Patent Publication Number: US-10790614-B1

Title: Plug connector with movable unlocking structure and plug connector assembly including the same

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a plug connector and a plug connector assembly including a plug connector. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a plug connector assembly in which either the plug housing or the slidable locking portions are provided with inclined contact surfaces so that, once the plug connector is connected to a socket connector and the slidable locking portions are engaged with the plug connector, the slidable locking portions can be moved along the inclined contact surfaces respectively to push the rear surface of the plug housing outward, thereby unlocking the plug connector from the socket connector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE. INVENTION 
     Due to the advancement of electronic and communication technologies, electronic devices are nowadays equipped with a variety of functions and have become indispensable tools in our daily lives. Some notable examples of such devices are mobile phones, which allow people in different parts of the world to communicate with one another; powerbanks, which can be carried around to supply electricity to mobile phones continuously; portable audio players, which satisfy our need to listen to music anywhere anytime; and personal computers, which are depended upon to help with all sorts of things. 
     In order to receive electronic signals and electric power from the outside, an electronic device (e.g., be it a smartphone, tablet computer, desktop computer, laptop computer, or digital camera) must be provided with a connector on the device body. As used herein, the term “connector” refers to a connecting device for use with electronic signals and/or electric power and to its accessories. Connectors can be viewed as bridges for all kinds of signals, and their quality affects the reliability of signal and/or current transmission and is therefore crucial to the operation of electronic devices. Connectors also allow a plurality of electronic devices to be connected as a complete system and to transmit electronic signals and/or electric power to one another. In fact, therefore, connectors are essential to electronic devices in that the latter cannot carry out their predetermined functions without the former. 
     Connector structures vary with their applications and installation locations in order to adapt to and meet user needs. For example, as the concept and use of intelligent vehicles become increasingly prevalent, the demand for automotive connectors is rising substantially. One of the challenges facing automotive connectors is that two connected automotive connectors in a vehicle may eventually come loose, if not separate, from each other as a result of the vibrations generated by the vehicle running on bumpy roads. To ensure secure connection, therefore, an automotive connector is generally provided with a locking structure, which, however, not only adds to the difficulty of design, but also requires additional locking and unlocking operations. 
     The issue to be addressed by the present disclosure is to provide an effective solution to the aforesaid problem so that a connector not only stays secure in place during use, but also can be unlocked with ease. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As the general structure of the conventional connectors still leaves something to be desired in terms of use, the inventor of the present disclosure incorporated years of practical experience in the design, processing, and manufacture of various signal and power connectors and the spirit of continued perfection into an extensive research and experiment and finally succeeded in developing a plug connector with a movable unlocking structure and a plug connector assembly having a plug connector and a movable unlocking structure. The present disclosure is intended to increase the physical stability of two connected connectors but allow the connectors to be easily unlocked from each other so as to provide better user experience. 
     One objective of the present disclosure is to provide a plug connector having a movable unlocking structure. The plug connector includes a plug housing, an insulating plug body, and a plurality of metal plug terminals. The bottom side of the plug housing is formed with a plug insertion opening, the plug insertion opening is recessed into the plug housing to form a plug assembly space extending into the plug housing from the plug insertion opening, and the plug assembly space is adapted for accommodating the insulating plug body. The rear surface of the plug housing is provided with two first locking units adjacent to the plug insertion opening. When the plug connector is connected to a socket connector, two engaging portions of the socket connector are engaged with the first locking units respectively. The metal plug terminals are arranged on the insulating plug body. The insulating plug body is mounted in the plug assembly space. The movable unlocking structure includes two inclined contact surfaces on an inner wall of the plug housing, adjacent to the first locking units respectively, corresponding respectively to two slidable locking portions and adapted for the slidable locking portions to move thereon, and is movable outward to disengage the first locking units from the engaging portions and bring the first locking units into an unlocked state. When the plug connector and the socket connector are connected together and two slidable locking portions are engaged with the left and right surfaces of the plug connector respectively, the two slidable locking portions can be moved toward the top side of the plug housing and consequently moved along the first inclined contact surfaces respectively, with the goal being to push the rear surface of the plug housing outward so that each first locking unit is separated, or disengaged, from the corresponding engaging portion and enters the unlocked state. That is, when the plug connector and the socket connector are connected, a left surface and a right surface of the plug housing are engaged with the slidable locking portions respectively, and the slidable locking portions move toward a top side of the plug housing along the inclined contact surfaces, the rear surface of the plug housing is pushed outward by the slidable locking portions to disengage the first locking units from the engaging portions and bring the first locking units into an unlocked state. 
     Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a plug connector assembly having a movable unlocking structure. The plug connector assembly includes a plug connector, and the movable unlocking structure includes two slidable locking portions. The plug connector has similar structural features stated above. The two slidable locking portions are configured to be engaged with the left and right surfaces of the plug connector respectively. At least one of the plug housing and the two slidable locking portions has a wall provided with an inclined contact surface. When the plug connector and the socket connector are connected together and the two slidable locking portions are engaged with the plug connector, the two slidable locking portions can be moved toward the top side of the plug housing so that, thanks to the configuration of the inclined contact surface, the rear surface of the plug housing will be pushed outward to separate, or disengage, each first locking unit from the corresponding engaging portion and thereby bring the first locking units into the unlocked state. That is, when the plug connector and the socket connector are connected and the two slidable locking portions are engaged with the plug housing and move toward a top side of the plug housing, the two slidable locking portions push the rear surface of the plug housing outward via the first inclined contact surfaces to separate the first locking units from the engaging portions respectively and bring the first locking units into an unlocked state. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objectives, technical features, and effects of the present disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which; 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a plug connector assembly according to the present disclosure and a socket connector; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective of the socket connector in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows the plug connector assembly and the socket connector in  FIG. 1  from another viewing angle; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the plug connector assembly in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows the plug connector d the socket connector in  FIG. 1  coupled together; 
         FIG. 6  shows the plug connector assembly and the socket connector in  FIG. 1  coupled together; 
         FIG. 7  shows the plug connector assembly and the socket connector in  FIG. 6  from another viewing angle; and 
         FIG. 8  is a partial enlarged view of the plug connector assembly and the socket connector in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure discloses a plug connector with a movable unlocking structure and a plug connector assembly including a movable unlocking structure. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the plug connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure at least includes a plug connector  2  and two slidable locking portions  3  and is configured for use with, or more specifically to connect with a socket connector  1 . It should be pointed out that the movable unlocking structure in the present disclosure is designed for the locking structures between the plug connector  2  and the socket connector  1  and is intended to provide ease of unlocking. The following description, therefore, begins with the locking structure of the socket connector  1 . Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the socket connector  1  includes an insulating socket body  11 , a plurality of metal socket terminals  13 , and a socket housing  15 . To facilitate description, the top side of each component described herein is defined as facing the top edge of  FIG. 1 , the bottom side of each component is defined as facing the bottom edge of  FIG. 1 , the left surface of each component is defined as facing the lower left corner of  FIG. 1 , the right surface of each component is defined as facing the upper right corner of  FIG. 1 , the front side of each component is defined as facing the upper left corner of  FIG. 1 , and the rear surface of each component is defined as facing the lower right corner of  FIG. 1 . Please note that the configuration of each component of the plug connector assembly of the present disclosure is not limited to that depicted in  FIG. 1 . A manufacturer may adjust the configuration of each component according to product requirements, provided that the plug connector assembly has the structure and functions disclosed in the following embodiments. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the insulating socket body  11  is composed at least of a socket body portion  11 A, at least one engaging portion  116 , and two fastening portions  118 . The top side of the socket body portion  11 A is formed with a socket insertion opening  110 , in which a socket receiving space  111  is provided. The socket receiving space  111  is in communication with the socket insertion opening  110 . The insulating socket body  11  has two opposite inner sides each provided with a plurality of terminal grooves  114 . The socket insertion opening  110 , the terminal grooves  114 , and the socket receiving space  111  communicate with one another. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the socket body portion  11 A may dispense with the terminal grooves  114  or be additionally provided therein with a tongue plate in which the terminal grooves  114  are formed, in order to adapt the structure of the insulating socket body  11  to various types of connectors. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , two engaging portions  116  are provided on and protrude outward of the rear surface of the socket body portion  11 A and are adjacent to the bottom side of the socket body portion  11 A. The two fastening portions  118  are provided on and protrude outward of the left and right surfaces of the socket body portion  11 A respectively and are also adjacent to the bottom side of the socket body portion  11 A. The engaging portions  116  are part of a first locking structure while the fastening portions  118  are part of a second locking structure. The locking methods of those locking structures will be described further below. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, however, it is feasible for the engaging portions  116  to exist without the fastening portions  118 ; that is to say, a plug connector assembly according to the present disclosure may include only the first locking structure and the corresponding unlocking structure described below. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the metal socket terminals  13  are fixedly provided in the insulating socket body  11  and are spaced apart from one another. The metal socket terminals  13  in this embodiment may be at least one of signal terminals, ground terminals, and power terminals, and are fitted in the terminal grooves  114  respectively such that each metal socket terminal  13  has a top end exposed through the socket receiving space  111  (see  FIG. 2 ) and the opposite end extending out of the bottom end of the insulating socket body  11  (see  FIG. 3 ) in order to be connected (e.g., soldered) to a circuit board or other component. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the socket housing  15  is formed by bending at least one metal plate. In this embodiment, the socket housing  15  has a rectangular cross section such that a vertically throughgoing socket assembly space  150  is formed in and surrounded by the socket housing  15 . The socket housing  15 , however, is not necessarily shaped as shown in  FIG. 2 , provided that the socket housing  15  has an at least U-shaped cross section capable of forming the vertically throughgoing socket assembly space  150 . The insulating socket body  11  is configured to extend into the socket assembly space  150  and be fixed in the socket housing  15  in order for the socket housing  15  to shield the metal socket terminals  13  from electromagnetic interference (EMI), to serve as a grounding path for the metal socket terminals  13 , and to protect the insulating socket body  11 . Once the insulating socket body  11  and the socket housing  15  are put together in the foregoing manner, both the engaging portions  116  and the fastening portions  118  are outside the socket assembly space  150  and exposed from the socket housing  15  (see  FIG. 1 ) in order to lock the plug connector  2 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the plug connector  2  in this embodiment is composed at least of a plug housing  21 , an insulating plug body  22 , and a plurality of metal plug terminals  23 . The bottom side of the plug housing  21  is formed with a plug insertion opening  210 , the plug insertion opening  210  is recessed into the plug housing to form a plug assembly space  211  extending into the plug housing  21  from the plug insertion opening  210 , and the plug assembly space  211  is adapted for accommodating the insulating plug body  22 . The rear surface of the plug housing  21  is provided with two first locking units  24  adjacent to the plug insertion opening  210 . Each first locking unit  24  has an opening. When the plug connector  2  is connected to the socket connector  1 , the two engaging portions  116  of the socket connector  1  are engaged with the first locking units  24  respectively to form the first locking structure. The left and right surfaces of the plug housing  21  are each provided with a second locking unit  25  that extends outward in a bent configuration. Each second locking unit  25  also has an opening. When the plug connector  2  is connected to the socket connector  1 , the two fastening portions  118  of the socket connector  1  are fastened to the second locking units  25  respectively to form the second locking structure. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the first and the second locking units  24  and  25 , the engaging portions  116 , and the fastening portions  118  may be adjusted in configuration, or the first locking units  24  and the engaging portions  116  may exist without the second locking units  25  and the fastening portions  118 , depending on product requirements. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the metal plug terminals  23  are arranged on the insulating plug body  22 . In this embodiment, and by way of example only, the insulating plug body  22  is in the form of a tongue plate, and each metal plug terminal  23  has one end configured as a gold finger and the opposite end configured as a lead. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the insulating plug body  22  and the metal plug terminals  23  may be adjusted in configuration according to product requirements and the configuration of the socket connector  1 . The insulating plug body  22  is configured to be mounted and fixed in the plug assembly space  211  such that the gold finger end of each metal plug terminal  23  is exposed through the plug assembly space  211 . When the plug connector  2  is connected to the socket connector  1 , each metal plug terminal  23  of the plug connector  2  has its gold finger end inserted into the socket receiving space  111  through the socket insertion opening  110  and electrically connected to the exposed end of the corresponding metal socket terminal  13  to enable an exchange of signals or electric current between the connectors. Moreover, when the plug connector  2  is connected to the socket connector  1 , referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , each engaging portion  116  is engaged with the corresponding first locking unit  24  of the plug connector  2  to form the first locking structure, and each fastening portion  118  is fastened to the corresponding second locking unit  25  of the plug connector  2  to form the second locking structure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the two slidable locking portions  3  are configured to be engaged with the left and right surfaces of the plug connector  2  respectively and thereby cover the second locking units  25  respectively (i.e., in cases where the second locking units  25  are present, each of the two slidable locking portions  3  is engaged with the outer side of the corresponding one of the two second locking units  25 ). In this embodiment, each slidable locking portion  3  is provided therein with a slide groove  31  that extends downward from the top side of the slidable locking portion  3 . The slide grooves  31  match the second locking units  25  in configuration so that, once the connectors  1  and  2  are connected together, the slidable locking portions  3  can be engaged respectively with the left and right surfaces of the connectors  1  and  2  in an upward direction, with each second locking unit  25  and the corresponding fastening portion  118  received in one of the slide grooves  31 . Thus, by adjusting the width of the slide grooves  31 , the slidable locking portions  3  are enabled not only to be positioned on the second locking units  25  respectively, but also to further secure each second locking unit  25  and the corresponding fastening portion  118  together, ensuring that the connectors  1  and  2  are firmly coupled to each other. When the connectors  1  and  2  and the slidable locking portions  3  are used as automotive connectors, therefore, the double locking structures and the slidable locking portions  3  can keep the connectors  1  and  2  securely coupled together despite vibrations generated by a bumpy road. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 3 , the inner wall of the plug housing  21  is provided with two first inclined contact surfaces  213  that are respectively adjacent to the first locking units  24 . The first inclined contact surfaces  213  correspond respectively to two slidable locking portions  3  and are adapted for the slidable locking portions  3  to move thereon. The first inclined contact surfaces  213  are movable outward to disengage the first locking units  24  from the engaging portions  116  and bring the first locking units  24  into an unlocked state. In this embodiment, the inner wall of the plug housing  21  is also formed with two recessed portions  215  corresponding respectively to the first inclined contact surfaces  213 , and the recessed portions  215  define accommodating spaces that are in communication with the plug insertion opening  210 . Moreover, each slidable locking portion  3  is provided with an extension arm  32  corresponding in position to one of the recessed portions  215  and to be respectively accommodated in the accommodating spaces. When the slidable locking portions  3  are engaged with the left and right surfaces of the plug connector  2  respectively, each extension arm  32  extends into the corresponding recessed portion  215  through the plug insertion opening  210  (see  FIG. 7 ). That is, when the slidable locking portions are engaged with the left surface and the right surface of the plug connector  2  respectively, the extension arm  32  enters into a corresponding one of the accommodating spaces through the plug insertion opening  210  and is accommodated in the corresponding accommodating space. 
