Abstract:
The present invention discloses an electrical connector, including a housing, a base body with its front end extending to form a tongue, whose one surface is disposed with a plurality of first terminal slots and whose other surface is disposed with a plurality of second terminal slots, with the first and second terminal slots being alternately arranged in a top/down fashion; a first terminal assembly; and a second terminal assembly; such that when the above components are assembled, a display port plug or a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) plug can be plugged therein and all or some of the terminals of the first and second terminal assemblies are used to achieve electrical connection.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particular to an electrical connector which can be plugged in for a display port plug or a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) plug. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    With the incessant development in technology, the definition of display devices (liquid crystal displayer (LCD) or liquid crystal display TV, for example) has been increased steadily. A LCD TV in the market is usually provided with a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) plug or display port interface to be connected with a computer or other video device. The HDMI interface supporting a definition up to 1600×1200 is using the HDMI electrical connector, which has 19 pins. On the other hand, the display port interface is the next generation of interface for such an application, supporting a definition up to 2560×1600, which employs a display port electrical connector having 20 pins. 
         [0003]    It is conceivable that, as a result of generation shift, a LCD TV will have both a HDMI interface and a display port interface for consumers. However, the current electrical connectors for HDMI or display port have different numbers of pin and thus cannot be shared between them. It is therefore necessary to design a new electrical connector to overcome the aforementioned drawback. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally invented an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0005]    The objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector, which can be plugged in for a display port plug or a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) plug. 
         [0006]    To achieve the aforementioned object, an electrical connector according to the present invention comprises: a housing disposed with a receiving chamber; a base body received in the receiving chamber with its front end extending to form a tongue, whose one surface is disposed with a plurality of first terminal slots and whose other surface is disposed with a plurality of second terminal slots, with the first and second terminal slots being alternately arranged in a top/down fashion; a first terminal assembly disposed with a plurality of first terminals, which have a contact portion and a pin, respectively, with the contact portions disposed in the first terminal slots and the pins protruding out of the housing; and a second terminal assembly disposed with a plurality of second terminals, which have a contact portion and a pin, respectively, with the contact portions disposed in the second terminal slots and the pins protruding out of the housing; such that when the above components are assembled, a first plug or a second plug can be plugged therein and all or some of the terminals of the first and second terminal assemblies are used to achieve electrical connection. 
         [0007]    To make it easier for our examiner to understand the objective of the invention, its structure, innovative features, and performance, we use a preferred embodiment together with the attached drawings for the detailed description of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0008]      FIG. 1   a  is the front exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1   b  is the rear exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an assembled perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3   a  is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention being connected with a HDMI plug; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3   b  is cross-sectional view of the terminals connection for an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention connected with a HDMI plug; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4   a  is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention being connected with a display port plug; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 4   b  is cross-sectional view of the terminals connection for an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention connected with a display port plug. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    The structure, technical measures and effects of the present invention will now be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show various embodiments of the invention. 
         [0016]    Refer to the figures for the further disclosure of the technical contents of the present invention, wherein  FIG. 1   a  is the front exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention;  FIG. 1   b  is the rear exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention;  FIG. 2  is an assembled perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention.  FIG. 3   a  is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention being connected with a HDMI plug;  FIG. 3   b  is cross-sectional view of the terminals connection for an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention connected with a HDMI plug;  FIG. 4   a  is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention being connected with a display port plug; and  FIG. 4   b  is cross-sectional view of the terminals connection for an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention connected with a display port plug. 
         [0017]    With reference to the aforementioned figures, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing  10 , a base body  20 , a first terminal assembly  30 , and a second terminal assembly  40 , wherein the housing  10  is disposed with a receiving chamber  11 . The housing  10  is made of, for example but not limited to, metal, which is a conventional art and will not be described here furthermore. The right side of the housing  10  is formed to have a slant face  12  which is disposed with a first opening  13 , from which a retaining portion  14  bended inward is further disposed. Also, the bottom of the two sidewalls of the housing  10  is further disposed with at least a welding piece  15  on each side, which may be further securingly fixed onto a printed circuit board (not shown) to enhance the retaining strength. 
         [0018]    Furthermore, the upper and lower walls of the housing  10  are formed to have a second opening  16 , respectively, from which a ground finger  17  bended inward is formed by. Also, the rear side of the housing  10  is disposed with a mask  18 , which is connected onto the housing  10  by two connection arms  19 . Also, the mask  18  and the bottom of the housing  10  has a long and narrow spacing therebetween for the assembling of the base body  20 . 
         [0019]    The base body  20  is received in the receiving chamber  11  and it is preferably made of insulating material and its front end is extended to form a tongue  21 , whose one surface  211  is disposed with a plurality of first terminal slots  212  and other surface  213  is disposed with a plurality of second terminal slots  214 . The first terminal slots  212  and the second terminal slots  214  are alternately arranged in a top/bottom fashion; wherein the first terminal slots  212  are, for example but not limited to be, formed on the upper surface  211  of the tongue  21 , and are, for example but not limited to be, in a upward protruding shape; and the second terminal slots  214  are, for example but not limited to be, formed on the lower surface  213  of the tongue  21 , and are, for example but not limited to be, in a downward protruding shape. Furthermore, the two rear ends of the base body  20  are disposed with engagement blocks  22  and  23 , respectively. A plurality of pin slots  25  are disposed at the rear side of the base body  20  below the second terminal slots  214 , and the number of the pin slots  25  equal to the total of the plurality of the terminals of the first terminal assembly  30  and second terminal assembly  40  to receive them therein. Additionally, the base body  20  is also formed to have a slant face (unnumbered) which is further disposed a retaining slot (unnumbered) to receive the retaining portion  14 . 
