Abstract:
An electrical connector including: a magnetic element having a cavity; a contact protector movably accommodated in the cavity, the protector defining a front end and a plurality of slots through the front end; a plurality of contacts accommodated in the slots, each contact being retractable and having a front end located in the front end of the contact protector; and an elastic element urging the contact protector to extend the front end thereof out of the cavity.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having contact protector. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,526. issued on Dec. 25, 2007, discloses an electrical plug and receptacle relying on magnetic force to maintain coupling. Each of the plug and the receptacle comprises a magnetic element and a plurality of contacts accommodated in the magnetic member. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,632,134, issued on Dec. 15, 2009, discloses an electrical connector including a magnetic element having a cavity, a contact protector immovably accommodated in the cavity, the protector defining a front end and a plurality of slots through the front end, and a plurality of contacts accommodated in the slots. Each contact is retractable, i.e., POGO-type contact, and has a front end located in the front end of the contact protector. The magnetic connector further includes an internal printed circuit board and a terminal block receiving the contacts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having a contact protector. 
     To achieve the above object, an electrical connector assembly comprises: a first connector comprising: a first magnetic element having a cavity, a contact protector movably accommodated in the cavity, the protector defining a front end and a plurality of slots through the front end, a plurality of first contacts accommodated in the slots, each first contact being retractable and having a front end located in the front end of the contact protector, and an elastic element urging the contact protector to extend the front end thereof out of the cavity; and a second connector for mating with the first connector, the second connector comprising a second magnetic element and a plurality of second contacts accommodated in the second magnetic element; wherein the first contacts together with the contact protector are movable rearwardly to resiliently resist against the second contacts when the first connector mates with the second connector. 
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective, assembled view of an electrical connector assembly when a first connector is not mated with a second connector of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective, assembled view of the electrical connector assembly, taken from a different view shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective, assembled view of an electrical connector assembly when a first connector is mated with a second connector of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective, assembled view of the electrical connector assembly, taken from a different view shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective, exploded view of the first connector of the electrical connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective, exploded view of the first connector taken from a different view shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective, partially assembled view of the first connector shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective, further assembled view of the first connector shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective, further assembled view of the first connector shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective, further assembled view of the first connector shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-section view taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-section view taken along line  12 - 13  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 10 , an electrical connector assembly  1000  of the present invention comprises a first connector  100 , a second connector  200 , a printed circuit board  230  and a panel  220  located at a front end of the second connector  200  for protecting the second connector  200 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 to 10 , the first connector  100  comprises a plurality of first contacts  113  arranged along the transverse direction, a first spacer/housing  114  accommodating the first contacts  113 , a contact protector  117  receiving a front end of the first contact  113 , an elastic element  116  located between the first spacer  114  the contact protector  117 , a first magnetic element  112  assembled to the first spacer  114 , a printed circuit board  115  assembled to a rear of the first spacer  114  and connecting the first contact  113  electrically, a cable  130  connecting with the printed circuit board  115  and a cover  120  assembled to a rear end of the first magnetic element  112  and a front end of the cable  130 . The first magnetic element  112  defines a cavity  1121 . The first contacts  113 , the first spacer  114 , the elastic element  116  and the contact protector  117  are accommodated in the cavity  1121 . The first contact  113  and the contact protector  117  have a front surface located outside of the cavity  1121  respectively. The first contact  113  has a part located outside of the cavity  1121  and accommodated in the contact protector  117 . In the embodiment, the elastic element  116  is spring. The first spacer  114  defines a plurality of holes  1146 . One end of the springs are accommodated into the holes  1146 , and another end of the springs resist against a rear surface of the contact protector  117 . The contact protector  117  will move back, the elastic element  116  will be compressed and the front surface of the first contact  113  will be out of the front surface of the contact protector  117  if acted on by an external force. 
     The first contacts  113  are retractable, and comprise a first signal contact  113   b , a pair of first power contacts  113   a  located on two sides of the first signal contact  113   b  and a pair of first grounding contacts  113   c  located on two sides of the first power contacts  113   a . Each first contact  113  comprises a mating portion  1131  mating with the second connector  200  electrically, a holding portion  1132  extending rearwardly from the mating portion  1131  and fixing the first contact  113 , and a connecting portion  1133  extending rearwardly from the holding portion  1132  and connected with the printed circuit board  115 . The holding portion  1132  is thicker than the mating portion  1131  and the connecting portion  1133 . 
