Abstract:
An electrical connector assembly ( 100 ) for connecting a pair of separated circuit boards, includes a male connector ( 10 ) and a female connector ( 20 ) respectively for electrically connecting to the two circuit boards. The male connector includes a plug insulator ( 1 ) and a number of male terminals ( 3 ) each provided with an engaging portion ( 32 ). The female connector includes a receptacle insulator ( 2 ) and a number of female terminals ( 4 ). Each female terminal is formed with a contact portion ( 43 ) contacting with corresponding engaging portion of the male terminal, a horizontal resilient beam ( 42 ) and a bended compressible portion ( 43 ) resiliently connecting to the resilient beam for providing sufficient elasticity to the female terminal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly having a male connector and a female connector capable of mating with each other and connectable to a pair of separated PCBs (printed circuit boards) respectively for electrical connection between the PCBs. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Generally, an electrical connector connectable to a pair of separated PCBs for electrically connecting between the PCBs is required in personal computers, mobile phones or the likes. 
     A conventional board-to-board connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,881,075, which was issued on Apr. 19, 2005. The board-to-board connector comprises a plug connector provided with a plug portion and a plurality of male terminals, and a receptacle connector mated with the plug connector and provided with a plurality of female terminals. Each male terminal is configured as an L shape, comprising a body portion, an engaging portion perpendicular to the body portion, and a tail portion extending horizontally from a free end of the body portion for soldering onto a PCB. Each female terminal is formed with a body portion, a contact portion rising perpendicular from a free end of the body portion for contacting with the engaging portion of the male terminal, an insertion portion perpendicular to the body portion, and a soldering tail extending outwardly for soldering on to another PCB. 
     The contact portion connected to the body portion directly could not get sufficient elasticity so that it is easy to have a deformation of the female terminal. 
     Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the related art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly having a plurality of improved female terminals, which have sufficient elasticity to securely engage with a mating connector. 
     To achieve the aforementioned objects, an electrical connector assembly for connecting a pair of separated PCBs comprises a male connector and a female connector respectively connected to the two PCBs. The male connector comprises a plug insulator and a plurality of male terminals each provided with an engaging portion. The female connector comprises a receptacle insulator and a plurality of female terminals. Each female terminal is formed with a contact portion contacting with corresponding engaging portion of the male terminal, a horizontal resilient beam and a bended compressible portion resiliently connecting to the resilient beam for providing sufficient elasticity to the female terminal. 
     It is hard to have a deformation of the female terminals due to the sufficient elasticity provided by the compressible portions, during the process of mating the two connectors. The female terminals could be protected from having a distort, when the two connectors are mated for many times. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an assembled male connector and an assembled female connector as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the assembled male connector and the assembled female connector as shown in  FIG. 1 , taken from another aspect; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the female connector as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the assembled electrical connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 1  taken from a center of the electrical connector along a transverse direction. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a female connector in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an assembled male connector and an assembled female connector in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the assembled electrical connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 7 , with the female terminals referred in the second embodiment assembled to, taken from a center of the electrical connector along the transverse direction; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a first soldering portion and a second soldering portion, in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the assembled male connector and the assembled the female connector, on which the first and the second soldering portions are mounted; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the female terminal, in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of the assembled electrical connector assembly similar to the  FIG. 5 , with the female terminals referred in the first embodiment replaced by the female terminals referred in the third embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of another two types of the plug terminal different to the plug terminal shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of another type of the female terminal different to the female terminal shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of the assembled electrical connector assembly similar to  FIG. 12 , with the plug terminals shown in  FIG. 13  and the female terminals shown in  FIG. 14  being assembled to; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a first locking portion and a second locking portion, in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of another type of the second locking portion different to the second locking portion shown in  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the male connector and the female connector in accordance with the third embodiment, with the first and the second locking portions being mounted on; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the male connector and the female connector similar to the  FIG. 18 , taken from another aspect; 
         FIG. 20  is partially enlarged view taken within mark C as shown in  FIG. 18 ; and 
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of the assembled electrical connector assembly as shown in  FIG. 18 , taken from a center of the electrical connector along a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electrical connector assembly  100  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a male connector  10  and a detachable female connector  20  respectively connectable to a first PCB (not shown) and a second PCB (not shown) for electrically connection between the two PCBs. 
