Abstract:
A battery connector comprises an insulative housing comprising mounting surface and a top surface opposite to the mounting surface. A receiving chamber is defined in the housing from the top surface with first and second conductive terminals spatially arranged within the chamber. The chamber features at least a rounded corner for conforming to a rounded edge of a battery to be inserted so as to prevent the battery from being inserted incorrectly. The rounded corner has a curve surface tangent to two inner side walls of the chamber.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a battery connector, and more particularly to a batter connector provided with polarized arrangement so as to prevent incorrect insertion of a battery to be inserted therein. 
         [0003]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0004]    Electrical connectors are widely applied to the electronic industry. For example, the electrical connector is used for electrical connection and signal transmittance between elements, assemblies or systems of an electronic device. The electrical connector is a necessary and basic component for constituting a whole system. 
         [0005]    Chinese Utility Patent No. CN2466796 issued to Deyou He on Dec. 19, 2001 (hereinafter, referred to as He&#39;s &#39;796 patent), discloses an battery connector for holding a button battery therein. Referring to the figures in the &#39;796 patent, the battery connector comprises an insulative housing  1 , a positive terminal  2  and a negative terminal  3 . The insulative housing  1  disposes a flange  15  respectively in two corners of an inner wall for preventing the button battery from being inserted into the insulative housing with incorrect polarization, so as to assure correct insertion of the battery therein, ensuring battery electrodes properly in contacts with the contacts, i.e. anode for anode contact, and cathode for cathode contact. However, in additional to the flanges  15  provided, the insulative housing further comprises a narrow slit  9  for securing a contact therein respectively disposed in two corners thereof. The arrangement of the He&#39;s &#39;796 patent is too complicated for mold design as well as the manufacturing process. This is not a cost-effective way to make it. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,901 issued to Liu et al. on Feb. 16, 2000 (hereinafter, referred to as Liu&#39;s &#39;901 patent) discloses another battery connector for accommodating a button battery therein. Referring to the figures in the &#39;901 patent, in order to prevent incorrect orientation of the battery  70  during insertion into the battery-receiving portion  24 , the battery connector forms a pair of protrusions  26  vertically on a respective junction of a front wall  16  and two side walls  14 . However the protrusion  26  is too vulnerable to be worn out easily, and is not friendly for manufacturing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of the present invention is to provide a battery connector provided with polarized arrangement so as to prevent incorrect insertion of a battery to be inserted therein. 
         [0008]    An aspect of the present invention provides a battery connector, comprises an insulative housing comprising mounting surface and a top surface opposite to the mounting surface. A receiving chamber is defined in the housing from the top surface with first and second conductive terminals spatially arranged within the chamber. The chamber features at least a rounded corner for conforming to a rounded edge of a battery to be inserted so as to prevent the battery from being inserted incorrectly. 
         [0009]    Another aspect of the present invention provides a battery connector comprising an insulative housing defining a receiving chamber therein, the receiving chamber having inner side walls, and a first and a second conductive terminals oppositely received in the receiving chamber. An anti-mismating curved surface is formed between adjacent two inner side walls and is tangential to the adjacent two inner side walls. 
         [0010]    The battery connector according to the embodiments of the present invention has the continuous curved surfaces, and the curved surface is tangential to the inner wall. Therefore, a transition area between the curved surface and the inner wall is smooth but does not have a slit or a sharp angle, so as to simply configuration of a die and improve molding efficiency during inject-molding process, thereby reducing manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the curved surface can better cooperate with a shape of the battery so that the curved surface is difficult to be worn. In addition, at an aspect of the present invention, the curved surfaces extend to the inserting surface from the receiving chamber which is distant from a bottom of the receiving chamber a height of at most half the length of the receiving chamber. Thus, when the battery is mounted onto the battery connector, two sides of the battery can still cooperate with the curved surfaces tightly so as to reduce shake of the battery received in the receiving chamber and further keep steady electrical connection. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Hereinafter, the above, other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description for embodiments of the present invention with reference to accompanying drawings. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an battery connector which is in use in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a battery is mounted therein; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a exploded, perspective view of the battery connector of  FIG. 1  taken from a different perspective; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the battery connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a exploded, perspective view of an battery connector in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the battery connector of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    Hereinafter, in order to make the above objects, features and advantages to be easily understood, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an battery connector which is in use in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a battery is mounted therein. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a battery connector  1  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is configured to establish an electrical connection between a battery  5  and a printed circuit board  6 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , the battery connector  1  comprises an insulative housing  2  and a first conductive terminal  3  and a second conductive terminal  4  respectively received in the insulative housing  2 . The insulative housing  2  has an inserting surface  21  and a mounting surface  22  opposite to the inserting surface  21 . A receiving chamber  20  having a certain length is disposed in insulative housing  2  from the inserting surface  21  toward the mounting surface  22 , and comprises a rectangular inserting opening  200  formed in the inserting surface  21 , a first inner wall  201 , a second inner wall  202  opposite to the first inner wall  201 , and a third inner wall  203  and a fourth inner wall  204  which are opposite and are perpendicular to the first inner wall  201 . The first conductive terminal  3  is disposed near the first inner wall  201 , and the second conductive terminal  4  is disposed near the second inner wall  202 . Each of the first and the second conductive terminals  3 ,  4  has a mounting leg  30 ,  40  extending beyond the mounting surface  22  and a pair of resilient contacting portion  32 ,  42  projecting toward a center of the receiving chamber  20 . Continuous curved surfaces  205 ,  206  are respectively formed on a junction of the first inner wall  201  and the third inner wall  203  and on a junction of the first inner wall and the fourth inner wall  204 . The curved surface  205  on the junction of the first inner wall  201  and the third inner wall  203  is tangential to the first inner wall  201  and the third inner wall  203 . The curved surface  206  on the junction of the first inner wall  201  and the fourth inner wall  204  is tangential to the first inner wall  201  and the fourth inner wall  204 . 
         [0020]    In the embodiment of the present invention, the continuous curved surfaces  205 ,  206  are arc surfaces, and the curved surface  205  is tangential to the first inner wall  201  and the third inner wall  203  and the curved surface  206  is tangential to the first inner wall  201  and the fourth inner wall  204 . Therefore, a transition area between the curved surface  205 ,  206  and the inner wall is smooth but does not have a slit or a sharp angle, so as to simply configuration of a die and improve molding efficiency during inject-molding process, thereby reducing manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the curved surface  205 ,  206  can better cooperate with a shape of the battery  5  so that the curved surface is difficult to be worn. In addition, the curved surfaces  205 ,  206  extend to the inserting surface  21  from a bottom of the receiving chamber  20  or from a location of the receiving chamber  20  which is distant from a bottom of the receiving chamber  20  a height of at most half the length of the receiving chamber  20 . Thus, when the battery  5  is mounted onto the battery connector  1 , two sides of the battery  5  can still cooperate with the curved surfaces  205 ,  206  tightly so as to reduce shake of the battery  5  received in the receiving chamber  20  and further keep steady electrical connection. 
         [0021]    The second conductive terminal  4  has a latching arm  44  extending upward from a side opposite to the mounting leg  40 . The latching arm has a latching portion  440  extending towards the first conductive terminal  3 . The latching arm  44  extends upward a determined height for holding the battery protruding out of the receiving chamber  20 . An extending direction of the resilient contacting portion  42  is contrary to that of the latching arm  44 , that is, the resilient contacting portion  42  extends downward for guiding insertion of the battery  5 . A slot  46  is formed between the latching arm  44  and the resilient contacting portion  42 . Such design can prolong the latching arm  44  so that the latching arm  44  has a better elasticity. 
         [0022]    The latching portion  440  of the second conductive terminal  4  has an operating portion  442  at a free end thereof for pulling the latching portion  440  aside to release the battery  5  from the latching portion when the battery  5  is disassembled from the latching portion  440 . The insulative housing  2  defines a groove  24  having a surface inclined with respect to the mounting surface. The groove  24  is in the second inner wall  202  corresponding to the latching arm  44  of the second conductive terminal  4  for increasing the deflective distance and elasticity of the latching arm  44  so that the latching arm  44  has an enough space to deflect outwardly when the battery  5  is assembled to or disassembled from the battery connector  1 . The insulative housing  2  defines a semicircular cutout  26  in the second inner wall  202  corresponding to the resilient contacting portion  42  of the second conductive terminal  4  for facilitating the resilient contacting portion  42  to deflect resiliently and outwardly. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  disclose an battery connector in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the curved surfaces  205 ′,  206 ′ respectively define a concave portion  2050 ′,  2060 ′ near the inserting surface  21 ′, and the first conductive terminal  3 ′ has a crimping portion  34 ′ extending to and just received in the concave portion  2050 ′,  2060 ′. Because in the course of the battery  5  being repeatedly assembled or detached, the inserting opening of the receiving chamber  20 ′ is subject to be badly worn. In the embodiment of the present invention, the metal first conductive terminal  3 ′ extends to the inserting opening and cover the insulative housing  2  which is made of soft plastic, so that the curved surfaces  205 ′,  206 ′ have better wearability in a position near the inserting surface  21 ′ and are difficult to be worn during assembly and disassembly of the battery  5 . 
         [0024]    The first conductive terminal  3 ′ has a pair of clamping tabs  36 ′ extending from a side opposite to the mounting leg and apart from the second conductive terminal  4 ′. The insulative housing  2 ′ defines a pair of retaining recess  28 ′ corresponding to the respective clamping tabs  36 ′. The clamping tabs  36 ′ are received and retained in the corresponding retaining recess  28 ′, thereby enhancing the engagement of the first conductive terminal  3 ′ and the insulative housing  2 ′. 
         [0025]    The forgoing descriptions disclose the embodiments of the present invention but do not intend to limit the present invention. Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.