Abstract:
An electrical connector includes an insulating base and at least one row of conducting terminals. Each row of conducting terminals includes a body portion, a connecting arm located at two ends of the body portion, and a connecting portion. The insulating base includes a holding portion. The connecting arm is held on the holding portion. Because the connecting arm of the conducting terminal of the electrical connector is held on the holding portion of the insulating base, the coplanarity of the connecting portion of the conducting terminal can be assumed by keep the roughness of the holding portion of the insulating base. It prevents that the whole conducting arm of the conducting terminal is pasted on the insulating base to decrease the coplanarity of the connecting portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 200720141690.8 filed in China on Mar. 15, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to an electrical connector. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    With the continuous development of the electrical technologies, the electronic products are developing in the direction of lightness and thinness. Not only the volume of the storage media for the electronic product, but also the volume of the electrical connector connecting to electronic products has become smaller. 
         [0006]    As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,121, a general thin electrical connector includes an insulating base and a terminal set in the insulating base. The terminal includes a body portion and a contacting arm extending from the body portion. The contacting arm is connected to a connecting portion on the surface of an electrical card. A method of stamping and cutting a metal board is necessary to produce the terminal due to the structure of the terminal. However, compared to the terminal producing method of bending the terminal and setting it in the insulating base, the method wastes a lot of materials and increases the cost. 
         [0007]    Because of the structure of the thin electrical connector, it is very hard to fabricate the bending terminal in the insulating base and make sure that the terminal is steadily fixed in the terminal accepting tank. 
         [0008]    Another type of the electrical connector is the computer peripheral interface such as USB, S-ATA. The terminal of the electrical connector is generally fixed on the insulating base using the method described in China patent numbered 002011691.5 or 200520007807.4. In the two patents, one end of the terminal of the electrical connector is wedged on the insulating base; the other end is fixed in a terminal positioning base or a pressing block which is separated from the insulating base. The terminal can be firmly fixed on the insulating base to keep it normally work. However, a positioning base or a pressing block for fixing the terminal is needed in this design. Thus, the structure is complicated and the cost is higher. 
         [0009]    Therefore, designing a new type of electrical connector to overcome the above drawbacks is needed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The goal of the invention is to provide a lower-cost electrical connector which a terminal can be easily assembled thereon and the terminal can be steadily fixed in an insulating base. 
         [0011]    In order to reach the above goal, the electrical connector based on the invention includes an insulating base and a terminal. The insulating base has a terminal accepting tank for accepting the terminal. A fixing structure for fixing the terminal via a melt glue method is located at the terminal accepting tank of the insulating base. 
         [0012]    Another embodiment of the invention is an electrical connector including an insulating base and a terminal. The insulating base has a plurality of fences. A terminal accepting tank capable of accepting the terminal is formed between the adjacent fences. A fixing structure is located at an extending end of the fences. 
         [0013]    The fixing structure for fixing the terminal via a melt glue method is located at the terminal accepting tank of the insulating base of the electrical connector based on the invention. Or, the fixing structure for fixing the terminal is located at an extending end of the fences. The terminal can be effectively fixed in the insulating base, and the problems occurred in the prior arts can be prevented. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional diagram of the insulating base based on the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional diagram of the insulating base shown in  FIG. 1  in another direction. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of the insulating base shown in  FIG. 1  after the terminal is fabricated. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a three-dimensional diagram of the insulating base shown in  FIG. 3  in another direction. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a three-dimensional diagram of the first terminal. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a three-dimensional diagram of the second terminal. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a three-dimensional diagram of the insulating base shown in  FIG. 3  after the melt glue fixing method is performed. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a three-dimensional diagram of the insulating base shown in  FIG. 7  in another direction. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a partial cross-section diagram of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is another partial cross-section diagram of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a cross-section diagram of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a three-dimensional diagram of the housing of the electrical connector based on the invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a three-dimensional diagram of  FIG. 12  in another direction. 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a cross-section diagram of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  is a three-dimensional diagram after the insulating base, the housing, and the terminal are fabricated. 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  is a three-dimensional diagram of  FIG. 15  in another direction. 
           [0030]      FIG. 17  is a cross-section diagram of  FIG. 15  in the direction of b-b. 
           [0031]      FIG. 18  is a cross-section diagram of  FIG. 16  in the direction of d-d. 