     The male connector  10  comprises a plug insulator  1 , two rows of male terminals  3  longitudinally arranged in the plug insulator  1  at regular intervals. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , The plug insulator  1  is a substantially rectangular case, comprising a base portion  11 , a plurality of side walls  13 ,  14  extending downwardly from the base portion  11  and encircling therearound to thereby define an elongated cavity  12  therein. The side walls  13 ,  14  consist of a pair of opposite primary side walls  13 , and a pair of combined side walls  14  interconnecting an opposite edge of each primary side wall  13 . The base portion  11  has two rows of passageways  111  defined at regular intervals along a length thereof. Each passageway  111  extends in a top-to-bottom direction throughout the base portion  11  for communicating with the cavity  12 . Each combined side wall  14  has an engaging recess  141  defined at an outer face thereof. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , each male terminal  3  is formed with a horizontal body portion  31 , an engaging portion  32  perpendicular to one end of the body portion  31 , a head portion  33  bending backwardly from the engaging portion  32 , and a tail portion  34  extending horizontally from another end of the body portion  31 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , in assembly of the male connector  10 , the male terminals  3  are embedded in the primary side walls  13  of the plug insulator  1  by insert molding, with the engaging portions  32  exposed within corresponding passageways  111  and the cavity  12 . The tail portions  34  of the male terminals  3  extend outwardly from an upper portion of the primary side walls  13  for surface mounting onto the first PCB. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the female connector  20  comprises a receptacle insulator  2 , and a plurality of female terminals  4  assembled to the receptacle insulator  2 . 
     The receptacle insulator  2  comprises an island portion  23 , a pair of opposite primary periphery walls  21  and a pair of opposite combined periphery walls  22  interconnected together to surround the island portion  23 . The island portion  23  is formed with a pair of connection portion  232  at opposite ends thereof for connecting with a central portion of the combined periphery walls  22 . A pair of elongated slots  24  are respectively defined between opposite sides of the island portion  23  and corresponding primary periphery wall  21 . The island portion  23  has two rows of grooves  231  communicating with the slots  24  defined at regular intervals lengthwise along an outer surface thereof. Each primary periphery wall  21  defines thereon a plurality of first channels  211  preferably aligning with the grooves  231 . Each first channel  211  extends along a transverse direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the female terminal  4  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a horizontal first soldering portion  41 , a first insertion portion  44  bent upwardly then backwardly horizontally from a free end of the first soldering portion  41 , a first resilient beam  42  extending forwardly from another free end of the first soldering portion  41 , and a V-shaped first compressible portion  43  extending forwardly and then inclining backwardly. The combination of the first soldering portion  41  and the first insertion portion  44  is configured as an “U” shape. The first compressible portion  43  has a first contact portion  431  having a smooth curved first guiding face  4311  formed at a free end thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , in assembly of the female connector  20 , the female terminals  4  are inserted in the slots  24  firstly. The first soldering tail  41  and the first resilient beam  42  of each female terminal  4  are retained in the slots  24  along a transverse direction. The first compressible portion  43  and the first insertion portion  44  of each female terminal  4  are respectively inserted in corresponding groove  231  and first channel  211 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , when the male connector  10  is guided into the female connector  20 , the first compressible portions  43  of the female terminals  4  are resiliently depressed and the first guiding faces  4311  perform a lead-in function to guide the male connector  10  into the female connector  20 . The pair of first primary side walls  13  of the plug insulator  1  are inserted into the slots  24  of the female connector  2 , and the island portion  23  of the female terminal  2  is plunged in the cavity  12  of the male connector  1 . The engaging recesses  141  of the plug insulator  1  engage with the connection portions  232  of the receptacle insulator  2 . 
     When the male connector  10  is completely inserted into the female connector  20 , the first resilient beams  42  of the female terminals  4  project beyond the engaging portions  32  of the male terminals  3  to form a bending portion  7 , with the first compressible portions  43  extending backwardly for having an engagement between the first contact portions  431  and corresponding engaging portions  32 . The first soldering portions  41  are exposed to a bottom of the female connector  20  for soldering onto the second PCB. 
     In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, a second female terminal  5  shown in  FIGS. 6-8 , comprises a horizontal second soldering portion  51 , a second insertion portion  54  rising perpendicularly to a free end of the second soldering portion  51 , a second resilient beam  52  extending forwardly from another free end of the second soldering portion  51  to form a bending portion  7 , and a second compressible portion  53  extending forwardly and then inclining backwardly. The second compressible portion  53  has a second contact portion  531  having a smooth curved first guiding face  5311  formed at a free end thereof. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , each primary periphery wall  21 ′ of the receptacle insulator  2 ′ referred in the second embodiment defines thereon a plurality of second channels  211 ′ extending in a top-to-bottom direction for insertion of corresponding second insertion portions  54  of the female terminals  5  during assembly. 
