Patent Publication Number: US-9853403-B1

Title: Board to board connector assembly, female connector and male connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector technology, and more particularly to a board to board connector assembly, a female connector and a male connector, all of which have the reliable electrical connection performance. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A board to board connector assembly has the highest transmission capacity in all current connector products, and is widely applied in power systems, communications networks, office equipment, home appliances and other industries. The board to board connector assembly is used to connect two parallel circuit boards, and includes a female connector and a male connector. The female connector and the male connector are respectively disposed on a mother circuit board and a daughter circuit board. When the female connector and the male connector are engaged with each other, the two circuit boards are connected together and are parallel to each other. 
     The prior male connector usually employs a straight rigid terminal, and the female connector employs a bent elastic terminal. The two connectors are electrically connected by an electrical contact of the rigid terminal and the elastic terminal. However, the connection mode still has some security risks, for example, the connection between terminals is not reliable, the contact is not stable, more serious is that two connectors may be separated from each other. 
     Hence, it is necessary to provide a new board to board connector assembly, male and female terminals of which can be reliably engaged with each other to produce the stable electrical contact. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first object of the present invention is to provide a board to board connector assembly, male and female terminals of which can be reliably engaged with each other to produce the stable electrical contact. 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide a female connector, a female terminal of which has an elastic mating structure for being reliably engaged with a male terminal to produce the stable electrical contact. 
     A third object of the present invention is to provide a male connector, a male terminal of which has an elastic mating structure for being reliably engaged with a female terminal to produce the stable electrical contact. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be further understood from the technical features disclosed by the present invention. 
     To achieve the aforementioned object or other objects of the present invention, the present invention adopts the following technical solution. 
     The present invention provides a board to board connector assembly, comprising a female connector and a male connector. The female connector includes a female housing and two rows of symmetrically arranged female terminals. The female housing has a bottom wall, two longitudinal walls standing on the bottom wall and being parallel to each other, two transverse walls standing on the bottom wall and being parallel to each other, a receiving cavity defined by the two longitudinal walls and the two transverse walls, an opening formed above the receiving cavity, and two rows of female terminal-receiving passages being symmetrically formed on the inside of the longitudinal walls and passing through the opening and the bottom wall. Each female terminal has a horizontal section, an elastic engaging section being connected with one end of the horizontal section and extending upward, and a tail section being connected with the other end of the horizontal section and horizontally extending away from the side of the horizontal section. The elastic engaging section has a first protrusion, which is located on the top of the elastic engaging section and protrudes toward the direction opposite to the tail section. The elastic engaging section is received in the corresponding female terminal-receiving passage, the first protrusion is partly exposed in the receiving cavity, and the tail section extends out of the female housing. The male connector includes a male housing and two rows of symmetrically arranged male terminals. The male housing includes a base, a tongue plate standing on the base, and two rows of male terminal-receiving passages being symmetrically formed on the tongue plate. Each male terminal has a vertical plate, an elastic arm standing on the top of the vertical plate, and a tail portion located on the bottom of the vertical plate and horizontally extending away from the side of the vertical plate. The elastic arm has a second protrusion, which is located on the top of the elastic arm and protrudes toward the direction same as the tail portion. The elastic arm is located in the corresponding male terminal-receiving passage. The second protrusion is partly exposed outside the male terminal-receiving passage for being engaged with the corresponding female terminal. And the tail portion horizontally extends out of the tongue plate. When the male connector and the female connector are engaged with each other, the tongue plate of the male connector is inserted into the receiving cavity from the opening of the female connector, the second protrusion passes the first protrusion, and a bottom surface of the second protrusion contacts with a bottom surface of the first protrusion to form a holding state. 
     In one embodiment, the top of the first protrusion is a slope, and the bottom surface of the first protrusion is perpendicular to the elastic engaging section; and the top of the second protrusion is an inclined surface, and the bottom surface of the second protrusion is perpendicular to the elastic arm. 
     In one embodiment, the female terminal further has a vertical retaining section being located between the tail section and the elastic engaging section, being connected with the horizontal section and extending upward. The length of the elastic engaging section is greater than that of the vertical retaining section. The elastic engaging section and the vertical retaining section are independent and separate. The elastic engaging section is not completely perpendicular to the horizontal section. The female housing further has two rows of symmetrically arranged female terminal-retaining holes formed on the bottom wall and respectively located on two sides of the two longitudinal walls, and each female terminal-retaining hole is communicated with one corresponding female terminal-receiving passage on the bottom of the bottom wall. Wherein the vertical retaining section is inserted into and fixed into the corresponding female terminal-retaining hole. 
