Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Utility Patent
1999-04-16
2001-01-02
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S677000
Utility Patent
active
06168475
ABSTRACT:
FILED OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly to a connector assembly having an anti-disorientation device whereby erroneous upside-down mating between plug and receptacle connectors can be effectively eliminated.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
The prevention of erroneous mating between plug and receptacle connectors is an essential issue to prevent damage from being incurred on electrical devices connected by the connectors. A power connector assembly includes a male connector having an array of cavities receiving headers therein, and a female connector having an array of sleeve members corresponding to the cavities. Each sleeve member is assembled with a receptacle which electrically engages with the header when the connectors are mated. However, a 2×9 or 1×11 matrix female connector can be easily inserted into a 2×11 matrix male connector resulting in improper signal transmission.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,912 discloses a matrix type electrical connector assembly having a male connector and a female connector mated together. A chamfer is formed on the male connector to cooperate with a flat surface defined in the female connector for ensuring correct mating therebetween. The '912 patent only discloses a “matrix type” connector assembly and the corresponding chamfer and flat surface corner structure respectively formed on the corners of the male connector and the female connector for ensuring correct mating orientation therebetween. However, this arrangement generally is located on either only one corner or two corners or even no corners of each sleeve member or cavity of the housings by following an unregulated format for compliance with anti-mismatching requirement. Thus, it is understood that even if under an upside-down erroneous mating, each pair of some sleeve members and the corresponding cavities only form one corner interference. Under this situation, there is no sufficient blocking finction occurring therebetween for efficiently preventing further deep insertion/mating thereof. Therefore, when the female connector is forcibly mated with the upside-down male connector, a thin wall of a cavity of the male housing is so flexible as to deformably receive the sleeve member of the erroneously upside-down aligned female connector, as shown in
FIG. 1
, even there are two corners with interference thereof. In other words, all the sleeve members are forcibly downwardly offset from their positions of correcting mating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An objective of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly having anti-disorientation device for effectively preventing forcible mating between male and female connectors thereof.
In order to achieve the objective set forth, a connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a male connector defining a number of cavities. Each cavity has a header contact assembled therein. At least one cavity has at least a chamfered corner. A female connector forms a number of sleeve members corresponding to the cavities. Each sleeve member receives a receptacle contact therein. At least one sleeve member has at least a chamfered corner corresponding to the chamfered corners of the male connector. The sleeve member mechanically engages with the corresponding cavity when the male and female connectors are mated. Anti-disorientation means arranged between the male and female connectors includes a protrusion formed on an outer wall of at least one sleeve member of the female connector and a recess defined in an inner wall of at least one cavity of the male connector corresponding to the protrusion.
These and additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4764129 (1988-08-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5318463 (1994-06-01), Broschard, III et al.
patent: 5342221 (1994-08-01), Peterson
Abrams Neil
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Nasri Javaid
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