Abstract:
An electrical plug connector assembly includes a socket connector and a plug connector. The socket connector includes a housing within which a U-shaped contact spring physically contacts a fixed contact part to establish an electrical connection. The U-shaped contact spring is disposed horizontally within the housing, in such a way that an imagined bending axis of the U-shaped contact spring lies parallel to the plug direction. The horizontal arrangement of the U-shaped contact spring within the housing makes it possible for the socket connector to have a relatively flat structure. A preferred application of such a plug connector unit is within a mobile telephone.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and in particular to electrical connector assemblies that include a plug connector and a socket connector. 
     A plug connector unit with a socket connector which has a switching function is described in the published patent application designated WO 98/31078. The socket connector described therein has a contact pin centered in the socket connector. When a plug connector is inserted, this pin is moved away axially from the plug opening. That end of the contact pin facing away from the plug side contacts one leg of a contact spring. The contact leg of this contact spring touches a reciprocal contact when it is in its idle state (i.e., when no plug connector is plugged into the socket connector). If a plug connector is plugged into the socket connector, the contact pin of the socket connector presses the leg of the contact spring away from the reciprocal contact, so the electrical connection between the contact spring and the reciprocal contact is broken. The virtual bending axis of the contact spring is perpendicular to the plug direction. 
     A problem with this plug connector unit is that it has a relatively complicated structure. Furthermore, the socket connector requires a centered contact pin, over which the contact spring is moved. The socket connector altogether is a relatively long axial structure. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an improved electrical plug connector assembly, and its constituent plug and socket connector components. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, according to one aspect of the invention, a socket connector includes a socket housing having a socket receiving aperture formed by a socket housing wall. A U-shaped first contact part is mounted within the socket housing and includes first and second walls that are nominally parallel. A second contact part is also mounted within the socket housing and nominally contacts the first movable contact part to provide an electrical connection between the first and second contact parts. When a plug connector is inserted into the socket receiving aperture the first wall flexes radially with respect to the second wall breaking the electrical connection between the U-shaped contact part and the second second contact part. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a plug connector includes a plug housing and a contact pin that runs axially through at least a portion of the length of the plug housing. The contact pin includes a pin base portion and a pin projecting portion. An insulating shell that coaxially surrounds the pin base portion, and a metallic shell that coaxially surrounds the insulating shell. A spring loaded slider shell is in spaced relationship coaxially surrounds the pin projecting portion, wherein the slider shell axially slides upward when the plug connector is inserted into a socket connector to expose the pin projecting portion axially beyond the upwardly slid spring loaded slider shell. 
     According to yet another aspect of the invention, an electrical plug connector assembly includes a socket connector and a plug connector. The socket connector includes a socket housing having a socket receiving aperture formed by a housing wall. A U-shaped first contact part is mounted within the socket housing and includes first and second walls that are nominally parallel. A second contact part is also mounted within the socket housing and nominally contacts the first movable contact part to provide an electrical connection between the first and second contact parts. When a plug connector is inserted into the socket receiving aperture, the first wall flexes relative to the second wall breaking the electrical connection between the U-shaped contact part and the second contact part. The plug connector includes a plug housing and a contact pin that runs axially through at least a portion of the length of the plug housing. The contact pin includes a pin base portion and a pin projecting portion. An insulating shell coaxially surrounds the pin base portion, and a metallic shell coaxially surrounds the insulating shell. A spring loaded slider shell is mounted in spaced relationship with and coaxially surrounds the pin projecting portion. The slider shell axially slides upward when the plug connector is inserted into the socket connector to expose the pin projecting portion that axially projects beyond the upwardly slid spring loaded slider shell, and the pin projecting portion engages the first wall causing the first wall to radially flex relative to the second wall breaking the electrical connection between the walls. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a socket connector; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a sectional view of the socket connector of  FIG. 1  taken along line A; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a bottom view of the socket connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of a U-shaped contact spring inserted into the socket pocket of  FIGS. 1–3 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a second contact part inserted into the socket connector of  FIGS. 1–3 ; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a sectional view of a plug connector for a socket connector in accordance with  FIGS. 1–3 ; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of the plug connector illustrated in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of the plug connector of  FIGS. 6–7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of a plug connector assembly that includes the socket connector and the plug connector, in its assembled state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1–3 , a socket connector  10  is constructed about a central axis X. The socket connector  10  includes a pot-shaped housing  12 , whose floor has four housing feet  12   b , set outward at a right angle. The side of the housing  12  facing away from the housing floor (i.e., the plug side) has a housing wall  12   a  angled inward at a slant. The housing wall  12   a  slopes inward similar to a funnel (i.e., tapered) to facilitate insertion of the plug connector, which will be explained below in connection with  FIGS. 6–8 . The housing  12  includes metal and is preferably produced as a deep-drawn part. 
     An insulation part  14  is seated and preferably retained/clamped in the housing  12 . This clamping mount may be achieved, for example, by caulking the lower housing edge after the insulating part  14  has been pushed into the housing  12 . In addition, the insulating part  14  has one or more identification protrusions  14   a , so the position of the socket connector  10  can be uniquely identified. Such an identification is necessary if the socket connector  10 , as an SMD structural element, is mounted and soldered automatically on a circuit board in a production line. 
     The socket connector also includes contact parts  20 ,  30  that are seated in the insulating part  14 .  FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of the first contact part  20 . The contact part  20  includes a U-shaped contact spring with two walls  21 ,  23 , which are integrally connected by a U-shaped wall  22 . The walls  21 ,  23  are spaced apart and mutually parallel. At the lower edge of the wall  23  (in  FIG. 4 ), a connection plate  25  extends outward at a right angle opposite to the wall  21 . For example, the antenna output of the electronics of a mobile telephone is connected to this connection plate  25 . For this purpose, the socket connector  10  is situated on a circuit board housed in the mobile telephone. A holding protrusion  24  extends from the upper edge of the wall  23  of the U-shaped contact spring  20 . The upper edge of the other wall  21  of the U-shaped contact spring  20  is integrally connected to a wall  26 , which protrudes outward at a slant (i.e., slopes outward). The wall  26  facilitates insertion of a contact pin  55  ( FIG. 6 ) into the socket connector  10  and serves as a stop for this pin. Altogether, the wall section  21  can be sprung back and forth through the U-shaped wall section  22 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of the second contact part  30 . The second contact part  30  includes a connection plate  31 , from whose left and right outer edges two holding protrusions  32 ,  33  extend upward at a distance from one another. An L-shaped wall section  34  is integrally attached to the left holding protrusion  33 . 
     The U-shaped contact spring  20  and the second contact part  30  are inserted into the insulating part  14  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The holding protrusions  24 ,  32 , and  33  ( FIGS. 4–5 ), each of which has a barb, hold the contact spring  20  and the contact part  30  fast in the insulating part  14 . In the non-loaded state (i.e., when a plug connector is not inserted into the socket connector  10 ) an electrical connection exists between the U-shaped contact spring  20  and the second contact part  30 . This electrical connection is established by contact between the U-shaped contact spring  20  and the contact part  30  when they touch at the contact points in the area designated K in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     As set forth above, when the circuit part  10  is in its mounted state the connection plate  25  is connected, for example, to the electronics of a mobile telephone. The electrical connection between the connection plate  25  of the U-shaped contact spring  20  and the connection plate  31  of the second contact part  30  is established by the wall  21  contacting the wall  34  of the second contact part  30 . For this purpose, the wall  21  of the U-shaped contact spring  20  contacts the wall  34  of the second contact part  30  with a spring pre-tension. Significantly, the U-shaped contact spring  20  is built into the insulation part  14  of the socket connector  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1–5 , the U-shaped contact spring  20  is built horizontally into the insulation part  14  or into the housing  12  of the socket connector  10 . Horizontal means that an imagined bending axis, designated by B in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , extends parallel to the plug direction. If the contact pin is inserted into the pass-through opening along the axis X of the socket connector  10 , the freely mobile leg of the U-shaped contact spring  20  (i.e., the wall  21  with the insertion aid  26 ) is pressed away from the opposite wall  23 , and as a result the contact with the wall  34  of the second contact part  30  is broken. Consequently, when the contact pin is inserted into the pass-through opening of the socket connector  10 , there is no longer an electrical connection between the connection plate  25  and the connection plate  31 . Rather, there is an electrical connection between the U-shaped contact spring  20  and the contact pin itself. If the contact pin is connected to an external antenna, the connection plate  25  and thus the electronics of a mobile telephone are connected to an external antenna that is connected to the contact pin. 