     In one embodiment, the female terminal further has an arc section to connect the horizontal section and the elastic engaging section. 
     In one embodiment, the male terminal further has a retaining arm standing on the top of the vertical plate and located on the side of the elastic arm. The length of the elastic arm is greater than that of the retaining arm, and the elastic arm and the retaining arm are independent and separate. And the male housing further includes two rows of male terminal-retaining holes being symmetrically formed on the tongue plate and located on the inside of the corresponding male terminal-receiving passages. Each male terminal-retaining hole is communicated with the corresponding male terminal-receiving passage under the tongue plate. The retaining arm is inserted into and fixed into the corresponding male terminal-retaining hole. 
     In one embodiment, the elastic arm further has an upright section connected to the top of the vertical plate, and a tilted section extending upward from the top of the upright section and being tilted to the retaining arm; the second protrusion is formed on the top of the tilted section, and the bottom surface of the second protrusion is perpendicular to the tilted section. 
     In one embodiment, the tongue plate has a T-shaped section, the bottoms of these male terminal-receiving passages pass through the bottom of the tongue plate, and the tops of these male terminal-receiving passages do not pass through the top of the tongue plate. 
     In one embodiment, the male housing and the female housing are elongated. The two longitudinal walls and the two transverse walls of the female housing are perpendicular to each other; the longitudinal wall is longer than the transverse wall. The opening defined by the two longitudinal walls and the two transverse walls is rectangular. The base of the male housing consists of two support blocks respectively located on two sides of the tongue plate, and each support block disposes a support post on the bottom thereof. 
     The present invention further provides a female connector, comprising a female housing and two rows of symmetrically arranged female terminals. The female housing is elongated and has a bottom wall, two longitudinal walls standing on the bottom wall and being parallel to each other, two transverse walls standing on the bottom wall and being parallel to each other, a receiving cavity defined by the two longitudinal walls and the two transverse walls, an opening formed above the receiving cavity, two rows of female terminal-receiving passages being symmetrically formed on the inside of the longitudinal walls and passing through the opening and the bottom wall, and two rows of symmetrically arranged female terminal-retaining holes formed on the bottom wall and respectively located on two sides of the two longitudinal walls. Wherein each female terminal-retaining hole is communicated with one corresponding female terminal-receiving passage on the bottom of the bottom wall. Each female terminal has a horizontal section, an elastic engaging section being connected with one end of the horizontal section and extending upward, a tail section being connected with the other end of the horizontal section and horizontally extending away from the side of the horizontal section, and a vertical retaining section being located between the tail section and the elastic engaging section, being connected with the horizontal section and extending upward. The elastic engaging section has a first protrusion, which is located on the top of the elastic engaging section and protrudes toward the direction opposite to the tail section; the top of the first protrusion being a slope. Wherein the elastic engaging section is received in the corresponding female terminal-receiving passage, the first protrusion is partly exposed in the receiving cavity, the tail section extends out of the female housing, and the vertical retaining section is inserted into and fixed into the corresponding female terminal-retaining hole. 
     The present invention further provides a male connector, comprising a male housing and two rows of symmetrically arranged male terminals. The male housing includes a base, a tongue plate standing on the base, two rows of male terminal-receiving passages being symmetrically formed on the tongue plate, and two rows of male terminal-retaining holes being symmetrically formed on the tongue plate and located on the inside of the corresponding male terminal-receiving passages. The tongue plate has a T-shaped section. Each male terminal-retaining hole is communicated with the corresponding male terminal-receiving passage under the tongue plate. Each male terminal has a vertical plate, an elastic arm standing on the top of the vertical plate, and a tail portion located on the bottom of the vertical plate and horizontally extending away from the side of the vertical plate. The elastic arm has an upright section connected to the top of the vertical plate, a tilted section extends upward from the top of the upright section and is tilted to the retaining arm, and a second protrusion, which is located on the top of the tilted section and protrudes toward the direction same as the tail portion; the top of the second protrusion is an inclined surface. Wherein the elastic arm is located in the corresponding male terminal-receiving passage, the second protrusion is partly exposed outside the male terminal-receiving passage for being engaged with a corresponding female terminal, the retaining arm is inserted into and fixed into the corresponding male terminal-retaining hole, and the tail portion horizontally extends out of the tongue plate. 
