Patent Publication Number: US-6905345-B2

Title: Electrical connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly for being mounted on two printed circuit boards. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Board to board electrical connector assembly, consisting of two electrical connectors mounted on nearly parallel printed circuit boards to be connected together, is known in the art. Generally, connector assembly is used for signal transmission between two printed circuit boards. 
   A connector assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,630 comprises matable first and second connectors. The first connector comprises a first insulative housing and a plurality of first terminals received in the first housing. The first housing includes a mating portion and a central island extending upwardly from a base portion of the first housing. The first terminals are retained in the central island, and the contact portions of the first terminals are exposed in a receiving space formed in the first housing. The second connector includes a second housing and a plurality of second terminals received in the second housing. The second housing comprises a coupling portion, and the second terminals are secured in the coupling portion. When the first connector mates with the second connector, the central island of the first connector is received in the coupling portion of the second housing. Meanwhile, the first terminals connect with the second terminals. The contact portions of the first terminals expose in the receiving space and are easy to be destroyed when the first connector mates with the second connector or they are pressed by unexpected external force. When the resiliency of the first terminals reduces, the first terminals withdraw into the mating portion, thereby resulting in ill electrical connection between the two connectors. Furthermore, insulative housings of electrical connectors are easy to be deformed. After connecting or disconnecting with each other several times, electrical terminals received in the housing correspondingly offset from its correct positions such the normal force between certain first terminals of the first connector and the second terminals of the second connector may become insufficient when the first connector and the second connector are mated. As a result, a reliable electrical connection between the first connector and the second connector cannot be assured. 
   Hence, an improved connection-reliability connector assembly is highly desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly, which can improve normal force between two connectors thereof. 
   In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a first connector and a second connector matable with the first connector. The first connector includes a first housing and a plurality of first terminals. The first housing comprises a central island defining a groove and a plurality of apertures. The first terminals are respectively retained in corresponding apertures. The second connector comprises a second insulative housing and a plurality of second terminals. The second housing has an elongate tongue portion mating with the groove of the first housing of the first connector. When the first connector connects with the second connector, the second terminals extend into the corresponding apertures and electrically connect with the first terminals. Accordingly, a stable and reliable electrical connection between the first connector and the second connector is established. 
   Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with attached drawings, in which: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is perspective view of a first connector of an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is perspective view of a second connector of the electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the first connector, taken along line  3 — 3  in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the second connector, taken along line  4 — 4  in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector mating with the first connector; and 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the first connector mating with a conventional complementary connector. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   Referring to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 2 , an electrical connector assembly consists of a first connector  1  and a second connector  2  matable with the first connector  1 . 
   Referring to FIG.  1  and  FIG. 3 , the first connector  1  includes an elongate first insulative housing  10  and a plurality of first terminals  11 . The first housing  10  includes a base  13  and a first mating portion  14  extending upwardly from the base  13 . The first mating portion  14  comprises a pair of opposite longitudinal walls  141 , a pair of opposite lateral walls  142  and formed a receiving space  106  between the longitudinal wall  141  and lateral walls  142 . In the center of the receiving space  106 , a central island  103  extends upwardly from the first base  13 . The central island  103  comprises a top surface  107 , a pair of side surfaces  108 , a pair of end surfaces  109 , and a recess  104  defined therein. A plurality of terminal passageways  102  are defined in opposite side surfaces  108  thereof. Two rows of apertures  101  extend downwardly from the top surface  107  and communicate with the corresponding terminal passageways  102 . 
   Each of the first terminals  11  has a connect portion  113  for mounting to the printed circuit boards, a first contact portion  111  extending upwardly from the end of connect portion  113 , a second contact portion  112  of the first terminals  11  opposite with the first contact portion  111  and a bent portion  114  formed between the first contact portion  111  and the second contact portion  112 . 
   In assembling the first connector  1 , the first terminals  11  are mounted from the bottom into the first housing  10 . The bent portion  114  and the second contact portion  112  of the first terminals  11  are respectively retained in the corresponding terminal passageways  102 . At the same time, the first contact portions  111  of the first terminals  11  are respectively retained in the apertures  101 . The second contact portions  112  partially protrude into the receiving space  106 . The portions between the first contact portions  111  and the connect portions  113  are retained in the first housing  10 . The connect portion  113  of the first terminals  11  extend horizontally out of the first housing  10 . 
   Referring to FIG.  2  and  FIG. 4 , the second connector  2  includes a second insulative housing  20  and a plurality of second terminals  21  received in the second housing  20 . The second housing  20  comprises a second base  23  and a second mating portion  24  extending from the second base  23 . The second mating portion  24  comprises a pair of opposite longitudinal walls  202 , a pair of opposite lateral walls  203 , and a receiving space  25  between the longitudinal walls  202  and the lateral walls  203 . At the center of the receiving space  25 , a tongue portion  201  extends upwardly from the second base  23 . A plurality of passageways  231  are defined in the second base  23  of the second housing  20  for correspondingly receiving the second terminals  21 . The passageways  231  are arranged in two rows at both sides of the tongue portion  201 . The second terminals  21  each include a connect portion  211  and a contact portion  212  extending upwardly from the connect portion  211 . 
   In assembling the second connector  2 , the second terminals  21  are mounted into the second housing  20  from the second base  23  of the second housing  20 . The connect portions  211  of the second terminals  21  extend horizontally out of the second housing  20  and the contact portions  212  of the second terminals  21  extend upwardly from the passageways  231  into the receiving space  25 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , when the first connector  1  mates with the second connector  2 , the second mating portion  24  of the second connector  2  is received in the receiving space  106  of the first connector  2 . The tongue portion  201  extends into the recess  104  of the central island  103  of the first connector  1 . The contact portion  212  of the second terminals  21  extends into the aperture  101  of the central island  103  of the first housing  10  and electrically connects with the first contact portion  111  of the first terminals  11 . The side walls  202  of the second connector  2  engage with the second contact portion  112  of the first terminals  11 . As a result, the retention force between the first terminals  11  and the second terminals  21  is improved, and the stable and reliable electrical connection is accordingly established. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the first connector  1  in accordance with the present invention mates with another type of connector called third connector  3 . The third connector  3  includes a third insulative housing  30  and a plurality of third terminals  31 . The third housing  30  comprises a third base  32  and a pair of opposite side walls  301  defined a plurality of passageways  303  thereof. The passageways  303  are used for receiving corresponding third terminals  31  therein. At the center of the third base  32 , an elongate tongue  302  for mating with the recess  104  of the central island  103  of the first connector  1  is formed. The third terminals  31  each comprise a connect portion  312  for connecting onto printed circuit board (not shown) and a contact portion  311  extending from the connect portion  312 . When the first connector  1  connects with the third connector  3 , the side walls  301  of the third connector  3  are received into the receiving space  106 . The elongate tongue  302  extends into the recess  104  of the central island  103  of the first connector  1 . Accordingly, the contact portion  311  of the third terminals  31  secured in the side walls  301  of the third connector  3  electrically connects with the second contact portion  112  of the first terminals  11 . The first contact portion  111  of the first terminals  11  engage with the inner wall of the apertures  101  of the first connector  1 . As a result, the retention force between the first terminals  11  and the third terminals  31  is improved, and accordingly the stable and reliable electrical connection there between is also established. 
   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.