Abstract:
An electrical connector comprises an insulative housing, a metallic shell surround the insulative housing, a plurality of contacts and two detect pin retained to the insulative housing. The insulative housing is formed with a base and a tongue extending forwardly from the base. The shell and the insulative housing define a receiving cavity therebetween. The two detect pins are fastened to two opposite ends of the insulative housing, respectively, each has a detecting portion located in the receiving cavity, and the detecting portions of the two detect pins are disposed offset along a front-to-back direction for being selectively pushed by the mating plug. One of the contacts is formed with a wing contacting with the first detecting portion. The electrical connector can detect insertions of different mating plugs via the detect pins.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particular to an electrical connector with detect pins for indicating insertion of a mating plug therein. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    USB Implementers Forum, Inc, has developed Universal Serial Bus 3.0 Specification on Nov. 12, 2011, we call it as USB 3.0 specification, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) 3.0 receptacle and a USB 3.0 plug are introduced therein. USB 3.0 has a higher transfer rate of 4.8 Gbit/s, while a transfer rate of previous USB 2.0 connectors is just 480 Mbit/s. However, someone think a new USB connector capability of delivering a big power is needed too, so USB Implementers Forum, Inc, published USB Power Deliver specification on Jul. 5, 2012, which discloses USB 3.0 PD (Power Deliver) plug and USB 3.0 PD (Power Deliver) receptacle on pages 46-50 of the specification. 
         [0005]    The USB PD 3.0 receptacle adds a pair of insertion detect pins, pins. 12-13, and two PD detect pins, pins 10-11 relative to USB 3.0 receptacle. The insertion detect pins, pins 12-13 are closed to an insertion port of a receiving space the USB PD 3.0 receptacle, and pin 13 is located under the pin 12, when a USB plug, including USB 2.0 plug, USB 3.0 plug, USB PD 3.0 plug, and thin card, inserts into the USB PD 3.0 receptacle, the pin 12 is downwardly pressed by the USB plug and contacts with the pin 13, so an insertion detect circuit is turned on. The PD detect pins, pins 10-11, are disposed near the end of the receiving space, away from the port. 
         [0006]    USB PD 3.0 plug is specially designed, a shell thereof is extending beyond a free end of a tongue of the insulative housing, so a length of a front part of the USB PD 3.0 plug in front of a blocking wall is about 10.05 mm, the front part can be completely received in USB PD 3.0 receptacle and USB 3.0 receptacle. While the length of a corresponding front part of USB 2.0 plug and USB 3.0 plug is 8.65 mm. 
         [0007]    For the USB PD 3.0 receptacle, when USB 2.0 plug or USB 3.0 plug is inserted, since the corresponding front part is not long enough, the PD detect pin will not be touched; when USB 3.0 PD plug is inserted, since the front part of USB 3.0 PD plug can arrive the end of the receiving space of the USB PD 3.0 receptacle, the PD detect pin will touch the shell of the USB 3.0 PD plug and turn on the PD detect circuit; the final situation is the thin card inserted, however, a corresponding front part of the thin card is an plastic part, can not turn on the circuit. So, only USB 3.0 PD plug can conduct the PD detect pins of USB 3.0 PD receptacle, and then a big power transmission will be put between USB 3.0 PD plug and USB 3.0 PD receptacle. 
         [0008]    However, the arrangement of the insertion detect pins and the PD detect pin are complex, an improved connector is needed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a detect pin. 
         [0010]    In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector comprises An electrical connector comprises an insulative housing, a metallic shell, a plurality of contacts mounted to the insulative housing and a first and a second detect pins. The insulative housing is formed with a base and a tongue extending forwardly from the base. The metallic shell covers the insulative housing thereby defining a receiving cavity surrounding the tongue for receiving a mating plug and defining an insertion direction. The first and the second detect pins are fastened to two opposite ends of the base, respectively, each of the first and the second detect pins forwardly protrudes and hays a detecting portion located in the receiving cavity. The detecting portions of the first and the second detect pins disposed are offset along the insertion direction for being selectively pushed by the mating plug. 