     In comparison with the prior art, the board to board connector assembly of the present invention provides the male terminal and the female terminal, both of which dispose elastic mating structures for making the both be engaged with each other and have the reliable connection and the stable electrical contact. Furthermore, the electrical connection between the male connector and female connector is reliable. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a board to board connector assembly of the present invention after being combined; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the board to board connector assembly after being separated; 
         FIG. 3  is a section view of the board to board connector assembly after being combined; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a female connector of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the female connector along another direction; 
         FIG. 6  is a section view of the female connector; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of a male connector of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the male connector along another direction; and 
         FIG. 9  is a section view of the male connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of every embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings is used to exemplify a specific embodiment, which may be carried out in the present invention. Directional terms mentioned in the present invention, such as “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “top”, “bottom” etc., are only used with reference to the orientation of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the used directional terms are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the present invention. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , a board to board connector assembly  1  of the present invention comprises a female connector  2  and a male connector  3 , which can be combined together to form the reliable electrical connection. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 , the female connector  2  includes a female housing  20  and two rows of symmetrically arranged female terminals  22 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the female housing  20  is elongated and includes a bottom wall  201 , two longitudinal walls  202  standing on the bottom wall  201  and being parallel to each other, two transverse walls  203  standing on the bottom wall  201  and being parallel to each other, a receiving cavity  204  defined by the two longitudinal walls  202  and the two transverse walls  203 , an opening  205  formed above the receiving cavity  204 , two rows of female terminal-receiving passages  206  being symmetrically formed on the inside of the longitudinal walls  202  and passing through the opening  205  and the bottom wall  201 , and two rows of female terminal-retaining holes  207  symmetrically formed on the bottom wall  201  and respectively located on two sides of the two longitudinal walls  202 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the bottom wall  201  has a certain thickness. Please refer to  FIG. 6 , each female terminal-retaining hole  207  is communicated with one corresponding female terminal-receiving passage  206  on the bottom of the bottom wall  201 , so that the corresponding female terminal  22  can be inserted into the female terminal-retaining hole  207  and the female terminal-receiving passage  206 . The two longitudinal walls  202  are perpendicular to the two transverse walls  203 , and the longitudinal wall  202  is longer than the transverse wall  203 . The opening  205  defined by the two longitudinal walls  202  and the two transverse walls  203  is rectangular. Each female terminal-receiving passage  206  extends from the top of the female housing  20  onto the bottom of the female housing  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , each female terminal  22  has a horizontal section  220 , an elastic engaging section  221  being connected with one end of the horizontal section  220  and extending upward, a tail section  222  being connected with the other end of the horizontal section  220  and horizontally extending away from the side of the horizontal section  220 , and a vertical retaining section  223  being located between the tail section  222  and the elastic engaging section  221 , being connected with the horizontal section  220  and extending upward. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the female terminal  22  has a vertical sheet structure. The elastic engaging section  221  is not completely perpendicular to the horizontal section  220 , but slightly tilted at an angle so as to being mated with one corresponding male terminal  32  (label seen in  FIG. 9 ). The elastic engaging section  221  has a first protrusion  2210 , which is located on the top of the elastic engaging section  221  and protrudes toward the direction opposite to the tail section  222 . In the embodiment, the first protrusion  2210  protrudes toward the receiving cavity  204  of the female housing  20 . The top of the first protrusion  2210  is a slope  2212  to be used for guiding the corresponding male terminal  32  when mating. A bottom surface  2214  of the first protrusion  2210  is generally perpendicular to the elastic engaging section  221 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the female terminal  22  further has an arc section  224  to connect the horizontal section  220  and the elastic engaging section  221  for preventing the elastic engaging section  221  from being difficult to offset or being broken when mating. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the tail section  222  of the female terminal  22  is lower than the horizontal section  220  and horizontally extends outward. The vertical retaining section  223  forms multiple barbs. The length of the elastic engaging section  221  is greater than that of the vertical retaining section  223 . The elastic engaging section  221  and the vertical retaining section  223  are independent and separate. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 , when the female terminal  22  is mounted on the female housing  20 , the elastic engaging section  221  is received in the corresponding female terminal-receiving passage  206 , and the first protrusion  2210  is partly exposed in the receiving cavity  204  for being engaged with the corresponding male terminal  32 . The horizontal section  220  is embedded in the bottom wall  201 , and the vertical retaining section  223  is inserted into and fixed by the corresponding female terminal-retaining hole  207 . The tail section  222  extends out of the female housing  20  for being connected with an outer circuit board (not shown). 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 7 to 9 , the male connector  3  includes a male housing  30  and two rows of symmetrically arranged male terminals  32 . 