     The first spacer  114  is made of plastic material, and comprises a main portion  1141  and a rear portion  1142  extending rearwardly from the main portion  1141 . The rear portion  1142  is wider than the main portion  1141 . The first spacer  114  defines a plurality of grooves  1140  extending through the main portion  1141  and the rear portion  1142  and receiving the first contacts  113 . The mating portions  1131  of the first contacts  113  reach out of the grooves  1140 . The main portion  1141  of the first spacer  114  defines a plurality of holes  1146  receiving the elastic element  116 , and one end of the elastic element  116  is accommodated in the holes  1146 . 
     The contact protector  117  is made of plastic material, and comprises a mounting portion  1172  connecting the elastic element  116 , a protecting portion  1171  extending forwardly from the mounting portion  1172  and a plurality of slots  1170  extending through the protecting portion  1171  and the mounting portion  1172  and receiving the front end of the first contacts  113 . The protecting portion  1171  is thinner than the mounting portion  1172 . The mating portions  1131  of the first contacts  113  can expand and contract in the slots  1170 . 
     The first magnetic element  112  surrounds the main portion  1141  and defines a receiving chamber  1121  extending through a front surface and a rear surface thereof. The panel  220  defines an asymmetric port  2201  along an up-to-down direction thereof. The periphery of the magnetic element  112  is corresponding to the port  2201  of the panel  220 , so that the magnetic element  112  can enter into the port  2201  of the panel  220  along a single direction. 
     In assembly, the first contact  113  is assembled to the first spacer  114 . The contact protector  117  is assembled to the front end of the first contact  113 . One end of the elastic element  116  is accommodated into the hole  1146  of the first spacer  114 , the other one end of the elastic element  116  resist against the mounting portion  1172  of the rear surface of the contact protector  117 . The first magnetic element  112  is assembled to the main portion  1141  of the first spacer  114  and the contact protector  117 . The first contact  113  and the cable  130  are assembled to the printed circuit board  115  electrically. The cover  120  is assembled to the rear end of the first magnetic element  112  and the front end of the cable  130 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , and  FIGS. 11 to 12 , the second connector  200  comprises a plurality of second contacts  213 , a second spacer  214  receiving the second contacts  213 , a second magnetic element  212  assembled to the second spacer  214 , a metal shell  211  assembled to the second magnetic element  212 . The second magnetic element  212  can attract the first magnetic element  112  along a direction. The second contacts  213  are accommodated to the second magnetic element  212 . A front surface of the second contact  213  do not exceed a front surface of the second magnetic element  212 . In assembly, the second contact  213  is assembled to the second spacer  214 . The second magnetic element  212  is assembled to the second spacer  214 . At last, the metal shell  211  is assembled to the second magnetic element  212  and the second spacer  214 . 
     Referring to the  FIG. 11 , when the first connector  100  does not mate with the second connector  200 , the elastic element  116  is under a free state, and the front end of the first contact  113  is accommodated in the contact protector  117  for avoiding the first contacts  113  being damaged by an external force. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , when the first connector  100  mates with the second connector  200 , the first magnetic element  112  attracts the second magnetic element  212  driving the first contacts  113  and the contact protector  117  to move forwardly. But the first contacts  113  and the contact protector  117  moving forwardly are stopped by the second spacer  214 , the front end of the contact protector  117  and the first contacts  113  move rearwardly, hence the contact protector  117  move rearwardly to compress the elastic element  116 , and the first contacts  113  are compressed. At last, under all force, the first magnetic element  112  attracts with the second magnetic element  212 , the contact protector  117  resists against the second spacer  214 , the first contacts  113  resist against the second contacts  213 . Resilience forces of the first contacts  113  and the elastic element  116  are weaker than a resilience force of the first and second magnetic elements, the resilience force of elastic element  116  is weaker than the resilience force of the first contacts  113 , so that the first contacts  113  and the second contacts  213  connect with each other electrically and steadily by the stronger resilience fore of the first contacts  113 . 
     In the present invention, when the first connector  100  does not mate with the second connector  200 , the front end of the first contact  113  are accommodated in the contact protector  117  for protecting the first contacts  113 . When the first connector  100  mates with the second connector  200 , the first contacts  113  and the second contacts  213  connect with each other electrically and steadily as a result of the resilience force of the contacts  113  is stronger than the resilience force of the elastic element  116 .