Abstract:
An electrical connector to be connected with an Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) interface is disclosed, including a base, a plurality of first terminals, and a plurality of second terminals. A plurality of first terminal slots parallel disposed on one side of the base for the first terminals to be plugged thereinto. A plurality of second terminal slots parallel disposed on the other side of the base for the second terminals to be plugged thereinto. The first terminal has a stair-like structure having a first plugging part, a first connecting part, a second connecting, a third connecting part, and a first bonding part. The present invention discloses an improved first terminal structure from having only one abutment piece to having a stair-like structure with a plurality of connecting parts.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and, more particularly, to an electrical connector used to connect with a Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) interface. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    As the technology for developing electronic products is rapidly growing, many different types of electronic devices have been developed including personal computers, smart phones or tablets. The goal for today&#39;s electronic device is centered towards miniaturization, high operational speed, and high functionality. 
         [0005]    In recent years, the industry focuses heavily on improving Notebook and Ultrabook by using mSATA as an interface to connect with SSD. However, the function of mSATA in practice does not produce satisfactory results as expected. The advantages of using mSATA are few compared to its price. Besides, the operational speed is no longer sufficient to meet user&#39;s requirement. 
         [0006]    In view of this, related art in the field is now committed to research in a new interface called Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), or abbreviated as M2. NGFF can support SATA and PCIe interface, which can substitute mSATA interface used today. The specification of NGFF has many advantages including being smaller in size, higher power efficiency and higher transmission speed. Moreover, different standard sizes have been created to accommodate different needs in order to fit to different designs of different purposes. 
         [0007]    Taiwanese Patent No. m449368 disclosed a card connector comprising an insulative body, a plurality of first terminals, and a plurality of second terminals. The ends of the first and second terminals are plugged in the insulative body and arranged in an alternate arrangement. Each of the first terminals has a first bonding end that extends to the outer part of the insulative body for bonding with the first bonding end of the circuit board. Each of the second terminals has a second bonding end that extending to the outer part of the insulative body for bonding with the second bonding end of the circuit board, allowing the card connector to be securely positioned on the circuit board. 
         [0008]    Nevertheless, according to the drawings of the previously mentioned patent, the part of first terminal which is exposed from the insulative body of the NGFF connector disclosed by the previously mentioned patent is long and each of the first terminals is not securely fastened with any petitioners, such that first terminals can easily become deformed, causing failure to be successfully bonded onto the circuit board, resulting in poor yield. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In view of the foregoing problems, the present invention provides an electrical connector to solve bending and poor evenness of the bonding part, comprising: a base having a plurality of first terminal slots parallel disposed on one side of the base and a plurality of second terminal slots parallel disposed on the other side of the base; a plurality of first terminals respectively plugged in the first terminal slots, each of the first terminal having: a first plugging part plugged in the first terminal slot and having a first abutment piece that abuts an inner surface of the first terminal slot via a side surface thereof, allowing the first connecting part to be positioned in the first terminal slot; a first bending part connected with an end of the first plugging part; a first connecting part having one end connected to the first bending part; a second bending part connected with the other end of the first connecting part; a second connecting part having one end connected with the second bending part and including a second abutment piece; a third bending part connected with the other end of the second connecting part; a third connecting part having one end connected with the third bending part; a fourth bending part connected with the other end of the third connecting part; and a first bonding part connected with the fourth bending part; wherein the base has a plurality of first dividing boards disposed among two sides of the first connecting part of each of the first terminal substrates, allowing two adjacent ones of the first terminals to be electrically isolated from each other, and each of the first dividing boards extends from the side of the first connecting part to a side of the second connecting part, allowing the second abutment piece of the second connecting part to abut and be securely positioned onto a side surface of the first division board; and a plurality of second terminals respectively plugged into the second terminal slots, each of the second terminals having: a second plugging part plugged into the second terminal slot; a fifth bending part connected with the second plugging part; an extending part having one end connected with the fifth bending part; a sixth bending part connected with the other end of the extending part; and a second bonding part connected with the sixth bending part. 