           [0032]      FIG. 19  is a three-dimensional diagram of the electrical connector in the second embodiment based on the invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 20  is a three-dimensional diagram of  FIG. 19  in another direction. 
           [0034]      FIG. 21  is a three-dimensional diagram of the terminal of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 19 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 22  is a three-dimensional diagram of the electrical connector in the third embodiment based on the invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 23  is a three-dimensional decomposed diagram of  FIG. 22 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 24  is a diagram of the protruding portion of the electrical connector in the third embodiment based on the invention when the protruding portion is not forced by an external force. 
           [0038]      FIG. 25  is a partial enlarged diagram of  FIG. 24 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 26  is a cross-section diagram of the insulating base of the electrical connector in the third embodiment based on the invention. 
           [0040]      FIG. 27  is a diagram of the protruding portion of the electrical connector in the third embodiment based on the invention after the protruding portion is forced by an external force. 
           [0041]      FIG. 28  is a partial enlarged diagram of  FIG. 27 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 29  is a diagram of the terminal of the electrical connector in the third embodiment based on the invention. 
           [0043]      FIG. 30  is a partial diagram of the insulating base of the electrical connector in the fourth embodiment based on the invention. 
           [0044]      FIG. 31  is a diagram of the terminal of the electrical connector in the fourth embodiment based on the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0045]    The electrical connector based on the invention is further explained by the following embodiments together with the appended drawings. 
         [0046]    Please refers to  FIG. 15-16 , according to the invention, an electrical connector  1  includes an insulating base  10 , a housing  11  corresponding to the insulating base  10 , and a terminal between the insulating base  10  and the housing  11 . 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 1-2 , the insulating base  10  includes a base portion  100 . A front end surface  101 , a back end surface  102 , and a top surface  103  are respectively located at the front, the back and the top of the base portion  100 . Terminal accepting tanks are located at the front side, the back side, and the upper side of the base portion  100 . The detail is that a penetrated first terminal accepting tank  104  is located at the back end surface  102  and the top surface  103 , and a second terminal accepting tank  105  is located at the front end surface  101 . A fence  106  is deposed between the adjacent first terminal accepting tanks  104 . The fences on the back end surface  102  and the top surface  103  has an extruding portion  107  respectively. A fence  106  is also deposed between the adjacent second terminal accepting tanks  105 . The fence on the front end surface  103  also has an extruding portion  107 . The extruding portion  107  can form a fixing structure for fixing the terminal via the melt glue method. The characteristic will be described in detail later. 
         [0048]    An accepting tank  1031  is located at the position which a distance away from the center of the top surface  103  of the insulating base. A trough  1032  passing through the insulating base  10  is in the accepting tank  1031 . Fixing portions  1010  are respectively extruded at the two side surfaces of the insulating base  10 . The tank  1011  which penetrates the bottom surface is located at each of the fixing portions. The tank  1011  is used for matching the welded fixing device  30  (as shown in  FIGS. 15-16 ). The fixing device  30  is welded on the circuit board (not shown in the figure) to fix the insulating base on the circuit board. 
         [0049]    Please refers to  FIG. 3-FIG .  6 , the terminal includes a first terminal  121  and a second terminal  122 . Both the first terminal and the second terminal include a connecting portion, a body portion extending from the connecting portion, and a contacting portion extending from the body portion. The first terminal  121  includes a first connecting portion  1210 , a first body portion  1211  extending from the first connecting portion  1210 , and a first contacting portion  1212  extending from the first body portion  1211 . 
         [0050]    The first contacting portion  1212  includes a connecting arm  12121  connecting to the first body portion  1211  and a connecting portion  12122  located at the end of the connecting arm  12121  capable of connecting to the external electrical devices (e.g., electrical card, not shown in the figure). The first terminal  121  is in the first terminal accepting tank  104 . The first body portion  1211  is in the terminal accepting tank located at the back end surface  102 . 
         [0051]    The first contacting portion  1212  is in the terminal accepting tank located at the top surface  103 . The second terminal  122  includes a second connecting portion  1220 , a second body portion  1221  extending from the second connecting portion  1220 , and a second contacting portion  1222  extending from the second body portion  1221 . The second terminal  122  is in the second terminal accepting tank  105 . The second body portion  1221  is in the second terminal accepting tank  105  located at the front end surface  101 . 
