Abstract:
A compound connector plug is disclosed in the present invention. It has a first fixing device for fixing a first terminal set and a second terminal set, and a second fixing device for fixing a third terminal set. The first terminal set has an improved shape so that the compound connector plug can be easily produced. The two devices are connected together and enclosed by a casing. Each terminal set or the combination of terminal sets can support transmission standards, such as eSATA, USB2.0 and USB3.0. An all-in-one connector plug is provided so that no adaptor is needed if a user uses the connector for different kinds of sockets.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a compound connector plug, and more particularly, to a compound connector plug compatible with both Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0 and USB 3.0) standards and External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) standards. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The remarkable development of computer equipments has been seen as technology evolved over the years. It is always the target for all manufacturers to create devices for faster and more efficient data transmission. However, replacement of an existing standard with a new one involves not only the industrial technique, but also user who uses related products. The latter dominates since all users tend to keep using current products until they are not workable anymore. 
     Demands of the market for more compact electronic products are growing. In addition to reducing size of each internal element inside a device, external sockets or plugs need to be unified or modified. Otherwise, only necessary sockets and plugs are adopted to be used in the limited external area of the device. Inevitably, there is a gap existing between reality and expectation. For many peripheral or connected electronic products, how to solve the problem of incompatibility due to diverse connectors becomes a primary issue. Therefore, a compound connector plug compatible with multiple standards is required to solve the afore-mentioned problems. Meanwhile, application of such compound connector plugs can significantly reduce the space occupied. 
     External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) and Universal Serial Bus (USB) are two kinds of commonly used standards for connectors. Because the size of connector of the eSATA standard is similar to that of the USB standard, the two connectors can be devised to share one compound connector plug.  FIG. 1  discloses a compound connector plug of Taiwanese Utility Model M369570. The invention comprises a housing with a slot. A first terminal set having a number of eSATA terminals and a second terminal set having a plurality of USB terminals are installed in the slot. The first and the second terminal sets are compatible with eSATA standards and USB 3.0 standards, respectively. 
     In mass production, the connector plug of the above prior art is inserted to USB terminals by ways of Insert Molding, and the hook tip  1  will be snagged with plastic injection hole  2  for USB 3.0, which will cause defective products and slow production. Therefore, the inventor creates a connector plug compatible with both eSATA and USB 3.0 standards based on the demands of related industrials. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a compound connector plug, including: a first terminal set, having a plurality of first terminals each having a first contact in the shape of V for electrically connecting to a corresponding terminal in a first external connector socket by a bottom of the first contact in the shape of V; a first bonding end for connecting with an electric signal delivering device; and a first linking portion between the first contact and the first bonding end; a second terminal set, having a plurality of second terminals each having a second contact for electrically connecting to a corresponding terminal in a second external connector socket; a second bonding end for connecting with the electric signal delivering device, and a second linking portion between the second contact and the second bonding end; a first fixing device, having a plurality of first trenches connected with the first linking portions for fixing the first terminals; and a plurality of second trenches under the first trenches connected with the second linking portions for fixing the second terminals; a third terminal set having a plurality of third terminals each including a third contact for electrically connecting to a corresponding terminal in a third external connector socket; a third bonding end for connecting with the electric signal delivering device; and a third linking portion between the third contact and the third bonding end; a second fixing device, having a plurality of third trenches connected with the third linking portions for fixing the third terminals; a housing, for holding the fixing devices, protecting each terminal and defining shape of the plug; and a bonding end fixing device, for fixing each bonding end, wherein the first fixing device is installed on the second fixing device. 
     The present invention further introduces another compound connector plug encompassing: a first terminal set, including a plurality of first terminals each has a first contact in the shape of open-ended triangle having an obtuse angle for electrically connecting to a corresponding terminal in a first external connector socket across the obtuse angle; a first bonding end for connecting with an electric signal delivering device; and a first linking portion between the first contact and the first bonding end; a second terminal set, including a plurality of second terminals each comprising a second contact for electrically connecting to a corresponding terminal in a second external connector socket; a second bonding end for connecting with the electric signal delivering device, and a second linking portion between the second contact and the second bonding end; a first fixing device, having a plurality of first trenches connected with the first linking portions for fixing the first terminals; a plate at the end of the plurality of the first trenches for aligning connection of the first contact; and a plurality of second trenches under the first trenches connected with the second linking portions for fixing the second terminals; a third terminal set, having a plurality of third terminals each comprising a third contact for electrically connecting to a corresponding terminal in a third external connector socket; a third bonding end for connecting with the electric signal delivering device; and a third linking portion between the third contact and the third bonding end; a second fixing device, having a plurality of third trenches connected with the third linking portions for fixing the third terminals; a housing, for holding the fixing devices, protecting each terminal and defining shape of the plug; and a bonding end fixing device, for fixing each bonding end, wherein the first fixing device is installed on the second fixing device. 
     Preferably, the first terminal set is compatible with eSATA (External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) standards. 
     Preferably, the third terminal set is compatible with USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 standards. 
     Preferably, combination of the second terminal set and the third terminal set is compatible with USB 3.0 standards. 
     Preferably, the second terminal set has 5 second terminals and the third terminal set has 4 third terminals. 
     Preferably, the electric signal delivering device is a circuit board or wire. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a compound connector plug according to the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of a first embodiment according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic view of the first embodiment according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of the second embodiment according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an assembly view of the second embodiment according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be described more precisely in the following two embodiments. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a first embodiment.  FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the first embodiment. A connector plug  10  includes seven first terminals  100 , five second terminals  130 , four third terminals  160 , a first fixing device  200 , a second fixing device  230 , a bonding end fixing device  260  and a housing  300 . Combination of the first terminals  100  forms a first terminal set. Combination of the second terminals  130  forms a second terminal set. Combination of the third terminals  160  forms a third terminal set. 
     The first terminal  100  has a first contact  102  in the shape of V for electrically connecting with a corresponding terminal in a first external connector socket (not shown) by a bottom of the first contact  102  in the shape of V, a first bonding end  106  for connecting with a wire, and a first linking portion  104  between the first contact  102  and the first bonding end  106  for providing a proper shape to fix the first terminal  100 . The second terminal  130  has a second contact  132  for electrically connecting with a corresponding terminal in a second external connector socket (not shown), a second bonding end  136  for connecting with a wire, and a second linking portion  134  between the second contact  132  and the second bonding end  136  for providing a proper shape to fix the second terminal  130 . The third terminal  160  has a third contact  162  for electrically connecting with a corresponding terminal in a third external connector socket (not shown), a third bonding end  166  for connecting with a wire, and a third linking portion  164  between the third contact  162  and the third bonding end  166  for providing a proper shape to fix the third terminal  160 . 
     The first fixing device  200  includes seven first trenches  202 , having several horizontally extended fixing elements thereon, for engaging with the first linking portions  104  to fix the first terminals  100 , five second trenches  204  below the first trenches  202 , having a number of horizontally extended fixing elements thereon, for engaging with the second linking portions  134  to fix the second terminals  130 , and two positioning hooks  206  for connecting with the housing  300  and positioning. 
     The second fixing device  230  encompasses four third trenches  232  having several horizontally extended fixing elements thereon for engaging with the third linking portions  164  to fix the third terminals  160 . 
     The first fixing device  200  can be installed on the second fixing device  230  in order to position each terminal. The housing  300  has two positioning hooks  302  to engage with the positioning hooks  206  of the first fixing device  200 . 
     The bonding end fixing device  260  has a number of guiding trenches  264  for holding the bonding ends. Besides, two tenons  262  bonded with two slots of the housing  300  are included to fix the bonding end fixing device  260  and the housing  300 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The first contact  102  in the shape of V is fixed to the first trenches  202 . By its V-shaped bottom, the first contact  202  electrically connects with a corresponding terminal in a first external connector socket (not shown), to avoid the situation in which the hook tip  1  of the prior art in  FIG. 1  is snagged with plastic injection hole  2  for USB 3.0, which will cause products defective and adversely influence yield thereof. 
