Patent Publication Number: US-6210194-B1

Title: Duplex profile connector assembly

Description:
(This is a continuation-in-part of the application Ser. No. 09/084,809 filed May 26, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,472 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/692,823 filed Jul. 29, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,585, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/393,704 filed Feb. 24, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,478.) 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to double deck connector assemblies, and particularly to the connector including the unitary housing with at least two different type contacts respectively and alternately insertably received within the corresponding passageways from opposite sides of the housing. 
     2. The Related Art 
     The copending parent application Ser. No. 09/084,809 filed May 26, 1998, discloses a duplex profile connector assembly including stacked upper and lower housings. Each housing defines two rows of passageways by two sides of the central slot, and two rows of contacts are respectively inserted into the corresponding passageways from two sides of the housing. Each housing is adapted to receive therein a module wherein the module defines conductive pads on two opposite surfaces respectively mechanically nd electrically connected to the corresponding contacts by two sides of the central slot. Understandably, based on this design, four-line solder tails, of which two lines are of the upper housing and the other two lines of for the lower housing, can be applied to the mother board on which the connector assembly is seated, thus achieving an incredibly high density arrangement of the contacts/conductors with a relatively compact connector assembly. 
     Even though the parent application discloses the arrangement which may satisfy the high density or complicate/delicate requirements, some simplified, economic type arrangements are also desired for some mother board design manufacturers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802 discloses another type double deck connector assembly including a unitary housing with two types contacts alternately inserted into the housing from the back wherein each contact extends into both the upper housing and the lower housing for simultaneous engagement with both the upper and lower modules in respective housings. It can be understood that under this application, only one solder tail of each such contact is soldered to the mother board on which the connector assembly is seated, and such solder tail is the sole means for each contact to transmit signals between the mother board and both two modules. In other words, the upper module and the lower module share the same transmission path (i.e., the contact) with each other for communication with the mother board. 
     The design used in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802 is too simply to be practical because all of the contacts are inserted into the unitary housing from the back. Installation of the contacts from only one side inevitably results in a low density arrangement of the contacts which may not quite satisfactorily meet the modern system specification defined by the computer manufacturer. 
     Therefore, it is desired to have a medium design essentially characterized between the parent application with a relatively complicate arrangement and U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802 with a relatively simple arrangement, wherein such a medium design may own the medium density contact arrangement with regard to the housing while keeping simplified structures of each contact for engagement with both the two modules respectively in the upper and lower housings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to an aspect of the invention, a double-deck connector assembly includes a unitary housing defining upper and lower sections with upper and lower central slots for respectively receiving the corresponding modules therein. A pair of latching arms extend from two opposite ends of each section for retaining the corresponding module in position. A row of first passageways are formed in the front half portion of the housing wherein each of the first passageways extends into both the upper section and the lower section and simultaneously communicates with both the upper and the lower central slots. A row of second passageways are formed in the rear half portion wherein each of the second passageways extends into both the upper section and lower section and simultaneously communicates with both the upper and the lower central slots. The first passageways and the second passageways are arranged in a staggered manner with one another along the lengthwise direction of the housing. A plurality of first type contacts are respectively inserted into said first passageways from a front-to-back direction wherein each first type contact includes a first main body, upper and lower first spring arms respectively extending forwardly therefrom and into the upper and the lower central slots, and an SMT type first solder tail forwardly extending therefrom. A plurality of second type contacts are respectively inserted into one of said second passageways from a back-to-front direction wherein each second type contact includes a second main body, upper and lower second spring arms respectively extending forwardly therefrom and into the upper and the lower central slots, and an SMT type second solder tail rearwardly extending therefrom. 
