Patent Publication Number: US-7210944-B1

Title: Connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector. 
   2. Background of the Invention 
   There are many types of electrical connectors that are widely used in electronic products. For example, a high-frequency connector is an indispensable component for a communication product. 
   A conventional connector includes a printed circuit board and a plastic member. The printed circuit board has an insertion portion. The plastic member has an opening and two protection plates. Each of the protection plates has an insertion slot. The printed circuit board is inserted into the insertion slots. The insertion portion of the printed circuit board penetrates through the opening of the plastic member for electrically contacting electrical portions of a mating connector. 
   The structure of the plastic member of the above conventional connector is complicated. An assembling process of the printed circuit board and the plastic member is a necessity to obtain the above connector. As a result, the cost of the above connector is increased. In addition, the printed circuit board is inserted into the insertion slots, but it is not reliably connected to the plastic member. As a result, when the connector is connected to the mating connector, the printed circuit board becomes loose. Consequently, the electrical contact between the connector and the mating connector is unstable. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The primary object of the invention is therefore to specify a connector, in which a circuit board thereof is reliably connected to a support member thereof, so as to prevent the circuit board from loosening from the support member and to decrease the cost thereof. 
   Another object of the invention is therefore to specify a connector, in which the connection between soldering pads of a circuit board thereof and wires of a cable thereof is reliable. 
   According to the invention, the object is achieved via a connector for electrically connecting to a mating connector. The connector comprises a circuit board, a cable, and a support member. The circuit board has a front portion, a mid portion, and a rear portion. The front portion has a plurality of conductive pads for electrically contacting electrical portions of the mating connector. The rear portion has a plurality of soldering pads. The cable has a plurality of wires. The wires are soldered onto the soldering pads. The mid portion and the rear portion of the circuit board are embedded into the support member via a manner of insert-molding. 
   By using insert-molding, the circuit board is reliably and simply connected to the support member, so as to prevent the circuit board from loosening from the support member, and to decrease the cost of the connector of the present invention as well. 
   In addition, the support member surrounds the rear portion of the circuit board, so that the connection between the soldering pads of the circuit board and the wires of the cable is reliable. 
   To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention. Examples of the more important features of the invention thus have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention which will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an upward view showing wires of a cable of a connector of the present invention being soldered onto soldering pads of a circuit board of the connector of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view showing wires of a cable of a connector of the present invention being soldered onto soldering pads of a circuit board of the connector of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a connector of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is an upward view of a connector of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of a connector of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 6  is another perspective view of a connector of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1–6 , the present invention provides a connector for electrically connecting to a mating connector (not shown). The connector comprises a circuit board  1 , a cable  2 , a wire-arrangement member  3 , and a support member  4 . 
   The circuit board  1  has a front portion  10 , a mid portion  11 , and a rear portion  12 . The front portion  10  has a plurality of conductive pads  101  disposed on a surface thereof for electrically contacting electrical portions of the mating connector. The rear portion  12  has a plurality of soldering pads  121  disposed on a surface thereof. The mid portion  11  and the rear portion  12  may further have electronic components (not shown). 
   The cable  2  has a plurality of wires  20 . 
   The wire-arrangement member  3  is made of insulative material (such as a soft plastic). A part of each of the wires  20  of the cable  2  is embedded into the wire-arrangement member  3  via a manner of insert-molding. As such, a distal end of each of the wires  20  aligns with a corresponding soldering pad  121  of the circuit board  1 . In this embodiment, the rear portion  12  of the circuit board  1  has a protrusion  122  extending outward from one lateral edge thereof. The protrusion  122  indicates a direction of the circuit board  1 , so that the wires  20  are capable of being soldered onto the soldering pads  121  correctly. 
   The support member  4  is made of insulative material (such as a soft plastic). The mid portion  11  and the rear portion  12  of the circuit board  1  are embedded into the support member  4  via a manner of insert-molding. As such, the circuit board  1  is reliably and simply connected to the support member  4 , and the soldering pads  121  and the distal ends of the wires  20  are protected by the support member  4 . In addition, the support member  4  has a flange  40 . The flange  40  has a notch  401  close to one lateral edge of the support member  4 . As such, a casing (not shown) is assembled onto the support member  4  correctly. 
   Moreover, the mid portion  11  of the circuit board  1  may have at least one through hole  111 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the mid portion  11  of the circuit board  1  has two through holes  111  respectively disposed in two lateral edges thereof. A part of the support member  4  is formed in the through holes  111 , so that the circuit board  1  is reliably connected to the support member  4 . 
   Furthermore, the mid portion  11  of the circuit board  1  may have at least one wing portion  112  extending outward from one lateral edge thereof. The at least one wing portion  112  has a through hole  111 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the mid portion  11  of the circuit board  1  has two wing portions  112  respectively and symmetrically extending outward from two lateral edges thereof. Each of the wing portions  112  has a through hole  111 . The wing portions  112  are embedded into the support member  4 , and a part of the support member  4  is formed in the through holes  111 , so that the circuit board  1  is reliably connected to the support member  4 . 
   The connection between the circuit board  4  and the support member  4  is firm. Therefore, when the connector of the present invention is connected to the mating connector, the circuit board  1  will not become loose, so that the electrical contact between the conductive pads  101  of the circuit board  1  and the electrical portions of the mating connector is stable. 
   As indicated above, the connector of the present invention has the following advantages: 
   1. By using insert-molding, the circuit board is reliably connected to the support member, so as to prevent the circuit board from loosening from the support member. Therefore, the electrical contact between the connector of the present invention and the mating connector is stable. 
   2. By using insert-molding, the circuit board is simply connected to the support member, so as to decrease the cost of the connector of the present invention. 
   3. The support member surrounds the rear portion of the circuit board, so that the connection between the soldering pads of the circuit board and the wires of the cable is reliable. 
   It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above description is only illustrative of specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.