         [0020]    The first terminal assembly  30  has a plurality of first terminals  301  to  310 , ten in total, disposed on the upper surface of the tongue  21 . The first terminals  301  to  310  are respectively disposed with a contact portion  3011  to  3101  and a pin  3012  to  3102 . The contact portions  3011  to  3101  are respectively received in the first terminal slot  212 , and the pins  3012  to  3102  may protrude out of the housing  10 . Also, the ends of the pins  3012  to  3102  are bended horizontally and are paralleled with respect to one another. 
         [0021]    The second terminal assembly  40  has a plurality of second terminals  401  to  410 , ten in total, disposed on the lower surface of the tongue  21 . The second terminals  401  to  410  are respectively disposed with a contact portion  4011  to  4101  and a pin  4012  to  4102 . The contact portions  4011  to  4101  are respectively received in the second terminal slots  214 , and the pins  4012  to  4102  may protrude out of the housing  10 . Also, the ends of the pins  4012  to  4102  are bended horizontally and are paralleled with respect to one another. 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , when the base body  20  and the first terminal assembly  30  as well as the second terminal assembly  40  are being assembled, the contact portions  3011  to  3101  of the first terminals  301  to  310  are respectively inserted into the first terminal slots  212  from the rear side of the base body  20 , and their pins  3012  to  3102  extend downward and are securingly fixed onto the pin slots  25  at the rear side of the base body  20 . Then, the contact portions  4011  to  4101  of the second terminals  401  to  410  are respectively inserted into the second terminal slots  214  from the rear side of the base body  20 , and their pins  4012  to  4102  extend downward and are securingly fixed onto the pin slots  25  at the rear side of the base body  20 . Also, the pins  3012  to  3102  and  4012  to  4102  are arranged in are paralleled with respect to one another. The base body  20 , after being assembled, is positioned onto receiving chamber  11  through the long and narrow spacing at the bottom of the housing  10  and the engagement blocks  22  and  23  protruding outward are engaged into the sidewall of the connection arm  19  and the housing  10 , respectively. 
         [0023]    With reference to  FIG. 3   a,  an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention being assembled can be plugged in for a first plug  50 , for example but not limited to a display port plug, wherein the first plug  50  has a accommodating space  51 , a fool-proof inclined face  52 , and twenty contact portions  531  to  550 , of which ten contact portions  531  to  540  are disposed at the upper of the accommodating space  51  and ten contact portions  541  to  550  are disposed at the lower of the accommodating space  51 . When the first plug  50  is inserted into the electrical connector in accordance with the present invention, the fool-proof inclined face  52  at the top right corner of the first plug  50  is positioned, through the slant face  12  of the housing  10 , into the receiving chamber  11 , and the “recessed” accommodating space  51  is contacted with and receive the tongue  21 . When the insertion is being made, with reference to  FIG. 3   b,  the ten contact portions  531  to  540  at the upper of the accommodating space  51  in the first plug  50  are electrically connected with the contact portions  3011  to  3101  of the first terminals  301  to  310 , respectively. Also, the ten contact portions  541  to  550  at the lower of the accommodating space  51  in the first plug  50  are electrically connected with the contact portions  4011  to  4101  of the second terminals  401  to  410 , respectively, so as to complete the connection. The twenty contact portions  531  to  550  of the display port plug are convention art and will be discussed here furthermore. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIG. 4   a,  an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention being assembled can be plugged in for a second plug  60 , for example but not limited to a HDMI plug, wherein the second plug  60  has an accommodating space  61  and nineteen contact portions  621  to  639 , of which ten contact portions  621  to  630  are disposed at the upper of the accommodating space  61  and nine contact portions  631  to  639  are disposed at the lower of the accommodating space  61 . When the second plug  60  is inserted into the electrical connector in accordance with the present invention, the plug  60  has to be inversed first and then be positioned into the receiving chamber  11 , such that the accommodating space  61  is contacted with and receive the tongue  21 . When the insertion is being made, with reference to  FIG. 4   b,  the ten contact portions  621  to  630  at the upper of the accommodating space  61  are electrically connected with the contact portions  3011  to  3101  of the first terminals  301  to  310 , respectively. Also, the nine contact portions  631  to  639  at the lower of the accommodating space  61  in the second plug  60  are electrically connected with the contact portions  4011  to  4091  of the second terminals  401  to  409 , respectively; and the contact portion  4101  of the second terminal  410  is at an idle state. Consequently, the connection is completed. The nineteen contact portions  621  to  639  of the HDMI plug are convention art and will be discussed here furthermore. 
         [0025]    After being assembled, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention can be plugged in for a HDMI plug or display plug; thus, the ease of use can be enhanced as well as the space and cost can be greatly cut down since there is no need to install two connectors, a HDMI electrical connector and a display port connector, in a display device. Consequently, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention is indeed an advanced design in comparison with the conventional art. 
         [0026]    Consequently, an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention can be plugged in for a HDMI plug or display plug such that the cost can be greatly cut down, and thus the present invention is indeed an advanced design in comparison with the conventional art. 
         [0027]    The present invention provides a feasible solution, and a patent application is duly filed accordingly. However, it is to be noted that the preferred embodiments disclosed in the specification and the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the invention. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and thus the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.