Electrical connector couple having mating indication device

Details Electrical connector couple having mating indication device Electrical connector couple having mating indication device

2001-11-30

2002-10-01

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With indicating or identifying provision

Connection indicating provision

C439S660000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06457991

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to an electrical connector couple having an indication device for indicating mating situation of the connector couple.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional board to board (BTB) connector assembly comprises a first connector and a second connector. Due to space limitation, the configuration of the BTB connector is small and this results in that housing of the BTB connector is fragile, such that when the first and second connectors are mating, inappropriate mating force will damage the connectors. The conventional BTB connector cannot indicate the mating situation of the connectors, so there will be two undesired conditions. One condition is that the connectors have mated completely, but the user does not know and still pushes the BTB connectors together. This may result in damage of contacts and even the housing of the BTB connector. The second condition is that the connectors have not mated completely, but the user does not know and stops pushing the BTB connectors together. This may result in failure of electrical connection between the first and second connectors.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, a BTB connector assembly or couple comprises a first connector with a first insulative housing
90
and a second connector with a second insulative housing
92
. When the first connector is mated with the second connector, sidewalls
96
of the first connector
90
will be pressed into a receiving portion
98
of the second connector
92
, then first contacts
94
of the first connector
90
will be pressed against and electrically connected with second contacts
95
of the second connector
92
. As the sidewalls and contacts of the BTB connector are fragile and easy to be damaged, when the BTB connector assembly is mated, the user cannot determine whether the connector couple has completely mated, and this can result in the two conditions described above.
Accordingly, a BTB connector couple with mating situation indicating device is desired to overcome the shortcoming of the conventional BTB connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector couple having a mating indication device for indicating the mating situation of the connector couple.
To achieve the above object, an electrical connector couple in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first connector and a second connector. The first connector comprising a first insulative housing having a concave portion, the concave portion defining a second connector mated with the first connector. The second connector comprising a second insulative housing having an island portion, the insulative portion defining a mating indication device comprising a recess defined in the first mating surface, and a spring tab formed correspondingly on the second mating surface, the recess having vertical wall, when the first and second connectors are mated together completely, the spring tab dropping across the vertical wall to hit the recess, thereby making a sound to indicate the completeness of the mating of the first and second connectors.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which:


REFERENCES:
patent: 5257944 (1993-11-01), Kennedy
patent: 5462450 (1995-10-01), Kodama
patent: 6019629 (2000-02-01), Ito et al.
patent: 6361347 (2002-03-01), Murakami et al.

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