Patent Publication Number: US-2013237075-A1

Title: Electrical connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 201220080560.9 filed in P. R. China on Mar. 6, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Some references, if any, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, may be cited and discussed in the description of this invention. The citation and/or discussion of such references, if any, is provided merely to clarify the description of the present invention and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to the invention described herein. All references listed, cited and/or discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference was individually incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electronic card connector having a cover capable of popping up automatically. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently in the industry, a common electronic card connector is soldered on a circuit board, and includes an insulating body, a plurality of terminals disposed within the insulating body, and a cover horizontally covering on the insulating body. Two sides of the insulating body are disposed with two fastening portions and a pivoting portion respectively. The cover is capable of being opened or closed relative to the insulating body about the pivoting portion. Two sides of the cover are correspondingly disposed with two locking portions locking the fastening portions and a sliding slot sliding along the pivoting portion respectively. Before the electronic card is inserted into the insulating body, the operator needs to open the cover with hands, place the electronic card, and then push the cover backward, so that the locking portion locks the fastening portion. When the electronic card needs to be taken out, the cover is pushed forward, so that the locking portion unlocks the fastening portion, and at this time, the operator also needs to open the cover, and then take out the electronic card. 
     As electronic products develop towards light weight, small and thin structures, the electronic card connector has a small structure, a small distance exists between the cover and the circuit board, so that the operator when intending to open the cover has to put fingers between the cover and the circuit board and apply a force to open the cover, which is inconvenient and easily causes injuries of the fingers during operation. 
     Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, the present invention is directed to an electrical connector, which is easy to operate and safe in operation. 
     In one embodiment, an electrical connector includes: a base, disposed with at least one fastening portion and at least one pivoting portion, a cover, covering on the base, disposed with at least one locking portion correspondingly locking the fastening portion, and capable of being opened or closed relative to the base about the pivoting portion, and at least one elastic member, pressing against the base, in which when the locking portion unlocks the fastening portion, the elastic member pops up automatically due to elasticity, so that an operating space is formed below the cover to allow an operator to open the cover. 
     As compared with the related art, the present invention, among other things, has the following beneficial effects. 
     The elastic member presses against the base, and when the locking portion unlocks the fastening portion, the elastic member pops up automatically due to elasticity, so that an operating space is formed below the cover to allow an operator to open the cover with hands, which facilitates operation and does not cause injuries of the fingers, thereby ensuring safe use. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings, although variations and modifications therein may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is schematic a three-dimensional exploded view of an electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic three-dimensional assembled view of the electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention when the cover is in a free state; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of the electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention when the cover is pressed; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic side view of the electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention when the cover is locked. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various embodiments of the invention are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, titles or subtitles may be used in the specification for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an electrical connector  100  of the present invention includes a base  1  and a cover  2  that covers on the base  1 . 
     The base  1  includes an insulating body  10  and a plurality of terminals  11  disposed within the insulating body  10 . The insulating body  10  has a middle part  12  and two side arms  13  located at two sides of the middle part  12 . The middle part  12  is disposed with a plurality of receiving slots  121 . Each of the side arms  13  is disposed with two fastening portions  131 . The fastening portion  131  is a step-like projecting portion. In other embodiments, each of the side arms  13  may be disposed with a fastening portion  131  located at the front end of the side arm  13 , and the fastening portion  131  may be configured in other shapes. Each of the side arms  13  is disposed with a reserved slot  132  adjacent to the fastening portion  131 , and a pivoting portion  133  disposed at a rear end of the side arm  13 . The pivoting portion  133  is a pivot shaft protruding from the side arm  13 . A protruding block  134  is disposed below the pivoting portion  133 , and the protruding block  134  is strip-shaped. The terminals  11  are disposed in two rows, and are correspondingly received in the receiving slots  121 . 
     The cover  2  is pivotally disposed on the insulating body  10 , and includes a body portion  21 , two side portions  22  located at two sides of the body portion  21 , and a recess  23  located between the side portion  22  and the body portion  21 . The recess  23  is disposed at a rear end of the side portion  22 . Each of the side portions  22  is disposed with two locking portions  221  corresponding to the fastening portions  131 , and a sliding slot  222  corresponding to the pivoting portion  133 . The locking portion  221  includes a notch  2210  formed from the cover  2  and a flat portion  2211  located within the notch  2210 . During locking, the fastening portion  131  enters the notch  2210  and is fastened by the flat portion  2211  so as to lock the cover  2  to the base  1 . The pivoting portion  133  is engaged with the sliding slot  222 , and the sliding slot  222  is capable of displacing relative to the pivoting portion  133  in a front-to-rear direction, so as to drive the cover  2  to slide relative to the base  1  in the front-to-rear direction, thereby achieving locking and opening of the cover  2  to and from the base  1 . The sliding slot  222  is an elongated slot, and has a front end  2221  and a rear end  2222 . When the cover  2  slides backward so that the pivoting portion  133  is located at the front end  2221 , the locking portion  221  locks the fastening portion  131 , and the cover  2  is locked. When the cover  2  slides forward so that the pivoting portion  133  is located at the rear end  2222 , the locking portion  221  unlocks the fastening portion  131 , that is, the locking portion  221  is located within the reserved slot  132 . At this time, an edge of the cover  2  presses against the protruding block  134 , to prevent the sliding slot  222  from sliding relative to the pivoting portion  133 , so that the cover  2  can be rotated stably about the pivoting portion  133  to be opened. As such, locking and opening of the cover  2  can be achieved. 
