Electrical interconnection system using magnetic retention

• US 7,497,693 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• 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:
  US11/998,539
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 439 38- 40
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7052 characterised by the locating members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6588 with through openings for individual contacts

Abstract

An electrical interconnection system has a plug connector (1) and receptacle connector (2). The plug connector (1) includes an insulated housing (13); a number of terminals (12) received in the insulated housing (13), said the contacts being separated into two distinct sets along longitudinal direction and apart from one another vertically; an attraction member (1) assembled to the insulated housing. The receptacle connector (2) includes an insulative housing; a number of contacts (24) separated into two distinct sets along vertical direction and received in the insulative housing; a magnetic block (22) assembled to the insulative housing. The plug connector (1) and the receptacle connector (2) are securely coupled together via a magnetic attraction between the magnetic member and the attraction member thereof. The contacts of the receptacle connector contact the terminals of the plug connector, respectively.

Claims

1. An electrical interconnection system, comprising:

a plug connector including;

an insulated housing;

a number of terminals received in the insulated housing, said terminals arranged in two rows, each terminal of the plug connector having a mating portion fixed to the insulated housing;

an attraction member assembled to the insulated housing; and

a receptacle connector mated to the plug connector, including;

an insulative housing;

a number of contacts received in the insulated housing, said contacts arranged in two rows, mating with the terminals of the plug connector respectively, each contact of the receptacle connector having a mating segment deflectable along a mating direction;

a magnetic block assembled to the insulative housing; and

wherein the plug connector and the receptacle connector are securely coupled together via a magnetic attraction between the magnetic member and the attraction member thereof.

2. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front segment of the attraction member forwardly protrudes beyond a front surface of the insulated housing of the plug connector, wherein the insulative housing of the receptacle connector defines a compliant slot recessed inward from front surface thereof, with the magnetic block located within the slot, and wherein the front segment of the attraction member is received in the compliant slot, proximate to the magnetic block.

3. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulated housing of the plug connector has a body portion and a planar spacer extending rearward from a middle section of back surface of the body portion.

4. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the insulated housing defines a number of terminal passages including a set of first terminal passages arranged above an imaginary horizontal plane through a central section of the spacer, a set of second terminal passages arranged below the imaginary horizontal plane.

5. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the set of first terminals offset from the set of second terminals along vertical direction.

6. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 4, wherein both the first terminal passage and the second terminal passage have vertical mounting grooves recessed rearward from forward surface of the body portion, a first positioning cavities respectively extending interiorly from a lower portion and an upper portion of mounting groove.

7. The electrical interconnection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the terminals includes a first terminals and the second terminals, wherein both first terminals and the second terminals include vertical contact portions disposed in the vertical mounting grooves, first retention portions disposed in the first position cavities, tail portions extending beyond a back surface of the insulated housing and arranged on an upper and a lower surfaces of the spacer respectively.

8. A receptacle connector for an electrical interconnection system comprising:

a metal shell defining a roomage;

an insulative housing received in the roomage of the metal shell;

a number of contacts received in the insulated housing, the contacts being separated into two distinct sets; and

a magnetic block assembled to the insulative housing adapted for attracting a plug connector.

9. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the insulative housing includes a peripheral portion and a central body portion, with a loop-shaped compliant slot formed therebetween.

10. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein the magnetic block is configured to loop-shaped and fitted into the compliant slot of the insulative housing.

11. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the central body portion interiorly recesses from forward face of the insulated housing to form a first cavity, wherein the first cavity communicates with the compliant slot.

12. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the central body portion defines a number of passageways separated into distinct sets along vertical direction.

13. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the contact is configured to spring-type and comprises a mating segment forward extending outside of the passageway and protruding into the first cavity, a horizontal retention segment inserted molded with and retained in the central body portion, a substantially inverted V-shaped body segment cantilevered in the passageway and a tail segment disposed outward of a rear surface of the central body portion and further bent downward from a rear end of the retention segment.

14. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the metal shell has a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of lateral walls joining to the top and bottom walls to form the roomage to receive the insulative housing therein.

15. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein the metal shell has at least one through hole defined in either the top wall or the pair of lateral walls to allow corresponding tab formed on a top side or the pair of lateral sides of the insulative housing inserting therein.

16. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein a rear section of a top side or the pair of lateral sides of the insulative housing forms at least one stopper to abut against corresponding cutout defined in rear section of either the top wall or the pair of lateral walls of the metal shell.

17. The receptacle connector as claimed in claim 14, wherein a rear portion of the bottom wall of the metal shell defines a window to allow tail segments of the contacts passing through.

18. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:

a first connector including;

a first insulative housing enclosing a plurality of first contacts and enclosed in a first metallic shell;

a second connector including;

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

wherein

one of said first connector and said second connector includes a magnetic structure, and either said first contacts or said second contacts provides a resilient force to buffer mating between the first connector and the second connector due to a magnetic force generated by said magnetic structure of said one connector, and applied to the other connector.

19. The connector as claimed in claim 18, wherein said magnetic structure and the contact providing the resilient force belong to the same connector.