Abstract:
A connector is provided which includes a housing having a plurality of pinholes which are connectable to a signal cable and through which a plurality of electrical signals are transmitted or received, and a plurality of connection pins extending from the housing where a first end of each connection pin is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of pinholes, and a second end of each connection pin is mountable on a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the total number of the plurality of connection pins is less than the total number of the plurality of pinholes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0084502, filed on Sep. 8, 2009, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    Apparatuses consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to a connector through which electrical signals are transmitted and received. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In general, connectors are used to transceive, i.e., transmit and/or receive, electrical signals to and from two electronic apparatuses. These connectors may include, for example, D-subminiature (D-SUB) connectors through which video signals are transmitted to and received from computers and monitors. A D-SUB connector is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) in a computer or monitor, and is connected to a signal cable in order to transceive video signals. The D-SUB connector includes a plurality of connection pins to individually transfer color signals, such as a red signal R, a green signal G and a blue signal B, horizontal synchronizing signals, or vertical synchronizing signals. A related art D-SUB connector includes  15  connection pins. 
         [0006]    Recently, many efforts to make electronic apparatuses compact are being made, and the size of main boards of electronic apparatuses needs to be reduced accordingly. Main boards include connectors disposed therein to transmit or receive electrical signals to or from external apparatuses, and thus there is a need to reduce the area occupied by the connectors in the main boards. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    Exemplary embodiments overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. Also, an exemplary embodiment is not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and may not overcome any of the problems described above. 
         [0008]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a connector through which electrical signals are transceived. The term “transceive” as used throughout the disclosure means transmit and/or receive. 
         [0009]    According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a connector including a housing including a plurality of pinholes which are connectable to a signal cable and through which a plurality of electrical signals are transmitted or received, and a plurality of connection pins extending from the housing wherein a first end of each connection pin is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of pinholes, and a second end of each connection pin is mountable on PCB, wherein a total number of the plurality of connection pins is less than a total number of the plurality of pinholes. 
         [0010]    One of the plurality of connection pins may be electrically connected to all pinholes corresponding to a ground among the plurality of pinholes. 
         [0011]    The housing may comprise a metal shell which encloses the plurality of pinholes and is electrically connected to the pinholes corresponding to the ground. 
         [0012]    The plurality of connection pins may be bent at a substantial right angle. 
         [0013]    The plurality of pinholes may be arranged in three rows in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and the plurality of connection pins may be arranged in two rows in the longitudinal direction of the housing. 
         [0014]    The total number of the plurality of pinholes may be  15 , and the total number of the plurality of connection pins may be  10 . 
         [0015]    The signal cable may be inserted into the connector, while being positioned in parallel with the PCB. 
         [0016]    The connector may be a D-SUB connector. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    The above and/or other aspects will be more apparent by describing certain exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a D-SUB connector according to an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the D-SUB connector shown in 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the D-SUB connector shown in  FIG. 1  and a signal cable being connected to each other; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a circuit diagram of the D-SUB connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0023]    In the following description, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements even in different drawings. The matters defined in the description, such as detailed construction and elements, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the exemplary embodiments. Thus, it is apparent that the exemplary embodiments can be carried out without those specifically defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the exemplary embodiments with unnecessary detail. 
         [0024]    A connector according to an exemplary embodiment is used to transceive electrical signals to and/or from two electronic apparatuses. The exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to a D-SUB connector, but there is no limitation to the type of connector. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments are also applicable to connectors other than the D-SUB connector. 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a D-SUB connector  10  according to an exemplary embodiment,  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the D-SUB connector  10 ,  FIG. 3  is a side view of the D-SUB connector  10  and a signal cable  30  being connected to each other, and  FIG. 4  is a circuit diagram of the D-SUB connector  10 . 
         [0026]    The D-SUB connector  10  shown in  FIG. 1  connects a computer and a monitor, and transceives video signals to and from the computer and the monitor. Additionally, the D-SUB connector  10  is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB)  20  included in the computer or monitor as shown in  FIG. 3 . The signal cable  30  is inserted into the D-SUB connector  10 , so that the computer is connected to the monitor. The D-SUB connector  10  includes a housing  100  and a plurality of connection pins  201 - 210 . 
         [0027]    The housing  100  forms an external structure of the D-SUB connector  10 , and includes a plurality of pinholes  101 - 115 , a metal shell  120 , fixing pins  130  and a screw hole  140 . 
         [0028]    The plurality of pinholes  101 - 115  are connected to the signal cable  30  and transceive a plurality of electrical signals (namely, video signals in the exemplary embodiment). The signal cable  30  includes a plurality of pins (not shown) corresponding to the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115  shown in  FIG. 1 . The position and shape of the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115 , or signals transceived by the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115  is typically set according to an industry standard. For example, the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115  are arranged in three horizontal rows in the D-SUB connector  10 , as shown in FIG.  1 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  shows electrical signals transceived by the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115 . A first pinhole  101 , a second pinhole  102  and a third pinhole  103  are signal pinholes to transceive a red signal R (PC_RED), a green signal G (PC_GREEN) and a blue signal B (PC_BLUE), respectively. A fourth pinhole  104  and a fifth pinhole  105  are ground pinholes. A sixth pinhole  106 , a seventh pinhole  107  and a eight pinhole  108  are ground pinholes for the red signal R, the green signal G and the blue signal B, respectively. A ninth pinhole  109  receives  5 V of power (PC — 5V), and a tenth pinhole  110  is a signal pinhole to transceive a mounting signal (IDENT_PC) of the signal cable  30 . An eleventh pinhole  111  is a ground pinhole, and a twelfth pinhole  112  is a signal pinhole to transceive a resolution signal (SDA_DOWN). A thirteenth pinhole  113 , a fourteenth pinhole  114  and a fifteenth pinhole  115  are signal pinholes to transceive a horizontal synchronizing signal (PC_H_SYNC), a vertical synchronizing signal (PC_V_SYNC) and a resolution signal (SCL_DOWN), respectively. As described above, the electrical signals transceived by the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115  in the exemplary embodiment are merely exemplary, and accordingly the electrical signals may be appropriately modified and applied to other exemplary embodiments. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the metal shell  120  encloses the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115 , and provides mechanical support for engagement with the signal cable  30 . 
