Electrical connector having protective member

• US 7,632,134 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Li-Zhi, Chen, Chiao, Su, Ping-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Leon; Edwin A.
• Application Number:
  US11/824,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20080003841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 439/456, 439/459, 439/465, 439/466, 439/467, 439/490, 439/610, 439/752, 439/595, 439/607.01, 439/607.27, 439/607.41, 439/607.55
• US Class Current: 439/490
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/44 Means for preventing access to live contacts making use of a switch actuated by engagement of counterpart H01R13/7036
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/502 composed of different pieces H01R13/514 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5804 comprising a separate cable clamping part H01R13/5841 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/65914 Connection of shield to additional grounding conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6592 the conductive member being a shielded cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6594 the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a terminal block defining a plurality of receiving passageways extending therethrough, a plurality of terminals respectively received in the terminal block and a protective member assembled to the front side of the terminal block. Each terminal defines a media portion positioned in the corresponding receiving passageways and a contacting portion extending forwardly from the media portion and beyond the corresponding receiving passageways. The protective member further defines a plurality of channels corresponding to the receiving passageways for entirely receiving the plurality of contacting portions of the terminals.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

a terminal block defining a plurality of receiving passageways extending therethrough;

a plurality of terminals respectively received in the terminal block and each defining a media portion positioned in the corresponding receiving passageways and a contacting portion extending forwardly from the media portion and beyond the corresponding receiving passageways; and

a protective member assembled to the front side of the terminal block; and

wherein the protective member defines a plurality of channels corresponding to the receiving passageways, said contacting portions of the terminals are entirely received in the channels of the protective member, respectively;

wherein each size of the channel is respective larger than that of the contacting portion of the corresponding terminal and smaller than that of the media portion, therefore, the channels can allow the contacting portion to enter therein and stop the media portion from entering into the channels;

a front cover made of metal or magnetic material and capable of being attracted by a complementary connector, and wherein the front cover is assembled with the terminal block and the protective member.

2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front cover defines a receiving cavity for receiving the terminal block and the protective member therein and a front opening communicating with the receiving cavity.

3. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the size of the front opening is smaller than that of the receiving cavity, and therefore a step portion is formed therebetween;

and wherein the protective member is of step-shape, and partially received in the receiving cavity of the front cover and defines an enlarged portion positioned by said step portion of the franc cover, a forward portion extending forwardly from the enlarged portion and projecting beyond the front opening of the front cover and the plurality of channels extending through the enlarged portion and the forward portion.

4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the terminal block defines a rectangular base portion exposed outside the receiving cavity of the front cover, a tongue portion extending forwardly from the front end of the base portion and received in the receiving cavity for engaging with the enlarged portion of the protective member and the plurality of passageways extending through the base portion and the tongue portion.

5. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tongue portion of the terminal block defines a pair of first holes passing through the tongue portion along a direction perpendicular to the passageways;

and wherein the front cover further defines a pair of second holes corresponding to the first holes; and

further comprising a pair of retaining pins engaging with said a pair of first holes and second holes for locking the front cover and the terminal block together.

6. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a circuit board located behind the terminal block, and wherein the circuit board defining a plurality of conductive elements for electrically connecting with the plurality of terminals and at least an LED (Low Emitting Diode) electrically formed on the circuit board.

7. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 6, further comprising an IC (Integrated Circuit) driving the LED to emit different light to indicate the status of the electric circuit.

8. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the terminals are of POGO-type and comprise a plurality of power terminals and at least a detective terminal electrically connecting with the LED for indicating the status of the electric circuit.

9. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an inner casing, and wherein the inner casing is formed by means of at least one of injection and molding from transparent or semitransparent material.

10. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein the inner casing is of rectangular shape and molded with the circuit board and the base portion of the terminal block.

11. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a cover defining a receiving space accommodating the assembly of the inner casing, the circuit board and the terminal block, and wherein the cover also defines a pair of circular holes both at top and bottom wall thereof respectively for facilitating to watch the light emitted by the LED.

12. An electrical connector, comprising:

a front cover defining a mating port;

a terminal block assembled with a plurality of terminals and partially positioned in the mating port;

a protective member disposed in front of the terminal block and partially received in the mating port, with a forward portion thereof extending beyond a front surface of the front cover; and

wherein each terminal defines a media portion positioned in the terminal block and a contacting portion extending forwardly from the media portion, said contacting portion of the terminal is completely accommodated in corresponding channel of the protective member;

a circuit board located behind the terminal block, and wherein the circuit board defining a plurality of conductive elements for electrically connecting with the plurality of terminals and at least an LED (Low Emitting Diode) electrically formed on the circuit board.

13. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein each size of the channel is respective larger then that of the contacting portion of the corresponding terminal and smaller than that of the media portion, therefore, the channels can allow the contacting portion to enter therein and stop the media portion from entering into the channels.

14. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the terminals are of POGO-type and comprise a plurality of power terminals and at least a detective terminal electrically connecting with the LED for indicating the status of the electric circuit.

15. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein said protective member abuts against the terminal block in a front-to-back direction when contacting portions are received in the corresponding channels, respectively.

16. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the mating port includes a receiving cavity and a front opening, said receiving cavity is larger than the front opening, wherein the protective member has an enlarged portion at back of the forward portion and retained in the receiving cavity.