MAGNETIC CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

• US 20160218462A1
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2015
• 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: ZHAO, PENG-YE, LIN, WEI-CHUNG, HSIEH, WEN-YI, ZHU, ZHI-HUI
• Granted Patent: US 9,685,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet

Abstract

An electrical connector includes an insulative seat, a plurality of terminals fixed to the insulative seat and at least one magnetic element retained in the insulative seat. The insulative seat defines a vertical first mating surface and a mating portion extending forwardly from the first mating surface, the mating portion defines an inclined second mating surface. Each terminal defines a contacting portion disposed in the mating portion and a soldering portion extending outside of the insulative seat. The mating portion defines a shallow recess recessed from the second mating surface, and the contacting portion defines a free end exposed on the shallow recess and locating behind the second mating surface.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

an insulative seat defining a vertical first mating surface and a mating portion extending forwardly from the first mating surface, the mating portion defining an inclined second mating surface;

a plurality of terminals fixed to the insulative seat and each defining a contacting portion disposed in the mating portion and a soldering portion extending outside of the insulative seat; and

at least one magnetic element retained in the insulative seat;

wherein

the mating portion defines a shallow recess recessed backwardly from the second mating surface, and the contacting portion defines a free end exposed in the shallow recess and locating behind the second mating surface.

2. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, wherein the shallow recess of the mating portion defines a vertical third mating surface, the insulative seat defines a plurality of the terminal slots running through the third mating surface for receiving the terminals, the rear portion of each terminal slot is semicircular shape to form a semicircular terminal slot, and the soldering portion of the terminal is slat shape to be received in the semicircular terminal slot.

3. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, wherein the insulative seat defines a pair of retaining cavities located on both sides of the mating portion and running through the first mating surface, the magnetic elements are located on both sides of the terminals and closely accommodated in the pair of retaining cavities.

4. The electrical connector as described in claim 3, wherein the first mating surface of the insulative seat is flush with the front surface of the magnetic elements so that the first mating surface of the insulative seat and the front surface of the magnetic elements together form a mating surface of the electrical connector.

5. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, wherein the electrical connector defines a membrane covering the mating surface of the insulative seat in order to prevent the insulative seat and the magnetic elements from damaged when the electrical connector mated.

6. The electrical connector as described in claim 6, wherein the electrical connector is mounted on a shell of a device with an opening, the first mating surface of the electrical connector and the opening of the shell together form a mating cavity for receiving a mating connector.

7. A magnetic connector assembly, comprising:

an electrical connector including an insulative seat and a plurality of terminals fixed to the insulative seat, the insulative seat defining a vertical first mating surface and a mating portion extending forwardly from the first mating surface, the mating portion defining an inclined second mating surface and a shallow recess recessed from the second mating surface;

a mating connector including an insulative housing and a plurality of scalable terminals fixed in the insulative housing, the insulative housing defining an inclined first engaging surface, each scalable terminal defining a contacting end projecting outside of the first engaging surface of the insulative housing;

wherein

the contacting portion defines a free end exposed on the shallow recess which locates behind the second mating surface, when the electrical connector is engaging with the mating connector, the second mating surface of the electrical connector is fitly engaging with the first engaging surface of the mating connector, and the scalable terminals of the mating connector are received in the shallow recess and engaging with the terminals of the electrical connector.

8. The magnetic connector assembly as described in claim 7, wherein the shallow recess of the mating portion defines a vertical third mating surface, the insulative seat defines a plurality of the terminal slots running through the third mating surface and each terminal of the electrical connector defines a contacting portion disposed in the corresponding terminal slot and a soldering portion extending outside of the insulative seat.

9. The magnetic connector assembly as described in claim 8, wherein the rear portion of each terminal slot is semicircular shape to form a semicircular terminal slot, and the soldering portion of the terminal is slat shape to be received in the semicircular terminal slot.

10. The magnetic connector assembly as described in claim 7, wherein the insulative seat defines a pair of retaining cavities located on both sides of the mating portion and running through the first mating surface, the electrical connector defines a pair of magnetic elements located on both sides of the terminals and closely accommodated in the pair of retaining cavities.

11. The magnetic connector assembly as described in claim 8, wherein the front surfaces of the magnetic elements are flush with the first mating surface of the insulative seat so that the first mating surface of the insulative seat and the front surface of the magnetic elements together form a mating surface of the electrical connector.

12. The magnetic connector assembly as described in claim 11, wherein the mating connector defines a magnetic element surrounding outer of the insulative housing, the magnetic element defines a pair of protrusions disposed on both sides of the insulative housing and the protrusions have a second engaging surface engaging with the mating surface of the electrical connector.

13. The magnetic connector assembly as described in claim 12, wherein the scalable terminals of the mating connector include a row of signal terminals and a pair of grounding terminals located both sides of signal terminals, the front ends of the grounding terminals are flush with the second engaging surface of the protrusions and the front ends of the grounding terminals are disposed in front of the front ends of the signal terminals.

14. A magnetic connector assembly comprising:

a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector adapted to be mated with each other, said first electrical connector including;

a first insulative seat defining a first mating surface, a mating portion forwardly extending beyond the first mating surface along the front-to-back direction, a second mating face formed on a front end face of the mating portion;

a plurality of first terminal slots arranged in the first insulative seat with one another along a transverse direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, each of said first terminal slots extending forwardly through the second mating surface;

a plurality of first terminals disposed in the corresponding first terminal slots, respectively, each of said first terminals including a first front contacting portion with a first free end section located behind the second mating surface;

a pair of retaining cavities formed within the first insulative housing by two sides of the mating portion in the transverse direction;

a pair of first magnetic attraction elements disposed within the corresponding retaining cavities, respectively;

a shell located in front of the first electrical connector and defining a receiving cavity in which said mating portion is disposed, the second mating surface being located behind a front face of the shell, the mating portion being intimately contacting the shell in a vertical direction perpendicular to both said front-to-back direction and said transverse direction while being spaced from the shell in the transverse direction to leave two opposite spaces which are located by two sides of the mating portion in the transverse direction and aligned with the corresponding first magnetic attraction elements in the front-to-back direction, respectively;

the second electrical connector including;

a second insulative housing defining therein a plurality of second terminal slots with one another in the transverse direction, each of said second terminal slots extending along the front-to-back direction;

a plurality of second terminals disposed within the corresponding second terminal slots, respectively, each of said second terminals forming a second front contacting portion exposed forwardly beyond a front face of the housing and being retractable along the front-to-back direction; and

a pair of second magnetic attraction elements located by two sides of the second front ends of said second terminals in the transverse direction;

wherein

said pair of second magnetic attraction elements extend into the two spaces in the receiving cavity and intimately contact the corresponding first magnetic attraction elements in the front-to-back direction, respectively.

15. The magnetic connector assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the pair of second magnetic attraction elements defines an asymmetrical structure with regard to the transverse direction to comply with the receiving cavity so as to assure only one orientation of said second connector to be coupled with the first connector through said receiving cavity.

16. The magnetic connector assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein before mating, the second front contacting portions of the second terminals are exposed to an exterior in the vertical direction while are protectively hidden behind the pair of second magnetic attraction elements in the transverse direction.

17. The magnetic connector assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first insulative housing forms a shallow recess inwardly and rearwardly recessed from the second mating surface, and the first free end section is exposed within the shallow recess.

18. The magnetic connector assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein said second mating surface is oblique, and the front face of the shell is oblique in compliance with said second mating surface.

19. The magnetic connector assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein said second insulative housing defines an engagement surface which is oblique in compliance with the second mating surface.