     In addition, the housing  300  has two connecting holders  304  to fix the connector plug on a circuit board. The housing  300  is also used to hold the fixing devices and protect each terminal and define shape of the plug. 
     In this embodiment, the first external connector socket (not shown) is an eSATA connector socket, the second external connector socket (not shown) is an USB 3.0 connector socket, and the third external connector socket (not shown) is an USB 2.0 connector socket. The first terminal set is compatible with eSATA standards, the third terminal set is compatible with USB 2.0 standards, and the combination of the second terminal set and the third terminal set is compatible with USB 3.0 standards. Therefore, the second terminal set has five second terminals  130  and third terminal set has four third terminals  160 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a second embodiment.  FIG. 5  is an assembly view for each part. A connector plug  40  includes seven first terminals  400 , five second terminals  430 , four third terminals  460 , a first fixing device  500 , a second fixing device  530 , a bonding end fixing device  560  and a housing  600 . Combination of the first terminals  400  forms a first terminal set. Combination of the second terminals  430  forms a second terminal set. Combination of the third terminals  460  forms a third terminal set. 
     The first terminal  400  has a first contact  402  in the shape of open-ended triangle having an obtuse angle for electrically connecting with a corresponding terminal in a first external connector socket (not shown), a first bonding end  406  for connecting with a wire, and a first linking portion  404  between the first contact  402  and the first bonding end  406  for providing a proper shape to fix the first terminal  400 . The second terminal  430  has a second contact  432  for electrically connecting with a corresponding terminal in a second external connector socket (not shown), a second bonding end  436  for connecting with a wire, and a second linking portion  434  between the second contact  432  and the second bonding end  436  for providing a proper shape to fix the second terminal  430 . The third terminal  460  has a third contact  462  for electrically connecting with a corresponding terminal in a third external connector socket (not shown), a third bonding end  466  for connecting with a wire, and a third linking portion  464  between the third contact  462  and the third bonding end  466  for providing a proper shape to fix the third terminal  460 . 
     The first fixing device  500  includes seven first trenches  502  having several horizontally extended fixing elements thereon for holding the first linking portions  404  to fix the first terminals  400 , five second trenches  504  under the first trenches  502  having a number of horizontally extended fixing elements thereon, for holding the second linking portions  434  to fix the second terminals  430 , two positioning hooks  506  for connecting with the housing  600  and positioning, and a plate  508  at the end of the first trenches  502 , for aligning connection of the first contact  402 , which allows the first trenches  402  to extend to inserting holes (not shown) of the plate  508  without snagging with plastic injection hole for USB 3.0. Moreover, design of the plate  508  also allows the first trenches  502  of first fixing device  500  to be modified from hollow-cut to close-ended. The engagement of the plate  508  and the first contact  402  is shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The second fixing device  530  includes four third trenches  532 , having several horizontally extended fixing elements thereon, for holding the third linking portions  464  to fix the third terminals  460 . 
     The first fixing device  500  can be installed on the second fixing device  530  in order to position each terminal. The fixing devices  500  and  530  are bonded first to assemble with the housing  600 , and then connected with the bonding end fixing device  560 . The housing  600  has two positioning hooks  602  to engage with the positioning hooks  506  of the first fixing device  500 . 
     The bonding end fixing device  560  comprises a number of guiding trenches  564  for fixing each bonding end. In addition, it has two tenons  562 , connected with two slots  606  on the housing  600 , for fixing the bonding end fixing device  560  and the housing  600 . The housing  600  has two connecting holders  604  for fixing the connector plug  40  on a circuit board. The housing  600  is also used to fix each fixing device, protect each terminal and define shape of the plug. 
     In the present embodiment, the first external connector socket (not shown) is an eSATA connector socket, the second external connector socket (not shown) is an USB 3.0 connector socket, and the third external connector socket (not shown) is an USB 2.0 connector socket. The first terminal set is compatible with eSATA standards, the third terminal set is compatible with USB 2.0 standards and the combination of the second terminal set and the third terminal set is compatible with USB 3.0 standards. Therefore, the second terminal set has five second terminals  430  and the third terminal set has four third terminals  460 . 
     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.