Patent ID: 6336830
Filing Date: 2002-01-08
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A modular connector assembly for an electronic appliance having an electronic component on a main circuit board, comprising:a connector housing made of an electrically insulating material and adapted to be mounted on said main circuit board, said connector housing having a front end, a rear end opposite to the front end, and parallel top and bottom walls extending between the front and rear ends, said connector housing further having: left and right connector mating portions which are connected integrally with each other, each of said connector mating portions being formed with a connector mating hole at said front end of said connector housing; a vertical partition wall that extends downwardly from said top wall toward said bottom wall so as to define, within the respective connector mating portions, a front chamber proximate to said front end and in communication with said connector mating hole; and a rear chamber proximate to said rear end of said connector housing, said vertical partition wall having a lower end spaced apart from said bottom wall and cooperating with said bottom wall to define a channel therebetween for communication between said front and rear chambers of the respective connector mating portions, said bottom wall being formed with a plurality of terminal retaining grooves in each of said connector mating portions of said connector housing, said connector housing being further formed with an anchoring leg which extends downwardly from said bottom wall and which is adapted for engaging the circuit board; a plurality of contact terminals, each of which has an elongated main portion which extends through said channel, that is retained in a respective one of said retaining grooves in said left and right connector mating portions and that has front and rear ends and, a resilient contact portion disposed in said front chamber of one of said left and right connector mating portions and extending from said front end of said main portion toward said vertical partition wall of one of said left and right connector mating portions, and a cable connecting portion extending from said rear end of said main portion and disposed in said rear chamber of one of said left and right connector mating portions, said cable connecting portion having a forked end; and a ribbon cable having a first end extending into said rear chambers of said left and right connector mating portions, said ribbon cable including a plurality of conductive wires, each of said conductive wires having an insulating sheath, said forked end of said cable connecting portion of each of said contact terminals piercing through said insulating sheath of a respective one of said conductive wires for connecting electrically with said ribbon cable, said ribbon cable further having a second end opposite to said first end and provided with a cable connector adapted to be connected to the electronic component on the circuit board.