Connector

A connector includes an insulating housing, a circuit board, a flexible piece, and a plurality of guides. The circuit board has a front end configured to dock with a docking connector, a back end distal to the front end, and a plurality of gold fingers disposed at the front end. The back end is embedded in the insulating housing and the front end is extended outwardly from the insulating housing such that each gold finger is exposed at a surface of the circuit board. The flexible piece is installed at a top surface of the insulating housing. The flexible piece is used to engage with the docking connector. Each gold finger can be electrically connected to the docking connector. Each guide is disposed at two opposite sides of the insulating housing. Each guide extends outwardly towards the docking connector.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 106201345, filed Jan. 23, 2017, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector including a scoop-proof device and more particular to a connector includes a SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) transmission interface.

Description of Related Art

With the rapid change of science and technology in the recent years and the high speed progression of cloud technology, there follows a great amount of data to be transported. Using connectors to achieve the data transportation has already become an indispensable and crucial technology at the time. From the early SCSI (Small Computer System interface) to the nowadays SAS (Serial Attached SCSI, serial-SCSI), with respect to the need of high speed data accessing, serial technology overcomes the bottleneck of conventional parallel technology, and provides a much faster signal transportation functionality. Also, SAS is able to support and is compactable with the SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) device, which indicates the advantageous wide ranging compatibility of the SAS.

When connectors are docked together, if the structures of the plug and socket are not designed with a suitable position guiding device, it might be impossible to precisely insert the circuit board of the plug into the cavity of the socket, or there might be an excessive angle. In the case that the plug docks obliquely with the socket instead of in a straight line facing towards each other, the terminals of the socket may become easily extruded into deformation or bended recession. Not only the situation increases the time requirement of docking, but the general structure of the plug or the socket might also be damaged.

As shown inFIG. 12, to overcome the mismatch issue that the connector inserted obliquely into the socket during the docking phase of the plug and the socket, the Taiwan Pat. No. M412483 discloses a wire connector A100, including a docking circuit A1, a plurality of guide lines A2electrically connected to the docking circuit A1, an insulating body A3disposed at the periphery of the docking circuit A1and the guide lines A2, and an engaging member A4installed on the insulating body A3. A scoop-proof flange A31is disposed on the top surface of insulating body A3and the scoop-proof flange A31has a front end A313and a back end A311. The front end A313of the scoop-proof flange A31is disposed in a non-symmetry form respect to the insulating body A3. A guide surface A35is disposed at a front end of one side of the scoop-proof flange A31, and a right angle terminal edge A36is disposed at a front end of the other side of the scoop-proof flange A31.

When the wire connector A100is docked with a socket connector (not shown), the wire connector A100will be guided by the guide surface A35such that the wire connector A100may be docked with the socket connector. The wire connector A100can be guided to a correct position by the structure design of the guide surface A35so as to make the wire connector A100be docked with the socket connector successfully. In the aforementioned way, the time wasted to dock the socket connector with the wire connector A100is greatly reduced, and the structure damages due to the mismatch of the socket connector and the wire connector A100can be prevented.

In the foregoing technology, however, the wire connector A100is guided by only one structure on the guide surface A35, so the accuracy of guiding and matching has not yet achieved a satisfying level. Most designation of size specification of two docking structures do not strictly cooperate with each other, as there is a buffer space preserved to make sure that the errors generated in the manufacturing process will not further result in a docking failure or over-tightness. Accordingly, the wire connector A100may be obliquely docked with the socket connector (not shown), so the mismatch issue during the docking phase is not entirely solved by the wire connector A100and the socket connector. There still exists the problem that the socket connector may be docked with the wire connector A100with an excessive angle, in which case the inside terminals of the socket connector are prone to be damaged by the bumping of the wire connector A100, and thus further reduces the life-span of the connector A100.

Since the prior art is unable to provide an adequate method to prevent the inside terminals of the socket connector from being recessed or being extruded by external forces, an improved technical solution to overcome the difficulty to satisfy the practical demand in the industry is in a desperate need.

SUMMARY

The invention provides a connector. The connector includes a scoop-proof device. When the connector docks with another connector, the scoop-proof device can effectively prevent the connector from being inserted with an offset angle, thus avoiding the inner-structure damage generated in the docking phase of the two connectors.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a connector is provided. The connector includes a scoop-proof device which is one or more guides. When the connector is going to share high frequency signals with the docking connector, the guides can guide the connector and the docking connecter to face each other and to be docked straightly. By reducing the occasions that connectors are docked with each other obliquely, the inside terminals are not bumped and damaged as often, thus generally improving the docking quality of the connectors.

