Patent Publication Number: US-10320103-B2

Title: Electrical connector capable of increasing number of terminals with same size of insulating body

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This non-provisional application claims priority to and the benefit of, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a), patent application Serial No. CN201710580356.0 filed in China on Jul. 17, 2017. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     Some references, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, are cited and discussed in the description of this disclosure. The citation and/or discussion of such references is provided merely to clarify the description of the present disclosure and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to the disclosure described herein. All references cited and discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference were individually incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector electrically connecting a chip module. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. 
     Chinese Patent No. CN200620070312.0 discloses an electrical connector assembly, including an insulating body and a plurality of conductive terminals arranged in the insulating body in a matrix. The conductive terminal may be electrically conducted with a chip module thereon. The insulating body includes a bottom wall and side walls extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall. Each of the opposite side walls of the insulating body are provided with a semi-cylindrical post. The chip module includes recesses corresponding to the posts on the side walls of the insulating body. The posts achieve a fool-proof effect on assembling of the chip module to prevent the chip module from being reversely mounted. 
     However, as a chip module has a tendency of high density and high speed, conductive terminals of the electrical connector are arranged more densely and are increasing in number. At this time, on the premise of keeping the size of the insulating body unchanged, a problem to be solved by the existing electrical connector is how to increase the number of terminals. 
     Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need to design a novel electrical connector exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention is directed to an electrical connector capable of increasing the number of terminals on the premise of keeping the size of an insulating body unchanged. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions. 
     An electrical connector, configured to be electrically connected to a chip module, includes: a body, having a bottom wall and a first side wall and a second side wall extending upward from the bottom wall and opposite to each other, wherein the bottom wall is provided with an accommodating hole, and a first supporting portion extending upward from the bottom wall and configured to support the chip module; a plurality of terminals, correspondingly accommodated in the body, wherein one of the terminals is accommodated in the accommodating hole; and a first protruding block connected to the first side wall and a second protruding block connected to the second side wall, wherein the first protruding block and the second protruding block extend toward each other, the second protruding block is larger than the first protruding block, the first protruding block has a first arc-shaped surface, the second protruding block has a second arc-shaped surface, the first arc-shaped surface and the second arc-shaped surface are respectively configured to match with two notches of the chip module, the first supporting portion is connected to the first protruding block, the first supporting portion and the accommodating hole are located at two opposite sides of the first protruding block, and an extending line of the second protruding block in an extending direction thereof passes above the accommodating hole. 
     In certain embodiments, the first side wall has an upper surface higher than the first supporting portion, both a top surface of the first protruding block and a top surface of the second protruding block are higher than the upper surface, and the top surface of the first protruding block and the top surface of the second protruding block have different heights. 
     In certain embodiments, the top surface of the second protruding block is higher than the top surface of the first protruding block. 
     In certain embodiments, two opposite corners of the first side wall are upward protrudingly provided with two stopping portions respectively, a top surface of each of the stopping portions is higher than the upper surface, and the top surface of the second protruding block is flush with the top surface of each of the stopping portions. 
     In certain embodiments, the accommodating hole has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the first supporting portion has a vertical surface opposite to an inner surface of the first side wall, and an interval between the vertical surface and the first side wall is greater than an interval between the first surface and the first side wall and is smaller than an interval between the second surface and the first side wall. 
     In certain embodiments, the vertical surface is tangent to the first arc-shaped surface. 
     In certain embodiments, the first protruding block has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other, the first arc-shaped surface is connected to the third surface and the fourth surface, the third surface is connected to the first supporting portion, a length of the third surface along a horizontal direction is smaller than a length of the fourth surface along the horizontal direction, the fourth surface intersects with the first arc-shaped surface to form an intersecting line, and an interval between the intersecting line and the first side wall is greater than an interval between the first surface and the first side wall and is smaller than an interval between the second surface and the first side wall. 
     In certain embodiments, the intersecting line is closer to the first side wall than the vertical surface. 
     In certain embodiments, the bottom wall is protrudingly provided with a second supporting portion connected to the second protruding block, the second supporting portion is configured to support the chip module, and an interval between an inner surface of the first supporting portion and the first side wall is greater than an interval between an inner surface of the second supporting portion and the second side wall. 
     In certain embodiments, a groove is provided at a middle position of the second side wall, a top surface of the first supporting portion is flush with a bottom surface of the groove, and the second protruding block is exposed from the groove along a length direction of the second side wall. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention also adopts the following technical solutions. 
