Patent Publication Number: US-8535097-B2

Title: Electrical connector with improved mating means

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector, and more specifically, to an electrical connector that improving the mating means thereof, wherein providing a solution to insert different type plugs into identical connector free from destructing itself. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Technologies today have been transformed rapidly. They are utilized approximately in all social sectors and closely connect with people&#39;s life. Communication technology applied in those computer-peripheral devices generally uses transmission cables to up/download with mass data. The plug assembled with a cable, which is predetermined to be inserted into a socket on a device, thus plays a role as being a key element in communication technology. 
     By year to year, since markets replaced and products retired, the following standards “High Definition Multimedia Interface”, abbreviated as “HDMI” promoted by HDMI Licensing, LLC and “DisplayPort” by VESA, are created to behave in addition with high performance, somehow being the next urge-to-use Input/Output components in the digital world. 
     HDMI and DisplayPort known as high performance characteristics use commonly nineteen terminals. Except one plus terminal is employed as running advanced function for DisplayPort. The width dimensions of these two were usually different resulted in the appearance differences between HDMI and DisplayPort. 
     Taiwan Patent Nos. M362544, M330608 disclose electrical connectors of which HDMI and DisplayPort plug are able to be inserted into an identical shielding. Though such connector decreases size and still adopts only single port that seems a great idea to miniaturize connector, however, a problem occurs wherein conventional art uses a tongue portion in order to guide the plug. In condition of HDMI plug having a small size than DisplayPort plug, conventional art fails to provide a position function in a simple way. So failures always happen during plugging and worsen to the risk of tongue-damaging, even the risk of housing-damaging, as users are trying to accurately position the plug. Looking into many other mating means, such plug connector fails to provide an efficient detecting/guiding mechanism to identify two plugs. Such drawback obviously is a potential risk to the device makers, at the time that devastated quality issue from adopted parts is not allowed, or otherwise it is eventually being harmful to selling products. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     For solving the poor situation occurred in conventional art, therefore, it is necessary to modify and to find an improved means for mating electrical connector, thereto providing a solution to insert different type plugs into identical connector without bringing destruction to itself. 
     The present invention is ultimately to provides an electrical connector, comprising an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals, a detect pin and a shell assembly. The insulative housing has a terminal seat wherein extending forwardly from a base portion and configuring a tongue, and defines a receiving room between bottom of the tongue and a shell. The plurality of terminals is installed in the terminal seat, wherein containing nineteen pins compacting to transmit HDMI signals, and with one plus pin compacting to transmit DisplayPort signals. The shell accommodates the insulative housing, and includes: a first engagement portion defined at one side of tongue, extending a first arm in curve shape to an opening of the shell and configuring a first stop toward to the receiving room, wherein the first arm corresponding to a ramped portion of said shell, a third engagement portion defined at vertical direction of the first engagement portion extending a third arm in curve shape to the opening, and a second engagement portion defined at horizontal direction of the third engagement portion, extending a second arm in curve shape to the opening and configuring a second stop toward to the receiving room. 
     The tongue of terminal seat provides recessions at both top and bottom sides of the tongue for receiving the contact ends of the terminals. 
     The electrical connector further comprises a detect pin attached to the terminal seat including a body portion, a resilient finger and a soldering tail wherein the body portion disposed in terminal seat and the resilient finger disposed near the tongue. 
     The insulative housing includes a block holding soldering tails of the terminals and the detect pin through holes on the block. The terminal seat extends backwardly from the base portion and configures two extension portions, wherein the block fixed between the extension portions. 
     Each extension portion contains an aperture at inner side and the block configures tabs to engage with the apertures thereof. 
     The shell is assembled of a first shell and a second shell attached out of the first shell, wherein the first engagement portion configured at the first shell and the second engagement portion configured at said second shell with the third engagement portion. 
     As the DisplayPort plug is inserting into receiving room, the plug pushes the first engagement portion, third engagement portion and second engagement portion, and leads to physically distort and space out of former place. And detect pin is butted and touches to the shell, in which a detecting signal is sent to a circuit board, and finally the DisplayPort plug approximately connects to electrical connector therein. 
     The present invention is further to provide an electrical connector. As comparatively smaller HDMI plug inserting into the receiving room, the one side (e.g. right) of plug must be positioned to a side wall (e.g. right) of the shell which is the side just opposed to the ramped portion, to ensure the third engagement portion spacing out of former place. Thus, the other side (e.g. left) of plug is eventually able to be inserted in. Otherwise, once the HDMI plug fails to be positioned as mentioned, the first engagement portion and the third engagement portion unfavorably cease the moving plug. If so, the HDMI plug is hard to be inserted in, and not able to connect to electrical connector. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the electrical connector formed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is another exploded perspective view shown in  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the electrical connector formed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 4 , illustrated a DisplayPort plug outline inside the connector. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 4 , illustrated a HDMI plug outline inside the connector. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-section view of the electrical connector before connecting with a HDMI plug connector in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 7  after connecting with a HDMI plug connector. 
         FIG. 9  is a vertical cross-section view of the electrical connector predetermined to connect a DisplayPort plug connector in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the present embodiment is illustrated in a perspective view and exploded perspective views. An electrical connector comprises: an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  2 , a detect pin  3  and a shell assembly  4 . 
