Abstract:
An electrical adapter ( 100 ) in accordance with the present invention includes a first connector ( 20 ), a second connector ( 30 ) and an adapting device ( 10 ) electrically interconnecting with the first and the second connectors. The adapting device includes a first printed circuit board ( 120 ) defining a number of first through holes ( 121 ), a second printed circuit board ( 130 ) defining a number of second through holes ( 131 ) in alignment with the first through holes, a number of conductive pins ( 110 ) inserting through the first and the second through holes, and a conductive shell ( 140 ) enclosing the first and the second printed circuit boards and attached to at least one of the first and the second printed circuit boards.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention generally relates to an electrical adapter, and more particularly to an electrical adapter for joining two electrical connectors having different designs and configurations.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     A computer mainframe and its periphery device, for example, a monitor is usually electrically connected together by a cable connector assembly, wherein the cable connector assembly has two connectors at its two ends with one connector being used to mate with an electrical connector of the monitor and the other being used to mate with an electrical connector of the computer mainframe.  
         [0005]     As the computer technology evolves, new type monitors (for example, digital monitors) with advanced functions are developed which are equipped with connectors having a different configuration in comparison with that of the old ones. To connect the computer mainframe with the new type monitor, an adapter is necessary whereby the cable in the present use can be utilized. The adapter includes two connectors in both ends wherein one is configured suitably for mating with the connector in the new type monitor, and the other is so configured that it can mate with the cable connector assembly.  
         [0006]     The connectors of the conventional adapter are usually interconnected using a flat cable, a single printed circuit board (PCB), or discrete conducting wires. However, the conductors of the flat cable and the discrete conducting wires for interconnection need to be connected with terminals of the connectors by soldering, respectively, thereby decreasing production efficiency and complicating production procedure. When one of the connectors of the adapter has more than two rows of terminals, to mount such terminals onto a single printed circuit board having only two circuit faces is relatively difficult.  
         [0007]     To solve problems described above, U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,743 B1, assigned to the same assignee as the instant invention, is developed. The electrical adapter disclosed in &#39;743 patent utilizes two printed circuit boards with different lengths to interconnect two connectors with different configurations and designs. This design solves the problems above ideally. However, in some circumstances, Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) suppression is needed in signal transmission, especially in high speed signal transmission. Therefore, an electrical adapter used for low EMI circumstances is desired.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical adapter for realizing interconnection between two different connectors and for EMI suppression.  
         [0009]     Another object of the present invention is to provide an adapting device with conductive shell to provide EMI suppression in signal transmission.  
         [0010]     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical adapter in accordance with the present invention comprises a first connector, a second connector and an adapting device interconnecting with the first and the second connectors. The adapting device comprises a first printed circuit board defining a plurality of first through holes, a second printed circuit board defining a plurality of second through holes in alignment with the first through holes, a plurality of conductive pins inserting through the first and the second through holes to form electrical connection between the first and the second printed circuit boards, and a conductive shell enclosing the first and the second printed circuit boards and attached to at least one of the first and the second printed circuit boards.  
         [0011]     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. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of an electrical adapter in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different aspect;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the electrical adapter with outer cover removed;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , but viewed from a different aspect;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is an exploded, perspective view of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , but viewed from different aspect; and  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-section view taken along lien  7 - 7  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.  
         [0020]     Please refer to  FIGS. 1-7 , an electrical adapter  100  in accordance with the present invention for interconnecting two different-type connectors comprises a first connector  20 , a second connector  30 , an adapting device  10 , an outer cover  70  enclosing the first connector  20 , the second connector  30 , the adapting device  10 , and a pair of screws  80  retained in the outer cover  70  for fastening the electrical adapter  100  to an electrical device (not shown).  
         [0021]     The adapting device  10  comprises a plurality of conductive pins  110  arranged into two rows, a first printed circuit board  120 , a second printed circuit board  130  and a conductive shell  140  shielding the first and second printed circuit boards  120 ,  130  and electrically connecting with the second printed circuit board  130 .  
         [0022]     Each of the first and second printed circuit boards  120 ,  130  has a first surface and an opposite second surface with the second surface of the first printed circuit board  120  facing the first surface of the second printed circuit board  130 . The first printed circuit board  120  comprises a front end  123  and an opposite rear end  122 . The front end  123  defines a plurality of first through holes  121 , while the rear end  122  forms a plurality of golden fingers  101 . The second printed circuit board  130  is longer and broader than the first printed circuit board  120 . The second printed circuit board  130  comprises a narrowed front end  133 , a main body  134 , a rear end  135  and an intermediate portion  132  connecting with the front end  133  and the main body  134 . The front end  133  of the second printed circuit board  130  defines a pair of spaced arranged openings  1330  and a receiving hole  136  located between the pair of openings  1330 . The intermediate portion  132  of the second printed circuit board  130  defines three rows of terminal channels  1300 . A plurality of second though holes  131  are defined in the main body  134  corresponding to the first through holes  121  of the first printed circuit board  120 . The inner periphery of the first and second though holes  121 ,  131  are plated with conductive material. For clear illustration, only one row of first through holes  121  and one row of second through holes  131  are shown in figures. A plurality of golden fingers  101  are formed on the rear end  135  of the second printed circuit board  130 . The thickness of the first printed circuit board  120  is same as that of the second printed circuit board  130 .  