     In each of some predetermined first passageways, the first type contact is replaced by a pair of third and fourth type contacts, of which both are inserted into the same corresponding first passageway from a front-to-back direction, wherein the third type contact is positioned in the lower section with a third spring arm extending into the lower central slot, and an SMT type forwardly extending third solder tail, while the fourth type contact is positioned in both the upper and the lower sections with a fourth spring arm extending into the upper central slot, and a through hole type vertically extending fourth solder tail. Similarly, in each of some predetermined second passageways, the second type contact is replaced by a pair of fifth and sixth type contacts, of which both are inserted into the same corresponding second passageway from the back-to-front direction, wherein the fifth type contact is positioned in the lower section with a fifth spring arm extending into the lower central slot, and a through hole type vertically extending fifth solder tail, while the sixth type contact is positioned in both the upper and the lower sections with a sixth spring arm extending into the upper central slot, and an SMT type rearwardly extending sixth solder tail. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the duplex profile connector assembly, according to the invention, without contacts therein. 
     FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 without contacts therein. 
     FIG.  3 (A) is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 with contacts therein to show the first type contacts are insertably, from a front-to-back direction, received within the corresponding first passageway. 
     FIG.  3 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 with contacts therein to show the second type contacts are insertably, from a back-to-front direction, received within the corresponding second passageway. 
     FIG.  4 (A) is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 with contacts therein to show the third and the fourth type contacts are insertably, from a front-to-back direction, received within the same corresponding first passageway. 
     FIG.  4 (B) is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. with contacts therein to show the fifth and the sixth type contacts are insertably, from a back-to-front direction, received within the same corresponding second passageway. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 with contacts therein to show the seventh and the sixth type contacts are insertably, from a back-to-front direction, received within the same corresponding second passageway. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     References will now be in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention. While the present invention has been described in with reference to the specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by appended claims. 
     It will be noted here that for a better understanding, most of like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures in the embodiments. Attention is directed to FIGS. 1 to  3 (B) wherein a duplex profile connector assembly  1  includes an unitary housing  10  defining an upper section  12  and a lower section  14 . The upper and lower sections  12 ,  14  respectively define upper and a lower central slots  16 ,  18  for respectively receiving upper and lower modules (not shown) therein. A pair of latching arms  20  respectively extend forward from two opposite ends of each of the upper and lower sections  12 ,  14  for respectively retaining the corresponding modules (not shown) in position with regard to the housing. 
     A row of first passageways  22  are formed in the front half portion  24  of the housing  10  wherein each first passageway  22  extends into both the upper section  12  and the lower section  14 , and simultaneously communicates with both the upper central slot  16  and the lower central slot  18 . A row of second passageway  26  are formed in the rear half portion  28  of the housing  10  wherein each second passageway  26  extends into both the upper section  12  and the lower section  14 , and simultaneously communicates with both the upper central slot  16  and the lower central slot  18 . The first passageways and the second passageways are arranged in a staggered manner with one another along the lengthwise direction of the housing  10 . 
     A plurality of first type contacts  30  are respectively inserted into the corresponding first passageways  22  in a front-to-back direction. Each first type contact  30  includes a first main body  32 , an upper first spring arm  34  and a lower first spring arm  36  respectively extending forward therefrom and into the upper central slot  16  and the lower central slot  18  for respective engagement with the upper and lower modules (not shown). It can be seen that both the upper first spring arm  34  and the lower first spring arm  36  project around the lower portions of the corresponding upper central slot  16  and the lower central slot  18 , and thus are ready to be respectively engaged with the bottom surfaces of the upper and lower modules (not shown). A pair of first retention sections  38  extend from the first main body  32  and interfere with the housing  10 . An SMT type first solder tail  39  forwardly extends from the first main body  32 . 
     Similarly, a plurality of second type contacts  40  are inserted into the corresponding second passageways  26  in a back-to-front direction, respectively. Each second type contact  40  includes a second main body  42 , an upper second spring arm  44  and a lower second spring arm  46  respectively extend from the second main body  42  and into the corresponding upper central slot  16  and the lower central slot  18  for respective engagement with the corresponding upper and lower modules (not shown). It can been seen that the upper second spring arm  44  and the lower second spring arm  46  project around the upper portions of the upper central slot  16  and the lower central slot  18 , and thus are ready to be respectively engaged with the upper surfaces of the modules (not shown). A pair of second retention sections  48  extend from the second main body  42  and interfere with the housing  10 . An SMT type second solder tail  49  extends rearwardly from the second main body  42 . 
