Patent Publication Number: US-6217371-B1

Title: Modular connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a modular connector for mating with different electric connectors and comprising a group of indicating devices. 
     In order to make full use of the space on a PCB in computers, molded electrical connectors have become a trend in the development of computers and a number of designs for molded electrical connectors have been developed. The modular connectors disclosed in prior art Taiwan patent application Nos. 85217540 and 8609808 do not make full use of the space between electrical connectors, resulting in a modular connector that is larger than it need be. Additionally, in assembly, the insertion direction of the terminal module is the reverse of that of a mating connector, thus, when the mating connector is inserted, it tends to push the terminal module out of its position and thereby adversely affects the contact between the module and the mating connector. Hence, an improved design for a modular connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first object of the present invention is to provide a modular connector which can minimize the side-by-side space between the mating connectors received therein; 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide a modular connector which can be securely assembled and is fitted with indicating devices for signaling circuit transmission. 
     A third object of the present invention is to provide a modular connector which can prevent the conductive contacts therein from breaking off during mating. 
     A modular connector of the present invention comprises an insulative housing, terminal modules, a shell and indicating devices. The insulative housing defines at least two mating cavities in a front portion and two arranging openings communicating with the mating cavities in a top portion thereof, both of which are adapted for insertion of mating connectors. A first receiving groove is defined in the housing at one side of each arranging opening for accommodating an indicating device. Second receiving grooves are defined in a rear wall of the insulative housing in communication with respective first receiving grooves. Insert openings are defined in a bottom wall of the insulative housing for insertion of corresponding terminal modules. Each terminal module comprises a plurality of conductive contacts molded in a spacer and is inserted into the insulative housing from the insert opening thereof. The shell encloses the insulative housing to provide EMI shielding. A front side of the shell defines receiving openings aligned with the mating cavities of the insulative housing and apertures aligned with the first receiving grooves in the insulative housing. The indicating devices are received in the first and second receiving grooves of the insulative housing. A front end of each indicating device extends out of an aperture of the shell to show the state of circuit transmission. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular connector of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 from another aspect; 
     FIG. 3A is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 from a bottom aspect; 
     FIG. 3B is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 from a front aspect; 
     FIG. 3C is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 from a rear aspect. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 A and  3 B, a modular connector of the present invention generally composed of a large unit and a small unit side by side integrally arranged together, comprises an insulative housing  1 , terminal modules  2  and  2 ′, a shell  3  and indicating devices  4 . The insulative housing  1  is in a rectangular shape and comprises a top portion  10  and an opposed bottom wall  15 , a front portion  16  and an opposed rear wall  11  (referring to FIG.  3 C), and two opposite side walls  12 . The insulative housing  1  defines at least two mating cavities  13  (one large and one small) opened at the front portion  16  and a like number of corresponding arranging openings  100  opened at the top portion  10  and communicating with a corresponding mating cavity  13 , each mating cavity  13  and corresponding arranging opening  100  adapted for cooperatively receiving a mating connector (not shown). The mating cavities  13  are separated by a separating wall  14 . A first receiving groove  101  is defined at one side of each arranging opening  100  and extends longitudinally through the top portion  10 . A hole  102  is defined in the bottom surface of each first receiving groove  101 . The rear side  11  defines a second receiving groove  111  for each first receiving groove, each of which communicates with and is perpendicular to the corresponding first receiving groove  101  in the top portion  10 . A pair of through holes  112  is defined at both sides of each second receiving groove  111  and extending through the rear wall  11  of the insulative housing  1 . The bottom wall  15  defines at least two insert openings  151  square in shape and communicating with a corresponding mating cavity  13 . A plurality of projections  150  extends rearward from a front side of each insert opening  151  and are separated by a plurality of channels  155  therebetween. A pair of dovetail cutouts  152 , stopping grooves  153  and recesses  154  (referring to FIG. 3A) are defined in both sides of each insert opening  151 . Additionally, a plurality of guide grooves  110  are defined in an inside surface of the rear wall  11  and communicating with each mating cavity  13 . 
     The terminal modules  2  and  2 ′ have a similar structure, so only the terminal modular  2  is detailed hereinafter. The terminal modular  2  comprises a plurality of conductive contacts  21  being injection molded in a spacer  20 . A pair of latching lugs  200 , abutting blocks  201  and protrusions  202  are formed at both sides of the spacer  20 . Additionally, the spacer  20  defines a plurality of retaining channels  204  in a front portion and forms a plurality of latching pins  203  at a rear end thereof. The conductive contacts  21  each comprise a contacting portion  210 , a retaining portion  211  and a soldering portion  212  (referring to FIG.  3 A). The retaining portions  211  thereof are integrally molded into the retaining channels  204  to retain the conductive contacts  21 . The contacting portion  210  of each conductive contact  21  extends rearward and upward from the retaining portion  211 . The soldering portions  212  extend downward from the spacer  20  for soldering to a printed circuit board (not shown). 
     Since the side walls  12  and the separating wall  14  of the insulative housing  1  do not need to provide any fixing devices for retaining inserted mating connectors, the width of the modular connector of the present invention is minimized. Additionally, the terminal modules can not be pushed out of place by repeated insertion of the mating connectors since the mating connectors are inserted perpendicular to the direction of the modules&#39; insertion and the modules are securely retained in the insulative housing  1 . 
     The conductive shell  3  is integrally formed for enclosing the insulative housing  1  to provide EMI shielding and comprises a front side  33  and an opposite rear side  31  (referring to FIG.  3 C), a top side  30  and two opposite lateral sides  32 . The front side  33  defines at least two receiving openings  34  and apertures  330  for correspondingly aligning with the mating cavities  13  and the first receiving grooves  101  of the insulative housing  1  respectively. A pair of grounding arms  331  are formed at either side of each receiving opening  34  and extend rearward from the front side  33  to conductively contact the mating connector. The top side  30  also defines at least two arranging apertures  301  for aligning with the arranging openings  100  in the insulative housing  1 . The opposite lateral sides  32  define a pair of boardlocks  321  depending from bottom edges thereof to latched in a printed circuit board. 
     The indicating devices  4  each comprise a cover  40  and a light emitting diode (LED)  41 . The cover  40  forms a protrusion  400  and an engaging portion  401  both of which depend downward from a bottom surface thereof. The lighting emitting diodes  41  each form a front end  411  and a pair of terminals  412  for signaling circuit transmission. 
     In assembly, the terminal modules  2  and  2 ′ are inserted into the insert openings  151  from the bottom wall  15  of the insulative housing  1  and are retained therein by the latching lugs  200 , abutting blocks  201  and protrusions  202  engaging respectively with the cutouts  152 , stopping grooves  153  and recesses  154  of the insulative housing  1 . Latching pins  203  of the spacer  20  partially engage with the guide grooves  110  in the insulative housing  1 , and retaining portions  211  of the conductive contacts  21  engage with the channels  155  in the insulative housing  1 . Each indicating device  4  is fitted in a corresponding first receiving groove  101  of the insulative housing  1  and the pair of terminals  412  thereof are inserted through the corresponding pair of through holes  112  in the rear wall  11  of the insulative housing  1 . Each light emitting diode  41  is fixed in the insulative housing  1  by the cover  40 , the protrusion  400  thereof being latched in the hole  102  and the engaging portion  401  thereof engaging with the second receiving groove  111 . The shell  3  then encloses the insulative housing  1 , the front ends  411  of the light emitting diodes  411  extending through the apertures  330  and the grounding arms  331  extending into grooves  121  defined in either side of each mating cavity  13 . 
     It is noted that in this embodiment, the both two indicating devices  4  are positioned around the unit having the large cavity  13 , and the side wall  12  beside the small cavity  13  is thinner than the other side wall  12  beside the large cavity  13 . The arrangement allows the overall size of the whole assembly to have a minimum dimension thereof while still keeping proper reliable positioning and functioning of the built-in indicating device  4  thereof. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.