     In the second embodiment, the pair of primary side walls  13 ′ of the plug insulator  1 ′ have a pair of first tubers  15 ′ formed on outer surfaces thereof. The pair of primary periphery walls  21 ′ of the receptacle insulator  2 ′ have a pair of second tubers  25 ′ formed in inner surfaces thereof to engage with the first tubers  15 ′ for resisting an accidental unmating of the male connector  10 ′ from the female connector  20 ′. Except the insertion of second insertion portions  54  into the plug insulator  1 ′, the assembly of the second female terminals  5  and the plug insulator  1 ′ is substantially same to that of the first female terminals  4  and the plug insulator  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9-10 , the male connector  10 ′ comprises a pair of insertion recesses  142 ′ defined on the combined side walls  14 ′, and a pair of first soldering portions  91  accommodated in the insertion recesses  142 . The first soldering portion  91  has a body portion  911  inserted in the insertion recess  142 , and a soldering tail  912  perpendicular to the body portion  911  and extending outwardly for soldering onto the first PCB. 
     The female connector  20 ′ comprises two pairs of insertion recesses  213 ′ defined on opposite ends of the primary periphery walls  21 ′, and two pairs of second soldering portions  92  accommodated in the insertion recesses  213 ′. The second soldering portion  92  has a body portion  921  inserted in the insertion recess  213 ′, and a soldering tail  922  perpendicular to the body portion  921  and extending outwardly for soldering onto the second PCB. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11-12 , a third female terminal in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention comprises a horizontal body portion  61 , an inverted U-shaped third compressible portion  65  extending from one end of the body portion  61 , an L-shaped third resilient beam  62 , a third insertion portion  64  and a third soldering portion  66  respectively extending perpendicularly and horizontally from another end of the body portion  61 . The third resilient beam  62  has one end thereof connecting to the third compressible portion  65 , and another end thereof extending forwardly and then upwardly. The third resilient beam  62  has a circular third contact portion  63  formed at an upmost thereof. An uppermost of the third compressible portion  65  is defined as a bending portion  7 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 18-19 , the receptacle insulator  2 ″ referred in the third embodiment has a bottom wall  26 ″. Each primary periphery wall  21 ″ of the receptacle insulator  2 ″ defines thereon a plurality of third channels  213 ″ extending in a top-to-bottom direction for insertion of corresponding third insertion portions  64  of the female terminals  6  during assembly. The primary periphery wall  21 ″ of the receptacle insulator  2 ″ has a plurality of fourth channels  212 ″ preferably aligned with corresponding second grooves  231 ″ defined in an inner surface thereof. The third compressible portion  65  of the female terminal  6  is retained in the fourth channels  212 ″. The third resilient beam  62  of the third female terminal  6  is partially retained in the second grooves  231 ″ and exposed near an outer surface of the engaging portion  32  of the male terminal  3 , with the third contact portion  63  in contact with corresponding engaging portion  32 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 14 ,  15 ,  19 ,  20 , said female terminal could be formed with a retention portion  67  extending laterally from a lower portion of the resilient beam  62  for having an interference with the bottom wall  26 ″ of the receptacle insulator  2 ″. 
     In the third embodiment, referring to  FIG. 13 , the male terminal  3  could be formed with a retention portion  35  perpendicularly to a substantially middle portion of the body portion  31  and cantilevered to the engaging portion  32 . Referring to  FIG. 15 , the plug insulator  1 ″ has a plurality of slots (not shown) for insertion of the retention portions  35 . Naturally, referring to  FIG. 13 , the retention portion  32  could also be formed on the body portion  31  adjacent to the engaging portion  32 . The retention portion  32  projects obliquely laterally to have an interference with the female insulator  2 ″. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 16-21 , the male connector  10 ″ referred in the third embodiment comprises a pair of first locking portions  7  mounted on the combined side walls  14 ″ of the plug insulator  1 ″. The first locking portion  7  comprises a body portion  71  inserted into combined side walls  14 ″, a soldering tail  73  extending perpendicularly from a center of the body portion  71 , and an U-shaped projecting portion  72  projecting toward the extending direction of the soldering tail  73 . 
     The female connector  20 ″ referred in the third embodiment is provided with a pair of second locking portions  8  assembled to the pair of combined periphery walls  22 ″ of the receptacle insulator  2 ″. Referring to  FIG. 16 , each second locking portion  8  comprises a body portion  81  inserted in the combined periphery wall  22 ″ along a width of the receptacle insulator  2 ″, a pair of soldering tails  83  extending perpendicularly from a lower portion of opposite sides of the body portion  81 , a pair of soldering feet  82  extending downwardly from the lower portion of the body portion  81 , and a protrusion  84  connecting the pair of soldering feet  82  together and projecting toward another direction opposite to the extending direction of the soldering tails  83  for engaging with the projecting portion  72  in the process of mating. The engagement between the projecting portion  72  and the protrusion  84  play a locking function of the male connector  10 ″ to the female connector  20 ″. The soldering tails  73 ,  83  and the soldering feet  82  are used to be soldered on to corresponding PCB. 
     Naturally, referring to  FIG. 17 , the protrusion  84  could be formed on the body portion  81 , and the soldering feet  82  could be separated from each other. 
     However, the disclosure is illustrative only, changes may be made in detail, especially in matter of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention.