Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2003-03-04
Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06527595
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly consisting of a pair of connectors to be plugged into each other and electrical connectors for it.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some of the electrical connector assemblies of this type have a plurality of pairs of contact elements to be connected. When the contact element pairs of both connectors are brought into contact with each other under contact pressures in the same direction perpendicular to the plugging direction of the connectors, the combined forces of the contact pressures are applied on the housing walls. Consequently, when the wall thickness of the housings is reduced by miniaturization of the connectors, the housing walls are deformed to move the contact elements from the regular positions, resulting in the unstable and uneven contact pressures.
In order to avoid such a problem, it has been proposed to arrange a plurality of contact elements in a zigzag fashion for alternating the contact pressures between the contact elements. An example is disclosed in Japanese patent application Kokai No. 58-126685.
As shown in FIGS.
4
(A)-(C), a plurality of insertion ports
52
are provided in an elongated housing
51
along the longitudinal direction of the housing for receiving contact pins
61
of a mating connector. A retention slot
53
communicates with each of the insertion ports
52
. As best shown in FIG.
4
(B), the insertion ports
52
are positioned at the center of the thickness or height of the housing
51
while the retention slots
53
are provided at alternating upper and lower positions of the insertion ports
52
.
In FIG.
4
(C), a contact element
55
to be supported by the retention slot
53
has a base section
56
having flat faces and a resilient contact section
57
which is bent obliquely. The base section
56
is inserted in the retention slot
53
such that the contact section
57
is placed in the insertion port
52
. When the contact pin
61
is put into the insertion slot
52
, it makes contact with the contact section
57
. In this way, all the contact pins
61
make contact with the upper and lower contact sections
57
alternately.
Consequently, the housing
51
receives upward and downward contact pressures by the contact elements
55
provided above and below the insertion ports
52
, respectively. If the housing walls are satisfactorily rigid and the upper and lower contact elements are substantially equal in number, then the above contact pressures are offset.
However, the above connectors are bulky and has the following disadvantages. Since the contact elements are arranged in the zigzag fashion, the housing wall on the side where there is no contact element is thick, resulting in the large or thick connector. In addition, the contact elements extend in the longitudinal direction of the housing, resulting in the large or wide housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a thin and narrow electrical connector assembly which receives a reduced load of contact pressures and an electrical connector for the assembly.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector assembly consisting of a pair of first and second electrical connectors, each comprising a plurality of first contact elements having first contact sections brought into contact with second contact sections of second contact elements for the other electrical connector under contact pressures in a first direction perpendicular to a plugging direction of the electrical connectors, the first and second contact elements being arranged at intervals in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, at least one of the first and second contact sections being flexible in the first direction.
According to the invention, the first and second contact sections are situated in the same range in the first direction, and substantially equal numbers of first and second contact sections are oriented opposite in the first direction. The contact pressures upon the contact sections are canceled out so that little load is applied to the housing. The contact sections are situated in the same range in the first direction so that the thickness of housing walls can be minimized. The first and second contact elements are oriented alternately opposite in the first direction.
The contact elements are made of a metal sheet and have flat surfaces which extend in the first direction so that the contact sections have a large area in the first direction, resulting in the high strength of the contact elements and the thin walls of the housing between adjacent contact elements, making it possible to reduce the thickness of upper and lower walls of the housing. Each contact element comprises a base section which extends from each the contact section and does not exceed a maximum height of the contact element in the first direction, the base section having a projection for engagement with a housing of the electrical connector, resulting in the compact connector in the first direction. The first contact sections may be flexible, and the second contact sections of the second connector are not flexed in the first direction by the first contact sections which are flexible.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2838739 (1958-06-01), Winkler
patent: 2855579 (1958-10-01), Winstriss
patent: 5112233 (1992-05-01), Lybrand
patent: 5145384 (1992-09-01), Asakawa et al.
patent: 5267881 (1993-12-01), Matuzaki
patent: 5741144 (1998-04-01), Elco et al.
patent: 6236006 (2001-05-01), Wecke
Dinh Phuong K T
Feild Lynn D.
Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
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