Electrical interconnection system having magnetic retention device

• US 7,445,452 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond; Briggitte R
• Application Number:
  US11/998,538
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 439/39, 439/607
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet

Abstract

An electrical interconnection system includes a plug connector (1) and a receptacle connector (2). The plug connector (1) has an insulated housing (11); at least one terminal (12) received in the insulated housing (11); a spacer (15) defining a body segment and adjacent to the back face of the insulated housing, an attraction member defining a hollow portion to receive the insulated housing. The terminal has a mating portion (121) forward extending beyond a front face of the insulated housing, and a pair of tail portions (124) rearward extending beyond a back face of the insulated housing. One tail portion of the terminal is located on the body segment of the spacer and the other tail portion of the terminal is embedded in the body segment of the spacer. The receptacle connector (2) has an insulative housing (24); at least one contact (22) received in the insulative housing; a magnetic block (23) assembled to the insulative housing. The plug connector and the receptacle connector are securely coupled together via a magnetic attraction between the magnetic member and the attraction member thereof. The terminal of the plug connector contact the contact of the receptacle connector.

Claims

1. A plug connector for an electrical interconnection system, comprising:

an attraction member defining a hollow portion;

an insulated housing received in the hollow portion of the attraction member, said insulated housing having a front face and a back face;

at least one terminal received in the insulated housing, said terminal having a mating portion forward extending beyond the front face of the insulated housing, and said the terminal having a pair of tail portions rearward extending beyond the back face of the insulated housing;

a spacer having a body segment and adjacent to the back face of the insulated housing; and

wherein one tail portion of the terminal is located on the body segment of the spacer and the other tail portion of the terminal is embedded in the body segment of the spacer;

wherein a front segment of the insulated housing is received in a rear segment of the hollow portion of the attraction member, wherein the mating portion of the terminal is disposed in a front portion of the hollow portion of the attraction member.

2. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal of the further comprises a spring body portion rearward extending from an end of the mating portion and an retention portion rearward extending from an end of the spring body portion.

3. The plug connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pair of tail portions extend rearward from back edge of the retention portion and apart from one another along vertical direction.

4. The plug connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring body portion has a number of U-shaped members interconnecting with one another and lined along front-to-back direction.

5. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer latches with the insulated housing of the plug connector.

6. The plug connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spacer further comprises a pair of latch arms located at lateral sides of the body segment and extending to exceed a front surface thereof, wherein the pair of latch arms lock with a pair of tabs formed on lateral sides of the insulated housing, respectively.

7. The plug connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cable having at least one inner wire electrically connecting to the tail portion of the terminal located on the body segment of the spacer.

8. An electrical interconnection system, comprising:

a plug connector including;

an insulated housing defining a number of terminal slots;

a number of terminals received in the terminal slots, said each of the terminals has two tail portions disposed at different levels;

an attraction member assembled to the insulated housing; and

a receptacle connector including;

an insulative housing;

a number of contacts received in the insulative housing;

at least one magnetic block arranged around the insulative housing; and

wherein the plug connector and the receptacle connector are securely coupled together by a magnetic attraction between the magnetic blocks and the attraction member;

wherein the contacts of the receptacle connector contact the terminals of the plug connector.

9. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a spacer assembled to a rear surface of the insulated housing.

10. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the spacer defines a number of depression portions, separated into two distinct groups and arranged at top section and bottom section of the spacer, wherein one of the two tail portion of each of the terminals located in the depression portion.

11. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 10, wherein every two adjacent terminals has their tail portions located in the depression portions being arranged at different levels.

12. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the insulative housing of the receptacle connector has a number of horizontal contact passages defined in a top section of the main portion, wherein a front section of the insulative housing defines a number of vertical cavities join to the contact passages, respectively.

13. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 12, wherein an upper surface of the main portion further defines a number of horizontal slits to communicate with the contact passages.

14. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 12, wherein contacts comprises a retention segment received in the horizontal contact passage and a vertical contacting segment bent downward from front end of the retention segment and further received in the vertical cavities.

15. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the magnetic blocks is configured to L-shaped and has a positioning slot located in an inside surface thereof, and wherein the insulative housing of the receptacle connector has a main portion forming a flange member thereon inserting into the positioning slot of the magnetic block.

16. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 8, wherein a front section of the insulative housing of the receptacle connector protrudes forward of the magnetic blocks, wherein the receptacle connector further has a metal shell bundling around the magnetic blocks to form a forward mating space between the metal shell and the front section of the insulated housing, and wherein the front section of the attraction member of the plug connector is received in the forward mating space.

17. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a front edge of the metal shell forms a number of excurvate short sheets guiding the plug connector into mating with receptacle connector.

18. A electrical connector assembly comprising:

a first connector including;

a first insulative housing;

a plurality of first contacts positioned in the first housing, each of said first contacts;

has two tail portions disposed at different levels

a magnetic structure surrounding the first housing;

a first metallic shell enclosing said magnetic structure;

a second connector mated with the first connector and including;

a second insulative housing receiving a plurality of second contacts and enclosed in a second metallic shell;

wherein

when mated, the second shell is urged to move toward the magnetic structure by magnetic forces in a mating direction so as to urge the first contacts engage the corresponding second contacts while the second contact result in a resilient force to push the front contact away in another direction opposite to said mating direction due to deflection of said second contact.

19. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein said first contacts are supported by the first housing not to be moved back during mating.