formed on a front face thereof and surrounding the mating cavity, and a distal end of the signal terminal is received within the rib.

10. The electrical receptacle as described in claim 9, wherein the second mating cavity extends outwardly from the first mating cavity and said signal terminals are located at opposite sides of the second mating cavity.

11. (canceled)

12. An electrical connector for use with a complementary connector, comprising:

an insulative housing defining a columnar first mating port and a rectangular second mating port extending along an axial direction of the columnar first mating port and joined on a periphery of said columnar first mating port in a specific radial direction;

a plurality of first contacts disposed in the housing with first contacting sections at different axial positions with one another in said columnar mating port; and

a plurality of second contacts disposed in the housing with second contacting section exposed on the rectangular second mating port;

wherein

when the electrical connector is mated with the complementary connector, said rectangular second mating port functions as not only an orientation mating device mechanically but also an conduction transmission device electrically via the second contacting sections thereabouts.

13. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12 wherein said columnar first mating port is essentially of a telescopic body with the corresponding first contacting sections around a center and on a peripheral surface thereof, and the rectangular second mating port is essentially of a rectangular body unitarily formed on the peripheral surface under condition that the second contacting sections are exposed outwardly upon exterior surface of said rectangular body.

14. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 13, wherein both said first contacting sections and said second contacting sections are stiff during mating with the complementary connector.

15. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein said connector is linked to a cable in a moveable manner.

16. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein sad columnar first mating port is essentially of a hollow ring like space formed between an inner columnar body and an outer square body with the corresponding first contacting sections around a center of the inner columnar body and around an peripheral area of said hollow ring like space, and the rectangular second mating port is essentially of a rectangular space extending in said specific radial direction from a specific radial position of the peripheral area of said hollow ring like space under condition that the second contacting sections are inwardly exposed on a peripheral area of said rectangular space.

17. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 16, wherein both said first contacting sections and said second contacting sections are resilient during mating with the complementary connector.

18. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein said connector is mounted to a printed circuit board in an immoveable manner.

19. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first contacting section of one of said first contacts is located with regard to the center of the inner columnar body in another specific radial direction opposite to said specific radial direction.

20. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 19, wherein one of said first contacts defines two contacting sections with regard to the center of the inner columnar body in opposite radial directions both perpendicular to said radial direction and said another radial direction.

21. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein there are two of said second contacting sections, which are arranged in an opposite manner in a direction perpendicular to said specific radial direction.