Surge voltage preventing D-sub connector

• US 5,662,483 A
• Filed: 12/14/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Ju-seo, Park, Sung-un, Park, Noh-byung
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US08/572,723
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 439/101, 439/108, 439/188, 439/924.1, 439/733.1
• US Class Current: 439/101
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/10 Sockets for co-operation with pins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6485 Electrostatic discharge protection in general H05F1/00, for electric apparatus H05K9/0067

Abstract

An electrical coupling configured to prevent voltage surges during coupling and uncoupling. A plurality of ground terminals and a plurality of signal terminals are arrayed to open onto an exterior mating surface of an electrical coupling such as a D-sub type electrical connector, with the distal ends of the ground terminals protruding outwardly farther from their corresponding pinholes towards the exterior mating surface than the distal ends of the signal terminals. These configurations prevent the input and output controlling circuit stages from being disabled by the occurrence of noise superimposed upon the power lines or momentary surges of voltage generated while the system is temporarily ungrounded during coupling, with an assurrance that during coupling, the ground terminals establish electrically conducting paths before the signal terminals. These configurations are suitable for printer cables, repeater cables and connector cables of other devices.

Claims

1. A surge voltage preventing D-sub connector, comprising:

a plurality of female signal terminals disposed within corresponding different ones of a first plurality of pinholes opening onto an exterior mating surface;

a plurality of female ground terminals disposed within corresponding different ones of a second plurality of pinholes opening onto said exterior mating surface, with a certain point internal to said first plurality and said second plurality of pinholes and spaced apart from said exterior mating surface is set as a basis-point and distal terminal ends of said plurality of female ground terminals are positioned nearer than said basis-point by a substantially constant distance to the exterior mating surface and distal terminal ends of said plurality of female signal terminals are positioned farther than said basis-point by a substantially constant distance from the exterior mating surface, with said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female ground terminals being positioned nearer than said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female signal terminals to the exterior mating surface of the connector;

an annular protrusion formed in each of said first plurality of pinholes and said second plurality of pinholes;

said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female ground terminals being hung on and extending partially coextensively with said protrusion within said second plurality of pinholes; and

said distal terminal ends of said .plurality of female signal terminals being hung on and extending partially coextensively with said protrusions of said first plurality of pinholes.

2. A surge voltage preventing D-sub connector comprising:

a plurality of female signal terminals disposed within corresponding different ones of a first plurality of pinholes opening onto a mating surface;

a plurality of female ground terminals disposed within corresponding different ones of a second plurality of pinholes opening onto said mating surface, with a certain point internal to said first plurality and said second plurality of pinholes and spaced apart from said exterior mating surface is set as a basis-point and distal terminal ends of said plurality of female ground terminals are positioned nearer than said basis-point by a substantially constant distance to the exterior mating surface and distal terminal ends of said plurality of female signal terminals are positioned farther than said basis-point by a substantially constant distance from the exterior mating surface, with said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female ground terminals being positioned nearer than said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female signal terminals to the exterior mating surface of the connector, said plurality of female ground terminals being the same shape as said plurality of female signal terminals;

an annular protrusion spaced apart from said mating surface, formed within each of said first plurality of pinholes and said second plurality of pinholes; and

said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female ground terminals and said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female signal terminals being held within different corresponding ones of said first and said second pluralities of said pinholes with said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female ground terminals not protruded upward and beyond said protrusion within corresponding ones of said second plurality of pinholes and with said distal terminal ends of said plurality of female signal terminals not protruded upward and beyond said protrusion within corresponding ones of said first plurality of pinholes.

3. A connector, comprising:

a body of an electrically insulating material having a planar face defining an external border perforated by a plurality of ground pinholes and a plurality of signal pinholes extending into said electrically insulative material through said planar face, each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes having internal sidewalls;

a plurality of first electrically conducting fingers, each extending along different corresponding internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of ground pinholes; and

a plurality of second electrically conducting fingers, each extending along different corresponding internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of signal pinholes, said first conducting fingers extending nearer than said second conducting fingers to said external border, wherein said internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes comprises;

a beveled portion adjacent to said external border,

a concentric cylindrical portion extending inwardly from said beveled portion an away from said external border,

each one of said plurality of first electrically conducting fingers extending from said cylindrical portion of a corresponding one of said ground pinholes, across said beveled portion of said corresponding one of said plurality of ground pinholes and onto said external border adjacent to said corresponding one of said plurality of ground pinholes, and

each one of said plurality of second electrically conducting fingers lying entirely within said cylindrical portion of each corresponding one of said plurality of signal pinholes, wherein each one of said plurality of ground pinholes has the same shape as each one of said plurality of signal pinholes.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein said connector is a D-sub connector.

