Abstract:
An electrical connector ( 100 ) includes an insulative housing ( 1 ), a set of contacts ( 3 ) retained in the insulative housing ( 1 ) and a shell ( 2 ). The shell ( 1 ) has a mating port to mate with a connector. The insulative housing ( 1 ) comprises a first body ( 11 ) and a second body ( 12 ) assembled together. The first body ( 11 ) includes a first tongue plate ( 112 ), the first tongue plate ( 112 ) defines a receiving cavity ( 1122 ), the second body ( 12 ) is exposed in the mating port and includes a second tongue portion ( 121 ). The first tongue plate ( 112 ) forms a first identification unit, the second tongue portion ( 121 ) forms another identification unit different from the first identification unit. As a result, user can sign if the electrical connector ( 100 ) can mate with at least two kinds of connectors.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector and more particularly to an electrical connector having identification function. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Chinese patent issue No. 201303173Y, issued on Sep. 2, 2009, discloses a conventional electrical connector including an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing and a shell attached to the housing. The housing includes a first body and a second body mating with the first body. The contacts include a plurality of first contacts retained in the first body and a plurality of second contacts retained in the second body. However, the first body and the second body are made in materials with a same color. The user can not recognize whether the housing is assembled by two bodies or formed in a one-piece in using. As a result, the user can not know whether the connector can be available for one plug or two different plugs. It brings inconvenience to distinguish when the users in using. 
         [0005]    It is thus desired to provide an electrical connector having identification function. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides an electrical connector including an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing and a shell attached to the housing defining jointly with the housing an insertion opening for permitting an insertion of a plug therein. The housing comprises a first body and a second body mating with the first body. The first body comprises a first tongue plate exposed in the insertion opening. The first tongue plate comprises a receiving cavity. The second body comprise a second tongue plate exposed in the insertion opening as well. The second tongue plate is received in the receiving cavity. The first tongue plate forms a first identity unit. The second tongue plate forms a second identity unit which is different from the first identity unit. 
         [0007]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present 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 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an assembled perspective view of an electrical connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is another assembled perspective view of the electrical connector as shown in  FIG. 1  taken from a bottom side; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a partially exploded perspective view of the electrical connector; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is another partially exploded perspective view of the electrical connector, while taken from a different aspect; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a further exploded perspective view of the electrical connector as shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but taken from another aspect; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is similar to  FIG. 7 , but taken from another aspect. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-8 , an electrical connector  100  includes an insulative housing  1 , a shell  2  substantially enclosing the housing  1  and a plurality of electrical contacts  3  retained in the insulative housing  1 . 
         [0018]    The insulative housing  1  includes a first body  11  and a second body combined with the first body  11  along a top-to-down direction. The first body  11  and the second body  12  are made in different materials, and the material of the first body  11  is better in characteristics than that of the second body  12 . The first body  11  forms a first identity unit, the second body  12  forms a second identity unit which is different from the first identity unit. The first body  11  has a first base portion  111  and a first tongue plate  112  extending forwardly from a middle of the base portion  111 . The first base portion  111  defines an opening  113  for receiving the second body  12  and a plate  115  extending forwardly from a bottom of the first base portion  111 . A card slot  114  is formed between the plate  115  and the first tongue plate  112 . The first base portion  111  also defines a gap  116  on a top thereof to engage with the shell  2 . The first tongue plate  112  includes a mating face  1121 , a receiving cavity  1122  depressing on the mating face  1121  and a plurality of stationary slots  1123  arranged horizontally in a head edge of the first tongue plate  112 . 
         [0019]    The second body  12  includes a second tongue portion  121  received in the receiving cavity  1122  and a second base portion  122  received in the opening  113 . The second base portion  122  is located in a rear end of the second tongue portion  121 . The second base portion  122  defines a plurality of limiting grooves for retaining the electrical contacts  3 . The grooves include a plurality of first limiting grooves  123  located in a front side of the second base portion  122  and a plurality of second limiting grooves  124  in a rear side of the second base portion  122 . The second tongue portion  121  has an upper surface  1211 , a lower surface  1212 , a plurality of first receiving grooves  1214  depressing on the lower surface  1212  and a plurality of second contact-receiving grooves  1213  depressing on the upper surface  1211 . The first limiting groove  123  communicates with corresponding first receiving groove  1214 . The second limiting groove  124  is in communication to corresponding second contact-receiving groove  1213 . 
