Patent Publication Number: US-2012034814-A1

Title: Receptacle connector

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Taiwanese Application No. 99215126, filed Aug. 6, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a receptacle connector, more specifically to a connector suitable for providing a visual indication effect. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     The Republic of China patent certificate number M285100 (Application Number 94211887) discloses a known electric connector with a reflector, wherein the reflector is placed above a light emitting diodes placed near the lower front end of a plastic body. The reflector has a first and a second reflecting surface connected to each other. Assembly pieces are placed inside the reflectors that are assembled jointly with the assembly holes on the two sides of the body. Various light emitting diodes are respectively placed below the sunken slots on the front ends of the two sides of the plastic body. A transparent light guide piece is placed on the front end of the front side of the sunken slot. With this, the light emitted by the light emitting diodes can be admitted by the light guide piece after being appropriately reflected by the first and second reflecting surfaces, thus achieving the purpose of easy assembly and highly efficient reflection of a light source. However, the reflector of the aforementioned electric connector needs to be made as an extra piece, for which extra assembly, composition and procedures are required. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In an embodiment there is a receptacle connector that includes a housing, which comprises a base and two arms that extend integrally from the two sides of the base. The base extends into a tongue; a plurality of terminals, which are placed on the tongue; and a cage, which is assembled on the housing. The housing combines with the cage to form a socket on the front end; wherein at least one arm of the housing has alight channel. The light channel has a light inlet and a light outlet that form an intersection angle and that are connected to each other. The light inlet is in communication with an exit. At the intersection angle between the light inlet and the exit, there is a deflector that extends from the cage. The deflector has a deflecting surface that directs light from the light inlet toward the exit. In an embodiment, the receptacle connector can be part of a system that includes a circuit board upon which the receptacle connector is mounted. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCIRPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of an embodiment of a connector system; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a connector system; 
         FIG. 3  is another perspective view of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an elevated front view of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an elevated side view of a cross-section of a connector taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an elevated side view of a cross-section of a connector taken along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 4   
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a connector system; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a connector system with a partial cut-away. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The detailed description that follows describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to be limited to the expressly disclosed combination(s). Therefore, unless otherwise noted, features disclosed herein may be combined together to form additional combinations that were not otherwise shown for purposes of brevity. 
     The depicted embodiments provide a beneficial effect in that the deflector is integrally formed with the cage. Therefore, there is no need for an independently made deflector, nor is there any need for extra assemblies, structures and procedures. Compared with known structures, this can simplify assembly procedures and reduce manufacturing cost. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 . Receptacle connector  1  includes an housing  10 , a first terminal set  20 , a second terminal set  30 , a cage  40 , a first positioning block  50  and a second positioning block  60 . The housing  10  has a base  11  and two arms  12  that are integrally formed in and extend from the sides of base  11 . The base  11  extends forward to form a tongue  13  and tongue  13  has a first surface  131  and a second surface  132  opposite each other. 
     Each of first terminal set  20  and second terminal set  30  has a plurality of first terminals  21  and second terminal  31 , which are made of electro-conductive metal materials and which are used to transmit different signal protocols. Wherein, each of the first terminals  21  has a first contact part  211  extending forward and the tail end of first terminals  21  comprises an extension part  212  that is connected to the first contact part  211  and that extends backward, as well as the first welded part  213  that extends downward from the end of the extension part  212 . Each of the second terminals  31  has a second contact part  311  that extends forward and the tail end of second terminals  31  has a second welded part  312 . 
     The first terminal set is placed on first the surface  131  of tongue  13 . The second terminal set  30  is placed on second surface  132  of tongue  13  (please refer to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 ), thus allowing first and second terminals  21  and  31  to be placed on the tongue  13 . The aforementioned first and second welded parts  213  and  312  extend out of the installation body  10 . The aforementioned first and second contact parts  211  and  311  are correspondingly exposed on first surface  131  and second surface  132  of the tongue  13 . 
     As depicted, first terminal set  20  is configured to comply with Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 signal transmission protocol and second terminal set  30  is a terminal set that complies with External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) signal transmission protocol but they are not limited thereby. Of course, in a modified embodiment, first terminal set  20  can also directly be replaced by a terminal set that complies with USB 3.0 signal transmission protocol, thus being able to transmit USB 3.0 signals. 
     The cage  40  can be made of metal materials and is slid over and assembled on through outside of housing  10 . The cage  40  combines with housing  10  to form a socket on the front end that is aligned with an insertion direction. The cage  40  comprises a roof  41 , a bottom  42  and two side walls  43  that are connected to the two sides of roof  41  and bottom  42 . The two side walls  43  respectively have an anchor pin  431  that extends downward. 
     The first positioning block  50  and second positioning block  60  are assembled on the rear part of housing  10  and are respectively used to position first and second terminals  21  and  31  (please refer to  FIG. 5 ). The first positioning block  50  positions extension part  212  on the rear and of the first terminals  21  and the second positioning block  60  positions welded parts  213  and  312  of the terminal sets  20  and  30 , in order to achieve the effect of positioning and preventing them from contacting each other. 
     In addition, please refer to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 . One arm  12  of the housing  10  has alight channel  14 . The light channel  14  has a light inlet  141  and a light outlet  142  that form an intersection angle and that are connected to each other. The light channel  14  can be “L” shaped, meaning that the intersection angle can be about 90°. The light inlet  141  has an entrance  143 . The light outlet  142  has an exit  144  toward the direction of socket  101 . At the intersection angle that is connected to the light inlet  141  and the light outlet  142 , there is a deflector  44  that integrally bends and extends from the cage  40 . The deflector  44  has a deflecting surface  441  that faces toward both the light inlet  141  and the light outlet  142 . 
     As depicted, there is a notch  411  on the rear end of roof  41  of the cage  40 . The deflector  44  is formed by bending and extending from the inner edge of the notch  411 . The arm  12  of the housing  10  has a wear slot  121  in a position corresponding to the deflector  44 . The deflector  44  extends to the intersection angle of the light channel  14  through the notch  121 . 
     The receptacle connector  1  can be installed on a circuit board  7 , forming a connector system. A light source  8  is installed on the upper surface of the circuit board  7 . The circuit board  7  has an installation opening  71 , a plurality of sockets  72  and  73  and a plurality of fastening holes  74 , wherein the light source  8  is, without limitation, a light emitting diode. 
     When the receptacle connector  1  is installed on the circuit board  7 , the receptacle connector  1  subsides and is assembled in the installation opening  71 , thus forming a subsiding sheet design. First and second welded parts  213  and  312  of various first and second terminals  21  and  32  are correspondingly plugged into the socket  72  and  73 , allowing the receptacle connector  1  to be electrically connected to the preset circuit of the circuit board  7 . Various anchor pins  431  of the metal case and  40  are correspondingly plugged and affixed into fixation holes  74  of the circuit board  7  or are further welded, so that the receptacle connector  1  is affixed onto the circuit board  7 . 
     At this time, entrance  143  of light inlet  141  of receptacle connector  1  is faced to light source  8  of the circuit board  7 . With this, light L from light source  8  is received via light inlet  141  and is deflected through light outlet  142  onto exit  144  due to the deflecting surface  441 , thus enabling a visual indication effect. Thus, exit  144  faces in a direction opposite of the insertion direction and the deflecting surface  441  is at an intersection point of a first intersection angle formed between the light inlet  141  and the exit  144  (this first intersection angle may be less than 90 degrees, as depicted, in certain embodiments). 
     In addition, receptacle connector  1  of the present invention can also add another light channel on the other arm  12  (not shown in the figures) and another corresponding deflector (not shown in the figures) can bend and extend integrally from cage  40 , in order to correspondingly deflect light from another light source installed on circuit board  7 , thus achieving a dual visual indication effect. 
     In addition, when receptacle connector  1  is plugged into a corresponding plug connector (not shown in the figures), the control circuit of circuit board  7  may actuate the light source  8  (the as a light emitting diode), so as to cause the state of light source  8  to emit light, go off, flash or change the color emitted and the change of state of light source  8  can be performed based on need according to the detection and set up of the circuit. 
     The depicted receptacle connector  1  is a right angle receptacle connector and has a compound eSATA/USB terminal structure. In a modified embodiment, the structural design of the aforementioned light channel  14  and deflector  44  can similarly be applied an oblique angle receptacle connector (not shown in the figures) that runs oblique to circuit board  7 . In such an embodiment, the corresponding intersection angle would be greater than 90°. 
     The disclosure provided herein describes features in terms of preferred and exemplary embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure.