Modular connector

A modular connector of the present invention comprises an insulative housing, at least two terminal modules, a shell for enclosing the insulative housing and indicating devices. The insulative housing defines at least two mating cavities in a front portion and at least two insert openings in a bottom wall thereof. The terminal modules each comprise a plurality of contacts injection molded in a spacer thereof and are inserted into the insert openings from a bottom side of the insulative housing. The indicating devices are received in first receiving grooves defined in the insulative housing for signaling circuit transmission. The shell encloses the insulative housing while providing openings for insertion of at least two mating connectors and apertures for protrusion of the indicating devices therethrough.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a modular
 connector for mating with different electric connectors and comprising a
 group of indicating devices.
 In order to make full use of the space on a PCB in computers, molded
 electrical connectors have become a trend in the development of computers
 and a number of designs for molded electrical connectors have been
 developed. The modular connectors disclosed in prior art Taiwan patent
 application Nos. 85217540 and 8609808 do not make full use of the space
 between electrical connectors, resulting in a modular connector that is
 larger than it need be. Additionally, in assembly, the insertion direction
 of the terminal module is the reverse of that of a mating connector, thus,
 when the mating connector is inserted, it tends to push the terminal
 module out of its position and thereby adversely affects the contact
 between the module and the mating connector. Hence, an improved design for
 a modular connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior
 art.
 BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 A first object of the present invention is to provide a modular connector
 which can minimize the side-by-side space between the mating connectors
 received therein;
 A second object of the present invention is to provide a modular connector
 which can be securely assembled and is fitted with indicating devices for
 signaling circuit transmission.
 A third object of the present invention is to provide a modular connector
 which can prevent the conductive contacts therein from breaking off during
 mating.
 A modular connector of the present invention comprises an insulative
 housing, terminal modules, a shell and indicating devices. The insulative
 housing defines at least two mating cavities in a front portion and two
 arranging openings communicating with the mating cavities in a top portion
 thereof, both of which are adapted for insertion of mating connectors. A
 first receiving groove is defined in the housing at one side of each
 arranging opening for accommodating an indicating device. Second receiving
 grooves are defined in a rear wall of the insulative housing in
 communication with respective first receiving grooves. Insert openings are
 defined in a bottom wall of the insulative housing for insertion of
 corresponding terminal modules. Each terminal module comprises a plurality
 of conductive contacts molded in a spacer and is inserted into the
 insulative housing from the insert opening thereof. The shell encloses the
 insulative housing to provide EMI shielding. A front side of the shell
 defines receiving openings aligned with the mating cavities of the
 insulative housing and apertures aligned with the first receiving grooves
 in the insulative housing. The indicating devices are received in the
 first and second receiving grooves of the insulative housing. A front end
 of each indicating device extends out of an aperture of the shell to show
 the state of circuit transmission.
 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.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 3B, a modular connector of the present
 invention generally composed of a large unit and a small unit side by side
 integrally arranged together, comprises an insulative housing 1, terminal
 modules 2 and 2', a shell 3 and indicating devices 4. The insulative
 housing 1 is in a rectangular shape and comprises a top portion 10 and an
 opposed bottom wall 15, a front portion 16 and an opposed rear wall 11
 (referring to FIG. 3C), and two opposite side walls 12. The insulative
 housing 1 defines at least two mating cavities 13 (one large and one
 small) opened at the front portion 16 and a like number of corresponding
 arranging openings 100 opened at the top portion 10 and communicating with
 a corresponding mating cavity 13, each mating cavity 13 and corresponding
 arranging opening 100 adapted for cooperatively receiving a mating
 connector (not shown). The mating cavities 13 are separated by a
 separating wall 14. A first receiving groove 101 is defined at one side of
 each arranging opening 100 and extends longitudinally through the top
 portion 10. A hole 102 is defined in the bottom surface of each first
 receiving groove 101. The rear side 11 defines a second receiving groove
 111 for each first receiving groove, each of which communicates with and
 is perpendicular to the corresponding first receiving groove 101 in the
 top portion 10. A pair of through holes 112 is defined at both sides of
 each second receiving groove 111 and extending through the rear wall 11 of
 the insulative housing 1. The bottom wall 15 defines at least two insert
 openings 151 square in shape and communicating with a corresponding mating
 cavity 13. A plurality of projections 150 extends rearward from a front
 side of each insert opening 151 and are separated by a plurality of
 channels 155 therebetween. A pair of dovetail cutouts 152, stopping
 grooves 153 and recesses 154 (referring to FIG. 3A) are defined in both
 sides of each insert opening 151. Additionally, a plurality of guide
 grooves 110 are defined in an inside surface of the rear wall 11 and
 communicating with each mating cavity 13.