         [0010]    In an embodiment, grooves are formed on two sides of each of the dividing boards and corresponding to the side surfaces of the second abutment piece, to firmly position the second connecting part between the two first dividing boards with the side surface of the second abutment piece abutting against the grooves. 
         [0011]    In summary, the electrical connector according to the present invention improves the structure of the first terminal, by forming a stair-like structure with the second connecting part, the third connecting part, the first bending part, the second bending part and the third bending part of the exposed portion of the first terminal, thereby solving the foregoing problems that too much of the first terminal is exposed from the base without any abutment piece, which subsequently caused irregular bending and poor evenness of the surface of the first terminal. 
         [0012]    Besides, a dividing board is disposed between two adjacent ones of the connecting parts, allowing the first terminals to have better high frequency characteristics, preventing the first terminal to be too close causing short circuit as a result of arc breakdown during voltage test. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an electrical connector according to the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view showing one of first terminals detached from a base of the electrical connector; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view showing one of second terminals detached from the base of the electrical connector; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view along a line A-A of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of one of the first terminals; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the first terminals and the base; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a side isometric view of the second abutment piece and the first dividing board; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is an isometric view of the second terminals according to the present invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is an isometric assembled view of the second terminals and the base. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    The present invention is described in the following with specific embodiments, so that one skilled in the pertinent art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the disclosure of the present invention. 
         [0024]    It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. In addition, words such as “on”, “top” and “a” are used to explain the preferred embodiment of the present invention only and should not limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 1 to 3  show an electrical connector  1  according to the present invention.  FIG. 1  is the 3 D view of the electrical connector  1  according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  is the detached schematic view showing first terminal  111  and a base  10  of the electrical connector  1 .  FIG. 3  is a detached schematic view showing second terminals  12  and the base  10 . The electrical connector  1  comprises the base  10 , the first terminals  11 , and the second terminals  12 . 
         [0026]    A plurality of first terminal slots  101  is formed on one side of the base  10  for the first terminals  11  to be plugged thereinto. A plurality of second terminal slots  102  are formed on the other side of the base  10 . Each of the first terminals  11  is plugged in the corresponding first terminal slot  101 , and each of the second terminals is plugged in the corresponding second terminal slot  102 . 
         [0027]    Referring together with  FIG. 4 , with a line A-A as a cross-sectional line, after the first terminals  11  and the second terminals  12  are plugged into the base  10 , the first terminals  11  and the second terminals  12  are arranged in an alternate way in the base  10 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is the 3D view of the first terminals  11 , and  FIG. 6  is the assembly schematic view showing the first terminals  11  and the base  10 . The first terminal  11  has a first plugging part  110 , a second connecting part  111 , a second connecting part  112 , a third connecting part, a first bonding part  114 , a first bending part  115 , a second bending part  116 , a third bending part  117 , and a fourth bending part  118 . The first plugging part  110  is plugged in the first terminal slot  101 . The first bending part  115  is connected with the end of the first plugging part  110  and exposed from the first terminal slot  101 . One end of the first connecting part  111  is connected to the first bending part  116 . The second bending part  116  is connected to the other end of the first connecting part  111 . The second connecting part  112  has one end connected with the second bending part  116 , and the other end connected to the third bending part  117 . One end of the third connecting part  113  is connected with the third bending part  117 . The fourth bending part  118  is connected with the other end of the third connecting part  113 . The first bonding part  114  is connected to the fourth bending part  118 . The first terminal  11  of the electrical connector  1  according to the present invention thus has a stair-like structure. The first plugging part  110  has a first abutment piece  1101 . When the first plugging part  110  is plugged in the first terminal slot  101 , the two sides of the first abutment piece  110  abut against the inner surface of the first terminal slot  101 , allowing the first plugging part  110  to be positioned in the first terminal slot  101 . 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 6 , the electrical connector  1  according to the present invention, a first dividing board  103  is formed on both sides of each of the first connecting part  111 , for electrically isolating the adjacent first terminals  11 . Each of the first dividing boards  103  extends from the side of the first connecting part  111  to the side surface of the second connecting part  112 . Apart from being able to electrically isolate the adjacent first terminals  11 , it also makes the electrical connector  1  according to the present invention to have better high frequency characteristic. Moreover, during the withstand pressure test on each of the first terminals  11 , the problem of short circuit due to the arc breakdown as a result of two adjacent ones of the first terminals  11  being too close can be prevented. In addition, each of the first dividing boards  103  can also be used to isolate metal copper wires and scraps to prevent short circuit. In other words, copper scraps can cause short circuit of two adjacent ones of the first terminals  11 , which can be prevented through the function of the first dividing board  103 . 