         [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 connector in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an assembled, perspective view of the electrical connector without a shell thereof; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is another exploded, perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1  from another side; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is another perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein a metallic shell there of is removed from an insulative housing thereof; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is similar with  FIG. 4 , while taken from another side; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the electrical connector, along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 1 ; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    Reference will be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail, wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by same or similar reference numeral through the several views and same or similar terminology. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 2 , an electrical connector in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is provided and configured as a USB 3.0 PD receptacle, it should be pointed out that the other similar electrical connectors, such as USB 2.0 connector, eSATA connector, Display Port connector and et al, are also suitable for incorporation of the present invention. The electrical connector has a substantial same configuration as that of USB 3.0 receptacle except further having detect pin. A conventional USB 3.0 receptacle are described in detail in many patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,625,243, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference to the extent not inconsistent herewith. 
         [0021]    The electrical connector comprising an insulative housing  1 , and a metallic shell  1  surrounding the insulative housing  1  and defining a receiving cavity  10  cooperatively with the insulative housing  1 . A plurality of conductive contacts and two detect pins retained to the insulative housing  1  and exposed in the receiving cavity  10 . The receiving cavity  10  defines an insertion direction along a front-to-back direction. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 2-3  illustrate exploded configuration of the electrical connector in present embodiment, the insulative housing  1  comprises a base  11  and a tongue  12  assembled to the base  11  and extending forwardly from the base  11 , in alternative embodiment, the base  11  and the tongue  12  also may be integrated. The conductive contacts consist of nine pins, five first contacts  30  and four second contacts  31 , which are jointly compliance to USB 3.0 standard. 
         [0023]    The base  11  defines a groove  110  therethrough along a front-to-back direction, the tongue  12  is inserted into the groove  110  from the front-to-back, two latching arms  120  extend rearward from a rear end of the tongue  12  and lock with bumps  111  formed on an inner wall of the groove  110  to retain the tongue  12  to the base  11 . 
         [0024]    The first contacts  30  are insert-molded with the tongue  12  and each have a planar first contacting portion  301  arranged in a front row near a port of the receiving cavity  10 . Each of the first contacts  30  has a tail portion  302  bent downwardly to be soldered to a printed circuit board. The second contacts  31  are assembled to the base  11  and extend forwardly toward the tongue  12 . Each second contact  31  has an arched second contacting portion  311  floatablely received in slots  122  defined in the tongue  12  and arranged in a rear row on the tongue  12  behind the front row of the first contacting portions  301 . Each of the second contacts  31  has a retaining portion  312  interfering with the base  10  and a tail portion  313  bent downwardly from the retaining portion  312  to be soldered to the printed circuit board. The tail portions  313  are initially kept in horizontal plane, then pass through a plurality of passageways  116  defined on the base  11  when the tongue  12  is assembled to the base  11 , and finally are bent downwardly. 
         [0025]    The base  11  has two flanges  112  projecting from two lateral side walls  113  thereof. A vertical retaining slot  114  is defined between each flange  112  and corresponding lateral side walls  113 . The detect pins are mounted in the retaining slots  114 , respectively. The retaining slot  114  passes through the base  11  along the front-to-back direction and also through the base  11  downwardly so that the detect pin can extend forwardly into the receiving cavity  10  and downwardly to mount to the printed circuit board. The flange  112  further has a notch  115 , the notch  115  penetrates the flange  112  along the front-to-back direction and outwardly to communicate with exterior and inwardly to communicate with retaining slot  114  so as to allow a part of detect pin outside the retaining slot  114  to pass the flange  112 . 
         [0026]    Conjoined with  FIGS. 4-7 , the detect pin includes a first detect pin  41  and a second detect pin  42 , the first and the second detect pins  41 ,  42  substantially have a vertical piece-shape and are forwardly inserted into the corresponding retaining slots  114 , respectively, to be positioned on two lateral sides of the receiving cavity  10  and be limited by the retaining slots  114  to move forwardly and vertically. Both the first and the second detect pins  41 ,  42  are formed in an L-shaped, each detect pin has a vertical leg  401 , a mounting part  402  horizontally and forwardly extending from a top end of the leg  401 , an elastic arm  403  further forwardly extending from the mounting part  403  and a detecting portion  404  on a front of the elastic arm  403 . The vertical leg  401 , the mounting part  402  and the elastic arm  403  are located in a same plane, and the detecting portion  404  is an arched shape and project inwardly toward a center of the receiving cavity  10 . There are some differences between the first and the second detect pins  41 ,  42 , related description is in another paragraph below. 
