Electrical connectors – Self aligning contact – Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-09
2001-02-13
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Self aligning contact
Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186809
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device, more particularly to an electronic device with a floating electrical connector unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer peripheral devices, such as compact disk drives, hard disk drives and battery devices, are provided with electrical connector units for establishing electrical connection with corresponding electrical connectors inside a computer housing. It is noted that the electrical connector units on the computer peripheral devices must be in perfect alignment with the corresponding electrical connectors inside the computer housing in order to permit installation of the computer peripheral devices. Perfect alignment, however, cannot be ensured due to tolerances during the manufacture of the computer peripheral devices and the computer.
To overcome the aforesaid problem, it has been proposed heretofore to provide a floating electrical connector unit on a computer peripheral device for mating with a corresponding electrical connector that is fixed inside the computer housing. Because the floating electrical connector that is slightly movable relative to the housing of the computer peripheral device, it can be easily aligned with the corresponding electrical connector inside the computer housing for mating therewith.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show a computer peripheral device having a floating electrical connector unit
2
mounted on a housing
1
thereof. The housing
1
has a side wall
11
formed with an elongated access opening
13
therethrough. A pair of raid-defining guards
15
are disposed on two opposite edges of the access opening
13
. The electrical connector unit
2
includes a contact terminal set (not visible), a flexible ribbon cable
23
, and a dielectric terminal holding seat
20
. The dielectric terminal holding seat
20
is disposed in the housing
1
and has a front portion
201
that projects outwardly of the housing
1
through the access opening
13
, and a rear portion
202
that extends from the front portion
201
inwardly of the housing
1
. The front portion
201
of the terminal holding seat
20
has a cross-section smaller than the size of the access opening
13
such that the terminal holding seat
20
is movable relative to the housing
1
. The contact terminal set is mounted in the terminal holding seat
20
, and has a cable connecting portion that extends through the rear portion
202
of the terminal holding seat
20
. On end of the ribbon cable
23
is clamped between a pair of terminal mounting plates
21
. The cable connecting portion of the contact terminal set connects electrically with the ribbon cable
23
, and is mounted on the terminal mounting plate
21
. The terminal mounting plates
21
have opposite ends that extend respectively into the rail-defining guards
15
such that the terminal holding seat
20
is movable along the access opening
13
, and such that the terminal holding seat
20
is prevented from removal from the housing
1
via the access opening
13
.
Some disadvantages of the aforesaid arrangement are as follows:
(i) The range movement of the electrical connector unit
2
is severely limited due to the use of the rail-defining guards
15
.
(ii) Because the terminal mounting plates
21
are supported solely at the opposite ends by the rail-defining guards
15
, they may deform after frequent plug-in action of a complementary electrical connector
2
′.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide an electronic device, such as a computer peripheral device, which is clear of the aforementioned drawbacks that are commonly associated with the aforesaid prior art.
Accordingly, an electronic device of the present invention includes a housing, a barrier, and an electrical connector unit. The housing has a side wall formed with an access opening therethrough. The access opening has a first length in a first direction, and a first width in a second direction transverse to the first direction. The barrier is secured to the housing and extends parallel to the side wall. The barrier is spaced apart from the access opening in a third direction transverse to the first and second directions so as to form a connector mounting space between the barrier and the side wall. The electrical connector unit includes a dielectric terminal holding seat disposed in the housing and having a front portion that projects outwardly of the housing through the access opening, and a rear portion that extends from the front portion in the third direction and that is disposed in the connector mounting space. The front portion of the terminal holding seat has a cross-section smaller than the size of the access opening such that the terminal holding seat is movable relative to the housing. The contact terminal set is mounted in the terminal holding seat, and has a cable connecting portion that extends in the third direction through the rear portion of the terminal holding seat. A ribbon cable has a terminal mounting plate mounted on one end thereof. The cable connecting portion of the contact terminal set is connected electrically with the ribbon cable and is mounted on the terminal mounting plate. The terminal mounting plate is disposed in the connector mounting space and has an abutment face in sliding contact with a contact face of the barrier.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4780793 (1988-10-01), Ohtsuki
patent: 5199888 (1993-04-01), Condra et al.
patent: 5224869 (1993-07-01), Lee
patent: 5552959 (1996-09-01), Penniman et al.
patent: 5993241 (1999-11-01), Olson et al.
patent: 6097908 (2000-08-01), Uchiyama et al.
Compal Electronics Inc.
Duverne J. F
Nguyen Khiem
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
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