         [0052]    A first hollow portion  1213  and a second hollow portion  1214  are located at the first body portion  1210  of the first terminal  121  and the connecting arm  12121  of the first contacting portion  1212  at the same time. And, the first hollow portion  1213  and the second hollow portion  1214  are interlaced and not oppositely set to prevent that the area of the terminal the hollow portion is too narrow to be easily snapped. After the first terminal and the second terminal are set in the insulating base, both an upper row and a lower row of the terminals are formed at two sides of the insulating base. 
         [0053]    Please refer to  FIG. 7-FIG .  10  at the same time, when the extruding portion  107  is described above, it has been explained that the extruding portion can form the fixing structure for fixing the terminal via the melt glue method. As shown in  FIGS. 7-8 , the fixing structure  108  for fixing the terminal is formed by melting the extruding portion  107  via the supersonic effect, high temperature, or other methods. The end of the fence  106  extends toward the terminal to form the fixing structure  108 , the cross-section of the fixing structure forms a mushroom shape. 
         [0054]    The fixing structure includes a prominent portion  1080  located at the sides of the terminal, and a fixing block  1081  transversely extending toward the terminal from the top of the prominent portion  1080  above the terminal. The end of the fixing block  1081  is not over the center of the terminal. The fixing blocks  1081  located at the two adjacent fixing structures  108  are both hooked at the same terminal, so the terminal can be firmly fixed. The fixing structures  108  of the top surface  103  and the back end surface  102  are respectively located at the area of the first body portion  1211  of the first terminal  121  near the first connecting portion  1210  and the area of the first contacting portion  1212  near the first body portion  1211 . 
         [0055]    The connecting arm and the first body portion located at the base portion are fixed by the fixing structure  108 . The first terminal is fixed at the insulating base. The first hollow portion  1213  and the second hollow portion  1214  are located between the fixing structures  108 , and wedging portions  109  corresponding to the first hollow portion  1213  and the second hollow portion  1214  are located at the fixing structure  108 . The wedging portion  109  is formed from the partial melted material of the extruding portion  107  at the fence flowing into the first hollow portion  1213  and the second hollow portion  1214  after the melt glue is used. 
         [0056]    If the hollow portion is not set, the fixing structure  108  formed by the melt glue can only control the freedom degree of the terminal at the surface vertical to the fixing structure  108  after the first terminal is fixed to the extruding portion  107  by the melt glue. But the terminal can still move in the parallel direction to the fixing structure  108 . Namely, the first terminal can move in the direction of back and forth or up and down relative to the insulating base  10 . The stability of the first terminal in the insulating base  10  is lowered. When the partial melted material flows into the first hollow portion  1213  and the second hollow portion  1214  after the melt glue is used, the prominent portion  1080  wedged with the first terminal is formed. The first terminal is fixed by the plastics in all directions to effectively increase the stability of the first terminal fixed in the insulating base  10  to prevent the terminal swaying. 
         [0057]    The fixing structures  108  of the front end surface  101  are respectively located at the area of the second body portion  1221  of the second terminal  122  near the second connecting portion  1220  and the area of the second contacting portion  1222  near the second body portion  1221 . Thus, the first terminal  121  and the second terminal  122  are more effectively fixed in the insulating base by the fixing structure  108 . Of course, the cross-section of the mentioned fixing structure can be a rectangle, a triangle, a shape of fan, or other shapes which can increase the fixing effect. 
         [0058]    Please refer to  FIG. 11 , a holding block  1001  is located at the extension of the base portion  100  of the insulating base. The holding portion  1002  is located at the holding block  1001 , and the surface at the holding block  1001  relative to the first terminal (its extended line is the dotted line G) is tilted from the inserting direction of an external electrical device (e.g., an electrical card, not shown in the figure). It is assumed that the direction shown in  FIG. 11  is the inserting direction of an external electrical device. There will be an included angle between the directions G and A. That is to say, the surface at the holding block  1001  relative to the terminal is tilted from the inserting direction of an external electrical device. 
         [0059]    The connecting arm  12121  is formed by a tilt extending from the first body portion  1211  toward the direction of the holding portion  1002 . The connecting arm  12121  (its extended line is the dotted line H) is tilted from the inserting direction of an external electrical device. There will be also an included angle between the directions H and A. Thus, the connecting arm  12121  is tilted from the inserting direction of an external electrical device. The tilting angle e between the surface at the holding block  1001  relative to the terminal and the inserting direction of an external electrical device is smaller than the tilting angle f between the connecting arm and the inserting direction of an external electrical device. Thus, the connecting arm  12121  can be naturally and elastically pressed on the holding portion  1002  of the holding block  1001 . 
