Patent Publication Number: US-10763626-B1

Title: Universal serial bus connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is based on, and claims priority from, China Patent Application No. 201920406227.4, filed Mar. 27, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a universal serial bus connector, and more particularly to a universal serial bus connector preventing a terminal thereof from being deformed, and the terminal is assembled to the universal serial bus connector relatively more stably. 
     2. The Related Art 
     Usually, a conventional universal serial bus connector is used for specifying a connection and a communication between a computer and an external equipment. Nowadays, electronic information technologies are altered from day to day, extensive usages of electronic phones and other digital products makes the universal serial bus connectors become standard configurations of most of the digital products. 
     However, in a process of the conventional universal serial bus connector, contact terminals are directly assembled to the conventional universal serial bus connector, it is difficult to distinguish that an assembly of the contact terminals is normal or not and a height between the contact terminals and a main body of the conventional universal serial bus connector is consistent or not, in that case, a yield of manufacturing the conventional universal serial bus connector is lowered. Furthermore, soldering portions extended from the contact terminals are perpendicular to the contact terminals and are exposed out of a shell of the conventional universal serial bus connector, a thickness of a circuit board of the conventional universal serial bus connector is hardly buffered, and then the contact terminals are caused to be deformed or damaged, or because an accidental collision of the conventional universal serial bus connector, deformations of the contact terminals are caused in the assembling process of the conventional universal serial bus connector. In addition, when an elastic piece for assisting the conventional universal serial bus connector to be inserted into or withdrawn from a docking port is pushed by an external force, the elastic piece will abut against a tongue portion of the conventional universal serial bus connector, a contact-type insertion-withdrawal force between the conventional universal serial bus connector and the docking port is unstable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a universal serial bus connector. The universal serial bus connector includes an insulating housing, a terminal module and an outer shell. The insulating housing has a base body which opens an accommodating space penetrating through a front surface of the base body. A front surface of a rear wall of the accommodating space protrudes frontward to form a tongue portion projecting beyond the front surface of the base body. A middle of the tongue portion opens a receiving space penetrating rearward through a rear surface of the insulating housing. A top of the tongue portion opens a plurality of openings penetrating through the top of the tongue portion. The plurality of the openings are communicated between the accommodating space and the receiving space. The terminal module is received in the receiving space of the tongue portion. The terminal module includes a main body, and a plurality of terminals molded in the main body. Each terminal has a base portion, a contact portion connected with a front end of the base portion, and a soldering portion connected with a rear end of the base portion. The contact portion and the soldering portion of each terminal are disposed to two opposite ends of the insulating housing. The base portion of each terminal is mounted in the main body. The contact portion of each terminal is exposed beyond a top surface of the main body. The contact portion of each terminal is exposed out of the tongue portion through one of the plurality of the openings. The soldering portion of each terminal projects beyond a rear surface of the main body. The outer shell is assembled to the insulating housing, and surrounds the soldering portion of each terminal. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal serial bus connector. The universal serial bus connector includes an insulating housing, a terminal module, a resilient shell and an outer shell. The insulating housing has an accommodating space penetrating through a front surface of the insulating housing. A front surface of a rear wall of the accommodating space protrudes frontward to form a tongue portion. The tongue portion opens a receiving space penetrating rearward through a rear surface of the insulating housing. A top of the tongue portion opens a plurality of openings penetrating through the top of the tongue portion. The plurality of the openings are communicated between the accommodating space and the receiving space. The terminal module is received in the receiving space of the tongue portion. The terminal module includes a main body, and a plurality of terminals molded in the main body. Each terminal has a base portion mounted in the main body, a contact portion connected with a front end of the base portion, and a soldering portion connected with a rear end of the base portion. The contact portion of each terminal is exposed beyond a top surface of the main body. The contact portion of each terminal is exposed out of the tongue portion through one of the plurality of the openings. The soldering portion of each terminal projects beyond a rear surface of the main body. The resilient shell is mounted to a top surface and a bottom surface of the insulating housing. The outer shell surrounds the insulating housing. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a universal serial bus connector. The universal serial bus connector includes an insulating housing, a terminal module, two elastic pieces and an outer shell. The insulating housing has an accommodating space penetrating through a front surface of the insulating housing. A front surface of a rear wall of the accommodating space protrudes frontward to form a tongue portion. The tongue portion opens a receiving space penetrating rearward through a rear surface of the insulating housing. A top of the tongue portion opens a plurality of openings penetrating through the top of the tongue portion. The plurality of the openings are communicated between the accommodating space and the receiving space. The terminal module is received in the receiving space of the tongue portion. The terminal module includes a main body, and a plurality of terminals molded in the main body. Each terminal has a base portion mounted in the main body, a contact portion connected with a front end of the base portion, and a soldering portion connected with a rear end of the base portion. The contact portion of each terminal is exposed beyond a top surface of the main body. The contact portion of each terminal is exposed out of the tongue portion through one of the plurality of the openings. The soldering portion of each terminal projects beyond a rear surface of the main body. The two elastic pieces are mounted in two opposite sides of the insulating housing. The terminal module is located between the two elastic pieces. The outer shell surrounds the insulating housing. 