     An electrical connector, configured to be electrically connected to a chip module, includes: a body, having a bottom wall and a first side wall and a second side wall extending upward from the bottom wall and opposite to each other, wherein the bottom wall is provided with an accommodating hole, and a first supporting portion extending upward from the bottom wall and configured to support the chip module; a plurality of terminals, correspondingly accommodated in the body, wherein one of the terminals is accommodated in the accommodating hole; and a first protruding block connected to the first side wall and a second protruding block connected to the second side wall, wherein the first protruding block and the second protruding block extend toward each other, the second protruding block is larger than the first protruding block, the first supporting portion is connected to the first protruding block, the first supporting portion and the accommodating hole are located at two opposite sides of the first protruding block, and an extending line of the second protruding block in an extending direction thereof passes above the accommodating hole. 
     In certain embodiments, the first side wall has an upper surface higher than the first supporting portion, both a top surface of the first protruding block and a top surface of the second protruding block are higher than the upper surface, and the top surface of the first protruding block and the top surface of the second protruding block have different heights. 
     In certain embodiments, the top surface of the second protruding block is higher than the top surface of the first protruding block. 
     In certain embodiments, two opposite corners of the first side wall are upward protrudingly provided with two stopping portions respectively, a top surface of each of the stopping portions is higher than the upper surface, and the top surface of the second protruding block is flush with the top surface of each of the stopping portions. 
     In certain embodiments, the accommodating hole has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the first supporting portion has a vertical surface opposite to an inner surface of the first side wall, and an interval between the vertical surface and the first side wall is greater than an interval between the first surface and the first side wall and is smaller than an interval between the second surface and the first side wall. 
     In certain embodiments, the first protruding block has an arc-shaped surface tangent to the vertical surface. 
     In certain embodiments, the first protruding block has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other, and an arc-shaped surface connecting the third surface and the fourth surface, the third surface is connected to the first supporting portion, a length of the third surface along a horizontal direction is smaller than a length of the fourth surface along the horizontal direction, the fourth surface intersects with the arc-shaped surface to form an intersecting line, and an interval between the intersecting line and the first side wall is greater than an interval between the first surface and the first side wall and is smaller than an interval between the second surface and the first side wall. 
     In certain embodiments, the intersecting line is closer to the first side wall than the vertical surface. 
     In certain embodiments, the bottom wall is protrudingly provided with a second supporting portion connected to the second protruding block, the second supporting portion is configured to support the chip module, and an interval between an inner surface of the first supporting portion and the first side wall is greater than an interval between an inner surface of the second supporting portion and the second side wall. 
     In certain embodiments, a groove is provided at a middle position of the second side wall, a top surface of the first supporting portion is flush with a bottom surface of the groove, and the second protruding block is exposed from the groove along a length direction of the second side wall. 
     Compared with the related art, the electrical connector according to certain embodiments of the invention have the following beneficial effects: 
     The second protruding block is larger than the first protruding block, and the extending line of the second protruding block in the extending direction thereof passes above the accommodating hole. In other words, a first protruding block originally having the same size as the second protruding block is partially cut off to provide a space for the accommodating hole to accommodate the terminal, such that the number of the terminals is increased on the premise of keeping the size of the body unchanged, thereby meeting the development requirements of the existing electrical connector. The first supporting portion is connected to the first protruding block, and the first supporting portion and the accommodating hole are located at two opposite sides of the first protruding block to improve the strength of the first protruding block, thereby effectively avoiding damage to the first protruding block caused by collision with an external force, and prolonging the service life of the electrical connector. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings, although variations and modifications therein may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the disclosure and together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a chip module according to certain embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the chip module mounted on the electrical connector in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a body in  FIG. 1  rotated clockwise for 90° in a horizontal direction. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a part a in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the body in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a part b in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a part c in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of a part d in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various embodiments of the invention are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, titles or subtitles may be used in the specification for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top,” may be used herein to describe one element&#39;s relationship to another element as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. For example, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then be oriented on “upper” sides of the other elements. The exemplary term “lower”, can therefore, encompasses both an orientation of “lower” and “upper,” depending of the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements. The exemplary terms “below” or “beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below. 
     As used herein, “around”, “about” or “approximately” shall generally mean within 20 percent, preferably within 10 percent, and more preferably within 5 percent of a given value or range. Numerical quantities given herein are approximate, meaning that the term “around”, “about” or “approximately” can be inferred if not expressly stated. 
     As used herein, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “carrying”, “having”, “containing”, “involving”, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. 
     The description will be made as to the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in  FIGS. 1-10 . In accordance with the purposes of this invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention, in one aspect, relates to an electrical connector. 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show an electrical connector  100  according to certain embodiments of the present invention, which is used for electrically connecting a chip module  3 . The electrical connector  100  includes a body  1 , and multiple terminals  2  accommodated in the body  1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the body  1  is made of an insulating material and is used to support the chip module  3  upward. The body  1  has a bottom wall  11 , and a first side wall  12 A and a second side wall  12 B extending upward from the bottom wall  11  and opposite to each other. The bottom wall  11  is provided with multiple through holes  14 A and an accommodating hole  14 B, used to correspondingly accommodate the terminals  2  respectively. 