         [0023]     The conductive shell  140  comprises an upper half  140   a  and a lower half  140   b  engagable with the upper half  140   a . Each half  140   a ,  140   b  comprises a plat portion  1400  and a pair of side flanges  1401  downwardly extending from opposite sides of the plat portion  1400 .  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , the first connector  20  is a connector in accordance with the DVI (Digital Visual Interface) standard in the preferred embodiment. However, the first connector  20  can be any type connector in alternative embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The first connector  20  comprises an insulative housing  22 , a first conductive shield comprising a front shielding case  26 , a rear shielding case  25  and a plurality of first terminals  21  accommodated in the insulative housing  22 . The first terminals  21  are arranged into an upper row  211 , a middle row  212  and a lower row  213 .  
         [0025]     The second connector  30  is a connector in accordance with the standard of HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) in the preferred embodiment. However, the second connector  30  can be any type connector in alternative embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The second connector  30  comprises an insulative housing (not labeled), a second conductive shield  32  assembled to the insulative housing and shielding upper and opposite side surfaces of the insulative housing, an enhancing board  36  assembled to the bottom of the insulative housing, and a plurality of second terminals  31 . The second conductive shield  32  forms a pair of board locks  35  integrally extending therefrom to pass through the enhancing board  36  and lock with the enhancing board  36 . A post  37  ( FIG. 7 ) depends downwardly from the bottom of the insulative housing and interferentially retained in the receiving hole  136  of the second printed circuit board  130  to fix the second connector  30  on the second printed circuit board  130 . The second terminals  31  are arranged into a first row  311  and a second row  312  with tail portions bending downwardly. The tail portions of the second row  312  are bent downwardly with different distances from rear surface of the insulative housing. While, the tail portions of the first row  311  are also bent downwardly with different distances from rear surface of the insulative housing. Thus, the tail portions of the two rows  311 ,  312  are arranged into three rows of through-hole type tail portions.  
         [0026]     In assembly, the first through holes  121  of the first printed circuit board  120  are aligned with the second through holes  131  of the second printed circuit board  130 , respectively, and the rear ends  122 ,  135  are also aligned with each other. Two rows of conductive pins  100  are respectively inserted through and interferentially fixed in the aligned first and second through holes  121 ,  131  and electrically connect with the conductive material plated in the first and second through holes  121 ,  131 , thus, the first printed circuit board  120  electrically connects with the second printed circuit board  130 . The first and second printed circuit boards  120 ,  130  are arranged to be spaced from each other a certain distance which is a little larger than the thickness of the middle row  212  of the first terminals  21 . The rear ends  122 ,  135  are respectively located between the upper and middle rows  211 ,  212  and between the middle and lower rows  212 ,  213  of the first terminals  21 . The upper row  211  of the first terminals  21  are soldered with the golden fingers  101  of the rear end  122  of the first printed circuit board  120  to form electrical connection therebetween, while the middle and lower rows  212 ,  213  are respectively soldered with the golden fingers  101  formed on first and second surfaces of the rear end  135  of the second printed circuit board  130  to form electrical connection therebetween. The three rows of the tail portions of the second terminals  31  of the second connector  30  respectively protrude through and interferentially retained in the three tows of the terminal channels  1300  of the second printed circuit board  130 . Therefore, by such arrangement, the first and second connectors  20 ,  30  are combined to the two ends of the adapting device  10  to realize the reliable electrical connection therebetween. The upper and lower halves  140   a ,  140   b  of the conductive shell  14  are assembled to each other with side flanges  1404  thereof are respectively soldered to solder pads (not shown) formed on two sides of the second printed circuit board  130  and electrically connect with the second printed circuit board  130 . The conductive shell  140  also abuts against the rear shielding case  25  of the first electrical connector  20  and the second conductive shield  32  of the second connector  30  for EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) suppression and grounding function. Now, referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an outer cover  70  made from insulative material is assembled to the assembled first connector  20 , the second connector  30  and the adapting device  10 . The outer cover  70  can be formed by upper and lower covers to latch with each other and also can be formed by overmold means. In the preferred embodiment, the outer cover  70  forms a pair of screw-receiving channels (not labeled) to receive the pair of screws  80 .  
         [0027]     In addition, the conductive pins  110  are manufactured by utilizing the waste material of the terminals or the connectors, which is in favor of recycling material and economizing cost. The use of the two electrically connecting printed circuit boards to realize the electrical connection of two different types of connectors effectively reduces the interference during signal transmission, thus, qualified signal transmission between the two different types of connectors is assured. The conductive shell  140  enhances the EMI suppression.  
         [0028]     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 which the appended claims are expressed.