ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY HAVING GUIDING MEANS

• US 20150333448A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: WU, JERRY, ZHU, JIAN-JUN, ZHU, QING-MAN
• Granted Patent: US 9,490,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/642 by position or shape of contact members

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly includes: a first connector including a mating section, a first magnetic element having a cavity, and a number of first contacts accommodated in the mating section and the cavity; a second connector for mating with the mating section, the second connector including a second magnetic element and a number of second contacts accommodated in the second magnetic element; and an anti-mismating structure located at a front end of the second connector. The structure includes a number of anti-mismating elements and an anti-mismating hole surrounded by the anti-mismating elements for receiving the mating section. The anti-mismating hole is asymmetric in one of an up-to-down direction and a left-to-right direction, and the periphery of the mating section corresponds to the anti-mismating hole.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a first connector comprising a mating section, a first magnetic element having a cavity, and a plurality of first contacts accommodated in the mating section and the cavity;

a second connector for mating with the mating section, the second connector comprising a second magnetic element and a plurality of second contacts accommodated in the second magnetic element; and

an anti-mismating structure located at a front end of the second connector, the structure comprising a plurality of anti-mismating elements and an anti-mismating hole surrounded by the anti-mismating elements, the anti-mismating hole for receiving the mating section;

wherein the anti-mismating hole is asymmetric in one of an up-to-down direction and a left-to-right direction, and the periphery of the mating section corresponds to the anti-mismating hole.

2. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti-mismating structure comprises a panel having a port and located at a front end of the second connector, the anti-mismating hole is defined in the port, and the periphery of the mating section corresponds to the port for entering into the port along a single direction.

3. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti-mismating elements comprise a plurality of projecting members projecting from a front surface of the second magnetic element, and the anti-mismating hole is surrounded by the projecting members.

4. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the projecting members comprise a plurality of first projecting members and a plurality of second projecting members projecting from left and right sides of a front surface of the second magnetic element respectively.

5. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first contacts has a front surface rearwardly of a front surface of the first magnetic element, and each of the second contacts has a front surface forwardly of a front surface of the second magnetic element.

6. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first connector and the second connector comprise a first spacer and a second spacer receiving the first contacts and the second contacts, respectively.

7. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first contacts are retractable, the second contacts are unretractable, and the front surface of the first contact is located forwardly of a front surface of the first spacer.

8. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first contacts are unretractable, the second contacts are retractable, and the front surface of the first contact is located rearwardly a front surface of the first spacer.

9. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mating section is defined into the first magnetic element, and the periphery of the first magnetic element is asymmetric in one of an up-to-down direction and a left-to-right direction and corresponds to the anti-mismating structure for entering into the second connector along a single direction.

10. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connector and the second connector comprise a first metal shell and a second metal shell assembled to first magnetic element and the second magnetic element, respectively, and the mating section is defined into the first metal shell.

11. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first contacts and the second contacts comprise a power contact, a grounding contact, and a signal contact located between the power contact and the grounding contact respectively, each second contact comprises a front contact and a rear contact, and a rear surface of the front contact resists against a front surface of the rear contact.

12. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connector comprises a printed circuit board connecting with the first contacts, a cable connecting with the printed circuit board, and a cover assembled to a rear end of the first magnetic element and a front end of the cable.

13. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a first connector comprising a plurality of first contacts arranged along a transverse direction, a first magnetic element receiving the first contacts, and a mating section receiving the first contacts; and

a second connector comprising a plurality of second contacts arranged along the transverse direction, a second magnetic element for attracting the first magnetic element, a plurality of anti-mismating elements formed at a front end of the second connector for guiding the mating section;

wherein the periphery of the mating section is asymmetric in one of an up-to-down direction and a left-to-right direction, and the anti-mismating elements corresponds to the periphery of the mating section.

14. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the anti-mismating elements project from a front surface of the second magnetic element.

15. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

an insulative housing defining an outer contour which is essentially symmetrically arranged in both a longitudinal direction and a vertical direction perpendicular to each other;

a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing with corresponding contacting sections extending forwardly out of a front face of the housing and retractable along a front-to-back direction perpendicular to both said longitudinal direction and said vertical direction, said contacting sections being symmetrically arranged along said longitudinal direction;

a magnetic element enclosing said housing with a front receiving cavity into which the retractable contacting sections extend forwardly; and

a panel located in front of the magnetic element with a through opening aligned with the receiving cavity in said front-to-back direction;

wherein

either the through opening or the receiving cavity is asymmetrically arranged in one of the longitudinal direction and the longitudinal direction for assuring only one orientation is allowed for insertion of a corresponding plug connector during mating wherein said plug connector extending through the through opening and occupies the receiving cavity.

16. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein different protrusions are formed on the magnetic element to define the receiving cavity to perform said one orientation for anti-mismating.

17. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the through opening forms an asymmetrical arrangement in the vertical direction to perform said one orientation for anti-mismating.