         [0060]    At this time, the holding point that the connecting arm is pressed on the holding portion  1002  is between the connecting portion  12122  and the first body portion  1211 . When the connecting arm contacts with the entire holding block  1001 , it can be avoid that the effect of the roughness of the holding block  1001  on the surface of the connecting portion  12122  of the connecting arm  12121  to affect the performance of the electrical connector. 
         [0061]    Of course, the direction A is not the only option for the inserting direction of the external electrical device. It can be any direction within the range of the included angle formed by the contacting points where the contacting portions of the first terminal and the second terminal contact with the external electrical device. For example, the inserting direction of the external electrical device can be the direction B shown in the figure. The tilting angle between the surface at the holding block  1001  relative to the terminal and the inserting direction of an external electrical device is still smaller than the tilting angle between the connecting arm and the inserting direction of an external electrical device. 
         [0062]    Please refer to  FIGS. 12-16 , the electrical connector further includes a housing  11  cooperating with the insulating base  10 . The fence on the insulating base  10  is a first fence  106 . A plurality of second fence  111  corresponding to the first fence  106  on the insulating base  10  are on the inner surface of the housing  11 . At the same time, an enhancing rib  112 , between the second fences  111  on the housing  11 , is used for enhancing the surface strength of the housing  11 . The shape of the enhancing rib  112  corresponds to that of the first contacting portion of the first terminal  121 . And, the top of the extruding part of the enhancing rib  112  is lower than the peak of the corresponding first terminal  121  (as shown in  FIG. 17 ). 
         [0063]    The ribs  113 ,  114  interlaced with the enhancing rib  112  are located at two sides of the second fence  111  on the inner surface of the housing  11 . The enhancing rib  112  and the ribs  113 ,  114  can effectively enhance the strength of the housing  11  to avoid deforming and breaking the housing during fabrication because the housing is too thin. And, an opening  116  is located at a side surface of the housing  11 . After fabrication, the housing  11  and the insulating base  10  can conjointly form an interface  20  for inserting a connecting electrical card (not shown in the figure). After inserting, the electrical card is connected to the terminal covered by the housing  11  to reach the electrical connection between the electrical card and the electrical connector. 
         [0064]    An extruding block  117  is located at one side of the housing  11  and extends downward to the side surface with the opening  116  from the inner surface of the housing  11  to form a fool-proof device. After the housing  11  is fabricated to the insulating base  10 , the extruding block  117  is accepted in the accepting tank  1031  of the insulating base  10 . And, the extruding block  117  can also cooperate with the fool-proof tank (not shown in the Figure) to prevent the user inserting the wrong electrical card. A cylinder  118  which downward extends from the extruding block  117  is located at the extruding block  117 . 
         [0065]    The cylinder  118  can be inserted into the trough  1032  on the accepting tank  1031  of the insulating base  10 . Then, the cylinder  118  is melted. At this time, the size of the end of the cylinder  118  passing through the trough  1032  is larger than that of the top of the trough  1032  (as shown in  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 18 ). Thus, the housing  11  and the insulating base  10  are integrated into a unity to prevent the housing  11  out of the insulating base  10  during using to affect the normal use of the electrical connector. 
         [0066]    Please refer to  FIGS. 19-21 ,  FIGS. 19-21  are diagrams of the electrical connector in the second embodiment based on the invention. Compared to the above embodiments, the difference is that the total height of the electrical connector is smaller in the embodiment. The second terminal  122 ′ at the electrical connector is not set on the front end surface of the insulating base  10 ′. The second terminal accepting tank  105 ′ at the electrical connector passes through the bottom surface o the insulating base. The second terminal  122 ′ is set in the insulating base from the bottom of the insulating base  10 ′. 