     Referring  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the male housing  30  is elongated and includes a base  301 , a tongue plate  302  standing on the base  301 , two rows of male terminal-receiving passages  303  being symmetrically formed on the tongue plate  302 , and two rows of male terminal-retaining holes  304  (label seen in  FIG. 9 ) being symmetrically formed on the tongue plate  302  and located on the inside of the corresponding male terminal-receiving passages  303 . Please refer to  FIG. 9 , each male terminal-retaining hole  304  is communicated with the corresponding male terminal-receiving passage  303  under the tongue plate  302 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , in the embodiment, the base  301  consists of two support blocks  305  respectively located on two sides of the tongue plate  302 . Each support block  305  disposes a support post  306  on the bottom thereof to fix the male connector  3  on the other outer circuit board (not shown). The bottoms of these male terminal-receiving passages  303  pass through the bottom of the tongue plate  302 , and the tops of these male terminal-receiving passages  303  do not pass through the top of the tongue plate  302 . There is a certain distance between the tops of these male terminal-receiving passages  303  and the top of the tongue plate  302 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the tongue plate  302  has a T-shaped section. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , each male female  32  has a vertical plate  320 , an elastic arm  321  standing on the top of the vertical plate  320 , a retaining arm  322  standing on the top of the vertical plate  320  and located on the side of the elastic arm  321 , and a tail portion  323  located on the bottom of the vertical plate  320  and horizontally extending away from the side of the vertical plate  320 . The length of the elastic arm  321  is greater than that of the retaining arm  322 , and the both are independent and separate. The elastic arm  321  has an upright section  3210  connected to the vertical plate  320 , a tilted section  3212  extending upward from the top of the upright section  3210  and being tilted to the retaining arm  322 , and a second protrusion  3214  being located on the top of the tilted section  3212  and protruding toward the direction same as the tail portion  323 . The top of the second protrusion  3214  is an inclined surface  3216  to be used for guiding the corresponding female terminal  22  when mating. A bottom surface  3218  of the second protrusion  3214  is generally perpendicular to the tilted section  3212 . The retaining arm  322  forms multiple barbs. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 9 , when the male terminal  32  is mounted in the male housing  30 , the elastic arm  321  is received in the corresponding male terminal-receiving passage  303 , the second protrusion  3214  is partly exposed out of the male terminal-receiving passage  303  for being engaged with the corresponding female terminal  22 . The retaining arm  322  is inserted into the corresponding male terminal-retaining hole  304 . The tail portion  323  horizontally extends out of the tongue plate  302 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , when the male connector  3  and the female connector  2  are engaged with each other, the tongue plate  302  of the male connector  3  is inserted into the receiving cavity  204  from the opening  205  of the female connector  2 . The second protrusion  3214  slides downward along the slope  2212  of the first protrusion  2210 , or specifically the inclined surface  3216  of the second protrusion  3214  slides downward along the slope  2212  of the first protrusion  2210 . Gradually, the elastic engaging section  221  of the female terminal  22  moves outward, and the elastic arm  321  of the male terminal  32  moves inward. Finally, the second protrusion  3214  passes the first protrusion  2210 , and the bottom surface  3218  of the second protrusion  3214  contacts with the bottom surface  2214  of the first protrusion  2210 . Therefore, the second protrusion  3214  and the first protrusion  2210  can form a holding state to further make the male connector  3  and the female connector  2  be engaged with each other. 
     As described above, the elastic arm  321  and the second protrusion  3214  together construct an elastic mating structure, and the elastic engaging section  221  and the first protrusion  2210  together construct an elastic mating structure. The board to board connector assembly  1  can ensure the reliable connection and the stable electrical contact effect between terminals  22 ,  32  and further ensure the reliable electrical connection between the two connectors  2 ,  3  by the elastic mating structures of the male terminals  32  and the female terminals  22 . 
     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.