Dual orientation electrical connector assembly

• US 9,419,377 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ji, Xin-Gang, Zhu, Zhi-Hui, Hsieh, Wen-Yi, Hsiao, Hsueh-Lung, Lin, Wei-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leigh, Peter G
• Application Number:
  US14/600,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20150207268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 439/38, 439/39, 439/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a first terminal group and a first magnetic element around the first terminal group, the first terminal group defines a first central terminal and two first outer terminals located at both sides of the first central terminal. The second connector includes a second terminal group and a second magnetic element, the second terminal group defines a second central terminal, a second outer terminal and an elastic terminal located at both sides of the second central terminal. When the first connector is engaging with the second connector, the first and second magnetic elements are attached to each other, the first central terminal is contacting the second central terminal, the second outer terminal is contacting either of the first outer terminals and the elastic terminal is elastically abutting against the first magnetic element.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:

a first connector including a first terminal group and a first magnetic element around the first terminal group, the first terminal group defining a first central terminal and two first outer terminals located at both sides of the first central terminal;

a second connector including a second terminal group and a second magnetic element around the second terminal group, the second terminal group defining a second central terminal, a second outer terminal located at a side of the second central terminal and an elastic terminal located at another side of the second central terminal;

wherein

when the first connector is engaging with the second connector in a first position, the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are attached to each other in order to maintain the mating between the first and second connector, the first central terminal is contacting the second central terminal, the second outer terminal is contacting one of the first outer terminals and the elastic terminal is elastically abutting against the first magnetic element of the first connector in order to form electrical transmission, when the first connector is engaging with the second connector by rotating 180 degree to a second position, the first central terminal is contacting the second central terminal, the second outer terminal is contacting the other one of the first outer terminals and the elastic terminal is elastically abutting against the first magnetic element of the first connector in order to form electrical transmission;

wherein

the second connector includes a base abutting against the rear side of the second magnetic element and receiving the second terminal group, the front surfaces of the base and the second magnetic element together form a mating surface of the second connector;

wherein

the base defines a base portion and a second insulative housing projecting outside of the base portion, the base portion and the second magnetic element together form a receiving cavity for receiving the second insulative housing, and the second terminal group is retained in the second insulative housing.

2. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the first central terminal is connecting the second central terminal for transmitting a first power supply signal, the second outer terminal is respectively connecting the first outer terminals for transmitting a second power supply signal, and the elastic terminal is elastically abutting the first magnetic element of the first connector for transmission detection signal.

3. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the first connector includes a first insulative housing and an insulative shell, the first magnetic element is fixed in the insulative shell and the front surface of the first magnetic element is exposed outside of the insulative shell to form a mating surface of the first connector, the first insulative housing is retained in the first magnetic element and defines a plurality of first terminal slots for receiving the first terminal group.

4. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 3, wherein the inner surface of the first terminal slot facing to the front surface of the first insulative housing is gradually expanded shape, the front portion of the first magnetic element is projecting forwardly from the front surface of the insulative shell, and the mating surface is located at front of the front surface of the insulative shell and the front surface of the first insulative housing is flush with the mating surface.

5. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 3, wherein the first central terminal and the first outer terminals are scalable terminals and telescopic in the first terminal slots along a front-to-rear direction, and the distance from the first central terminal to either of the first outer terminals are equal.

6. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the second insulative housing defines a plurality of terminal second slots and a terminal slot, the base portion defines a post projecting into the terminal slot, the elastic terminal defines a retaining portion adjust to the post and fixed to the terminal slot, an elastic contacting arm bending from the retaining portion and abutting the front surface of the post and a soldering portion extending outside of the base.

7. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 6, wherein the second central terminal and the second outer terminal are non-scalable terminals receiving in the second terminal slots and each defines a contacting portion projecting outside of the front surface of the second insulative housing.

8. The electrical connector assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the second connector includes a metal shell surrounds the outside of the base portion and the second magnetic element, the second magnetic element defines two recesses in both sides of the front surface thereof in a vertical direction and the metal shell defines a pair of locking pieces attached to the corresponding recesses, the metal shell defines a pair of locking holes in both sides thereof in a longitudinal direction and the base portion defines a pair of locking portions projecting outwardly and clasping the corresponding locking holes.

9. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a first connector including a first insulative housing enclosing therein a plurality of first terminals in one row along a transverse direction, each of said first terminals essentially extending along a front-to-back direction perpendicular to said transverse direction, a first magnetic element surrounding the first insulative housing, the first insulative housing defining a first electrical mating face, and the first magnetic element defining a first magnetic mating face;

a second connector including a second insulative housing enclosing therein a plurality of second terminals in one row along said transverse direction, each of said second terminals extending along the front-to-back direction, a second magnetic element surrounding the second insulative housing, the second insulative housing defining a second electrical mating face, and the second magnetic element defining a second magnetic mating face;

said first terminals being arranged in a symmetrical manner with regard to a first front-to-back centerline of the first connector, the second terminals including at least one power terminal and one detect terminal arranged asymmetrically with regard to a second front-to-back centerline of the second connector, wherein

during mating in either orientation, the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are coupled to each other, the power terminal of the second connector is electrically and mechanically connected to the corresponding first terminal of the first connector for power transmission, and the detect terminal of the second connector is electrically and mechanically connected to the first magnetic element for detection transmission;

wherein

the first connector includes three first terminals with thereof one located in the first front-to-back centerline, while the second connector includes two power terminals with thereof one located in the second front-to-back centerline for mating with the corresponding terminal of the first connector located in the first front-to-back centerline.

10. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first electrical mating face is coplanar with the first magnetic mating face, and the second electrical mating face is essentially parallel and coplanar with the second magnetic mating face.

11. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first magnetic element is symmetrically arranged with regard to the first insulative housing in said transverse direction while the second magnetic element is asymmetrically arranged with regard to the second insulative housing to comply with the detect contact of the second connector in said transverse direction.

12. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first insulative housing is symmetrically arranged with regard to the first magnetic element in said transverse direction while the second insulative housing is asymmetrically arranged with regard to the second magnetic element in said transverse direction.

13. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein both the power terminal and the detect terminal of the second connector are deformable in the front-to-back direction.

14. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first connector further includes a first insulative shell enclosing the first magnetic element, and the second connector further includes a second insulative base enclosing the second insulative housing and located behind the second magnetic element in the front-to-back direction.

15. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein the detect terminal and the other one power terminal are respectively asymmetrically located by two sides of said one power terminal in the second front-to-back centerline.

16. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 15, wherein said detect terminal is transversely farther from said one power terminal in the second front-to-back centerline than the other power terminal from said one power terminal in the second front-to-back centerline.

17. An electrical connector comprising:

an insulative housing defining a plurality of first terminal slots and at least one second terminal slot all arranged in one row in a transverse direction and each extending therethrough in a front-to-back direction perpendicular to said transverse direction;

a plurality of power terminals disposed in the corresponding first terminal slots, respectively;

at least one detect terminal disposed in the corresponding second terminal slot;

a magnetic element surrounding said insulative housing; and

one of said first terminal slots and the corresponding power terminal being located in a centerline of the whole connector while the insulative housing being asymmetrically arranged with regard to the magnetic element whereby

during mating with a complementary connector in either orientation, power transmission can be made by the power terminals and corresponding power terminals of the complementary connector, and detection can be made by the detect terminal and a magnetic element of the complementary connector.

18. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein said housing defines a electrical mating face beyond which the power terminals extend, and said magnetic element defines a magnetic mating face which is parallel and coplanar with the electrical mating face.

19. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 17, wherein the power terminals are formed to be different from the detect terminal in both configuration and deformation.