         [0020]    The contacts  3  comprise a plurality of first contacts  31  and a plurality of second contacts  32 . The first contact  31  has a first retaining portion  311  retained in the first limiting groove  123 , a first projecting portion  312  extending forwardly from a top edge of the first retaining portion  311  to be received in the first receiving groove  1214 , a first flat contacting portion  313  near a front edge of the first tongue plate  112 , which is received in the stationary slot  1123 . The first contact  31  still has a first soldering portion  314  extending downwardly from a bottom edge of the first retaining portion  311 . The first retaining portion  311  comprises a plurality of first lance sections  3111  for interfering with the first limiting groove  123  to firmly hold the first contact  31 . The second contact  32  has a second retaining portion  321  retained in the second limiting groove  124 , a second projecting portion  322  extending forwardly from a top edge of the second retaining portion  321  to be received in the second contact-receiving groove  1213 , a second elastic contacting portion  323  extending forwardly and horizontally and a second soldering portion  324  extending downwardly from a bottom edge of the second retaining portion  321 . The second retaining portion  321  and the second projecting portion  322  comprise a number of second lance sections  3211  for engaging with the second limiting groove  124  and the second contact-receiving cavity  1213  to firmly hold the second contact  32  on the second body  12 . 
         [0021]    The shell  2  includes an insertion opening  20  for inserting a complementary connector, a top wall  21  facing the first tongue plate  11 , a bottom wall  22  corresponding with the top wall  21 , a pair of sidewalls  23  connecting the top wall  21  and the bottom wall  22 , and a rear wall  24  extending downwardly from a back end of the top wall  21 . In this embodiment, the top wall  21  comprises a plurality of embosses  211  engaging with the gap  116 , so that, the shell  2  can be retained within the housing  1  without relative movement to the housing  1 . The top wall  21 , the bottom wall  22  and the side walls  23  all include a plurality of spring tabs  25  extending inwardly to the insertion opening  20 . The side wall  23  has a pair of mounting legs  26  extending downwardly beyond the bottom wall  22 . The rear wall  24  comprises a pair of retaining tabs  241  extending forwardly from both sides of the rear wall  24 . The retaining tab  241  defines some locking holes  242  locking with some protrusions  231  formed on the side wall  23 . 
         [0022]    In assembly, firstly, the second contacts  32  are assembled to the second body  12 . The second retaining portion  321  is retained in the second limiting groove  124  via the second lance section  3211  engaging with the limiting groove  124 . The second soldering portion  324  extends downwardly beyond the bottom wall  22  for soldering on a corresponding printed circuit board. The second projecting portion  322  is retained in the second contact-receiving groove  1213  by means of the second lance section  3211  engaging with the second contact-receiving groove  1213 . The second elastic contacting portions  323  are aligned along a transverse direction of the second tongue plate  121  and extending beyond the upper surface  1211  thereof, the resilient free end of the second elastic contacting portion  323  is retained in the second body  12 . 
         [0023]    Secondly, the first contacts  31  are assembled to the second body  12 . The first retaining portion  311  is retained in the first limiting groove  123  by the first lance section  3111  engaging with the first limiting groove  123 , the first soldering portion  314  extends downwardly beyond the bottom wall  22  for soldering on a corresponding printed circuit board. The first projecting portion  312  is received in the first receiving groove  1214 . The flat contacting portions  313  catileverdly extending beyond a front surface of the second body  12 . The first contacts  31  and the second contacts  32  are located on the upper and the lower sides of the second tongue plate  121 . 
         [0024]    Successively, when the first and the second contacts  31 ,  32  have been assembled with the second body  12 , the second body  12  is installed into the first body  11  from back to front through the opening  113 . The first projecting portion  312  is located stationary between the first and the second tongue plate  112 ,  121  by means of the first tongue plate  112  upwardly engaging with the second tongue plate  121 . The flat contacting portions  313  are received and fixed in the stationary slots  1123  while the second elastic contacting portions  323  are deformable in the contact-receiving grooves  1213  and are higher than the first flat contacting portions  313 . 
         [0025]    Finally, the first body  11  combined with the second body  12  are installed forwardly into an inner side of the shell  2  from the back to front. The slot  114  holds forwardly both sides of the bottom wall  22 . The embosses  211  of the top wall  21  protrude into the gaps  116  of the first body  11  to prevent the first body  11  from further moving forwardly. Then flip down the rear wall  24  to make the retaining tab  241  split with the protrusion  231  for making the insulative housing  1  be fixed with the shell  2 . When in using, the user can recognize different colors of the first tongue plate  112  and the second tongue plate  121 , so they will know that the connector can be docked two kind of complementary connectors. 
         [0026]    To form two kind of identity units, the connector  100  of this invention also can past different color labels on the first and second tongue plates  112 ,  121  (such as black and blue) respectively; or coat a region of one of the first and the second tongue plate  112 , 121  with fluorescent powder or pigment thereon; or set light sources of different glosses inside in the first tongue plate  112  and the second tongue plate  121  respectively; or set different pattern on the first and the second tongue plates  121 , 112  respectively; above four other embodiments as described above can also achieve the proposal of the connector  100  of this invention. 
         [0027]    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 in which the appended claims are expressed.