     A first protruding block  15  is connected to the first side wall  12 A, and a second protruding block  16  is connected to the second side wall  12 B. In the present embodiment, the first protruding block  15  extends from the first side wall  12 A toward the second protruding block  16  and is connected to the bottom wall  11 , and the second protruding block  16  extends from the second side wall  12 B toward the first protruding block  15  and is connected to the bottom wall  11 . Of course, in other embodiments, the first protruding block  15  and the second protruding block  16  may also be assembled on the body  1 , and there may be multiple first protruding blocks  15  and multiple second protruding blocks  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6 , the first protruding block  15  has a first arc-shaped surface  151 , the second protruding block  16  has a second arc-shaped surface  161 , and the first arc-shaped surface  151  and the second arc-shaped surface  161  are used to match with two notches  31  on two opposite sides of the chip module  3 , so as to position the chip module  3  to make it fool-proof. A width W 2  of the second protruding block  16  is greater than a width W 1  of the first protruding block  15  (also referring to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 ), and an extending line S of the second protruding block  16  in an extending direction thereof passes above the accommodating hole  14 B, so as to increase the number of the terminals  2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the bottom wall  11  is upward protrudingly provided with a first supporting portion  17 , which is connected to the first protruding block  15 , and a second supporting portion  18 , which is connected to the second protruding block  16 . The first supporting portion  17  and the second supporting portion  18  are used to support the chip module  3  upward. An interval D 1  between an inner surface of the first supporting portion  17  and the first side wall  12 A is greater than an interval D 2  between an inner surface of the second supporting portion  18  and the second side wall  12 B, and the first supporting portion  17  and the accommodating hole  14 B are located at two opposite sides of the first protruding block  15 , so as to improve the strength of the first protruding block  15 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 7 , the accommodating hole  14 B has a first surface  141  and a second surface  142  opposite to each other. The first supporting portion  17  has a vertical surface  171  opposite to an inner surface of the first side wall  12 A. An interval D 1  between the vertical surface  171  and the first side wall  12 A is greater than an interval D 3  between the first surface  141  and the first side wall  12 A and is smaller than an interval D 4  between the second surface  142  and the first side wall  12 A, such that the accommodating hole  14 B and the through holes  14 A in an adjacent row are distributed more compactly to fully utilize the space of the body  1  to additionally provide the accommodating hole  14 B. 
     The vertical surface  171  is tangent to the first arc-shaped surface  151 , so as to increase a connection area between the first supporting portion  17  and the first protruding block  15 , thereby improving the strength of the first protruding block  15 . 
     The first protruding block  15  has a third surface  152  and a fourth surface  153  opposite to each other. The first arc-shaped surface  151  is connected to the third surface  152  and the fourth surface  153 . The third surface  152  is connected to the first supporting portion  17 , and a length L 1  of the third surface  152  along a horizontal direction is smaller than a length L 2  of the fourth surface  153  along the horizontal direction. 
     The fourth surface  153  intersects with the first arc-shaped surface  151  to form an intersecting line  154 . An interval L 2  between the intersecting line  154  and the first side wall  12 A is greater than an interval D 3  between the first surface  141  and the first side wall  12 A and is smaller than an interval D 4  between the second surface  142  and the first side wall  12 A. The intersecting line  154  is closer to the first side wall  12 A than the vertical surface  171 . That is, L 2  is smaller than D 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 9 , the first side wall  12 A has an upper surface  121  higher than the first supporting portion  17  and the second supporting portion  18 , such that the first side wall  12 A stops the chip module  3  from moving along the horizontal direction. Both a top surface of the first protruding block  15  and a top surface of the second protruding block  16  are higher than the upper surface  121 , thereby making it convenient to mount the chip module  3  on the body  1  downward. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , since the first protruding block  15  is smaller than the second protruding block  16  and the two notches  31  of the chip module  3  are equal in size, an interval between the first protruding block  15  and the corresponding notch  31  is larger. If the top surface of the second protruding block  16  and the top surface of the first protruding block  15  have equal heights, when the chip module  3  is vertically mounted on the body  1 , a positioning effect between the first protruding block  15  and the corresponding notch  31  is poor, thereby making it inconvenient to mount the chip module  3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , in the present embodiment, the top surface of the second protruding block  16  is higher than the top surface of the first protruding block  15 , and the chip module  3  may be mounted obliquely relative to the body  1 . Of course, the chip module  3  may also be vertically mounted on the body  1 . At this time, the second arc-shaped surface  161  of the second protruding block  16  may firstly mate with the corresponding notch  31  to achieve pre-positioning, and then the chip module  3  is gradually flattened until the first arc-shaped