Connector and connector assembly for use with flex circuits

• US 8,932,083 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Molex Incorporated
• Inventors: Ho, Yi-Tse
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US13/525,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20120329334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 439/570, 439/660, 439/638, 439/929, 361/679.4, 361/679.45
• US Class Current: 439/660
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/613 by means of interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/79 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam

Abstract

An assembly comprises a plug device and a receptacle device which can be mated with each other. The plug device comprises an outer housing, a first circuit board, and a plug connector. The outer housing comprises an upper housing and a lower housing having a penetrating window. The plug connector comprises an insulative body and a first terminal group. The receptacle device comprises a casing and a receptacle connector. The casing has an insertion groove communicated with an outside and is engaged with the plug device and a receiving groove located under the insertion groove and communicated with the insertion groove. The receptacle connector comprises an insulative base and a second terminal group. Electrical connections are established between the contact portions of the second terminals and contact portions of corresponding first terminals of the first terminal group when the plug device is positioned in the insertion groove.

Claims

1. An assembly, comprising:

a plug device that includes an outer housing comprising an upper housing and a lower housing, the upper housing and the lower housing being mated and defining a receiving space, and the lower housing having a penetrating window, a first circuit board of which at least a part is provided in the receiving space and a plug connector provided on the first circuit board and located in the receiving space, and the plug connector comprising an insulative body and a first terminal group provided to the insulative body;

the insulative body having a mounting face connecting the first circuit board, a mating face located at an opposite side of the mounting face, and a stopping portion located between the mating face and the mounting face and protruding sidewardly;

a part of the insulative body which comprises the mating face extending through the window and extending out of the outer housing; and

the stopping portion abutting against an inner side of the lower housing adjacent to the window;

the first terminal group consisting of a plurality of first terminals spaced apart from each other;

each of the first terminals having a soldering portion extending out of the insulative body and soldered on the first circuit board and a contact portion located on the mating face; and

a receptacle device that includes a casing having an insertion groove communicated with an outside and engaged with the plug device and a receiving groove located under the insertion groove and communicated with the insertion groove, and a receptacle connector provided in the casing and comprising an insulative base and a second terminal group provided to the insulative base, the insulative base located in the receiving groove, the second terminal group consisting of a plurality of second terminals spaced apart from each other and corresponding to the first terminal group, each of the second terminals having a resilient arm extending out of the insulative base and a contact portion connecting a distal end of the resilient arm and extending into the insertion groove, the contact portions of the second terminals being electrically connected to the corresponding contact portion of the first terminals when the plug device is positioned in die insertion groove.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the casing further has a pair of guide rails spaced apart from each other and located at two sides of the insertion groove and above the receiving groove, a spacing distance between the pair of spaced guide rails can have the part of the insulative body of the plug device extending out of the window pass through, and the outer housing of the plug device is supported and held by the pair of guide rails.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the receptacle device further comprises a second circuit board fixedly provided inside the casing and located in the receiving groove, and the receptacle connector is fixedly provided on the second circuit board and electrically connected to the second circuit board.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper housing and the lower housing of the outer housing further together define an opening via which the receiving space is communicated with an outside;

and the window of the lower housing is spaced apart from a side of the opening;

a part of the first circuit board is located in the receiving space, and the other part of the first circuit board extends out of the outer housing via the opening.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first circuit board is a flexible circuit board.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle device further comprises two fixing members;

the two fixing members are integrally respectively connected to the two terminals of the second terminal group respectively arranged at two outermost sides of the second terminals and extend out of two opposite side faces of the insulative base in a direction away from each other;

the two fixing members and the second terminal group are integrally engaged with and fixed by the insulative base by means of insert molding while the insulative base is formed.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plug device and the receptacle device respectively have mating sides which are firstly in contact with each other;

one of the first terminal group and the second terminal group has the two terminals of which the contact portions are close to the mating side thereof relative to the contact portions of the other terminals of the same terminal group, and the other of the first terminal group and the second terminal group has one terminal of which the contact portion is close to the mating side thereof relative to the contact portions of the other terminals of the same terminal group, so that contacts for the terminals of the first terminal group and the corresponding terminals of the second terminal group are performed at three different times while the plug device is inserted into the receptacle device.

8. A receptacle device, comprising:

a receptacle connector comprising an insulative base, a second terminal group provided to the insulative base, and two fixing members;

the second terminal group consisting of a plurality of second terminals spaced apart from each other;

each of the second terminals having a fixed portion fixedly provided to the insulative base a soldering portion extending out of the insulative base from an end of the fixed portion, a resilient arm extending out of the insulative base from the other end of the fixed portion, and a contact portion connecting a distal end of the resilient arm;

the two fixing members being integrally respectively connected to the fixed portions of the two terminals of the second terminal group arranged at two outermost sides of the second terminals respectively and extending out of two opposite side faces of the insulative base from the corresponding fixed portions in a direction away from each other;

the two fixing members and the second terminal group integrally engaged with and fixed by the insulative base by means of insert molding, while the insulative base is formed;

a circuit board, the receptacle connector being provided on the circuit board, and the two fixing members and the soldering portions of the second terminals being soldered on the circuit board; and

a casing, the casing having an insertion groove communicated with an outside and a receiving groove located under the insertion groove and communicated with the insertion groove, the receptacle connector and the circuit board being provided in the casing, the insulative base and the circuit board being located in the receiving groove, and each of the contact portions of the second terminals extending into the insertion groove.