5. A connector, comprising:

a body of an electrically insulating material having a planar face defining an external border perforated by a plurality of ground pinholes and a plurality of signal pinholes extending into said electrically insulative material through said planar face, each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes having internal sidewalls;

a plurality of first electrically conducting fingers, each extending along different corresponding internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of ground pinholes; and

a plurality of second electrically conducting fingers, each extending along different corresponding internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of signal pinholes, said first conducting fingers extending nearer than said second conducting fingers to said external border, wherein said internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes comprises;

a fast cylindrical portion having a first diameter, said first cylindrical portion adjacent to said external border,

a second concentric cylindrical portion having a second and smaller diameter extending inwardly from said first cylindrical portion and away from said external border, and

an annular surface being formed where said first cylindrical portion joins said second cylindrical portion, wherein each one of said plurality of ground pinholes having the same shape as each one of said plurality of signal pinholes, with the exception that said first cylindrical portion of each of said plurality of ground pinholes being shorter than said first cylindrical portion of each of said plurality of signal pinholes, wherein each one of said plurality of first electrically conducting fingers and each one of said plurality of second electrically conducting fingers extend from said second cylindrical portion and across said annular surface formed between said first cylindrical portion and said second cylindrical portion allowing said plurality of first electrically conducting fingers and said plurality of second electrically conducting fingers to hang on said annular surface.

6. A connector, comprising:

a body of an electrically insulating material having a planar face defining an external border perforated by a plurality of ground pinholes and a plurality of signal pinholes extending into said electrically insulative material through said planar face, each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes having internal sidewalls;

a plurality of first electrically conducting fingers, each extending along different corresponding internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of ground pinholes; and

a plurality of second electrically conducting fingers, each extending along different corresponding internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of signal pinholes, said first conducting fingers extending nearer than said second conducting fingers to said external border, wherein said internal sidewalls of each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes comprises;

a beveled portion adjacent to said external border, said beveled portion having a first diameter where said beveled portion joins said external border, and

a cylindrical portion having a third diameter, said cylindrical portion concentric to and extending inwardly from said beveled portion away from said external border, said beveled portion having a second diameter where said beveled portion joins said cylindrical portion, said second diameter being smaller than said third diameter, an annular surface being formed where said beveled portion joins said cylindrical portion, said annular surface being parallel to and facing away from said external border, wherein each one of said plurality of ground pinholes has the same shape as each one of said plurality of signal pinholes with the exception that said beveled portion for said plurality of ground pinholes is shorter than said beveled portion of said plurality of signal pinholes, each one of said plurality of first electrically conducting fingers and each one of said plurality of second electrically conducting fingers extends from said cylindrical portion to said annular surface facing away from said external border in each one of said plurality of ground pinholes and in each one of said plurality of signal pinholes respectively.

7. An electrical connector system, comprising:

a plurality of pins extending from a first connector of electrically insulating material, each one of said plurality of pins having a distal end, said plurality of pins being parallel to each other and of equal length said distal ends of said pins define a planar surface perpendicular to said plurality of pins; and

a second connector of electrically insulating material having a planar face defining an exterior mating surface, said exterior mating surface perpendicularly perforated by;

a plurality of signal pinholes, each one of said plurality of signal pinholes having a female signal terminal located therein, each said female signal terminal having a distal end, and

a plurality of ground pinholes, each one of said plurality of ground pinholes having a female ground terminal located therein, each said female ground terminal having a distal end, said distal end of each said female ground terminal extending closer to said exterior mating surface of said second connector than said distal end of each said female signal terminal with the size and shape of each one of said plurality of ground pinholes and each one of said plurality of signal pinholes comprising;

a cylindrical portion having a first diameter, and

a beveled portion extending inward from said exterior mating surface to said cylindrical portion, said beveled portion concentric to said cylindrical portion, said beveled portion having a first diameter at said cylindrical portion, said beveled portion having a second diameter at said exterior mating surface, the diameter of said beveled portion varying linearly between said cylindrical portion and said exterior mating surface, said second diameter larger than said first diameter.