     Two elastic members  24  are disposed on the cover  2 , and press against the insulating body  10 . The elastic members  24  are disposed symmetrically about a longitudinal central line of the cover  2 , and are adjacent to the pivoting portions  133  respectively, so that the elastic members  24  applies an even pressing force on the insulating body  10 . In this embodiment, the elastic member  24  is an elastic piece integrally formed from the cover  2 . In another embodiment, the elastic member  24  is formed by slitting the cover  2 . In other embodiments, the elastic member  24  may be assembled to the cover  2 , or may be configured in other shapes, in which the shapes that can be easily manufactured are preferred. The elastic member  24  is disposed within the recess  23 , and extends backward from an edge of the recess  23 . When the operator opens the cover  2 , a certain distance is maintained between the elastic member  24  and a surface of the insulating body  10 , so that the cover  2  can be easily opened by the operator without being pressed by the elastic member  24 . The elastic member  24  includes a connecting portion  241  connected to the cover  2  and a bent portion  242  bent and extending from the connecting portion  241  toward the insulating body  10 , and the bent portion  242  is capable of pressing against the surface of the insulating body  10 , so as to provide good elasticity. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the electrical connector  100  is soldered to a circuit board  200 , and is used for inserting a mating element (not shown) therein from front to back to be electrically connected to the terminals  11 . An operating method for inserting and removing the mating element into and from the electrical connector  100  is as follows. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-5 , when the mating element is not inserted into the electrical connector  100 , the cover  2  is in a free state, and the elastic member  24  presses against the surface of the insulating body  10 , to prevent the cover  2  from rotating relative to the base  1 . At this time, the pivoting portion  133  is maintained at the rear end  2222 , and the edge of the cover  2  presses against the protruding block  134 , to prevent the cover  2  from sliding relative to the base  1 , so that the cover  2  is in an inclined state, and an operating space  25  is formed below the cover  2  to allow the operator to open the cover  2  with fingers, thereby facilitating operation. After the mating element is inserted into the electrical connector  100 , the cover  2  is pressed to rotate to a horizontal state, and the elastic member  24  presses against the surface of the insulating body  10  with a larger pressing force, so that the elastic member  24  is interfered with the insulating body  10 , and pushes the cover  2  to slide backward, until the pivoting portion  133  is located at the front end  2221 . At this time, the locking portion  221  locks the fastening portion  131 , so that the cover  2  is maintained in a horizontally locked state. 
     Further referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , when the mating element needs to be taken out from the electrical connector  100 , the cover  2  is pushed to slide forward, so that the locking portion  221  moves from the fastening portion  131  to the reserved slot  132 , and the locking portion  221  unlocks the fastening portion  131 . At this time, the pivoting portion  133  moves to the rear end  2222 . Since the elastic member  24  is interfered with and presses against the surface of the insulating body  10  with a large pressing force, once the cover  2  is released, the cover  2  springs back upward due to a counteraction force to the pressing force, so that the cover  2  pops up automatically, and the operating space  25  is formed below the cover  2  to allow the operator to open the cover  2  with fingers, and take out the mating element. After popping up, the cover  2  is in the free state, and the elastic member  24  presses against the surface of the insulating body  10 . At this time, the edge of the cover  2  presses against the protruding block  134 , so that the cover  2  is maintained in the inclined state, facilitating insertion of the mating element next time. 
     Based on the above, the electrical connector  100  of the present invention, among other things, has the following beneficial effects.
         (1) The elastic member  24  presses against the surface of the insulating body  10 , and when the locking portion  221  unlocks the fastening portion  131 , the elastic member  24  pops up automatically due to elasticity, so that the operating space  25  is formed below the cover  2  to allow the operator to open the cover  2  with hands, which facilitates operation and does not cause injuries of the fingers.   (2) The cover  2  in the free state can be maintained inclined due to the pressing force of the elastic member  24 , so that the cover  2  can be directly opened with fingers during insertion of the mating element, thereby facilitating operation.   (3) When the operator opens the cover  2 , a certain distance is maintained between the elastic member  24  and the surface of the insulating body  10 , so that the cover  2  can be easily opened by the operator without the elastic member  24  pressing against the surface of the insulating body  10 .       

     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. 
     The embodiments are chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to activate others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.