To achieve the aforementioned purpose, a connector is provided in the present invention. The connector includes an insulating housing, a circuit board, and a plurality of guides. The circuit board has a front end configured to dock with a docking connector and a back end distal to the docking connector. A plurality of gold fingers is disposed at the front end and exposed at a surface of the circuit board. The back end is embedded in or protruded from the insulating housing. The front end extends out of the insulating housing. Each of the guides is partially embedded in or protruded from the insulating housing and parallel to the circuit board, wherein each of the guides is disposed at one of opposite sides of the insulating housing and extends outwardly towards the docking connector. Each of the gold fingers may be electrically connected to the docking connector. Wherein, each of the opposite sides of the insulating housing is disposed with at least one bump extending outwardly, and each of the guides is partially embedded in or protruded from a side of a corresponding one of the bumps. Each of the guides is partially embedded in or protruded from the insulating housing. The embedding method may be an insert molding method that inserts and molds each guide at a corresponding one of the bumps and a corresponding one of the insulating housing. In addition, each of the guides is a rectangular bar made of a metal material, and a side surface of each of the guides adjacent to the circuit board has an unfilled corner for the convenience of the inserting and molding of the guides into the bumps.

In the present invention, each of the guides has an exposed part exposed from the insulating housing, and the exposed part of each of the guides extends outwardly towards the docking connector and approach a location of the gold fingers on the circuit board, so as to form the guides as a scoop-proof device. The connector and the docking connector are docked together by the guidance of the guides located at the two sides of the insulating housing, so as to prevent the connector from docking with the docking connector with an offset angle. In addition, the guides may also be formed by vertically extending the two sides of the insulating housing of the connector outwardly towards the docking connector, so that the guides is and the insulating housing are formed in one piece, thus generally improves the stability of the guides on the connector.

In the present invention, a flexible piece and a plurality of wires are disposed at the connector. The flexible piece is installed at the top surface of the insulating housing. The flexible piece is used to engage with the docking connector. Each of the wires is electrically connected to the circuit board. Each of the wires is embedded in or protruded from the insulating housing. The embedding method may be an insert molding method which inserts and molds each of the wires into the insulating housing. A fixing slot is disposed at the top surface of the insulating housing and the flexible piece is accommodated and installed in the fixing slot. At least one engaging part is disposed at the flexible piece and the engaging part is used to engage with the docking connector.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed instead of limiting the scope of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 6, a connector is disclosed according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The connector1includes an insulating housing2, a circuit board3, and a plurality of first guides5, wherein the circuit board3is embedded in the insulating housing2and a docking connector8may be inserted in the connector1.

As shown inFIG. 2toFIG. 7, in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector1includes an insulating housing2, a circuit board3, a flexible piece4, and a plurality of first guides5. The insulating housing2is made of an insulating material and the insulating housing2includes a top surface21, a bottom surface22, and a plurality of sides23. Each of the sides23respectively connects to the top surface21and the bottom surface22to form a closed rectangular house. The circuit board3is also made of an insulating material. The circuit board3has a front end31, a back end32and a plurality of gold fingers33, wherein the front end31is configured to dock with a docking connector8, the back end32is distal to the front end31, and the gold fingers33is disposed at the front end31of the circuit board3. An upper side of the circuit board3is defined as an upper surface34and a lower side of the circuit board is defined as a lower surface35, wherein the upper surface34and lower surface35are non-adjacent and opposite to each other. A plurality of the gold fingers33are affixed to the upper surface34and the lower surface35of the circuit board3. The back end32of the circuit board3is embedded in the insulating housing2, the embedding method may be an insert molding method, which inserts and molds the circuit boards3through the insulating housing2, for those skilled in the art may adopt an engage assembling method as another embedding method. The insulating housing2extends away from the front end31of the circuit board3such that each of the gold fingers33is exposed at the upper surface34and the lower surface35of the circuit board3. When the circuit board3is docked with the docking connector8, each of the gold fingers33may be electrically connected to the docking terminals81of the docking connector8.

As shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 7, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a flexible piece4is installed at the top surface21of the insulating housing2. The flexible piece4is used to engage with the docking connector8. The flexible piece4is a sectional structure formed by a bended metal slice. The flexible piece4may be produced by methods such as stamping, cutting and bending etc. The flexible piece4includes a press portion41, a slope42, a flat panel43, and at least one engage part45. One end of the slope42is connected to the press portion41and the other end of the slope42is connected to the flat panel43. The press portion41includes two long flanges46. The shape of the long flange46is designed for the convenience of users that the long flange46is directly pressed by an applied force. The disposition location and the configuration of the press portion41may be varied for practical demands. The figures disclosed in the present invention are only used to illustrate some preferred embodiments but not to limit the scope of the designation of the present invention. There is at least one engage part47disposed at the flat panel43, and the engage part47is used to engage with the docking connector8, wherein a fixing slot24is disposed at the top surface21of the insulating housing2. The flat panel43and the engage part45are mounted in the fixing slot24.

As shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 7, in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the first guides5is disposed at one of the opposite sides of the insulating housing2, and each of the first guides5extends outwardly towards the docking connector8. Each of the first guides5is parallel to the circuit board3. Wherein each side of the insulating housing2is disposed with at least one bump25which extends outwardly, each of the first guides5is partially embedded in a side of the bumps25, and each of the first guides5is partially embedded in the insulating housing2. The embedding method may be an insert molding method, by which each of the first guides5is partially inserted and molded at each side of the bump25and the insulating housing2. For those skilled in the art may adopt an engage assembling method as an alternative to insert molding method. Use the bump25to form a first remain gap26between each first guide5and the insulating housing2. The first remain gap26can provide a tolerance of mismatching for the corresponding first guide5, thus increases the adjusting flexibility of the first guide5during the assembling phase. In addition, each first guide5may be a rectangular bar made of a metal material such as Cu, Fe, or stainless steel, and any other suitable materials. For those skilled in the art may also adopt other metal materials as another manufacturing method. In addition, each first guide5has a side adjacent to the circuit board3, and the side has an unfilled corner51. The structure of the unfilled corner51is designed for the docking specification of the first guides5and the bumps25, such that the first guides5can be easily inserted and molded to the bumps25.

As shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 7, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a part of each first guide5is exposed out of the insulating housing2. The exposed part of each first guide5extends outwardly towards the docking connector8and approaches to a location of the gold fingers33on the circuit board3. The first guides5located at the opposite sides of the bumps25of the insulating housing2is configured symmetrically that the first guides5may be formed as an scoop-proof device. The first guides5located at the opposite sides of the insulating housing2guide the connector1to dock with the docking connector8, so as to prevent the docking connector8from docking with the connector1with an offset angle. In other words, not until the connector1and the docking connector8face towards each other in a straight line will the two be able to dock with each other. In the aforementioned way, this method can effectively prevent the docking terminals81of the docking connector8from being damaged by inappropriate external forces.

As shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 7, In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of wires7are disposed at the connector1. Each of the wires7is electrically connected to the circuit board3. Each of the wires7is embedded In the insulating housing2. The embedding method may be an insert molding method, each of the wires7is inserted and molded in the insulating housing2. Each of the wires7is arranged in two rows herein. The arrangement of the wires7may be varied for practical demand, the figures disclosed in the present invention is only a preferred embodiment.

As shown inFIG. 8toFIG. 11, in a second embodiment of the present invention, second guides9may also be formed and protruded by broadening opposite sides of the insulating housing2of the connector1and vertically extending the sides outwardly towards a docking connector (not shown). The second guides9are L-shape structures herein. The second guides9with L-shape structures are disposed symmetrically that they face towards each other in regards of the sides of the insulating housing2, the disposing location and the shape of the second guides9may be varied with practical demand, the FIGURES disclosed herein are only a preferred embodiment and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Since the second guides9and the insulating housing2are formed in one piece, the stability of the second guides9on the connector1is generally improved.

In comparison with the prior art, by using the guides in the connector to match with the docking connector and as a scoop-proof device of two connectors, the guide structures of the guides may effectively enhance the assembly tolerance. Accordingly, the angle and the offset position generated during the docking phase may be corrected, and the correction may prevent the docking terminals of the docking connector from being damaged and deformed by the excessive angle of the insertion of the circuit board. As a result, two connectors dock with each other more successfully, thus effectively increase the life-span of the connector and make the connector more adaptive to the demands of the majority of users.