         [0030]    Besides, not only the first terminal  11  has a first abutment piece  1101 , the second connecting part  112  also has a second abutment piece  1121 . When the first terminal  11  is plugged in the firth terminal slot  101  of the base  10 , two sides of the second abutment piece  1121  abut against the side surfaces of the first dividing board  103  of the base  10 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is an assembly schematic view of the second abutment piece  1121  and the first dividing board  103 . Grooves  1031  are formed on two sides of the first dividing board  103 , at positions corresponding to the second abutment piece  1121 . When the first terminal  11  and the base  10  are coupled together, the two sides of the abutment piece  1121  abut against the grooves  1031  of the first dividing board  103  formed on the two sides of the abutment piece  1121 . 
         [0032]    The first terminal  11  according to the present electrical connector  1  has an additional second connecting part  112 , as compared to the conventional first terminal  11 , so as to improve on the drawback that the vertical distance between the first plugging part  110  and the first bonding part  114  of the conventional first terminal  11  being too long causing irregular bending (pin warpage as known by skilled of art) and poor planarity. Through abutting the first abutment piece  1101  against the inner surface of the first terminal slot  101  and abutting the second abutment piece  1121  against the grooves of the first dividing board  103 , the first terminal  11  according to the present invention thereby has a better positioning compared to the conventional first terminal  11  which only has one first abutment piece  1101 . 
         [0033]    In addition to forming the first dividing board  103  in the electrical connector  1  according to the present invention  1 , a plurality of second dividing boards  104  are disposed on two sides of the third connecting part  113 . The second dividing boards  104  are used to specify the position of the third connecting part  113  of each first terminal  11 , to prevent irregular bending of the third connecting part  113  (pin warpage) and poor planarity, so as to solve the warpage of the first terminals  11  and poor planarity problems caused by not having dividing boards in the prior art. 
         [0034]    Besides, the objective of the present invention is to solve irregular bending problem of the first terminal  11 , therefore in ideal situation, the distance between the second connecting part  112  and the first bonding part  114  should be as small as possible. In other words, the length of the third connecting part  113  determines the occurrence of bending problem of the third connecting part and determines the occurrence of bending of the first terminal  11 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  is a 3D view of the second terminals  12 .  FIG. 9  is an assembly schematic view of the second terminals  12  and the base  10 . The second terminal  12  has a second plugging part  121 , an extending part  122 , a second bonding part  123 , a fifth bending part  124 , and a sixth bending part  125 . The fifth bending part  124  is connected to the second plugging part  121 , the extending part  122  has one end connected to the fifth bending part  124  and the other end connected to the sixth bending part  125 , and the second bonding part  123  is connected to the sixth bending part  125 . 
         [0036]    The second terminal  12  is plugged in the second terminal slot  102  of the base  10  via the second plugging part  121 , and the extending part  122 , the second bonding part  123 , the fifth bending part  124  and the sixth bending part  125  are exposed from the base  10 . The second plugging part  121  has a third abutment piece  1211 . The second plugging part  121  can be plugged into and positioned firmly on the second terminal slot  102  of the base  10 , with the two sides of the third abutment piece abutting against the inner surface of the second terminal slot  102 . 
         [0037]    A plurality of third dividing boards  105  are disposed on two sides of the extending part  122  of each of the second terminals  12 , to electrically isolate adjacent two of the second terminals  12 , as well as to assist positioning of each extending part  122 . 
         [0038]    The present invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.