Abstract:
An electrical connector ( 100 ) comprises a first connector ( 2 ), a second connector ( 3 ) electrically connecting with the first connector, an insulator ( 5 ) molded over the first connector and the second connector, and a housing member including a top housing ( 1 ) and a bottom housing ( 4 ) combined together to enclose the insulator ( 5 ) and at least one of the first and second connectors therein. The insulator ( 5 ) defines an expansion ( 51 ) thereon, said expansion of the insulator is located in a corresponding depression defined in an interior side of the top or bottom housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with an insulative housing configured by a pair of hermaphroditic halves. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    The evolution of computer brings along a plurality of different standard of electrical connectors thereon. Nowadays, electrical connectors used for keyboard or mouse are mainly Universal Serial Bus (USB) or PS/2 (Mini Din) types. In order to meet the processing speed of the computer, most of the electrical connectors on keyboard or mouse are in accordance with USB standard, but previous computer may still adopt standard of PS/2, thus, an electrical adapter is required to signal transition. The electrical connector converts signal output of PS/2 connector into capable input of USB connector, and furthermore the electrical connector comprises a housing enclosing the PS/2 connector and the USB connector. 
         [0005]    CN Patent No. 2569371Y issued to Li on Aug. 27, 2003 discloses an electrical connector with a housing which comprising a top housing and a bottom housing, the housing is configured with a square end and a round head. The electrical connector comprises a USB interface receptacle connector and a PS/2 interface connector, a protrusion is defined on front end of the USB receptacle connector and curved outwards, the USB receptacle connector is more likely to move in the space formed by the top housing and the bottom housing, so as to the electrical connection and signal transition are unstable. 
         [0006]    Hence, it is desirable to have an improved structure to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a hermaphroditic housing reliably attached to a connector. 
         [0008]    In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a first connector, a second connector electrically connecting with the first connector, an insulator molded over the first connector and the second connector, and a housing member including a top housing and a bottom housing combined together to enclose the insulator and at least one of the first and second connectors therein. The insulator defines an expansion thereon, said expansion of the insulator is located in a corresponding depression defined in an interior side of the top or bottom housing. 
         [0009]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an assembled view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the electrical connector; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a top housing of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an electrical connector  100  in accordance with the present invention comprises a top housing  1 , a first connector  2 , a second connector  3  electrically connected with the USB receptacle connector  2 , and a bottom housing  4  assembled to the top housing  1  to form a hermaphroditic housing member enclosing the first connector  2  therein. The first connector is a USB receptacle connector, and the second connector  3  is a PS/2 plug connector. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 , the USB receptacle connector  2  of the electrical connector  100  has a metallic shell  20  with a plurality of protrusions  21  curving outwards at front edge thereof, a pair of first elastic portion  23  are respectively defined on an upper surface and a lower surface of the metallic shell  20 . Both sides of the metallic shell respectively define a second elastic portion  24 . The PS/2 plug connector  3  is connected with the USB receptacle connector  2  via a plurality of wires  6  thereof electrically connected with contacts  26  of the USB receptacle connector  2 . An insulator  5  is molded over a connecting area of the USB receptacle connector  2 , the PS/2 plug connector  3  and the wires  6 . The part of insulator  5  enclosing the USB receptacle connector  2  extends beyond the metallic shell  20  and forms an expansion  51 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 3  and in conjunction with  FIG. 2 , the top housing  1  and the bottom housing  4  have the same shape and configuration as each other. The top housing  1  and the bottom housing  4  respectively comprise lower walls  11 ,  41 , first lateral walls  12 ,  42 , and second lateral walls  13 ,  43  opposite to the first lateral walls  12 ,  42 . The first lateral walls  12 ,  42  define first posts  121 ,  421  in the front part and first openings  125 ,  425  in the rear part, ribs  1210 ,  4210  are formed on corresponding first posts  121 ,  421 . Second openings  131 ,  431  are defined in corresponding second lateral walls  13 ,  43 , the opening  131  is aligning with the first post  121  along a transverse direction and aligning with the first post  421  along up-to-down direction. A second post  135  is defined on the second lateral wall  13  and aligning with the first opening  125 , another second post (not shown) is defined on the second lateral wall  43  and aligning with the first opening  425 . A projection  123  extends downwardly along the first lateral wall  12 , and a projection  423  extends upwardly along the first lateral wall  42 . Depressions  1231 ,  4231  are respectively recessed from upper surfaces of the projections  123 ,  423 . The first lateral wall  12  of the top housing  1  defines a receiving groove  124  on exterior surface, the receiving groove  124  is closer to the first opening  125  and has a block  1241  therein. The block  1241  has a slanted surface  1242  extending upwards slantways from a inner surface of the receiving groove  124 . The second lateral wall  13  of the top housing  1  defines a longer cutout  132  along a front-to-back direction, a latch portion  134  is defined closer to the second post  135  and aligning with the receiving groove  124 , the latch portion  134  extends beyond the second lateral wall  43 . The latch portion  134  defines a latch hole  1341  penetrating through thereof. The bottom housing  4  has the same latch portion  434  and latch hole  4341 , and also those same structures are omitted here. 
         [0018]    The top housing  1  and bottom housing  4  respectively have slits  15 ,  45  adjacent to the first posts  121 ,  421 , and the slits  15 ,  45  are located in front of corresponding posts  121 ,  421 . The slits  15 ,  45  are of U-shape and spaced from front-end surfaces  10 ,  40  of the top housing  1  and the bottom housing  4  with a certain distance. The lower walls  11 ,  41  define a pair of recesses  112 ,  412  in front and depressions  114 ,  414  in the back respectively, the recesses  112 ,  412  are located adjacent to corresponding slits  15 ,  45 , and the depressions  114 ,  414  are communicated with corresponding first lateral walls  12 ,  42  and second lateral walls  13 ,  43 . 
         [0019]    When assembly, the USB receptacle connector  2  is assembled into the bottom housing  4 , the expansion  51  of the insulator  5  is put in the depression  414 , part of the protrusion  21  is received in the slit  45 , the first elastic portions  23  on the upper surface of the metal shell  2  align with corresponding recesses  412 , the second elastic portion  24  on the right is aligned with the depression  4231  of the bottom housing  4  and the left one is aligned with the depression  1231  of the top housing  1 . Then the top housing  1  is assembled to the bottom housing  4 , the first post  121  of the top housing  1  is interferentially received in the first opening  431  of the bottom housing  4  via rib  1210  to enhance the combination therebetween. Simultaneity, the first post  421  of the bottom housing  4  is inserted into the first opening  131  of the top housing  1 , the second post  135  of the top housing  1  is inserted into the second opening  425  of the bottom housing  4 , with the second post of the bottom housing  4  inserted into the second opening  125  of the top housing. The first elastic portions  23  on the lower surface of the metal shell  2  align with corresponding recesses  112  of the top housing  1 . 
         [0020]    The protrusive portion  423  of the bottom housing  1  is received in the cutout  132  of the top housing  1 , and abutting against an inner wall  1321 . The latch portion  434  of the bottom housing  4  is sliderably received in the receiving groove  124  along the slanted surface  1242 , the upper segment of the block  1241  is protruding outer than the slanted surface  1242  to lock with the latch portion  434 . The upside of the protrusion  21  is located in the slit  15 , and the slit  15  of the top housing  1  is cooperated with the slit  45  of the bottom  4  to position the USB receptacle connector  2  in the exterior housing. 
         [0021]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.