     As described above, the middle of the tongue portion opens the receiving space extending rearward and penetrating rearward through the rear surface of the insulating housing, a top surface of the tongue portion opens at least one first opening and at least one second opening located in front of the at least one first opening, the contact portion of each terminal is exposed out of the tongue portion through the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening, so the universal serial bus connector prevents each terminal of the universal serial bus connector from being deformed and each terminal is assembled to the universal serial bus connector relatively more stably. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a universal serial bus connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a vertical view of the universal serial bus connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the universal serial bus connector along a line B-B of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a right view of a terminal module of the universal serial bus connector of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the universal serial bus connector along a line A-A of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , a universal serial bus connector  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The universal serial bus connector  100  includes an insulating housing  10 , a terminal module  20  and an outer shell  40 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , the insulating housing  10  has an accommodating space  131  penetrating through a front surface of the insulating housing  10 . The insulating housing  10  has a base body  13 . The base body  13  opens the accommodating space  131  penetrating through a front surface of the base body  13 . A middle of a front surface of a rear wall of the accommodating space  131  protrudes frontward to form a tongue portion  11 . The tongue portion  11  is used for connecting with a corresponding docking port. The insulating housing  10  is equipped with a resilient shell  12 . The resilient shell  12  is used for assisting the insulating housing  10  to be inserted into or withdrawal from the corresponding docking port and sharing a stress of the insulating housing  10  in use. A middle of the tongue portion  11  opens a receiving space  11   a  extending rearward and penetrating rearward through a rear surface of the insulating housing  10 . Two opposite sides of the tongue portion  11  open two connecting holes  11   c  penetrating through two side surfaces of the two opposite sides of the tongue portion  11 , respectively. The two connecting holes  11   c  are communicated between the receiving space  11   a  and an external space. Specifically, the two connecting holes  11   c  are communicated between the receiving space  11   a  and the accommodating space  131 . 
     A top of the tongue portion  11  opens a plurality of openings  101  penetrating through the top of the tongue portion  11 . The plurality of the openings  101  are communicated between the accommodating space  131  and the receiving space  11   a . The plurality of the openings  101  are communicated with an external space through the accommodating space  131 . The top of the tongue portion  11  opens at least one first opening  11   b  penetrating through the top of the tongue portion  11 , and at least one second opening  11   d  penetrating through the top of the tongue portion  11  and located in front of the at least one first opening  11   b . The at least one first opening  11   b  is communicated with the receiving space  11   a , and the at least one second opening  11   d  is communicated with the receiving space  11   a . In another preferred embodiment, the top of the tongue portion  11  opens a plurality of first openings  11   b  arranged transversely, and a plurality of second openings  11   d  arranged transversely. The plurality of the first openings  11   b  and the plurality of the second openings  11   d  are arranged in two rows. The plurality of the first openings  11   b  and the plurality of the second openings  11   d  penetrate through the top of the tongue portion  11 . The plurality of the first openings  11   b  and the plurality of the second openings  11   d  are communicated between the accommodating space  131  and the receiving space  11   a . The plurality of the first openings  11   b  and the plurality of the second openings  11   d  are communicated with the external space through the accommodating space  131 . The plurality of the first openings  11   b  are located behind the plurality of the second openings  11   d . The receiving space  11   a  is communicated with an external space through the plurality of the first openings  11   b  and the plurality of the second openings  11   d.    
     A front end of the insulating housing  10  is defined as a connecting end  14 . The tongue portion  11  is formed at the front end of the insulating housing  10 . The resilient shell  12  is mounted to a top surface and a bottom surface of the insulating housing  10 , and the resilient shell  12  is adjacent to the tongue portion  11  and the connecting end  14  corresponding to the docking port. A clamping force is exerted on the docking port through the resilient shell  12  for stabilizing a connection between the docking port and the connecting end  14 . In the preferred embodiment, the resilient shell  12  includes an upper shell  12   a  mounted to the top surface of the insulating housing  10 , and a lower shell  12   b  of the bottom surface of the insulating housing  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , the terminal module  20  is received in the receiving space  11   a  of the tongue portion  11 . The terminal module  20  includes a main body  21 , and a plurality of terminals  22  molded in the main body  21 . The plurality of the terminals  22  include at least one contact terminal  23  and at least one transmission terminal  24 . The at least one contact terminal  23  is disposed to a top surface of the terminal module  20 . The at least one transmission terminal  24  is molded in the main body  21  by virtue of an envelope injection technology, so a manufacturing yield of the universal serial bus connector  100  is improved. Each terminal  22  has a base portion  221 , a contact portion  222  connected with a front end of the base portion  221 , and a soldering portion  223  connected with a rear end of the base portion  221 . Each contact terminal  23  has a first base portion  23   a , a first contact portion  23   b  connected with a front end of the first base portion  23   a , and a first soldering portion  23   c  connected with a rear end of the first base portion  23   a . The contact portion  222  of each terminal  22  is exposed beyond a top surface of the main body  21 . The base portion  221  of each terminal  22  is mounted in the main body  21 . The contact portion  222  of each terminal  22  is exposed out of the tongue portion  11  through one of the plurality of the openings  101 . The soldering portion  223  of each terminal  22  projects beyond a rear surface of the main body  21 . The contact portion  222  and the soldering portion  223  of each terminal  22  are disposed to two opposite ends of the insulating housing  10 . The first base portion  23   a  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is assembled to and fastened in the main body  21 . The first contact portion  23   b  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is exposed beyond the top surface of the main body  21 . The first contact portion  23   b  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is exposed out of the tongue portion  11  through the at least one first opening  11   b . The first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  projects beyond the rear surface of the main body  21 . Two opposite side surfaces of the main body  21  are recessed inward to form two limiting grooves  26 . 
     Each transmission terminal  24  has a second base portion  24   a , a second touching portion  24   b  connected with a front end of the second base portion  24   a , and a second soldering foot  24   c  connected with a rear end of the second base portion  24   a . The second base portion  24   a  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  is integrally molded to the main body  21  by virtue of an injection technology. The second touching portion  24   b  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  is exposed beyond the top surface of the main body  21 . The second touching portion  24   b  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  is exposed out of the tongue portion  11  through the at least one second opening  11   d  and located in front of the first contact portion  23   b  of the at least one contact terminal  23 . The second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  projects beyond the rear surface of the main body  21 . In another preferred embodiment, the plurality of the terminals  22  include a plurality of contact terminals  23  and a plurality of transmission terminals  24 . The first contact portions  23   b  of the plurality of the contact terminals  23  are exposed out of the tongue portion  11  through the plurality of the first openings  11   b . The second touching portions  24   b  of the plurality of the transmission terminals  24  are exposed out of the tongue portion  11  through the plurality of the second openings  11   d  and located in front of the first contact portions  23   b  of the plurality of the contact terminals  23 . 
     The at least one contact terminal  23  is assembled in the main body  21 . The main body  21  and the at least one contact terminal  23  are inserted into the receiving space  11   a  of the tongue portion  11 , so the tongue portion  11  surrounds the main body  21  and the at least one contact terminal  23  to show a two-section assembly. That the tongue portion  11  surrounds the main body  21  and the at least one contact terminal  23  facilitates confirming whether an assembly of the at least one contact terminal  23  is normal or not, and confirming whether a height between the first contact portion  23   b  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the main body  21  is consistent or not. If the assembly of the at least one contact terminal  23  is discovered to be abnormal or the height between the first contact portions  23   b  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the main body  21  is inconsistent, the at least one contact terminal  23  is directly replaced, so that the manufacturing yield of the universal serial bus connector  100  is improved. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is soldered to and connected to a circuit board (not shown). The second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  is soldered to and connected to the circuit board. The first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  are exposed out of a rear end of the insulating housing  10  opposite to the front end of the insulating housing  10  where the tongue portion  11  is formed. In order to cooperate with and appropriate for the circuit boards with different thicknesses, the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  are prevented from being deformed and damaged on account of the circuit boards with the different thicknesses. In the preferred embodiment, the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is of an inverted lying S shape which is a curved structure. The first base portion  23   a  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is arched upward and then arched downward to form the first soldering portion  23   c . A bottom surface of a tail end of the first soldering portion  23   c  is shown as a convex surface. The second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  is extended rearward and then arched upward from a rear end of the second base portion  24   a . The second soldering foot  24   c  is shown as another curved structure. A top surface of a tail end of the second soldering foot  24   c  is shown as another convex surface. 