     The unlocking procedure of the present disclosure is as follows. Referring to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 7 , and  FIG. 8 , the two slidable locking portions  3  are moved toward the top side of the plug housing  21  such that each slidable locking portion  3  is moved along the corresponding first inclined contact surface  213  to push the rear surface of the plug housing  21  outward (see  FIG. 8 ). As a result, each first locking unit  24  is disengaged from the corresponding engaging portions  116 , and the connectors  1  and  2  are brought into the first unlocked state. In this embodiment, each extension arm  32  is provided with a second inclined contact surface  321 , and when the slidable locking portions  3  are moved toward the top side of the plug housing  21 , the second inclined contact surfaces  321  will be pressed against and moved along the first inclined contact surfaces  213  respectively, making it easier for the slidable locking portions  3  to push the rear surface of the plug housing  21  outward. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the plug housing  21  and the slidable locking portions  3  may be adjusted in configuration according to product requirements and dispense with the recessed portions  215 , the extension arms  32 , and the second inclined contact surfaces  321 , provided that the two slidable locking portions  3  can be moved along the first inclined contact surfaces  213  respectively to push the rear surface of the plug housing  21  outward and thereby disengage, or unlock, each first locking unit  24  from the corresponding engaging portion  116 . 
     Apart from the configurations described above, the present disclosure can be implemented in such a way that, referring to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the first inclined contact surfaces  213  are dispensed with while the second inclined contact surfaces  321  of the two slidable locking portions  3  remain. For example, the plug housing  21  may be reduced in length such that the second inclined contact surfaces  321  of the two slidable locking portions  3  are exposed and, when the slidable locking portions  3  are moved toward the top side of the plug housing  21 , are inserted into the plug housing  21  to push the rear surface of the plug housing  21  outward and thereby unlock the first locking units  24 . 
     As the rear surface of the plug housing  21  can be pushed outward only to a limited extent when configured as a one-piece structure, one way to achieve a greater pushing distance is to form the rear surface of the plug housing  21  into two movable plates  217  and a main plate  218  as shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 7 , and  FIG. 8 . The two movable plates  217  are located on two lateral sides of the main plate  218  respectively and each have one of the first locking units  24  and one of the first inclined contact surfaces  213 . In addition, each movable plate  217  is separated from the main plate  218  by a gap  219  (whose length and width may be adjusted according to practical needs) so that the two movable plates  217  can be pushed outward to a greater extent when the slidable locking portions  3  are moved toward the top side of the plug housing  21 , making it easier to disengage the first locking units  24  from the engaging portion  116  respectively and thereby bring the connectors  1  and  2  into the first unlocked state. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the movable plates  217  may be made thinner than the main plate  218  while the gaps  219  are eliminated, the rationale being that the two relatively thin movable plates  217  will be respectively deformed to a greater extent by the slidable locking portions  3  than when having the same thickness as the main plate  218 , and that the larger deformation helps bring the connectors  1  and  2  into the first unlocked state with greater ease. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 7 , and  FIG. 8 , the inner wall of each second locking unit  25  is spaced apart from the left or right surface of the plug housing  21 , and each of the second locking units  25  is movable along a direction away from the corresponding left surface or right surface of the plug housing  21 . When the two slidable locking portions  3  are moved toward the top side of the plug housing  21  to such an extent that the top sides of the two slidable locking portions  3  have moved beyond the top side of the plug housing  21  (see  FIG. 8 ), that is, the two slidable locking portions  3  are located at positions where top sides of the two slidable locking portions  3  protrude beyond the top side of the plug housing  21 , the areas of the two slidable locking portions  3  that are respectively adjacent to the top sides of the slidable locking portions  3  can be pressed toward, and hence brought close to, each other (as indicated by the dashed-line arrow in  FIG. 8 ) so that the second locking units  25  are respectively pushed by the areas of the two slidable locking portions  3  that are respectively adjacent to the