Electrical connector with improved electrical contacts

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a number of electrical contacts. The insulative housing has a top wall, a bottom wall and a number of side walls. The side walls form a number of passageways extending through the insulative housing. The electrical contacts are received in the passageways and each includes a contacting portion, a tail portion and a main portion connecting with the contacting portion and the tail portion. The main portion is provided with a first fastening means for engaging with the side wall and a second fastening means for engaging with the top wall so as to secure the electrical contacts to the insulative housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having improved electrical contacts.

2. Description of Related Art

With the development of electronics, electrical connectors are widely used to electrical devices for connecting with a mating electrical connector and transmitting signals between the electrical devices and external equipments. Conventional electrical connectors include an insulative housing and a number of electrical contacts attached to the insulative housing. The insulative housing has a number of passageways for receiving the electrical contacts. The electrical contacts each includes barbs thereon for engaging with the insulative housing and securing the electrical contacts.

The barbs are defined on a base plate of the electrical contact and located in a same plane with the base plate. When the electrical connector mates with the mating connector, an external force exerts on the electrical contacts. After repeatedly plug in and pull out, the external force will affect the engagement of the barbs and the insulative housing which results in the electrical contacts become loose in the passageways. Therefore, the electrical connection between the electrical devices and the electrical equipments will be affected.

Hence, it is desired to provide an electrical connector to overcome the deficiency of the conventional electrical contacts.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector for securing the electrical contacts in the insulative housing reliably.

The present invention is directed to an electrical connector which includes an insulative housing having a front face and a rear face opposite to each other, and a plurality of side walls, and a plurality of electrical contacts. The side walls form a plurality of passageways extending between the front face and the rear face. The electrical contacts are received in the passageways and each includes a contacting portion, a tail portion and a main portion connecting the contacting portion with the tail portion. The main portion is configured to a U-shape and includes a horizontal plate and a pair of vertical plates. At least one vertical plate defines a fastening means projecting therefrom and engaging with the side wall of the insulative housing.

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing having a top wall, a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls, and a plurality of electrical contacts. The side walls form a plurality of passageways extending through the insulative housing. The electrical contacts are received in the passageways and each includes a contacting portion, a tail portion and a main portion connecting with the contacting portion and the tail portion. The main portion has a first fastening means engaging with the side wall and a second fastening means engaging with the top wall thereby securing the electrical contacts to the insulative housing.

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing having a top wall, a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls, and a plurality of electrical contacts. The side walls form a plurality of passageways extending through the insulative housing. The electrical contacts are received in the passageways and each includes a contacting portion, a tail portion and a main portion connecting with the contacting portion and the tail portion. The main portion has a first fastening means on a side thereof and a second fastening means at a top thereof, and both of the first and second fastening means engage with the insulative housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail, wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like of similar elements are designated by same or similar reference numeral through the several views and same or similar terminology.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention is directed to an electrical connector1mounting to a PCB or motherboard (not shown) and having an insulative housing10and a plurality of electrical contacts20received in the insulative housing10.

Further referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, the insulative housing10has a front face101for mating with a mating electrical connector (not shown), a rear face102opposite to the front face101, a top wall103, a bottom wall104and a pair of side walls105. The insulative housing10further has a plurality of inner side walls11which form a plurality of passageways12together with the pair of side walls105. The passageways12extend through the front face101and the rear face102and expose at the top wall103.

Please refer toFIG. 2, each passageway12includes a pair of side recesses14defined on the side walls105or the inner side walls11, and a bottom recess18defined on the bottom wall104. A lower plate16is disposed in the passageway12and separates the pair of side recesses14with the bottom recess18. The pair of side recesses14each communicates with the bottom recess18at a rear end of the insulative housing10via a slit17defined on the lower plate16. Each of the side recess14is shielded by a stop15at the front face101. A pair of first slots13are defined on the side walls105or the inner side walls11and a pair of second slots19are defined on the top wall103. The first and second slots13,19are further recessed into the insulative housing10compared to the side recesses14.

Please referring toFIGS. 3-5, the electrical contacts20each has a contacting portion21for contacting with the mating electrical connector, a tail portion23electrically connected with the PCB, and a main portion22connecting the contacting portion21with the tail portion23. The contacting portion21includes a pair of contacting arms211opposite to each other and received in the side recesses14respectively. The tail portion23and the contacting portion21both extend forwardly from the main portion22. The tail portion23is located in the bottom recess18and has a solder pad231under the contacting arms211.

The main portion22is configured to a U-shape which includes a horizontal plate connected with the tail portion23and a pair of vertical plates extending upwardly from the horizontal plate and connecting with the pair of contacting arms211, respectively. The vertical plates each has a plurality of barbs25at a top thereof and are received in the second slot19. Each vertical plate further includes a protrusion24at one side thereof and projecting outwardly. A front end of the protrusion24defines an oblique face241for guiding the electrical contact20inserted into the passageway20.

The electrical contacts20are inserted into the passageway12from the rear face102of the insulative housing10. The horizontal plate is received in the bottom recess18and the pair of vertical plates are received in the side recesses14. The vertical plates and horizontal plate sandwich the lower plate16and the pair of contacting arms211are received in the side recesses14thereby supporting the electrical contact20in the passageway12.

The pair of contacting arms211first project to each other from the vertical plates and then bend back so that a free end of the contacting arm211is located behind the stop15. The stop15prevents the contacting arm211moving forwardly. The barbs25are received in the second slots241and engage with the top wall103thereby securing the electrical contact20to the insulative housing10not only in an up to down direction but also in a front to back direction. The protrusions24are received in the first slots13which provide another fastening means for the electrical contacts20. The protrusion24can secure the electrical contacts20to the insulative housing10in two directions, one is the up to down direction, and the other is a left to right direction.

The electrical contacts20of the present invention has two fastening means to engage with the insulative housing, one is the barbs' interference with the top wall, and the other is the protrusion engaging with the side walls, which strengthen the engagement between the electrical contacts20and the insulative housing10. Therefore, the two fastening means secure the electrical contact20in the insulative housing10firmly which ensures the electrical connection between the electrical connector and the mating connector.

Next referring toFIGS. 6 and 7, description will be made of an electrical connector2according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector2is substantially similar to the electrical connector1except the tail portion23′ of the electrical contact20′. The tail portion23′ and the contacting portion21′ extend in opposite directions from the main portion22′ thereby a solder pad231′ of the tail portion23′ projecting out of the rear face102′ of the insulative housing10′.