       FIGS. 6–8  illustrate various views of a plug connector  50  that cooperates with the socket connector  10  ( FIGS. 1–5 ) to provide the plug connecter.  FIG. 6  illustrates a sectional view of the plug connector.  FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of the plug connector illustrated in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of the plug connector of  FIGS. 6–7 . Referring to  FIGS. 6–8 , the plug connector  50  includes a T-shaped housing and a centered contact pin that is fixed within the housing of the contact part  50 . The contact pin  55  is seated in an insulating shell  57 , which is surrounded by a metallic shell  53 . The front end of the contact pin  55  extends beyond the insulating shell  57  and the metallic shell  53 . The front end of the contact pin  5  is surrounded by a slider shell  52 , which is disposed movably and axially along the axis X. The slider shell  52  can move against the force of the helical spring  58 . The helical spring  58  and the upper end of the slider shell  52  are surrounded by a housing shell  51 . The slider shell  52  has a central pass-through opening  61 , within which is seated an electrically non-conducting guide shell  59 . 
     The connection part of the plug connector  50  protrudes at a right angle, and includes a crimp connection  64  surrounded by a shell  66 . The end of the plug connector  50  that faces away from the plug side is covered by a cover plate  62  coupled to a spring device  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the plug connector part  50  is in its idling state. In this state the pressure spring  58 , whose upper end is supported against the shell  53  and whose lower end is supported against the slider shell  52 , presses the slider shell  52  over the front end of the contact pin  55 . The tip of the contact pin  55  is seated between the guide shell  59  and does not extend beyond the front end of the slider shell  52 . If the plug connector part  50  is inserted into a fitting socket connector  10 , the slider shell  52  slides back against the force of the pressure spring  58  so the front end of the contact pin  55  extends out of the slider shell  52 . This position is illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the slider shell  52  is in its retracted position, and the front annular end of the metallic shell  53  touches the inner wall of the metallic slider shell  52 , which is seated on the housing of the socket connector  10 . This ensures good ground contact from the housing of the socket connector  10  to the ground connection of the coaxial cable connected to the plug connector  50 . In  FIG. 6 , the contact points at the shell  53  and at the slider shell  52  are again marked by the reference symbol K. In a preferred embodiment, the front end of the metallic shell  53  protrudes at least minimally beyond the front end of the insulating shell  57  to provide good ground contact. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a plug connector assembly that includes the socket connector  10  ( FIGS. 1–5 ) and the plug connector  50  ( FIGS. 6–8 ) plugged together in the mounted state. For example, the plug connector  10  is situated on a circuit board  72  of a mobile telephone, soldered in SMD technology. The socket connector  10  is situated in an opening of a housing wall  70  of the mobile telephone. For example, the external mobile radio antenna of a motor vehicle is connected to the plug connector  50 , which is built into the mobile telephone mount of the motor vehicle. This mount has two walls  80 ,  82  situated one behind the other. The wall  82  is fixed, while the wall  80  may move somewhat axially. If an operator places the mobile telephone into the mobile telephone mount of the vehicle, the spring device  60  is pressed together in the manner shown in  FIG. 9 , and an electrical connection is established between the external antenna and the electronics of the mobile telephone. The electrical contact with the mobile telephone antenna, that is the antenna built into the mobile telephone itself, is then broken. 
     Although the present invention has been shown and described with respect to several preferred embodiments thereof, various changes, omissions and additions to the form and detail thereof, may be made therein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.