Patent Publication Number: US-6340314-B1

Title: Electrical adapter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical adapter, and particularly to an electrical adapter constructed by permanently connecting two electrical connectors of different interfaces and terminal/pin arrangements. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     IEEE 1394 electrical connectors are widely used in making electrical connections between computers and their peripheral multi-media devices such as digital monitors, etc. In different applications, IEEE 1394 connectors usually have different interfaces. Thus, an adapter is required to mate with different IEEE 1394 connectors when an electrical connection between two types of electrical equipments is needed. The adapter includes two IEEE 1394 connectors in both ends thereof which can respectively mate with IEEE 1394 connectors of different electronic devices. The connectors of the adapter are usually interconnected by bundle of wires, discrete conducting wires, or printed circuit boards. The conductors of wires for interconnection should be soldered to terminals of the connectors of the adapter. However, the character of the wires is so supple that it adds difficulties to the soldering procedure. Therefore, the production efficiency is decreased and the production procedure is complicated. Moreover, the use of wires will influence the quality of data during signal transmission. 
     Hence, an improved adapter is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved adapter which can be manufactured easily and cost-effectively. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, an adapter, used for mating respectively with connectors having different interfaces, comprises a first connector with a plurality of terminals, a second connector with a plurality of pins, and an insulating case covering a junction portion where the first connector and the second connector are interconnected. Each terminal or pin has a contacting portion for electrically connecting with corresponding contact of a complementary connector and a soldering portion. Where arrangements of the terminals and the pins are not aligned, some terminals or pins on one connector are curved for being soldered directly with the corresponding terminals or pins on the other connector. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of an adapter in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of a first connector of the adapter; 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of a second connector of the adapter; 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 10 is a top view with an insulating case removed to show how soldering portions of terminals in the first connector are soldered with soldering portions of pins in the second connector; 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of FIG. 10; and 
     FIG. 12 is a bottom view of FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an adapter  3  in accordance with the present invention comprises a first connector  1 , a second connector  2  and an insulating case  30  covering a junction portion between the first connector  1  and the second connector  2 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-6, in an embodiment of the present invention, the first connector  1  of the adapter  3  is configured as an IEEE 1394 socket connector with six terminals  10  thereon. The first connector  1  comprises a dielectric housing  17 , a first shell member  11  enclosing the housing  17  and the terminals  10 . The first shell member  11  defined a receptacle cavity  15  surrounded by top, bottom and sidewalls which are shaped to accommodate an IEEE 1394 plug connector (not shown). A mating tongue  12  of the housing  17  is projected within the cavity  15  and defines six passageways  16  on both sides thereof. The terminals  10  of the first connector  1  each have a contacting portion  13  at one end thereof to be received in the corresponding passageway  16  and a soldering portion  14  at the other end thereof extending out of the shell member  11  and are arranged in two rows. One row is first soldering portions  140 which are extending upwards and rightwards as viewed from FIG. 4, while the other row is second soldering portions  142  which are extending rightwards straightforwardly. The terminals  10  in each row are parallel to each other. Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the second connector  2  is configured as an IEEE 1394 plug connector with four pins  20  received therein. A second shell member  21  of the second connector  2  encloses a support tongue  22  which contains four pins  20  therein. A mating orientation key  210  is formed at a side of the second shell member  21  opposite to the support tongue  22  for ensuring correct polarity of a mating complementary connector (not shown). The pins  20  of the second connector  2  extend parallelly and each have a contacting portion  23  for electrically connecting with corresponding contact of the mating connector and a soldering portion  24 . The four pins  20  are arranged in two rows for being soldered with terminals  10  of the first connector  1 . One row of the pins  20  is first soldering portions  240  and the other row is second soldering portions  242 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 10-12, in assembly, the first soldering portions  140  of the terminals  10  in the first connector  1  are soldered with the first soldering portions  240  of the pins  20  in the second connector  2 , and the second soldering portions  142  of the terminals  10  in the first connector  1  are soldered with the second soldering portions  242  of the pins  20  in the second connector  2 , respectively. The uppermost two terminals  10  of the first connector  1  are used for transmitting power and need not to be soldered to the second connector  2 . Then, the insulating case  30  is insert molded or attached in any suitable known means to the junction portion in which the first connector  1  and the second connector  2  are interconnected. Thus, the adapter  3  in accordance with the present invention is achieved. 
     An electrical connection between the first and the second connectors  1 ,  2  is attained by soldering the terminals  10  with the pins  20  directly, which reduces not only the trace for transmitting signals but also the size of the adapter  3 . Namely, the quality of signals is improved and the cost of products is decreased. 
     It can be understood that the first connector  1  originally defines two rows of terminals  10  by pairs while being offset from each other. If the solder portions  142  of the more number terminals  10 in both two rows keep straight and soldered to the solder portions  240  of the corresponding less number pins  20  of the second connector  2  under the condition that the second connector  2  is generally located around the middle portion of the first connector  1 , the unsoldered free terminals  10  will then be respectively located at two opposite ends. Because the free terminals are designed as the power terminals which are expected to be by pair(s) and close to each other, this far spatial arrangement for these free terminals is not acceptable. Oppositely, if keeping one pair of outermost terminals free for the power transmission and soldering the rest with the pins of the second connector, the second connector can not generally located around the middle portion of the first connector and definitely will be offset from the first connector overall. This is also not desired by the industry. Differently and peculiarly, in the instant invention the solder portions of terminals in one row is obliquely deflected toward and close to the corresponding solder portions of the same pairs of terminals, respectively. Therefore, the pins of the second connector are soldered to the most deflected terminals and their corresponding pair partner, i.e., the corresponding straight one, while leaving the outmost pair free which is located at one end of the pairs of terminals where the deflected solder portions of the terminals direct to. Under this arrangement, the second connector can be located around the middle portion of the first connector, i.e., being self-symmetric relative to a center line of the first connector, and also leave one pair of terminals of the first connector for power transmission. 
     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.