     The insulative housing  1  consists of a terminal seat  11  and a block  12 . Terminal seat  11  extended forwardly from a base portion  111  configures a tongue  112 , wherein recessions  1121  are provided at both top and bottom sides of tongue  112 . Terminal seat  11  extended backwardly from base portion  111  configures two extension portions  113  wherein each extension portion  113  contains an aperture  1131  at inner side. Block  12  consists of holes  121  on surface and tabs  122  which configure to engage with apertures  1131 . 
     A plurality of terminals  2  is installed in terminal seat  11  wherein each terminal has a contact end  21  disposed in the recession  1121  and a soldering tail  22  passing through the hole  121  of block  12 . A plurality of terminals  2  contains nineteen pins which are compact to perform HDMI transmission, and additionally contains one pin which is performing with above-mentioned  19  pins so entire terminal set  2  is able to be compacting to DisplayPort transmission. 
     Detect pin  3  is attached to terminal seat  11  and comprises a body portion  31  disposed at one of extension portions  113 , a resilient finger  32  disposed near tongue  112 , and a soldering tail  33  passing through the hole  121  of block  12 . 
     Shell assembly  4  engages with insulative housing  1  and further includes a first shell  41  and a second shell  42  of which the second shell  42  approximately is attached to the first shell  41 . A first engagement portion  411  on first shell  41  is defined at one side of tongue  112  and rests under the resilient finger  32  of the detect pin  3 . First engagement portion  411  extends a first arm  4111  in curve shape to the shell  4  opening and configures a first stop  4112  toward to the first shell  41 . First arm  4111  is corresponding to a ramped portion  420  on second shell  42 . Third engagement portion  421  on second shell  42  is defined at vertical direction of the first engagement portion  411  and extends a third arm  4211  in curve shape to the shell  4  opening. Moreover, second engagement portion  422  on second shell  42  is defined at horizontal direction of the third engagement portion  421 . Second engagement portion  422  extends a second arm  4221  in curve shape to the shell  4  opening and configures a second stop  4222  toward to the first shell  41 . On the topside of first shell  41 , at least one latch  412  joins the receiving room in order to lock a plug. 
     As  FIG. 4  further illustrated a front view of the present embodiment, as assembling connector, first of all, a plurality of terminal  2  is inserted into the base portion  111  of the terminal seat  11 , wherein each contact  21  of terminal is disposed in the recession  1121  which is configured at the tongue  112 . Next, the body portion  31  of the detect pin  3  is mounted on the one of extension portion  113  of the terminal seat  11 , wherein the resilient finger  32  of the detect pin  3  extends and is retained close to one side of tongue  112 . 
     Soldering tails  33  of both terminals  22  and detect pin  3  are passing through the hole  121  of the block  12 . Thus, the block  12  holding the terminals  22  approximately is pressed in the terminal seat  11 , wherein latches  122  of block  12  engages with the aperture  1131  of the extension portion  113  and fixes. 
     First shell  41  is assembled within the second shell  42 . And the second shell  42  ultimately accommodates the insulative housing  1  defining a receiving room between the bottom of tongue  112  and shell assembly  4 . In the end, the first engagement portion  411  is corresponding to a ramped portion  420  configured upon the second shell  42 . Third engagement portion  421  is defined at vertical direction of the first engagement portion  411  and the second engagement portion  422  is defined at horizontal direction of the third engagement portion  421 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5-9 , the present embodiment is illustrated in front views and cross-section views that are directed to HDMI/DisplayPort plug outline inside the connector, electrical connector before/after connecting with a HDMI plug connector, and a vertical view of the electrical connector predetermined to connect a DisplayPort plug connector. 
     As the DisplayPort plug  5  inserting into receiving space, the plug  5  pushes the first arm  4111  of first engagement portion  411 , the third arm  4211  of third engagement portion  421  and the second arm  4221  of second engagement portion  422 , and leads to physically distort all engagement portions  411 ,  421 ,  422 . By such distortion, the first arm  4111  of first engagement portion  411  and the second min  4221  of second engagement portion  422  are spacing out of former (original) place resulting in the first stop  4112  and second stop  4222  withdrawing from the receiving room. And the resilient finger  32  of the detect pin  3  is butted and touches the shell  4 , in which a detecting signal is sent to the circuit board. Finally, the DisplayPort plug  5  approximately connects to the electrical connector thereby. 
     As comparatively smaller HDMI plug  6  inserting into the receiving room, the one side (e.g. right) of plug  6  must be positioned to a side wall of shell  4  which is oppose to ramped portion  420 , to ensure that the second arm  4221  of second engagement portion  422  is spacing out of former place and withdrawing the second stop  4222  from the receiving room. In the same time, the first arm  4111  of first engagement portion  411  and third arm  4211  of third engagement portion  421  are not moving. So the other side (e.g. left) of plug  6  favorably passes without halting by the first stop  4112  and eventually inserts in. Otherwise, once the HDMI plug  6  fails to be positioned as mentioned, the first stop  4112  and the second stop  4222  unfavorably cease(stop) the plug  6 . If so, the HDMI plug  6  is hard to be inserted in, and not able to connect to electrical connector. 
     The present invention provides a simple way of which an electrical connector mounted on the P.C.B. is able to distinguish types of plug plugging in. The detect pin is contacting to DisplayPort plug when the plug inserts in. Anticipatively, the sending signals are distinguished as DisplayPort signals. As the detect pin is not contacting/butted to any plug, the sending signals, therefore, should be HDMI signals. 
     The present embodiment provides a shell assembly which initiates to combine the first shell and the second shell. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification that using one or more shells, within the spirit and scope of the claims. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.