surface  151  of the first protruding block  15  mates with the corresponding notch  31 , such that the chip module  3  may be correctly mounted in the body  1 , thereby reducing the mounting difficulty of the chip module  3 . Of course, in other embodiments, the top surface of the first protruding block  15  may also be higher than the top surface of the second protruding block  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 10 , a groove  122  is provided at a middle position of the first side wall  12 A. The groove  122  runs through the first side wall  12 A along a front-rear direction to make it convenient for an operator to grab the chip module  3 , and a top surface of the first supporting portion  17  is flush with a bottom surface of the groove  122 , thereby facilitating processing of the body  1 , and ensuring the strength of the groove  122 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 9 , two opposite corners of the first side wall  12 A are upward protrudingly provided with two stopping portions  123  respectively. A top surface of each stopping portion  123  is higher than the upper surface  121 , and the top surface of the second protruding block  16  is flush with the top surface of each stopping portion  123 , thereby ensuring the flatness, making it convenient for the multiple bodies  1  to be smoothly stacked together in a production or transportation process, and reducing the occupied space. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the second side wall  12 B and the first side wall  12 A have the same structure. That is, the second side wall  12 B also has the upper surface  121 , the groove  122  and the stopping portion  123 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 10 , one side of the second protruding block  16  is flush with the third surface  152  of the first protruding block  15  along a length direction of the second side wall  12 B, and the opposite side of the second protruding block  16  is exposed from the groove  122 . When the chip module  3  is mounted, an operator may observe the mating situation between the second protruding block  16  and the notch  31  through the groove  122 , in order to timely adjust the positions of the second protruding block  16  and the notch  31 , thereby reducing the mounting difficulty of the chip module  3 . 
     To sum up, the electrical connector according to certain embodiments of the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 
     (1) The second protruding block  16  is larger than the first protruding block  15 , and the extending line S of the second protruding block  16  in the extending direction thereof passes above the accommodating hole  14 B. In other words, the first protruding block  15  originally having the same size as the second protruding block  16  is partially cut off to provide a space for the accommodating hole  14 B to accommodate the terminal  2 , such that the number of the terminals  2  is increased on the premise of keeping the size of the body  1  unchanged, thereby meeting the development requirements of the existing electrical connector  100 . The first supporting portion  17  is connected to the first protruding block  15 , and the first supporting portion and the accommodating hole  14 B are located at two opposite sides of the first protruding block  15  to improve the strength of the first protruding block  15 , thereby effectively avoiding damage to the first protruding block  15  caused by collision with an external force, and prolonging the service life of the electrical connector  100 . 
     (2) An interval D 1  between the vertical surface  171  and the first side wall  12 A is greater than an interval D 3  between the first surface  141  and the first side wall  12 A and is smaller than an interval D 4  between the second surface  142  and the first side wall  12 A, such that the accommodating hole  14 B and the through holes  14 A in an adjacent row are distributed more compactly to fully utilize the space of the body  1  to additionally provide the accommodating hole  14 B. 
     (3) The top surface of the second protruding block  16  is higher than the top surface of the first protruding block  15 , and the chip module  3  may be mounted obliquely relative to the body  1 . Of course, the chip module  3  may also be vertically mounted on the body  1 . At this time, the second arc-shaped surface  161  of the second protruding block  16  may firstly mate with the corresponding notch  31  to achieve pre-positioning, and then the chip module  3  is gradually flattened until the first arc-shaped surface  151  of the first protruding block  15  mates with the corresponding notch  31 , such that the chip module  3  may be correctly mounted in the body  1 , thereby reducing the mounting difficulty of the chip module  3 . 
     (4) One side of the second protruding block  16  is flush with the third surface  152  of the first protruding block  15  along a length direction of the second side wall  12 B, and the opposite side of the second protruding block  16  is exposed from the groove  122 . When the chip module  3  is mounted, an operator may observe the mating situation between the second protruding block  16  and the notch  31  through the groove  122 , in order to timely adjust the positions of the second protruding block  16  and the notch  31 , thereby reducing the mounting difficulty of the chip module  3 . 
     (5) Two opposite corners of the first side wall  12 A are upward protrudingly provided with two stopping portions  123  respectively. A top surface of each stopping portion  123  is higher than the upper surface  121 , and the top surface of the second protruding block  16  is flush with the top surface of each stopping portion  123 , thereby ensuring the flatness, making it convenient for the multiple bodies  1  to be smoothly stacked together in a production or transportation process, and reducing the occupied space. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. 
     The embodiments are chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to activate others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.