 The terminal modules 2 and 2' have a similar structure, so only the
 terminal modular 2 is detailed hereinafter. The terminal modular 2
 comprises a plurality of conductive contacts 21 being injection molded in
 a spacer 20. A pair of latching lugs 200, abutting blocks 201 and
 protrusions 202 are formed at both sides of the spacer 20. Additionally,
 the spacer 20 defines a plurality of retaining channels 204 in a front
 portion and forms a plurality of latching pins 203 at a rear end thereof.
 The conductive contacts 21 each comprise a contacting portion 210, a
 retaining portion 211 and a soldering portion 212 (referring to FIG. 3A).
 The retaining portions 211 thereof are integrally molded into the
 retaining channels 204 to retain the conductive contacts 21. The
 contacting portion 210 of each conductive contact 21 extends rearward and
 upward from the retaining portion 211. The soldering portions 212 extend
 downward from the spacer 20 for soldering to a printed circuit board (not
 shown).
 Since the side walls 12 and the separating wall 14 of the insulative
 housing 1 do not need to provide any fixing devices for retaining inserted
 mating connectors, the width of the modular connector of the present
 invention is minimized. Additionally, the terminal modules can not be
 pushed out of place by repeated insertion of the mating connectors since
 the mating connectors are inserted perpendicular to the direction of the
 modules' insertion and the modules are securely retained in the insulative
 housing 1.
 The conductive shell 3 is integrally formed for enclosing the insulative
 housing 1 to provide EMI shielding and comprises a front side 33 and an
 opposite rear side 31 (referring to FIG. 3C), a top side 30 and two
 opposite lateral sides 32. The front side 33 defines at least two
 receiving openings 34 and apertures 330 for correspondingly aligning with
 the mating cavities 13 and the first receiving grooves 101 of the
 insulative housing 1 respectively. A pair of grounding arms 331 are formed
 at either side of each receiving opening 34 and extend rearward from the
 front side 33 to conductively contact the mating connector. The top side
 30 also defines at least two arranging apertures 301 for aligning with the
 arranging openings 100 in the insulative housing 1. The opposite lateral
 sides 32 define a pair of boardlocks 321 depending from bottom edges
 thereof to latched in a printed circuit board.
 The indicating devices 4 each comprise a cover 40 and a light emitting
 diode (LED) 41. The cover 40 forms a protrusion 400 and an engaging
 portion 401 both of which depend downward from a bottom surface thereof.
 The lighting emitting diodes 41 each form a front end 411 and a pair of
 terminals 412 for signaling circuit transmission.
 In assembly, the terminal modules 2 and 2' are inserted into the insert
 openings 151 from the bottom wall 15 of the insulative housing 1 and are
 retained therein by the latching lugs 200, abutting blocks 201 and
 protrusions 202 engaging respectively with the cutouts 152, stopping
 grooves 153 and recesses 154 of the insulative housing 1. Latching pins
 203 of the spacer 20 partially engage with the guide grooves 110 in the
 insulative housing 1, and retaining portions 211 of the conductive
 contacts 21 engage with the channels 155 in the insulative housing 1. Each
 indicating device 4 is fitted in a corresponding first receiving groove
 101 of the insulative housing 1 and the pair of terminals 412 thereof are
 inserted through the corresponding pair of through holes 112 in the rear
 wall 11 of the insulative housing 1. Each light emitting diode 41 is fixed
 in the insulative housing 1 by the cover 40, the protrusion 400 thereof
 being latched in the hole 102 and the engaging portion 401 thereof
 engaging with the second receiving groove 111. The shell 3 then encloses
 the insulative housing 1, the front ends 411 of the light emitting diodes
 411 extending through the apertures 330 and the grounding arms 331
 extending into grooves 121 defined in either side of each mating cavity
 13.
 It is noted that in this embodiment, the both two indicating devices 4 are
 positioned around the unit having the large cavity 13, and the side wall
 12 beside the small cavity 13 is thinner than the other side wall 12
 beside the large cavity 13. The arrangement allows the overall size of the
 whole assembly to have a minimum dimension thereof while still keeping
 proper reliable positioning and functioning of the built-in indicating
 device 4 thereof.
 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.