     The first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is located above and spaced from the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24 . The tail end of the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  is matched with and cooperates with the tail end of the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  to form a clamping structure  25  by virtue of the at least one contact terminal  23  which is the curved structure and the at least one transmission terminal  24  which is another curved structure being disposed oppositely. When the clamping structure  25  is connected with the circuit board, the clamping structure  25  clamps and fastens the circuit board between the tail end of the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the tail end of the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24 . The thickness of the circuit board is buffered by virtue of elastic deformations of the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  generated at the time of the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  bearing a force, so that the plurality of the terminals  22  are prevented from being deformed and damaged. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , in order to make an insertion and withdrawal force of the universal serial bus connector  100  contacts with the docking port stabler, the receiving space  11   a  is further equipped with two elastic pieces  30 . The two elastic pieces  30  are mounted in two opposite sides of the insulating housing  10 . The terminal module  20  is located between the two elastic pieces  30 . The two elastic pieces  30  have two insertion portions  32  extending longitudinally, two elastic portions  31  arched oppositely and then extending frontward from front ends of the two insertion portions  32 , and two locating portions  33  bent oppositely, then extending downward and further bent frontward from rear ends of the two insertion portions  32 . The two insertion portions  32  of the two elastic pieces  30  are inserted into the two opposite sides of the insulating housing  10 . The two elastic portions  31  of the two elastic pieces  30  are exposed to the two opposite sides of the tongue portion  11  through the two connecting holes  11   c , respectively. The two locating portions  33  of the two elastic pieces  30  are located to two opposite sides of the rear end of the insulating housing  10 . When the universal serial bus connector  100  contacts the corresponding docking port, the two elastic portions  31  abut against two inner walls of the two limiting grooves  26 , so the insertion and withdrawal force of the universal serial bus connector  100  is stabler by virtue of the two elastic portions  31  being pushed by an external force to abut against two inner walls of the two limiting grooves  26 . When the universal serial bus connector  100  contacts the corresponding docking port, a poor contact between the universal serial bus connector  100  and the corresponding docking port is decreased on account of a sway of the universal serial bus connector  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the outer shell  40  surrounds the insulating housing  10 . The outer shell  40  is assembled to the insulating housing  10 , and surrounds the soldering portion  223  of each terminal  22 . The outer shell  40  surrounds the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24 , a normal usage of the universal serial bus connector  100  is affected for avoiding that the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24  are deformed in a process of assembling the universal serial bus connector  100  on account of an accidental collision. In the preferred embodiment, the outer shell  40  is disposed to the rear end of the insulating housing  10  adjacent to the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23  and the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24 . The outer shell  40  includes a first shell  40   a  disposed to the upper shell  12   a  and the top surface of the insulating housing  10 , and a second shell  40   b  disposed to the lower shell  12   b  and the bottom surface of the insulating housing  10 . The first shell  40   a  covers a top surface of the first soldering portion  23   c  of the at least one contact terminal  23 , and the second shell  40   b  covers a bottom surface of the second soldering foot  24   c  of the at least one transmission terminal  24 . 
     As described above, the middle of the tongue portion  11  opens the receiving space  11   a  extending rearward and penetrating rearward through the rear surface of the insulating housing  10 , the top surface of the tongue portion  11  opens the at least one first opening  11   b  and the at least one second opening  11   d  located in front of the at least one first opening  11   b , the contact portion  222  of each terminal  22  is exposed out of the tongue portion  11  through the at least one first opening  11   b  and the at least one second opening  11   d , so the universal serial bus connector  100  prevents each terminal  22  of the universal serial bus connector  100  from being deformed and each terminal  22  is assembled to the universal serial bus connector  100  relatively more stably.