         [0031]    The fixing pins  130  are used to fix the D-SUB connector  10  to the PCB  20 , and are disposed on both sides of a bottom surface of the D-SUB connector  10 . The fixing pins  130  may function as the ground, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0032]    A fastening member  150  is fastened into the screw hole  140 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . The signal cable  30  is inserted into the D-SUB connector  10  and a fastening bolt  31  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the signal cable  30  is fitted into the fastening member  150 , and thus it is possible to prevent the signal cable  30  from being separated from the D-SUB connector  10 . 
         [0033]    A first end of the plurality of connection pins  201 - 210  is electrically connected to the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115 , and a second end of the plurality of connection pins  201 - 210  is connected to the PCB  20 . The number of connection pins  201 - 210  is less than the number of pinholes  101 - 115 . In the exemplary embodiment, ten connection pins  201 - 210  are arranged in two horizontal rows, as shown in  FIG. 2 . However, in a related art D-SUB connector, the number of connection pins is equal to the number of pinholes, and  15  connection pins are arranged in three horizontal rows. 
         [0034]    In the exemplary embodiment, the first connection pin  201 , second connection pin  202 , third connection pin  203 , fourth connection pin  204  and fifth connection pin  205  are connected to the first pinhole  101 , second pinhole  102 , third pinhole  103 , ninth pinhole  109  and tenth pinhole  110 , respectively. A sixth connection pin  206  is connected to the fourth pinhole  104 , fifth pinhole  105 , sixth pinhole  106 , seventh pinhole  107 , eighth pinhole  108  and eleventh pinhole  111 . Additionally, the seventh connection pin  207 , eight connection pin  208 , ninth connection pin  209  and tenth connection pin  210  are connected to the twelfth pinhole  112 , thirteenth pinhole  113 , fourteenth pinhole  114  and fifteenth pinhole  115 , respectively. In other words, one of the plurality of connection pins  201 - 210  (e.g., the sixth connection pin  206 ) is electrically connected to pinholes corresponding to the ground among the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115  (e.g., the fourth pinhole  104 , fifth pinhole  105 , sixth pinhole  106 , seventh pinhole  107 , eighth pinhole  108  and eleventh pinhole  111 ), and thus the number of connection pins may be reduced from  15  to  10 . In addition, the fourth pinhole  104 , fifth pinhole  105 , sixth pinhole  106 , seventh pinhole  107 , eighth pinhole  108  and eleventh pinhole  111  which correspond to the ground, may be electrically connected to the metal shell  120 , and grounded. 
         [0035]    The connection relationship between the plurality of connection pins  201 - 210  and the plurality of pinholes  101 - 115  may be appropriately changed. For example, one connection pin other than the sixth connection pin  206  may be connected to the fourth pinhole  104 , fifth pinhole  105 , sixth pinhole  106 , seventh pinhole  107 , eighth pinhole  108  and eleventh pinhole  111  which correspond to the ground. 
         [0036]    As described above, the fourth pinhole  104 , fifth pinhole  105 , sixth pinhole  106 , seventh pinhole  107 , eighth pinhole  108  and eleventh pinhole  111  are grounded together, so as to facilitate improvement of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Additionally, these pinholes are grounded automatically within the D-SUB connector  10 , and accordingly there is no need to form a pattern for grounding these pinholes together in the PCB  20  in which the D-SUB connector  10  is mounted. 
         [0037]    If gaps between the connection pins are narrow, inferior goods may be produced in manufacturing the D-SUB connector, or in a process of punching the PCB  20  to mount the D-SUB connector in the PCB  20 . However, according to the exemplary embodiment, the number of connection pins  201 - 210  in the D-SUB connector  10  is reduced compared to the related art D-SUB connector, and thus it is possible to widen gaps between the connection pins  201 - 210 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent production of inferior goods. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the signal cable  30  may be inserted into the D-SUB connector  10  while being positioned in parallel with the PCB  20 .  FIG. 3  does not illustrate the fixing pin  130  in order to show the connection pins  205  and  210  in the D-SUB connector  10 . In  FIG. 3 , the direction in which the D-SUB connector  10  is mounted in the PCB  20  is perpendicular to the direction in which the signal cable  30  is inserted into the D-SUB connector  10 , and accordingly, the plurality of connection pins  201 - 210  are bent substantially at a right angle. In this situation, an area occupied by the D-SUB connector  10  in the PCB  20  is the bottom surface of the D-SUB connector  10 , not the front surface. As described above, the number of connection pins  201 - 210  on the bottom surface of the D-SUB connector  10  is reduced, and thus it is possible to reduce the area occupied by the D-SUB connector  10  in the PCB  20 , thereby making the PCB  20  compact. 
         [0039]    The D-SUB connector  10  for transceiving video signals to and from the computer and monitor has been explained above, but this is merely an example. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to other connectors. 
         [0040]    The foregoing exemplary embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.