Electrical contact with two contating portions and electrical connector with the same

An electrical connector including: an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts, the insulative housing defining a first mating face, a second mating face and a mounting face opposite to the mating faces, each contact includes a retaining portion for engaging on the insulative housing and a pair of contact portions exposed on the first mating face and the second mating face respectively, wherein the first mating face is higher than the second face in a direction perpendicular to the mating first and second faces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, specially to a compression connector connecting with two boards.

2. Description of Related Art

Chinese Utility Pat. No. CN202282472 discloses a connector elastically mating with contrary connector. The electrical connector includes a base and a plurality of contacts retained therein. Each contact has a retaining portion and a pair or elastic contact portions. The base defines two opposite mating faces and the contact portions are exposed to the mating faces respectively. Nevertheless, the height of the electrical system will be raised by mating with contrary connector at opposite mating faces.

Hence, an electrical connector of miniaturization is desired.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a miniaturized electrical contact and connector with the contacts.

To achieve the above object, an electrical connector including: an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts, the insulative housing defining a first mating face, a second mating face and a mounting face opposite to the mating faces, each contact includes a retaining portion for engaging on the insulative housing and a pair of contact portions exposed on the first mating face and the second mating face respectively, wherein the first mating face is higher than the second face in a direction perpendicular to the mating first and second faces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in details.FIG. 1illustrates an electrical connector100intended to mate with two printed circuit boards (not shown). The electrical connector100comprises an insulative housing10and several contacts20retained therein.

Referring toFIG. 2toFIG. 3, the insulative housing10is shaped as a rectangle, defining the bottom face as a mounting face101and an opposite end (upper end) as a mating end102. The mating end102includes a first mating face102aand a second mating face102b. The second mating face102bis parallel to the first mating face102aand higher than the first mating face102a. The contact-receiving passageways11includes two portions, first passageways111athrough the first mating face102aand second passageway111bthrough the second mating face102b. The contact-receiving passageways11extend in a longitudinal direction of the housing. Several retaining passageways12are located between the two rows of contact-receiving passageways11.

Referring toFIG. 2, each contact20made from a metal sheet comprises a retaining portion21with bars and a pair of elastic portions22in the same plane. The pair of elastic portions22extends from opposite sides of bottom end of the retaining portion21. The two elastic portions22further vertically extend a contacting portion23parallel to the retaining portion21, which are defined as a first contact portion23aand second contact portion23b. The extending direction of the first and second contact portions is perpendicular to the first and second mating face102a,102b. The second contact portion23bis higher than the first contact portion23ain the vertical direction. In fact, the height of the contact portions could be determined by actual demand. The contacting portions are located above the retaining portions in the vertical direction.

The pair of contact portions22is received in the contact-receiving passageway11and the retaining portion21is fixed in the retaining passageway12from the mounting face101. The first and second contact portions23a,23bare exposed to and extend beyond the first and second mating face102a,102brespectively via the first passageways111aand the second passageways111b. The retaining passageways12run through the first mating face102a. The top end of the retaining portion21is received in the retaining passageway12, but not extends beyond the first mating face102a. The bottom roots of the retaining portions21are received in a bottom space15defined in the bottom of the housing and do not extend beyond the mounting face101. The contact portions are spaced from the side face of contact-receiving passageways11so as to decrease the friction therebetween.

The insulative housing includes a mounting rib13and a pair of slots14for being mounted to a mother board of said two printed circuit boards. The mounting rib13outwardly projects from one end adjacent to the first mating face102aof the housing and parallel to the mating face. The slots14are orthogonally located at the both sides of the mounting rib13and vertically run through the first mating face102aand the mounting face101aprotruding portion16is located at the second mating face102bdistant from the mounting rib13. The top face of the protruding portion16is defined as the second mating face102b. The second passageways111bof the contact-receiving passageways11extend to the protruding portion16and run through the second mating face102b. The electrical connector100is able to mate with a daughter board of said two printed circuit boards at the first mating face102aand the second mating face102b. The daughter board presses against said two contacting portions23so that the two elastic portions22swing in the passageways111a,111bto provide enough enforce to the daughter board. The height of electrical system will be reduced owing to the mating faces being located at the same side (top side).