Connector having improved contacts arrangement

• US 8,079,854 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: He, Jia-Yong, Zheng, Qi-Sheng, Yao, Zhong-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHI T
• Application Number:
  US13/097,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 439 78- 80, 439 83- 85, 439/733.1, 439/108, 439/660
• US Class Current: 439/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6467 by cross-over of signal conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/60 Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement

Abstract

A connector includes an insulative housing having a mating port; and a set of first contacts; and a set of second contacts disposed in the insulative housing. The first contacts include a power contact, a first grounding contact and a first pair of differential contacts. Each of the first contacts includes a first contacting portion exposed in the mating port and a first tail portion. The second contacts include a second pair of differential contacts, a third pair of differential contacts, and a second grounding contact. Each of the second contacts includes a second contacting portion exposed in the mating port, and a second tail portion. The first and second tail portions are arranged in one row in a transverse direction wherein all of the second tail portions are located between the first tail portions of the power contact and of the first grounding contact in the transverse direction.

Claims

1. An USB connector comprising:

an insulative housing defining a mating port;

a plurality of first contacts disposed in the insulative housing and comprising a power contact, a first grounding contact and a first pair of differential contacts located between the power contact and the first grounding contact, each of said first contacts comprising a first contacting portion exposed in the mating port and a first tail portion opposite to the first contacting portion; and

a plurality of second contacts disposed in the insulative housing and being configured essentially different from the first contacts, the second contacts comprising a second pair of differential contacts, a third pair of differential contacts, and a second grounding contact located between the second and third pairs of differential contacts, each of said second contacts comprising a second contacting portion exposed in the mating port and essentially located at a different level with regard to the first contacting portion, and a second tail portion opposite to the second contacting portion;

wherein

the first and second tail portions are arranged in one row in a transverse direction under a condition that all of the second tail portions are located between the first tail portions of the power contact and the first grounding contact in said transverse direction.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein relative to the first and second tail portions, the first and second contacts are arranged in the following specific sequence:

the power contact, the second pair of differential contacts, the second grounding contact, the first pair of differential contacts, the third pair of differential contacts, and the first grounding contact.

3. The connector according to claim 1 wherein relative to the first and second tail portions, the first and second contacts are arranged in the following specific sequence:

the power contact, the second pair of differential contacts, the first pair of differential contacts, the second grounding contact, the third pair of differential contacts, and the first grounding contact.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first contacts are insert molded into the insulative housing, the connector further comprises an insulator assembled to the insulative housing and defining a plurality of retaining holes for retaining the second contacts.

5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first contacts comprise first offset portions connecting the first tail portions and located between the first contacting and tail portions, the first offset portions of the first pair of differential contacts offset toward each other in the transverse direction so that a distance measured between the first tail portions of the first pair of differential contacts is smaller than a distance measured between the corresponding first contacting portions, the first offset portions of the power contact and the first grounding contact offset opposed to each other in the transverse direction so that a distance measured between the first tail portions of the power and first grounding contacts is greater than a distance measured between the corresponding first contacting portions.

6. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the second contacts comprise second offset portions connecting the second tail portions and located between the second contacting and tail portions, the second offset portions of each of the second and third pairs of differential contacts offset toward each other in the transverse direction so that a distance measured between the second tail portions of each of the second and third pairs of differential contacts is smaller than a distance measured between the corresponding second contacting portions.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the second grounding contact comprising a pair of said second tail portions spaced from each other in the transverse direction and arranged at two sides of the first tail portions of the first differential contacts respectively.

8. The connector according to claim 7, wherein relative to the first and second tail portions, the first and second contacts are arranged in the following specific sequence:

the power contact, the second pair of differential contacts, the second grounding contact, the first pair of differential contacts, the second grounding contact, the third pair of differential contacts, and the first grounding contact.

9. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the insulative housing has a bump protruding therefrom and defining at least one securing slot, the connector further comprises a metal shell shielding the insulative housing, the metal shell defining at least one securing portion formed thereon and being retained in the at least one securing slot so as to lock with the bump upwardly and downwardly, the bump is located between said two second tail portions of the second grounding contact.

10. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the second tail portions of the second pair of differential contacts are arranged between the first tail portion of the power contact and one second tail portion of the second grounding contact.

11. The connector according to claim 10, wherein the second tail portions of the third pair of differential contacts are arranged between the first grounding contact and the other second tail portion of the second grounding contact.

12. An USB 3.0 plug connector comprising:

an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion; and

a plurality of USB 3.0 contacts coupled to the insulative housing and comprising a plurality of first contacts adapted for USB 2.0 protocol and a plurality of second contacts, the first contacts comprising a power contact, a first grounding contact and a first pair of differential contacts located between the power contact and the first grounding contact, each of said first contacts comprising a stiff first contacting portion retained in the tongue portion and a first tail portion opposite to the first contacting portion;

the second contacts comprising a second pair of differential contacts, a third pair of differential contacts, and a second grounding contact located between the second and third pairs of differential contacts, each of said second contacts comprising a resilient second contacting portion extending upon the tongue portion under a condition that the second contacting portions are located behind the first contacting portions, and a second tail portion opposite to the second contacting portion;

wherein

the first and second tail portions are arranged in one row in a transverse direction, the second grounding contact has two split said second tail portions spaced from each other in said transverse direction, the first tail portions of the first pair of differential contacts are arranged between and directly neighboring to said second tail portions of the second grounding contact.

13. The USB 3.0 plug connector according to claim 12, wherein the connector further comprises a metal shell shielding the insulative housing, the insulative housing has a bump protruding therefrom for retaining the metal shell and located between said two second tail portions of the second grounding contact.

14. The USB 3.0 plug connector according to claim 12, wherein relative to the first and second tail portions, the first and second contacts are arranged in the following specific sequence:

the power contact, the second pair of differential contacts, the second grounding contact, the first pair of differential contacts, the second grounding contact, the third pair of differential contacts, and the first grounding contact.

15. The USB 3.0 plug connector according to claim 12, wherein the second tail portions of the second pair of differential contacts are arranged between the first tail portion of the power contact and one second tail portion of the second grounding contact.

16. The USB 3.0 plug connector according to claim 15, wherein the second tail portions of the third pair of differential contacts are arranged between the first grounding contact and the other second tail portion of the second grounding contact.

17. An USB electrical connector comprising:

an insulative housing enclosed in a metallic shell commonly defining a mating port with a mating tongue extending therein in a front-to-back direction and defining a mating face thereon;

four first contacts disposed in the housing and comprising a first grounding contact, a pair of first differential pair contacts and a power contact arranged with one another in a transverse direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction, each of the first contacts defining a front first contacting section exposed upon the mating face, and a rear first tail section located on a rear side of the housing;

five second contacts disposed in the housing and comprising a pair of second differential pair contacts, a second grounding contact and a pair of third differential pair contacts arranged with each other in said transverse direction, each of said second contacts defining a front second contacting section exposed upon the mating face and a rear second tail section located on the rear side of the housing under condition that the front first contacting sections and the front second contacting sections are essentially located at different levels in a vertical direction perpendicular to both said front-to-back direction and said transverse direction, and essentially offset from each other in the front-to-back direction;

wherein

the first tail sections and the second tail sections are arranged in one row along the transverse direction corresponding to first to tenth positions with generally equal intervals under condition that all the differential pair contacts composed of the pairs of first, second and third differential pair contacts, occupy a second position, a third position, a fifth position, a sixth position, a eight position and a ninth position.

18. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second grounding contact occupies at least one of a fourth position and a seventh position while the power contact and the first grounding contact occupy the first position and the tenth position, respectively.

19. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 18, wherein during mating one of the front first contacting section of the first contact and the front second contacting section of the second contact is deflectable while the other is still.