Electrical connector with improved contacts

Details Electrical connector with improved contacts Electrical connector with improved contacts

2003-09-25

2004-06-29

Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With supporting means for coupling part

Supporting plural, independent coupling parts

Reexamination Certificate

active

06755685

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to a contemporaneously filed U.S. patent application entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH IMPROVED FOOTER CONTACTS” with the same applicant and assigned to the common assignee.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more particularly, to an electrical connector being mounted onto a circuit board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A computer is required to provide connectors at input/output ports which are usually mounted on a main printed circuit board (PCB) thereof, to mate with complementary connectors of external devices for signal transmission therebetween. In order to sufficiently utilize limited area of the main PCB, the electrical connectors are usually arranged in a stacked manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,089 discloses a stacked connector assembly. The conventionally connector assembly has a pair of USB plug-receiving cavities stacked beneath a modular plug-receiving cavity. Modular contacts are disposed in the modular plug-receiving cavity and are insert-molded in a horizontal front and a vertical rear insert, wherein the rear insert functions as a fixing device. The front and the rear inserts are molded around the modular contacts before severing carrier strips from opposite ends of the modular contacts. Front contacting portions of the modular contacts are angled upwardly and rearwardly relative to the horizontal front insert. The rear insert is downwardly bent to be formed at a right angle with respect to the front insert, in which rear right-angle tail portions of the modular contacts are embedded. Thereafter, the front and the rear inserts with the terminals retained therein are assembled to the housing. The contacting portions of the modular contacts are received in the modular plug-receiving cavity. The rear insert is fixed on the housing. Thus, the right-angle tail portions of the modular contacts are retained in the housing by the rear insert.
However, the modular contacts are assembled to the housing after being insert molded with plastic material, thus increasing the processes of manufacturing the front and the rear inserts. Due to inherent factors, such as relative larger sizes of the front and the rear inserts, the modular contacts need to occupy relative larger available space in the conventional connector assembly such that whole dimension of the connector assembly are maximized. On the other hand, because the front and the rear inserts are integrally molded with the terminals, the front and the rear inserts cannot be reused and it will increase the cost.
Hence, an electrical connector with improved contacts is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved electrical connector, which can conveniently and securely retaining contacts in an insulative housing thereof.
An electrical connector mounted on a main printed circuit board (PCB), includes an insulative housing having a front mating face providing a receiving cavity extending rearwardly thereinto. A number of ramps raised from a bottom portion of the receiving cavity, thereby forming a number of slots positioned between the adjacent ramps. A number of conductive contacts exposed in the receiving cavity. Each contact includes a base portion having a front nose in a front portion thereof, a contacting portion angled rearwardly from the front nose and a pair shoulder extending transversely from opposite sides of the base portion adjacent to the front nose. The base portions of the contacts are held in the corresponding slots and the shoulders are engaged and latched with the raised ramps.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6162089 (2000-12-01), Costello et al.
patent: 6183292 (2001-02-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6402564 (2002-06-01), Shi et al.
patent: 6478610 (2002-11-01), Zhou et al.
patent: 6685505 (2004-02-01), Espenshade et al.
patent: 6688909 (2004-02-01), Espenshade et al.
patent: 6688914 (2004-02-01), Espenshade et al.

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