8. The electrical connector system of claim 7, with said distal end of each said female signal terminal located within said cylindrical portion of each one of said plurality of signal pinholes near said beveled portion, said distal end of each said female ground terminal located on said exterior mating surface near said beveled portion of each corresponding ones of said plurality of ground pinholes, wherein each said female ground terminal extends across said beveled portion of each corresponding ones of said plurality of ground pinholes.

9. The electrical connector system of claim 8, with said electrical connector system being comprised of D-sub connectors.

10. An electrical connector system, comprising:

a plurality of pins extending from a first connector of electrically insulating material, each of said plurality of pins having a distal end, said plurality of pins being parallel to each other and of equal length, said distal ends of said pins define a planar surface perpendicular to said plurality of pins;

a second connector of electrically insulating material having a planar face defining an exterior mating surface, said exterior mating surface perforated perpendicularly by a plurality of signal pinholes, each of said plurality of signal pinholes containing a female signal terminal, each of said female signal terminal having a distal end;

said exterior mating surface of said second conductor perforated perpendicularly by a plurality of ground pinholes, each of said plurality of ground pinholes having a female ground terminal within, each of said female ground terminals having a distal end;

each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes having a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, both said first cylindrical portion and second cylindrical portion orthogonal to said exterior mating surface, said first cylindrical portion having a first diameter, said a second cylindrical portion concentric to said first cylindrical portion, said second cylindrical portion having a second diameter, said second cylindrical portion extending between said first cylindrical portion and said exterior mating surface of said second connector, said second diameter being larger than said first diameter, said first cylindrical portion and said second cylindrical portion forming an annular surface therebetween, said annular surface being parallel to said exterior mating surface, each one of said plurality of signal pinholes having the same shape as each one of said plurality of said ground pinholes except that said second cylindrical portion of each one of said plurality of signal pinholes extends deeper into said second connector and further away from said exterior mating surface than said second cylindrical portion of each one of said plurality of ground pinholes;

said distal ends of each of said female signal terminals located at said annular surface found within each respective ones of said plurality of signal pinholes; and

said distal ends of each of said female ground terminals located at said annular surface found within each respective ones of said plurality of ground pinholes, whereby said distal ends of said female ground terminals are located closer to said exterior mating surface than said distal ends of said female signal terminals.

11. The electrical connector system of claim 10, with said electrical connector system being comprised of D-sub connectors.

12. An electrical connector system, comprising:

a plurality of pins extending from a first connector of electrically insulating material, each of said plurality of pins having a distal end, said plurality of pins being parallel to each other and of equal length, said distal ends of said pins define a planar surface perpendicular to said plurality of pins;

a second connector of electrically insulating material having a planar face defining an exterior mating surface, said exterior mating surface perforated perpendicularly by a plurality of signal pinholes, each of said plurality of signal pinholes containing a female signal terminal, each of said female signal terminal having a distal end;

said exterior mating surface of said second conductor perforated perpendicularly by a plurality of ground pinholes, each of said plurality of ground pinholes having a female ground terminal within, each of said female ground terminals having a distal end; and

each of said plurality of ground pinholes and each of said plurality of signal pinholes having;

a beveled portion adjacent to said external mating surface, said beveled portion having a first diameter where said beveled portion joins said external mating surface, and

a cylindrical portion having a third diameter, said cylindrical portion concentric to and extending inwardly from said beveled portion and away from said external mating surface, said cylindrical portion perpendicular to said external mating surface, said beveled portion having a second diameter where said beveled portion joins said cylindrical portion, said second diameter being smaller than said third diameter, an annular surface being formed where said beveled portion joins said cylindrical portion, said annular surface being parallel to and facing away from said external mating surface, wherein each of said plurality of ground pinholes has the same shape as each one of said plurality of said signal pinholes with the exception that said beveled portion for each one of said plurality of ground pinholes is shorter than said beveled portion for each one of said plurality of signal pinholes, said distal ends of each said female ground terminal and said distal ends of each said female signal terminal being located in said cylindrical portion near said annular surface of each corresponding one of said plurality of ground pinholes and each corresponding one of said plurality of signal pinholes respectively.

13. The electrical connector system of claim 12, with said electrical connector system being comprised of D-sub connectors.