Patent Publication Number: US-8974240-B2

Title: Electrical connector with detect pins

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particular to an electrical connector with detect pins for indicating insertion of a mating plug therein. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     USB PD (power delivery) receptacle and plug are developed to enhance a power delivery function for USB products. The USB PD plug has a longer shell relative to traditional plug, so PD detect pins disposed on the USB PD receptacle can be actuated by a front edge of an inserted part of the longer shell of the USB PD plug, while not by the traditional plug. However, the PD detect pins of current USB PD receptacle in USB PD specification needs to occupy a center of the bottom of the receiving space along a top to bottom direction, it may not be adapted for a sink type or stacked type connector. 
     An improved connector with detect pins is needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with detect pins. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector, adapted for receiving a mating plug with a shell, comprises an insulative housing formed with a base and a mating tongue extending forwardly from the base; a metallic shell covering the insulative housing thereby defining a receiving cavity surrounding the mating tongue for receiving the mating plug; and a plurality of conductive contacts retained to the insulative housing. Two detect pins extend into the receiving cavity and have two detecting portions disposed on two opposite sides of the mating tongue, respectively, both the two detect pins are located at a rear of the receiving cavity and are capable of electrically connecting with each other via the shell of the mating plug. 
     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 an assembled, perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is similar with  FIG. 1 , taken from another side; 
         FIG. 3  is another assembled, perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partially assembled perspective view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a partially exploded, perspective view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  another partially exploded, perspective view of the electrical connector in  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the electrical connector, taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail, wherein depicted elements are not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by same or similar reference numeral through the several views and same or similar terminology. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , an electrical connector  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is provided and configured as a USB 3.0 PD receptacle, it should be pointed out that the other similar electrical connectors, such as USB 2.0 connector, eSATA connector, Display Port connector and et al, are also suitable for incorporation of the present invention. The electrical connector  100  has a substantial same configuration as that of USB 3.0 receptacle except detect pins thereof. A conventional USB 3.0 receptacle are described in detail in many patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,625,243, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference to the extent not inconsistent herewith. 
     The electrical connector  100  comprises an insulative housing  1 , and a metallic shell  2  surrounding the insulative housing  1  and defining a receiving cavity  10  cooperatively with the insulative housing  1 . A plurality of conductive contacts  3  are retained to the insulative housing  1 . The receiving cavity  10  defines an insertion direction along a front-to-back direction. Two detect modules  4  are assembled to two opposite sides of the shell  2  and outside the receiving cavity  10 . 
       FIGS. 4-6  illustrate exploded configuration of the electrical connector  100  in present embodiment, the insulative housing  1  comprises a base  11 , a tongue  12  assembled to the base  11  and extending forwardly from the base  11  and a spacer  13  assembled to a rear of the base  11 , in alternative embodiment, the base  11  and the tongue  12  also may be integrated. The conductive contacts  3  consist of nine pins, five first contacts  30  and four second contacts  31 , which are jointly compliance to USB 3.0 standard. 
     The base  11  defines a groove  110  therethrough along a front-to-back direction, the tongue  12  is backwardly inserted into the groove  110  of the base  11 , two latching arms  120  extend rearward from a rear end of the tongue  12  and lock with notches  111  formed on a rear of the base  11  to retain the tongue  12  to the base  11 . The tongue  12  has a mating tongue  122  extending forwardly beyond the base  11  to be exposed in the receiving cavity  10 . 
     Conjoined with  FIG. 2 , all of the first contacts  30  and the second contacts  31  are disposed on a bottom face  123  of the mating tongue  122 . The first contacts  30  are insert-molded with the tongue  12  and each have a planar first contacting portion  301  arranged in a front row near a port of the receiving cavity  10 . Each of the first contacts  30  has a tail portion  302  bent downwardly to be soldered to a printed circuit board. The second contacts  31  are assembled to the base  11  and extend forwardly. 
     Each of the second contacts  31  has an arched second contacting portion  311  floatablely received in slots  122  defined in the tongue  12  and arranged in a rear row on the tongue  12  behind the front row of the first contacting portions  301 . Each of the second contacts  31  has a retaining portion  312  interfering with the base  11  and a tail portion  313  bent downwardly from the retaining portion  312  to be soldered to the printed circuit board. The tail portions  302  of the first contacts  30  are initially kept in horizontal plane, then pass through a plurality of passageways  113  defined on the base  11  when the tongue  12  is assembled to the base  11 , and finally are bent downwardly. The spacer  13  defines a plurality of slots  131  for receiving the tail portions  302  of the first contacts  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , the metallic shell  2  is made by stamping of a metal sheet and is configured with a top wall  21 , a bottom wall  22 , two opposite side walls  23 , and a rear wall  24 . The metallic shell  2  surrounds the insulative housing  1  and defines the receiving cavity  10  therein for receiving the USB plug therein. The rear wall  24  comprises two locking arms  240  to lock with the side walls  23 . Each of the side walls  23  defines an opening  230  outside a rear end of the receiving cavity  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-7 , the two detect modules  4  have a same configuration, each includes an insulative clump  41  insert molded with a detect pin  43  and a metallic plate  45  covering a top, a bottom and an outside faces of the insulative clump  41 . The detect pin  43  is formed in an L-shaped, including a vertical leg  431 , a mounting part  432  horizontally and backwardly extending from a top end of the leg  431  and beyond the insulative clump  41 , and a detecting portion  433  on a rear end of the mounting part  432 . The vertical leg  431 , and the mounting part  432  are located in a same plane, and the detecting portion  433  is bent from the mounting part  432  inwardly then outwardly to form an arched shape. 
     Conjoined with  FIGS. 1-3 , the detect modules  4  are assembled to front ends of the two side walls  23 , respectively, the insulative clump  41  abuts against an outside face of the side wall  23 , the metallic plate  45  has an upper and a lower horizontal pieces  450 , which are attached to the top wall  21  and the bottom wall  22  of the shell  2  by soldering or gluing, respectively, so as to retain the detect module  4  to the shell  2 . Further conjoined with  FIG. 7 , the detecting portions  433  of the detect pins  43  pass through the openings  230  into the receiving cavity  10 , and are located on two opposite sides of the mating tongue  122 , even inwardly abut against the mating tongue  122 . The detecting portions  433  are aligned with each other along a direction and substantially located in a same horizontal plane as the mating tongue  122 , that means the detecting portions  433  do not occupy a bottom spacer under the mating tongue  122 , so this detect module  4  is adapted for both sink type and stacked type connectr. 
     The electrical connector  100  can mate with a conventional USB plug, a USB PD plug whose shell has a longer mating part and thin card. When the conventional USB plug is inserted, the detecting portion  433  of the detect pin  43  keep unmoved since a corresponding mating part of the conventional USB plug is not long enough to touch the detecting potion  433 . While the shell of an inserted USB PD plug can touch the detect portions  433  of the detect pins  43 , then the two detecting portions  433  electrically connect each other via the shell of the USB PD plug. A status of corresponding detect circuit (not shown, may be designed in the printed circuit board) shifts from “open” to “close”, to indicate that an USB PD Plug is inserted, a big power supply may begin. 
     When the thin card is inserted, the detecting portions  433  may be pushed by an insulative cover but will not electrically conduct with each other. So, only the USB PD plug can activate the detect circuit. In another embodiment, maybe only one detect member is provided, and the detect circuit is established between the detect pin and the shell  2  of the electrical connector  100  via the shell of the USB PD plug. 
     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.