     Referring to FIGS.  4 (A) and  4 (B), in some specific predetermined first passageway  22 , the first type contact  30  in each first passageway  22  is replaced by a relatively shorter third contact  50  and a relatively taller fourth contact  60 , of which both are inserted into the same first passageway  22  in a front-to-back direction, wherein the third contact  50  includes a third main body  52  positioned in the lower section  14  with a third spring arm  56  extending therefrom into the lower central slot  18  for engagement with the corresponding lower module (not shown), a retention embossment  58  formed thereon for being retainably interferentially engaged within the recess  57 , beside the corresponding first passageway  22 , in the lower section  14  of the housing  10 , and an SMT type third solder tail  59  forwardly extending therefrom. Similarly, the fourth type contact  60  includes a fourth main body  62  generally positioned within both the upper section  12  and the lower section  14  with a fourth spring arm  64  extending therefrom into the upper central slot  16  for engagement with the corresponding upper module (not shown), a retention section  68  extending therefrom and interfering with the upper section  12  of the housing  10 , and a through hole type fourth solder tail  69  vertically extending therefrom. 
     Similarly, in some specific predetermined second passageways  26 , the second type contact  40  in each second passageway  26 , is replaced by a relatively shorter fifth type contact  70  and a relatively taller sixth type contact  80 , of which both are inserted into the same second passageway  26  in a back-to-front direction, wherein the fifth type contact  70  includes a fifth main body  72  positioned in the lower section  14  with a fifth spring arm  76  extending into the lower central slot  18 , a fifth retention section  78  extending therefrom and interfering with the lower section  14 , and a through hole type fifth solder tail  79  extending vertically therefrom. Similarly, the sixth type contact  80  includes a sixth main body  82  positioned in both the upper section  12  and the lower section  14  with a sixth spring arm  84  extending into the upper central slot  16 , a sixth retention section  88  extending therefrom and interfering with the upper section  12 , and an SMT type sixth solder tail extending rearwardly therefrom. 
     Referring to FIG. 5, in some specific predetermined second passageways  26 , the firth type contact  70  is replaced by the seventh type contact  90  wherein the difference between the fifth type contact  70  and the seventh type contact  90  is that the through hole type seventh solder tail  99  is offset from the through hole type fifth solder tail  79  in a back-to-front direction. This alternation is to forgive the space limitations of the two adjacent retention holes in the mother board (not shown) on which the connector assembly  1  is seated whereby the offset through hole type solder tail may allow two offset adjacent corresponding retention holes to be formed in the mother board (not shown), thus avoiding inoperativeness of two laterally aligned retention holes in the mother board (not shown). 
     It is appreciated that as shown in FIG.  4 (A), in some first passageways  22 , the third type contacts  50  and the fourth type contacts  60  replace the original first type  30 , thus diversifying the circuit design for implementing variant signal/power transmission of the whole connector assembly. Understandably, as shown in FIG.  4 (B), the fifth type contact  70  and the sixth type contact  80  own the similar characteristics as the third type contact  50  and the fourth type contact  60 . 
     It can be contemplated that the invention provides a medium design characterized between the relatively too simplified design of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802 and the relatively somewhat complicated design of the copending parent application, which essentially meets the current industry electrical requirements. The planewise type contacts including the integral type contacts  30 ,  40 , and the separate type contacts  50 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80  and  90 , are easy to be made, and cooperate with the offset arranged upper and lower central slots  16 ,  18 , thus resulting in easy and reliably assembling to the housing  10 . 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim. 
     Therefore, person of ordinary skill in this field are to understand that all such equivalent structures are to be included within the scope of the following claims.