Electrical connector with anti-mismating device

An electrical connector (100) is provided for mating with a complementary plug and includes an insulative housing (10), a terminal module (20) having a number of conductive terminals (202) retained therein and an anti-mismating device (30) integrally formed with the housing. The housing includes a side wall (102) and a receiving cavity (106) for receiving the plug. The side wall defines a window (1021) communicating with the receiving cavity. Each terminal has a contacting portion extending into the receiving cavity of the housing. The anti-mismating device is seated inside of the window and includes a base portion (301) being movably received in the window, a stopper portion (302) extending inwardly from the base portion and into the receiving cavity, and a tapered guiding portion (303) in front of the stopper portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly, to an electrical connector having an anti-mismating device therein to prevent improper insertion of a smaller sized plug connector.

2. Description of the Related Art

RJ-11 and RJ-45 receptacles respectively engaging with RJ-11 and RJ-45 plugs are commonly used in network communications. RJ-45 receptacle and plug have larger dimensions than RJ-11 receptacle and plug. Therefore, an RJ-11 plug is inadvertently inserted into an RJ-45 receptacle, which may result in damage to the terminals of the RJ-45 receptacle.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,528 B1 issued to Roberts et al on Oct. 2, 2001 discloses a conventional modular jack. The modular jack comprises an insulative housing defining a plug-receiving cavity and a pair of anti-mismating devices formed in an upper portion of the plug-receiving cavity. Each anti-mismating device comprises an cantilevered arm extending forwardly from a rear wall of the housing. The cantilevered arm comprises a forwardly-positioned sliding surface and a stop surface formed on an inner side of the sliding surface at a free end thereof. The stop surface is provided for blocking an undersized plug being inserted. When a mating plug is inserted into the cavity, the leading edge of the mating plug contacts the more forwardly-positioned sliding surface before reaching the stop surface and rides along the sliding surface, which causes the sliding surface to move upwardly. The movement produces the upwardly movements of the anti-mismating member and the stop surface such that the stop surface is located out of a stop position, permitting full insertion of the mating plug into the cavity.

However, the Roberts housing needs to provide enough space to allow the anti-mismating device to be movable in the upper portion of receiving cavity, thereby increasing height of the housing. Thus the Roberts modular jack has a relative larger size.

Hence, an electrical connector with improved anti-mismating device is needed to overcome the foregoing shortcomings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having an improved anti-mismating device therein for blocking insertion of smaller sized connectors.

In order to achieve the object set forth, An electrical connector is provided for mating with a mating plug and includes an insulative housing, a terminal module having a number of conductive terminals retained therein and an anti-mismating device integrally formed with the housing. The housing includes a side wall and a receiving cavity for receiving the plug. The side wall defines a window communicating with the receiving cavity. Each terminal has a contacting portion extending into the receiving cavity of the housing. The anti-mismating device is seated inside of the window and includes a base portion being movable in the window, a stopper portion extending inwardly from the base portion and into the receiving cavity, and a tapered guiding portion in front of the stopper portion. When the mating plug is inserted into the receiving cavity, the guiding portion is engaged and thus the stopper portion is deflected outwardly and out of the mating plug insertion direction thereby allowing the mating plug insertion into the electrical connector, and when the undersized plug is inserted into the receiving cavity, the stopper portion is struck thereby preventing insertion thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIG. 1, an electrical connector100in accordance with the present invention is adapted for receiving a mating plug such as an RJ-45 type plug (not shown). The electrical connector includes an insulative housing10, a terminal module20and an anti-mismating device30integrally formed with the housing10.

Referring toFIGS. 1,2and3, the insulative housing10is substantially rectangle configuration and has a front mating face (not labeled) providing a receiving cavity106extending thereinto. The housing10comprises an upper wall101, a left side wall102, a right side wall103, a bottom wall104, a rear wall105. The anti-mismating device30is unitarily molded with one of the side walls. In the preferred embodiment, the anti-mismating is arranged on the left side wall102. A window1021is defined in a lower portion of the left side wall102and communicates with the receiving cavity106. The rear wall105defines an opening108therein. A pair of grooves109are defined on opposite sides of the opening108.

As best shown inFIG. 1, the terminal module20includes an insulator201and a plurality of terminals202insert molded with the insulator201. Each terminal202includes a body portion203, a contacting portion204extending downwardly and rearwardly from one side of the body portion203, and a soldering portion205extending downwardly from the other side of the body portion203. The insulator201has a pair of protrusions206on opposite sides thereof for engaging with corresponding grooves109of the housing10.

Referring toFIG. 2in conjunction withFIG. 1, the anti-mismating device30is integrally formed with the housing10and is arranged inside of the window1021(shown inFIG. 3) of the left side wall102. The anti-mismating device30comprises a base portion301having a rear end connected to the sidewall102, a stopper portion302extending inwardly and horizontally from the base portion301, and a tapered guiding portion303arranged in front of the stopper portion302. The base portion301is substantially cantilevered and is movable in the window1021in a direction perpendicular to an insertion direction of the mating plug. The guiding portion303extends inwardly from a front portion of the base portion301and exposes in the receiving cavity106. The guiding portion303includes a front inclined surface304and a rear inclined surface305immediately behind the front inclined surface304. The rear inclined surface305has a relatively smaller gradient than that of the first inclined surface304so as to provide a relatively smaller resistance to allow insertion of the mating plug into the receiving cavity106of the housing10.

Referring toFIGS. 1-3, in assembly, the terminal module20is installed in the housing10in a front-to-rear direction. The contacting portion204of the terminals202expose in the receiving cavity106of the housing10. The protrusions206of the insulator201are securely received in the corresponding grooves109. The soldering portions205of the terminals202extend out of the bottom wall104for soldering to the printed circuit board (not shown).

Operation of the electrical connector100of the present invention will now be described. The RJ-45 plug (not shown) is adequate to snuggly fit with the receiving cavity106of the electrical connector100and moves along the front and rear inclined surface304,305of the guiding portion303. As such, the guiding portion303of the anti-mismating device30is engaged by the insertion end of the RJ-45 plug and are thus deflected outwardly as the RJ-45 plug is inserted into the receiving cavity106. As the RJ-45 plug is further insert into the receiving cavity106, the stopper portion302is deflected outwardly and out of the RJ-45 plug insertion direction such that the stopper portion302does not interfere with insertion of the RJ-45 plug. In this way, the plug can be successfully inserted into the electrical connector100whereby contacts of the RJ-45 plug can be electrically mated with the contacting portions204of the terminals202.

However, when an RJ-11 plug (not shown) is erroneously inserted through the receiving cavity101, since the RJ-11 plug has a smaller width than the RJ-45 plug, the RJ-11 plug does not entirely fill the receiving cavity106. As such, the inserted RJ-11 plug can not engage and push the guiding portion303aside, and the insertion of a latch of the RJ-11 plug into the receiving cavity106strikes the stopper portion302prior to engagement with the contacting portions204of the terminals202. Thus the RJ-11 plug is blocked from full insertion by the stopper portion302of anti-mismating device30and a reliable anti-mismating is obtained.

It should be noted that, the right side wall103also can define a window1021, and the anti-mismating device30can be formed in the window1021of the right side wall103. The electrical connector100also can arranges a pair of anti-mismating devices30on the left side wall102and right side wall respectively.