         [0027]    The mounting part  402  is fastened in the retaining slot  114  by barbs formed on a top and a bottom edges thereof interfering with the retaining slot  114 ; the vertical leg  401  extends downwardly from the retaining slot  114  for mounting to the printed circuit board; the elastic arm  403  with the detecting portion  404  pass through the notch  115  and stretch forwardly beside the receiving cavity  10 , the detecting portion  404  is exposed in the receiving cavity  10 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the four second contacts  31  include a grounding pin  315  disposed on an end of the second row near the first detect pin  41 . The grounding pin  33  is formed with an upright wing  316  vertically and upwardly bent from an outer lateral side of the retaining portion  312 . The wing  316  is embedded within the tongue  12 , but a recess  124  is defined on a lateral ledge of the tongue to expose a part of the wing  316 , conjoined with  FIGS. 6-7 , the detecting portion  404  of the first detect pin  41  protrudes into the recess  124  and contacts with the exposed part of the wing  316 . That means the wing  316  and the detecting portion  404  keep contacting at an initial position and can be regarded as a detect switch. In alternative embodiment, the wing  316  may not be integrated with the grounding pin  315 , and the wing can be a separated element which electrically connects with the grounding pin  315  or directly mounts to the printed circuit board. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the metallic shell  2  is made by stamping of a metal sheet and is configured with a top wall  21 , a bottom wall  22 , two opposite side walls  23 , and a rear wall  24 . The metallic shell  2  surrounds the insulative housing  1  and defines the receiving cavity  10  therein for receiving the USB plug therein. The side wall  23  is formed with a bending piece  230  bent outwardly and then extending rearward to cover the flange  112  of the base  11 . The rear wall  24  comprises two locking pieces  240  overlapping on the bending pieces  230 , respectively, to lock with the side walls  23 . The elastic arms  403  of the first detect pin  41  and the second detect pin  42  are substantially coplanar with the side walls  23 , respectively. The side wall  23  near the second detect pin  42  defines an opening for allowing the elastic arms  403  to outwardly deflect. 
         [0030]    The base  11  defines a room  117  on a rear end thereof, a spacer  5  is received in the room  117  and be fastened to the base. The tail portions  313  of the second contacts  31  pass through holes of the spacer  5 , the tail portions  313  of the first contacts  31  are positioned between the base  11  and the space  5 . 
         [0031]    This paragraph will give more details about the first and the second detect pins and how they work in the electrical connector. The first detect pin  41  is used as an insertion detect pin, and the second detect pin  42  is used as a PD detect pin, so the elastic arm  403  of the first detect pin  41  is longer than the elastic arm  403  of the second detect pin  42 , so that a detecting pin  404  of the first detect pin  41  is near a front end of the receiving cavity  10  rather than the second detect pin  42 , which is closed to a rear end of the receiving cavity  10 . By such arrangement, any USB Plug, including thin card, can touch the first detect pin  41  and push the first detect pin  41  outwardly to leave from the wing  316 , then a status of corresponding detect circuit (not shown, may be designed in the printed circuit board) shifts from “close” to “open”, to indicate an USB Plug is inserted, a power supply may begin. 
         [0032]    Furthermore, the detecting portion of the second detect pin  42  has a smaller dimension along a vertical direction rather than that of the first detect pin  41 , and the detecting portion  404  of the second detect pin  42  is controlled not to downwardly beyond the tongue  12 . The thin card will not touch the detect portion  404  of the second detect pin  42  for the thin card is completely located under the tongue  12 . So that only a USB PD plug whose inserted front part is long enough can touch the detect portion  404  of the second detect pin  42 . Via a shell of the USB PD plug, the first detect pin  41  and the second detect pin  42  electrically conduct with each other, then, a status of corresponding detect circuit (not shown, may be designed in the printed circuit board) shifts from “open” to “close”, to indicate an USB PD Plug is inserted, a big power supply may begin. The other USB plugs will not touch or push the second detect pin  42 , and the corresponding detect circuit keep “open”. In this embodiment, the first detect pin  41  and the second detect pin  42  form another detecting switch, in another embodiment, maybe the first detect pin  41  and the metallic shell  2  form the another detecting switch by directly contacting or indirectly electrically contact via the shell of the plug. 
         [0033]    The electrical connector has a simple configuration and can provide two-step detecting, not only detecting if a plug is inserted but also detecting if a certain plug is inserted. The detect pins  41 ,  42  are retained to projecting flanges  112  of a rear end of the insulative housing  1  and coplanar with side walls  23  of the metallic shell  2 , the receiving space  10  need not to provide additional space for the detect pin  41 ,  42  and still keep a standard inserting port. The wing  316  contacting with the first detect pin  41  is set within the tongue, that also simply the configuration of the electrical connector. 
         [0034]    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. 
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