         [0067]    And, the fixing structure  108 ′ for fixing the terminal is formed by extending the fences between the second terminal accepting tanks  105 ′. The second terminal  122 ′ also includes a second connecting portion  1220 ′, a second body portion  1221 ′ extending from the second connecting portion  1220 ′, and a second contacting portion  1222 ′ extending from the second body portion  1221 ′. The second terminal  122 ′ is set in the second terminal accepting tank  105 ′. The second body portion  1221 ′ is set in the second terminal accepting tank of the bottom surface. The fixing structure  108 ′ is set at the area of the second body portion  1221 ′ near the second connecting portion  1220 ′ and the area of the second body portion  1221 ′ near the second contacting portion  1222 ′. 
         [0068]    Please refer to  FIGS. 22-29 ,  FIGS. 22-29  are diagrams of the electrical connector in the third embodiment based on the invention. The electrical connector  1  includes a metal housing  2 , an insulating base  3 , and a plurality of terminals  4 . The metal housing  2  covers the corresponding insulating base  3 . 
         [0069]    The corresponding insulating base  3  includes an extruding portion  31  located at the terminal. The height of the extruding portion  31  is higher than that of the terminal  4 . Please refer to  FIGS. 24-26 ,  FIGS. 24-26  are diagrams of the extruding portion  31  of the electrical connector  1  based on the invention before the extruding portion  31  is forced by an external force. The insulating base  3  includes a tongue board  32 . The extruding portion  31  is set at one end of the insulating base  3  away from the tongue board  32 . The insulating base  3  also includes a plurality of the terminal accepting hole  30 . The terminal accepting hole  30  is formed by the tank  321 , the accepting space  311  between the extruding portion  31 , and the through hole  33  between the tongue board  32  and the extruding portion  31 . 
         [0070]    Please refer to  FIGS. 27-28 ,  FIGS. 27-28  are diagrams of the extruding portion  31  of the electrical connector  1  based on the invention after the extruding portion  31  is forced by an external force. The wedging portion  312  can be formed from the extruding portion  31  of the insulating base  3  by a melting method. First, the end of the extruding portion  31  is softened by heating or supersonic scanning. Afterward, the end is compressed by adding an external force to form the wedging portion  312 . Of course, the wedging portion  312  can also be formed through stamping or other modes. 
         [0071]    Referring to  FIG. 29 , the terminal  4  includes a contacting portion  41 , a welding portion  42 , and a connecting portion  40  connecting the contacting portion  41  and the welding portion  42 . The contacting portion  41 ′ is in the tank  321  on the tongue board  32  of the terminal accepting hole  30 . The connecting portion  40  passes through the through hole  33  on the insulating base and partially in the accepting space  311  between the extruding portions  31 . The connecting portion  40  is bended to be a right angle. The welding portion  42  is formed by bending and extending one end of the connecting portion  40 . The welding portion  42  can be welded on a circuit board or other electrical devices (not shown in the figures). 
         [0072]    The terminal  4  can be first pressed into the insulating base  3  during fabrication. At this time, the connecting portion  40  passes through the through hole  33  on the insulating base and partially in the accepting space  311  between the extruding portions  31 . The contacting portion  41  is in the tank  321  on the tongue board  32  of the terminal accepting hole  30 . Then, the end of the extruding portion  31  is softened by heating or supersonic scanning. Afterward, the end is compressed by adding an external force to form the fixing portion  312 . Of course, the fixing portion  312  can also be formed through stamping or other modes. 
         [0073]    The extruding portion  31  of the electrical connector based on the invention can also be set as two or more rows and reach the same effect. Thus, the above mentioned electrical connector is also in the protecting scope of the invention. 
         [0074]      FIG. 30  is a partial diagram of the insulating base of the electrical connector in the fourth embodiment based on the invention. Compared to the third embodiment based on the invention, the difference is that the insulating base  3 ′ includes two assembling surfaces  30 ′ for assembling the terminal, and both two assembling surfaces  30 ′ include the extruding portion  31 ′ for positioning the terminal. Please refer to  FIG. 31 , the terminal  4 ′ includes a contacting portion  41 ′ and a welding portion  42 ′ welding with a circuit board or other electrical devices (not shown in the figures). A connecting portion  40 ′ is located at the area between the contacting portion  41 ′ and the welding portion  42 ′. The connecting portion  40 ′ is bended to be a right angle. The extruding portion  31 ′ can be formed as a wedging portion for fixing the conducting terminal  4 ′ through a deformation by an external force (it is not shown in this embodiment because its theory is the same with the first embodiment). During the practicing process, the effect achieved in the above embodiments can also be reached in this embodiment. 
         [0075]    With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.