bottom sides of the slidable locking portions  3 , and are therefore disengaged from the fastening portions  118  respectively, bringing the connectors  1  and  2  into the second unlocked state; that is, when the two slidable locking portions  3  are pressed at areas of the two slidable locking portions  3  that are respectively adjacent to the top sides of the slidable locking portions  3 , each of the second locking units  25  move along a direction away from the corresponding left surface or right surface of the plug housing  21 , and disengage from the corresponding fastening portion  118  and enter into an unlocking state by being pushed respectively by a corresponding one of areas of the two slidable locking portions  3  that are respectively adjacent to bottom sides of the slidable locking portions  3 . More specifically, each extension arm  32  in this embodiment is protrudingly provided with a pushing portion  322 . When the slidable locking portions  3  are engaged with the left and right surfaces of the plug connector  2  (or more particularly the plug housing  21 ) respectively, each pushing portion  322  extends into the space between the inner wall of the corresponding second locking unit  25  and the left or right surface of the plug housing  21 . When the slidable locking portions  3  are subsequently moved toward the top side of the plug housing  21  and the areas more particularly the outer surface areas) of the slidable locking portions  3  that are respectively adjacent to the top sides of the slidable locking portions  3  are pressed toward each other, each pushing portion  322  will push the corresponding second locking unit  25  outward away from the corresponding fastening portion  118 . That is, the pushing portion  322  protrudes into a space between an inner wall of a corresponding one of the second locking units  25  and a corresponding one of the left surface and the right surface of the plug housing  21  when the slidable locking portions  3  are engaged with the left surface and the right surface of the plug connector  2  respectively, and pushes the corresponding one of the second locking units  25  when the slidable locking portions  3  are engaged with the left surface and the right surface of the plug connector  2  respectively, and the areas of the two slidable locking portions  3  that are respectively adjacent to the top sides of the slidable locking portions  3  are pressed. 
     In this embodiment, referring back to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the top end of each engaging portion  116  juts out of the rear surface of the socket body portion  11 A and forms a first shoulder  117 . When the insulating socket body  11  is mounted into the socket housing  15 , the engaging portions  116  extend respectively into the engaging holes  151  of the socket housing  15  until each first shoulder  117  is pressed against the wall of the corresponding engaging hole  151 . Once the connectors  1  and  2  are connected together, therefore, pulling the plug connector  2  away from the socket connector  1  will not separate the insulating socket body  11  from the socket housing  15  because, although subjected to an upwardly displacing force generated by the plug connector  2 , the insulating socket body  11  is blocked by cooperation between the first shoulders  117  and the engaging holes  151  to preserve the structural integrity of the socket connector  1 . In addition, the top end of each engaging portion  116  is provided with a first inclined guide surface  1161  so that each engaging portion  116  can extend into and be engaged in the opening of the corresponding first locking unit  24  with ease. Similarly, the top end of each fastening portion  118  may be provided with a second inclined guide surface  1181  so that each fastening portion  118  can extend into and be engaged in the opening of the corresponding second locking unit  25  with ease. 
     To further secure the socket housing  15  and the insulating socket body  11  in the connected state, referring again to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the left and right surfaces of the socket body portion  11 A are each provided with a groove  115  extending downward from a top edge of the socket body portion  11 A, and the left and right surfaces of the socket housing  15  are each provided with an engaging plate  153  protruding toward the socket assembly space  150 . When the insulating socket body  11  is inserted upward into the socket assembly space  150 , each engaging plate  153  extends into, and presses against the wall of, the corresponding groove  115 . Once the connectors  1  and  2  are connected together, therefore, pulling the plug connector  2  away from the socket connector  1  will not separate the insulating socket body  11  from the socket housing  15  because, although subjected to an upwardly displacing force generated by the plug connector  2 , the insulating socket body  11  is blocked by the engaging plates  153 . 
     While the present disclosure herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure set forth in the claims.